Chapter 110

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Chapter 110: Not a Hero
In the speeding carriage, Lovisia’s eyes conveyed a deep remorse as she turned toward Jin Kefu.. “I’m sorry, we didn’t anticipate such a deviation in our plan… We only managed to find an opportunity to rescue you today.”
“No, it’s not your fault…” Jin Kefu shook his head, indicating it was his own mistake. “My capture, after losing my weapon, is the cause of everything, setting everything in motion. I’ve heard about what happened in the foggy region. How are the others holding up…? Were there many casualties?”
A somber silence fell before the masked figure, known as Haiki, spoke. With a deliberate motion, Haiki removed his mask and pulled back his hood, revealing short white hair and a distinct, scale-like mark etched between his brows. “We lost one hundred and thirty of our key members,” he said, his voice heavy with regret. “Even though we disguised several abandoned mines as hideout camps, we still had to leave some people to lure the enemy into the trap. What we didn’t expect was the City Guard to join the fray. If they hadn’t attacked, most of our comrades might have safely retreated!”
He finished speaking, hitting her thigh in frustration, the sound echoing her inner turmoil.
The mention of the casualties made the atmosphere in the carriage heavy.
Lovisia’s voice cut through the gloom as she sought to console her companions. “Their sacrifice won’t be meaningless. As long as we succeed, all the miners will be liberated.” She paused, her gaze shifting to Haiki, “And you… Haiki, as the leader, you need to be more compose. Do not let your emotions cloud your judgment or unsettle the others.”
“I’ve told you before, I’m simply not cut out to be a leader! This role was always meant to be yours—”

Her words faltered as she caught sight of the unmistakable agony etched on Lovisia’s face.

“Dammit! Hegget, fetch the medicine now!”

With determined urgency, Haiki pressed the woman beside her onto his lap. His hands moved quickly to unfasten the buttons running down the woman’s back and gently pulled the garment apart, revealing the entirety of her back. Dozens of thick bandages wrapped around her back, beneath which something seemed to writhe unnaturally.

Drawing a slender dagger with precision, Haiki cut through the layers of bandages. In that very instant, dozens of long, sinuous little hands burst forth, waving and clawing in a frantic, as if giving a monstrous greeting to the onlookers. Below these trembling hands, they could see a deep fissures which had marred Lovisia’s exposed back. It looked like a open wounds tearing across Lovisia’s back. Some of these wounds oozed fresh blood, But a closer look revealed something even more disturbing: each crack was lined with two rows of jagged teeth, forming ghastly, lipless mouths that seemed to gnash in silent torment.

“The medicine is ready!” the other masked figure announced, extending a delicate ceramic bottle toward Haiki.

Without hesitation, Haiki removed the cork and pressed the bottle’s opening against one of the gaping fissures. In an instant, the tiny, unnerving hands reacted as one—rushing forward, their sharp nails digging into her forearm. Crimson rivulets began to trickle down her skin as the hands clutched at her, marking the severity of the sacrifice being made.

Yet he didn’t even bat an eye.

As the medicinal powder was steadily poured in, the writhing hands gradually went limp, collapsing softly onto Lovisia’s back. Slowly, her expression of agony finally eased, and she leaned back against the seat, utterly spent.

“Before, a single dose of that medicine could keep her going for a whole day,” Haiki gritted his teeth in disbelief. “How can it be failing now…?”

Jin Kefu’s expression darkened with concern. “The mutation is far too severe. Her organs are Metamorphosing … at this rate—” He trailed off, unable to finish the dire thought.

Lovisia managed a fragile smile, her voice laced with resigned humor. “But wasn’t this all… inevitable, in a way? I’m already lucky to have made it this far. You can’t expect me to remain by your side forever. Besides, the Brotherhood needs someone who can lead them to defeat the Company. You’re the only one… ” A cough rattled her chest. “—the only one who can do it.”

Haiki’s voice was heavy with uncertainty. “I only know how to fight. When the battle is over, I won’t have the faintest idea what comes next.”

Lovisia reached out with gentle firmness, interrupting softly, “We’ll worry about that when the time comes. For now, your responsibility is to ensure everyone survives in this fight.”

“…”

Haiki fell silent for a long moment, his labored breaths gradually evening out. While carefully rewrapping Lovisia’s injuries with fresh bandages, he turned to Jin Kefu and asked, “How are your findings on the city’s foundation pillars coming along?”

Jin Kefu adjusted his goggles, their lenses smudged with residue from last week’s blast and explained, “The pillars at the northeast and southeast corners are connected to the sewer system. Once we have the explosive, we can strike at any time. As for the northwest pillar, it’s located in the old district where there are no underground passages—our only option there would be attacking it is from the surface.” He paused before adding with a hint of a smile, “Of course, we do have a shortcut. We could use the port’s railway to transport the materials we need directly to the pillar’s location!”

As the former head of the demolition department at High Heaven Mining, Jin Kefu was exceptionally skilled in the use of explosives, born of years of expertise. Not only that, he was one of the few gifted individuals capable of controlling artificial wonder constructs. His joining the Brotherhood had been like receiving coal during a blizzard, and he was a key figure in Haiki and the others’ plan to bring down the High Heaven Mining.

However, the Company saw things quite differently. The betrayal of a managerial-level employee had infuriated them. They wasted no time, splashing hefty sums to bribe local police departments into a coordinated search. In secret, they even put out a bounty for his capture, rallying the underground gangs of Glorious Fortress to join their inescapable web of pursuit.

If Jin Kefu had chosen to lie low in the secret base in the Foggy Region for a year or two, waiting until the heat died down before showing his face again, perhaps his situation might have been considerably safer now. But time was a luxury they did not have. Each day, High Heaven Mining pushed further into the excavation progress, and batches of miners were perishing—crushed under the overseers’ cruel whips or succumbing to that baffling, mutation disease. The Brotherhood had to act swiftly if they were ever to grasp even the slightest chance of victory.

“If we engage in direct conflict with the City Guard within the city, many people will likely die…” Lovisia whispered, her tone heavy with both concern and sorrow. “Not just from our miner’s brotherhood, but the residents of Glorious Fortress as well…”

“We have no choice,” Haiki said, his voice resolute as he firmly squeezed Lovisia’s hand. “Though the City Guard may not be blatantly enslaving the miners, this large-scale purge has shown without a doubt that when push comes to shove, they will undoubtedly side with the big corporations. And as for the locals—they’ve never cared about our fate in the first place. So why should we care about their safety? Life and death, after all, are beyond our control.”

A note of protest lingered in Lovisia’s voice as she added, “I’m not trying to hold you back, but what about Yeni Cathedral? They’ve saved so many of our brothers’ lives…”

Haiki hesitated for a moment before replying, “We’ll just give them a two-hour heads-up when the time comes. Besides, with that guy protecting Yeni Cathedral, I doubt they’ll be harmed no matter how chaotic the city becomes.”

Jin Kefu’s curiosity was piqued. “By the way, how did your meeting with Lord Chao go?”

Haiki frowned. “Really? You even use such a respectful title for him? Don’t tell me you actually ended up revealing our plans, did you?”

“Of course not!” Jin Kefu quickly waved off the concern. “I only told him my name.”

“I figured as much,” Haiki muttered. “Even when those company thugs tortured you, you managed not to let slip a single detail about the Brotherhood. There’s no way a stranger could have wrung any secrets out of you. But as for that guy…” Haiki folded his arms and stamped his foot in frustration. “Just the mention of him gets on my nerves! Who does he think he is, he dares to hijack a High Heaven Mining’s train and then playing savior for the slave laborers? I thought he was supposed to be some kind of hero! Yet when we risked our lives to visit him, revealing our identities right off the bat, his first reaction was to deny everything! Talk about looking down on people!”

Jin Kefu offered a tentative explanation, “Well… since we’re branded as rebels by the Lord, it’s only natural that Mr. Chao would be cautious…”

“I never asked him to stand with us or expected him to lend his aid!” Haiki exhaled deeply, the tension easing from his shoulders. “I only wanted to personally express the Brotherhood’s gratitude in person, to let them know that in this city…. they are not fighting alone. Looking back… perhaps my expectations were a bit too high.”

“You’re always so impatient,” Lovisia chided with a blend of exasperation and amusement as she shook her head. “You were clearly worried that something might go awry during the meeting, which is why you asked me to represent the Miner’s Brotherhood on your behalf. But then you couldn’t keep your cool, and had yo get involved from the sidelines.”

“Thankfully, Lord Chao is a man of great magnanimity. He didn’t hold your outburst against you,” Lovisia added, her tone softening despite the teasing.

“Indeed,” Jin Kefu agreed. “Lord Chao is not like most people. His reputation within the Cathedral is exceptional—the genuine respect those nuns show him when they greet him speaks volumes. I sincerely hope that, in the end, all these people can leave Glorious Fortress safely.”

“We still don’t know how he figured out your identity, though” Haiki pouted slightly. “Anyway, let’s not talk about him anymore. Ultimately, we have to rely on ourselves for this. Even if we don’t receive any assistance, the Brotherhood will see our mission through!”

As he caught the steady nod of agreement in Lovisia’s eyes, Haiki silently steeled his resolve. No matter the cost, even if it meant sacrificing his own life, he was determined to see this cause through to the end.