Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

Kal'tsit stared closely at Noah in front of her. In fact, she was not sure what the person in front of her was like. Kal'tsit could not feel anything from her, not even a threat. Based on Kal'tsit's experience in Terra in her later years, it was almost impossible for the locals of Terra to learn to control Originium. Even the closest demon kings did not truly understand Originium, let alone directly seal the inner guards in Originium.

This behavior has touched upon something beyond Kal'tsit's cognition. She had to suspect that Noah had some connection with the previous civilization, and in fact, she guessed right.

Noah looked at Kal'tsit, wondering whether to tell her the whole truth. After all, Kal'tsit was not a complete outsider, but she was not sure what decision Kal'tsit, who had walked on Terra for thousands of years, would make.

Ten thousand years is enough time for the world to change. As an immortal, Kal'tsit has already changed.

It is hasty to judge Kal'tsit today based on the Doctor's memories in the Originium, and they haven't known each other for long... If I had known this, I wouldn't have mentioned the matter of the Internal Guard.

It wasn't difficult to subdue Kal'tsit, but... to be honest, Noya didn't think Kal'tsit was a bad person. After hesitating for a while, she sighed and raised her hand, indicating that she wouldn't do anything.

"Let's have a chat, shall we? Ama-10." With these words, Noah was ready to speak frankly. Sure enough, upon hearing the name, Kal'tsit's hand trembled. After confirming that Noah wasn't deliberately showing weakness and counterattacking, she raised her hand, letting Mon3tr's claws leave Noah's neck. But she didn't let down her guard too much. After all, the name said a lot.

"Who taught you how to use Originium?" Kal'tsit asked, "Was it her? Or..."

"She calls herself a doctor, or a prophet," Noa replied. "We met them when we were in danger in the ruins and were forced to crawl into a sarcophagus."

"The sarcophagus..." Kal'tsit knew about the existence of the sarcophagus, but she didn't expect that she could contact the doctor through it. "Besides the doctor? There is also..."

"Ms. Precious is also within the Originium's internalized universe. She and the Doctor welcomed Amiya and me together. My abilities were bestowed upon me by both of them." Kel'tsit clearly favored Precious over the Doctor. Does this mean the Doctor is a moderate, while Precious is a radical? Or is Kel'tsit wary of Precious? "If you have any further concerns, you can ask Amiya."

Kel'tsit naturally wouldn't trust Noah so easily, but the other party's attitude was actually quite respectful. If a fight really came to a head, Kel'tsit didn't have the confidence to confront Noah, who possessed some of the Originium's authority. However, even if this body was destroyed, she could be reborn. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to live for ten thousand years... So this time it was more of a test than a threat.

Use a resurrection coin to test Noah's attitude——

"I thought we had to fight to understand each other. Thankfully, Ms. Kel'tsit, you're reasonable." Noah watched Mon3tr's claws move away before lowering his hand and asking curiously. "By the way... I have a question that might not be the right one."

"Go ahead." Kel'tsit didn't mean to refuse. "Since you're being so frank, I won't refuse."

"What does it feel like to live for ten thousand years?" This was the first time Noah had truly seen an immortal person. Although the Doctor and Precious had rich experience, they had not truly lived for ten thousand years in the internalized universe. So she was very curious about Kal'tsit's experience, who had actually lived on the land of Terra for ten thousand years, and that was why she asked this question.

"...It's like stepping into a turbulent river. Everything around you is constantly changing, but you, stepping into it, remain unchanged." Kal'tsit replied, "No, perhaps we too have undergone irreversible changes. If time is a river, then it will eventually wash away everything. No one remains unchanged. Even me."

"That sounds like some philosopher's quote..." Noah complained, "Can you put it more concisely and understandably?"

"Even simple explanations won't immediately make you understand the significance of living for ten thousand years, Noah Kyrielight. Those who haven't truly lived can't comprehend it. I can only partially dissect it for you, like seeing a leopard through a tube or a blind man feeling an elephant. Ultimately, if I could describe my entire life in a single sentence, then wouldn't the significance of my ten thousand years be too trivial?" Kal'tsit responded. "Perhaps you'll understand it in the future, as long as you keep living."

"Forget it then... Becoming an immortal is definitely not a blessing." Noah shook his head. "I still hope to grow old with my friends. That would be the happiest thing for me."

"Happiness..." Kel'tsit looked at Noah, "After you accepted this authority, perhaps you have already gone far away from what you imagined."

"..." Noah did not answer Kal'tsit's question, not because she didn't want to answer, but because she suddenly heard some strange noises. When she looked up and found a series of meteor-like tracks in the sky, she immediately realized something.

"Bombardment!"

That's right, the commander finally issued not only the order to retreat, but also the order to bombard the camp. He was betting that they would determine the situation of the camp. He used himself as bait and the camp as bait to trick them into the area covered by the artillery fire.

Artillery fire cut through the sky. It was too late to escape. Noah immediately came to Kal'tsit's side, stretched out his hand, and tried to build a barrier to resist the bombardment.

A saturation bombardment... No wonder no one took care of the commander's body, the body itself was bait.

He used himself as bait to set up this killing spree.

The destructive meteor crashed to the ground, engulfing everything in raging fire.

Chapter 27: Weaving

Noah's reaction of rushing towards Kal'tsit was almost subconscious. She was used to protecting the people around her, but it was different for Kal'tsit. This was the first time in ten thousand years that she was protected by someone.

She is often on the side of the protector. She is not weak as she possesses Mon3tr. Most people can only tremble in front of Mon3tr. Having power is one thing, but what to do after having the power is another.

Ever since she was given a name and the order to find herself by the prophet, she has been walking on the land of Terra as if on a pilgrimage - a pilgrimage to face her own value. After observing again and again and becoming a deep member of Terra, she chose to watch over the Terra civilization.

It was her decision, and she was the guardian.

In other words, she is a bystander who considers herself a guardian, and precisely because of this, she is hardly protected by anyone.

As a ten thousand year old immortal——not many people would dare to protect her beyond their capabilities.

But now, Noah Kyrielight, who stood before her, unfolded a soft barrier with a white glow. This seemingly fragile barrier made her feel extremely familiar. In the past, there seemed to be someone who had displayed similar abilities to her.

This power was so familiar that she couldn't help but be dazed. This power was originally released to fight against her, but now... it bloomed to protect her.

"If I'm not mistaken..." Noya's eyes grew serious, as she was also very familiar with this Originium technique. "This is..."

"It's my Originium skill, [Weaving]," Theresa replied. "It seems... I've actually met you in this world."

"And I buried it myself..." Noya knew that the Noya of this world had slightly different abilities from her own. She could use the Originium skills of those she had buried. In other words, the Originium skills she displayed belonged to the deceased, the power left behind by those she had buried. "What a twist of fate... After passing the power of the Demon King to Amiya, you met me in this world."

"And being buried by you in this world... isn't that bad, is it?" Theresa said with a smile. "My power was inherited by two trustworthy people. I must be considered lucky in this world."

"That's true..." Noah didn't know what to say. Sometimes there really are coincidences. Theresa's weaving power is composed of countless white silk threads. Before becoming the Demon King, Theresa was a tailor. She integrated her work skills into her Originium skills. A single thread is fragile and can be easily cut, but as long as it is woven properly, countless threads can be intertwined together to form a flexible barrier.

The shells struck the woven barrier, the force of the explosion weakened by the structure and strength of the fabric, minimizing its impact with exquisite skill. Noah hadn't noticed the white crown quietly forming above her head, a crown that caught Kal'tsit's eye.

——The survival of civilization?

No, the continuation of civilization is not like this. This is more like what they call the power of the devil, the polluted data in the continuation of civilization, the... power of the Sarkaz?

The genocide of the Sarkaz was one of the countless crimes Kal'tsit committed in her long life. If she had not despised Kazdel's war of destruction, the Sarkaz would not have been genocided. The destruction of the Sarkaz was not Kal'tsit's goal, or rather, she just wanted to take back the survival of civilization and render the Sarkaz harmless.

But no matter what the cause, the result has been made... and she was seriously injured in that war, which also triggered her [reincarnation].

Although it seemed that it had only changed from Mon2tr to Mon3tr, Kal'tsit understood that such a result alone could not atone for the sin of the Sarkaz genocide.

And now, the ghost of the Sarkaz seemed to appear beside her again, like a blade piercing her heart.

"Are you... the Demon King?"

"..." Noah had no mind to respond to Kal'tsit's question. She was fully focused on resisting the bombing. The bombing lasted for a full minute and consumed hundreds of shells, which was enough to turn the area into a scorched earth. The high temperature and lack of oxygen, even if most of the power of the shells was blocked by Noah's barrier, these external factors would make Noah truly feel what the theory of firepower advantage was. Of course, under such a torrential fire, she could not remain unscathed.

The impact of the shells could be transmitted to her body through the barrier. Although she looked fine on the outside, Noah was actually seriously injured.

She fought hard not to fall. The impact had temporarily deafened her, leaving her only a buzzing sound. Bleeding from all seven orifices was the least of her injuries; in this case, any injuries other than shattering her internal organs were minor. Before she staggered and collapsed, Kal'tsit caught her. Although she had mixed feelings about Noah, it was clear that Noah had just saved her—Kal'tsit wasn't someone who would be ungrateful.

"Are you okay?" Kal'tsit's medical skills weren't bad, but she couldn't be sure of Noah's severity. After all, Noah's condition was incredibly unique. "I'm not very skilled in healing spells... I need to get you out before I can treat you."

"Ahem... Kal'tsit... I can't hear anything, I can only see your mouth moving." Noah certainly didn't know what Kal'tsit said, so she could only explain, but her voice was already hoarse. From birth to now, she had only been seriously injured twice, once to protect Amiya, and once to protect Kal'tsit. She was still too arrogant. She didn't realize that the Ursus artillery this time was completely military equipment, not the mercenary-level artillery she had blocked before.

Compared to military-grade artillery, the mercenary artillery was really just a firewood stick. This was why she was so seriously injured... This was also the case of empiricism killing people. Noah also silently took note of this lesson.

The power of Ursus's Originium artillery far exceeds that of most artillery on the market. After all, they are a war-like nation, and most of their military industries are quite advanced. Moreover, this bombardment was carried out under fully prepared conditions, not in a hurry. Perhaps this result is normal.

"...I understand. I'll take you out first." After knowing that Noah was temporarily deaf, Kal'tsit nodded, called Mon3tr, carried Noah and herself on her back, and evacuated the battlefield at a very fast speed. After all, they didn't know whether there would be a second round of shelling. Sure enough, after they left, the second round of shelling arrived. Kal'tsit heard the sound of artillery fire behind her, and looked at Noah who seemed to be dying. For some reason, she felt inexplicably more anxious in her heart.

Perhaps it was the anger at being tricked by Ursus, or perhaps it was simply confusion, or perhaps it was the impact of being protected by the Sarkaz's Originium skills.

This complicated mood was slightly relieved after she met up with Chen Huijie and others. Of course, she knew about the Ursus bombardment of Longmen. Although she didn't know what happened, Chen Huijie still rushed to the direction of the bombardment as soon as possible, especially after the bombardment, Noah's contact disappeared, which made her very worried. Sure enough, when she saw Kal'tsit being carried by Mon3tr and Noah beside her on the road, she immediately took the operators of the Guard Bureau to stop Kal'tsit.

"You guy! Put Noah down!" Chen Huijie didn't know Kal'tsit, and she was naturally anxious when she saw that her friend's life or death was unknown. She was about to draw her sword and rush forward. Fortunately, Xingxiong was by her side, who directly grabbed Chen and spoke.

"My friend, is there any misunderstanding?" Xingxiong looked at Kal'tsit's exclusive and didn't think that the other party was from Ursus. Moreover, Kal'tsit had obviously escaped from the bombing area, so she grabbed Chen Huijie and wanted to negotiate first.

"This is an emergency. Noa is seriously injured. We need medical support—" Kal'tsit explained the situation succinctly. "She was seriously injured by the Ursus bombardment. If you try to stop me again, I won't be polite."

"Who's the one trying to be so rude?" Chen Huijie was already a fiery person, and upon hearing Kal'tsit's threats, she was even more furious. However, she also knew her limits. It was pointless to stop Kal'tsit now; Noah's safety was more important. "Come with us! Amiya has already arrived in the military zone, and the original camp has been moved. Don't get lost."

Chen Huijie pointed out the correct route. Out of concern for Kal'tsit, she followed the whole way. The people from the Lungmen Guards followed Xingxiong's command and continued to be vigilant against a possible second gathering of the Ursus troops.

Soon, Kal'tsit brought Noah back to the military control area. Accompanied by Chen Huijie, no interrogation was even needed, and Noah was sent to the hospital immediately. Amiya, who got the news, immediately rushed to the hospital to visit him. However, when she arrived, she was stopped outside the operating room by the nurse. Looking at the operating room with the lights on and Kal'tsit sitting on the bench waiting, she didn't even know what to do for a moment.

"Miss Kal'tsit...Miss Noah?"

"His internal organs were impacted, and he has some concussion and other issues. It was a saturation bombardment, after all," Kal'tsit explained. "He's still in critical condition, but it's useless for you to go in now. Normal medical spells won't be of any use. We can only trust in the abilities of Lungmen's surgeons."

"But... why is this happening..." Miss Noah was actually seriously injured for the second time. Amiya really didn't expect this result. She originally thought that Miss Noah would return unharmed like before.

"...To protect me." Kal'tsit could only speak, "If she was alone, perhaps she could have found a way to quickly leave the bombing site, but I was there at the time, so she was forced to bear the brunt of the bombing. Amiya, if you really want to blame someone, blame me. I am willing to take all responsibility."

"...Miss Kal'tsit..." Amiya looked at Kal'tsit and suddenly understood the situation. Miss Noah must have noticed the bombardment first. Given her personality, she would never abandon Kal'tsit and flee. It was the same situation as when she was injured by the Originium bomb while trying to protect Amiya. Even at the cost of her own ego, Miss Noah still followed her instincts to save others... As expected of Miss Noah.

She couldn't help but sigh. Of course, she didn't know that Noya had already woken up. But she still wanted to believe that Noya's behavior of protecting those around her was... her instinct.

"Ms. Noah made the decision to protect Miss Kal'tsit. It was her own decision, and I have no right to condemn anyone on her behalf," Amiya replied. "I also believe that Miss Kal'tsit didn't do it intentionally. Rather, the fact that you sent Miss Noah back here as soon as possible is enough to thank me."

Amiya is a gentle child, and also a child who is somewhat strangely rational. In this situation, she still suppressed her inner worries and began to comfort Kal'tsit instead.

However, Kal'tsit could still see anxiety and uneasiness through those eyes. She felt like there was a thorn in her heart. It was indeed her fault.

But Amiya didn't want to vent her anger on anyone...

"Can I ask you a question?"

"……what?"

"Does Noah know Theresa?" Kel'tsit asked, "A Sarkaz named Theresa."

"I don't know... but I did meet a Sarkaz, but she was already dying at the time." Amiya replied, "I wanted to help her, but in the end... I still couldn't save her."

"...Is that so?" Kel'tsit remained unreassured. She believed she had seen it correctly. That power definitely came from Theresa's Originium Technique. Why could Noa use Theresa's Originium Technique? And why was she protected by Theresa's Originium Technique? This was what concerned her most. There should be no Sarkaz in this world anymore. The Demon King's power should have... vanished.

I don't know where the continuation of civilization has gone...

After all, the war that he had started... didn't seem to have solved anything.

Sure enough, war cannot solve any problems.

Kal'tsit once again fell into guilt. She had lived on this earth for ten thousand years, but during these ten thousand years, she seemed to have been going around in circles, like a ghost. She had been doing what she thought was right, but often the result was the opposite of what she wanted.

What on earth did she do...

How many sins must she bear in order to...truly save Terra?

Is she really doing everything right?

At this moment, Amiya's voice was like a spring breeze, melting her anxiety.

"I don't quite understand what you mean, but... I'll stay with you until you figure out what you want to do."

Amiya unconsciously read Kal'tsit's emotions and felt the great confusion in them. She sat next to Kal'tsit and whispered.

"People get lost all the time, Miss Kelsey. If you're truly lost...would you like to come with us? After Miss Noya recovers, we still have to return to Casimir."

“…With you guys?”

"Yeah, we need to save more people, do more things, and... help more people," Amiya said with a smile. "Doesn't it sound like there's no clear purpose? But I think it's better to just do it than to think about it. It's better to make mistakes than not to do anything, right?"

Chapter 28: The Culprit

Kal'tsit has spent countless years alone.

She had partners and companions, but in the end, they either had to take a different path from her and say goodbye with dignity, or... say goodbye in an undignified way.

Staying faithful is incredibly difficult. Sometimes Kal'tsit doesn't know if it's herself or her companions who's changed. Or perhaps, neither has changed. People often come together out of a momentary affinity, then gradually come to understand each other, ultimately parting ways. But... at least they were sincere when they were together. Kal'tsit hesitated at Amiya's outstretched hand.

She knew that Amiya might end up having disagreements with her, or even become her enemy, just like in the past, but at this moment, Amiya exuded a charm that even made Kal'tsit a little confused.

This charm is inexplicable, as if they have known each other in countless world lines, as if they are born bound by the thread of fate. It would be fine if they had not met - but once they met, their destinies would inevitably be entangled with each other.

"I must remind you, Amiya, that you don't know me."

Kelsey spoke.

"You know nothing about me, and it would be foolish to place your trust in me like this."

"But do people really have to know each other intimately to trust each other?" Amiya was confused. "Ms. Kal'tsit, I do believe that meeting someone in this land is a great fate. It's true that not everyone we meet is trustworthy, but you didn't abandon Miss Noya. When you brought her back to camp, I decided I could trust you."

"I only brought her back because she protected me, and it was just a simple exchange of interests." Kel'tsit retorted, "I don't think this is the way to see a person clearly."

"So what?" Amiya tilted her head. "The result is... you saved Miss Noah, right?"

"..." Kal'tsit suddenly lost the will to speak. Amiya's words seemed adorably silly. Just because she saved Noah, she thought she was a good person, trustworthy. This kind of judgment was like a warning written on her face: "Come on, lie!" How on earth did someone like Amiya survive in this world? She looked like an adult, yet she still had this naive mentality.

Perhaps Noah Kyrielight protected me too well...

Although Kal'tsit was helpless, she still reached out her hand.

"If it's just a temporary passage, I can accompany you for a while." Kel'tsit responded, "Besides... there's still a lot I want to know about Noah."

"So, we're partners, then?" Amiya took Kal'tsit's hand and finally smiled. "To be honest, I was quite nervous. The first time I met Miss Kal'tsit, I felt... very familiar, as if I'd known you for a long time."

"...It's just an illusion." Kal'tsit naturally would not admit that she felt the same way. She turned her head and closed her eyes to rest.

As Amiya unleashed her succubus powers to capture Kal'tsit, Noya found herself in a unique situation. This wasn't her first serious injury, and it wasn't even as severe as the one she suffered when she was blown away by the Originium bomb. Given her physique, she should be able to recover quickly. However, the spirits within her seemed to have been activated for some reason, especially those belonging to the Sarkaz. After seeing Kal'tsit, they seemed to become more active.

"Revenge! Revenge! Revenge! Revenge!"

Their voices roared within Noya. Kal'tsit was the enemy of the Sarkaz, a vengeance for genocide, so it was no surprise they were so agitated. Noya had to spend most of his energy trying to appease these spirits, but they clearly wouldn't accept it. They wanted revenge, their hatred for Kal'tsit nearly consumed them. The moment they saw Kal'tsit, they could no longer calm down.

But they are just souls after all, so the only thing they can do is nag in Noah's ear, trying to get Noah to help them complete their revenge.

“…I won’t help you with your revenge.”

But Noah refused.