Chapter 602 - 602: Turned Into Gacha?! - 602

Heliopolis Life Sciences?

No, before that, there was something even stranger. Firefly was actively questioning something that benefited her.

That wasn't normal. Even when something looked strange or outright wrong to everyone else, most people who benefited from it would instinctively ignore the problem. If they stepped outside that circle of benefit, they'd probably see how bad it really was, but few people ever did.

"Right now, it's still only a suspicion."

Firefly continued, "They deliberately keep a lot of things from me... but that's understandable. I haven't actually joined them, after all."

When Kiana heard that Heliopolis Life Sciences had also invited Firefly to join, her suspicions only deepened.

"Can you tell me about Heliopolis Life Sciences?" Kiana asked with a frown.

"Of course. Heliopolis Life Sciences is a pharmaceutical research and traditional medicine company founded in 2000. Its headquarters actually aren't in Shenzhou, but in Giza, Egypt. Its founder is called Jackal, and the company has operated for years with a focus on cutting-edge technology and medicine."

Firefly lowered her voice a little. "Everything I've told you so far can be found online."

In other words, what came next was the information that couldn't be found online.

Kiana and Fu Hua both listened more closely.

"This branch was established in 2014. Its partners include the Shenzhou government and a company called Schicksal. But no matter how much I searched online, I could barely find anything about Schicksal."

"Did you say Schicksal?"

Kiana's vague, habitual suspicion turned into certainty.

If Schicksal was involved, and there'd also been a Honkai disaster affecting the entire city, then there was no way this was innocent.

She had to investigate Heliopolis Life Sciences.

"Is there something wrong with Schicksal?" Firefly asked.

"Schicksal... is also an organization that fights the Honkai. I used to work at one of its branches... but after some things happened, I left."

The story was too long and too complicated. More than that, it was still a wound Kiana didn't want to touch, so she could only leave it there.

"Is there anything else you know about Heliopolis Life Sciences? Anything at all?" Kiana asked, changing the subject again.

Firefly seemed to notice that Kiana didn't want to talk about her past, so she didn't press her.

"There's not much else worth mentioning... except for one thing that's been bothering me."

She didn't drag it out.

"Heliopolis Life Sciences has elevators that go underground. I met the patients suffering from Honkai-related illnesses on the first underground floor, but I've seen the elevator controls. There's more than one basement level."

That made the place sound even more suspicious.

Still, Kiana had already decided to investigate even without that detail. She'd only kept asking in case Firefly knew anything that could make the job easier.

Knowing that the company kept its patients underground was useful, at least. It could save her some time.

"Thanks, Firefly! This is really important!"

Kiana hadn't expected passing out to lead her to this much useful information.

Fu Hua had another concern of her own.

"Kiana, try asking whether she knows anything about that gray mecha."

The gray mecha... She meant the one that had brought Kiana here.

It had deliberately taken her to a place capable of treating her condition. What exactly had it wanted?

Had it really helped her out of simple goodwill?

Kiana was curious too, so she asked.

"I... don't really remember anything about it."

Firefly only shook her head.

Neither Kiana nor Fu Hua could tell whether she truly didn't know or simply didn't want to say. But just as Firefly hadn't pushed Kiana about her past, Kiana chose not to pry into Firefly's secrets.

--+--

"Are you planning to go to Heliopolis Life Sciences, Kiana? By yourself?" Firefly asked.

"Yeah. I want to investigate it. Don't worry, I'm still pretty strong. If I decide to leave, nobody's going to stop me."

Seeing the disapproval on Firefly's face, Kiana raised one arm and flexed as if to prove her point.

Unfortunately, it wasn't very convincing coming from someone whose body had been falling apart not long ago. Firefly still looked worried.

"It's fine! I'm a professional, you know. You've seen those secret agents in movies and TV shows, right? I'm even better than them!"

Kiana could only keep trying to reassure her.

"Um... Kiana, if you need help, I can help too. I've actually been worried about what happened in Arc City... but because of my position, I haven't been able to investigate it deeply."

"That's too dangerous. You can't get involved!"

Kiana rejected the idea without a second thought.

She could tell at a glance that Firefly wasn't someone who could protect herself. It wasn't even just about fighting ability. If Firefly had been an ordinary employee or even a security guard, Kiana might've at least tried to talk her through the risks.

But with Firefly, there wasn't even anything to discuss.

She was seriously ill and needed treatment in a medical pod. How could Kiana possibly let a girl in that condition take even the slightest risk?

"I... want to understand what's happening. I have too many connections to them. I want to know the truth, and what I learn will affect how I plan my future."

There was a determination on Firefly's face that Kiana knew all too well.

It wasn't the kind that could be talked away.

For a moment, Kiana couldn't tell whether her arrival had been a good thing for Firefly or a bad one.

"I understand. Once I've investigated it, I'll tell you the truth."

In the end, Kiana compromised.

The reason was simple. If she were in Firefly's place, she'd want to know the truth too, even if seeking it meant taking a risk.

Still, Kiana had no intention of letting Firefly actually do anything dangerous. Instead of refusing too harshly and risking Firefly sneaking off to investigate on her own, it was better for the two of them to "work together."

"If I use my powers, the Honkai energy erosion will get worse. When that happens, I'll come back and ask you for help."

Kiana planned to give Firefly a role that required her to do absolutely nothing dangerous, keeping her safely here.

Worried that Firefly might catch on, Kiana added, "As long as the Honkai energy erosion can be dealt with, nobody can hold me back! You're the only one who can help me with that!"

She'd learned this trick from everyone else.

It was originally something they'd used on her. Even when she saw through it, she'd still fallen for it more often than she'd care to admit.

"So... that's enough?"

"That's enough!"

Kiana put on her most confident expression and declared the matter settled.

"Leave everything else to yours truly! All you have to do is stay here and wait for me, Firefly!"

--+--

T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL