Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

"Amiya? Are you awake?"

"Ms. Nuoya, why am I here in front of you..."

"It's okay, you're not seriously injured, and this is also my Kuro's fault. To be on the safe side, I've asked Miss Huang to go to the medical department, and we'll go to Dr. Kal'tsit to check you out as well."

"I'm fine!" Amiya said quickly, "I was just confused after being hit."

"Well... I think it should be fine, but it's just to be safe." Noah said with a smile, "Besides, I have other things to do with Dr. Kel'tsit, so just sit still."

"...Is that so..." Amiya finally relaxed. To be honest, sitting in Noah's arms was a wonderful experience. It was mainly because of the two huge cushioning air cushions behind her head that made her feel a little uneasy. Although Huang often held her in his arms, she had experienced the feeling of brain waves to some extent. But how should I put it? Noah was slightly smaller than Huang, but very soft. It might be because Huang was strong. In fact, when Amiya was held in his arms in the past, she didn't feel very comfortable.

But in Noah's arms, she felt very comfortable, soft everywhere, like a high-quality elastic cushion.

But it was still a bit rude to think so. Amiya blushed and shook the thought out of her head. "Ms. Noah, what do you want to see Dr. Kal'tsit?"

"Specifically, some of the indicators from the previous physical examination came out today, and I plan to go get the report," Noah explained. "Also, Dr. Kel'tsit left a message on my terminal this morning asking me to come over. I think it's about time I went to see him."

"...Is there something wrong with his body?" Amiya was a little nervous. She knew that Noah was in a state of severe mineralogy and any change would be dangerous.

"It's okay. Ever since I took the special medicine the doctor brought me, my condition hasn't shown any signs of worsening." Noah, knowing Amiya's concern, shook his head and explained, "It's probably a problem with my Originium skills. It shouldn't be a big deal. Otherwise, given Dr. Kal'tsit's personality, she would have taken me directly to the medical department."

"—Um... Dr. Kelsey is actually just worried about the patient."

"I know, it's like this everywhere in Rhodes Island—" Noah laughed. "You too, Amiya. It's okay for friends to hug each other. There's no need to be so shy."

"I... I didn't..." Amiya's little ears drooped and her face was as red as an apple.

Chapter 10: Her Blood

"Doctor Kelsey."

Opening the door of the medical department, Noah, holding the little rabbit, waved to Dr. Kal'tsit who was still busy with other things.

"Wait a minute—" Kel'tsit raised her eyes to glance at Noah, and after focusing her attention on Amiya in Noah's arms, she suddenly sighed. "You two should go sit in the office first. I have some things to take care of first."

"You go ahead and do your thing. I'm fine." Noah smiled and nodded, then lifted the little rabbit in her arms. "Amiya was just bumped by Huang. Do you want to check it out?"

"...Huang..." Kal'tsit's head immediately flashed with anger. "I'll settle the score with her later. Amiya, stay here for now. I'll check it out."

"Actually, I'm fine..." Amiya sighed helplessly, but in front of two motherly characters with extremely protective desires, her opinion was indeed not very important.

Speaking of which, Noya actually knew her body was of great research value. It was said that someone like her who hadn't died in her condition was incredibly rare, practically UR-level. Dr. Warfarin had even asked if her condition, caused by nerve compression due to Originium, could be named after her. For Noya, the achievement of having her condition included in textbooks, a feat worthy of a shrine, was premature.

Noah doesn't want to go to the hospital one day to see a doctor for a bruise and be surrounded by a group of medical students...

So, she firmly refused.

Arriving at Dr. Kel'tsit's office, Noah leaned back in his wheelchair and waited quietly for a while. Dr. Kel'tsit was one of the few doctors who insisted on treating Noah. In fact, in a case like Noah's, most doctors would directly choose conservative treatment. After all, it is rare for someone as young as Noah to be seriously ill, and ordinary doctors are unable to help. When Noah's illness flared up, he was literally one step away from death.

If it weren't for Dr. Kal'tsit's miraculous healing and injection of a special medicine into herself, Noah would have exploded on the spot.

This was a very dangerous thing for the doctors on the scene, so the doctors in the operating room took risks when performing surgery on him. Noah still remembers how he felt when he heard the fearful discussion of the doctors beside his bed after he recovered from general anesthesia.

An acute attack of mineral sickness... the danger can be imagined.

At that time, Noah was a living Originium bomb. Very few people dared to approach her, and the only one willing to perform surgery on her... was probably Dr. Kal'tsit.

Noah would always remember the life-saving favor. He owed Rhodes Island a life. Although he had already given a portion of his assets in Casimir as a gift, it was far from enough. If Rhodes Island needed him to do something, he would never refuse, as long as it did not violate his own moral principles.

Speaking of which...that miracle drug...

Noah still remembers the solemn look on the doctor's face when he handed the special medicine to her. Later, when she opened the box, she found a tube of bright red liquid that looked like blood in the syringe. After the injection, the frequency of mineral disease decreased almost immediately.

In fact, Noah had guessed the origin of this thing, and even thought about whether it was the blood of some giant beast, but in the end he did not come to a conclusion.

But as far as the results were concerned, the special medicine was very effective. She had never seen the Originium in her body so calm.

After the injection, Noah hasn't experienced that feeling of being worse than death for almost half a year. If her feet and eyes hadn't shown any improvement, she would have doubted whether she had become a normal person.

Of course, it was just a thought. Ever since I got oripathy, I knew that I would never be able to become a normal person again.

If she hadn't gotten used to it sooner, she wouldn't have been able to make it this far. Ore disease is a terminal illness that can only be alleviated, not cured. This is common sense, and only people without common sense would consider curing oripathy.

Coincidentally, Rhodes Island is full of people without common sense like this.

Only people who lack common sense will challenge common sense. This is true for Margaret, Noah, and Rhodes Island. Therefore, they are all the same kind of people.

Noah's wild thoughts didn't last long. Kel'tsit quickly walked into the office without Amiya, probably letting her leave after the inspection. When it was Noah's turn, Kel'tsit immediately locked the door and pulled down all the blinds, making the room suddenly dark.

Noah heard everything, but she didn't know what Dr. Kal'tsit wanted to do. Out of trust in Dr. Kal'tsit, she had no intention of acting rashly.

"Noah, can I take off your clothes?" Dr. Kelsey looked at Noah and asked seriously, "Because of your body, I will help you take off all your clothes. I hope you don't resist. This is for treatment purposes."

"...Treatment?" Noah was a little surprised, but it was true that there were only three kinds of people in the world that one could be honest with: lovers, parents, and doctors. Noah didn't resist much, just asking. "Do you need to take off your underwear too?"

"It's best to take it off." Kelsey nodded. "I've already lowered the blinds. No one outside should be able to see what's going on inside. You can rest assured."

"...Okay." Noah nodded and began to take off his clothes. As for the clothes on his lower body, Dr. Kal'tsit came forward to help take them off. Soon, Noah's body appeared naked in front of Kal'tsit. There were traces of Originium crystal clusters from his left wrist to his left shoulder, but Kal'tsit knew that this was not all.

"Okay, next, I'll help you lie down on the sofa. You need to lie on your stomach. I want to check the growth of the Originium crystal cluster on your back." Kal'tsit said, "I'll help you."

"Okay." Noah obediently followed Dr. Kal'tsit's instructions, groping her way up to the sofa in Kal'tsit's office and lying down on it. Although she felt a little tight in her chest, she could still feel Dr. Kal'tsit's gaze. When her gaze fell on Noah's back, it was completely different from the front. Noah's back...

Almost all along the midline of her back were clusters of black Originium crystals piercing her skin. Although the sharp edges had been removed to prevent her from hurting herself or her clothes, this patch of black hard growth gave Noah's back a terrifying, non-biological feel. It stretched from the spine to a small portion of her back.

It’s no exaggeration to say that if someone who doesn’t know Noah’s situation sees Noah’s back for the first time, they’ll probably be scared…

Kal'tsit reached out and touched the Originium crystal clusters on her back, then asked, "Do these crystal clusters affect the movement of your back? Do you need to trim them when you bend over?"

"Not yet." Noah's voice was muffled. In fact, when Dr. Kal'tsit touched the Originium crystal cluster, she felt something. Although it felt strange, it felt like it was not an augmentation, but another layer of her own skin.

"It's developing rapidly, extending almost to the back of the neck, and possibly even reaching the head... It seems your prediction was correct. If you hadn't been injected with the special medicine the doctor gave you, you would have died from the proliferation of Originium crystals months ago. Or you might have been in a vegetative state."

"That's no different from being dead..." Noah complained softly, "But now it seems that the Originium is not going to kill me anymore?"

"It's only eased. The Originium itself seems to have changed slightly." Kal'tsit shook her head. "But the Originium is still growing slowly. I've seen old photos of your back. Before, only the Originium clusters were sticking out of your spine. Now, half of your back is covered with these things..."

"...Is that so..." Kuro hadn't mentioned this...perhaps because he often held me in the shower, he had long been accustomed to it. "Then how long do I have left?"

"Ms. Noah, I won't give you an exact number, and I can't make an accurate prediction," Dr. Kel'tsit replied. "But don't give up hope. The special medicine is working, and that's the best news."

"Yeah, that's true." Noah smiled, "My back...isn't it scary?"

"No..." Kel'tsit shook her head. Surprisingly, these Originium crystal clusters grew in an unexpected pattern, radiating outwards. It didn't seem like they were piercing from the inside, but rather growing along the skin, actively replacing a portion of the cortex. This was the first time Kel'tsit had seen anything like this, and it didn't affect the movement of her upper body, truly unprecedented.

It was as if the Originium was adapting to Noah's body and becoming a part of it, differentiating into a brand new cortex and spinal structure.

If this continues...

Kal'tsit had an idea. Perhaps, the inhibitory effect of the special medicine on Noah made Noah's body begin to accept the Originium, and the Originium also began to become... obedient?

"...I think further examination is still necessary." Kal'tsit even felt the "elasticity" that shouldn't exist on this layer of Originium skin, and her brows furrowed even more tightly.

This is an unprecedented situation. Originium is actually participating in a part of Noya's functional cycle. Indeed, her life may be in danger at any time, but Originium does not seem to be as anxious as before.

Instead, he was trying to understand this body, even reshape it, as if it had life...

Ore disease?

Noah's condition could no longer be explained by oripathy. It was no exaggeration to say that what was happening inside Noah's body could be called a miracle from the Creator.

The changes in the Originium in Noah's body forced Kal'tsit to once again doubt the existence of the Originium and its true purpose.

Why did the Originium actively fuse with Noah's body cells, making Noah appear to be a mixture of organic and inorganic matter? Although this transformation was slow, it was happening in reality.

Maybe this is the reason why Noah's body has not yet shown the severe pain that an acute illness would cause?

“…” Kal’tsit rubbed her forehead. Although it was not the first time, Noah had indeed given her countless surprises.

"Under normal circumstances, I would recommend removing the Originium clusters on your back first. However, since I don't know much about your situation, doing so rashly might affect the delicate balance between your body cells and the Originium. I'll have the doctor give you a new, effective medicine. As for when to use it, it's up to you. However, the medicine is only effective for two months, so you have to seize the opportunity—"

"Is this really okay? I'm using such expensive medicine?" Noah was a little uneasy, but Kal'tsit's answer was very direct.

"You're just helping us test the new drug. There's no need to feel any pressure." He answered bluntly, "Of course, this is the only solution. Apart from Amiya, we don't have any test results on the new drug."

"...Amiya..." Noah finally understood why Kal'tsit had waited so long before delivering the medicine. It seemed she had used the first version, then Amiya, and then the third. In a sense, she had already used two doses of the potent drug. Did this mean the drug was nearing the stage of mass production?

Noah didn't know, but she was willing to believe in Rhodes Island's efforts.

"Okay, I'll use it when I can." Noah nodded. "Thank you, Dr. Kal'tsit."

-

"Actually, I didn't expect you would actually use these things on her..." After Noah left, the doctor appeared beside Kal'tsit at some point, "The drug you injected Noah with the first time shouldn't have been my blood, right?"

"Indeed, you were still asleep at the time, and you didn't leave any blood samples. How could I possibly have injected your blood?" Kal'tsit replied, "So, I used something else."

"...The blood sample found in the cold storage inside Rhodes Island..." the doctor muttered to himself, "Whose blood is that?"

"I don't know." Kelsey shook her head. "Actually, someone gave me that blood."

"Who?" The doctor turned his head and looked at Kal'tsit, "Are you still hiding it from me?"

"...Aren't you hiding something from me?" Kal'tsit turned around and looked at her without hesitation. "You still don't want to admit it? Who are you looking at when you look at Noah?"

"..."

"..."

The two looked at each other for a long time before letting each other go. "She won't become hers."

"I know, I believe in Noah Kyrielight." This was Kal'tsit's answer.

"It's PRTS."

"...?"

"It was the blood sample PRTS gave me. I thought it was yours at first. But later I found out it wasn't your blood." Kal'tsit closed her eyes. "I might have done something wrong..."

Chapter 11: Shadow

Noya was actually aware of the condition of her back. Using the Eye of God, she could clearly see the changes taking place on her back and could even slightly feel the skin that had become Originium-like. However, she had thought it was just a normal part of her Originopathy. However, when Dr. Kal'tsit spoke so seriously, she couldn't help but wonder if something terrible had happened to her.

Ore disease, the nightmare that has haunted me for so long, seems to be showing me a new way of torturing myself.

Fortunately, this transformation, though slow and unstoppable, is not painful...

Perhaps pain is even more terrifying than death.

While taking a shower at night, Noah subconsciously tried to touch the layer of Originium skin. The touch of this layer of skin was worse than that of ordinary skin, but it was not very hard. Instead, it was quite soft. It was hard to imagine that it was the result of the growth of the Originium crystal cluster.

It's like my second skin. It even hurts when I dig my fingernails into it, but it's not rough at all.

This way, it's like I'm turning into a monster.

Noya sighed inwardly, but being alive was a luxury, and she had no reason to complain. Rhodes Island had used a potent drug on her to save her life, so she had no reason to complain. Even if she truly became a monster, she couldn't blame Rhodes Island. Being able to live as a human for so long was already a gift from Rhodes Island.

Moreover, judging by the spread of the epidemic, I still have a lot of time.

Don't worry... there's nothing to worry about...

Noah sat in the bathtub, her eyes, which had been shining slightly, gradually dimmed and returned to being dull. She remembered what Herhunzolen had said when she wanted to cure her oripathy. Originium had become a part of her body. The Nameless Harp might be able to remove the Originium from Noah's body, but after the Originium disappeared, the damaged cells could not be restored. This was probably what he meant.

Indeed, his spine had almost completely turned to Originium. If the Originium in his body were truly removed, there was no guarantee that his spine wouldn't be taken away...

That's too scary... Fortunately, I didn't do these things.

Noah subconsciously shuddered at the thought of the scenario where his entire back skin and spine would disappear if he did that kind of thing. Now he could only let nature take its course.

After all, the miracle drug is an experimental drug, so it's understandable that it has side effects. Perhaps if I cooperate more with the experiment, people in the future will not be troubled by mineral sickness. That's a good thing, right?

wow-

Noya placed her palm on her chest, feeling the sound of her heartbeat, the pulsation of life. She still had time before the Originium crystal cluster pierced her heart or invaded her brain.

She still had plenty of time before the inevitable, unavoidable death came.

So, don't panic anymore...

I have nothing to be afraid of.

Noah used the Originium technique to remind herself not to be afraid, not to be fearful, not to waver, and not to show her vulnerable side. There were many people around her who cared about her, and she had to adjust her form, even if it meant using hypnosis.

But tears, drop after drop, fell disobediently, drop by drop into the hot water in the bathtub.

How could she not be afraid...

How could she be willing to become a monster...

She recalled that day when Kuro deliberately avoided her back whenever he did something to her. She knew that was Kuro's gentleness, but how could she not think too much about it.

She is not a saint, nor is she a perfect person. She knows what is right, but not everything that is right is in line with human nature.

As a human being, she would be afraid, she would complain, she would want to escape, but the education and experience she received allowed her to hide all of this. Only when she was alone could she express her feelings.