NOVEL WEB Chapter 201: Who is the Herrscher?
The sudden stillness startled Natasha. She looked at the girl, now with closed eyes, then at Shu, his hand frozen in midair. She opened her mouth to speak but found no words.
The smile faded from Shu's face, replaced by a chilling indifference. A numb emptiness.
He straightened, gently smoothing the girl's hair and tucking the disarranged blanket around her. Then he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Goodnight… it was nice to meet you."
Goodbye. It was his final blessing.
He stood, looking around the room in a daze. He was still in one of the cubicles, surrounded by countless others, each holding a sleeping child.
Waiting for the day they would wake up… only to fall into an eternal slumber.
Shu didn't know what to say or do. He stood there, frozen, his gaze unfocused.
What connection did he have with this girl?
None. They weren't even acquaintances. He didn't know her name, her age, the names of her parents.
He only knew that she had called him "big brother."
Every child here was the same. He didn't know them, and they didn't know him. He hadn't even seen all of the children.
They were strangers, passing each other on the road of life without a single point of intersection.
And yet…
"And yet…" Shu mumbled, his lips twitching in a failed attempt at a smile. He covered his face with his hand, his voice a strained whisper.
"And yet… why… why do I feel this overwhelming need to save them…?"
His choked words, though quiet, hung heavy in the silent room.
Natasha sat beside the sleeping girl, holding her still-warm hand, tears welling in her eyes.
She was used to death. Even a more gruesome end wouldn't have normally fazed her. But… this girl had called her "kind lady," had called Shu "big brother." She had smiled, despite her suffering…
Why had that smile been extinguished so easily?
She wasn't mourning the loss of life, but the loss of something precious and beautiful.
Numbed by the apocalypse, she had finally witnessed true tragedy. The flicker of hope, rekindled in her heart, had been brutally snuffed out by the Honkai.
This was the umpteenth time Shu had lost his composure tonight. He'd almost grown accustomed to it.
Taking a deep breath, filling his lungs with the sterile, bitter scent of the room, he lowered his hand.
"Vakh, Natasha," he said, his voice heavy with suppressed emotion. He looked down at the girl's still face. "You know Little Tian, right?"
Both of them paused. Natasha placed the girl's hand back under the covers and stood up. "Of course, but what are you getting at?"
Shu turned, his eyes burning with an intense light. "I need to know where he is now. And… what he has become."
A heavy silence fell.
Shu's tone—slow, deliberate, and filled with a chilling intensity—made it sound like he was asking about a sworn enemy, not a child.
"I'll explain..." Vakh sighed, setting down the vial and approaching Shu. "You're talking about the boy Natasha took in, correct?"
Shu met Vakh's gaze, urging him to continue.
"He was the first victim we found who… changed," Vakh said, pulling back another curtain. "First, his spine began to… rapidly alter. It twisted, branched… then his limbs started to warp, growing two extra left arms…"
"All of this happened in just two days. Then… the side effects of the massive mutation set in…"
Vakh shook his head, taking a pale green vial from the girl's medicine rack and handing it to Shu. "Recognize this? It's that concentrated nutrient solution from Future City, Y2-49. Just this much," he gestured at the half-full vial, "is enough to sustain a hundred people for a full day."
Enough to keep someone energized for a whole day with just a sip?
Shu stared at the vial.
"And this same vial," Vakh continued, his voice tinged with despair, "is the one I replaced yesterday."
Shu's eyes widened.
"Genetic alteration requires enormous amounts of energy, far more than the human body can provide. Even if their digestive systems worked at full capacity 24/7, it wouldn't be enough."
"So, on the third day, Little Tian started experiencing severe side effects—muscle atrophy, accelerated aging… Even with the Y2-49, he transformed overnight into an old man, losing the ability to communicate normally."
Shu felt a jolt.
Three arms… spinal abnormality… an old man…
Wasn't that the description of the first "survivor" they'd found in ARC City?
Was that Little Tian?
Was that the Herrscher he'd been searching for?!
That's why he'd recoiled… that's why he'd felt…
But… but the old man hadn't shown any hostility towards them. He'd just seemed… afraid of infecting them with some disease.
Could that have been a Herrscher?
Shu didn't want to believe it, but he had to be certain. The anger he'd been holding back now surged through him, uncontrolled.
This time, he maintained his composure. He simply lowered his eyes, his fists clenching and unclenching. Finally, he spoke.
"Natasha." His voice was weary.
Natasha nodded.
"Can you make arrangements… to bring these children with us?"
Natasha's eyes widened. Vakh frowned deeply.
"That is not a wise decision."