Arknights, but Taming Terra Chapter 11

Kal'tsit: "... ..."

Kal'tsit felt that not only humanity was doomed, but the Sea Creatures were too.

016. Pull out the Holy Sword and you shall meet the Lord God.

The Sea Creatures were creations of the Pre-Civilization, and so was Kal'tsit.

So in a sense, they could be considered sisters, or colleagues.

For the ten thousand years before the Sea Creatures' world-ending event, Kal'tsit had only focused on matters on land, ignoring the sea.

This was because Kal'tsit knew that even though the Sea Creatures lacked intelligence, they should have been quiet, well-behaved, sensible, and not cry or make a fuss. They certainly shouldn't be—

"Sister."

The 'Divine Messenger' turned its head to look at Kal'tsit after seeing that the fervent believer had been assimilated.

It reached out and tore open its chest, which had just sprouted new flesh and blood, once more.

It ripped apart blood vessels, pulling out torn flesh, and blood seeped from its fingertips, like fresh red nail polish.

Holding the newly born, still-beating heart, the 'Divine Messenger' said, "Sister, want some? Fresh."

Kal'tsit: "... ..."

They shouldn't be like this...

So what had happened to these Sea Creatures after their ascension that made them so... bizarre?

"I refuse." Kal'tsit shook her head decisively, "I have no intention of becoming a Sea Creature."

"Why?"

The 'Divine Messenger' tilted its head, its eyes showing a confusion that seemed genuine.

If they just evolved into this state, they would have an inexhaustible supply of food and never have to worry about survival.

Why refuse?

The 'Divine Messenger' didn't understand, but it didn't think much of it, because it had no brain and couldn't understand even if it tried.

It just tilted its small head, opened its mouth, and swallowed the beating heart back into its abdomen.

The Sea Creatures had no habit of wasting food, even if this piece of flesh was its own.

However, this method of eating made Kal'tsit frown incessantly.

The 'Divine Messenger' licked its lips with its small tongue... Although, given how the 'Divine Messenger' could expand its jaw several times its size, it was unclear how long its tongue would need to lick its lips clean.

Feeling satisfied, the 'Divine Messenger' turned and looked at its new compatriot—who, though newly ascended as a Sea Creature, was still trembling and toddling, but could already repeatedly mumble, "Food, hungry"—

The 'Divine Messenger' stepped forward, grabbed the other by the scruff of its neck, and prepared to take it away from Terra to their paradise for a hearty meal.

"Wait a moment."

Seeing this, Kal'tsit naturally spoke up immediately, "I want... no, I wish to meet your Lord God. May I?"

"Lord God?"

The 'Divine Messenger' turned its head back, its expression confused, and pointed to the sky, "Isn't Lord God always there?"

Kal'tsit: "... ..."

She looked up at the sky. The sphere she had always mistaken for the moon looked back at her, just as she wished.

At that moment, a chill spread from her spine to her tailbone, causing Kal'tsit's cat ears to flatten backward.

She had been observed like a small animal the entire time, yet she had believed this small terrarium was her entire world.

This sense of absurdity was enough to shatter a person's psychological defenses, but Kal'tsit held firm.

She took a deep breath, forced herself to calm down, and then spoke softly, "Lord God... I wish to make a deal with you. Would you be willing to hear me out?"

Kal'tsit was not foolish; she lowered her stance.

Whether this God was good or evil was unknown, but it was certainly infinitely wicked, as the Sea Creature beside her was a living example.

When she didn't hear a response from the God after a long silence, Kal'tsit actually felt relieved.

She was more worried that if she spoke, the God would say in an interested tone, "Oh? Tell me about it."

Because if that happened, the God could help you achieve anything you asked for, but you couldn't control the method of achievement.

If you wanted world peace, no war, then simply annihilate all of humanity.

If you wanted someone's heart, wanted them to only look at you, then gouge out their eyes, sew them onto your scalp, and take out their heart to place on your plate.

Never mind the process, just tell me if it was achieved, right?

Finally, in the dead silence, the 'Divine Messenger' spoke, "Lord God says, just pull out this sword. Once you pull it out, He will naturally meet you."

After speaking, the 'Divine Messenger' grabbed the fervent believer by the scruff of its neck and ascended into the sky, "I'll take it home to eat first."

However, as the 'Divine Messenger' ascended halfway, Kal'tsit, still on the ground, reached up and touched her face, looking up at the sky.

"Is it raining?"

"Ah... I accidentally pulled off your skin." But what she heard was the 'Divine Messenger's' apology to the fervent believer, "It's okay, it's okay, I'll help you glue it back on with glue, but this piece of skin that was pulled off smells quite good... can I eat it?"

Kal'tsit: "... ..."

Kal'tsit lowered her hand and looked down, only to find that the so-called 'rain' was red.

Kal'tsit stopped talking and turned to walk before the 'Holy Sword'.

She felt that if she stayed with that Sea Creature any longer, her sanity would drop by one.

"So if I pull out the Holy Sword, I can meet the Lord God?"

"Is this the only way?"

Even if it wasn't, Kal'tsit had no other options available right now.

She didn't know the material, the weight, or even what the so-called 'Holy Sword' looked like.

This was because the 'Holy Sword' emitted a dazzling light, making it impossible to even look at directly, let alone see clearly; it felt as if her eyes would be burned.

But Kal'tsit had no choice. She had to step forward, reach out, and grasp the hilt of the 'Holy Sword'.

It wasn't hot to the touch; instead, it was cool, with spiral patterns engraved upon it.

But she couldn't... couldn't pull it out.

So Kal'tsit let go, took a step back, took a deep breath, and said, "Mon3tr."

Following a roar, the colossal creature, nearly 9 meters long, did not appear.

Instead, countless green scales attached themselves to Kal'tsit's right arm like armor.

Only after a perfect gauntlet was donned by Kal'tsit did she reach out again and grasp the hilt of the 'Holy Sword'.

Then:

Buzz—!

A dazzling pillar of light shot up into the sky, tearing through it.

Kal'tsit stood on the ground, holding the 'Holy Sword'.

Beneath the light, Kal'tsit saw the Lord God manifest. A giant palm extended from the clouds into the planet.

As if out of mercy, or perhaps as a reward, the palm did not shrink to a size that could flatten thousands of kilometers of land like last time. Instead, it gradually reduced until it lay spread out before Kal'tsit, just large enough for her to step onto its palm.

If your hand shrinks this much, how long is your arm now? Kal'tsit couldn't help but think of this bizarre question.

However, Kal'tsit still didn't speak. She simply held the Holy Sword and, in silence, stepped onto the palm.

017. Kal'tsit's Attitude Clearly Became Respectful

"Hakimi, Hakimi, Hakimi~"

Perhaps feeling she could see her former colleague, Heart of the Corrupted Skadi floated around Chen Ran, holding her phone and humming a tune.

It's just that the lyrics...

"Hakimi doesn't actually mean cat," Chen Ran turned his head and couldn't help but correct her.

This made Heart of the Corrupted Skadi stop in mid-air, blinking her small eyes: "Then why does Kun mean chicken?"

"Uh..."

This stumped Chen Ran.

"I'm actually curious, what do you usually watch on your phone?"

After thinking for a long time, Chen Ran reached out and took the phone from Heart of the Corrupted Skadi's arms: "I'm confiscating it. I'll set up a youth mode for you later to prevent addiction, then I'll give it back."

"Oh."

Heart of the Corrupted Skadi wasn't discouraged. If the Lord God told her not to play, then she wouldn't play.

So she floated over and obediently sat on Chen Ran's shoulder, swinging her little feet as she waited for her former colleague to arrive.

Seeing this, Chen Ran naturally rubbed Heart of the Corrupted Skadi's little head with his fingertips, then turned his head to look at the planet model again.

But... it was too small.

A glass marble was already small, let alone the humans living inside it.

Even with constant zooming in and out, it felt like his eyes would go blind.

And then, Kal'tsit was still green-haired, green-eyed, and wearing green, perfectly blending into nature.

If Kal'tsit wasn't a barefoot enthusiast, and her fair white thighs weren't so dazzling, Chen Ran might have completely lost sight of her with just a turn of his head.

However, this problem was quickly resolved.

"The first hero after the wasteland has appeared!"

"She broke reinforced concrete (crossed out)"

"She pulled out the Holy Sword, she carries the hope of an entire race, she sent her prayers to the Lord God"

"She, the savior Kal'tsit!"

"I have a feeling you're making a pun."

As this semi-transparent pop-up box appeared, a pillar of light, like a teammate's ping in a game, shot up into the sky immediately after.

This allowed Chen Ran to successfully lock onto Kal'tsit's position. He reached out his hand, grasping towards the location of the light pillar.

... ... ...

... ...

As she stepped onto the palm, Kal'tsit subconsciously recalled the Stairway to Divinity.

But then the palm lifted her towards the sky, leaving her no time to dwell on such trivial matters.

To that Lord God, this action was perhaps no more than raising a hand.

But the wind roared in her ears with sonic booms, and the scenery rapidly receded, blurring into afterimages.

The speed of escape from the planet Terra was so great it almost reminded Kal'tsit of a wormhole.

Yet she felt no wind pressure at all, as if some invisible barrier was shielding her from everything.

Soon, the world fell completely silent.

Looking around, she saw an endless sea of stars.

The planet Terra lay beneath her feet, with planetary rings encircling her. Even the Sea Creature that had previously taken new compatriots to the food planet was flying not far away...

Wait?

The food planet...?

Kal'tsit was astonished to discover that a newly formed planet had silently appeared in this star system, with no one noticing how it appeared or when it was born.

How... how was this done?