Another piece of dirt on Andrew.
Though honestly, it's unclear what use that would even have.
Charon didn't get any meaningful information from Andrew. After all, this concerned personal safety, if Andrew knew anything important, he wouldn't stay silent.
He might joke around about other things, but in matters like this, Charon trusted him completely.
Maybe years later, Andrew would become like those old men sitting comfortably at the top, calculating political creatures. But right now, while their blood still burned hot, Charon had no reason to doubt him.
Leaving the command center, Charon thought for a moment, then took out his phone and dialed Karen's number.
Half an hour later.
Charon stepped into a crumbling building that looked like it could collapse at any moment. It was far enough from the military camp, perfect for a private conversation.
Strangely, there were no patrols nearby. Probably because as long as there were no Raptures, sabotage wasn't much of a concern.
When your enemy is monsters, you don't have to worry much about spies.
"Oh my, you came."
Karen greeted him, still wearing her white lab coat. This time, though, her inner outfit had changed to a sleeveless sweater, emphasizing her figure even more.
Damn Andrew. If not for him, Charon wouldn't even be noticing details like that.
Noticing his glance, Karen's smile grew even brighter.
Charon stayed near the doorway, expression calm.
"So, Miss Karen, what do you want?"
"Straight to the point, huh? I don't dislike that type of man~" she said with a dangerous, alluring smile.
"You already know I'm a researcher from VTC."
"Obviously."
"Then what you might not know is this: the Nikke 'Liliweiss,' supposedly created by the three major corporations, actually has a fatal flaw."
Charon's eyes turned cold the moment he heard that word.
"Say it clearly."
"Her power is extraordinary," Karen said, twirling her finger.
"But that power comes at a cost, her lifespan.
She paused, watching his reaction.
"If she only fights occasionally, she might last ten years. But if she's constantly battling Raptures… her life will shorten significantly."
"…"
Charon fell silent.
So that was it.
Now he understood why his former Nikke companions spoke of Liliweiss with that tone, like remembering someone who was already gone.
"You told me this, so you must have a solution, right?" Charon asked.
"I said you have the right to know," Karen shrugged. "Not that I already have a solution."
Fair enough.
If she did, maybe Liliweiss wouldn't have died in the future he'd heard about.
"But…"
Karen's eyes gleamed, her smile returning.
"If you can provide me with Liliweiss's combat data, I might be able to do something. And there's something else I need to investigate."
As she spoke, she reached into her sweater–
–and pulled out a photo.
Charon blinked.
How did she even fit something that big in there?!
The photo showed the space elevator relay station.
Karen explained:
"This used to be one of humanity's most important strategic storage points. It likely contains nanorepair technology and backup data."
"Unfortunately, it's now under Rapture control."
She sighed softly.
"Honestly, I'd love to see what a complete Liliweiss could achieve. But the government won't invest in her anymore."
If what Karen said was true, then the government already knew.
Liliweiss was meant to burn out, used in high-intensity combat to gather data, then discarded.
And VTC would use that data to create the next generation.
"Why tell me all this?"
Charon asked, now fully wary.
Karen's expression softened.
"Because Liliweiss is precious."
"Her human will… and her power as a Nikke."
"To lose that so easily would be a waste."
She gently touched her cheek, smiling.
"The people above see her as expendable. That's far too shallow."
Then she looked straight at him.
"With her… humanity might find a completely new path."
"Not just endless war against the Raptures."