Arknights: I'm Pretty Strong With Minecraft — Chapter 101

Chapter 101: No Way? Ivan, How Do You Have a Warship?

The Ender Dragon curiously wandered the length of the control room. Her deep purple eyes sparkled, taking in the blinking monitors and metallic consoles of this strange new environment.

Then, her gaze landed on Ch’en sitting quietly in front of the main control panel. The dragon girl froze mid-step.

A second later, she lunged at Ivan. She grabbed his arm, shaking him back and forth with a frantic, disbelieving grip.

“No way, no way?!” Her eyes widened to comical proportions as she pointed a trembling finger at the Lungmen officer. “You have another dragon outside?! How long has this been going on?!”

Ivan, his vision blurring from the aggressive shaking, quickly grabbed her wrists to steady himself.

“Calm down, calm down! This is a colleague. We’re partners on a mission right now!” He let out a long breath. “And what do you mean ‘I have another dragon outside’? Phrasing, please!”

The Ender Dragon stopped shaking him, though she refused to release his sleeve. She eyed Ch’en up and down, her gaze heavy with territorial suspicion. “Colleague? Is she really just a colleague…?”

Hearing the commotion, Ch’en turned her chair around.

Seeing a purple-haired dragon girl suddenly clinging to Ivan’s arm, her dark brows knit together. Her tone carried a sharp, accusatory edge.

“Didn’t you say you were going to rest? Why did you bring someone back?”

Ivan awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

“Ah, this is a friend of mine. Like me, she was transported here through a special method.” He quickly raised a hand to emphasize his next point. “And she’s super strong. A real asset.”

Ch’en looked skeptically at the Ender Dragon, then shifted her piercing gaze back to Ivan. After a tense beat, she gave a slow, measured nod.

“Alright.”

Though she accepted the explanation verbally, Ch’en’s eyes lingered on the newcomer. The Ender Dragon stared right back, her chin tilted up in defiance. The atmosphere in the control room instantly thickened, turning heavy and distinctly hostile.

A strange silence settled over the space, broken only by the low, rhythmic hum of the ship’s machinery. Ivan stood awkwardly between the two dragons, feeling as though the very air was beginning to solidify around him.

Just as the tension reached a breaking point, the radar on the main console let out a shrill, urgent beep.

All three snapped their attention to the screen. The glowing green blip representing Chernobog had just crossed the threshold into the red alert zone.

Ch’en’s demeanor shifted instantly, the petty rivalry vanishing beneath cold professionalism. “The target has appeared.”

“Then, the operation begins.”

The Doctor’s gloved finger traced the glowing structural diagram of the Core City hovering over the projection table.

“, Amiya, Kaltsit, and I will jointly command. Based on the intelligence recovered from the Azazel Clinic, we have a complete grasp of the Core City’s internal layout.”

He paused, resting both hands on the edge of the tactical table.

“However, the Catastrophe has severely disrupted regular communication channels. Therefore, we need to use Arc’s Originium Arts.”

The Doctor tapped several key intersections on the holographic map. “Her squad will serve as our communication relay points, ensuring smooth contact across all frequencies. Additionally, Truth will lead the Special Operations Squad. The three of us will each command a primary combat squad. Five squads in total will participate in this assault.”

He zoomed in on the city’s outer plating. “We will board through the maintenance windows on the lateral side of the Core City. During the approach phase, the airborne units will draw enemy fire. Ground units will remain strictly concealed, awaiting the exact moment to breach.”

Meanwhile, on the desolate ground approaching the Core City, Nearl’s squad moved like shadows through the ruins.

“Activate the wind chamber,” Nearl ordered softly.

The specialized device strapped to their gear hummed to life, projecting a localized dampening field that masked the crunch of their boots against the rubble.

Scout crouched behind a collapsed wall, glaring at the massive, grinding treads of the Core City in the distance. His voice was tight with suppressed anger.

“The Ursus military actually designed a mobile city to function as a warship. It’s a disgusting display of violence.”

Nearl shook her head, keeping her eyes scanning the perimeter. “That isn’t fair to the ordinary residents aboard. They just want a home, a place to survive.”

“Supporting war is advocating violence.” Scout tightened his grip on his weapon, his knuckles turning white. “Sorry. I was just thinking of my hometown. It’s nothing but ash and ruins now… It used to be a beautiful city.”

Nearl remained silent for a long moment. When she spoke, her voice was gentle. “I am very sorry. I didn’t have the chance to help you back then.”

Before Scout could reply, the squad’s communicator crackled to life.

“Reunion Movement reconnaissance units approaching. Three o’clock direction, approximately two hundred meters.”

Nearl’s posture instantly hardened. “Understood. Weapons ready.”

Suddenly, the forward scout’s voice broke through the channel again, completely abandoning tactical discipline. “Wait, what is that… in the sky?!”

Nearl and Scout looked up simultaneously.

The next second, both of their jaws dropped.

A colossal shadow was passing over the ruined landscape, blotting out the pale light. Nearl narrowed her eyes, tracing the bizarre, perfectly square edges of the massive flying object. A slow, knowing smile spread across her face.

“Look at that sharp-edged design… That has to be something Ivan made. No doubt about it.”

Scout remained frozen, staring upward in sheer disbelief. “Huh?! No way…”

A few miles back, on the primary land command vehicle, Amiya and the Doctor were staring out the reinforced windows at the exact same anomaly.

Kaltsit pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a long, exhausted sigh.

“It has to be Ivan. Absolutely no one else on Terra would construct something so… blocky.” She shook her head, a phantom headache already throbbing behind her eyes. “I knew he would cause a stir, but I didn’t expect him to deploy something of this scale.”

Amiya, the Doctor, and Rosa stood paralyzed, their eyes wide as saucers.

The Doctor was the first to break the silence. He grabbed his hooded head, his voice cracking dramatically.

“Are you kidding me?! Ivan has a flying battleship already?! Then what was the point of me staying up all night planning this infiltration?! Couldn’t we just crush them from orbit?!”

Outside the vehicle, Ace stared at the sky, slowly reaching out to pinch Scout’s arm.

“I’m not hallucinating, am I?”

“Ow!” Scout slapped the heavy defender’s hand away. “If you want to check if you’re dreaming, pinch yourself!”

On the roof of the transport, Blaze was practically vibrating with excitement. She scooped Rosmontis into a crushing hug, her eyes shining with pure adrenaline.

“Wow! It’s a super massive battleship! And it actually flies! Rosmontis, look! Ivan is up there!”

Rosmontis weakly patted the elite operator’s arm, her feet dangling in the air. “Blaze… let go… I can’t breathe…”

Inside the command vehicle, Amiya’s terminal suddenly chimed. She accepted the connection, and Ivan’s familiar, smug voice echoed through the cabin.

“Amiya, can you hear me? What do you think? Surprised? Unexpected?”

Amiya managed to force her jaw shut, stammering into the receiver. “I… I can hear you, Mr. Ivan. This… this is far too surprising…”

“Alright, you guys just wait there.” Ivan’s voice carried a distinct, confident grin. “We’ll take it from here.”

The Doctor shoved his way past Amiya, leaning directly into the terminal’s microphone.

“Holy cow! Ivan, you traitor! Why didn’t you tell me you had something this good?! You have to invite me up there right now!”

Ivan’s hearty laughter crackled through the speaker.

“Alright, alright, we’ll drop down and pick you guys up in a bit. Find a safe place to park and enjoy the show.”

[Reunion Movement: What is even the point of trying anymore?]