Arknights: Studying medicine can't save Terra

Garcia growled as he fled.

"To the Golden Hall!" Alfonso said decisively. "That damned beast has become so powerful because of what it has been through. We'll lure it in front of the intruders, or lure them into encountering it."

Garcia pondered for a moment and acquiesced to the decision.

The Fool's intricate corridor structure posed no problem for them; in less than ten minutes, Alfonso successfully returned to the doors of the Golden Hall.

He was clearly bewildered as he looked at the half-open door and heard the bustling sounds of a vegetable market coming from inside.

After hesitating for a moment, Alfonso walked to the crack in the door and peeked out to observe the situation.

He saw a group of Iberians gathered together for a meeting, and a group of Sakotas in full-body heavy armor stacking themselves up to dismantle his ceiling. In a corner, an Agor woman with the aura of the Sea King forcibly embraced a Liberian girl and was happily playing a shameful game in front of a mirror.

His throne was now occupied by a stranger named Rupert.

Beneath the throne, another Agor woman, bearing the aura of the Sea Heir, nervously described the information about the Slaughterer.

A huge question mark floated above Alfonso's forehead.

Is this still his golden era in Iberia?

Just as he was bewildered, he saw a dispute erupt among the heavily armored Sarkaz cavalry.

"Guys, I've got an idea!"

"What a coincidence, I have one too! I think these pillars in the hall are perfect for demolition!"

"Same here, but the problem is that the Pope is not here, and there is no witnessing place to submit an application."

The musketeers were in a dilemma.

But soon one of the musketeers came up with a new idea and excitedly suggested:

“We can betray Laterano! From now on, we are members of Lord Qi Yan’s Holy Terra, so we can submit our applications directly to Qi Yan!”

The cavalrymen exclaimed in unison, and quickly selected a representative to go and pay homage to Qi Yan on the golden throne.

The cavalryman, despite being heavily armored, somehow managed to run with a light and quick gait.

Alfonso's face, peeking out from the crack in the door, was filled with disbelief. Below him, Garcia also poked his head out, his face completely transformed by the sea, yet still displaying a clear expression of astonishment.

"Hey, Captain, you're back too."

Suddenly, the shapeshifter's head appeared upside down in Alfonso's line of sight: "Your Fool's Ship has been taken over by Qi Yan!"

Alfonso: ?!

He was so frightened that he almost slashed at her with his knife.

In fact, he did indeed draw his knife.

But it wasn't out of fear, but rather because the shapeshifter's words had completely triggered his senses.

"Arrogant fools!" Alfonso roared, his voice echoing throughout the Golden Hall. "You are defiling the great Iberia! I am the only captain of this ship!"

Decades of sailing had made Alfonso acutely aware of just how destitute he was.

But precisely because of this, his inner pride is the only motivation that allows him to continue.

When Alfonso discovered that these invaders were trampling on his last remaining dignity, all his previous assumptions and plans were thrown to the back of his mind.

He must make these people pay the price!

The commotion drew everyone's attention, but no one chose to help the shapeshifter.

In front of everyone, a battle that wasn't particularly fierce broke out and then ended.

After losing his dignity, Alfonso's body was also trampled underfoot by the shapeshifters.

Garcia anxiously tried to rush forward to save the person, but was tightly bound by the green rope that the shapeshifter's arm had transformed into.

Alfonso struggled desperately under the shapeshifter's feet, his face turning red, only to discover that the shapeshifter's power was even greater than that of the Butcher!

He even started to feel a little lost.

What exactly happened to this land during the decades I spent wandering at sea?

Why are these powerful monsters starting to appear in droves?

"Don't worry, we didn't mean to hurt you. Qi Yan was just playing around."

The shapeshifter offered a reassuring word, then transformed his arm into a rope, binding Alfonso and Garcia together and dragging them toward the golden throne.

Desperate for help, Goredia, the musketeers who betrayed the cause for the art of explosion, and Alfonso, driven by despair and fueled by rage, successfully reunite under the Golden Throne.

"Who is in the hall?"

Qi Yan's lazy voice came over.

The cavalryman immediately requested instructions: "Qi Yan, we need to blow up a pillar!"

"Rejected!" Qi Yan said irritably. "I was thinking of using the Fool to pick up Shuiyue. Shuiyue is the key to the plan. If something happens to her, you Sarkaz will be the sinners of Terra!"

The cavalryman shrank back, then settled for second best, saying:

"Could we blow up a pillar and then use the shards to patch the holes in the hull?"

Qi Yan fell into thought.

"Don't make things worse! The appearance of that sea creature means the situation has reached its most critical point!"

Unable to stand these guys any longer, Goredia barged in and shouted, "We must find a way to kill it before it can react and completely destroy its corpse, so as not to give Hai Si a chance to evolve!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Qi Yan, sitting on the golden throne, let out a soft laugh.

Goredia: ?

"What are you laughing at?" she asked, looking puzzled.

Chapter 1060 There's nothing new in history books.

Qi Yan thought for a moment, then said vaguely:

"It's nothing, I just remembered something funny."

Gladys suppressed her anger and continued explaining the current crisis:

"That Sea Sprite's level of evolution is terrifying. My spear was disarmed in a single exchange. It was incredibly fast and incredibly strong..."

Even the shapeshifter couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"What are you laughing at again?" Goredia gritted her teeth in anger. "I know that such an enemy is not enough for the Lord of the Royal Court, but Hai Si can evolve!"

If this sea creature were to rejoin the swarm, the entire sea creature race would experience an unprecedented wave of evolution…

The cavalrymen laughed along with the main force.

Goredia took a deep breath, glaring at the gunner, wishing she could punch the heavily armored man in the can.

I can't beat Qi Yan and the shapeshifters, but I can't beat you?

The musketeer noticed the threatening look in Goredia's eyes and waved his hand, saying:

"Is it possible that you've reversed the cause-and-effect logic?"

"What do you mean?" A sense of foreboding washed over Goredia.

"What I mean is, it's not that the Sea Sith you encountered evolved abnormally, but rather that its evolution was so rapid because it received feedback from a large group."

The musketeer glanced at the shapeshifter and Qi Yan, and seeing that the two didn't stop him, he directly confessed everything to Goredia: "In fact, under Ital's leadership, Hai Si has already undergone an epic evolution. To draw an analogy..."

The Hai Si species has entered its golden age.

Greta: "..."

She staggered and almost lost her balance.

"It's over, how could this happen?" Goredia murmured in disbelief. "From the moment the shapeshifters released that newborn, this land has been on the countdown to destruction... Agor... how is Agor now?"

The shapeshifter reassured them, "Don't worry, even though Agor is being oppressed and exploited, Hai Si never intended to harm them."

Until Ital brings back the answer, Haizi's sole objective remains feeding and reproduction; meaningless battles are not what Haizi seeks.

Goredia laughed in anger and asked coldly:

"What if Haisi grows to be invincible? What if Agor falls, and the united nations of this land are unable to resist Haisi?"

"Second Captain, how do you think Agor compares to the other nations of Terra?"

Qi Yan, sitting on the golden throne, suddenly interrupted Goredia.

Graceia was clearly taken aback by Qi Yan's inexplicable question, and subconsciously replied:

"Agor is undoubtedly far ahead of this land."

Qi Yan asked again, "Then what do you think are the chances of the Terran nations uniting against Agor?"

"...Agor has a better chance of winning, or at least he is in an unassailable position."

After a brief recollection of the situation in the various countries, Goredia arrived at a confident answer.

"Hey, everyone heard that," Qi Yan suddenly said to the others, "Agor has become so powerful that he's almost invincible, so I suggest that we join forces to kill Agor first, to prevent them from developing and enslaving the nations of Terra."

The shapeshifter's expression was somewhat strange.

One race grew powerful and then enslaved Terra.

Isn't this the history of Tikkaz?

Goredia was furious: "Qi Yan, don't try to change the subject. Agor is Agor, and Hai Si is Hai Si."

"Is there really a difference?" Qi Yan said dismissively. "Those with newly born sea offspring are also intelligent species. What's the difference between them and you little animals of Terra?"

When did being powerful become a cardinal sin?

To be honest, I don't oppose the act of resisting the Sealings, just as I didn't oppose the Terran people's resistance against the Tikkaz's enslavement. But to commit genocide while simultaneously labeling them as inherently evil—isn't that going a bit too far?

Goredia felt she had suffered the greatest insult of her life.

Just as Greta was so angry that she couldn't speak, a low chuckle drew everyone's attention.

Alfonso lay on the ground, bound by the shapeshifters, a low, contemptuous chuckle escaping his throat.

He looked up at the figure occupying his throne, as if looking at a clown:

"I don't know who you are, but I can already see your future as someone who is despised by everyone. You have no idea how dangerous those monsters are!"

They are frenzied and twisted, and sooner or later they will greedily devour everything. They are an inexhaustible sea locust swarm; the more you kill, the more numerous and stronger they become, until they overwhelm everything and turn this land into their lair!

"So here's the question: why must we kill them?" Qi Yan countered.

“You… ask such a stupid question!” Alfonso snapped. “They are a threat, a threat to this land. If we don’t stop them, this land will become their food!”

Qi Yan sat upright on the golden throne. Through the gauze curtain, everyone could see his figure with his legs crossed, one hand supporting his cheek, his head tilted as he fell into thought.

A moment of silence fell over the Golden Hall.

Qi Yan spoke again: "Alfonso, the most legendary captain in Iberian history, known as 'Alfonso under the pomegranate tree,' you persevered alone at sea for more than sixty years with human will."

I think even I have to feel genuine respect for you. You exemplify the 'brilliance of humanity' through your own actions. But... Alfonso, Alfonso who stepped out of history, have you ever eaten a food called dried dinosaur fish?

“…That kind of food is a thing of the past; the current tarantulas are inedible,” Alfonso said, frowning.

"Why is sea cucumber, which has always advocated nutrient cycling, suddenly inedible?"

"What nonsense are you trying to spout? It's because they've evolved!"

Why did they suddenly evolve in a direction that is detrimental to nutrient cycling?

"They... how am I supposed to know?"

Alfonso was so angry he was panting heavily.

Qi Yan then looked at Gretia and asked, "Why?"

Goredia opened her mouth, but was speechless.

Qi Yan sighed on the throne and said to the shapeshifter:

"Buddy, I'm actually a little unsure myself. The key to solving the Haisi crisis isn't Haisi, it's people."

The shapeshifter shrugged and said, "Fighting is a biological instinct, a matter of survival of the fittest. We can't expect everyone to be as calm and have a comprehensive view of the situation as Ms. Kal'tsit."

Qi Yan let out a long sigh:

"Things have come to this point, there's only one way left, you understand me, right?"