Arknights, I'm going to beat Kal'tsit, really?

Page 41

"It's nothing complicated. I just want to tell you something."

Kane crouched down, almost at eye level with the Doctor. His gaze was sharp—it could even penetrate the black mask to see into the Doctor's somewhat unfocused yet bright eyes.

Although the Rhine Lab members were not specifically instructed, they valued Kane's will highly—since he wanted the matter to be kept secret, they consciously retreated to a distance where they could not be eavesdropped on, turned their backs, and formed a human wall to block any prying eyes.

"You are very much loved by them."

"You are the same—look at the injuries those people have suffered, they would do anything for you."

Amiya, who was being restrained, wanted to tell the Doctor how important he was to Rhodes Island, hoping that he would be more cautious and not use her as a bargaining chip so easily.

But the atmosphere between the two made her afraid to interrupt—she had a similar impression in her memory, as if the atmosphere was always so solemn whenever the doctor held a meeting with everyone.

"You seem to know me very well? Can you tell me who I am and why I deserve this much attention?"

The doctor's voice was low. He could feel it—his inner voice was screaming: Don't forget!

"Hmm... I don't really know much about that either. After all, we've only met once. But I know someone who knows you best. She knows everything about you."

Amiya stared wide-eyed in Kane's arms—she was shocked, thinking Kane was referring to Kal'tsit; and he actually knew about Kal'tsit... why did she have no recollection of him at all?

"who is she?"

“Precys—her name, she has many identities: scientist, linguist, Rhodes Island member… but in front of you, I think she has only one identity—your partner, your wife. Of course, that might sound too formal—your relationship transcends the scope of any word. To say that you are intimate would probably be a derogatory term for both of you.”

Kane spoke lies without restraint—after all, so much time had passed since his birth, and he knew nothing of his parents' love story. His main purpose was to plant the seed of the name "Prismus" in the Doctor's heart; he didn't care how the Doctor would pursue it in the future.

"My wife? I have absolutely no recollection of her."

"It's alright—your bond will endure. Even if stars fall, the sun goes out, and all things experience rebirth and destruction—you will never be separated. Go find her; when you find her, you will know everything. Also, don't trust Rhodes Island too much—after all, how did they know you were there while you had amnesia?"

After Kane finished speaking, he immediately covered the mouth of the little rabbit in his arms. Amiya had thought he would say Kal'tsit's name—but with the appearance of that unfamiliar name, she felt an unease on a spiritual level. This can't go on, I can't let him continue—but Kane didn't give her a chance to refute or explain immediately; as for explaining it later... there's a phenomenon called "first impression" and "preconceived notions."

For intelligent people, language traps are a perfect game of chess. They are both the most ineffective and the most effective.

It is invalid because their clever minds can use sophisticated logic to deduce lies and truth.

It is effective because the truth itself has an infinite attraction, especially for Dr. VIII at this moment.

Let Rhodes Island worry about what the Doctor will do in the future.

Kane's mission was complete; he should leave with his men—after all, a cataclysmic event was imminent.

Chapter 98 Breakout

As Kane led his team in a rapid assault, they drew ever closer to the exit of Chernobog. The number of Reunion Movement members around them dwindled, replaced by Ursus refugees and scattered military and police units. Rhine Life's forces, lacking sufficient relief supplies, were unable to provide effective assistance to these refugees. They even had to be cautious, given the seemingly powerful and reliable presence of Rhine Life's team; these refugees, desperate for survival, were willing to commit any atrocity and abandon any dignity.

Kane has encountered several different situations—first, there were the clueless nobles who didn't know whether this unfortunate fellow had been abandoned or what. In any case, he remained while most of the nobles had left.

Upon seeing the Rhine Labs group, he mistook them for Ursus troops and tried to use his title to order them to escort him away.

After Kane punched him, he cursed and said he would definitely sentence Kane to death. At this point, Kane somewhat guessed why he had been abandoned by the other nobles—this kind of thing was probably the result of incestuous relations within some family.

And behind this fool were ordinary civilians—prostrate themselves, almost abandoning all dignity in their quest for survival; the defense officers could only turn their heads away at the sight of those pitiful women and children.

They are too weak and outnumbered, lacking both manpower and the ability to clear roads; currently, only the Ursus government can restore order to Chernobog—but the government has long since abandoned it, using it as a sacrifice in some other plan. Sometimes, man-made disasters are far more terrifying than natural ones.

In this respect, Rhine Lab is indeed inferior to Rhodes Island. Even during escapes, Rhodes Island will still lend a helping hand to the wounded, regardless of whether they are Ursus residents or fanatical Reunion Movement members—in the eyes of medical personnel, no life should be easily abandoned.

Perhaps to the doctors, this is simply a matter of course. Rhein Life's Structural Medicine division also has its share of compassionate medical professionals who represent the company's humanitarian efforts—many rescue and aid operations are carried out by them.

This might be why Kane couldn't be a doctor—he would never be so merciful as to lend a helping hand to an enemy, especially someone who had joined a thuggish organization like Reunion. There might be many who were coerced and forced to go with the flow; if they didn't join Reunion, their fate would be to freeze or starve to death in the Ursus snowfields. But if that were the case—they were better off not participating in this "carnival," but hiding in the logistics team or in a corner of the city.

Those fools who were less skilled and got injured while participating in the riots... Kane was already being lenient by not finishing them off.

Just as the Rhine Life team was about to reach the exit of the city, Kane met the leaders of the Reunion Movement.

"A Draco Dragoness... a middle-aged Wendigo... several Infected skilled in Originium Arts, plus hordes of Sarkaz mercenaries... this is quite a large-scale operation to serve as gatekeepers."

Kane clicked his tongue in astonishment. He knew that the high-ranking Reunion forces were indeed active in Chernobog, and might even be gathering to intercept Rhodes Island's escape. He had thought that Rhodes Island would draw all the attention, making Rhine Lab's evacuation easy, but he hadn't expected that—perhaps because his interception of Rhodes Island had greatly slowed their progress, Rhine Lab, which was now the first to evacuate, had become the vanguard.

Or perhaps this was actually part of the doctor's calculations?

Kane wasn't sure, but he understood that the Reunion leadership would never let them leave just because of a few words.

"I thought only a group of people were bold enough to infiltrate, but I didn't expect natural disasters to be so ineffective these days? That's why you dared to sneak in at a time like this."

Clearly, Mephisto's report made Talulah realize that two interesting forces had emerged in Chernobog—two organizations that were friendly to the Infected. Judging from their slogans, Reunion was radical, while Rhodes Island and Rhine Lab were more peaceful.

They had room for communication and could even have established some cooperation—at least something like Oripathy inhibitors, which the integration movement should also need.

But that was the original Reunion Movement—the current Reunion Movement has long since gone to extremes due to the loss of control by its leader, Talulah. The ambitious figures behind Talulah have no intention of reconciling between the infected and ordinary people; whether infected or civilian, they are all just expendable materials in their eyes—the correct way to use these materials is to maximize their light and heat.

Therefore, He intends to arrest all the forces of both companies and interrogate them to extract sufficient benefits. Oripathy inhibitors are also excellent military strategic resources; as for further intensifying the conflict between infected and ordinary people? That would be even better! Ursus urgently needs a war to pour all its poison and festering sores onto other countries.

Ursus will, as in history, be reborn from the ashes of war, and its glory will be forged once again by iron and blood.

"I regret to inform you that the Reunion Movement will have to stay here because of your uninvited arrival."

Talulah struck first—wielding her longsword, a scorching wave of air swept across with raging flames! This was the power of the Terran people's bloodline, a mighty force capable of single-handedly destroying an army!

Kane raised his hand, his mind converging, and countless flames spread in the same form. Talulah's attack clashed and burned with Kane's flames, eventually transforming into a scorching shockwave that shot into the sky; surrounding buildings suffered varying degrees of damage, stone shattered from the heat, and metal teemed with the potential to melt.

Rhein Life's combat suits issued a unified warning: although they can temporarily withstand the high temperatures, their protective capabilities will be completely destroyed if left unattended for an extended period.

"Fire? A warlock of the same or even stronger level... Frostnova, it's up to you."

Because Talulah has not fully controlled this body and her Drak bloodline has not been fully developed, even though her current power already terrifies most warlocks in Terra, she naturally cannot defeat Kane in Originium Arts without the help of the key "Drak Flame".

However, Kane is alone, and the others are unlikely to be able to withstand the same level of power; so in the next round of attacks—fire and frost coming at the same time—Talulah believes that Kane will also have difficulty resisting two completely different forces at the same time.

"I understand. But you'd better explain why you did that later."

The Frostnova Reunion cadres were clearly not entirely obedient to Talulah, at least not with much respect—but since they had chosen her as their leader, they still chose to follow her orders.

As Frostnova activated her Originium Arts, the previously scorching battlefield rapidly cooled. The extreme temperature difference caused the ground to crack, and snowflakes and frost spread. Rhine Lab's high-energy protective suits remained steadfast in their duties, quickly switching to response modes to prevent the defense department members from being instantly killed by this powerful magical impact.

Kane's eyes lit up when he saw Frostnova's Originium Arts—the effects of his own frost techniques were far superior. Frostnova's awakened Originium Arts were unparalleled, even allowing her to fight against the goddess Talulah.

Such a powerful move—I stole it!

Kane and Mon3tr's consciousnesses were linked, and their perception and calculation abilities quickly coordinated. Frostnova's raised palm was no longer merely covered in frost, but could clearly see the flow and changes of pure energy.

As the moves were analyzed, the frost spread rapidly—it had originally avoided the Reunion Movement, but now the frost marks had engulfed the Reunion Movement and even the Yeti Squad.

"Big Sister!?"

"What happened to the umbrella-wearing chess piece?!"

"We're on the same side! We're on the same side!"

"..."

Frostnova looked at her palm in disbelief—she had clearly distinguished friend from foe, and her spell had not failed or gone astray, so why had it affected the Reunion Movement and even her own people?!

"No...you. It's—him."

Behind Frostnova, the "Tower" that had been silently observing finally spoke. Its voice was hoarse and broken, as grating as metal scraps mixed into an old bellows, and combined with its owner's terrifying appearance, it could shatter the fighting spirit of the weak without even lifting a finger.

As a Wendigo warrior who had fought on countless battlefields, Borocaster noticed the problem almost the instant Kane raised his hand.

This person's spellcasting did not involve driving the mineral lesions inward, nor was it aided by a staff—instead, it directly drew upon the power of the surrounding Originium crystal clusters.

Although the natural disaster did not directly strike, the long-accumulated cloud of calamity had already sent out its vanguard. Huge fragments of Originium fell from the sky, destroying houses and damaging city structures. If one was unlucky enough to be pierced by it and leave a wound, the probability of infection with high concentrations and high activity of Originium would be infinitely close to 7%.

However, what these Terrans feared most as "natural disasters" became the best staff in Kane's hands. Kane had previously tried to cast spells directly using Originium particles in the air—but unfortunately, the more open and swiftly airflowing the area, the less likely it was to succeed.

Like natural gas—if it accumulates in a confined space, even a tiny spark can cause an explosion.

The same applies to Originium microparticles—in most cases, especially when the Terrans are on guard, the concentration is not too high.

But now, under the clouds of natural disaster, simply breathing in them can cause Oripathy—at this concentration, if Kane himself hadn't been there, he really wanted to see what the consequences would be if a "spark" were ignited.

"Everyone! Prepare the inhibitors!"

Kane gave the order. This wasn't an arena—Talulah and Frostnova's probing was just an appetizer; the real battle would be a bloodbath. To avoid being surrounded, Kane ordered a breakout—such a disparity in troop strength wasn't insurmountable.

He ordered the defense staff to be injected with inhibitors to prevent them from being caught up in the next move.

Kane's orders seemed unrelated to the current situation, but his highly skilled subordinates immediately obeyed. They injected the inhibitors from the supplies into their bodies, instantly deactivating the Originium lesions; the Originium weapons they carried, powered by themselves, also lost some power. They quickly filled the gap with their energy, but ultimately could not match the output of their own weapons.

Seeing Kane's move, Bozokasti's war experience alarm bells rang loudly—the enemy's desperate gamble was about to begin!

*Clap*—As Kane clapped his hands, the Originium mobilization, enhanced by Mon3tr and himself, suddenly spread. It stimulated the Originium's activity evenly, causing the Originium crystal clusters planted in the ground to rapidly become active, as if they would explode at any moment; while the Reunion's ambush troops—those closer to Kane—felt the most pain.

The sudden onset of Oripathy is a pain that feels like tearing flesh and burrowing out of the body.

"what--!!!"

"Death, death!"

"*A string of Ursus profanities with a trilled 'tongue'!"

A wail instantly spread. The high-ranking members of the Reunion Movement were also infected with Oripathy, and some were even terminally ill.

Talulah's lesions were almost piercing through her arms and shoulders—but her powerful will had already overcome the physical pain. She merely frowned, feeling curious and eager about the power Kane was displaying.

But Mephistopheles, Faust, and Frostnova, these ordinary people, were not so lucky... Mephistopheles clutched his throat and coughed violently, tears, snot, and saliva all gushing out, his breathing heavy. If this continued, suffocation would kill him even sooner than Oripathy.

Faust's situation was similar—he chose to swallow Originium and become an Infected in order to be with Mephisto.

Frostnova is practically on the verge of death—she has one of the highest infection rates in the Reunion Movement, and Oripathy has robbed her of most of her functions; a small action by Kane could detonate this unstable bomb.

"No! Yelena!"

Bozokasti's body was covered in Originium lesions, marks left by war, just like the people behind Kane—in wars dominated by Originium weapons, few have a clean end.

But his iron will had long since made him accustomed to the pain; even a bout of Oripathy wouldn't make him flinch. However, his daughter's agony kept him on edge. To stop Kay from continuing to cast this terrible spell,

Bozokasti made a fierce move—a huge halberd was held in his hand, and black and red Originium energy gathered wildly; his worry for his daughter and the amplification from the Oripathy outbreak made this Wendigo throw his strongest attack to date.

The black and red meteor hurtled straight toward Kane's head.

"Colombian profanity!"

Watching the meteor hurtling towards him, Kane felt immense pressure—perhaps this Wendigo's furious strike had a better chance of killing him than Theresa's swan song.

But Kane was already complete—Theresa missed her best, and last, chance.

Kane raised his hands, and a similarly ferocious power rapidly gathered—a surge of dark green energy erupted from him, an attack similar to a breath attack that Mon3tr had taught him.

Kane added his own interpretation, incorporating the two most violent forces, fire and lightning; the dark green breath instantly collided with the black and red meteor.

Dark green and black-red energies each occupied half of the sky, and the powerful impact almost overturned everything around them; floor tiles, ruins, and people were all sent flying.

The violent explosion overwhelmed everyone's hearing and sight. After the bright light and loud noise, a vacuum appeared between Rhine Lab and Reunion Movement, leaving only a huge crater.

Compared to Kane and Borocaster, the first to give way was the halberd forged with the best technology in the Ursus Armory—it vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.

"All hands on deck!"

The excruciating pain of Oripathy and the violent explosions had already completely shattered the Reunion Movement, making this the perfect opportunity. With Kane's command, the mech squad that had been following from the distant high ground immediately opened fire.

With its shoulder-mounted missile bays fully open, countless missiles rained down on the Integrated Movement positions.

After the long-range suppression was completed, the mechs immediately entered the battlefield and joined up with the ground troops—the mechs acted as shields, completely breaking through the rabble of the Reunion Movement.

Chapter 99 Encirclement and Suppression

"Get 'em!"

Seeing the Rhine Lab team gradually break through, Talulah gave a stern order. Both the technology the enemy possessed and Kane's strange Originium manipulation magic were extremely valuable, and there was absolutely no way they could be obtained through normal channels, bypassing the Columbia authorities. Now, they had finally encountered such a perfect storm of opportunity—chaotic Chernobog, where anyone could die, and a Rhine Lab team had vanished in the chaos; who could possibly track them down?

Even if Colombia relentlessly pursues them, they will not be afraid. Compared to the neighboring and powerful Yan Kingdom, Colombia is a weaker country, but they possess considerable wealth—making them a viable target for the Ursus War.

However, Talulah's orders were not carried out. The most ordinary Reunion members had already lost their fighting ability due to the outbreak of Oripathy—they were originally just ordinary people who were unfortunately infected with Oripathy and forced into a corner by the Ursus policy. However, they did not find power in their desperate situation, but simply followed the banner of Reunion to stick together for survival. Simple pain was enough to break their will.

As for the other members with stronger willpower, their previously concentrated positions caught them off guard by the Rhine Labs' sweeping bombardment. Some of the unlucky ones were hit by multiple missiles and were naturally dead; but most of them, thanks to Originium Arts or cover, were only seriously injured and unable to pursue quickly.

Talulah looked around and found that the only ones still fully combat-ready were the Sarkaz mercenaries who had been standing on the outer perimeter of the Reunion Movement.

“Sarkaz, it’s your turn—stop them, or Reunion will encircle and attack from both sides.”

"Alright, since you're our current employer. But let me make this clear—those things were no ordinary objects, and we can only do our best. If we fail to stop them, we're not responsible."

"..."

Seeing Talulah remain silent, the Sarkaz leader quickly led his men away. As Sarkaz mercenaries, they were supposed to obediently serve their country—but that was in the past. Now they were no longer ordinary mercenaries, but rather unofficial personnel officially recruited by the Sarkaz royal court. Since Theresis seized power in Kazdel, he had used force to compel all Sarkaz mercenary groups to assemble and obey the command of an officer named Garsen.

Theresis's use of this cobbled-together, unevenly trained team was also quite casual—he formed a cooperation agreement with certain forces in Ursus, and thus this mercenary group was sent to Chernobog to join the Reunion Movement's "grand cause." As for how much support Theresis had for this, or what his motives were... perhaps he was just trying to create a huge smokescreen.

The more terrifying and shocking the situation in Chernobog becomes, and if it even directly triggers a war between the two great powers of Ursus and Yan—then the world's attention will be focused on the impending war between Yan and Ursus, and no one will notice the tumor growing in Victoria's heart. Before the nations of Terra are even aware of it, the Sarkaz's ultimate weapon will be forged.

While the Sarkaz mercenary group is powerful, they're not exactly easy to use, and Talulah might be planning to dismantle this so-called support force in the future. For now, sending them to clash head-on with Rhine Lab is a good option.

Let's turn our attention back to Rhine Life.