Chlorine Sodium's Arknights

Around them, quite a few Ursus mercenaries were standing.

"This is your target. If all goes well, you will create a legend, a story, in this generation. Future villains will often speak of your notoriety and take you as their role model. The feeling of being one in ten thousand."

Koschei said this, and the Ursus group stared at the portrait like fanatical believers, as if capturing that girl would make them legends.

Indeed, doing something astonishing makes one more memorable. For instance, finding a way to get a nuclear bomb to blow up Arasaka Corporation, or kidnapping the beloved daughter of the Taiko Group. However, once such things are done, it's very difficult to stay alive. But looking at their fanatical expressions, it seemed they were prepared for anything. In this world where everything requires a price to obtain something, having resolve indeed makes it easier to achieve one's goals. Because they don't care about losing more, or rather, they are already prepared to lose.

"What a boring proposal, Koschei."

Suddenly, amidst this perfect pre-battle meeting, with everyone itching to get started, a discordant voice was jarringly loud. It was the silver-haired woman sitting on the sofa, silently observing everything. Her golden eyes held no warmth, making them feel like the eyes of a cold-blooded creature.

"Who the hell do you think you are!"

Before Koschei could speak, one of the dogs he kept responded. The Ursus group was immersed in the pursuit of fame and fortune, fully displaying the wickedness in their hearts, and naturally couldn't tolerate someone calling their endeavor "boring." Moreover, it was a woman who had done nothing but watch since arriving, and hadn't said a word. Even though she brought the portrait, it didn't stop these Ursus men from displaying their machismo. People always form their perceptions based on first impressions, especially these battle-hardened Ursus mercenaries.

"Since when do dogs bark at griffins?"

"Griffin? What's that? No! You damn woman, what do you mean by that!!"

Seemingly amused by the unfolding farce, Koschei made no move to stop it, watching with a subtle smile. The mercenary leader was nearly two meters tall, truly a Ursus, built as sturdily as livestock. Compared to him, Chlorine Sodium, who was only 1.63 meters tall, had to look up to meet his gaze. Chlorine Sodium wouldn't normally care about such things. If a dog barks at you, would you argue with it? Of course not, but one could pull out a shotgun and let it know who's boss.

As soon as the words fell, the woman said nothing, but instead kicked the Ursus mercenary in the knee.

"Ugh!!"

The mercenary hadn't reacted at all to the fact that this small woman dared to attack him! With her build and physique, she probably wouldn't even survive a harsh Ursus winter, yet she dared to hit him!? However, the unbelievable happened. Before the man could dodge, his knee joint, protected by padding and filled with muscle, bent backward at a bizarre angle with a "crack" due to that kick. The intense pain made the man instinctively want to cry out. The pressure of his own weight on the injured, now backward-bent joint made it impossible for him to remain standing. As the man fell, his face finally came to the same level as Chlorine Sodium's.

"Who gave you permission to look down on a god?"

Too tall, it was displeasing to look at, so kneel. With that, the girl threw a punch. The next moment, the wooden door had a close encounter with the flying man. The sudden impact shattered the door, sending splinters flying everywhere.

What the...

The others were stunned. The mercenary leader, like a character in a slapstick comedy, was beaten by a woman until his face was bloody and bruised, and then he was just... sent flying?!

Patting her hands as if to brush off some dirt, the girl pointed at the second tallest guy among the remaining mercenaries.

"You're the boss now."

At this point, the cunning Koschei finally clapped his hands, drawing attention to himself and ending the farce.

"As expected of my ally, simple and direct. But why boring?"

Koschei still didn't seem to grasp what a terrible impression he had made on Chlorine Sodium.

"A legend is just a kidnapping case? Is the cost of being a villain so low now?"

Who was Koschei? A supervillain. He and Chlorine Sodium belonged to different systems but were on the same level of villainy. After all, one was a native, and the other was a system-transmigrated villain. But now, this villain had put in so much effort only to carry out a kidnapping?

"Hmm, it seems you've misunderstood. This is merely one part of it."

This is just a movement in a grand, orchestrated conspiracy.

He's not the type of person who would settle for a mere ransom.

"That guy's dead."

In the abandoned factory, it was clear a battle had taken place.

Unlike the people from the Guard Department, these Sarkaz mercenaries, forged in the fires of war, had made conflict the entirety of their lives. Naturally, their perception and observation skills were sharper than those of the Guard Department.

They could easily tell that a fight had occurred here.

Although the bodies had been removed and the scorch marks on the ground had faded with time, the traces left behind would not disappear.

And then there was the faint smell of blood lingering in the air.

"The Guard Department was here."

"Yeah, and the local gangs here suffered a devastating blow."

The captain half-crouched on the ground, observing the marks that only a blade could leave.

"The Guard Department really are amateurs. They can't even do the most basic tracking using the residual traces in the air."

With that, the man in the lead stood up.

"Let's go. Time to settle the score."

ps: So sleepy, writing late into the night is killing me, sob sob

Section 70, Chapter 68 [Beauty and the Beast]

"Resonance? What's that?"

The little girl still couldn't quite grasp the meaning. However, Pianna told her it was okay, that it didn't matter if she didn't understand, because there was still plenty of time.

"Mmm, still plenty of time?"

Suddenly, just as she was hugging a package she'd picked up from a street vendor and heading home, several figures appeared on the road.

A group of people, dressed somewhat raggedly, but carrying the scent of gunpowder.

Sarkaz mercenaries.

Their attire was quite a hodgepodge, with clearly homemade gear, and perhaps firearms from Sakata, crossbows, even staves and long swords strapped to their backs.

They looked battle-hardened, but lacked any formal organization.

Yelena's sharp senses detected the gunpowder mixed with blood on them, and she instinctively shifted slightly to the side.

The group didn't exude any hostility; they were just hurrying along like ordinary passersby on the street.

They passed by without incident.

"Phew~"

It seemed like nothing had happened.

Yelena, due to recent events, had developed an instinctive aversion to people who made her feel a sense of crisis.

Dangerous people, people who looked like trouble, and people who seemed unstable – she instinctively kept her distance from such individuals, even if they didn't radiate any malice.

And she would be on high alert.

Perhaps it was instinct, or perhaps her martial arts training and past experiences had instilled a sense of vigilance in Yelena. As the group walked further away, Yelena didn't look back. She didn't want to draw attention and quickly disappeared into an alley.

However, she was unaware that the moment the girl stepped into the alley, the Sarkaz mercenaries stopped.

"Very faint, but it's the same scent."

The man in the lead slowly gripped the hilt of his sword.

"Was it her? Is she someone who knows what happened at the scene?"

His subordinates also prepared to draw their weapons, intending to interrogate the scene to get the answers they wanted.

There was no such thing as humanity among the Sarkaz; years of constant warfare had long since stripped away their last vestiges of it. What humanity could there be?

"No, it's not time yet."

Clang!

He suddenly brandished a dagger in his hand. All Sarkaz carried a dagger, regardless of who they were or the situation; at least, that close-fitting dagger was never far from their person. It was the only weapon they could truly trust.

This was the way of the Sarkaz.

The tip of the blade pointed towards a patch of shadow nearby.

"Come out. You've been observing from the side for a long time, thinking I wouldn't notice?!"

At this moment, several of his subordinates realized that, at some point, a woman had appeared in the shadow-covered area by the wall!

And she was a Sarkaz woman.

"Mhm, good eyes."

Clapping her hands, the young woman slowly walked out of the shadows. However, as the sunlight once again fell upon her, the Sarkaz mercenaries finally got a clear look at who had arrived.

She was indeed Sarkaz, but...

Behind her subtle smile lay an aura completely different from theirs.

Female mercenaries were not uncommon in Kazdel. As a land that exported war and violence, Kazdel had no shortage of mercenaries regardless of gender or age. However, it was rare to see a Sarkaz noble.

"Good morning, gentlemen who were attempting to do something strange to a young girl."

Although she was wearing casual clothes, her bearing was not something an ordinary Sarkaz would possess. Arrogance and wildness, elegance and malice coexisted.

Since she was a noble, her identity had to match.

As for her attire, the leader of the men had some discernment. At least he could recognize that what looked like casual wear was actually a custom-made item.

It was a luxury item that couldn't be washed, ironed, dry-cleaned, or recycled. Once it got dirty after a few wears, it had to be thrown away.

Her crimson eyes shimmered with a faint glow under the sunlight. Her light golden hair and dark red chitinous horns formed this sharp yet elegant young woman.

The sound of her heels striking the cement ground was crisp and pleasant.

Pianna's appearance was still too youthful, at least according to her profile. She lacked the dignified grace of a mature woman. Even with a few accessories, she didn't have that languid charm. Instead, her brows and eyes were like knives, and her allure was like that of a forbidden fruit.

She took half a step back, slightly lifting the hem of her skirt. Her posture was elegant, proud yet restrained, looking down from on high yet meeting everyone's gaze as equals. It was a feigned "equality" that was actually a condescending look.

She wasn't overly aggressive, nor was she overly humble. Nobles were creatures who would take advantage of any kindness shown to them.

She spoke softly.

"You can call me Pianna."

Nobles valued complex and lengthy etiquette, yet she displayed no "etiquette" at all.

Because this was just the game's rules.