The next morning, in a hospital room.
Sunlight filtered in through the white curtains, and the room was filled with fresh air, free from the typical hospital smell of disinfectant.
Su Xiao was leaning back against the bed, his right arm wrapped in bandages, including all five fingers.
Bubu was lying on a nearby bed, fast asleep. The dog had stood guard at the door all night to prevent any enemies from taking advantage of Su Xiao's weakened state.
Su Xiao moved his right arm, which had been severed at the upper arm and reattached during surgery the previous night. Now, it was perfectly reconnected without any issues.
A middle-aged doctor performed the surgery. Su Xiao recognized him from the original story as Heaven Canceller, a doctor with medical skills so extraordinary that he could perform heart surgery under local anesthesia. Reattaching an arm was considered a minor procedure for him.
Not only was his right arm fixed, but the wound on Su Xiao's chest was also stitched up. With Heaven Canceller's medical skills and Su Xiao's natural healing ability, the chest wound was nearly healed, only requiring the removal of the surface stitches.
"Heaven Canceller's medical skills are even more advanced than I thought, but he's also more dangerous than I imagined."
Indeed, after interacting with Heaven Canceller, Su Xiao sensed an underlying danger. Though the doctor appeared to be a simple middle-aged physician, there was more to him than met the eye.
Years ago, Aleister was severely injured by people from the magical side and buried alive. The doctor who saved him was Heaven Canceller.
Heaven Canceller not only saved Aleister but also played a crucial role in the establishment of Academy City.
In the original story, few dared to directly interfere with or obstruct Aleister's plans, but Heaven Canceller was one of them. Afterwards, Aleister merely remarked, "I have a benevolent-hearted 'enemy'," and let it go.
Aleister's attitude indicated Heaven Canceller's special status in Academy City. Although he didn't participate in its management, once he spoke out, even Aleister couldn't ignore him.
As Su Xiao pondered, the door opened, and a middle-aged, balding doctor in a white coat entered.
The doctor had some graying hair at the back of his head, was slightly overweight, and had a round face, giving a generally kind and gentle impression.
However, no matter how Su Xiao looked at him, the combination of his body shape, face, and hair made him resemble a frog.
The frog-like doctor was Heaven Canceller. He walked into the room with a nurse following behind.
The nurse approached to check the IV bag hanging by the bed and took out a thermometer.
"My temperature is fine," Su Xiao said, waving her off and pulling out the IV needle from his hand. For him, as long as his arm and chest wounds were okay, he could leave the hospital. However, he didn't know how long the recovery process would take.
"When can I be discharged?" Su Xiao asked.
The nurse hesitated for a moment. "If you're feeling okay, you can leave today."
In most hospitals, such a statement might seem absurd, but this was Heaven Canceller's hospital. A quick discharge wasn't surprising.
"Leave us," Heaven Canceller said, and the nurse walked out of the room.
"You can leave now, but if you want to 'work', at least wait until tomorrow or the day after. If the nerves in your reattached arm break again, I can't guarantee you'll be able to use your weapon," Heaven Canceller said, hinting he knew something.
"Can't it be sooner? The nature of my 'work' is special. If my 'business opponent' recovers first, I might not get another chance to be hospitalised," Su Xiao said, lighting a cigarette. Heaven Canceller didn't stop him.
As the smoke drifted and was carried away by the breeze, the room filled with a faint scent of tobacco.
"Of course... not. Your rapid recovery, in a way, is unfortunate for others," Heaven Canceller's attitude was neither hostile nor friendly.
"Doctor, hearing that from you is quite ironic. As one of the creators of this large experimental ground, do you really care about others' misfortune?" Su Xiao probed Heaven Canceller's stance. The doctor's skills could significantly aid his future tasks.
"It seems you know a lot. Did Aleister tell you? Rest assured, there's no Misaka Network here," Heaven Canceller replied, sitting on the bed next to Bubu. His visit wasn't just to check on a patient.
From the moment Heaven Canceller entered, both had been testing each other.
"I'm not the type to rush in blindly," Su Xiao replied. Heaven Canceller being one of the creators of Academy City wasn't a huge secret.
"True. For someone in your line of work, knowing some secrets here isn't surprising. But you called this place a large experimental ground? You misunderstand the purpose of Academy City's existence," Heaven Canceller sighed, looking out the window.
"Many have sacrificed here, young people full of vitality. Yet, this place has also birthed technologies that benefit humanity. For Aleister, it might be a large experimental ground, the cornerstone of a crazy plan. But for me, it's the vanguard of scientific development. Superpowers are just a small, flawed part of it."
After speaking, the room fell silent.
"You're not planning to... kill him, are you?" Su Xiao asked, staring at Heaven Canceller.
"No. If he dies, this place would become a battlefield in no time. If I wanted to, I would have done it decades ago, not now when Aleister is so powerful."
As Heaven Canceller stood up and walked to the door, he suddenly spoke, "In the Twelfth District, there's a temple with a beautiful view. After you recover, you might want to visit. You could find something unexpected."
Heaven Canceller left the room, and Su Xiao extinguished his cigarette, realizing that Academy City wasn't solely under Aleister's control.
A hidden force, Heaven Canceller, was equally formidable.
The enigmatic statement before Heaven Canceller left was an offer, suggesting Su Xiao choose between supporting Aleister or Heaven Canceller. Both were part of the scientific side but from different branches.
"I see. I wondered how contractors operated in Academy City. Turns out there's a relatively gentle force like Heaven Canceller's," Su Xiao thought, standing up. With known clues, he deduced that some well-informed contractors wouldn't immediately flee Academy City. Staying offered more opportunities to trigger side quests.
However, Su Xiao wasn't inclined to join Heaven Canceller's faction. Cooperation was fine, but joining? No. Their methods differed too much. He preferred working with Aleister. Heaven Canceller's interest in him stemmed from his strength.
If Heaven Canceller represented the benevolent faction of Academy City, Aleister was the malevolent one. Though adversaries, they shared technology without interfering with each other's governance. They were like warm-blooded and cold-blooded animals, not 'tigers' clashing in one mountain.
With Su Xiao's 'kind' demeanor and dismal 6 charm points, joining the benevolent faction was unwise. Villains spoke the same language.