Arknights' Lock of Heaven

"Advisor, sir, please take a look here..."

As soon as Xia Yu entered the medical department's conference room, she was greeted by a chorus of cheers.

"Stop arguing! Stop arguing!" Warfarin stepped in front of Xia Yu, "Take it one at a time. How are people supposed to answer if you ask them all at once?"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the medical department calmed down.

After all, everyone here is highly educated and of high quality; it's just a matter of queuing.

I was just too excited before, after all, such a thing is truly a once-in-a-millennium event.

The treatment for Oripathy has actually yielded results... When Kal'tsit took out the potion, everyone wondered if she had worked too hard and gone crazy.

That's clearly Rhodes Island's own inhibitor, okay? I've never heard of this thing having the ability to treat Oripathy.

We'll be thankful if the condition doesn't worsen.

But with the evidence of the facts, all doubts were shattered.

They witnessed firsthand how a patient gradually improved after taking the medication.

Although the magnitude is very small, a breakthrough from zero to one is always amazing.

If Kal'tsit hadn't been keeping things under control these past few days, these doctors with off-the-charts combat prowess would probably have personally gone to the Grand Knights' territory and dragged Xia Yu back.

This is Oripathy! It's the dream of so many doctors, and the future of so many patients!

Why are you bothering with those idiots from the Great Knights? You should come back and cooperate with my research!

“First, let me ask you,” Warfarin said, turning around and pulling out her notebook after maintaining order. “How did you do that? We analyzed all the components of the inhibitor, and it’s no different from Rhodes Island’s original formula.”

"Without any increase in any ingredients, why can this batch of medicine treat Oripathy?"

Warfarin was completely baffled, while the doctors behind her looked on with anticipation.

Because it doesn't make any sense. The composition of the drug hasn't changed at all, but this batch of drugs can treat Oripathy.

Even if you use the exact same ingredients to manufacture a batch of drugs, it won't have the same effect.

"The method is actually very simple," Xia Yu said calmly upon hearing this. "Do you believe in... miracles?"

"Huh? What?" Warfarin was stunned. "A miracle?"

"What does this have to do with miracles?"

"We're not talking about inhibitors..."

“It’s about the inhibitor,” Xia Yu replied. “It’s a miracle. I added a miracle.”

“I’m sorry, the miracle you’re talking about is…” Shining frowned.

"A miracle in the literal sense, well, perhaps we should use a word that you can accept."

Xia Yu solemnly stated, "These are relics of our ancestors."

"An artifact from our ancestors that can cure Oripathy?" Upon hearing this, everyone's breath caught in their throats.

Relics from our ancestors...that makes sense.

The people of Terra have always been very accepting of these things.

Even if you don't understand the principles, it doesn't stop everyone from knowing that these things really work.

"What was it like...?"

They wanted to ask more questions, but Xia Yu simply waved her hand, "Let's make this clear first, miracles and magic don't come for free."

Are you prepared to pay the price?

257 is almost here!

"So, the so-called price is Originium?"

Warfarin jumped up upon hearing this, "Are you sure it's not blood, soul... or something like that?"

“No, how could you think that?” Hearing this, Xia Yu gave her a puzzled look. “How could these things compare to genuine Originium?”

“However, if it comes with paying Originium…” Shining frowned upon hearing this, “the ratio… plus the factory price, plus the transportation and sales costs…”

“Even if we don’t plan to make too much money, there is bound to be a large group of infected people who can’t afford it.”

The fact that infected individuals are at the very bottom of society is no joke.

In many places, people infected with the virus are already grateful to have a decent job. The vast majority of them are struggling to make ends meet, often going hungry, let alone having the extra money to buy medicine.

Even if this medicine is truly not intended to make any profit at all.

This is life; this is the cannibalistic reality.

This is Terra.

Therefore, miracles cannot be relied upon forever.

Xia Yu said calmly, "The real solution to Oripathy lies in developing medicine using scientific methods."

"Miracles...can't save everyone."

"Everything depends on ourselves and on all the experts here today."

"Then what's the point of these drugs?" Shining looked at the inhibitor in her hand. "Sigh..."

“Of course it has meaning,” Kal'tsit said calmly. “It’s a glimmer of hope.”

“Hope…what a cruel word,” Shining said sadly, looking at the boxes of medicine behind him. “In the past, it was one thing that no one could cure their illnesses…”

"But now, the hope of survival is right in front of me, yet I simply can't afford it no matter what..."

"That's too cruel."

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.

Since none of us are capitalists, we naturally have to consider these things.

“Therefore, we need to study the proportions,” Kal’tsit said, looking at everyone in the conference room, “to minimize the consumption of ‘miracles’ and keep costs down as much as possible.”

"Even if the drug is less effective, it's acceptable, as long as more people can afford it."

"Since the goal is to reduce costs, and the drug's efficacy relies on a miracle rather than our inhibitors, why not just add a bottle of glucose directly to it?"

At this point, Gavial, with his unconventional approach, spoke up, "Wouldn't that reduce the cost?"

“This won’t work,” Xia Yu shrugged upon hearing this. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have used inhibitors as a carrier.”

"Creating an effect out of thin air is more wasteful of Originium than enhancing an existing effect."

"Miracles themselves interfere with the world based on concepts. The miracle I performed was simply to enhance the effects of the inhibitor and then slightly alter the concept of the inhibitor so that it could cure Oripathy."

"If a drug were created out of thin air, the consumption would be even greater."

“Well, it seems that reducing the drug’s effectiveness and lowering costs is the only way forward,” Gavial said, slapping his forehead.

“So we still need to rely on everyone here,” Xia Yu nodded slightly. “Shortcuts are not the right path, and miracles cannot bring salvation to everyone.”

Ultimately, continuous self-improvement is the right path.

“There’s one more thing,” Warfarin said worriedly, “The profits from a drug that can cure Oripathy are just too great.”

"I worry……"

“Don’t worry,” Xia Yu gently shook her head, “Write my name down.”

"Let's see who dares to utter a sound!"

-

"Who would have thought—the person who finally stopped the unstoppable battle was—!"

Mob's voice was so loud during the broadcast.

"The crimson goblet of Casimir, hero! Dikeopolis! Of course, that name is too hard to remember, but please don't miss this scene—"

"The Casimir Major champion, currently the undisputed number one in popularity, is the God of War from Minos—the Blood Knight—!!"

"With just one strike, the duel between the Nightmare Knight and the Radiant Knight was broken up!"

“…Blood Knight,” Old F couldn’t help but sigh upon hearing this, “the infected champion three years ago, tsk tsk tsk, truly extraordinary.”

"How many ordinary people can become champions?" Koval rolled his eyes at him. "That monstrous Letanian Black Knight, Margaret, and now the Blood Knight..."

"Which one is average?"

"The epic battle between the Blood Knight and the Nightmare Knight will begin tomorrow night!"

The commentary came over the TV, "Viewers, please tune in to Knights Night channel tomorrow night at 8 PM for an unparalleled viewing experience!"

Many people were overjoyed, eagerly anticipating this epic battle.

Even Rhodes Island has many operators who are paying attention to news about the Major.

“Tomorrow night is the duel between the Blood Knight and the Nightmare Knight…” Xia Yu lowered her head upon hearing this. “It’s almost here… It’s time for everything in Kazimierz to end.”

"Advisor!!!" Before he could finish his exclamation, Gavial dragged him back. "Come and look at this! How's the proportion?"

Xia Yu is still working overtime today.

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