I Became Griseo in Arknights: The Beginning

Having long since passed through the woods, Griseo recognized the deer-antlered girl the moment she saw her. She even knew which world she was in now.

That was why she had stood there blankly at first, lost in thought, only to be tackled to the ground.

As for how she recognized her, that was all thanks to Ye Li's memories. Those memories contained a game called "Arknights."

If those memories were correct, Griseo remembered that the kind girl beside her with deer antlers was named Alina, and the continent she was currently on seemed to be called Terra.

To be honest, this knowledge had almost ruled out the possibility that Griseo was Starlight, who possessed the memories of a transmigrator.

Unless this world was the new home Starlight had been searching for alone in the universe all along, though no matter how she looked at it, that seemed highly unlikely.

Though Alina, who was holding the little girl's hand, was anxious to leave, she still hesitated for a moment. Only after gathering the supplies that had been stolen from her did she quickly leave the area.

Throughout the process, Griseo merely followed obediently. It was not until they had gotten far away that she had Mister Knight, who had been intimidating the enemies all this time, conceal himself.

"Phew... Um... little sister, where is your home?"

After leading the little girl in a jog for quite some distance and confirming that they were temporarily safe, Alina finally slowed down and began asking about Griseo's situation.

Yet before Griseo could answer, Alina frowned first, a trace of pity flashing through her azure eyes.

Everything earlier had happened too quickly and dangerously, leaving her with no time to properly observe the child before her.

Only now did Alina notice Griseo's unreasonable attire. She could accept the dress and bare legs, but those pale, delicate little bare feet buried deep in the snow were simply unacceptable!

How could a child go without shoes on a snowfield covered in thick snow?! Even her Talulah only went bare-legged; she did not go without shoes!

"Home... I don't have a home anymore..."

After blanking out for a moment, Griseo slowly lowered her little head, a long-lost sense of sadness surfacing within her.

And at the same time...

"Grrr~"

PS: I don't have a computer with me right now, so I'll put up the cover later. Also, before this book gets signed, I'll try my best to maintain a stable two updates per day. Thanks for the support.

Mother

"Grrr~"

Just as a certain little girl lowered her head in sadness, her tiny stomach suddenly growled again at the worst possible time.

"Are you hungry? I only have fruit right now, so have some to fill your stomach first. When we get back, I'll find you something else to eat. Also, are your feet cold? Do you need big sister to carry you?"

Looking at Griseo, who was hanging her head in sadness, Alina crouched down and gently patted her little head. Her voice softened again as she comforted her.

"It's okay. If you have nowhere else to go, then come back with big sister."

After speaking, Alina took several fruits from the supplies in her arms and handed them to the adorable little girl before her.

"...Thank you, Warm."

Looking at the fruit offered to her, Griseo paused slightly. After accepting it, she thanked Alina with utmost sincerity. She knew how scarce resources were here, and that many people had even starved to death.

"No need. You're injured... and I'm not cold."

After taking the fruit, Griseo gently shook her head and refused Alina's kindness.

There was simply no need. To a Fusion Warrior, this temperature and cold wind would only feel a little chilly at most. It was not even enough to freeze someone, much less her. Besides, Alina was injured.

"Huh, you're really not cold? My injury... isn't that serious. It'll be fine once I get back and bandage it."

Hearing that, Alina looked surprised. However, after glancing at Griseo's pale, tender legs and bare feet, which showed no signs of frostbite, she gradually relaxed.

"By the way, my name is Alina. What is your name, little sister? And why do you keep calling me Warm?"

After calming down, Alina briefly introduced herself, while also voicing the question that had been lingering in her mind.

She had noticed earlier that this adorable little one had been calling her "Warm" the entire time.

"My name is Griseo... Because Warm is Warm."

Staring at Alina and the warm yellow colors around her, Griseo blinked her violet eyes and calmly explained.

"Hehe~ Griseo... That's a very nice name."

Alina laughed helplessly, then held out her hand to Griseo once more. "So, Griseo, will you come back with big sister?"

Ding. Mission triggered.

Mission: Protect Alina and return safely to the camp.

Reward: Griseo's exclusive weapon, Starlight of the Past; a complete set of painting tools.

The instant she heard Alina's invitation, a mechanical voice rang out in Griseo's mind.

After hearing it clearly, she was stunned for a moment. Then, when she noticed the second reward, her eyes lit up. At that moment, even the exclusive weapon did not seem so important.

"What is it?"

Seeing the little girl before her suddenly perk up as her ahoge swayed, Alina asked in confusion.

"Nothing... I'll protect you." Griseo gently shook her head and answered seriously as she looked at Alina.

Of course, Griseo wanted to protect Alina not only because of the mission, but also because she liked the colors of the person before her. They were warm and made her feel comfortable...

So even without this mission, she would have protected Alina all along. Besides, she truly had nowhere else to go, and she needed somewhere safe to properly study her current situation.

"Hehe~ Then I'll be relying on you, little Griseo. Let's go."

;?;

"Mm..."

Since there were no longer any problems, Alina did not intend to linger. No one could say for sure whether another group might come after the supplies in her arms.

Alina was kind, but she was not foolish... Nor was she like her best friend Talulah, who thought the best of everyone. And after what had just happened...

Of course, Alina did not take Griseo's words lightly either. Whether it was Mister Knight from earlier or the many other details, everything told her that the girl before her was far from ordinary.

;?;

On the way back to their camp, Griseo was exceptionally obedient. She simply let Alina hold her hand as they carefully hid themselves and hurried onward.

As they neared their destination, Griseo did not show it on her face, but a ripple stirred in her heart.

Through her deductions from various details, along with the system that had confirmed her final guess, Griseo could now be certain that she was a transmigrator who had transformed.

Furthermore, Griseo was not the only person she could transform into. There were other Valkyries as well, though they could only be unlocked by completing missions or meeting certain conditions.

She was a transmigrator, after all. Although Griseo's memories had turned her into an emotionless little girl, she was about to meet one of her old game wives—scratch that—and she could not help feeling somewhat excited.

"Alina!"

When the two arrived near the camp and were about to greet the guards before entering, a somewhat anxious voice rang out.

"What happened? Why are you in such a panic?"

Seeing the Dragon Girl rushing toward her in a fluster, Alina asked in confusion.

"Alina, thank goodness you're alright! No... no, you're hurt!" Talulah first breathed a sigh of relief when she rushed in front of Alina, but her heart leaped into her throat again when she saw the blood on Alina's body.

"I ran into some trouble, but it's nothing serious. I'll tell you later." As she spoke, Alina gently shook her head. After glancing at Griseo, she gave Talulah a meaningful look.

"?"

Only then did Talulah, who had been so flustered and focused entirely on her little deer, notice the blue-haired little girl beside Alina.

Yet after only one look, her brows drew together slightly...

No matter how Talulah looked at her, the little girl before her gave off an intense sense of incongruity... Like an innocent little princess from a castle suddenly appearing in a slum.

Alina might not have noticed anything about Griseo's clothes, but Talulah, who had been forced to follow Black Serpent for so many years, could tell at a glance that the material of Griseo's white dress was not cheap.

Not to mention that Griseo's innocent, pure aura was impossible to hide...

"Alina, who is this child?"

Filled with questions, Talulah looked to her best friend, hoping for an answer.

"This child is..."

However, just as Alina was about to explain and introduce her, Griseo's almost completely flat voice suddenly interrupted her.

"Mom..."

"?"

"???"

PS: This is Chapter 1. I'll try my best to write Chapter 2, because I'm pretty busy today. Honestly, I feel like the plot has been a little bland so far. I've thought of a lot of fun ideas, but I can't write them out yet.

If you have any thoughts or ideas, feel free to mention them in the comments.

Can I Use It to Paint a Picture?

"Mom..."

"?"

"???"

Clearly, Griseo calling Alina that directly stunned both of them. Talulah in particular was filled with shock and confusion... Even several infected guards turned to look over curiously.

"Little Griseo... Honestly."

Seeing her best friend's stunned expression, Alina felt rather helpless toward the little girl whose hand she was holding. She crouched down and gently pinched Griseo's soft, adorable cheek as punishment.

"Alina... Honestly."

Griseo did not mind having her cheek pinched. A trace of helplessness suddenly appeared on her face as well, and her aura shifted from innocent to gentle. Her words were slightly unclear as she spoke.

However, Alina did not pay much attention to Griseo's tiny change. After gently pinching the little girl's soft cheek again, she finally let go and explained to Talulah.

"Alright, Talulah, don't listen to little Griseo's nonsense. It's complicated. I'll explain later."

"Alright, Talulah, don't listen to Sister Alina's nonsense. It's complicated. I'll explain later..."

The moment Alina finished explaining, Griseo raised her head as well. She stared at Talulah with violet eyes and spoke with a helpless expression.

The expressions of the older girl and the younger one looked as though they had been cast from the same mold.

Clearly, Griseo had already been completely dyed in Alina's colors. She had completely taken on Alina's shape.

"...You, why did you suddenly start copying the way I speak?" Alina did not know whether to laugh or cry at Griseo's adorable behavior.

Only now did she finally realize that Griseo was different, but she did not think too much about it. She merely assumed it was a child's prank.

;?;

"...You, why did you suddenly start copying the way I speak?"

At that, a trace of confusion flashed through Griseo's eyes. She clearly did not understand.

However, Alina did not care about that. She stuffed the supplies in her hands into Talulah's arms, then scooped up Griseo and walked into the camp.

She had not forgotten that the little one in her arms was still hungry. Besides, it was so cold outside. Whatever needed discussing could wait until they were inside.

"..."

Talulah glanced at the supplies in her arms, but ultimately said nothing more. She merely hurried after the two of them.

Though she still did not know exactly what Alina had experienced this time, it was enough that she was safe... Alina had suffered some minor injuries, but that was far better than Talulah had feared.

Alina had been gone much longer than usual on this trip to exchange supplies. Talulah had thought that...

Only after Griseo was carried into a warm tent did the mechanical voice of the system ring out in her mind again.

Mission complete.

The reward has been issued to the system space and may be retrieved at any time.

"Stay here obediently, don't run around, little Griseo. Big sister will go get you something to eat." After setting the little girl down, Alina crouched before her and gave her a serious reminder.

Although she had not conducted a detailed examination, through observation, Alina had more or less confirmed that Griseo was not infected.