Chapter 235: Becoming a part of Play

[Actually, you are telling the truth. You still have a lot of things to deal with... Especially this "Great Eruption" made you realize one thing]

[That is, what about those who died before you started the "chess game"?]

[Although you have thought about relying on the "next time" opportunity to make up for those people you have not been able to save "this time", but... you must know that everything you are experiencing now is real. Even if you can "start over" again and again, every trace you leave is real, and the same goes for the people you meet.]

['…No, I cannot waver.']

[We must... move forward. Just move forward firmly. That's all.]

[You will definitely do it.]

[Then… let's turn our attention back to the present.]

[According to the information collected by "Fire Moth", some people infected with "Honkai Disease" disappeared near "Twilight Street". In order to prevent these people from further infecting other people or causing any malicious incidents, "Fire Moth" has to find a way to deal with it.]

[Originally, the disappearance of a few people like this would not be taken seriously. After all, the outbreak of Honkai was enough to make "Fire Moth" overwhelmed, so how could it spare the time to deal with such trivial matters?]

[But for some reason, the number of Honkai outbreaks inland has decreased significantly, but the number of Honkai beasts crawling out of the sea has increased... To be honest, the "Fire Moth" still doesn't understand the principle.]

[Although the Honkai tide in the sea gave "Fire Moth" a headache, it was at least coming from a fixed place. In addition, defensive counterattacks were one of the things humans were best at. Building a defense line along the coast to resist the Honkai tide made it much easier to deal with the Honkai.]

[After all... compared to the "wild monsters" that spawn randomly and are very easy to spawn in densely populated cities, it is easier to find the "monster spawning points" with fixed monsters.]

[The "Fire Moth" who was able to divert their energy from dealing with the Honkai Disease also had the energy to deal with other things, such as curing those patients infected with the "Honkai Disease" a little bit... This is not a difficult task. After all, the treatment you provide is completely "automatic". It only takes some time to wait, and those people can "heal" on their own.]

[And now that the Soulium production line has been built, this treatment will not be very expensive. The Fire Moth even provides free treatment in this regard.]

[On the one hand, it is to prevent patients from causing any malicious incidents, or too many patients gathering in a small place and causing an Eruption... and other such things that are not worth the loss. On the other hand, the crystals dropped from the patients can also be used as energy, and they are even quite safe.]

[It's a pity that if it wasn't a crystal dropped from a seriously ill patient, the energy contained in it wouldn't be enough to power weapons, but... it would be great to use it on some simple civilian facilities.]

[Like a fan, a crystal dropped from a mildly ill patient can keep a three-speed fan in use for six hours.]

[However, considering the possible hidden dangers, "Fire Moth" did not popularize this energy among the public... Are you kidding! How can such a wasteful use be allowed? Wouldn't it be better to pile it up and use a better method to continuously generate electricity? This would be more cost-effective!]

[So, "Fire Moth" is still very concerned about the "Honkai Disease" patients. After all, it doesn't take up too many resources to treat them, and it can even provide resources for itself in return. This is a good thing... Therefore, those "Honkai Disease" patients who disappeared near "Twilight Street" made "Fire Moth" so concerned.]

[Although logically speaking, you don't need to deal with this kind of thing, after all, you still have more things to do, but... just like what other people think, you always like to deal with many things at the same time, so you plan to deal with this matter as well.]

[Who let this incident allow you to smoothly come into contact with "Twilight Street"~]

[After hearing that you were going to handle this matter, the team that was supposed to handle this matter hurriedly followed you... and along the way, they also brought along a beautiful girl who did not want to reveal her name, Elysia.]

["Ah, I think I accidentally let my name out~" Elysia, who was standing in front of you and introducing herself like this, tapped her head and made a cute expression, trying to cover up the small flaw that she had deliberately revealed.]

[You are speechless about Elysia's behavior... But since Elysia is coming, you don't care.]

[After that, you followed the clues and went to "Twilight Street" to look for the missing patients... Although you outsiders will definitely encounter some difficulties when entering "Twilight Street"]

[But it doesn't matter. In order to handle this matter efficiently, and based on your "past" experience, you also know the internal rules of "Twilight Street" very well. You immediately had a friendly discussion (physically) with the people here, and successfully persuaded them to tell you the location and conditions of those patients, and took the opportunity to let you into "Twilight Street".]

[Well... how should I put it, Elysia and the members who came with you were a little surprised. After all, you are well-known for your efficient and quick way of doing things within the "Fire Moth", and most of your actions are within the rules. But now you actually use this kind of physical solution... uh... it feels a little weird.]

[But later, they thought carefully about the situation inside "Twilight Street" and felt that your approach seemed to be the most efficient... I can only say that it really deserves to be called "Twilight Street".]

[As for what happened next, it can be handled quickly. After all, the patients in "Twilight Street" were all taken in by the nun, Aponia. You quickly found the sanatorium where she was based on the information and started negotiations and inquiries.]

[Of course, the whole process was taken over by you, which made the member who was originally in charge of this matter somewhat speechless.]

[But unexpectedly, but not unexpectedly, the negotiation process between you and Aponia was very smooth and successful, even to the point of being amazing... It was done in a short while, which made the people who came with you sigh again - you are worthy of being here.]

[For this negotiation, you have put some thought into it... First of all, you should take advantage of the innate and even somewhat abnormal suspicion of the senior executives of "Fire Moth" and make them think that Aponia has ulterior motives in taking in these patients and that they need to be brought back to "Fire Moth" for investigation.]

[Of course, with your mediation, and the fact that there is already a treatment for the "Honkai Disease", Aponia's problem won't be too serious. At least, she won't be considered a threat and be further imprisoned.]

[After that, we can reveal some information about the investigation of Aponia appropriately, such as letting them know that Aponia has never been rejected by anyone, so that they can realize how special Aponia is... As long as they realize this, they will naturally find a way to keep Aponia in "Fire Moth".]

[These are all your own plans, and you will need to slowly implement them later... Although Aponia didn't know about this, after meeting you, she seemed to have received some kind of revelation in an instant, so she just nodded and agreed to everything you said... This is why your negotiations with Aponia went so smoothly.]

[Elysia and the others, who were also unaware of your plan, could only follow the orders of the Fire Moth to deal with the follow-up matters on Aponia's side while lamenting that you were so efficient.]

[Now that Aponia is done, it's time for you to catch the "kitten" here.]

[ But if you want to stuff this "kitten" into the "Fire Moth", it will take some effort... But it's not good to be without her. After all, if used properly, she will be a very good "piece".]

['How about... just take advantage of Aponia's business. If I remember correctly, this "kitten" also provided some supplies to the sanatorium. Hmm... first merge her into Aponia's "accomplices". After tying her to the "Fire Moth", I will find a way to give her something to do.']

['Okay... this should be fine.']

————————

"Hehe~ As expected, those outsiders do have some good stuff on them!"

A brown-haired girl with heterochromatic eyes looked at the metal pendant in her hand that was emitting a unique luster and smiled happily. Then she looked back nervously. After making sure that no one was following her, she quickly took a few steps forward and found her own nest in a secluded place.

　"Yeah~ I believe this thing can be sold for a good price!"

　　"Yes, after all, the technical content of that thing is very high."

　　"ah..."

　　When she heard a strange voice behind her, she froze while still placing the "stolen goods". With an awkward laugh, she slowly turned around and looked at Nozomi who was leaning against the door.

　　"Hello, Kitty, or should I say... The Thief of Dusk Street?"

　　"Ahahaha…I'm not that good…"

　　"Don't belittle yourself. In a place called 'Twilight Street', it's not easy to just steal. Besides... that's what the children in the nursing home call you. I don't mind calling you that."

　　Nozomi stood up slightly and extended his hand to her.

　　"And you're really brave. You actually dared to steal it without knowing what it was in my hand... Haha, as expected, I can trick you into taking the bait by using something shiny and valuable, Pardofelis."

"You... you... how do you know..."

Now, Pardofelis understood that the person in front of her was coming for her, and the pendant was deliberately shown to her...

"Well... well, Boss, could you please be magnanimous and let a small character like me go?"

Pardofelis approached him in a gentle voice and carefully put the pendant she had just taken from Nozomi back into his hand. At the same time, her whole body was tense, ready to escape at any time... As for this little nest, she was afraid she couldn't stay there anymore and had to move to another place.

"How can that be? After all, I came here just to find you... and don't even think about running away. I can catch you back at any time, Kitten."

"Ahahaha... Boss, just tell me what you want me to do, just tell me, and I will definitely do it for you!"

"Well, I want to introduce you to a job and give you a... playmate? Oh no, I think you should be her playmate."

"...Boss, are you serious?"

"Why, you think I would lie to you?"

Nozomi narrowed his eyes slightly and moved his fingers slightly, activating the device on his hand. The "Soulium" flowed like water, outlining a simple weapon in the palm of his hand. The energy glowed, and the muzzle was aimed at Pardofelis, who was moving slowly.

"..."

Sensing the danger, Pardofelis immediately stopped moving.

"I told you, don't even think about running away."

"Also, you may be wondering why I would come to a little guy like you and even come all the way to offer you a job. Well... just think of me as someone who is mentally ill."

"At last..."

Nozomi narrowed his eyes and put on a smile that looked somewhat creepy.

"[Kitten]... No, Pardofelis, do you want to accept this [job] from me?"

"Do I... do I have a choice?"

Pardofelis had a sad face.

"I'm sorry, no~"

Nozomi smiled brightly.

…

...

"So, little guy, after you finished the [Herrscher Crusade], you went to [Twilight Street] on purpose, just to find that nun who was talking nonsense for some reason but obeyed your every word, and to kidnap a little girl from there?"

In the laboratory, Mobius looked expressionlessly at Nozomi, who was standing in front of her, then looked at Pardofelis, who seemed to be afraid of her and huddled behind Nozomi for some protection, and asked coldly.

"No, how could that be, Doctor? I just took advantage of the situation to complete the mission of 'Fire Moth'. After all, they are all related to that incident. Um... Although Pardofelis was quickly ruled out of suspicion for her own reasons."

Nozomi said this very naturally and rubbed Pardofelis's head to soothe her slightly trembling body... The aura emitted by Mobius now was extremely terrifying, which made Pardofelis, who was in an unfamiliar environment, extremely frightened.

And now, Nozomi is the only person she knows to rely on... and based on previous situations, Nozomi really seems to be a... good person with a "mental problem"?

In short, no matter what, the only person Pardofelis can rely on now is Nozomi, who brought her into this hellhole, so she can only hide behind Nozomi.

she just didn't know if it was her own illusion, she actually felt that Nozomi was reliable and could provide her with shelter... ah, it was really a ghost, could she be PUA?!

"Yeah, it's all down to chance, so you brought the little girl you kidnapped to the lab?"

Seeing Nozomi comforting Pardofelis, Mobius's eyes became even colder, and her tone became worse.

"It's mainly to find a playmate for Griseo. After all... Senior Blanca has been busy with some things recently, right?"

"Ah… um…"

Blanca, who was still holding Griseo and happily eating melon with the others, was stunned for a moment as if she had not expected that she would be involved. But after thinking about the current situation, she nodded truthfully.

After all, Griseo is much older now and doesn't need to be looked after all the time, and Blanca will also have some things to deal with... it's just not the research on Mobius's side.

So what Nozomi said was not wrong. You know, due to physical reasons, Griseo had to stay in Mobius's laboratory for a long time to recuperate, which made it difficult for Griseo to come into contact with other people. In other words, she didn't have many playmates and friends, and there were only a few people coming and going.

Moreover, most of the people who are familiar with Griseo have their own things to do. It's okay to take time out to accompany Griseo occasionally, but it's not realistic to accompany her all the time.

But... isn't it too much trouble to find someone specifically to play with Griseo?

"Haha... helping Griseo, huh? That's a good excuse, little guy..."

Mobius's tone seemed to become even more gloomy.

"As expected, little guy, you are just a peacock that spreads its tail all day and flirts with girls everywhere. Have you ever gone to the extent of abducting little girls from outside and bringing them home? Ah... that's really too much~"

"!!--"

Pardofelis shrank back again. Mobius's overly dangerous gaze made her feel uncomfortable all over... Unfortunately, at this time, Nozomi patted her head gently, then took half a step forward, pushed her back, and separated from her.

'Ah… don't do that! Big brother! Boss! Good man! Don't do that! You are my only protector!!!' Pardofelis wailed in her heart.

But at this moment, Nozomi did not hear Pardofelis's call for help but just stepped forward and came in front of Mobius.

"Little guy, I have to say that you need to be disciplined."

Mobius said this, stretched out her hand, and gently touched his chest, applying a little force to show her serious attitude.

"You ran to that dangerous place without my permission. Do you know what you are doing? You are my thing. You are so brave to ignore your own specialness like this."

"You were already badly injured in the last [Subjugation War]. What? Do you want to do it again this time? Is it fun to make me worry? You... wait, what are you doing?"

"You... don't come near me, don't... um..."

He ignored Mobius's complaints and the hand that was pressing on his chest, trying to push it away but was powerless, seeming to be reluctant but also reluctant.

He just gently held her face and pressed his lips against hers.

"Wow... that's awesome."

"Oh~ Brother Nozomi..."

"Griseo, don't look."

"Hey, can you guys stop watching the show? We still have data to process later..."

...

Mobius could no longer hear the discussions of other people in the lab. She just stood there in a daze until Nozomi separated their lips.

"Well, don't worry, Doc."

Nozomi gently held her hand and tilted his head slightly to one side so that he could touch her face and feel her warmth.

"Nothing will happen to me, and I won't leave."

Nozomi smiled gently, with tenderness and doting.

"After all, I'm yours, right, Doc?"

There was a unique promise in his words, and his eyes revealed his love for her.

"..."

At this moment, Mobius clearly felt that her mind... had crashed.

"Out..."

"Um?"

"Go out..."

"huh?"

"I told you to get out!"

With a blushing face, Mobius hurriedly pushed Nozomi out of the laboratory, and then locked the door to prevent Nozomi from coming in.

She leaned against the door with her back, her face flushed, letting her eyes be panicked. She put her hands on her chest, trying to calm her increasingly unstable breathing and... her wildly beating heart.

"..."

After a moment's silence, Mobius didn't care about anything else and rushed into her lounge in the laboratory like the wind, locked the door, and threw herself on her bed, burying her head in the soft pillow without saying a word.

"Hmm... It seems that this method is too stimulating for the doctor who is not drunk yet..."

Nozomi, who was locked outside the laboratory, tilted his head, thinking thoughtfully.

"Then next... well, let's go to Vill-V first."

Nozomi turned around and walked towards the engineering department... As for Mobius, let her calm down first.

...

"Uh... that..."

Pardofelis, who was also locked in the laboratory, weakly raised her hand and asked the others in the laboratory.

"So... can I... stay...?"