TN: And we're back! sorry for the week long hiatus, it was not intentional since I had to get my right leg in a cast after tripping 3 floors down a stairwell (like an idiot ://) and be unable to use my PC setup upstairs BUT I should be OK now.
Anyways, Thanks for Arcanic Madness, WeissAkumu and WolfWTF for becoming as Supporters!,
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When the underground doctor arrived, Lin Xia had once again slipped into unconsciousness. Her frail body couldn't endure such a powerful emotional shock; the horrific memories had worsened her condition.
Fortunately, the underground doctor had already prepared equipment, having been informed this was a case of severe malnutrition. After examining her, the somewhat overweight doctor shook his head repeatedly.
"This won't work. The medical conditions here are too rudimentary. She needs extensive monitoring, and her intake of water and nutrients must be strictly controlled. I have to take her with me."
Ignis, of course, knew the doctor was speaking the truth. Lin Xia's body was on the brink of collapse; prolonged starvation, combined with unknown hours of walking, had pushed her to her physiological limit.
"Nicole, you should trust me on this," the doctor said, looking at Nicole Demara. The leader of the Cunning Hares simply nodded silently.
"Nekomata, you'll go along to monitor her. We'll arrange someone to rotate in soon," Nicole instructed.
Watching the underground doctor, assisted by nurses, transfer Lin Xia into the modified van-turned-ambulance, Nicole issued further orders.
Nekomata didn't refuse; she simply nodded and followed.
Back inside, the group began preparing for the next steps.
"That footage… I'm going to hand it over to New Eridu Public Security," Nicole said, locking eyes with The Salamander. "I can feel your agitation and anger, but we can't rely on ourselves alone."
"Too many people are imprisoned. We're too few," Anby said flatly, though her anger at the horrific story was evident.
Ignis understood fully. Even with Gotthardt and Cerakos, there were only seven of them. While storming the facility might be straightforward, rescuing all the victims would be impossible for such a small group.
There were too many people to relocate; some might already be unable to move.
The thought stabbed at Ignis' mind. That damned daemon had colluded with the people here to create such a horrifying scene.
Legal imprisonment, torture, organ harvesting, blood extraction… it all happened as if no one cared about the victims.
Because they had been sent in by their own guardians, even the law couldn't intervene. Those with beastly hearts quickly fell under the influence of power and Chaos gods. Endless power, absolute control… the state of Lin Xia's body proved everything.
Contacting the Public Security wasn't just about manpower; it was also a signal to New Eridu's rulers that even a little shock from another world could shake them.
At this rate, a more severe incursion might erupt later. A few Space Marines could be the spearhead, but defending the city required more people with knowledge of the interior.
It would inevitably increase sacrifices, but it was better than total destruction.
"Fine, just contact Zhu Yuan and Qingyi. Other departments may have their own informants. The Criminal Investigation Special Response Team has already proven reliable during the Razor incident," The Salamander said, taking a deep breath to temper his boiling rage.
Anger surged, but now he needed calm thinking. Where exactly was the enemy located?
Lin Xia had escaped but admitted she didn't know how she got out of the Hollow. She was completely unfamiliar with the area.
Emile had sent a blood-painted letter depicting a chimney-like structure. What could it be? A factory's smokestack? Or some other cylindrical building? A TV tower?
The rage had to be suppressed briefly. Ignis needed to find the location first, then extract that androgynous daemon and incinerate it to ash.
"Photograph Emile's letter as well and send it out. Public Security should be able to locate this position," Ignis instructed, pointing to the blood-written letter that, thanks to many people, had finally been delivered.
The Salamander acted immediately, photographing the letter and sending it via encrypted communication to Jane Doe, instructing her to forward it to Zhu Yuan and Qingyi.
The gangster quickly confirmed the task complete; Qingyi would arrive for a detailed discussion.
Just as he was about to thank his partner, his phone rang. It was Belle.
"I found the trail of the girl you asked me to track," she said. "She came out near a Companion Hollow in the Vulcan Quarter and hitched a ride from a roadside vehicle."
"Vulcan Quarter? Could it really be a chimney?" Ignis looked at the drawing in his hands, a little puzzled.
"What chimney?" Belle was confused by his fragmented comment.
"The girl gave me a letter. Emile drew a column-shaped building," Ignis said, switching the call to video. "See this."
The dried blood appeared reddish-brown, twisted lines forming a cylindrical structure. It protruded above surrounding wall-like features, highly conspicuous.
"How did you recognize it as a chimney?" Belle frowned. "He didn't draw smoke."
"I just think it is. Any objections?" Ignis asked, observing the thinking girl on screen. As a native silent witness, her opinion mattered.
["Master, this is definitely not a chimney,"] Fairy, their AI assistant, interjected.
["As Vulkan is an industrial district with many chimneys, if this sketch was made with a view of the factories, there shouldn't be only one,"] the AI explained.
["Factory chimneys in New Eridu typically exceed fifty meters in height. By curvature limit calculations, a person 1.7 meters tall can observe such a chimney within thirty kilometers."]
["According to city planning maps and actual maps, there is no single chimney within thirty kilometers in Vulkan."]
["Thus, either the observation point isn't near Vulkan, or this column is not a chimney."]
Fairy displayed calculations and a 30-kilometer radius diagram for every large Vulkan chimney on the screens behind Belle.
"Amazing…" Billy muttered, stunned.
"So, what is this cylindrical structure? A TV tower?" Nicole asked.
["Negative. TV towers are downtown, no Hollow nearby,"] Fairy countered.
"Then what else could it be? It can't be a power tower…" Ignis massaged his temples.
Lin Xia was unconscious, but she likely knew what it was. With a landmark, they could triangulate its location.
"Ether Tower!" Anby suddenly spoke up. "Ether Towers are also cylindrical."
"But Ether Towers usually appear every kilometer. How could there be just one?" Nicole questioned. "Each is numbered; if it were to be an Ether Tower, Emile would have noted it."
Ignis recalled the dense array of Ether Towers around the city and even near Hollow Zero. These automated towers absorbed ether particles and converted them into energy at their swollen tops. The cylinder in the drawing, however, was uniform and lacked the bulging energy conversion section.
"If it's not a chimney, TV tower, or Ether Tower, could it be a monument?" Billy said, dumbfounded. This drawing was almost their only lead.
"Nicole, call Nekomata. If Lin Xia regains consciousness, we must ask what that cylindrical structure is and its orientation," Ignis instructed.
The video call ended.
Next, Ignis planned to contact Markus. He hoped to learn where the Saint Love Behavioral Correction School obtained their weapons.
Transporting heavy equipment wasn't simple, and trucks could usually be tracked. But this arms dealer's deal happened inside a Hollow, making tracing nearly impossible.
The trucks used false plates, specialized for illicit runs, with tampered license plates before leaving the Hollow.
The Salamander had never been so frustrated by a professional arms dealer. New Eridu's unique Hollow hazards made perfect cover for criminal activity.
These chaotic internal spaces could, through one or several cracks, even lead into shallower regions of Hollow Zero.
Just as they found a clue, it vanished. The Salamander felt the androgynous monster mocking him.
It had already sent an invitation, yet he couldn't respond.
The fury in his chest boiled higher. His agitation was edging toward loss of control, even without Slaanesh's influence.
The sound of brakes outside heralded Qingyi's entrance.
"Where's the girl?" the petite automaton officer asked, puzzled.
"With an underground doctor I know," Nicole replied bluntly.
"Hmm…" The AI officer paused, accepting the situation.
"I thought you were going to hand her over," Billy said, surprised at her calm.
"Her body is extremely weak; treatment comes first. Besides, it was her parents who sent her into that Hollow," Qingyi said, having likely researched Lin Xia en route.
"Returning her now would be like sending her back to hell. Better to leave her in your care for now," Qingyi continued.
"Look at this," Ignis handed over Emile's sketch. "What do you think this cylindrical structure is? We've ruled out chimneys, TV towers, and Ether Towers."
"This shape…" Qingyi studied it. "If not the first three, I can't think of another explanation."
"Could it be a broken Ether Tower?" Anby suggested. "Ether Tower generate noise and concentrate ether energy—easy to attract ether attacks."
"Wasn't there a previous Ether Tower protection mission that failed, resulting in its destruction? Could this be an Ether Tower remnant?"
"Possible," the automaton officer muttered, folding her arms. "Let me check the case records…"
If it was broken, the numbered section may have snapped off, explaining its absence in the drawing.
Everyone looked to Qingyi, hoping for a lead.
"Got it," Qingyi nodded. "One location seems highly probable."
"On the edge of the Throne Quarter, there was a large Hollow years ago, handled by the Hollow Special Operations Section 6. During that operation, many Ether Towers were destroyed, including one cut in half," she explained, pointing to the sketch. "If it's that location, you could see a solitary half of an Ether Tower."
"In the past few months, multiple Companion Hollows appeared nearby, fully enclosing it. The air defense sent helicopters, but unusual ether activity prevented observation of parts not swallowed by Hollows."
"The area has been semi-abandoned, few residents, stable Companion Hollows. Exploration missions have been limited to small-scale HIA operations."
Qingyi turned to Ignis. "You mentioned this place in connection with anesthetics. Is it really that dangerous?"
"Absolutely," The Salamander said, staring into the automaton officer's inorganic eyes. "This time, we cooperate. My comrades and I will sweep the dangerous enemies; the Cunning Hares and Criminal Investigation Special Response Team will evacuate the trapped."
"More dangerous than Razor?" the Automaton officer confirmed.
"Far more."
"Understood. I'll inform Zhu Yuan. Once procedures are ready, we'll contact you," Qingyi nodded. "The contracted labor company members, I'll have Zhu Yuan prepare the subcontract agreements promptly."
The petite officer immediately moved to relay the information. Gathering personnel and organizing equipment would take time, and all steps had to be compressed into the shortest window.
Luckily, Zhu Yuan excelled at paperwork. Qingyi felt fortunate; her partner and junior was remarkably reliable.
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