NOVEL NEXT Chapter 521: Memories [2]
Arthur found crucial information from Lisa's memories that confirmed his suspicions about systematic betrayal during his hospital stay. His initial guess had been correct—somebody within the medical facility had indeed provided information to military authorities about his presence and Charlotte's condition.
Previously he had maintained only a hunch about potential betrayal without concrete evidence about whether the source was someone working at the hospital or operating through external surveillance. But now the pattern was undeniable—Donald's frequent visits to collect other beta players who had undergone similar "protective custody" procedures revealed a coordinated intelligence operation.
The only remaining issue was identifying the specific individual responsible for the betrayal. The hospital employed hundreds of workers, some highly visible in patient care roles while others operated in support functions that rarely interacted with patients directly. Administrative staff, maintenance personnel, security guards, and various contractors all had potential access to patient information that could be transmitted to interested military contacts.
Arthur sighed with frustration at the scope of potential suspects. It seemed like the only viable path forward was locating Donald first and extracting the information directly from the source rather than attempting to investigate hundreds of hospital employees individually.
He was pleased with the progress his investigation had achieved despite the complications. Once he captured Donald, he could extract complete intelligence about the informant network that had been operating within Detroit's medical facilities. When he identified the person who had ratted him out to military authorities, Arthur would hunt that individual to the ends of the earth if necessary.
Arthur dismissed the possibility that the informant was another beta player almost immediately. Players simply didn't have the available time or mundane access required for systematic intelligence gathering about awakened individuals receiving hospital treatment. Providing continuous updates about beta players entering medical facilities required dedicated attention to administrative details and regular presence within the hospital environment that active players couldn't maintain while pursuing their own advancement and survival objectives.
The betrayal had to originate from someone whose regular employment provided natural access to patient intake information and whose motivations aligned with government intelligence priorities rather than personal gaming objectives. Probably a staff member who had been recruited or compensated for providing tips about unusual cases that might involve awakened individuals requiring government attention.
The systematic nature of Donald's return visits suggested an established reporting relationship rather than random chance or coincidental discovery. Someone had been actively monitoring patient admissions and notifying military contacts when promising targets appeared for collection.
Arthur's investigation had narrowed the suspect pool significantly while providing clear direction for his next steps. Finding Donald would unlock the complete network that had operated under his family's noses during Charlotte's most vulnerable period.
The hunt for answers was about to intensify dramatically.
With no immediate leads on identifying the specific hospital informant, and having extracted the most crucial intelligence he needed from Lisa's memories, Arthur decided to rely on his summons. He would simply wait until his summons encountered other hospital workers during their ongoing operations throughout Detroit.
"Bloom, that's enough. You can let her go now," Arthur instructed with a quiet tone.
Bloom immediately retracted his vine appendages and ceased releasing the psychoactive pollen that had maintained control over Lisa's mental state. Bloom withdrew to his concealed position while Lisa remained seated, unaware of the supernatural intervention that had just occurred.
Arthur waited patiently as Lisa's consciousness returned to normal awareness, the process taking only a few seconds as Bloom's influence dissipated from her system.
Her eyes regained their normal clarity and focus, showing no indication that she realized anything unusual had transpired. As far as Lisa was concerned, nothing had happened beyond a stranger entering her room and standing quietly for a brief moment.
"I'm sorry, did you need something?" Lisa asked with nervous politeness, her voice carrying the cautious tone of someone who had learned to be wary of unexpected visitors during her time in the shelter.
Arthur studied her for a moment, noting the fear and resignation that had become ingrained in her demeanor through weeks of abuse and exploitation. The information he had extracted confirmed she wasn't complicit in his family's betrayal—she had actually attempted to protect Charlotte when Donald arrived to take her.
"I was looking for someone, but it seems they're not here. Well, it doesn't matter. Do you want to become stronger?"
Lisa looked at Arthur with confusion, her body stiffening as uncertainty replaced her earlier relief. She shook off her initial wariness and nodded with desperate determination.
"Yes, I will do anything," she replied with the fervent conviction of someone whose options had been utterly eliminated.
"Anything?" Arthur restated.
"Yes. Anything," Lisa said through gritted teeth, her mind immediately drifting to the familiar ways of exploitation she had endured.
'It seems like all men are scummy, whether big or small,' she thought to herself with bitter resignation as her hands moved toward the buttons of her clothing, preparing for what she assumed was inevitable.
Arthur nodded his head with apparent satisfaction at her response. "Alright then, take this."
Instead of making any demands for sexual favors, Arthur reached into his dimensional storage and withdrew a complete set of rare-ranked equipment—armor pieces, protective accessories, and weapons that gleamed with magical enhancement far beyond anything Lisa had ever seen.
Lisa's hands froze on her clothing. Her eyes widened with complete bewilderment as she processed what Arthur was actually offering her.
She had heard endless discussions about this equipment from the other shelter occupants, who spoke in hushed, reverent tones about the legendary items that occasionally dropped from powerful monsters. They had explained that rare equipments were things that only the most powerful beta players had, and they were incredibly rare.
Yet, the person before her was using them like cabbage, giving them out to her, a weak awakener with no real talent.
"This is… rare equipment?" Lisa whispered with disbelief, her voice barely audible as she stared at items worth more than she had ever imagined possessing.
"You are an awakener, you can inspect the items yourself to determine that." Arthur said with a steady smile.
"You're giving me this? For free?" she asked with growing amazement as understanding dawned that Arthur wasn't demanding sexual services in exchange for protection or resources.
Lisa had completely misunderstood his intentions, assuming the worst based on her recent traumatic experiences with men who possessed power over her survival.
The realization that someone was offering genuine help without exploitation brought tears to her eyes as hope replaced the cynical despair that had become her default emotional state.
"Why would you help me?" she asked with a suspicious tone that she couldn't help but let out.
"Because I want to." Arthur stated without further explanation.
It was the truth, he wanted to help her because he wanted to. Not because she was helpful to his growing power, but because of her intention of trying to help back then.
As someone who had learned that unexpected kindness often carried hidden costs that were revealed later, she had to ask.
Arthur's offer represented a lifeline she hadn't dared hope for—the possibility of gaining enough personal power to never again be at the mercy of those who would abuse their authority over vulnerable people.