Do All Doctors Play With Scalpels?

The sudden, languid voice startled Shu. His hand jerked back, and he quickly turned, his heart pounding. It wasn't the fear of being discovered, but pure surprise.

He smelled the faint aroma of coffee, then saw the tall figure in a white lab coat standing behind him. He couldn't see clearly in the darkness, but the man's deep purple eyes, peering at him through his glasses, were unnerving.

The man was also nearly half a head taller than Shu, who was still slightly bent over, adding to the intimidating effect of their eye contact.

Glasses, white lab coat… it's him, Shu thought. The man from the photograph. He looked familiar, but Shu didn't recognize him, ruling out anyone on the "recruitment list."

He wanted to ask "Who are you?" but couldn't bring himself to. He was the intruder here. Questioning this sleepy-looking man seemed… presumptuous.

As their gaze held, Shu took in more details. A triple-layered mask pulled down to his chin, a cup of coffee in one hand—probably more for sustenance than enjoyment. Dark circles under his eyes, a pale complexion… Shu thought this man, not the child in the bed, was the one who needed sleep.

Is he really a threat? Shu suspected he could knock the man unconscious with a single, unenhanced punch.

"Ahem." Feeling slightly guilty, Shu cleared his throat and lowered the curtain, speaking softly, his tone light. "How did you know I was here?"

The man in the white coat silently moved aside, revealing a small cot tucked away behind the door, in front of a desk cluttered with vials and papers. Clearly, someone had been sleeping there.

Shu: "..." His remaining apprehension turned to awkwardness.

"Who are you? Are you the… Fire Moth captain Natasha mentioned?" the man asked, his voice even weaker than before, his eyelids drooping.

Shu was genuinely concerned he might fall asleep standing up. But the man's next words jolted him awake.

"I am… and you? Natasha didn't mention you." Shu replied politely, then quickly countered with his own question.

"She didn't?" The man seemed surprised. He tapped his head with his free hand. "Oh dear, I must have told her not to… remind me…"

Shu's eye twitched, noticing the object in the man's hand. Let's forget about why Natasha didn't mention you for now. What's with the scalpel? Were you standing there this whole time, holding a surgical weapon, watching me? But I didn't sense any malice… Do all doctors keep scalpels in their pockets for fun?

Despite his internal alarm, Shu felt relieved. The man seemed more wary of him, even needing a weapon for self-defense. At least Shu no longer felt threatened.

"Me?" The man—Vakh—paused for a fraction of a second, then sighed. "I'm Natasha's brother. You can call me Vakh."

Vakh? Shu finally placed the familiar feeling. He was Natasha's brother.

"Are you a doctor?" Shu asked, glancing at the beds.

Vakh nodded sleepily, and Shu was genuinely afraid he might collapse. But his next words were even more alarming.

"Something of an… underground miracle worker…"

What?! Shu stared at the sleepy-eyed man, bewildered. What's an "underground miracle worker"?!

Oh no. This is beyond my knowledge base! But he clearly expects me to know! Is it common knowledge? Some weird regional term? Shu's brain went into overdrive, then the Otto persona kicked in.

"Oh? Really? It seems you're highly regarded in your field," Shu said smoothly, offering a vague, nonsensical compliment, channeling Otto's trademark insincere smile.

Vakh's eyes widened slightly, and he seemed to wake up a bit. "You're… well-connected… do you know other underground miracle workers?"

So, it's some kind of honorary title?

"I only know a few personally," Shu said, touching his chest dramatically, maintaining his smile. "And even then, we're just colleagues."

Vakh paused, taking a sip of his coffee, his mind seeming to clear slightly.

"Oh… that's impressive nonetheless…" He sighed, returning his other hand to his pocket. "So, you're here because of Natasha's plea on the… Spiderweb?"

Shu: "..." Could you please speak in a language I understand?

First an honorary title, now a cryptic code name? A plea? The Spiderweb? Some kind of dark web? But it was the post-Honkai world! Was there even a functioning internet? Or was it posted before the disaster? What kind of plea could Natasha have posted before the Honkai?

My brain is going to explode!

"No, we're here on official orders to search for survivors, weapons, and supplies," Shu said, giving up on trying to decipher Vakh's cryptic statements. His superior intellect told him it was time to let Otto handle this.

An "underground miracle worker" and Natasha? They both seemed valuable. He would get them to the train first, then let Otto figure out the rest.

"Official orders?" Vakh's eyes widened again. He took another sip of coffee. "You… still have a chain of command? Remarkable…"

"You flatter me," Shu said, waving his hand dismissively, then quickly changing the subject. "So, can you tell me… about these beds… and these children?"