On the Ark.

Everyone looked at Magellan.

"Think about it, when Dr. Lin Ye was hypnotized, he was going to run into the underground river. If it weren't for Miss Chanmaru stopping him, Dr. Lin Ye would probably have drowned in the underground river and become a skeleton at the bottom of the river, right?"

Lin Ye nodded: "That's probably true."

“So, if Miss Skadi was hypnotized like Dr. Lin Ye, then she should have died in the underground river seven days ago,” Magellan said. “But if that’s the case, Miss Skadi’s phone should have been ruined by the river water, right? It’s impossible that Miss Skadi deliberately took her phone off before being hypnotized and then threw herself into the river, is it?”

Lin Ye's eyes gradually brightened, and then he murmured, "Yeah, that doesn't make sense."

“With a communicator available, Miss Skadi certainly wouldn’t have used a cell phone, so it’s highly likely that Miss Skadi kept the phone on her person the whole time,” Magellan said. “Therefore, if Miss Skadi’s cell phone is still working, it’s enough to prove that Miss Skadi did not die in this way that night.”

Magellan's explanation revived everyone's spirits.

Chōmaru tilted his head and said, "What you said seems to make some sense."

“I just think we should trust Miss Skadi,” Magellan said.

At this moment, Shuangye, who was sitting at the tent exit, glanced outside the tent and then frowned: "Stop discussing, someone is coming."

"Soldiers from Ursus? Isn't it still dark?"

"No," Shuangye said with some doubt, "it's that woman named Tianhuo."

……

……

Author's BB: I finished reading the NieR story, and to be honest, I feel terrible. I should never have played it. My emotions have been affected, and it'll probably take me a few days to recover. Actually, I really dislike the game's plot, or rather, I hate that fatalism, that "no matter how hard you try, you can't change" ending. In the third playthrough, the player even has to control 2B to die, and that part is truly heartbreaking. She tried so hard, but still couldn't survive. It made me really want to start another game to save 2B, but then I remembered I couldn't even save Skadi, so I decided against it.

The background music in this game is truly fantastic, creating a deeply melancholic atmosphere. The gameplay is also very engaging; you could easily play for a long time. However, for a more sentimental person like me, no matter how great the content or how strong the gameplay, if I know that no matter how hard I try, I can't stop my favorite characters from dying or change their fate, then that's the end of the game. I'll just go play League of Legends instead. (Personal opinion, please don't be offended.)

Chapter 326 Don't be so arrogant (3K)

Lin Ye never expected that Tianhuo would come knocking on his door at this time.

Lin Ye didn't actually have a very good impression of Tianhuo. Yesterday, his impression of her was that of a very arrogant and haughty young lady. Logically speaking, people with this kind of personality would usually only appear as minor characters in one or two chapters in other books, but Tianhuo also possessed extremely powerful strength, capable of suppressing the entire Sunset Merchant Guild single-handedly.

So, for someone so powerful yet difficult to approach, things might be fine on Rhodes Island, but here, it's definitely better to avoid trouble. However, since the other party has come knocking on his door, Lin Ye has no choice but to see them.

"Is there anything I can help you with, Miss Skyfire?"

Lin Ye and Tianhuo stood on the beach. It was still about half an hour before sunrise, and the entire town of Harlan was still shrouded in darkness. Then, Tianhuo casually waved his staff, and a ball of blazing flame rose beneath their feet, dispelling the darkness and cold. Lin Ye looked at Tianhuo with some surprise; the latter's orange pupils shimmered in the firelight.

"I want to ask you some questions," Tianhuo began slowly. "I hope you can answer them?"

"Ask me something?" Lin Ye asked, somewhat surprised. "What is it?"

"Information regarding the deep sea."

"Wasn't all that intelligence discussed at yesterday's meeting?" Lin Ye said. "Didn't that researcher from Lungmen explain it quite clearly?"

"It's not clear enough."

"Then what does it mean to be clear?" Lin Ye smiled. "And why do you have to ask me?"

Tianhuo turned to look at Lin Ye, and then slowly said, "Then I'll be frank. I want to know what you were doing at sea last night?"

Lin Ye's smile gradually froze: "What did you say?"

"Do I need to repeat myself? Your hearing should be fine," Tianhuo said. "But repeating myself is fine too, I want to know..."

"No need." Lin Ye interrupted Tianhuo, then took a deep breath and asked, "How did you know?"

"I saw it with my own eyes."

"really."

Now Lin Ye knew he hadn't been seeing things when he went out to sea last night; someone had indeed seen them on the shore, and judging from their figures, they were women. At that time, Lin Ye deduced it was either Skyfire or Swire, and now Skyfire had admitted it. No wonder, the town of Harlan currently had no streetlights, and the fleeting orange light he saw in the darkness last night could only have been Skyfire's ability. Since that was the case, there was no point in denying it.

"Have you already spoken to Silver Sword and the others?" Lin Ye asked Tian Huo.

Tianhuo frowned slightly and said with some displeasure, "Why should I tell them?"

Tianhuo's words reassured Lin Ye somewhat. Of the organization Tianhuo belonged to, the Originium Arts Research Society, only she had come; if she didn't tell anyone else, only she would know. And judging from her tone, she clearly wasn't the type to snitch. Furthermore, the Originium Arts Research Society was different from the Sunset Merchant Guild; they had no reason to target Rhodes Island.

In other words, Tianhuo's current actions of coming to her door are purely her own.

"Are you curious?" Lin Ye asked.

“Indeed.” Tianhuo readily admitted, “Knowing that there would be a collective action today, you still secretly went out to sea last night. I want to know what you did.”

"Since you already know we're doing this secretly, why would you easily tell others?"

Skyfire glanced at Lin Ye and said indifferently, "If you refuse to tell me, I'll have to send the Ursus soldiers to ask you."

...So I was still threatened.

Lin Ye sighed inwardly, but didn't show it on his face: "You have no evidence."

How do you know I didn't?

"Could you even take pictures at a time like that?" Lin Ye asked. "There wasn't even a moon last night, so even if you wanted to, you definitely wouldn't have been able to take any pictures."

Tianhuo readily admitted this: "You're right, I didn't take any photos."

Lin Ye smiled and said, "See..."

"But do I still need photos?" Tianhuo said slowly. "You're wearing evidence on your body."

Lin Ye's smile gradually faded. He lowered his head and realized what Tian Huo was talking about.

He hadn't taken off his clothes yet, and his trouser legs were covered in mud.

"Are you planning to explain to those soldiers in Ursus that you went to the beach to collect seashells in this outfit late at night?" Skyfire said with a half-smile. "Do you think they'll believe you?"

Lin Ye rubbed his forehead in frustration, not expecting Tianhuo to be so difficult to deal with. They had been busy compiling data as soon as they returned, and hadn't had time to change clothes. Of course, the main reason was that they hadn't expected Tianhuo to come at this time, catching them completely off guard.

Thinking about it this way, Tianhuo not only saw them go out to sea, but he probably also waited for them to return from the beach, otherwise the timing wouldn't have been so precise.

"It'll be dawn in less than half an hour." Skyfire checked the time. "Are you sure you don't want to tell me? Once I tell those guys from Ursus, you won't have a chance."

Lin Ye turned to look at the ocean, where a faint light was already appearing on the surface.

The sun was indeed about to rise, and the Ursus soldiers would be arriving then. He needed time to prepare his belongings so as not to give himself away. So he didn't have time to waste with Tianhuo. After thinking for a moment, he said, "We have a colleague you should know."

“I know she’s the most powerful deep-sea hunter.” Skyfire nodded. “She didn’t come with you.”

“Yes.” Lin Ye nodded. “Because she went to investigate on her own and found out some things last night, so she asked us to go and take a look.”

Tianhuo asked, "What did you find out?"

"You'll know in a few days," Lin Ye said. "Once we've found out, we'll share the information."

"That won't do." Tianhuo crossed his arms and tapped his staff lightly with his fingers. "I need to know now."

"You've gone too far."

“Maybe. But you think you can just dismiss me with that one sentence? You're underestimating me.” Skyfire shrugged. “Besides, I don’t even know if you’re telling the truth or not. What could possibly require going to sea to say? Can’t we just make a phone call or send a text message? I don’t believe the most powerful deep-sea hunter is some primitive man who can’t even use a cell phone. If your reason is true, then there’s only one possibility.”

"what?"

Tianhuo slowly said, "You have found the treasure of the deep sea."

"……what?"

"Did I spot on?" Skyfire said with a hint of smugness. "The only reason that deep-sea hunter called you out in the middle of the night is because she found treasure but couldn't bring it back alone, so she called you along. I saw that you were carrying bags when you went out to sea. That means you've already brought back part of the treasure, right?"

Lin Ye was at a loss for words, his lips twitching slightly: "Your imagination is truly rich."

"So don't underestimate me. I read a lot of mystery novels when I was in school... Besides, you don't even need to think about these obvious facts. Only a fool wouldn't see through them."

Lin Ye sighed: "But you're wrong, we didn't find any treasure."

“I’ve already said all this, are you still going to deny it?” Skyfire said. “If it wasn’t there, why didn’t that Deepsea Hunter come back with you? He must be guarding the treasure, or… moving the treasure? I understand, Rhodes Island is going to swallow the treasure whole.”

Lin Ye really didn't know what to say. He had originally thought Tianhuo was an extremely intelligent person, but now it seemed she had been a bit presumptuous. But thinking about it, it made sense. From her perspective, there was nothing wrong with her reasoning. She couldn't possibly have imagined that Skadi was missing, and Lin Ye couldn't possibly have told her.

“Miss Tianhuo, as I’ve already said, we haven’t found any treasure, nor will we keep any treasure for ourselves. Please believe us.” Lin Ye was no longer in the mood to play along with this young lady Tianhuo’s antics. Dawn was approaching, and he was getting a little irritated. “But we really can’t say the specific reason right now. However, I can assure you that I will tell you when the opportunity arises.”

After saying that, Lin Ye ignored Tianhuo's response and turned to leave.

Tianhuo's brows furrowed slowly, and his voice gradually turned cold: "I see you really don't take me seriously."

Lin Ye stopped but didn't turn around: "We really didn't find any treasure, nor do we know anything about it. We went to sea because of something very important, something that has nothing to do with you, or even with anyone here. So I hope you won't use this to threaten us; it's really pointless. If you really want to tell the people of Ursus, then please be prepared for our retaliation."

After he finished speaking, he felt a wave of heat coming from behind him.

"Are you threatening me?" Tianhuo looked at Lin Ye's retreating figure and said slowly, "With your abilities?"

Her hair slowly grew back, and the rain fell on her body, making a "hissing" sound.

Lin Ye turned to look at Tianhuo: "You don't want to fight here, do you? I'm warning you, I'm not in a good mood today, so don't mess with me."

"You're too arrogant." Tianhuo raised his staff at Lin Ye. "Let me..."

Before she could finish speaking, Lin Ye grabbed her hand that was holding the staff.

"I'll give you this advice too," Lin Ye said slowly, looking at Tianhuo. "Don't be too arrogant."

Tianhuo's eyes widened.

It wasn't because Lin Ye grabbed her hand.

It was because her body cooled down the moment Lin Ye grabbed her hand.

The Originium Arts that had not yet been used vanished without a trace in an instant.

How is this possible?!

……

……

Author's BB: I think the NieR storyline affected my mood today... I've been feeling off all day, just really annoyed. I guess I'm still too sensitive; I can't even handle this level of stomach medicine. Hopefully I recover soon =-= By the way, I still owe 31 chapters.

Chapter 327 Where did that island go? (3K)

Seeing Lin Ye return to the tent with a pale face, Magellan couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"It's nothing," Lin Ye shook his head. "I was just threatened by a haughty little kitten."

"...Huh?" Magellan was a little confused.

Lin Ye didn't want to say it at first, but then felt that there was no need to hide it, so he sighed and said, "That guy named Tianhuo discovered that we had set sail last night."