"Ms. Natasha! Could you please give me a hand? The 'goods' have arrived!"
Just as Stella had finally managed to convince herself to tackle that can of beef—unhealthy, but at least edible—a voice, so familiar it made her scalp tingle, oily and tinged with a sense of expecting praise, drifted in from the clinic entrance, accompanied by a heavy dragging sound.
Stella's hand, holding the can, jerked violently, nearly spilling the precious beef onto the bed.
Upon hearing this, the gentle expression on Natasha's face, which only appeared when she was with Stella, vanished instantly. Her brows furrowed slightly, revealing a look of 'of course it's you again' resignation, and she turned to walk toward the door.
"Sampo, you..."
Her words were barely out before they stuck in her throat.
Standing at the clinic entrance was Sampo Koski, wearing that 'look how capable I am' smile, and behind him...
Dragging crookedly on an old piece of canvas—god knows where he got it, it looked like it was meant for hauling slag—were four people lying side by side, eyes closed, completely unconscious!
They were the other four members of the Astral Express team: Stelle, March 7th, Dan Heng, and... a strange girl wearing the uniform of a high-ranking officer of the Silvermane Guards (Bronya)!
The edges of the canvas scraped against the rough ground with a'scrunching' sound. The four of them were dragged in like sacks of potatoes, a scene that was at once hilarious and... inhumane.
Looking at this'spectacular' delivery, then at Sampo's face, which practically screamed 'praise me,' Natasha was at a loss for whether to first condemn his method of handling the 'cargo' or be amazed that he had actually managed to bring four living people down here.
"...You'll explain this to me properly later."
Natasha ultimately just took a deep breath, suppressed the urge to retort, and decided to deal with the 'wounded' first.
She and Sampo worked together to lift the four people from the canvas onto the empty beds in the clinic one by one.
Stella had long since put down the can, watching the scene, dumbfounded.
She walked to the bedside and looked at Stelle, who was still frowning in her sleep, as if she were searching for her baseball bat in her dreams;
Then she looked at March 7th, who was subconsciously pouting even while unconscious, as if she were very dissatisfied;
Then she looked at Dan Heng, who maintained a stiff posture even while unconscious, his brow only slightly furrowed;
Finally, her gaze fell upon the unfamiliar girl, her face filled with confusion and the thought, 'What on earth is going on?'
She raised her head and looked with accusing eyes at Sampo, who was wiping sweat from his brow, though it was unclear if he was truly tired or just pretending.
Sampo met her gaze and immediately flashed an innocent yet cunning smile, shrugging his hands. "See? I keep my promises, don't I? I said I'd 'deliver' your friends down here for a reunion, and here they are, delivered! Although the method... might be a bit different from what you imagined, the result is good, right? Look at how efficient I am!"
Stella: "..." (I thank your whole family! Is this what you call a hostage-packaging-and-delivery service?!)
She was silent for two seconds, then silently set aside the can of luncheon meat in her hand and, with a blank expression... reached for her waist.
With a flash of light, a Flame Lance, entirely crimson and menacing in design, with flames faintly flickering at its tip, was firmly grasped in her hand! The tip of the spear pointed directly at Sampo!
Although her level was low and her spear skills might be terrible, intimidating people... at least she knew how to strike a pose!
Especially when she thought about being drugged, stuffed into a mine cart, and threatened by Natasha with a giant syringe... old grudges and new resentment welled up in her heart!
"Whoa, whoa, whoa?! Big sister! Calm down! Calm down!"
The smile on Sampo's face froze instantly, turning into terror. He waved his hands repeatedly, his feet already beginning to shuffle backward.
"There's no need for this! Really, there isn't! Aren't we all reunited safely? Look, not a single hair on them is missing! I guarantee the anesthetic was the mildest kind! Just sleep it off! Ouch, that spear looks hot! Make sure you hold it steady!"
As he babbled his pleas, he kept his eyes peeled, waiting for the split second when Stella's movements were slightly sluggish from holding the heavy Flame Lance—
"I'm out of here! Let's chat next time!"
Before the words had even faded, he was like a startled loach, greasing his feet and "whooshing" out the clinic door. He was so fast that he left only a blue afterimage in the air and the lingering sway of the clinic curtain.
Stella held the Flame Lance, maintaining her threatening stance as she stared at the empty doorway. She blinked, then reluctantly lowered her weapon, the flames at the tip of the spear extinguishing with a "poof."
"He... sure runs fast."
She curled her lip and put the Flame Lance away.
Forget it. Getting serious with a slippery guy like that was just a waste of energy.
She was more concerned about her teammates.
"Ms. Natasha, how are they? Will they be okay?"
Stella turned to Natasha, who was examining the unconscious people one by one, and asked with concern.
Natasha professionally checked their pulses, breathing, and pupils, her tone returning to the steadiness of a doctor. "Breathing is steady, pulses are strong, and pupil response to light is normal. They really just inhaled a rather special type of anesthetic that caused a deep coma. There is no danger to their lives, and there are no obvious external injuries. I estimate they will wake up one by one in another hour or two."
When she checked that young lady, her movements paused slightly, and her brows furrowed again. "However... this young lady."
She gently flipped over the Silvermane Guards emblem on Bronya's military uniform to confirm it.
"She is a high-ranking officer of the Upper District's Silvermane Guards, and judging by her uniform, her rank is not low. Why would Sampo bring her down as well? This could cause a lot of trouble."
An Upper District high-ranking officer unconscious in the Lower District... once this news leaked, it would be enough to trigger new tensions and confrontations between the Upper and Lower Districts.
Natasha felt a headache coming on. That guy Sampo really was afraid of a world at peace.
Just then—
"Stella."
A cold and familiar voice drifted over.
Stella hurriedly turned back to see that Dan Heng had already opened his eyes. He was holding his forehead with one hand, his brow tightly furrowed, as he slowly sat up from the hospital bed.
Although his eyes still held a hint of the confusion of just waking up, they quickly regained their usual sharpness and clarity.
"Dan Heng! You're awake!"
Stella ran over in surprise, a relieved smile on her face.
"How do you feel? Is anything uncomfortable?"
"Mm."
Dan Heng responded simply. His gaze quickly swept across the clinic environment, then landed on Stelle, March 7th, and the officer, who were still unconscious on the beds nearby.
His brow furrowed even deeper. Combining his memories from before he lost consciousness with the scene before him, he immediately reached a conclusion.
"We..."
He paused, his tone carrying a hint of imperceptible resignation and realization.
"Were taken down by Sampo in the same way again?"
Stella nodded vigorously, her face expressing, "That's right! It was that blue-haired jerk!" and she added:
"And he 'thoughtfully' packed us up and delivered us down here. Look, he even brought this unknown Upper District officer along."
She pointed to Bronya.
Dan Heng: "..."
Even as calm as Dan Heng was, he was a bit speechless at this moment.
This kind of "thoughtful service" kidnapping method was really... unique.
"Hello, I am the doctor of this clinic, Natasha."
Natasha walked over at the right moment, gave Dan Heng a gentle smile, and briefly introduced herself and the current situation.
"Your companions are safe for now, they just need time to wake up. As for that Silvermane Guards officer... the situation is a bit special."
"Dan Heng."
Dan Heng stated his name and nodded to Natasha, acknowledging her, which served as both thanks and an initial introduction.
He didn't engage in much small talk and quickly assessed the current situation.
He decisively threw off the thin blanket, got out of bed with clean, efficient movements, and moved his limbs slightly to confirm there were no lingering aftereffects from the anesthesia.
"You stay here and look after them."
Dan Heng said to Stella, his tone calm and beyond question.
"The situation here is unclear, Sampo's intentions are difficult to gauge, and there's the appearance of this Upper District officer... I will go scout the vicinity to understand the environment of the Lower District and the potential risks."
As the vanguard and the voice of reason for the team, he knew the importance of grasping first-hand intelligence in an unfamiliar environment, especially after just having been "kidnapped."
Rather than waiting passively, it was better to take the initiative.
Stella also knew her combat power was limited and that following him rashly might cause trouble, so she nodded obediently. "Mm, be careful. That guy Sampo is very slippery, he might still be lurking around nearby."
Dan Heng didn't say anything more, just nodded slightly to Natasha again, then turned and walked out of the clinic silently, his figure quickly blending into the dark and complex street shadows of the Lower District.
In the clinic, temporary silence returned, leaving only Stella watching over her unconscious teammates and Dr. Natasha preparing medicine.
Stella glanced at her friends on the beds, then at the door, silently praying that Dan Heng's scouting would go smoothly, while also raising her vigilance against that elusive guy, Sampo, by twelve thousand percent.
What kind of scheme was this guy up to? Bringing an Upper District officer down here—could he be trying to stir up trouble?
As Stella let her thoughts wander, she couldn't help but glance at the can of beef she had set aside...