Meanwhile, Chernobog.
"This should be the place. These are the last few noble families in the major cities that haven't been cleaned up yet."
Comparing the list in his hand with the massive, rumbling mobile city in the distance, An Xora spoke calmly.
Behind him, several Wendigos stepped forward. Guided by the Shadow Troop An Xora had summoned, they slowly sank into the shadows. Following the intelligence gathered in advance, they headed straight for the remaining noble families inside the mobile city to provide some door-to-door service.
With the Shadow Troop's assistance, each noble household would soon receive their very own customized Wendigo spears and heavy punches. Hopefully, the nobles in the city would enjoy this little surprise.
"Alright, then. I suppose it's time for me to properly tour this mobile city as well."
After finishing the Wendigo airdrop, An Xora followed the respectful guidance of several Shadow Ninjas and stepped into the shadows himself—instantly reappearing in a secluded corner of Chernobog.
At present, Chernobog had not yet fallen into ruin as it did in the original storyline under the schemes of the Black Serpent. Under the management of the New Nobility faction, it remained one of the most well-developed cities in all of Ursus.
As such, its appearance was nothing like the chaos and decay seen at its debut in the original plot. The city was prosperous, its streets bustling with people.
Of course, most of those people were rushing about for the sake of survival.
After all, under the rule of Ursus's noble lords, did commoners really expect to live easy lives?
What kind of fantasy was that?
Being alive, having a relatively stable place to live, not getting dragged into a mine to work 24/7 until death, and making sure the whole family had enough to eat—that was already something to secretly celebrate.
Perhaps because the streets lacked any real sense of warmth or vitality, An Xora lost interest after strolling around for only a short while. He soon turned toward his true destination.
A ruined laboratory site.
The walls were covered in cracks and moss, debris scattered everywhere under thick layers of dust—clearly abandoned for many years.
Inside this derelict laboratory, An Xora quickly found what he was looking for.
A sarcophagus that supplied power to the entire mobile city—
the one that sealed away the protagonist of the Arknights world: the Doctor.
Looking at the sarcophagus, An Xora stroked his chin.
"In the original story, I don't think it ever described how to open this thing. It was probably something only Kal'tsit knew. Without the proper method, ordinary Terrans likely wouldn't be able to do anything to a sarcophagus that's probably a relic of the Precursor Civilization."
No wonder Kal'tsit had felt so at ease leaving it here for so many years without checking on it.
Unfortunately for her, this time she'd run into An Xora—
and he wasn't some Terran native.
"Jibril."
At An Xora's call, a figure with pristine white wings appeared instantly behind him.
"What are your orders, my master?"
With the innate talents of the Flügel, even if she were tens of thousands of kilometers away, Jibril could appear at An Xora's side the moment she sensed his summons.
At that moment, the Flügel girl with pale pink hair knelt behind him, holding in one hand a massive, blood-soaked beast's head.
"Uh… what's the deal with that head?"
"Because I found the giant beasts of this world mildly interesting, I took the liberty of wandering around a bit while awaiting your orders, Master. I happened upon a sleeping giant beast, defeated it, and casually took this as a trophy."
She paused, then added disdainfully:
"However, they're far weaker than I imagined. Not worth hunting deliberately."
As she spoke, Jibril tossed the massive head aside with visible disgust, then clasped her hands together and looked up at An Xora with a gentle smile.
"Now then, returning to the earlier matter—why did you summon me, Master? Is there anything you require of Jibril, your most loyal servant?"
"If there is anything at all I can do for you, please do not hesitate to command me. To become a stepping stone upon your path forward would be the highest joy imaginable for this body…"
As if caught by some thought, the Flügel girl's eyes grew unfocused, and her composed smile gradually twisted into something closer to infatuated bliss.
"Open this sarcophagus. And don't harm the person inside. Can you do that?"
Ignoring the unfortunate fate of the now-decapitated giant beast, An Xora stated his original objective.
"Hmm… opening this sarcophagus?"
One finger—covered by a black silk glove—rested lightly against her lips. Returning to her composed demeanor, Jibril leaned closer to inspect it for a moment, then nodded.
"Please leave it to me."
Dark energy condensed into a scythe. Jibril gave it a casual swing.
The next instant, the lid of the sarcophagus was cleanly severed, revealing the frozen figure inside.
Seeing this, An Xora lifted the frozen body out and placed it gently on a clean section of the floor. He then took out the Horse Talisman he had purchased earlier and began restoring and thawing the figure.
As the Horse Talisman's power flowed, the black-clad figure slowly began to breathe, consciousness gradually returning.
"Where… is this…?"
Moments later, a dazed voice rang out. The person lying on the floor seemed to awaken, instinctively trying to prop themselves up. In the process, the hood on their head slipped off, revealing long white hair and a pale, delicate face beneath.
"You… who are you…?"
Ignoring the fallen hood, the newly awakened Doctor looked around in confusion. Seeing An Xora and Jibril, she instinctively showed a hint of unease.
"Don't worry. We're here to rescue you."
Looking at the frail white-haired girl before him, An Xora bent down slightly, took her hand, and helped her sit up, speaking in a calm, reassuring tone.
"Rescue… me?"
Hearing his words, the Doctor seemed to relax somewhat, though her confusion remained.
"I'm sorry… I don't remember anything. If possible, could you tell me who I am? And why you came to save me?"
"You are the last pure-blooded human on this land called Terra. You were frozen in this sarcophagus by an old cat named Kal'tsit and left here."
"As for why I saved you—it's very simple. I'm also a pure-blooded human. In a sense, you could say we're kin."
"Kin…?"
Feeling An Xora holding her hand, the Doctor realized that instead of discomfort, she felt an unexpected sense of closeness and trust. Subconsciously, she believed what the man before her said.
"That's right. Come with me."
"When we get back, I'll have Talulah assign you a position. From now on, you'll be the Duke of Ursus and the Imperial Chancellor."
"I promise you—working for me will be far better than going to Rhodes Island."
"Okay…"
Guided by that inexplicable sense of familiarity and trust, the Doctor nodded. Although the name Rhodes Island felt faintly familiar, she still agreed.
Staggering slightly as she stood up, she followed An Xora and Jibril, leaving the abandoned laboratory behind.
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