I, holding a long sword in my hand, only know one move

In the settlement.

Cheng Rang had just helped load and unload the salt water delivered from the beach in the morning, and then walked across the square non-stop towards the studio on the second floor.

This afternoon and evening happened to be my turn to be on duty at the lookout - it was a good day to fish.

Ahem, I can't even mention fishing, mainly because this job is the most leisurely for Cheng Rang. With his keen senses, as long as he leaned on the observation deck, he could have a panoramic view of the possible threats near the settlement, even without the use of the goblin telescope repaired by Kelon. For others, it is a boring but never relaxing chore.

Passing by the classroom, Cheng Rang saw through the window that Ke Long was standing in front of the stage, responsible for teaching the children in the settlement how to read and write. Her capable and serious appearance was completely opposite to her usual carefree appearance, which had a different kind of charm.

"Kelong Kelong! This word is so difficult to write... What does it mean?"

"In class, you have to call me 'Teacher Kelon'! Let me see -"

Kelon first seriously corrected the children's names for themselves - although it had no effect if she kept doing this, she still cared about it.

Then he walked over to the child who asked the question and patiently explained it to him.

Cheng Rang, who was just passing by, was not going to disturb Ke Long and the children's class time. He stopped at the door for a while and then continued to walk towards the studio.

"Kelong asks us to learn these difficult words every day. What's the use? As long as we can communicate with each other, wouldn't it be good?"

The child's question could be faintly heard in the classroom.

Kelon leaned over the table and patiently explained: "Because if we learn these languages ​​well, we can help you interpret more important information in the future, and our lives will be better."

"What kind of information?"

"..." Ke Long's face showed bitterness, and the smile at the corner of his mouth seemed forced.

"——Other people in the settlement risked their lives to obtain information from other races."

Hearing Ke Long's silence, Cheng Rang turned back and stood at the door to explain to the boy next to her.

"...Procedure!"

"Your father, Corey, wanted to get that kind of information.

, sacrificed for this reason. "

This boy was Currie, one of the forty-seven people who died in five years, and was entrusted to the care of Rick and others.

The boy's body trembled slightly, and he lowered his head thoughtfully, with sadness in his eyes.

Cheng Rang glanced at the other people in the classroom and said slowly: "It is precisely in order that heroes like Ke Li and others will not sacrifice in vain that you need to work hard to learn language, writing and knowledge... Do you understand? "

........

After class, Ke Long opened the studio door and found Cheng Rang sitting on the observation deck.

"There's no need to let children accept things they can't understand, right?" Ke Long's tone was helpless, "Don't you think this is a bit cruel to them?"

"But for these, the outside world is more cruel, isn't it?" Cheng Rang sighed softly and explained: "Instead of keeping them in a greenhouse to protect them until they grow up, it is better to give them what they have to work hard from now on. reason."

"They will always grow up until one day they face this cruel world in person. At that time, they will be able to live better here if they have sufficient psychological preparation and skills."

"Kelong, haven't you noticed... The person who is studying most seriously in the classroom right now is probably Nonna."

Ke Long closed his mouth silently, Cheng Rang was right.

After experiencing the cruelty of this world firsthand, and almost saying goodbye to her father Ivan forever, Nonna became the most serious student among the children.

And all of this changed because Rick allowed him to face the most naked and true side of the world.

Because I know what attitude and awareness my father and other people in the settlement had when they went out, I can understand how precious the things they brought back were. In order to help more people, I have a clearer motivation to make progress.

"But this will also have a huge impact on the children...Eric didn't cheer up until the end of get out of class." Kelon frowned lightly and spoke seriously.

Cheng Rang listened to the approaching footsteps outside the door and smiled: "But when he cheers up, he will definitely become a man who can stand alone."

Tuk-tuk-tuk....

There was a knock on the door of the studio, and Eric, the boy just now, stood at the door with faint traces of tears on his face.

But the reddish eyes were filled with determination.

He said to Kelong, who had his back turned to this side: "Teacher Kelong, it's time for class."

"Ah, yes, I'm sorry!" Ke Long first turned around and agreed to Eric, then immediately noticed his change and looked at Cheng Rang who was smiling beside him in surprise.

"Go, the children are waiting for you, Teacher Kelong~"

The girl's cheeks turned slightly red because of this, and she stamped her foot: "You guys, don't call me teacher! Really~"

Ke Long took Eric back to the classroom. The door of the studio was closed again, and the room returned to a quiet silence that could hear a needle drop.

Chapter 44 Death Storm

In the secret passageway of the ruins of the elf city, and in front of the long underground stairs, there is an incomprehensible scene.

Rick couldn't help but asked in surprise: "What is this?"

A spacious hall - there are several huge pillars standing side by side in the center.

The pillars were wonderfully twisted, with countless red patterns carved on their surfaces.

"...One hundred and eighty-six...the pattern is the blessing seal of the divine species Kainas?...That's not right."

Hubie instantly grasped the quantity and wanted to analyze its truth, but she tilted her head in confusion.

"...Doesn't it match all the markings and techniques used by the forest elves in the data?"

"Maybe they were making new weapons that even Hubi didn't know, or they have already made them. No matter what those guys have done now, or even want to split the planet, I won't be surprised - first of all Regardless of that.”

From a human perspective, there is actually not much difference between splitting a continent and splitting a planet.

Ignoring this problem for now, he immediately went to the side of the strange pillars, brushed off the dust on the base of the pillars, and read out the words on the sign.

"——The Zero Protection of the Void·Theoretical Verification Experimental Furnace... Hubi, do you have any impression of this thing?"

"...No matching data was found...The props and catalyst magic itself used by the elf species...No matching data was found."

So that's it - even though he couldn't understand it, Rick's intuition told him: "No matter what, it's useless to stay for a long time. Although I don't know if there are any left... just go out quickly after searching for the remaining documents."

Hubie nodded in agreement and quickly collected the remaining documents.

On the way, Rick's eyes fell on a piece of paper in his hand.

"Even the developer's name is written in code, what the hell is that..."

Seeing the roster full of secret codes, Rick couldn't help but shudder.

It was useless to stay for a long time. Rick and Hubby prepared to evacuate as soon as possible, but——

"It's nerve-wracking... It's probably impossible to move in this climate."

After walking out of the mysterious research institute converted from a library and leaving the abandoned city, the two encountered a "death storm."

That is a phenomenon in which black and gray react with each other as the amount of ash fall increases, producing a blue light cyclone.

Once you encounter this phenomenon, no matter what you do,

If any protective measures are taken, the spiritual remains contained in the ashes will penetrate the protective clothing, causing the human body to be contaminated and die.

So the two of them turned back to the abandoned capital in a panic.

"...Rick, in times like this...what did you do in the past?" Hubie, who was hiding in a small room on the top floor of the research institute in the abandoned city, asked Rick.

"There is nothing we can do but find a cave or ruins. If there are none, dig a hole and hide in it and wait for the storm to pass."

Rick replied with a sigh. Death storms are not very rare. In experience, they can last as short as a few hours and will stop in a day. Burying oneself in a small hole and waiting for a day has been an experience more than once or twice.

The question is - is it safer than the cave?

"How does Hubidu do it? Can it detect life reactions?"

"...Hindered by the spirit skeleton...the long-distance observer...is almost unusable..."

"Hmm... But if that's the case, it means we are safe to a certain extent."

In other words - thanks to the Death Storm, Rick and the others are not easily discovered.

He couldn't go outside anyway, and since Hubi couldn't search a wide area, it was also dangerous to move at high speed.

So Rick asked Hubie: "Speaking of Hubie, did you bring a chess board?"

"...."

You can only bring the minimum items, because Rick said so, so Hubby probably thought he would be blamed——

"....sorry...."

As if she wanted to hide her face, she apologized and gingerly took out the chessboard from her backpack.

That action - the look of an Ex-Machina who was afraid of being scolded by humans was strangely inconsistent, and Rick couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"I'm not blaming you...there's nothing to do before the storm stops. Let's play a game."

".....?May I.....?"

Hubie seemed surprised and seemed very happy to finish speaking, and then began to arrange the chess pieces.

Rick stared at the board and thought about his record with Hubie for more than a year.

——Two hundred and twenty-three battles with zero wins. Not to mention beating Hubi, not even a draw.

However, he made several moves that surprised Hubie, forcing her to think for a long time.

Rick thought to himself, that means - he is not absolutely incapable of defeating Hubie.

Rick unconsciously showed a proud smile, but thinking of his record with another close friend, the smile turned bitter and then disappeared.

Rick vs. Cheng Rang - one loss and eighty draws.

Except for the fact that he lost to checkmate when he first met Hubie, in all subsequent chess games, no matter how hard Rick tried, he could only draw with Cheng Rang. Even if he deliberately exposed his flaws, it was impossible to lose the chess game. .

Such a probability is even more unacceptable than letting Rick lose miserably. That guy seems to be able to understand people's chess moves and is almost 100% able to guide the chess game to the result he wants.

And every time something like this happens, Rick puts it on the balance whether Cheng Rang's original words can be realized.

"Because I can easily defeat her. After all, even machines have their limits - in terms of games alone, she can't understand people's hearts."

He can't understand people's hearts...so he can win her easily?

How is it possible? I have tried this kind of thing hundreds of times.

...

Hubie suddenly asked: "Rick, why...you have to continue fighting even though you can't win...?"

"What, what a strange question. If I win, I will give the information to the person who wants it, isn't it Hubby?"

"...Liar, Rick, there's no way he didn't realize it..."

"The information that Rick wants... Hubie, all are given to Rick..."

There was a heavy silence, with only the sound of the strong wind blowing. Hubie said: "Rick... is amazing, he worked very hard..."

"Don't comfort me."

What a coincidence, Keron said the same thing in the past, and Rick's answer was the same as before.

That was it, the conversation was over. Rick thought so, but——

"...Comfort? No...just stating the facts." Hubie's eyes widened in surprise and refuted Rick.

Then Rick opened his eyes wide as if he had seen something rare.

The expression on Hubie's face clearly showed that she was hesitant about whether to speak, but in the end she still chose to speak.

"...The current planetary environment is fatally harsh to humans...As far as living things are concerned, it is abnormal to be able to survive..."

Those were the words that made Rick angry and selfless a year ago, and choked Hubby.

Even though he knew that those words were hurtful to Rick, Hubie still continued speaking tremblingly.

"...Such a correction, a great undertaking...the reason why it was possible was because of Rick's 'heart'...will."

Staring straight into Rick's eyes that showed no emotion, Hubie said decisively:

"——No matter what Rick thinks...that is... [objective fact]..."

Chapter 45 Choose Hope

"Ha! What do you want to say? Machine