So-Called Karma 16

"Surrender?" Bai Ge looked coldly at the smug, composed pretty-boy on the ground. The man didn't show even a trace of panic, fear, or concern for his life.

He was completely bold and confident, certain he would survive.

Why? Because he was an esper too? Because he was useful?

And what about those lab technicians? Weren't they working for the Church? Weren't they genuinely supporting the Church's actions? Hadn't they cheered for his brother's death? Rejoiced at the elimination of a formidable enemy?

Bai Ge gave a mocking smile, grabbed the rope ladder piled by the hatch, and jumped straight off the airship.

The wind roared past his ears as his gaze fixed unwaveringly on the group—some calm, some furious.

Not a single one of the Church's dogs would live.

"Butterfly!" Lu Mingqiu shouted. The latter understood, quickly following Bai Ge out.

Lu Mingqiu rushed to the hatch, her psychic power expanding outward—not targeting the Church members, but striking at Bai Ge.

She was fast, but Bai Ge was faster. A lightless black hole suddenly appeared amidst the crowd. At first it was just a point, but within a breath it swelled and expanded several times over. Several researchers were immediately pulled uncontrollably toward the center, their screams cut short as they lost their lives.

The Insect Master, seeing this, threw himself to the ground, clinging desperately to the weeds. Even so, he was still being dragged backward, and his prized esper power was now utterly useless—no better than a stone on the ground.

The composure on his face vanished, replaced by panic, fear of death, and raw terror that crawled across every feature.

As his legs drew closer and closer to the black hole's mouth, the Insect Master finally let out a piercing scream: "Aaaaah!!!"

In the next instant, the black hole vanished, but the Insect Master couldn't breathe a sigh of relief—because his calves were gone from the knees down.

The intense, tearing, soul-shattering pain sent him rolling on the ground, drenched in sweat, his face twisted as if he'd died a hundred times over.

The researchers fared even worse. Nearly a third of them died in an instant, while others were left with only half their bodies, twitching and bleeding out on the ground.

Meanwhile, Butterfly caught the unconscious Bai Ge and carried him back into the airship, his phosphorescent wings folding shut with a swish.

The turn of events had been so sudden that the others hadn't even processed what happened—Bai Ge had gone down to kill.

He was set limply in a chair, and the others exchanged glances, none daring to speak first.

Acting on his own and nearly killing an important prisoner—Bai Ge had really caused trouble this time.

"Grab the hemostatic gel," Lu Mingqiu said calmly. "Save whoever you can. Kill the ones you can't."

The group quickly grabbed medical kits and jumped down, making a swift escape from the area.

After they left, Hei Ge's voice unexpectedly sounded. "I didn't know he would do that."

"I'll talk to him when we get back," Lu Mingqiu said. "Your death has affected him deeply. Have you considered using a mechanical android?"

"You mean the cyborg project?" Hei Ge said, startled. "Wasn't that halted long ago by the government?"

"You actually believed that?" Lu Mingqiu snorted with a laugh. "The only thing truly halted was consciousness upload technology, and only because the machines and blueprints were destroyed—it couldn't be built."

"Even if the Federation doesn't research it, the conglomerates will continue. Morality and ethics? They mean nothing."

"...Does the organization have it too?" Hei Ge asked hesitantly.

"If you're sure, I can put in a request," Lu Mingqiu said, turning her gaze to the people bustling below. "But it's a secret. You can't show yourself."

"You'd have to stay in Bai Ge's room," she added sincerely. "And there are some additional conditions."

"Provide usage feedback?" Hei Ge interjected.

"Exactly," she nodded. "They've been looking for suitable research subjects for a long time. Stealing coma patients from hospitals won't work either. The subject can't be absorbed into the organization or released, and we can't just save them then kill them. You know the organization's rules—we don't kill innocents indiscriminately, in principle."

Yan Xianchuan perked up her ears, eavesdropping from a corner.

After a long pause, Hei Ge's reply drifted down from the speaker overhead. "I agree."

"Good," Lu Mingqiu said.

A little while later, the group that had gone down returned with the sole surviving wounded—the fragile researchers had all fainted, and the Insect Master was no exception. The hemostatic gel contained sedatives; even if he hadn't fainted, he would have.

"Strap them down. It's time to head back," Lu Mingqiu ordered, then walked over to Yan Xianchuan, lifted her up, and set her in the seat beside her own.

As the airship ascended, the weightlessness hit. Lu Mingqiu reached out to pull the seatbelt and buckle Yan Xianchuan in, but the feel beneath her hand suddenly shifted—the little lamb puffed into a full-grown person, her entire upper body collapsing onto Lu Mingqiu.

Whatever the side effect was, Yan Xianchuan felt like the world was spinning—dizzy and nauseated, as if she'd been tossed into a centrifuge for a thousand rotations before plunging headfirst into slime.

She flailed reflexively but couldn't suppress the rising nausea in her stomach. It felt like someone was grabbing her stomach and playing ping-pong with it. She breathed in, breathed out, but still couldn't hold back a few dry heaves.

Then her face was cupped, and a bottle mouth pressed to her lips. Cool water, like sweet dew, flowed in. Yan Xianchuan gulped greedily—and promptly choked, coughing everywhere.

She coughed so hard the world went dark, as if she might cough out her very organs.

Someone patted her back to help her breathe, then wiped the water from her face with a tissue.

She couldn't see, but she knew it was Lu Mingqiu.

After coughing for a long while, she finally caught her breath and collapsed limply onto Lu Mingqiu's lap.

Oh? Yan Xianchuan thought with her eyes closed, isn't this a lap pillow?

She snuggled greedily into the embrace, breathing in the scent of blood and gunpowder, her heart practically floating up to the moon.

While she enjoyed it, Lu Mingqiu felt only heartache.

The tattered, scorched clothes couldn't hide the wounds on her body. Fresh pink scars stood out starkly against her pale skin.

Moreover, her limbs were swollen and red at the joints, as if something had constricted them, leaving rings of pinkish-purple bruising.

The assailants couldn't break Yan Xianchuan's bones, and she herself hadn't taken these injuries seriously—they didn't stop her from bouncing around anyway.

She didn't care at all. But Lu Mingqiu picked up her wrist and examined it carefully, relieved—no fractures.

She took a blanket from beside the seat and wrapped it around the person in her arms, saying softly, "Get some sleep."

Yan Xianchuan lifted her head, opened her eyes just a crack, and immediately squeezed them shut again. She remembered how Lu Mingqiu had reacted when she saw them—probably not a pretty sight.

"Baa... hmph!" But when she opened her mouth, a sheep's bleat came out instead of words. Flustered, she bit her tongue, coughed a few times, and managed, "Aren't you resting?"

It should have been an awkward, humorous moment, but Lu Mingqiu couldn't bring herself to laugh. She adjusted the blanket and patted Yan Xianchuan's back gently. "You sleep."

Inside the airship, the people sitting in the back hadn't seen the full transformation, but their ears had caught every word without missing a beat.

Gold Ring started making faces at the others, his fingers flying over the team channel. "Hey, what exactly is the relationship between Oriole and Biscuits?"

Getting hurt on missions was commonplace, after all—he'd even broken his arm last time, and Oriole had only offered a few words of concern.

Butterfly wasn't interested in gossip and put on earphones to listen to music.

Of these people, the ones from Moon City base knew that Oriole was in charge, but only Fan had worked with her directly.

"What's the matter? Isn't it normal?" Fan made the most stereotypical straight-man comment.

In the last mission, when someone was injured, Oriole had shown concern too.

That one sentence hit like a brick wall—more stifling than eating eight hundred steamed buns. At least Silver Ring gets it and understands me, Gold Ring grumbled internally.

"When did you ever see Oriole carry someone else? She even coaxed her to sleep," Gold Ring continued, driven by gossip. "And besides, they're always together. Polite Biscuits only follows Oriole—she never participates in regular base duties."

Fan: "So? She's just an assistant."

Gold Ring gave her a look that said 'you're beyond saving,' leaving her utterly confused.

Pea chimed in. The girl with bard-like esper power had an equally romantic personality. Her eyes wide, she let out a silent 'wow' and typed in the channel, "This is definitely love!"

Meanwhile, Calamus was filing her nails with a small knife. Mid-file, she suddenly slapped her thigh, face full of regret, and muttered, "I should've stabbed from above and below just now!"

Gold Ring glanced sideways at her. The others had long grown used to such comments.

The airship carried them back to Moon City, primarily for medical treatment.

Lu Mingqiu wasn't injured, and neither was Bai Ge. The others had varying degrees of minor cuts and bruises, but nothing serious. Yan Xianchuan, usually tough as nails, had fared the worst.

When you have hands and feet, you don't realize how useful they are. Only after losing them do you understand why humans evolved this way—two hands, ten fingers, not one more, not one less, each with its own purpose.

This time, they didn't use the public airport. The airship landed at a private helipad on the outskirts.

A flat stretch of land, not large, but fully equipped.

No landmarks, so it was impossible to tell who owned it.

Lu Mingqiu gave Yan Xianchuan a gentle nudge. Unable to keep pretending to sleep and linger, she slowly sat up.

A pair of hands reached out, helped her stand, wrapped the blanket around her, and then took her hand, saying softly, "Let's go."

The hands were very soft, with delicate skin and slender fingers, but her palms were warm.

Yan Xianchuan initially held loosely, but after two steps, she suddenly tightened her grip, pressing her palm firmly against Lu Mingqiu's.

"There are steps," Lu Mingqiu reminded in a low voice.

Yan Xianchuan stepped carefully. The sun was just right outside, warm light spilling over her. With her eyes closed, her other senses sharpened—the wind, voices, a car engine not far away, and the breathing of the person beside her all poured into her ears.

The concrete was smooth, and she walked steadily to the waiting car. Lu Mingqiu shielded the roof with one hand while guiding her to lift her leg. Once Yan Xianchuan was seated and settled, she closed the door and walked around to the other side to get in.

The others joined, and one by one, the cars drove off, heading to the base.

"We'll go straight to surgery when we arrive," Lu Mingqiu said. "You'll be able to see again soon."

Yan Xianchuan hummed in acknowledgment, but inside, she felt deeply reluctant. Once her eyes healed, wouldn't she lose this kind of treatment?