Ark Undead

Including the situation in Kalan, the events in the Scroll World aren't fully resolved yet. After all, with something like the Dragon Head Stone being brought out, there's bound to be other people and things that will appear. In any case, from the moment I referenced the storyline, the game's background has remained permanently at that point.

I'm not entirely satisfied with Volume 4; it feels a bit rambling.

My brothers have reminded me of this many times, and I appreciate everyone's corrections. I'm working on it.

Overall, it was still very enjoyable, at least I really enjoyed writing the last three long chapters.

As for Big Daddy, I can only say, like Soge, it's not over yet, it's not over yet, he'll have another chance to appear later. (Maybe in volume five.)

The promised silver treasure chest—the one only those who have added it to their collection can see—I'll post it in a couple of days. Consider it compensation for my filler content, and also a heads-up to those who have been waiting for more updates: it's almost time to start reading! Volume 4 is finished, so we've achieved a milestone.

Starting with Volume 5, the story becomes entirely original. While there will still be some connections to the Arknights storyline, they won't be too extensive. It's time to reveal the relationship between the First Flame and Terra, and to introduce many old friends!

Alright, that's about it. Next up is the exciting preview for Volume 5! Updates will start tomorrow!

Volume Five: A Nation Where the Torch is Passed Down

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248. Melantha and Kroos's Special Plan!

"Doctor, you still have a lot of work to do. Now is not the time to rest."

The strange man in the black hooded suit sat up as if he had sprung from the table, his eyes, hidden behind the mask, filled with terror.

When he came to his senses, he found that his right hand was being held by another soft hand.

The doctor looked to his right and saw little Amiya, who was sleeping on the table just like him.

His cheek rested on the table, and the iconic rabbit ears of the Catus people drooped down, hanging down his cheeks and covering one eye.

The drool from the corner of his mouth spread a little across the table, making him look exceptionally cute.

It was only then that the PhD student realized he had simply fallen asleep while working and had a nightmare.

After figuring out the situation, the doctor breathed a sigh of relief and slumped back in his chair.

It was already the early morning of the third day after returning from the core city, and the Doctor still hadn't had a proper night's sleep.

I have more paperwork to do these days than ever before.

It wasn't that Kal'tsit was deliberately being lazy; rather, she had many other things to do, such as receiving envoys from other factions and negotiating with them at the conference table. Therefore, Kal'tsit had to entrust some of the extra paperwork to the Doctor and Amiya.

What are the elite operators doing?

Many elite operators were injured to varying degrees in the last battle, and most of them are slowly recovering.

Ace was in good physical condition and returned to work after a day's rest, overseeing the supply of goods from Lungmen to Rhodes Island. He had practically been sleeping in the warehouse for the past few days. Scout, on the other hand, had other work to do. He had just returned to Rhodes Island and, without even having a day to rest, left Rhodes Island alone.

The other operators also had their own tasks. Many elite operators who rushed back temporarily left Rhodes Island immediately after participating in the battle of the core city and returned to their own work.

The paperwork itself isn't particularly difficult, but it can be tedious. For PhD students, it involves repeatedly reading and offering their own suggestions.

Amiya couldn't escape either; at Kal'tsit's request, Amiya and the Doctor became in cahoots.

This period can be described as the rise of Rhodes Island's business, with a constant stream of communications from all over the world and exchanges with various forces.

You can always see people from other factions on Rhodes Island, and some of them have even met many elite operators.

Karan Trade, representing Sherag, did not appear at this time. They had already contacted Rhodes Island before the Core City incident and did not choose to disturb Rhodes Island's work at this time.

The doctor has spent almost the entire last two or three days sitting in his office and hasn't gone out at all.

Every day, I eat the nutritious meals that Furong delivers.

Oh right, it wasn't Hibiscus's own recipe, it was Kal'tsit's. At least Kal'tsit isn't too demanding of the Doctor when it comes to diet.

The pile of documents and contracts next to it is now almost empty.

Thanks to Amiya, who always whispered words in the Doctor's ear just as he was about to fall asleep.

Doctor, there's still a lot of work to do; you can't rest now.

This sentence is now almost giving the doctor PTSD. As soon as it is uttered, his pupils shrink and his breathing quickens.

As for Amiya, she had just broken through one of the restrictions on her power in the core city, and her body had suffered a huge energy shock, so she needed to rest for a while.

But it was just assisting the doctor with paperwork. For her, it was a kind of rest in another sense.

After all, those physical exercises and combat training have been canceled. Amiya usually just sits quietly next to the Doctor, occasionally providing him with information that he doesn't yet know.

Even so, Amiya still chose to work with the Doctor, staying up late every night until he did.

The doctor withdrew his hand from Amiya's palm, gently ruffled her hair, grabbed her coat hanging on the chair, and draped it over Amiya's shoulders.

Amiya slightly twisted her body and pulled her clothes to adjust the angle.

The doctor stood up from his seat, stretched, and yawned.

With a large amount of oxygen entering his brain, the doctor's condition improved slightly.

Having just woken up, the professor decided to make himself a cup of coffee or see if there was anything to eat.

Limiting his movements so as not to wake Amiya, the Doctor carefully left the office.

After closing the office door, the doctor looked up at the Originium Energy supply screen embedded in the wall. The time displayed in the upper right corner showed that it was 1 a.m.

He vaguely remembered that the last time he was awake and checked the time was around 10 p.m., which meant he had slept for more than two hours...

I wonder if the cafeteria is still open at this time.

In any case, there are still shops open 24 hours a day on Rhodes Island, just to provide a place for operators who return in the early hours of the morning to eat and relax.

The doctor took the elevator to the deck level.

As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, the doctor was momentarily blinded by the neon lights still lit up on the deck.

Upon closer inspection, it was clear that bars and convenience stores were still open at this time.

However, the hungry professor still decided to take a look at the cafeteria.

"It would be nice if there was fried meat."

He muttered to himself, "Who can resist eating a delicious fried chicken leg in the early hours of the morning?"

No one can resist the allure of a fried chicken leg; if one can, then two will do.

With his dream in mind, the doctoral student followed the road to the cafeteria.

The cool moonlight shone through the glass overhead onto the road. The Doctor breathed in the night air of Rhodes Island and couldn't help but sigh.

It feels so quiet.

Since being awakened in Chernobog, he has been tirelessly involved in efforts to stop the Reunion Movement.

Before she could even get used to everything at Rhodes Island, she had already started working there.

I don't usually have a chance to properly look at Rhodes Island at night, but seeing it today gave me a sense of relief that everything has finally settled down.

Although there is still a lot of paperwork to do, at least I don't have to worry about who I'll have to fight with tomorrow.

For a while now, I can relax and adjust properly...

Before the doctor could even process what was happening, he heard a sound coming from the bushes nearby.

"?" The doctor turned around, looking at the bushes with some confusion. After a while, he heard a soft sound coming from the artificially planted bushes.

It was the voice of two girls, one of whom spoke somewhat nervously.

"Little...Little Ke, are you really sure this is okay? If we get caught, we'll definitely be put in solitary confinement, right?"

"Little Ke! I'm hungry! Let's swipe the card tomorrow! That'll be fine!"

"But...why don't we just buy it at a convenience store? Why do we have to come to the cafeteria to find these ingredients? Aren't you someone who can eat anything?"

"But! The Undead doesn't like that! He prefers raw meat cooked!"

When the girl called Xiao Ke talked about the immortals, her voice got a little louder, and she sounded very excited.

"Xiao Mei! Let me tell you something! Kroos uses chunks of meat! And he doesn't kill people! He must really like roasted meat! Even though he doesn't eat it!"

"Huh?? Tell me more?"

Before the little girl named Kroos could even speak, the two of them emerged from the bushes.

From their perspective, an unidentified person wearing full protective gear was standing in front of them.

The moonlight shone on his back, obscuring his face; only his figure could be vaguely seen in the cool moonlight.

And this hooded oddball was standing right in front of them.

"What are you doing?"

The purple kitten and the golden puppy looked at the doctor, and the things they were carrying fell to the ground.

The little purple cat stared blankly, then involuntarily opened her mouth and murmured something.

"Oops..."

...

two minutes later

In the 24-hour convenience store, Melanie and Kroos had two bottles of orange juice in front of them, both with their heads down.

Even the two ears on Kroos's head drooped down, as if she knew she had done something wrong.

That's all.

On the other side, the doctor spoke to the officers on duty at the cashier.

"Could you please reheat it? Thank you."

The Doctor took the heated bread and milk from the operator, placed them on the table, and sat down gently.

Looking at Melantha and Kroos, the Doctor was somewhat puzzled.

"Drink up, why won't you drink?"

Upon hearing the doctor's words, Kroos and Melantha exchanged a glance, then picked up their glasses of orange juice and took a small sip.

Melanie put it down directly, while Kroos drank it all in one gulp, then wiped his mouth with a hearty gesture, looking as if he still wanted more.

"Want more?"