Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

Once the Originium crystal cluster enters the brain, there is really no way to save it.

For patients with oripathy that is this serious, not to mention Rhodes Island, even if a god came, there would probably be no way to help.

Shining had seen Noah's back. Not only was he thin and sickly pale, but a black crystal cluster had even sprouted from his spine, probably at his waist. It was hard to imagine the pain Noah must have felt when this crystal cluster grew and pierced his skin. Furthermore, the Originium cluster would only continue to grow. Each attack would render the previous painkillers ineffective, and the pain would linger with Noah until his death. The fusion rate between Noah's Originium and somatic cells had already broken through 9%, and was now almost at the 12% mark.

So far, Rhodes Island has not recorded any case of a mineralogy patient who has survived after exceeding 19%.

Therefore, Noah's statement that his life was already in the countdown was not just speculation. He was either waiting for the Originium crystal cluster to grow into his brain, or taking away control of Noah's entire body. One of these two situations would always happen first.

And no matter which one happens, it is no different from death.

As a doctor, after reading the report and inferring the next developments, Shining didn't even know how to tell Noah.

But Noah said to her calmly, "How is it? Did you see anything strange? Don't worry, I will check regularly."

"Regular checkups... yes, that's exactly what we should do," Shining responded. However, the point of regular checkups was simply to see the trend. This was unsolvable, an area the doctor hadn't yet touched upon.

"No, what I mean is—my medical records are regularly sent to Rhodes Island. I signed a research agreement," Noa said with a smile. "Rhodes Island will analyze the data, conduct research on it, and test it on me. All the results will be compiled and included in medical textbooks. How's that? I've already ordered it to be included in the book, right? Amazing, right?"

When talking about this, Noah even smiled, as if he was really proud of it.

"How many people in Terra can enter the book? That's enough to open a page in the family tree—ah, but my family probably won't have the next generation, so it seems that opening a page is useless." Noah said awkwardly, "But at least in the future, maybe patients like me can be saved."

"Terra's research is advancing with each passing day. Miss Noah, your condition may not be solved in the coming years - I heard that Rhine Life is researching nanotechnology, maybe." Shining still wanted to persuade Noah not to give up her life. After all, such an attitude usually only appears in those patients who are already desperate. Desperate people can show many forms, such as hysterics, crying all day long, and... like Noah, who is as calm as if she has seen through life.

Shining wanted to persuade him, but Noah had already spoken. "I believe you."

"……Um?"

"I believe in you. You will eventually overcome oripathy, just as you've overcome other diseases before," Noah responded. "It may seem as if humanity is always defeated by disease, but in reality, if you look at history, you'll find that in the face of disease, natural disasters, and even gods, humanity has always been the victor on a large scale. So I respect you. Compared to you, all my achievements seem meaningless. Before you, even the god of death seems so powerless."

"I... didn't." Shining could tell that the other party was not lying. "I can't do anything for you..."

"After all, my situation is rather special..." Noah scratched his head awkwardly, "Don't blame you, it's just bad luck."

"Shining..." Nightingale, who was beside Shining, also grabbed Shining at this time. Facing the frank Noah, the sensitive Nightingale keenly caught the hint of self-hypnosis in the other party's words, so she forcibly ended the conversation.

She spoke only after pulling Shining away from the bed.

"She's not talking to you, nor is she comforting you." Nightingale closed her eyes, a sad expression on her face. "She's trying to convince herself."

"……I……"

"Now, we need to give her time to return to her original form... Shining." Nightingale continued, "She is strong enough now."

Nightingale could indeed understand Noah. After all, they did have some similarities, so she stopped Shining from making a false promise.

This might be a comfort to other patients, but for Noya, it was a scar that pierced her again and again. What she needed now was not a white lie, but time to accept it.

When Shining said this in front of Mainna, Mainna's eyes finally showed a ripple.

"Thank you for telling me this."

"Nothing, I just thought you should know this - after all, she considers you family."

Chapter 156: The Way of the Ranger

Noah was well aware of what had happened that night. To protect as many infected as possible from being killed and exploited by the No-Head Alliance, Noah not only had Marna work overtime, a rare opportunity, but also had Shining accompany her as a precaution. After all, if Marna and Shining acted together, no one in all of Casimir should be able to defeat them. According to Margaret, Shining's combat power even surpassed her own.

Although Noah found it hard to imagine that the Shining Doctor in front of him, who looked cold but was actually a good doctor, would draw his sword and chop people, Noah believed in Margaret's judgment and let the two of them act together.

With these two greats at the helm, the No-Horn Alliance had hit a wall. Furthermore, they had just negotiated with him about Sintelaia's career transition, leaving them feeling completely humiliated. However, as long as Noah remained as spokesperson, the No-Horn Alliance was truly helpless. As the saying goes, a single move can affect the entire body. Even though Roy was desperate, he didn't dare to violate his agreement with Noah.

After all, Noah swore an oath in the name of the Kirilet family. For a knight family, breaking this oath would be as shameful as throwing the knight family's emblem into the mud.

Roy was certain that Noah was indeed planning to take Xinteleya away from the Heroless Alliance at this price.

Compared to the money he lost today, the new spokesperson's promise is obviously more important, and Roy is not so confused about it.

After meeting Shining, Mainna did not leave with Shining. He did not think that his appearance was a good thing - after all, for those infected, the appearance of a noble lord from a knight family might be no different from the Heroesless Alliance coming to attack.

Before leaving, Maina simply said from a distance, "Noya isn't suited to a place like this. The atmosphere here is too chaotic and complex for her. Although she seems to be handling it with ease, I can actually sense her fatigue."

He really didn't look like a social animal at this moment. He raised his head slightly, and his golden hair no longer looked dull under the street light.

"You can tell her, and Margaret, how rotten lies beneath the Grand Knighthood's gleaming facade. I suggest you, all of you, leave here as soon as possible. Escape this era, an era where even the knightly nobility still yearns for the past, the bourgeoisie is arrogant, and the weak are as insignificant as grains of sand in the changing times. Pride and prejudice are a fortress that even the sharpest sword cannot break. I've tried, and my sword cannot hold back the march of time."

This is no longer a country of knights.

"Escape, escape is my answer."

"Then why didn't you flee?" Shining asked Mainna without turning back. "You could have taken the Linguang Family and left Casimir for somewhere else. You didn't need to act like a snake. No nation would ignore your strength and would only treat you with courtesy. But you, who offered such advice... why didn't you leave Casimir?"

“…” Mainna was stumped for the first time. Shining’s words were simple and easy to understand, but he did not give an answer immediately.

"I simply feel that, indeed, the weak are like grains of sand. However, no matter how strong a fortress is, it's ultimately built from tiny grains of sand. The weak may not be able to shake the times, but they are not incapable of changing the future." Shining slowly walked away. "Perhaps your path shouldn't stop here. On this point, I prefer Margaret's idea. Even if it means being shattered to pieces, you should try to charge towards the windmill's shadow."

Shining disappeared from Mainna's sight, but the words she just said made Mainna silent for a long time.

He put down the newspaper and picked up the sword hanging at his waist - how long had it been since this sword was truly unsheathed?

bass--

The sword was unsheathed, its cold light gleaming. Perhaps... she was right. He simply lacked the sharpness he once had.

After all, the future belongs to the young people.

-

"You, you, you, don't come over here!" At this moment, at the gate of the level, several infected knights looked at the shining head emerging from the darkness, their hearts almost beating out of their chests. "Damn it, are you from the No Helmet Alliance? You..."

"Bullshit! Can't you see that's a Sarkaz? There are Sarkaz in the Helmetless Alliance?!"

"Are the Sarkaz any good? What if they're mercenaries?"

"...I have no ill intentions." Shining, who had long been accustomed to the hostility of others towards the Sarkaz, showed no emotion and simply looked at the two of them gently. "The Helmetless Alliance has already left here."

"You...what did you say?" The infected knight, who hadn't recognized Shining as a Sarkaz at first, subconsciously relaxed when he heard this, and almost fell to the ground. "Thank God, I thought I was going to be glorious."

"Just now... I didn't see it clearly, but this Sarkaz seemed to be blocking the way of the No-Horned Alliance."

"How dare the Sarkaz go against the Helmetless Alliance..."

The two refugees looked at each other. The distrust in their eyes had not diminished, but the hostility was gone.

"I'm the Infected Doctor," Shining introduced herself, taking out the certificate she used in Rhodes Island and proof of her identity. "Can I come in?"

"A Sarkaz claiming to be a doctor for the infected? This... is too fake, isn't it?" Although the refugees' hostility had faded, they still found it a little unbelievable that a Sarkaz could actually be a doctor. "But... because it's so fake, I actually think she's not lying."

"Hey, I've seen this certificate. Is it from that... Roma... doctor? I've met the doctor there, and he's very kind. But... the food she brought us wasn't very tasty."

"What Roman Island? That's Rhodes Island. You must have lost your mind after eating Doctor Furong's nutritional meals. How could you actually eat that?"

"...I've been hungry for so many days, and finally I can have a full meal... When I'm hungry, I can eat anything." The refugee touched his stomach awkwardly. "Hunger is worse than anything else."

"Okay, what are you going to do?" Seeing that the topic was about to go off topic, the infected knight beside him quickly brought the topic back. "Okay, what are you... going to do?"

"Casimir has the means to provide medical treatment for the infected... If that's the case, why are you still hiding here? In the cracks of this city?" Shining asked doubtfully.

"You... aren't from Casimir?"

"Don't... most of the Casimir people don't know either, and... how can we be considered Casimir people..." The infected knight at the side curled his lips, "We are just infected."

"Wait a minute, you said you're an infected doctor, right?" The refugee suddenly became alert. "You... are from Plot Zero?"

"...I'm from a medical company, which is what you call Rhodes Island. And...is the site zero you mentioned the containment area?"

Shining felt the atmosphere shift after she said this. The refugees and infected knights instantly showed hostility, fear, and distrust, but after hearing about Rhodes Island, they still showed signs of struggle.

"Did I... say something wrong?"

Chapter 157: Fighting, Cool

"You really... aren't from Casimir, right? That's right, they hate the Sarkaz, just like they hate the Infected." The refugee, seemingly having received help from Rhodes Island, ultimately chose to believe Shining and said, "Sorry, I mean no harm. But this is the truth."

"If you're talking about dislike for the Sarkaz, I'm used to it." Shining asked gently, without any hint of anger. "I truly know nothing about Plot Zero. I've only ever been there when I was with Rhodes Island, and I haven't been to any other areas of Plot Zero."

"Is that so... then that's not surprising." The refugee seemed to accept Shining's reasoning and said, "Don't you find it strange? If they just needed to treat and house the infected, why would they set up such a large area? Such a large place, but only prepare such a small area for you... and they also strictly control you so that you can't wander around freely."

"Yes, I just feel it's strange..." Shining said and suddenly remembered a sentence Noah reminded her before they set off.

——Some things need to be seen to be believed. You may not believe it just because I tell you, so it’s better for you to go and ask in person.

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure about the specific situation. Could you explain it to me clearly?" This time, Shining adopted an attitude similar to that of listening to a stethoscope, serious and solemn, with even a hint of asking for advice.

"It's true that the infected are living there—but that's just a place to stay. And even though the land is large, it's impossible to accommodate all the infected."

"Indeed, the infected people in this camp are probably going to occupy a considerable area of ​​the land." Shining nodded, and the infected refugee continued speaking, taking up Shining's words.

"The per capita living area is pitifully small. It's more like imprisonment than living. Not only are they strictly monitored, but those infected with special skills are also forced to compete. The Infected Knight competition system... is much bloodier than those broadcast matches. It's even restricted online. You need to pay for a membership and confirm that you are an adult before you can watch the live broadcast. It's a murder live broadcast... a death game, raising poisonous insects."

“… unexpectedly…”

"Not only that, those who can't become knights will be forced to work like slaves, as miners, and porters. The environment is extremely dangerous. Moreover... they don't provide us with much protection, and there is no personal insurance... Landslides are common, and many people are buried."

"If you're injured... you can't even do that kind of work." The armless refugee nearby added, "Guess where those infected who can't create [profit] will go, outsider?"

"This..." Shining's eyes became somewhat unbelievable, "It's actually like this... No wonder, Noah..."

If Noah had told me this directly, I wouldn't have believed him, but he had already spoken from his own experience. This meant that something truly horrific was happening here...

This behavior is no different from the black mines in Ursus...

Is this still the Casimir who promoted being friendly to the infected?

"You think it's a hospital, and the knights think it's a prison. But for us infected people - it's neither." The refugee who lost an arm looked at the infected doctor in front of him and gave an embarrassed smile.

"It's a processing plant. We infected people are like livestock that have had our dignity stripped away, our values ​​ripped off, and finally sent to the chopping block to be slaughtered."

"That's a beautiful slaughterhouse, Sarkaz." The words of the Infected Knight obviously shocked Shining to some extent. She originally thought that Casimir was a country that was relatively gentle to the infected. After all, they at least allowed the infected to make money with their own hands. For Shining, the Infected Knight system was originally thought to be a system that was conducive to the employment of the infected, although there were still problems and difficulties in its implementation.

But...it's better than nothing, right?

I didn't expect that there was such a fact behind this.

Sarkaz are not considered human beings in most cases, but these infected ones... are even treated as livestock.

Indeed, if they hadn't told me this... I would never have believed it.

Noah... is right.

-

On the other hand, when Shining truly witnessed the ugliness of Plot Zero, in another place, two strange-looking men in black robes appeared in front of the Nightmare Chaser.

"...Who are you?" The Nightmare Chaser frowned. The two people in front of him obviously did not look like they were from Casimir. Except for the Helmetless Alliance, the people here basically considered wearing armor as an honor, so these two people in cloth robes looked particularly eye-catching.

"...Nightmare, ancient bloodline, filthy bloodline - you once stopped us from pursuing our king and ended our journey to the Horn of Origin." One of the black-robed men spoke.

"Therefore, we will offer your blood as a sacrifice before our king—he has returned to the world, and all the traitors must die."

"Don't curse us, descendants of nightmares, curse your filthy bloodline—"

“It is your honor to be the lamb for the burnt offering of my King’s resurrection.”

These two people, one on the left and one on the right, had very similar voices, both with a distorted feeling. This stereo reverberation made the Nightmare Chaser particularly irritated. There seemed to be a kind of magic in their voices, which was like a needle prick, particularly harsh and made people very uncomfortable.

"Shut up!" The Nightmare Chaser Knight still didn't know what the two guys in front of him were talking about, but he knew one thing.

——Fighting is fun.

Casimir is a city that never sleeps, and the Nightmare Chaser Knight, like a bird lost in the city lights, wandered aimlessly. He couldn't remember where he slept yesterday, under a bridge or on the side of the road. The feral warrior couldn't learn much from his experience, but at least he didn't need to dwell on it now. All he needed to do was slay the two strange creatures before him.

He likes such simple and crude event triggers——

Because there is no need to think, just fight.

He just hoped that this battle wouldn't end too soon, because he didn't want to think about where he would sleep today.

With his long sword thrust forward, the Nightmare Chaser Knight in armor leaped out from the darkness of the city, and with the cold reflection of his blade, he finally illuminated the entire masked face of the monster.

Chapter 158: Communication with Patients

"Even the beasts are far more noble than you."

The Nightmare Chaser Knight, covered in blood, sat on one of the black-robed men, unsure if the blood flowing through him was his own or theirs. While these two men were skilled in verbal combat, they weren't good with fists or kicks. One of them was chopped down in a few blows, and the other looked like he was about to cast a spell on him, but he just felt dizzy and didn't feel anything, so he just chopped him down.

Are these two people... here to make people laugh?

It was resolved so quickly that Nightmare Chaser Knight hadn't even gotten excited yet, and he was already feeling a bit bored. He didn't kill the two men outright, though. After all, he still had to defeat Glory Knight and reclaim the princess. Disqualifying for murder would be too much fun. But he took them, just two arms, one on the left and one on the right, chopping them off with considerable skill. Perhaps his obsessive-compulsive disorder would be pleased.

This thing wasn't even worthy of being a trophy on his journey—it was too weak, and that strange, piercing sound…it had no effect on him at all.