I'm playing Frostpunk in Arknights

"How did you discover these Originium deposits?"

Alina organized a team to transport the Originium back to storage while blocking the children from fleeing.

"Inno said there was something strange here," Sasha stepped protectively in front of Inno, his face as stoic as ever. "Others didn't believe it, so we made a bet."

"A bet? I see." Inno had a natural knack for Originium Arts and an uncanny sensitivity to Originium dust. Smiling, she crouched down to talk to the children. "This area is dangerous. Please don't play here, okay?"

"Understood," Sasha replied, his aquamarine eyes unwavering as he looked directly at Alina. "I want to work. The guerilla forces taught me how to use a crossbow. I can hunt," he paused, "and I also know Originium Arts."

Alina blinked, seemingly weighing her options seriously. "We don't need you to work here, Sasha. You're still a child."

Wang Zhan, who had already considered the children's situation, suggested the best solution was a children's shelter. Both the workstation and medical stations could use child labor to improve efficiency.

"What exactly is this 'Originium Arts' he mentioned?" Wang Zhan asked.

Alina sidestepped the question. "Sasha, could you take the other children to play under the Energy Tower? The Energy Tower has given us new houses, ones even the teacher has never seen."

While the children cheered at the idea, Sasha didn't seem interested. Inno tugged on his sleeve, saying, "Sasha, I want to see the house with the clock. The glowing iron ring behind it is beautiful."

"Alright, teacher."

With that, Sasha led Inno and the other children away. Alina stood up to address Wang Zhan's earlier inquiry. "Sorry, Energy Tower Sir, but if Sasha hears us discussing Originium Arts, he won't give up so easily."

"Understood," Wang Zhan said. Alina's concern was clear—children shouldn't be engaged in dangerous work.

Nodding, Alina elaborated, "After the discovery of Originium, humanity developed a way to manipulate matter using Originium. This technique, called Originium Arts, is essentially magic."

"Unlike regular practitioners who rely on staffs as a medium, infected individuals can use their own bodies due to the Originium crystals within them," Alina explained while heading toward the Energy Tower's base. "This process can harm the user, but it's manageable with proper use."

"Sasha is just a child. He might not understand when it's appropriate to use Originium Arts and when it's not."

Sighing softly, Alina added, "These children need someone to teach them how to use Originium Arts. Otherwise, they'll be forced to figure it out in battle."

She understood that these children would eventually face conflict, much like Talulah and the guerilla forces currently did. Originium Arts, while advantageous, carried risks. Structured learning could help mitigate the worst outcomes.

"We can teach them Originium Arts," Wang Zhan suddenly proposed.

Alina was taken aback. The guerilla forces had never entertained such an idea. Despite their busy schedules, a teacher for Originium Arts would be rarer than a Royal Academy scholar.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, but not right now," Wang Zhan clarified. The Energy Tower lacked the capacity to teach Originium Arts at the moment, but planning for future recruitment was feasible. "Eventually, our infected citizens will receive systematic training in Originium Arts."

If the infected could master Originium Arts, the Energy Tower's defensive capabilities would increase, allowing for smoother development.

Structured training in Originium Arts... Alina had only read about it in Leithanian novels. Those novels, however, focused more on romantic entanglements and skimmed over the technical aspects.

"Your vision amazes me," Alina said.

"Surprised? I think it's a necessity," Wang Zhan replied. "It'd be a shame for infected individuals not to utilize their abilities."

Future confrontations with Ursus troops were inevitable. Fighting their advanced weaponry with mere swords and shields would be unrealistic.

"You're right. We need strength to protect our home," Alina said, looking at the infected workers. If they mastered Originium Arts, they wouldn't have to fear enforcers anymore.

A gust of wind carried a lively tune, interrupting her thoughts.

"Hey! Got it, leave it by the door. Just don't hang it on the doorknob or put it behind the door, or I'll leave a bad review!"

Alina, deep in thought, snapped back to reality. She quickly deduced that Wang Zhan must be communicating with another Energy Tower.

"May I ask for your name, Energy Tower Sir? You introduced yourself as the Energy Tower, but that's likely to conceal your identity, right?"

Her question caught Wang Zhan off guard. He had forgotten to mute his microphone, but her curiosity wasn't unreasonable. Being constantly called "Energy Tower Sir" felt awkward. "Just call me Zhan."

"'Zhan'? Like 'cut'?" Alina pondered the name. It seemed contrary to his gentle demeanor. Perhaps it followed the Yanese tradition of adding what one lacked to their name—was Zhan too kind, requiring a fiercer moniker?

"I see now!"

Her sudden epiphany left Wang Zhan bemused, but he let it slide. "Alina, report any updates to me directly..."

Wait. If he wasn't around, where would Alina find him?

He noted the issue in his journal to discuss with Mu Ye later.

"You can count on me," Alina assured him.

Wang Zhan stepped away to retrieve his meal delivery. After lunch and a short nap, he resumed his work.

Planning for future Originium Arts education meant finding experts. Wang Zhan opened the recruitment system and browsed through profiles.

"Why doesn't Mu Ye add a keyword filter?" he muttered, manually sorting through candidates.

He found nearby talents like Talulah and FrostNova but set them aside—they were already allies.

Another promising candidate was Surtr. Her Originium Arts proficiency was outstanding, but her erratic nature and constant movement across southern Ursus made her unreliable.

Wang Zhan checked her profile in the wiki. Surtr lacked systematic knowledge of Originium Arts—her genius made training unnecessary.

"Geniuses sure are carefree," Wang Zhan mused. Relying solely on "outstanding proficiency" wouldn't guarantee suitable talent.

Turning his attention abroad, Wang Zhan considered Columbia, known for its robust education system.

Top candidates included Saria and Kristen, leading experts in Originium Arts research. However, they were marked as "unrecruitable"—likely due to their independent ventures.

"Fine," Wang Zhan thought, shifting focus.

Dorothy Franks, a doctoral candidate at Trimount Engineering Institute, caught his eye. While recruiting her seemed almost flippant—"Convince her by emphasizing the happiness of the infected"—it was a start.

Alternatively, there was Logan Williams, a researcher with rich knowledge of Originium Arts but no practical abilities. His technology, the "Subdermal Casting Unit," intrigued Wang Zhan, though his extreme recruitment terms made him a poor fit.

Weighing his options, Wang Zhan decided to extend an offer to Dorothy. She seemed ideal despite her obsessive pursuit of universal happiness.