Grit Your Teeth / The Harvest Begins

The biggest difference between Black Snake and a certain medieval strategy game where "heinous crimes" are the main gameplay elements is that the true, original "Black Snake" probably lost itself in the process.

If any Black Snake were to shamelessly claim to be the original, true Black Snake, while inheriting a large amount of her ego remnants, it would certainly also suffer from a considerable degree of mental illness and have become confused about its own identity.

Her ideals and beliefs will most likely end in an absurd manner, much like a game of telephone, with the outcome being as ridiculous as "the city gate tower" or "the hip joint."

"No, not at all! Neither therapy nor prison!" Talulah straightened herself up, looked into the air, and said resolutely, "There are still a few Imperial Guards observing the situation. If we can't deal with them in time, letting the facts speak for themselves won't be so easy!"

Chernobog was utterly destroyed by Catastrophe, a politically plausible excuse. But if the Ursus Imperial Guards intervene, even undeniable facts can be questioned.

Oute glanced at Kal'tsit, stopping her from explaining "what exactly Imperial Guards is".

"Miss Talulah," Oute said bluntly, "Dying like this is far from atonement."

"Furthermore, the fact that you harbor the thought of meeting someone on the other side makes your actions a pure form of suicide."

"The people of Chernobog deserve better, and so do the Reunion Movement and the Infected."

Chapter 207 Gritting His Teeth

"..."

Draco remained silent, unconsciously tightening her grip on her hand, while her delicate fingers pierced through Alina's skin.

Hey, it's clipping through the image.

Despite his inner thoughts, Oute remained outwardly composed. "Your silence is deafening."

Oute deliberately chose an extremely biased narrative here—it wasn't exactly false, but he misinterpreted Talulah's desperate attempt to fight off the Imperial Guards despite her illness as an attempt to escape reality.

But once he voiced this misinterpretation, Talulah could no longer ignore this dark possibility.

"... This is the last thing I can do."

Kal'tsit stepped forward. "The Originium bullet in your heart was very tricky, but the surgery was very successful, and your recovery is expected to be good."

Talulah had indeed fallen into the trap. "Even without the instruments, I can clearly feel the spread of Originium Infection —I don't have much time left."

In the actual battle, Black Snake pushed Talulah's body to its limits in order to escape. Despite having the staff as a medium for casting spells, the extreme use of Originium Arts still triggered the further spread of Originium Infection.

Furthermore, after considering the Fate Reconstruction, Oute attacked "cautiously"... Even after Oute's simple treatment during the possession, Talulah can still be said to be "living like a candle in the wind."

Even if it seems like escaping reality, I still...

"No, Miss Talulah." Amiya glanced at Oute, and seeing him nod, she composed herself and said, "We can alleviate your Originium Infection."

"That's just postponing what was inevitable." Talulah shook her head.

In her mind, her Originium Infection had crossed the threshold, leaving her with no chance of recovery.

An unexpected voice rang out.

"Rhodes Island, now that things have come to this, there's no need for modesty."

The hospital gown looked a little too tight on Wendigo.

But what's most surprising is... how fluently he speaks!

A towering figure slowly approached, looking at the somewhat flustered Amiya and Kal'tsit, and said, "I have made a promise to the strategist."

They promised not to take action against Talulah for the time being.

Since it was a promise made to that scoundrel Oute, this "temporary" is destined to be "temporary" in various ways until it lasts forever.

Patriot, once again assuming the role of a warrior, uttered a shocking statement that made Kal'tsit's forehead veins bulge. "Rhodes Island can cure your Originium Infection."

"We regret that we cannot agree with the term 'cure'!"

"My lord, scholars have their thoughts, and warriors have their feelings." Bohdrokasthim looked at Talulah again, his murky red eyes full of scrutiny.

Wendigo longed to see that evil god reflected in Talulah's eyes.

But no.

The fighter's eyes had darkened, but the embers remained warm, and Mars still flew.

It still retains some of its old-fashioned charm!

No one could know Wendigo's true feelings, except for Amiya, whose eyes revealed a hint of cunning.

"Rhodes Island can heal you, Talulah!" Bohdrokasthim his arms, looking somewhat resistant. "But all of this is conditional on your wish!"

Talulah was even more resistant than him; she even seized upon the little bit of Patriot had just revealed to change the subject. "Strategist? I thought he was the new Demon King."

But before Patriot could make any move, Talulah looked at thin air again.

The deer urged, "If it's just you, we might really need you to step in quickly and risk your life."

"But even if Black Snake is in control, you have witnessed Rhodes Island's actions, and the actions of Mr. Wei and Ms. Chen. At the very least, you were not alone in stopping the infected and preventing the survivors from being drawn into the war!"

"Promise me, Little Tal," Elafia commanded in an extremely gentle tone, "To join them in bringing Chernobog to an end."

Finally, Talulah: "... Okay."

But most people can't see Alina, which makes Talulah's "goodness" seem somewhat incomplete.

Oute spoke the truth without hesitation, "From the current perspective, letting you sacrifice yourself might be a locally optimal solution. If handled properly, Black Snake's actions in Chernobog could be overshadowed by your glory. As the most dynamic infected group in Ursus, Reunion Movement can also obtain your greatest legacy in this process."

"Their immense prestige and remaining size make the Reunion Movement remnants the natural leaders of the entire Ursus Infected movement—and even capable of influencing the whole of Terra."

"But Reunion Movement's offensive against Chernobog has escalated the overall situation of the Infected movement. Whether the nations of Terra choose to ease tensions or engage in fierce confrontation, the overall situation of the Infected will inevitably change."

Life is always difficult for those infected. For most infected people in most areas, the changes... are most likely to be negative.

"A martyred leader may be highly respected, but a saint has no power to interfere with what happens afterward. Everyone will use you as an excuse to find even the slightest flaw in your words and deeds during your lifetime to support their own claims."

"All the work you've done in the first half of your life will just be makeup applied by others."

Oute's repeated poking at his wound finally angered Talulah.

"If your technology works on me, then it's too early to talk about the first half or the second half of my life," Black Snake's teachings still couldn't completely quell her anger. "Furthermore, Rhodes Island's aid and relief to the Infected is indeed outstanding. But Doctor. Oute, the future you envisioned for the Infected in the lab is still a bit too simplistic."

"It's not your fault, after all, you're perfectly healthy."

The attempt to be gentle only made the words sound more sarcastic.

It's not entirely Talulah, after all, Oute is quite adept at saying hurtful things to create a persona for girls.

Faced with Talulah's questioning, Oute simply extended his left hand and placed it against the glass.

To Talulah in the hospital room, Oute emphasized, "I can't let you go to the battlefield wounded, Talulah, grit your teeth."

"What... Aaaaaaaah!"

"Woo!"

From the smallest wound inside the body to the almost gaping hole on the chest, flesh and nerves grew rapidly together.

The healing process was condensed into just a few seconds, and the pain that should have been prolonged bombarded Talulah's nerves in an instant.

However, this pain did not consume all of Talulah's energy.

She clenched her teeth in time, occasionally letting out a few sobs.

During this "pain relief" process, Talulah noticed a startling fact: Oute didn't have a staff.

She asked with difficulty, "You... are... an infected person!?"

Oute again downplayed the issue. "No matter how difficult it is for a group to be infected, if it can be, eventually someone will be infected."

Chapter 208 The Harvest Begins

Suppressing her pain, Talulah retorted, "... I thought it meant 'no matter how susceptible he is to infection'."

Although the title "Patriot" dispelled the "Demon King" speculation, the subsequent use of the term "Strategist" and the recent events still convinced Talulah that Oute was a Sarkaz.

"It's okay, it's all the same."

This time, the technique used by Oute was not entirely "Fate Reconstruction." The way it was achieved came from the healing he received not long ago when interacting with the Holy Water Fountain in the dungeon.

However, Oute still identifies the source of its energy as Originium — the Originium within Talulah's body.

Oute withdrew his hand, pushed open the door to the high-risk ward, and sat down on the other side of Talulah's bed, facing Alina from a distance.

"Doc Otter!"

"Doc Otter?"

"..."

After Talulah's body was transported back to the main ship and surgery was completed, she was placed in this high-risk ward. Along with other Elite Operator who were well aware of the Black Snake's situation, Kal'tsit and Amiya both voted in favor of the plan to ensure that the Black Snake was completely eradicated.

Oute gestured to stop Kal'tsit, Amiya, and... Patriot from stopping his attempt.

"Most of the Originium in your body has now become inert. However, until it is surgically removed, Originium will continue to cause you pain."

If this pain had to be compared to something else, it would be like gallstones or gout.

"So... ah... this is what healing is like?"

Talulah had to admit that, faced with such pain, a twisted sense of relief had actually arisen within her.

As a decent person, no matter how many excuses or reasons others use to persuade Talulah to ignore the disasters caused during the Black Snake Serpent's possession, she cannot easily forgive herself.

In this way, she found some spiritual comfort amidst the physical pain.

Oute glanced at Patriot.

This is similar to Bohdrokasthim.

Once the situation reaches its extreme, he can make a decision without hesitation: distance himself from the Sarkaz war; abandon Ursus's infected policy; and eliminate the leader of the Reunion Movement.

But this does not mean that he was without inner turmoil.

On the contrary, while taking decisive action, Patriot are undergoing an endless process of self-judgment and self-torture.

The pain caused by the crude mixing of artificial organs and Originium organs is incomparable to this, and this awkward old man regards it as "what he deserves" and accepts it with relish.

Whether it's Talulah or Bohdrokasthim, it will take a long time and communication for them to come to terms with this mindset.

But in terms of specific operations...