Arknights: Mobile City

"So, without [Qliphoth Deterrence], a [Meat Lantern] would evolve like this?"

At that very moment, within his little wooden cabin, Obsidian projected his awareness across the entire examination site and quietly murmured to himself.

He hadn't anticipated that without the [Qliphoth Deterrence], the [Meat Lantern] could form such an expansive flower field and hide itself within. Once someone entered that trap, escaping became exceedingly difficult.

After all, no one knew which step would trigger the hidden [Meat Lantern]—and once triggered, the victim would face a swift and merciless end.

Laurentina seemed caught in precisely that predicament.

"Still, reinforcements are already arriving... There shouldn't be too many issues here. Hai can remain on standby."

Observing the situation, Obsidian withdrew his consciousness from the flower field, casting his awareness toward other corners of the test site.

In truth, Obsidian himself wasn't entirely certain of all the Abnormalities scattered across the test area. He could only guarantee that no ALEPH-level Abnormalities had slipped in.

The ALEPH-level Abnormalities confirmed so far were exceptionally rare; most had only been encountered once, briefly. Obsidian suspected these powerful creatures didn't naturally appear on their own, but rather required him to actively summon them through the Well.

As for the range of this interview area…

It stretched north toward The Great Lake and south toward The City. Simply put, if candidates were unlucky, encountering creatures from The Great Lake wasn't impossible. Still, Obsidian had made ample preparations.

Hai was standing by within the area, ready to intervene if necessary. Meanwhile, Obsidian had already contacted Don Quixote, who could swiftly reach the scene from The City within three minutes if needed.

As for the purpose of this examination… Firstly, it was naturally to recruit certain "specialized" personnel for Lobotomy Corporation. But secondly, Obsidian had his own hidden intentions.

"Well, then…"

He murmured softly, a faint smile playing at his lips:

"Now, show me the potential you all hold within yourselves."

---

Meanwhile, Laurentina stood among countless glowing flowers, cautiously reaching out a finger, then hurriedly pulling it back, clicking her tongue in frustration.

I can't tell which one of these flowers is the monster…

Just moments earlier, she'd watched someone get devoured whole by the hidden creature among these flowers. Witnessing that horror firsthand, she didn't dare act recklessly.

That biting force… even with an Abyssal Hunter's physique, she'd lose mobility for quite a while if bitten—not permanently crippled, perhaps, but definitely out of commission temporarily.

Is there some way to resolve this stalemate…?

An [ID Card]? No, she didn't need that just yet.

For a brief moment, Laurentina regretted ever agreeing to attend Lobotomy Corp's interview at the behest of that strange man named Hai…

No, it couldn't be helped. If I hadn't accepted, I might never get a chance to see Skadi again.

She sighed deeply, momentarily uncertain about what to do.

Just then, her gaze landed on two figures approaching from afar. Her pupils widened slightly as she recognized Theresa and Kal'tsit walking briskly toward her. Immediately, she raised her arms and shouted:

"Hey! Over here! Can you help me out?"

Theresa stared across the flower-filled field at Laurentina, momentarily taken aback.

"What happened?"

"Tch… Got myself stuck by accident. Don't step into the flowers! One of these flowers is actually a monster in disguise. If you touch it, the thing jumps out and chomps you—I'm not eager to get drenched in blood today."

Laurentina hastily warned Theresa, who'd nearly reached out to touch the flowers.

Quickly withdrawing her hand, Theresa now noticed how carefully Laurentina was moving, avoiding even the slightest brush against any flower.

"…I understand. What do you need us to do?"

"Do you have a weapon? Just cut down these flowers around me, then I can get out easily."

Laurentina thought briefly before making the request. Theresa nodded, turning to look at Kal'tsit behind her.

Kal'tsit paused momentarily, her expression growing resigned.

"[Mon3tr]!"

With a fierce roar, [Mon3tr] materialized, slashing through the flower field with its sharp claws, steadily approaching Laurentina's position. But halfway there, sparks burst forth from the ground. One flower shot upward suddenly, opening its enormous, bloodied maw to clamp down hard on [Mon3tr]. The creature immediately began deconstructing, releasing a concussive blast that stunned the Meat Lantern momentarily. Laurentina seized the opportunity instantly, rushing forward while slapping an [ID Card] onto herself.

There's no time! Picking up her weapon would take too long—an Identity is far more convenient at moments like these!

Thus, Laurentina assumed her "Ring" Identity, her spear piercing through the [Meat Lantern] and pinning it firmly to the ground. Blood splattered as she rapidly struck the exposed monster several more times, swiftly ending its life.

A mere few seconds later, the [Meat Lantern] shrank into a perfectly smooth, round egg.

"…"

Kal'tsit fell silent, eyeing the now egg-shaped Abnormality and pondering silently how such a terrifying creature had been reduced to something so benign-looking.

"Thanks… Need my help with anything? I'm short on time and need to keep moving…"

Laurentina exited the flower field, reverting her Identity. Before she'd finished speaking, her expression suddenly tensed.

Theresa also froze slightly. She sensed someone approaching—someone whose emotional state reminded her of Heal. Chaotic, disordered, utterly unreadable…

"Well done, everyone. Congratulations on defeating your first Abnormality."

"It appears you're the first group to defeat one in the entire test area."

Hai emerged calmly from the distance, speaking evenly as he reached the trio.

"Ha… you again."

Laurentina's expression darkened somewhat. Yet Hai didn't spare her even a glance. Theresa silently noted the exchange, sensing there must be some history between them.

"Since we were the first, shouldn't we get some reward? Like bonus points for our final evaluation?"

Laurentina forced a half-smile as she questioned Hai. However, Hai merely tilted his head in mild confusion.

"Bonus points? No, miss, you've misunderstood. Your combat outcomes were never the deciding factor of this examination."

Not combat?

All three simultaneously felt stunned by this revelation.

If the results weren't about winning battles or personal strength…then what exactly was the true purpose of this interview?

"No matter," Hai continued. "My task is simply to recover this [Meat Lantern] egg. They hired me specifically for retrieval purposes. I'll see you around, friends."

As Hai spoke, he picked up the egg and began preparing to leave. Laurentina, however, frowned in clear dissatisfaction:

"So…we helped you retrieve this thing, and we get nothing at all?"

"…If you truly want something, I can at least offer you some advice."

"Speak."

"Head north. Why not take a trip around The Great Lake? You might find more interesting opportunities waiting there."