"Let me remind you, Mr. Lin Wei, a man of such extraordinary action..." Dr. Schrodinger's voice still emanated from the small beacon. "In this desolate wilderness, being too active isn't necessarily a good thing. If you get injured or sick here, there are no hospitals or medicines to treat you."
It was now noon on the second day, theoretically the warmest time of day. Lin Wei had already spent a night of wind and snow in this simple bear cave. At this moment, wrapped in the thick bearskin, he was sitting cross-legged by the rekindled bonfire, "enjoying" his second bear meat feast with a look of difficulty.
It was still just as unpalatable, or perhaps—even more so.
"Sick? Hehe, ever since I recovered from the Honkai sickness that nearly killed me a year ago, I don't think I've even had a cold. As for getting injured..." The two words from Schrodinger's mouth made Lin Wei chuckle. "That's become a common occurrence since then."
A Honkai Eruption in Manila, a great battle with Otto, and the terrifyingly strong enemy that made a brief appearance after entering the Sea of Quanta...
Putting aside trivial little conflicts like the fight with Siegfried, even just counting these supposedly rare major events, even Lin Wei himself felt that it was extremely lucky to still be sitting here, feasting on bear meat.
As for why these major events were "supposedly" rare...
Forget it, it's better not to pry into people's hardships.
"Honkai sickness? That's certainly very lucky," Schrodinger said. Her consistently understated voice showed no trace of surprise or exclamation. She never seemed to be a good conversation partner.
"Dr. Schrodinger, I guess a lot of people would think you're a difficult person to get along with, right? Like a killjoy, bad at conversation, and so on?" Even after knowing her for a short while, Lin Wei still felt helpless at Schrodinger's cold demeanor. "Although Dr. Einstein's tone of voice also sounds very calm, at least she occasionally throws in a cold joke or two, which shows she has some sense of humor."
At least she doesn't kill the mood!
"...It seems you two are indeed quite familiar." Schrodinger naturally understood what Lin Wei meant and said, "I understand that appropriate 'small talk' is the best way to bridge the gap between people. It's just that I don't have the habit of prying into others' past experiences."
"It's okay, Dr. Schrodinger, everyone has a different personality, no need to force it. Getting along with people is a process of gradual adjustment, just like now—I'm actually just trying to use small talk to distract myself, so I can forget the greasy taste of this pot of meat that lacks salt and vinegar..."
Lin Wei was still struggling with the bear meat with a pained expression. He said slowly, "Also, let me correct a small error of yours: the best way to bridge the gap between people is not small talk, but shared experiences. Just like you, Doctor, you were able to quickly capture Dr. Tesla's signal and respond actively after being separated for more than half a century, isn't it because you had an unforgettable shared memory that didn't fade even after a long time?"
Except for the self-proclaimed flirtatious rogue Elysia, who he was a bit soft on, with everyone else, he was the rogue—talking eloquently anytime, anywhere, and sometimes throwing in some borderline but not offensive words to forcefully pry open the door. Lin Wei was very familiar with this kind of thing.
"...Indeed. It seems you are very talkative." Schrodinger hummed softly and followed the topic. "In fact, after that, I also had the experience of traveling with some other people by chance. They also left a deep impression on me."
"Are you talking about Bianka, who changed her name to Durandal, and Rita, who traveled with her?"
Having finally opened up a topic, Lin Wei naturally wouldn't let this opportunity go. He used this as a pretext to smoothly transition to himself. "Although sometimes, as Otto's subordinates, they are my enemies, at other times, they can also be considered my friends. For example, Rita, during the Manila Honkai Eruption, we also fought side by side. As for Durandal..."
Lin Wei had been quite enthusiastic, but his words came to an abrupt halt when he mentioned this name. His originally relaxed expression also became solemn in an instant.
"What's wrong?" Schrodinger was surprised. You know it's very frustrating when people stop talking halfway through, right?
Even someone as taciturn as her couldn't help but be concerned about this kind of thing.
"...It's nothing, I just thought of something else." Lin Wei threw the half-eaten bear rib into a snowdrift not far away, then used the snow to roughly clean his greasy hands and face. He then stood up, walked out of the cave, took a deep breath of the cold air, and said, "Doctor, let me ask you, if Durandal were here, would she be trembling from the cold like me?"
"I think probably not," Schrodinger said. "Although I probably understand what you mean, I must remind you that her constitution is special and her talent is extraordinary. It's not suitable to make a comparison here."
"Heh, of course I know that. In fact, I guess even if it were Rita, she wouldn't look as pathetic as I do." Lin Wei lifted the bearskin coat on his body for a moment, but after a brief sensation, he quickly wrapped it back around himself, even shivering. "Her battlesuit is good at creating an extremely cold ice domain, and can even freeze a piece of the ocean into a glacier. Even with the protection of her Valkyrie battlesuit, she, at the very center, has to endure a considerable degree of low temperature..."
Schrodinger listened attentively to Lin Wei talking about these things that had nothing to do with the current situation, and then replied, "This sounds like jealousy arising from a large gap in ability—but I guess the reason you're talking about Bianka and Rita at this time is not because of that."
"The reason is of course not jealousy, but an indescribable worry..." Lin Wei's voice sounded a little low. "I have a Stigma on my body, a complete, natural, and even living Stigma. It was it that freed me from the entanglement of the Honkai sickness, and also gave me the capital to compete with Schicksal's S-rank Valkyries. Normally, the mere cold of the far north shouldn't be able to do anything to me."
"It seems something has changed," Schrodinger said.
"A change? Heh... In the great battle with Schicksal, both I and my Stigma were exhausted. After entering the Sea of Quanta, I encountered an unexpected enemy, and the Stigma's power was overdrawn because of it," Lin Wei said. "This can't be considered a change. During the Manila Honkai Eruption, in order to block the world-destroying tsunami and hold the precarious defense line, I paid a much more tragic price, and the Stigma's power was also severely overdrawn. But..."
"But, no matter how overdrawn the power is, it should have recovered somewhat after a night's rest," Schrodinger finished his sentence. "It seems this is the real change."
"Yes, even after a night's rest, my hands and feet would still quickly lose feeling if they were exposed. Of course, I could completely comfort myself with the excuse that 'such a short time is not enough for a full recovery,' but..." Lin Wei clenched his fist, carefully feeling the strength in his knuckles as he pressed them into his palm, and said, "I haven't felt a response from my Stigma for a long time, not even a faint response like a dream talk, as if..."
Lin Wei suddenly stopped, turned around, and kicked a large clump of snow, extinguishing the already dimming bonfire with a hiss. With a wave of his hand, he summoned the pitch-black flight device, wrapped himself in the thick "bearskin coat," and leaped onto it. "We must act quickly, we have to leave here as soon as possible. I must get in touch with Kevin and Su as soon as possible."
A strong sense of urgency washed over him. Lin Wei pulled the control stick hard, and the flight device rose sharply. After a few seconds, it descended again, flying at treetop level along the mountain range.
"Damn it, the wind and snow are too strong, I can't see anything in the distance. The next time I see Vill-V, I must make her improve this thing properly, get rid of those fancy, useless features, and add back the radar, infrared detection, and most importantly, the windproof and warming functions..."
Lin Wei gritted his teeth and muttered. Even though he was wrapped in a thick layer of bearskin, he was still trembling from the cold in this open flight device. "Damn it, I can't last long like this!"
"I can see that this is indeed a designer with a very unique taste, very good at self-expression," Schrodinger said concisely. "You're getting anxious, Lin Wei."
Well, it seems her EQ isn't too high either...
"Before the next time loop, I must make some progress, at least find traces of human civilization, even if it's just a highway," Lin Wei endured the biting cold wind and had to slowly reduce the speed of the flight device. "Otherwise, I can't just run in circles like a hamster!"
"Well, in conditions of insufficient visibility, using the mountain range as a reference is indeed a good choice. If you return to the starting point at some point in the future, at least you can clearly remember which path you took before," Schrodinger easily saw through Lin Wei's intention. "In any case, I still suggest that you reasonably allocate your stamina and mobility."
Lin Wei was a smart person. She knew she didn't have to say too much. She just needed to give some reminders when necessary, and he would only make the right choice.
"I know... hiss..." Lin Wei was about to say something when he suddenly felt a shiver and muttered to himself, "Strange, why do I feel like I'm being watched by something?"
Lin Wei always had some strange intuitions, a ability that even he himself didn't know where it came from.
In the past, Yae Sakura would always respond to this feeling of Lin Wei's with her more acute intuition and more precise language. But now, Lin Wei's habitual muttering to himself received no response, which made him feel a little lonely for a moment.
"Compared to someone's gaze, in my opinion, this is more likely to be an illusion caused by your hypothermia," Schrodinger did not remain silent, but responded to Lin Wei with her own observation and understanding. "I suggest you land first and find a sheltered place to rest for a while. After your body temperature returns to a healthy level, then continue with the next step."
This was her suggestion as a bystander.
"Ha, you're right."
Intuition is something that is hard to explain. It is often a fleeting spark. If you don't grasp it in time, it's easy to lose it. At this time, Schrodinger's suggestion was also reasonable.
Hearing her say this, Lin Wei turned his attention from the flying thoughts in his brain back to his body, and only then did he finally feel that his hands and feet were about to freeze.
And so, under the gaze of a gray eye a few kilometers away, Lin Wei guided the flying device toward a sheltered mountain hollow and slowly descended.
In the distance, Bronya thought she was lucky to have just happened to discover a strange aircraft, and to have seen it land not far from her with her own eyes.
Little did she know that, to some extent, it was precisely because she saw the existence of this aircraft from a distance that it landed.
To some extent, this could also be considered a "two-way trip."
Fortunately, at this moment, neither Lin Wei nor Schrodinger knew about this.
Otherwise, what Schrodinger would think is unknown, but Lin Wei would most likely sigh and say, "Is this the so-called 'observer effect'? It really fits the basic setting of the Sea of Quanta..."
The flight device landed, cutting wood, starting a fire, and warming up, all in one go.
Lin Wei leaned against a huge rock that could be used as a windbreak. The walking stick he had been holding in his hand was dismantled and placed flat beside him. His two hands were gently cradling the black Pandora, and he was quietly resting with his eyes closed, his thoughts unknown.
"Is this the Key of Corrosion?" Schrodinger quietly examined this simple, unadorned black box. "Combining two powerful weapons into a seemingly harmless ornament is indeed a very creative disguise."
"Disguise? You've misunderstood on that point. The first time I did this, I just wanted to make a prop to annoy a certain overactive magician..." Lin Wei smiled slightly and said, "As for why it still looks like this later... you may not believe it, but it was actually just to get through security checks."
"Security checks?"
"Yes, this is a bladed knife! You basically can't travel normally with it!" Lin Wei separated one hand, picked up the sheathed cursed blade, and gestured with it in the air. "With the intervention of the Key of Corrosion, there's no problem getting through security checks, but it's still a bit too obvious visually, so it's better to cover it up. Later on, it just became a habit..."
"Getting through security checks, a Divine Key can be used like that..." Schrodinger was speechless. This was simply a reckless waste of a priceless object, wasn't it?
"The cursed blade is Yae Sakura's most commonly used weapon. She usually resides in the Stigma Space, so of course I have to carry it for her," Lin Wei said as if it were a matter of course. "Disguising it a little with Pandora is the best of both worlds."
In the end, it still came back to "disguise." Although the original intention and purpose were different, the result was the same.
"Yae Sakura... this seems to be the second time I've heard this name from you. Is she the Stigma you mentioned?" Schrodinger, however, was attracted by another name. "A Stigma with self-awareness, and can even act on its own to some extent. Such cases are quite rare."
She was not just a physicist, but also had a very deep research in the philosophy of life. It was only natural for her to be interested in such things.
"Yes, it's indeed rare," Lin Wei repeated with some emotion. "Besides Sakura, in the whole world, there's probably only..."
He suddenly remembered something, paused, and then laughed self-deprecatingly.
"Hehe... now that I think about it, Miss Seele, who also has a special Stigma and is also drifting in the Sea of Quanta, and I can probably be considered fellow sufferers, right?"
"Mm..."
Lin Wei was about to say more when a rustling sound suddenly came from the top of the huge rock he was leaning against, like a mouse scurrying through the snow.
"A mouse in this season? Out foraging?" Lin Wei thought strangely. Suddenly, a black shadow much larger than he had imagined leaped down from the top of the rock straight towards him.
"!"
Lin Wei was startled. Before he could react, the Pandora that was quietly resting in his hands suddenly flew up and smashed the "giant mouse" heavily to the side.