Arknights: I'm Pretty Strong With Minecraft — Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Dragon Gate

“I was under the impression our meeting was scheduled for ten o’clock sharp.”

Ch’en’s voice cut through the night air, steady but carrying an unmistakable weight of authority. “It is currently past the hour. Is Rhodes Island always this unpunctual?”

Amiya stepped forward immediately. Her hands clasped tightly in front of her chest, her long rabbit ears drooping in contrition. “I am so sorry, Officer Ch’en! We encountered an unexpected situation on our end that delayed our arrival. I truly apologize!”

Ch’en didn’t immediately respond. Her sharp gaze swept past the young Cautus leader, briefly skimming over the silent, hooded Doctor, before settling on the figures lingering in the back. Her eyes narrowed as they locked onto the brown-haired Vulpo—Franka of Blacksteel Worldwide.

Then, her focus shifted to a young man leaning casually against the doorframe behind the mercenary. He seemed to have materialized out of thin air.

“Who is that?” Ch’en demanded.

“This is the Doctor,” Amiya replied quickly, gesturing to the hooded figure. “A tactical advisor for Rhodes Island.”

“I wasn’t asking about the Doctor,” Ch’en interrupted, tilting her chin toward the back of the group. “I was asking about the one behind the Blacksteel operator.”

Amiya blinked, following the Lungmen officer’s gaze. Only then did she notice the familiar figure leaning against the wall.

The young man looked up, flashed a wide grin, and offered a lazy wave. “Yo, Amiya. I’m not late, am I?”

“Mr. Ivan!” Amiya completely forgot the formal setting. She practically scurried over, her reddish-brown eyes glistening with unshed tears as she looked up at him. “You’re really alright… That’s wonderful! Do you have any idea how relieved I was when your vitals finally stabilized on the terminal?”

She took a shaky breath, her tone shifting into a stern, albeit wobbly, reprimand. “Next time… next time you absolutely cannot charge into a warzone alone! Promise me, okay?”

Franka turned around, crossing her arms beneath her chest. A playful smirk tugged at the Vulpo’s lips as her amber eyes raked over Ivan with unabashed interest.

“Oh? So you’re the infamous Ivan who single-handedly flipped the Reunion Movement upside down back in Chernobog?” Her tone lilted with teasing amusement. “Not bad at all. What do you say, handsome? Want to consider switching your contract to Blacksteel Worldwide? Big Sis here is actually quite fond of the strong, reckless types.”

“F-Franka!” Amiya instantly stepped between them, shielding Ivan like a mother hen. Her tone remained polite, but her cheeks puffed out in clear defiance, radiating an unyielding stubbornness to block this blatant poaching attempt right in front of the L.G.D.

“Alright, alright.” Franka laughed, waving a hand dismissively as she dropped the predatory act. “Just kidding, little rabbit. Don’t be so tense. Though I have to admit, Rhodes Island really did dig up an extraordinary treasure.”

Liskarm, who had been silently keeping watch near the perimeter, stepped forward. The Vouivre operator gave a crisp nod to Ch’en before turning her calm, professional gaze to Amiya.

“Amiya, since your liaison with the Lungmen Guard Department has officially commenced, our Blacksteel Worldwide squad will take our leave. We need to file the joint operation report to our superiors as soon as possible.”

Franka leaned over, affectionately ruffling Amiya’s hair before shooting a wink at Ivan. “Yep, what she said. We’re heading out, little rabbit. See you around! And Ivan—don’t forget you owe me a drink!”

Despite her flushed cheeks, Amiya nodded earnestly. “Please be careful on your way back, Miss Liskarm, Miss Franka. Thank you both so much for your support during this operation.”

Franka offered a lazy wave over her shoulder, already following her partner toward the exit. Her teasing voice drifted back through the night air: “Bye-bye, little rabbit! Catch you later, amazing Mr. Ivan!”

Amiya watched them leave, gently raising a hand to wave.

“See ya,” Ivan called out. “Next time you visit Rhodes Island, drinks are on me.”

Sometime later, a sleek L.G.D. vehicle cruised smoothly along Lungmen’s elevated ring road. Outside the tinted windows, towering skyscrapers pierced the night, their glass facades reflecting a sea of neon signs and holographic advertisements that bathed the city in perpetual daylight.

Amiya had her face practically pressed against the glass. Her wide, round eyes shimmered with quiet wonder as she watched the brilliant river of light flow past. She was so captivated that a soft gasp slipped from her lips. Realizing her lapse in composure, she immediately jerked upright, her long ears twitching in embarrassment. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled, staring at her lap. “I got a little too excited…”

Ivan, riding shotgun, was experiencing a completely different brand of excitement.

He practically vibrated in his seat, swaying wildly with every turn of the steering wheel and pointing at every flashing landmark.

“Yoooo! Is that the Lungmen Ferris wheel?! It actually spins!” he hollered, smacking the dashboard. “Holy crap, look at the height on that building! The game didn’t have this kind of render distance or proportion at all! Seeing the real-life graphics is just ridiculous!”

He pressed his face to the windshield. “Ah man, is that a snack street down there? I smell skewers! Officer Ch’en, can you pull over? Just five minutes, I swear!”

He bounced in the passenger seat like a hyperactive kid on a sugar rush, entirely shattering the grim, professional atmosphere inside the patrol car.

Behind the wheel, Ch’en’s patience had completely evaporated. An invisible, throbbing vein practically pulsed on her temple. Her knuckles were bone-white where she gripped the steering wheel.

Finally, she snapped.

“You. Sit. Still.” The words hissed through her gritted teeth like freezing rain.

Her piercing, draconic glare snapped toward Ivan, freezing him mid-bounce.

“If you keep thrashing around and interfering with my driving,” Ch’en warned, her voice dropping to a lethal whisper, “I will pull over right now, throw you out onto the asphalt, and let you personally experience the magnificence of Lungmen on foot.”