Arknights, but the Family Has Fallen Yet, Yet, Yet Again

Fortunately, Hedley's hand was steady, or he would have added another scar to his chin.

The newcomer was W.

Hedley let out a sigh of relief, but this old father vaguely sensed that something was off.

"W, have the defectors been dealt with?" he asked.

"W is asleep," the Sarkaz girl replied. "She burned through too much energy from last night until now. I came to find a place for her body to rest."

What did that mean? W's body?

A few ashes drifted through the air, gradually glowing red.

As a veteran of the Kazdel civil war, Hedley had fought countless battles and seen much of the world.

"You're Hedley."

It was phrased as a question, but her tone was certain.

"Ah, W didn't tell you."

The Sarkaz girl's pretty face was unusually calm, making her seem unusually intelligent.

Though it was the same face, with Oute in control, all that half-real, half-false madness and ferocity had left it, leaving only an indifferent expression full of intellect.

"Interesting. She mocked me, saying Kal'tsit hadn't told me about you... Yet after an entire night, she hadn't told you about me either."

A faint smile appeared at the corner of W's lips.

When it came to this Operator from both the past and future—his future father-in-law—Oute had decided that Hedley would have to face this day sooner or later.

Possessing the basic qualities of an accelerationist strategist, Oute directly equipped him with an accessory and said, "I'm Oute. At W's request, I'll handle a few minor matters for her while she sleeps for the next few hours."

An irresistible force flooded into Hedley's body, while a one-way mental link from Oute was forcibly established.

The sincerity transmitted through that mental link made Hedley believe Oute's words almost immediately.

Should I believe him?

Lightning flashed through the wild historian's mind.

Oute's name isn't a secret to the Military Commission... but it's only been two days. There's no way they could have learned of Oute's return so quickly!

Or has Theresis already noticed us?

Does he think we're still loyal to His Highness? Did he deliberately send someone to test us?

Could he be a shapeshifter?

No, we aren't important enough for that yet...

And this power... then... is he the real deal?

But how did he...

The burning ashes cooled once more.

I see... Now it all makes sense! I understand completely!

Hedley fell into thought.

I'd always wondered how an ordinary human could be so intelligent, and why other races would become so deeply involved in the Kazdel civil war... even going so far as to exhaust themselves over it!

And this strange power, this method of mental linking!

Doctor Oute! He's a mind flayer!

No, what exactly had Hedley figured out?

Did the Sarkaz even have things like that?

Since Oute had no intention of activating the Proxy Protocol on Hedley, this mental link, which was meant for issuing one-way commands, could not convey Hedley's thoughts to Oute.

Naturally, Oute did not possess Hedley's impressive imagination...

"Where does W sleep? I'll take her body there."

Immersed in his earth-shattering wisdom, Hedley woodenly pointed toward a bed.

"Ah, right."

As the Sarkaz girl passed Hedley, she turned her head and told him, "I won't go into the source of the intelligence for now. Ask W later. In any case, someone else is inside Talulah now."

Someone else?

Like the two of you right now?

No, there were three here now.

After W's body was laid on the bed, Oute said to Hedley, "I'll withdraw my power from you in a moment. Don't worry."

Then the girl closed her eyes.

After leaving, Oute silently began a new round of experiments.

He had vaguely suspected it, but he could actually equip Hedley with accessories!?

Was W's body acting as a relay, or was there some other reason?

Hedley only felt another force rush into his body.

This sudden power nearly made him think he was omnipotent!

But soon, as the power ebbed away, an emptiness and helplessness equal to that power clutched tightly at Hedley's heart.

It was not a physiological dependency, but the alienation of falling from a higher plane to a lower one. The entire world seemed like an airtight box, suffocating Hedley until he could barely breathe.

Perhaps it would be better outside?

With that thought in mind, he abandoned his half-shaved beard and went outside.

Oute did not directly remove Hedley's accessory. Instead, after ending the Proxy Protocol and leaving W's body, Oute equipped Hedley with another one before beginning to remove them.

Even without W serving as a relay, he could still equip Hedley with accessories.

This attempt left Oute even more confused: what exactly was his limit?

Meanwhile, out in the wilderness, the orca girl marched stiffly northeast. Her destination... appeared to be Lungmen, a thousand miles away.

A clear thought traveled to her through the mental link: "Skadi, this is Oute."

Some will lurking within her sank deeper inside.

"You don't need to try to answer me. I can't hear you right now."

Considering Skadi's complicated condition, Oute had no intention of using the Proxy Protocol on her. After all, he had already tried having three consciousnesses in one body... There was no need to try it again.

Thus, he had no way to hold a two-way conversation with Skadi through the Proxy Protocol.

"I'm going to retrieve the accessory on you. Prepare yourself."

Yes, Oute had not retrieved the accessory on Skadi these past two days.

First, there had been no immediate need for it. Second, it could be used to transmit information one-way.

But after returning to Hamlet last night, Oute had already informed the orca girl that Rhodes Island's landship would remain in Lungmen for a while. There was no other information to convey in the short term, and he was conducting further tests on his abilities...

It was time to activate this chess piece—Dismas's Head.

Emptiness, then fullness, followed by a lasting emptiness.

Skadi only felt that this wilderness was so cramped, so airtight.

A Closer Look at Old Chen—He's Quite Handsome!

The noise gradually subsided as this rare low-altitude aircraft arrived outside the mobile city.

Even inside the aircraft, they could vaguely hear Lungmen's broadcast: "Attention, citizens. The flight routes have been affected by an Originium disaster. Lungmen may alter course. Please do not move about freely. Attention, citizens..."

"Doc Otter... Doc Otter! We've arrived at Lungmen!" The big cat gently nudged Oute's shoulder.

Oute reached into the air, apparently instinctively looking for something to grab so he could get up.

Blaze, not understanding why, gently took Oute's hand.

"Mm, thanks."

Using her support, Oute rolled over and rose from Specter's lap pillow.

Specter cast Blaze a strange look.

What kind of look was that!? It was terrifying in a weird way!

But the big cat did not truly take Specter's gaze to heart. Instead, she was more troubled by Oute's weight.

So light... If I put two Amiyas together, they'd probably weigh about the same...

Ah, no, that would actually be a little heavy?

Come to think of it, their family of three all looks so thin!

The big cat let her thoughts run wild for a while.

Oute glanced outside the aircraft. It was hovering low over Lungmen, while the mobile city's tracks were still moving slowly.

Given the broadcast, it was probably decelerating in a way that could not be detected by the naked eye.

"Dylan, how's the signal now?"

"Clear as day!"