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

Chapter 145 Goredia: Emperor, I'm here to drain you.

Goredia didn't even know how she got out of her meditation; she only felt that her movements were stiff, like a walking corpse.

So much so that the moment she stepped out of the meditation room, her two teammates, who were already waiting outside, noticed something was amiss.

"What's wrong, Second Captain? Your face is as pale as a newborn seahorse."

Specter noticed her captain's unusual behavior immediately. After her usual teasing remark, she realized the seriousness of the situation.

Because her second captain seemed not to have heard her words at all, and brushed past her and Skadi.

"...Swordfish, what on earth happened?"

At this moment, even Skadi, who is usually dull and not very good at interpersonal relationships, noticed that something was wrong with Goredia.

She and Ghost Shark quickly stepped forward, reached out and put their hands on Gladys's shoulders, forcing Gladys to meet their gaze.

“…Skadi?” Gradually regaining consciousness, Gladys regained control of her body and whispered her name.

Noticing the dejected look in Goreia's eyes, Skadi couldn't help but ask:

"What exactly happened, Swordfish? What task did the governor give you?"

“I’ve never seen you this panicked, not even when we were facing Isamara.”

"……panic?"

Skadi's words made Goredia gradually realize her lapse in composure.

And what exactly is that emotion that lingers in my heart, an emotion I've never felt before?

Yes, I was panicking.

It's ridiculous, isn't it?

Among the deep-sea hunters, Goredia is one of the top powerhouses, yet she is now experiencing an unprecedented sense of panic over an event that is nothing to the ordinary Agor.

"yes……"

“Skadi, Laurentina, you’re absolutely right, I am indeed afraid.”

Whether it was simply to vent his frustrations, fear that his emotions would overwhelm him, or to let his two teammates know the seriousness of this "mission," he was still going on.

After managing to calm herself down, Greta addressed the two women with a mixture of sadness and resignation:

“I am afraid that my future children will follow in my footsteps.”

“I am afraid that I will become the mother I hate the most.”

"Ugh……"

However, as soon as Greta finished speaking, Skadi and Specter, who never expected her to say that, were both stunned for a moment.

Finally, Skadi looked at Greta's flat stomach with surprise, and after a long while, she asked blankly:

Swordfish, you...are pregnant?

"When did this happen? You didn't spend much time on land, how could this be..."

"—Dear Skadi, although your guess is bold, I think you are wrong."

However, before Skadi could ask any more questions, Specter, who had gradually come to her senses, timely interrupted her best friend's incessant chatter.

At this moment, Specter, who was on the same team as Goredia and therefore had more in common with her, stepped forward with a smile.

"Captain, you don't need to be so nervous."

"It's quite common in Agori for mothers to choose spouses for their daughters."

"If the captain is not satisfied with the spouse chosen for you by Governor Heratia, you can certainly say so~"

She gently held her captain's cold hand, patiently dispelling her fear like a close friend.

However, to Ghost Shark's surprise, her words of comfort had an unusually negative effect.

"If it's a request, I can refuse."

"But Governor Heratia gave me a death order."

Having calmed down and regained her usual cool and aloof demeanor, like the depths of the sea, Goredia shook her head slightly and uttered something that surprised both of her teammates: her "spouse."

“Governor Heratia has commanded me to give birth to the child of the emperor of the land.”

"Ugh?"

As soon as the words were spoken, Specter and Skadi were both stunned, their expressions varying.

Ghost Shark was taken aback by this unexpected choice, and his ruby-like, dazzling eyes reflected a hint of sadness and pity.

Only then did she understand why her captain had such a helpless expression.

Skadi's expression, however, was even more intriguing.

Upon hearing this news, after a moment of silence, a very strange feeling rose from the depths of her heart...

The feeling was like... witnessing one's own kind mating with a humanoid being.

Although I understand and respect it, I still feel uncomfortable to some extent.

Strangely enough, Skadi herself couldn't tell whether Chen Qi or Grandia was the "kindred spirit" in her heart.

Shaking her head to banish the strange feeling from her mind, Skadi, who never thought about things that much, returned to reality and asked Goredia:

Swordfish, don't you like that Emperor?

Whether to comfort Goredia or simply to speak well of Chen Qi, whom she had met before, Skadi spoke up:

"Although he is not an Agorian, he is one of the strongest people on land."

"I thought that, given your personality, you would have a decent feeling about him."

"—This is different, Skadi."

Goredia shook her head bitterly. Always straightforward in her expression, she didn't want to hide her feelings from her teammates, and replied calmly:

"If we are comrades fighting side by side, I acknowledge the emperor's abilities."

"But as a spouse... I would never accept an emperor or a consul as the father of my child."

"...Is it because of the captain's parents?"

Upon hearing this, Ghost Shark, who knew something about his captain's family affairs, finally revealed what was bothering Goredia the most.

Goredia nodded calmly, but her tone was icy and filled with disgust as she said:
"I have never seen my father since I can remember, and I still don't know who he is."

“I don’t know why he and my mother had me, but I know that long before I was born, he no longer cared about me and my mother.”

"Therefore, I have a deep-seated disgust for these men in high positions of power."

“I would never choose a man like that to be the father of my children… They have no sense of family responsibility and only see women as tools for procreation.”

"As for my mother..."

Goredia's tone grew even colder as she said indifferently:
“I loathe my birth mother, and I hate people like her who raise their own daughters as tools and are still indulging in false self-pity, thinking they are great mothers.”

“If possible, I would rather have never had any experience with her, like most Agor families, where the children have no affection for their parents.”

"But now, she intends to rely on her so-called 'nurturing grace' to make me become a mother like her."

"A mother who only cares about pursuing outstanding offspring and is irresponsible for nothing else."

“I…hate becoming someone like her.”

Now that things have come to this, Skadi and Specter finally understand the source of Gladys's grief and anger.

Her past experiences made her deeply resentful of men and irresponsible parents.

Now, she has almost no way to avoid this future and can only watch helplessly as she becomes the kind of person she used to hate the most.

"...I don't know how to advise you, Swordfish."

Skadi remained silent for a long time. Always tongue-tied, after racking her brains to no avail, she could only rely on her intuition to comfort Goredia:

"But I think you might be overly pessimistic."

"Why don't you ask that emperor? See how he treats his children and his wife?" "Perhaps, coming from a land that values ​​emotions, he's more responsible than the Agorians?"

Upon hearing this, Gladys remained silent for a moment, completely disregarding Skadi's words, and simply replied:
“Even if it’s just to make me happy, it’s still an improvement for you, Skadi.”

"But... even for a land dweller, how much familial affection can there be for a child born to a woman with whom they have no feelings?"

After saying this, Goredia couldn't help but sigh, and after closing her eyes, all her resentment and bitterness turned into a tear that could never fall.

Since she could remember, Goredia had never shed a single tear.

Her excellence, her pride, and her sense of responsibility prevent her from easily showing her weakness in front of others.

Today's emotional breakdown may be the last time I confide in anyone.

The silence lasted for a long time. Finally, when Grandia opened her eyes again, under the gaze of Specter and Skadi, there was no longer a trace of hesitation in the captain's eyes.

Instead, they were presented with the same cold, unwavering gaze they knew all too well, the gaze that showed no hesitation or confusion when carrying out missions.

"Captain, you..."

"—Laurentina, stop talking."

Before Ghost Shark could speak, Grandia resumed her absolutely indifferent tone, clearly demonstrating her determination.

“A mission is a mission. Even if we don’t want to do it, we must carry it out if it’s for Agor’s future.”

"Now, I will give you the instructions for this mission."

Goredia weighed the long spear in her hand once more, and after ensuring that her weapon was in good condition, she solemnly gave the order:
“If the people on the other side of the land aren’t too stupid, they must already know our purpose and be on high alert.”

"Therefore, we may need to overcome numerous difficulties in order to achieve our mission objectives."

"Ghost Shark, Orca, you two are responsible for delaying the enemy's attack."

"I...I will personally go and obtain the emperor's genes!"

……

"You mean, in order to maintain the alliance between the land and Agor, you might need to arrange a marriage with an Agorian woman?"

"And if you don't have a child with that Agor woman, they'll try every means to get your genes?"

Inside the house that Agor had prepared for his friends on land, Jian listened to Chen Qi's explanation and gained a sufficient understanding of their current situation.

For Chen Qi himself, this feeling was not pleasant.

He felt as if he had become some kind of medieval beauty who brought ruin to the country, and that two forces would fight over his virginity, causing tens of thousands of soldiers to shed blood.

But he wasn't a beauty, and he was no longer a virgin...

Chen Qi had no choice but to suppress his complicated feelings. After nodding, he solemnly explained to Jian:
"In fact, even if it's not for the purpose of inheritance, they need my genes to improve the Deep Sea Hunters in order to resist the Sea Insects."

"If it's just for this reason, I can cooperate."

“But I cannot ignore Agor’s spying on our land civilization.”

"Therefore, the best way to prevent the Agorians from abusing my genes is to let them see the offspring who have inherited my genes and make them think that their plan has succeeded."

"But in reality, this child will be completely free from the control of the Agors. He will be raised by me personally, rather than becoming a tool for the Agors to conquer the land."

As he spoke, Chen Qi turned his gaze to Jian, the woman he truly cherished most.

"Of course, Jian, I respect your wishes."

“If you have any concerns, you can tell me now. I will refuse Agor’s request even at the risk of damaging our alliance.”

"—Qi, you don't need to ask me such questions at all."

However, when faced with Chen Qi's serious question, Jian only remained silent for a moment before giving him a submissive smile, just like always.

"You know I will always stand on your side."

"If you feel that you need to marry an Agor woman in order to reassure Agor to stand with us, then go ahead and make that decision."

"You are the emperor of the land. All I can do is be a woman who silently supports you."

However, as if afraid that Chen Qi might not be at ease, Jian also expressed her views as a woman with exceptional candor, saying:

“I admit that I feel more and more unhappy every time you have another woman, but it’s just a family matter.”

"Don't let our family matters cloud your judgment, Qi."

"...Thank you, Jian, thank you so much."

Although it was the answer Chen Qi had anticipated, when he heard Jian's words of encouragement and support, he felt gratified, but at the same time, he had already made a decision that went against Kal'tsit's previous plan.

He decided that he would confront Heratia the next day, completely rejecting Agor's marriage proposal and the plan to study his genes to produce offspring.

Chen Qi didn't want to let down the woman in front of him, the woman he loved most who was so devoted to him.

Chen Qi had no desire to marry a stranger who didn't love him at all and only wanted to get something from him.

No matter how beautiful this woman is, it's the same.

Chen Qi's only pursuit in matters of the heart is genuine affection.

With this thought, Chen Qi, whose inner knot had been untied, regained his lively spirit.

Before Jian could react, the next second, she felt Chen Qi lift her up from the chair, his feet moving closer to the soft mattress in the room.

"Are you trying to die?!"

In the past, she always took the initiative, but this time, when Jian was suddenly attacked, she became unusually shy.

However, the response she received was a deep, loving kiss from Chen Qi, and his rather touching words whispered in her ear:
“Jian, I will not marry Agor’s woman, nor will I give Agor’s woman the chance to bear my offspring.”

"The mother of my first biological child can only be you, Jian."

"Let's not delay, let's have our first child now."

"Let those scientists in Agor be envious of my genes all they want, I'll let them be envious but they won't get them!"

“...Bastard, tyrant.”

Hearing Chen Qi's whisper in her ear, her heart pounded. After muttering a few curses in response, she still couldn't suppress the trembling in her heart.

She knew that what her man had just said was absolutely sincere.

This was the second time in Jian's memory that Chen Qi had made an unwise choice for himself.

But... how could Jian bear to criticize his lover's occasional absurdity?

For a moment, Jian completely gave up all resistance and, for the first time, chose to submit and let her man manipulate her body.

But at that moment, a sudden loud noise from the front door interrupted all the actions of the couple who were deeply in love.

"Who?!"

She didn't even have time to put on her coat before she realized someone had broken in and reacted quickly.

She quickly broke free from Chen Qi's grasp, immediately raised her greatsword hanging on the weapon rack, and stared solemnly at the three familiar figures stepping in from outside.

Jian and Chen Qi naturally recognized these three uninvited deep-sea hunters.

As for the Jinlu Fawei and the Da Yan Imperial Guards who were responsible for guarding outside, they had long since fallen into a deep sleep and seemed not to have even put up any resistance.

"you……"

"I'm sorry to interrupt your enjoyment, Emperor of the Land and Miss Jian."

"But unfortunately, the mating rituals on land may need to be postponed."

With just a glance at the room, the leader, Gretia, knew what the two were planning to do.

However, none of this could shake her mind. She was like a cold machine, indifferently carrying out all the instructions she was supposed to do.

"Now, I ask the emperor of the land to cooperate with my work."

"Otherwise, I will have to take some tough measures to extract your genes."

(End of this chapter)