Mobius is a fascinating and captivating individual.
This so-called "charm" transcends superficial factors like gender, age, or appearance.
Like the Gorgon of myth, even if her terrifying exterior evokes fear in the most beautiful souls, it simultaneously possesses an unparalleled allure. Few in the world can see past that intimidating facade to understand her true spirit.
Quite the opposite, in fact. Mobius's image in the eyes of the world has always been one that few truly understand or appreciate – perhaps only two or three people in total. One of them, Eden, had minimal interaction with her for the vast majority of their respective lives, even after joining the Flame-Chasers.
After all, one was a chief scientist juggling countless responsibilities, overseeing complex research projects like the Stigmata Plan and the MANTIS Project, things most people couldn't even comprehend, rarely even stepping outside her lab.
The other was a songstress navigating the world of fame and fortune, a survivor who only joined the Flame-Chasers after that terrible fire, someone who hadn't even known such horrors existed before then.
After joining, she participated in some logistical work as an investor and clothing designer, eventually taking to the front lines as a warrior.
Considering their vastly different life paths, if Elysia hadn't forcefully dragged them both into various baffling "tea parties," their first meeting probably would have been Eden lying on Mobius's operating table, undergoing the MANTIS surgery – assuming someone else wasn't holding the scalpel that day...
Regardless, for one who viewed art as her life's pursuit and another who considered music mere "noise," their relationship was never likely to be close.
After all, one treasured all things beautiful or precious in the world, while the other preferred discussing instrument readings in the lab. From any angle, they had absolutely no common ground.
Yet, despite all this, Eden remained one of the very few who could understand Mobius.
And Mobius, though she scoffed at the notion outwardly, had long since acknowledged this friendship in her heart. In the final moments, as the era ended and civilization crumbled, when Eden walked alone through the ruins singing a final elegy, the only person in the world who stayed by her side, listening to the end of that lonely performance, was Mobius...
It couldn't be helped.
That was just Mobius's way – prickly, but deep down, she cared immensely, even if she constantly grumbled and pretended not to. In truth, the lonelier someone is, the more they crave and cherish every bit of kindness and understanding.
After all, why else would Mobius later increasingly mimic Elysia's speech patterns and quirks? Though it looked clumsy and awkward, wasn't it simply because she hoped to be a little more liked?
But the proud Mobius refused to admit such weakness.
Over time, just as she never admitted how much she cared about Branka, even complaining endlessly about her departure, yet still desperately trying to salvage her only remaining memento after her death... Or how she always professed deep hatred for Elysia, yet completely broke down mentally after Elysia's actual death...
You must understand, even amidst the tragedy of the Previous Era's end, Mobius was the first among the despairing survivors to pull herself together and manage the cleanup, retrieving the few survivors, including Vill-V, from the mountain of corpses – even though Vill-V herself was too devastated by the blow to even cry out at the time.
In Lin Wei's eyes, Mobius's seemingly frail body housed a stubborn, lonely, yet brilliantly shining soul, dedicating her entire life to fulfilling a single creed – the vow she made as a mere child, before the hospital bed of her father, whose body was ravaged by Honkai sickness, while clutching her own bloodied cheek:
"I will make humanity evolve!"
She regarded the father disfigured by Honkai sickness as a monster, and saw the catastrophe and the medicine that had transformed her once-kind father into such a creature as an insult to humankind.
The people of her time probably never knew that the person they saw as an unspeakable monster and demon was, in fact, the one who hated monsters the most.
If the Gorgon's fate was to inevitably bear some terrible curse, then Mobius, having seen through destiny and embraced her mission, consequently embarked upon that lonely path, misunderstood by the world.
Lin Wei greatly admired this Mobius.
Not because she was "Mobius," but because here was a true warrior who dared draw her sword against fate itself. She wielded her only weapon – "Wisdom" – to its absolute limit, casting a defiant gaze towards the so-called "divinity" and declaring contemptuously, "Is that all you've got."
Compared to the clueless Otto, this Mobius was clearly far more worthy of respect.
"Hehehehe..." Mobius's laughter sounded incredibly neurotic, slightly crazed, yet also filled with mockery. "Please, at this point, are we still going to engage in academic snobbery?"
Lin Wei shrugged helplessly. "Also, 'basic graduate education'? Your basic standards are really quite high!"
"Heh heh. Your way of forcibly changing the subject is just as annoying as Elysia's," Mobius countered, her laughter ceasing.
She puffed out her meager chest, adopting a condescending, almost pitying look, like a teacher addressing an immature student.
"If it were fifty thousand years ago, with your little bit of cleverness and so-called 'talent,' the most you could have become was one of the most ordinary soldiers in the Flame-Chasers. It's only because everyone became idle here in this Elysian Realm that they have the time and patience to play this little game of house with you."
After saying this, she added, as if for emphasis, "Like Vill-V, for example~"
Though her words dripped with doubt and disdain, they were, in a sense, stating facts.
Fifty thousand years ago, as the head of Mobius's lab, Lin Wei wouldn't even have been qualified to meet her, unless he willingly became a test subject on her operating table. And even then, Mobius, with her packed schedule, would hardly have had the leisure to chat with him.
"Why don't you mention Elysia?" Lin Wei asked, seemingly ignoring the pointed exclusion in Mobius's words, smiling.
"Thinking about it, it makes sense. If I had been born fifty thousand years ago, I probably wouldn't have attracted Elysia's attention. After all, back then, I likely wouldn't have had the chance to defeat a Herrscher personally, like I can now. I probably would have just died silently under the erosion of the Honkai sickness, like most people in that era, and this era."
"..." Mobius frowned, looking deeply at Lin Wei. The mockery in her tone lessened slightly. "I take back my previous assessment. You'd probably be well-liked by Blanka's brute of a husband."
"Is that so? Then I'm truly honored," Lin Wei replied smoothly.
"Blanka's husband" was undoubtedly Ato, the guiding figure for both Kevin and Kosma, who ultimately made a tragic, decisive sacrifice that left an indelible mark on both their hearts.
"Tsk, why does this plotline sound familiar?" Lin Wei's thoughts drifted off into strange territory.
"Besides, you wouldn't die silently under the Honkai sickness like you said," Mobius raised a slender finger, her serpentine eyes once again fixing intently on Lin Wei, her tone still condescending. "You would definitely try everything possible to find the Flame-Chasers, come before me at any cost, begging me to save your life. For that, you would even agree to all my conditions, including becoming a test subject for the most dangerous experiments, just to grasp even the faintest sliver of hope..."
As she spoke, her voice grew surprisingly agitated, as if all this had truly happened before her very eyes.
"Heh heh. Is that so? I suppose you're right. After all, in your era, without the qualifications to receive those precious anti-Honkai serums, that probably was the only way out," Lin Wei calmly acknowledged Mobius's assertion, then added with a light chuckle, "If I'm not mistaken, if such a 'test subject' truly appeared before you, Doctor, you certainly wouldn't refuse their request, would you?"
"Oh? You really think highly of yourself!" Mobius's brow furrowed, clearly displeased. She mocked, "The number of people wanting to climb onto my operating table each day is too high to count. I have absolutely no interest in their individual thoughts—just like you wouldn't care how many slices of bread you ate today."
"No, you would care, Mobius," Lin Wei calmly countered. "If such an ordinary person, afflicted by Honkai sickness, overcame countless hardships to reach you, giving everything just to chase a hope that exists only in their imagination... such a stubborn will to live would definitely move you. You would absolutely want to see just how far such a person could ultimately go, willingly investing immense time and effort."
That spark of life has always been something Mobius finds most irresistible; it is the most beautiful thing in the world to her.
"..." Mobius fell silent for a moment, then suddenly let out a short laugh. Her stiff posture relaxed slightly, and her serpentine eyes regarded Lin Wei with a hint of displeasure. Coolly, she asked, "Is this your confidence for coming to see me today?"
She hadn't expected to fall unwittingly into such a verbal trap. Was Lin Wei even talking about the Previous Era? He was clearly talking about the present, talking about himself!
Lin Wei met her gaze silently, offering tacit confirmation.
"Hah!" Mobius disliked Lin Wei's arrogant demeanor. She sneered sarcastically, "Regrettable, you know? Disobedient little mice are usually the first to be disposed of in the lab~" Know your place when you speak to me, laughable little mouse!
"Why? This spark, born from the instinct for life, striving with all its might for survival, for tomorrow... Don't you think this is the most precious and beautiful thing in the world, Doctor?" Lin Wei asked calmly.
"That form, both humble and great, ugly yet beautiful, representing the infinite potential of the future... For someone as obsessed with life science research as you, Dr. Mobius, surely you can understand this magnificence, right?"
"?!" Mobius was stunned for a moment. Aren't those my words? Did Elysia teach him this too? That shouldn't be... No, it's impossible. Even Elysia herself didn't truly understand the object of her own heart's desire; she merely understood her own stance of "tireless pursuit" and expressed admiration for it.
This ambiguity had always left Mobius feeling deeply regretful; it was also the real reason she disliked Elysia.
Only Eden could speak such words, but Eden, although gentle, was the least likely person to gossip... Mobius's thoughts descended into momentary, uncontrollable chaos, unable to figure out what had happened.
Seeing the green-haired "girl's" rapidly changing expression, looking like her CPU was somewhat overloaded, Lin Wei just smiled faintly and chose to remain silent. As stated before, the simplest way to deal with a tsundere is a direct approach.
A few well-aimed words could score a critical hit. Look, isn't the effect outstanding?
Unfortunately, pressing further would be overkill; attempting a "follow-up attack" now would likely backfire. Thus, Lin Wei could only watch with slight regret as Mobius gradually regained her composure.
"You..." Mobius was somewhat uncertain, momentarily speechless. Finally, she blurted out irritably, "So Rin ended up in your hands like this?"
The wording sounded rather suggestive, but to avoid overcomplicating things, Lin Wei didn't point it out. Instead, he replied ambiguously with a smile, "With utmost sincerity."
"..." Mobius glared fiercely at Lin Wei, thoroughly displeased. Her sharp voice carried undertones of exasperation. "After beating around the bush for so long, what is it you actually want to say to me?"
At this point, Mobius really had no logical or emotional reason to refuse him. Besides, she had already guessed Lin Wei's intentions long ago. But she was annoyed. She wanted to hear Lin Wei ask her directly, just like every test subject before him. She simply couldn't stand that cocky attitude of his!
"What do you think of that girl, Yuno? As a victim of the Honkai, her body invaded and parasitized by it, yet she continues to resist stubbornly..."
Lin Wei seemed to ponder for a moment, then said with a hint of temptation, "Don't you think personally cultivating someone who isn't truly a Herrscher, but is incredibly similar to one, would be a very interesting, very creative endeavor?"