NOVEL WEB Chapter 213: Vakh's Story
"Vakh?!" Shu exclaimed, as if he'd just spotted a familiar face on television. He stared at the name, then flipped the photo over, scanning the faces.
He quickly found a figure resembling Vakh, tucked away in a corner. Same hair color, similar height, but this Vakh looked… healthier, more vibrant, a stark contrast to the listless man he'd met.
"Vakh Cioara, one of the seven Verified Underground Saints of the Spiderweb. Younger brother of the renowned mercenary [Raven]. The most active of the Saints, and also the one with the most humble beginnings. Notable achievements include…"
Ethics suddenly launched into a detailed biography of Vakh, reciting a list of accomplishments.
Shu listened intently.
"…Developed cures for multiple infectious diseases, synthesized numerous low-cost pharmaceuticals. Faced concerted opposition from several pharmaceutical corporations, then evidence suggests he received patronage and collaboration from Heliopolis Life Sciences, leading to the cessation of said opposition."
The verbal resume, easily ten thousand words long, finally ended. Shu felt like he'd just listened to an audiobook.
"…Is this… accurate?" he asked, his lips twitching.
"Absolutely verifiable," Ethics replied.
Vakh's life story was… incredible. At sixteen, he'd become the personal physician to a wealthy, terminally ill man, extending his two-month prognosis to two years.
Then he'd spent five years as a traveling doctor, honing his surgical skills on battlefields and his medical expertise in impoverished communities. Upon his return, he'd become a renowned Underground Saint.
Then came the corporate sabotage, forcing him and Natasha into hiding for two years, culminating in their joining Heliopolis two months before the Honkai eruption.
It was like a classic underdog story—orphaned protagonist, loving sister, extraordinary talent.
Except, after only two months of stability, the Honkai had taken everything away, leaving them with nothing but the mutated children.
Not such a happy story after all.
But Ethics's information explained why Vakh and Natasha were so dedicated to finding and caring for survivors. They'd spent five years in the worst possible conditions, helping others. It had become ingrained in them.
Shu set the photo aside and took another swig of cola.
This also explained Little Tian's presence with Natasha. They were already Heliopolis employees.
But Heliopolis was linked to the mutations…
Shu felt like he was close, so close to connecting all the dots.
He looked up, noticing the security camera on the ceiling.
"That's it!" His eyes lit up. "Ethics, is there any way to access Heliopolis's security footage?"
If something happened here, the recordings would show it. It would confirm whether Heliopolis was the source.
And if it was, Vakh would know something, even if he wasn't aware of it.
Time for Otto to work his magic.
"Heliopolis's security footage is stored in the central database on the third basement level," Ethics replied.
Right, back to that.
He needed to get to B3.
"Let's take care of that, then." Shu stretched. He was feeling much better after his brief rest.
No time to waste.
He drained the rest of the cola, grabbed the remaining half of the cucumber, scooped up Pet, and headed out.
"Ethics, recalculate the route. Which way?" he asked, hopping over the wall.
He had to admit, Vakh's story had inspired him. Rising from obscurity to become a revered healer… it ignited a spark of his own inner chuunibyou.
I'm no slouch either. I'm the captain of Fire Moth's First Exploration Squad, leader of the Three Valkyries, the man who can go toe-to-toe with Otto.
What? Otto's playing me? Please. I beat him all the time!
"To your left, Mr. Shu. With sufficient stealth, you may be able to bypass the standard mutants and reach our target directly," Ethics advised.
Shu nodded, tossing the cucumber end into a trash can and heading left.
The mutants he encountered along the way were… disturbing. Muscle monstrosities, giant eyeballs, a creature with so many teeth it made his skin crawl…
His brief surge of chuuni energy fizzled out.
This wasn't a fantasy world. This was reality.
His heart heavy, he successfully avoided all encounters, reaching his destination.
"Is it… inside this building?" He stopped, looking up at a small villa.
It had a distinct cyberpunk aesthetic, similar to the architecture outside.
"Affirmative. The target is within," Ethics confirmed.
Shu frowned, looking down at his trembling hand.
Just standing here, he felt a profound sense of unease, something he hadn't experienced even with the other mutants.
A sharp pain shot through his left hand, causing it to tremble… a familiar pain.
Like the little girl in the Nest, the one whose name he still didn't know.
"Ethics, are you sure it's a mutated organism?" he asked.
"Positive," Ethics replied.
Shu pressed his hand against his arm. "Can you tell me… what it's doing?"
After a moment of silence, Ethics replied, its voice even.
"The mutated organism is… drawing with crayons."