Arknights: Studying medicine can't save Terra

Carmen's expression shifted slightly.

He sensed the implicit promise in the Pope's words.

Chapter 1103 Smiling when things are going well, not smiling when things are going badly.

"Carmen, after this battle, Iberia will not only have a period of peace, but it may very well be at peace forever."

The Liberian man, transformed from the shapeshifter, suddenly appeared behind Carmen and the Pope.

The two were already used to the shapeshifters' elusive nature, but they still couldn't help but be startled by that seemingly joking statement.

“Your Excellency the Shapeshifter is joking again,” Carmen said with a wry smile.

The shapeshifter smiled without saying a word.

Carmen's smile faded: "You're joking, aren't you?"

“That shouldn’t be the case.” The shapeshifter deliberately feigned distress. “You’ve personally experienced the Great Stillness; you shouldn’t be so naive about the meaning of ‘apocalyptic catastrophe.’”

"Here's the latest news: Kal'tsit is trying to persuade the cities of Agor to relocate inland, but unfortunately, progress is slow. Agor's governor, Clementsa, remains undecided."

Carmen's breathing was slightly disordered, and she said in a low, rapid voice:

Why did things suddenly escalate to this point?

"Is it possible that we've all been kept in the dark by Qi Yan?" The shapeshifter shrugged innocently. "That guy has been waiting for this opportunity from the very beginning."

The Pope couldn't help but interject:

Why would Qi Yan do this?

The shapeshifter shrugs: "Salvation!"

The Pope's halo flashed briefly, and he too gave a wry smile.

"Couldn't he have told us in advance so we could be mentally prepared?"

The shapeshifter's tone remained unchanged: "That's right!"

Pope: "...What are Your Excellency the Transformer's plans now?"

Shapeshifter: "Just die!"

The three of them stared at each other.

Carmen and the Pope wished they could pin the still-unorthodox Transformer to the ground and beat him up on the spot.

However, considering that the other party not only did not secretly leave, but also took the initiative to show up and remind them, it was clear that they were prepared to lend a hand.

We absolutely mustn't let ourselves drive away such a powerful helper.

Carmen coughed lightly, trying to suppress the impulse in her heart, and asked:

"How many individuals do you currently have here?"

Ninety!

Carmen's lips twitched uncontrollably a few times.

He strongly suspects that there are far more Shapeshifters in Granfalo than that number, and that the figure was simply revealed to play on this damn pun.

"Carmen, let's consider the current situation first."

The Pope interrupted Carmen's reverie, glancing at the envoys from various countries gathered in the central square.

Is it to conceal the information, allowing this group of people and the subsequent reinforcements to become a fighting force on their side?

Or should we be frank and tell them how outrageous the level of this battle is, so that they can immediately withdraw their troops to save themselves?

Carmen received the hint from the Pope, hesitated for only a moment, and then realized that she actually had no choice at all.

“Your Excellency Shapeshifters, please explain the situation directly to everyone present,” Carmen said, her eyes lowered.

"Have you made up your mind?"

“Yes,” Carmen said softly. “The countries that have arrived in Iberia today may not be solely motivated by a desire to help Iberia, but they have undoubtedly played a positive role.”

In this situation, Iberia cannot only think of itself and calculate the interests of these nations that came with good intentions.

"Is this the pride of Iberia?" the shapeshifter asked with a laugh.

Carmen shook her head: "Iberia has its own pride, but it has nothing to do with pride... After all, if the other countries suffer heavy losses, they will definitely not let Iberia off the hook afterward."

"makes sense."

The shapeshifter seemed quite satisfied with the answer.

He turned around, slowly squeezed through the crowd, and came to the Rhodes Island team in the very center.

Thorn and Qilin noticed him, as did the others.

Under such intense public scrutiny, the shapeshifter suddenly raised both arms and proclaimed in a loud voice:

"Look at us, everyone! We have something to announce!"

"Qi Yan has betrayed us again!"

"Oh, I thought it was something serious."

"Where did Qi Yan go after his betrayal? Agor? Haisi?"

"By the way, are there any spots left in the defection team?"

A group of people rolled their eyes. They were already used to Qi Yan's betrayal, and many even took the opportunity to make jokes.

The shapeshifter was not surprised at all, and added with a smile:

"It doesn't matter which side he defected to. What's important is that he tried to get rid of Qi Lin before, so he didn't know that Qi Lin had secretly stayed behind."

The bustling crowd fell silent instantly.

Countless eyes immediately locked onto Qi Lin.

Faced with these gazes, Qi Lin made no attempt to hide anything and nodded frankly in affirmation.

Suddenly, the people who had been chatting and laughing just moments before panicked.

"Actually, Rhodes Island's team didn't plan to go to Granfalo in the first place," Thorn calmly added, delivering the finishing blow.

The crowd all took a step back in unison.

The shapeshifter's gaze swept across the surroundings, noticing the fear and apprehension on people's faces.

He was not surprised; in fact, this reaction was something he had deliberately orchestrated.

He announced loudly, "Everyone, it's not too late to leave now. We have already explained the situation to His Excellency Carmen, and Iberia will fully support any action you take."

Carmen also stepped forward at the opportune moment, came to the center of the crowd, and bowed slightly to the envoys around her:

"Iberia is grateful to everyone for coming from afar. Iberia will never forget your contributions. I am also currently unable to determine how much the battle between Qi Yan and Hai Si will affect."

However, conservative estimates suggest that perhaps half of Iberia's territory will be affected; therefore, we urge everyone to take immediate action.

The envoys from various countries looked at each other, none of them daring to speak out under such circumstances.

Until someone in the crowd tentatively asked:

"Is there anything we can do for you?"

Carmen said sincerely, "If possible, I hope that you can leave some of the supplies you brought behind, as this is very important for Iberia to build a defensive line."

"Your Excellency Saint, are you not planning to retreat for the time being?" the man asked in surprise.

“I’m sorry, this is Iberia, I have nowhere to retreat.” Carmen forced a bitter smile. “The Great Stillness of that year caused large swathes of Iberian territory to sink into the sea, and the soil along the coast became saline.”

But Iberia has not retreated. The Great Tranquility is just a legend in other countries, and now, Iberia will not retreat either.

If, after this battle, the seas are calm and there are no more dangers, and if Iberia still exists in the world, Iberia will never forget the great help that all nations have given us today.

He paused for a moment after saying this.

Then he spoke again: "If Iberia becomes a chapter in history books after this battle, I hope you will remember that Iberia is a witness to the peaceful times that followed. We once stood at the forefront of this land!"

The central square of Gran Farrow was quiet, with only the gentle sea breeze carrying the shouts of the Judiciary Army carrying supplies and building defenses from the distant coastline.

After what felt to be the longest silence of Carmen's life, voices rang out from within the delegation.

"I'm sorry, Your Excellency Saint, your spirit is truly moving, but we are powerless to help Iberia."

"We will leave the supplies behind, only keeping the most basic operational supplies when we leave."

“Your Excellency Saint, we will build a camp outside the Iberian border where Iberian civilians will be provided with basic shelter… but that is all we can do.”

Chapter 1104 The Shapeshifter: Hey! This is fun!

Carmen bowed again: "Thank you."

A thousand words surged in his chest, but in the end, only these two words could be uttered.

The shapeshifter peeked out from behind Carmen and, seeing that the delegation had all made their statements, immediately clapped his hands lightly with a grin:

"It seems everyone has made their decisions, so let's share some more news."

Delegation: ? ? ?

A bad feeling suddenly arose in everyone's minds.

Just as the delegation was inwardly screaming in alarm, the shapeshifter spoke leisurely:

"The Sarkaz are willing to face everything together with Iberia. The former Lord of the Royal Court and all the individuals currently active in Iberia will head to Granfalo."

Meanwhile, the former ruler of the royal court, the Blood Demon Lord Ducarre, is on his way from Kazdel.

Next, please welcome our Rhodes Island representative to speak.

Thorn coughed lightly, took two steps forward, and calmly said to Carmen:

"Rhodes Island has Qi Lin, and a god-level combatant is on their way."

The shapeshifter snapped his fingers and turned to look at the four faintly visible figures at the edge of the central square:

"Next, please welcome the Sunset Forever band to speak."

The four rock-style women exchanged glances and shrugged helplessly.

Finally, Aya stepped forward and calmly said:

"Our main force has already set off and is heading from the deep sea. We will become the first line of defense in the coastal waters."

The shapeshifter clasped his hands together, smiling as he expressed his gratitude:

"Thank you to the band Sunset Forever for sponsoring the four god-level combatants. We will relay your contribution to Kal'tsit."

After delivering his words of gratitude, the shapeshifter withdrew his gaze and tilted his head to scrutinize the delegation:

"What are you all waiting for if you're not hurrying to get out of here?"

Everyone in the delegation looked rather grim.

They weren't stupid; by this point, they naturally realized they'd been tricked by the shapeshifters.

Or rather, this is clearly an audit.

The nations represented by the delegations present had all joined the Terra Exploration Association through the Universal Summit.

During this period, there was no such thing as review or approval. Qi Yan said that he would accept anyone who came, as long as the country was willing to play with him, they could sign up. He seemed to be happy to have people come and cling to him.

When the crisis struck, the shapeshifters taught them a harsh lesson.

The Terra Exploration Association is an organization dedicated to resolving the numerous crises facing this land and bringing together the nations of Terra for mutual support!

Their retreat this time, while not enough to result in their expulsion from the association or Qi Yan personally calling them out by name, will certainly leave a stain on their record and exclude them from the true inner circle.

Carmen gave the shapeshifter a deep look, then suddenly turned around and bowed deeply to him.

"Iberia will always remember Sarkaz's kindness."

"It's too early to say thank you now."

The shapeshifter's smile vanished, and his tone became slightly serious as he said, "You don't really think that by simply stacking up numbers of god-level combat power, you can go toe-to-toe with Qi Yan, do you?"

I'll repeat myself: Qi Yan is going to deal with the 'world-ending disaster' this time. Fortunately, Qi Yan is still standing in front of us, and what we will ultimately face is only the aftermath.

Carmen: "..."