Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

-

Wei Yanwu never returned to this ward. Obviously, he had confirmed the existence of the sarcophagus, and there was little point in looking for Noah again.

Noya also rested in the ward until she fully recovered. On the day she was discharged from the hospital, she heard the news that Ursus and Dayan had shaken hands and made peace. If she guessed correctly, the sudden peace between Ursus and Dayan was probably related to the threat she told Wei Yanwu.

Ursus had some knowledge of the previous civilization, otherwise they would not have used the sarcophagus as the power source for the mobile city. Therefore, after obtaining Noah's [Prophecy] from Yan Country, the emperor of Ursus obviously understood the value of this prophecy. In this case, they could no longer waste their military forces on staring blankly at Dayan.

After the danger at Lungmen was resolved, Noah, Amiya, and Kal'tsit decided not to stay in Lungmen, but to set out again. The next destination was changed from Casimir. The reason for the change was that Kal'tsit told Noah that if they really chose to unite the power of Terra, they would also have to recover the legacy of the previous civilization step by step.

Kal'tsit offered the most likely inheritance to be directly recovered as far as she knew - the PCS host in Rutland.

The former civilization host located underground in Lateran is also their next destination.

When the memory played to this point, there was a sudden freeze. Amidst Noah and Theresa's confusion, everything returned to darkness.

"The disc is stuck?" If this really was a player, Noah would definitely step forward and use the 45° home appliance repair method. However, it was obvious that the disc would not get stuck as long as civilization survived. Most likely, the subsequent content was either not unlocked, or Amiya did not intend for them to continue watching.

The adventure story of Noah and Amiya in another world line was temporarily interrupted. Noah was still very curious about what happened later, especially the matter of the Lateran host PCS. To be honest, she was also very concerned about what this host buried under Lateran's feet was.

She originally thought that it was the Heaven's Fulcrum, but as far as she knew, the Heaven's Fulcrum should be a powerful weapon, not the so-called PCS host.

But since he couldn't continue watching, no matter how curious Noah was, it would be useless. Perhaps he had to wait for another Amiya to answer his questions.

When Noah opened his eyes again, less than two hours had passed in the real world. Reading the memories of the continued existence of civilization did not take too much time, but the physical perception of time was another matter. This trance-like feeling as if he was in another world took Noah a while to get rid of.

"Awake?" At this moment, Kal'tsit's voice came from her ear. Noah turned her head and saw Kal'tsit's cold eyes. She subconsciously overlapped the Kal'tsit in her memory and the current Kal'tsit. Fortunately, she adjusted herself quickly. It is very likely that Noah's current situation will occur if a large amount of memories are washed away in a short period of time. It is like the feeling of unreality after waking up from a dream.

Fortunately, she quickly understood the situation and just smiled and nodded.

"I just took a nap and made you worry."

Dr. Kal'tsit appeared here probably because Amiya was worried about Noah's health, so she called Dr. Kal'tsit to diagnose him. However, there was indeed nothing wrong with Noah's body. The other black cube given to him by Amiya only stored memories and nothing else.

"You seem even more tired... Did you have a nightmare?"

"...It's not really a nightmare..." Noah didn't know how to describe what he had just seen. He couldn't say that he had been watching a story from another world for a long time. That would be too magical. "Anyway, I'm fine."

"I don't want you to force yourself, Noah." Kel'tsit said these caring words with a cold face. She seemed to always be like this, clearly caring about others, but always pretending to be indifferent. "Especially at this time, your mental problems are likely to cause even greater trouble."

"I know, I'll adjust well," Noya could only promise. "I'll take care of my problems before entering the Deep Blue Tree Laboratory."

"I hope so." Kal'tsit didn't dwell on it for too long. This wasn't her style. After making sure that Noah had no physical problems, she let Noah go. But before that, she left a message.

"Don't take it all on yourself. Everyone here is willing to share it with you."

After watching Dr. Kal'tsit leave, Noah immediately began to review the information she had just obtained in her memory. The first thing she could be sure of was that the doctor did not exist in the other world, and Kal'tsit did not communicate frankly with Theresa, so the Tower of Babel was not established, and Rhodes Island did not exist.

Kal'tsit led the nations to destroy the newly born Kazdel, and Theresa died in that battle. This is the biggest difference.

Theresa, Doctor, this is the biggest singularity in this other world.

More importantly, in another world, she understood for the first time what the internalized universe of Originium was - the place where Prissex once existed.

After truly understanding that the internalized universe of Originium was actually another world, Noah finally understood what it meant to survive in Originium.

"...But is that really life?" Noah muttered to himself, recalling the bizarre beings in the internalized universe that could only repeat themselves. This journey through memory brought many answers, but also more mysteries. What exactly was Amiya trying to tell him... Was she trying to tell him that the Originium Project was the best option?

Or...was she warning herself...

What exactly exists in the Deep Blue Tree Laboratory...Why did Amiya choose to give her memories to herself at this time?

Noah didn't think Amiya had any ill will towards him. In fact, those memories also showed that Amiya even had a special feeling for him, although this was for Noiya from another world...

"Oh... I can't come up with any results just by thinking about it..." Noah sat up helplessly. She planned to go out for a walk. She had slept long enough anyway. After she walked out of the tent, she walked a distance towards the sea and stopped on the beach. She watched the tide hit the rocks and the light of the two moons sprinkled on the sea, as if it had been plated with a layer of silver.

The ocean tides seemed endless, unchanged for eons. With the help of the Pearly Tear Lamenters, the deep sea had begun to recover, and the previously vanished sea scales were gradually repopulating. Soon, the ocean would be revitalized. Originally, the Pearly Tear Lamenters, or rather, the Sea Heirs, existed to efficiently transform the planet's ecology. This was a return to their roots.

The ocean has become safe now. Even if you go swimming in the sea, you don’t have to worry about being attacked by sea snakes. Perhaps in the future Iberia can use beaches to increase tourism revenue.

Noah wondered whether she should try going into the water. She had already learned to swim anyway. She first took off her shoes and socks and put them on the shore. Then she sat on the reef and carefully immersed her feet in the sea water. The sea water still had a hint of warmth from the sun. Noah emptied herself and tried not to think about those things as much as possible. Only in this way could she relax a little.

When she completely emptied her mind, she finally felt a lot more relaxed. She could only hear the sound of the rushing tide and the sound of something swimming beneath the water... Hmm?

Noah opened his eyes and looked towards the source of the sound in confusion. Then, he saw a small, wet, silver head emerging from beneath the water, covered in seaweed...

"Skadi? Why are you here?"

“…taking a bath?”

"...Are you comfortable?" For some reason, Noah's brain short-circuited and he actually asked this question.

"It's quite comfortable. Do you want to try it?" Skadi didn't think too much and answered directly, "When you're in the water, you won't feel so heavy. The buoyancy will help you overcome gravity. It's very comfortable. Especially when drifting."

"Gravity...?" Noah thought about it and felt that what Skadi said seemed to be right, but she didn't bring a swimsuit. If she wanted to go into the water... she would probably get wet all over.

"Skate, don't look back yet." Noya's voice was sly. The killer whale girl obediently turned her face away, but her ears twitched involuntarily—the rustling of fabric behind her tickled her like the gentle rustle of the tide on the beach. She clenched her fists. The deep-sea hunter's excellent hearing now became a sweet torture.

"Crash——"

The sudden sound of someone falling into the water startled Skadi, who turned abruptly, only to see scattered clothing on the rocks swaying gently in the sea breeze. In that moment of astonishment, a pair of cold hands suddenly covered her eyes, a familiar touch with the scent of sea salt.

"Guess me..." Noah's breath brushed past her ear, and he suddenly chuckled, "Forget it, you definitely know."

The moment her palm left her, Skadi's pupils dilated slightly. In the moonlight, Noya's body shone with a silvery sheen like liquid metal. The one-piece swimsuit was like a second skin, perfectly framing her flowing curves. A few drops of still-dry seawater slid slowly down the hollow of her collarbone...

That was Noah's gray matter. Skadi immediately realized that Noah had used the gray matter to cover his body, creating a swimsuit for himself. But even though her brain had already reacted, the swimsuit, which was too tight to her curves, had a more powerful impact than being naked. Skadi could even see—

Well, it's a great arc indeed—

Skadi felt as if something was about to burst out of her nose. She blushed and turned her head away silently.

"...Um...Ms. Noah, your clothes..."

"Ok?"

Noah lowered his head and saw the problem. Although the gray matter did cover his body, because it was too close to his body, it looked like... body painting.

For a moment, she felt that there was no difference between herself and being naked...

"..."

Noah immediately adjusted the gray matter's state, but the scene just now had been engraved in Skadi's memory and could never be erased.

Chapter 33: Infiltration

The swimsuit incident was just an episode. Soon, Noah put it behind him for the time being. He imitated Skadi and floated on the water, completely relaxing.

This feeling of going with the flow made her feel that she could empty herself, or in other words, she didn't have to think about those annoying things anymore. She also often wondered if she took herself too seriously, if she pushed herself too hard. In the past, when she was in Casimir, she often thought about a question - what kind of death is the most valuable.

There was no way. She was terminally ill at the time and was in a precarious situation, so it was natural for her to think about such things.

At that time, I had no way out, so naturally I had no fear. I had a mentality that was almost like giving up everything. When I think about it carefully, what I did at that time was really shocking in the eyes of those who cared about me.

She had reflected on it...but, someone like her would probably make the same decision even if it happened again.

After seeing herself in another world, it was actually quite a shock to her... She saw what would have happened if Margaret had suffered the same fate when she was attacked at the age of thirteen.

To be honest, she felt sorry for herself in that world.

Living with guilt is a terrible thing, so she suddenly understood Margaret's psychology.

She is actually a paranoid person, so paranoid that she only acts according to her own ideas, but... her paranoia often makes people around her sad...

Maybe... she really should stop and think about how to compensate the people around her.

Noah thought so. Perhaps... after the exploration of the Deep Blue Tree was over, she would really take a good vacation and temporarily leave the work to the Doctor and Precious. She thought they would agree to let her rest for a while, although in the past, when she tried to rest, more things would always come up.

But this time is different. This time, Noah plans to really allocate time to himself.

There is one truth that she still agrees with.

Those who don’t love themselves will not love others.

At this moment, without knowing when, Skadi came to Noah's side. As a deep-sea hunter, she was truly at her best in the water. After quietly approaching Noah from underwater, she quietly poked her head out from under the water like a hunter ambushing her prey. The sea water fell from her hair. Skadi looked at Noah who seemed to be in deep thought, and then quietly stretched out her hand -

It was a hug. Skadi dragged Noya under the water. She knew that the gray matter would take over Noya's respiratory system in the first place, allowing her to breathe underwater. After sinking into the water, Noya opened her eyes curiously and looked at Skadi's smiling expression. She also knew that this was probably a prank.

In fact, Skadi is not a cold person. After getting along with her for a long time, you will find that she actually has a funny side deep in her character. At this time, Skadi quietly let go of Noah's waist. Although the feeling of hugging her just now was so good that she was reluctant to let go, she still knew the limits.

When the two of them surfaced again, Noah couldn't help but scold, "If it were anyone else, they would definitely be scared to death by you - Skadi, don't do this prank too many times."

"Aside from the Deep Sea Hunter, you're the only one who could pull a prank like this," Skadi replied honestly. "I used to do this to Laurentina, but she's not here right now."

"Although I really want to keep drifting like this, tomorrow, tomorrow we have to go to the Deep Blue Tree Laboratory. To be honest... I don't know what will happen. The best outcome is that the Void Salvage Device is very intact and we can start salvaging the Void Relics again. The worst outcome is—"

"There's no worst-case scenario. I will definitely protect you." Skadi interrupted Noah. "The seabed is the domain of deep-sea hunters. I'm confident in fighting underwater."

"Pfft... Skadi, you really are..." Noah said with a smile, "Sometimes, I always feel that I am quite lucky. No matter where I go, I can always find true friends. In Leithania, I have Viviana, in Kjerag, I have Enthiotis and Enya, in Victoria, I have Horn, in Columbia, I have Miu Miu... Here, I also have friends like you."

Skadi silently turned her face away, letting the seawater splash against her burning cheeks. She sighed inwardly - this slow-witted fellow, when will he finally understand that some people want to be more than just "friends"?

"Skadi?" Noah's voice brought her back to reality.

"Um?"

"Tomorrow... I'll leave it to you." Noah's voice suddenly became serious, and her eyes were surprisingly bright in the moonlight.

Skadi didn't answer, but nodded vigorously.

-

The next day, Noah and Skadi were on the dock and saw from a distance a light grey protrusion gradually rising from the water. It was Agor's latest bionic ship, which was said to be able to move at near-sonic speed underwater. The outer flexible shield could effectively reduce water resistance. It was specially designed this time to get close to the Deep Blue Tree Laboratory and had a rather subtle name.

"Hello, Miss Noya! The Siren Mermaid is ready!" At this moment, the Siren Mermaid emitted an electronic synthesized voice. This ship also had an integrated artificial intelligence module, which was unique in Agor. After all, Agor was not particularly fond of developing the AI ​​technology tree. "I will take you to the designated location and await your return there!"

"Hello, Siren Mermaid." Noah also greeted this unique deep-sea vessel. The list of people responsible for the infiltration this time was actually very limited. Skadi, Noah, the Doctor and Precious. No one else was allowed to enter the Deep Blue Tree Laboratory. Among these four places, Noah and the former civilization duo were of course fixed, and Skadi was decided after strict screening.

Skadi's Deep Sea Hunter power has been restored, even stronger than before. Now there are almost no people in the entire Agor who can fight Skadi. However, she also participated in the assessment to represent Agor's place in the Deep Blue Tree and stood out.

In order to protect Miss Noah, she really tried her best.

As for Jian and others, they really did not have the ability to fight underwater, so they were ultimately excluded from the quota.

The fewer people who enter, the easier the situation will be to control. There is no other way around it.

The coordinates of the Deep Blue Tree Laboratory are located deep in the territory of the Pearl Tears Elegy Clan. The Pearl Tears Elegy Clan, who were once the heirs of the sea, have the instinct to protect the Deep Blue Tree. If it weren't for the appearance of Noah and others, they probably wouldn't let anyone enter their holy land. After all, this is their true place of origin.

If there was anything more important than the Deep Blue Tree in this world, the Pearl Tear Lament tribe would probably choose Noya, who had helped them unlock the shackles of their mind. Although the Pearl Tear Lament tribe knew that this was an unintentional act, they were still grateful for Miss Noya's gift.

You know, when their minds are not open, they are just beasts, and only when they truly acquire humanity and sensibility can they be called [civilized].

In this situation, Noah, who helps them open the shackles of their minds, naturally plays a vital role.

As the Siren Mermaid gradually dived, Noah and others also saw traces of the Pearl Tears Elegy tribe from the porthole. They surrounded the Siren Mermaid and looked up and down curiously. These were the newborn children of the Pearl Tears Elegy tribe. Although the Pearl Tears Elegy tribe had evolved as a whole, they still needed to use a humanized way to determine whether they were adults.

In other words, only after one has freed oneself from the shackles of the mind can one be called an adult.

Those floating outside the Siren Mermaid are children who have not yet developed their minds and are still in their childhood. Therefore, they are curious about everything, and the same is true for the Siren Mermaid that suddenly broke into their territory.

Fortunately, they also knew their limits and did not block the Siren Mermaid's advance. As the diving depth continued to increase, the surrounding light was gradually swallowed up by the deep sea water. Finally, they completely entered the core area of ​​the Pearl Tears Elegy Tribe's territory - the deep sea ravine that even moonlight could not reach.

The Siren Mermaid activated all its searchlights, but even the bright light was insufficient at such a depth, illuminating only a few dozen meters ahead. The external water pressure indicated on the instrument panel had reached alarming levels; this depth was an absolute death zone for humans.

"...The original location of the Deep Blue Tree Laboratory was not this deep." Prisseth, who had been silent all the way, suddenly spoke, his voice sounding particularly clear in the closed cabin.

The doctor gazed at the thick, inky darkness outside the porthole and continued, "Perhaps crustal movement brought it here. But I'm more inclined to believe..." He paused, "This is the Deep Blue Tree's own choice. At this depth, where even deep-sea hunters struggle to reach, it has found absolute safety."

His fingers tapped lightly on the console, the data flickering across the display reflected on his visor, outlining a thoughtful figure. In this deep sea where even time seemed frozen, any sign of life was precious—a creation of a previous civilization, the Deep Blue Tree, a product of the transformation of a native giant beast, a super-lifeform created to combat the loggers.

It can adapt to almost all extreme environments. As long as they are given time, they can even develop the terrifying ability to travel across the universe in their physical bodies.

In terms of physical ascension, the Haisi, or the Pearl Tear Elegy Clan, are monsters in the true sense of the word, even more terrifying than the Zerg in many science fiction works.

Sonar detected a reaction from a large organism—target 200 meters away. The ship's AI's mechanical voice echoed throughout the cabin, and the waveform on the display jumped violently. The doctor's fingers tapped unconsciously on the console, his knuckles turning white from the effort.

"It's best if the docking bay is still in the lab..." Her voice was strained. "Otherwise, we'll be facing the pressure of thousands of meters of water." Cold sweat trickled down her temples. "I should have considered this earlier..."

Precious placed her palm over the doctor's trembling hand. At this depth, where even the Originium particles were so rare, her abilities were restricted, as if by her throat. "Don't worry," she whispered softly, unable to conceal the tension in her voice. "We'll be fine."

Noya removed two clumps of fluid, silvery-gray material from her waist. The gray matter wriggled in her palms like a living thing, gleaming with a metallic sheen. "Take this." She pressed the gray matter against each of their wrists. The liquid metal immediately seeped into their skin, forming a dense network beneath it.

"They'll restructure your cells, temporarily granting you the ability to adapt to the deep sea," Noah explained. "But the dissolved oxygen content here is really low, so I recommend controlling your breathing rate."

The doctor stared in amazement at the flowing silver lines on her arm. When the first stream of seawater poured in from the crack, she instinctively held her breath—only to discover that the gray matter had formed a filter membrane around her mouth and nose. Precious thoughtfully touched the new silver organ on her neck. Honestly… it was a truly bizarre feeling.

"Are you ready?" Noya's voice traveled directly into their minds through the neural links built by their gray matter. "We're going into the lab."

As the Siren Mermaid docked in front of the huge building, Noah and Skadi left the cabin first. Precious and the Doctor still needed to adapt before leaving the cabin, but Noah and Skadi were different. They could now easily adapt to the water pressure. Noah first approached the building, and then put his hand on the outer wall of the Deep Blue Tree Laboratory. This outer wall, made of unknown material, had no signs of corrosion after being underwater for so long, which showed the technology of the previous civilization.

The gray matter released by Noah explored the outer layer in a very short time and soon found the location of the docking cabin. She then sent a signal to the two people in the Siren Mermaid through the gray matter network. The Doctor and Precious breathed a sigh of relief, at least they didn't have to go out and face the water pressure.

After Noah and Skadi returned to the Siren Mermaid cabin, the Mermaid immediately tried to send a signal to the Deep Blue Tree Laboratory according to the secret key given by the Doctor and Prisseth. After a few minutes, the giant building finally began to move, the water began to surge, and countless bubbles floated up, as if the sea water was boiling. On the surface of the building, a huge hole slowly appeared - this was the docking cabin. The secret key sent by the Siren Mermaid was responded to, and the building was welcoming its owner back.

Up to this point, everything went smoothly. Everyone on the Siren Mermaid breathed a sigh of relief. After completely entering the docking cabin, the seawater around the Siren Mermaid was being drained, and soon they were surrounded by air again.

【The oxygen concentration outside the cabin is normal and breathing is normal.】