Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

At this moment, Jian's smile gradually turned contemptuous, while Margaret seemed to understand Jian's thoughts and shook her head with a wry smile. "You really have a strong desire to win."

"Same here. If this were a competition, I'd be absolutely confident I could win, while you'd still be hesitant. If you don't even have the confidence to win, how could you possibly be my opponent?" Mace replied matter-of-factly. "But I won't treat this as a competition, and Noah isn't my prize. What you need to do is rise to my challenge and express everything about yourself to Noah. If not—then you won't have any chance of defeating me."

Margaret stared at the mace, her eyes filled with a multitude of emotions, but she finally smiled. "I accept this challenge. I'd like to see if the Triple Crown Black Knight can compare to me, the Radiant Knight who ushers in a new era."

"Hmph, I look forward to your challenge."

"You are so confident, but be careful, pride will lead to failure."

"Ahhhhhhhh..." Skadi was stunned at this moment. She had thought it would be a long-lasting battle, but the two of them actually started to sympathize with each other as they talked. No, this is not right! How can you guys benefit from it if you don't quarrel? Skadi just felt that the two of them were a little too calm, but to be honest, Skadi began to agree with their ideas.

It's free competition! It's competitive recruitment!

Everyone will have a chance, this is competition. Jian did not choose to get in the car and weld the door shut, which is the most he could do.

Skadi clenched her fists and said, "I think I have a chance too!"

Chapter 93: The changing times

Precious's mentality collapsed temporarily, and Noah could only accompany Precious and watch the doctor's memory recovery progress bar reach 100%. Apart from that, any of her words seemed unable to reach Precious's heart. After all, this blow to her was indeed too great. When she saw the administrator AI, she was full of hope that the administrator could still be saved. After all, Noah had already demonstrated an almost miraculous action of resurrecting people.

However, Noah's resurrection was actually a dud. For example, Precious was resurrected by placing Noah's soul into a suitable body after Noah created it. Therefore, Noah's resurrection is only possible if her soul is intact. However, the Administrator is special. Her soul has become a victim of Project Zero, and the current AI is at most a replica of the Administrator.

I don’t know if the administrator also thought of this, so she set the AI’s self-destruction command early on - if the AI ​​was still there, Precious would definitely not give up this hope and would count on Noah to resurrect the administrator, but this is impossible.

Noah can resurrect people with intact souls. People with damaged souls can also rely on Noah's ability to slowly recover. However, the only person who cannot be resurrected by Noah's ability is the administrator, because she is the source of this ability.

And erasing the last mark she left behind was probably her last act of kindness.

When the progress bar reached 100%, the [sarcophagus] slowly opened its hatch, and the doctor sat up. Compared to before, the doctor had clearly undergone some subtle changes. She first gathered her thoughts, then raised her head and looked in the direction of Noya and Precious. Seeing Precious's distraught expression, she seemed to have guessed something. "Is she gone?"

"...Doctor, have you recovered?" Noah did not directly answer the administrator's question, but instead confirmed the recovery of his memory first.

"Yeah." The doctor nodded. "I guess so. I found what I lost."

Those memories were so overwhelming that even the doctor had a hard time accepting them all in such a short time. However, now that her memories had been restored, sorting them out was only a matter of time. She had already learned the truth she wanted to know, and her gaze towards Precious was tinged with guilt.

"Thank you for your hard work, Precious..." she started, but the next second, Precious hugged her and burst into tears.

She was a little at a loss, but she knew that Precious needed her now. She hugged Precious but said nothing. She just looked at Noah beside her, and Noah could only respond with a wry smile.

Things in this world are unpredictable, and not everything can have a perfect ending. Noah has known this for a long time.

Perhaps, like the Tower of Babel, the Garden of Eden can no longer be returned.

Now, they only have each other.

Noah's mission was over. She left the other two behind and secretly left the control room, returning to the few people waiting outside. She was not in a good mood. Seeing Precious breaking down and crying, she could do nothing... Honestly, she was very sad. She wanted to help Precious, but her words could no longer reach Precious's heart. The high wall that Precious had erected in his heart had already denied everything she could do...

"...Is everything over?" Mace asked with concern, "We've been in there long enough. If we don't get out, Amiya and the others will get worried."

"...Indeed, the Doctor and Precious will need some time. Let's leave them alone for now and get out of here. The Doctor has most of the lab's information. Our goal has been achieved..."

Although the goal was achieved, and even exceeded, the entire laboratory's information, his own identity, and the doctor's memory had all been resolved.

But the administrator lady... the person who could even be called half a mother to him, disappeared from then on.

She was actually feeling very heavy inside, but... she knew that she could no longer show sadness, otherwise the atmosphere of the entire team would become very sad.

At least she should show her positive side.

So, she forced a smile and said, "We have completed our mission. Now, let's go home."

"..." Jian and Margaret looked at each other and saw worry in each other's eyes, but they also knew that it was useless to comfort Noah now, so they could only nod.

Compared to these people, the one who felt the least was probably Koror, their guide. After all, she had nothing to do with the former civilization or anything like that; she was just an ordinary village chief of Dishui Village. Upon learning they could finally return, her reaction was genuine, a feeling of relief. Noah walked at the front of the group. With the administrator gone, most of the laboratory's defenses had been deactivated, leaving them with no obstacles on their way back. They soon found the cave's exit and, greeted by Amiya and Dr. Kal'tsit, left this... complicated place.

"Ms. Noah, I'm so glad that you're safe - wait, where's the Doctor?" Amiya was happy at first, but when she didn't see the Doctor in the team, she subconsciously got nervous.

"The doctor just has some unfinished business and will probably be out soon. There's no danger here anymore, so you can send in any team members you want to collect. We've shut down all the defenses before we left." Noah explained briefly before looking in Kal'tsit's direction. "Doctor Kal'tsit, is it okay for me to leave things here to you?"

"...Okay." Kelsey could see that Noah wasn't in good condition, so she nodded, agreeing. "Leave the Doctor to me."

"Well, I... may need to rest for a while." After leaving this sentence, Noah returned to her tent. She did not eat, but just drank some water and fell directly on the bed.

She didn't need to sleep, but right now… she felt incredibly tired.

Sleep becomes very important at this time. Sleep is not only for the body to rest efficiently, but also a means to relax the mind. Now... her tense mind can finally relax a little.

She was soon pulled into a deep dream——

"Thank you for your hard work." When Noah fell into a dream, she first felt a warmth, followed by a gentle comfort. Noah opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was a strand of long hair that was pink to white, touching her cheek. She soon knew who was comforting her.

"Ms. Theresa... can you communicate with me normally now?" Miss Theresa, who had not been here long, was putting Noah's head on her thighs, using it as a knee pillow. However, this action was impossible unless the soul was repaired to a certain degree. A broken soul would not even have the possibility of communication, so Noah asked this question.

"I guess so. Actually, it's not just today." Theresa smiled gently. "It's just that I feel you need help right now... so I came here specially, to heal your heart."

"My heart is not so easy to heal." Noah sighed, but she did not refuse the knee pillow because she was really too tired to move a finger.

"Yeah, but you have to give it a try, right? You might not believe this, but before I became a demon king, I was a tailor." Theresa confidently put her hands on her hips, looking incredibly impressive. But putting aside why she was a tailor before becoming a demon king, what connection did tailoring have to healing her soul? Is there any logic to this?

Noah suddenly had a lot of things she wanted to complain about, but the words were on the tip of her tongue, so she gave up. What's the point of worrying about these things? Theresa also meant well, so if it's illogical, then it's illogical.

"Okay, then... does the 'former' Demon King have any advice for you?" Noah's hesitant look was really funny. Theresa was also amused, but she was really serious. She reached out and touched Noah's head.

"I'm not joking. What I mean is, I have a way to temporarily cover up your pain. I can edit your memory."

"...same as the Doctor's time?"

"Almost, but not quite as thoroughly. I'll simply place these memories into your subconscious. If you don't think about them, you won't be able to recall them," Theresa explained. "This is my most direct way of helping you. After all, I'm not a doctor, so I can't heal your inner trauma. I can only temporarily distract you from it. Honestly, your memories are filled with too much pain. If this continues... you'll collapse."

Noah's expression didn't change at all after being warned by Theresa, nor was she surprised. It was more like she had expected it.

"Then, is it okay to just not think about it?"

"...At least I won't let you continue to be sad. Life must go on. A day of happiness is a day of sadness, so why not be happy?" Theresa said earnestly. "Besides, I will only cut out the things that make you sad. I won't really turn you into a fool."

"Erasing the memory...maybe it is indeed a good idea." Noah nodded, "Unfortunately...I can't forget it."

She couldn't forget... Noah's tone even had a hint of tears. She couldn't forget too many people - even if she was cut by Theresa, she couldn't forget... Those things had become a part of her soul, requiring her not to stop at all times. She had to keep moving forward, even if it meant blood.

Especially after she knew that she was created to save the world, she took on the expectations of the previous civilization. She had been late once, and she didn't dare to be late a second time.

It is precisely because of these pressures that she works so hard.

"...Noah, you and I are not actually that familiar with each other." Theresa spoke at this time. Hearing this, Noah nodded in confusion. The intersection between them can be said to be quite shallow, because in the Battle of Londinium, she left early and did not even really come into contact with the White Devil. When they met for the first time, Theresa had become Xiaote. Although Noah found a fragment of Theresa's soul in Xiaote, she accepted it almost without hesitation and used her own ability to help her recover.

She didn't think much about it at the time, she just felt that Theresa was a very important person to Amiya and others, so it wouldn't be a bad thing for her to help her.

After placing Theresa on herself, she almost forgot about it until Theresa came to her on her own initiative.

So, it can really be said that the two of them are [unfamiliar].

"But I believe that every encounter in this world is destined. The fact that you and I met is a one-in-a-million miracle. Since we've met, I think... we must be destined to be friends, right?" Theresa smiled and clapped her hands. "Look, if we weren't friends, wouldn't it be a bit presumptuous for you to lie on my lap like this?"

"You're the one who put me there, aren't you?" Noah retorted, but what he just said did make some sense. "So... Miss Theresa, you want to be friends with me?"

"Yes, to be precise, I made up my mind the moment I saw you, Amiya, and Kal'tsit getting along," she said with a smile. She even spoke of the Doctor, Kal'tsit, and Amiya with a sense of pride, as if showing off her close friends. "Ms. Noah, I believe we can become friends, even close friends, because you, like them, share a similar gentleness and sense of responsibility. If you had been by my side back then, I would have handed over the position of Demon King to you without hesitation—"

"You think too highly of me." Noah quickly shook his head. "Amiya did a great job."

"Yes, she did a great job. She could have done worse." Theresa shook her head. "She's just a child. It was a mistake for me to give her this responsibility, but at the time, I had no better solution."

"So you're feeling guilty now? You're even thinking of me replacing Amiya?" Noah said helplessly, "Well, you think too highly of me. I'm not the right material to be a demon king."

"I don't think you'd be a bad demon king." Theresa blinked. "You wouldn't want to."

"...Okay, I admit I can't bear to leave." Noah admitted frankly, "Ms. Theresa, I'm just too tired."

"Yes, you are too tired." Theresa nodded. "So, you need to rest, a complete rest - I will help you with the next things."

"……What's the meaning?"

"What I mean is, how about I play Miss Noah Kyrielight?"

Chapter 94: Noa Theresa Kyrielight

In fact, when Theresa made this suggestion, she sincerely felt that Noah was too tired. Her mental state seemed to be always dancing on the edge of a cliff, and it was normal for her to fall down at any time. Think about the life this child has lived during this period. It can be said that she has suffered a lot of psychological trauma. She wanted to find her parents, but she couldn't find them because of the characteristics of the subspace. She was not even sure whether her parents were alive or dead. Then her beloved master disappeared completely because of her plan. In addition, the administrator who was like half a mother to her also disappeared.

After Theresa read Noah's memory, she temporarily entered a semi-numb state. This was much more complicated than what she had encountered in the Tower of Babel.

She truly felt sorry for the girl's mental state. Noya's ability to maintain a normal state of mind was a testament to her inner strength, yet she still had to shoulder so many responsibilities and keep moving forward. Wouldn't even a steel man melt under such circumstances? That was why Theresa offered this suggestion, but she didn't think it would have any substantial impact. As she'd said—they weren't actually familiar with each other, so how could she just give her body to someone she didn't know?

"……OK."

"?"

Theresa was suddenly stunned. If she had heard correctly, Noah seemed to agree with this suggestion? She lowered her head and looked into Noah's eyes. She was a demon king, with a mind-reading ability similar to Amiya's, but she found that her power could not penetrate Noah's depths. However, she could see that Noah's fatigue was really too much for him to bear.

She agreed to Theresa's suggestion not only because she was willing to trust Theresa, but also because she really needed a rest, a complete rest.

During this period of time, she couldn't really shut herself off, so letting Theresa act on her behalf temporarily was a very reasonable choice.

Perhaps, she was just looking for an excuse, an excuse to relax herself.

-

"...It's really...an indescribable feeling." When Theresa returned to reality from Noah's body, her first feeling was one of discomfort. After all, she hadn't felt what it was like to be alive for a long time, including the temperature, heartbeat, and even breathing. When she was resurrected, she could hear the voices of the Sarkaz ancestors anytime and anywhere, and she had difficulty falling asleep day and night. After entering the continuation of civilization, she lost almost all the ability to feel the outside world.

Therefore, although it was only a temporary replacement, being able to feel or feel was already a great surprise for Theresa.

After moving her body around, she didn't experience any rejection reaction. Nothing she had worried about happened, and she didn't feel uncomfortable with this body. Whether she was walking or jumping, she felt quite comfortable.

However, her jumping around in the tent seemed to make a bit too much noise. Jian, who was standing at the door, heard the noise inside and immediately pulled open the tent curtain and asked, "Noah, are you awake?"

“…Ah! That…” Theresa was startled. She rolled her eyes awkwardly and whispered, “Yeah, that’s right, my legs felt a little numb, so I jumped a little.”

In fact, this was a lie. With the existence of gray matter, it was impossible for her to feel numbness in her legs. However, she felt that this reason was enough. Jian just nodded and looked away without saying anything more.

Having gotten away with it, Theresa breathed a sigh of relief. Although Noah hadn't mentioned whether or not to keep it a secret, she finally had a chance to truly experience what it was like to be alive. She wanted to avoid causing any trouble for Noah. Of course, the best way to avoid trouble was to act like Noah. Theresa recalled Noah's words and actions, rehearsing them in the tent for a while. When she felt she had achieved a close resemblance, she confidently lifted the curtain.

Now—she is Noah Kyrielight!

In fact, Theresa was quite excited. After all, this kind of experience was unique. As a demon king, and as Theresa, she had never experienced the feeling of playing someone else. It was said that in other countries, this should be considered as the category of movie actors or drama actors. The requirement was to play Noah's demeanor and conversation so that others would not notice the difference. This was very simple for Theresa, who could feel people's hearts. She looked at the mace confidently. This might be the woman who knew Noah best in the world. As long as she could hide it from her, her actions would probably be fine.

"Good evening, Mace." She began, imitating Noah's tone as best she could. "How long have I slept?"

"About ten hours." Jian didn't turn her head, but just used her knife to carve a piece of wood. According to the memory given by Noya, she had developed this skill point when she was in Kjerag. She could make many things with wood, such as wooden swords, small sculptures, and even a lifelike cucumber. Speaking of which, Vishdel seemed to like to carve things with potatoes. The most common one seemed to be Ines's head - haha, but Ines would definitely be very unhappy about that.

A smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, but she quickly adjusted herself. She was playing Noah.

"Ahem, mace, have the doctor and the others come out yet?" She was thinking about what Noah might do, and she was also concerned about the doctor's situation, so she asked.

"The doctor came out soon after you fell asleep. She wanted to look for you right away, but you were sleeping so soundly that she didn't want to disturb you, so she didn't wake you up." Mace responded concisely, "If you want to find her, just go to the middle tent."

"Thank you, Jian." Theresa nodded, thanked him politely, turned around and was about to leave, but before leaving, Jian's words made her freeze.

"She wasn't that polite to me. If you don't want to be discovered, I suggest you be more relaxed. You're acting too much." Jian could tell at a glance that something was wrong with Noya. As she whittled the wood with her dagger, she was observing the man who had inexplicably appeared in Noya's image. But it didn't seem like he had any ill intentions, otherwise her dagger would have been at her neck. "Also, how's Noya?"

"She...she's resting." Having been caught in an instant, Theresa replied awkwardly, "I'll cover for her for a bit while she's resting."

"So..." Mace nodded, "How long will it take?"

"I don't know, but I think it'll take at least a few days," Theresa estimated. "Also... besides being overly polite, are there any other flaws?"

"...How should I put it? Your temperament is quite different from hers," Mace commented. "Although she is a gentle person, she doesn't have the same aura as you, who walks around like she's walking on a field of flowers. Her smile is more like a disguise for melancholy, not like yours that comes from the heart."

"...I see." Theresa's smile was certainly sincere, but Noah was different. Her life experience had destined her smile to not convey her inner feelings so directly. Or rather, her heart was protected by another layer of shell. Most people could not break through this shell and could only see the outer layer of her fake smile. Only a few people could make her laugh from the bottom of her heart.

But that depends on the situation. It's completely different from the smile of Noah, played by Theresa, who exudes a gentle atmosphere anytime and anywhere.

"I thought you'd suspect I'd taken Miss Noya's body," Theresa asked curiously. "Why do you look like you expected this?"

"It's not unexpected." Mace shook his head. "I doubted it, but you have no ill intentions, so I choose to believe Noah, that's all."

"I see." Theresa nodded. "Then... I'll trouble you to cooperate with me during this period. After all, I don't want to cause any trouble for Noah."

"That depends on your performance." Jian didn't agree directly. He blew away the sawdust left by the carving and said, "She is indeed very tired. It would be good to let her rest a little more. People's hearts have a limit to what they can bear. She always pushes herself, which leads to this situation. Let her learn a lesson."

"That's a bit harsh." Theresa smiled bitterly, but she did not object to Mace's idea. Instead, she said goodbye to Mace and turned to head for the central tent. After opening the tent, what came into view was Amiya who seemed to be chatting with the Doctor, Kal'tsit who was watching silently on the side, and... sitting between the two, the Doctor who was the same as in her past memories...

"...Ah! Miss Noah, you're awake!" Amiya turned around and noticed Noah entering the tent. She felt something was amiss at first, but quickly put that doubt behind her and greeted her happily. "The doctor has recovered all her memories, including those of me. I didn't expect it to be so smooth."

"...Noah..." The doctor raised his head and looked at the girl. "Did you sleep well? Regarding the administrator's matter...I want to know the situation from your side."

"Of course." With Noa's memories as her backup, Theresa wasn't worried about revealing any flaws during the Q&A. She approached the group and blended in naturally. "And then, Doctor, congratulations on regaining your memory."

"I don't know whether recovering my memory is a good thing or a bad thing... But I think I should apologize to Kal'tsit first." The doctor smiled bitterly and shook his head. "About the Tower of Babel, I'm sorry, Kal'tsit. I betrayed your trust."

Kal'tsit didn't answer immediately, her gaze fixed on the Doctor. As always, she was a quiet person, someone who preferred to keep her thoughts to herself. But Theresa knew Kal'tsit well. Beneath her seemingly cold exterior lay a tender heart. She'd simply withdrawn from the world she'd experienced so much while navigating this land of suffering. But now—the founding trio of Babel had unexpectedly reunited in this way.

Although these two have not yet realized that Noa's core is Theresa.

"Doctor, you must have had your own considerations behind your actions. Kal'tsit will understand." At this point, Theresa couldn't help but speak up. She certainly knew the whole truth, but if she casually revealed it without the Doctor saying anything, it would ruin the atmosphere. So, she didn't directly explain the situation, but simply defended the Doctor. "Kal'tsit, say something too."