HI3: Starting from the Previous Civilization

Mobius charged out of the lab as though carried by a gust of wind. Her black high heels clicked loudly on the floor with each step as she rushed toward the agreed-upon rendezvous.

…

Fan glanced at the clock, noting it was nearly noon, and still there was no sign of Mobius. He picked up his tablet and hacked into the research institute's security cameras, discovering that the lab was currently empty. What he did see, however, was a Honkai Beast's remains soaking in formaldehyde.

He quickly pulled up the research logs. According to the records, these Honkai Beast remains had been secretly delivered to the facility two days ago, under a strict confidentiality agreement. Over the past two days, several unfamiliar figures had appeared, their profiles not matching any of the institute's regular staff.

Observing the emblem on their clothing, Fan thought: 

"So Fire Moth is starting to win over Mobius. 

And I see she's been investigating my own background."

At that moment, the café's door chimed. Fan lifted his gaze, drawn by the sound.

Stepping inside was none other than Mobius herself.

She wore a white lab coat, open over a green shirt, a short black skirt hugging her hips, and black stockings encasing her long legs. In the cozy café, that unique outfit instantly drew everyone's attention.

Her messy greenish hair looked like it hadn't been brushed for days, and her emerald eyes, set under slightly dark circles, gave her a mysterious, bewitching aura. She also wore a small keepsake—presumably a gift from her mother—at her ear. Although she still had a youthful face, her chest already had a noticeable curve (though not quite like her illustrations in Fan's previous life). Clearly, she hadn't slept for several days.

Mobius scanned the café and quickly spotted Fan by the window, coffee in hand and dark circles under his eyes, looking like he might nod off at any second. All at once, she got a feeling that this boy was a kindred spirit.

Fan, for his part, was observing her. He listened to the clack of Mobius's heels on the floor, watched as she tossed her lab coat aside and sat down opposite him. Then she fixed him with a stern look, as if trying to overpower him with sheer presence.

For a moment, they simply stared at each other. After all, neither had been sleeping well, and their minds were somewhat hazy—a fact clearly betrayed by the dark rings under their eyes.

A staff member approached with a professional smile: 

"Miss, is there anything you'd like to order?"

"Ah!" Mobius flinched at the sudden voice, shook her head slightly, and tried to clear her thoughts. At that moment, her stomach grumbled—grrr…—which made her cheeks flush.

Fan picked up the menu at his side, offered it to Mobius, and spoke in a weak tone: 

"Order whatever you like. It's on me. We can talk while we eat."

So Fan and Mobius each ordered a sandwich and a salad, plus some dessert for afterward. Their orders arrived soon enough, and as the aroma wafted through Mobius's nose, her throat tightened, hunger overwhelming her. Her stomach growled again.

Fan spoke first: "Dr. Mobius, let's eat lunch. We'll discuss business after we finish."

Mobius nodded in agreement: "Alright."

[Time-skip for the meal…]

After they'd thoroughly cleaned off their plates, the waiter cleared the table and brought out dessert. Mobius took a napkin, dabbed her mouth clean, and then crumpled it neatly before tossing it in the trash. Fixing Fan with a sharp gaze, she crossed her arms on the tabletop.

"Now, about this 'serious business'—you said you'd invest in building a research facility for me. Are you serious or not?"

Fan leaned back, lifting his coffee cup, legs crossed, and lips curving slightly. With those pronounced dark circles, he seemed both casual and tired.

"Oh, my friend, you suspect me? Of course it's true, Dr. Mobius. I'm not one to lie."

"Oh?" Mobius narrowed her eyes. "I don't believe there's such thing as a free lunch. You're talking about billions for a private lab without asking for anything in return? Don't be shy—tell me what you want, and I'll consider it."

Supporting her chin with one hand, Mobius casually twirled a stray lock of green hair with the other. Fan, seeing her directness, smiled.

"Hahaha… Of course you'd see right through me, Dr. Mobius. You really are a sharp one. Indeed, I have my own little motive in helping you build that lab."

"Let me guess: you've also been in contact with those strange mutated creatures, haven't you?" Fan asked.

Hearing that, Mobius's eyes widened. "How do you know about that?" She smacked the table and stood up in alarm. She distinctly remembered that the remains in question were smuggled into the institute under high security. Every researcher working on them had signed strict NDAs, and each time they entered or left, they were searched to prevent anything from leaking.

Thinking fast, Mobius wondered: 'Is there a traitor in the lab? Though that shouldn't concern me—someone else can worry about that. All I want is the path to human evolution.'

Meanwhile, Fan calmly took a bite of his dessert. 

"Dr. Mobius, please calm down. Don't forget where we are."

Mobius glanced around and noticed that the café patrons were all staring at the two of them with curiosity—eyes clearly hoping for some drama. Perhaps a fight?

Taking a breath, Mobius slowly settled back down. Once they seemed to return to normal, the spectators grumbled with disappointment and went back to their own business. Only a few lingered, curious enough to eavesdrop.

Mobius lowered her voice: "How did you learn about all this?"

Fan suddenly adopted a tragic demeanor and forced tears from his eyes. 

"You must have investigated me after receiving my invitation, correct? You should know all about my parents… Maybe you also noticed something odd about the way they died."

He paused, putting on a shaken expression. 

"I suspected foul play, so I asked around. I never imagined I'd stumble on something so heretical."

Observing Fan's rapidly shifting mood and haunted look, Mobius saw genuine fear in his eyes.

"Then… I discovered something even more shocking. I've lived sixteen years in ignorance—no one ever told me about these supernatural creatures." 

He trembled, hugging his shoulders, voice quavering as he looked across at Mobius in horror. 

"Dr. Mobius, you might not believe me. People might call me crazy. But I have to say it anyway."

"Do you believe I've witnessed the future?"

Mobius stared blankly, her expression unreadable.

"Dr. Mobius," Fan continued, "I know you don't believe me. You'll think I'm delusional. But I genuinely saw it." 

He then launched into a vivid description: 

"In this future, all kinds of terrifying monsters—like the ones I investigated—ceaselessly attack humanity, each wielding its own incredible powers. Lightning scorches the sky, flames consume entire continents… The Mu Continent beneath our feet gets swallowed in a disaster… and at the very end…" 

"The sky blazes with golden light, returning everything on earth to nothingness. Only a handful of people survive, sealed away in stasis pods, until the next civilization."

Fan gripped his hair, bloodshot eyes filled with despair. 

"Can you even imagine such a hopeless future, Dr. Mobius?"

The moment Fan spoke of having witnessed the future, Mobius felt herself slip into a trance. It was as if she could see that same apocalyptic tomorrow. She saw herself in that bleak vision, joining an organization called Fire Moth. Every time there was a meeting, they slashed her research budget. Meanwhile, disaster after disaster befell civilization—lightning rending the skies, endless gales reducing cities to ash, the entirety of Australia igniting in flames…

She even saw a powerful warrior emerge from her eventual research, someone who harnessed ice to defeat the culprit behind Australia's inferno. Then she saw Mu Continent sink into a void, like a black hole hanging in the sky. Even after that, humanity's upper echelons still bickered among themselves, locked in internal power struggles. By the time only three cities remained, a nuclear strike razed them all. A Herrscher—a young girl—chose to sacrifice herself. Finally, at the last moment before doomsday, Mobius witnessed a version of herself in a reverse-growth state, no older than three. She spoke to a device, transformed into black goo, and ended her own existence.

Jolting back to reality, Mobius clutched her head, gasping for air.