Arknights: Studying medicine can't save Terra

"No matter what I say, you're not allowed to get angry, or I'll call for help. I'm not afraid to tell you, I have people in Laterano right now!"

Hearing Biura's threat, Andorn couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle again.

He assured, "I do have some reservations about Lateran's laws, but our next conversation will not be known to outsiders."

"Then I'll begin!"

Biula bluntly declared: "Latland's religion and law are nothing!"

He almost lost his composure.

If any other Sakorta heard this, he would definitely go berserk on the spot.

But Biura had already started talking and continued to spout his outrageous theories:

"Religion, in my view, is a tool for controlling people's hearts and minds, and Lateran has really done that. Looking around, all the Sarkaz are immersed in comfort."

But religion shouldn't be merely a tool. In times of turmoil, it can be a source of hope—what we call…faith!

Andorn cautioned, “Latland has never lacked faith; the problem with Lateran is that its faith fails to reach this land.”

“That’s right,” Biura said, shrugging. “Why should I praise something that can’t benefit me?”

Chapter 997 Biura Gets the Female Lead's Script

Andorn twitched the corner of his mouth and shook his head to express his opinion:

"We should not simply reject it completely, but rather look for new ways out based on it."

“You misunderstand. I am not denying it entirely. I acknowledge the completeness and excellence of the Lateran religious structure.”

Biura picked up the drink beside him, took a sip with relish, and said leisurely, "But our own path is not something that can be built on an existing foundation. The saints could walk on this land and build the Lateran we know today, so why can't we now?"

"You really are...ambitious," Andorn said, trying to be as tactful as possible.

He felt that although Biura had good fighting spirit, he was still too young and inevitably carried some of the arrogance of youth.

If a completely new path could be forged so easily, this land would have long since had more than just Lateran as its holy city.

If other factors had to be considered, Andorn would only acknowledge the Kazdel nursing home established by Qi Yan.

It is said that there, equality was truly achieved under the rule of law, and all races could find their own way out in the nursing home.

Biura understood the underlying meaning in Andorn's words, but she didn't take it to heart.

Looking back on her experiences during this period, anyone who hears them would find them outrageous.

“Byura, could you tell me more about your religion and how it was founded?” Andorn decided to explore the topic further.

"That's a long story."

As the conversation reached this point, Biula couldn't help but show a hint of melancholy and reminiscence on his face.

As she recalled, she recounted the story in detail:

"Actually, I wasn't always like this. I was once an ordinary pretty girl, born into a fairly wealthy family in Victoria."

My mother passed away early, and I was raised by my father. Later, thanks to my father's influence, I joined the Duke's army as a civilian officer. Later, I dated a boyfriend whose status was already very high in the eyes of ordinary people.

I thought I could live out my life happily like this, but as it turns out, things don't always go as planned.

"That war..."

Andorn lowered his head slightly, showing sympathy for Yura.

Seeing this, Biura waved her hands repeatedly, saying with disdain:

"Don't make it sound like my life is so miserable. Even when war broke out, I wasn't thrown onto the battlefield. I was still hiding in the back, slacking off and getting by."

"Then how did you... become like this?" Andorn asked with a suspicious look.

The attitude of Biura in front of me is definitely not that of someone who is just coasting along in the Duke of Victoria's army.

Moreover, Andorn didn't believe any duke would be so desperate as to need his subordinates to establish a religion to win people's hearts.

“Sigh, it all comes down to my unlucky ex-boyfriend.” Biura pouted. “That guy got caught up in an incident, and although he survived, he was ostracized and disappeared from my world without a trace.”

His departure made me realize how fragile we ordinary people are. I was suddenly terrified that one day I too would become a mark on the death register.

So, I escaped.

"Escaped?"

"Yes, after racking my brains for days, pulling out a lot of hair and tail fur, I finally came up with a crazy escape plan."

With a hint of smugness, Biura smiled and said, "Although I ultimately succeeded with the help of some external forces, it doesn't matter. In the end, I am still who I am now."

"You now?" Andorn didn't quite understand.

"The past me is left in the past. The present me is sitting in front of you, eating cake and drinking beverages, chatting with you, a friend I met by chance."

Biura raised her drink cup to Andorn: "Friend, the first thing I noticed about you was that you looked so wronged, like you'd just been beaten up. Why make things difficult for yourself? Smile a little more."

Andorn: "..."

Is it possible that this is not just a possibility, but a fact?

Not only did he get a physical blow from Sargon's tail, but he was also mentally terrified by Qilin's gaze.

Biyura was somewhat surprised: "No, you really got beaten up? Was it because of differences in religious beliefs?"

"Let's start by talking about how you founded your religion."

Andorn somewhat abruptly steered the conversation back on track.

Seeing that he was unwilling to talk in detail, Biula guessed that it was because of his pride as a man, and did not press him further.

She took a big gulp of her drink and continued her story with satisfaction:

"After escaping from the army, I successfully came to my current company, but under the war, the so-called paradise is nothing more than a place where people can just survive."

To be honest, I regretted it at first. Why did I scare myself and step out of my comfort zone?

But there, I met an old man who guarded this pristine land, protecting the hope for survival for the people who lived there.

"He sounds like a respectable old man," Andorn said admiringly. "So he was the one who guided you to establish a religion? He's the guardian you molded into a virtual god?"

Biyura laughed heartily, as if she had heard something funny.

"The old man has no interest in becoming a god; all he can think about is whether his daughter can let him hold his grandson."

Andorn realized he had misunderstood and couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly.

At the same time, he couldn't help but feel emotional.

It is truly remarkable that a company could still maintain such a strong sense of life amidst the devastation of war.

Biula laughed for a while, then gradually stopped laughing and recalled:

"But that's not enough. Although being able to survive is a blessing that many people would be grateful for, I'm not satisfied. I'm afraid that one day I'll become a nobody again, with no control over my own life."

I want to climb higher, I want to ascend step by step, I want to become a great person who can control my own life!

I walked around the company's premises, listening to people's needs. I pondered what this place needed. They had gathered together to survive, but what exactly constituted survival?

Biura took a deep breath, not giving Andorn a chance to interrupt, and said in a deep voice:

"The company's founders gave them hope for survival, but the founders were too far away from them, so far that they felt lost and uncertain."

I pulled the founder's shadow down from the lofty clouds and forcibly implanted it into the hearts of these people, giving them a goal to follow and worship. I brought them faith and motivation, I encouraged them to transform their living environment, and I granted them the recognition that they still truly live on this earth.

Even if... the founder never even glanced at them.

“God does not watch over people,” Andorn said softly.

"That's not true."

Biula shook his head in denial.

Her husband is capable of physically assaulting people, and he even sneaks into the cafeteria to steal food. He once tried to peek through her window in the middle of the night and got a severe beating from her.

Qi Yan never pays attention to people; he always blends into the crowd and causes trouble while laughing and joking.

This is also one of the main reasons why Biyula was disappointed with the religion in Lateran after arriving there.

“Andorn, you’re talking about a being who can’t actually help us, whether it’s a god or the laws of your Sarkaz. If He can’t help us, why should we follow Him?”

Andorn pondered for a moment, then replied:

"The power of faith does not come from the goal followed, but from the believer himself."

“I agree with that statement. Any believer in my Qi Sect can join us.”

Biura nodded, but then shook his head: "What about the believers in Lateran?"

"...Latland will not protect any race other than the Sarkaz," Andorn replied.

"In that case, do you think the problem lies with the myriad races of this land, or with the laws of Lateran?" Biyura asked again.

"...Naturally, it's not a problem of all races."

"So, I'm saying that Lateran's religion and law are nothing!"

This time, Andorn didn't rush to refute or express his opinion; he simply lowered his head and fell into thought.

Biyura slurped down her drink in one gulp and said slowly:

“Andorn, I have some confidence in my ability to judge people. If I’m not mistaken, you’ve also come here seeking answers to your questions.”

"That's right," Andorn readily admitted.

"But the answer won't save you."

"I don't understand."

"Getting the answer is actually very simple, but the answer is an outcome, already predetermined. If it ultimately disappoints you, what will you do?"

Biura placed the empty cup on the table, her slender fingers pressing against the rim, causing it to tilt precariously on the table.

Biura leaned against the table, her free hand supporting her chin as she looked with amusement at the empty cup she had been fiddling with.

"I'm telling you about my experience. My choices and decisions were made with reckless arrogance because I thought I had found the standard answer to get through the game. I thought that as long as I got there, everything would be resolved."

The young woman's voice sounded somewhat ethereal to Andorn: "But when I finally grasped the answer, I realized that this was not the end, but the beginning."

You and I are both people desperately searching for a way out. Behind and beside us are too many lost souls, and before us is an unreachable figure.

Andorn, don't abandon everything and chase after them just because you saw their backs. They're simply walking their own path, a path only suitable for them.

“I never intended to chase after that figure, but there are many secrets I cannot know, and I want to find the truth,” Andorn explained.

“You can fool yourself, but you can’t fool me. There’s a silhouette in your eyes,” Biura said with certainty. “That silhouette isn’t necessarily a living person; it could just be some special being or some special meaning.”

The empty cup lost its balance under Biula's fingertips and was about to tip over when Biula caught it just in time.

Andorn slowly closed his eyes.

He said softly, "Yes, there is something blocking my path: the laws of the Sarkaz. What exactly are they? I need to find them."

"And then?" Biura pressed.

"Then... I will get an answer, and if that answer is enough to guide me, I will give everything for it."

Andorn's eyes reopened: "If I cannot, I will surpass it and forge a new path, a path for all my suffering brethren."

Chapter 998 Everyone has their own path, but the street in front of Andorn is so quiet.

“That sounds pretty good,” Biura commented.

Andorn said in a deep voice:

"I don't know if I can succeed, or if this is the right thing to do."

"Whether we succeed or fail, whether we are good or bad, is for future generations to judge." Biura's smile carried a hint of arrogance. "We just need to move forward; each of us is walking our own path."

Hearing the girl's radical remarks, Andorn gave a complicated, bitter smile.

He asked, "What if your progress happens to block someone else's path?"

"First try to reason with them. If they can't understand, then fight. If you can't win, then call for backup." This was Biyura's three-part mantra.

"Even if other people's paths aren't wrong?" Andorn pressed.

"How many rights and wrongs are there on this land?"