In Ark Simulator, why do I always get a tough start?

Chapter 117 Did Chen Qi Kill His Sister? The Shapeshifter's Assassination
At the end of the only ski trail, tens of thousands of Sherag people gathered, reluctant to leave even as the snow fell heavily.

Most of these people were women, children, and elderly people.

According to the rules set by Chen Qi, today is the weekly rotation day for frontline soldiers.

At this time, a new batch of soldiers and officers will take over from the soldiers who have been on the front lines vigilant for the outbreak of war, allowing them to temporarily return to the rear for rest and recuperation.

This method effectively prevents soldiers from becoming mentally apathetic, losing morale, and weakening their combat effectiveness during prolonged warfare.

Because the main base was in the rear, it would not delay the battle, which is why Chen Qi was able to implement this frequent rotation method.

These silent and anxious villagers were all praying for Jeragund's mercy.

It can allow their husbands, fathers, and sons to reappear before them with the army.

This time, it wasn't just the villagers of Shelag who were there.

Members of various families who remained at home, including Prime Minister Ensiodes and Saintess Enya, were all anxiously waiting for their loved ones to return.

Gradually, their wait came to an end.

From the nearby ski slopes came the clear sound of military songs—composed by their King Kalan for the army.

Their king had decreed that whenever the army returned and a military song was sung, it signified that their army had won another victory.

The resounding military songs and the gradually clearer military flag in the distance finally brought a sense of comfort to the hearts of those who had been waiting anxiously.

As time went by, they finally saw the returning group clearly.

Leading the way, holding high the military flag, was only their King of Kalan, Chen Qi.

Accompanying him were Chen Huijie and Fiona, who served as commanders of the general reserve force alongside him.

Although they were covered in blood and gunpowder and looked quite disheveled, those at the front of the group were the least injured.

Behind Chen Qi, closely following him, was Aktos, who was being supported by members of the Perroch family. He was walking unsteadily and had a new scar on his face.

His armor was completely shattered, his shield was reduced to half by magic, and half of his horn was cut off.

Weiss, who had been hit by the aftershocks of several spells, was deathly pale and looked as if he might faint at any moment, but he still struggled to hold on.

Behind them, the warriors of Sherag, who had fought a bloody battle with the enemy for a week, displayed a scene of utter devastation that was enough to bring tears to one's eyes.

Almost everyone had bruises on their body, and almost everyone was missing something.

Some people were blinded by bombs or magic and could only be helped by their comrades or use a stick to probe the road ahead.

Some people have lost an arm, but their other hand is still tightly gripping their weapon.

Some people even lost both legs in the explosion and could only be moved by stretcher.

However, faced with such a fierce battle, none of these warriors flinched; their gazes remained unwavering!

Every scar on their bodies testifies to their bravery; facing an enemy many times stronger than themselves, not one of them ever retreated.

Their scars are a testament to everyone that they have lived up to the trust placed in them by the people of Sherag, and even more so, to the honor of being warriors.

"Actorus!"

Upon seeing her beloved husband, whom she had longed for day and night, covered in wounds, Tatiana immediately pushed her way through the crowd and took her husband's tall and strong body in her arms.

"You, how did you get injured like this?! Actos!"

"Tatiana..."

Seeing his usually free-spirited wife with tears welling up in her eyes because of his injuries, Actos smiled and indicated that he was alright.

"I'm fine. I just got knocked to the ground by a few Letanian kids and broke a few ribs."

"Don't worry, the medics at the front have taken care of me. I won't die. I want to wait until the war is over and watch Rosalyn grow up—cough cough cough!"

Before he could finish speaking, the pain from his broken ribs caused Aktos to cough up blood incessantly.

Upon seeing this, Tatiana was heartbroken and burst into tears. She immediately helped her husband to a proper hospital in Sherag to recuperate.

However, inspired by Tatiana, the villagers of Shelag who were waiting there also stepped forward to search for their relatives among the soldiers.

"Son, my son... if you're still in the line, answer your mother?"

"Daddy? Daddy, where are you?"

"Honey? Are you there? Don't scare us, mother and daughter..."

These cries, filled with deep longing, pleading, and fear, sometimes receive a response, and sometimes disappear without a trace.

In the group, just one young man's cry of "Mom" was enough to make dozens of mothers turn their heads eagerly.

Many people who had not been able to find their relatives but were unwilling to give up turned their pleading eyes to Chen Huijie and Fiona.

"Officer Chen, do you know where my son is?"

"General Fiona... my husband, is my husband still alive?"

"Please tell me, is he still alive?"

"..."

Faced with a series of extremely humble inquiries, Chen Huijie and Fiona simply lowered their heads and followed behind Chen Qi without uttering a sound.

It wasn't that they didn't want to answer, but rather that they didn't know how to answer.

What could they say? Could they tell these eagerly awaiting villagers that their sons, fathers, and husbands had all died in battle?

Dying on the battlefield may be a common occurrence, but informing the family of the death of their loved one is always a painful experience for everyone.

Therefore, faced with pairs of expectant eyes, all Chen Huijie and Fiona could do was pretend not to know and keep walking forward.

Soon, a figure appeared, blocking Chen Qi's path.

"His Majesty……"

There stood an old woman, holding a baby, her face as weathered as tree bark.

The old woman blocked Chen Qi's path, whose face was as cold as frost and whose eyes were icy. Her posture was humble, but her body was exceptionally strong and unwilling to back down.

"...what's the matter?"

Looking at the old woman before him, knowing what she wanted to ask, Chen Qi maintained his regal composure and calmly replied:

"If you want to inquire about military service in your family, ask the casualty registrar."

"—No, Your Majesty, I already know."

However, the old woman, who could barely stand upright, cradled her last grandson and asked Chen Qi in a low voice:
“My three sons and my eldest grandson are all in Your Majesty’s general reserve team.”

“Old woman, I haven’t seen them come back… I know they’re all dead.”

The old woman's voice was choked with sobs, but she no longer had the strength to even cry.

She simply straightened up and asked Chen Qi, whose eyes were trembling slightly:

"This old woman just wants to know... whether my three sons and one grandson all died heroically in defending Shelag?"

"They didn't hold Your Majesty back, did they? They didn't disgrace Jeragand, right?"

"..."

Under the old woman's urgent gaze and her soul-searching question, even someone as resilient as Chen Qi fell into silence.

Under the watchful eyes of Chen Huijie and Fiona, all they saw was Chen Qi, who stood tall and proud, his expression as cold as ever, his hand gripping the military flag so tightly that it had turned slightly white.

The silence lasted for a while, and finally, after a deep breath that left no trace, Chen Qi maintained his tough stance.

And he gave the old woman the answer she deserved.

"In my army, there are no soldiers who cowardly fear death!" "I believe that every soldier who dies on the battlefield is a brave warrior who fought valiantly and selflessly!"

Having said that, Chen Qi, holding the military flag, walked straight toward the sacred mountain without turning his head to look at the old woman again.

Behind him, the old woman, who had received the answer she wanted, simply knelt on the ground, repeatedly kowtowing and thanking him for his departing figure.

However, only those close to Chen Qi knew just how immense the psychological burden that old woman's question had placed on him was.

After exchanging bewildered glances, Ensiodes and Enya followed in their brother's footsteps, using their bodies to block everyone's view.

Finally, after Chen Qi had been silently walking, he arrived at a sparsely populated place.

Having reached his mental and physical limits, he finally stumbled, his body falling uncontrollably forward...

"pray!"

"Brother!"

Seeing Chen Qi fall, everyone rushed forward immediately to help him up.

But at that moment, Chen Qi, who had managed to stand firm by sheer willpower, gestured for everyone not to approach him.

"...Don't make a fuss."

"I'm just a little tired, I'm not dead yet."

Forcing himself to sit up straight, Chen Qi, whose face was slightly pale, shook his head and said with a forced smile:
“It’s not safe enough here. I can’t let any of the civilians of Shelag see their king fall.”

“That would cause panic… Your Majesty, you cannot have weaknesses.”

"...Let's go back to the palace, where we can discuss this further."

Having said that, Chen Qi, forcing himself to stay alert, strode forward with all his might, still holding his head high and looking down on everyone else with an air of superiority.

However, behind Chen Qi, looking at her brother who stood so straight that it was heartbreaking, En Ya didn't realize that tears of heartache had already welled up in her eyes.

Chen Huijie and Fiona, with red eyes, remained silent.

Even someone as strong as Enciodes unconsciously clenched his fists, inwardly berating himself for his incompetence and inability to bear any burden for his brother.

But everyone chose to respect the wishes of their brother, their king.

They were like four guardian deities, closely following their king, never leaving his side...

……

By the time Chen Qi and his group returned to the palace atop the Holy Mountain, night had already fallen.

As soon as Chen Qi stepped into the palace, he discovered that a lively and beautiful figure was already waiting for him there.

"elder brother!"

“…Encia?”

Looking at the lively Encia in front of him, Chen Qi subconsciously called out softly and caught Encia's soft body as she rushed into his arms.

Even Enya and Ensiodes, who were following Chen Qi, were surprised to see their sister here and couldn't help but ask:

"Encia? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be locked up at home?"

"—Hehe, how could that little room possibly stop me? I wanted to see my brother, so of course I came right away~"

But soon, Encia, who had raised his head, also noticed his brother's deathly pale face and immediately asked in surprise:

"Brother! Why do you look so pale? Are you sick?"

"I, I'll help you to sit on the throne right now, brother, make sure you walk carefully."

"I'm fine... Encia... Brother, I'm perfectly fine."

Encia took her brother from everyone's hands and carefully helped Chen Qi walk towards the throne, creating a harmonious scene of brotherly love and sisterly respect.

But the next second, in the instant when everyone let their guard down.

Chen Qi suddenly sprang up! He abruptly broke free from Encia's grasp!

Before anyone could react, Chen Qi had already pulled out his revolver from his waist and aimed it at Encia's head in front of him!
"boom!"

The sound of gunfire suddenly echoed clearly throughout the palace. Before anyone could even react, everything had already happened.

The next second, Encia, whose head was pierced by an etched bullet, lay dead in a pool of blood, with no sign of life left.

"—Enshia!!"

Upon realizing what had happened, Enya let out a heart-wrenching wail almost immediately and lunged at her lifeless sister's corpse.

But before Enya could step forward, Chen Qi forcefully pushed her away with his outstretched hand.

However, before anyone could help Enya up after she fell to the ground, her bloodshot eyes fixed on her brother, and she shouted sharply:

"Why! Why did you do this!"

"Qi! Why did you kill your sister?!"

Chen Huijie and Fiona, who helped Enya up, whose body had gone limp, stared in disbelief at the scene before them.

They never imagined that Chen Qi, who clearly loved his younger sister the most, would do something so crazy without warning!

Even Enshiodis, who trusted his brother implicitly, stared with trembling eyes at Enshia's corpse lying in a pool of blood, his lips quivering uncontrollably.

He never imagined that his elder brother would kill their most beloved youngest sister!
"—Calm down, everyone."

However, in response to Enya's heart-wrenching cries and everyone's doubts, Chen Qi's voice was unusually calm.

Facing the bewildered gazes of everyone, Chen Qi stared coldly at "Encia," who lay in a pool of blood, seemingly dead, and said, word by word:

"Shouldn't the game be over by now, Shapeshifter?"

"You transformed into my sister to plot against me? Is all Sarkaz's method so despicable and perverse?"

The moment Chen Qi finished speaking, the body and blood of the fallen "Encia" turned into a pool of jelly-like liquid.

Soon, under Chen Qi's indifferent gaze and the shocked stares of the others, the "jelly" recombine and transform into a genderless, effeminate body.

"...Do you know us?"

The shapeshifter, now revealing its true form, gazed at Chen Qi with a hint of doubt on its face. Chen Qi, whom it did find somewhat familiar, asked calmly:
“There are not many people on this land who know our abilities.”

"And you actually guessed that we're in the Letanian army and would be of no use to you?"

"We're very curious, how did you guess?"

"—It's very simple." Chen Qi stared coldly at the shapeshifter in front of him, saying each word clearly:

“You can become like my sister, and even have her habits, personality and memories.”

"But no matter how well you act, you are still not my sister."

“Encia has always regarded me, her brother, as a second father. She will never disobey my orders.”

"Moreover, even if she did manage to escape from the confinement cell, she wouldn't dare to come to me so openly. Instead, she would put on her gear and blend into my personal guard."

"Finally, my palace is so big, and there isn't even a single guard? This is definitely not my sister's style."

"Therefore, I can conclude that Encia is an imposter!"

After listening to Chen Qi's list of flaws, the shapeshifter remained silent for a long time before finally replying with a regretful tone:
"...Indeed, no matter how we become other people, no matter how perfectly we reenact their emotions and lives, we can never become them."

"Thank you for telling us so much, King Kalan."

"But... a mission is a mission. Now, we can only ask you to die."

(End of this chapter)