Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

"Doctor Kal'tsit is saying that we can hold office chair roller skating competitions in the future?" Noah said with some surprise. "I really want to compete with Mr. Logos."

"...Wait, who are you talking about?"

"Logos, he's the reigning champion of the office wheelchair race."

"..." Kal'tsit was stunned at first, then revealed a puzzled expression, and finally sighed softly, "...I understand, you can go back first."

"...Did I do something bad?" Noah suddenly realized that as an elite operator, perhaps the nature of fooling around with other operators was completely different from that of an ordinary operator fooling around on his own. So, after he opened his mouth, would Mr. Logos, who escaped in time, be in trouble?

"No, it just let me know a little more about our Mr. Banshee's interests." The emotions coming from Kal'tsit were not as gentle as her words.

Noah could only pray that Mr. Logos would not be hanged on the bridge. As for her, she should just go to bed early.

With a slight sense of guilt, Noya decided to go back home and rest early. It must be said that although Xinteleya was in a miserable state, Noya had a very happy day today. Whether it was having afternoon tea made by Brother Jiaofeng or winning the office chair roller skating competition, these were all first-time experiences for her.

For the first time, she felt that not following the plan wasn't such a bad thing. It even made her wonder if her previous adherence to the rules might have made her an anomaly in the eyes of most people. Perhaps, if she weren't so conventional...she could be happier.

Noah had to think so...

No, today is full of happy memories. Ms. Cintela is really amazing... I haven't been this happy in a long time.

The smile that could not be concealed on her lips made her sigh. Although she thought the office chair roller skating competition was a mess at first, but since everyone was so serious, she also got involved in it and even won the amateur championship.

It is said that they were planning to add Noah's name to the Wall of Champions, but unexpectedly, he did not make it to Casimir's Wall of Champions, but was instead on Rhodes Island's Wall of Champions.

...I'm really...very happy...

Noah's smile gradually faded. For the first time, she felt a little conflicted between spending the rest of her life happily and continuing her journey.

She had originally decided to travel because she wanted to hear the voices of Terra, but now, she was drowning in the kindness of the people of Rhodes Island, which ran counter to her original intention.

If this continued, could he still leave Rhodes Island? Could he still leave... this place that was like a second home to him?

The stern yet gentle Dr. Kal'tsit, the brilliant yet occasionally erratic Doctor, and the lovely and charming Amiya—they had nothing to do with him, yet they lived together like family. It's better to say that Rhodes Island is a large, unrelated family, yet close as family. There may be some difficult people to connect with, but Noah has always believed that Rhodes Island is forever united and will not be divided by simple reasons.

This... is the home I've always dreamed of?

Noah closed her eyes, letting herself briefly indulge in the illusion of having a home, but at this moment, she suddenly began to tremble all over, and her back suddenly began to feel hot. The parts that had been transformed by the Originium suddenly began to erode her flesh more rapidly, and began to visibly invade Noah's entire back. The mineral disease that had not occurred for a long time now seemed to remind Noah to start a violent counterattack, causing her to feel severe pain, so painful that she could not breathe, and even could not call for help.

After a long time, the explosive growth eased a little. The cold sweat had soaked the bed sheets, which was very uncomfortable. Noah gasped and felt like he was thrown into a meat grinder and baptized severely. The book said that suffering is a gift from God to mankind, created by God to polish mankind's will. As long as you are willing to regard this torture as grace, you can endure most of the pain and hurt.

But it’s not actually like that…

When the Originium crystal clusters erode your flesh and pierce your skin, the pain cannot be alleviated by any means. It is the pain of feeling yourself being torn apart from the inside out...

Could it be that the suffering that Originium has inflicted upon him is also some kind of test?

If so, Noah would rather be a weak person all her life. She doesn't want this kind of pain... Pain should not be praised.

Perhaps, this is a reminder to myself that I should not spend my limited time in such a place. Rhodes Island is my second home, but I cannot stay in such a comfortable place.

Ore sickness was always a lingering shadow over her. It hadn't flared up in recent days, and she had almost forgotten about it. But oripathy was always there, and even if she tried not to think about it, it would still remind her.

--medicine……

Noah subconsciously took out the special medicine that Dr. Kal'tsit gave her. She looked at the bright red medicine in her hand, her palms trembling. She smiled bitterly, she felt like she was taking addictive drugs, and her dependence on this special medicine was becoming more and more serious.

But perhaps it is not the addictive nature of the drug itself, but the fact that the drug can relieve one's pain. As long as it is injected... one may not feel the bone-eroding pain again for several months.

It's okay... I just need to ask Dr. Kal'tsit for more medicine. Even if it's something precious, I can pay a high price... No, my assets might not be enough now, so I need more funds... As long as I can get a stable supply of medicine...

But Noya herself cut off this thought in an instant. Her chaotic thoughts instantly became clear. She couldn't rely on drugs...

What's the difference between that and those drug addicts who have lived decadent lives that I've seen. If I rely on miracle drugs, I will develop resistance to the drugs sooner or later. Then... will there be another miracle drug for me to use?

This medicine should clearly be the hope of this land, not my own placebo...

I can't just... I can't use this rare gift like this.

Noah put the medicine back and lay on the sheets that were already wet with her sweat. She couldn't even change them herself.

Noah closed his eyes and forced himself to sleep.

-

drip-drip-drip-

This is...where?

drip-drip-drip-

Noya struggled to open her eyes, but what greeted her was not darkness, but a blinding light so bright she had to squint. She felt as if she were lying in a cramped box, the beeping of testing equipment ringing in her ears, and she felt as if she were connected to numerous tubes and wires. She reached out, trying to grasp the edge of the box to sit up, but at that moment, a hand grasped hers and placed it in its own, followed by a gentle voice.

"Hold my hand."

The gentle touch made Noah dazed for a moment, she didn't remember the name.

"Please don't leave me without saying anything next time." Her voice was gentle but with a hint of resentment. "You won't accept this kind of thing again, right?"

Perhaps because Noah hadn't responded for a long time, the other party continued. "Hmm... What's wrong, %*＆..."

Noah looked at her face, but she felt something strange. Through the Eye of God, she could see what she looked like, and soon, she discovered a horrible place.

The other person and myself...seem like?

"Why are you looking at me with such strange eyes?"

"……Who are you?"

"Hey, where did you learn such a strange language?" the other party asked doubtfully. "Did you secretly upload your mind to a civilization at the end of a spiral arm during this hibernation?"

Seeing that Noah didn't respond, she sighed and picked up the transparent tablet terminal in her hand. "Okay, let's confirm how your language function has recovered?"

She operated the terminal and said with some dissatisfaction, "Don't even mention that you slept so long that you even forgot my name."

……name?

What is her name?

Hmm... I seem to have an impression.

"Come on, call my name again, and the database will analyze all your voice data."

"...P...Pureseth..."

After reciting the vague pronunciation from his memory, the other person was clearly relieved and smiled a perfect smile. It was even dazzling. "You're recovering quickly, %*＆"

However, looking at the data on the terminal, she shook her head with some regret, "But your body has just recovered and has not yet fully adapted."

As if recalling a past incident, she chuckled, "If you're too impatient to move, be careful NX-07 will push you back onto the bed. Her new commands are so difficult to decipher, even I can't help."

"...Where am I?" Noah seemed to be beginning to master this wonderful language. It was somewhat different from Terra's common language, but it was not difficult to learn. It was as if he was born with the ability to use this language. He was just reviewing it gradually. Even though it was a little awkward, he still took the initiative to speak it out.

"Still in 'Rhode Island', our home, of course."

"……Home?"

My home?

Yes, my home is Rhode Island... my home and Precious's...

Something is wrong...but...

Noah frowned, as if something in his memory was surfacing.

"Okay, if you keep thinking, you'll get a headache. Let me help you get out of the 'sarcophagus' first. Ever since we started the Preservator Project, research on the sarcophagus has been a top priority. But as you said, the sarcophagus is a machine after all, and any machine can be damaged. So I think the Preservator Project is too conservative. I think the Deep Blue Tree Project, which you're mainly researching, is a little more reliable."

—The Deep Blue Tree? The Preserver?

What is all this?

Noah didn't have these things in her memory, but she nodded woodenly. She felt that if she didn't nod, she might be regarded as an alien.

She didn't want this to happen, and Precious gave her a familiar sense of intimacy, the same feeling she had when she first met the Doctor...

...wait...who is the Doctor?

Noah was confused by the thought that just popped up in his mind. Who is the Doctor?

She began, "Precious, do you know... Doctor?"

"...Hmm?" Precious turned his head and blinked. "Are you half asleep? Are you the doctor?"

"Ah? It's me?" Noah opened her mouth, the sense of incongruity became more and more serious, but there was a voice telling her that she was the doctor, she was the main person in charge of the Deep Blue Tree Project.

So she nodded, "Maybe... the design of the sarcophagus itself is flawed, which has caused my memory to be a little confused."

"I said the sarcophagus was unreliable, but who knows what will happen in the future? We are currently moving forward on multiple fronts. I think the future may not be as bad as we think."

"The future...what will the future hold?"

Precious turned his head and looked at the Doctor.

"The future? I will still be with you in the future."

"...Doctor, you're really weird, like... there's another person inside you..."

"You must be too tired, Doctor."

Precious stepped forward and hugged the Doctor tightly in his arms.

"If you're tired, take a good rest. We're rushing here, so there's no need to rush."

"...Precious."

"Ok?"

"who are you?"

Chapter 18: Parasitism

"Doctor... why do you ask such a strange question? Is it a sequelae of the sarcophagus hibernation procedure? Or?" 'Pureses' frowned and approached Noah, stretched out his hand, trying to touch Noah's forehead, but this action made Noah break out in a cold sweat. She quickly dodged and stared at the seemingly perfect woman in front of her as if facing a great enemy.

"……what you up to?"

"Of course I want to see what happened to you. You didn't recognize me just because you slept?" Precious shook his head and sighed, "Do you still remember the Deep Blue Tree and the Sea of ​​Solaris? Or the Preserver Project? The Fulcrum of Heaven?" Precious said several terms that gave Noah a splitting headache, but she still tried her best to calm down. Her Originium skills were now useless here. Everything around her seemed to be trying to assimilate her. Although she realized it, it was very difficult for her to resist this assimilation.

It was as if someone was trying to make her accept her identity in a new way. It was very similar to hypnosis, a complete transformation of consciousness, like being washed by a huge stream of information. The more she was exposed to these nouns, the more serious the memory duplication became.

Seeing Noah's splitting headache, Precious finally showed some reluctance and sighed. "Forget it, it's probably just a temporary sequelae. Don't think about it anymore. Let's get some rest."

As these words fell, Noah's headache finally subsided. Everything around her no longer oppressed Noah, no longer rejected her existence. It was as if she had been pardoned. She gasped for breath and asked in confusion, "Who are you?"

"Pureseth, your partner." Her words were so calm, but unquestionable. The tenderness in her eyes was like an ocean that could drown Noah's fragile spirit at any time.

"If the memories make you suffer, just let it go, Doctor." In Prisseth's eyes, Noah still seemed to be the image of the Doctor, but Noah understood that she was not the Doctor. She was Noah, Noah Kyrielight, not anyone else.

But she turned her head and looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't see Noah Kyrielight, nor did she see the Doctor. She saw -

It's Precious.

She suddenly turned her head and looked at the place where Priss was originally. At this moment, the figure of the doctor appeared in front of her.

She was looking at him anxiously and doubtfully, looking so... pitiful and yet cute.

Noya's heart unconsciously surged with love from nowhere. She reached out and touched the doctor's panicked face. "Doctor... why are you hiding from me?"

"...Who...are you..." There was some confusion in the other party's words, but Noah felt that this was not a dream or an illusion. She felt as if she had really come to the doctor and asked in the tone of Priss.

The surroundings also changed from the original scene to Rhodes Island at night.

This is... the doctor's dormitory?

Noah came to this conclusion with very little information, and he himself... was attacking the doctor at night?

Noah began to panic. Was this sleepwalking? Or... some kind of mental invasion? Hypnosis?

Why was she in the doctor's room? Why was she able to stand freely? No, I could see the images with my own eyes. Why was that?

My nerves are being compressed by Originium, so I shouldn't be able to do this physically... Wait, Originium? Originium?

The Originium changed my nerves. Although it did not change my brain, it changed my nerve distribution in its own way, invaded my spinal cord, cut off my control, and allowed me to be completely controlled without losing my perception?

Is this possible?

If someone could really do it, then she would be able to modify the shape of the Originium at will, or even manipulate the Originium itself, which would be no different from the legendary Creator.

PRTS, Precious...

Could it be... that it's really you...

"Doctor, it's been a long time. Although I'm trying to reach you this way, I hope you don't mind." My mouth spoke a strange language, one I could understand but had never learned. The doctor was clearly a little confused, probably feeling the same way I did.

"—Noya, what are you doing here?" As expected, from the Doctor's perspective, he was just Noya, but in reality, he couldn't control his own body at all, his control having been taken away by the Originium. Now, the one controlling this body was an ancient evil spirit that could modify the Originium at will. This ancient evil spirit might be inextricably linked to the Doctor, otherwise there would be no explanation for the dream he had just seen.

"...I'm back, Doctor. Do you really not recognize this face?"