Arknights: How Did I Actually Become the Doctor? — Chapter 98

Chapter 98: Roguelike Warm-up, Preparing to Head to Sami

As the most enduring operational framework ever launched within the Rhodes Island tactical simulator, the ‘Roguelike’ mode’s greatest feature was its sheer, unadulterated randomness.

How to obtain as many resources as possible in the fewest number of steps—classified as Collectibles in this specific mode—was the core philosophy behind every successful operation. This included handling a chaotic web of various node types such as Combat, Encounters, Shops, and Rewards.

But right now, the immediate problem staring me in the face was the drafting phase. According to the strict deployment settings of this particular run, I was allowed to bring at most one six-star Operator and two three-star or lower Operators to start.

Who should I choose?

The golden rule of the current meta was simple: if you have Wis’adel, you draft Wis’adel. If you do not have her, you just pick whoever and pray to the RNG gods.

However, given Wis’adel’s vocal and obvious resistance to stepping foot in the frozen hellscape of Sami, I had to pivot. Since they were both Flinger-class Snipers, Rosmontis served as a truly excellent substitute. But there was a much more important, highly practical reason for choosing the feline: even if she witnessed some highly sensitive, fourth-wall-breaking intelligence during our Roguelike run, her memory issues meant she would quickly forget it. I would not need to cover my tracks or explain my bizarre gamer logic to her at all.

“Rosmontis, would you be willing to accompany the Doctor to fight in Sami?” I gently crouched down, pulled the small feline into my arms, patted her back, and coaxed her with the utmost tenderness.

Rosmontis blinked her large eyes. She did not understand where ‘Sami’was, but she perfectly understood the word’combat’.

‘Doctor is going to fight… Doctor is in danger.’She immediately pulled out the thick notebook she carried everywhere and flipped through the pages with frantic little hands until she found a specific entry.’Doctor is in Lungmen. Doctor is a very good person. Must protect Doctor.’

Having reaffirmed this absolute truth in her mind, Rosmontis nodded her head vigorously.

“Rosmontis wants to go.”

She did not care what Sami was or how cold it would be. Rhodes Island was her home, and she wanted to protect everyone in this home, especially the person holding her right now.

I gently stroked the kitten’s head, feeling a sudden pang of warmth, and casually pulled a can of chocolate milk from my coat, stuffing it into her small hands.

“Thank you, Rosmontis.”

She thought for a moment, then pulled out her pen and carefully wrote a new note in the margins of her book: ‘Doctor gives me delicious drinks. Must protect Doctor well.’

Looking at how incredibly well-behaved and kind the little feline was, a heavy wave of guilt washed over me. This sweet cat treated me like absolute family, ready to lay down her life for me, while I was sitting here treating her like a meta-substitute for a mercenary who hated the cold. What a sin. Truly, I was a sinner.

As for the remaining two deployment slots?

I stroked my chin in thought. It seemed I was going to need some reliable anti-air capabilities early on. Why not grab Adnachiel?

Without a second thought, I picked up my communication terminal and directly forwarded a high-priority field mission to Steward’s device.

[Temporary Deployment Target: Edge of Sami, Rhodes Island and Rhine Lab Joint Research Station]

With Steward successfully baited away from the base, there was still one spot left.

That place, Sami, was notoriously eerie. The deep corruption and the demons of the north had already driven countless people mad. I had to be extremely careful. And my caution specifically manifested in my decision to rely on a bit of metaphysical, real-world luck.

“Operator Yato, please report to the Doctor’s office by 1400 hours. There is a new mission for you.”

That was right. I was going to bring along Hypergryph’s own golden child.

‘Look here, Hypergryph,’I thought smugly to myself.’Your beloved little Yato is in my starting squad. If you try to pull any dirty RNG tricks on me with the node generation, I will not be held responsible if she gets caught in the crossfire.’

Just like that, with Rosmontis tucked under one arm, Yato being dragged along by the other, and a slightly nervous Adnachiel following closely behind, I boarded the modified all-terrain base vehicle, brimming with confidence.

Noir Corne stood by the loading bay, watching us depart with eyes full of dramatic longing. “Yato, stay safe out there! I cannot go with you, so you must protect the Doctor in my stead!”

Yato merely turned her head and clenched her fist. “Shut up.”

Making such a scene in public… classic Noir Corne.

Because this was an off-the-books, private expedition, very few personnel knew I was leaving the landship again, so naturally, there was no grand send-off. Only Adnachiel, who was currently covering for Steward’s sudden absence, happened to be present.

It was only as he strapped into his seat that I realized I probably should have just brought Steward along instead of sending him on a dummy mission. But unfortunately, what was done was done. I could only wave out the window toward the empty tarmac. “Goodbye, Steward!”

Adnachiel stared at me in deep silence.

‘Did he do that on purpose or by accident?’the Sankta thought to himself, adjusting his halo.’Do Steward and I really look that much alike?’

It was not until the heavy armored vehicle was about to cross the final threshold of the Rhodes Island gates that Kal’tsit’s slender figure appeared, blocking the path.

I hit the brakes and rolled down the window, feeling my heart skip a beat. This was our first face-to-face interaction since our last major falling out over my reckless methods.

Despite the tension, I maintained my facade, offering her a calm, easy smile. “What is it, Kal’tsit?”

Kal’tsit stood there in the freezing wind, her expression unreadable. She slowly pursed her lips, her eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that seemed to pierce straight through my skull.

“If you go… will you change back to who you were before?”

For a fraction of a second, beneath her cold, calculating exterior, I read a faint, desperate glimmer of hope in her eyes. She was looking for the Ghost of Babel.

I did not answer immediately. I merely rolled the window up, gave her a silent nod, and hit the accelerator, leaving the landship behind as we plunged into the snowy wastes.

As the vehicle rumbled toward the northern tundra, my mind automatically shifted into high gear, booting up the tactical framework PRTS had designated for this expedition: Integrated Strategies. To survive Sami, I needed to review the core mechanics of the Roguelike system, using our past simulations in the Crimson Solitaire as a baseline.

‘Let us review the basics,’I thought to myself, leaning back in the driver’s seat.’The core experience lies in three pillars: single-run adventures, random generation, and decision-making above all else.’

The core loop was brutal but fair. I would start with this exact team, using my initial six Hope. Through continuously selecting stages, recruiting new Operators, and obtaining enhanced Collectibles, I would build a unique squad to challenge progressively difficult nodes until we defeated the final threat. If the defensive line collapsed even once, the adventure ended, and we would be sent packing.

But failure was never truly a waste. The resources gathered from each run could be used to upgrade our permanent logistical nodes, unlocking rich rewards like Operator Shalem, dynamic combat profiles, and permanent buffs from the Behind the Scenes Preparations system.

I mentally mapped out the route planning. Before branching paths, I had to weigh the risks. Combat nodes provided Originium Ingots for the shop and Hope for recruitment. Encounters were random events that could either bless us with powerful artifacts or cripple us entirely—they were also the key to unlocking the hidden timelines. Safe Houses and Shops were where I would spend my hard-earned Ingots to recruit temporary mercenaries or buy game-changing Collectibles.

‘Resource management is everything,’I reminded myself, glancing at the sleeping Rosmontis in the passenger seat.’Hope is the foundation. Rationally allocating it to build a balanced team is the only way to clear this. Low-star Operators like Adnachiel and Yato are crucial for the early transition because they cost zero Hope.’

Originium Ingots were equally vital. Making reasonable investments in the early game to unlock more item slots in the shop would lead to massive long-term returns.

Then there were the hidden timelines. In the Crimson Solitaire simulation, there were four distinct endings. Understanding their unlock conditions made the strategic goals much clearer.

Ending One required ignoring all other conditions and simply crushing the final target on the fifth floor.

Ending Two required obtaining the Blank Testament, Useless Scissors, and other specific artifacts via Encounters on the early floors to disable the Sad Lock’s self-healing ability.

Ending Three demanded the Substitute artifact, followed by selecting the Understudy Collectible, leading to the Follower Gathering to unlock the sixth floor and face the Troupe Mouthpiece.

Ending Four required surviving the Self-Binding and Observation combats to obtain The First Act, unlocking the Playwright.

Sami would undoubtedly have its own twisted versions of these timelines.

I mentally reviewed my ideal draft picks for when we accumulated enough Hope. Mon3tr was the ultimate versatile summon, providing both raw DPS and healing. Mizuki, with the right module, was an unmatched lane-holder thanks to his area control. Angelina could form devastating crowd-control chains with snipers like Archetto. Myrtle and Bagpipe were mandatory for rapid deployment cost recovery. And for high-pressure waves, I needed to secure Thorns, Surtr, or Młynar as reliable melee cores.

But I could not forget the Hallucination mechanics that plagued the higher difficulties. Global negative effects like Delusion, which buffed all enemy stats, or Caution, which reduced deployment limits. Hypersensitivity was the worst—enemies gaining attack power over time meant stalling was a death sentence.

Sometimes, taking a negative Collectible like Bacchus’s Mark at the start was worth the trade-off for powerful initial abilities.

‘Start from low difficulty, focus on permanent buffs, and never neglect the low-star Operators,’ I muttered under my breath, gripping the steering wheel. Operators like Scavenger, May, and Perfumer could carry an entire run in the right situations.

The recruitment mechanism itself was a delicate balancing act between Official and Temporary status. Official recruitment consumed Hope—six for a six-star, three for a five-star, two for a four-star. Their strength was directly tied to their training back at Rhodes Island. An Operator with Mastery Level 3 skills would be a godsend here. Promoting them to Elite 2 required even more Hope, but unlocked their true potential.

Temporary recruits, on the other hand, were the surprise wildcards. They cost zero Hope, always arrived at max Elite 2 level, and did not consume class-specific Recruitment Permits. They were one-time power spikes that could save a doomed run.

‘Detailed planning,’I concluded, watching the snow begin to fall heavily against the windshield.’Floors one and two: rely on zero-Hope Operators and temporary recruits. Avoid six-stars early to prevent stunting the squad’s growth. Floors three and four: secure the core six-stars and reserve Hope for their Elite 2 promotions. The choice between making one Operator a god or making the whole squad competent will decide if we live or die.’

The frozen wasteland of Sami loomed ahead, dark and unforgiving. But with the system mechanics fully loaded into my mind, and Hypergryph’s golden child sitting in the back seat, I was ready to break this game wide open.

[Rhodes’s Note: Bacchus’s Mark is a specific negative artifact in the Integrated Strategies mode that increases the deployment cost of all Operators, often taken as a necessary evil in high-difficulty runs to secure early advantages.]