Arknights, but the family has fallen again

Coincidentally, they were already gone.

Now, the only people left in this area are the infected people in Qie City who were unable to escape in time due to the impact of the Integration Movement - before Black Snake, most of them were not infected.

Although the few remaining Patriots did not receive timely notification, they took the initiative to join the rescue efforts of Rhodes Island's "good guys." While they admired Rhodes Island, they also... were extremely contemptuous.

"How foolish and naive! You possess such power but only wield it for the poor? The upper class has ten thousand ways to exploit you until you can't even play!"

They are actually not wrong.

If it is just a humanitarian medical and pharmaceutical complex, it will not be respected.

Outside Facility 14, Midwinter Soldiers' Camp.

Searchlights illuminated the soldiers conducting a performance drill outside the camp. When the waves of refugees saw them, they felt a surge of panic, then calmed down a bit.

The silver robes and imposing weapons became props on the "stage," lending a sense of coordination and unity to these already vastly varying and undesirable recruits. Aided by muscle memory, they meticulously performed formation drills, even without being connected to Ott's mental network.

What’s a little funny is that the more you practice in a short period of time, the more out of shape you become.

However, this only served to highlight the fact that they were new recruits. Without spending ten days or half a month investigating, no one would have guessed that this group of people could have fought three consecutive successful battles.

Not to mention the performances outside the camp, there is some real training inside the camp.

W was sitting on the roof of a truck, holding a French fry in his mouth and shaking his trousers.

Below the stage, the Sarkaz, having just "escorted" another wave of refugees, were already lazily forming a line. The few members of the team who had undergone the baptism of the Ultra Spirit Link along with W had a strangely "elite" air—even though they were originally the elite among the Sarkaz mercenaries.

She lazily said to the mercenaries who had joined her, "Our employer this time is our family, and they're quite wealthy. They're willing to pay us and provide us with equipment. Don't try to rip us off in secret—I'll do it openly!"

Congratulations, the little girl's vocabulary is growing steadily.

"Better knock his crown back!" A veteran soldier in the audience clamored, "Take the others away too!"

It seemed that the concept of "Mind Flayer," a creation of Hedley's own insane confidence, had gradually become a consensus among the Sarkaz community. They also relied on their simple understanding (or perhaps fantasy) of Kazdel to conclude that Otto must be the "Lord of the Mind Flayer Court."

After all, the Sarkaz are so rich, so powerful, and so rare... Considering the level of prenatal education that they have, they can only come up with this after thinking hard for a long time.

This time, W, who was left alone in the real world to "deal with important matters", became furious.

She wanted to throw something over, but all she had were explosives, so the Sarkaz girl landed gracefully on the ground, looked up at the man who was talking nonsense, and said, "Line up!"

Good man, you are taking revenge on me, right?

With Black Snake officially decommissioned, the entirety of Rhodes Island was practically in a state of near-constant activity. Even the iron-blooded tycoon Warfarin, who had previously brazenly demanded that operators pay for the "extra lives" they gained from the border zone, was now toiling away day and night to organize refugee rescue efforts.

Whether on the front lines or in the rear, a large number of Rhodes Island personnel, both men and women, were working at a staggering pace, pushing themselves towards the level of "beasts." What made them so happy was the high pay, the intense spiritual satisfaction, and... the fact that most of Rhodes Island's leadership was also like beasts pulling the millstone.

However, at this moment, Kal'tsit strongly requested that Amiya enter the border area.

"...My work arrangements are based on you and Amiya handling emergencies in real life. Any last-minute changes will affect work efficiency."

There's a ton of things to coordinate tonight. From Chernobog to Lungmen, Rhodes Island's activities are happening all along the line. Not to mention the negotiations with those high-ranking officials from the Great Yan. It's safe to say that right now, someone who can make the final decision and take responsibility is truly indispensable.

In the bathroom, Kal'tsit crossed her arms and said to the mirror, "You can't always exclude Amiya. Just like a ship shouldn't drop its anchor and sail away alone."

"Persuading with metaphors? I thought you were going to bring out my backup plan." Kal'tsit in the mirror looked cold, even more like a machine than the cat itself.

"As you've warned me many times: Trying to convince you with reason and logic is an impossible task. You always think one step, a hundred steps further than I do."

"I don't recall ever saying anything like that."

"It wasn't words that told me this, it was actions."

"No, it's the second half," Kal'tsit said in the mirror. "The depth of my thinking is limited. It can never encompass all possibilities—just like my impulsive decision, which brought Tallulah back safe and sound, but also affected the greatest theoretical benefit."

"In the long run, this is a completely good thing." Kal'tsit didn't believe a word of Otto's "modesty".

She has developed a deep case of PTSD from the feeling that everything was planned.

Although Ott repeatedly emphasized that "his plan has its limitations", the way he changed the formation and made Plan B anytime and anywhere did make Kal'tsit deeply suspicious: Could it be that his previous decision-making did not rely on computer computing power or empirical formulas, but was purely based on on-the-spot brain analysis?

"In the long run, this 'little mistake' may or may not be a good thing. Whether it's good or bad, and in what ways it's good or bad, depends on how far 'long term' is." The man in the mirror added, "Fighting alongside everyone at this critical juncture is indeed a good opportunity to gain popularity, but getting enough sleep is even more important for her development."

Originally, "eliminating the Black Snake's influence" could have been a valuable bargaining chip. However, this bargaining chip might have further irritated Wei Yanwu, leading to his suspicion and doubt. Directly repairing Tallulah's mind, in a sense, actually provided a better bargaining chip.

But it is definitely not a local optimal solution.

"You can just say a simple 'yes'." Kal'tsit frowned.

"What do you think of a family camping trip?"

"..." Maomao said uncertainly after a while: "If I fall asleep at this time, many urgent matters will not be decided immediately."

"Eyjafjalla is at Facility 14. Call her back. I can make decisions through her."

This scumbag is playing power games at home again.

But Kal'tsit rarely raised that string when facing him. She simply nodded and said, "I'll notify you immediately."

Chapter 196 Prophecy

“…Speaking of which, why is there a keyhole on the coffin?!”

Watching Ghost Shark casually open a stone coffin with a key, Amiya finally couldn't help it.

Kel'tsit replied, "This 'world' does not necessarily share the same laws as the ordinary material realm."

“Here, spiritual symbols are closer to the essence than their external images.”

Um... should I tell Dr. Kal'tsit?

Doc Otter strongly disapproves of her or something...

Besides, doctor, you didn’t answer anything!

The little rabbit scratched his face awkwardly: "Really?"

Then, Kal'tsit's dissatisfaction was evident: "Ott! The maximum number of people allowed to explore here is four, right?!"

"Why did you only bring three people!?"

Her emotions were so strong that it took Amiya a lot of effort to "not sense" them.

However, in this tsunami of emotions, the dominant factor is not the most easily visible "dissatisfaction".

But "concern" and "worry".

"You, me, Amiya, and Ghost Shark, these are indeed four people." Otto casually crumpled up the page of diary that Ghost Shark had just handed over into waste paper and threw it back into the coffin.

In the Dark Dungeon, different environmental objects have different ways of interacting. And this magical coffin inlaid with gold and jade and locked, must be opened with a master key...

If you touch things with your bare hands, the loss of benefits is a minor issue. Worse consequences may be injury, illness, or even negative traits.

"Don't play dumb!"

It is indeed "four people" now, but what Kal'tsit just emphasized are the four people who leave out "Otto".

In reality, Otto's decision-making is very redundant. Even if there are some mistakes, he can easily borrow money from other links to make up for the losses - just like the team that executed Black Snake in Hamlet before, all of them were borrowed from Black Snake himself.

But Kal'tsit has always firmly believed that in the "border area", an area directly connected to Otto's mind, the possibility of him suffering irreversible damage is far greater than the reality.

Therefore, she was extremely dissatisfied with Otto's current behavior of "disregarding herself".

"What do you think of the term family camping?" Ott suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question: "Although Froststar is cute, she and Patriot can't be considered 'family' for the time being."

"..." Maomao's face fell.

Before leaving Hamlet Town, Patriot, Froststar, Alina, and Tallulah all vaguely stood with the current four-person team.

But this time, as soon as Otto decided on the target, the team he selected entered the ruins instantly... This was completely different from the previous few times when they had rushed there on foot.

Kal'tsit didn't even bother to stop Othu from coming. She only realized this belatedly after everything happened.

"Although Laurentina and you have shared a bed together for a long time, I'm afraid this doesn't quite qualify as a family relationship," she said sarcastically. "I hope you remember this is part of your therapy."

Attack your own patients?

Doc Otter?

wrong!

Sleeping in the same bed! ?

What!?

Amiya's little head moved back and forth between Otto and the ghost shark.

No!

Absolutely not!

At least it has to be a rabbit! ?

No, no!

Focus!

correct!

Emotional perception!

Faced with this situation, the little rabbit activated the ability that she didn't like to use without hesitation.

This comes from a part of the power of the former civilization relic "DWDB-221E" (also known as "Survival of Civilization"), which allows "Demon Kings" like Amiya to perceive the emotions of other individuals.

"That's a really strange thing to say, Kel'tsit... Doctor." Ghost Shark tapped his finger next to her delicate chin, his voice seductive and mellow: "After all, you're the one hugging her in bed, aren't you?"

Ghost Shark...is taking the initiative to talk?

Not only Kal'tsit, who had been tracking Ghost Shark's condition, but also Amiya were shocked by Ghost Shark's words.

The torch slowly moved forward in the dark open-air corridor, passing by the familiar faces on the walls on both sides. Their outlines were very similar to Ott, but the facial details and the backgrounds of the paintings were different.

Ahead, the cross surrounding the circle is dimly visible.

"Our 'family bond' with Laurentina doesn't come from sleeping in the same bed." Ott took down a painting and examined it carefully. "Something deeper connects me to the Ghost Shark, and also to you."

The other half of her DNA comes from a project you once oversaw. And the Originium that's pressing on her spinal cord now comes from another project you once oversaw.

The voices she could hear, one was related to you, the other was also related to you...

Kal'tsit's helpless yet accepting mood made Amiya even more confused... and bitter.

what!

This feeling of being the only one left out!

Ott changed the subject and asked, "Who do you think this portrait is?"

Ghost Shark gracefully took over the portrait: "The facial features of the characters are largely abstracted and deformed, capturing the characteristics of a specific situation while breaking away from conventional aesthetics."

“…” Otto seemed to be lost in thought.

He looked at Kal'tsit again, nodded, and put the portrait into his backpack.

Ott realized that Kal'tsit's judgment was not entirely wrong.

This world was indeed, to a considerable extent, "spiritual" rather than "material." It had been a mistake for him not to ask the heroes about their opinions on the text and patterns in the ruins.

"Let's keep going and try to take out the boss of this dungeon in one night."

Kelsey patted Amiya's shoulder and asked Ott: "So, who is the boss of this dungeon?"

"I told you before." Ott looked at the strange cross: "It's the crazy prophet."

"While our ancestors were exploring the secrets of this old house, a 'ragged poor man' came to town."

Kelsey pressed on, "What's the secret of the old house?"

"In this old house, where our ancestors grew and multiplied, there are some extremely precious secrets hidden."

“It’s about the truth of the world, the future of the universe.”

Ott continued, "However, this 'poor ghost' predicted that the ancestors' act of digging up secrets would inevitably bring disaster."

"Faced with this filthy, toothless, ignorant, and stubborn 'charlatan', our ancestors imprisoned him in a death cell, sank him into deep water, and frantically stabbed him in the back with a knife..."