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

Chapter 82 A Changed Future, Theresa's Survival?
"I see."

"So many things happened after I died?"

After a dizzying rush of memories flooding his brain, Chen Qi finally returned to reality from the simulation.

Perhaps it was the relief of glimpsing the future and witnessing the empire he had given everything to protect finally achieve a reasonably good ending.

Or perhaps, they witnessed firsthand the pain and changes that their departure brought to the people they loved.

After returning to reality, Chen Qi immediately wiped away the few drops of moisture from the corners of his eyes, sighed, and lay down on the bench, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.

Logically speaking, Chen Qi had already given everything for Letania in the second simulation and fulfilled his responsibilities as emperor.

He may have let many people down, but he has definitely done right by Letania.

Now that he's back in reality, whatever Letania's fate may be, he should accept it with equanimity.

But after a long silence, Chen Qi finally opened his eyes and murmured to himself:

"...No, at the very least, I still want to see it with my own eyes."

"At least, go see Jian, and Viviana, Gertrude, and Vina..."

"Regardless of how they are doing now, and why any of them chose to betray me."

"I need to go and find out the truth."

At the very least, he should tell those who loved him so that they would no longer grieve for his death.

This is a responsibility he should bear.

It is also a responsibility to those who love you.

Just as Chen Qi made up his mind, the landline on his desk suddenly rang, pulling him back to reality.

"Hey?"

"Is that Dr. Chen Qi? He's been a huge help!"

On the other end of the phone, the busy voice of a Rhodes Island medical operator came through:
"Dr. Kal'tsit is temporarily unavailable! Everyone in the medical department is already overwhelmed!"

"It just so happens that we have an officer returning from an overseas assignment who needs to be tested for Oripathy infection. We are really short-handed. Could we trouble Dr. Chen Qi?"

"of course."

Back in reality, Chen Qi, as a doctor at Rhodes Island, was quite competent, casually asking while making notes on his worksheet:
"By the way, please give me the code names of the operators who need to be checked."

"Oh, I almost forgot." The medical department operative realized what was happening, but then uttered a code name that made Chen Qi pause in his tracks.

"It's Miss Rinko."

"...Near Light?"

Just as Chen Qi was stunned, the AI ​​door lock in his office emitted a recognition sound.

"Identity confirmed. Operator Nearl. You have made an appointment in advance. Please come in."

"excuse me."

As the door opened, a crisp, familiar female voice soon rang in Chen Qi's ears.

Under his gaze, Margaret Nearl, much older than he remembered, clad in knight's armor and wielding a golden lance, smiled and introduced herself:

"Hello, you must be Dr. Chen Qi, who recently joined Rhodes Island? I am operator Nearl."

"I've just returned from a mission, and I hope you can—"

But before Margaret could explain her purpose...

The next second, when her gaze fell on Chen Qi's face, which he had unconsciously raised, that familiar face buried deep in his memory.

Margaret's entire body trembled violently.

Even the hand gripping the golden spear unconsciously exerted a bit more force.

This also alerted Margaret to something amiss, as there was a female Sarkaz, dressed as a pardoner, hiding her curvaceous figure in a black robe, behind her.

As an operator who has been Margaret's partner for a long time, the observant Shining is aware of almost all of Margaret's little actions.

She couldn't understand Margaret, who was always calm and composed no matter what formidable enemy or dire situation she faced.

Why do I feel nervous and afraid when I see this man?

Clearly, Margaret did not mention her humiliating past to Shining.

But when Margaret saw Chen Qi's face again, the face that would still reappear in her nightmares...

After a moment of panic, what rose in Margaret's heart was a deep sense of humiliation that she had never forgotten.

And a fury powerful enough to burn away reason!
"Emperor of Letania!!!"

"I'll kill you!!!"

Enraged, Margaret, who lost all reason in an instant, raised her spear and roared as she unleashed a full-force attack on Chen Qi in front of her!
At that moment, even Shining didn't have time to react.

With Margaret's all-out charge, the spear in her hand reached between Chen Qi's eyebrows in an instant.

It didn't even take a fraction of a second for Margaret to pierce the face that filled her with fear, humiliation, and anger.

And under her gaze.

Sitting in the chair, Chen Qi remained calm, as if he hadn't even reacted.

But soon, Margaret realized she was wrong.

Because Chen Qi's lips moved slightly.

"boom--!!"

"Fa, what happened?"

The sudden and intense tremor affected almost the entire Rhodes Island.

All the operators on Rhodes Island stumbled as a result.

Many of the officers resting in their dormitories were so frightened by the strong tremors that they fell off their beds.

But before Amiya could react in the command center, Kal'tsit, who had also felt the tremor in the archives, made a call.

"What's going on, Amiya? Is a natural disaster striking?"

"No, Dr. Kal'tsit, we haven't detected any signs of natural disaster."

While Amiya had everyone in command center inspect the ships, she anxiously reported:
"Was the ship damaged... in front of Dr. Chen Qi's office?"

"Dispatch combat agents immediately!"

Upon hearing the name "Chen Qi," Kal'tsit in the communication channel seemed to vaguely recall something and immediately gave the order:
"I'll go there myself. Medical personnel, be prepared for any possible emergency treatment!"

Meanwhile, in Chen Qi's office.

Shining turned her head slightly, her gaze blank, and looked behind her at Margaret, who had been blasted away by a powerful repulsive spell. She remained motionless for a long time.

Even Shining, whose strength is so great that he surpasses many "Emperor's Blades," was shocked by what he just witnessed.

No one could see clearly how Chen Qi blocked Margaret's attack and sent her flying.

Even Shining herself wasn't confident she could survive Margaret's sudden, all-out attack.

Even with her sharp eyesight, she couldn't see when Chen Qi in front of her had cast the spell.

He didn't even use a staff, nor did he utter a spell.

He simply used magic to block, a conditioned reflex, and neutralized the full-force attack of a powerful figure like Margaret?
She even defeated Margaret with a single counterattack?

Is this... the skill that an ordinary doctor should possess?
Even the Leitanian emperor who was once hailed as a "god" was probably no better than this, wasn't he?
Despite having countless questions in her mind, Shining immediately became concerned about the condition of her defeated friend.

"Lin Guang?"

When Shining turned and ran to Margaret, whose body had pierced through the door and crashed into Rhodes Island's steel wall, Shining was there.

Even with Shining's composure, she couldn't help but gasp.

Margaret's armor was shattered almost completely by the magic, like a mirror being smashed by a giant hammer.

Margaret's face was deathly pale, and she was completely out of consciousness. A trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth was enough to prove that her internal organs had ruptured.

If Shining hadn't been able to sense Margaret's heartbeat, she would have suspected that Margaret had already been killed.

Such a cruel heart.

Shining couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

“Margaret, hang in there, I’ll use magic to heal you right away.”

Shining instinctively reached for Margaret's hand, intending to channel healing magic into her body.

Behind her, Chen Qi's calm and composed voice suddenly rang out.

"Leave it to me."

The moment Chen Qi's voice rang out, Shining, who had just witnessed her defeat Margaret with a single blow, couldn't help but tremble slightly.

But before Shining could react, Margaret's hand had already been taken by Chen Qi.

As Chen Qi cast healing spells according to his memory of the Witch King's legacy, he casually said to Shining:
"Let me make this clear first, she attacked me first, and I only retaliated in self-defense."

"If the other people from Rhodes Island come, you'll have to be my witness."

“…I understand. Margaret acted impulsively.” Chen Qi was relieved to see Shining agree.

Having always treated patients with traditional Chinese medicine, this was the first time he had used magic to try and cure Margaret.

The results were even more effective than he had imagined.

With Shining's help, Margaret's complexion gradually regained its rosy hue after falling into a coma, and she quickly regained consciousness, struggling to lift her head.

"The Shining..."

“I…I saw…that emperor…”

"That emperor who brought shame upon the Lightbringer family...who slaughtered Kazimierz..."

"Kill him...quickly..."

"Otherwise... even more people will die..."

"Near Light, your reason has been clouded by the nightmare in your heart."

Shining calmly replied:

"The emperor you mentioned has been dead for more than ten years, as you know."

"Now, Dr. Chen and I are treating you. You must promise me that once you regain consciousness, you will never act impulsively again."

Chen Qi, who had been listening attentively, was somewhat taken aback as he looked at Margaret, whom he had nearly killed with a single blow, still grumbling indignantly.

It seems that what he said to Margaret in order to force her to surrender in Kazimierz had left her with considerable psychological trauma.

This has already developed into PTSD.

However, looking at Margaret, who is still suffering psychological torment because of him, Chen Qi still has no regrets about his choice.

From his personal perspective, he might feel guilty about the trauma he caused Margaret.

But from his perspective as the emperor at the time, what he did was the optimal solution.

If one does not demonstrate strength on the land one has conquered, the land of Kazimir may never settle down.

In that case, Kazimierz will only shed more meaningless blood.

"what happened?!"

Just as Chen Qi and Shining were using magic to almost completely heal Margaret's internal injuries, Rhodes Island's combat operators finally arrived at the scene.

However, among his companions was Zuo Le, who had recently left Chen Qi's office and was responsible for protecting him.

But soon, when everyone discovered that Nearl, the Radiant Knight, one of the strongest fighters on Rhodes Island, was on the verge of death, they couldn't help but gasp in shock.

"Your Highness—Brother Chen Qi! Are you alright?"

Zuo Le immediately stepped out from the crowd and went to Chen Qi's side, asking anxiously:
"Who attacked you? I'm going to chase after the assassin right away!"

"No, it's just... a small misunderstanding."

After completing his treatment, Chen Qi explained nonchalantly:

"This Radiant Knight seems to have mistaken me for someone else and impulsively attacked me."

"Fortunately, after traveling around for so many years, I have some little life-saving gadgets on me, otherwise I would be the one lying here."

"I see."

Zuo Le, who knew Chen Qi's identity as the third prince, had no doubt about Chen Qi's statement.

But Chen Qi didn't realize just how explosive his words were in the ears of the Rhodes Island operators.

You call this a life-saving gadget?

However, for the Rhodes Island operators, Chen Qi's explanation was much more acceptable than the claim that Nearl was beaten up by him.

Only Shining, who knew the truth, opened her mouth slightly but remained silent.

After all, if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed that Nearl could be subdued so easily.

This made Shining a little suspicious of Chen Qi's identity, who was standing calmly beside her.

Such temperament and composure... are not qualities that an ordinary doctor would possess.

Moreover, Margaret seems to have just mistaken him for the Leitanian emperor who died more than a decade ago.
But that emperor should have died more than a decade ago while fighting against evil spirits.

However, his strength is indeed far superior to Margaret's.

But Dr. Chen Qi is not a Capri-Nezha at all!
For a moment, countless questions flashed through Shining's mind, and she was somewhat confused about the situation.

"—Since it was Nearl who made the first move, then Dr. Chen Qi's response was perfectly appropriate."

Just then, Kal'tsit's cool voice rang out, and with the other operators making way for her, she went straight to Chen Qi.

This time, when her gaze fell upon Chen Qi's familiar face, Kal'tsit frowned imperceptibly.

Kal'tsit now understands why Margaret had a stress reaction.

Even she, if she hadn't known that Chen Qi's dragon horns could not possibly be a disguise, would have mistaken Chen Qi for that cruel emperor.

"Doctor Kelsey."

Upon Kal'tsit's arrival, Zuo Le, as Chen Qi's bodyguard, immediately and solemnly questioned her:

"Your agents, under your control, have inexplicably and ruthlessly murdered citizens of our Great Yan!"

"Although I am a member of the Si Sui Tai (a government agency), I am also an official of the Great Yan Dynasty. I cannot tolerate such an incident!"

"I urge you to provide an explanation immediately, or I will write to His Majesty and request his judgment!"

"I will handle this matter, Agent Zuo Le."

Feeling a lingering fear, Kal'tsit quickly shifted her gaze to Margaret, who was struggling to get up after recovering from her injuries.

But before Margaret could speak, Kal'tsit calmly interrupted:
“Nearlight, I think you should first apologize to Dr. Chen Qi for your impulsiveness.”

“I know your past, and I know you hate that emperor, but you shouldn’t impose your grudges on someone who looks similar.”

"Dr. Chen Qi practiced medicine in the Great Yan Dynasty and spent the first half of his life within its borders; these are all official records."

“He is definitely not the person you hate, you should know that very well.”

"...This is my fault, Dr. Kal'tsit."

However, Margaret, having regained her rationality, realized that her impulsiveness had almost led to disaster.

The next second, without hesitation, the Radiant Knight knelt on one knee before Chen Qi, bowing deeply in a solemn knightly salute and saying:

"I am very sorry, Dr. Chen Qi. As a knight... I was blinded by hatred."

"According to the laws of East Qazimir, those who wantonly kill the innocent should atone with their lives."

With that, Margaret held the spear in both hands and presented it to Chen Qi, ignoring the astonished gazes of the other operators around her, and said:
"I have no right to call myself a knight. You may take my life at any time."

After saying that, Margaret calmly closed her eyes, accepting her fate with an air of resignation.

While Shining and the other Rhodes Island operators were in an uproar because of Nearl's appearance.

Kal'tsit, however, was weighing in her mind whether Nearl's actions were enough to quell the reaction from the Great Yan.

After all, compared to Margaret's current hometown, East Kazimierz, the Great Yan, which had not been ravaged by war, was indeed much more important.

In particular, she could already guess that Chen Qi held a very important position in the Great Yan.

When things really come to a standstill, Kal'tsit still has to think about the choices she has to make.

"—May I interject?"

Suddenly, a gentle voice, soft enough to soften everyone's heart, rang out in the corridor without warning.

Accompanied by a series of clear footsteps, the gentle voice drew closer to Chen Qi, whispering:
“Nearlight operator did make a serious mistake, but since Dr. Chen Qi retaliated by almost killing Nearlight operator.”

"So, how about we consider this a clean break?"

"If you, Agent Nearl, are willing to tell Dr. Chen Qi about your past."

"I think that with Dr. Chen Qi's magnanimity and broad-mindedness, he will understand your impulsiveness, won't he?"

"That way, we won't become enemies because of a misunderstanding, but instead we can become trusted comrades-in-arms."

As the footsteps grew closer, all the Rhodes Island operators made way for the newcomers.

Many of the Sarkaz operators even bowed slightly to this beautiful figure as a sign of respect.

When Kal'tsit saw the person who had come to her rescue, her usually cold expression softened slightly, and she softly called out the person's name.

"Theresa, you're here too."

"Hmm, there's been a bit of a stir here, I think we should come and take a look."

Theresa, with her slender figure and long, light pink hair, smiled and nodded.

Despite being a symbol of "demon," Sarkaz exudes an aura of saintly tolerance and kindness.

Upon seeing the newcomer, even Chen Qi, who was once the most powerful emperor on the Terra continent, showed a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Theresa?

Was she also someone who survived because she changed the future?

(End of this chapter)