Prophecy

W, who was now left alone in the real world to "handle important matters," immediately became furious.

She wanted to throw something, but all she had to throw were explosives, so the Sarkaz girl gracefully landed, looked up at the man who had brought up the most awkward topic, and said, "Line up!"

Good grief, so you're using your position to settle personal scores?

With Black Snake officially "dismounted," the entire Rhodes Island is practically operating at full speed. Even Warfarin, the Ironblood tycoon who previously boasted that operators would pay for the "extra lives" brought by the Interstice, is now working tirelessly day and night to organize refugee relief efforts.

Currently, on Rhodes Island, whether on the front lines or in the rear, regardless of gender, a large number of people are working at an insanely high intensity, almost like animals. What makes them happy is the high pay for the job, the strong sense of spiritual satisfaction, and also... the fact that most of Rhodes Island's leadership are also working like animals pulling a millstone.

However, at this moment, Kal'tsit strongly demanded that Amiya be allowed to enter the Interstice.

"... My work plan is based on your and Amiya's ability to handle emergencies in reality. Any changes at the last minute will affect work efficiency."

There's a ton of work to coordinate tonight, with Rhodes Island activities along the entire route from Chernobog to Lungmen. Not to mention the negotiations with those high-ranking officials of Yan. It's fair to say that right now, we really need someone who can make the decisions and take responsibility.

In the bathroom, Kal'tsit crossed her arms and said to herself in the mirror, "You can't keep Amiya out of the picture forever. Just as a ship shouldn't drop its anchor and sail away alone."

"Trying to persuade me through metaphors? I thought you would bring out my backup plan." Kal'tsit's expression in the mirror was indifferent, even more like a machine than the cat herself.

"As you have warned me many times: trying to persuade you with reason and logic is an impossible task. You always think a step, a hundred steps, deeper than I do."

"I don't remember ever saying that."

"It wasn't words that told me this, it was actions."

"No, it's the second half," Kal'tsit in the mirror said. "My depth of thought is limited. It can never encompass all possibilities—just as my impromptu decision, while bringing Talulah back unharmed, also affected the greatest theoretical benefit."

"In the long run, this is entirely a good thing." Kal'tsit didn't believe a word of Oute's "humility."

She has developed severe PTSD related to "everything is going according to plan".

Despite Oute's repeated emphasis that "his plans have limitations," his tendency to change tactics and devise Plan B at any time made Kal'tsit deeply suspicious: Could it be that his previous decisions weren't based on computer processing power or empirical formulas, but purely on brute-force solutions developed on the spot?

"In the long run, this 'minor mistake' might be a good thing, or it might not. Whether it's good or bad, and in what ways, depends on how far into the 'long run' it is," the person in the mirror added. "Fighting alongside everyone at this crucial moment is indeed a good opportunity to build popularity, but getting enough sleep is even more important for her development."

The "elimination of the Black Snake's influence" could have been a valuable bargaining chip. However, this chip might have further provoked Wei Yenwu, leading to his suspicion and distrust. In a sense, directly repairing Talulah's mind now is actually a better bargaining chip.

However, it is indeed not a locally optimal solution.

"You could simply say 'yes'." Kal'tsit frowned.

What do you think of a family camping trip?

"..." The cat hesitated for a while before saying uncertainly, "If I fall asleep at this time, many urgent matters won't be able to be decided immediately."

"Eyjafjalla is at Number Fourteen Facility. Recall her; I can make decisions through her."

That scoundrel is playing power games at home again.

But Kal'tsit rarely showed that concern when she was with him; she simply nodded and said, "I'll inform them immediately."

Chapter 196 Prophecy

"... Speaking of which, why is there a keyhole on the coffin!?"

Amiya finally couldn't hold back any longer when she saw Specter casually use the key to open a stone coffin.

Kal'tsit replied, "This 'world' does not necessarily share the same laws as the ordinary material realm."

"Here, the spiritual symbols are closer to the essence than their outward appearance."

Should I tell Dr. Kal'tsit?

Doc Otter strongly disagrees with her...

Besides, doctor, you haven't answered anything at all!

The little rabbit scratched its face awkwardly. "Really?"

Immediately afterward, Kal'tsit's displeasure was palpable. "Oute! The maximum number of people allowed to explore here is four, right!?"

"Why did you only bring three people!?"

Her emotions were so intense that it took Amiya considerable effort to "not sense" them.

However, in this emotional tsunami, the dominant force is not the most easily observable "dissatisfaction."

Rather, it is "concern" and "worry".

"You, me, Amiya, Specter, that's definitely four people." Oute casually crumpled up the diary page Specter had just handed him and tossed it back into the coffin.

In the Darkest Dungeon, different objects in the environment interact in different ways. And this magical coffin, inlaid with gold and jade and locked, requires a master key to open...

If you touch things randomly with your bare hands, the reduced benefits are a minor issue; worse consequences could include injury, illness, or even developing negative traits.

"Don't play dumb!"

There are indeed "four people" now, but what Kal'tsit just emphasized is the four people excluding "Oute".

In reality, Oute's decision-making redundancy is very good. Even if there are some mistakes, it can easily be patched up by borrowing from other parts of the system. For example, the team that executed the Black Snake in Hamlet was entirely borrowed from the Black Snake's own team.

However, Kal'tsit firmly believed that in the "The Interstice," a realm directly connected to Oute's sanity, the possibility of him suffering irreversible damage was far greater than it actually was.

Therefore, she was extremely dissatisfied with Oute's current behavior of "disregarding his own safety".

"What do you think of the term 'family camping'?" Oute suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question, "Although FrostNova is cute, she and Patriot can't be considered 'family members' yet."

"..." The cat's face fell.

Before leaving Hamlet Town, Patriot, FrostNova, Alina, and Talulah were all vaguely standing with the current four-person team.

But this time, the moment Oute decided on the target, his chosen team instantly entered the ruins... This was completely different from the previous times when they had to walk there.

Kal'tsit didn't even stop Oute; she only belatedly realized it after everything had happened.

"Although Laurentina has shared a bed with you for a long time, I'm afraid this doesn't quite qualify as a family relationship," she said sarcastically. "I hope you remember that this is part of therapy."

To attack one's own patient?

Doc Otter?

Wrong!

Sharing a bed!?

What?!?

Amiya's little head darted back and forth between Oute and Specter.

No!

Absolutely not!

It has to be at least a rabbit, right!?

No, no, no!

Focus!

Oh, right!

Emotional perception!

Faced with this situation, the little rabbit did not hesitate to use an ability she didn't particularly like.

This power, derived from a portion of the pre-civilization relic "DWDB-221E" (also known as "The Continuation of Civilization"), allows "Demon Lords" like Amiya to perceive the emotions of other individuals.

"That's really strange, Kal'tsit ... Doctor." Specter's finger tapped her delicate chin, her voice alluring and deep. "After all, you're the one who's in bed with two women on either side, aren't you?"

Specter... is he initiating a conversation?

Not only Kal'tsit, who had been tracking Specter's condition, was shocked by Specter's words, but Amiya also taken aback.

The torch moved slowly through the dark open-air corridor, passing by familiar faces painted on the walls on both sides. Their outlines were all very similar to Oute's, but the facial details and the backgrounds of the paintings were different.

Ahead, the outline of a cross encircling a ring looms indistinctly.

"Our 'family relationship' with Laurentina doesn't stem from sharing a bed." Oute picked up an oil painting and examined it closely. "Something deeper connects me to Specter, and also connects me to you."

The other half of her DNA comes from one of the projects you once oversaw. And the Originium that is now pressing on her spinal cord comes from another project you once oversaw.

The sounds she can hear are two things: one related to you, and the other related to you...

Kal'tsit's helpless yet agreeable expression left Amiya increasingly confused... and bittersweet.

What?!

This feeling of being the only one who's not involved!

Oute changed the subject, asking, "Who do you think this portrait depicts?"

Specter gracefully accepted the portrait. "The figure's facial features are largely abstract and distorted, capturing characteristics of a specific context while deviating from conventional aesthetics."

"..." Oute seemed to be deep in thought.

He then looked at Kal'tsit, nodded, and put the portrait into his backpack.

Oute realized that Kal'tsit's judgment was not entirely wrong.

This world is indeed, to a considerable extent, "spiritual" rather than "material." His failure to further inquire of the heroes' opinions on the inscriptions and patterns within the ruins was indeed a miscalculation.

"Let's keep going and try to take care of this dungeon leader tonight."

Kal'tsit patted Amiya on the shoulder and asked Oute, "So, who is the leader of this dungeon?"

"I told you before," Oute, looking at the strange cross, "It's the Mad Prophet."

"When our the Ancestor were exploring the secrets of this old house, a 'ragged pauper' came to the town."

Kal'tsit pressed on, "The secret of the old house?"

"This old house, the very place where our the Ancestor grew up and multiplied, holds some extremely precious secrets."

"It's about the truth of the world, the future of the universe."

Oute continued, "However, this 'poor man' prophesied that the Ancestor's act of digging up secrets would inevitably bring disaster."

"Faced with this filthy, toothless, ignorant, and stubborn 'charlatan,' our the Ancestor imprisoned him in a death row cell, submerged him in deep water, and frantically plunged a blade into his back..."