Arknights: The Deathless Black Snake Just Wants to Live a Simple Life.

"I hope you can protect my son."

Beside the stove, Patriot's tall figure looked worn under the flickering firelight.

He placed great faith in the Sarkaz prophecy. According to historical records, the prophecies of the Sarkaz rarely proved wrong.

As for the [Sarkaz King]—perhaps only the [Immortal Black Snake], a being of equal standing, could defy such a fate.

Patriot recalled a private meeting long ago with the late Emperor of Ursus. The emperor had confided in him the reason he feared Duke Kashchey: He was too powerful. According to Ursus historical records, Kashchey had never truly encountered misfortune.

Every time a Kashchey fell, more would rise—merciless, tearing apart their enemies.

He handled every crisis with absolute composure and unshakable ease.

What terrified and enraged the emperor most…

was Kashchey's dreadful potential.

"If He so wished, He could seize the Ursus throne at any moment!"

---

Kashchey frowned.

From his perspective, Patriot was indeed heavily infected with Originium. Yet, given the Wendigo's immense physical resilience—and especially considering the Sarkaz's natural tolerance—he should have been able to live for many more years.

"It's not Oripathy, my lord,"

Patriot spoke slowly.

"I understand it's difficult to support your daughter's cause in times like these. From your standpoint, her path must look like a march toward death. But…"

His voice suddenly surged with passion—hoarse, ragged, almost hysterical from the damage it had endured over time.

"Someone has to act for the Infected!

On this land, the Infected shouldn't just be treated like expendable tools—

They're Terran beings! A people suffering from disease!"

"I will follow Talulah.

Even if the road is filled with pain,

Even if we must face invincible enemies,

I will use my life to carve a path forward for your daughter's cause."

Kashchey felt a twinge of discomfort as he sensed the searing brilliance and unshakable conviction emanating from Patriot's soul.

He had witnessed many throw themselves into hopeless battles for the sake of their beliefs.

Among them were the short-lived, fragile as dust, with no power or influence—

And also the eternal, burdened with ancient missions and centuries of wisdom.

He still could not understand why, for these people, some ideals seemed more precious than life itself.

To live is to possess everything.

That was His creed.

---

"Have you considered that your son, by virtue of your death, might become the last pure-blooded Wendigo… just as the prophecy foretells?"

Kashchey steadied his uneasy thoughts, then calmly pointed out the contradiction in Patriot's words.

"On one hand, you want to protect your child…

Yet on the other, you're prepared to burn your life away for the Reunion Movement…"

Kashchey gave a faint smile and looked Patriot straight in the eyes.

"If you live out the rest of your days in peace, reunite with your son, and enjoy the twilight of your life, you might delay the prophecy from coming true."

"In the end… do you value your son more, or the Reunion Movement?"

Feeling Kashchey's soul-piercing gaze, Patriot remained silent.

Perhaps even he didn't truly know the answer in his own heart.

"But that's fine. You don't need to answer that."

Kashchey set aside the needle and thread in his hand, shifted his gaze, and quietly admired the sweater he had just finished.

"I promise you—after you die, I will protect your son from the sarkaz's harm."

He chuckled softly and added:

"While you're still alive, please protect my precious daughter."

"Think of it as an investment in Talulah. Let's see whether she can truly defy the fate of the Infected. Let me witness the birth of a legend… and bring a little flavor to this dull existence."

After all, I wasn't the one who got beaten in the end..

Out in the snow, two small boys spotted the glow of fire from a nearby camp.

"Hold on a little longer, Ino. There's a camp up ahead—we're saved!"

The boy carrying the other had short, messy dark green hair, pointed ears, and bluish-gray skin. On his back was a pale, slender boy with short white hair and soft golden eyes.

"Sasha… I'm so tired…"

"Just hold on. We'll be rescued soon."

Feeling the fading strength of the boy on his back, Sasha gritted his teeth and pushed forward, step by step, toward the camp.

"Even if there are bad people inside… it's better than freezing to death out here in the snow."

When they finally reached the camp's gates, their strength gave out. The two boys collapsed face-first into the snow.

"Hey! Look! Two kids over there!"

Just before Sasha lost consciousness, he saw two members of the Reunion Movement dressed in white rushing toward them.

We're safe now, Ino…

---

"They're awake."

A guerrilla doctor called out to the crowd gathered outside the door.

No children had ever gone missing so close to the camp before, and everyone was on edge.

On the harsh Ursus tundra, few children dared to roam without their families.

And these two… they were Infected. Which meant—they had nowhere else to go.

Talulah stepped into the room, her voice filled with concern.

"Children, are you feeling any better?"

She looked upon the two frail, pale figures—thin, trembling, and marked by the signs of the infection—and her heart ached for them.

"They must have suffered terribly. How did they even survive on the tundra…?"

Ino and Sasha had just emerged from unconsciousness. Their minds were hazy, and the crowd surrounding them made them even more uneasy.

Fear flickered in their wide eyes.

They were terrified by the unfamiliar people around them.

The monster with a terrifying face and towering build had glowing red eyes. Cautus, with her cold expression and chilling aura, stared at them without emotion. The woman with a sword at her waist—who appeared to be the leader—forcefully grabbed their hands and muttered something unintelligible.

"How terrifying!"

Only the woman standing at the edge of the room, wearing a simple apron and a gentle smile, and the pale middle-aged man seated in a chair with a kind expression brought them a sense of safety.

Especially the middle-aged Phidia man, he exuded both maternal warmth and paternal security.

Without hesitation, the children shook off Talulah's hand, jumped off the bed, and hid behind Kashchey and Alina, peeking out cautiously at the others with "unfriendly faces."

Talulah awkwardly withdrew her hand. Frostnova shot a glare at Kashchey. Patriot awkwardly touched his face, while Alina struggled to suppress her laughter.

Talulah turned toward Kashchey, who was clearly enjoying himself. A trace of smugness curled on his lips as he put on an exaggeratedly kind face and gently comforted the frightened children.

"My affinity is worse than Kashchey's?!"

Talulah was genuinely confused.