Arknights, I'm going to beat Kal'tsit, really?

Page 45

"Sigh... That's right, Huijie is indeed infected. She has an upright personality and serves as a police inspector in the Security Bureau, often fighting on the front lines. This injury was caused by an accident."

Wei Yanwu ultimately abandoned his plan to silence her. Given the size of Rhine Life, there was no need to use this as leverage. Chen's status as an infected person would at most affect her personal career, but wouldn't harm Lungmen. However, Wei Yanwu's original intention was for her to succeed him at Lungmen, and in the current world, it was incredibly difficult for an infected person to attain a high position. Although Yan Kingdom didn't oppress the infected as much as Ursus, discrimination and fear still existed.

What if Rhine Life Sciences develops a way to completely cure Oripathy in the future?

"..."

Wei Yanwu didn't reply, turning his gaze to Kal'tsit, trying to glean a possibility from the expert's face. Kal'tsit's expression, however, grew even more grim—she and Theresa, using the Black Crown's access privileges, had been deeply researching Oripathy and Originium, but had only made initial progress. Was Rhine Lab exaggerating? No, they had indeed released information about this quite some time ago.

Has Rhodes Island fallen so far behind? Kal'tsit felt a sense of defeat for the first time. Although she had actually lost to Kane in actual combat long ago, that was in terms of physical strength—just as a cultured student wouldn't deliberately compete in physical strength with an athletic student, she had always known her weakness in combat, so she had always devoted herself to academic research. Now, Rhine Lab had actually solved the problem that she had been studying for thousands of years?

Ultimately, Longmen reached cooperation agreements with both companies, with top-tier contract terms. The deeper layers of collaboration, naturally, remained unwritten, existing only in the minds of the three leaders.

Leaving the governor's mansion, Kal'tsit caught up with Kane and Mon3tr. Her target wasn't Mon3tr, but Kane.

"Who are you? How do you know those things?!"

After her defeat, Kal'tsit immediately recalled the previous intelligence—Rhine Labs had obtained the Doctor's blood sample; they knew of the Doctor's existence, of the pre-existing civilization, and of the existence of "humanity"! She knew that Columbia had been excavating the relics of the pre-existing civilization and even had connections with its most prominent members. But she had once believed that the Terran civilization, limited by its own constraints, was unable to glimpse the true face of the pre-existing civilization. After all, to the Terrans, "humanity" was merely a broad category based on racial characteristics. Tailless, earless, scaleless, featherless, hornless, and auraless smooth humans? They had never seen anything like it.

"How would I know? I know everything—or, that might remind you of something."

Kane no longer concealed himself, activating a disguise spell he hadn't used in a long time. The gray wolf's ears, tail, and tail gradually transformed into Sarkaz horns and a long tail. His once sharp face became sinister and cold—the Sarkaz mercenary "Cain" reappeared.

Chapter 104 The Argument Between Kal'tsit and Kane

"Cain!? *Pre-civilizational profanity*... It's you!"

The instant Kane's expression changed, Kal'tsit almost instinctively took a half-step back, assuming a defensive stance. However, her scholarly and medical background made the movement clumsy and awkward. Her perpetually poker face completely crumbled; her beautiful features were now contorted, a mixture of hatred, wariness, and fear contorting her into a grotesque expression. If Rhodes Island operators saw Kal'tsit like this, they would likely be terrified.

Why was she so afraid of Kane? Throughout these millennia, she had not been without being driven to the brink of despair, and blades had pierced her body more than once. But the Twin Cycle System remained her strength; death was not the end for her, but merely a long slumber. Like a player aware of their cheat-like abilities, they naturally wouldn't fear ordinary opponents—but Kane's "cheat" was on a higher level. He knew how to disable Kal'tsit's cheat; the removal of Mon3tr rendered her reliance completely ineffective. That crushing defeat robbed her of the composure she had maintained for millennia.

"You should have realized this sooner, shouldn't you? Mon3tr is right behind me. Besides us, who else can truly control her?"

Kane no longer concealed himself; the disguise faded like ripples on water, the Sarkaz mercenary's disguise vanished, revealing his true appearance. In the future, this face would undoubtedly be etched in the memories of Rhodes Island's elite operators. But he didn't care—he had absolute confidence that Rhodes Island could no longer threaten him.

"Us? As expected... just as you said, I should have thought of it sooner, but I was just unwilling to believe it and deceiving myself. You and I are the same—also products of Project Ama?!"

Though it was phrased as a question, Kal'tsit was already certain in her heart. She was truly foolish—if the Doctor could create her, why couldn't Prismus leave behind another "Ama"? It was her arrogance and negligence that led to today's defeat.

“Yes, my dear sister. Do you know how much you have hurt our mother? They poured so much love and hope into you, and you tried to thwart her plans… Isn’t that a shameful betrayal?”

Kane's words were laced with sarcasm. Kal'tsit, as the sole successful product of Project Ama, lived a far more comfortable life than him, a "defective product," at least her squandering of time and life was nothing short of extravagant. He, on the other hand, had been forced to lick the blade just to survive… No one likes a life of constant uncertainty. Fortunately, he wasn't completely abandoned—the favor of Originium made him invincible on the Terra battlefield; Infected, casters wielding Originium arts, and warriors using Originium weapons were no match for him!

“Since you share the same origin as me, you should understand even more how insane her plan is! The entire Terra will be destroyed because of it! All life, along with everything they created, including all the traces you left on this land, will cease to exist!”

"...So, what brilliant idea do you have? Aside from her plan, can the Terrans really withstand that unknown calamity on their own? Think about it! Their communication can't even cross cities, the various races are irreconcilable enemies, and they're constantly fighting each other over the ridiculous Oripathy. Let such a disorganized bunch save the world? Ama-10, don't you think that idea itself is utterly ridiculous?!"

Kane's anger was not without reason. If possible, wouldn't he also yearn for a happy ending for all? He was not a bloodthirsty madman. But looking at Terra, incessant internal strife and fragmentation meant that even the limited technology left behind by the Preservators was like a foreign language to them, let alone how to deal with a catastrophe capable of destroying a previous civilization.

If Kane hadn't known the impending crisis, he could have easily indulged in the current prosperity like those decadent nobles, living a comfortable life as a wealthy man in Colombia. He could have easily and comfortably dumped the burden of saving the world on the so-called "savior."

But he already knew the truth—those prosperous city-states and splendid lives could vanish in the next instant. Once he realized this, anxiety began to creep in like vines.

Admittedly, Project Originium might "end" everything that exists on Terra; but ultimately, Prissis will stop that destructive light. No one knows where Terra will go, but at least the spark of civilization will continue on Titan. Kane is willing to take his loved ones and settle down in that new land. This is the path he has chosen, and for it, he will spare no effort to assist Project Originium until the crisis is completely quelled.

"Indeed... as you said, the Terra civilization is in utter chaos. The infected from Ursus are still being sent to the mines in droves, the farmers of Kazimir are burdened with heavy taxes, and Agor is drifting further and further away on the wrong course. But regardless of their origin, every life has the right to control its own destiny—the Terra civilization was born from Originium, whether this was her plan or a mistake is no longer important. What is important is that the meaning of life is given by themselves, not by a creator. This... is the lesson he once taught me."

At this, Kal'tsit's gaze hardened once more. She would never betray the beautiful vision the Doctor had placed in her, nor would she betray the life he had given her. She would carry out his will to the very last moment.

"Ha... Indeed, your argument with me is pointless. The real key lies in their disagreement. You choose to support the Doctor, while I choose to stand with her."

Indeed, the conflict between Kane and Kal'tsit is inconclusive. Their goals are actually aligned: to combat the unknown catastrophe; they are kindred spirits. Their differing ideologies stem from two geniuses—like projections of the Doctor and Priscilla, just as neither could ultimately convince the other.

If the Doctor and Prissis were truly of one mind, then Kal'tsit's actions would be nothing short of utter betrayal. But the Doctor and Prissis have long since parted ways... Now, the relationship between the four is like that of a broken, divorced family: the older brother follows their mother, the younger sister supports their father, and each steadfastly holds onto the side they support.

"Then you should keep a close eye on the Doctor—I met him shortly after he awoke. I'm curious whether he'll change after losing all his memories? Perhaps... overturning his past self?"

"You *pre-civilizational swearer*! What did you do to the Doctor?!"

"Nothing much, just... I told him that name. Kal'tsit, my dear sister, good luck—oh, and by the way, thank Mon3tr properly. She threatened to self-destruct, forcing me to spare your life. Otherwise—"

Kane's figure flashed forward like a ghost, instantly closing in on Kal'tsit's side. Due to the height difference, she had to look up to meet Kane's gaze.

“I should have killed you back in the time of the Tower of Babel.”

The mundane threat reached her ears, yet the woman, who had lost her means of immortality, showed no fear. Her burning gaze met Kane's, her confidence not stemming from Mon3tr's pleas—but from the Doctor. Amidst this dramatic ups and downs, Kal'tsit's confusion dissipated, and she even felt a pang of pity and sympathy for her "brother."

Clearly, his relationship with Precys was not as close as he portrayed it—at least, it was far less intimate than the bond between Kal'tsit and the Doctor.

She recalled many long-forgotten memories. Back then, she didn't yet have the name "Kal'tsit," but the Doctor took meticulous care of her, guiding her step by step to understand the world. In the end, he never treated her as a tool, but instead bestowed upon her the name "Kal'tsit" along with the meaning of life.

How did Priscilla treat Kane? Did she name him "Kane Mordred"? No… that's not her naming style. That absolutely rational scientist probably only numbers her experimental products, not names them. As Kane himself said, he never received love from his creator. Instead, it was the Doctor, that kind old man, who, shortly after they met, under immense pressure, tormented by the decision to assassinate Theresa, and in the split seconds between calmly accepting death—left Kane a path of possibility.

Kane ultimately let him down—so Kane now feels guilty towards the Doctor. That's probably why he helped the Doctor recover his health and allowed him and Rhodes Island to leave safely.

“Even though the Doctor has lost all his memories, I still believe in him. I, and everyone on Rhodes Island, believe that he can find a better future.”

“I’m looking forward to it. Let’s go, Mon3tr. Look at her energy, she’s definitely not going to die for another hundred years. Even if you want to plead for her, wait until a hundred years from now.”

Kane turned and left; he had said everything he needed to say to Kal'tsit. As for what would happen next… he didn't think she had the power to interfere. After all, the sarcophagus deep within Rhodes Island was gradually awakening as the Doctor approached.

"Kal'tsit...take care of yourself."

Mon3tr looked at Kal'tsit with a face full of worry. Only when facing her did Kal'tsit soften her coldness and become gentle... This was the first time in ten thousand years that Mon3tr had shown such a demeanor. Mon3tr had never understood the benefits of human form and had always existed in the form of a beast. Kal'tsit understood—it was actually to better protect her.

Now, she no longer needs to be a burden; she can walk on this land on her own two feet. Kal'tsit has already found the meaning of her life; now, it's Mon3tr's turn.

"Don't worry about me. Warfarin and the others have been keeping an eye on my health. But you... it's your first time operating in this form, so you must be experiencing a lot of discomfort... Take care of yourself, and if necessary—even if you have to abandon me, it won't matter."

A pang of regret rose in Kal'tsit's heart, not directed at Kane, but at Mon3tr. If she could return to her side, they would have endless things to talk about, and their relationship would surely be even closer than before... Perhaps, she could fulfill some of her responsibilities as an "older sister."

"Cough cough."

Unfortunately, the heartless man urged him on. Not daring to escalate the situation further, Mon3tr could only hastily bid farewell to Kal'tsit and quickly chase after Kane's receding figure.

Kal'tsit stood alone, watching the figure disappear around the street corner. The lamplight cast a long, lonely shadow, making her appear desolate and cold.

"How does it feel?"

"What does it feel like?"

Hearing Kane's question, Mon3tr tilted his head in confusion.

"My feeling upon seeing her... was as you wished. Although I was somewhat displeased, I did not lay a hand on her."

As several women with close relationships with Kane summarized, his outward appearance and actions may seem fierce and cruel, but these are merely means to an end when necessary. In reality, he is inherently kind, a kindness he himself is not even fully aware of. He considers Mon3tr family, and therefore, out of consideration for her, he has been exceptionally lenient towards Kal'tsit.

“She looks…very tired. I’m a little worried. But don’t worry, boss, I know my limits and won’t help Rhodes Island.”

Mon3tr also respects and loves Kane. Having lived alongside both of them, she is the most qualified to speak on this matter—she believes neither Kal'tsit nor Kane are bad people, and she also has a favorable impression of the Doctor, though she only has a vague recollection of the name Precys. If possible, she sincerely hopes they can reconcile, so that no one will have to suffer.

Using the analogy of the broken family from before, compared to the mature eldest son and daughter, Mon3tr is more like the neglected younger sister. Both factions welcome her, and she thus sees the bigger picture clearly. She longs for Kane and Kal'tsit to reconcile, and for the Doctor and Prestis to get back together. How wonderful that would be…

What your heart desires, you should strive to pursue; what your will leads you, you should work hard to achieve.

This is one of the lessons Mon3tr learned after coming into contact with human society—she is extremely proactive, seeking knowledge on the spot when she doesn't understand something, and pestering her acquaintances at Rhine Lab with questions when she doesn't know something.

At this moment, she also made up her mind to take action in the future and do her part to repair this fragile "family relationship".

Yes! Just like Sister Muirsey did.

She had asked Mon3tr to frequently mention her good qualities to Kane, as she did indeed take good care of herself. Although Mon3tr didn't fully understand the deeper meaning behind this, Sister Muirsey called it "impression management over time," seemingly trying to make the eldest brother like her more.

Mon3tr felt she could follow suit, gradually making Kane less resistant to Kal'tsit; the same applied to Kal'tsit herself. As for the Doctor and Precyth... she would also muster the courage to try!

Thinking about the possible perfect future, Mon3tr couldn't help but get excited. His pace changed from a jog to a light hop, and a smile even appeared on his face.

Kane shook his head as he watched Mon3tr grinning to himself.

See? Kal'tsit really isn't good with kids. The moment she left, the child was overjoyed. We'd better keep Mon3tr away from her in the future, lest she pick up that perpetually old and gloomy aura of a dowdy old woman. A sunny, lively, and beautiful young woman shouldn't end up like her.

Kal'tsit, who had been secretly plotted against by Kane, received a detailed report from Amiya about her trip to Rhodes Island after returning to the main ship.

She carefully flipped through the pages, and when she finally saw Amiya's record of the "conversation between the two parties," she was so angry that she almost cursed out loud—that bastard Kane was indeed good at making up stories; his lips would utter a string of lies the moment he opened his mouth.

At that time, Kane was still in the incubation chamber and unable to sense the outside world, but Kal'tsit had truly lived with the two creators.

Their relationship was indeed close; among the many project leaders, Precys and the Prophet were a couple that everyone tacitly approved of—but they were not husband and wife! The Doctor and Precys had a Platonic love, but before they could take the final step, it was put on hold due to the increasingly intense arguments and disagreements that followed.

Chapter 105 Texas

While both Rhodes Island and Rhine Lab established partnerships with Lungmen, the responsibilities Rhodes Island bears are clearly far greater than those of Rhodes Island. This difference stems from their fundamentally different natures. Rhodes Island is an organization primarily composed of Infected individuals, while Rhine Lab, although having Infected employees, is entirely comprised of non-Infected management. Therefore, their respective "positions" are self-evident.

Therefore, although Wei Yanwu verbally praised Rhodes Island, he ultimately couldn't escape the mindset of mainstream Terran society. In his eyes, infected individuals were like mobile sources of danger, and he could never fully trust them. Moreover, there was the Reunion Movement as a living example; who could say that Rhodes Island wouldn't become the next Reunion Movement? After all, wasn't the Reunion Movement initially an idealistic self-defense organization of infected individuals?

Ultimately, Rhodes Island was placed under the Lungmen Guard in military operations, tasked with handling the crisis and extinguishing any potential dangers outside Lungmen.

In contrast, Rhine Lab's situation was much easier. After receiving direct authorization from Wei Yanwu, these infected veterans from the Defense Section were granted the right to travel freely to Lungmen, and Kane gave the members of the Defense Section a short leave.

"Remember, you only have two days. Try to limit your activities to the inner ring of Lungmen—thanks to Lungmen's inclusiveness and openness, this area is home to shops from almost every country in Terra, so you can bring back some gifts for your family and friends. The outer ring has a more down-to-earth feel to Lungmen, but you know what the current situation is like."

"The Reunion Movement has probably infiltrated us. The outer ring of Lungmen is a mixed bag, and it's difficult to effectively control it with just the forces from the Security Bureau."

See, with such excellent individual skills, leading a team is much easier. Without Kane needing to explicitly point it out, the veterans of the defense department already sensed the impending storm. They all tacitly avoided discussing the outer ring road, but they all knew it was best to stay away from that area for now.

They retained only the bare minimum of weapons. Although they still possessed considerable combat capability, they were no longer able to carve a bloody path like Chernobog. They knew that it was no longer appropriate for them to actively get involved in the conflict.

"Just keep that in mind. If any unlucky soul manages to go to the outer ring road and gets caught, all I can do is probably pay compensation. Be careful, everyone disperse!"

"Don't worry, Director, we wouldn't dare die before we get to drink your wedding wine."

A few of the bolder ones even dared to joke about Kane. While other departments within Rhine Labs might still be somewhat unaware of their director's background, the Defense Section, having followed him the longest, knew a thing or two. They knew their superior was young, wealthy, exceptionally capable, and handsome—just witnessing the hellish battles he would later face was worth the pay cut!

"Fuck off!"

"Yes, sir!"

Rhine Lab personnel scattered. Although Lungmen was about to face catastrophe, the inner ring remained one of Terra's most prosperous areas. The war would most likely break out in the outer ring, leaving the inner ring with some buffer.

Kane looked back and saw the building behind her being cleared out systematically. Mon3tr, wearing a hard hat with holes in both sides, acted as a temporary safety officer, enthusiastically directing the moving company workers with a baton; when necessary, she would also personally carry overweight items. This building was proof of Wei Yanwu's fulfillment of his promise—to allocate the best location in downtown Lungmen to Rhine Life. Renovation work would gradually begin, but Kane only hoped it would remain intact after this storm.

With his subordinates all in positions of authority, what are Kane's own plans?

His Qi-style shirt is another of the nine wonders (Part 4) + The target is an inconspicuous bar in Lungmen. Although it is not well-known, it is ranked at the top in the "Lungmen Travel Guide" given to him by Mostima. There are two reasons for this: First, the owner has a wide supply of goods and the variety of alcoholic beverages is extremely complete. Even the famous Gallic wines whose production process has been lost can be found in stock; second, the music taste in the bar is excellent. It abandons the noisy DJs and vulgar songs of ordinary bars and instead plays many expensive vinyl records, including some of the owner's own compositions.

At this point, those who have even a slight familiarity with the Legend of Lungmen have probably already guessed it. This bar is called "The End of the Earth," and its owner is none other than one of Terra's most prominent figures—Emperor Penguin.

His most well-known identity in Longmen is that of the owner of Penguin Logistics. This logistics company is severely understaffed, and the maximum number of orders it can handle at any given time is only a few dozen. With such inefficiency, it should be impossible for it to grow into a large and powerful company.

However, just as there are different grades of alcohol and records, Penguin Logistics provides that kind of "privileged" service. What sets them apart from ordinary logistics companies is their unparalleled security—they can transport anything and everything, and deliver on their missions—personnel, dangerous goods, weapons, confidential documents… Employers don't need to worry about leaks; after all, there's no precedent for this.

For ordinary people, Penguin Logistics is just an urban legend; but for many politicians and wealthy businessmen, it is an essential, secretive channel for unforeseen circumstances.

This bar is extremely difficult for ordinary people to find, as the Emperor has no intention of making its name known, lest it attract "tasteless vulgarity" and tarnish his territory. Therefore, it cannot be found on ordinary maps.

But Kane had his own connections—Mostima was also a member of Penguin Logistics, and although she wasn't as prominent as the others, she knew the rendezvous points, safe houses, and code words like the back of her hand. Guided by her map, Kane found "The End of the Earth" without much effort.

The sign at the entrance read "Closed," indicating that it was indeed not open for business at the time.

But Kane didn't care about any of that and went straight in.

Sure enough, as soon as the door opened, a series of rhythmic and melodious curses could be heard.

"Which idiot is it? Didn't your parents teach you to read? Can't you see me now that we're not open for business?"

"Wow... what a coincidence! My parents never taught me that. Perhaps you could go and talk to them about it and show some interest in children's education?"

"*Longmen swear words*! How come it's you?"

Upon realizing that this was someone he couldn't afford to offend, the Emperor's attitude instantly and nimbly changed. With a flap of his wings, he deftly pushed a bottle of wine in front of Kane.

"What? I was hoping you could have a good talk with my parents."

"I'm not done living yet. Only a fool like Zaro would do something so reckless."

During their last meeting, the Emperor found Kane troublesome but couldn't quite grasp his true strength. Afterwards, he naturally consulted Mark Max, presumably the former president had "kindly" warned his old friend. Now, the Emperor was exceptionally confident; if he fell into the hands of those two, his immortality would likely become a joke.

"Is, go and get my bottle of treasure."

"Okay, Boss, just a moment."

The Emperor eagerly approached Kane, nimbly leaping onto a high stool and instructing the third person in the shop to carry out the task. The being standing behind the bar was extremely obedient—wearing a clearly bespoke black suit, gloves concealing his hands, his face above the collar was completely black, with only a red slit running across his lower body, and his white hair standing on end on either side of his head and a long, thin black tail behind him, making it difficult to determine his race.

Kane quietly used his Originium Perception—and as expected, found nothing. Judging from appearance, he wasn't a Beast Lord, but he was probably no ordinary person either.

"I'm a layman when it comes to music, so I won't comment. But when it comes to collecting people, you're definitely a top-notch collector."

Kane commented. The members of Penguin Logistics are all talented individuals, with complementary personalities, compatible abilities, and each possessing a fascinating story. The Emperor himself, who brought them all together, is quite interesting.

“Your Rhine Life is no ordinary company either—I’m even keeping an eye on you guys at my record label in Columbia. Records and technology, what a wonderful combination.”

“It’s different. The directors at Rhine Life were all recruited through normal personnel channels. I didn’t personally invite them one by one.”

Of the directors of Rhine Life, only the initial three were connected to Kane; the rest relied on Yara's connections and insight.

"Hmph, lifespan is too long, there will always be times when it gets boring. When that happens, you'll have to rely on these interesting guys to keep you awake. You'd better get used to it soon."