Inside the cavernous base, only a few people still walked the corridors. The atmosphere was so oppressive it felt as if the air itself had turned into gel, making Mobius, who hurried along on her mobility device, appear even more conspicuous.
Since the appearance of the Tenth Herrscher, its characteristic of existing in multiple forms had everyone living in a state of constant self-preservation. Even Mobius no longer seemed quite as terrifying by comparison.
However, some found it strange. Ever since the Ninth Herrscher, Mobius went out about as often as before, yet the frequency with which she appeared in others' sight had increased.
They clearly underestimated the hearing of a MANTIS. Mobius heard every murmur and whisper with absolute clarity, but she didn't care to settle scores with them. If they were willing to volunteer for her experimental table, that would be one thing, but right now, she lacked even the subjective interest to view them as test subjects.
And Mobius going out was not actually the grand event or harbinger of doom others imagined. Generally, matters urgent enough to require her attention would be brought to her; she didn't need to step out herself.
Many might find it inconceivable, but Mobius was actually going to visit someone.
Even with a heart as cold as stone, Mobius couldn't help but hesitate as she stood before that door.
She understood that feeling, so she knew that comfort was useless. The bitterness swirling in the mouth and heart was like a spreading toxin; there was simply no way to cure it at the root.
She had come many times now. Though the other party acted as if nothing were wrong—remaining strong and composed—Mobius could still sense the pain buried deep within her eyes.
Taking a deep breath to suppress the irritation in her heart, Mobius knocked on the door.
Knock, knock...
"..."
the long, dead silence caused the sensitive Mobius to furrow her brows. After deliberating for less than a second, she immediately commanded her fluid-like substance to burst through the door!
Bang!
"Blanca!"
The sight that met her eyes caused Mobius to freeze for a moment.
The blue-haired woman stood behind the child who was drawing, hands resting on the child's shoulders, seemingly admiring her daughter's work with care. Upon hearing the sharp noise, she turned her head blankly and locked eyes with the green-haired Doctor.
"Doctor?"
"Ah..." Mobius pointed dully at the door—or what was left of it, scattered everywhere—which had originally been at the entrance. "You didn't hear me?"
"I was just about to open it."
"..."
Fortunately, it was a false alarm. Mobius was invited into the house by Blanca, and they sat down for a heart-to-heart talk.
"Do you really not intend to return to my lab? I'm shorthanded right now, and you have nothing else to do." After a brief chat about recent events, Mobius once again brought up the proposal that Blanca had rejected six months ago.
Blanca naturally declined: "There's no need. I want to take care of Griseo for the time being."
"..." Mobius looked at her in silence.
"Doctor, thank you for your kindness. I know you want me to shift my focus to other things, but I... I don't want to yet. At least not now..." Blanca bit her lip, her eyes tiredly drifting to a family photograph placed not far away.
Like a weathered stone carving, one corner had been eroded away. The husband, who had once stood smiling in the sunlight with them, no longer showed his smile within the shadows.
"Alright." Seeing this, Mobius could only rise to leave. She was, after all, not skilled at comforting others. After a moment's hesitation, she called Griseo to her side. "Griseo, do you want to come play at Big Sister Mobius place?"
"Okay, Auntie Mobius..."
Fine, whatever.
Mobius rubbed Griseo head helplessly. Innocent and pure-white, the child likely could not yet comprehend the meaning of death, nor did she understand what it meant for the man who watched her grow up to be reduced to a name carved in a cemetery.
But sooner or later, she would grow up.
...I really have become somewhat sentimental.
Mobius smiled and took Griseo hand, nodding to Blanca. "Then I'll take Griseo to the lab to play first. Let's have dinner together later."
"..."
Blanca gazed at Griseo expressionless, youthful face, as if still reminiscing about the moment she brought this crystallization of love into the world. Seeing this, Mobius could only sigh softly.
Mobius could not demand that everyone discard useless emotions just as she did—not even her once most favored assistant.
Pulling Griseo along, Mobius hummed a tune she didn't even recognize and left the room.
Until they had completely vanished from Blanca sight, the woman continued to stare silently at their retreating backs with hollow eyes.
When the atmosphere was at its lowest, what should one do? Mobius seemed to have had a discussion about this with someone once. He said that emotions very easily influence a person's behavior. Mobius knew this, of course; it fell under the scope of biology. She even knew scientific methods to increase happiness levels, but that guy had rejected them.
"That only provides a temporary sense of pleasure. Once it ends, the emptiness becomes even deeper, and the impact on one's work efficiency actually intensifies."
"How do you know?" Mobius had asked coldly back then.
"Because they tried it on me." Mobius couldn't see the expression on the man's face beneath his helmet.
And the result was that he had never felt pleasure.
Others might not know, but Mobius mood improved quite a bit whenever she saw Griseo. Perhaps it was because Griseo understood nothing—like an exquisite piece of inorganic matter—and Mobius had already seen far too much organic matter.
The moment she stepped into the lab, Mobius frowned without concealment. She shot a cold glance at the white-haired man standing not far away, then lowered her head, a smile curling on her lips as she spoke to Griseo: "Griseo~ Why don't you go play with Big Sister Klein and the others first?"
"Mm."
After having Klein take Griseo elsewhere to play, the smile on Mobius face did not fade, but it transformed into a sneer directed at the visitor.
"If it isn't Mei little lackey? Instead of accompanying your little girlfriend through her hardships, did you come to my place looking to drink Honkai Beast juice?"
"..."
Kevin crossed his arms and looked down at Mobius, who was more than a head shorter than him. He took all of her sarcasm in stride.
Her attitude was atrocious toward everyone, but it was deeper toward him. The reason, perhaps, was simply a form of powerless rage.
Lin had failed; he had succeeded.
Like a dramatic opposition of identity and stance in a movie, it was hard not to call it a cruel trick of fate. If Lin Meta-Morph surgery had also succeeded, would his outcome have been different? If Lin surgery had taken place after Kevin, would it have taken another path...?
But these were all meaningless hypotheses. More than him, Mobius likely loathed herself for being unable to stop thinking that way.
Kevin suppressed the emotions in his heart and spoke calmly—
"I need your help... Help regarding 'Active Reminiscence'."