Girls' Frontline: My Apocalypse with Dolls

Page 449

He seemed oblivious to the pain; even as the flames burned his arm, he ripped the books off like a madman, only to let the fire spread even faster through the carpet.

"No...no...!"

Experiencing the pain of loss once again, even as the body perishes, do you wish these memories would fade away with it? Why...? Already feeling enough remorse, why must you watch her face the agony of death a second time?

"No...don't burn it, no...!!!"

[Bang, bang]

"Sir? Sir?! What's wrong?! What happened inside? Why is the door locked from the inside?!"

The sound of 191 came from outside the door, but Luo Fan paid no attention. She was still pulling the books back to the ground, even if they were torn to shreds, it didn't matter. Even if there were only some fragments, they were all proof that she had existed. Why leave behind only such a will?!

How could I possibly accept that...?

【boom! 】

The door was kicked down, and 191 noticed the fire inside the room and Luo Fan, who was frantically rushing towards the flames like a moth to a flame. He quickly stepped forward and pulled him back: "Commander, be careful of the fire...! Your hand, your hand is on fire too!"

She quickly picked up the water bottle on the table, poured it onto the quilt, and then covered Luo Fan's hands. But Luo Fan sat there blankly, tears streaming down his face. It was the first time 191 had ever seen Luo Fan cry like this, heartbroken like a child who had lost a treasure.

Luo Fan felt a wave of nausea in his throat, then knelt on the ground and began to vomit. Blood, more blood...

The heartache far surpassed the pain of a broken rib; it turns out that a person can truly be heartbroken to the point of vomiting blood...

Why, why did this happen? Why did I have to let such a girl leave me? Is this punishment for not paying attention to her all this time and for making a wrong move?

"Fire! Everyone, come quick, put out the fire!!!"

While treating Luo Fan's injuries, she also called out to her companions outside the door to put out the fire. The girls noticed the fire inside the room and quickly began to use tools to extinguish the flames on the bookshelf.

"Commander, are you okay?"

"Commander, how are you? Are you alright? Let me see your hand..."

"Sir, what just happened? How did a fire start?"

The girls bombarded him with questions, but Lova remained seated on the ground, seemingly oblivious...

Then, she covered her face and wept bitterly...

Adeline, Adeline...

I was wrong, I was really wrong...

Why, why is this era so unfair to us?

Why would I make such a stupid mistake?

No...no......

When grief reaches its extreme, it leads to utter silence and a dead heart.

The cries echoed through the skies of New York, as insignificant as countless other tragedies that unfolded on the streets.

Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

Even I am the same...

The will fell to the ground, stirred by the breeze as the girls ran back and forth, turning to the last page of the bound book...

goodbye......

731 Health and Wellness

"..."

When I opened my eyes again, I saw a pure white ceiling, unlike my home, and unlike the room where the flames had flickered. This was another place...

Luo Fan tried to lift his head, but felt a sharp pain. After a quick glance around, he saw heart monitors, blood bags, various medications, and all sorts of unfamiliar instruments. His fingers were wrapped with tools connecting to devices, including his chest and abdomen, and a ventilator...

It seems I passed out last night...

He sat blankly on the bed, looking out the window. The room was bright and clean, and the windowsill was just the right height for him to see the green plants below and people coming in. Even ignoring his current intensive care, this would be a good place for recuperation.

"Hmm? Commander, you're awake."

A cool female voice drew Luo Fan's attention to Gray, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, who was entering the ward carrying a stack of physical data.

Luo Fan lowered his brows and spoke in a deep voice, still somewhat dizzy: "Where am I...?"

“The company’s affiliated hospital is quiet and safe here. You can rest assured and recuperate here, but…” Gray suddenly moved closer to Luo Fan’s face, which surprised him: “I hope you can understand this time. You cannot be discharged without my permission. Your injuries are too severe. You have four broken ribs, multiple internal bleeding and muscle damage, tendon wear and tear, and… respiratory alkalosis that occurred last night. Even though your body is recovering at an amazing speed, you can’t even think about leaving here without several months of recuperation.”

After saying that, Gray pushed up his glasses, put the documents aside, and sat down next to Lofan.

Knowing his predicament, Luo Fan didn't intend to show off anymore and nodded honestly, but a hint of loneliness inevitably appeared in his eyes.

Adeline's shadow cast a shadow over him, making him increasingly depressed. Even the rare moments of peace he enjoyed now failed to bring him any joy. In other words, his emotional turmoil was more severe than his physical ailments, but...

"What do you mean by recovering at an astonishing speed...?"

Luo Fan was somewhat interested in this.

Gray, intending to explain, slowly began, "While monitoring your physical condition, we discovered that your somatic cells are dividing at a rate far exceeding that of ordinary people. Even cells that should be nearing the end of their lifespan are continuing to divide after 50 divisions, and the rate of cell turnover has significantly slowed. Instead, a large number of new cells are dying, being engulfed by native cells, which then continue to divide, thus extending the lifespan of each cell. Your injuries, except for the bones, are undergoing extremely rapid metabolism, with a greatly enhanced cellular activity rate... I apologize that I cannot yet understand how this situation is occurring, but I can responsibly tell you that your body is recovering at a rate far exceeding that of ordinary people, even if it still takes several months..."

"Really? I understand..."

This is mostly due to the effect of the reverse Kabbalah factor. Lovan has already accepted this reality. The reduction of negative statuses may also mean an increase in benefits. The benefits that this factor brings to him are slowly becoming apparent.

“But please tell me,” Gray suddenly grasped Lovan’s hand, “where did the reverse Kabbalah factor in your body come from?”

"..."

Luo Fan was stunned for a moment. How did Gray know about the existence of this substance?

But judging from her serious expression, she didn't seem like the type to joke about this...

"It happened a long time ago, through injection. That's all I can tell you."

"...As expected."

Gray nodded, then looked away and began to think.

How could this be expected? Could it be that Gray is researching this? And has he already made some progress?

Gray turned back again and continued to explain, "Your eyes are showing a similar condition to Miss Yingque's."

"......What?"

After saying that, Gray took out several photos from his pocket, which were photos of his own eyes with the background flipped.

"...?!"

Dark golden patterns appeared in his pupils, shifting subtly across photos taken at different times, roughly forming a visually harmonious pattern, like... a scattered, splitting flower? Or something else...?

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Gray put away the photo and said coldly, “Miss Yingque also has a similar condition, but it is slightly different from yours. We don’t know what these conditions mean yet, but we can generally understand them as the effects of the reverse Kabbalah factor on the body surface. We still need to observe for a period of time before we can draw a conclusion.”

"...Excuse me."

The pattern on the eyes had an indescribable eeriness to it. Luo Fan couldn't quite describe the feeling, but when he saw those patterns, he would subconsciously feel uneasy, even though his eyes never felt uncomfortable.

strangeness......

Hopefully Rosalia will be able to give a brief explanation later.

But before considering his own physical condition, Lovan had other issues that mattered more... For this reason, he tugged at Gray's sleeve twice.

"What's wrong? Is there anything else you need?"

"Is my tablet here...?"

"Yes, I'll go get it for you."

After saying that, Gray got up and went to the table next to him, took the black tablet out of his bag, and handed it to Luo Fan.

Luo Fan nodded, then continued, "Could you please bring a box, something big?"

"...Understood, please wait a moment."

Despite his doubts, Gray did as he was told and brought out a cardboard box that was the right size.

After confirming that the size was sufficient, Luo Fan began to operate the tablet, demonstrating some of its functions in front of Gray.

In other words, all of Adeline's remains were removed and placed in a box...

"This is......?"

Gray was secretly alarmed and subconsciously asked a question.

“Adeline’s remains… she sacrificed herself to save me,” Lofan lowered his head, looking at the girl’s head in the box, his eyes filled with unspeakable bitterness. “I hope you can give these remains to Pascal. If possible, try to have her repair them. No matter the outcome, at least… try to bring her back, even if there’s only a sliver of a chance…”

I will not give up this last glimmer of hope. I will bring you back intact, as long as it is possible.

I swear, I will piece you back together exactly as you were...

"I understand... I'll hand it over to her now..."

732 Repair Work

In the hospital corridor, two beautiful urban women sat quietly on a sofa, their eyes revealing an inexplicable sadness, contrary to their expected image.

Pascal rushed to visit Lofan immediately after receiving news that he was seriously injured and hospitalized. However, he was stopped by Gray just before arriving at the ward, and the two sat together. Perhaps influenced by Lofan's mood, even the two, who were close friends at work and in daily life, seemed somewhat downcast.

"What's his situation now?"

Pascal broke the silence by speaking first, suppressing her unease by fiddling with her phone—a habit she had developed after embracing a modern lifestyle.

Gray knew exactly what his old friend was thinking, and without further ado, he said, "The situation isn't great, but the recovery is going well; he just needs a long period of rest."

"That sounds alright?"

"It's alright, don't worry."

Gray nodded.

"Then why won't you let me in to take a look?"

......

Pascal put away his phone, looked at the other person, and raised an eyebrow in a way that was completely different from his unkempt doctor appearance.

Without hesitation, Gray took the box out from the side: "Because you have more important things to do."

The box made a metallic clanging sound as it moved, and Pascal immediately guessed it was related to her profession, but she just wasn't quite sure...

"Work can wait, being alive is more important. It won't take me long to see him, right?"

"These are Adeline's remains."

"...?!"

Pascal's heart seemed to tighten for a moment the instant Gray finished speaking. He frowned, then lifted the box...

"How...did she become like this?"

"She sacrificed herself to protect him, but he cared about her a lot, and I think you did too. Adeline's death was also the main cause of his severe anxiety and depression."

Gray explained coldly, trying not to reveal too much emotion: "He wants you to do everything you can to save her, so for him right now, it's probably more important for you to try to get back to work than to show up in front of him. This isn't about getting rid of him, it's... what he really needs right now is treatment. Seeing Adeline alive is more important than anything else. You should know what I mean."

......

"Of course I know."

As his wife, how could she not know what he was thinking?

Adeline's death left him devastated. All he wanted now was to see Adeline emerge from these wreckages as a whole person, exactly as she was, standing before him. To offer meaningless comfort now was pointless; perhaps trying to mend Adeline was more practical...

Perhaps right now, no amount of comforting words will have any effect on him...

Although it was somewhat regrettable, Pascal could understand; it was only human nature. After all, knowing that he was still safe and sound was already the best thing, especially considering the promise he had made to Adeline.

So she took the suitcase, slowly stood up from the sofa, and put on a relaxed expression: "Then I'll go back and get busy. What do you say, stay here?"

"Yes, I'll stay here to take care of him, and by the way... I'll put the area under martial law. His current identity is very sensitive, and he needs comprehensive protection."

"Then I'll leave it to you. Bye-bye."

"Goodbye."

As he was leaving, a Nieto came from nearby.

"Miss Pascal, shall I carry it for you?"

"Oh, it's okay, I can do it myself."

The Nietos instinctively wanted to help Pascal, but Pascal's relationship with the Nietos was no longer one of simple subordination; rather, it was more like that of close friends.

After watching the other person leave, Gray slowly shook his head and walked back towards Luo Fan's private ward.