Arknights' Lock of Heaven

Petal, looking utterly dejected, grabbed a handful of snow water from the ground.

Yes, it's snowmelt. The snow here has already started melting less than an hour after the canopy was turned on.

I believe it won't be long before this place becomes a muddy mess... just like spring returning to the earth.

Those fields that have already been planned can be cultivated, and once the seeds of hope are sown, the infected will be reborn.

But what does this have to do with Petar, a spy assassin?

If he were just an infected person and a logistics manager at the base, he would be genuinely happy, but he was just a spy.

Based on previous reports, they all denied the authenticity of Rhodes Island's technology, but now everything has been confirmed that Rhodes Island was not lying.

This technology could indeed transform the entire Ursus region.

He couldn't believe how furious the dukes would be when he reported the intelligence tonight.

This is no longer a minor mistake; it's a strategic error.

“Petal, why do you look so lost?” a voice came from behind him, and Andrew patted him on the shoulder with a smile.

"This is the time to laugh, right? Come on, laugh with me."

Hearing this, Petar forced a smile. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking about my hometown... If that little village had this technology, it wouldn't be abandoned because of the increasingly harsh winter..."

He didn't even know what he was saying; lies came out of his mouth almost without warning. Petal had no village or hometown; he spent his childhood in bloody training camps.

"Don't worry, one day it will cover the entire Ursus."

"Yes, I hope that day will come."

The two looked at each other and laughed simultaneously.

It's just that one came from the bottom of their heart, while the other was just putting on a brave face.

"Miss Aya, you mean... this eco-park can also prevent Oripathy?"

Elena, on the other side, was trembling with fear upon hearing the news.

"How about that? Isn't it amazing?" Aya said with a smile, "Hey, I know you're surprised, but there's no need to be so..."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I lost my composure," Elena quickly composed herself upon hearing this, "but I can't understand how this has to do with Oripathy..."

"Of course there is! That's a big deal!" Ya Ye said proudly, puffing out her chest. "Such a large magic array needs an energy source to maintain it, right?"

"I've heard that your Ursus also has something similar, but it consumes a massive amount of Originium, making it impossible for it to be widely available, right?"

“Indeed, those great nobles all have their own gardens where it’s spring all year round,” Elena nodded in reply. “In Ursus, it’s a symbol of status and prestige.”

"Our proposed Gaia is completely different from those technologies. Its most important feature is its energy self-sufficiency!"

While measuring the data, Ya Ye said, "There's no need to invest so much energy. This initial project isn't large-scale. Do you see that canopy over the sky?"

Upon hearing this, Elena couldn't help but turn her head to look at the faint white curtain wall.

"It can not only lock in the internal heat, but also continuously filter out Originium particles in the atmosphere and use them as energy for the operation of the simulated Gaia."

"This also means that inside the simulated Gaia, the environment is almost completely pure, and you have to go to a specific isolation zone if you want to find Originium particles."

"Without the ubiquitous Originium particles in the air, the Oripathy of the infected cannot continue and will no longer erode the patient's body. As long as they stay in the ecological park, Oripathy patients can live to a ripe old age."

"...Oh, I see...That's wonderful!"

She didn't hear anything else; her attention was entirely focused on the word "self-control."

A self-sustaining eco-park... This time... Ursus is really going to change.

Just then, she caught a glimpse of several hurried figures out of the corner of her eye, and Froststar was the first one she saw.

Because she was the Patriot's daughter, Elena took a second look at her.

Then, a big problem was discovered.

That person...who is that person?!

468 We must launch a counterattack!

You can't be mistaken.

Even if I see something wrong, I will never mistake that face.

She never dared to forget how she had fallen from being the duke's daughter to this state.

Now, that person is right in front of me!

The excited Elena suddenly noticed the four fully armed guards behind that person and immediately calmed down.

Yes, even if that person is right here, what can you do?

He is not known for his fighting skills.

Thinking of this, she quickly looked away, only daring to secretly use her peripheral vision to check the person's whereabouts.

He was being led by Patriot's daughter toward the base.

It's confirmed, it's that person, it's him.

Speaker of the Ursus Empire Council...

Elena spent the rest of the time in a state of excitement. Fortunately, the others around her were also excited about the eco-park, so she didn't stand out too much.

As soon as she got off work, she couldn't wait to head to the gathering place.

"You seem very happy?"

Elena was naturally delighted to have obtained important intelligence, but the other two were not so fortunate.

Damn it, how did the snowfield become like this!

That kind of technology actually exists... No, do you know what it means to make a man look good with clothes and a horse with a good saddle? Do you know what it means to have good wine but still need a good location?

If you infected people had taken it a little more seriously beforehand, and made your appearance look more presentable... then we wouldn't have had to give the Duke such a confident report that the so-called technology was just bait used by the infected people to buy time.

That's your future image, your lifeline, and you're just going to treat it like this? There's no sense of ceremony at all!

Bah! They're all lowly people! No wonder they've fallen to this state!

Now it's all over.

With such a huge blunder in our intelligence work, the dukes must be ready to tear us apart.

Upon realizing this, Petal and David exchanged a glance, having reached the same conclusion.

Shifting the blame!

Yes, we can't get involved in this project at all. I was assigned to the logistics department, and David went to guard the mine... There's nothing we can do about it.

It's all Elena's fault! She was the one closest to this project among us, and the intelligence blunder was all her fault!

Before Elena arrived, the two had tacitly prepared their excuses to shift the blame, but they never expected her to walk in with a happy face.

No, what's wrong with you...?

“Of course I can be happy,” Elena said with a smile. “So what if that simulated Gaia is real? As long as the dukes’ armies launch an attack, everything will be fine.”

"Why wouldn't I be happy? The better the Gaia is created, the happier I will be, since it will all fall into our hands anyway."

Upon hearing this, Petar and David exchanged a glance.

has a problem!

Those high-sounding words...the logic is sound, but the problem is that our work has truly created such a huge mess...

But judging from Elena's expression, it's unlikely we'll get any information out of her.

Well, it's time, let's contact the Duke first.

"What exactly happened to the infected?!"

Sure enough, the moment the communicator was turned on, Grand Duke Vanya's voice came out eagerly.

It's clear they've been waiting for quite some time.

Indeed, the sky can be seen even from a hundred kilometers away as long as the weather is good. Right now, the front line is in complete chaos, with all sorts of rumors flying around. The noble officers below are also restless, and communications are coming in one after another.

The dukes were completely baffled. Well, it wasn't that they had no ideas, but those ideas were just too terrifying.

“Your Grace, this was an oversight on our part,” Petar began to explain skillfully.

"...That's right, we watched with our own eyes as the snow inside kept melting...everything they claimed...was true."

"..."

There was complete silence on the other end of the communicator.

The accountability they envisioned did not materialize.

"Is there anything else you need to report?"

After a long while, the weak voice of the Grand Prince of Ural finally came out from inside.

“No…” After pondering for two seconds, Petar and David ultimately decided not to shift the blame, seeing Elena’s confident demeanor.

Maybe this woman is just waiting for them to dig a pit for her to fall into.

“I have it!” Elena sighed in disappointment upon seeing this, then straightened her back and said, “Duke… no, Father, the Speaker of the Imperial Council is right here.”