Honestly speaking, Obsidian himself had no idea what kind of new changes this item would bring to the City.
When he first saw it, his immediate reaction was simply, "Things are about to get a whole lot more interesting…"
"…At its core, it's still because the City gradually no longer lacks self-protection."
Obsidian murmured softly, his eyes gazing toward the far distance outside his window.
The City's capacity to defend itself had already grown quite strong. Once T Corp completed its development in the future, the City would, to some extent, have little to fear from most external threats.
T Corp's power alone, if applied militarily, would significantly boost their combat capabilities. Coupled with K Corp's ampoules and L Corp's energy system and Abnormalities... in a worst-case scenario, these three corporations alone would suffice as a formidable war machine.
Given these circumstances, Obsidian's personal outlook had gradually become more carefree, even leisurely.
Shaking his head, he moved himself to the window ledge, peering out at the distant world, and exhaled lightly.
"Well then…"
"Let's see just how things will change next."
...
Meanwhile, at Lobotomy Corporation's headquarters.
Da'at was leisurely strolling around L Corp's outskirts. Gradually, she left the backstreets behind and moved toward the outskirts of the City, lifting her head to watch the sky, allowing her attention to drift.
Right now, there wasn't actually much within L Corp that required her personal involvement.
Most tasks were handled by X. Da'at was primarily responsible for internal relationships and mediation within the company… but the number of staff at headquarters was still quite limited.
And among these limited employees, nearly all held significant goodwill toward Da'at. It could be said that whenever Da'at wanted to accomplish something, she would always have people fully devoted to assisting her. Precisely because of this, Da'at currently had very little to do, wandering aimlessly along the border between the suburbs and the City.
Currently, L Corp's development was by no means poor. Having fully contained Nothing There, L Corp had also completed the development of related equipment. The energy output had risen significantly with the addition of an ALEPH-class Abnormality...
Yet, certain hidden dangers still existed within L Corp.
The headquarters' employees would likely encounter severe problems if faced with Nothing There. They currently lacked an effective method for managing it. If Nothing There were to breach containment, they might even have to call on Hai to handle it personally.
"…Ah, we really need to hurry and boost L Corp's combat capabilities. At least to satisfy internal security…"
Da'at shook her head, sighing lightly. Continuing her walk, she barely took two more steps when her eyes suddenly caught something highly unusual—
A trace of blood, accompanied by a flash of scarlet hair, faintly visible in the bushes not far ahead.
"Hm?"
Da'at was momentarily stunned by this unexpected sight.
"What's this…?"
Frowning, she stared intently at the distant bushes, hesitating only a moment before quickly moving forward.
No matter what it is, it's better to check it out. After all, she had more than one spare body prepared; if this one was destroyed, she could simply bring out a backup.
But the primary reason was something else. When faced with the situation unfolding before her, Da'at recalled a previous thought—a guess that had briefly crossed her mind. It made her exceedingly curious. Thus, driven by that curiosity, she quickly stepped forward, intending to confirm exactly what she was seeing.
As she pushed aside the bushes and witnessed the scene clearly, Da'at's pupils instantly shrank in shock.
A woman with bright scarlet hair, wearing a long leather coat, one hand severed, and bearing a deep scar across one eye—upon seeing this, Da'at momentarily froze in disbelief.
The blood trail had extended outward from the woman's severed hand.
She seemed to realize something crucial. After all, the figure before her was far too familiar…
She quickly recalled what she'd experienced as "Obsidian"—that reward from the Well, the City Possibility Extraction Upgrade…
"Um… so, what exactly should I say here…?"
Da'at exhaled softly, muttering uncertainly:
"I guess I should say…"
"Game over?"
...
As Da'at discovered this unexpected new arrival, T Corp was continuing its preparations and plans step by step.
Initially, Hugh intended to request some support from L Corp. However, upon learning of Da'at's sudden discovery, he immediately halted his original plans, shifting to modify some strategic details.
The core idea remained unchanged, still focused on Siracusa. But the specifics and the candidates involved could now undergo slight adjustments…
In truth, the other "Obsidians" in the City were also carrying out similar adjustments.
All due to Da'at's unexpected find.
Truthfully, Obsidian had considered the possibility that this new item might bring something rather special—but he certainly never imagined it would be something this extraordinary!
Thus, at that moment, several plans began undergoing urgent revisions.
Immediately after discovering the injured woman, Da'at swiftly carried her back to L Corp's headquarters. Using a small amount of K Corp's ampoules for emergency treatment to stabilize her condition, Da'at prepared additional ampoules and arranged a hospital bed…
As for the situation itself, it wasn't difficult to guess roughly what had transpired.
Observing the unconscious Fixer lying before her, Da'at exhaled deeply, carefully deliberating how she should address this individual.
"Kali… no, the Red Mist. At least, she's definitely not Geburah."
Staring at the legendary Color Fixer before her, Da'at fought desperately to suppress the smile tugging at her lips, calming her breathing repeatedly as she thought this to herself.
She clearly understood what had happened.
Most likely, the recently obtained City Possibility Extraction Upgrade had triggered, pulling this Red Mist from the original timeline into their City… And judging from the current state, the summoned Red Mist was probably the one from her lab infiltration period, shortly after dealing a one-for-one exchange with Garion and being left at death's door by the Head.
What had been transported here was the nearly dead Red Mist, hanging on by a single thread. Fortunately, Da'at had discovered her just in time. Otherwise, the City might've permanently lost this legendary Color Fixer…
"Truly… an unexpected blessing."
The corner of Da'at's lips twitched slightly, and she promptly sat down at the edge of the Red Mist's bed, quietly murmuring to herself.
Just then, the Red Mist's eyelids fluttered weakly, and soon, her eyes slowly opened…