Li Wu had traits fitting of a Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD); he liked to portray himself as the perfect "redeemer" or the perfect "underdog." Such a girl was truly a bit dangerous...
Thinking of those three idiots, you should consider yourself a little bit too.
Always thinking of saving others, but what about himself? If he leaves, who will help him?
He can shoot himself without hesitation, but will there be anyone who would shoot him for his sake without a second thought?
"Hmm? What is that?"
Anna's gaze was suddenly attracted by a black box on the experiment table.
The black box was placed in an extremely conspicuous spot. If she hadn't been distracted, she would have seen it the moment she walked in.
Every instrument in the laboratory bore the "Schicksal" emblem, but this black box did not, as if someone had deliberately left it here.
Anna walked over and picked up the black box, not intending to open it. However, the activation mechanism of the black box was very sensitive. The moment Anna's fingers touched the box wall, it instantly popped open, transforming into a humanoid clothes rack.
"Minimalist portable civilian clothing type? Why would this thing appear in the Babylon Labs?" Anna was puzzled.
Inside was a uniquely styled ink-black uniform, dark golden gloves embroidered with gold trim, a sheet of adaptive bionic skin, and the most conspicuous item—
A vial of boiling golden blood.
"Boiling blood is definitely Holy Blood, but why is it golden?" Anna was bewildered.
Given the container specifically used for storing Holy Blood and the characteristic boiling of the blood, Anna immediately realized this was a special kind of Holy Blood.
This wasn't her first time seeing golden blood, but it was more violent than the Holy Blood of any member of the Kaslana or Schariac families. It was like a terrifying monster imprisoned in the Holy Blood container, constantly boiling and slamming its body against the rigid vessel.
But the Holy Blood container was specially made; even Holy Blood couldn't break through it.
"Did that researcher leave it here? The laboratory has rules: researchers are not allowed to bring non-essential items into the lab. Even if necessary, approval is required. Unauthorized possession usually leads to immediate dismissal."
Anna checked the experiment log but found no application record.
So everything in this black box could be classified as "contraband." In other words, even if this stuff was lost, that researcher wouldn't dare make a noise about it.
It was just his luck to run into her.
Anna resentfully stuffed everything back into the black box. She wasn't the kind of person who liked to take other people's things for herself.
"Detection, complete—"
A cold mechanical voice issued from the detector's speaker, devoid of any human emotion.
Anna's breath suddenly hitched, as if strangled by this rigid mechanical voice. She rushed urgently to the instrument to check the results.
It's fine...
It's fine...
Anna kept comforting herself in her heart.
Li Wu hadn't shown any supernatural characteristics in Nagazora City, just good luck. Although he did many strange things after coming to Siberia, as long as it didn't reach the Purple level, everything was still salvageable.
Anna slowly opened her eyes. Through the narrow slit, black light drilled into her retina, striking her heart like a heavy hammer.
"How... possible!"
Opening her eyes fully and seeing the result displayed on the detector, Anna unconsciously clenched her hands, a rasping voice like a scraping knife pulled from her throat.
It was a color more special than Purple—Black.
Throughout history, no one had ever tested Black. Yet in Valkyrie classes regarding Honkai Energy detectors, Black was repeatedly mentioned and was a mandatory question on final exams.
Yes.
A color that had never been detected had actually become a mandatory exam question, etched into the hearts of all Valkyries.
It was not a Herrscher, not a Stigmata, nor was it Honkai Energy.
But an absolute "Heresy."
If one had to describe it, it was similar to the introduction of "Chimera" in the Schicksal database, a mixture of countless power systems, impossible to categorize by human understanding.
Li Wu is just a student; how could he...
Anna bit her lip hard, blinking forcefully, wanting to confirm that she had just seen it wrong.
But no matter how many times she looked, the black detection result did not change.
Anna refused to give up. She put the samples in the laboratory into the experimental pod and started the detection simultaneously.
During the long one-hour wait, Anna's heart felt like it had been thrown into the snow of Siberia to be gnawed on by a pack of wolves.
It must be a machine problem...
Please don't let it be...
Please, don't...
Anna continued to bite her lip. Bright red blood overflowed from the crack in her lip, dripping down her exquisite chin onto the gloomy laboratory floor.
The experiment log recorded the test results and uploaded them in real-time; she couldn't even alter them.
Schicksal's backend personnel must have already seen it. However, because the Black result was too unique, she was allowed a second test to rule out coincidence.
This meant that if the result this time was the same as the last, there would be no more excuses...
One hour later—
There were no issues with the sample test results.
Li Wu's test result was still Black, without any suspense.
"No... impossible..." Anna's voice was nearly shattered, looking at the test result in disbelief.
Suddenly, her phone screen lit up. Anna's body trembled violently. Opening it, she found it was just a spam email, not from Schicksal.
But...
Anna looked at her phone. The time had already reached noon; there wasn't much time left for her.
Schicksal definitely knew the test result. The mission deadline was today.
Even if she didn't act, once the time was up, both she and Li Wu would be purged...
Resist?
Anna's pretty little face squeezed out an incredibly ugly smile.
Resist with what?
With the strength of an A-rank Valkyrie?
Don't joke.
Even an S-rank Valkyrie, in front of the massive Schicksal system, was just a stronger ant. A strong ant is still an ant; a human can crush it with one foot.
What to do, what to do, what to do, what to do!?
Anna squatted on the ground, burying her face in her hands, leaving deep red claw marks on her pale cheeks.
Kill... Li Wu?
No, I can't...
He clearly hasn't committed any wrongs. He is clearly innocent and even saved many people...
Why...
Why must someone die based on a single test result? He clearly hasn't killed a single innocent person...
Anna's chest felt so tight, so uncomfortable. She opened her mouth, but all the words she wanted to say were stuck in her throat; nothing came out.
"No, there is one more way."
Anna quickly stood up, walked to the black box, and opened it again.
"Even if these contraband items are gone, that researcher wouldn't dare make a noise. Although doing this is very unethical, it's the only choice."
"I remember that after Babylon Lab test subjects die, they are sent to the morgue at the bottom of the tower. As long as I find a similar corpse, put all of Li Wu's clothes on it, and then record a video of executing his corpse, I should be able to muddle through!"
"Then let Li Wu wear this adaptive bionic skin and leave Siberia... go to a small city where no one knows him... at least, he can live a peaceful life."
Anna clutched the adaptive bionic skin tightly, her breathing and tone unbelievably rapid.
The plan was perfect, only... Anna felt a sense of incongruity but couldn't put her finger on it.
But now was not the time to consider that.
Leaving Siberia took time, and she didn't have much left. She had to act immediately.
Thinking of this, Anna couldn't help looking back at Li Wu sleeping in the experimental pod, a look of reluctance on her face.
This is probably the last time we'll see each other.
After Li Wu escapes Babylon Labs and changes his name, he will definitely have to keep a low profile for the next two years. I can't disturb him.
In two years, I will fulfill the engagement with Kiana, and from then on, without special reasons, I won't be allowed to go out.
"Stupid Li Wu, you sleep so soundly while I suffer. Remember to compensate me well in the next life."
Anna complained coquettishly, walked to the experimental pod, pressed her hands against the pod wall, and looked gently at the sleeping Li Wu inside.
Only when saying this sentence did her brow relax slightly, her expression becoming lighter, not so frowning.
"I knew it, getting close to you would indeed bring bad luck. It's like this every time... I clearly made up my mind to stay away, but still..." Anna closed her eyes, raised her head, and let out a long sigh, letting go of her mental state, shouldering a heavier burden, finally turning into a long sentence, "I can't let go of you."
"But—it doesn't matter anymore. Everything will end, starting today..."
"You are no longer Li Wu, and I am just Anna Schariac."
"I really wanted to see the world with you. Sorry, I'm going to break the promise."
Anna took out her phone, edited an email, and sent it. Immediately after, she dialed a number. The contact name displayed "Algar."
This phone number was asked from Raven by Li Wu behind her back after resolving the chimera cyborg that day.
Therefore.
She was able to rush to the scene immediately when the all-out attack on Dragon Island broke out, helping Li Wu evacuate some of the refugees.
This was the last time.
"I say, Big Sister Valkyrie, why call me in the middle of the night? It's an international call; the phone bill is expensive~"
"This is the last time. Check your email; the location and time are all there. Wait for Li Wu to wake up and tell him the mission ended early. He has been listed on Schicksal's kill list. Tell him to find a place where no one recognizes him and live a good life. Don't appear in Schicksal's field of vision as 'Li Wu' anymore."
Hearing Anna's words, Algar on the other end of the phone spoke with helplessness mixed with sharp keenness.
"Kill list? He's not that bad, is he? Forget it, I guess there's not much time to explain; Schicksal's efficiency has always been high. Wait, I won't be implicated, right? If they find out I helped Li Wu escape..."
"Don't worry, I sent you the message using another person's email. That email is not under Schicksal's supervision. You just need to take Li Wu away; leave the rest to me to handle."
Anna spoke very fast.
While speaking, she operated the control panel.
The experimental pod opened. She tilted her head, clamping the phone between her shoulder and ear to free her hands to pick up Li Wu.
She couldn't care about anything else now; she could only wait for the drug effect to wear off.
"Sounds both reliable and unreliable. You couple really are... Does Li Wu know about this? Put him on the phone." Algar quickly changed clothes and looked at the location: the Siberian border.
Searching his mind for the fastest transport to the destination, time was tight; he had to leave right now.
In the past, hearing Algar's teasing, Anna would definitely have blushed.
Now, her mind was full of thoughts on how to let Li Wu escape the predetermined death trap. There was no smile on her face, only a cold bitterness like raw iron.
"He..." Anna paused, looking down at the peacefully sleeping Li Wu. "Doesn't know about this. That's not important; what's important is we have no choice. This is the only way I can think of to survive. Anyway, just follow my plan first."
Anna quickly stripped off Li Wu's outer pants and changed him into the black uniform and adaptive bionic skin.
The black box had a space compression function. This vial of golden Holy Blood... leave it for Li Wu.
If one day he gets injured, or encounters someone he wants to save, this vial of golden Holy Blood can help him. Or at worst, selling it could earn him enough wealth to live comfortably for a lifetime.
Anna put Li Wu's original jacket into the black box and hurriedly headed towards the bottom of the tower.
Meeting many researchers on the way, Anna tried her best to remain calm, not showing any panic.
However, her fingers would tremble subconsciously, so she simply tucked them into the jacket at her waist.
Due to the special nature of Valkyries, the researchers didn't ask questions. Valkyries rarely appeared in the Babylon Labs; only occasionally could one be seen. Valkyries who came here all had strong purposes, and all the researchers could do was cooperate.
Without any obstruction, the snow outside the window fell rustlingly, getting heavier and heavier, so heavy that the distant view was almost invisible, seemingly heralding something.
Anna successfully reached the morgue at the bottom of the tower, selected a male corpse with a similar build to Li Wu, draped the clothes over it, then sent it into the incinerator and recorded a video.
"Hope this can fool them."
This was the first time she had done something so bold, deceiving the world right under Schicksal's nose.
Anna didn't know if it would work, but she could only do this. This was the only path that could let Li Wu live.
After doing all this, Anna directly activated her Valkyrie battlesuit, held Li Wu in her arms, leaped above the dome, and flew towards the border.
On the way, biting snowflakes hit her exoskeleton.
Wrapped in the mecha, she shouldn't have felt cold, yet she couldn't stop shivering.
It was as if what was falling wasn't snow, but knives.
"Hah..."
The border was getting closer. As long as she delivered Li Wu there, she could return to Schicksal to report.
"I'm so stupid. If found out, I'll be miserable... Honor, identity, achievements will all be stripped away. Maybe I'll be caught in the lab like a Herrscher and become an excellent experimental sample."
"Will Mom and Dad help me? Ask that Lord 'Demon King'... Okay, definitely not. They are the most loyal maintainers of Schicksal's rules. I am just a family member with good potential..."