A downpour. Looking out through the unopenable window, the whole world was draped in a thin veil of rain. Raindrops pounded heavily on the alloy roof, and the gradually fading patter of the rain echoed through the air, covering the crisp autumn day with a chilling blanket.
"Thump, thump, thump."
His unfocused pupils sharpened. His consciousness, drifting away with the sound of the rain, returned to his body from the haze of his aerobic workout. He stepped off the only treadmill facing the window. Sweat poured like a waterfall from every pore, only to be absorbed by a towel.
Windows that showed the outside world were rare in the Moth of the Flame-Chasers base, and even those that existed were made of materials with special, tough properties, impossible to open. Lin often heard soldiers complain that the base was like a steel coffin, completely stifling.
The Moth of the Flame-Chasers' two gyms were the few rooms where the outside could be seen. No one ever came to the second gym except Lin; it had become his private gym.
Or rather, because he came, others stayed away.
"Thump, thump, thump."
The knocking hadn't stopped, but Lin wasn't in a hurry. He exhaled the hot air in his mouth, picked up his helmet, and put it on his head, fastening the strap securely around his neck. Only when he saw in the mirror that not a sliver of skin was exposed above his Adam's apple did he casually put on his pitch-black uniform jacket, walk to the door, and open it.
A fair hand presented a document bag to the helmeted man: "MSA-079, Lin, please take your medical report."
The Moth of the Flame-Chasers performed monthly physical examinations for all soldiers, not only to ensure their physical fitness met the standards but also to check for the safety hazard of excessive Honkai energy infection rates, as soldiers were the ones exposed to the most Honkai energy.
The file bag before him should contain Lin's medical report. The seal on it was identical to the design of the Moth of the Flame-Chasers badge he had received. Yet, Lin did not reach out to take it. Instead, he stared coldly at the unfamiliar person delivering the report.
Searching his memories of the logistics personnel at the Moth of the Flame-Chasers central base, sifting through age, gender, hair color, and height one by one, he found no record of this smiling, pink-haired girl.
Of course, she might be a new employee, but the strong, undeniable presence emanating from the girl, and the unfathomable smile that Lin found repulsive, instantly put him on high alert.
The Moth of the Flame-Chasers was not a salvation organization united in one heart. Humanity's self-destructive nature was a perpetual warning throughout history, not to mention that certain individuals within this very organization were more frightening than the Honkai itself.
"Staring so intently at a cute girl isn't a gentlemanly thing to do~" Lin made no attempt to hide his hostility. The girl smiled and pushed the file bag forward slightly.
Lin scrutinized her composed posture again. Only after confirming she carried no weapons did he ask, "Who are you?"
Hearing this, the girl's eyes curved into two crescents: "My, I thought I was famous! Or perhaps a senior like me is no longer regarded by you all? That's truly heartbreaking, you know."
A senior? Pink hair, female, soldier...
The aloof Lin remembered someone mentioned in passing by the soldiers in the corridor. The characteristics seemed to match the person before him. If he was not mistaken, she was likely...
"Elysia..."
"Oh, you remembered me? Looks like I haven't faded into obscurity yet."
Lin recalled the rumors and files related to Elysia, gradually matching them with the girl's beaming smile.
She was a female soldier who shone brightly on the main battlefield of the Second Eruption and in the campaign against the Second Herrscher—a warrior possessing beauty, wisdom, and strength. She joined the Moth of the Flame-Chasers not long before Lin, yet was already a formidable presence.
The middle part was what Lin had heard others say, purportedly her own description of herself.
Compared to Elysia's surprise, Lin's reaction was much calmer: "What do you want with me?"
"To deliver a medical report, of course. The lab's been running ragged dealing with the Herrscher of the Void, so I'm just helping out a little. What can I say? I'm a good Samaritan girl who enjoys helping others."
"..." Completely unbelievable.
The girl smiled faintly, quite satisfied with Lin's reaction: "Alright, no more jokes. Actually, I heard that a newly joined soldier's strength is truly astonishing. He single-handedly killed an Emperor-class Honkai Beast in his very first action during the Second Eruption, and even contributed some equipment blueprints when he joined—some of which are already in use."
"And the rumor is that he's a shy and bashful boy, so I got curious and came to see for myself."
The rain outside intensified, making a bothersome noise as it struck the window.
Lin turned his head away from the window, which was too blurred by the rain to see through. He spoke calmly from inside his helmet: "First, I am not a warrior, I am a soldier. Second, what are these rumors?"
The girl tapped her smooth chin: "Well, for example, a strange creature that's just a helmet above the neck? A robotic simulation that trains 25 hours a day and runs missions for 10? A product of one of Dr. Mobius's experiments?"
"..."
Elysia leaned slightly, peering curiously under his helmet: "Is it true?"
"No." Lin snatched the file bag and took a step back, blocking her view. "Have you seen enough? If so, leave."
"Oh, don't be shy. We're all comrades. Don't you want to build good re—"
"Bang!"
Before Elysia could finish, Lin slammed the door shut and locked it. Ignoring the rapid, frustrated drumming on the door that signaled her annoyance, he sat down in a chair, opened the file bag, and quickly glanced through his report.
Outside, Elysia looked at the tightly closed door with a headache. After hearing about Lin from a certain person, she wanted to see what kind of person he was.
She hadn't expected Lin to be even colder toward others than she had imagined. No wonder she'd only heard bad rumors about him.
"Elysia, did you give him the report already?" A familiar female voice came from around the corner. Elysia, who was still trying to figure out how to get Lin to open the door, looked up and smiled, narrowing her eyes.
The tall, green-haired woman in a white lab coat was standing there.
"Dr. Mobius, I thought you'd only ever hide in your lab~ You're interested in him too, aren't you?"
The woman, referred to as the Doctor, scoffed in her usual cold way: "I merely felt that after hearing my assistant say someone took the report she was supposed to deliver, that someone might not deliver the report to the intended recipient, or perhaps peeked at things that weren't hers."
"Hmm? So you weren't planning to do something to the boy?"
"...I'm certain you haven't looked at the report." Mobius looked at Elysia's gossipy smile, turned away disinterestedly, and started to leave. "That soldier, his physical metrics are unimaginably high, but that's all. A glass man who could die at any moment. He holds no interest for me."
Elysia chewed thoughtfully on Mobius's last words.
"That's all? A glass man?"
Lin's gaze was fixed on the last two sections: "Honkai Energy Adaptability" and "Summary."
The Honkai Energy Adaptability section was marked "Extremely Low" in red font—the only item not marked "Extremely High" among his otherwise incomprehensible physical metrics.
The Summary was written by the person who conducted his specialized physical examination.
"All metrics are two to three times higher than those of ordinary soldiers. Neural response speed exceeds all recorded data. However, 079 possesses a severe defect: his resistance and adaptability to Honkai energy are far lower than the average individual. Direct exposure to excessive Honkai energy will result in death, with a very high probability of turning into a Honkai Zombie."
Lin flipped through the report several times, then took a deep breath, clenched his fist, and crumpled the entire report into a ball.
The gloom beneath his helmet felt palpable.
"Beep-beep."
A command came through the communicator. Lin, now calm, tossed the report into the wastebasket, picked up the communicator, pushed the door open, and headed toward the Equipment Department.
"..."
After he left, a slender hand retrieved the report from the wastebasket.
[Cabin pressure nominal]
[Component confirmation initiated]
[Neural link established]
Streams of dark-blue data flowed across the viewport inside Lin's helmet. The operation protocols flashed before his eyes before shrinking to the upper left corner. He pressed a button on the metal keypad to his left. A red line scanned his iris inside the helmet. Two indicator lights changed from red to blue.
[Pilot's vital signs stable]
[Full structure operational]
Accompanied by the sound of machinery, the narrow cockpit turned from dark to bright. The segmented panoramic screen replaced the darkness, displaying a gray wasteland filled with pale, monstrous creatures right before Lin's eyes.
"Screech."
Lin gripped the control stick. He maneuvered the behemoth to extend its cold, machine-crafted right hand, clenched it, and released it, as naturally as his own arm.
From the outside, what he was piloting was a "robot" that was in no way inferior to the story-tall Honkai Beasts wandering around.
This was the first anti-Honkai weapon, the Titan, manufactured by the Moth of the Flame-Chasers based on his designs. It was designated TT-079, his own soldier number, and he was, predictably, the first pilot.
"079, this simulation is set at the center of the Second Eruption. Please collect as much operational data for the Titan as possible." The Equipment Department personnel commanded from outside the cockpit.
Lin's eyes narrowed. He responded in a low voice, "Received."
Then, he maneuvered the Titan to draw the gigantic machine gun from its back. The world in his eyes was instantly filled with dense streams of information: remaining ammunition, mech status, thermal analysis, Honkai energy detection...
Lin impassively processed the massive volume of information—enough to overwhelm a normal person—while aiming at the nearest Chariot-class Honkai Beast and pulling the trigger.
"Dadadadadada..."
The massive bullets, carrying terrifying kinetic energy, tore through the grotesque monster's pale skin and pink muscles. Vile purple blood splattered from the screaming, contorting body, falling to the ground along with the hot, thick shell casings, creating a sizzling, strange sound.
"Ten o'clock direction, Temple-class Honkai Beast approaching."
A Honkai Beast, one and a half times taller than the Titan and with arms resembling a knight's lance and shield, slowly approached. Its deep-pink cyclops eye emitted an eerie glow. It leveled its lance, preparing to pierce the Titan's cockpit.
Lin swiftly turned. The Titan's three-fingered left hand grabbed the lance and violently twisted it to the side. The terrifying sheer force yanked the Temple-class Honkai Beast right to the ground. He aimed the machine gun muzzle at its undefended head and fired cleanly.
One, two, three... Honkai Beasts of increasing type and number were killed. These troublesome monsters, a terrifying threat to average soldiers, were like tiny insects under Lin's piloted Titan, swiftly eliminated at a rate of roughly one every three seconds.
The Titan alone would not necessarily be capable of this. The Equipment Department encountered countless problems when developing it. An ordinary pilot's physical fitness would be far from the standard required to operate the Titan. Furthermore, the fluid, human-like movements Lin was making while piloting were extremely difficult—dangerous, like dancing with blades. A slight mistake would mean being destroyed.
"He's a genius. He truly is a combat genius. His combat power displayed on the battlefield was already astonishing, but to achieve this level on his first time piloting the Titan—a machine no human has had similar piloting experience with—is terrifying." The Equipment Department personnel outside the cockpit collected data they couldn't even have dreamt of, all while marveling at Lin's combat instinct and talent.
The last Honkai Beast was stomped to the ground, its body ripped apart.
"079, simulation over. The Emperor-class Honkai Beast you killed has no corresponding data and cannot be simulated. Let's end the driving simulation here for today."
"Hoo..." Lin let out a long sigh, but his gaze did not relax. He checked the remaining ammunition and damage. Instead of ending the simulation, he remained silent for a moment and then spoke, "What about the Herrscher data?"
"Uh? A Herrscher?"
"The Second Herrscher. It can be simulated, right?"
"Are you sure? We've collected enough data, and the Titan isn't meant to counter the Herrscher..."
Lin cut him off, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "Simulate."
"..."
After the corpses at his feet dissolved into data streams and reformed not far away, a humanoid figure, far less massive than the Honkai Beasts, gradually took shape...
Lin stared intently at the figure.
The Apostle born from the Second Eruption, the strongest enemy of humanity, symbolizing the disaster known as the Honkai.
The Herrscher of the Void.
"Simulation over."
Lin stumbled out of the smoking cockpit. Logistics personnel, who had been waiting, quickly carried him away to cool him down. The others swarmed the cockpit to rescue it.
The overly massive data load had burned out the simulation circuit and caused the temperature control system to fail, nearly turning Lin into human BBQ inside a steel coffin. He could even smell the scent of his own burnt flesh.
But that wasn't what Lin cared about.
"I lost." Lin swatted away the hand trying to remove his helmet. He murmured, his expression showing little surprise.
This Titan was merely a prototype. Even if he pushed its performance to the limit, the gap between it and the Herrscher was bottomless, like an abyss. He had only resisted for one minute before being crushed into a pile of sparking scrap metal by Imaginary Space matter.
Lin silently replayed the battle in his mind, wondering if he, personally, had any chance of defeating the Herrscher in a direct fight.
The answer was self-evident. He would likely be killed by the high concentration of Honkai energy surrounding the Herrscher before he could even formally start fighting.
As a human, even if his individual combat capability was several times that of others, or even dozens of times when using the specialized gear he had helped develop, he was still just a human. There was a limit to what he could do.
The head of the R&D Department walked over to Lin, calculating the data. He smiled, turning his gaze from the green, flowing characters on the screen to the top of Lin's bowed helmet: "The data from the initial run far exceeded our imagination, Lin. What kind of mind do you have to come up with a design like the Titan?"
"...Why didn't you follow the blueprint I provided?"
"..."
Lin's simple sentence abruptly chilled the heated atmosphere.
The R&D head's expression cooled. His eyes flashed behind his glasses. He sighed and said, "Lin, following your design, the mechs we could produce would be considerably weaker than the current one..."
Lin cut him off.
"But it would allow more people to pilot them, not just... exceptions."
The R&D head stared coldly at the young man who kept his head down, offering no reply.
What Lin had originally provided was a more generalized mech design, intended to allow ordinary soldiers to pilot the Titans. Even if it didn't greatly increase combat efficiency, it would significantly boost survival rates.
Yet, this first finished Titan could clearly only be piloted by top-tier soldiers like Lin.
After a long silence, the R&D head replied, "For a mech to resist Honkai energy erosion, it requires a massive investment of resources. Using those resources to make 'toy cars' does not align with the Moth of the Flame-Chasers' philosophy of countering the Honkai."
Lin also raised his head. His helmet's internal viewport automatically displayed the R&D head's information. He glanced at it and asked, "Then what is the point of making these Titans?"
"They will all be piloted by Artificial Intelligence."
The answer was obvious. Lin should have guessed this outcome the moment he boarded the Titan.
He should say something, but the Moth of the Flame-Chasers would have no reaction to it, even though he was the one who proposed the Titan concept. Because all he had ever provided were ideas and concepts, not the actual design or involvement in the development.
After all, he didn't have the talent for that.
"I need to leave." Lin stood up. His body temperature was still very high, but he paid it no mind.
Perhaps trying to console Lin, the R&D head spoke to him during this brief pause: "By the way, you were processing the Second Eruption when you joined, so you applied for solo missions. Have you been assigned a squad yet? Who's the captain?"
Lin paused, then nodded: "Yes."
"Which squad?"
"Fifth Squad. The captain is called Himeko."