Rifle charge in Ark, but without a mount

"Hello, Ms. Kelsey, and what should I call this young lady?"

"Her name is Amiya, and she is the new leader of our Rhodes Island."

Hearing Kal'tsit introducing herself, the little girl tried to stand up straight and spoke to Claude with some stammering.

"Welcome, Mr. Claude. I hope we can achieve a good cooperative relationship."

"Of course, that's what I expect as well." Claude bent down, stretched out his hand towards Amiya and shook her small hand.

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Cintria took the child to get a physical examination. After all, this was one of the most advanced places for Originium disease treatment. It was a rare opportunity, so she checked her infection status carefully. Claude was looking through the contract at this time. He had just discussed their cooperation with Kal'tsit and Amiya in detail.

Claude hoped to establish a long-term cooperation with them and buy mineral disease inhibitors from them for a long time. They argued for a long time about the price of the inhibitors and finally reached a price that satisfied both parties. Claude carefully checked the contract drawn up by them and was satisfied to find that there was no trickery in it. So he happily signed the contract and paid half of the deposit. The remaining half would be given to them after all the drugs were received.

"Mr. Claude, I would like to invite you to visit Rhode Island to enhance our mutual understanding. What do you think?"

Kal'tsit stopped Claude who was about to leave after saying goodbye.

"Of course, I'd love to." Claude simply accepted the invitation of the woman in front of him. He was also very curious about Rhodes Island.

"Then I will ask our operator Doberman to show you around, Mr. Claude. She is a senior operator here. I have something urgent to do, so I will excuse myself for the time being."

"Okay, please go ahead, Ms. Kelsey."

........................

"This is our operator training area. Our operators will improve their combat skills here." A slender Pelo woman with long black hair was introducing the various institutions of Rhodes Island to Claude.

Claude stuck his head out of the railing and looked at the operators who were training on the deck. These operators were composed of people of various races, and Claude even saw the Sarkaz among them, whom he had never seen before. There were many infected people wearing monitoring devices, but when these infected people got along with the non-infected people, there was no disharmony at all. In this place, the infected people would not be treated differently, and they enjoyed the same treatment as normal people, which amazed Claude.

What made Claude happy the most was the good atmosphere here. He could not see the cruel rule of Ursus here, nor the invisible exploitation and oppression of the Casimir capitalists. It was as if the relationship between people here had returned to its original and most essential state. Everyone was equal, and there was no one oppressing anyone.

Looking at the operators who are working hard in training, their eyes are filled with expectations and enthusiasm for the future. They are confident in their future, which is rarely seen in the snowy plains of Ursus.

"Your company's operators seem to be very good at team combat. I see that their training seems to focus on this aspect."

"Mr. Claude, you are right. Squad operations are the basic form of operations for our company. We are also very confident in this aspect and are at the leading level."

"This method is indeed very suitable for your company's organizational form and can play an unexpected role in various forms. But with all due respect, this method of operation requires very high capabilities from the commander. There is almost no cost of trial and error. Once the commander makes a mistake, the entire army is likely to be wiped out. This places extremely high demands on the commander's psychological quality and will also cause him great psychological pressure. If there are two or more senior commanders with similar abilities, this situation should be able to change."

The world-weary smile is like a big skirt, just like an umbrella and ride on it.

Miss Dupin, who was sitting opposite her, suddenly became surprised, as if Claude had hit on something. After a long moment, she finally let out a long breath.

"I almost thought you had been here before, Mr. Claude. We had a period of time in a situation similar to what you described. But I'm sorry I can't tell you about this."

"It is understandable that this kind of thing is confidential everywhere."

Suddenly, a loud bell rang from the plywood. The operators in training stopped what they were doing, packed up their things, and left in groups of three or four, talking and laughing.

"Mr. Claude, it looks like it's time for lunch. Please follow me to the restaurant for dinner."

"Of course, no problem. I'm looking forward to it." Claude saw that Miss Dupin was trying to change the subject, so he agreed. He followed her down the stairs beside the deck.

The cafeteria of Rhodes Island is very large, enough to accommodate thousands of people eating at the same time, and it is already crowded. The operators lined up at each window and swiped their meal cards to get their meals. The air was gradually filled with a mellow and sweet smell. Smelling this wonderful aroma, Claude also felt a little hungry. He talked with Doberman and walked to a window to line up. ⑦

Reaching out his hand, he took a multi-purpose plate from the table next to him and took his own cutlery. As he waited, Claude observed the operators around him. The scene here always reminded him of the university cafeteria. The same noise, the same gathering of three or two to eat. Everyone's face was filled with a relaxed smile. Some were using both hands to grab bread and barbecue, devouring them. …………Four

Hmm?

Claude saw a familiar figure. She was wearing the new clothes he bought for her. She was eating happily with a happy smile on her face.

As if she sensed something, she suddenly turned her head and found Claude, with a look of surprise on her face. She waved her greasy hands and called out his name, but because her mouth was full of food, it sounded very unclear.

"...Korg~."

Claude waved his hand to calm her down temporarily, because the line was almost reaching his place.

Coming to the window, Doberman also bought his portion and told him to get his meal. Standing at the window was a tall man from the Fengti tribe. He took the plate from Claude with a warm smile on his face. He then used a large spoon to scoop a large spoonful of roasted potatoes for him. He then took a bowl of hot soup and some bread from the side and put them on the plate.

"Here, sir, your meal. This shouldn't be much." He asked as he handed the meal to Claude.

"Of course, that's enough, thank you for your help." Claude nodded in return.

Holding the steaming food in his hand, Claude walked to the side of the child, and she quickly squeezed to the side to make room for him, and Miss Dupin also sat opposite him. Claude tasted the potatoes and meat on the plate, and the rich and delicious taste made him squint his eyes.

'What an interesting place.'

A New Beginning: Chapter 37: Ceobe and Vulcan

Rhodes Island's food conditions were very good, at least. Claude came to this conclusion after eating the last bite of the roasted meat and potatoes. Even the food prepared in the cafeteria tasted so good, which made Claude very satisfied. He also began to seriously think about leaving this child here.

Putting the empty plate in the recycling area, Claude took out a napkin and wiped his mouth.

"I want another one." The girl's clear voice sounded behind Claude.

Turning around, the child was standing at the food window for the sixth time. Feeling the surprised gazes of the Rhodes Island operators around him, Claude felt a little embarrassed for some reason, as if he was the one being looked at like that.

He couldn't help but cover his mouth and cough twice, attracting the child's attention. She ran to Claude happily with the prepared food. Then she grabbed a grilled steak and wanted to pass it to Claude.

"...That's not what I meant. Are you full?" Claude subconsciously took the steak that was handed to him. The yellow-haired girl hesitated for a moment after hearing his words, showing a thoughtful expression, and then said to him.

"Add this and I'll be full."

Claude looked at this innocent child, his expression softened, he reached out and rubbed her head, feeling the soft texture of her big ears in his palm. "Don't be hungry, come to me when you're full."

He greeted Miss Dubin and asked her to put the money for the child's meal on his account.

"It's okay, Mr. Claude. You are our honored guest. How can we charge you for something like this? Let this lady eat without worries."

Feeling the other party's kindness, Claude didn't say much and accepted it gladly.

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Claude found Xinteleia on the balcony outside in the sunset. The fiery red sunset reflected half of her face red. Claude walked over and lay down beside the girl on the railing. Looking at the sunset in the distance that was about to be blocked by the mountain peak, Claude suddenly spoke.

“It looks nice here, doesn’t it?”

"It's really good, much better than where I stayed before." There was a hint of inexplicable resentment in Xinteleya's tone.

"What do you think of keeping this child here? She is very capable and should be able to join this company."

"I think we should ask her wishes first. She may not like staying in this place."

Claude was silent for a moment. "You're right. When she comes over later, I'll ask her what she thinks."

…………

"Are you always like this?" the white-haired girl next to her suddenly asked again.

"what?"

"When you meet a stranger who is homeless and has no relationship with you, you help her without asking for any reward and even consider her future. Do you always do this?"

"What do you see over there?" Claude suddenly asked an irrelevant question. Xinteleya turned her head and saw the sky in the distance was slightly white. But she knew in her heart that it was the light of the Great Knight's Territory that was on all night.

"Of course, the Grand Knight Leader."

"You know what? I actually like it there."

Xinteleya looked a little surprised. Claude had been fighting against the Commercial Union in that city, and she had thought that Claude didn't like the scene created by the Commercial Union.

Claude looked at the setting sun which was completely blocked by the mountain.

"Because this scene represents the prosperity of mankind. Humans have built a civilization on this land full of disasters. Even though this civilization has many flaws, it also has its shining points. I am proud of the prosperity and growth of mankind. I hope to see it continue, eliminate its own flaws, and become better and stronger."

"So, I will not remain indifferent when I see an innocent person in need of help. As long as she can survive, countless possibilities will be extended, and these possibilities are often the possibilities that promote the development of civilization. Even if an innocent person has not encountered any disasters or enemies, and has not made any contributions, and has lived a peaceful life, I can be moved. I sincerely look forward to this possibility, which is the best reward for me."

"You are such a strange guy." As the sun set, Xinteleya's face was shrouded in shadow. It was hard to see her expression.

"But he's also a very powerful guy." The lights outside the Rhodes Island ship suddenly turned on, reflecting the smile on the corner of her mouth.

"Yeah, I think I'm pretty awesome too." Claude was still leaning on the railing, the cool night breeze ruffling his hair, leaving only half of his face illuminated by the light.

"Thump, thump, thump!" There was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps behind him. Claude turned around and saw a yellow-haired figure rushing towards him, holding a battle axe that was shining with cold light in his hand.

Faced with such a critical situation, Claude opened his hands without changing his expression and steadily caught the figure. He had already recognized who it was.

"Claude!!" The yellow-haired girl hugged Claude. She looked very happy, jumping and dancing. Claude reached out and rubbed her hair and ears, calming the child down.

"I already know my name!"

"Oh, what is that?"

"I met a very kind elder sister. She treated me to delicious food, which seemed to be called honey cakes. She told me that the word on the axe was Ceob. My name is Ceob!!"

"Really? Where is that kind person you met? You should thank her."

"Come with me! Come with me, the kind sister is in there." Keobe took their hands and dragged them inside.

After a while, they came to a room. From the outside, the room didn't look too big, but from the outside, one could hear the clanging sound from inside. Keobe came to the door and stretched out her hand to knock. The knocking sound from inside also stopped.

Soon the door opened and a Fengti woman walked out. But what was more striking was that one of the horns on this woman's head was broken and one of her legs was a mechanical prosthesis, but she walked without any hindrance, so it must be a very high-end product. She was wearing a heavy fireproof suit and holding a hammer in her hand, looking like she was working.

Claude took a step forward and spoke first.

"Hello, we are friends of this child. She came here with us."

Hearing Claude's voice, the other party also reacted. He glanced at Ceob, then handed the hammer in his right hand to his left hand and held Claude's hand.

"Hello, I'm an operator from Rhodes Island. You can call me 'Vulcan'."

"I'm Claude, and this lady's name is Sintelaia."

"Hello, both of you. If you don't mind, please come in and have a cup of tea." She said as she moved aside.

"Thank you." The two men walked through the door, and Keobe followed behind them.

Entering the room, what caught my eye was a huge Originium furnace and an anvil. There were some scattered mechanical equipment in other places, but overall there were not too many. This lady looked like a craftsman, but unlike other craftsmen Claude had seen, she seemed to still insist on hammering weapons with an anvil.

There was only a small area with a small table and four chairs. Not long after they sat down, the Fire God brought over a plate of shiny, oily snacks and a few cups of brewed black tea.

"Have some." As soon as she finished speaking, Ceobe reached out and grabbed a dessert, then took a bite of it impatiently. The greasy crust of the dessert turned into crispy crumbs, which fell from the corners of her mouth. The child quickly reached out to catch the crumbs, as if she didn't want to waste them at all. Seeing this, Claude took out a napkin and wrapped the honey cake in her hand, letting the crumbs fall into it.

"Thank you for taking care of this child. To be honest, she has been looking for her own name. We thought we would have to go to Minos to get the answer."

"It's nothing, just a simple thing. The battle axe that the child is holding has Minoan writing on it, so I can recognize it. Maybe her parents are Minoans too."

"It is indeed possible. When we met this child, she was wandering alone. She didn't know anything when we asked her. She only knew that she had been wandering since she regained consciousness. She only knew that her name was written on the axe in her hand."

One person continued to talk for a while, and the atmosphere seemed very harmonious.

"Mr. Claude, can you show me your sword?" The God of Fire seemed to have suddenly noticed something and asked Claude.

Claude looked down at the Mercy on his waist and understood clearly that this must be a craftsman's keen perception of excellent weapons. Without saying a word, Claude pulled the Mercy out of its sheath.

The sword was unsheathed, and the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees because of the Originium stove. The blade flashed a sharp and blinding white light, and just looking at it seemed to cut your eyes.

Just when Claude was about to hand the sword to the other party, the blade in the other party's hand suddenly trembled, and the sharp blade cut through the protective gloves in the blink of an eye. Claude was quick-witted and grabbed the hilt immediately to avoid hurting the other party. As soon as Mercy fell into his hands, the trembling stopped immediately. But Claude could clearly feel the desire for blood in this evil sword in his hand. This was a will that appeared directly in his mind, without specific words, only strong emotions, conveying his desire to him.

Kagami looked at her gloves in surprise. She did not notice anything unusual about the sword. She just thought that the sword was so sharp that it could cut through her thick heat-insulating gloves with just a slight touch.

"Be quiet." Claude said in his mind, and the next second, the strange will in his mind immediately subsided. He frowned slightly, not expecting this sword to be so dangerous to others. If he had reacted a little slower just now, the blade would have cut off the God of Fire's finger.

"I'm sorry, Miss Vulcan, this sword may be a little dangerous and you can't touch it directly." Claude said to the Vulcan with some shame.

"It's okay, Mr. Claude, I'll just take a look at it like this." After saying this, the God of Fire stared at the sword in Claude's hand.

"What an incredible skill! I've never seen a sword that is so finely crafted. This must be a weapon made by the most powerful craftsman!" Miss Kagami, who had been calm and proper since they met, suddenly lost her composure. She looked at the sword and muttered to herself.

After a long while, she slowly calmed down and looked up at Claude.

"Mr. Lord, besides being sharp, is there anything else special about this sword? Please tell me."

"I do find it somewhat special, like... this."

As soon as he finished speaking, the blade in his hand began to flow like mercury, and the blade began to deform. Soon, a broad voluptuous sword appeared in front of him. In Claude's hand, it suddenly became much heavier. This terrible weapon seemed to be able to split a person in two from head to toe without any effort.

Kagami stared at the deformed blade in amazement. In her life so far, she had never seen or even heard of such a strange weapon. What was even more surprising was that as the blade deformed, it began to release a blood-red mist that wrapped around the blade.

Everyone except Claude felt the blood vessels in their hands throbbing, as if the blood was about to break through the barriers in their bodies. This change came and went quickly, and soon they no longer had this feeling.

"Really..." Kagami looked like she didn't know what to say. Everything she encountered today was more impressive to her than everything she had experienced in her entire life.

"Okay, Mr. Claude, you can put away your sword now." After hearing this, Claude changed the sword in his hand back to its original shape and put it back into the sheath.

"Mr. Claude, can you tell me how you got this sword?" Vulcan looked at Claude curiously. She was very interested in the origin of this sword.

"Of course, no problem. This is also what happened to me not long ago..."

Listening to Claude's story, the God of Fire frowned and began to ponder.

This story is not too long and it is told quickly.

"Mr. Claude, I think it's possible that this sword chose you."

"Choose me?"