131. Too Old
The crisis of the Tenth Herrscher lasted for two months. Even with some information about the Herrscher of Domination, the Fire Moth was powerless to stop them if they truly wanted to hide.
Dr. Mei, Vill-V, and Mobius survived multiple assassination attempts. Kevin protected Dr. Mei, Vill-V hid in a secluded place, and Mobius, now always on guard, was rarely harmed.
After all, she was a MANTIS Warrior herself, and a powerful one at that.
At least... she is no weaker than Ling and Kalpas.
Finally, it was the attraction of the 'Herrscher Core' to the 'Herrscher of Domination' that ended this protracted war.
However, due to this event, human society has completely collapsed. When walking on the streets, one sees refugees everywhere.
They have lost their homes, their families, and their will to live.
Many have become addicted to virtual games, alcohol, and drugs, immersing themselves in a world of hedonism and debauchery.
They had lost the will and hope to live.
The Herrscher of Domination may be lost, but they also won.
All of this foreshadowed humanity's defeat in the war against Honkai.
They helplessly watched everything slip away, until even the final 'future' slowly vanished before their eyes.
Humanity had nothing left but the most basic biological instinct called survival.
Their only remaining belief in fighting was survival; nothing more, nothing less.
"Kalpas, what do you think we have left?"
Ling stood atop the high wall surrounding the Fire Moth, watching the once bustling streets now desolate, filled with the stench of death.
They had protected nothing; the Honkai had taken everything from them.
Only now did Ling truly taste the meaning of despair.
This wasn't just a feeling of an individual but the collective consciousness of the entire human race.
Every human knew in their hearts that they had utterly lost.
Even if they ultimately triumphed, humanity in this era had no future left for them.
They are destined to become a fleeting dream of the times.
"…" Kalpas fell silent.
Perhaps she didn't know how to answer Ling's question either.
"Look what I found! Two little cuties are whispering here! Let me guess… you're secretly discussing me, aren't you~?"
Elysia suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Ling looked at Elysia, a feeling of envy welling up inside him.
She was always like this, able to bring enthusiasm and hope to everyone.
As long as she appeared, all unhappiness and troubles would vanish.
However, it was destined that she had to bear far more negative emotions than anyone else.
"Elysia, how exactly did you persevere?" Ling asked Elysia a strange question.
Elysia's face lost some of its playful intent, her gaze mirroring Ling's as she looked into the distance.
There was nothing there but a dimly lit, dilapidated street.
But there was not a trace of loss or dejection in her eyes.
"Perhaps it's because… I love everything about this world."
She opened her palm, the setting sun filtering through her fingers and illuminating her face.
"Love everything, huh? That's quite a feat, Elysia. Impressive." Ling nodded.
"Right, right? Praise me more, I'll be delighted!" Elysia leaned forward and made a 'V' sign.
"Elysia, can you answer a question for me?"
"Of course, I'll answer any question Ling asks." Elysia readily agreed.
"What do you think humanity has left?" Ling repeated his question, but changed the subject from 'us' to 'humanity'.
Elysia hesitated for a moment before giving her answer.
The wind howled loudly on the high wall, but the answer clearly reached Ling and Kalpas's ears.
…
"Don't worry, I'll definitely do what I promised you. Let's wait a little longer, until after this test." Mobius waved her hand, pressing her body closer to Ling once more.
"So? How's it going? About what happened before?" Mobius gently lifted Ling's chin with her finger.
"It's about having children... I've consulted many people, and the vast majority want me to refuse."
"There are three main reasons. First, I'm still very young; second, Dr. Mobius, you're too old; and third, they suspect you have ulterior motives... Dr. Mobius, what's wrong with you?"
Ling looked at Mobius, who had suddenly crushed the armrest beside her, somewhat confused.
"May I ask who you consulted with?" Mobius asked with a forced smile.
"Hmm... Kalpas, Sister Nia, Elysia, Sakura, Klein, and also both Danzhu (Nuwa) and Cangxuan (Fuxi)." Ling rattled off everyone he had consulted.
"Except for Klein, who agreed, everyone else opposed," Ling explained.
"Okay, okay..." Mobius nodded, indicating that she understood.
What intrigued her was that even Aponia objected; logically speaking, given her personality, she shouldn't have gotten involved.
So Aponia and Ling's relationship wasn't so ordinary after all?
As for those who called her old, besides Elysia, there was probably no one else...
Those who suspected her of having ulterior motives were probably Kalpas, Sakura, Danzhu, and Cangxuan.
After all, her reputation within the Fire Moth was indeed terrible.
But Cangxuan and Danzhu dared to say that...
Sure enough, the expenses for those two this month should be reduced, and a little more work should be assigned to them; after all, they now even have time to gossip about her behind her back.
Danzhu and Cangxuan, who were slacking off outside, suddenly felt a chill down their spines, as if they were being watched.
"Sister...why do I feel a chill down my spine?"
"Me too...it's probably because the air conditioning is too low."
"But last time Ling suddenly asked that question, could it be that the Doctor has really taken a liking to Ling?" Danzhu recalled Ling asking them a question about having a child. At first, they were completely bewildered, realizing for the first time how lacking Ling's knowledge was in this area.
But upon learning that it was Mobius who wanted him to have a child, the two immediately refused his suggestion.
"I don't think someone as rational as the Doctor would be interested in these romantic entanglements. Most likely, she wants to use herself as a test subject to see if a child she and Ling have can inherit Ling's 'Stigmata Prototype.'"
"In that case, in the Doctor's eyes, Ling and their child are just experimental victims, which is very unfair to Ling."
"Even if Ling agreed, and they had a child who could inherit the 'Stigmata Prototype,' what use would that child be?"
"The growth cycle of a 'Stigmata Warrior' is far, far longer than that of a 'MANTIS Warrior.' Humanity doesn't have that much time left."
Cangxuan lay lazily on the sofa playing games, looking completely relaxed, but her words were undeniably true.
...