Chapter 213: [Progress/Evolution] Always Comes With [Cost/Sacrifice]

"Take back the doctor's badge? Why didn't you even notify me?"

Nozomi followed behind Mobius, helping her record data while keeping track of the situation and answering questions from visitors.

In front of Mobius and Nozomi was a medical restraint chair, and bound to it was an ordinary warrior who also belonged to the "Fire Moth"... but this warrior had a pale face, was obviously physically weak, and his mental state was extremely poor, with a hint of unreasonable cruelty often in his eyes.

This seemed to be a disease related to Honkai.

"And... Miss, although I know the doctor has a bad reputation outside, it shouldn't be necessary for you to wear a gas mask when entering here."

Nozomi glanced at the person who had arrived uninvited, fully armed, with not an inch of skin exposed to the air of the laboratory. Nozomi's tone was not very pleasant.

"This isn't a dangerous place, so you shouldn't be so alert. Besides... I think my memory is pretty good, but I don't think I've heard your voice in the Fire Moth... New here? Which department are you from?"

"Oh~ Nozomi, you know, not everyone is like you and Miss Blanca. There are only a few people who dare to step into this laboratory alone. Even I had to encourage myself before coming here, okay?"

The person responded to Nozomi very naturally, and her cheerful tone couldn't be blocked even by the heavy mask.

"Regarding the badge issue... because the badge distribution system has been revised, this batch of numbered badges needs to be recycled. All future badges will be unnumbered versions."

"As for the gas mask... safety first, right?"

"..."

Nozomi glanced at her, and the meaning revealed in her eyes was very clear... Even after saying so much, she did not reveal her name and identity and even deliberately avoided the question.

"Okay, little one, give it to her."

Mobius spoke up.

"There's no need for us to disrupt our progress because of such a small matter... and it doesn't affect me at all."

"…I understand, Doctor."

Nozomi nodded, then took out the badge that symbolized Mobius and had the number "1" engraved on the back from the drawer, intending to hand it to the person at the door.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Dr. Mobius~"

The man's tone was still light, but there was a sense of "slight relief" in his words.

"The new badge will be delivered to your lab within a week."

"..."

Nozomi glanced at her again.

"No, just give it to the little guy, he will bring it back to me."

Mobius didn't seem to notice the problem with this statement... Maybe Mobius thought she was really new.

"Okay~"

She responded softly, then reached out to take the badge in Nozomi's hand.

"...wait."

Mobius suddenly spoke up.

Nozomi instantly grasped the badge in her hand and took a half step back to avoid the hand she extended.

"…What's wrong, Dr. Mobius?"

She looked at Nozomi's alert expression and felt a little embarrassed but still asked politely.

"I want to know something."

Mobius turned and looked at her.

"Although you all want to hide it from us and even find all kinds of weird reasons, but... if you want to know something, you don't need to 'see it with your own eyes.'"

"You ordered the engineering department to make more weapons, so the engineering department needs to recycle and scrap more weapons, right? Vill-V rarely came to complain to the little guy about this, so..."

Mobius's eyes turned serious.

"Tell us about the Second Great Elysia."

"Ah... Doctor, so this is what you wanted to ask."

She seemed a little relieved to hear that what Mobius wanted to know was the situation on the front line rather than the internal affairs of the "Fire Moth."

"Please rest assured. With your help, everyone is doing fine. At least the front is stable. However... due to the special nature of the Second Herrscher, we have not yet found an opportunity to defeat it. Therefore, the current situation... can be considered a stalemate."

"We have limited the scope of the Honkai, but we are unable to deal with the Second Herrscher either... However, this is only 'temporary'~"

"Um?"

Mobius crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, motioning for her to continue.

"As far as I know, there is a lovely, beautiful, and powerful girl who has just joined the 'Fire Moth' as a warrior... I believe that she will find a breakthrough in this battle and help us survive this Eruption~?"

"..."

Just as she was answering Mobius in a light tone, Nozomi's slightly scrutinizing gaze swept over her again, making her sweat.

"...Hmph, I hope so."

Mobius looked at her again, then snorted and turned her head away, no longer looking at her.

"Give it to her, little one."

"Okay~ Thank you very much~?"

After taking the badge from Nozomi's hand, she responded with a little joy, and then left politely.

"...."

"Don't mind her, little one."

Mobius said without looking up.

"If she can really do it, then it's okay to give her the badge... Besides, if my badge is taken away by someone with ulterior motives, the ones who should be worried are not us, but the Fire Moth."

"I see, Doctor."

Nozomi nodded and no longer cared.

"Okay, little guy... Where are the reagents you prepared earlier? Take them out and try them out. Remember to record the results."

"um."

Nozomi nodded and then looked at the soldier who was tied to the chair.

"It's okay, Nozomi. I agreed to come here, which means I know what I will have to endure... The worst outcome is death."

The soldier put on a weak and feeble smile and spoke softly.

"Don't make it sound like I did something to you, okay?"

Mobius frowned and said with some displeasure.

"Give me some spirit and will to live, soldier."

"I don't want to have to collect data again because of your own self-destructive consciousness, and I don't want to trouble the little guy to go out again."

"Hah… sorry, Doc."

He smiled bitterly, apologizing for his mistaken remarks.

"…I'm sorry for the misunderstandings I had with you before."

"Don't talk about us. Do you really hate the little guy?"

Mobius frowned again.

"...sorry."

He lowered his eyes slightly and apologized again.

"We only hope that our meager lives and bodies... can bring you some help."

"And... Nozomi, I'll ask you to deliver the letter I left behind to my family when the time comes..."

"Well, but it would be better if you take it back yourself, right?"

Nozomi glanced at him and then responded softly.

"Ha… that's right."

"You talk a lot."

Mobius took the reagent from Nozomi's hand, took out a part of it with a syringe, and injected it into his body.

"If you have the time, you might as well save your energy so that you can scream out when you feel the pain later."

"I'm sorry, Doctor..."

His smile was forced.

"I don't feel the pain anymore."

"...…."

Mobius was silent for a long time, and finally just smacked her lips and said nothing.

...In the end, the soldier couldn't hold on.

When the purple lines appeared, his spirit completely collapsed, and after spending a period of time in a daze, he began to behave in an inhuman manner.

He... has become a "monster."

At last...

Bang!

Boom!

With a gunshot, its body fell to the ground.

Nozomi put away the gun and skillfully examined its body. After confirming that it posed no threat, he sealed it in a special container for research.

"That's really neat and tidy, little guy. Even I am a little impressed..."

Mobius looked at Nozomi's skillful and quick movements and spoke with a hint of sarcasm.

"It's just that... I keep asking you to do this. Wouldn't you be unhappy, little guy?"

"No, Doctor."

Nozomi was quickly dealing with the aftermath, cleaning up the blood around him, and detecting Honkai energy to prevent any accidents in the laboratory while responding to Mobius' words.

His movements were quick and precise, and while disinfecting the surroundings, he even had time to spray some air freshener.

"If you want to [move forward], you have to pay the corresponding [price], this is a matter of course."

"Hmm~ I like what you said."

Mobius smiled and became more and more satisfied with Nozomi.

"Yes... [Evolution] is always accompanied by [sacrifice], and these are inevitable."

Mobius withdrew her gaze from Nozomi and began to look through the documents in her hand.

"In fact, I am sometimes very curious. You are busy all day long, and it seems that you will never get tired... It makes me feel a little distressed to see you like this, little guy... um... another possibility is ruled out."

Mobius looked at the list of various reagents that she and Nozomi had made and crossed out the one she had just used.

"I don't know who is the reason for my trouble."

"Oh, it's not because of me, is it?"

"If you know, don't tell it, Doctor."

"Hehe~"

Mobius chuckled twice.

"Well... move on to the next one, little one."

"I see, Doctor."

In response, Nozomi just nodded and had no objection.

…

...

"Huh... I finally got it."

Once they were far away from Mobius' laboratory, the girl named "Elysia" took off her gas mask, shook her head, and let her long pink hair spread out.

"I didn't expect that the doctor was so easy to talk to~ But her assistant... was so cautious~ He almost scared me~"

"And…"

Elysia lowered her head thoughtfully.

"I always feel like I've seen him somewhere..."

"Well... never mind~ We'll have a chance to meet again in the future~"

"Right now, it would be better to go and help~"

As she spoke, Elysia quickened her pace, using the badge she got from Mobius to reach the armory without any obstruction, and began to choose her own weapon.

"Hmm...Hmm...Let me see..."

"Rifles? Cannons? Wow, ~ Nozomi and Vill-V are so awesome... Hmm? How come they even have rifles?"

"And a sword? A knife? Hmmmm? This knife is so pretty! It's pink!"

"Well... what a pity... if it weren't for the special circumstances this time, I would definitely choose this knife!"

"Eh? There are bows? Bows that can gather energy arrows on their own? Wow~ They are both amazing! They can even design such a weapon!"

"Hmm... yeah~ OK! This is it!"

After trying out her weapon, Elysia nodded with satisfaction, then quickly left, and with the help of her badge, she successfully boarded the "Fire Moth" aircraft and rushed to the battlefield.

————————

[The "Second Great Eruption" ended. A new soldier named "Elysia" found the right opportunity and crossed a long distance with amazing accuracy. She broke through the defense of the "Second Herrscher" in an unexpected way and accurately hit the "Second Herrscher", killing her with just one strike.]

[After this battle, the rookie Elysia suddenly became a celebrity among the "Fire Moths"... Who doesn't like a pretty, cute, powerful, and good at communicating girl?]

[Plus, when Elysia joined the "Fire Moth", she left an amazing record... plus her outstanding performance in this "suppression war", Elysia was almost immediately elected by the soldiers as the current strongest warrior of the "Fire Moth".]

[However, the fact that Elysia "cheated" Mobius into giving her the badge and illegally entered the armory to take away the special weapons was also exposed. Hmm… But compared to Elysia's great achievement of "suppressing the Herrscher", this little thing is insignificant.]

[Anyway, it just so happens that "Fire Moth" does have plans to slightly adjust the power structure. After all, there are many forces that want to join, so it would be a good idea to take back the emblem as a representative and then remake and distribute it when the time comes.]

[What's surprising is that, whether it's out of guilt for having "deceived" Mobius and you, or simply because she wants to have a good relationship with everyone after Elysia officially joined the "Fire Moth", she started to come to the laboratory whenever she had nothing to do, and would come to chat with you from time to time.]

[And even if you go to the engineering department, it's still the same. Elysia will even chat with Vill-V... you don't know where she got the interest from.]

[But I have to say, although this kind of Elysia is a bit annoying... but not to the point of being intolerable.]

[Mobius was also annoyed by Elysia and wanted you to kick her out in a slightly annoyed manner... But then Elysia found an opportunity to have a good talk with Mobius and expressed her desire to make friends with Mobius.]

[Afterwards, Mobius unexpectedly accepted Elysia and even took the initiative to take her to visit the "Fire Moth" base.]

[You think that Mobius has too few friends. Now that someone who is willing to take the initiative to make friends with her has appeared, Mobius will naturally cherish her.]

[In addition, you, Vill-V, and the engineering department were also commended. No matter what, this new type of weapon has been of great help. In the face of your achievements, the "Fire Moth" is also willing to allocate resources... Of course, it is limited to this research project.]

[After that, life was relatively stable again... You were still busy, busy with your joint research with Vill-V, busy knocking Vill-V's head to stop her from thinking about those messy designs all the time, busy paying attention to Mobius's experiments...]

[Damn it, why do you seem to have no signs of being able to relax at all? In fact, things are becoming more and more hectic as time goes by. What's going on?]

[But fortunately, your healthy and strong body and efficient mobility are enough to support your busy schedule... so you feel okay.]

[However, it was at this time that a student named "Mei" published a paper related to quantum mechanics, which attracted the attention of "Fire Moth" and further attracted the attention of Mobius.]

[It just so happens that the academic seminar in Mu Continent is coming soon, and the student named Mei will also be taken there by her tutor. Mobius plans to take this opportunity to meet her.]

[The only thing that bothered Mobius was that Blanca was "busy" with Hen at the moment, so she couldn't go with her...]

[Forget it, it doesn't matter. She already has you now, and Klein will come to help soon. Mobius doesn't need Blanca anymore.]

[Who is Blanca? Isn't she the girl who was kidnapped by the stinky man? I don't know her well!]