Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

"I succeeded, Kuro." Noah, pinned to the ground, blinked and smiled. "Next, it's our turn to fight back."

The two Noahs spoke almost at the same time.

Chapter 37: Comrades

The body of a shapeshifter is special. Rather than being a flesh body, it is more like a special slime-like thing. It can deform and change color at will according to its own thoughts, and can even be directly scattered into a ball. This posture is almost impossible to be destroyed in any way.

Rather, destruction is also a state for them. They have completely lost the concept of death and achieved true immortality.

Although this immortality was achieved at the cost of almost losing her independence and giving up being accepted by the Sarkaz souls, for the Shapeshifter Court, this price was undoubtedly heavy. This made her the oldest lord of the court and a true wandering soul in the world.

Even if the Sarkaz were truly liberated, this actually had little to do with the bystander shapeshifters in the world. She obeyed Tracys not because of her loyalty or her responsibility to the Sarkaz, but because she was interested in the union of Tracys and Theresa. During this period, she often turned into Tracys or Theresa to feel the other's emotions. Just as Noah collected negative emotions, she was also savoring the existence of these emotions.

And now, they found a new one——

No, they couldn't be called people who were interested, but rather foolish people who had already crossed the line, were blurring the walls of their own hearts, and were about to embark on the same path as them.

Compared to the Sarkaz, Noa today is more like them - or, in the near future, they may witness the birth of the next shapeshifter.

They were very interested, so they gave up controlling their own bodies and let Noah take in. They wanted to observe from the closest distance whether their [quasi-compatriot] could find his own way.

Of course, the shapeshifter didn't tell Noah these words, she just watched coldly, just like in the past.

However, Noah couldn't care less about these things. The things she had on hand were enough to keep her busy. Even though she had the body and identity of a shapeshifter, which allowed her to seamlessly access the Sarkaz's intelligence system, the Sarkaz's intelligence system was divided into inside and outside. Different lords of the royal court were in charge of different things. Just like the King of Scavengers was responsible for blocking the Grand Duke's troops outside the city, the Shapeshifter Royal Court was actually responsible for infiltration and invasion.

She was the source of intelligence, not the aggregator of it, which caught Noah off guard.

But if you think about it carefully, it makes sense. The ability of the Shapeshifter Court is perfect for infiltrating as a spy or scout. An immortal being is extremely difficult to detect and can even steal your memory by shapeshifting, making it almost perfect for obtaining intelligence.

You can't even imprison a shapeshifter; she only needs a crack in her shell to pass through, making her infinitely close to a mollusk or even a colony of microorganisms.

But in her memory, Noah saw a person, a pure white person, her name was Theresa.

Theresa... Noya had heard of this name. She was once the Demon King of the Sarkaz. Together with heroes like Tracys, she rebuilt Kazdel and even repelled the Terran coalition's attack, establishing a country in the midst of war.

He built the Tower of Babel and gathered peace-loving members of various races who did not mind working with the Sarkaz, trying to make the Sarkaz accepted by the nations of Terra, but he failed and died in a suspicious assassination.

That's right, Theresa should be dead.

He died a long time ago.

The reason why Rhodes Island is Rhodes Island is because of Theresa's death. Her death completely cut off the opportunity for reconciliation between the Sarkaz and the Terran countries, and the civil war in the Sarkaz also ended because of this battle.

So why would a dead person appear here?

—Originium skills?

Noah thought of Abrana's Originium skill in manipulating corpses. If Theresa's corpse was manipulated, that made sense. Through Theresa's prestige, the royal court could be gathered and all the Sarkaz forces could be united.

This seems to be the decision that Tracy should make. Noah would not have any doubts about the methods of a man who could be so cruel as to assassinate his own sister.

"But...why doesn't Theresa's posture in the shapeshifter's memory seem to be controlled?" Noah sighed. The memories she could obtain were not complete. This was the biggest drawback of her ability. Strictly speaking, Noah's Originium skill was to manipulate emotions, and controlling and inciting emotions was her specialty. This method of directly invading other people's bodies and brains to read memories was actually a bit beyond Noah's scope.

Her ability is also unable to completely extract the shapeshifter's memory unless the shapeshifter's consciousness is willing to reveal everything.

So she could only pick out useful fragments from these broken memories.

Could it be that Theresa has indeed been resurrected? But has she been manipulated for some reason? Yes, there is a very powerful user of telepathic Originium techniques in the city, perhaps...

This is also what Noah doesn't know. It's caused by Theresa - or the Demon King's ability. The Demon King himself has the ability to read other people's minds. Theresa's ability will only be stronger than Amiya, so the possibility of being mentally controlled is actually the smallest.

However, that was all the information Noah got. She wanted to share the information with Amiya and Dr. Kal'tsit as soon as possible. As it stands now, it would be more convenient to use the body of a shapeshifter rather than walking in Londinium with her own body.

Thinking about it this way...

Well, even though my body has recovered the ability to move, I still feel that it is better not to move if I can.

Noah silently complained to himself.

But it was true that the shapeshifter's body was so easy to use, and it was the shapeshifter who took the initiative to use it for himself, so Noya didn't even have to carry any moral baggage. Noya reached out and rubbed his head, instantly making himself look like a Sarkaz.

However, Noah had never seen many Sarkaz, so he simply used the style of Shining's horns, then put on a black robe, and even took the initiative to make a sword for himself, and went out with the sword in his pocket.

If I meet the real Shining, I will apologize sincerely - Noah complained in his heart, it's because he knows so few Sarkaz.

I can’t turn into Kor’thir, right? Blood Demons don’t seem to have a good reputation among the Sarkaz.

Miss Shining is so gentle, this kind of situation shouldn't happen... probably.

By changing his body, Noah was walking openly on the road. The Sarkaz soldiers on both sides not only did not stop him, but even saluted from a distance, as if they saw their superiors.

Noah was a little surprised, but perhaps this had something to do with the fact that Miss Shining might have some status among the Sarkaz.

Nodding in response, Miss Noah, disguised as Shining, came to the hut where she was in contact with Kal'tsit and knocked on the door in a secret signal.

Soon, the door opened a little. Noah understood and pushed the door open. He immediately saw Kal'tsit's surprised look.

"Shining? Why do you know the code? Have you met Noah?" Kal'tsit also knew that the Apostle Squad would come to Londinium, but she didn't expect it to be so soon, nor did she expect them to come directly to her communication room.

"No, it's me." Noah touched his face, removed the transformation, and revealed his true appearance. "I'm Noah. What happened just now...it's a long story, just think of it as my new trick."

"...It looks a bit like the method of the Shapeshifters." Kal'tsit was knowledgeable and frowned slightly, even looking at Noah with some suspicion, but Noah quickly revealed her identity. The Shapeshifter Court could forge almost everything, but it could not forge other people's Originium skills.

When Noah's voice sounded in Kal'tsit's heart, she knew that the person in front of her was indeed Noah himself.

"I'm here to share with you the intelligence I just got. I did encounter a shapeshifter. Through some means, I obtained the shapeshifter's body and some..." Noah hesitated, "I saw a Sarkaz named Theresa..."

"..." Kel'tsit knew Noah had the ability to possess others, but she hadn't expected him to even control the Shapeshifter Court. This was clearly a good thing, and considering Noah's cautious nature, he likely only met with her when he was certain he could completely suppress them. However, the news Noah brought her was even more shocking.

She had thought about it, of course she had anticipated it.

Among the Sarkaz witchcraft, there is indeed the Originium technique of resurrecting the dead. However, this spell has long been considered taboo by the Sarkaz themselves. After all, the Sarkaz value death and the right to return to the Sarkaz souls after death.

This kind of act of desecrating a corpse... Tracy actually did it?

Anger, a flash of fury, filled Kal'tsit's body, but she quickly calmed down. She was indeed furious at Tracy's actions, but she couldn't lose her mind right now. She was not only Theresa's best friend, but also Rhodes Island's Kal'tsit. Her priority now wasn't to confront Tracy, but to do her best to stop the Sarkaz's plan, just like when she led the Terran coalition to attack the newly born Kazdel.

The Sarkaz are now more dangerous than before. Even if her only close friend may be standing on the other side, she will never retreat.

"Thank you, Noah. This information is very important to me." Noah could clearly sense the change in Kel'tsit after she calmed down. It was obvious that Theresa's appearance had shaken Kel'tsit, but only for a moment.

Dr. Kal'tsit is an incredibly rational person. Noah often wonders what kind of experience could make Dr. Kal'tsit so calm.

But now, she saw the human side of Dr. Kal'tsit. It turned out that she was not always rational, nor could she remain calm at all times.

Theresa... must be a very important person to Dr. Kelsey. Just like Craw and Margaret to her, she couldn't imagine what it would be like if she had to stand against Margaret one day.

...As for Kuro, Noah believed that she would always stand on his side.

But Margaret is different. She has her own justice, which is unshakable. Even if someone is against her, she will definitely stick to her justice.

Then I tried to persuade myself countless times...

"Dr. Kel'tsit, do you need a hug?" Noah extended her hand. "Although I may not be able to comfort you, I don't think you need to... insist on facing this alone."

"...Ms. Noa, I don't blame you for your emotional perception. I know it's uncontrollable." Kal'tsit raised her head. "But I'm the Kal'tsit of Rhodes Island, not the Kal'tsit of Babel. The current me won't be shaken by any news about Theresa. The Kal'tsit of Babel is dead. Now, I'm a fellow traveler with Rhodes Island."

"Cutting off the past isn't a good idea." Noah sighed helplessly, "Dr. Kal'tsit, you get tired too."

"The longer you live, the more stories you have, the more painful your scars become, and the worse your temper becomes." Kal'tsit repeated the words she had said in the past to the girl in front of her. "When you have lived through millennia after millennium, you will understand that there is nothing new under the sun. What has happened will happen again, and what has been done will be done again."

"...a thousand years?" Noah shook his head. "Doctor Kal'tsit, I won't live a thousand years, and perhaps I can't truly understand you, but I still believe you're not a machine, but a living being. As long as you're human, you're subject to fleeting emotions. No matter how time has tempered your temperament, you'll always need a place to return. I believe that Rhodes Island, Amiya, and the Doctor are your home. Now, while they're both gone, you can express your emotions to me. You can trust me."

"Trust... Miss Noah, of course I trust you." Dr. Kal'tsit looked at the girl in front of her. "But, I trust Miss Noah, who was willing to give up everything for her family, friends, and a promise. It's Miss Noah who, despite suffering from a terminal illness, remains optimistic and willing to share her happiness with everyone. But you, standing here now..."

"I haven't changed." Noah shook his head. "The only thing I've gained is experience. I will still do my best to stop this war, and I'm still willing to give everything for my friends. And, Dr. Kal'tsit, I owe you a lot. I don't know how to be your friend, and I don't have the qualifications. But I hope to be your comrade for the time being."

"...I'm beginning to understand why Amiya likes you." Kal'tsit sighed, "Comrade, I haven't heard such a name in a long time."

"What should we do now, Dr. Kelsey?"

"Go find the Doctor and Amiya. They have an obligation to know all this. Noah, now that you've acquired the Transformer's body, can you continue to obtain information about Theresa? It would be best if... you could meet Theresa in person. I want to know what she thinks."

"Okay, I promise to convey her message." Noah nodded. "Doctor Kal'tsit, I'll leave now."

"Wait..." Kel'tsit held Noah, hesitated for a moment and said, "...Comrade, very good... It's rare for me to have friends who fight side by side with me."

"I think many people are willing to stand by your side, Dr. Kal'tsit." Noah smiled and nodded, then turned and left.

The flames of war in Londinium seemed to have dimmed a little in this smile.

Chapter 38: Grand Duke of Kyrielet

It is not difficult to find the location of the Doctor and others. Noah can do this easily by resonating with the spiritual seed in the Doctor. The connection between the spiritual seed and the body is almost impossible to be blocked in any way, and a connection can be established even if they are thousands of miles away.

If it weren't for the fact that the properties of this spiritual seed itself were not very good, and if Noah didn't have to, he wouldn't plant it on anyone else. This would still be a very good means of communication.

Noah still can't remember what happened that night, but what he knows is that he was forced to plant a spiritual seed in the doctor. The doctor also kept silent about this matter, probably because it was not a good memory.

But since then, everything has changed. His hair has changed color, his legs have regained sensation, and his eyes have regained sight.

He looked like he had transformed from a broken body back to a complete form, but in Noah's opinion, this dreamlike miracle must have come at a price.

And the price to pay for this might be something more important to Noah...

But instead of continuing to complain about everything and worrying about the misfortunes that might happen to him, Noah chose to move on.

This is not an escape, but a more positive approach. She never thinks that the gift of fate is free. She has been paying the price. She is not worried about having too much debt, as she has long been accustomed to it.

When fate comes, Noah will be fully prepared to fight against it.

In the past, when his body was crippled, he had such courage. Now that his body has been restored to its original state, it is naturally impossible for her to be worse than before.

Fight with fate and defeat it——

This is the answer given by Noah Kyrielet.

Not only can the shapeshifter's body transform at any time, but what's even more powerful is the body's perception ability. Noah can feel that although the Sarkaz are easily infected with oripathy, due to the special nature of the shapeshifter's body, oripathy cannot infect her life form. It is better to say that he has walked out of his own path, and in a sense, it may be considered as physical ascension. This body can not only adapt to most extreme environments, but can even change its own form to ensure its own survival needs.

Just like a tardigrade...

After gradually adapting to this body, Noah once again turned into Miss Shining, opened a manhole cover, and entered the extensive underground pipes.

The underground pipelines of Londinium are an industrial masterpiece of the heyday of Victoria. Their complexity and level of advancement are still at the forefront of Terra. Ordinary people may not find the place they want even if they walk in such pipelines for a lifetime.

But Noah has the location of the spiritual seed, so he just needs to move forward in the direction of the location.

While sneaking in the underground pipes, Noa's real body also chatted with Kuro about Victoria's history. After all, traveling itself is quite boring, and her minor in Columbia is Terra's comprehensive history, and she wrote quite a lot about Victoria.

The most popular topics discussed by students at that time were: whether Sargon was too corrupt, whether Gaul was too arrogant and led to the destruction of the country, whether Leithnia was too restrained, whether Iberia was too utilitarian, whether Ursus was too barbaric, and whether Yan State was too picky.

At this moment, an Aslan suddenly asked a question.

"What about Victoria? What about Victoria?"

The teacher at that time looked at this scene with a smile and gave an answer that seemed to have been prepared long ago.

“Victoria is where our journey started.”

——Yes, Victoria can be said to be the starting point of Terra civilization.

Victoria was, in a sense, the crowning achievement of old Terran civilization. The Victoria Empire, one of the most militarily powerful, economically prosperous, and comprehensively powerful nations within Terra's Core Circle, was a veritable hegemonic empire on Terra. Victoria's territory was vast, bordering several Core Circle nations, and encompassing numerous settlements and enclaves.

Even the founding of Columbia is closely related to Victoria.

Occupying Terra's most fertile valley, Victoria seemed to possess the potential to become a powerful power. And naturally, Londinium became what Victoria called the center of Terra.

However, Victoria's current situation might not be so satisfactory. The Sarkaz invasion caused this once glorious city to fall silently, and even lost contact with the outside world for a time. It was not until the arrival of Rhodes Island, Noah, and others that they truly understood what had happened.

"History has proven time and again that the strong are not always strong, and the weak are not always weak. Even the powerful Victoria Empire declined due to internal friction and strife, and Gaul was destroyed by its arrogance." Noya recounted to Kuro the answer she had given to her teacher. "But what I said at the time was somewhat at odds with the teacher's opinion."

"Look now, you were right."

"No, quite the opposite. Now I realize my initial thinking may have been a bit one-sided." Noa shook his head. "Indeed, Victoria may appear weakened now, but in reality, the Sarkaz have merely seized Londinium. To be blunt, even if Londinium were truly taken, would Victoria simply disappear? No, they will have another Londinium. They haven't lost their technology, army, or culture. What's happening now is merely a brief hiccup in Victoria's long life."

Noah sighed.

"What the teacher said was true. In fact, the Grand Dukes outside the city are fully capable of dealing with the Sarkaz within. No matter how powerful the Scavenger King is, he can't possibly stand against a nation." Noya came to a clear-headed conclusion. If the Scavenger King could stand against a nation, then Kazdel wouldn't have been destroyed so many times. Ultimately, the Sarkaz weren't strong enough to face the full force of Terra's greatest empire.

It's just that the Sarkaz now occupy a balance point, and the internal friction between the Grand Dukes gives them an opportunity to take advantage.

Victoria, which created such glory, will not fall so easily.

"Before we set out, I met that Aslan," Kuro said. "The one they call the King of Thrust. She's a very special person."

"Ms. Vina?" This was the first time Noah had heard that Kuro and Vina had met privately. "What happened?"

"She has a temperament similar to Enthiotis. Should I say it is leadership or personal charm? Anyway, such people can naturally build a team through their popularity no matter where they are. Moreover, she is serious and responsible, which is the quality that an excellent king should have." Kuro did not dislike Vina's style of doing things. In fact, she unexpectedly liked this straightforward style. If Vina had found her before she met Noah.

Maybe she would be a general under her command now?

However, the King of Advancement did not find Kuro to poach him. She came to find Kuro because she wanted to learn some news about Noah from Kuro.

It can be seen that the other party seems to care about Noah Kyrielight unexpectedly.