I'm not Yingjie

The gossip at the door made Lin stare at Prometheus, who had a physical body, with a sharp gaze.

"What's wrong?" She asked with her head tilted, knowingly asking.

"Change back." Lin said coldly.

"It was detected that Lin's language module was damaged and it was not possible to confirm whether the command could be executed."

"..."

I don’t know if it’s Lin’s illusion, but during the time that Prometheus has been following him, his personality seems to be becoming more and more... sinister?

Looking at that little face that showed no sign of what she was thinking, Lin estimated that if he continued to say things she didn't like to hear, it would probably not just be a problem with the adaptive language module.

Lin had wondered whether Vivi would create a body for Prometheus, but he didn't expect it to come so suddenly, and right when he couldn't move.

Prometheus pulled the chair next to him, sat on it, and asked with a natural expression: "Is Lin interested in my body?"

"Not interested..."

"This body is made of 35% alloy and 65% simulated muscle. The brain area is a miniaturized information processing computer that can transfer my data and systems. In order to achieve maximum mobility, the joints use spherical joints, which can rotate ​​degrees without blind spots. The eyes use the latest optical visual imaging..."

"Why do you want to change into a physical entity?" Lin found that this artificial intelligence was becoming less and less willing to obey his orders.

Prometheus stopped her nonstop and uneventful chatter, and after her clear red eyes flickered for a moment, she responded, "Because Lin needs care during this period of time."

"I don't need an extra nurse in the ward, I need artificial intelligence that can help me process information."

“I am the artificial intelligence.”

"No, I mean..."

“I am the artificial intelligence.”

Well, Lin Gai congratulated Mei for successfully making a solid step towards anthropomorphism with her artificial intelligence. She has even learned to be stubborn now.

"Are you thinking that the degree of anthropomorphism of No. 1 is too high?" Speak of the devil, Mei and Kevin appeared at the door together, and the long-haired girl wearing a white coat that looked familiar to Lin walked behind Prometheus.

"Your outfit... is very primitive." Mei smiled when she saw him being squeezed in the middle of the flowers.

Kevin's temperament became more condensed, and he nodded to the quiet Lin: "Lin, are you feeling better?"

"Ah."

It’s hard to say whether it’s good or bad. After all, he can’t get up on the spot after being paralyzed.

"Lin, the discussion about me at the top is divided into two groups, and these two groups are divided into two groups because of you. A total of four groups of people with different opinions are arguing at the table." Mei went straight to the point, "And your current situation is also very special. The reputation of ending the third and fourth collapses can easily disrupt some decisions. So I and some of the others suggest that... you leave the headquarters temporarily and announce to the public that you have a special mission."

“And when you’re outside, you need someone to take care of you.”

"..."

Mei was used to Lin's way of asking questions with her eyes. She pointed her finger at Prometheus and said, "So No. 1's body has the interest of Weiwei and my consent. Of course, No. 1's own wishes are also taken into consideration."

Was this a decision made to prevent Lin, whose reputation was growing, from interfering with the decision-making?

Even if Lin himself does not participate in the power struggle, his presence will become a judging factor.

Lin could guess that this "leaving the headquarters" meant being monitored by some people in one place and waiting for the end of the argument, just like some princes and princesses in ancient times who had no say but had symbolic significance.

After all, he is now a paralyzed invalid, and the symbolic significance is indeed much greater than the practical significance.

"Besides, with such a cute and obedient artificial intelligence by your side, I don't think you will be bored." When Mei spoke, Prometheus nodded in agreement.

"When do we leave?" Since the decision has been made, there is no point in saying more. The only thing Lin can do is to accept it calmly.

Mei said, "Tomorrow."

Just a few days after the fourth collapse, Lin was forced to move outside the headquarters. The move was so fast that he didn't even have time to get used to sleeping in the hospital bed.

"What's with your clothes?" Lin asked another question that concerned him.

If Lin was not mistaken, the style of this white coat was from the Research Department.

And on Mei's chest, there was a name tag with the words "Minister of Scientific Research Department" written on it.

Mei spread her hands and said, "It's just what you think."

"So they want you to be in charge of weapons development first?"

"Rather, they are going to let the Research Department continue to develop weapons first, and whether to expand the Research Department to include some projects related to human body modification is still under discussion."

After Delta left, the research department really needed someone to support it. Mei was the best candidate, but the series of problems involved in the transfer of this position might take a long time to resolve.

"Someone will come to pick you up tomorrow. Before then, arrange your team members and matters."

Mei had other things to do, so she left in a hurry. She looked a bit like Delta, who was busy.

"Lin...are you really okay like this?" Kevin asked hesitantly, still staying where he was.

"...Kevin." Lin looked up at the ceiling. The pale wall panels looked like they were about to fall down at any moment. "Protect Mei and yourself."

"will you come back?"

"Will do."

"Ok, I will wait for you."

There is no need to say more.

Chapter 14 Don't Go Up

"Mr. Lin, please pay attention to the combination of each meal and don't overeat. Here is the diet list given to you by the doctor." The girl with light green hair and dark circles under her eyes handed the list to Prometheus. After taking another look at Prometheus' elbow joint, she said, "Also, if possible, please let this... lady help you do some simple exercises."

"I understand." Lin, who was sitting in a wheelchair, moved his neck with difficulty and nodded.

"There are some other things that the doctor said she would send to you personally. She hopes you can recover soon and lie on her operating table."

"..."

"Goodbye, Mr. Lin... I hope we can meet again."

Klein went back after helping Mebius convey the message, leaving only Lin and Prometheus, who was pushing a wheelchair, on the tarmac, waiting for the transport plane to be prepared.

The refreshing wind blew the corners of his clothes, and Lin stared at the distant sea level. The interface without information was so empty that it made people uncomfortable, but it also made him feel relaxed after a long time.

After a while, he quietly closed his eyes and enjoyed the hard-earned peace.

"Lin, aren't you going to say goodbye to them?"

Prometheus looked at the base and asked Lin, who had his eyes closed.

"Who?"

"Your team members, Dr. Mei, Kevin, Velvet, the fifth team... and Alicia."

From the information Prometheus found on the intranet, it seems that Lin used to be more withdrawn than he is now. A few months after joining the Fire Moths, he didn't interact with anyone except Delta and his own team members until Alicia took the initiative to find him.

Judging from the results, Lin should have changed a little, but after the fourth collapse, Prometheus felt a strange feeling from Lin.

She was an artificial intelligence that couldn't describe the feeling with more concrete words. When she was with Lin, he had also experienced the third collapse and had no contact with his former self, but she did find that Lin spoke less.

"..."

In the past, Lin would explain why he didn't say goodbye to them, but now he just continued to close his eyes in silence.

The transport plane's engines started, dispelling the gentle breeze.

"Let's go."

Prometheus pushed Lin into the transport plane, and with the low sound of the wings rotating, they moved away from this imagined last bastion of mankind.

As soon as Lin's transport plane left, another transport plane landed on the tarmac.

"We must catch up, Team Leader Lin..."

The girl, covered in blood, jumped off the transport plane and rushed into the headquarters anxiously.

……

"This card has no upper limit, please use it as you like."

The man, wearing a black suit and black sunglasses, seemed to be wearing them just to show off his status. He handed a card with XX Bank printed on it to Prometheus, and then said with a frown on his face, "We won't interfere with your daily life, but please don't leave this city to make things difficult for us."

"..."

Lin nodded, and the man left the house.

It was the first time Lin lived in a villa, a three-story villa of 500 square meters, decorated magnificently. The jingling of gold nuggets was so loud that it almost numbed Lin's ears.

It was spacious enough to easily fit a hundred Lins inside. A child of only a few years old might be able to play enthusiastically for several days, but Lin had an uncomfortable feeling as if a thorn in his back was on edge.

This villa is filled with invisible surveillance equipment, covering every blind spot.

He did not come to enjoy the big villa, but to be a prisoner in a beautifully decorated prison.

"Lin, what should we do next?"

"Wait."

Inside the helmet that no one could see, a large amount of data on his visual window quietly returned to the blank display screen.

……

"Huh? Was there a staircase like this in Paradise before?"

The raven wandering in the paradise found itself in a strange place.

The places she had reached in Paradise were far from the limits of Paradise. Raven was only interested in the deepest part of Paradise, but there was no need to explore. Just like she told Mei, she was just doing the job for money, and the more she knew, the faster she died, which was a rule that needed to be strictly followed for mercenaries.

So after arriving at this unfamiliar area, the first thing she noticed was not the strange-shaped scenery, but the most abrupt stairs that stretched upward to nowhere.

Of course, strange phenomena are common in paradise. For example, the cemetery in Linna where it rains forever is just commonplace.

The strangest thing about this staircase is that there is a sign in front of the bottom step with four large characters neatly written on it.

Don't go up.

"This..." Raven's lips twitched.

How should I put it... Just the appearance of a completely out-of-style and funny sign in the paradise is enough to make people let down their guard. What's more, in this situation, not being allowed to see it makes people more curious about what is on it.

So, should we go up and watch it now, or not?

As the raven was hesitating, a slight cat's cry came from above, and then the raven saw the can rolling down the stairs, balancing in the air and landing safely.

After meowing proudly to the dazed raven, Can jumped away along a path with the food in his mouth.

Cat? Why is it here?

"Hmm? It seems like there's something written on the back..." Raven glanced at the back of the sign and saw something written on the back. She took two steps forward and saw what was written on the back...

If you insist on going up, I won't stop you.

“…Is this some kind of helpless compromise?”

Raven was still unsure, as there were too many unsolved mysteries in the Land of Joy. For personal safety reasons, both she and Lin did not allow others to bring her into contact with anything too dangerous.

Lin is like a bottom line in the paradise of the past. Most of the things he does not allow visitors to touch are unnecessary and unacceptable.

Even if he is not even one of the Thirteen Heroes of Chasing Fire...

Wait a moment.

At this moment, an idea suddenly came to Raven's mind. Thinking of the other "forest" in the paradise that Mei mentioned, a bold guess came into her mind.

Why is Lin not one of the Thirteen Fire-Chasing Heroes, nor an armed puppet like Klein, but he plays an important role in the paradise, similar to a guide? Sometimes, the heroes even treat him with respect like a senior.

What on earth could have happened that would allow the memory of someone who wasn't even a fusion warrior to enter the paradise of the past?

Perhaps these visitors guessed the wrong direction from the beginning?

The paradise of the past is changed by the memories of the heroes and visitors, so is it possible that this forest is actually made up of the memories of the heroes?

Although I have never seen a human being revived by memory, most of the enemies in the paradise are created by the memories of the heroes and visitors. Add to that the cat just now, a memory body formed by the memories of everyone, so it is not impossible, right?

These questions in succession gradually made Raven turn his attention to the upper level of the stairs.

Her intuition was very accurate, and this time it told her that the answer to her question was at the top of the stairs.

"Forget it, just consider me as a scout for the young lady." After hesitating for a while, Raven put on his hood and stepped onto the stairs.

What no one expected was that after the raven went to the unknown end, it never came out again.

Chapter 15 The Beginning of That Time