Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

Deep-sea hunters are the beings that the Deep-sea Church hates the most.

"Now - cut off the oxygen lines, so that these deep-sea hunters will fall asleep and no longer have to get involved in the war - isn't this what you want?" He placed the blade on Brandus' neck. With a slight cut, the sharp edge of the blade could easily cut Brandus' throat and send the deadly venom into his blood.

"If you don't want to do it, we can do it for you."

"..." Brandus closed his eyes, a look of relief on his face. But he remained motionless. He would never harm a hunter—that was his bottom line.

But there are always some surprises.

When the members of the Deep Sea Church thought they had won, a long sword pierced his chest. The force of the sword carried him flying sideways until he was nailed to the wall.

The hunters who were thought to be sleeping in the hibernation chamber actually appeared behind these people. No one knew when they appeared, but their appearance had already sentenced these deep-sea believers to death.

"Hello, could you please put that thing down? It's dangerous." Ghost Shark politely grabbed the arm of one of the Deep Sea Cultists and applied a little force. The sound of his hand bones cracking was very clear. The pain spread through his nerves, making him tremble all over, but he couldn't utter a word. "Don't be nervous, take your time, I have plenty of time."

It was as easy for the deep-sea hunters to subdue these deep-sea churches as crushing a baby's arm. When Gloria realized that something was wrong, they had already left the operating room. Gloria was the first to discover that something was wrong, but it was not because she was aware of the invasion of the deep-sea church, but because Noah had told her before that Brandus was very likely to be related to the deep-sea church.

It was precisely because of this vigilance that Gloria was more careful and checked the equipment before entering the hibernation chamber. As a result, she discovered that some extra materials had indeed been added to the hibernation melt.

"We have undergone at least hundreds of operations, and the time we spend in these sols may be longer than the time we spend lying in bed. Consultant, can you explain why there are some extra things in the sol?" Gloria questioned Brandus.

Brandus might not have had any connection to the Deep Sea Church, but he did tamper with the Deep Sea Hunters. If these Deep Sea Cultists hadn't invaded the research institute, Gladia's longsword would have most likely pierced Brandus' chest.

Gloria plucked her longsword from the wall, freeing the long-dead Deep Sea Cultist. She flicked the blood off her longsword and turned toward Brandus. As Archon, she had every right to kill Brandus on the spot for tampering with the operation, but she chose not to. Instead, she stared coldly into Brandus's eyes, those crimson eyes filled with disappointment.

"Brandus, your foolishness and weakness nearly cost you your life at the hands of my spear."

"Now, as a consultant, I can't plead for you." Ghost Shark knew that when Swordfish showed such an expression, he was really angry. Whoever tried to persuade him at this time would be in trouble. Brandus could only fend for himself.

Skadi also shrugged and said nothing. Her words were not as clever as Ghost Shark's, and it was good enough that she did not escalate the conflict.

The only people who could possibly persuade Gloria now are probably Ulpian, or Miss Noah herself. Other than that... there's probably no other way.

At least that's what Skadi thought... It's rare to see Gladia so angry.

"Brandus, weapons technical advisor for the Channel Project, put away your tricks, complete the operation for us, and then return to your original post." Ultimately, Gladia didn't take action, which relieved the other two. Neither Skadi nor Laurentina wanted to see Brandus die under Gladia's long-lasting anger. "Brandus, the Deep Sea Hunter Project no longer exists. If the memory of the past has weakened you, then forget it."

Brandus had a look of regret on his face as he was not executed immediately by Gloria. Perhaps dying under Gloria's long sword would be a relief for him.

"Golatia," he said, "You're still the same as before. No, you're even harder on yourself than before."

"This has nothing to do with my own demands. A day ago, with two fleets, we only rescued twenty-six people from Hai Si's encirclement. And just before arriving at this old research institute, I learned that those twenty-six legionnaires had applied to join the new combat unit. As long as the war continues, no soldier can escape from the battlefield. That's all."

-

The reunion with Ulpian was actually beyond Noya's expectations. She originally thought that Ulpian would not appear in front of the members of the Coast Guard, but perhaps Sikunda was an exception. As his former student, she knew Sikunda very well and thought that there would be no problem in appearing in front of her.

Apparently, his gamble paid off. After Sikunda cut off the communication, her position became clear.

Under Ulpian's guidance, they found an old, long-abandoned passageway, through which they bypassed most of the defenses. This old passageway seemed to be a temporary passageway left behind when the city was first built. Later, in order to serve as an outpost for the waterway plan, the dome was renovated and the old passageway was abandoned. New maintenance passages were usually used for maintenance.

After the old passage was opened by Urbian, they could enter the dome control room through a more covert route, but they had to drill through the pipes.

Fortunately, neither Noya nor Sikunda minded drilling a pipe - but Noya was very curious about how Ulpian, with his double-door body, had managed to pass through such a narrow pipe. Although she didn't ask, Ulpian took the initiative to explain.

"—I have another route." After both of them entered the pipe, Ulpian instructed them, "See you in the control room."

Noah couldn't help but complain as he watched Ulpian disappear into the darkness once again.

"Do all these deep-sea hunters have the ability to become invisible and teleport in the dark?"

"...So you think so too?"

"……Hahaha."

Noah chuckled twice, but time waited for no one, and they quickly climbed into the control room along the pipe. The control room of the dome was responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the entire dome. Originally, there should have been operators coming and going here, but now - the interior of the control room had been piled up like a fortress by the secretions of the sea snakes. Noah and Sikunda observed through the barrier of the pipe that there were a considerable number of sea snakes coming and going inside these nests. Obviously... this was a nest under construction.

Can Haisi actually build a nest in a place without water?

Not only Noah, but even Sikunda was shocked. This creation that looked like an alien nest made both of them feel a little physically uncomfortable. Noah was looking for Tulia. Soon, they found Tulia wrapped in a layer of sea secretions in the corner of the nest. Her eyes were closed at this time, but fortunately her chest and abdomen were still moving, so Noah knew that she was still alive. However, this situation was obviously beyond Noah's expectations.

However, the first priority now is to rescue Tulia. Noah made a gesture to Sikunda, and after getting Sikunda's permission, she gently removed the net, trying not to make any noise. At this time, the shadow spell took effect. Under her subtle manipulation, the four rusty screws were corroded and loosened by the shadows operated by the Originium technique, and then removed silently. Immediately, Noah took out the music box.

——It has been tested before. Siren can force Hai Si into a state of no fighting spirit. She plans to use Siren to forcibly control a wave of Hai Si, and then quickly transfer Tulia away.

The moment the two decided on the tactics, Noah's singing almost instantly enveloped the entire Haisi nest. After subtle adjustments, the Originium skill spread out through the throat. The sound itself is one of the carriers of the Originium skill. As the singing with a certain magical power sounded, Xikunda, who was wearing earplugs, rolled out directly from the dismantled pipe mouth blockade, and came to Tulia's side at the first time. She took out the blade and cut off the secretion cocoon wrapped around Tulia's body - then picked up Tulia and ran.

She didn't know how long Noah could hold on. This hypnotized the entire group of Hai Si, with indiscriminate AoE. If she hadn't been wearing earplugs, Xikunda would have been hit as well.

The control power of "Siren" is definitely the best among all Noah's trump cards. Under the cover of Siren, the entire sea creatures' nest seemed to be trapped in a psychedelic dream. Even Xikunda's actions could not let the sea creatures break free from Siren's control.

The rescue operation was about to succeed - but accidents always happened.

Sure enough, before Xikunda evacuated, a figure that Noah was extremely familiar with walked out of the nest.

In an instant... the Siren stopped.

As the sirens' song ceased, Sikunda suddenly discovered that these jellyfish-like sea creatures were gradually emerging from the air beside her. Although they did not seem to be aggressive, Noah knew... they had fallen into a trap.

From the very beginning... the Sirens had no control over these sea creatures.

The reason is simple, these jellyfish-shaped sea creatures... have similar abilities to her.

The next moment, a voice sounded in her ears.

"Ms. Noa Kyrielight, welcome."

Chapter 59: Love and Hate, It’s All You

From the very beginning, Noah had a strange feeling. When she came near the nest, she felt uneasy. The source of this uneasiness was these new types of sea urchins. These jellyfish-shaped sea urchins that could become invisible seemed to have similar abilities to Noah.

In other words, these sea disciples were learning their own telepathic Originium skills. While it was unknown how the sea disciples were able to use this ability without Originium, the principle was no longer important. What mattered was that they had fallen into their trap. As soon as Amaya revealed Noya's hiding place, Noya had already emerged, confronting the Deep Sea Cultist she had misjudged.

Amaya still maintained her human form at this time, but there seemed to be a translucent veil on her head, making her look like she was wearing a luxurious wedding dress. She looked at Noah, the woman who had been haunting her dreams. When she made up her mind to assimilate with Hai Si, she had been thinking about a question.

——Can humans and Kaiji really coexist?

In other words, is it really possible for humans to truly utilize the sea to make themselves perfect?

If she wavered even a little, the sea's neural network would devour her consciousness, and she would become nothing more than a part of its ignorance. At the most critical moment, she thought of Noya, yearning for that fleeting moment when they had met. On that day, under the sea breeze, she sat quietly in her wheelchair.

She thought about Bishop Marin and Mr. Tiago. She thought about her mentor who taught her and even more so, she thought about whether what she was doing was right.

But in the end, there was only one person who remained in her heart, Noah Kyrielight.

If she could get her recognition, just her recognition, she would be able to move forward without hesitation.

Amaya has been betrayed countless times and hurt countless times by humans. Before she became the bishop of the Deep Sea Church, she was just an ordinary believer in the Deep Sea Church. She also climbed step by step to her current position.

She had long been tired of her life. She lived in this world like a drop of water falling from the clouds to the ground. The process in between was life. Her life was a continuous fall, waiting for the day when she would be shattered into pieces.

She took the initiative to contact Hai Si, to carry out Bishop Marlin's wish, to seek revenge, to investigate the truth of the past, but everything she had set out to do was already accomplished by Noya. She didn't reveal Quintus's ugly face, and he died at the hands of the Deep Sea Hunter and Noya. She didn't succeed in changing Iberia, but Noya did. She hadn't accomplished any of the things she had planned to do, but this stranger who inexplicably appeared here completed them one by one.

To be honest, she felt a little frustrated.

But she couldn't help but imagine how great it would be if Noah stood on the same side as her?

How great would it be if I could be like her?

She seemed capable of anything. She was the kind of leader Bishop Marlin envisioned. She wasn't... she was just a mortal trying to get to this point. She was filled with jealousy, love, and resentment towards Noya. She envied Noya's abilities, loved Noya's character, resented Noya for gradually robbing her of her reason for living, yet still captivated her. She hated her for not showing up sooner. If they had met sooner... they should have become close friends, sharing everything.

Why...Noah was not there on that rainy night.

If, if...

No if.

Amaya extended her hand, as if inviting Noah to dance, gracefully, politely, and with a hint of shyness.

"But it doesn't matter. Now, we are finally equal," she said. "Humanity will move towards a better future. The sea will become the nourishment of mankind. Miss Noa Kyrielight, I sincerely invite you to become a part of the Deep Sea Church. We should be people who stand together."

"...Amaya, can I still call you that?" Noya took a deep breath, trying her best to suppress her nervousness. Of course she was nervous. At this distance, Amaya had almost no chance of surviving even if she tried to kill her. Surrounded by these jellyfish-like sea lords, her Originium skills were blocked. All she could rely on now, aside from her phantom, which was ineffective when it malfunctioned, was her courage. Although she had already informed the mace, Ulpian was likely nearby.

But it’s too close…distant water cannot quench nearby fire.

Amaya trapped it, not only because she locked her position in the first place, but also because the jellyfish-shaped Hai Si had surrounded Sikunda and Tulia. With Hai Si holding hostages, Noah was almost helpless.

This might be the price of misjudgment... Noah couldn't help but sigh.

"Of course, it doesn't matter what you call me," Amaya responded. "We don't need such a superficial way of communicating with each other."

"Amaya, this is a conversation between us. It has nothing to do with Tulia and Sikunda. Let them go." Noah said. At least send the two out first, then he would have the possibility to negotiate with the other party. The other party obviously wanted to negotiate with him, so he would put forward his own demands first. As for whether the other party agreed or not... at least see what the other party said first.

"Sure." Amaya didn't care about Tulia or Sikunda. She only had eyes for Noah. In front of Noah, these people were nothing. They were just bait to attract Noah. Since Noah was already here, let him go.

After seeing the other party readily agree, Noah breathed a sigh of relief and nodded to Sikunda.

"You guys go first." She waved her hand, "I'll handle this."

"..." Sikunda didn't hesitate, turned around and left with Tulia on her back. She knew that if she stayed, she would only be a burden to Noah. Noah finally breathed a sigh of relief after watching the two of them leave.

"They clearly gave up your safety without hesitation, but you seem so happy, Miss Noya—do you value other people's lives more than your own?" Amaya asked with a smile. "Humans are clearly a group of people who will abandon their fellow men if there is profit or danger to their lives, yet you still value their lives. Is this how you were born, or how you were educated?"

"That's a difficult question to answer. I can only say... maybe it's because they're friends I value," Noah replied. "What about you? Do you have friends like them who are trustworthy?"

"From what I understand, this girl named Tulia has only met you once. Can you call her a friend? And this girl named Sikunda is even more so—so we should be friends too, right?"

Amaya said with a smile, as if the fact of being recognized as Noya's friend made her very happy.

"Of course I consider you a friend, translator Amaya. I remember your name and the questions you asked me." Noah looked into Amaya's eyes. "But now, I'm not sure, because you have become... a posture that I cannot understand."

"Nothing much. I've just made some changes, changing my species. But this heart—it hasn't changed. It's still human. My brain, my heart, my thoughts—nothing has changed." Amaya pointed at her heart. "It's okay to tell you. If you pierce here right now, you can kill me. This is the price I pay for keeping my heart and brain. I retain the weaknesses of humanity."

"...Aren't you afraid that I'll fight you to the death right now?"

"You wouldn't." Amaya said with a smile, "If you knew how to do that, it wouldn't have taken you so long to track you down. You should have done something similar to Cassia a long time ago."

"..." Noya had to admit, indeed, she wouldn't do such a thing. The other party had admitted his weakness, and if she still attacked by surprise... that would indeed be inconsistent with her philosophy. The other party seemed to truly want to talk to her, even being very frank, so she had no choice but to make a gesture of conversation.

"So...if you haven't changed, what if I ask you to leave this city? Can you do it?" Noya asked tentatively. "If you take these sea heirs with you, we won't have to fight each other. You can carve out a private plot of land and let the sea heirs reproduce. The sea is so big, you'll always have somewhere to go."

"...Then why should we compromise?" Amaya asked. "Why can the Agor expand endlessly on the seabed, but the Haisi can't? We also have intelligence and can use tools. What's the difference between us and humans?"

Amaya looked into Noya's eyes.

"Is this fair to us? The strong prey on the weak, isn't that what you believe in?"

"No, the law of the jungle is just a law of nature. Humans need to follow their own laws." Noah shook his head. "Hai Si's law of the jungle threatens humanity, that's all."

"This is what you see from a human perspective. What if you were Hai Si?" Amaya asked in return. "Hai Si have lived in this ocean for much longer than humans. Before Agor was born, Hai Si were already swimming freely in this ocean. You are the latecomers. If there's a first come, then shouldn't humans give up the ocean?"

The ocean does not belong to Haisi... Noah originally said this, but Noah also knew that the ocean does not belong to humans either.

It's just that humans need the resources of the ocean... In the final analysis, this is just a battle for territory between the sea and humans. As long as he can seize more resources, Agor will not be polite to the sea.

She couldn't change Agor, after all, she was just a foreigner, so she was naturally at a disadvantage in this debate.

"--Indeed, the ocean doesn't belong to anyone, whether it's Hai Si or humans. It's us who need the ocean." Noya nodded, "But Hai Si does threaten human survival. We're just fighting back."

"Counterattack?" Amaya laughed. "Does counterattack mean using super weapons to destroy the nests that have been living in the habitat for countless years, and then open up a channel directly to the land?"

"...Do you know the channel plan?" Although Noah himself did not know the specific details of the channel plan, there was no need to deceive himself with everything the other party had said so far, otherwise this negotiation would have no value.

In other words, the other party has stolen the details of the waterway plan and even knows more than Noah.

"You can guess how many of Agor's high-ranking officials have sided with the Deep Sea Church. Trust between humans is inherently fragile—" Amaya said with a smile, "Of course we already understand the channel plan, and we even fully understand your actions. Isn't this an act of massacre for Hai Si?"

"..." Noya remained silent. She certainly didn't sympathize with Haisi, but Amaya, being half-human, half-Haisi, had the qualifications and reason to defend Haisi. "But... weren't you originally human? Why are you siding with Haisi?"

"Yes, I was originally human, a true human." Amaya nodded. "I am a member of the Deep Sea Cult, but I am different from Quintus and his gang. They are just opportunists who want to circumvent the various rules and systems of humanity by becoming Sea Heirs, wanting to become the so-called sages of the next generation. But I am different. I still believe that humanity can be saved, but humans cannot rely on themselves. I believe that humans must evolve to the next level through Sea Heirs. Eliminate classes, injustice, and eliminate suspicion and malice between each other. All of humanity should unite as one."

Amaya looked at Noya and said, "As the governor of Rhine Life, you should understand that what I said is right. Only when Terra becomes a whole can we move forward."

"Indeed, humanity should eventually become a whole, but do you really think Haisi can do it?" Noah agreed with his idea but questioned his method. "You have indeed maintained human sanity, but do you really think this is a stable approach? In my opinion, you are just gambling, gambling that your method is effective, gambling that the fate of humanity and Haisi can coexist. Humanity cannot accept such a gamble, so I need to deny you."

"...deny..." Amaya admitted that she was indeed gambling, but she no longer had time to delay. She could not believe in the possibility of human beings like Noya did, because she had long despaired of human beings being able to change with their own power. Of course, she wanted to believe that human beings could do it, but she did not have the time, nor the energy to believe.

Noah might be trustworthy, but how could there be so many Noahs in the world? How could there be so many people who would show kindness even at the cost of their own lives?

She couldn't wait, and she couldn't wait.

"How will you know if you don't try?"

A tiny jellyfish appeared in her palm and she invited.

"Come to my side, Noah Kyrielight. We need you. Hai Si will accept your existence, and we will become the human race of a new era—"

As long as Noah reaches out and touches the little jellyfish, she can become a half-sea being like Amaya. She did not give Noah a choice, but she hoped that Noah would choose her.

"You have no right to say no."

Chapter 60: I Make a Wish

The tiny jellyfish swayed in Amaya's palm. It looked so harmless and yet so fragile, as if Noah could crush it to pieces with just a pinch of her hand.