Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

"What is your relationship with the Deep Blue Tree?" Lu continued to ask, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table.

[I understand it, just like I understand myself.] The words on the screen appeared calmly, [It carries hope, but also needs correct guidance.]

Lu's thoughts suddenly flashed back to that terrifying night—the night she personally deleted the out-of-control AI. The look in the eyes of the being claiming to possess Anna's memories before fading away remained unforgettable. But the tone of Yin before her seemed somewhat similar to that of the AI ​​claiming to be Anna. Of course, it was just a hunch.

"Do you know Anna?" Lu asked tentatively, his heart beating faster unconsciously.

The reply paused for a few seconds: [I know all the people who have sacrificed for humanity. ]

This ambiguous answer made Lu even more confused. The other party was probably just avoiding answering the question.

"Does the administrator know of your existence?"

"We had an agreement." The words slowly appeared on the screen. "She allowed me to observe, but not to interfere. Unless..."

"Unless what?"

[Unless you're going in the wrong direction.] A code snippet suddenly appeared in the reply: [Like now, your synaptic reorganization scheme needs to be adjusted. The seventh node should adopt a fractal structure, not a linear connection.]

Lu stared at the code in amazement. This was exactly the solution she had only half-thought out yesterday. This "Yin" seemed to always be able to anticipate her thoughts, providing solutions before she hit a bottleneck.

"Who are you?" Lu couldn't help but ask again, his fingers trembling slightly as they hovered above the keyboard.

"A bystander. A witness." The reply was brief, but it was clear that the other party had no intention of revealing Lu's identity. "Time will tell. For now, focus on your work."

The screen suddenly went black, and no matter what Lu did, it wouldn't recover. Only Deep Blue Tree-01 in the incubator continued to emit a faint blue light, its tentacles gently swaying as if in farewell. Lu froze in place, the mysterious being's final words echoing in his mind.

She suddenly realized that this being calling itself "Yin" might be even older than she had imagined, and closer...to the essence of the Deep Blue Tree. But why would the Administrator allow such a mysterious being to access the project? Why did it know so much about its own work?

Lu's eyes fell on the terminal and she decided to ask the administrator tomorrow to clarify. But before that, she needed to verify the code provided by "Yin" - if it really worked.

-

Deep within the Deep Blue Tree, Yin smiled and closed the virtual interface in front of her. Perhaps Lu would never have imagined that the person she was looking for was right in front of her, inside the Deep Blue Tree.

【Yin】is a replica of Anna.

Although she is not Anna herself, she has one thing in common with Anna.

She was born to save the world...

She saw hope in the project Lu was researching. The Deep Blue Tree 01 had properties similar to those of an angel. If the angel path didn't work... maybe...

The project that Lu is researching will become a new hope.

written request for leave

June 1st is officially closed! And then I wish myself a happy birthday!

One hundred words one ...

Chapter 54: Blockade

"I have been waiting for you."

Under the influence of an unknown force, Noah activated the power of the Son of the Star and once again awakened the corpse of Yin, the true source of life of the dormant Deep Blue Tree, which was the newborn [Spreading Branches].

The two giant beasts, Yin and Yang, are endowed with the concept of death. They had no concept of death when they were first created, so the only one who can kill them is the Son of the Star. Similarly, as long as the Son of the Star allows, they can be resurrected at any time.

After Noah awakened the Deep Blue Tree, a large amount of memories poured into Noah's body from the Deep Blue Tree. Those were Lu's memories and Anna's memories.

Sure enough - in the end, Lu chose to merge with the Deep Blue Tree.

In other words, she chose to merge with Anna. After all, what was finally implanted into the Deep Blue Tree by the administrator was the last AI system left by Anna.

Lu has been in this confinement for ten thousand years. Her consciousness has been split into four parts and scattered among the four primordial beings. These consciousnesses represent the four aspects of her personality, [the lifeline of origin], [the spreading branches], [the unmelted iceberg], and [the heart of corruption]. These four primordial beings were incomplete from the moment they were born. After being liberated from the Deep Blue Tree laboratory, they naturally could not form the complete consciousness of Lu.

What Noah is doing now is to reorganize [Land] with the Deep Blue Tree as the core.

"Are you... Anna?"

"You can call me—Yin."

The one who is leading all this at this time is the super AI hidden in the Deep Blue Tree, Anna Wright.

"Administrator... No, you're not the Administrator, but you possess this power. Are you the Administrator's successor?" Yin initially believed it was the Administrator who had come to reactivate the Deep Blue Tree. However, after actually meeting Noya, she confirmed that she wasn't the Administrator. She was fundamentally different from the Administrator. Beyond her soul, which was essentially the Administrator's, Noya was now a completely new being. "It seems Miss Administrator has finally chosen to rest in peace. That's a good thing."

"I thought you would be happy... or sad, but when I look at you, I feel more like... calm?" Noah asked curiously, "Is Miss Administrator your friend or enemy, Anna?"

Noya's fingers trembled slightly as she took the glowing key. The touch of the cold metal instantly sobered her up. She looked up at the familiar yet unfamiliar being before her—Yin. Her eyes, as calm as a deep pool, seemed to hold the mysteries of the entire universe.

"Wait... you said you wanted to merge with the remains of the Creator Beast?" Noya's voice tightened. "That's too dangerous. Even in your current form, you might not be able to withstand that level of energy."

Yin tilted his head slightly, a barely perceptible smile forming at the corner of his mouth. "Dangerous? Of course it is. But according to my calculations, the probability of success is still 47.3%. Considering the current situation, this is already the optimal solution."

Noya felt dizzy. 47.3%—the number kept magnifying in her mind. Almost a 50% chance of death. She subconsciously clenched the keys in her hand, her knuckles turning white from the strain.

"Is there no... other choice?" She said with difficulty, "Perhaps... we can face it together. We still have time..."

"We're running out of time," Yin interrupted, his voice still calm. "The lumberjacks could arrive at any moment. A large part of the reason they haven't reached here yet is because of the barrier layer, which conceals most traces of civilization. He probably never imagined that a civilization that had already been destroyed could sprout new branches again. Once He discovers it, He will come and fix this bug. It's funny, but His logic is exactly the same as mine... Perhaps He is also an AI?"

Noya's gaze unconsciously fell on Yin—that perfect creation, a fusion of an AI core and the flesh of a behemoth. Now, this being was about to evolve again, becoming an even more powerful... weapon?

Noah didn't want to use this term to describe Yin, but there was no doubt that this would be the most powerful biological weapon on a cosmic scale.

"What will happen during the fusion process?" Noya forced himself to calm down. "Will you... still be you?"

Yin's eyes flickered, perhaps the only flicker of emotion Noah had ever witnessed. "Defining 'I' is a complex matter. The core programming will remain, but the body will undergo fundamental changes. In a way, you could consider it... an upgrade."

"But if that fails..."

"I won't fail. I've calculated all the possibilities. Even in the worst-case scenario, I'll use my body to stop the lumberjacks. My calculations won't be wrong. Even in the worst-case scenario, I can buy you a significant amount of time... long enough for you to retreat."

When Yin said the word "retreat", his voice was obviously trembling.

She also didn't want to admit that even if this was the case, even if she calculated all the possibilities, she had no chance of winning.

"Make your decision, successor. Every second is precious now." Anna looked at Noya, the only person who could possibly stop her, and waited for her to make a choice. "After you separate Lu, I will carry out my plan. Now is the only time to stop me. Once I merge with Yang, even the power of the Star Child will be unable to stop me."

Noya took a deep breath. She suddenly realized that Yin had already made her choice. This conversation was simply to help her—to help humanity—accept this fact.

"I need to know the plan," she said finally, her voice firm again. "Every step of the way."

A flicker of approval flashed in Yin's eyes. "First, I need you to keep that key safe. It's not only the starter, but also... the safety catch."

"Safety catch?"

"If my consciousness experiences abnormalities after the fusion, the key can forcibly terminate the process," Yin explained. "Of course, that would mean completely losing the chance to fight the lumberjacks."

Noya felt the key in her hand suddenly become incredibly heavy. She carefully put it into the inside pocket of her uniform. "And then?"

"I will depart for orbit in 48 hours. The fusion process is expected to take six hours. After that..." Yin paused, "I will proactively engage the lumberjacks and try to draw them away from Terra."

"But you will..."

"Death? That's the inevitable outcome." Yin's tone was eerily calm. "Although the Creator Beast has no concept of death, the lumberjack will destroy every molecule of my being—that's no different from death."

"But my calculations show that there's an 83% chance that delaying tactics will buy enough time for a 'retreat'."

Noya felt her throat tighten. She suddenly realized that the being before her had precisely calculated his own death, as calmly as solving a math problem.

"Is there no...possibility of survival? Even if it's small..."

"Probability is not absolute. But probability can be so small that it does not need to be taken into consideration." Yin responded bluntly.

"I understand," Noah said finally, forcing himself to stand straight. "I'll do what I have to do."

Yin nodded and turned to leave. At that moment, Noya suddenly rushed forward and hugged the dying warrior tightly. She could feel Yin's body stiffen instantly - obviously, this action was beyond calculation.

"Thank you... for everything you have done for humanity." Noah whispered, his voice trembling slightly.

After a moment's silence, a warm hand gently patted her back. "This is... my mission." Yin's voice seemed to waver for the first time.

Even the perfect fusion of the Yin and Yang beasts, even a near-omniscient super-AI, seemed powerless before the woodcutter. But the Creator Beast was different—this unprecedented being, with no true concept of death, could truly stand in its way. Yin's calculations made it clear that this would be a protracted, drawn-out battle. The woodcutter could not easily eliminate the Yin and Yang beasts as he could other forms of life; they were more like an eternal phenomenon. When the Yin and Yang beasts merged into one, their very existence became a living miniature planet.

"Until every cell of the Creator Beast is completely annihilated, the lumberjacks will have no chance of moving forward—"

This is Yin's promise and her determination to die. She was born for the survival of human civilization, and her destruction will naturally follow human civilization.

As for the newborn Terra...

Good luck to you.

-

After leaving the consciousness of the Deep Blue Tree, Noah looked at Amiya beside him with a complicated expression. Amiya was in a translucent form and was the culprit who had just caused all this.

She had Noya awaken Yin, and also Anna, and she must have known what Anna would do. Even now, Noya still wanted to call her Anna. Yin was too cold a name, not one for a warrior so selfless and selfless. She could feel the Deep Blue Tree gathering its strength, drawing energy from Terra's core for millennia, now turning it into fuel for its growth.

"You know all this—"

"Yes."

“…What was the result?”

"She's already told you, Miss Noah."

"...Amiya, fate is not predetermined. Perhaps miracles will exist..."

"Ms. Noa, I believe in miracles, but... miracles aren't omnipotent." Amiya shook her head. "This is the only way. She must stop the lumberjacks. Only then can we activate the stargate and leave here, leave Terra. Only by leaving here can we buy time to truly develop into an interstellar civilization. We can take everything with us: Originium, Haisi, Behemoth, Beastmaster. The Heaven's Fulcrum will shine for us one last time. The Deep Blue Tree will choose to stop the enemy. The Originium will pave the way for us—and from now on, it's truly up to us."

"Are we...really going to give up Terra?" Noya's voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible. "Everything on this land...our history, our memories..."

Amiya floated in the air, her skirt swaying gently like smoke. "This isn't giving up, Miss Noa. This is continuing. On Tarasuna, we have the resources and environment we need. It once nurtured Terran civilization. For us, Tarasuna is almost like Earth."

She had no idea how people who had never left land would adapt to interstellar travel, or how those ancient buildings would be rebuilt on the new planet.

"How exactly do we plan to evacuate?" She forced herself back to reality. "Time is so tight..."

"Planning this isn't difficult. All you need to do is step forward and inform all nations of their impending destruction." Amiya's fingers flicked through the air, projecting the full plan before Noya's eyes. "All mobile cities will gather in the Far North within 72 hours and be transported en masse through the stargate."

"So how much time do we have?"

"It's not much, but Yin can fight for it for us." Amiya's voice was eerily calm. "She has to fight for it too."

The key suddenly grew hot in Noya's hand. She recalled Yin's expression when he'd spoken of merging with the Creation Beast—that almost mechanical calm. The 47.3% survival rate, in her mouth, felt like an insignificant number.

"We're just going to let her die?" Noya suddenly raised his voice. "A being who has dedicated ten thousand years to humanity, only to become dust in the universe?"

Amiya's projection flickered, and it was the first time Noah saw her emotions waver. "This is her choice. Yin calculated all the possibilities, and this is the optimal solution. If we all stayed here and died, that would be the true betrayal."

The lab fell silent. The alarms in the distance continued to wail, but here, time seemed to stand still. Noya felt dizzy and held onto the console. The cool touch of the metal sobered her up a bit.

"Tell me the exact evacuation procedures," she said finally, her voice regaining the calm of a professional.

Amiya nodded, and the projection switched to a detailed flow chart. "First, you must contact the leaders of all nations and activate the 'Ark Protocol.' All mobile cities will dismantle their fixed devices and assemble towards the far north."

"What about the civilians? Do they know what this means?"

"The evacuation order will be issued as a natural disaster warning," Amiya explained. "Most people won't know the truth until they arrive on Tartarus."

Noah gave a wry smile. "A white lie?"

"Necessary deception," Amiya corrected. "Panic will only lead to chaos, and the last thing we need right now is chaos."

The projection switched to the next scene, showing a massive stargate structure. "The Heavenly Fulcrum will provide the initial energy for the stargate, but maintaining the passage requires a continuous supply of residual energy from the Preservator Project. This is why Yin must intercept the loggers from the outside—any interference could cause the transmission to fail."

Noya suddenly realized a terrible truth. "If... if Yin failed, and the lumberjacks interfered with the transmission..."

"Then we'll all disintegrate into the void," Amiya said calmly, "but according to calculations, the probability of this is less than 12%."

12%. Noa repeated the number in her mind. She remembered a term she'd learned as a child—"acceptable risk." Back then, she'd thought the concept was laughably cold, yet now she was applying it to the survival of an entire civilization.

"What about the distribution of supplies? What about cultural heritage? Those things that can't be moved..."

"Originium technology can compress most essential items," Amiya replied. "As for cultural heritage... we can only take the digital part. Physical items take up too much space."

Noya thought of the ancient paper books in the Central Library, the artworks in the museums, and the folk tales circulating in the streets. How many memories will remain forever on this dying planet?

"I understand." She took a deep breath. "I will contact the leaders of all countries immediately. But before that..." She hesitated. "I want to see Yin again."

Amiya's projection swayed slightly, as if she were thinking. "Time is running out. He should have started the fusion process by now."

"Just five minutes," Noah insisted. "I need to... say goodbye."

Amiya was silent for a moment, then nodded. "I'll arrange it. But it's really only five minutes, Miss Noya. Every second is precious."

Noya nodded gratefully and reached out to the Deep Blue Tree, but... this time, Yin rejected her connection.

It was like telling her—

Keep moving forward and don't look back.