After learning new details about the cult from Su, Adam shifted his attention to the shelter beneath the hospital.
If there was a shelter down there, surely Su and his group could take refuge in it instead of cramming themselves into this tiny room—one that could barely accommodate four people comfortably, let alone seven.
Before Su could respond, the eldest of the four children, a girl, spoke up, her voice laced with sorrow.
"No way. That place is full of monsters and zombies now…" she murmured, her expression downcast as she sniffled.
Su immediately knelt beside her, offering comfort before turning to Adam with a grim look.
"She's right," he said solemnly. "The shelter below is overrun with monsters—or rather, zombies and failed experiment subjects." His voice dropped to a near whisper at the latter part, a heavy sigh escaping him. "It used to be the cult's main base. But after an unknown accident, they abandoned it and relocated. Otherwise, I wouldn't have dared to hide here."
After hearing Su's explanation, Adam knew the investigation had to continue. The next step was clear: exploring the underground shelter, now overrun by zombies and failed test subjects. However, before that…
Lifting his head from his thoughts, Adam turned his gaze to Su and the two nurses. All three possessed valuable medical knowledge, and Su, in particular, had expertise in treating Honkai Sickness.
That made him an invaluable asset—someone who could help Adam better understand the Honkai of this world.
With that in mind, Adam stepped forward, closing the distance between himself and Su. The doctor tensed slightly, uncertain of Adam's intentions. But just as Su braced himself, Adam stopped a few steps away and extended a hand.
"Would you be willing to join my shelter?" Adam asked. "I can guarantee your group's safety and provide everything you need to survive."
He went on to explain that his shelter already housed more than three hundred survivors.
The moment the offer left his lips, the two nurses visibly brightened, their faces lighting up with joy and relief. The children, too, looked hopeful, longing for stability in such uncertain times.
But Su hesitated.
A shelter? That was possible.
But the ability to provide food and necessities for over three hundred people? That was another matter entirely. Even if Adam had scavenged the entire city, sustaining such a large group long-term was an immense challenge.
It sounded too good to be true.
Doubt crept into Su's mind, making him question whether Adam had an ulterior motive.
But regardless of his suspicions, the choice was no longer his alone. The other six survivors had already been won over by Adam's promise, and they had all agreed.
Su's hesitation lingered, but as he looked around at the relieved faces of his companions, he realized that his doubts no longer mattered. The two nurses, who had been exhausted and on edge for so long, now looked as if a weight had been lifted from their shoulders. The children, who had spent their days in fear, clung to the promise of safety.
Su sighed. Even if he wasn't sure about Adam, he couldn't deny that this was the best opportunity they had. Staying in this cramped, unsafe room was not a long-term option. And if Adam truly had a functioning shelter with enough resources, refusing out of suspicion alone would be foolish.
Finally, Su looked Adam in the eyes and nodded.
"Alright," he said, his voice steady but cautious. "I'll accept your offer. But I hope you understand—I need to see this shelter with my own eyes before I trust you completely."
Adam gave a small, knowing smile. "Fair enough."
With that, the tension in the room eased. The nurses began gathering their sparse belongings, eager to leave, while the children whispered excitedly among themselves.
Adam, however, remained focused. Gaining Su's cooperation was only the first step. The true challenge still lay ahead—the underground shelter. If it had once been the cult's main base, there could be valuable information inside, perhaps even answers about the source of the Honkai outbreak in this city.
But to get those answers, Adam would have to fight through whatever horrors lurked below.
———
After the encounter, Adam decided it was best to return to the shelter first and conduct a proper investigation of the underground shelter later—after adequate preparation.
Thus, the rest of the evening was spent escorting Su and his group back to the apartment complex.
Since Adam and his team had traveled on foot earlier to avoid detection by the cultists, they had no choice but to return the same way. The journey took the entire evening as they navigated long detours to avoid areas with dangerously high Honkai Energy readings. However, this also gave Adam an opportunity to prove his words weren't just empty promises. Along the way, he and his team eliminated several Honkai Beasts, further solidifying Su and his group's trust in him.
By the time they arrived at the apartment complex, the sun was already dipping below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the ruined cityscape—a stark contrast to the destruction that had taken hold of it.
Once inside, Su and his group underwent the standard intake procedures, beginning with a medical check-up before being assigned an apartment unit. During the assignment, the children were visibly reluctant to separate from Su and the two nurses. Instead, they insisted on staying together in a single unit. Adam simply shrugged and let them do as they pleased, as long as it didn't cause trouble.
With that settled, Adam pulled Su and the two nurses aside for a brief discussion. Normally, every able-bodied man and woman in the shelter was required to contribute to its upkeep—men were assigned to the militia, while others took on essential tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and farming.
However, given Su and the nurses' medical expertise, Adam made an exception. Instead of the usual assignments, he placed them in the shelter's medical center.
None of them objected; in fact, they readily agreed, especially Su, who now wholeheartedly believed in Adam after witnessing the shelter firsthand. Seeing that his efforts to gain Su's trust were bearing fruit, Adam felt a sense of relief.
Su hadn't been wrong to suspect Adam of having ulterior motives—because he did.
The System had already highlighted Su as an important figure in this world, but beyond that, Adam saw immense value in his research. Su had been working on a serum designed to artificially increase Honkai Resistance, effectively creating a cure for Honkai Sickness.
This meant that Su, at the very least, had a fundamental understanding of Honkai—something Adam desperately needed to further his own goals.
At present, Adam's knowledge of Honkai was far too shallow. He didn't fully understand its origins, purpose, effects, or even the true extent of its influence. There were too many unknowns, too many variables, making it difficult for him to plan his next steps. Even Angeline, with all her capabilities, was powerless against the level of secrecy surrounding the Fire Moths' classified Honkai research.
That was precisely why he remained in Nagazora instead of expanding his influence elsewhere.
As the epicenter of the Second Impact, Nagazora held potential clues, but starting from scratch was an immense challenge. Researching everything himself would be slow, painstaking, and riddled with trial and error. He needed external help—someone with verified knowledge who could fill the gaps in his understanding.
That was where the cult came in.
On the surface, they appeared to be nothing more than a fanatical sect of heretical zealots. But according to Su, their true nature was far more insidious—they were a research organization devoted to achieving human-Honkai fusion.
If that was true, then they had undoubtedly gathered a wealth of knowledge on the subject.
And Adam wanted that knowledge.
For now, though, he would start by extracting everything he could from Su—especially information about Honkai Sickness.
———
Inside the doctor's office assigned to him, Su felt a slight chill as Adam dismissed the two nurses yet remained seated, silently staring at him.
Although they hadn't known each other for long, Su had already noticed a peculiar habit of Adam's—whenever he was deep in thought, he would stare directly at the person or object occupying his mind. It was unsettling, especially since Adam's helmet concealed any facial expressions, leaving Su unable to read his emotions.
For a moment, silence settled over the room, broken only by the soft hum of the wall-mounted fan.
Then, Adam spoke.
"Dr. Su."
Su blinked, caught off guard by the formal address.
"Please, Mr. Adam, I'm not a qualified doctor yet—I'm just a trainee," he replied, feeling slightly flustered.
Adam, however, remained unmoved. "No. Based on my observations and understanding of your capabilities, you already meet the qualifications required of a doctor."
Su sighed, realizing that arguing would be pointless. Adam seemed stubborn once he made up his mind.
"Fine, let's set that aside. What is it that you need from me?" Su asked, steering the conversation back on track.
Adam gave a small nod before getting to the point. "I'd like to understand the formula for the serum you developed."
Immediately, Su's expression darkened. Adam recognized the look—one of wariness, the same one Su likely gave to every group that sought his serum for their own gain. But before Su could make any assumptions, Adam clarified his intent.
"I understand your hesitation, given your past experiences. But my purpose isn't to exploit your research for personal gain," he assured him. "I want to help you perfect the serum—to cure those suffering from Honkai Sickness."
Adam went on to explain the dire condition of patients in the shelter, mentioning Kayoko and Kei's mother, who was barely clinging to life, as well as many others in a similar state.
"I simply wish to use your serum to save them."
Despite the hopeful note in his words, Adam's flat tone made it difficult for Su to gauge his sincerity.
Su took a moment to rationalize his options. From what he had seen so far, Adam's claim wasn't without merit. The shelter's medical center was equipped with cutting-edge—if not outright futuristic—technology, and its military-grade equipment looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie.
It wasn't hard to infer that Adam must have backing from some powerful organization to have access to such resources.
More importantly, Su had already observed several patients afflicted with Honkai Sickness, their conditions noticeably stabilized. The dimmed circuit-like purplish-pink veins on their bodies indicated that the corruption had been halted—something Su hadn't seen achieved with conventional treatment.
That could only mean one thing: Adam had already found a way to stop the corruption.
But stopping it wasn't the same as curing it.
If Adam was seeking his serum, it was because he was still missing the key element—something that could increase a patient's Honkai Resistance and complete the treatment for Honkai Sickness.
Su exhaled, his mind already leaning toward a decision, his fingers absently tracing patterns on the desk as he weighed his options.
Giving away the formula meant placing years of his research into someone else's hands. He had seen people with ulterior motives—organizations, cults, and self-serving leaders—covet his work, seeing it as a tool rather than a cure. The cult had sought to use it for their twisted experiments, trying to force human evolution through Honkai fusion. If Adam had similar intentions, Su knew he would never forgive himself for allowing his research to be misused.
But there was something different about this situation.
The shelter itself spoke volumes about Adam's intentions. It wasn't a temporary refuge doomed to collapse in a few weeks—it was a carefully managed, self-sustaining community. It had security, organization, and most importantly, medical technology that far surpassed what should have been available. Su had already seen evidence that Adam's people weren't just surviving; they were actively pushing back against the chaos, stabilizing those afflicted with Honkai Sickness instead of abandoning them to their fate.
And then there was Adam himself.
Su couldn't read him. The helmet made it impossible to tell what he was thinking, and his flat tone made every word feel distant, almost mechanical. But if Adam had truly wanted to take the serum by force, he would had done it instead of asked for it. Adam is simply that straightforward and efficient, a very pragmatic person.
Finally, Su let out a long breath, his shoulders relaxing slightly.
"I'll agree to share my research," he said at last, his voice measured. "But under one condition."
Adam tilted his head slightly and lean against the backrest of the chair. "Name it."
"I want to oversee all experiments and development related to the serum. I won't hand over my work just to have it used without my supervision." Su said with unwavering determination.
A short pause followed. Su braced himself for pushback, but Adam simply nodded.
"Agreed."
Su blinked, surprised by the lack of hesitation. "…Just like that?"
"I'm not interested in taking your work away from you," Adam replied. "If anything, I'd prefer to have the original creator refining the serum rather than trying to replicate it without understanding its intricacies."
Su felt an odd sense of relief. Maybe, just maybe, he had found the right person.
"Then I'll start immediately. If we can integrate my serum with whatever method you're using to halt the corruption, we might actually have a functional cure," Su said, already thinking about his next steps.
Adam gave a small nod. "Good. I'll arrange someone capable to help you with the research. List down everything you will be needing and I will deliver them all immediately."
With that said and done, Adam stood up and left, his presence fading as suddenly as it had arrived.
Su leaned back in his chair, exhaling with immense relief as he stare at the ceiling.
For the first time in a long while, he felt like his life long work might finally be completed. Something that could really save lives, rather than just another aimless experiments.
—————
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