"Ah... the thing I've dreamed of for so long, it's absolutely perfect. Major, when are you going to find him?"
"'Fire Picker'... what a wonderful name you've chosen."
"I really can't wait... to possess him, to claim him—'Fire Picker' is a gift from the heavens..."
Inside the cold, pristine laboratory, a woman sat before a virtual screen, speaking with excitement.
She stared at the military's classified footage on the screen, the lenses of her round glasses flashing with a chilling light.
Xin fiddled with the compact, latest-model recording device in her hands. Listening to the slightly deranged voice beside her, she looked up with a glance.
"You're all completely out of your minds."
One had fallen in love at first sight and started some 'Fire Picker' fan society, spending every day buried in that Hollow Walker forum.
And another ended up like this—itching to fly straight to the 'Fire Picker's' side, thinking things that were downright twisted.
"What do you know? He's the perfect being—naturally born, a creation willed by the world itself!"
The woman in the wheelchair snorted disdainfully, eyes fixed on the static image on the virtual screen. It showed Zane's clash with the Defense Force before he absorbed the Cretan Hollow.
She brought her hands together in front of her, a blissful smile spreading across her face.
"Perfect... absolutely perfect..."
"Exactly—this is how it should be. Those failures, half-baked prototypes, defective leftovers... they can't compare in the slightest..."
She muttered to herself, as if, in her mind, nothing else existed anymore—only the 'Fire Picker.'
"Heh. You're putting him on such a pedestal, he might just kick you straight into a gutter."
Xin let out a cold laugh, utterly blunt.
"Hey, what's with your sharp tongue lately?"
The woman frowned. If she could move without the wheelchair...
"Enough nonsense. Let's talk cooperation. What's the deal?"
Xin withdrew her gaze, ignoring the woman's complaints. The feathered wings at her waist drew in slightly as she got straight to the point.
"Cooperation, huh... Don't worry. We'll support you fully. Technology, resources, funding—whatever you need."
"But I have one condition."
"Just one."
Her voice calmed, but a dangerous glint surfaced in her eyes.
Xin turned to meet her gaze, her expression unreadable.
Seeing she couldn't make anything out of Xin's face, the woman suddenly smiled—a bright, beautiful smile that melted the tension lingering in the lab.
"I don't care what you plan to do with the 'Fire Picker,' but in the end, he has to be mine."
Xin paused for a moment, then gave a slight nod.
"Alright. I accept."
With that, the lab returned to silence, broken only by the faint ticking of machinery.
"By the way, as far as I know, a lot of people have their eyes on the 'Fire Picker,' especially those from the White Star Institute. Be careful."
The alliance had been struck. At least for now, they stood on the same side—what benefited one, benefited both; what hurt one, hurt both.
"I'll be careful."
Xin's gaze flickered as she continued.
"There are plenty of enemies outside New Eridu involved too. Things seem calm now only because the 'Fire Picker' is hard to track down."
"Changes keep erupting in Hollow Zero, and the Staff Army is stretched thin. We need to prepare early."
"And there's something I want to ask you."
Xin walked slowly over to the woman in the wheelchair, her pink hair casting a faint shimmer over her eyes.
"According to the professor's wishes, cooperation would be the best outcome. So why are those people so hostile toward the 'Fire Picker'?"
"Hah? Major Xin, when the Old Capital was founded, your family played a major role—and one of your elders was quite the legend."
"You mean you never learned this?"
The woman looked up. Seeing the genuine confusion on Xin's face, she chuckled and began to explain.
"Before the Old Capital was established, the helpless masses clung to false gods, begging for divine salvation—from birth to death."
"You remember what people chanted when the Old Capital was built, don't you?"
'We sever evil.'
'We split the sky.'
'We emerged from the mist.'
'We marched toward truth.'
Her hands resting on her legs, the woman lowered her gaze and said softly,
"Humanity perishes from its own pride, and yet, it thrives because of it."
"People don't exist because of gods—gods exist because of people. That's the truth those scholars believe."
"Some say top scholars are all mad. And honestly, it's not far off. In their quest to create 'gods,' they walk a fine line—both admirable and terrifying."
As the woman spoke, Xin suddenly recalled a phrase she'd once heard:
Some sacrifices are necessary. For a new world, for a grand purpose—what's wrong with discarding a few?
Yes... those people truly are mad.
Noticing Xin's silence, the woman didn't press. She simply continued:
"That's why, now that a 'god' born of the world itself stands before us, all they need to do is go with the flow—watch, wait, let him grow."
"But instead, what do they want? Dissect him. Destroy him."
"To me, there's no difference. One is born of nature, the other of man."
"If the latter could succeed, fine—but all they've produced are worthless rejects. And now, they're all scrambling over scraps left from the fall of the Old Capital."
"Not to mention the ones trying to control this power. They really should ask themselves if they're even worthy."
Her disdain was clear.
Xin glanced at her silently. The way she put it, she might as well have been criticizing herself...
"Thanks."
"Time's short. I'll leave you to it."
Xin's tone softened as she took her leave.
As she watched Xin exit the lab, the woman in the wheelchair slowly lost her smile.
"Tch. What an act."
"As if I'd believe you're only after something that simple."
"The Staff Army... I'll play along for now..."
Silence settled once more.
She lingered on the brief footage a little longer, indulging in it one last time before shutting it off.
Just then, the comm device beside her lit up.
"The shipment of ultra-high-purity Ether has been delivered. The scholars are requesting your presence."
The lab fell silent again.
She pressed a button, glancing at her unharmed legs with an unreadable expression.
The wheelchair turned. Moments later, the lab was swallowed in darkness.
...
Outside the lab.
"Hey, you're finally out. So, how did it go?"
A girl with her hair in two buns greeted Xin with curiosity.
"Pretty smooth. But she wants ownership of the 'Fire Picker.'"
"What?! I didn't even dare dream of that, and she..."