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

Page 51

Huang silently took two steps back and hid behind the two seniors, but still couldn't help but peek at Kane—after all, there aren't many people who can be remembered by all the elite operators of Rhodes Island.

"Rhodes Island personnel are assembled, Commander Chen."

"Alright... then, let's go! Objective: Seize control of Chernobog's core city and stop it before it crashes into Lungmen!" Chen and the Rhodes Island commanders all held signal flares. If the operation succeeded, they would use these to notify Lungmen; if it failed... Lungmen would have no choice but to open fire to intercept it. At that point, it wouldn't be a small matter of two mobile cities; Yan and Ursus might be engulfed in flames.

In addition to providing weapons, equipment, and personnel support, Lungmen also maintained a 24-hour continuous communication with Ursus, attempting to ascertain the latter's true intentions. After all, Ursus was deeply divided and divided; some wanted to launch a war to rebuild everything, while others wanted to proceed step by step and gradually achieve their goals.

All personnel boarded the small warships in an orderly fashion. Lungmen was not a military-type mobile city-state, so it was naturally not equipped with high-speed warships or large armies.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Kane and Mon3tr, these two "unofficial personnel," were assigned to the Rhodes Island ships, which also had a small number of staff.

The already tense atmosphere froze the moment they stepped into the cabin.

An ordinary field team might be fearless out of "ignorance," but the elite operators knew Kane was dangerous. In the end, Kal'tsit had no choice but to place Kane right under her nose—that is, surrounded by Rhodes Island's elite operators.

Kane appears to be in a disadvantageous position, but if that were truly the case, the expressions of the Rhodes Island members would not be so grave.

"Mon3tr, you've gone home. If everything were as usual, you should be standing next to Kal'tsit right now, shouldn't you?"

"...But I'm your subordinate now, boss."

"Did you hear that, Dr. Kal'tsit? It seems our Rhine Labs employee benefits are more attractive," Kane said jokingly, but this did nothing to ease Kal'tsit's mood; instead, it caused her already dangerously high blood pressure to spike again.

She ignored him, turning her head away with a straight face, pretending not to see him. She vaguely sensed that Kane would be more cautious and restrain his words and actions whenever the Doctor was present.

“Look at Mon3tr, old women are so hard to get along with. Don’t end up like her.”

Swish—The Rhodes Island elite operators, whose lips were already tightly pressed together, pursed even more, and lowered their heads. Even though Kane was an enemy, these words almost made them break down—he dared to call Dr. Kal'tsit an "old woman"?

Kal'tsit is highly respected for her conduct and extensive knowledge. The operators all regard her as an admirable elder, and implicitly, they do treat her as an older person. During private drinks, some of the bolder ones have even inquired about Kal'tsit's real age from veteran Sarkaz members.

But calling her "old woman" to her face was a first for me.

“Mr. Mordred, please have some self-respect. In terms of age, you are older than me.” At this point, Kal'tsit acknowledged Kane’s status as his “elder brother.”

But Kane doesn't care about age at all—after all, most of the time, he's not even aware of it.

"But I have a younger mindset, don't I? Perhaps you should learn from me. For example, change out of this old-fashioned uniform and try a fluffy skirt? Oh—by the way, I'm currently lacking a maid, so why not consider switching jobs?" The elite agents all kept their eyes downcast, turning into wooden or clay sculptures—they knew nothing and saw anything that happened here today.

Kal'tsit strongly suspected that Kane's "years of activity" were questionable—she was clearly using the past to make a veiled criticism. After all, she had indeed disguised herself as a maid back then in order to infiltrate the investigation.

"Dr. Kal'tsit is a respectable elder, much better than a scoundrel like you!" Just as the elite operators remained silent and Kal'tsit gritted her teeth inwardly, a soft, gentle voice rang out resolutely. It was Rosemary, the petite of the operators, who stepped forward, pointing directly at Kane and demanding that he retract his mockery of Kal'tsit.

"Wow... what an adorable kitten. Sigh, Rhodes Island is really something. It's one thing for the CEO to be a little bunny, but they even have kids among their combatants? Hey, hey, you grown men can't possibly rely on little girls for protection, can you?" Kane didn't care at all about Rosemary's anger—when you're cute enough, even anger seems insignificant.

Instead, he used the opportunity to launch another attack on Rhodes Island.

But this time, Kal'tsit found an opportunity to refute: "You founded a technology company in Columbia, so you should know about the Loken tank incident. How many people died because of the military's greed and ignorance? Rosemary was the only survivor—Rhodes Island would never treat human life so carelessly as Loken Labs. I hope Rhine Labs will do the same."

This wasn't said in anger, but rather as a plea for advice from a pharmaceutical company leader to Kane. Despite their many disagreements, Rhine Lab had indeed developed a low-cost Oripathy inhibitor, whose contribution to infected patients even surpassed that of Rhodes Island, which suffered from insufficient production capacity. If Rhine Lab could stay true to its principles, its future might not be so bleak.

But Kal'tsit was deeply worried—Kane's methods never seemed to consider "life." If possible… she hoped Rosemary would withdraw from this operation. If she piqued Kane's interest, Columbia might once again unleash a frenzy of human experimentation.

"Who do you think I am? I'm not a fool like Loken. I admit—the results of Loken's tank are incredibly tempting: a teenage girl with the ability to instantly destroy a top-level protected laboratory. But Loken's folly lies in its application—why choose an innocent child? Her body can't withstand such a huge burden, and she can't control this power."

"Power should be given to those who seek it. Which soldier or warrior is more suitable than an innocent child? Loken's choice... ugh, it makes me want to vomit. Columbia may develop biotechnology in the future, but it will never be used on children. I also feel sorry and regretful about what happened to this child. Little girl, if you want—Rhine Lab might be able to remove the burden on you and turn you back into an ordinary child."

"That's enough! Her body can't handle any more surgeries. If you really think that way, you might as well try to fix the current situation in Columbia. Even now, many people are still being subjected to Columbia's experiments."

Kal'tsit declined Kane's offer because of the rosemary issue. She had communicated with the Melander Foundation, and when they discussed human experimentation, they simply sighed and shook their heads.

"After this, I will organize relevant actions. But Kal'tsit, don't you find it ridiculous? Didn't Theresa's ideal include ensuring all children receive an education and grow up without worries? Now you're sending a child to the battlefield. Is this your so-called ideal and pursuit?" It must be said that Kane had reached a mastery of verbal sparring. He could always pinpoint the most painful spot amidst a sea of ​​words.

Upon hearing the name "Theresa," nearly half the people in the cabin suddenly changed color.

"How dare you mention that prince!?"

"Cain—you were there too, weren't you!"

"quiet!"

Just as several former members of the Tower of Babel were about to be consumed by rage, a cold voice cut through the commotion. Purple mist rose, and Ascalon's figure gradually solidified, standing before Kane—but not in a fighting stance. When It came to Theresia, she became the calmest of them all.

"Looks like you've found out quite a bit? What—if I said I killed Theresa, would you believe me?"

“You have nothing to do with His Highness’s death… Your real target is Mon3tr. The one who killed His Highness… was someone else.”

“I know who the murderer is. I was there at the time, I witnessed it firsthand. Do you need me to tell you? But the price for this answer… will be very high.” Kane coaxed patiently. If they could pry open Rhodes Island’s most important “dark blade,” just dealing with the endless stream of spies and assassins would be enough to overwhelm Kal’tsit.

“Your answer is a lie.” Ascalon rejected the suggestion outright and disappeared from everyone’s sight once more.

Was the answer a lie, or was it something she simply refused to accept? Only she herself knew the answer.

Chapter 113 The Patriots' March

"All personnel, prepare for landing!" Chen Huijie's strong and penetrating voice echoed across the deck through the communicator.

"Guards and Shieldbearers form the vanguard. Your mission is to seize the landing point and create an opening for the follow-up forces. Warlocks and archers, complete your final checks. We need a sweeping barrage to clear the battlefield. Medics, be on standby!"

Although Rhodes Island's forces included many experienced veterans, the Lungmen Guard Bureau retained battlefield command according to the agreement. Chen Huijie, who had studied at the Royal Military Academy Victoria, was indeed more familiar with the pace of large-scale amphibious operations than Rhodes Island, which specialized in special operations. Command would only be transferred to the Doctor once the vanguard had established a foothold—that commander possessed a terrifying ability to perceive the ever-changing battlefield; no subtle shift escaped his notice. Even the proud Chen had to admit that the Doctor was the most astute tactical mastermind she had ever encountered.

In stark contrast to the tense atmosphere around him, Kane appeared nonchalant. His formidable strength granted him the composure to remain calm. Throughout the entire Reunion Movement, only two people truly mattered to him: Patriot and Talulah. And both suffered from Oripathy—a weakness that would be their fatal flaw in Kane's eyes.

"Yin Sanwu Nijiu Liushan Launch Cableway!"

With a command, countless landing cables pierced the smoke and cut through the sky, establishing a passage between the Lungmen ships and the city of Chernobog. Rhodes Island and the Vanguard Forces surged onto the mobile city like a tidal wave, immediately engaging in fierce combat with the vigilant Reunion Movement forces upon landing. A Reunion Movement signal flare hissed into the sky, announcing the start of all-out war.

"The enemy warlock group is charging up!"

"Spread out! Take cover! Scout, great job!"

"Sing Sir and Chan Sir have broken into the enemy lines!"

"Don't worry, Rhodes Island's elite operators are providing flank cover. We'll hold the line!"

Although the battlefield was chaotic, the battle lines were clearly visible. Leveraging the superior individual skill of their soldiers, the Allied forces were gradually gaining control. As more troops landed, assault teams led by elite agents began advancing towards the core command tower.

Their objective was to prevent Chernobog from crashing into the Dragon Gate, and they needed to finish the job quickly. Kane had no interest in clearing out the remaining enemies; he and Mon3tr took to the air, overlooking the battle from a high vantage point.

The Reunion Movement's ragtag troops are not a concern; the real threat comes from Patriot's regular army and possibly the Ursus main force lurking in the shadows.

Kane had already made the existence of the Black Serpent public. As a force within the shadows of Ursus, it had colluded with the pro-war faction for many years. Wei Yanwu and Kal'tsit both believed that, in order to quickly seize the strategic location of Lungmen when war broke out, the Ursus regular army it had colluded with had likely already infiltrated Chernobog, though its whereabouts were unknown.

Just as Kane was searching for lurking enemies, a black halberd pierced the air. A familiar death meteor rose from the ground, aiming straight for Kane in mid-air. Patriot had made his move—compared to the complex terrain of the ground battlefield, Kane, hovering in the air and posing a significant threat, was undoubtedly the best target.

Without Kane needing to move, Mon3tr had already flashed forward. A jet of dark green laser erupted, colliding violently with the black halberd. The violent energy stream was torn apart by the halberd's blade, transforming into several streaks of flame that crashed to the ground, destroying buildings along the way. When the halberd finally struck Mon3tr, its power was almost completely depleted; it was clamped firmly in her four claws and snapped in two.

This breathtaking clash was witnessed by everyone. The Rhodes Island and Guard Bureau soldiers swallowed hard in unison—if this attack were aimed at them, it would probably take several elite operators working together to withstand it, and they would have to rely on Rosemary as the core.

Yet such a terrifying attack seemed effortless to the legendary Wendigo warrior. Even more chilling was Kane's composure—he even had the leisure to analyze the aftershocks of the attack.

Mon3tr... has become stronger than ever before.

Kal'tsit gazed up at Mon3tr, her halberd shattered in mid-air, her heart filled with shock. As her lifelong companion and closest friend, she understood Mon3tr's limits better than anyone. Mon3tr was strong, but still inferior to the true inhabitants of Terra. At the very least, Kal'tsit wasn't confident she could command her in a sustained battle against the Patriots.

In Kane's hands, the "weakened" Mon3tr, transformed into human form, displayed power surpassing its previous strength.

"Finally couldn't hold back any longer... Bozokasti."

The sound of synchronized footsteps rang out, and the chaotic Reunion Movement scrambled to make way, glancing fearfully behind them. A "wall" was slowly advancing.

It was an army that inspired despair. Patriot stood at the front, with Ursus shieldbearers arrayed behind him. These were not warriors like Ace who wielded half-shields—each one was as large as a mountain, clad in the heaviest full armor of Ursus, and wielding tower shields that required three or four strong men to lift.

Each one of them alone is enough to conquer cities and fortresses on the battlefield, tearing through defenses like a humanoid warship. And when they converge into an iron torrent, they become a moving wall—able to stop and destroy everything.

"Rhodes Island...and Lungmen..."

"Bozokasti, it's been a long time."

The two armies faced off, each scrutinizing the other. Among these young men, perhaps only Kel'Thuzad was qualified to speak with him.

"Bozokaste, the you I remember is not a bloodthirsty person. It was precisely because of this integrity that you left the turbulent Kazdel. Why are you now helping Talulah commit massacres?"

Kal'tsit couldn't understand. Could Ursus's ideology really be enough to corrupt a steadfast Sarkaz warrior? The Wendigo were a terrifying race—they inherited their power and memories by devouring the remains of their blood relatives. But Bozokasti was an outcast; he abhorred this bloody tradition. Yet, for the sake of the war in Kazdel, every Wendigo received the corpse of their parents—only in this way could they rapidly grow into fighting force. To prevent his race from perishing in this cycle of suffering, he pleaded with Theresa to leave Kazdel.

The gentle sorcerer King also granted Bozokasti's request, allowing the Wendigo clan to relocate as a whole.

Ultimately, the first emperor of Ursus recognized his abilities and ideals, accepting the Wendigo clan to guard the northern borders of Ursus and defend against the demons. To the Ursus people, the demons were a great threat; but to the ancient Sarkaz, they were not invincible.

Bozokasty's transformation began with a love affair. He fell in love with an Ursus woman who gave her life to bear him a child—a mixed-race Wendigo.

A strong father provides shelter for his child, while Bozokas imbues his child with a mission of lofty ideals: to speak out for those infected. Oripathy is a disease, and it should not be contained by slaughtering patients, much less be taken away arbitrarily because of their infection status.

But in Ursus, this was a jarring sound. The military violently suppressed the nascent movement—the Patriot's son died in the chaos. How ironic, the Patriot's child was killed by the very country he was protecting.

So Patriot took up the child's dream. He led his willing followers to break away from the Ursus army, venture deep into the snowfields to form a guerrilla force, shelter and rescue the infected, until Talulah appeared.

In Kane's view, this approach was utterly foolish. Compared to Ursus, the Patriots' forces were like a puddle in a raging fire, utterly incapable of causing any real impact.

To change the current situation in Ursus, there are only two paths: First, a top-down imperial reform, with the emperor granting amnesty to the infected. Only then can the voices supporting the infected gain traction. But right now, the infected are Ursus's most important "fuel," and the emperor knows perfectly well that they must remain in a position of persecution. If an amnesty is hastily granted, Ursus will be torn apart by unprecedented chaos.

Secondly, a bottom-up revolution. Like Talulah's ideal, uniting all the infected and friendly ordinary people to gather strength to overthrow the tyranny of Ursus and establish a nation where the infected and ordinary people coexist. Unfortunately, this spark was swallowed by endless darkness before it could ignite a prairie fire.

With the power of a patriot, he could have easily swayed either of them. Unfortunately, he was a pure warrior, unaware of such political maneuvering. Perhaps that's why he saw in Talulah a hope he himself lacked.

Therefore, there is no point in discussing such a theory of warriors.

Kane coldly watched as the negotiations between Kal'tsit and the Patriots ultimately broke down. Kal'tsit hoped he would face reality, hand over the key to control Chernobog, and stop the city's rampage, suggesting there was still room for redemption.

But the Patriot's answer was never to turn back—he would fight against fate and fight for the Infected. If Rhodes Island wanted to prove itself right and Reunion wrong, it would have to step over his dead body! Only war could kill him, and only the living could define victory and defeat, right and wrong.

Rhodes Island—I shall march!

The Patriot's roar resonated with the hum of the Originium altar. Several giant Originium crystal clusters left behind by natural disasters suddenly lit up, which he forcibly transformed into a medium for casting spells.

"The declaration of war was tragic, but I'm sorry."

Kane locked onto Patriot's ability, attempting to activate the Originium within him and completely tear apart this tenacious body.

However, the moment his power was activated, Kane suddenly realized something was wrong—Bozokasti was already self-destructing! All the surrounding Originium altars were frantically eroding his body, and multiple lesions were growing uncontrollably, deeply fusing with his flesh. At this rate, even if no one intervened, he wouldn't live much longer.

"Truly worthy of being Ursus's strongest warrior... still able to fight in this state."

The Originium Altar is similar to Kane's ability—it uses the acceleration of Oripathy to amplify spell power. The difference is that none of Kane's past opponents could withstand the excruciating pain, so he used it as a means of control.

Patriot, however, showed no fear—pain had long since lost its meaning for him. The ever-increasing Originium was giving him the power to defy fate.

As Patriot wielded his new halberd, a massive surge of dark red energy crashed down upon the combined forces of Rhodes Island and Lungmen.

"All troops, take cover!"

boom--!

The earth shook violently. Dust and debris billowed, obscuring the sky and the sun. When the dust settled, the horrific scene of the battlefield was truly appalling.

Elite operators formed the first line of defense, with Ace and Hoshiguma at the forefront. Ace's shield had shattered under the impact, and although Hoshiguma's Hannya Shield remained intact, she was completely exhausted.

Fortunately, two top-tier heavy armored personnel absorbed most of the impact, and the remaining shockwaves were mitigated by other elite operators using various methods. Ordinary team members were at most knocked down or buried; no one was killed on the spot.

Kane, thanks to his superior near-ground levitation advantage, was unharmed. If there was any damage, it was probably that the flying dust soiled his clothes.

With the Allied forces' formation broken, this was the perfect opportunity for the Shield Guards to launch a surprise attack to divide and separate the forces, and for the guerrillas to encircle and annihilate them.

However, Patriot raised his hand to stop the shield guards from charging.

"Captain!? Why are you stopping us? This is the perfect opportunity!"

The shield guards asked, puzzled. They had used this tactic countless times, with almost no failures. Why had the captain stopped them this time?

"No...this is...my...battle...you...witness..."

Clearly, Bozokasti didn't want these loyal subordinates to die for his obsession. Trained by him personally, they were unlike the violent Reunion fodder; they were the true flame of hope for the Infected. They could not perish here.

"Bozokasti, everything you do embodies the true meaning of a warrior." Kane landed gracefully, just a step away from Patriot, and could even see the trajectory of the Originium spreading in his eyes.

“But I must tell you—the path you firmly believe in is wrong. Talulah has long since become a puppet of Ursus, can’t you really see that?”

"She...will wake up...I've always...believed in her."

How could the ancient Wendigo not see through Kosicheal's curse? He simply chose to believe—to believe that the idealistic young man had never left. Moreover, since Ursus was behind it all, as long as the Reunion Movement remained within Ursus, there would never be a true day of freedom.

Patriot's plan is simple: if Talulah's plan can truly pave a way out for the infected, he is willing to be the strongest shield; if the Reunion Movement fails... he is willing to be the embers that continue to burn, using the last flame of his life to illuminate Talulah's darkness, and she will surely awaken.

"So you knew all along... Was it worth it? Count them—the entire city's residents, the thousands of infected people who have gathered, your daughter, your subordinates, and even yourself... Was it worth betting everything on a manipulated puppet?"

"..."

Silence is Bozokasti's answer.

"Then all I can say is—I'm sorry. Ursus wants Talulah, and I'm determined to have her too. I will fight my way through until she submits. She will not become a beacon for the Infected; she will only be my tool." Kane's words were as cold as ice.

"Now is your last chance to kill me."