Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

To prevent this, Algor rigorously implemented a so-called "Weapons Classification Plan," employing a graduated system to curb the evolution of the Haisi. The combined use of conventional ballistic weapons and Tier I weapons yielded remarkable results, leaving the Haisi unable to understand why they were being burned by the seawater around them. But within a year, they had practically adapted to this unfamiliar threat. In the eleventh month, Algor prematurely implemented Tier II weapons, which employed a completely different method of attack.

And so on—

Until Haisi's evolution speed surpassed the iteration speed of the Institute of Technology. That's right, time - time is the most deadly thing.

After all, those sea soldiers only need to think about how to adapt to the damage of weapons, but the Academy of Sciences has to consider a lot more when it wants to develop a brand new weapon.

The Agors have invested vast resources in sea heirloom research. Understanding the root causes of sea heirlooms is the only way to address them. The intelligence brought back by the returning deep-sea hunters proves that one of the Agors' research directions is correct.

Breogan's discovery on land confirmed the Academy of Sciences' speculation from another aspect - the sea beast and the giant beast have the same origin.

Behemoths are almost extinct in the ocean. In the past, Agor had communicated with behemoths. Most of the behemoths were gentle, huge, and part of the natural circulation system. They were interested in human cities and even learned music from the Agors. However, after the outbreak of the Sea Heir Crisis, these behemoths never visited Agor again, and the sporadic research in the past was completely unable to improve Agor's understanding of the behemoths.

And now on land, the traces of the giant beast's activities are more obvious - this is also one of the reasons why Agor is connected with Iberia.

Of course, the sea urchins were definitely not simply naturally occurring behemoths. Their existence had clearly been distorted, perhaps engineered by some technology. Their presence had directly distorted the entire ocean ecosystem. More precisely, the sea urchins seemed to be devouring the entire ocean ecosystem, creating a self-perpetuating cycle. The Agors had to consider their ultimate decision. If the entire ocean was swallowed by the sea urchins... then sooner or later, the Agors would be faced with the decision to move to land.

Instead of being trapped and dying on the seabed, it is better to send a signal to the land first.

Agor cannot face the entire Terra crisis alone, they need allies——

This was part of the Channel Plan, but not all. Before choosing to migrate, Agor had a more direct and insane plan. Helatia signed a new war order on behalf of the Development Planning Institute. Miliarum arrived here with a Class IV weapon developed by the Institute of Technology—a biological weapon radically different from previous ones. It could cause sea hermit nests and larvae within the target area to spontaneously die, while simultaneously driving large numbers of adult sea hermits away from the target area.

Argor had already located most of the nests in the target area. The only nests left to be deployed were those near Iberia. Once the beacons were deployed and the weapons activated, they would create a long-awaited stretch of clear water without a sea heap—a channel connecting Argor's territory.

This is the essence of the waterway plan. It is the way to the land and also the retreat that Agor has to take.

But the moment she heard Helatia's words, her expression darkened with worry. She knew her mother. Since she had come up with this plan, she knew they had definitely taken multiple precautions. However, as of now, she didn't see any "failure plan" in the plan. This was unlike her mother's style. As the most outstanding war planner, Helatia was the calmest person she had ever met.

...How could someone like her be so reckless?

"Heratia did tell me, 'The Channel Project won't fail.'" Seeing Goletia's hesitation, Clemenza spoke up. "I don't know how many possibilities she's calculated, and I hope I never have to find out. To me, this perilous city has always been the complete picture of the Channel Project."

“But this is by no means the whole picture from Helatia’s perspective—” Gloria sighed, but apart from this incident, she remembered Ulpian’s words.

Among the Agor high-ranking officials, there are also those who have been corrupted by the Deep Sea Church...

If Helatia is deceived and sidelined by the people below her, and is unable to obtain intelligence, will she make a judgment that is no longer feasible, or simply have her original intention distorted?

Goletia had to think this way. After all, this plan didn't seem like Helatia's work. Furthermore, there was no way she could have predicted her return, unless she could truly foresee the future, which was impossible.

The entire waterway plan was fraught with uncertainty and danger. Even if it came from Helatia, it would inevitably be opposed by the majority. However, Helatia still pushed forward with the plan, which must have been a problem.

"...Can I meet with Archon Helatia?" Gloria suddenly thought of Noya's ability. If he had that ability, he could tell if there was something wrong with Helatia. However, after she proposed this idea, Clemenza simply shook her head.

"Archon Helatia is not in the city right now... I'm sorry, Golratia."

"...No, nothing." Gloria was not surprised. After all, her mother was a very busy person.

After explaining the situation clearly, Clemenza hesitated for a moment, but still took the initiative to tell the biggest trouble the hunters might encounter next.

"I'm sorry, Gloria, maybe Agor will have to hold a council meeting to welcome the return of the hunters." Clemenza personally believed that Gloria's return was simply a homecoming. After all, she knew Gloria well enough, and they grew up together. It can even be said that if Gloria had not combined the transformation of the deep-sea hunter and turned her noble golden hair into silver hair, it should be Gloria who sat in Clemenza's position. From childhood to adulthood, Clemenza had been watching Gloria's back as she walked towards her.

She believed she understood Gloria, and she regarded Gloria as her best friend and confidant, so it was impossible for her to doubt her. But... unfortunately, she could not represent the entire Agor.

The Agors have become extremely wary of the sea, and the return of the deep-sea hunters during this sensitive period has obviously aroused collective suspicion in the Agor society, which has forced Clemenza to inform Goletia of the upcoming council meeting.

This isn't so much about the council... it's more about Gloria trying to defend her return and prove her innocence.

It is not easy to prove one's innocence. Only the Agor people themselves know how tense the Agor society is today.

"The Council... As expected, the Agors still like to turn suspicion into a debate ritual. I thought they would go straight to the court for a verdict, which is already quite good."

"I won't let them do that," Clemenza said firmly. "I believe you, Gladia... I only need to look into your eyes to know if you are lying!"

"Really?" Gloria stared into Clemensa's eyes. Those deep-sea hunter-like crimson eyes seemed to be seducing Clemensa's soul. Gloria asked with a smile, "Then let me ask you, what do you see in my eyes?"

"I only see your loyalty to Agor." Clemenza was dazed for a moment, but quickly replied, "You are a part of Agor, you are a hero of Agor, and heroes don't deserve this kind of treatment."

"Clemenza, thank you." Gloria was not someone who didn't know what was good for her. She smiled sincerely at this moment. "I didn't expect that I would cause you so much trouble."

"I volunteered." Clemenza was a little excited. It would be better to say that she was already very happy that she could finally communicate with Gloria on an equal footing. The original Gloria was so untouchable. After becoming a deep-sea hunter, she was even more focused on training her subordinates. Clemenza had almost no time to communicate with her. Many times, she even wanted to get a set of deep-sea hunter surgery for herself.

After Gloria led her team and disappeared, she went against everyone's opinion and demanded several times for a full-scale search, but found nothing. Now, she has finally waited for Gloria's return, how could she let Gloria suffer such injustice?

She had protested countless times, but in the end, she decided to hold a council meeting.

This was much better than the trial. At least Gloria was not standing in her seat as a sinner, but Clemenza was still a little indignant.

But when she heard Goletia's thanks, she felt it was all worth it. How could those foolish fellows possibly defeat Goletia, the Agor's most celebrated child prodigy, Helatia's daughter, and the true leader? She was just worrying too much. She was Goletia.

"Am I the only one who needs to be questioned this time?" Gloria was concerned about whether Skadi and Laurentina would be implicated. However, Clemenza wouldn't act so absurdly. With the return of a captain-level figure, two mere Deep Sea Hunters wouldn't be the focus. Gloria would debate everything alone.

"Rather than this...Gladiya, I think you should first consider the draft of your speech this afternoon," Clemenza suggested sincerely. "Then focus on your physical adjustments. You've already passed the adjustment period, and I'm worried about your health."

"The surgery already took into account the adjustment period, so it's no problem."

"What I'm saying is...if any adjustments can be made, do it. Not just for you, but for the other Deep Sea Hunters as well," Clemenza emphasized. "Deep Sea Hunter surgery is very dangerous. Performing maintenance first will also increase our leverage at the afternoon council meeting. I'll ask Brandus to perform this maintenance. He's the primary operator of Deep Sea Hunter surgery and should be trustworthy."

"I understand." Gloria nodded, agreeing that it made sense. "I'll make the simplest adjustments to my body. Sorry for the trouble."

"No...no." Clemenza's face flushed slightly, and no one knew what she was thinking.

The Doctor, the Ghost Shark Skadi and others who were unable to get a word in maintained a spectator mentality from beginning to end. Seeing Clemenza's shy and hesitant posture, the Doctor felt that Gloria's slowness might be even more exaggerated than he had imagined. She was almost going to hit him straight in the face, right?

She complained to Laurentina beside her somewhat helplessly.

"Has your captain...always been like this?"

"Ahahaha, some things are better left unsaid." Laurentina smiled awkwardly, while Skadi beside her looked at the Doctor in confusion and asked, "What's wrong with Second Captain?"

"...I mean, between Glacetia and this Archon..."

"They are very good friends!"

"Come on, I shouldn't have asked you that. Just go and have fun."

Chapter 43: Tulia

On the other hand, while Gloria and Clemenza were discussing the council's affairs, Noah had already finished the treatment and returned to the noisy street with the transparent container containing gray matter.

The streets of Agor are somewhat different from those on land. The biggest difference is probably that the streets of Terra are flat and paved based on the road surface, while the streets of Agor are three-dimensional. The ground is only a part of it. There are passages between the strange buildings, connected by transparent pipes. People have made full use of the space, and three special street scenes that are interconnected are laid out on the upper, middle and lower floors.

There were also automated robots sweeping up the streets, and people in loose-fitting clothing were commuting in various ways. Noya saw some flying in mid-air on drones, some walking, and some simply hanging from drones. Noya felt like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden, gaining a new understanding of technology far beyond that of terrestrial civilization.

Most of the people walking on the street looked relaxed, and there was hardly anyone in a hurry. Noah often saw some people standing on the street debating. The topics of the debate were about subjects that Noah had never heard of. However, seeing that they were debating so intensely, Noah didn't feel comfortable going up to ask.

She had thought that all the Agors were like the deep-sea hunters she knew: calm, taciturn, and full of mystery.

It turns out that the deep-sea hunters are the outliers here. Most of the Agor people give people a very relaxed feeling. It is not only their life that is relaxed, but also their attitude towards life. Perhaps it is because the productivity of the Agor has fully met their needs. Their work is no longer for making a living, but for their own pursuit - such a life does not require them to worry, and they only need to choose the life they want.

Such a society... is really too ideal.

Noah thought with some envy - if Casimir was like this, those who wanted to be knights could become knights, and those who wanted to be craftsmen could become craftsmen, and no one would force themselves because of society's views, then Noah's life might not have so many ups and downs.

Of course, Noah's point of view is definitely one-sided, but now she really does envy such a society.

"How does it feel to walk on your own two legs?"

“—It feels less comfortable than a wheelchair.”

Noah said jokingly.

"After all, you're the one pushing my wheelchair."

"I can carry you on my back now."

In response to Noah's joke, Jian also responded in this way.

"Forget it, let me feel the hard-earned fatigue for a while longer."

Having a healthy body is something that most people take for granted, but for Noah, it is so precious that she is reluctant to stop, for fear that she will wake up from her dream.

"Speaking of which, is there anything in particular you'd like to experience after you recover?"

"……Well……"

The question about the mace made Noah fall into deep thought. Honestly, after her eyes and legs recovered, she really wanted to do a lot of things. For example, she wanted to take Viviana to an opera. This time, she wouldn't have to help with the interpretation, so she could immerse herself in the performance. Or she could go see her friends, pretend she couldn't see, and then accidentally reveal her recovery to surprise them.

Or - go back and see what Casimir looks like now...

However, these were just thoughts that flashed through her mind for a moment, and she quickly shook her head. In fact, there was nothing particular she wanted to do.

"Isn't what I want always with me?"

Noah reached out and grabbed the hand of the mace beside him, holding it tightly with their fingers interlocked.

"Thank you, Mace."

Noah said sincerely.

"You are always by my side, which is my greatest luck."

Being attacked suddenly like this was considered a critical hit even for someone like Jian. The corners of her mouth rose slightly, and she did not respond, but the smile on her lips had already revealed her state of mind.

-

"Huh...huh..."

At this time, there was an anxious girl on the street. She was holding a large pile of samples, staggering and looked like she would fall at any time.

She forgot to bring her little helper when she went out, so now she has to move her collection by herself. As a famous algae expert in Agor University, she has spent most of her life dealing with these algae. Due to the spread of sea slugs, a large part of the algae are on the verge of extinction. Originally, these precious algae samples were stored in the university laboratory, but the laboratory was going to be renovated recently, so she had to transfer these algae.

But it was too much effort for her to transfer so many algae samples by herself - algae research is a relatively unpopular subject, so she had no one else to help.

Sigh... but she's used to it. In the first half of her life, she wasn't good at socializing, so she spent most of her time with the algae she loved, a dark and damp Agor stay-at-home girl. That's why she had to do the transporting work so lonely and alone.

Because there were too many things, including some research equipment, the girl was staggering when she walked. She couldn't even see the road ahead and could only rely on her memory to move forward.

But as everyone knows, memory is the most unreliable thing. Where she thought it was a thoroughfare, a wall appeared.

wow-

The hill she was carrying collapsed instantly - all kinds of samples were scattered all over the ground. Fortunately, most of the instruments were strong and durable and would not lose their function due to a careless fall. However, this did not make the girl feel at ease. She let out a cry, squatted down and began to pick up the algae samples on the ground.

Ah... why am I still so clumsy...

She couldn't help but sigh, and at this moment, someone squatted beside her and helped her pack up the samples.

"Ah! Thank you, thank you!" The girl thanked him hurriedly, but when she looked up, she saw that the person coming was a girl wearing strange clothes. The fabric looked very rough and didn't seem to be produced by Agor - unless it was specially customized by those retro-style people. After all, Agor's clothes are truly seamless.

"You're welcome," the other party replied in a strange Agorese. "These... are algae?"

"Yes! You can actually tell!" the girl said excitedly. "These are rare species. Most algae are on the verge of extinction because of the sea urchins—they devour the algae much faster than they can regenerate."

"...Oh, I've seen samples of freshwater algae." Noah said a little embarrassedly. In fact, when he was at Rhine Life, Miu Miu's microscope broke down, so Noah used the Eye of God to help hand-draw the algae cell morphology, so that he could recognize these algae samples.

"Freshwater algae? That's a rare commodity indeed." The girl blinked. "But freshwater algae isn't... could it be that you are?"

"Hello, my name is Noa Kyrielight, and I'm from the mainland." Noa nodded and acknowledged her identity. "Nice to meet you—Researcher Tulia?"

"Ah...how do you know my name?"

Tulia was stunned, not realizing she was still wearing her name badge. Noah pointed at her name badge and continued.

"Okay, it looks like you can't do it by yourself, let us help you get it."

"Then why are you embarrassed..."

Tulia was terrified that the distinguished guests from the land would help her move her things. As a socially anxious girl, she was not used to being treated like this.

"It's okay. I don't have any plans today. Just treat me as an ordinary passerby. Mace, please carry those experimental equipment--"

"Yes."

Mace easily lifted the heaviest box containing experimental equipment with one hand, while Noah and Tulia each carried two boxes containing algae samples. After the number of people increased from one to three, the task was no longer difficult.

Although these algae samples are precious, they are definitely not the kind of wealth that is worth taking risks for. Tulia naturally would not think that the other party came for these algae, nor is it likely that they came for her, a dark and gloomy homebody. So maybe they were just willing to help.

Although Tulia didn't say anything, she had already memorized the name in her heart.

Noah Kyrielight——

He's a good man from the land.

The three of them worked together to quickly transfer the specimens and lab equipment. While it was called a transfer, it was actually just a temporary storage of the items at home. Tulia's home already had a lot of algae and numerous culture tanks. She was something of an expert when it came to algae, so she had originally planned to keep these algae in the culture tanks. However, Noah, upon seeing the state of Tulia's home, couldn't help but complain.

"Is this an aquarium? Or some kind of seaweed exhibit?"

"...No...This is my home."

Tulia said a little embarrassedly.

"I made all of this myself, because I've loved studying seaweed since I was a kid..."

Tulia herself thought her interest was somewhat odd, but Noya didn't share that sentiment. She gazed at the algae in the aquarium with great interest. It was more like she was curious about everything now that she could see it.