Arknights: Soul Knights of Terra — Chapter 71

Chapter 71: Everyone Had a Good Time

“Do you need help?”

Gusi turned around, lowering his head slightly. His glowing gaze fell upon the old man sprawled beneath Alina, the elder’s face a ghastly, paper-thin white from severe blood loss.

Alina snapped out of her immense shock, her breath hitching before she nodded vigorously. “Th-thank you! Please, save my grandfather!”

Gusi said nothing more. He crouched down, his massive, skeletal frame moving with surprising gentleness. He lifted the old man slightly. A single droplet of viscous, blood-colored liquid condensed at the tip of his bony finger and fell onto the elder’s wounds.

The torn flesh knit together at a visible rate. The old man’s paper-pale complexion quickly regained a healthy rosiness. With a soft groan, he slowly fluttered his eyes open, looking at his snowy surroundings in utter confusion.

“Thank you!” Seeing her grandfather pulled back from the brink of death, Alina looked at Gusi with overwhelming gratitude, bowing deeply. “Thank you! Thank you so very much!”

“This is what you deserve, kind little deer…” Gusi nodded slightly, his deep voice rumbling. He reached out and patted the Shadow Wolf lingering nearby.

The beast understood instantly. It melted into the darkness, diving into the shadows cast by the snowdrifts. A second later, it erupted from the ground beneath Alina and her grandfather, its broad, shadowy back steadily supporting their weight.

“Where is your home?” Gusi asked, his gaze turning back to the Elafia girl.

Alina thanked him once more, raising a trembling hand to point in the direction of the distant village.

Gusi nodded, leading them away through the biting cold.

What about the Ursus Patrol Team?

Gusi paused his steps for a brief moment, glancing back over his shoulder.

Thick, writhing vines surged from the frost-bitten earth, dragging the armored corpses deep underground. Fresh, pristine snow cascaded over the disturbed soil, burying the evidence completely.

‘Hmm… that should keep them from scaring passersby,’ Gusi thought dryly.

After safely delivering the bewildered old man to the edge of the village, Gusi stopped. He melted into the shadows on the outskirts, silently watching the brightly lit cottage from afar.

An anxious old woman rushed out the door. After a brief, tearful commotion and a hasty explanation from the elder, Alina murmured a few comforting words. Then, she hurriedly ran back out of the house, her eyes scanning the dark horizon.

When she spotted the towering, silent figure standing in the snowy field, she immediately trotted over, her boots crunching softly against the frost.

Just as she stood before Gusi, opening her mouth to offer her thanks once more, Gusi slowly uncurled his massive, bony palm. Five seeds, shimmering with an eerie, dark luminescence, lay quietly within his grasp.

“It was my oversight… one really isn’t enough.”

Seeing the magical items, Alina hurriedly waved her hands in a panic. “No! You saved us and healed my grandfather’s injuries. I don’t know how to thank you enough as it is, how could I possibly accept more from you…”

“Accept them.” Gusi extended his palm further forward, his tone leaving no room for argument. “This is your payment.”

“Payment?” Alina was stunned, her doe eyes blinking in confusion. Had she done anything worthy of such a reward?

“Yes,” Gusi responded affirmatively. “I would like to ask for your help…”

“I am truly very sorry!!!”

After asking Alina to act as his translator and receiving her bewildered but earnest consent, Gusi brought her back to the heart of the Black Forest.

The Shadow Wolf wove smoothly through the darkness, and the two soon arrived at the clearing where the human cocoons were suspended from the canopy.

Before Gusi could manipulate the vines to lower his captives for treatment, Talulah—who was still dangling unceremoniously in mid-air—exclaimed in shock.

“Alina?! Why are you here?!”

Her voice was laced with sheer panic. Gusi remained silent, merely flicking a finger to command the vines, gently lowering the Draco girl to the snow-covered ground.

The moment her boots touched the earth, Talulah stumbled forward, instinctively shielding Alina with her body as she glared nervously at Gusi.

“Little Tal, why are you here?” Alina asked softly.

“That’s what I should be asking! How could you…”

“I’m fine, Little Tal.” Alina hurriedly comforted her friend, a warm, reassuring smile gracing her lips. “This gentleman saved me and healed my grandfather’s injuries.”

“Grandfather was injured!?”

After a brief, emotional exchange of the night’s events, the expression on Talulah’s face underwent a drastic shift—from defensive worry to deep, crushing shame, and finally, deep gratitude.

“I am truly very sorry!!!”

Alina bowed deeply to Gusi first, simultaneously reaching out to press down the head of the still-bewildered Talulah.

Forced into a bow, Talulah immediately realized the gravity of the situation.

“I am very sorry! For setting fire to your forest! And also…” She paused, lowering her head even further, her voice trembling slightly. “Thank you! Thank you for saving Alina!”

If this mysterious, terrifying entity hadn’t intervened, she dared not imagine what those Patrol soldiers would have done to Alina and her grandfather. The lingering fear made her feel incredibly ashamed of her previous hostility.

“…Be more careful next time.” Gusi, entirely unused to receiving such solemn, tearful gratitude, shook his head somewhat uncomfortably.

The sudden movement caused the damaged blindfold wrapped around his head to slip. He had to reach up quickly to steady the fabric.

Alina keenly noticed the detail, her eyes locking onto the obvious, charred burn marks marring the cloth.

“May I ask… was that burnt by Little Tal?”

Hearing this, Talulah buried her head even deeper into her chest, the tips of her ears burning a bright, embarrassed red. “I’m sorry…”

“Do not worry about it. It is not something important…”

Seeing that the two girls were growing increasingly distressed over the ruined accessory, Gusi simply untied the damaged cloth and tucked it away.

His face, now entirely devoid of cover, was revealed to the cold night air—a skeletal, monstrous visage that appeared exceptionally ferocious in the gloom.

“So… you really aren’t from the Patrol Team…”

On the other side of the clearing, Frostnova—who had also been healed and lowered from her cocoon—looked at Talulah with a highly complex expression. Her previous judgment of the situation had been entirely off the mark.

“I told you before that I wasn’t!” Talulah raised her head, reiterating her innocence with a hint of helpless frustration.

But she immediately slumped back down, a gloomy aura of self-reproach practically radiating from her form. Based on Alina’s account, she could easily piece together the truth: that squad of Ursus soldiers had only found the village because they were tracking her trail.

If she had been home, or if she had just been a little more cautious, Alina and her grandfather would never have been placed in such mortal peril.

Seeing Talulah drowning in guilt, Frostnova pursed her pale lips and swallowed her remaining reprimands.

The Cautus turned to look at Gusi, who was standing quietly by the treeline. Her icy eyes were filled with genuine apology as she lowered her head slightly. “I am sorry for attacking you earlier.”

“No…” Gusi slowly shook his head, offering a slight bow in return. Through Alina’s diligent translation, his meaning was conveyed clearly. “It was I who appeared suddenly; everything was just an accident.”

Frostnova breathed a quiet sigh of relief, the tension bleeding out of her shoulders. She hesitated for a moment, her fingers fidgeting with her coat, before looking at Gusi with a pleading expression. “Um… my father and the others…”

“They are fine.” Alina faithfully translated Gusi’s words as the Druid pointed toward another section of the forest. There, the massive, armored forms of the Shield Guards were laid out neatly on the snow. “They are just unconscious; their injuries have already been treated.”

His glowing gaze finally landed on the towering figure resting not far away. The Wendigo had already been thawed out, his terrible wounds fully knit together, yet his eyes remained tightly closed.

Patriot.

“As for him…” Gusi’s deep voice carried a hint of peculiar amusement. “He seems to have… fallen asleep.”

“Fallen asleep?” Frostnova’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief.

After receiving a tacit nod of permission from Gusi, she practically sprinted to Patriot’s side. She crouched down in the snow, observing the giant carefully.

Without the heavy, suffocating cover of his helmet and upper armor, Frostnova could clearly see the steady, rhythmic rise and fall of Patriot’s chest. His breathing was deep, peaceful, and entirely undisturbed.

“He really is asleep…” Frostnova murmured, her tone laced with absolute wonder.

‘And so soundly too…’ she added in her heart, not daring to say the second half out loud.

In all her years of memory, she had almost never seen Patriot succumb to such a deep slumber. He was always so hyper-vigilant, standing like an immovable rock that never slacked, guarding everyone around him from the endless cruelty of the tundra. His heavy past and crushing responsibilities made even a moment of deep sleep an impossible luxury.

Yet at this moment, deep within this mysterious, terrifying Black Forest, in the presence of this “kinsman” who had been crossing blades with them just moments ago, the old Wendigo had actually let go of his burdens and fallen into a deep rest.

This strange, heartwarming phenomenon caused the last vestiges of Frostnova’s hostility toward Gusi to melt away.

While the girls were immersed in their own complicated thoughts, Gusi finally managed to split his attention, opening his mental interface to reply to the constant harassment pinging in his head.

[Gusi: Resolved.]

[Vane: Resolved? How was it resolved? How was the battle? What about Patriot’s defeat CG? (Rubbing hands in anticipation.jpg)]

[Gusi:…]

[Image.jpg]

[Vane: Woohoo! Cool! Saved, definitely saved! Third brother, you have quite a talent for photography!]

Feeling utterly speechless at Vane’s erratic, chaotic gamer behavior, Gusi closed the image viewer. His gaze swept past the interface, landing on Talulah, who was still sulking dejectedly on the sidelines.

Recalling what Vane had casually mentioned earlier about this Draco girl’s grim future, he couldn’t help but ask for confirmation in the chat.

[Gusi: You said before… Talulah will go dark? Is it the kind I’m thinking of?]

[Vane: Hmm… rather than a personality change, it’s more like she gets possessed.]

[Gusi: Possessed!?]

Gusi’s heart suddenly gave a phantom squeeze. He subconsciously took a half-step back, putting a fraction more distance between himself and Talulah.

[Vane: Yeah, it’s the will of Ursus—the Deathless Black Snake. That thing is inhabiting her body.]

[Vane: Once Talulah’s own beliefs waver or collapse, or if she agrees with the Black Snake’s twisted ideology in her choices, her consciousness will be gradually eroded and assimilated.]

[Vane: In the story, her best friend Alina was murdered by a group of Infected refugees she had once spared. This event caused the core beliefs Talulah held onto to completely shatter.]

[Vane: The Black Snake seized the opportunity, and Talulah transformed from a fighter who carried light in her heart and tried to lead the Infected to find a way out, into a… paranoid, cold, and vengeance-driven tyrant.]

[Gusi:…Do you know the Infected who killed Alina?]

[Vane: Huh? How could I possibly remember a background character whose name didn’t even appear?]

[Gusi: Forget it…]

Gusi knew his question wasn’t very realistic to begin with. He turned his attention back to Vane’s assessment of the girl standing before him.

[Gusi: You said she… was originally a ‘fighter of light’?]

Gusi lowered his heavy skull, carefully examining Talulah once more.

Just this… slightly naive-looking village girl?

He found it truly difficult to equate the grand, tragic title of “fighter of light”—a moniker so full of indomitable idealism and firm will—with the flustered young woman currently kicking at the snow.

Although she certainly possessed decent combat strength, but… a leader? A fighter?

Gusi’s intense, scrutinizing gaze finally caught Talulah’s attention. She raised her head somewhat uneasily, shifting her weight. She was just about to ask a question when Gusi spoke first, his voice echoing with ancient weight.

“You… want to save the Infected?”

This simple question seemed to flip a hidden switch deep within her soul. Talulah’s entire demeanor shifted instantly. The gloom vanished, replaced by a serious, earnest aura. A scorching, obvious flame ignited within her draconic eyes.

“Yes!” Her answer was firm and decisive, lacking even a fraction of hesitation.

“How do you plan to do it?” Gusi continued to ask. His tone was perfectly flat, revealing neither joy nor anger, merely an abyss of calm inquiry.

Seeing that this mysterious, god-like being seemed genuinely interested in her philosophy, Talulah immediately became excited. It was as if she had found a kindred spirit in the dark. Her speaking speed unconsciously accelerated, her hands gesturing passionately.

“You are interested in this! I intend to unite the scattered and oppressed Infected across the tundra!”

“The strength of one person may be weak, only able to struggle for basic survival, but when all the Infected are united as one, gathering into a single, unbreakable force, we can change the status quo! We can fight for the living space and dignity we deserve! We…”

“And then?”

Gusi’s sudden, sharp interruption acted like a physical blow, leaving Talulah stunned mid-speech.

“What?” She blinked, her brain failing to process the shift for a moment.

Gusi tilted his head slightly, the ambient shadows clinging to his form as he expanded upon his question. His voice remained steady, yet it acted like a bucket of ice water, gradually extinguishing the raging fire of Talulah’s enthusiasm.

“Unite them, and then what?”

“What is your ideological platform? What core philosophy will you rely on to unite people’s hearts? Is it mere revenge against Ursus? Establishing an independent nation? Or just huddling together for warmth in the winter?”

“What are your operational goals? Is it to completely overthrow the Ursus Empire? To establish a recognized autonomous region for the Infected? Or just to violently resist the Patrol Team and merely survive another day?”

“Where will you obtain daily supplies? Weapons, food, medicine—the absolute necessities needed for thousands of people to survive in this wasteland—will you rely solely on looting and the charity of donations?”

“When there are inevitable disagreements on goals, or fatal conflicts in strategy within your organization, how will you resolve them? By democratic voting? By the absolute authority of the leader? Or… by violently purging dissidents?”

Gusi’s questions came one after another, a relentless barrage of cold, hard logic. Each inquiry was clear, precise, and struck straight at the vulnerable core of her dreams. Each word was like a heavy forging hammer, ruthlessly smashing against Talulah’s idealistic, fragile blueprint.

“This…”

Under Gusi’s merciless interrogation of reality, Talulah’s excitement and passion rapidly evaporated, replaced by a caught-off-guard, suffocating panic.

She opened her mouth, desperately attempting to formulate an answer, but discovered that her mind was completely blank. She had absolutely no idea how to specifically apply her grand plans, nor how to solve the endless series of realistic, logistical nightmares that would inevitably arise.

She could only let out short, meaningless syllables. Because of her rapid, frantic thinking and sheer embarrassment, wisps of literal steam began to rise from the top of her head. Her eyes glazed over, staring into space as if her internal CPU had catastrophically overloaded.

Watching Talulah—who had instantly gone from a high-spirited revolutionary to a flustered mess practically smoking on the spot—Gusi remained silent for a long moment.

Finally, he asked in a concluding tone, his deep voice carrying a hint of imperceptible helplessness, “…Did you not think of anything at all?”

Talulah managed to violently pull herself together from her chaotic thoughts, her cheeks flushed a brilliant, embarrassed crimson. She scratched her head sheepishly, her voice dropping to a meek whisper. “This… I only just had this idea not long ago… The specific details still need, still need to be discussed in the long term…”

Her voice trailed off. She clearly realized just how hopelessly naive and impractical it was to declare a grand, world-altering goal like “saving the Infected” armed with nothing but hot-blooded passion and vague ideals.

Gusi’s few, pointed questions had acted as a brutal wake-up call.

“Naive girl…” Frostnova’s cold voice drifted over from the side, carrying an imperceptible, complex emotion.

Talulah snapped her head toward the sound. The embarrassment on her face quickly receded, replaced by an expression of intense seriousness.

She wasn’t annoyed by the harsh assessment. Instead, she nodded solemnly. “Indeed, words are too pale. Relying solely on one-sided statements and empty ideals, it is indeed impossible to convince anyone to follow me.”

She changed the subject, pressing her palm tightly against her chest, right over her heart, as if trying to physically hold down the organ that was beating violently for her cause.

The flame in her eyes hadn’t been extinguished by Gusi’s brutal reality check; instead, the pressure had condensed it, making it burn even hotter. The sheer radiance of her conviction was so intense that even Frostnova, a girl accustomed to the absolute zero of the tundra, felt a momentary wave of “heat.”

“But—!” Talulah’s voice rang out, firm and carrying an unquestionable, steel-forged determination. “I will fight! With my sword, with my actions, I will prove my will!”

“I will fight for all the injustices suffered by the Infected on this land! I will fight until the very last drop of my blood is shed!”

This shockingly pure, unadulterated conviction left Frostnova slightly stunned. It also struck a heavy blow against the “naive” impression held by Gusi, who had been listening quietly from the shadows.

‘It’s starting to look a bit like something…’ Gusi whispered silently in his heart. This fighting spirit, though currently immature and lacking direction, was incomparably firm. It touched something deep within him.

Regaining her composure, Talulah looked back at Gusi with shining, eager eyes. Her tone was filled with desperate anticipation. “Those questions you just asked! They were so clear, striking straight at the absolute core of the issue! Could it be… could it be that you have thought deeply about these things before?!”

Gusi, feeling somewhat uncomfortable under her overly intense, burning gaze, leaned back slightly. “Ah… I just know a little… from the experiences of those who came before.”

Upon hearing this, Talulah excitedly took a few rapid steps forward, almost pressing herself directly against Gusi’s skeletal frame. The sudden proximity startled the Druid into quickly retreating a few steps to reestablish a safe distance.

Talulah realized her lapse in decorum, gave a light, awkward cough, and quickly composed her expression. However, the ravenous light of a student seeking knowledge did not diminish from her eyes in the slightest.

She straightened her spine, facing Gusi squarely, and spoke with an unprecedentedly solemn tone, even adding a heavy honorific. “Could you please tell me? Mentor!”

“Mentor is a bit much…” Gusi muttered, feeling utterly helpless against this sudden reverence. He remained silent for a long moment, the wind howling high above the canopy, before eventually deciding to speak.

“Before I begin, I must state clearly that the theories and historical experiences I know might not be entirely applicable to Terra. Nor are they guaranteed to solve the unique problems you face; they may even contain fatal errors.”

“That doesn’t matter!” Talulah responded immediately, her draconic eyes incomparably serious. “Any spark of wisdom in this darkness is worth cherishing! Please begin, Men… Sir!”

Watching Talulah’s absolute ‘I’ll-learn-whatever-you-teach-me’ attitude, Gusi ultimately compromised with a quiet sigh.

“Alright…” He spoke slowly. His deep, resonant voice echoed through the quiet, snow-draped forest via his domain’s power, translated clearly and accurately into the local tongue by Alina.

He didn’t give her a direct answer. Instead, he began to recount a distant, alien history—tales of oppression and bloody resistance, of lofty ideals clashing with brutal reality, and of the agonizingly difficult exploration of building organizations and political platforms…

Frostnova had quietly moved closer at some point, her long ears twitching as she listened intently. Seeing this, Alina chuckled softly, diligently translating and explaining Gusi’s deep words for the Cautus girl, who was the only one present unable to understand his native “Chinese.”

The night deepened. The towering canopy of the Black Forest completely isolated them from the howling wind, the biting snow, and the endless cold of the outside world.

Within that sanctuary, there were only a few figures sitting around a warm, carefully woven vine table and chairs in the center of the clearing, maintained effortlessly by Gusi’s power.

One asked, the other answered; sometimes they debated fiercely, sometimes they pondered in heavy silence.

Talulah absorbed the alien knowledge like a starving sponge, sometimes slapping the table in sudden realization, sometimes knitting her brows tightly in deep contemplation.

Although Frostnova remained silent for most of the lecture, the sharp questions she occasionally raised often hit the absolute mark, carrying the cruel, practical wisdom she had accumulated while struggling to survive on the unforgiving Ursus tundra.

Even Alina, who had originally just been acting as a humble translator, would sometimes fall into deep, quiet thought because of the deep arguments echoing among the group.

A whole night of talk.

In short—everyone had a satisfying chat. (What did you think it was?)