Honkai: You're telling me this difficulty is from Honkai Impact 3?!

Shu didn't dwell on the "revenge" incident. After all, if he were to hold grudges, Mei and the others would likely bring up how much he'd enjoyed watching the original story unfold.

Adjusting his collar, he turned and walked briskly towards the old man. The dust here was considerably thicker, each footstep leaving a clear imprint. In the corners, dampness had caused the dust to clump, and a strange, indescribable odor hung in the air.

Perhaps because this was the lowest level of ARC City, the environment was surprisingly dirty and chaotic, with a distinct cyberpunk feel. Fortunately, the group's discomfort was manageable, far from unbearable.

Soon, they finally reached the old man Shu had spotted.

"Excuse me, sir!" Kiana called out eagerly to the hunched figure while they were still quite a distance away.

The figure stopped, then slowly turned. The moment he did, the group halted abruptly, Shu instinctively raising his hand to shield them.

The old man's appearance was… unsettling, to say the least. Shu's earlier assessment had been correct; the man was stooped, but Shu hadn't anticipated the extent of it. The man's back was bent so severely that his spine, segmented like a stegosaurus' plates, was clearly visible through his clothing.

Yes, the old man's posture was that exaggerated. But the most disturbing feature overshadowed this abnormality completely.

The old man had three left hands, twisted together. A cluster of fingers intertwined grotesquely. Even though he tried to hide them against his sunken abdomen, his frail frame couldn't conceal them.

Shu swallowed, suddenly aware of his own raised hand, realizing his reaction had been excessive. It's just an old man.

The old man's skull-like face slowly turned towards them, his drooping eyelids half-covering deep-set sockets that seemed to lack eyes altogether. He began to scrutinize the three newcomers with unseen eyes.

At first glance, his body trembled. Shu felt him straighten slightly, and within those hollow sockets, a flicker of human recognition sparked.

"Sir…" Feeling a wave of relief, Shu attempted to communicate.

"Huh… huh… Ahhh!!" The old man lurched forward, his three twisted left hands rising, all fifteen fingers outstretched, reaching for Shu.

There was no sense of malice, yet Shu felt a strong urge to recoil. He resisted, stiffly extending his own hand for a handshake.

The handshake never happened. The old man froze, seeing Shu's outstretched hand. His choked exclamations ceased, and he hunched over again, even more severely than before, as if trying to fold himself in half.

Simultaneously, Shu felt a surge of intense sadness, coupled with a profound fear. Is this coming from him?

As the old man cowered and retreated, Shu pushed down the unsettling feeling, stepping forward and bending down before him. "Sir!"

The old man stopped, looking up at him.

"We're the first exploration team from Fire Moth. Don't be afraid!" Shu raised his voice, fearing the old man couldn't hear him. "We mean you no harm!"

Confusion flickered across the skeletal face. He tilted his head, straining to hear. Shu repeated himself, even louder.

This time, the old man reacted, but the confusion remained.

"Huh… huh… huh…?" The same choked sounds escaped his throat, each syllable with a distinct inflection. It was clearly a response, but Shu couldn't understand a word.

"Shu… what…" The others were equally lost, and the atmosphere grew tense.

The old man seemed to sense this, uttering another choked sound, then raised his right hand—his one normal hand—and brought it down towards his mouth in a gesture of frustration.

Alarmed, Shu instinctively grabbed his wrist. "Sir, are you asking what Fire Moth is?" He was resorting to guesswork now.

"Huh! Huh—!" The old man's hollow eyes fixed on his captured wrist, his agitation increasing as he struggled to pull his hand away.

Shu felt like he was holding a bone wrapped in loose skin, afraid that any more pressure would shatter it. He reluctantly let go. "Sir, we really don't mean you any harm…"

The old man retracted his hand, his gaze fixated on the hand that had held him, even his choked sounds ceasing.

"Shu, what do we do? We can't communicate with him," Kiana whispered, sidling up to Shu.

"I don't know… we need to get some information," Shu replied softly. "He might just be terrified. Maybe if we calm him down…"

"Yeah…" Kiana nodded, her gaze softening with pity. "He looks… so pitiful…"

Shu agreed. The feelings of sadness and fear still lingered within him, but he sensed no malice from the old man. On the contrary… the fear seemed more like… anxiety? Worry?

Wait a minute… could it be…

"Sir, are you worried about… infecting me with something?" Shu asked suddenly.

The old man's gaze shifted from Shu's hand to his face. After a moment of silence, he slowly nodded.

Shu let out a long breath. So that's it…

"Don't worry, sir." Shu squatted down in front of the old man, flexing his arm playfully and smiling. "I'll be fine. You don't have anything contagious."

Now at eye level with the old man, Shu saw a faint glimmer of hope in those deep-set eyes.

"Huh?"

Shu nodded. "Really!"