The dim light from the screen illuminated Lin mask. He glanced at the seemingly empty space beside him.
The fact that surveillance cameras existed in the archives was beyond doubt.
He was currently wearing a large robe that completely obscured his figure, with a mask over his face; he looked like a ghost that had crawled out from the screen.
Lin had a question: why hadn't the high command made their "plan" public yet? Since it was a decision agreed upon by all high-level officials, why hadn't they, possessing absolute dominance, openly displayed the mechanical soldiers and monsters they had created to the ordinary members of Fire Moth?
After long contemplation, he thought of two possibilities.
The first was that even the high command wasn't truly acting with one heart. Perhaps a small portion of them had been coerced by the majority into participating, and their opposition was the reason these anti-human things hadn't appeared directly before the regular members.
The second possibility was... they hadn't fully completed the "fail-safe" for their plan.
They were considering that within Fire Moth, there might be people who wouldn't care whether the organization continued to exist—people who wouldn't make concessions for the sake of the organization's survival and would rise in direct rebellion.
Naturally, the high command had considered this. The mechanical soldiers and Fusion Warriors were specifically manufactured to deal with humans; beyond their ambitions and plans, these were meant to suppress dissenting voices.
They believed that the power combined from the machines and Fusion Warriors hadn't yet reached a level of total security for suppressing opposition, which was why they were expanding their forces in secret.
Lin believed the second possibility was more likely. Therefore, there was one way out.
Publicize the high command's plans and end Fire Moth together with those who intended to resist.
But that wasn't realistic.
After Fire Moth ended, how would they face the chaotic global situation? How would they continue to fight the Honkai?
Moreover, Lin had some of his own... selfish motives.
He didn't want everyone to know the truth about Fire Moth.
"Life does not need faith, but faith is the best guarantee for survival."
Gray Serpent's words lingered in his ears like a curse. Lin closed his eyes in the pale fluorescent light, then slowly opened them. He quickly used a forged identity to search for the data he wanted, his fingers as nimble as a pianist's as he found everything he needed and committed it to memory.
It took Lin only three minutes to finish everything he needed to do. After clearing the browsing history, he hurriedly left the Tenth Branch.
...
"Hah..."
Delta woke up sluggishly. She scratched her long hair and pushed open her bedroom door with sleepy eyes.
She had slept too late last night...
"Good morning."
A woman with two-toned hair sat on the sofa, smiling as she greeted her while eating a fried egg.
"Good morning..." Delta yawned again and walked lifelessly into the bathroom. Staring at the reflection of herself with a pair of horns in the mirror, she picked up her toothbrush.
...Wait?
Thud!
Delta pulled open the bathroom door, her bloodshot eyes staring at Vil-V, who was eating breakfast as if nothing were wrong. She blurted out, "Why are you here!"
"Hmm?" Vil-V took a large gulp of hot milk, then stuck out her small pink tongue to lick the milk foam from the corner of her mouth, giving Delta a peculiar look. "I can't be here?"
"It's not that... No! Why would you appear in my room!"
"I picked the lock."
"Don't say it so casually."
Delta could barely restrain herself. She nervously scanned the surroundings. After finding no sign of Lin, she breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Lin hadn't been discovered...
"If you're looking for Lin, he's left for the time being."
"..."
Delta face froze under the light, her cheeks feeling so stiff they could probably make a ringing sound if tapped.
Vil-V pointed to a plate with an untouched fried egg on the table. "That's the breakfast he left for you. I've already eaten mine."
"You..." Delta realized Vil-V apparently knew everything. She asked in surprise, "Did Lieutenant Lin ask you to come?"
Vil-V blew on her fingernails. "No, I simply used a bit of reasoning. Currently, Fire Moth is searching for Lin everywhere. Anyone close to him will be strictly monitored, while a complete stranger couldn't possibly be trusted by him. Therefore, he needed someone he knows, but who isn't known to Fire Moth as a close friend for years. Naturally, only you fit the criteria, so I came to find him."
"Then what do you want to do?"
"I don't want to do anything. You can rest assured; I'm on Lin side. I just need you to help cover for me occasionally. After all, I'm technically in hiding now, and I can't let them find me."
"Where did he go?"
"Didn't he tell you? He went to find a way to resolve the 'misunderstanding' between him and Fire Moth."
"..."
Even if Delta still had doubts, Vil-V didn't seem to have any ulterior motives; moreover, Vil-V clearly knew what was happening better than she did, so there was no reason to doubt her.
Thus, with a somewhat complicated feeling, she sat on the other side of the sofa and picked up her portion of the eggs.
The eggs were still warm; they must have been in a warming box earlier. Delta ate in small bites, her peripheral vision constantly drifting toward Vil-V, who sat in Lin usual spot.
"Sniff~ Hah..."
Vil-V was sniffing something, breath after breath. This left Delta utterly confused. After finishing her eggs in a few bites, she put down the plate and asked, "What are you doing? Is the smell of the fried eggs really that fragrant?"
"The eggs? No. I'm just smelling Lin scent." Vil-V leaned closer to where Lin used to rest his head and smiled.
"..." Delta face changed dramatically. "You... that's basically stalker behavior."
"How innocent of you. Pheromones from the opposite sex can have a positive impact on sexual activity," Vil-V teased with a smile. "Also, oxytocin makes it easier to establish intimate relationships. So, if you like someone, how can just looking at a photo be enough? You have to smell him, lick him, touch him, and... force him."
"I literally don't know where to start complaining..."
"Ha, I'm joking. It's just that a person's scent can sometimes reveal changes in their body, and Lin situation is a bit special."
Vil-V sniffed the residual scent again, her brow furrowing slightly.
Although she had been somewhat curious before... Lin body had a particularly attractive fragrance, but it was a faint, natural scent that maintained a consistent tone and concentration.
But now, the scent Lin had left behind... this fragrance had become much more... intense.
It was almost like a lethal aroma used by nature to lure prey.