Arknights: Mobile City

Hai soon departed.

After directing Theresa's group toward The Great Lake, he swiftly left, carefully cradling the [Meat Lantern's] egg. Obsidian was quite satisfied with this outcome.

After all, this gave Lobotomy Corporation yet another Abnormality capable of producing energy. Once the new employees settled in, energy production would increase significantly again.

As for Laurentina and the others... Obsidian supposed they should be satisfied too.

Either way, it wasn't his concern anymore.

After Hai had left, Theresa glanced at Laurentina, sensing her lingering dissatisfaction mixed with helplessness, and grew curious.

"Forgive my curiosity…but what's your relationship with that person just now?"

"...We fought once, that's all. Honestly, it's entirely his fault I'm even attending this interview."

Laurentina sighed irritably, and Theresa nodded understandingly.

In her heart, Laurentina couldn't help recalling the events that had brought her here…

On that day, she'd finally received a message from Skadi. For Laurentina, who had been searching for her fellow Abyssal Hunter companion, it was irresistible.

That same night, Laurentina had tried to track Skadi down. Originally, she just wanted a quick reunion—but unexpectedly, she'd encountered trouble.

The moment she'd set foot inside Lobotomy Corporation's territory, she was mistaken for a thief. Hai had descended upon her instantly, like divine punishment.

Hai had firmly insisted Laurentina harbored ill intentions. When they fought, Laurentina discovered something frustrating—

—Why can't I beat this guy?!

Truthfully, Laurentina had spent that period entirely occupied with construction projects and had paid little attention to happenings within The City. Had she been more aware, she wouldn't have failed to recognize Hai. In that moment, Laurentina realized Hai absolutely wouldn't let her pass.

Thus, she had no choice but to retreat temporarily. The next morning, she sought out The City's leader, directly inquiring about Skadi.

After briefly considering the matter, the leader had asked Laurentina how long she was willing to wait. At the time, he'd explained he was preoccupied with important tasks and might not be able to resolve her request quickly. But if Laurentina couldn't afford to wait, he did have a faster method available…

Because of this alternative, Laurentina hadn't pressed the leader further about what exactly was occupying him. Instead, she simply asked about this quicker method.

The leader, Obsidian, had offered a straightforward suggestion:

"Lobotomy Corporation is holding interviews soon. If you go participate and make it through, you can directly enter the company. You'll very likely work alongside Skadi. After that, whatever happens is entirely up to the two of you."

Thus, Laurentina ended up at this interview.

Everything afterward was simple enough. She'd passed the initial screening, become a solo participant, encountered the [Meat Lantern], was rescued by Theresa and Kal'tsit, and now she'd encountered Hai again…

Reflecting on her journey thus far, Laurentina quietly sighed.

"So, what will you do next?"

Theresa turned her head slightly, addressing Laurentina directly. Without hesitation, Laurentina replied:

"Not much choice besides trusting that guy for now. I'm heading north, straight toward The Great Lake."

Theresa and Kal'tsit exchanged a glance, silently confirming their mutual thoughts. Finally, Theresa nodded decisively:

"Well… we don't have any clear goals ourselves, so heading toward The Great Lake suits us too. You don't mind, do you?"

Laurentina waved her hand dismissively, signaling her indifference.

Theresa quietly exhaled. Even now, she couldn't stop thinking about what Hai had said before leaving:

If the outcome of this interview wasn't determined by combat victories, then what exactly was it based upon?

Looking ahead, Theresa pondered this carefully. Instinctively, she felt certain she'd understand clearly by the end of this trial.

With that, the group continued toward The Great Lake. Halfway through their journey, a sudden broadcast briefly interrupted them.

It was… a recruitment announcement.

Theresa was startled to discover that the man who had fled in sheer panic earlier—Pelo—had already been selected and officially hired by Lobotomy Corporation. This development baffled her completely.

Joining a company before an interview concluded seemed irregular—but not completely impossible. However, why him specifically?

What quality did Pelo possess that made Lobotomy Corp's upper management value him so highly?

Instinctively, Theresa believed whatever trait Pelo embodied must be the true criterion for the company's selection.

After solidifying this thought in her mind, Theresa continued onward toward The Great Lake.

Thus, the day passed quietly. By noon on the second day of the examination, they finally arrived at the shoreline of The Great Lake. For a moment, the group stared out at the brilliant blue waters, silently lost in thought.

Surely, there wouldn't be monsters here, right?

Looking at the seemingly peaceful sunlit beach, all three briefly shared that hopeful thought.

"Wait… look there, beneath the water. Isn't that…glowing?"

Suddenly, Laurentina's sharp Abyssal Hunter eyesight caught something alarming. Her brows knitted together tightly, pupils narrowing sharply as she pointed at something beneath the waves and whispered urgently.

Theresa and Kal'tsit quickly followed her gaze. Beneath the deep waters, a dark shadow swiftly approached them. It emitted a faint, eerie fluorescence, and several pale green tubes extended from its back, reminiscent of luminous rods.

"…It's approaching the shore. Get back! [Mon3tr]!"

Suppressing a sense of unease, Kal'tsit waved urgently at the other two while summoning her creature. [Mon3tr] quickly materialized, readying itself in front of them.

In the very next instant, the enormous monster rose slowly from beneath the lake's surface. An eyeless whale appeared before them, its massive mouth gaping open, a terrifying sight.

The creature before them was a WAW-level Abnormality known as…

The [Dreaming Current].