When Lin leaned his head in close, Bianka closed her eyes, her body stiffening as she held her breath.
She felt his warm, humid breath brushing against her collarbone, slipping into her clothes through the gap in her training vest. The tingling sensation combined with the faint scent of Lin body left her limbs powerless; she lay there, her jade-like neck tilting back with a languid, charming grace.
"..."
Lin twitched his nose, frowning as he inhaled.
Had his sense of smell returned? No.
But he truly "smelled" a peculiar scent from Bianka body... As he drew closer, the scent did not intensify.
So... this isn't something smelled? It's a fluctuation similar to an odor? Energy?
It felt more like a pheromone or, perhaps, a marker.
Bianka had no idea what Lin was thinking. She only knew that his arms were tightening around her, pressing her entire body against his. Her head felt like a kettle of boiling water—she couldn't think, only feeling how soft her body had become...
His breath traveled up from her collarbone. She had sniffed him just like this... Is her body really fragrant, or should it be the stench of sweat right now?
Lin breathing remained steady, but hers was rapid, her body temperature rising quickly. This visceral sensation left her mind in a complete muddle.
No, I can't let this continue...
A mist covered Bianka hazy blue eyes. She felt strange right now, just as strange as when she had secretly sniffed Lin scent; if this went on any longer, she would lose control.
She summoned all her strength, pushing her hands against Lin shoulders. She could easily send him sprawling.
At that moment, Lin suddenly bit down on her neck—not with force, but just enough to leave a light mark with his teeth.
"Nng~"
A jolt of electricity-like numbness surged through her. The strength she had just gathered vanished instantly. The girl lay limply on the ground, her chest heaving, her eyes reddened like a helpless little rabbit.
Lin spoke softly into her ear, "You..."
"It seems I didn't come at the right time?"
It felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over their heads. Both turned simultaneously to look at the newcomer. She stood there holding a change of clothes, ingredients, milk, and coffee, looking at the two—who were essentially entwined—with a meaningful gaze.
Lin looked at Rita in silence. He remembered that he had indeed asked Rita this morning to bring him a change of clothes.
Rita smiled slightly, putting down the items. She tucked her hands behind her back, her long hair fluttering as she stepped backward. "Then I won't disturb you two. Please, continue."
Lin watched until Rita vanished into the darkness, then took a deep breath. He turned back to Bianka, whose face was buried in shadow, and said, "Then let's con—"
"Continue your head!"
"Bang!"
A teary-eyed Bianka slammed a palm into his chest. Lin felt as if he had been hit by a Titan's fist; he was sent flying back over a hundred meters, crashing head-first into the wreckage of a mech.
Lin struggled to crawl out from the wires and parts. He felt like his ill-fated chest had just let out a scream of agony.
Two ribs broken... no, three.
...
Bianka arrival in this World Bubble was shrouded in suspicion. It wasn't just her; except for the original Einstein and the ELF, the way and reason everyone else arrived was a mystery.
After meeting Yama, Lin began to feel that the events he encountered were not coincidences, but rather orchestrated. The Honkai had become secondary; he seemed to be standing on a chessboard, with the "Fate" Aponia once mentioned reaching out its fingers to manipulate him unhurriedly.
Who was the enemy? He couldn't see clearly.
Lin sat by the fire, silently adding milk to his coffee. Bianka sat five meters away, her frost-colored eyes wary of him as if he were a mortal enemy. If he dared to pounce, she would punch him into the dirt.
He raised his coffee. That single movement made Bianka clench her fist; it seemed the events at dusk had left her with a bit of a stress response. Aside from glaring at Lin with indignant eyes, she was also berating herself for being so compliant at the time.
Lin glanced at her casually. Under the quiet moonlight, the girl sat on the ground with one fist clenched behind her back and the other hand covering the bite mark on her neck, watching him like a hawk. She could indeed crater the ground for a kilometer around with one punch, but right now she looked as adorable as a cat with its fur standing on end.
He picked up his coffee and stood. Bianka immediately shifted into a combat stance, her beautiful eyes fixed on his every move.
Lin walked toward her, stopping right in front of her to offer the coffee. "Here."
"I'm not drinking it. You put medicine in it."
"..."
Lin took a silent sip to show it was untainted.
"You have the antidote."
"..."
"Don't come closer. You definitely have inhaled poisons on you too."
Lin realized he had caused an unnecessary misunderstanding. He explained tonelessly, "That was a misunderstanding."
"What misunderstanding?" Bianka asked with a cold laugh.
"Don't worry. You don't smell bad. You're very fragrant, and your skin tastes—"
"Boom!"
A giant knight's sword slammed into the ground beside Lin. The coffee in his hand spilled everywhere. He glanced at it, estimating that if it had been a few centimeters to the side, he would have been hammered into the earth like a nail.
Lin wisely shut his mouth and returned to the fire to brew another cup.
Bianka had a "marker" on her made by another "person." He didn't know how to explain it; it was as if there were special ways for the same species to communicate—like ants using antennae. Lin seemed to have faintly sensed some kind of information.
Of course, the bite wasn't necessary. That was purely his... could it be called interest? After noticing Bianka reaction.
Listening to the bubbling of the boiling water, it was another peaceful night.
Lin silver hair was striking even in the dark. He closed his eyes, recalling the cloaked man's so-called "Spirit Essence." If the man hadn't lied and one could manipulate Honkai energy at will, granting it extensible properties—how did he, as a human, achieve that?
Lin had the Pseudo-Herrscher Core; manipulating energy wasn't hard, but he didn't want to do it that way. To use the core's authority was to use a "magic bullet"—when the final round left the chamber, the thing it struck would be what he once wanted to protect.
Those rainbow pupils were still deep in his consciousness, never stopping their search for an opening.
With undivided attention, Lin recalled the sensation of manipulating Honkai energy during his fight with Yama. Since he wouldn't rely on the energy inside him, he would try to control the energy outside. He imagined his body as a network bridge, letting the surrounding energy pass through without staying, using it in the way he desired...