Made in Anti-Entropy

[.0256]: Fire Moth doesn't treat us like humans anymore!

[.1871]: So what the hell is happening outside?! Why are they doing this?! Aren't we members of Fire Moth too?!

[.1183]: Heh, members? Don't kid yourselves! When have they ever treated us as equals, and when have we ever treated them as equals? Haven't you all stained your hands with the blood of deserters?

[.0085]: That's because they were deserters! Was it our fault they ran from battle? Would they not have been executed without us?!

[.0036]: Enough! This whole thing is Vasak's fault. Where the hell is that guy?!

[.0256]: I don't want this! We can't go on like this! Vasak is definitely finished! If this continues, we'll all be buried with him!

[.1871]: Right! And what about our families?! If we all die, there's no reason for them to keep our families alive!

[.1893]: We have to survive! We must survive! For ourselves, for our families!

[.0036]: Easy for you to say! We're unarmed, with no power to resist. Only with blades in our hands are we Poison Cocoon, only then do we have value in the eyes of Fire Moth, the United Government, even Anti-Entropy!

[.0256]: Then let's get some blades!

[???]: Pardon me for interrupting, but what do you mean by "blades"? Weapons? Or power?

[.0256]: Who are you?

[.1871]: What do you mean?!

[.0036]: Wait! How did he get into our intranet?

[???]: Hahaha! Don't misunderstand, don't misunderstand… You don't think I'm an enemy, do you? Pffft, hahaha! Do you think Poison Cocoon even qualifies as a threat now?

[.0967]: What do you mean?! Whose side are you on? Lezlun? The United Government? Mei? You can't be Anti-Entropy, can you?

[???]: Your imaginations are quite vivid. Who am I? Does it really matter to a bunch of dying men?

[.0256]: Tch, cut the condescending act!

[.0036]: Wait a minute, that tone… Could it be Vill-V?

Time seemed to freeze. No new messages appeared in the chat room for a long while, until [???] typed again.

[???]: Does it really matter who I am? Ah, right, trust between people is so fragile… But all you need to know is this: if you don't want to sit here and wait for death, if you want a chance to survive, then I'm the one who can help you.

[.0256]: Easy for you to say. Where are we supposed to get weapons? And Poison Cocoon's dormitory area only has one exit. The rest is surrounded by mountains, there's no way to escape!

[.0036]: No, if she really is Vill-V, it might be possible…

[???]: Enough chatter! Listen up! It's 5:31 PM now. If you have even a sliver of fighting spirit left, even the slightest desire to live, then after 7:00 PM, climb into ventilation shaft 531. You'll find what you want, what you need, inside. Don't worry, don't worry, I won't forget to include instructions. But… quid pro quo. I need you to do me a favor. It's written on the back of the instructions! Well then… see ya!

[???] vanished from the chat as abruptly as they appeared. There was one hour and twenty-nine minutes until the specified time.

......

"Tick—tock—tick—tock—"

The old-fashioned clock ticked away, its gears whirring.

Most of the time, the sound went unnoticed, drowned out by the hustle and bustle of daily life. It was barely audible.

Only in one circumstance was it different—

Anton nervously stared into the darkness beyond the fence, his right index finger resting on the trigger of his rifle. His left hand gripped the forend so tightly his knuckles were white.

"Gulp…"

He swallowed, the sound loud in the oppressive silence.

"Tick—tock—tick—tock—"

He knew it was dangerous for a sentry to be distracted, but Anton couldn't help himself. He followed the distinct ticking and turned his head to look at the electronic wall clock.

He wondered who designed this clock. In this day and age, they still bothered to record the ticking sound. Every second the electronic clock advanced, a corresponding "tick" would echo.

Anton didn't think it was a good design. In fact, it felt clumsy—an electronic clock was an electronic clock, a mechanical clock was a mechanical clock, why force them together?

But now, he had to thank this design. It allowed him to clearly and effortlessly perceive the flow of time.

"3577, 3578, 3579… Twenty seconds left until the first hour of my shift is over… 3594, 3595, 3596, 3597, 3598, 3599!"

The electronic clock's display flickered—

[19:00:00]

"Thump…"

"Rustle… rustle…"

"Who's there?!"

A strange sound overwhelmed the clock's ticking. Anton immediately aimed his rifle towards the darkness beyond the fence, though he saw nothing.

They said that this morning, the First Squad had a bloody brawl with Poison Cocoon in the dormitory corridor. In just one hour, over two hundred people were killed or injured. Even now, he could still smell the faint scent of blood and the pungent odor of disinfectant through the cold fence.

Anton didn't dare to lower his guard. He switched on his tactical flashlight. The bright white beam cut through the darkness, but only for a moment.

Even the thickest seawater could block light. The strong beam from the flashlight, hitting the kilometer-long corridor, scattered its photons, which were quickly swallowed by the inky blackness.

Nothing seemed to be happening where the light reached, and he couldn't see anything happening where it didn't.

"Damn it! Why are there no lights in the Poison Cocoon dormitory corridor?!"

A preference for darkness was Poison Cocoon's trademark, but darkness always brought discomfort, both mentally and physically.

For example, now, if he could just flip a switch and illuminate the corridor, everything would be revealed.

"Wait! Night vision goggles!"

Anton smacked his forehead. But even with the night vision goggles issued to ordinary soldiers, it was impossible to see a clear image a kilometer away.

However, at least within five to eight hundred meters, the entire corridor was empty, with no sign of anyone.

"If I can hear the sound… it shouldn't be too far away… Could it have been my imagination?"

"Anton, what's going on? Why did you leave your post?"

"No… nothing… I thought I heard something from inside…"

"A sound? Did you find anything unusual?"

"No… nothing…"

"You little punk! I bet you just couldn't stand still! Get ready to have your bonus docked this month!"

"Ah… Come on, squad leader…"

The sound that had echoed from the darkness was easily dismissed.

Now, what occupied Anton's mind was the ticking of the clock once more, and the delicious instant noodles he would have after his shift.

......

".0036," or Poison Cocoon member number 36, asked softly, "Is everything taken care of?"

"Hmph, thirteen traitors in total. The last one made a bit of noise, but wasn't discovered," replied the Poison Cocoon member with the number .0085 on his shoulder.

More figures, clad in black and wearing Honkai beast masks, stood silently in the darkness, making no sound.

"It's time," .0036 declared flatly.

They stood beneath ventilation shaft 531. As his voice faded, two Poison Cocoon members worked together, one boosting the other, to open the vent's grille.

He quickly climbed up and disappeared into the duct.

The hearts of those watching below pounded. In the past, they might have been able to escape through the ventilation shafts, but after the First Herrscher's defection, all of Fire Moth's ventilation systems had been upgraded with security measures.

Of course, even without the upgrades, navigating the complex network of ducts to escape would have been difficult.

"Thump, thump, thump—"

A muffled sound echoed through the ductwork.

Moments later, the man who had climbed up reappeared. He lowered five suitcases from the shaft. Number 36 took them and opened one. Inside, twenty syringes were neatly arranged.

He raised his flashlight. Two other Poison Cocoon members shielded him with a heavy tarp.

In the beam of the flashlight, number 36 saw the symbol on the syringes: an infinity symbol (∞) with unconnected ends, or… a Mobius strip.

"Made in Anti-Entropy… Dr. Mobius…"

He read the small print beneath the symbol softly.