Arknights - Echoes Of The Unfound Dawn

A/n: What's your favorite ice cream? Cream or chocolate?

T/L: revision completed, enjoy

As the chaotic streets of Chernobog continued to simmer with unrest, a third-party observer-a lone figure perched atop a distant rooftop-watched as the events unfolded. This unseen figure had been following the movements of the different groups, keeping a close eye on the Reunion forces, Rhodes Island, and other key players within the city.

From this high vantage point, the observer could see the sprawling chaos, the twisted buildings crumbling under the weight of the ongoing conflict. In the distance, Amiya's group-having completed their mission-had taken refuge in an abandoned building, resting briefly before they would inevitably face Reunion again. Their faces were worn, tired, but their resolve never wavered. Among them was Ace, her sharp eyes scanning the horizon, ready to lead the group through whatever danger lay ahead.

The Reunion forces weren't far behind. They had gathered in force-ruthless, determined, and led by the formidable Tallulah, who had a presence that could command even the most reckless of her comrades. As the two groups prepared for another clash, the tension was palpable. It felt like the city itself was holding its breath, waiting for the inevitable confrontation.

In the midst of this, the observer's gaze shifted, almost as if on cue. In the distance, a faint sound echoed through the air-a siren. It was slow at first, then grew louder, resonating throughout the entire city. The observer knew this sound all too well: it was the siren of the Catastrophe.

One hour. It's coming in one hour.

The Catastrophe wasn't something that could be ignored. It was a warning-a countdown to an event that would change the fate of Chernobog forever. People within the city-both civilians and those in charge of its safety-felt a sudden sense of panic, not knowing exactly when or where the disaster would strike, but knowing it was only a matter of time. The chaos that had consumed the streets thus far was nothing compared to what was to come.

Meanwhile, within the building where Amiya's team had taken shelter, tensions were rising. The siren had reached their ears as well, and they all knew what it meant. But there was no time for fear or hesitation. They had to move-had to act.

Amiya, standing tall despite the exhaustion in her body, looked at the others. "The Reunion forces won't wait. We need to regroup and prepare ourselves for what's ahead." Her voice was steady, though there was an undeniable weight to it. The approaching danger was undeniable, but Amiya had made a promise to herself, and to the people of Chernobog. She wouldn't let the city fall without a fight.

Ace clenched her fists, her gaze hardening. "We have to make them pay for what they've done. No mercy."

But even as they prepared to move out, there was something else-something darker-looming. From the shadows of the city, Tallulah's voice echoed in the distance. She had been watching. She knew they were coming. And the confrontation would be inevitable.

---

Meanwhile, in a different part of the city...

Xian had no idea the sirens were blaring, or even what they meant. All he knew was that the city was falling apart, and every moment he spent walking through it brought more pain and frustration. After barely escaping the Reunion forces, he had finally made it back to what remained of his shop, only to find the place-his home-was likely gone, burned to the ground.

He had left behind everything he'd worked for, and it all felt so futile. His mind raced as he stared at the charred remains of what had once been his safe haven. The system had helped him fight, but it couldn't bring back what he'd lost.

"Damn it!" Xian cursed loudly, kicking a piece of rubble out of the way in frustration. "I can't believe this. I've been through hell just to get here, and now I'm-" His rant was interrupted by a sudden realization.

Wait... There's gotta be a way back up there. I'll just climb. Yeah, climbing's easy, right?

With his mind set on retrieving whatever remained in the wreckage of his home, Xian looked around for a way to scale the wall of the city. He glanced down at his gun, the one that had served him so well in battle, and something clicked in his mind.

"Why not... turn it into a grappling hook?"

He sighed deeply, staring at the weapon in his hand. "This is going to be ridiculous..."

After a few seconds of awkwardly staring at his pistol, Xian hesitantly focused on the gun, hoping it would change like it had before. "Come on, come on..." He muttered under his breath, fiddling with the trigger and imagining it transforming.

Nothing happened.

Xian cursed under his breath. "Come on, system! Don't leave me hanging here!"

He gritted his teeth and focused again. He imagined a grappling hook-a strong, durable one that would carry his weight. With a reluctant grunt, he pulled the trigger again.

Click!

In a flash of blue light, the gun transformed. To his surprise, it didn't just change into a simple grappling hook. No, the gun morphed into a sleek, futuristic device with a long, retractable line and a strong hook at the end.

Xian couldn't help but smile. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" He wasted no time and aimed the hook at the wall's edges, pulling the trigger once again. The hook shot out with a satisfying thwip, embedding itself into the wall above.

"Alright, time to climb!"

But as soon as Xian began climbing, he couldn't help but mutter aloud. "Why the hell am I doing this again? I should've just grabbed some food, hidden out for a bit, and called it a day. But no, I had to go and get involved in all this..."

Despite his grumbling, Xian made his way up the side of the city's wall, each pull of the grappling hook bringing him higher. His body, still sore from his earlier fight with the Reunion, was protesting every movement, but he pressed on, cursing under his breath all the while.

I'm going to regret this... I just know it.

Finally, Xian reached the top. He hauled himself over the edge and found himself standing on the surface top of the wall, looking out at the city.

What he saw took his breath away.

The streets of Chernobog were alive with movement-people running, fighting, and fleeing. The air was thick with smoke and the scent of burning ruins. But what caught Xian's attention was the massive shadow hanging over the city-something dark and unnatural that blotted out the horizon.

He felt a chill run down his spine as he stared at it.

No... It's happening. The Catastrophe is here.

Xian's breath caught in his throat as he watched the city prepare for its destruction. There was no turning back now. And as the sirens grew louder, echoing through the streets, Xian realized that Chernobog was on the brink of its end.

But one thing was certain-he wasn't just going to sit by and watch it burn. He had made it this far, and he'd be damned if he didn't fight to survive.

Even if the city was falling apart around him, Xian wasn't going down without a fight.

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Chernobog's skies had darkened completely, the air charged with an unnatural tension. The ground trembled beneath the sheer force of the incoming Catastrophe. Massive shards of originium-laden meteors rained from the sky, slamming into buildings with deafening force. Each impact sent shockwaves across the city, collapsing structures and sending debris spiraling into the air. Fierce, gale-force winds howled through the streets, tearing apart anything not secured.

On top of the towering city wall, Xian stood against the storm, his body swaying with each gust of wind, yet his eyes burned with determination. He clutched his transformed grappling gun tightly, watching the sky with a mixture of awe and terror.

"What the hell am I even doing up here?" he muttered to himself, his golden eyes scanning the horizon. The meteors falling around him glowed with deadly light, and the sheer scale of destruction made him question his sanity. "I should be running. Anyone with half a brain would be running. But no, here I am... thinking I can absorb this disaster like a lunatic."

He had toyed with the idea of absorbing the Catastrophe's abundant originium energy, believing the system might somehow allow it. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized how insane it was. The Catastrophe wasn't just a storm-it was a cataclysmic force that even seasoned casters struggled to withstand. Absorbing that amount of energy would likely tear him apart.

He cursed, his frustration bubbling over. "Dammit, I need a way out of here. Lungmen... Lungmen's my best shot." He turned, planning to search the far side of the city wall for a route to Lungmen, but then-

A sudden burst of intense fire in the distance caught his attention.

"What... the hell is that?" His eyes widened as he watched a massive column of flames erupt from the left side of his view. The fire wasn't natural-it was too controlled, too powerful. Curiosity gripped him, but he couldn't make out the source from this distance.

Instinctively, he reached for his gun, attempting to transform it into a binocular-like scope. But no change came. He gritted his teeth. "Figures... it's not that easy."

He frowned, deep in thought, his mind racing. Then it hit him. He needed to combine something with the gun, something to help it focus. "Glass... I need glass," he muttered. He glanced down at his injuries, noting shards of broken glass still embedded in his arms.

"This is crazy." He plucked one shard free, wincing in pain. "But it just might work."

He imagined the glass fusing with the gun, visualizing it clearly. The system pulsed, reacting to his thoughts. A soft blue light enveloped the gun as the shard merged into the weapon, forming a crude but functional scope.

"Alright... let's see what's going on," Xian whispered, raising the scope to his eye. The view through it was blurry at first, but he adjusted it until everything came into focus.

Through the scope, he saw the figure responsible for the fire-a towering individual clad in heavy armor, wielding an enormous flame in her hand. Xian's blood ran cold.

"T-Tallulah?" He adjusted the scope further, his heart pounding. "So she's the one doing all this..."

---

Amiya's Group Confronts Tallulah

Near the heart of Chernobog, Amiya and her team had regrouped with Ace and the others. They stood at a makeshift defensive line, facing down Tallulah and a massive force of Reunion soldiers. The tension between the two sides was palpable.

Tallulah stepped forward, her eyes burning with a fierce intensity. "You should have left when you had the chance," she said, her voice calm yet filled with menace.

Amiya stood firm. "We won't let you destroy everything. There are still innocent lives here!"

Tallulah scoffed. "Innocent? There are no innocents in a system that oppresses the infected." Without warning, she raised her hand, conjuring a massive surge of fire, and launched it toward Amiya's group.

Amiya reacted instantly, erecting a barrier of blue energy that absorbed most of the blast, though the force sent her team staggering backward.

Ace shouted, "Get ready for another-"

But before he could finish, a blinding blue blast streaked across the battlefield.

---

Xian's Sniper Shot

Xian had transformed his gun further, inspired by a design he vaguely remembered from a certain anime. The barrel was longer, sleeker, glowing with a faint blue light. The energy pulsing through it was immense, but the recoil was intense.

He took a deep breath, adjusting the power. "I've got to weaken it just enough... don't want to hit Amiya and the others."

His stomach growled loudly. He froze, momentarily embarrassed. "Seriously? Now?"

Ignoring his hunger, he steadied himself, aiming at Tallulah. His hands shook from the energy consumption, but he focused through the pain.

"Just one shot," he whispered. "Make it count."

He pulled the trigger.

A powerful, concentrated beam of blue energy erupted from the gun, cutting through the chaos and slamming into Tallulah. She staggered, raising a shield of flames to block it, but the blast still left her and her nearby allies reeling.

Ace saw the opportunity and yelled, "Move now!"

He ran with the others toward the extraction point, knowing they only had seconds to escape before Reunion recovered.

---

Xian watched from the wall, his vision blurring from exhaustion. His sniper shot had been successful, but it had drained him. He stumbled backward, panting heavily. "I... did it..."

But as he glanced back at the city, he saw something terrifying. The Catastrophe was finally here-meteors falling faster, winds tearing through everything. Chernobog was falling apart, and he had no time left.

Despite the pain and exhaustion, Xian gritted his teeth. "No more running... I'm getting out of here alive."