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[Kal'tsit]: If all of this is true… then it's truly thing beyond even my wildest dreams.
[Nagami]: So? Do you believe it now, Doctor Kal'tsit~?
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Kal'tsit's pale green eyes narrowed slightly at the way this so-called group admin addressed her.
Her brows remained furrowed as she took a deep sip from her mug and exhaled slowly.
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[Kal'tsit]: …In your world, is my world also one of those… "anime"?
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She had mostly come to terms with the situation.
At first, she did suspect it might be some kind of Originium Art, but after careful consideration, she ruled that out—
No technique, no matter how powerful, could create something like this.
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[Nagami]: No, actually. In my world, Terra is presented as a video game. And the plot? It's progressing painfully slow.
So if you were hoping for spoilers about the future of Terra... you might be disappointed.
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Truth be told, C.C. herself wasn't all that familiar with Arknights' full storyline either.
She only got into the game shortly before ending up in this world.
Still, it made her wonder— Why is it that every newcomer's first question is about their own world's future?
Then again, maybe it's not so strange.
If you suddenly gained access to future knowledge, wouldn't you jump at the chance?
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[Kal'tsit]: So you only have bits and pieces of future intel…? Could you share some of that with me?
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While chatting, Kal'tsit was simultaneously exploring the various features of the "Multiverse Chat Group" platform.
With the help of Nagami's pinned guide, she was picking things up quickly.
As one of Rhodes Island's top minds, her intelligence needed no introduction.
Even if it was only fragments of the future, any advantage—no matter how small—could tip the balance in Terra's volatile landscape.
After all, knowledge that might seem trivial to a player could be game-changing to someone actually living in this world.
C.C. was already racking her brain for everything she could remember about Arknights.
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[Nagami]: [Arknights]
[Nagami]: Quick question—do you currently have a "Doctor" on Rhodes Island?
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The relationship between them wasn't exactly familiar, so C.C. kept her tone polite.
After all, to strangers, she could be calm and composed.
Only those who really knew her were familiar with her usual chaos.
Just ask Kiana—she'd learned that lesson already.
'Doctor...?'
Kal'tsit's eyes drifted instinctively toward the medical report she had been holding—more specifically, the photo in the upper right corner.
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[Kal'tsit]: Are you referring to this?
[Kal'tsit]: [Photo Attached]
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The reason she said "this" instead of "him" or "her" was simple.
In Kal'tsit's eyes, the "Doctor" could no longer be called human. And truthfully, the same applied to herself and others like her.
"Monsters" was probably a more accurate term.
'Whoa! Did I just get a look at the legendary wraith of Babel?' C.C.'s interest was piqued instantly as she zoomed in to take a closer look at the image.
But the moment her eyes landed on the photo, her smug grin froze.
Shock overtook her expression, her pupils dilated, and she instinctively held her breath.
The image depicted a stunning girl with long, silky brown hair.
Silver strands shimmered under the light, framing a delicate face and small, elegant ears.
Her flawless beauty seemed almost translucent under the sun.
Her eyes were pitch-black, holding a faint trace of confusion and coldness—but oddly enough, that didn't make her seem distant.
If anything… she looked a bit adorable?
And her outfit—C.C. recognized it immediately. It was the classic attire worn by every Doctor in the Arknights game.
'Wait, WHAT?! This is the wraith of Babel?!'
If this was the "wraith," C.C. wanted a lot more of them.
She'd put every single one of them on maternity leave!
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[Nagami]: You're saying… this is your Rhodes Island Doctor?????
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C.C. messaged back with an expression that could only be described as: "WTF?!"
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[Kal'tsit]: Yes. Is there a problem? Amiya and the others just brought her back yesterday.
[Nagami]: …
[Nagami]: ...
[Nagami]: ......
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Unbelievable.
The Doctor was a cute anime girl?!
C.C. was stunned into silence. She stood up and went to the fridge, grabbed an ice-cold soda, and chugged half of it in one go.
After a loud, unapologetic burp (completely unbecoming of a cute girl), she finally regained her composure.
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[Nagami: No, no problem. It's just… in my version of Arknights, the Doctor is male.
[Kal'tsit]: Hmm…
[Kal'tsit]: Ever since I first met her, she's always looked like this. No changes, even after all this time.
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While scanning through the in-game data on Arknights, Kal'tsit frowned.
Apparently, not everything in the game could be trusted.
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[Nagami]: Yeah, some inconsistencies are to be expected. After all, your world is real, while ours is just a game with incomplete lore.
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As if anticipating her doubt, C.C. offered the clarification directly.
Even she hadn't expected the differences to be this extreme, though.
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[Shiraori: Looks like the newcomer's world isn't exactly peaceful either, huh.
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Unlike anime, Shiraori had zero motivation to study game lore. Especially now—when she couldn't play them anyway.
Why get hooked on something she couldn't have?
She only skimmed the basics of Arknights and then turned her attention back to the chat group.
Right now, something way more important was on her mind.
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[Shiraori]: Nagami, Nagami, are you really coming to my world?
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The Elroe Great Labyrinth was damp and eerie, its soil and walls oozing with moisture.
Yet amidst the darkness stood a small white house, radiating a faint sense of warmth.
On a cozy web-made bed, a little white spider trembled slightly as she stared at the empty space in front of her, gulping nervously.
Meeting people IRL was about as terrifying to her as evolving into an Undead Spider Queen.
But ever since her reincarnation, she'd been alone.
No, correction—a lone spider.
So of course, the idea of someone coming to visit was exciting.
This would be the first friend in both her human and spider lives!
In her past life, she was a socially awkward shut-in.
Her beauty had the opposite effect on people—like some reality-bending force field.
People avoided her, and bullies didn't bother her either; she just didn't care enough.
Now?
Shiraori was a tangled mess of emotions—excited to meet a friend but also completely terrified of the social interaction.
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[Nagami]: Of course! And since the group has seven members now, I can drop in anytime. Relax—I'm bringing you gifts. You're going to love them!
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C.C. had already gone full Amazon Prime mode.
She'd ordered a Switch, a PS console, a high-end gaming laptop, loads of games, and even downloaded tons of novels from the Honkai universe—all to gift to Shiraori.
There's no way any shut-in could resist that kind of care package.