Arknights: Studying medicine can't save Terra

The Sarkaz woman had already been thrown off balance by the shockwaves from the clash between the two behemoths. In her panic, she clung desperately to a swaying nerve bundle, her body tumbling up and down in the air.

In a life-or-death situation, she helplessly pursed her lips and glanced at the half-empty jar of wine in her hand.

The metal bottle was deformed from her grip; even in that critical moment, she instinctively clenched her fingers and didn't abandon her last bottle of wine.

Having given up all hope of survival, she decisively raised the bottle and drank heavily.

"Hey, you've actually started drinking."

The skeletal behemoth struck up a conversation like a chatterbox.

"Since you've already given up struggling, can't I have one last moment of pleasure?" the Sarkaz woman said calmly.

"Who said I've given up the struggle?" The skeletal behemoth said with a hint of amusement. "I'll take this opportunity to teach you how to use my power. You've all wasted these bones of mine before."

Sarkaz woman: ?

"Get ready, you might feel a little dizzy."

"Let me have another drink..."

Before the Sarkaz woman could finish speaking, the skeletal behemoth suddenly shook its body violently, and its skeleton began to shimmer with a dim light.

An indescribable, strange power instantly enveloped the canyon.

Qi Yan felt the power passing through his body and clicked his tongue softly: "Authority."

"Mr. Qi Yan!"

Kal'tsit and the others gasped in surprise.

"Don't be nervous, and don't be reckless. Call me if you encounter any danger."

Qi Yan spoke up to comfort the crowd, then watched helplessly as they were transferred and disappeared by the power of the skeletal behemoth.

He did not intervene to stop it, because the skeletal behemoth had no intention of harming anyone; all the strange phenomena were merely the aftereffects of its actions.

Just like Qi Yan once saw, an old man at the entrance of the community was fanning himself with a palm leaf fan while enjoying the cool air, and unintentionally blew away a few flying insects that were passing by.

He looked up at the two giant beasts, who had become slightly more serious, then lowered his head to begin his own thoughts.

“Theresia’s decision to bring this guy out is definitely not just about transporting the airship.” Qi Yan was somewhat displeased at losing the Doctor as an external brain. “The Life Spine is of great significance to the Sarkaz. It is regarded by many Sarkaz as the way home, and it is also the key to transferring the Sarkaz after the Theresis Project is completed.”

Revealing such a trump card so early is completely irrational. Theresa couldn't possibly be so arrogant as to believe that a single giant beast skeleton could annihilate all the enemies on this battlefield, especially with me, the disruptor... uh, variable.

"I want the Sarkaz who are stuck in the past to see the power of the times as soon as possible."

The pink-haired Sarkaz, dressed in a snow-white dress, slowly walked towards Qi Yan and finally stopped in front of him.

Theresa gracefully lifted the hem of her skirt and greeted Qi Yan with a ladylike bow: "Hello, Mr. Variable."

The transport ship was less than ten kilometers away from the target canyon, but it began to desperately slow down.

Windermere stood at the very front of the deck, his face looking rather grim.

When Qi Yan suddenly left, she had a bad feeling, and then the appearance of that skeleton made her soul scream frantically, warning her to leave immediately.

"Doctor, were these things within your expectations?" Windermere's throat was a little dry.

"If you feel like you're about to die, call out to Qi Yan."

The doctor ignored such irrelevant questions and frantically explained his deduced strategy: "If you survive being overwhelmed by the power of authority, immediately regroup in a place with a large number of friendly forces. The Sarkaz's real offensive is about to begin."

Do not attempt to resist. The chances of a behemoth deigning to look upon us are slim. Our enemy remains the Sarkaz. Beware the Royal Court…

Before he could finish speaking, the power erupting from the canyon spread to the transport ship.

In an instant, the Doctor lost sight of Windermere and the group of sword guards.

The PhD student scratched his head in bewilderment: "How come I wasn't affected?"

Unable to understand, he stopped wasting his time and turned to examine the battlefield.

The invisible power of authority continues to spread; the doctor cannot see its specifics, but he can clearly determine the extent of its influence.

Wherever the power touched, the earth twisted, the sky turned upside down, the wind turned black, dark clouds poured down like waterfalls, and lightning, transformed into long serpents, seemed to swim in a shattered mirror, leaving irregular cracks.

It was as if, at this moment, all the rules of the world had been disrupted, returning to chaos once more.

"How can I possibly give orders like this?!"

The doctor immediately gave up struggling.

He looked down at the transport ship beneath his feet, which was half gone but still functioning normally, and felt it was utterly absurd.

"Hiss...wait, something's not right."

The doctor, who had given up thinking, suddenly realized his predicament: "I don't know how to drive a transport ship, and besides, this thing is already like this, can it even brake?"

A sense of terror gradually filled the doctor's eyes as he sped through the chaotic world in half of the transport ship, showing no sign of stopping even as a flying mountain crashed into the ground ahead, creating a precipice.

The doctor's eyes widened in surprise, and he cried out, only to find that his voice was coming from behind him.

His figure and the half-destroyed transport ship drove straight into the cliff, and the falling sensation he expected did not occur. Instead, he was lifted into the sky by the half-destroyed transport ship.

Chapter 713 The Invisible Future

In the midst of chaos, two sit-up enthusiasts met.

Qi Yan looked at Theresa in front of him and, imitating her manner, bowed politely: "Hello, Miss Mischievous."

Theresa smiled:

"I thought you would be angry because of my scheming."

"If you want, it's not impossible for me."

"No, thank you." Theresa shook her head and offered, "Would you like to walk with me for a bit?"

Qi Yan glanced at the chaotic scene around him.

Theresa came to Qi Yan's side and pointed to the sky:

“I know you’re thinking of everyone. The Doctor is still flying around in the sky, but before he comes down, this is the only chance I can find to be alone with you.”

You just mentioned a new experimental idea. May I be your test subject?

"Are you sure?" Qi Yan raised an eyebrow. "So proactive?"

“I heard you mention the word ‘world,’ which isn’t used very often on this land.”

Theresa walked on her own, wandering through the messy landscape.

Qi Yan turned around and caught up with her, walking side by side with her:

"Since you said time is precious and the opportunity is rare, why don't we skip the foreplay and get straight to the point?"

Theresa said gently, "Let's start by becoming friends."

Looking at the beautiful woman beside him, smiling and graceful, Qi Yan immediately forgot his earlier warning to Kal'tsit not to be led by the nose by the enemy, and happily enjoyed their time together.

The skeleton of the colossal beast slowly floated in the void, each movement of its body stirring up violent spatial turbulence.

Even if He made a huge commotion, His kin behind Him would not give up the chase.

"I said, how about we take a break and chat for a bit?"

The skeletal behemoth said with a hint of helplessness, "I have already seen the future; my death is not now."

Qi silently stood in front of the skeletal behemoth, neither making a move nor attacking again.

He knew very well that his fellow beings were only feigning weakness, and if they were determined to leave, He could not keep them for the time being.

Seeing that Qi was willing to cease hostilities, the skeletal behemoth happily rolled around in the void, turning its massive skeleton over and over.

He rambled on and on, saying, "My bones are really fragile; if I keep going like this, they'll really fall apart."

But you're not much better off, are you? With your soul shattered like this, recklessly attacking would be a betrayal of those little ones who sacrificed themselves for you.

together:"……"

Seeing that Qi ignored him, the skeletal behemoth was not embarrassed and continued:

"That fellow being you injured was really unlucky. He probably never dreamed that you would encounter an indescribable helper like Qi Yan."

Qi finally spoke: "I have no intention of seeking revenge."

“I told you, I saw the future.” The skeletal behemoth circled Qi slowly. “You will set foot on that land again, and then cease to exist.”

Your fragments will become weapons and nourishment for those people; your last kin will rekindle their hatred, and then stand alone on the desolate snowfield, waiting for the earth to return to nothingness.

Qi Bo's usually calm golden eyes finally showed signs of movement, and a murderous intent surged forth from them.

His snow-white wolf claws stepped forward, and extreme cold accompanied by indescribable power emanated from them.

"Friend, the clash of two powers will leave Qi Yan in a terrible predicament," the skeletal behemoth advised. "Didn't you notice that the future I saw was missing a figure?"

"...Qi Yan?" Qi realized something.

Yes, but don't misunderstand.

The skeletal behemoth, worried about the impulsive nature of this taciturn fellow who was quick to resort to violence, stopped its leisurely chatter.

His speech quickened slightly, and he stated directly:

"I wander in the long river of time, but I don't like to observe anything randomly. I am just a member of it, not the master of time."

But after my fragment encountered Qi Yan, I suddenly became curious, so I secretly took a couple of glances.

"What did you see?" Qi Zhi asked.

"I see the past, but I can't see the future."

Qi was clearly puzzled: "You just said..."

"Yes, normally speaking, time is composed of the past and the future, it is complex, vast, encompassing everything, and even including the thoughts and ideas of all things."

The skeletal behemoth earnestly explained its discovery: "All things return to one, and from one all things are born. The past collapses into the present, and the present evolves into the future. The intertwining of the past and the future is existence."

But ever since I saw Qi Yan, the future no longer exists. If the future doesn't exist, how can we talk about the past and the present?

I am puzzled. What is the essence of Qi Yan? And what is the meaning of our existence?

Qi stared silently at the skeletal behemoth and suddenly felt that this fellow creature must have a lot in common with that group of guys called shapeshifters.

Then Qi Wei shook her head slightly, feeling that she might have been influenced by Qi Yan, and her thought process was starting to become absurd.

The skeletal behemoth, unaware of Qi's thoughts, urged him on from the side:

"So, how about joining me and we study Qi Yan together?"

"Studying Qi Yan?" Qi shook his head. "Most likely, you're the one being studied by him."

The skeletal behemoth said indifferently:

"Either is fine. My fragments will be coming soon. Let me adjust my state. Then I don't even need to look into the future to know that Qi Yan will come looking for fun and find me."

Qi Yan wouldn't refuse; he wanted to save the little girl named Theresa, but she had already run into the Originium. If Qi Yan wanted to save her, he had to confront his own true nature.

Qi did not respond.

The skeletal behemoth rubbed its tailbone against Qi's rear end before successfully taking a wolf's claw strike.

The pain caused it to retract its tailbone, but it still wouldn't give up:

"If I'm still alive after this is done, I'll go with you to that land. If we work together, killing one of our own kind shouldn't be a problem."

"I told you, I have no intention of seeking revenge," Qi emphasized again.

"But Qi Yan definitely wanted to. With Qi Yan's awful personality, how could he possibly let Him go?" the skeletal behemoth said resentfully. "The moment we met, he smashed the staff containing my fragments against his own tombstone. We agreed it was just a joke, but he punched me in the face. Don't I have any dignity?"

Qi kindly suggested, "Sculpting a beautiful body can effectively prevent this situation."

Skeletal behemoth: "..."

He could tell that Qi was serious and not just joking.

"It's definitely not a coincidence that the two of you ended up together!" the skeletal behemoth declared with absolute certainty.

Then He paused, swallowing back the words "birds of a feather flock together" that were about to come out of His mouth, so as not to get another claw attack.

Seeing that Qi remained unmoved and seemed unwilling to cooperate, the skeletal behemoth reluctantly continued to circle around Qi.

"Tell me, aren't you really worried that Qi Yan will follow in your footsteps?" The skeletal behemoth decided to launch a relentless attack. "Let's simulate it for Qi Yan first, so he can be better prepared to deal with what happens in the future, right?"

“He’s smarter than me, and luckier than me,” Qi said calmly.