Reincarnated NPC, But It's Arknights Chapter 42

Perhaps it's time to take a break... Skadi thought.

Bai Ye looked at the Deep Sea Girl sitting quietly opposite him. Her face was soft in the glow of the campfire.

"Alright, where should we start..." Only now did the two of them seem like companions traveling together. Before this, they had seemed like two strangers who had met by chance on the road.

Skadi tilted her head and thought for a moment, "Let's talk about the giant Originium Slug." She was always very interested in large things.

Bai Ye nodded. "No problem... Actually, I've seen similar big guys – though that one had mutated, like a volcano, constantly spewing lava all around..."

By the campfire, Skadi listened quietly. Even though they hadn't communicated much before, the two of them were getting along well now.

The girl was enjoying this rare moment of peace.

Chapter 22: Golf Swordplay

Passing through Laterano and continuing north, the temperature began to drop, and the weather grew increasingly gloomy.

Bai Ye knew their direction was correct; they were approaching the Frozen Land of Ursus.

The colder it got, the more deadly the wind and snow would become in the wilderness.

New players with insufficient Constitution stats and inadequate protective measures would most likely receive a "cold" debuff that caused continuous damage.

However, Bai Ye and Skadi were completely unfazed.

Neither of them could really be considered ordinary people anymore.

"Let's go take a bath," Miss Skadi said, looking at the frozen lake before them, seemingly tempted.

She came from the sea, a humid place, and naturally preferred moisture. Even though Rhodes Island's bathtub was narrow and shallow, she still enjoyed soaking in it often.

"Further north is the complete Frozen Land. Mobile Cities are rare there; it's mostly mines, villages, and small outposts," Bai Ye said, looking at the map. It would be quite difficult to find a place to bathe later.

"Okay," Bai Ye nodded.

The two walked to the edge of the lake. Skadi raised her greatsword and cleaved a huge opening in the ice with a single strike.

The ice shattered, revealing clear lake water beneath.

This place lacked industrial pollution and was rarely visited, so the lake water was clean and pure.

"Hmm... you go first... Wait?"

Bai Ye watched as Skadi walked into the lake water, fully clothed and barefoot.

"What's wrong? Aren't you coming in?" Skadi stood in the lake, tilting her head to look at Bai Ye, a hint of confusion on her face.

The girl's snow-white calves disappeared into the clear water, like tender lotus roots. Every time she lifted a leg, crystal-clear water splashed up, like a spirit of the lake.

As she submerged her entire body, her clothes became completely soaked, clinging to her beautiful curves and exuding an astonishing allure.

So big!

Bai Ye was a little surprised. He hadn't noticed this during their usual interactions; he had been negligent...

"You can't swim?" Seeing Bai Ye frozen in place, the girl continued, "If you can't, I can teach you."

"I'm just curious, don't you take off your clothes to bathe?" Bai Ye asked curiously.

"Why would I take off my clothes to go underwater?" Skadi retorted.

For the people of Sargos, this was incomprehensible.

"...I almost forgot, you came from the water..." Bai Ye said, feeling a bit speechless. He then imitated her and plunged into the lake.

The icy lake water stimulated his skin, but fortunately, his Constitution stat was high enough to withstand the chilling sensation.

"You land dwellers can't stay in the water for long. Otherwise, I could take you to see my homeland..." Skadi chuckled as she watched Bai Ye soak in the water.

But she quickly dismissed the thought.

It was better not to go to the sea; it was too dangerous and would only harm Bai Ye.

Bai Ye didn't mind.

Although he hadn't tried it, he had a premonition that his Originium Arts could control the oxygen in the water. Even underwater, his Originium memory wouldn't weaken much, though his close-combat capabilities would be significantly reduced.

Skadi took off her hat and placed it on the ice beside her. Her silver hair spread out, floating messily on the water's surface.

Her expression was relaxed, her eyes half-closed, as if enjoying this moment of moisture.

A bit too laid-back...

This was the first time Bai Ye had seen an Abyssal Hunter in such a state. Away from their homeland, they could experience moments of peace.

So, for the first time, Bai Ye didn't rush their journey. Instead, he let Skadi soak to her heart's content.

"What do I need to do?"

After entering Ursus territory, Skadi could clearly feel the change in the surrounding atmosphere.

In the occasional villages they passed, the villagers looked tense, as if they feared them immensely.

The guards at the checkpoints were equally unfriendly. If not for the travel permit in Bai Ye's hand and the greatsword on Skadi's back, they might have harbored some unwelcome thoughts.

"You just need to follow me. Do as I say when I tell you to do it." Bai Ye knew that Skadi's individual strength was formidable.

He understood perfectly how to utilize someone like her—after all, that's how he'd been ordered around when he was part of The Revelry Tea Party.

"Oh," Skadi nodded obediently.

On land, she usually lacked tactical planning.

This was not her domain. The training she had received and her combat experience were lacking in this area.

In the past, as a bounty hunter, she relied purely on her own strength.

"Let's go here first..." Bai Ye looked at Skadi's greatsword and quickly got an idea.

He was going to get rich.

Treasures were buried beneath the Frozen Land of Ursus.

The shallow ones had already been scraped away by the Ursus locusts along with the topsoil.

However, these ownerless treasures buried deep beneath the Frozen Land were now benefiting Bai Ye.

Leading Skadi to the vicinity of a ruined Mobile City, Bai Ye pointed at the empty Frozen Land. "Let's dig it open together."

As he spoke, he first took a shovel from the car and began to dig through the thick snow.

"Okay."

Skadi raised her greatsword and smashed it forcefully into the Frozen Land.

Accompanied by a piercing roar, a large pit appeared on the ground. She possessed a unique way of exerting force, and even the hard Frozen Land could not stop her in the slightest.

Bai Ye suddenly remembered that he had heard before that Rhodes Island's corridors had been cut open by something...

When he had asked about it, Skadi had generously admitted that it was her unintentional doing.

"I don't have a place to stay for now anyway, so I followed you as Dr. Kal'tsit advised."

Bai Ye: ...

What a terrifying individual. It was rumored that these Abyssal Hunters were even more powerful in the sea...

No, no, that might not be the case. On land, she didn't need to contend with such strong pressure and resistance, so perhaps her attacks would be even more effective.

Snapping back to reality, Bai Ye was surprised to find that Skadi had already disappeared.

A large pit had appeared on the ground, and dirt was continuously being thrown out of it, piling up to the side to form a mound.

The mound was growing at a visible rate.

"Damn, this efficiency is too fast..."

Bai Ye felt like Skadi was a human excavator... It seemed that a greatsword could also be used for digging.

Reaching out, Bai Ye activated his Originium Arts, using pressure to compact the soil on the walls of the hole Skadi had dug, preventing a collapse.

He was grateful that Kal'tsit had found him a helper like Skadi. Otherwise, digging for treasure alone would have been too difficult, and he might have even needed to cooperate with others.

How could it be as comfortable as it was now?

As expected, Skadi was the best!

Chapter 23: Skadi Received a Gift

"There's a stone slab below, should I open it?"

Skadi suddenly poked her head out of the deep pit. Even though she was acting as an excavator, the girl's hair was not messy, and she wasn't even out of breath, as if this level of exertion meant nothing to her.

"So there really is treasure..."

Bai Ye had been somewhat unsure before. After all, in his previous life, he hadn't paid much attention to treasure-hunting guides; he only had a vague impression.

He hadn't expected there to actually be a reward.

"Just dig it open and try," Bai Ye said, also starting to clear the dirt Skadi had dug out from the ground.

The Frozen Land mixed with snow was gathered by Bai Ye and piled up near the entrance of the hole.

Then, he heard a muffled, heavy sound from below.

"Bang!"

Skadi directly smashed through the thick stone slab with her sword!

After a moment, Skadi said from underground, "Come down."

Bai Ye jumped straight down.

He then saw a passage that looked like it was cast from concrete, with a hole already broken through the top.

"Amazing..."

Bai Ye's swordsmanship focused on agility; its destructive power wasn't this strong. Moreover, he didn't have Skadi's immense strength.

"It was quite easy." Skadi slung her greatsword back onto her shoulders and tidied up her slightly disheveled clothes.

Bai Ye turned on his searchlight, and a beam of light illuminated the passage.

"I really don't know where you dug up these strange things..."

Skadi muttered, beginning to observe the passage ahead with great interest. She was curious about how land dwellers hid their treasures.

"The Frozen Land is hard and the climate is harsh, making it the best place to bury treasures. It's a shame that the nobles who left them behind all disappeared in the Great Purge." Bai Ye shone his light into the descending passage, which seemed bottomless.

"The Great Purge?" Skadi was curious about the snippets Bai Ye mentioned.

"I don't know the specifics, but it was roughly when the current Ursus Emperor fought with the old nobles. After the rebellion was put down, all the rebellious nobles were purged. That was more than ten years ago."

Bai Ye wasn't one for lore. He was skilled at dealing with various enemies and creatures, but his understanding of the story was only superficial.

"So this is ownerless treasure." Skadi realized with a start.

The two proceeded down the passage, eventually arriving before a heavy metal door.

"Stand back, I don't want to hurt you." Skadi raised the sword on her back.

Bai Ye obediently retreated many steps, not wanting to be accidentally injured by the greatsword.

Clang—

No key was needed; Skadi's greatsword tore through the metal door.

Her weapon was forged with a craftsmanship far surpassing that of land dwellers. It was technology from Sargos.

"No matter how many times I see it, this pure power is always awe-inspiring." Bai Ye closed his eyes, constructing a model of Skadi in his mind.

In simulated combat, he didn't think his current stats would allow him to contend with her—without relying on Originium Arts, he could probably hold out for about 5 minutes, assuming Skadi fought with only her current output.

Skadi was unaware of Bai Ye's calculations. She said calmly, "It's nothing. For me, it doesn't even count as a warm-up, because my body hasn't even heated up yet."

As Skadi spoke, she carelessly sheathed her sword and was the first to enter the vault through the opening in the metal door.

"Hoh." She then couldn't help but let out a light sigh.