Silas hesitated. He had the distinct feeling that if he really reached out to embrace her now, there would be no turning back. And… afterward, Vill-V would likely make the same demand as well.
Seeing his hesitation, Mobius sighed softly. She stepped forward and took the initiative to hold him.
"Mobius, you…"
"My feelings, my heart… they're not just mine alone. You know very well what the others feel too, don't you, Silas?" Mobius murmured, resting her head against his neck.
Silas remained silent.
"The only one who could ever change the way I act is you. But the one who could change your convictions… is not me. Silas, I want to know—if it were Lilith, if she were to oppose the path you've already walked and still intend to continue down… what would you do?"
His reply was calm and unwavering. "Even if it were her, I would not change my mind. Besides, she wouldn't oppose me."
"Yes… she wouldn't." Mobius' lips curved faintly. "But I truly wonder—how did you win her heart so completely? In my memories, she was nothing but hostile toward you at the beginning."
"You're right. She even tried to kill me once." Silas sighed. "But after that attempt failed, she gave up."
"She did that?" Mobius' arms loosened as she looked up at him in surprise. She had known Lilith disliked him at first, but this detail was new to her.
"I probably understand the reason why. But as for how she came to like me… if I knew that, it would be nice. After all, I don't even know how the rest of you ended up liking me." Silas let out a helpless laugh. "She wanted to kill me at first, then later started giving me advice on how to pursue Elysia. The only thing I know for certain is… well, never mind. It doesn't matter."
"How I fell for you…" Mobius muttered softly. "Perhaps after the Ninth Herrscher incident ended, or maybe even earlier. From those pleasant early interactions, to the times we helped one another… ha. I suppose, somewhere in those everyday moments, I unknowingly came to like you."
"Is that so…" Silas mused. That seemed to be the case with Elysia as well. As for Vill-V, he could only make sense of her Pure Evil persona; the other personalities remained a mystery. With Sakura and Pardofelis… it was difficult to say.
Mobius once again tightened her embrace around him. "Now I understand one thing—if someone likes you but doesn't say it outright, you'll just feign ignorance."
"Because it puts me in a difficult position," Silas replied. "I currently have no thoughts of romance." It was the truth. He had never intended to pursue such things. Back when he first transmigrated, he had briefly entertained the idea of courting Elysia, but later gave up on his own.
Mobius closed her eyes, her head pressing against his neck once more. "Suit yourself then. But, you know… in a hug, it can't just be me doing all the holding. You ought to at least move a little."
Reluctantly, Silas lifted his arms and wrapped them around her back. From the touch, he couldn't help but quietly note—Mobius was indeed the taller one.
At that moment, the lab door clicked open. Klein, coming in to report work to Mobius, froze at the scene before her eyes. Without a word, she took out her phone, snapped a photo, and just as silently closed the door again.
After a while, the two of them sat down again. Silas looked at Mobius with mild puzzlement. "Mobius… why this time? Why so directly?"
From what he knew of her, she had the sharpest tongue in the Elysian Realm. It didn't fit her at all to express her feelings so bluntly. He had experienced her tsundere temperament more than once, yet this time had caught him completely off guard.
"It's nothing. I just thought it through." Mobius stretched lazily, deliberately showing off her curves. "Some things—once you've thought them through, you can let go easily."
Silas slowly blinked, a question mark practically written across his face.
Mobius turned to him again. "Then, let's proceed as you suggested. I'll attempt treatment using standard methods. As for Dystopia, if she wants to come here and monitor the process, let her."
"Then I'll be counting on you," Silas said.
"Just remember—it's you who asked me to do this." Mobius intertwined her fingers and rested her chin on them, smiling faintly.
The two spoke a while longer about their plans. Since Elysia was on strike, Silas still needed to file the mission report himself. After reminding Mobius once more to keep up with her physical training, he excused himself.
In truth, the higher-ups preferred that Silas write the reports anyway. When Elysia was the one filing them, most of her submissions boiled down to just two words: "Very simple."
It looked like she had written something, yet at the same time almost nothing. Call it perfunctory, but she wasn't technically wrong. It was enough to give anyone a headache.
Mobius watched Silas's retreating figure. She picked up her coffee and took a large gulp. For once, the normally calm expression on her face was tinged with a faint blush.
She laid a hand over her chest, feeling the rapid thrum of her own heartbeat.
So… she had really said it out loud.
Confessing like that was still a little too exhilarating, after all.
Truthfully, Mobius had acted in the heat of emotion. Ever since Silas and the others returned from their vacation, she had noticed something was off. The distance between him and Elysia had grown smaller—closer to how he and Lilith had been in the previous life.
That alone had made her uneasy. Then came the mission. In the middle of it, Silas had messaged her, asking that she take in those patients who had been corroded by Honkai energy.
That wasn't like the Silas she knew. It was more like something Elysia would do.
She immediately suspected that Elysia had persuaded him. Silas cared nothing for the lives of others; in his eyes, there was only the fight against the Honkai.
The truth was plain. In their previous life, no method to cure Honkai erosion had ever been found—not even until the Finality descended. Silas, who had worked with her for so long, should have been perfectly aware of that fact. Yet, he had still asked her to try. No matter how she looked at it, this reeked of Elysia's influence. And that only fueled her sense of urgency.
Had things between Silas and Elysia really advanced that far already?
And then, when the two had disembarked from the transport craft together… that had been the final, most direct spark—enough to push her over the edge.
But even if her emotions had boiled over, Mobius had her own considerations. She was clear about her feelings for Silas, but there was still one wall standing between them—the difference in age.
She had always avoided that topic, and Silas had never once brought it up. Yet, no matter what, it lingered as a faint weight in her heart.
So, she decided to take the plunge and confess. Whether or not Silas reciprocated didn't matter, as long as it didn't damage their relationship going forward. And knowing him, things would most likely remain unchanged. Negative consequences were almost impossible.
"Because… you've always been a gentle, good child, haven't you?" she murmured softly.
She hadn't lied in their earlier conversation. There were indeed things she had thought through. Did she like Silas? Yes. Was she happy with him around? Yes.
The things she needed—she already had them now.
So what else was there to worry about? Having a child? Please. Mobius had no such mundane concerns. But if Silas ever needed it, she wasn't unwilling either… cough, cough. In any case, if she truly wanted one, she could just make it happen herself.
In their previous life, she had even worked with Mei to create an artificial child from Kevin and Mei's genes. This time, she could just as easily reproduce the same feat with Silas.
So what exactly was she still hesitating over? There was nothing to hesitate about. All she had to do was act.
And yet… putting it into practice still made her heart race uncontrollably.
Meanwhile, after leaving Mobius' lab, Silas went straight to the training ground.
Kevin, however, was summoned by Mei for questioning about the details of the mission.
"So, the heavily corroded child—was he dealt with by Silas?" Mei asked. "And the two severely corroded villagers, handled by Pardofelis and Sakura?"
Kevin nodded. Noticing the outfit Mei wore under her lab coat—the very one he had bought her previously—he chuckled. "Looks like you really do like the clothes I get you."
Mei adjusted her glasses. "Clothes that are bought should at least be used. It's not a matter of liking or not."
Kevin smiled faintly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Mei continued to ask him other questions, ones that didn't seem directly related to the mission. Kevin knew why. She had done the same in their previous life—testing him, probing for any signs of maladjustment.
And Kevin knew Mei all too well.
That evening, after training, Silas returned to his room to write the mission report—only to find Vill-V sitting on his bed. For some reason, his first instinct was an urge to bolt.
But would he? Of course not. He trusted that Vill-V wouldn't cross the line and do something outrageous… probably.
"Hi my dearest audience, Silas" Vill-V greeted warmly. Judging from her tone, it was the Magician persona. If it wasn't Pure Evil, then there shouldn't be too much trouble…
Just as Silas raised his hand to return the greeting, Vill-V suddenly pulled something out. His reflexes kicked in; he swiftly caught her wrist.
Looking closely—an electric stun gun? Was this woman actually planning to lock him up somewhere this time?!
"Vill-V, you—" He had just begun to question her when her other hand moved. Silas instantly restrained that one as well. Good thing he hadn't let his guard down…
Wait. What was that on her shoulder?
A small device had appeared there—and it sprayed something directly into his face.
"Anesthetic mist?!" Silas realized, just as his legs went weak. His body collapsed forward, beyond his control.
Vill-V stepped back, catching Silas's collapsing body in her arms. A twisted smile crept across her face.
"Finally, I've caught you~."
Silas felt his limbs go completely numb. He had guarded against everything but this. Still, if Vill-V didn't reinforce the anesthetic, he should be able to regain control of his body eventually.
But this "eventually" felt far too long.
The familiar fragrance entering his nose confirmed it was her. Supporting him, Vill-V pressed him down onto the bed.
Silas stared up at her, mind racing for countermeasures. Vill-V wouldn't have acted unless she was absolutely certain no one would disturb them. Right now, he couldn't move. Resistance was impossible. But—he could still talk. Perhaps he could buy time.
Because if she really crossed the line, no matter what happened afterward, he would never forgive himself. He truly had no such thoughts!
"Silas, why are you always so biased?" Vill-V caressed his cheek, their faces nearly touching. "I like you so much too… So why is it that I spend less time with you than anyone else?"
Her tone turned sharp, almost resentful.
"Lilith kissed you—I endured it. Elysia kissed you, maybe even twice—I endured that too. Now even Mobius gets to embrace you. And me? Other than making weapons and equipment for you, I can only listen and watch! And on this mission—oh, Silas, you and Elysia seemed to get along so well..."
Silas: "..."
Vill-V, what are your other personalities doing? Somebody, please save me!
He looked into her eyes and asked, "Vill-V, why don't you just say what it is you really want?"
"What I want?" Her smile turned mocking. "The thing Lilith once tried but failed to do—what if I succeed? Can you imagine her expression then?"
He didn't know about Lilith's expression. But he did know the Fire Moth's base would probably need to be rebuilt afterward.
As Vill-V's hands moved to strip away his clothing, Silas tried one last desperate gambit.
"If it's just Pure Evil, then I really can't resist… But even if I can't move, I'll be watching the entire time. Are you sure you want that, Vill-V?"
"What's the point if you don't watch? Where's the fun in that?" Pure Evil sneered.
But her hands froze. A flush spread from her cheeks to her ears. Moments later, she curled up at the side, making strange, muffled sounds.
Silas exhaled in relief. He had suspected it—Magician was probably siding with Extreme Evil, but the Original Vill-V, at her essence, was still a shy girl. He also knew the other personalities to some degree. They would never allow this to happen. More likely, they had been goaded by Pure Evil and gotten carried away. When it came to actually doing it, there was no way eight personalities could all agree.
And indeed, there were eight of them sharing one body.
"What are you doing?!"
"So embarrassing!!!"
"We were so close—what's wrong with you all?!"
"Though union with the Fallen Angel has always been my dream, when dreams turn to reality, it is difficult to face..."
"From a rational standpoint, this cannot be faced rationally."
"I too wish to be honest with my dearest audience, but… it seems I am not ready after all..."
"Magician, you too? Forget it—if you all fall asleep, I'll just finish this myself!"
Silas twisted the knife. "Funny, but after hearing you say that, I think the others will find it even harder to sleep."
Pure Evil was about to explode. Why did they always falter at the crucial moment?! This was the only chance! Next time, Silas would be on guard for sure!
With eight personalities sharing one body, there was no way for Pure Evil to act if the others resisted. Without the aid of Fenghuang Down's powers, she was powerless. She tried to persuade them desperately: the bow was already drawn, the arrow nocked—it had to be loosed.
"You've already gone this far with me. Do you think you can turn back now?"
"I think if we stop here, Silas will forgive us..."
"Seconded."
"But this is the only chance! What right will you have to compete with Elysia or Lilith?!"
"…Can't we just be like Mobius instead?"
"Have you no ambition?!"
While Vill-V argued with herself, Silas kept testing his body. Finally, he felt a faint twitch in his fingers. Next came—
"Fine… fine."
"I suppose this is the only way..."
Pure Evil had barely convinced the others. She rose to her feet—only to see Silas standing before her, smiling faintly.
Then he grabbed the little device from her shoulder and sprayed the anesthetic straight into her face.
Once Vill-V went limp, Silas placed her gently on the bed, confiscated her stun gun and anesthetic sprayer, and calmly sat down with a chair beside the bed to continue writing his mission report.
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