"Tsk... now that's a piece of bad news..."
Hearing the news from the girl in the next cell—that Babylon Lab was about to begin experiments on her immortality—even someone as optimistic as Lynelle couldn't stay calm anymore.
In her original plan, given Otto's obsession with resurrection and immortality at this time, her displayed ability to revive would surely get her sent directly to him after a while.
Although she might be subjected to some experiments afterward, Otto would soon obtain the method to resurrect Kallen in the upcoming Second Honkai Eruption.
By then, his interest in Lynelle would naturally wane, and he'd instead try nurturing this promising girl with strange abilities.
Besides, for Lynelle, who had no official identity, the three major organizations—Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent—were the only ones capable of legitimizing her status. No matter what, she shouldn't have to keep suffering here.
But now... it seemed this damn Babylon Lab hadn't reported her situation at all! What kind of loyal subordinate to Otto are you?!
She had no desire to be dissected like an earthworm in the lab—sliced horizontally, then vertically! For a cute girl like her, that kind of experiment was just too messed up.
She'd been transported into the worlds of Honkai Impact 3rd and Star Rail, not some despair-ridden nightmare. A "bad end" scenario like that was way too extreme.
So...
"Guess there's no choice but to escape after all."
Lynelle's gaze drifted absently toward the window.
Their "cage" was located in the midsection of Babylon Tower. Breaking downward would only mean passing a few floors. What's more, the designers had clearly never considered the possibility of test subjects escaping.
So, as long as she could deal with the guards and the access control, getting out of Babylon Tower itself didn't seem too difficult.
And as for those two obstacles, judging by the items she'd already drawn and those still in the gacha pool, she did have a chance. The real thing troubling her, though, was another problem entirely.
"Lynelle, are you okay...?"
Beside her, Sirin clung worriedly to her hand, curling up close like a frightened little animal.
That's right... her biggest worry was Sirin.
Maybe it was the trauma of watching her companions die one after another, or perhaps Lynelle just naturally gave off a vaguely maternal aura.
Whatever the reason, ever since they'd started sharing a cell and Sirin discovered Lynelle could resurrect, the younger girl's emotional dependence on her had grown rapidly.
If things had gone as Lynelle originally expected—being sent to Schicksal—then even if Sirin underwent her canonical Herrscher transformation, Lynelle could have used their bond as a bargaining chip to negotiate with Otto, find a way back to the Siberian frontlines.
With a bit of luck, if she ended up teamed with Fu Hua or Cecilia and managed to persuade them, there'd even be a real chance to alter the entire course of the war.
But given the current situation, if Lynelle needed to escape Babylon Tower immediately, whether or not to take Sirin along became a serious dilemma.
If she left her behind, it would feel like yet another betrayal.
It wasn't that Lynelle doubted Sirin's resilience; she knew that, given time, any misunderstandings could be cleared up.
But right now, at this critical juncture, even the slightest emotional blow could trigger unforeseen consequences. A butterfly effect might throw the entire storyline into chaos.
But if she took Sirin with her...
Though she had no solid proof, Lynelle was keenly aware that her own presence had likely diminished Sirin's perceived value among the lab's test subjects.
This escape attempt was far from risk-free. If they encountered trouble, facing a girl who could resurrect and an ordinary test subject, Lynelle didn't need to think twice to know their pursuers wouldn't hesitate to eliminate the latter.
And even if she did manage to get Sirin out of Babylon Tower, how far could two young girls really get?
She'd just checked the weapon banner—though it seemed some useful new items had been added today—there was nothing in the way of transportation. Probably because Big Herta's spaceship wasn't counted among the drawable weapons.
"Don't worry, Sirin, I'm fine."
Distractedly, Lynelle ruffled Sirin's hair, her reply somewhat absent-minded.
She really was at a loss.
She'd always been indecisive; even choosing what to eat for lunch usually required her trusty dice. But this decision didn't just affect her and Sirin's fates—it could change the entire course of future events. Even someone as carefree as her couldn't leave something like this to chance.
"No you're not, Lynelle. Something's bothering you."
Sirin caught Lynelle's hand resting on her head, her shimmering eyes fixed intently on Lynelle's.
"Usually when you pat my head, you curl one finger inward a little, to smooth my hair... Is it because of what's happening tomorrow? Lynelle... are you scared?"
"You little dummy, why'd you have to be so perceptive just now..."
Lynelle sighed and crouched down, meeting Sirin's beautiful golden eyes. "I am scared, but not exactly in the way you're thinking."
"Sirin, let me ask you—what if..."
"I'm willing."
"…Huh?"
A question mark slowly formed above Lynelle's head.
"I didn't even finish!"
"You want to escape this place, don't you?"
Though phrased as a question, Sirin sounded utterly certain. "The look in your eyes just now, when you stared out the window... I've seen it before."
"Bella, Agata, even I... we've all had that same look in our eyes. But for girls like us, leaving here... was a dream we didn't even dare have."
"But you're different, Lynelle. You're not like any of us. You're capable, you're clever, you notice things we'd never think of, and you have all these strange talents... If anyone could escape this hell, it'd be you."
"S-so..."
Sirin bit her lip lightly. "If there's something you want to do, just go for it. No matter what, I'll do everything I can to help. Even if you need me to be a decoy... Ow!"
"What kind of nonsense are you saying, you dummy!"
Lynelle interrupted her with a light, 'character-adjusting' chop to the head.
"If I used you as bait, how would I be any different from those bastards in lab coats?!"
"Ah, but..."
Gently stroking the teary-eyed Sirin's head, an image of a certain Doro meme popped into Lynelle's mind.
That classic one, set on a train platform.
From a rational standpoint, she really shouldn't take Sirin with her. Doing so would introduce massive uncertainty into the future storyline. Leaving Sirin here, waiting for the Second Herrscher to be born, was the optimal choice.
But... would that really lead to a good ending for Sirin?
Lynelle didn't know. But she did know one thing—she couldn't betray this little angel, Sirin, who was so determined to help her.
So, whether their escape attempt succeeded or not... she wanted to allow herself this one act of willfulness.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.