"Hua, can you do it?"
"Yes, no problem."
While Lin and Anna were conducting their search, Hua and Immer weren't idle. Immer was remotely monitoring the city's Honkai energy fluctuations, and Hua was experimenting with a device in the city that could generate a frequency to attract Honkai Beasts and Honkai-infected.
Although lower-level Honkai Beasts basically had no intelligence, there was an inexplicable connection and locating method between them, similar to the special frequency of dolphin sonar.
But this frequency could not be simulated merely by mechanical devices. The special structures and organs within the Honkai Beast's body could not be replicated with current means, so this device wasn't exactly human "technology."
"Immer, are you sure this won't leak Honkai energy into the city?"
Hua rested one hand on the back door of the transport vehicle, asking Immer through the communicator.
In front of her, inside the transport vehicle, a special object was "sealed."
The intact corpse of a Striker-class Honkai Beast.
By injecting Honkai energy into the Honkai Beast, its fleshy organs were kept barely functional. Then, through a series of modifications, the Striker-class Honkai Beast was converted into a frequency emitting device that could either repel or attract Honkai Beasts within a certain range.
"It won't, as long as the time is properly controlled. Rather than Honkai energy leakage, you should be more worried about whether any Honkai Beasts will be attracted and cause harm," Immer said to Hua, sitting alone in front of the computer. "The Captain ordered only multiple small-scale tests, and only at designated locations, but we still can't let our guard down. The appearance of Honkai-infected in the city means the Honkai energy level is excessive."
Hua slowly nodded, pondering for a moment: "But why is the headquarters still taking no action despite the appearance of a Honkai-infected?"
"...Hua, haven't you noticed?"
"What?"
"The atmosphere in Moth of the Flame is very wrong." Immer's fingers paused on the keyboard, her gaze fixed somberly on the coordinates on the computer screen. "The Fifth Honkai Eruption is imminent, yet Moth of the Flame is more focused on discussions about various experimental technologies than on the major Honkai Eruption."
The prevailing mood in Moth of the Flame even led Immer to think at one point that the Honkai had ended, and it was time to resolve humanity's internal issues.
It even made her wonder if everyone thought that the speed of handling the previous major Honkai Eruptions was so fast that they could be resolved in a single day, the Herrschers were all defeated by soldiers, and their scientific and technological development was thriving, making the subsequent Honkai Eruption nothing to fear.
"I don't know how long this will last, but... the Captain is running out of strength to hold on."
Occasionally seeing Lin's back, she got the illusion that Lin was walking on a shaky tightrope.
The decaying wood underfoot made a grating sound as it was corroded, but Lin still walked forward as if oblivious, waiting for the moment he would fall.
Moreover, Lin had no thought of struggling.
"Captain..." Hua looked down, her expression unreadable. "Immer, do you think there will ever be an end to the Honkai?"
"There will be, I think."
"Then I wish it would come sooner. I want to invite the Captain, Immer, and everyone in Squad Five to go traveling together."
"Traveling?"
"Yes. The Captain once asked me to think about the meaning of living. He told me then that if I couldn't find it, I should live for him for the time being." Hua stared blankly at her palm. "Later, I asked Captain Himeko how to find the meaning of living, and she told me not to think about heavy things like the Captain does, but just to think about what I want to do after the Honkai ends."
"So, I think I would want to travel, just like the Captain told me before."
Lin and Himeko, one was the guide who saved her, the other the senior who educated her in Lin's absence. Their influence on Hua had deeply penetrated her heart.
Lin encouraged her to think independently, while Himeko balanced what Lin taught her on top of that, preventing her from becoming like Lin.
Although they were not from the same era, Lin and Himeko were surprisingly consistent as seniors: their juniors would eventually take their place.
"Hua, that's a good idea."
At this moment, Lin's communication suddenly appeared in the channel, startling Hua.
"Captain?"
"After the Honkai ends, you should go traveling." Lin's steady voice, however, sent a chill to Hua's heart.
After thinking it over, she asked: "Captain, the Fifth Branch is developing an anti-Honkai energy serum. You..."
"Focus on the mission."
"..."
Traveling with Hua? Lin had never considered the possibility.
Calculations from Prometheus II showed there were fourteen Herrschers in total. At the current frequency, the fourteenth Herrscher would appear in less than ten years at the earliest. Lin would have long turned into white bones by then.
'After all, this is the average person,' Hina's gaze towards Anna was infinitely kind.
"..."
Had he ever thought about what he would do after the Honkai ended?
Apparently not.
The possibility was too remote, so Lin never considered the future.
Average person... was he still an average person?
...
"Arrived at the target location. Estimated to start in ten minutes... Captain?!"
The first thing Hua saw after getting out of the car was Lin, who had been waiting for a long time, and Anna, who was acting like a curious child beside him.
Anna jumped three steps to Hua, sizing her up: "So this is the Old Man's team member? He really didn't lie to me. The Old Man is indeed the Captain."
"Captain, who is she..." Hua looked at Lin in confusion. She didn't know Anna, but Anna seemed to know who Hua was.
Lin pointed sternly at the equipment behind Hua: "It's fine, ignore her."
Immer asked through the communicator: "Hua, what's wrong? Is the Captain there too?"
"Yes, and there's an unfamiliar girl next to the Captain..."
"Is she a member of Moth of the Flame?"
"Probably not... but she seems to know the Captain's identity and Moth of the Flame."
Anna immediately put her arm around Hua's shoulder, smiling: "The Old Man said not to worry about me. It's not too late for us to get to know each other after you finish your work, right? We have to save the world now, don't we?"
"..."
Hua swallowed and glanced at the calm Lin. This flippant attitude was generally not tolerated by Lin. Don't let the improved relationship between Elysia and Lin fool you; Lin used to avoid Elysia, and it took Elysia over half a year of unilateral friendliness before Lin changed his view of her.
This girl was using such a frivolous tone and undignified posture in front of Lin, yet Lin showed no reaction.
This truly had a touch of surrealism to it.
"Oh, don't be so nervous. The Old Man and I have a great relationship. He even took off my clothes at my house."
"..."