Genshin Impact: Starting Guide - End of the World Qi Bao

Upon hearing this, Aponia understood the answer and sadly lowered her head. Behind her walked another cute girl with pink hair.

"Let me see who's gathered here chatting!"

Chapter 149 "Illness"

Alicia put on a pitiful look.

"Wow, what a beautiful girl. Sakura~ You know such a pretty girl and didn't introduce her to me? Aren't we best friends?~"

Sakura was somewhat speechless.

"Alice, your best friends, there are probably more than a hundred million of them."

"Don't be so reserved, Sakura. Even though I know you're just saying one thing but meaning another, I still get hurt."

Aponia was somewhat at a loss when she saw the enthusiastic Alicia.

"you......"

As Alicia watched Aponia speak, she enthusiastically introduced herself.

"Hi? Let me reintroduce myself. I'm Alicia, or you can just call me Alicia. You're Aponia, right? I've been waiting for you for ages. You must have been nervous being all alone in the Firemoth, right? How could those guys leave such a delicate girl here? They're so careless. Don't worry, I'll show you around."

Sakura interrupted, frowning.

“Alice, she is not a guest.”

"I know, right? But what does it matter? Don't be so nervous. In my eyes, she's just an ordinary and delicate girl. And she happens to have some misunderstandings about the Fire Moth. Isn't it a good opportunity to clear up our prejudices and get to know each other better? Besides, Sakura, you'll keep this a secret for me, right?"

Sakura was somewhat speechless.

"I've brought the person back. I need to go back and report. Goodbye."

Alicia said with some regret.

"Oh dear, what a pity, Sakura left in such a hurry."

Alicia came to Aponia's side.

"Never mind, there will definitely be other opportunities. Hello, Aponia. I know the Firemoth doesn't have a good reputation outside, but in my opinion, everyone here is just an ordinary person doing their best to ensure the continuation of civilization. Trust me, okay? Here, this is a friendly handshake, okay?"

Aponia and Alicia

"Let's chat about anything, Aponia."

Aponia was in a bit of a dilemma.

"Miss Alicia..."

Ellie replied enthusiastically.

"Don't be so formal, just call me Airi~"

Aponia asked in surprise.

"Aren't you... afraid of me?"

"Fear? Do you think I'd be afraid of being overshadowed by your beauty and keep my distance from you? No way! I love beautiful girls the most!"

“Miss Alicia, since you know my past, you should understand what I want to ask, right? The reason I am here is because I am a sinner about to be judged, and my crimes are too numerous to count…”

“A sinner? But before me is just an ordinary girl filled with sorrow. No matter how others judge you, I can see at a glance that you are fundamentally a person who does everything in your power to be kind.”

Aponia let out a long sigh.

"But I... brought disaster... If I hadn't taken in those people suffering from Honkai disease, perhaps none of this would have happened."

"That's not your fault. Even if you hadn't taken them in, the Honkai would have broken out somewhere else. You just did what you thought was right."

Is it the right thing to do?

Aponia gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"Ha. They believed in me too, and then, even after their illness was cured, they became a source of infection feared by everyone, ultimately meeting their demise... Miss Alicia, have you seen the children's smiling faces? Small, innocent. Appearing before you without any defenses. If you had seen such scenes on many nights, perhaps you would understand how I feel now. Seventy-three names in total... Just a day ago, they were surrounding me, begging me to tell them stories. They had just given Qianjie a gift, and although he said it was ugly, he wore it on his face. The children's lives were gradually getting back on track. If there was still time, they could go to school, make other friends, and live better lives. But now, everything has been reduced to ashes. I remember every single one of their faces, and that is... my sin..."

Looking at Aponia's remorseful expression, Ellie revealed a rare seriousness, and she held Aponia's hands tightly as she spoke earnestly.

“Aponia, can you listen to my thoughts? I can’t persuade you to let go of that tragedy; perhaps it means betrayal to you. But I want you to know that the disaster wasn’t caused by you; it just happened to happen to someone close to you. So, don’t be trapped in the cage called ‘the past’ anymore. Because those children still need someone to remember their names.”

"Aliceia..."

Ellie smiled gently.

"That's right, exactly. You not only remember many names from the past, but you also encounter new names. So, stop making that face. Such beautiful eyes, it's such a waste not to smile, come on~ smile!"

Aponia was silent for a moment, then gave a faint smile.

"Ellie..."

……

……

……

"Dingling bell~Dingling bell~"

"Snapped."

The man pressed one hand on the alarm clock to turn it off. He opened his eyes and began his daily routine. After tidying up, he touched the photo frame on the bedside table and left his residence.

Five years ago, a disaster struck Changkong City, nearly destroying the entire city. His close friend, Kevin, also perished in the disaster. Since then, the "Honkai Disease" has emerged around the world… To this day, the government has not announced the cause of that disaster. Patients develop purple streaks all over their bodies, accompanied by the degeneration of various organs, ultimately leading to death. The cause of infection is unknown, and the treatment is also unknown. The mortality rate… is one hundred percent.

"Annie, how are you feeling today?"

The girl laughed lively.

"Doctor Su!"

Su silently took notes.

"Blood pressure and body temperature are normal. The purple lines have also not changed."

The girl who had just seen Su greeting her warmly suddenly became sad.

"...Dr. Su, other doctors say I have 'Honkai disease.' I heard it's incurable... Am I going to die soon?"

Su gently patted Annie's head with one hand and wiped away her tears with the other, speaking softly.

"Don't worry, Annie. Your condition hasn't worsened, and I will definitely cure you."

……

In the afternoon, during Su's room check, his teacher Farin suddenly found him.

"Su, the patient in bed number 5 has suddenly deteriorated, suffering from acute heart failure. The purple lines have spread to the heart, and immediate surgery is required."

There is no cure for "Honkai Disease"; the only option is to try to cut away the parts invaded by the purple stripes, much like treating cancer. However, the rate of erosion by the purple stripes suddenly accelerates the moment the excision begins.

Farin looked at Sue's serious face and spoke the heavy truth.

"It's too late, the entire heart has been eroded. Stop, Sue. The surgery has failed..."

After the surgery, Su slumped to the floor of the hospital corridor.

The professionals at Moth Chaser also follow procedures to collect the remains of patients with "Honkai disease".

Sue also mentioned to him her application for the Fire Moth program. As expected, it was rejected.

Farin tossed a can of coffee to Sue and asked with concern.

"Su, you're finally back. You talked with the people from the Firemoth for so long. What did you talk about?"

"I submitted an application to join the Firemoth, but I was rejected."

"Huh? Joined that dubious organization? It's been five years, and they still haven't released a treatment plan. Either they don't want to, or... there simply isn't one."

Su said seriously.

"No matter how slim the hope, I want to try. There are still many patients waiting for me. As long as I try, there is always a chance."

Farin also stood up with a smile and patted Sue on the shoulder.

"Keep going, Su. That's a disease with a 100% mortality rate. If it were anyone else, I would have advised them to give up. But if it's you, maybe a miracle can happen. But you must take care of your health and never work late into the night or wear yourself out."

"Okay, thank you, Professor Farin..."

the next day……

"Dr. Su! Come quickly to room 18. Annie's condition has worsened."

"Dr. Su... save me."

Su squatted down in front of the bed.

"Don't be afraid, Annie, hang in there!"

……

Su was washing his face in the bathroom when he slammed his fist heavily on the sink.

"Damn it, I haven't saved a single patient in two years. What kind of doctor am I? How can I help Kevin in this state?"

Kevin had once told him that he was with the Firemoth and expressed his hope that he would join. But later, Kevin suddenly disappeared, which put Sue under immense pressure; he wanted to help Kevin.

"call……"

After taking a deep breath, Su calmed down and returned to her office, where a phone call came in.

"Su, it's so late, aren't you resting yet?"

"You know, teacher, I've been staying up all night researching 'Honkai Impact' every day. By the way, is there something you wanted to talk to me about, teacher?"

Farin hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"It's nothing. Although you're still young and healthy, don't push yourself too hard. And keep going, Su."

He hung up the phone after saying that, leaving Su standing there in a daze. After hanging up, Farin looked at his old friend beside him.

"Spacey, how much longer do I have to live?"

"Six hours. I'm sorry, but judging from your condition, Honkai energy will erode your entire body within six hours."

"Can you grant me one wish? Sue, I'm counting on you."

……

The next morning, Sue found her hospital surrounded by police tape. Just as Sue tried to climb over the tape, members of the Moth Chaser appeared.