Arknights, but Raising Terra Chapter 12

"What's wrong? Are you interested in that glass marble?"

Chen Ran held Kal'tsit, who was still only the size of a palm, in his hand.

He had originally wanted to see if this hakimi would be as familiar as Heart of the Corrupted Skadi and treat this place as her own home, or if she would be like the lucky one last time, her sanity dropping by 1 and then just dying.

After waiting for a long time, Chen Ran saw Kal'tsit standing in his palm, looking around, and finally fixing her gaze on the food planet.

What?

It was one thing for those Sea Creatures to constantly chant "hungry, food" and gorge themselves, but Kal'tsit, you can't possibly only be thinking about eating, right?

Should I go get you some catnip?

But when Chen Ran spoke, it was like thunder booming in Kal'tsit's ears.

She subconsciously turned her head to look and saw a majestic figure spanning the entire galaxy.

Kal'tsit couldn't even think of any existing adjective to describe the existence before her eyes.

She couldn't help but swallow, even forgetting to breathe—

Although Kal'tsit quickly became confused, why could she breathe in space?

Then, she further thought that compared to her physical body being exposed to space and still being unharmed, being able to breathe didn't seem like a big problem...

She could only vaguely attribute it to the power of a god—

Chen Ran saw that Kal'tsit's attitude finally became respectful as she clearly called out, "Lord God."

She had no choice but to be respectful.

Kal'tsit not only found that everything the previous fanatical believer had said was true, but she was also fortunate that the fanatical believer had been assimilated and taken away by the Sea Creatures.

Because this was not a god of faith at all, this was at least a creator god or a being like the creator.

A planet, in the mouth of this being, was merely a glass marble for children's play.

Heart of the Corrupted Skadi, who could sweep across the entire Terra continent and ascend with her entire race, a being considered god-like by humans, was sitting obediently on that being's shoulder, like a pet...

Didn't this explain everything?

Kal'tsit might like to put on a grumpy face, but she wasn't stupid.

"I am not a god," Chen Ran, as usual, denied the title.

But Kal'tsit heard him and lowered her head, remaining silent.

Indeed, with the specifications of such an existence, it was likely that they would not even look at so-called gods.

But just because he said it, and you heard it, Kal'tsit still had to call out: "Lord God, I want to make a..."

Make a deal?

Kal'tsit suddenly found that she couldn't say those two words. She didn't think she had the face for it.

So Kal'tsit had to choose her words carefully: "Lord God, since I am fortunate enough to have drawn the Holy Sword you bestowed, then... does that mean I am also fortunate enough to receive an answer to a question?"

Holy Sword? What Holy Sword?

Chen Ran glanced at the rebar Kal'tsit was holding in her hand.

You mean this thing?

Chen Ran's expression was a little subtle, but he was also quite curious about what Kal'tsit wanted to ask, so he nodded: "Ask."

"I want to know," Kal'tsit paused, "What price must we pay to exchange for a sliver of hope for humanity's survival?"

Chen Ran: "?"

Why are you asking me?

Hope for humanity's survival? Shouldn't you be asking those few remaining survivors if they are willing to have children, and preferably eight at a time?

If they have more children, the cheap labor... cough, the population increases, and a new civilization is born, won't that revitalize everything?

Why are you asking me about having children? You don't know how? Do I have to teach you?

018. Kal'tsit: Evil God! This thing is an evil god! Ahhh!

Their perspectives were completely different.

In Kal'tsit's eyes, casually creating things, raising Sea Creatures, and conjuring planets...

To Chen Ran, humanity was probably just a plaything to pass the time.

He probably didn't care whether humanity existed or not.

But it was precisely because of this that Kal'tsit had to seek a glimmer of hope.

Because he was in a good mood today and nothing happened, but tomorrow he might be unhappy and with a single slap, he could send all of humanity to another dimension.

Since he wasn't interested, he naturally wouldn't care about their lives or deaths.

But from Chen Ran's perspective, it was completely different.

He was like playing a claw machine, first grabbing a Heart of the Corrupted Skadi, and now it was singing hakimi over there.

After catching another Sea Creature, I found it did nothing but eat.

Now I've caught Kal'tsit, and the first thing she does is ask how to have children.

Seriously? Is there something wrong with my grip, or is everyone on Terra just naturally gifted?

Chen Ran then asked curiously, "The hope for humanity's survival? Aren't you omniscient? You don't know how to have children?"

Just have those survivors have children. If the population grows, humanity as a race will be revitalized, won't it?

Kal'tsit: "..."

But as soon as he said that, Kal'tsit, standing in Chen Ran's palm, went from stunned to disbelieving, then her pupils dilated in shock.

Question: What price must I (Kal'tsit) pay to make Him (Chen Ran) show mercy and spare humanity?

Answer: Have children.

Who's having children? Me? With whom? Him?

Kal'tsit's cat ears on her head twitched back, her tail hidden in her skirt puffed up into a circle, and she tightly gripped the 'Holy Sword' in her hand, involuntarily taking a step back.

Faith God (X)

Creator God (X)

This damn thing is an evil god (√)

But Kal'tsit was already in Chen Ran's palm. Where could she retreat to?

After just a few steps, Kal'tsit reached the edge of Chen Ran's palm. Her high heel slipped, and her body instantly became unsteady, forcing Kal'tsit to stop.

After finally regaining her balance and looking up, Kal'tsit saw Chen Ran's other large hand reaching out towards her.

It moved so fast that Kal'tsit had no way to dodge and could only let that large hand grab her. After Kal'tsit instinctively bit her lip and the sound of fabric friction followed, that large hand placed her back in the center of his palm.

"Tsk tsk," Chen Ran clicked his tongue and then said, "As expected of a cat, always liking to play dangerous games, huh?"

Chen Ran was actually startled when Kal'tsit almost fell from his hand just now.

He didn't know if cats could fly, but they could definitely die from a fall.

That's why he quickly reached out to save her.

But it seemed he accidentally pressed on something soft... Hmm, he probably pressed on that small belly again.

It couldn't be helped. Given the proportions, Chen Ran's thumb could perfectly cover her abdomen. It was only natural that he might accidentally press it—

He could only lie to himself with such words.

Because Kal'tsit's reaction was right there, it was definitely not the reaction to being pressed on the stomach.

So Chen Ran looked at Kal'tsit's chest and rubbed his fingertips.

Hmm, padded.

Kal'tsit didn't know Chen Ran was slandering her. She was just standing in Chen Ran's palm.

She recalled that when she was grabbed by that large hand earlier, Chen Ran's pinky finger was as thick as her entire thigh.

Kal'tsit reached out again and lightly pressed her lower abdomen with her fingertips.

Kal'tsit: "..."

Her rationality told her that if her own life could secure the survival of the entire human race, it was an absolute win-win... no, it was even a huge profit, a massive profit.

But her emotions told her that this evil god was infinitely evil; He even wanted to play with a human-shaped Fiji cup.

However, her rationality countered again: even if she refused and disagreed, with this evil god's methods, he might actually be able to perform human sacrifices, like offering up a pure virgin. In that case, it would lead to widespread suffering.

Then her emotions told her—

Kal'tsit seemed to be caught in a brainstorming session. Although her expression didn't change, her brows furrowed deeper and deeper to a visible extent.

After a long time, Kal'tsit finally seemed to have made up her mind and took a deep breath.

"I hope you, 'Lord God'... will keep your promise and, with me alone, exchange for a sliver of hope for the human race..."

After speaking, with a 'snap,' the 'Holy Sword' she tightly held in her hand was casually discarded.

Then Kal'tsit reached out and, with a blank expression, unfastened the clothes she was wearing.

Chen Ran: "?"

Although he had the previous "performance" of Heart of the Corrupted Skadi undressing, and now it was Kal'tsit's turn, Chen Ran didn't have much of a reaction.

However, this tendency to undress without a word made Chen Ran doubt Kal'tsit's thought process a bit.

Fortunately:

"Intimidation! Coercion! You are despicable!"

"Under your demand to 'have children,' Kal'tsit, coerced by your might, had no choice but to offer you, an evil god, her loyalty (adult version) in exchange for humanity's survival."

"Congratulations on obtaining the achievement: NEKOPARA (icon)"

Chen Ran: "..."

Oh.

Under the watchful, blinking reminder of that semi-transparent pop-up window, Chen Ran finally understood the whole story.

So, we were just talking past each other, huh?

But just like with Heart of the Corrupted Skadi's striptease back then, Chen Ran really couldn't bring himself to act like some little virgin.

Instead, Chen Ran glanced over at Heart of the Corrupted Skadi, who was sitting on his shoulder, dangling her little feet and watching the show. "Where's my phone? Red T, where did I put my phone? Go find it, and record this scene."

Upon hearing this, Heart of the Corrupted Skadi naturally floated off Chen Ran's shoulder, drifted to his pants pocket, and dove in, patting around.

Finally, as Chen Ran's expression grew a little strange, Heart of the Corrupted Skadi emerged, clutching the phone, and floated back to his shoulder.

"Can you record it?" Chen Ran asked.

Heart of the Corrupted Skadi opened the recording function, only to find that electronic devices couldn't capture it at all.

So, Heart of the Corrupted Skadi tilted her little head, and her Originium Mark began to spread from her small hand, covering the entire device until it finally enveloped the camera.

At last, Kal'tsit's figure appeared on the screen.

Then, Heart of the Corrupted Skadi nodded her little head at Chen Ran and, mimicking the experience she'd gained from browsing the internet earlier, made a scissor gesture.

"Even though I guessed you were trying to make an 'OK' gesture, Red T, I think it's better to record you like this right now."

019. The Savior Cat Who Caused Social Death Decides to Meow

"Savior Kal'tsit: If this is your wish... then I shall offer you my loyalty..."

"Hahahaha!"

Watching the recording on his phone, Chen Ran laughed like Tom Cat.

After being alerted by that semi-transparent pop-up and realizing he and Kal'tsit had been having a cross-server chat the entire time, Chen Ran, already able to guess what would happen next, immediately had Heart of the Corrupted Skadi grab his phone to record it.