Hello, Arknights

Chapter 343 Shadow

On the twelfth day after returning to Rhodes Island, Ling Dengxian once again opened his sleepy eyes to greet the morning of a new day.

He had more strength today, perhaps because of his positive attitude. His condition began to recover and the feeling of weakness dissipated a lot. He felt that it was time to deal with the things he was responsible for.

"White Dove, why don't you observe for a while longer?" Nightingale also packed up her things, and her regular observation was over.

"I was just weak and my injuries have almost healed. I still have a little strength, but it's time for me to take care of myself. The hospital bed is still not as good as the big bed in the dormitory." Ling Dengxian smiled, looked at Nightingale's reaction, tentatively reached out his hand, and found that the other party did not resist or dislike it, so he gently touched Nightingale's head.

The latter did not react much, but he was still a little worried, because Bai Ge accidentally heard the news about Bagpipe's departure that day, but his reaction was not too extreme, which was unlike his behavior when he was in Casimir.

Nightingale also knew about Bagpipe's situation. Many people knew it, but they all tacitly concealed Victoria's current situation from White Dove. Naturally, he would not know the situation Bagpipe was facing.

After parting with Nightingale, Ling Dengxian returned to the dormitory after a long absence. He had just finished tidying up his things when his communication terminal vibrated. Kal'tsit sent a message:

"Don't do anything too physically demanding until you've fully recovered. Go to the training ground and give some verbal guidance to the reserve operators. Your visitor is there too, so there's no need to rush."

He thought for a moment and quickly typed a response: "Okay, I'll come as soon as I finish what I'm doing."

After putting on another coat, Ling Dengxian packed up the things he needed and placed them by the door, then went out.

He was already very familiar with the dormitory area. Based on the message sent by the other party, Ling soon found Elafia reading in the lounge.

The girl noticed his arrival, put down the book in her hand and smiled at him. The operators not far away subconsciously felt distressed and cast some sympathetic glances at her.

"Good morning, Miss Viviana..."

"Good morning, Mr. Platinum Knight. Or, is it more appropriate to call you 'Operator White Dove' now?" The girl's eyebrows curved slightly. She was actually in the same ward with Ling Dengxian during her treatment, but she never spoke a word. She was discharged earlier than him. It can only be said that fortunately, she did not suffer any serious injuries and did not suffer any sequelae.

"..."

"Operator White Dove, if you show such an expression, even if the person involved has let it go, it will be very uncomfortable." Viviana put the poetry collection back on the bookshelf in the lounge and invited him with her eyes to talk somewhere else.

The girl still had the same ringing sound, but she no longer seemed to be as popular as before, not only because she had finally retired and left Casimir, but also perhaps because she no longer met the beautiful fantasies and expectations - even though she had not changed at all.

The mottled scars tore through the fair face like a dry riverbed, and the hideous scars without any aesthetic appeal were like a vicious curse. Only the pair of clear eyes remained bright.

"At that time, I was asked to obtain a weapon that was said to be crucial to the situation... White Dove, if I'm not mistaken, that was indeed your weapon, correct?"

There was no one in the corridor except for the two people who stopped one after another and stared at each other.

Ling Dengxian nodded. It was Zi who had brought him the twin swords, and he had no idea that it was Viviana who had paid a heavy price for them. There was so much he wanted to say: apology, sympathy, gratitude, but his throat was dry, and he couldn't take his eyes off the scars.

"The crisis in Cavalleriachi has indeed been resolved. Well... I won't ask about overly sensitive secrets. I just hope you can answer me... Was what I did helpful?"

Did the Candle Knight need comfort, too? Ling Dengxian looked into those flickering eyes. He didn't know when or where the curse would lurk, but could he ignore it? Could he change the subject?

He can't.

The words brightened Elafia's eyes, and her words became more spirited. The vague sense of emptiness that had been there when they first met also disappeared with the morning breeze.

"Come to think of it, Operator White Dove, what were you doing after you left the competition that day?" Viviana couldn't help but ask when she thought about the commotion that occurred.

She had many speculations. How could such a coincidence happen? The Platinum Knight left for no reason and then something strange happened. The weapon she risked her life to get back happened to appear in Tianma's hands, and after the crisis, Baige was seriously injured... She didn't want to offend Ling Dengxian, but she also found it incredible.

Ling Dengxian thought for a moment, then shook his head: "I went to rescue someone. I didn't like knight competitions anyway, but I was just looking for information. I can give up the competition at any time."

"Miss Viviana wouldn't think that the competition is more important than human life, right?" Ling Dengxian smiled and raised his hand to ignite a white flame in his palm. Viviana noticed his intention, but did not dodge, and the white flame touched the scar.

"...No." Ling Dengxian pursed his lips. Bai Yan healed the wound with anti-inflammatory medicine, but he was powerless to do anything about the hideous scars that had already scabbed over.

The die is cast, not all regrets can be undone.

"...You seem very sad?"

"You shouldn't have ended up like this... For you, the drastic change in your life because of something like this is a price that is hard to digest, right?" Ling Dengxian put away the white flame, but did not retract his fingers. Instead, he gently stroked the "dry riverbeds". Viviana trembled slightly, but still did not dodge.

"You seem to have some misunderstandings about Viviana Droste," the girl said with a faint smile. He withdrew his hand, "Or rather, you don't know much about her."

"I'm not destined to stay in the Great Knight Territory for long. Especially the knight competitions. The more I participate, the more disappointed I become."

"The current Casimir—Ms. Russell sent me to Rhodes Island for my safety. To be frank, the disfigured Candle Knight's value to the Commerce Federation is no longer what it once was. His popularity will likely plummet. If I leave like this, I can still leave a last vestige of mystique for the audience who supported me."

"But I'm not a very idealistic person... You're right, I do feel a little sad, but... life must go on. Life waits for no one."

"Just like now, with a new colleague like you, I don't think I'll be lonely in the future—" Viviana said, a sly look flashing in her eyes, "especially someone like you, Bai Ge. If conditions permit in the future, you won't sit idly by and watch me die alone, right?"

Ling Dengxian was stunned for a moment, but before he could blush, Viviana's ears turned red. She coughed lightly and blinked: "I was just kidding. Sorry, I heard that Baige, you actually have someone you like -"

"I won't be with anyone until the end... I can't be with anyone until the end."

Viviana was stunned and didn't understand what he meant for a moment.

Ling Dengxian smiled without explaining, indicating that he still had things to deal with: "I'll be leaving first. My dormitory number is 417. We can go together if there's a chance."

He had to go and pick up a courier. After all the changes, he didn't expect that Casimir would resume external logistics so quickly.

As for what he meant... He wanted to find some people, do some things, and find a path. With the curse on his side, after so long, he should have realized how slim his chances were.

Texas was the least affected. He hasn't seen her since he woke up. He asked Yaye today and she said she had returned to Longmen.

He didn't know what to feel for a moment, as if he was back to square one after a coma.

Before going to Casimir, he would definitely go to Longmen to find Texas again, but he had already come into contact with the scepter and everything... He didn't want what he was going to do next to involve them.

It's not that he can't stand loneliness, it's just that he misses it too much.

Solve your own problems, then apologize properly.

Ling Dengxian came to the logistics station and met a familiar face, or rather, a familiar mask.

"Brother Baige? Are you recovered?" Heijiao waved his hand, but did not leave his work station. Ling Dengxian went to greet him.

"Still recovering, Brother Jiao, I'm here to pick up a package. Excuse me, the number is..."

"Oh? The Aiwoter headphones from Allen Select Technology? That company, Casimir, I remember they weren't very cheap..." Hei Jiao suddenly understood Ling Dengxian's intention, adding a hint of smile to his words, "Brother Bai Ge, you're so thoughtful."

"By the way, both Surtel and Huang seemed a little off after they came back. Surtel was furious and wanted to find you, but when he saw you were in the hospital, he didn't do anything rash. As for Huang... maybe it would be better to clear up the misunderstanding sooner rather than later?"

"I understand, Brother Jiao. I'll take care of it. Oh, and Platinum... uh, that Casimir Kuranta who came back with me, the woman with white hair..."

"As for the visitor, he will temporarily stay in the West District." Heijiao understood his intention and provided a location.

"Okay, Brother Jiao, I'll be leaving first."

A dangerous aura suddenly erupted, and Hei Jiao reacted, but it was too late to prevent the accident.

When Ling Dengxian turned around, a heavy sword as heavy as a reef stopped in front of him.

Skadi's crimson eyes gleamed fiercely, and the terrifying oppressive force accompanied by a cold gaze seemed to cut through his skin and bones inch by inch, looking directly into his essence.

"Who are you?" the deep-sea hunter asked coldly.