Chapter 37: I Will Definitely Obtain Your (DNA)

The man, looking utterly broken, downed another bottle of strong liquor. But even that couldn't alleviate the pain radiating from every part of his body. This drove the man into an extreme state of irritability. He smashed everything around him. Even if the objects were already shattered fragments on the floor, he couldn't stop himself from destroying, from annihilating. The agony coursing through his body compelled him to act this way; only through such destruction could he vent the tyranny that constantly festered within his heart. Just then, the door was pushed open. The man turned, his eyes burning with a beast's bloodlust, towards the doorway. The first thing he saw was his own detestable monster of a daughter, and standing beside that little monster, a strange young man. "I see. I understand now." Upon seeing the man's eyes and sensing the energy reactions within his body, Xin Yu understood immediately: the man was suffering from Honkai Energy Erosion. "Get out!!!" The man roared, then snatched up an empty liquor bottle he had just finished and hurled it at Xin Yu. Xin Yu raised a hand and caught the flying bottle. Then, in the blink of an eye, he appeared directly in front of the man. Both the man and Mobius froze, stunned. A moment later, Xin Yu placed a hand over the man's face. "Heart calm as glacial ice, unmoved though heavens fall; steadfast amidst ten thousand changes, spirit tranquil, breath serene." As Xin Yu recited the words, the man's expression instantly softened. The violent, aggressive aura vanished, and his perpetually tense body relaxed. He collapsed onto the ground, his expression dazed and distant. "...I... I don't hurt anymore?" The man murmured, tears uncontrollably streaming from his eyes. "Sir, your illness is cured. You won't be tormented by that pain anymore." In that brief moment, Xin Yu had annihilated the Honkai energy within the man's body, simultaneously smoothing away the turbulent, dark emotions clouding his mind. Xin Yu himself didn't quite understand how this ability worked. He only knew that perhaps due to the mutual devouring and fusion of Honkai energy and the power of Nihility, coupled with some inexplicable factors related to himself, their combination allowed him to do many things. Incidentally, his body was now brimming with this energy, and it was remarkably dense. Simply releasing a small amount could manifest as visible miasma. Therefore, Xin Yu felt he had probably achieved Foundation Establishment. Although the energy source and method were unconventional, it counted as Foundation Establishment, didn't it? At this moment, a certain someone hadn't yet realized that the cultivation technique his master taught him was at least meant for using Honkai energy, not stuffing it into his body like he did. "Also," Xin Yu continued, "I believe you remember how unpleasant your interactions with your daughter have been. So, I'm here to take her away." Hearing Xin Yu's words, the man lifted his head and looked at Mobius, saw the bruises on her face, and recalled his past actions. His expression grew even more desolate. His lips trembled slightly, and then, in a voice barely a whisper, he said, "Sorry... I wasn't a good father." "Later... take care of yourself." "..." Like a child caught doing wrong, he curled into a ball, burying his head in his knees. Mobius looked at her father. Did she hate him? To say there was no hatred at all would be impossible. But her hatred was directed more towards that monstrous illness, and even more so, towards an abhorrence for the inherent fragility of humanity itself. Xin Yu gently placed the liquor bottle he held onto the floor. He knew this was the man at his most vulnerable. Xin Yu led Mobius away. Not long after the two left, the man slowly climbed up from the floor. He shambled like a walking corpse towards the nightstand, rummaged through it, and pulled out a large quantity of painkillers. He decided to use these drugs to end his life. But just as he was about to commit suicide, a familiar voice echoed in his ear. "I love you. So, please live." It was his wife's voice. The man collapsed to his knees, the handful of pills scattering across the floor. He covered his face and began to wail uncontrollably. He didn't notice that the empty liquor bottle Xin Yu had placed on the floor earlier had vanished at some unknown point. Meanwhile, walking down the street, Xin Yu seemed to sense something, and a faint smile touched his lips. I successfully saved another person. ... "...Are you really human?" Mobius, a genius girl with wisdom far exceeding her childish body, was currently staring at Xin Yu, who sat astride a motorcycle, her expression one of someone whose entire worldview had just been shattered. Because her father had never liked her, Mobius hadn't actually attended school. All her knowledge came from books. But even so, relying on her innate, extraordinary intelligence, even without a teacher and using only scattered, old books, Mobius had nearly mastered all the knowledge of junior high school. And just moments ago, Mobius's existing worldview had been utterly demolished. Because she had witnessed a human being conjure a sidecar motorcycle out of a pile of rocks and timber right before her eyes. Mobius ran her hand over the vehicle, feeling the distinct coolness of metal, and couldn't help but utter the question above. "Maybe, probably, possibly... Alright, I'm not sure if I count as human anymore either. At least, I look like one on the outside. As for my lifespan..." Xin Yu glanced again at the long string of digits. "...it seems to have reached over 22,620,000 hours. Roughly... more than 2,000 years, I suppose." He swung his leg over his sidecar motorcycle. "If your appearance is human, then there must still be some connection to humanity... The incredible abilities you've displayed, and the long lifespan you mentioned... If I could study you, perhaps I could truly achieve human evolution!" At this moment, Mobius's eyes burned with an intense heat. Her previously hazy and uncertain dream suddenly snapped into focus! "Xin Yu! Can I study you?!" "No." "Whatever it takes! If you let me study you, anything I'm capable of, I'll do anything!" Hearing this, Xin Yu's expression went a bit blank. He looked down at the small girl clutching the corner of his clothes, her face alight with a fervent zeal that felt strangely discordant with an image inexplicably surfacing in his mind. "Huh? What's going on? Why does this sound so familiar? It feels like my DNA is tingling, and there's this weird sense of gravity suddenly pressing down on me! Also, shouldn't the person saying this have a pleading look on their face? Why do you look so... fervent?" "Pleeease~" Mobius, mimicking the little girls she'd seen on the street begging their parents for toys and candy, started shaking Xin Yu's clothes, her face adopting a heart-wrenchingly pitiful expression. As for shame? Sorry, while she was a born genius with intellect beyond her years, she was still genuinely only nine years old. And using her age and appearance to achieve her goals – was that really something to feel ashamed about? "Still no." "Why not?" "Because I hate being studied." "But this is for the evolution of all humankind! You're a good person, shouldn't you agree?" "The reason I act like a good person is because I enjoy the sense of satisfaction that comes from saving others. But that doesn't mean I'm some pushover who'll unconditionally agree to anything anyone asks. I hate being studied, so I refuse." "...I refuse to believe that while I'm around you, you won't even shed a single hair." "I told you, I'm basically inhuman now. Do you really think my hair falls out like a normal person's? I don't even require metabolism anymore." "...There's no other way then. I'll just have to wait until I grow up and use this body to demand your genetic material." "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don't say such terrifying things! There's no way I'd ever do that kind of thing to you!" "Heh heh! Even if I have to drug you, I will definitely obtain your (DNA)." "...Hey! Don't say things that practically generate their own gravity field at your age!" And just like that, the pair, one large and one small, rode off on the motorcycle, heading towards the rising sun.