Chlorine Sodium's Arknights

Pianna didn't actually like children very much. The reason she approached little Yelena was...

Because everyone wanted to get their hands on it.

To understand a person, you first need to understand the person closest to them.

Of course, this wasn't exploitation.

It was a fair and square transaction!

Demons, after all, their job was to make deals.

"Can you tell me what trouble you've run into? I'm a good friend of your older sister, I can help you.

Everyone can."

The young woman crouched down, bringing herself to the girl's level, making herself appear more approachable.

Sarkaz.

Yelena had been lost in thought, not because she disliked the person in front of her.

It was just because of the word Sarkaz.

The one who had defeated her so easily was also a Sarkaz.

The impact that mercenary had on her was too deeply ingrained.

It was as if they were fighting with the momentum of taking their opponent down with them, completely unconcerned about their own life or death, but as long as the opponent valued their life, they had already lost half the battle.

It was terrifying; at least the smell of blood was unforgettable.

However, the stark contrast was the young woman before her. She had thought all demons were as evil as the rumors claimed, and that mercenary had only solidified the truth of those rumors.

But this young woman named Pianna seemed a bit different.

Or perhaps, the rumors were simply false.

"Are all Sarkaz people like that, willing to fight to the death?"

As if afraid of upsetting the girl in front of her, but also very curious, the little girl asked in a voice so faint it was almost inaudible.

"Pfft."

However, what she received in return was a stifled laugh.

Huh?

"That's right, Sarkaz are like that. What's wrong, did someone like that bully you?"

Seeming a little shy, little Yelena still nodded.

Sarkaz naturally possessed strong resistance to Originium-related products.

What would cause a normal Terra person to die from a high rate of Originium infection was not a major problem for the Sarkaz.

Therefore, the saying that everyone in Kazdel was a severely Infected person was not an unfounded rumor.

But there was nothing that could be done about it, after all, Kazdel was a land perpetually shrouded in war.

"It's normal. That's why many people like to hire Sarkaz mercenaries; they're strong, and they can do a bit of everything."

But this was just an excuse. To get close to someone familiar, you needed some kind of benefit to integrate into their circle.

This was true for the nobles in Kazdel as well as the unscrupulous merchants in the Commercial Alliance.

It was the same when dealing with children.

"Hmm~ So, little Yelena, do you want to...

learn magic?"

I worked very hard today, so I'll probably post three chapters today. After that, I'm considering opening a bounty, and I'm still figuring out what kind of bounty would be reasonable. Although I have some drafts saved, I feel like I'll still be quite in debt.

Also, I asked Orange Mom, and they get recommendations after 200,000 characters, so the sooner the better. It's highly likely I'll post more chapters first and then open the bounty. I think I might be able to release all my saved drafts this time, though I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.

Anyway, as long as you guys are happy [Heh].

Speaking of which, is it a holiday soon? Or has it already started? If it's a holiday, I won't have to update at a specific time every day. I can update whenever I want, posting whatever I write.

Chapter 61 - Chapter 59: [The Magic of Sacrifice]

Sarkaz naturally had extremely high resistance to Originium products.

Naturally, Sarkaz also had a strong affinity for using Originium Arts.

They could overclock more recklessly and release more powerful attacks at the same level of usage. They could even ignore normal usage methods due to the special nature of mercenaries.

In the mercenary circles, all sorts of unorthodox methods could be seen.

As long as it could kill, there was no distinction between academic and non-academic styles.

And Sarkaz would not think much about anything other than killing.

As for Sarkaz Originium Arts, it was a very profound discipline.

After all, Sarkaz Originium Arts were quite ancient.

The Demon King originated from Kazdel, the royal courts once resided in Kazdel, and now, the most reliable place to find mercenaries on Terra is still Kazdel.

A nation that specializes in exporting war and violence would naturally put more effort into efficient killing arts like Originium Arts.

So...

Why a dagger???

Yelena held a strangely shaped dagger, which Pianna had produced from who-knows-where, with a bewildered expression.

"What about magic?"

However, the girl could see Yelena's confusion and explained with a smile.

"Using Originium Arts naturally requires a medium derived from Originium, doesn't it? You weren't actually planning to use the Originium Crystals on your own body as a medium, were you?!"

"Pianna... is a Mage?"

"Yes, a very standard Sarkaz Mage."

The girl looked Yelena up and down, this gentle, polite, graceful young woman with delicate hands, golden hair, red eyes, slender arms, and dressed in what looked like a rather expensive outfit.

She still harbored some doubt.

Even though her older sister was also the type who looked completely incapable of fighting but could actually kill a group of people, you couldn't encounter that kind of thing all the time, right?

Even if the probability was high, you couldn't always run into it... right?

Pianna smiled kindly and slowly removed her right glove.

The long glove covered her entire forearm, and it looked quite nice.

However, the moment she took off the glove, Yelena understood why she wore such a glove.

Because from the cuff to the glove, on the part of her forearm that was covered by fabric, what was revealed was not human flesh, but...

Fearsome metal, and interlocking... gears!

This is!!!

Through the gaps in the metal framework, Yelena could see that the internal mechanical structure was constantly adjusting its internal operating order with the movement of her arm.

Her ten fingers were incredibly nimble, no different from those made of flesh and blood, a natural product bestowed by nature, perhaps even more agile and certainly more durable.

Seeing the girl's shocked expression, Pianna smiled with a hint of satisfaction.

"Now, do you understand why I'm a Mage? This is a product of Originium."

The mechanical arm, dyed a dark red, even had some white characters and numbers painted on it, but Yelena didn't recognize the markings.

But she had never seen or heard of such a thing before.

This... is the power of the rich!

Pianna, the noble young woman from Kazdel, shocked the young girl's worldview with her very first move.

After all, Ursus was relatively backward. While it wasn't lacking in high-end industries, such things were too far removed from the lives of ordinary people.

And Infected, who were treated like vermin, didn't even have the right to hear about them.

On this day, young Yelena realized the extent of the class disparity in this world.

She glanced at the dagger in her hand, then at Pianna's arm.

She suddenly realized a problem.

Feeling that this question was rather important, the girl ran "pitter-patter" in front of Pianna and, under the girl's slightly confused gaze, touched her right arm.

"This is purely mechanical structure, how could it feel anything?"

The girl said with a smile. But Yelena didn't seem to care about that.

"Then, what happened to your original arm?"

"Mmmhmm..."

Blinking her eyes, Pianna suddenly looked mysterious.

"That's a very, very long story. I'll tell you when I have time later."

"But..."

Looking at the girl, Yelena finally showed concern.

"Doesn't it hurt?"

"..."

Being too kind means you won't live long.

She smiled like this, but Pianna didn't say the words aloud. She just smiled, seemingly unconcerned by the question.

What is magic?

It is the materialization of imagination, the legend of praise, the ideal of a madman, a crazy thought.

To wield and command power that does not exist in this world, this is Originium Arts.

In the most ancient legal codes, it was already established that in the earliest traceable eras, human civilization had records of treating Infected individuals differently.

Of course, Originium Arts and Originium Sickness are inseparable, just as Originium and this world of Terra are inseparable.

Originium can condense energy; this was its initial application.

However, once Originium is stimulated, it will devour everything around it to multiply.

It erodes and transforms everything nearby into a part of itself.

This is why one can often see massive Originium Crystals standing tall on the horizon in the wilderness, quite magnificent.

And quite cruel and beautiful.

After all, this is the source of the world's suffering and development.

Therefore, a mature system of Originium Arts does not use the Originium within one's own body as a medium like a madman; that would only turn oneself into a piece of ore.

The true method of use requires good Originium products as a medium.

"While many people like to use Originium Staffs as casting tools, that's the stubborn thinking of the academy. In reality, for mages like that, every Sarkaz mercenary has a bounty on their head.

But the mages who have truly been tempered by war, who have crawled out of seas of corpses and blood, prefer to use knives."

As she spoke, the young girl toyed with the Originium dagger in her hand.

It was a gift she had given to Yelena, and it could also be considered a bargaining chip.

After all, to gain a child's trust, one always has to spend something.

And this dagger, though a common item, was among the better quality ones.

With a metal hilt and a blade mixed with Originium particles, it possessed both toughness and hardness, and could also be used for casting.

As long as it wasn't some grand spell, this little thing could handle it.

She tossed the dagger up, then caught it in mid-air, skillfully twirling it into a flourish.