Kiana glanced at the black-covered notebook, deciding to set it aside for now and examine the papers that clearly looked like physical examination reports first.
Unless the notebook was a diary, it definitely wouldn't contain more information than the medical reports.
And what kind of normal person writes diaries anyway!
Full of confidence, Kiana picked up the first report, her eyes immediately drawn to the name and photo section.
"Shu... So that's your name..." Kiana nodded, then glanced at the age next to it. "Huh? Only 19 years old? Not much older than us..."
Kiana lingered on the photo for a few extra seconds.
He wasn't exceptionally handsome, more along the lines of pleasant-looking, the kind of face that grows on you.
Moreover, this photo clearly wasn't a standard ID picture. It looked more like a candid shot of his face, secretly taken from an angle by a highly skilled photographer.
"Let's see the physical data... Hmm..."
Kiana looked over the various data points on the report again and again, her brow furrowing.
She couldn't understand this data... Was this normal or abnormal?
But some of the numbers seemed... not as impressive as hers! Even before she used the Key of Evolution! [Likely Key of Blankness or similar]
"Huh? There are comments here too..." Kiana suddenly noticed several lines written at the very bottom of the report.
"Let's see... 'Subject exhibits health standards below the average for a normal person, but has not reached sub-health levels... Suspected lack of regular exercise, but relatively good sleep habits suggest a higher probability of a sedentary/clerical occupation...'"
Kiana's expression gradually morphed into a giant question mark. She stared at the baffling comments, completely bewildered, put down the report, and picked up the next one.
At first glance, Kiana, whose sensitivity to numbers had been honed by Mei's training these past few days, noticed that most of the figures had changed.
After scanning the data, Kiana looked down at the comments again.
['The subject's physical fitness data shows a precipitous decline, dropping from below-average health straight to the threshold of sub-health. During this period, the subject engaged in no detrimental activities...
Hypothesis... This is the [Cost], a side effect paid for either [Gaining Cognition] or [Power Overexertion].']
Kiana's eyes widened instantly. She looked back and forth between the lines of text and the photo.
Did "Cost" mean what she thought it meant?
Could this "Shu" be someone who made deals with demons? Able to pay a personal [Cost] in exchange for [Power]?
That was... so cool!!
Seriously?
Well, it must be true! The world's already dealing with the Honkai, so demons showing up seems perfectly reasonable!
Completely ignoring the scientific basis behind the [Honkai], Kiana immediately linked [Honkai] with [Legends and Myths].
Eagerly putting down the second report, Kiana skimmed past the data and focused directly on the final evaluation.
This time, the evaluation was much longer, almost like a short essay.
['Target's baseline physical data has declined again, suggesting further use of his ability... Although he exhibited a new ability referred to as [Wish], this ability does not appear strongly correlated with the former...
Of course, this doesn't rule out any connection. Perhaps [Wish] was also obtained through a wish granted by a demon?
Such speculation is too absurd. I lean towards the former ability being a derivative application of [Wish], and only now has he fully developed this power. The relationship might be akin to internal versus external applications, or active versus passive functions.
The timeframe is too short; I see no signs of recovery in the target's physical condition. Perhaps this "Cost" entails permanent damage, while [Wish] has strict temporal limitations, and the two cannot compensate for each other.
Out of respect for the target as an individual, and for my own selfish reasons, I sincerely hope the target refrains from using this ability again. If his body continues to weaken at this fixed rate, it won't take many more uses before he ends up bedridden.
At that point, we will lose our only protection.']
The smile vanished from Kiana's face.
Reading the line ['it won't take many more uses before he ends up bedridden'], Kiana suddenly felt a sharp pang in her heart.
Did that mean... this guy had been protecting them all along, using a method that demanded such a price?
Subconsciously, Kiana lowered her head and looked at the words on her palm.
[Someone who will definitely come save us if we cry and scream—]
This string of black text had never felt so heavy, almost crushing the breath out of Kiana.
So... she had forgotten someone like that... she had even...
Silently, Kiana lowered her eyes and picked up the fourth report.
This time, her gaze immediately caught several figures marked in red.
[Heart Rate: 7 beats per minute]
[Pulse Rate: 12 beats per minute]
[Respiratory Rate: Respiration ceased for 37 minutes]
[...]
Kiana: "...Huh?"
Th-th-this... Was this person even alive?!! How could this person possibly still be alive!!
Kiana stared blankly for a long moment, an image forming in her mind of someone frail, teetering on the brink of death.
Although she didn't understand most of the data on the report, she clearly understood the implications of these highlighted figures.
In disbelief, Kiana took a deep breath, held it, and started counting silently.
She only managed to hold on for six minutes before her chest began to ache as if it would explode, forcing her to give up and gasp desperately for air.
With each gasp, Kiana's heart sank further.
So... this person had reached such a critical state after paying the price just four times...?
The [Cost] the other person paid finally materialized in that moment, allowing Kiana to clearly feel what this vanished person had sacrificed for them.
Precisely because Kiana couldn't understand most of the data, she assumed Shu was currently in this fragile state.
She put down the report. For a moment, she lacked the courage to touch the fifth one.
It could get worse... How could this situation possibly get worse!!
She couldn't imagine anything worse!! What could be worse than what the fourth report described?!
But, gritting her teeth, Kiana forced herself to pick up the final report.