Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

"Hehe - that's it." Skadi puffed out his chest, feeling a little proud.

"If this is the place, maybe we can really solve the gray matter—" Noah muttered to himself, "Miss Gladia, can we move freely? Or do we have to act according to your instructions?"

"...That's not something I can arrange. It depends on the diplomat in charge." Gloria shook her head. "But as for the gray matter, I can introduce you to someone who can handle it."

Soon, Noah met the doctor that Gloria promised to give him. He was a kind scholar. After Gloria arrived here, she greeted the scholar with the communicator and explained Noah's condition in detail.

The scholar was obviously surprised when he learned that Noah had gray matter that imitated the creations of previous civilizations.

In their cognition, the technology of Terra's land country is relatively backward, but they did not expect that in such a backward Terra land country, there would be such a madman who dared to try to imitate the dangerous technology of the previous civilization.

Nanorobots - This technology is considered high-risk even in Agor and requires official approval for research.

"Hello, my name is Brandus, and I'm a scholar," the other man introduced himself politely. "I heard about your situation from Golletia. Don't worry, in Agor, this technology is quite mature. We can help you eliminate the hidden dangers in your body in a harmless way."

"Thank you very much." Noah breathed a sigh of relief. She was a little nervous before Brandus said those words. Fortunately - everything was still in time.

Without further ado, Noah quickly followed Brandus to the laboratory, changed into thin clothes and lay down in the medical cabin. After the transparent hatch was closed, there was no space for movement in the entire medical cabin. Noah could feel that the medical cabin was releasing a strange sound wave to test and observe the condition of the gray matter in Noah's body. After this sound wave was captured by the gray matter, the reaction of the gray matter was suppressed.

"Next, it might be a little painful--" Brandus put on a monocle and pressed a few buttons on the test bench. Immediately, an anesthetic gas began to be infused into the entire medical cabin. Noah lost control of his body while being conscious. Then, soon, a laser beam drew a cross on Noah's body, just like a Caesarian section. Immediately, the sound waves in the medical cabin began to amplify further, and Noah could feel that something was being peeled off from Noah's body. It was a ball of gray liquid metal, which was being separated from Noah's pores bit by bit.

Finally, it turned into a metal sphere floating above Noah's lower abdomen. At the moment of separation, Noah even felt the reluctance of the gray matter. However, under Agor's technology, the gray matter, which was still in its infancy, had no resistance and was completely peeled off.

Although Noya was still anesthetized, her abilities were constantly active. She could actually sense multiple mixed emotions from her gray matter: confusion, bewilderment, anger, reluctance, and...

"Mother……"

Gray matter...actually thought of her as a mother?

Although Noah thought of herself as a mother nurturing gray matter when she was underwater, she never imagined that these things would actually regard her as a mother.

After the gray liquid metal was separated, Brandus quickly operated the machine to seal the liquid metal. The operation was completed, and it didn't even involve a cesarean section. The nanorobots, known as gray matter, were surprisingly obedient. Not only did they not harm Noah's body, they even proactively peeled away the parts that were attached to Noah's flesh, demonstrating a rather gentle approach.

Brandos' original idea was to gather the gray matter together first, and then use an extraction device to extract these things by cutting open Noah's abdomen.

However, the gray matter actively drilled out of Noah's pores, as if worried that Brandus would hurt Noah's body. After the operation, Noah sat up from the medical cabin after he felt the anesthesia wore off.

She knew that the time bomb in her body had been defused. Before leaving, the gray matter even completely devoured the Originium crystal cluster in Noya's body. It can be said that Noya is now the first patient with completely cured mineralopathy in the true sense.

She had always considered the gray matter a big problem, a time bomb. She had considered the difficulty of defusing it, and she had also considered whether the gray matter would just break through her body and escape one day.

But she never imagined that the gray matter would actually leave her body on its own...

And the emotion conveyed by that last one made her feel a little lost.

Mother……

Gray Matter actually regarded her as her mother...

Complex emotions surged in her heart, making her look a little dazed.

"Are you okay?" Jian stepped forward and put a piece of clothing on Noah. "You look..."

"I'm fine..." Noah blinked and volunteered, "and... I can see."

That's right, after the gray matter left Noah's body, it completely took away the remaining Originium crystal clusters. When the Originium crystal clusters completely disappeared from Noah's body, Noah's body finally recovered its proper functions - although it is still a little unclear now, these will all be slowly restored later.

Now Noah's body has completely recovered to a healthy state...

And the price was just that the gray matter left her body... Shouldn't this be a good thing?

But for some reason, Noah couldn't be happy.

——Is it really...over?

Chapter 41: Clemenza is Unreachable

"The operation was a success." After completing the gray matter removal surgery, Brandus removed his monocle and said to Noya with a smile. "As for this gray matter, I plan to stay and study it. I'm asking for your opinion. Of course, this is the result of your research on land, so you have the right to decide who will conduct the research."

"...This." Noya looked at the gray matter in the transparent container. Her mind told her that handing it over to Brandus was the best option. Gray matter was too dangerous. Only leaving it with Agor, who had the ability to control it, would be the safest option. However, she still couldn't bring herself to do it. "...I want to take him back to Rhine Life. I'm so sorry."

Brandus wasn't surprised. Rather, he felt that if it were his own research, he wouldn't just hand it over to researchers from other countries. Furthermore, the Agors already had similar nanobots, though the Gray Matter-like ones, which seemed to possess self-awareness, were rarer. After all, the Agors had once considered creating a strong AI with powerful self-evolutionary capabilities, but the idea was ultimately rejected.

Because technology should serve humanity, not humanity serving technology, this is the view of researchers that must be made clear.

In this regard, today's Agor is somewhat similar to the Rhine life envisioned by Noah. The people-oriented scientific concept is what Noah wants to see.

After handing the transparent container to Noah, Brandus retired, his mission accomplished. However, he and Gloria still had matters to discuss, so Noah and the others could leave first. Mace placed Noah back in his wheelchair. Although Noah could theoretically walk, he previously had gray matter to regulate his movements. Now, getting his nerves used to the lack of gray matter regulation and connections was quite difficult. Noah would probably need a period of recovery.

Anyway - I still have to stay with the wheelchair for a while.

But now, Noya was in perfect health. Agor's medical chamber technology, inherited entirely from a previous civilization, not only allowed for gray matter removal surgery but also strengthened his physique. After this operation, Noya had completely said goodbye to the threat of mineral sickness and gray matter. Holding the gray matter in a transparent container, Noya felt a little unaccustomed.

"-Congratulations, you can recover your health without any wish. It seems that it will be difficult for me to deceive you in the future." At this time, a teasing voice sounded beside her.

"Can you communicate with me without the Originium?" Noah was a little surprised. She originally thought that Priseth relied on the Originium in his body to establish a connection with her, but now there is almost no Originium left in Noah's body, but Priseth can still appear.

"Of course I've thought about what I'd do if you cured your Ore Disease—" Precious said with a smile, "But if I wanted, you could get Ore Disease again now. After all, there are still some Originium particles in your body. Of course, you're my old customer, so I naturally can't do that."

Precious said righteously, "I am a conscientious businessman, remember to work hard, dear~"

"Kiss? What is it?"

"That's how the customer service staff of the former Civilization online shopping platform addressed their customers. Don't worry about such details," Precious explained casually. "By the way, do you remember the agreement between us?"

"...I've thought about it. You asking me to shut down the Deep Blue Tree can indeed solve Hai Si's problem, but for you...what's the benefit?" Noah did think about shutting down the Deep Blue Tree according to Prisseth's arrangement, which would at least solve Hai Si's crisis. However, after communicating with Luo, she unexpectedly discovered that Hai Si might not be as dangerous as she thought, and even the original Hai Si plan had two sets of arrangements.

One set is to devour all the organic matter on Terra and head towards the universe.

The second set is to use the power of Haisi to evenly distribute Terra's resources, and even complete the construction of the so-called "Super Terra" through the growth of Haisi.

After all, the role of Haisi is actually to change the biosphere, or to rebuild the biosphere.

In comparison, the threat of Originium is even greater... If it weren't for the fact that almost all of Terra's technology is based on Originium... Wait, Noah suddenly realized a problem.

"Agor's technology does not require the existence of Originium—"

"I know what you're thinking, but the reason Agor can do this is because their scientific progress has diverged from that of Terran civilization from the very beginning. Putting aside whether Agor is willing to share their technology with all of Terra, even if they were willing, would the Terran nations be willing to give up their already mature Originium system?" Precious scoffed. "You're a bit delusional."

"...Indeed." Noya had to admit that Precious was right. She wasn't worried about the Originium industry being replaced. Rather, in her eyes, none of this mattered. "I just wonder, is Agor's path...really the right one?"

"……What do you mean?"

"If the previous civilization did not survive the crisis, then Agor, who is almost the successor of the previous civilization..." Noah did not continue, but Prises already understood Noah's thoughts.

"Who knows—" Precious didn't directly respond to the question. "The Agor are not a previous civilization. They simply inherited some of the technology of the previous civilization. In our opinion, the Agor are still a group of subhumans. And their technological level is far from enough—"

As Precious was talking, he suddenly became curious.

"Things about the previous civilization...you seem to know more about it than I thought?" Prisseth's suspicion made Noah realize that she might have said too much just now, but she did not panic, but just said with a smile.

"—After all, your former civilization has left us with enough trouble. I definitely need to get to know you better before I can make a judgment."

"That's better." Precious sneered. "I look forward to our next transaction, Noah Kyrielight."

"I wish you wouldn't show up again, Miss Precious."

Although Precious disappeared, Noah's inner pressure did not disappear. She almost forgot about the other time bomb in her body... The existence of Precious, this former civilized female ghost, still made her unable to sleep or eat.

Previous civilization, Deep Blue Tree, Originium Project, Doctor, Prissus, Luo...

These keywords and clues are all tangled together like a mess. The only one who can know the truth is probably Miss Kal'tsit - but Miss Kal'tsit probably has some restrictions that prevent her from revealing the key information.

Judging from the current situation, the Deep Blue Tree Project has undoubtedly entered a stage of being out of control, and the Originium Project is also under the control of Priss and is likely to be heading towards a path of destruction. If there is anyone who can really stop them, it is probably only another former civilized person.

...Do I have to confront the doctor?

Noah sighed. As soon as one problem was solved, another would pop up. It was simply an endless cycle of contradictions.

To Terra, the former civilization was like a god. A relic they left behind casually was enough to allow Agor to develop to this point—the source stone they left behind became the cornerstone of Terra civilization.

She suddenly remembered a phrase - when the giant beast falls, all things come to life.

The previous civilization is this giant beast. After its death, its corpse nourishes the birth of the next generation of civilization. However, the previous civilization also set up several levels like the final questions at the end of the exam. Only if the Terra civilization survives these tests can it continue to move forward.

"It seems... I really need to go and see what's going on at the Deep Blue Tree Research Institute..."

Precious had previously given Noah the detailed coordinates of the Deep Blue Tree. She had already made up her mind that as long as Gloria and the others were free, she would request to go to the location of the Deep Blue Tree alone.

Through "Siren", she is confident that she can enter Hai Si's lair without any harm. Only by entering the Deep Blue Tree Research Institute can she learn more about the truth - only then can she make a choice.

-

While Noah was undergoing surgery, Gloria and others went ahead to meet with Governor Clemenza.

Although the doctor was also worried about Noya's condition, he could only temporarily put his mind at ease after Goletia assured him that there was absolutely no danger. However, not long after they left, they were stunned by the city of Agor countless times. Even a civil engineer from the Great Yan would probably complain that architecture had ceased to exist here. Agor's architectural style was so imaginative and unique, with its own set of design languages. Coupled with its exaggerated technology, the gravity inside some buildings was even reversed.

It is indeed difficult for ordinary people to imagine a building hanging upside down.

The water flowing autonomously between the pillars, the space that was distorted by the finger, and even the weapons that could launch micro singularities - all of these things were far beyond the understanding of the Terrans.

The Doctor even saw a launch pad - supposedly designed to launch beacons into the barrier layer.

Before coming to Agor, the doctor had a somewhat biased impression of Agor. For example, because he heard that the Agor people were all raised in a collective system, he thought that the connections between the Agor people would seem very indifferent.

But it can be seen that there is no huge gap between anyone here. Even if they are not related by blood, they can develop close relationships.

Gloria on the side explained it this way - although the collective upbringing system may make the distance between relatives become a little subtle, the distance between peers who grew up together will be shortened. Strictly speaking, the collective upbringing system forms a huge family. These people have lived together since childhood and have close relationships with each other like brothers and sisters.

And this kind of relationship will even continue into adulthood, because Agor's education system is lifelong free education, and anyone who is willing to learn can get complete educational resources.

Almost everyone here has a teaching certificate, and they spend their free time attending classes. Everyone is a teacher, and everyone has access to an overflowing amount of educational resources, resulting in an exaggerated overall educational level in Agor.

Roughly three hundred years ago, the Agor had nearly fully exploited the ocean. Every natural energy source was harnessed, and every gully in the seabed was recorded on nautical charts. They even began to aspire to reach the sky, realizing the existence of the barrier long before Terra did.

At that time, people made many attempts with great enthusiasm - surveying and deciphering the electron cloud, innovating propulsion technology and material technology, and exploring life forms that can adapt to the space environment...

The beacon silos we saw earlier were a product of that era. At least in their original conception, they could detect the tiniest signals in the starry sky and erect perpetual beacons at specific coordinates on a star map. Like a lighthouse, they were a precursor to cosmic exploration. Between the beacons, countless microscopic floating machines would link together to form a network of paths, allowing the Agor to traverse vast distances in an instant... Just hearing the Agorians' vision was enough to astound.

It can be said that the Agor civilization not only absorbed the remains of previous civilizations, but also avoided internal friction among each other. Unlike the almost non-stop land disputes on the Terra continent, the Agor almost never encountered such serious internal friction.

This is also one of the reasons why Agor Technology is so terrifying.

But soon, Agor finally encountered the stumbling block of his own civilization - Haisi.

The emergence of Haisi changed Algor. Since when, Haisi has become almost the only subject of the Algor people's life. Art, technology, and all our imaginations for the future have been put on hold.

The most realistic side of this change is the Deep Sea Hunter.

While Gloria was still introducing Agor's city, footsteps came closer and a woman walked slowly towards them, holding a ceremonial sword at an angle. Gloria subconsciously placed her hand on the hilt of the spear.

"Goldetia."

She called out Golettia's name softly, took a few quick steps, and then held her in her arms.

The Agors didn't often greet each other with intimate physical contact, and Glacetia didn't even remember her mother doing it. But the other woman embraced her so naturally that it even surprised Glacetia.

"Consul Clemenza?"

She spoke out.

"I don't remember such a military salute between chief war designers."

"Goldetia, seeing the hunters return sober is the greatest reward of my trip." Clemenza's frustration faded, and she concealed her joy as she released her embrace. "This is just a hug between friends who haven't seen each other in a while."

"...I thought the Agors had adopted new etiquette while I was away. My apologies, Archon Clemenza." Gloria, unaware of Clemenza's frustration, simply explained. "But I'm glad to see you again, Archon."

"—Commander Clemenza and the Captain came from the same collective care facility." Ghost Shark quietly approached the doctor and whispered, "You see, children raised in collective care facilities are very close to each other."

"...Indeed, it's quite 'intimate'."

Chapter 42: Seeing Through, Not Saying It Out

Let's not even talk about Clemenza's situation. After all, everyone knows that Gloria is a cold and wooden person. Clemenza quickly adjusted her mindset and prepared to start explaining what her so-called channel plan was all about.

"Golden Lady, seeing the hunters return awake is the greatest reward of my trip." Before explaining, she added something that came with genuine meaning. Previously, Clemenza had been among those who opposed the Deep Sea Hunter surgery.

But Gloria did not respond. After all, when she returned to Agor, the Coast Guard's reaction was more vigilance than respect.

The action of killing "Chusheng" made Agor lose almost all of his deep-sea hunters. Even though Gloria tried hard to find them, she only found Skadi, Laurentina, Ulpian and others. The deep-sea hunters who could have formed several teams are probably only these four left now. It is said that Agor tried to organize a search and rescue, but after the death of "Chusheng", the crazy sea blocked the entire sea area, and every search and rescue attempt by Agor could only return in vain.

It was precisely for this reason that Helatia—Goldetia’s mother—could only inform the nation of the deaths of all the Deep Sea Hunters.

For Agor now, the returning deep-sea hunter was like a demon crawling out of hell, making him terrified. However, since Golletia didn't want to talk about her mother, Clemenza wisely avoided the topic.

Regardless, the plan to kill "Chusheng" was considered a success, but the problem was that the purpose of this plan was never achieved - the Deep Sea Hunter Plan was a failed game, and the death of "Chusheng" did not curb the evolution of Haisi.

What Gloria needed to know was Agor's current solution, or in other words, what Clemenza called the overall picture of the waterway plan.

The waterway plan...to be precise, this is also a game.

The technology of the Agor people has reached an extremely exaggerated level, and they can even directly launch micro singularities. However, facing the unreasonable evolution speed of Hai Si, most of their weapons will only become food for their evolution.