Adam hadn't expected the girl to reject his offer, but after hearing her reasoning, he couldn't blame her.
"Cure me? If it's possible, can you cure my mother instead?" she asked, concern evident in her voice. Her fear was clear—if the cure was limited, she wanted it to be used on her mother, who was in far worse condition.
The boy, Kei, immediately led Adam into the house while the girl quietly closed the door behind them. They entered a dim bedroom where a woman lay motionless on a bed, partially covered by a blanket. A damp towel rested on her forehead, as if she were suffering from a severe fever.
Adam's expression darkened as he observed her condition. The circuit-like veins snaking across her skin were far more severe than the girl's. They traced up her neck and threatened to reach her head.
"This is..." Adam muttered with a deep frown, troubled by the sight.
The girl's condition was manageable. Adam had devised a makeshift treatment using his nanomachines to purge the corrupted cells, allowing her body to recover gradually. However, the mother was a different story. Her major organs were undoubtedly corrupted beyond saving. Attempting to purge the corrupted cells would be tantamount to killing her.
Adam couldn't claim to be a doctor. At best, he had the skills of a combat medic—a far cry from a specialist proficient in complex medical treatments. His knowledge was limited to emergency care and basic surgeries. While the nanomachines significantly enhanced his capabilities, making him comparable to a general practitioner, they were still insufficient for handling such a critical condition.
Fortunately, Angeline, an advanced AI with the processing power of a quantum computer, provided superior analytical support. With her assistance, Adam was able to rapidly assess the situation and determine a potential solution.
A vaccine.
What he needed was a vaccine that could enable the body to develop antibodies capable of naturally neutralizing Honkai Energy. Such an approach would bypass the brute-force method of purging corrupted cells, which was far too destructive for severe cases. Yet, he currently lacks the knowledge to develop and means to create this vaccine.
Seeing the grim look on Adam's face, the two siblings braced themselves for the worst. The current suppressant drug could only delay minor corruption and was entirely ineffective against more advanced cases.
In truth, they were clinging to a fragile thread of hope for a miracle, even though they knew their mother was likely beyond saving. But who could easily give up on someone they loved?
The sister, misinterpreting Adam's expression, assumed he was reluctant to waste a potential cure on their mother. Desperation gnawed at her, and she was prepared to persuade him by any means necessary—even offering herself if it came to that.
She glanced at herself briefly, assessing her own appearance. While she didn't consider herself the most beautiful, she was confident she was at least above average. But before she could voice her desperate thoughts, Adam's words caught her off guard.
"I can't cure her. At least not right now," Adam admitted hesitantly. "However, I am confident that I can prevent her condition from worsening."
"Please! Please help my mother!" the sister begged, dropping to her knees alongside her younger brother, Kei.
Adam's gaze softened. "I will do my best," he assured them, though there was a flicker of uncertainty in his expression.
To delay the corruption, Adam planned to deploy nanomachines into the mother's body, allowing them to act as temporary antibodies to slow the spread of the Honkai corruption.
Based on his estimation, this would buy at least a week or two, depending on how aggressive the corruption was.
Kneeling beside the mother, Adam's body began to emit a soft blue glow. Concentrating the nanomachines in his palm, he directed them into the woman's chest, targeting her heart.
Once inside, the nanomachines spread through her bloodstream, carrying out their assigned task. The circuit-like veins that had previously glowed ominously dimmed and became less visible. Color gradually returned to the mother's face, and her breathing steadied.
Satisfied with his work, Adam stood up and addressed the siblings.
"For now, make sure she eats properly and gets enough nutrition. The stronger her body, the better it can resist the Honkai corruption."
The siblings nodded frantically, thanking him profusely.
"No need to thank me," Adam said, shaking his head lightly. He then turned to the sister, his gaze firm. "Now it's your turn."
Without waiting for a response, Adam reached for her corrupted right arm.
"Ah… wait!" the sister stammered, barely able to react as Adam activated his nanomachines.
"I'll warn you—the process might be a little uncomfortable," he reminded her.
The circuit-like veins on her arm transformed into scar tissue, which rapidly peeled away, revealing pale white scars where the corruption had once been.
Tentatively, the sister flexed her arm, testing for any changes. Aside from a slight weakness, there were no other side effects—a result that was nothing short of miraculous.
Unlike her younger brother, she was fully aware of how dire Honkai corruption cases typically were. Even the best treatments rarely yielded such results, let alone a complete recovery.
If Adam claimed to be the son of a god or a messiah descended from heaven, she would have believed him without hesitation. What he had accomplished was nothing less than a miracle.
Having earned the siblings' trust, Adam decided it was time to approach them with his true purpose.
While their mother remained unconscious and resting in her room, the sister busied herself preparing what hospitality she could—just a simple pot of tea from the meager supplies left in the pantry.
"Please, Sir," the sister said earnestly, bowing her head deeply. "I will do anything to repay this debt."
Adam acknowledged her offer with a nod. He had anticipated this moment and intended to make full use of it.
"Then I won't hesitate," he said. He gave a brief, deliberately vague explanation, presenting himself as part of an organization with ample resources but limited manpower, seeking to assist survivors in Nagazora City.
Adam's goal was to unite the scattered survivors into a cohesive group. In return, he would supply them with nutritional packs that provided the necessary daily sustenance and essential medical supplies.
As for protection, Adam was cautious about arming the survivors with weapons. The risk of ambitious individuals seizing control or the weapons falling into the wrong hands was too high. Instead, he planned to deploy T-Dolls to provide security. With the 3D Printer Factory operating at full capacity and the orbital fortress repairs nearing completion, mass-producing T-Dolls was within reach.
"I see. You want us to spread the news and gather the survivors," the sister muttered thoughtfully. After a brief pause, she nodded decisively. "Alright! That's simple enough. I already have a few places in mind."
She explained that the inner city was plagued by gangs, terrorists, and cults, all vying for control of its abandoned resources.
The Second Impact had struck so suddenly that most people hadn't had time to react, leaving behind untold riches and supplies for daring opportunists.
The gangs focused on plundering valuables, often capturing survivors and forcing them to scavenge for jewelry, gold, and other goods.
The terrorists targeted the abandoned weapons and vehicles left by the military after their forces were decimated by the Honkai Beasts.
The cults, deranged and fanatical, worshiped the Honkai Beasts and conducted grotesque experiments, trying to create Honkai-human hybrids in a twisted attempt to transcend their fragile humanity.
As a result, most survivors had fled to the suburban areas, seeking refuge from the chaos. The sister knew the locations of several survivor pockets and even understood their dynamics.
When asked why she and her brother weren't part of any group, she explained bitterly that they had initially been included. However, when their mother began showing signs of Honkai corruption, fear drove the group to evict them, believing she would turn into a zombie.
Despite their willingness to leave their mother behind if it meant their own survival, neither sibling could bear to abandon her. The three eventually settled in this apartment complex after wandering for some time.
Initially, the sister braved the dangers of the inner city to scavenge for food and painkillers for their mother. But after sustaining an injury, her younger brother secretly took over the task.
Having accepted Adam's proposal, the sister was resolute in her mission. Seeing no further reason to linger, Adam prepared to leave, despite the siblings' reluctance to let him go. His presence had provided a rare sense of security and stability.
Before departing, Adam assigned one of his T-Dolls to guard the eldest sister in secret. He still had a primary objective to handle—eliminating the Honkai Beasts and sealing the rift that continued to spill Honkai energy.
———
An Hour Later, Inner City of Nagazora
After hearing about the city's chaotic situation from the siblings, Adam decided to investigate the three groups operating in the inner city. His main concern was the gangs, who captured survivors and forced them into areas with severe Honkai radiation to scavenge valuable resources.
This practice was a death sentence for most survivors, and Adam couldn't afford to let their numbers dwindle. He needed them to fulfill his long-term objective.
According to the sister, the gangs typically captured hundreds of survivors at a time. Most were used as bait to lure Honkai Beasts away, allowing the gangs to loot the city unimpeded. In exchange, the gangs promised to send the survivors back to civilization.
Something about that arrangement felt off. Adam found it difficult to believe that the profit-driven gangs would honor their promises so easily.
Suspicious, Adam instructed Angeline to investigate further. Her findings confirmed the disturbing truth—each time the gangs sent shipments of loot back to the unaffected regions, they transported survivors who had somehow endured the severely contaminated areas.
Given the gangs' greed and ruthlessness, Adam doubted their sudden generosity. There was likely a hidden conspiracy behind this strange phenomenon, and he was determined to uncover it.
Once Adam approached the gang's base. The activate Cloaking Mode which deploys a layer of invisibility forcefield similar to the one used by the Orbital Fortress which turns him basically invisible to naked eyes and all forms of sensors before he infiltrates the base to uncover the truth.
—————
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