Eivienna didn't stay long. Before long, she left, and only Talulah and Bai Ling remained in the reception lounge.
"There really are plenty of… odd characters here," Talulah said.
"People with special skills?" Bai Ling asked.
"Mm."
This world's technology had developed to the point that much of it was beyond her comprehension—but most methods were still usable.
Like how to handle refugees, how to mediate conflicts.
Even in Valley Four, not every refugee wanted to enter the shelter. Some formed small camps of their own and only came to the larger shelter occasionally to collect supplies.
Managing that was complicated—plus there was the external risk of Riftbreakers invading. The current danger wasn't severe, but any plan still needed to incorporate that threat.
"About time," Bai Ling said. "The archives should be open again."
He took Talulah along as they strolled through the Dijiang. They rode an elevator down to a lower level, then stopped before an unremarkable door.
Bai Ling pushed it open with practiced ease and stepped inside. Talulah followed.
This "archives room" was nothing like the book-filled halls she'd imagined.
It wasn't large—maybe only a few dozen square meters. Racks of server cases stood in orderly rows like shelves. Sensor lights blinked continuously, showing normal operation. There were paper books, but not many; they covered only one wall.
If you didn't know better, you'd think you'd walked into a machine room—not an archive.
"It's Mr. Bai Ling," the operative at the front desk greeted with a wave. "What do you need?"
"I need formulas for Originium disease inhibitors," Bai Ling said, "and information on crops that can maintain high yields in extreme cold."
"…We do have many types of inhibitor formulas," the operative said, scratching her head. "But high-yield crops for extreme cold… there aren't many…"
She began searching.
While she worked, Bai Ling and Talulah wandered around the room, browsing at random.
"'Angel War'?" Talulah read aloud.
She was surprised she could understand the writing at all—characters she should've had no familiarity with.
She pulled the file out and flipped through it casually. After reading only a little, her brow tightened.
Those things she'd cut down in a few strikes… were "angels." And beings like that had nearly wiped Talos-II out…
But she quickly realized something else:
Against endless monsters, no matter how strong an individual is, they eventually lose.
Relying on one person only leads to a dead end.
"…Talos-II's history isn't long—only a few hundred years," the archives operative said, glancing up and noticing what Talulah was reading. "That people managed to reach this point, with the Civilization Ring spread across Talos-II… is already a miracle."
Then she turned back to Bai Ling.
"Mr. Bai Ling, the inhibitor materials for mineral disease are all here. Endfield holds the rights to various inhibitors, but we don't restrict private manufacturing. Do you have a new research direction?"
"I just want to understand them," Bai Ling said.
"You're not infected, right? But you have been into several dangerous zones in Valley Four. It's worth being cautious."
As she spoke, she saved all the retrieved data.
"And for high-yield crops in cold regions…" She nodded. "There really are two: corn and white-frost millet. The Dijiang warehouse has stock. If you need samples, logistics can provide them. The production资料 are included here too."
She printed everything and handed the pages directly to Bai Ling.
To Talos-II, this might be common knowledge.
But if you brought it to Terra…
…sometimes changing the world only takes a few sheets of paper.
Talulah had assumed it would involve bureaucracy and layers of restriction—there was no way it could be obtained so easily.
Yet the moment they stepped out of the archives room, Bai Ling placed the stack into her hands.
She flipped through familiar and unfamiliar terms alike, silent—so silent she couldn't even find words.
"On Talos-II," Bai Ling said, "this world may have dangers—but it allows people to live."
Even if you're flawed, slow, imperfect—if you want to live, someone in the Civilization Ring is willing to help.
(Except a few Riftbreaker clans, because they'd already become indistinguishable from beasts.)
"…And if that world doesn't allow people to live?" Talulah asked quietly.
"Then start by changing yourself," Bai Ling said. "Use your strength to let those who want to live—live. And let those who should die—taste their ending."
"…Mm."
Talulah's memory was excellent. As she read, she committed most of the contents to mind.
"Going back to Valley Four is tiring," Bai Ling said suddenly. "Why not just come to my dorm and sit for a bit?"
He didn't give her time to react. He reached out, caught her wrist, and pulled her along.
As an active operative, having his own dorm was normal—he just rarely stayed there in daytime, only returning at night to rest.
Talulah had never been to a boy's room before, but she'd seen plenty of gossip columns and "colorful stories" describing what such rooms were like.
Her first impression upon entering:
It felt warm.
Soft carpet covered the floor. The bed against the wall had padded lining. The quilt looked thick and comfortable—and when Talulah sat on the bed, the mattress sank slightly, proving how soft it was.
Bai Ling sat at the desk, as if sensing something.
"…"
Neither of them spoke.
But what they wanted to say was obvious.
Talulah had been fleeing without purpose, with whispers still cursing her.
She wanted to escape those voices—if only temporarily.
And Bai Ling needed the power to solve a crisis, so their wishes aligned, and he had summoned her.
But now Talulah had her own intention again—she wanted to return and continue writing her story.
Bai Ling could feel the light on the back of his left hand fading. As if compelled, he asked:
"…Do you still want to know more?"
"The more you know about the future, the farther you might detour," Talulah said. "But… I'm worried about that child."
"Little Chen?" Bai Ling asked.
"I should leave her something. If I just vanish like this… it's rude."
Bai Ling handed over his comm device and taught Talulah step by step how to use it. The two of them looked unusually close.
Bai Ling didn't listen to what Talulah recorded. He only watched her, his expression gentle.
As the dragon-head command seal blurred further, a faint glow began to rise from Talulah.
At the very end, she spoke softly:
"Will I have a chance to come here again?"
"…Mm," Bai Ling answered after a pause. "Probably."
"Then I'll come again. And… thank you, Bai Ling."
"No need."
On the northern tundra of Ursus, the red dragon girl slowly woke inside an icy cave.
The familiar murmurs returned to her ear.
"…Talulah. Born noble—don't you find it ridiculous you've become this?"
"You have power, unmatched status. Reduced to this… pitiful. Go back to the Black Snake. You can rule them, enslave tens of thousands."
This time, hearing those words again, Talulah was far calmer.
Her mind had rested for days. She was no longer stretched to the breaking point—and her body felt as if it had been adjusted back into shape.
When she rose, she found several sheets of paper beside her—
the materials she'd obtained from the Dijiang.
She carefully stored them close to her body, stood up at once, and ignored the whispers entirely.
She had something more important to do now.
Because of someone.
And for herself.
....
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