Arknights: Mobile City

For several days now, everything in the City had been running smoothly, every task advancing in good order.

But let's shift our gaze for a moment from the City to far-off Kazdel. In the sacred city of the Sarkaz, Theresis of the Military Commission sat deep in thought.

The Sarkaz civil war was far from over—in fact, it seemed to be growing only fiercer. Theresis knew that time was running short. And yet, as the conflict dragged on, there was no doubt it would only get worse.

The casualties among his troops were mounting… The longer the war, the greater the losses. Even the royal court could not escape this fate.

Even the lord of the royal court, after so many grueling battles, would inevitably be injured and unable to join the fight for a while.

So the longer the war continued, the more Theresis' own forces would weaken, until the Sarkaz as a whole were stretched thin.

As this ancient nation was once again pulled into the vortex of war, Theresis couldn't help but worry for the future.

He'd lost count of the times he'd thought: If only there were some kind of panacea. If only there were a way to revive his soldiers on the spot—how wonderful that would be.

If only… this war could end right now—how wonderful would that be?

Theresis snapped himself out of these thoughts. His eyes focused on the space ahead, just as a knock sounded on the door, breaking his reverie.

"Come in."

Theresis spoke, and the doors opened. From behind them stepped a Confessor, who approached Theresis and immediately dropped to one knee, speaking in a low voice,

"Your Highness… The Confessors have gathered some unusual news from within the holy city."

"Let's hear it. More news from the front?"

"No, not quite… It's about an outsider."

The Confessor took a deep breath, then began:

"These past few days, rumors about a 'panacea' have been spreading through Kazdel. And along with them, stories of a silver-haired woman wandering outside the city—she calls herself 'Heal.'"

"Panacea?"

Theresis frowned, thinking back to his own recent thoughts. The coincidence was uncanny.

"Yes… This medicine is becoming quite popular in the city these days…"

"Did you get a sample?"

Theresis tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, clear interest in his voice.

"Apologies, Your Highness… we haven't managed to. Only three doses of the medicine have appeared in Kazdel—each only a few milliliters, and all of them have already been used. We tried to trace the source, but all roads lead to this mysterious Miss Heal."

"With no sign of a fourth dose, we're considering tracking down this Heal ourselves… I came to request your approval."

"What does the medicine do?"

Theresis pressed.

"The first dose was used on an Infected. Our observations so far show the Oripathy was completely cured."

"The second dose went to a severely paralyzed patient—crippled from the neck down after an accident years ago. But within just ten minutes of using the medicine, he'd recovered to his pre-accident state. Even signs of aging had lessened."

"The third… A wealthy man, given only ten minutes left to live, reverted to the body of a forty-year-old…"

The Confessor recited the facts while Theresis listened, his interest piqued.

"If you can find her, then do so. If you can get your hands on that so-called panacea, even better."

Theresis gave the order.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

…

Meanwhile, outside Kazdel, a silver-haired woman of indeterminate origin lounged in a small room. Beside her was a neat stack of money.

Judging by the timing, they should have noticed my presence by now… After showing off so many "miracles," they must be taking me seriously.

She murmured this softly to herself. The woman stood about 1.7 meters tall, her silver hair draped down her back, skin white as snow, her lips always curled in that ambiguous smile. Her blue eyes gazed at the ceiling, thoughtful.

Her name was Heal. But, more accurately… she also had another name, one that belonged to "them."

That name was "the City," or rather, the incarnation of the City's will—Obsidian.

A few days ago, the first embryo had been completed. Luckily, Obsidian had gotten a usable shell on the very first try.

That shell was Heal.

She had a high resistance to ampoule breakdown, and her physical attributes rivaled those of Pioneer. So, Obsidian immediately possessed this new body, officially announced the presence of K Corp, and wasted no time heading to Kazdel.

Her objective: to make money.

The City's early days still required a lot of capital. They'd need those funds to buy equipment and supplies.

It was no shame to rely on imports in the early stages.

And as for where the money would come from—wasn't it obvious?

You take from those who have it.

And who had the most? The wealthy, the powerful… Thus, Heal's campaign began.

She released a small batch of ampoules, treating a few wealthy businessmen in targeted operations, and amassed a fortune in the process. Her real goal, though, was to catch the attention of Theresis—the most influential man in Kazdel.

With that attention, she could negotiate an ampoule deal and connect with the right people—securing powerful backing for K Corp, for the City.

That should do it. Time for a stroll today.

Heal stretched, rolled out of bed, and headed for the door, hands shoved into the pockets of her white lab coat, moving with brisk, purposeful steps.

She circled around the outskirts of Kazdel, but didn't spot any dying tycoons. With a small shake of her head, she turned to head back… only to find her path blocked by two people.

A playful smile flickered across Heal's face in that instant.

Standing before her, blocking her way, were Confessors.

Theresis' men… Heal confirmed silently, then cleared her throat. Her cool, teasing voice rang out:

"Well, gentlemen? Can I help you?"

"…His Highness Regent Theresis requests a word with you."