Standing in front of a giant transparent container, Spassy raised an eyebrow at the grim data on the panel: "Corrosion rate 32%. People with poor physical constitutions would have already died from the crushing pressure of organ corrosion, yet you can still run around with hallucinations."
After stripping down to only the cloth covering his face, Lin's body displayed the hideous marks of Honkai energy corrosion more clearly.
Both arm joints were swollen and deformed, veins thick and prominent. The cut surface where his leg was missing was bloated with purple, fleshy lumps, and repulsive granulation tissue grew from the gruesome wound. Purple stripes covered his entire body along with his veins, leaving no good skin anywhere.
"Let me guess, is it because of these drugs?"
He picked up the remaining two green serums from a tray nearby. His originally frivolous expression was replaced by solemnity. He asked Lin, who was immersed in the liquid, sternly: "Do you know what these are?"
"…"
Lin shook his head at Spassy, who was looking up at him.
"These drugs are a mix of inhibitors and other medications. I know those other medications have varying degrees of Honkai energy suppression effects, but because they are too damaging to the human body and too brutal in their action, they are usually used separately."
"They will cause your organs to secrete abnormally and your brain nerves to be forcibly stimulated. Even if they suppress Honkai energy, it's just a different way to die."
"After examination, your major organs are nearly necrotic. I can replace them, but the Honkai Sickness will accelerate its corrosion the moment I excise the diseased organs. So, you are practically a dead man; you are just choosing a way to die."
"I won't ask who gave you the drugs, but you absolutely cannot use these 'poisons' anymore."
Spassy tapped the transparent glass and smiled: "Do you remember the consent form you signed?"
"I do."
"Very good. You should also remember that I said the longer you can persist through the Honkai energy corrosion, the more serum we can extract from your body. So, for the sake of those who can be saved, you just keep fighting to live. The longer you live, the better. As for other matters, we can discuss them after your condition stabilizes."
"…"
Lin nodded silently. Spassy smiled in response, then said no more and walked out of the treatment room door.
After the door closed automatically behind him, Spassy's expression instantly darkened to a chilling gloom that seemed to drip water.
"Doctor, how is Mr. Lin's condition?" Bolong, who was waiting outside the door, asked Spassy.
In fact, Spassy's expression had already answered the question.
"It can't even be called reckless anymore. He is essentially committing suicide. He could have lived for at least two more years, but now he might not even survive two months."
"…"
Bolong had heard Spassy talk about having Lin sign the remains donation consent form, meaning Spassy himself had once allowed Lin to choose not to use the inhibitors.
Yet now, he looked depressed, even bearing a subtle, hard-to-miss hint of pain.
On one hand, he pushed Lin to make the "most valuable" choice, and on the other, he felt self-reproach for it.
Spassy quickly hid his expression: "Don't let anyone enter this room. If anyone, especially people from the headquarters, asks if Lin is at the Fifth Branch, say no."
"Understood."
He pondered in place for a moment, then strode toward the laboratory.
The effects of the drug were fading.
Just as Spassy said, the serum forcibly excited Lin's brain, allowing him to maintain a state of constant alertness. As the drug's effects gradually wore off, the double vision was again dominated by hallucinations.
There were many things he wanted to ask Spassy, but he genuinely needed treatment. Otherwise, he couldn't even manage normal daily movements, let alone return to headquarters.
Lin managed to get to the Far East by using the Fire Moth badge to bypass airport security checks, finding a flight heading to the Far East, then sneaking into the cabin and stumbling his way to his destination.
Fortunately, the airport staff didn't suspect his identity and only knew he was a member of the Fire Moth. Even though he looked bizarre, they didn't question him.
Had he appeared directly before the people at a private Fire Moth liaison point, Lin probably would have been exposed.
Since he couldn't directly appear before Fire Moth members, he decided to take a chance at a hospital collaborating with the Fire Moth.
This time, luck favored him, and he happened to run into Spassy and Bolong.
According to Spassy, Lin's condition was so severe that it wouldn't be surprising if he dropped dead the next second. So, the so-called 'treatment' was just a way to help him regain normal thought processes, which was sufficient for Lin.
In the rising bubbles of the liquid, Lin, in the illusionary foam, traveled back to that time.
...
"Y-You want me to perform consciousness modification surgery on this child? But he isn't…"
"You don't need to say those things. You just need to tell me if you can or cannot."
"…"
Zero stood behind the man, his face frozen like ice. The man was discussing something with an elderly, white-haired man who looked to be over sixty.
Something that had already happened to Zero.
Later, the old man argued with the man but was scared into bowing his head by the man's stern reprimand, nodding reluctantly to agree.
"But he has already undergone one surgery. The effect of a second surgery will be greatly diminished. At least, his personality won't undergo a major change."
"It doesn't matter. That's enough."
The man dismissed the old man. He turned his back to Lin, lit a cigarette for himself, and the solitary smoke hid his eyes.
"Lin, a person's life is pieced together by countless choices. Even if we hate multiple-choice questions, we always have to face them." He held the cigarette between two fingers, placed it below his nose, and narrowed his eyes. "And humans particularly like to let others choose for them, even though I see it as a very foolish thing."
"You've already experienced someone else choosing your life once. So, I want to give you the power of choice, but if your choice is to willingly be used as a tool by those old men, even under the noble banner of protecting humanity, then I would rather choose for you again."
"Anyway, I am a bad person, much like them. Doing one more bad thing is nothing to me."
Zero was smart. He was smarter than his peers, and even many adults. So the man deliberately discussed the memory modification with the old man in front of him.
At least Zero should know the truth now. This cruel tenderness was the last thing he could do for Zero.
"Do you have anything else to say? The surgery will begin soon."
He stood with his back to Lin, clenching his fists. His fingernails dug into his palm, causing piercing pain, but he remained expressionless, as if oblivious.
"Yes."
Zero replied coldly.
"What?"
"Quit smoking. It's bad for your health."
"…"
The man threw the cigarette on the ground, stepped on it viciously, and ground the butt with a gnashing of teeth.
As if trying to crush the entire world.
...
"What kind of memory should we create for him?" the old man asked the man, who was leaning against the wall with his arm hanging down, biting his lip.
The man looked up at the bloody and cruel scene on the operating table. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
"A transmigrator."
"What?" The old man thought he misheard.
"Make him believe he is a transmigrator."
The man laughed self-mockingly: "A 'transmigrator' who once lived in a peaceful world, had a happy family, and a lively personality."