Hello, Arknights

Ling Dengxian, who had recovered his mental strength, recovered quickly from his injuries. He was discharged from the hospital as soon as he was able to get out of bed and walk. Because there were many injured people in Longmen during the turmoil, it was better not to waste resources if possible.

He also noticed one thing: his blood vessels would ache from time to time. It was not until he found a small piece of Originium crystal growing on the back of his left hand that he understood what was happening.

It was such a small piece that he wouldn't have even noticed it if the pain hadn't guided him.

"Wei Yanwu did notice it..." Ling Dengxian was anxious to change Wei Yanwu's mind at the time, and only now did he recall some details about himself.

"It's infected... but the degree seems to be very mild..." The area of ​​crystallization on the back of the hand is very small, and it is not visible at all if you don't pay attention. The pain is not unbearable... This is not the consequence of an infected wound.

"Are the Doctor and I the same species of human?" Ling Dengxian had doubts. After all, they were from two different worlds, and he and the "Doctor" were not necessarily the same pure human species.

"Little crumbs."

"What's the matter, stubborn master? I really didn't expect that you would not even open the Demon King form and take Wei Yanwu's sword? Are you planning to fight the Ursus inner guards next time? You are really indifferent to such a close chance to be single? Wouldn't it be better to give a promise or an agreement? I'm so anxious!" Xiaoxie threw out a series of words, which was uncharacteristically true.

Ling Dengxian was startled and stunned for a moment. Finally, he frowned and asked, "What does that have to do with you? The emperor is not anxious, but the eunuch is?"

"How stupid! If you stay with her, the curse on you 'maybe' will be invalid, 'Master'!" Xiaoxie revealed a piece of information that puzzled Ling Dengxian.

"What do you mean?" Ling Dengxian became alert instinctively.

"Host, this curse has a very strong directionality. If its purpose is achieved, it will be lifted." Xiaoxie's voice fluctuated, as if the communication was disturbed.

"Huh? Get out of being single? Was your curse created by a matchmaking company? Or the Population Planning Bureau?" Ling Dengxian was in a bad mood. If the truth was so absurd, then the pain that Lin Yuxia and Provence had endured was like a joke.

"What do you take us for?!"

"Master, why... do you think this curse cares about these things?" Xiaoxie's voice came from behind, as if she was standing behind him, very close to him, whispering in his ear.

"It's not something that will benefit you. Even if you stay with Lin Yuxia, the curse will only 'perhaps disappear'. Joking aside, do you dare to take the risk? Long-term torture...what will happen to her? What will happen to you? Haha..."

"..." Ling Dengxian suddenly turned around and even wanted to punch.

But behind him was just an empty alley.

"It seems I said something excessive, host. I'm really sorry! Maybe... in the future, don't take my words too seriously... This is advice, host." Xiao Xie changed his tone, apologized repeatedly, and then gave him an inexplicable "advice".

Ling Dengxian felt tired, and the violent emotional ups and downs caused pain in his lungs.

"...Let's go back to Penguin Logistics." Ling Dengxian rubbed his temple and planned to go back and have a good rest.

Taking out the key, Ling Dengxian failed to align it with the keyhole twice. He sighed helplessly, then reinsert the key and successfully opened the door.

The living room was very quiet. Mostima had left long ago, and Chen was busy with Longmen's affairs. The B group dormitory seemed to have returned to the loneliness it had when he first arrived at Longmen, except that it was no longer covered in dust.

Hearing the noise, Chi Yu poked his head out of his room, moved his ears, ran to him in small steps, and dragged him into the room.

"What's wrong again... You won't destroy the house like the Husky, will you—" Ling Dengxian turned his head and saw Lappland on the bed and fell silent again.

He could see the wound on her face. He carefully lifted the quilt and found the red bandage and the hideous wound. The sheets and quilt were stained with red. He frowned:

"What happened? She's so badly injured?!"

"Ow."

"She also encountered the mouth of the giant wolf?! Can't the idiot just run away when she can't win--" Ling Dengxian suddenly remembered that she was Lappland, and was speechless for a moment.

"Ow."

"Did she take the initiative to stop the giant wolf? To stop him from going to reinforce the city center..."

"Ugh."

Ling Dengxian sighed deeply, muttering "What a mess" while carefully lifting the quilt, and pressing down the white flames in his palms. At the moment when the white flames merged into Lappland's skin, the white wolf's frown finally relaxed. Chi Yu couldn't help but snorted when he heard his muttering.

"You didn't even help me when I said I was messing around... eh?" Ling Dengxian turned around and saw Chi Yu with a very sad expression. He didn't know what to say for a moment. He could only touch her head and said nothing else.

Chi Yu also has secrets. She is special, but even so she has given him a lot of help, and he cannot rely on Chi Yu for everything.

After expending some energy and completely stopping Lappland's bleeding and healing her external injuries, Ling Dengxian stood up to check his condition, then turned around, rummaged through the closet, and took out a clean quilt to cover her.

He wanted to take a good rest, so he turned around, squatted down and told Chi Yu: "Take care of me, I'm a little tired."

Chi Yu nodded and did not argue with him. He jumped up and sat down next to Lapland's pillow.

Ling Dengxian dragged the bloody bedding to the bathroom and stuffed the quilt into the washing machine, then returned to the living room and fell directly onto the sofa. Fatigue surged up over him. Although he had just woken up a few hours ago, the treatment had consumed too much of his energy, both for himself and Lappland, plus the mental shock from Lin Yuxia and Xiaoxie, so he had to take a rest.

When he woke up, it was already afternoon. He didn't have any dreams, but he vaguely heard the sound of TV. When he sat up to see what was going on, he found that a certain Rupert was sitting leisurely on the sofa next to him, staring at him.

"..."

"...Nothing you want to say?" Lappland was dissatisfied with his reaction.

Ling Dengxian thought for a moment and said, "Pay compensation—"

"Stop, stop, stop. You'd better stop talking." Lappland was convinced. Didn't this guy have anything else to say to him?

"You look like you're okay?" Ling Dengxian rubbed his temple and regained consciousness.

"Thanks to you, I feel fine now except for feeling weak." Lapland saw Ling Dengxian glance at him, as if he wanted to say something, but it seemed that he thought about it and didn't say it.

"Just say what you want to say. This is not like you."

Ling Dengxian smiled and said, "Since you are so self-conscious, I won't be polite. Go change and wash my sheets. Thank you."

Lapland: “…”

"It's my bad luck... I asked for trouble." Lappland sighed and actually got up to clean up.

Although Ling Dengxian was surprised, he could understand that she was crazy, but not stupid. He turned to the TV, fumbled for the remote control and changed the channel.

"International situation?" Ling Dengxian tilted his head and didn't rush to change the channel.

"Victoria adjusted its policy, and the Duke discussed reducing the number of steam knights and adjusting the flow of funds... Many countries were puzzled. This move obviously weakened national defense. They could not understand Victoria's move to cut defense."

"Victorians are not stupid, maybe there is a new strategic alternative ... but they remain silent and offer no explanation other than the above."

Ling Dengxian felt something was wrong, but he couldn't figure out why.

"Another eradication operation of Ursus against the integration movement of the infected organization failed. Recently, the search for infected people in many places has been strengthened. The Imperial Parliament proposed a bounty decree for infected people, inviting bounty hunters to "hunt" infected people within the permitted scope, and warned those who harbored infected people that they would be guilty of the same crime..."

"Ursus Emperor Fyodor Vladimirovich seemed dissatisfied with this, and Senator Witte also felt that it was unfair, but he was unable to overcome the opposition, and finally chose to implement it on a trial basis in areas where the integration movement was active.

"On the same day, the reformists' proposal to close the infected mine in the northwest was rejected."

Lappland had returned to the living room at some point, lying on the sofa behind Ling Dengxian and listening silently. She was also an infected person, and most of the time she didn't care about this, but she had to admit one thing: "If the northern bears were adjacent to Syracuse, I'm afraid there wouldn't be so many family intrigues."

"...What do you think?" Ling Dengxian's voice was flat and even.

"Hehe... Ursus, eight out of ten people sitting in front of that table are thinking about starting a war all day long. The emperor is not very capable either. Just like the turmoil in Longmen this time, do you think he knows that one of his people is involved in it?"

"What do you think about the infected people there?"

"They are too weak." Laplander said without hesitation, "I have never heard of any resistance except for the guerrillas and the emerging integration movement."

"And as far as I know, the guerrillas were formerly the Ursus army, and most of their people are non-infected."

"I expect the non-infected to be righteous, but they continue to accept it. Even if I awaken the Originium technique, I can't help them."

The young man was silent for a moment, then said, "That is persecution from the state level..."

"Then what am I?" Lappland lowered her head and looked him in the eye. She reached out to touch his cheek, her gray eyes full of fire. "Maybe they are not as strong as me, but they still have a life. If they lose their lives in vain without even a little resistance, longing for justice and mercy, the world will never hear their voices...our voices."

Ling Dengxian looked at the pair of gray crazy eyes, which gradually became clear. He couldn't help but smile. He reached out and pinched her cheek. While Lappland was stunned, he stood up and made a decision in his heart.

"Thank you, Lapland. I know what to do next. I'll go prepare dinner for tonight and buy--"

The answer to his question was the sound of Lappland entering the room and drawing his sword.

But by the time she came out and realized that she had made a big mistake, Ling Dengxian had already escaped.

Lapland looked at Chi Yu, who shook his head and sighed.

Ling Dengxian understood what the fighter Tallulah was thinking. He had also foreseen the tragedy in advance: the roar of the devil on the high tower in response to injustice, the spitting of the black snake in the abyss, and the sound of Chi Xiao's sword cutting through the shackles.

Since I can't go home for a while, I'll do my best to rewrite the tragic ending!

He firmly believed that he could do it!

Just as determined as he dared to take Wei Yanwu's sword.