NOVEL WEB Chapter 49: Diverging Paths Converge
As the storyline played out, Mobius inadvertently gripped the object in her hand so tightly that it deformed. The crisp sound of the cup's handle snapping echoed, and the water inside shook violently.
It was obvious she was furious.
That rumor, that Elysia, that Kalpas… every bit of it made her angry.
"…"
"Who spread this rumor? Where did this absurd story come from?!" she fumed, her anger nearly prompting her to smash the cup onto the ground.
Staring at the strange rumor depicted in the game, she was bewildered, how had she never heard of it before?
How had she ended up being connected to Kalpas?
Illegitimate daughter…
They really dared to spread such nonsense.
Mobius narrowed her eyes but couldn't pinpoint the culprit. Too much time had passed for her to track it down… If not for the scene on the screen, she actually already had a suspect in mind.
Mobius glanced at Elysia, a thought flashing through her mind.
However, based on the scene… the source clearly wasn't Elysia. Targeting her would be inappropriate.
"That's right… This is also my first time hearing about this. How could anyone dare to spread such baseless rumors about Mobius? It's infuriating!" Elysia chimed in, waving her hand in mock indignation.
See? She always seized the opportunity to strengthen her relationship with Mobius!
Still, this kind of funny rumor was a first for her too.
Hmm… she decided to overlook the earlier comment comparing Mobius's age to Kalpas's mother. That part wasn't great.
How could she ever entertain such a thought? Elysia resolved to reflect on herself.
"…So, why are the two of you looking at me like that?"
"Am I supposed to be the culprit?" Luo Mo asked incredulously, staring back at the scrutinizing gazes from the two women.
"Exactly! The truth of the matter can only be one thing—"
Elysia adjusted her imaginary glasses, raised her delicate finger, and pointed it directly at Luo Mo, her expression filled with exaggerated drama.
The four locked eyes, and Elysia's theatrical side reached its peak.
"Confess now, Luo Mo! It's all your fault!"
"Don't be ridiculous… What does Mobius's supposed illegitimate daughter have to do with me?" Luo Mo turned his head slightly, avoiding her gaze.
He had been reflecting on whether he was fully integrating into this world or not, but he absolutely didn't want to be dragged into this Mobius-related mess!
And besides, he definitely wasn't the one who spread that rumor.
(TL: not me neither. This rumor did really mentioned in the orginal HI3)
Some parts of the story and conversations had been expedited using AI, but the main storylines relied heavily on their own scripts. While reviews weren't linked to side content, that didn't mean he was making things up. Of course, he also didn't rule out the possibility of voiceover sessions spiraling into fights… that'd be bad PR!
"Oh-ho? If there really were a connection, things would get quite complicated," Elysia teased, her words more like playful banter.
"Uh… isn't it better not to dwell on the rumor? I mean, Kalpas doesn't seem like he'd have much in common with Mobius anyway," Theresa chimed in, scratching her cheek and trying to mediate.
"That's not necessarily true. At least on a certain Flame-Chasers ranking chart, the two of them tied for first place!" Elysia wagged her finger and smiled mischievously, pointing out a detail that linked the two of them, even if only slightly.
"Oh no, I think I know what kind of ranking that is…" Kongming muttered, covering her face with her fan, hiding a knowing smirk.
"Indeed. Even Bronya…"
"Enough! Stop talking about this topic!" Mobius interrupted, visibly exasperated.
"Honestly, who even brought up this ridiculous rumor in the first place? I've said it before, I don't care, not one bit, not at all!"
"If you were to go through every rumor about me, you'd have enough material for tomorrow, and maybe even a book!"
"Call it The Strange Tales of Mobius! So, is there really any point in dragging out such meaningless discussions? Lab rats, move on to the next segment already—"
"If there's nothing else, we can always discuss your peculiar psychological issues, lab rat."
Mobius swiftly cut off all the teasing and consolation with a sharp string of words.
Her impatience to end this dull moment was evident, and she didn't forget to steer the conversation away by shifting the focus onto someone else.
"Why does that sound oddly tragic?"
Kiana fell silent for a moment, her train of thought interrupted by Mobius's rapid remarks. Yet within those words, she caught a faint hint of melancholy.
"…Maybe it's something she's used to," Mei whispered in reply, the two of them exchanging hushed words.
"Psychological issues?"
Bronya instantly picked up on the keyword and curiously glanced at Luo Mo. Mobius might use the term "lab rat" for many people, but it was clear who she meant this time.
Without a doubt, it was their boss.
Could it be that his loli complex had been exposed? That would be quite the scandal, company image is still important, after all.
Besides… was their boss really that bold? Would he go after this green-haired girl?
This was Bronya's first thought, even though she knew it wasn't true. But first impressions are powerful, as people often say.
For Bronya, this suspicion created a subtle bias toward her boss. Pinpointing when this problem began, however, was much harder.
---
"Kalpas, you—pfft—"
Vill-V clutched her stomach, laughing so hard she nearly doubled over. Her lips curved upward into an unrestrained grin, with no attempt to hide her amusement.
"You… shut up!"
Kalpas snorted coldly, glaring at her.
At least this time, he wasn't the one being humiliated, and in the end, he'd even gotten to vent his frustrations.
As for that rumor, of course, he didn't know the details. But the incident involving Mobius testing a molting experiment for her immortality was definitely a memorable one.
If it hadn't been related to him, he would've enjoyed watching the chaos even more.
"Kalpas, please be more polite."
Aponia's elegant figure leaned forward slightly in what looked like a sincere prayer. Dressed in simple loungewear instead of her usual nun outfit, her aura seemed softer and less divine.
Of course, the gravity brought by her figure remained as striking as ever.
"Polite? Polite! Why don't you try telling Mobius to be polite instead, hmph."
Kalpas wasn't impressed. These predictable lectures were tiresome, and Aponia's tendency to meddle needed to change!
------------
Elysia's concern for Mobius was always unexpectedly earnest.
One time, she confided in Sakura about it.
"…Yes, even though Mobius is always a bit standoffish with me, I've always liked her," Elysia said with a smile.
"…"
Sakura touched the hilt of her blade, her cool expression tinged with confusion. Her thin lips parted slightly as she softly replied, "I don't quite understand."
She genuinely didn't understand.
The two of them were always arguing, unable to communicate openly. By her own account, their relationship seemed anything but straightforward.
Yet Elysia continued to persistently seek her out for conversations...
---
"Hmm… I'm gradually coming to understand something. The things that would terrify others might really be insignificant to Mobius herself," Elysia said thoughtfully, her rare contemplative expression suggesting she'd pieced something together from her vast memory.
Mobius was, after all, truly unique.
"Things that frighten ordinary people, whether they happen to others or to herself—seem to make no difference to her."
"No difference?" Sakura asked, her clear eyes flashing with surprise.
"Exactly. I remember once, when I walked past her lab, I overheard this conversation..."
Lowering her voice dramatically, Elysia perfectly mimicked the scene, gesturing animatedly to give Sakura a clearer picture.
"'Dr. Mobius, your arm has been severed—severed!'"
"'I know! I'm already working on a replacement limb. Stop yelling!'"
"And the next time, it went like this…"
"'Dr. Mobius, my arm has been severed—severed!'"
"'I know! Here's a sedative shot for you. Stop yelling!'"
"Uh… can this really be considered 'no difference'?" Sakura muttered, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear with a resigned sigh.
"Well… at least she stayed calm the entire time~" Elysia remarked, her fingers tapping her chin as she offered what sounded like a legitimate answer.
Though it also proved that Elysia had little credibility when trying to make a convincing argument.
--
"Mobius, this time, you've truly crossed the line."
Su spoke to Mobius, his voice calm as ever.
Of course, his eyes remained shut—those eyes, an ominous sign of impending danger, never opened.
Su's closed eyes had become a remarkable sight in the Elysian Realm, one few would ever wish to see open.
For most, the ripples caused by Mobius's previous actions were still lingering, their effects yet to be fully erased.
At least at this moment, beneath the surface, the undercurrents surged relentlessly.
"Crossing the line? At this point, what are you even talking about?"
"Your principles are your own business. Stop trying to shackle me with those boring boundaries of yours."
Mobius, calmly grooming herself without haste, spoke with a tone full of playful irreverence.
There were few things that could restrain her thoughts, and rules and boundaries were absolutely not among them, especially when they weren't her own rules.
"Clinging to that tiresome sense of morality is precisely why you've failed to transcend yourself, unable even to touch the threshold of evolution."
"…What I want to discuss today has nothing to do with our previous disagreements. It's about what you've done this time," Su replied, his eyes still shut as he spoke seriously.
"Oh? And what's there to discuss?"
Mobius glanced curiously at the "blind man" in front of her. Of course, he wasn't really blind—no blind person could see the things Su always seemed to see.
"You've concealed your true intentions from all of us."
"Hmm… not entirely accurate, is it? At least Elysia knows."
Mobius, without hesitation, brought up a specific name.
Thinking back, she realized Elysia must have known from the very beginning and had already prepared accordingly. Otherwise, there was no way her gamble could've gone so smoothly, she had lost almost immediately!
As for the skirt? What skirt? She had already forgotten about it.
"What's the matter? Feeling excluded?"
"You left behind memory modules, intending to find suitable vessels in the next era for consciousness transfer. You knew no one would support such a mad plan, so you deliberately kept silent."
"You think far too highly of yourself, Su," Mobius retorted, her expression now cold and mocking.
"I don't need anyone's approval. I'm merely doing what I want to do. The reason I didn't bring it up was simply because there was no need, it has nothing to do with anyone else."
"But the consciousness transfer devices you built weren't just limited to one."
Mobius paused thoughtfully, realizing what Su was implying.
Indeed, some of the locations were backups, but not entirely. At the very least, during the design phase, she had intentionally preserved more of humanity's potential.
She felt a pang of regret, genuine regret.
"Hmm, I did intend to experiment with consciousness transfer for the other Flame-Chasers' memory modules after my own success… but that's as far as it goes."
"After all, the memory modules of the Flame-Chasers are the last treasures left from that era. Letting them simply decay here would be far too wasteful."
"But after that, whatever you choose to do is your freedom, it has nothing to do with me~."
"Whether you lead the new generation of humanity to fight against Honkai, enjoy a second life to its fullest, or fail to accept reality and end it yourself, it's all up to you."
"So, what do you think? Am I not considerate?"
"…"
"It seems we truly cannot reach any consensus," Su sighed.
"Don't say that. At least…" Mobius smiled faintly with a trace of mockery before her face turned expressionless. "Didn't we just reach one?"
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[Try again, would the Flame-Chasers still lose? Hmm… Mobius's ideas don't seem so bad after all?]
[At least when it comes to defeating Honkai, she's completely dedicated.]
[The only consensus is that no consensus can be reached. Clashing values leave no room for agreement.]
[She even planned to make some vessels for her friends too, Mobius really cares about her comrades]
Luo Mo raised an eyebrow but said nothing. After all, he had reviewed this plan before. If he had to comment…
"You've accomplished what I wanted to achieve, but not in the way I envisioned."
"Lab rat… That's exactly why I like you so much, and also why I hate you," Mobius remarked with a seductive chuckle, her voice soft and alluring, reminiscent of a forbidden apple tempting those who desired it.
Though small in stature, she always carried an enigmatic charm.
"If I could become your favorite lab rat, I might just consider it…" Luo Mo stroked his chin, replying casually.
"Oh? Is that thought crossing your mind? Then you'd better work a bit harder…"
Elysia, meanwhile, had set aside her usual cheerful demeanor, gazing thoughtfully at the content on the screen.
It reminded her of the moment Luo Mo first intruded into the Elysian Realm.
From today's perspective, it seemed that what had been achieved mirrored Mobius's unfinished concept within the game.
"Indeed, Mobius, in some sense, your ideas align with Luo Mo's—though purely from the results."
"I merely did what you hesitated to do. At least for this world's version of you, you must have had similar impulses."
Mobius scoffed coldly. Why bother hiding it? Back then, weren't she and Elysia the ones most eager to leave?
Her approach was more radical, seizing future vessels was never welcomed.
Who could have anticipated the existence of those natural, unclaimed stigmata?
"Yes… Similar impulses. Who wouldn't want to witness the fruits of their sacrifices?"
Elysia forced a smile, the corners of her lips curving slightly as she seemed wistful.
Did she want to leave?
Perhaps, at that moment, she had simply made a decision that defied expectations.
Yes, it was bold, but not something she would regret.
"Well then, I hope you see it clearly. Of course, I will too… to judge whether you are the traitor!"
(TL: what a Tsundere. It's clear she is not a traitor "cheater". Dr. MEI left and Kevin stayed. Kallen left and Otto stayed. But you left with Ellie and also stayed with her sim!)
"Oh my, Mobius, you're so petty. You've always known I'm not the traitor. You're just trying to ruin my reputation with Mei, aren't you?"
"Hmph… That's not necessarily true. If I say you are, then you are," Mobius retorted irritably.
(TL: Yep, she is really a petty tsundere. nod, nod)