"I was that provocative, and they still didn't make a move?"
After returning to the clinic with a lingering sense of disbelief, Hyacine watched the retreating backs of the three figures as their footsteps faded away.
No, really—she had planned to provoke their anger first, wait for them to strike, and then "legitimately" wipe them all out in self-defense. That way, she'd have a massive influx of Stellar Jade.
But instead, you're telling me that as a global megacorp with two guards in tow, they actually just... endured it?
Then again, having been a model citizen in her past life and now a physician, it wasn't exactly proper for her to turn around and run after them saying, "Why aren't you hitting me? If you won't hit me, I'll hit you!"
She still had her dignity to consider.
"Whatever. At most, it's a loss of sixty Stellar Jade. No big deal. I'll make it back after treating a few more patients."
With that thought, Hyacine called out to Hong Guoguo outside:
"Guoguo, let's get back to work."
"...Oh, okay!"
Hearing Hyacine's voice, the previously dazed Hong Guoguo instantly snapped to attention and resumed letting the injured into the clinic.
"Doctor Hyacine, maybe you should leave tomorrow... You've already treated so many of us and relieved so much suffering. There's no need to keep going against that company..."
At one point, a worried relative of a patient tried to persuade her.
"Yeah, exactly. That's a massive corporation. If they really decide to target you, Doctor, you'll be in grave danger..."
Faced with these warnings, Hyacine simply continued to silently release the Rainbow Light from her hands to heal the wounded.
Once the treatment was finished, Hyacine withdrew the light and spoke firmly to the crowd:
"I'm not leaving for the time being. There's no need to try and convince me otherwise."
"Besides, I have my own ways of dealing with Genesis Tech. Please, don't worry."
"This..."
Seeing Hyacine's resolute expression, the others couldn't push the matter further. They could only exit the clinic with heavy hearts.
They had seen hospitals and clinics stand up to Genesis Tech before, but without exception, they had all been forced into bankruptcy or destroyed shortly after. It wasn't that they didn't believe in her; it was that so many bloody examples were etched into the eyes of the people in the Chaos Capital that they didn't dare to hope anymore.
The thought that they might see Doctor Hyacine's clinic in ruins tomorrow or the day after left a bitter taste in their mouths.
But what could they do? They were just ordinary people. Warning her was the best they could offer.
And so, as Hyacine healed batch after batch of patients, time gradually slipped into evening.
"Thank you, Doctor Hyacine!"
"It's what I should do~"
Sending off the final batch of patients, Hong Guoguo closed the door and flipped the flickering "Open" neon sign to "Closed."
She then turned toward Hyacine—who was currently rubbing her face—and asked with concern:
"Doctor Hyacine, are you alright?"
Hyacine, who was rubbing her cheeks because they were sore from smiling for too long: "?"
"I'm fine."
"Oh... that's good then."
Hong Guoguo lowered her head and muttered in a small voice, "I had an elder once who treated so many people that their own vitality was eventually exhausted..."
Hyacine blinked, startled. She had wondered why Hong Guoguo always looked at her with such worried eyes during treatments; it turned out the girl was afraid she was following in her predecessor's footsteps.
However... did using Superpowers to heal people actually consume one's life force?
Though she didn't quite understand the mechanics of this world, Hyacine offered a word of comfort:
"Don't worry. I'm actually very strong. I definitely won't have any problems just from healing people."
"My elder said that too..."
"...I am not the same as your elder. It's getting late, let's get some sleep."
With that, Hyacine began tidying up the clinic.
"Okay, I'll help too."
Seeing this, Hong Guoguo hurried over to help Hyacine pack up.
A short while later, the clinic was organized. Song Lin, having received word that they were closing, arrived just in time to pick them both up.
Back at their lodgings, Hyacine took a shower and flopped onto her bed with a relaxed sigh.
Feeling the softness of the duvet with half-closed eyes, she rolled over and stared at the ceiling.
"Hmm... I've been healing non-stop. I'm not even sure how much Stellar Jade I earned today. Let's see."
Muttering to herself, she opened the gacha interface.
"1,980 Stellar Jade!"
Her eyes lit up at the number on the screen.
"I earned that much in just one day? In less than two days, I'll have enough for pity! Then I'll pull a gold in one go!"
Giddily closing the panel, she hugged Little Ica, who was sleeping beside her, and turned off the light.
Sleep time!
In the early hours of the morning, moonlight filtered through the window, draping the floor in a silver veil. Most people in the inn were deep in slumber.
Click.
An incredibly faint sound echoed. The moonlight streaming through the window was suddenly mostly blocked, casting a slender shadow onto the floor.
Click.
The sound came again. The moonlight reclaimed the floor, and the shadow from before had vanished.
Outside Hyacine's room, that vanished shadow reappeared a short distance down the hallway.
The shadow looked toward Hyacine's room and quickly moved to the door. Not a single sound was made during the transit; the silence was eerie.
Next, a substance with the texture of putty appeared in the shadow's hand. Upon being pressed into the lock, the "putty" actually melted directly into the mechanism.
A moment later, the lock vibrated slightly. The handle turned downward automatically without making a peep, and the door swung open to reveal Hyacine, sleeping soundly while clutching Little Ica.
Hmph. She knows she offended Genesis Tech, yet she hasn't a shred of vigilance. Should I call her confident? Or just arrogant?
Looking at Hyacine not far away, the shadow thought with disdain. With a flick of the wrist, a matte black dagger appeared in her hand. Because the dagger was black and non-reflective, it was practically invisible in the darkness, appearing as if it were part of the shadows themselves.
Your healing ability is powerful, but for the sake of Genesis Tech's plan, sacrificing one healer is more than worth it. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for crossing us!
Tightening her grip on the dagger, the shadow raised a foot to enter the room.
But at that exact moment, the shadow suddenly sensed something and tried to twist her body into a defensive stance.
It was too late. A smaller figure lunged from the side of the hallway, slamming violently into the shadow.