Arknights' Lock of Heaven

"We're here," Warfarin said after walking for about five or six more minutes. She walked to a cabin, opened the door, and gestured for Xia Yu to go inside.

Kal'tsit is inside.

Xia Yu took a deep breath and went inside.

Kal'tsit remained her workaholic self, glancing up at him briefly before returning to her work, leaving behind only a curt, unresponsive word.

"sit."

Upon hearing this, Xia Yu obediently pulled out the chair in front of her desk and sat down.

Then came a long silence, with only the scratching sound of pen tips on paper filling the office.

After a long while, once she had finished processing a stack of documents, Kal'tsit put down her pen and began to carefully examine Xia Yu, who was sitting in front of her.

"When you offer a gift to someone, you must have something in mind."

The cool voice carried an undeniable tone: "I can't see through you."

“I just want to get treatment,” Xia Yu took a deep breath and said, “Isn’t Rhodes Island a pharmaceutical company?”

"Pharmaceutical companies don't necessarily have to admit patients. There are many medical institutions in the world with higher standards than our hospital, and your condition is not something we specialize in."

Kal'tsit wasn't wrong, after all, Rhodes Island's medical achievements were all in the field of Oripathy, and most of the patients they took in were Oripathy patients.

Xia Yu, on the other hand, doesn't have Oripathy; he's the kind of person who can't have even if he wants to.

“If I said Rhodes Island suits my taste,” Xia Yu said earnestly, looking at Kal'tsit’s inquisitive expression, “would you believe me?”

Believe it or not?

Of course I don't believe it!

Warfarin, standing outside the door, curled her lip. Who would believe such a reason?

Xia Yu naturally knew that they didn't believe her.

But who could blame him for wanting to stay on Rhodes Island for this very reason?

When I first arrived in Terra, I was completely unfamiliar with the place and its people.

I only recognized a few places from the games I used to play.

Longmen, who knows where that is.

Xia Yu didn't want her hard-won stable life to become a mess again in Chernobog.

Siesta is a great place, but like I said, I don't know the way.

Even if Rhodes Island gave her a map, Xia Yu would have had enough of wandering in the wilderness.

In comparison, Rhodes Island is much better.

After all, an organization founded by a group of idealists can't be too bad, right?

2 An irresistible price

Once again, a stalemate has been reached.

Xia Yu fully understood why Rhodes Island didn't want to keep him; he was always reasonable.

The last time I opened my eyes was when I woke up in a cave, and there was the goddess of monsters in front of me.

This time, I woke up from the sky, with an endless expanse of clear sky before me.

Or rather, the sky that's almost to the ground.

When he woke up, he was already about to fall onto the deck of Rhodes Island.

Xia Yu only had time to mobilize her magic to protect herself, and as a result, she directly smashed through the three decks of Rhodes Island.

The fall shouldn't have caused such serious consequences, but Xia Yu used magic to protect herself.

It's understandable that they want to be on guard against us; for them, a body that can smash through three decks without getting hurt is simply too terrifying.

Although Xia Yu exhausted almost all of her magic power to protect herself, even though she wouldn't die if she were hit directly, since she was a clay doll created by the gods and had high defense, it still hurt.

Put yourself in their shoes: someone whose background is unknown falls from the sky, smashes through three layers of alloy decking, and then wants to join Rhodes Island...

It's understandable that they disagree.

"Trust is built up over time, and I know you won't trust me."

Xia Yu rubbed her face and looked at Kal'tsit seriously.

"Let's be frank, can you refuse the price I'm offering?"

Upon hearing this, Kal'tsit's eyes narrowed.

She really couldn't refuse.

Amiya needs that thing.

Rhodes Island cannot cure Oripathy; at best, it can only prevent the condition from worsening.

This is the price Xia Yu offered: a cure for Oripathy.

He certainly couldn't cure it himself, but don't forget that he also has the miracle of the Holy Grail.

That was the original Holy Grail that Gilgamesh took out from the Royal Treasury, a true omnipotent wish-granting machine.

With enough magic, one can create world-class miracles.

Kal'tsit has already experienced that feeling firsthand.

After one miraculous cure, Oripathy was indeed slightly cured.

It wasn't much, just a tiny bit, but it was something Rhodes Island hadn't accomplished in all these years.

Of course, it's not just about healing this one thing. With the Holy Grail, he can definitely do more. But we don't know each other well enough to talk about this too much, so let's take it slow.

Rhodes Island wants to examine him, and he also wants to examine Rhodes Island.

Kal'tsit is conflicted.

This mysterious person who called himself Xia Yu should never have stayed on Rhodes Island under any circumstances.

But this ability to cure Oripathy...

She can't give up!

This might be a tempting bait, manipulated by a powerful force behind the scenes, just waiting for her to take the bait.

She firmly believes that with the development of science and technology, Ore disease will one day be overcome.

But will Amiya live to see that day? Will all the patients and operators on Rhodes Island live to see that day?

Amiya's condition is already very serious.

Even if it was bait, Kal'tsit had no choice but to grit her teeth and swallow it.

No matter how unwilling you are, you can only swallow it.

She didn't tell anyone about this, and she also ordered Xia Yu not to tell anyone else if she wanted to stay on the island.

Up until now, Warfarin and the others were still in the dark. They thought they would refuse Xia Yu's request to stay on the island, so they gathered outside the door, ready to fight if he was unwilling to leave.

Xia Yu, however, hadn't thought that far ahead.

His wish was simple: after that period of wandering and uncertainty in the Absolute Monster Front, he just wanted a stable life.

That's why she wanted to stay on Rhodes Island, even going so far as to reveal her ability to cure Oripathy.

After all, his magic power was already exhausted, and the magic power in the Holy Grail was almost gone. Although the power of this body was enough to crush almost all the Terrans, and there was no threat to his life, having a place to stay was better than wandering in the wilderness in an unfamiliar place.

Binding Tiamat comes at a price; after all, she is the creator goddess.

He appeared imposing, having smashed through three decks unscathed, but he had exhausted almost all of his remaining magic power.

The miracle I used on Kal'tsit was my last reserve.

Now he really has absolutely nothing left.

Having gotten used to being full of magic, Xia Yu now feels incredibly weak, as if she's been staying up all night for a week straight.

This is clearly an illusion. After all, even without magic, a body created by a god can still surpass most people in this world in terms of overall quality.

Putting everything else aside, it could easily hold its own against a baby killer whale.

If it really comes down to a fight, I won't be afraid of anyone.

In the Absolute Demonic Front, Xia Yu had long been accustomed to crushing opponents in battles by relying on the Holy Grail's massive magical energy supply, and to the unfathomable depths of that magical energy.

Looking at the empty Holy Grail now, he felt a deep sorrow in his heart.

You won't die if you just go out into the wilderness like this, after all, it's a body created by God, and its prestige is there.

But you definitely wouldn't live a decent life. Who would want to live like a caveman, where there isn't even a toilet, when you can stay here and enjoy modern life?

He'd had enough of the rough life in the Absolute Warcraft Frontline; only a lunatic would go back to the wilderness.

Therefore, staying on Rhodes Island was his best option.

It's at least the best option right now.

Moreover, he didn't believe that Kal'tsit would be unmoved by the ability to cure Oripathy.