Arknights: Studying medicine can't save Terra

"Mayor, you really value my safety. She's clearly not as cold and heartless as the rumors say." The staff member wiped away her tears and shared with those around her, "Only in times of crisis can you see a person's true character. Mayor is clearly a good mayor who loves her people like her own children. If anyone dares to speak ill of her again, I'll be the first to object!"

The other rescued staff members in the stairwell nodded repeatedly, their faces filled with gratitude.

Candela, completely unaware that she had inadvertently recruited a group of loyal followers, had put down her terminal and continued to gaze at her brand-new seaside city outside.

"Natural disasters and man-made calamities, Dosoles has truly experienced it all. I wonder what he will gain from this."

Candela teased, "Speaking of which, under these circumstances, can your doctor still maintain control of the situation?"

Cast Iron shrugged and replied:

"We were just worried about the doctor because we were afraid he would get hurt. After all, we just experienced the aftereffects of that giant beast's attack, and the doctor and the others must be in very bad shape."

But the situation won't get out of control, because that's a doctor!

“Rhodes Island, I envy your trust in your comrades.” Candela suddenly changed the subject. “But that giant beast in the sky just now, it shouldn’t be as simple as a Cataclysmic-level combat power, right?”

As she spoke, she unconsciously recalled that scene.

The colossal beast, blotting out the sky, could engulf the entire city of Dosoles with a mere wave of its hand.

If the opponent hadn't suddenly seemed to have been hit by some kind of attack, falling back into the clock's phantom image, and hadn't remained there for a few more seconds, Dosoles would probably have turned into a ghostly realm.

And the person who repelled that giant beast was none other than Qi Yan, without even thinking.

"When did the gods start running around like this?" Candela couldn't help but mutter.

The three cast iron men remained silent in response to her words, refraining from making any casual remarks.

What Candela discovered or guessed was none of their business.

But in any case, Candela was not going to get any clear answer from them.

Candela wasn't surprised or angry about this; she simply smiled and brushed it off.

“Although you trust your comrades, I am still willing to send some troops to support your doctor. You can contact him now and ask for his exact location.”

A hint of embarrassment flashed across the faces of the three cast iron men.

“Trusting your companions is a good thing, but too much of it can turn into pride and complacency,” Candela cautioned.

Cast Iron touched his horn and chuckled dryly:

"To be honest, we can't contact him either. The doctor and Qi Yan sneaked out."

One of our missions this time is to capture them and bring them back.

Candela fell silent, unsure of what to say for a moment.

The more you get to know Rhodes Island, the more you realize how eccentric this organization's behavior is.

“However, I’m really growing to like Rhodes Island more and more, and I’d like to visit it sometime,” Candela said with a light laugh.

“Of course we welcome you,” Cast Iron said earnestly. “We just hope that Mayor Candela will bring enough money when she comes to the island. Lungmen Dollars or Pure Originium are fine, but we don’t need Red Gold, we have plenty.”

Candela was somewhat bewildered:

"Do I have to pay to visit Rhodes Island?"

"No, this money is for joining the Rhodes Island nursing home."

Cast Iron looked serious and spoke in a language that Candela couldn't understand at all.

She turned her head to look at her reflection in the glass.

Candela suddenly had an urge to buy a batch of skincare and cosmetic products.

However, she quickly banished the thought from her mind, and her smile returned.

"I respect Rhodes Island's rules, and I will be prepared when the time comes."

Cast Iron raised his eyebrows slightly, without saying much.

Outside the city hall, the tsunami was still raging. As far as the eye could see, the entire city had been turned into a vast ocean, with all sorts of debris churning in the water.

Even buildings were destroyed.

The once bustling city has become dilapidated in the blink of an eye.

Cast Iron and Sussuro exchanged a few glances and nodded in unison. Then Sussuro took out his terminal and began contacting the Rhodes Island team operating near Dosoles.

Candela watched their actions with some confusion:

"I've said it before, I don't care about this damage, and Rhodes Island doesn't need to take responsibility for it."

"We are not here to help you recover from Dosoles' financial losses, and we are incapable of doing so."

Cast Iron said earnestly, "We hope that our companions will come and save the citizens of Dosoles from their suffering."

We do not know, nor do we intend to know, about the internal strife and power struggles within Dosoles and even Bolívar. Rhodes Island simply wants to do its best to save them.

“It sounds noble, but sometimes it can cause you a lot of trouble,” Candela warned. “The people you save may not necessarily be grateful to you.”

“We choose to save them not to receive gratitude, but because we subjectively believe they need to be saved.”

Chapter 263 The Nature of the Game Has Changed

"It sounds a bit condescending."

Candela had a faint smile on her face, and her tone was ambiguous, neither praising nor teasing.

Cast Iron wasn't angry; she simply smiled.

“We don’t argue. Perhaps we are more arrogant than Mayor Candela.”

Candela nodded.

She knew what the phrase "cast iron" meant.

Rhodes Island, wanting to establish an office in Dosoles, must have investigated her situation beforehand.

Anyone could tell that Candela was arrogant.

That was truly looking down upon the people of Dosoles, like the round sun hanging high in the sky.

“So, are you ready to leave now?” Candela asked.

The three cast iron men rose and bowed slightly to Candela.

Cast Iron said, "Thank you for Mayor Candela's hospitality. Regardless of the outcome of this incident, Rhodes Island is willing to establish friendly relations with Dosoles."

Now, we need to do what we should be doing.

Candela bowed to the three of them, said nothing more, and silently watched them turn and leave.

Once she was alone in the office, Candela turned around and looked out at the city ravaged by the tsunami.

"Just to build friendly relations, not to cooperate?" Candela chuckled. "I'm being disliked again."

Seawater crashed against the ruins of the building, breaking into white spray.

Everyone's mouth was filled with a salty and bitter taste.

It's not an adjective; they were all forced to drink several mouthfuls of seawater.

The doctor was being carried by Patriot's large hand, like a black briefcase.

He ripped off his mask and spat wildly out of it:

"This seawater is awful to drink, you white-haired dog! I'll never forgive you!"

The doctor spat until his mouth was dry before he could finally get rid of the salty and astringent taste in his mouth.

Patriot adjusted his mask with his free hand and sighed:

"The situation is becoming more and more difficult."

"Not necessarily. We're not the only ones suffering; the rebels are bubbling around in the water too."

The doctor was quite optimistic: "For our newly organized small team, the more chaotic the situation, the better for us. Otherwise, if Pan Qiao really has no way out and gathers all his forces to attack us, even we will be powerless to stop him."

Patriot did not answer, his red eyes scanning his surroundings.

The sea divided the city into isolated islands, and large groups of refugees gathered on each building.

As the doctor said, no one can escape suffering in the face of this tsunami.

Now, the rules of the game have become simpler, just like the fog of war in MOBA games has cleared, allowing everyone to see the enemy's location directly.

What they need to do is to get ahead of the enemy, seize resources and positions, and then defend and annihilate them.

MOBA games have turned into tower defense games.

However, neither of them gave any instructions, because they knew that the primary task at hand was not to win the war.

"Over there, someone has fallen into the water!"

Exclamations of surprise rang out around Patriot and the Doctor.

The two turned their heads and saw a burly man struggling in the turbulent water not far from where they were on the platform.

Unfortunately, his muscles, which he was usually so proud of, were powerless against the natural disaster. His body thrashed about in the water, trying to grab onto something nearby, but was being swept further and further away by the current.

What would normally be a short walk across now seemed like an insurmountable chasm to him.

"Help...help me...I don't want to die!"

The man's body bobbed up and down in the seawater, emitting mournful cries for help.

The citizens on the platform all looked reluctant, but no one took any action.

They all recognized the man as the one who had recently acquired the weapon and was the first to betray them.

"He's a traitor, let's just leave him alone."

"That's right, this is what happens to traitors. It's not worth risking going into the water to save him."

People were discussing in hushed tones, unsure whether they were advising others or themselves.

But the next second, two splashes of water were heard.

Everyone was stunned. Looking up, they saw two figures who had jumped into the turbulent water without hesitation and were swimming towards the burly man.

"Ernest, Chen, danger!"

Someone shouted out instinctively.

Ernesto and Chen ignored the shouts and struggled to maintain their balance in the water as they continued to move closer to the man.

"Old Chen is still the same Old Chen; she will never change."

The doctor, watching the two struggling in the water, still had the mood to joke.

Patriots remain silent.

On the other side, Lin Yuxia, while wringing out her hair, chimed in:

"Chen Huijie is just missing a screw in her head. Even if the other party is a vicious criminal, a piece of scum who deserves to be shot ten times over, she will still choose to save him first and then let the law decide his fate."

"That's good." The doctor nodded. "This land needs idiots like this."

"A troublesome idiot."

As the two were talking, they suddenly heard the sound of diving again.

Everyone turned to look and were astonished to find that a petite figure had jumped into the water right after him, carrying a huge scythe and swimming toward Ernesto.

Rafiela's small body looked so tiny in the turbulent sea, while others at least managed to keep their shoulders above the water when they struggled.

But she was too short, and no matter how hard she struggled, she could only keep her little head floating on the surface of the water.

Patriot and Lin Yuxia both looked at the doctor.

"This girl is too reckless. Let's get her back first," Lin Yuxia said worriedly.

The doctor shrugged and said unhurriedly:

“Even if she’s pulled out, she’ll find another chance to jump back in. After all, the man in the water is her older brother, and this young girl can’t just sit on the shore and watch.”

Don't worry, Qi Yan is still diving somewhere in the city. If you encounter any danger, just shout for him.

Lin Yuxia: "..."

Patriot tilted his head, feeling that the phrase was incredibly familiar.

On the other side, Ernesto and Chen had already approached the burly man one after the other.