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

Page 33

“Hey, Kane… are you doing this on purpose? With your intelligence, you can’t possibly not understand my feelings.”

Alcohol emboldens the timid. She deliberately created opportunities to be alone, intentionally getting herself drunk, all to take this courageous step—if she let Kane's aloof and unpredictable attitude continue, who knows how long it would have dragged on.

"...Of course I know. But Christensen, we are both bound by ideals. Ordinary love is no longer suitable for us. Companionship and support—that's the best answer I can give. Believe me, I will be by your side until the stars turn to ashes and the sun goes out."

"You...you really are..."

She wasn't completely drunk—a sliver of reason remained, preventing her from losing all control, yet her emotions were still vivid. A mixture of shyness and heat welled up on her cheeks.

If Christensen hadn't known Kane's past so well and hadn't been by his side all these years, she would have almost suspected he was a seasoned lover—otherwise, how could he have said something so accurate that hit the nail on the head?

"This is the promise I can make—are you satisfied now?"

Kane gazed at Kristen, whose cheeks were flushed, with a smile. It was hard to imagine that the woman who could remain composed in front of countless cameras and malicious stares would show such an expression at this moment.

"You're making me look like a fool for being so conflicted."

"Because you are always used to planning everything out and executing it step by step; while I am better at dealing with unexpected events. For example, if I happen to come across an interesting shop on my way to lunch, I will immediately change my plans; if I discover a new direction in my research, I can decisively put down the work I am doing and start a completely new research topic."

"You mean we're incompatible?"

"No, it's complementary—when unexpected events disrupt your plans, I can handle it for you; when I'm overwhelmed and confused, you can help me sort things out."

"So, how do you plan to handle this unexpected incident?"

Christen wrapped her arms around Kane's neck, their faces almost touching. Looking into her bright eyes, Kane responded.

He lowered his head and kissed her. And she responded passionately.

The brilliant starry sky seemed even brighter, with the magnificent stars bearing witness to their presence.

Chapter 84 The Sleeping Mon3tr

The heavy sound of the door opening signaled to Mon3tr that Kane had returned. She paused the game, intending to go out and greet him, and perhaps inquire about the victory celebration—but suddenly, Kane's command came through the interlocking chains of their lives:

Stay in your room and don't come out.

【? 】

[If you've showered, go to bed early. If you haven't, go to bed anyway. This is an order.]

What happened? Do you need my help?!

[Unless there's an emergency, you can rest assured.]

【oh…】

Perhaps there's an important task tomorrow that requires me to conserve my energy—Mon3tr thought to herself. Although she could easily go a week without sleep with her stamina, she followed instructions, saved her game, and shut down her terminal. Since she had already showered, she could now simply lie down in bed in her pajamas and prepare for sleep.

"Good night."

She whispered to herself. Just as she was about to fall asleep, her keen hearing caught a faint female voice.

She immediately focused her attention and listened intently to the source of the sound.

This house is certainly not the old, run-down place on Henry Street anymore, since the location there was really inconvenient and Kane had already moved away long ago.

This mansion, located near Rhine Labs, was built by the Engineering Department and is Kane's current residence. Its defense level is high enough to withstand the main gun bombardment of high-speed warships, and its transportation is extremely convenient. If Rhine Labs is attacked, Kane can descend from the sky to the scene within three minutes.

To prepare for a long-term life alongside Kane, Mon3tr also moved in. Kane took excellent care of her, her companion, subordinate, and "sister," fulfilling all her needs to the highest standard. It could be said that her current material conditions were far superior to what she had enjoyed for ten thousand years with Kal'tsit.

This room has been visited before—Muirsey, Seria, Christensen, and even the silver-haired Rupert, whom I've only met once or twice, have all been there. But who could be coming at this time?

Mon3tr listened intently, and even the excellent soundproofing couldn't completely block her detection. Comparing the voice to her memory—she recognized it; it was Christensen.

She also felt a fondness for Kristen. After all, she was the second person she had met since transforming into human form, and she had taken good care of her back then. Kristen treated her like Kane's sister. Because she was so sensible as a child, her parents rarely comforted her, so she wasn't good at comforting children. Therefore, her way of comforting children became direct but practical: spending money.

Unfortunately, Mon3tr wasn't materialistic and didn't give her many opportunities to show kindness. Although she really wanted to go out and say hello, she had to obey Kane's orders, so she ultimately didn't move.

Ask again tomorrow.

Soon, Mon3tr fell asleep.

The next morning, Kane dropped Kristen off at home early, bought breakfast, and then returned home to clean up the mess.

As soon as you open the door, you see the "puffed-up" Mon3tr.

"I brought you breakfast."

Seeing the paper bag in Kane's hand, she quickly took it. The human body allowed her to experience many novel sensations, the most wonderful of which was the desire for food—a function she had never possessed before.

"No, no—did you have a fight with Sister Christen yesterday?"

Mon3tr's expression was a mixture of worry and anger; she didn't want Kane and Kristen to end up like this.

"?"

"Why do you think so?"

Kane wasn't surprised she knew Christine had been there—he'd long ago discovered the house's soundproofing couldn't block Mon3tr's senses, and last night he'd specifically taken Christine to the furthest room and told Mon3tr to go to bed early. But how could she conclude they'd "argued"?

"Because I heard Christensen crying. Boss, did you two have a fight?"

The title "Boss" was chosen by Mon3tr after several changes. When she first called out "Master" in public, Kane stopped her immediately. Calling her "Kane" directly was too formal. The supposed "brother-sister" relationship also made Kane feel a little awkward.

Ultimately, influenced by gaming culture, she chose this form of address—it reflects the relationship without losing intimacy, and it also suits her role as the deputy director of the security department.

“Uh…no, those are tears of joy. You know, Rhine Lab had a huge success yesterday, she was just too happy and needed to let it all out.”

"That's good."

When Mon3tr heard that the two hadn't had a fight and that Christensen was actually quite happy, he finally felt relieved and began to enjoy his breakfast.

Seeing Mon3tr eating so carefree, Kane guessed that she had no idea what had happened last night.

It seems Muirsay didn't educate her in this area? Well, with her personality, she'd probably boil herself over before she even got started.

No problem, Kane can tutor Muirsay later.

After last night, his relationship with Christensen progressed further. But she suggested keeping it a secret for the time being—Rhine Life was at a critical time, and the company needed to be united and not let their private affairs cause any turmoil. She also didn't want to be bombarded with questions about her and Kane's private life.

Therefore, she suggested that—on the surface, they should still maintain their "close friend" relationship; as for what happens in private… Kristen said that if Kane needed anything, he could go directly to her house. She was alone there, so there was no need to worry about Mon3tr's presence.

She even joked that it felt familiar—just like when she was a deskmate at Trimont Polytechnic University, where they maintained a distant relationship on the surface but treated each other as friends in private.

The relationship has changed several times, but it seems to have returned to its original state.

Kristen, however, was unaware that Kane already had more than just her as a friend. With the intervention of Seria and Muirsey, their dance had gradually evolved into a waltz for four.

Will the outcome be different this time?

--split line--

At the entrance to Trimont, a visitor quietly arrives.

She lifted the hood of her cloak, revealing a head of blue hair. Black horns, a lithe and delicate tail, a dim halo, and luminous wings proclaimed her identity—a fallen angel.

The surrounding crowd turned to look. Some were seeing Sakta in person for the first time and muttered to themselves that he didn't look like the image they had heard about; others noticed the horns and stepped back in disgust.

"Hey, old man, are you sure he's in this city?"

The blue-haired fallen angel muttered to himself while looking at a pair of staffs, his behavior becoming even stranger, causing passersby to steer clear of him.

"Of course, he's right here, standing under all the spotlights—it's just a matter of whether you can recognize him."

The Beast of Time has always been like this. He likes to send his masters just one step away from the answer, and then watch with great interest as they rack their brains over that final step—He finds it particularly amusing.

Chapter 85 Mostima's Encounters

The last time Kane encountered the Sarkaz was when he represented Rhine Labs at Blacksteel International to negotiate equipment procurement with their president. This weathered Sarkaz warrior was completely different from the Sarkaz of the past; his eyes held no innocence, only a sharp, bullet-like gaze.

Kane and the warrior got along quite well, and the warrior approved the request to cooperate with Rhine Labs.

After all, no matter how well-trained the security personnel are, they can't always rely on riot shields and personnel control forks to maintain company security.

That's why Kane personally ordered a batch of new equipment from Blacksteel International and Raytheon Heavy Industries. This way, when Rhine Labs gets involved in weapons development in the future, they can customize their own weaponry according to their specific needs.

An earlier encounter, however, dates back to the Lateran squad they encountered within Kazdel.

The one who has arrived in Tremont is none other than the quirky, blue-haired angel Mostima. As for why she has become like this, we must go back to after they returned to Laterano.

Having witnessed firsthand "Azazel"—the exceptional case of a Sarkaz transforming into a Sarkaz—the information they possessed was too crucial to conceal, even if they wanted to. Simply standing before the Cardinals revealed their inner tension, their attempts to hide, and their attempts to conceal their true feelings; their shared experience made it impossible for them to conceal their genuine emotions.

This is precisely why Laterano can be a utopia—lies cannot survive here.

Under the kind and insightful gaze of several Sakorta elders, they could only recount what they had seen and heard.

Ultimately, the matter was even reported to the Pope himself.

Mostima was unaware of how many matters in Lateran required the Pope's personal involvement, but her life should not have intersected with this level.

As a result, their mission report was so detailed that it resembled a novel—the specific time, the appearance of the people, the course of events, and everything else were recorded in great detail.

It was this process that convinced Andorn that such a thing was not the first in Lateran—His Holiness the Pope had no doubt about the truth of the matter and accepted the fact entirely.

And so Andorn—the martyr who longed to spread the gospel of Laterano and Sarkaz throughout Terra—began his mad and audacious attempt.

He used all his authority and connections to dig deep into Lateran and eventually found some clues.

Sarkaz and Sarkaz can produce offspring of mixed races, which will exhibit characteristics of both races, but this is different from the chimeras.

Sarkaz and Sakorta are indeed related by blood!

However, Andorn's investigation in Laterano could no longer continue at this point.

He decided to step outside Lateran and pursue the truth in his own way.

After two months of investigation and questioning, Andorn's squad was finally released and qualified for field missions again. Although Fiameta vehemently rejected Andorn's command due to his past actions—she insisted that Andorn must first change his impulsiveness and "madness," otherwise he could not be responsible for his team.

This request was accepted, and squad command was transferred to Remian.

They traveled beyond Laterano to take over a monastery, responsible for the placement and management of its inhabitants. Such tasks were not uncommon—just as with the companions they met on their journey to Andorn, many others on Terra still followed the glory of Laterano.

Lateran would accept the Sakortas and some outstanding members of other races, but most non-Sakortas would still not receive protection. The Papal Court understood that Lateran was like a tank filled with pure water; the empathetic Sakortas could prove their purity, but the other races could not. To avoid polluting the existing water source, they had no choice but to ruthlessly exclude these believers.

It was during this mission that Andorn began his plan.

He actually tried to fall in love with a Sarkaz girl, intending to marry her and have Sarkaz and Sarkaz mixed-race offspring.

Whether out of genuine concern or viewed as experimental breeding, it was an absurd and dangerous act for both himself and the Sarkaz girl.

The three former teammates tried their best to dissuade him, and Fiameta even went so far as to play the villain and try to "drive away that filthy Sarkaz"; but how could a Sarkaz seeker who grew up in suffering give up this glimmer of hope? Moreover, the light that Andorn himself brought was not weak.

A conflict that seemed to stem from an "immoral relationship" finally erupted.

In the chaos of battle, Andorn, in desperation, even drew his gun and fired—and once the gunfire began, it was difficult to stop. Mostima followed suit, and under the pressure, the Sarkaz girl also used Originium Arts to retaliate.

Stray bullets, spells, Fiameta's fists... After the chaos, the ending was tragic: Mostima fell from the heavens for violating the commandment "not to harm one's own kind with firearms"; Remian was unfortunately shot while protecting an innocent girl caught in the crossfire—with her abilities, she could have avoided that bullet.

And Andorn—the instigator of all this trouble—was not punished by any divine retribution! As the first person to pull the trigger, why didn't he fall from the heavens?

Fiameta was not Sakota, and she couldn't comprehend this reality at all; but she would not tolerate it, and her fists rained down, almost beating Andorn into a pig's head.

Afterwards, he was taken away by the Lateran Hall of Justice; the Sarkaz girl became the head of the monastery, awaiting Andorn's next move.

Mostima's fall became a sensitive topic in Laterano, Remian, who was shot in the spine, was bedridden, and even the usually cheerful Fiameta fell into depression.

Everyone believed they were at fault, but it was too late to undo the damage.

So Mostima used forbidden power—she thought she would never cross paths with those sealed staffs again in her life.

But now, the only way she could think of was to ask the "god" within. So she retrieved the staff she had surrendered from the Hall of Justice.

God generously provided the answer:

Azazel can solve your problem.

Where should I look for him?

Go to Longmen first; an old friend of mine lives there and will tell you the answer.

Mostima then volunteered to become Lateran's "messenger of all nations," preparing to leave her homeland in search of salvation. The Papacy granted her request—because Mostima's fall was not deserved, and her actions were not wrong, but a fallen angel could not be allowed to remain in Lateran.

Her first stop was Lungmen. Leaving the greenhouse of Laterano for the first time, Mostima encountered many challenges, but she overcame them all with her intelligence and wit—she even met an old man named Zalak who owned a candy shop in Lungmen, who showed her around the city.

Chapter 86 In Exchange of Everything

Later, because of the pair of staffs, she was approached by the owner of a logistics company.

Mostima had clearly found a clue.

Later, she joined Penguin Logistics in exchange for information about "Azazel".

"His name is different from what I know, but he's probably the only one in all of Terra who can do those things. I met him once in Trimont, Colombia, but he may have moved to a different place, or even changed his name."

The Emperor drank wine while listening to vinyl records and reminiscing about Kane's past.

Texas, the true backbone of Penguin Logistics, quietly reminisced from the sidelines—she enjoyed the tranquility of the moment, yet also missed that night and everything she had experienced with Kane.