Ark Undead

"It sounds like a kind of illusion."

"Yes, you can understand it that way, but for us, dreams are not just an illusion; they are an extension of reality."

After thinking for a moment, Greta spoke.

"To put it another way, what we call dreams is like pushing back time by a few years or decades."

"Such dreams are based on our understanding of reality, the facts we know, and the whispers we can hear."

“I know you and Skadi have a good relationship, Mr. Undead. You should also know that Skadi has never been able to sleep well. Sometimes, just a little noise will wake her up.”

That's true. When the Undead first met Skadi, she asked him more than once where he bought the firewood, which had a calming effect.

In reality, the firewood used by the undead is just ordinary firewood; only the flames are different, and the people who light the campfires are different as well.

On those sleepless nights, Skadi would always see that extraordinary future.

"It's like a kind of prophecy, but such dreams will change as we learn more."

"Normally, we only enter such dreams when we feel tired and have to go to sleep."

"We struggle with the nightmares in our hearts and try to stay awake; this is something we cannot escape."

As she spoke, Greta glanced at Laurentina beside her.

Laurentina remained silent, not uttering a single word. When she sensed Grandia's gaze, Laurentina simply turned her head slightly, tilting it at Grandia and looking at her with a puzzled expression.

"Lauren Tina's condition has stabilized, but she is still at the boundary between dreams and reality."

"In her dreams, she comes into direct contact with many mysterious things. And this ring allows her to maintain a sliver of her mind to control her body even while she is asleep."

Laurentina's bite ring serves precisely this purpose.

"However, due to the effects of the Originium solution on her body, the dream is working on Laurentina's mind every minute."

"Sometimes she would be briefly lucid, but more often than not, she would be captured by her dreams and forced to sink into those dreamlike state."

"So we must also go back to Agor to find a way, at least I know that somewhere there is something that can maintain mental stability."

That's all that Goredia had to say about dreams.

The doctor immediately asked.

"What about Emergency Rational Elixir? Have you tried it?"

“I tried it. When Specter first arrived at Rhodes Island, I tried using that thing to maintain her mental stability.”

Kal'tsit is the most qualified to speak on this matter. After all, she was the attending physician during Specter's treatment.

Without Kal'tsit, Specter might not have survived until the Undead arrived.

"It's no use. Ghost Shark's situation is different from yours. Her mind isn't broken; it's more like she's trapped in a state of stagnation, becoming a kind of 'cocoon.'"

The metaphor of the cocoon is very vivid, as it is like being locked up and unable to see the reality.

"Is that so..."

The doctor naturally rested his chin on his hand, and his thoughts quickly began to wander.

"In short, this is something that every generation of Deepsea Hunters encounters. It's just that it wasn't as serious in the past as it is now. The whispers in our ears weren't as frequent either."

"Greteia lowered her eyes and said."

"We are no longer able to fall asleep peacefully and enter that dream in peace."

"This is a curse, a curse that has followed the Deepsea Hunters since the day we were born."

"And now everything we know points to that city, our hometown."

Agor.

"So, does Iberia have deep-sea hunters?"

After a brief moment of thought, the doctor immediately came to his senses and continued to inquire about the details of the meeting.

"No, I can guarantee that."

Goredia shook her head.

“Deepsea hunters are connected by blood, and within a certain range, we can sense each other’s presence. I have traversed most of the borders of Iberia. Apart from the faint traces left by Skadi that led me to follow Lady Kal'tsit to Rhodes Island, I have not found any other traces.”

"If there are still deep-sea hunters wandering outside, then..."

Goredia didn't finish her sentence, but everyone understood what it meant.

Goredia only said that she dreams, but didn't mention what she would become if she didn't leave the dream world.

Everyone here knows what Laurentina used to look like.

If those are all minor matters, then the fate of the hunter who truly sinks into the dream is self-evident.

They had long since detached themselves from their original forms, plunging into the deep sea and transforming into wild beasts.

"Then, I have secured for you the right to operate legally within Iberia."

Kal'tsit chose to speak at this moment.

“I made a deal with that Grand Inquisitor, and the result of that deal is you.”

Kal'tsit pushed the keepsake on the table toward Goredia.

"This time, the history of Iberia will be opened to you. If you are confident that you can find your way home through this fragmented history, then..."

Goredia stared at the lamp-shaped statue on the table, preparing to make a move.

But another fair hand had already reached out and taken the lamp statue in its hand.

Laurentina, still in a daze, took the lamp statue and clutched it tightly in her hand.

Although her consciousness was still hazy, her intuition had already made the choice for her.

Goredia withdrew her outstretched hand and then turned her gaze to Kal'tsit.

"It seems that someone on our team has already made a decision."

...

The meeting ended quickly; it was nothing more than a collaboration witnessed by multiple parties.

Kal'tsit did not represent Rhodes Island, but the Church of Iberia. Her purpose was simply to deliver the invitation to the Deepsea Hunters.

Kal'tsit herself naturally hoped that the Deepsea Hunter could set aside his pride as an Agorian and accept the invitation.

As it turned out, despite her arrogance, Goredia was very aware of her situation.

They did not make foolish decisions because of so-called face-saving.

The one who didn't die was there as an "insider" to listen in.

The fact that Goredia tacitly approved of this behavior proves that she values ​​the undead and considers them as companions.

Moreover, probably no one understands Agor's meaning better than the Doctor and the Undead.

The Undead did not linger; he needed to return and sort through the fragments of memories he had obtained when Minos picked up the broken blade of the Spiral Sword.

After bowing to the Doctor and Kal'tsit, Gladys left.

Finally, only the Doctor, Kal'tsit, and Amiya remained in the entire conference room.

Neither the Doctor nor Kal'tsit spoke, and the atmosphere was very strange.

Amiya obediently indicated that she still had documents to process and left first, leaving the time to the two adults.

As the conference room door closed, Kal'tsit turned her head toward the Doctor.

Kal'tsit didn't know why, but after returning to Rhodes Island, she felt that the familiar person in front of her seemed to have changed.

He seemed to have returned to his original self, but that strange gentleness was mixed with an incomprehensible indifference.

Such indifference didn't even send chills down one's spine; instead, it brought Kal'tsit a sense of relief.

This feeling is both very familiar and very strange.

"you..."

Just as Kal'tsit was about to speak, the Doctor raised his hand.

He put his index finger to his lips and shook his head slightly at Kal'tsit.

“I know you want to talk to me, Kal'tsit.”

The Doctor's tone when speaking to Kal'tsit was no longer as usual; it carried a hint of pleading and caution.

Instead, it's about relaxation and exhaustion.

"But now is not the time; you've still forgotten who you are."

His words were slow and forceful, piercing Kal'tsit's eardrums little by little.

"I'll wait until you find the truth. Only then will you break through the spiky shell that has grown over thousands of years and reveal your true form."

387. Voyage

Before heading to Iberia, there was naturally a lot of preparation work to be done. Goredia and the others wouldn't return to their homeland unprepared.

Rhodes Island will also be sending a number of personnel, including a heavyweight.

Kal'tsit.

Yes, Kal'tsit was once again in charge of negotiations between Rhodes Island and Iberia and Agor. And surprisingly, this outcome was approved by the Doctor.

It's important to understand that the Doctor, with his expertise in memory restoration, was the perfect candidate to address Agor's problem. However, instead of going to Iberia himself, he entrusted the task to Kal'tsit.

Moreover, Kal'tsit actually consulted with the Doctor before arriving at the best conclusion.

As for the Doctor himself, according to him, he recently received an invitation from the Silver Grey family head and might go to Sherag.

It is said that something big will happen in Sherag. Even Snowfall, who had been staying on Rhodes Island, returned to Mount Kallan after saying goodbye to the Undead, and Horn Peak also left.

The first snow will come looking for the Undead, not because of the Undead themselves, but because of the painter who ignited the first flame in the Undead's heart.

As the current "god" of Kalan, the Dragon Girl Painter can be said to be the embodiment of Kalan's will. Of course, to define her so simply would be to ignore the remnants of the Age of Fire.

However, for the Undead, items from the Age of Fire are no longer so important.

Having regained some of their memories from the early days of Terra, the Undead's obsession with the Age of Fire is no longer as strong.