reincarnation npc, but tomorrow's ark

This is the isolation ward. After the main door is closed, drainage and disinfection processes begin. Then, the second door slowly opens.

This is the main entrance to the laboratory.

"..." Bai Ye glanced at the remaining test tubes in his inventory and raised an eyebrow.

He seemed to have witnessed something quite interesting; he hadn't expected the Doctor's blood to have an effect. It seemed Dr. Kal'tsit was still hiding many things from him. The Doctor might be from a previous civilization; otherwise, how could his blood pass through the biometric identification system left behind by that civilization?

However, now is not the time to dwell on this issue; there are more important things to do.

Bai Ye found a terminal.

I pressed the screen, and the terminal was still running.

Bai Ye opened the system panel once again, and this time, Luna was finally able to access the laboratory's internal system.

The terminal's screen slowly lit up. Without hesitation, Bai Ye quickly took out a physical object resembling a fragment of a past event from his inventory and inserted it into the interface attached to the terminal.

The end of the entity automatically adjusts to match the interface model, ensuring a perfect fit for insertion.

A moment later, a silver projection appeared in the dark laboratory room...

Chapter 186 Cyber ​​Labor Service

(One of the reasons why Japan surrendered unconditionally in Season 2 was the rapid decline of Nagasaki...)

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Granfalo, a former coastal town in Iberia, has now become Granfalo Fortress. Supplies from all over Terra converge here and then disperse to various coastal defense lines from here.

Although Granfalo is just an ordinary coastal town, it is the closest to the "Eye of Iberia," making its position exceptionally important. With the "Eye of Iberia" being restarted, the Inquisition is recovering lost technology and attempting to repair other damaged lighthouses and restore communication systems within Iberia.

The only lighthouse still in operation has become the apple of the eye of all Iberia. The court sees it as the hope for the revival of Iberia and will never allow itself to lose it again.

The current state of Iberia can be seen as a microcosm of the other nations of Terra. Iberia's technology is based on that brought by the inhabitants of the deep-sea island of Agor, resulting in a technological gap after the Great Tranquility. The essence of technological development on Terra as a whole is based on the excavation of pre-civilization ruins and the application of the Originium system.

The Originium industrial system that was established was based on Originium mines left behind by the previous civilization. The previous civilization left too many traces on this planet, even the "star pods" that enveloped the planet, and the artificial celestial bodies that orbited the planet.

Whether they were Iberians or other Terrans, when they saw the machines left behind by the Agorians or the ruins of a pre-civilization, it was like the Mechanicus priests seeing the technological legacy left by the Golden Humans—unable to understand or replicate it, and only able to use it as much as possible through various bizarre methods.

But at least, these things are quite useful.

……

In Granfalo, Saint Carmen was once again amazed by the players' efficiency and behavior.

These strange "undead" in their eyes are constantly bringing shock and impact to the native inhabitants of Terra in their own way.

The incident originated from the "Eye of Iberia".

As Baiye departed for the deep sea, the Terrorfish, now free from the influence of the primordial pheromones, was once again led by cultists of the Deep Sea Church to attack the island reef where the "Eye of Iberia" was located.

The Church of the Deep Sea is attempting to destroy the "Eye of Iberia," a blasphemous creation that extends into the sea.

Therefore, after a brief period of calm, this small reef once again became a battlefield. To facilitate defense, the court first needed to expand the small reef, building a sturdy fortress to protect its lighthouse.

However, neither the materials nor the equipment needed for the expansion of the islands could be transported to the islands where the "Eye of Iberia" is located; Iberia lacks such large transport ships and offshore engineering vessels. Even the Fool's Ship, which was returning from the sea, was under maintenance and almost completely unusable. It had not been maintained for decades and was now in an unusable state.

It wasn't just the native Terrans of Iberia who were experiencing trouble; even the players were finding it difficult. Although players had already built teleportation crystals on the reef, allowing them to reach the mission battlefields located there and complete their daily task of guarding the "Eye of Iberia," the situation remained unresolved.

However, players have limited inventory space and size restrictions, making it impossible for many to bring complete power armor maintenance and repair modules to the island. Furthermore, large-scale guild protective equipment cannot be transported over.

Aside from food, large quantities of supplies can only be transported via teleportation from the player's inventory, which is very inconvenient and frustrating for players.

Finally, after discussions on the forum, the players decided to build a bridge connecting Granfalo and the Eye of Iberia, linking the sea and the land.

Originally, the Eye of Iberia was connected to the land, without such a vast body of water separating them. However, after the Great Tranquility, everything changed. The Great Tranquility not only disrupted Iberia's communication systems but also caused seawater to flood in, resulting in the loss of vast amounts of land and severing their connection with the lighthouse.

Now, players just want to re-establish this connection.

Of course, their actions don't seem to be solely for their own convenience and that of the NPCs. A love for infrastructure development is ingrained in the players' DNA; they are very willing to build things like "wonderful wonders" in the game. This mentality isn't just based on the satisfaction of completing a massive project; it also represents the player leaving their own mark on the game.

Players have been doing this since some games from 300 years ago, such as replicating huge real-world buildings or building a giant castle in a sandbox game, or constructing expressways that span the world in a delivery simulator... In a fictional world, players are constantly setting new engineering records.

In Arknights Online, players haven't yet had a chance to show off their skills. After all, the world already has enough wonders: mobile cities that move around everywhere, mountains that were transported to mobile cities by the Great Yan Earth and Wood Masters... Players simply can't build anything more amazing than these things in the early stages of the game.

Fortunately, they now have the opportunity to showcase themselves.

The players decided to build a bridge across the sea to completely connect Granfalo with the Eye of Iberia, so that subsequent supplies could be quickly transported to the island without the need for ships.

When Carmen learned of the players' plan, she almost thought they were joking. After all, players weren't exactly a serious group; their race seemed to be all about pranks and comedy, and most of them were rather unreliable.

However, he clearly underestimated the players, and their determination. The major gaming guilds abandoned their previous confrontations and competitions, instead forming a temporary alliance and establishing a special temporary committee for this particular project. This committee was responsible for developing the construction plan, allocating resources and equipment, and coordinating the management of the players participating in this activity.

Of course, these things seem complicated, involving enormous amounts of money and personnel. However, with the assistance of artificial intelligence, almost none of this presents any difficulty. After all, for the player, it's just a game. Stepping out of the game pod and inputting the requirements and data into the terminal, a satisfactory result can be obtained in a short time.

The plan, drawings, construction period... things that the Terran people would normally take a long time to work out, were discussed and approved by the committee in almost just half an hour. Later, to show that they were taking it seriously, the meeting was extended to an hour, and after repeated discussions, everything was finalized.

The players were all action-oriented; once the plan was finalized, they immediately began construction. The process even went more smoothly than expected, because these players weren't ordinary people; through in-game leveling and stat allocation, they had all become superhumans. Furthermore, some players who had maxed out their organization's regional reputation had used their connections to acquire numerous large pieces of equipment and ships. This allowed the players' work to proceed smoothly.

At the same time, Originium Arts can also assist in construction. For example, players can learn the techniques of the Civil Engineering Master from the Great Yan and become skilled in infrastructure construction.

Players, numbering in the tens of thousands, worked tirelessly day and night under the coordination of the temporary committee. It was a form of cyber labor, but the players enjoyed it. After all, in reality, such high-intensity physical labor was quite rare, or almost nonexistent. Civil engineering work like mortar work had become a hobby.

Players can only experience such a massive undertaking in the game, so they find it incredibly novel. Moreover, players are like chosen oxen and horses who don't need to eat, drink, or rest, and can carry supplies and various tools through their inventory... In short, they're incredibly useful.

Of course, not all players can work indefinitely. For example, underage players will be forced offline due to the anti-addiction system, but soon more people will fill their vacancies.

Meanwhile, players' game pods need to be replenished with nutrient solution, and the smart home butler will also wake players up periodically to interrupt the game for health reasons. However, these gaps will be immediately filled by other players, ensuring that the progress of the entire project will not be interrupted until the project is completed.

The commotion caused by the Iberian players quickly attracted the attention of other players. Some players even livestreamed the entire bridge construction process, which drew in even more players. The number of participants was so large that the work platform was overcrowded, forcing the committee to temporarily reduce the number of people involved in the project.

All the extra people were used to transport supplies via teleportation. This ability is really useful, especially in MMORPGs, where it can completely overwhelm native NPCs.

……

Saint Carmen initially thought the player was joking, but when he arrived at the Granfalo coastline the next morning, he discovered a bridge stretching out to sea. Of course, the bridge was far from finished. Although AI calculations indicated the actual construction time would be shortened by more than half (due to a lack of actual reference samples regarding the impact of Originium Arts on engineering, this data wasn't included in the calculations), it would still take four days.

While some players struggle to understand whether those performing cyber-labor in Granfalo are playing the game or being played by it, most are eager for the bridge to be completed quickly, as it represents their first major project in *Arknights Online*. Compared to this, even assisting in expanding Chernobog's core city and constructing mobile city blocks seems like child's play.

Of course, not all players participated in the cyber service. Even with a large number of players involved, it still represents only a small fraction of the overall player base. Many more players remain steadfastly defending the Iberian coastline, waging an endless battle against the relentless sea monster army.

In order to prevent the massive cross-sea bridge project from being destroyed by the sea monsters, even more players are cleaning up the surrounding waters, thoroughly clearing out the nests left by the sea monsters to prevent them from affecting other players' construction.

No wonder some judges in court couldn't help but complain:

The players are more enthusiastic than the Iberians themselves about reclaiming lost territory and restoring the country's prosperity, as if they were the remnants of the old Iberia during its golden age.

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While players were enjoying the game to the fullest on the coastline, the White Night and the Deep Sea Hunters were having a much harder time in the deep sea.

The deep-sea hunters, in particular, became even worse after entering the laboratory.

"Well……"

After Bai Ye activated the terminal, Goredia let out a muffled groan and knelt on the ground.

She covered her neck with her hands, breathing rapidly.

……

Although he hadn't yet figured out exactly where this place was, Bai Ye was certain that it was the origin of everything, and the influence the hunters had been subjected to must have originated from here.

He didn't have any problems, after all, Isamara was also a nascent being and wouldn't be easily affected by other nascent beings of the same level.

However, deep-sea hunters are easily affected by the pheromones and resonance released by newborns, regardless of their will. Even a strong deep-sea hunter captain like Goredia showed signs of unbearable pain.

This influence must be countered by another nascent power, yet Bai Ye dared not easily release Isamara's aura in this place. Doing so would unintentionally cause an uproar among all the Sea Heirs. After all, this was the origin of everything, and also the nest of an immense number of Sea Heirs.

If the Primordial Ones are the Sea Gods, then this place is their temple. Bai Ye certainly wouldn't dare to act recklessly here. Besides avoiding provoking the Sea Heirs here, he was also worried that his actions would alert the other Primordial Ones.

There were no other good methods. In the end, Bai Ye could only try the method he had used on Gladys before—injecting pheromones from within to counteract the effects of other nascent beings.

It certainly sounds like a ridiculous option, but this method has proven to be consistently effective. Previously, both Laurentina and Greta's unusual symptoms were alleviated through this approach.

When Bai Ye told the three deep-sea hunters about his decision, the girls fell silent. Clearly, it was a crazy decision, especially since they were currently underwater…

Chapter 187 Because My People Are Here

(I've been too lazy to divide the chapters lately, so each 4000-word chapter is equivalent to two chapters. By the way, I plan to finish the book this month. Writing this book was so tiring (ノ_ _)ノ)

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As players began their crazy, makeshift bridge project along the Granfalo coastline, an aircraft quietly landed on the Granfalo airport tarmac.

Fortunately, the aircraft had been registered with the court several hours before departure and sent its identification code to the control tower upon arrival. Otherwise, the airport guards would have been startled when the aircraft, which was virtually invisible to the naked eye and had evaded the monitoring system, suddenly appeared before them after deactivating its stealth, and there was even a possibility of accidental discharge of weapons.

After all, such a huge creature suddenly appearing in front of you during this sensitive and dangerous time would definitely cause your heart to stop, and you would inevitably suspect that the Deep Sea Church has infiltrated this place.

In fact, even though they had received advance notice and had prepared a special landing spot, the Punishment Army soldiers were still shocked when they saw the huge aircraft slowly reveal its outline.

However, they had prepared a vehicle in advance to pick up the guests and took them to the reception area in the fortress. Foreign envoys and messengers had been arriving in droves recently, and they were quite adept at this procedure.

Kal'tsit and Carmen had been waiting here for quite some time. Although they had been informed beforehand, they still couldn't help but gasp when they saw the guest in person.

The reason is simple: this guest's identity is very special. They even thought that she would never appear here, and that sending her own messenger would be enough to prove her sincerity.

However, she herself has now actually appeared here, at the very center where all the nations of Terra are focused their attention.

“Talulah Atrias,” Kal'tsit said, uttering the visitor’s full name.

Yes, this guest with a special identity is Talulah, and beside her is her deputy and friend, Yelena.

The two, one cold and the other warm, got along well.

“Dr. Kal'tsit, it’s been a long time. Just call me Talulah.” Talulah nodded and smiled at Kal'tsit, then introduced, “This is my adjutant, and also my good friend Yelena. Of course, you can also call her ‘Frostnova’.”

“I remember you, white-haired Katars. Your level of infection and Originium Arts are quite unique.” Kal'tsit clearly recognized Yelena.

Yelena nodded to Kal'tsit.

"Thank you for the treatment from Rhodes Island. Her symptoms have lessened considerably; at least she's able to have physical contact with others now," Talulah said, slightly lost in thought. It's been quite a while since they started receiving treatment from Rhodes Island. Perhaps it was from that time that she developed special feelings for Bai Ye.

“Talulah, you shouldn’t have left the core city of Chernobog.” Kal’tsit looked at the dragon girl before her. Compared to a few years ago, she had become more mature and poised. Moreover, although she was in charge of all the affairs of the entire Talulah Marquisate, Talulah didn’t look as haggard and tired as she had imagined. On the contrary, she was radiant and looked very energetic.

Tallulah smiled:

"With Bai Ye out there running around, I have no reason to sit comfortably in the marquisate..."

She paused, then her smile widened.

"Besides, Iberia is quite safe, isn't it? I've always had faith in the Tribunal."

Yelena, standing to the side, kept a straight face. She knew that Talulah had gone astray, able to speak politely without batting an eye—something Yelena could never learn. Because, while saying those words, Talulah had brought a whole dozen Ghost Squad agents with her.

Six of them remained on the aircraft with the pilot, while the remaining six had already left with Talulah and were lurking around her. These agents, personally trained by Bai Ye and equipped with numerous advanced technologies from the core city, went unnoticed even by Saint Carmen and Kal'tsit.

Even Yelena didn't know their location. She only knew that these guys were indeed hiding around Talulah and herself, but their exact location was probably only known to them. Compared to the makeshift organization of the Reunion Movement in the past, the current Talulah Marquisate had become incredibly professional, even making Yelena, a veteran, feel somewhat unfamiliar with them.

……

However, Kal'tsit wasn't as optimistic as Talulah; she frowned and said:

"A large number of undead have now appeared in Iberia, creating a huge gap in the Marquisate's power, not to mention—"

At this point, Kal'tsit glanced at Carmen, then continued:

"What's more, we can't contact Bai Ye right now."

Since Bai Ye left the Fool and disappeared into the depths of the ocean with the Deep Sea Hunters, there has been no contact with the land. Even the huge flying machine "Cyclops" has disappeared from people's sight at some point.

No one knows where they are, or even if they are still alive. Every day, the Sea Terrorfish, guided by the Deep Sea Church, continues to attack the land. And Bai Ye and his companions are like a drop of water that has fallen into the sea, vanished without a trace.

Talulah smiled and shook her head after hearing Kal'tsit's concerns:

“My territory is safe. Although most of the undead have left, what Bai Ye left behind will still protect it for me.”

Then she slowly continued:

"As for Bai Ye... I've always believed in him. He'll definitely be fine, and he'll solve all the problems quietly, just like he always has."

Talulah's tone was firm, which, to Kal'tsit, seemed to stem solely from unconditional trust in the young man. However, Kal'tsit was unaware that just before Talulah departed from the core city of Chernobog, she had ventured to the basement of the core city's command tower and met with that silver deity…

In fact, Talulah did not know how to enter that underground space and see Luna. However, when she walked to the underground entrance of the command tower on a whim, the door opened automatically.

Talulah then met Luna and learned from her that White Night was still alive. According to Luna, White Night had reached the center of the ocean and entered a laboratory called "Deep Blue," where the Deep Sea Hunters were also present. Upon hearing this news, Talulah breathed a sigh of relief. Otherwise, she wouldn't have left the core city so calmly and confidently.

……

Kal'tsit had no idea what Talulah was thinking; she was simply curious as to why Talulah had come here.

Talulah smiled gently at the old woman's question:

"Bai Ye is saving this land and its people in his own way, and I want to do something for him, even if it's just a little bit of help, so that he can be less distracted."