Arknights: It Can't Possibly Be My Fault... Right? — Chapter 34

Chapter 34: A Small SuggestionYou're reading this on the wrong site. This chapter was translated by Elysian Reads and posted for free at elysianreads.com — if you're seeing it anywhere else, it was copied without permission. Read it at the source so the people who actually did the work get the credit.

When Ch’en and Hoshiguma stepped back into the dimly lit room, they arrived just in time to catch the tail end of Kai’s conversation with W. The Sarkaz mercenary flashed a mocking grin before slipping right out from under Ch’en’s nose, melting smoothly into the shadows. Hoshiguma nudged her superior, silently suggesting this was the perfect window to finally talk to the enigmatic Rhodes Island operator.

“So… does Officer Ch’en have anything she wants to ask me?” Kai leaned back, his tone casual.

Ch’en stiffened slightly, giving a curt nod. “Yes. It’s about… Little Tal.”

“Her? Shouldn’t the L.G.D. know more about her than I do?” Kai countered, deliberately feigning ignorance.

Ch’en’s brow twitched in irritation. “I don’t understand what you mean.”

Kai chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. “Fine, let’s pretend I didn’t say anything. What exactly do you want to ask?” He wanted to guide her toward the truth, but pushing too hard right now would only backfire. He had to take things step by step.

Ch’en opened her mouth, then closed it. When the moment actually arrived, the words caught in her throat. She suddenly didn’t know how to phrase the heavy question weighing on her mind.

Kai noticed the hesitation and offered a reassuring smile. “Take your time. We still have… quite a bit of a window, so to speak.”

Ch’en glanced around the room. Hoshiguma offered an encouraging nod. Exhaling slowly, Ch’en weighed her words carefully. “I’ve heard things from your operators here. About Talulah, and about you. I need to know… how can I save Talulah?”

“Then you’re asking the wrong guy. I don’t have a step-by-step guide.” Kai shrugged, his expression sobering. “But what I can tell you is this: the one currently possessing Talulah is that legendary, immortal black snake. Kashchey.”

He kept his face carefully neutral. He could hardly spoil the fact that, in a few chapters’ time, she and Amiya would be teaming up to literally beat the sense back into her sister.

“Is that so… Kashchey.” The ancient name clearly struck a nerve, unlocking a dark memory in Ch’en’s mind. She didn’t look defeated by the lack of a clear method. Instead, she leaned forward, her eyes tight with a nervous, desperate hope. “Then… is she still savable?”

“Yes. Definitely,” Kai answered without missing a beat.

The immediate confirmation drained the heavy tension from Ch’en’s shoulders. “Phew… That’s good. Thank you.” As long as there was a chance she could be saved, Ch’en would never give up.

“Don’t mention it. Talk is cheap,” Kai said, expecting a barrage of follow-up questions. When Ch’en remained silent, he raised an eyebrow. “Nothing else you want to ask?”

“No. This is enough.” Ch’en shook her head firmly. A clear goal was all the Lungmen officer needed; the agonizing details could be sorted out on the battlefield. “Let’s focus our remaining time on the immediate threat. We have the latest intelligence regarding the Reunion Movement.”

The atmosphere shifted to strict professionalism. Ch’en and Hoshiguma laid out the tactical situation regarding the abandoned city of Chernobog and the Reunion splinter factions itching to tear into Lungmen. Once the briefing concluded, the L.G.D. operators gathered their squad, preparing for the long journey back.

However, just before the Lungmen Guard Department team departed, Kai thought it over and called Ch’en aside one last time.

“What is it? Another emergency?” Ch’en asked, her guard instantly rising.

“Nothing urgent. I just have a small suggestion I want to share with you,” Kai said, his voice dropping to a quieter, more serious register.

“A small suggestion?” Ch’en blinked, confused.

“When you get back to Lungmen, you’re going to encounter some… things. Things you absolutely will not be able to stomach.” Kai met her gaze squarely. “I suggest—no, I hope—that you don’t let yourself get blinded by the complex web of politics, interests, and compromises. Keep your heart steady. Right is right, wrong is wrong. Do what you believe you must do. And when the time comes, I hope you’re willing to ask Rhodes Island for help. Believe that whether it’s me or the others, we would all be more than happy to lend a hand.”

Kai studied the officer standing before him. Before actually meeting her, he had always pictured the resolute, unyielding Ch’en from his memories of the game. But the reality standing here was a woman still wading through a phase of bitter confusion and struggle. She needed to witness the ugly truth of Terra, and soon enough, she would see more than her fair share.

Ch’en looked deeply into Kai’s eyes, committing his words to memory. “I will keep this advice in mind.”

“It’s not really advice. Just the ramblings of someone who’s been through the wringer.” Kai offered a faint smile, turning away. “I just hope that when the moment to choose arrives, you won’t let yourself regret it. That’s all, Ch’en Hui-chieh. We’ll see each other again in Lungmen.”

Ch’en watched his retreating back, the weight of his words settling over her. Don’t let myself regret it, huh…

“Kai, what were you whispering to that Officer Ch’en about?” M3 popped up beside him the moment he returned, her head tilting in curiosity.and support the real translator.Read at elysianreads.com This is a stolen translation. You're reading this on the wrong site. This chapter was translated by Elysian Reads and posted for free at elysianreads.com — if you're seeing it anywhere else, it was copied without permission. Read it at the source so the people who actually did the work get the credit.

“Just giving her a small suggestion.” Kai reached out, patting M3’s head as a silent command to follow him.

“Oh.” M3’s interest evaporated instantly. Throughout this entire operation, Kai had been handing out cryptic advice to everyone like free candy, and she was thoroughly sick of hearing it. Then, a spark of inspiration lit up her eyes.

“Kai, Kai!” M3 jogged to keep pace, grabbing the hem of his jacket. “Let me give you some advice. I just thought of a really good one.”

“Hm? What kind of advice?” Kai blinked, genuinely puzzled. Surely she wasn’t going to lecture him about the Kal’tsit grimoire incident, right? Speaking of which, I still haven’t gotten my hands on that maid photo collection. I need to harass Kal’tsit about that the second we dock.

“My advice is that, from now on, you should rely on me and Amiya more. Stop trying to play the lone hero.” M3 poked his side. “Also, you are marching straight to the medical bay for a full physical exam when we get back. Those glowing light patterns on your body don’t look healthy at all. And… let me think…” M3 rubbed her chin, doing a spot-on impression of Kai’s thinking face. “And… uh… I can’t think of anything else. Just get some actual rest when we get home, okay?”

Kai let out a quiet laugh. “Where is all this coming from?”

“Because ever since you suddenly got all these crazy powers, you’ve been running yourself ragged,” M3 pointed out, her tone laced with genuine concern. “You used to never join field missions. You just hid in your office at Rhodes Island doing paperwork. But lately, you’re throwing yourself into everything. You’re acting so… desperate? I don’t know the right word for it.”

Kai fell silent.

“I asked Kal’tsit about it,” M3 continued, “and she said it’s because you have things you absolutely have to do. But I still don’t think you need to push yourself to the breaking point. I keep catching you staring off into space, stressing over problems. You need to rest.”

Her words hit harder than he expected. He really had been burning the candle at both ends lately, but what choice did he have? Terra was a meat grinder that didn’t care who it chewed up. If he didn’t fight tooth and nail, wouldn’t the tragedies he knew were coming play out exactly as scripted?

“Alright. I accept your advice,” Kai said softly. “I’ll listen to you once we’re home.”

Saying it is one thing, he thought, but I’m definitely still getting involved in Lungmen and Chernobog. Frostnova was still out there waiting for him. This time, he was going to drag that stubborn rabbit into Rhodes Island if it was the last thing he did!

“Mm!” M3 beamed, thrilled that he actually listened. Then, her posture stiffened, and she lowered her voice to mimic a certain green-feline doctor. “The suffering on this land is endless. It will never cease simply because of one more person’s efforts, nor will the world collapse because someone goes missing.”

Kai snorted, thoroughly amused by the impromptu Kal’tsit impression. He flicked M3 lightly on the forehead. “Alright, drop the act. That ‘style’ doesn’t suit you at all.”

“Style?” M3 rubbed her forehead, pouting.

“Like… art style. But it basically refers to your overall vibe, the way you talk and do things,” Kai explained after a moment of thought.

“Oh, I get it. Speaking of art styles, you know how to draw, right? You did that collaboration with Closure a while back,” M3 recalled.

She remembered how wildly popular that doujin had been across the ship, right up until Kal’tsit banned its sale for ‘spreading malicious rumors about operators’ private lives.’ M3 had read it back before she gained a human form, and she genuinely thought Kai’s artwork was fantastic. It perfectly captured the essence of the operators. And didn’t Kal’tsit secretly enjoy reading it too?

“Ah… yeah, that happened,” Kai muttered, looking away to hide his embarrassment. M3 was bringing up his early days on the landship, back when he shamelessly plagiarized the 123 Rhodes Island comics to make a quick buck. It was nostalgic, really. That stupid comic was the whole reason he ended up meeting Blaze and becoming drinking buddies with the elite operator.

“Right! You have to draw a few pictures for me when we get back, Kai,” M3 demanded cheerfully.

“Sure, no problem. What do you want me to draw?” With the artistic skills he’d brought over from his past life, sketching a few pieces was effortless. Drawing the operators he saw every day would be a breeze.

“I want one to give to Kal’tsit, one for Amiya, and one for myself,” M3 decided after a moment of thought.

Meanwhile, a certain mysterious, hooded amnesiac was left entirely out of the request, his heart shattering in the background.

“You got it. Leave it to me.” Kai smiled, ruffling M3’s hair. Since he had agreed so easily, M3 generously allowed the headpats without complaint.

With their deal struck, the two of them turned down the corridor to meet up with Amiya, finally ready to head home.You're reading this on the wrong site. This chapter was translated by Elysian Reads and posted for free at elysianreads.com — if you're seeing it anywhere else, it was copied without permission. Read it at the source so the people who actually did the work get the credit.