On the Ark.

"...This isn't work."

"Don't go if it's not for work. The outside world is too dangerous."

Lin Ye was silent for a moment, then said softly, "This is something we absolutely have to do."

Warfarin frowned slightly: "You absolutely have to go? Why?"

Have you heard of Halloween?

“Halloween? Of course I’ve heard of it, it’s just…” Warfarin said, then suddenly widened her eyes, “You’re going out at a time like this to dress up as a ghost?! Don’t you have anything better to do?! No way! Absolutely not! I thought you had something important to do. If it’s just going out to play, then forget it.”

Lin Ye sighed: "I didn't go out to dress up as a ghost."

He told Warfarin the rumors he'd heard from the White Owl. After listening, Warfarin frowned deeply: "For Liz? You went to Halloween just to get that medicine?"

Lin Ye nodded.

“But isn’t it unnecessary? Liz is in pretty good health now, except for her leg being a little inconvenient… Okay, maybe I’m being harsh, but putting aside whether that medicine would even work on Liz’s leg, even if you found it, it would only cure Liz’s leg,” Warfarin said. “But what if something happens to you? Then the hard-won hope of curing Oripathy will be shattered. On one side is Liz, on the other are all the infected people in the world. Which do you think is more important?”

"...Your thinking is a bit strange, as if something bad is bound to happen to me if I go out." Lin Ye was speechless at Warfarin's remarks, but he was interested in Warfarin's last question. After thinking for a while, he smiled slightly and said what he thought was a very cool thing to say, "If you can't even save a little girl, how can you save the whole world?"

……

……

Author's note: Twenty-two more chapters are still owed.

Chapter 363 Selection of Personnel for the Trip

Lin Ye knew that Warfarin did not want him to leave Rhodes Island, and he also understood what Warfarin meant by the "L" cells in his blood to the infected in this world.

However, he still refused Warfarin's request to stay on the island. The reason wasn't just, as he had just stated, that he wanted to go out to heal Nightingale's leg. A significant reason was that he didn't fully trust Warfarin. After all, from then until now, he had only heard Warfarin's side of the story, and this explanation was far too sudden for Lin Ye. It was as if one moment everything was peaceful, and the next he had become the hope of all the infected—it all seemed too fantastical.

Moreover, there was another crucial reason. Although Lin Ye also desired to heal the infected, he was unwilling to become a guinea pig for drug development, forever trapped on Rhodes Island, for the sake of the infected in this world. Such a life was absolutely unacceptable to someone like Lin Ye who had already died once. Therefore, he was determined to make his stance clear to Warfarin: he would never become a guinea pig, losing even his freedom, simply to cooperate in drug development.

The shrewd Warfarin could see this immediately and knew she couldn't force Lin Ye, so she could only ask him to bleed more blood before leaving. Poor Lin Ye had a large tube of blood drawn, and when he returned to the dormitory, his pale face startled Ansel.

"What happened to you?" Ansel looked at Lin Ye in surprise. "Weren't you training with Skadi? How did you end up like this?"

Lin Ye sighed: "There was a little accident, but you should be fine after a good night's sleep."

Before leaving, Warfarin repeatedly warned Lin Ye not to reveal the "L cell" information too early, not even within the island. Therefore, although Lin Ye trusted Ansel, he still didn't tell anyone, mainly because he didn't want to frighten Ansel. After all, anyone with a normal mind would understand what discovering the possibility of curing Oripathy meant, let alone a medical professional like Ansel.

"I really don't understand you." Seeing that Lin Ye was unwilling to talk about it, Ansel did not press the matter. He simply shook his head and said, "You're clearly a medical professional, yet you insist on putting yourself through this... I feel like I've said that many times before."

"Yes, quite a few times."

Ansel rolled his eyes and said, "Then I won't say anything, whatever, I'm going to sleep. By the way, White Owl came looking for you earlier."

Lin Ye, who was about to take off his clothes to take a shower, stopped what he was doing and looked at Ansel with some confusion: "White Owl? What does she want with me?"

Ansel said, "I came to remind you not to forget what you promised her."

Don't forget what you promised the White Owl?

Lin Ye thought for a moment, then quickly recalled it and nodded: "Okay, I understand."

"I understand." Ansel lay down, pulled the covers over himself, and muttered, "You don't have any real work lately, but you seem busier than everyone else on the island. I don't understand you."

After saying that, Ansel turned off the light and went to sleep, leaving Lin Ye sitting alone on the bed in a daze.

He thought about it carefully and it seemed to be true. He said he needed to take a good rest, but various things kept him busy; perhaps this was what they called a life of constant toil.

Never mind, get some rest and sleep well.

Lin Ye had initially thought this way, but he hadn't expected that not only the real world wouldn't let him have peace, but even the dream world wouldn't let him have peace. He had a very strange dream, in which he saw a black cat walking slowly in front of him. He tried to chase after it, but no matter what he did, he couldn't catch up. Finally, he stopped, but the black cat didn't stop, gradually disappearing from his sight.

Then he opened his eyes and found that sunlight was streaming in through the window.

……

"The Ghost Hunter? You mean that legendary guy who holds ghost festivals wherever he goes?" Rusar, the leader of the mercenary group "Silver Crescent," raised an eyebrow at the guest sitting in front of him. "I've never met him, but I've certainly heard of him; after all, he's famous. But I don't quite understand, Kazan, why would a slave trader like you be eyeing that guy?"

The slave trader, known as Kazan, chuckled twice, his voice hoarse: "I have my reasons, of course."

“Heh, since that’s the case, then tell me.” Rusar crossed his arms, rested his chin on his hand, and looked at Kazan with interest. “Let me hear it.”

“Isn’t this a bit much, Rusas?” Kazan said. “You just need to bring the person to me, and I’ll pay you, just like before, isn’t that good enough?”

“The past is the past, and the present is the present, so of course things are different,” Rusar said calmly. “Before, you would only have me help you tie up some Sarkaz boys and Felin girls.”

“Because they are the most popular slaves,” Kazan said. “And for you, this is no problem at all.”

"Yes, but this time is different, isn't it?"

"What? The leader of the prestigious 'Silver Crescent' mercenary group only dares to do child trafficking?"

"Your attempt to provoke me is low-level, Kazan," Rusar said calmly. "You should understand what I mean; the prices for different targets are clearly different."

"Look at what you're saying, of course I'll pay more."

“That’s what I wanted to hear.” Rusar nodded in satisfaction. “But how much to add is up to me. I won’t let you cheat me, and I won’t cheat you either. Just tell me everything you need to know, and I’ll make the judgment.”

“You’re being too cautious, Rusar. This isn’t like you.”

“I told you, don’t try to provoke me,” Rusar said. “If I actually get provoked, you’ll be the one who suffers.”

Kazan quickly raised his hand: "Okay, okay, I admit defeat. But what I said just now was the truth, Rusar. Even you, the once-renowned Rupo war god, have become like this. This world is indeed a bit boring. To be honest, I originally wanted to find the Reunion Movement for this job."

“Reunion?” Rusar frowned. “Isn’t that an infected organization? How dare you contact them?”

“Why wouldn’t we dare? They’re very efficient,” Kazan said. “It’s just a pity I can’t get in touch with them. I was in contact with one of them, a guy named Mephisto, but he suddenly disappeared. I don’t know what happened. That’s why I came to you guys.”

"So, we 'Silver Crescent' are still just backup options? Kazan, you really have the nerve to say that."

"You always have to compare prices," Kazan chuckled dismissively. "Alright, Rusar, let's get down to business. What do you want to know?"

“Then I’ll be frank.” Rusar tapped the table lightly and spoke slowly, “Who exactly is this ‘ghost hunter’?”

"Haven't you heard about it?"

“I’m asking about his true identity,” Rusar said. “I’ve heard he’s a demon from the Eastern Kingdom.”

Kazan nodded: "That's true."

"Then why did you suddenly set your sights on him?"

Kazan smiled and said softly, "Because she is a woman."

Rusar was quite surprised: "It's a woman?"

"That's right, and she's an extremely beautiful woman."

“How do you know that? I’ve heard that ‘ghost hunters’ never show their true faces to outsiders,” Rusar said. “They always wear a long black robe and a ghost mask, and you can’t tell their gender from their appearance alone.”

“I have my own methods,” Kazan said. “I can confirm that she is a woman, a very beautiful woman, and that includes her identity.”

"...Is this why you've set your sights on her?"

“Of course.” Kazan slowly spread his hands. “What other reason could there be? Think about it, a female demon from the Eastern Kingdom, beautiful and famous, what price do you think I could sell her for on the market? How many rich people do you think would be willing to pay for her?”

"How many people are willing to pay is your problem to consider, but what I need to consider is..." Rusar raised an eyebrow, "Looks like I can make a fortune on this deal?"

“I’ll give you a satisfactory price, as long as you don’t ask for too much,” Kazan said. “This woman should pose no threat to you.”

"The other party is a ghost who dares to travel across the continent alone, yet you say she poses no threat?"

“That’s just how it is,” Kazan said. “Although the warriors of the Eastern Kingdom are famous, she’s not a warrior at all. She just uses a few tricks to protect herself. Once you understand her tricks, she’s just an ordinary woman with fame and looks. Think about it: under that loose black tent is a flawless body, and behind that ugly monster mask is a stunningly beautiful face. Isn’t that a fascinating contrast? Once you peel back that intimidating facade, she’s just an ordinary woman.”

"Doesn't she have any help?" Rusar asked.

"Help? What help could a lone ghost have?" Kazan said with a sneer. "I know her. She's just a pitiful woman without any roots. Who do you think could help her?"

……

"Huh? Halloween?" Ifrit looked at Lin Ye with a puzzled expression. "What's that? Can you bake it?"

"...That's a festival, not food." Lin Ye said, somewhat speechless, "Your thought process is really strange."

“Because I’ve never celebrated a holiday, not even once in my life,” Ifrit said matter-of-factly. “Isn’t it normal not to know?”

She'd never celebrated a holiday since she was a child... Lin Ye initially thought Ifrit was exaggerating, but then he remembered that she seemed to have grown up as an experimental subject in Rhine Lab's research lab, so he could understand. Thinking about it that way, he felt a little sad, so he gently patted Ifrit's head to comfort her.

To everyone's surprise, Ifrit immediately bristled: "Hey, why are you touching my head? Do you want to get roasted?"

...Why is her reaction different from that of the nightingale?

To avoid getting burned, Lin Ye quickly withdrew his hand: "No, I was just asking if you wanted to go out and celebrate the holiday with me. Anyway, your parents... no, Saria and Himer aren't here either, so you'll be bored staying on the island, right?"

"That sounds a bit boring." Ifrit crossed her arms, thought for a moment, and quickly made a decision, "Then I'll go with you to roast people."

"That's right." Lin Ye nodded subconsciously, then realized something was off. "Wait, roast a person? What kind of person do you want to roast?"

"Isn't Halloween all about roasting people?"

"...Who told you that?"

“The name sounds very similar.” Ifrit’s words were interrupted halfway through by White Owl, who was listening in from the side.

"As far as I know, Agent White Owl, Halloween is about dressing up as ghosts," said White Owl.

"Playing the ghost?" Ifrit tilted her head. "What would you do, play the ghost?"

The white-faced owl thought for a moment, then said seriously, "Pretend to be a ghost before roasting people."

Lin Ye couldn't help but cover his face with his hands, because he really couldn't understand the thought processes of these two talented people.

"Let's skip the grilling, Himer won't let me use my abilities outside." Ifrit turned to Lin Ye, "Can we go get some barbecue instead?"

Lin Ye nodded: "Of course."

“Then I’ll go.” Ifrit nodded happily. “With Himer and Saria not here, I’m sick of the food in the cafeteria.”

Seeing that Ifrit agreed so readily, Lin Ye couldn't help but glance at the white-faced owl.

It was White Owl's idea to send Ifrit to Rhodes Island with Lin Ye for Halloween. Since Himer and Saria weren't on the island, no one could control Ifrit. Even White Owl couldn't manage her; compared to the imposing Himer and Saria, she was just a harmless little devil. How could she possibly control the little fire dragon who roamed freely? Especially since leaving the already restless Ifrit alone on Rhodes Island without Himer and Saria would be torture for her. So, it was better to let her go out with Lin Ye to relax.

Thus, the group heading to Halloween consisted of four people: Lin Ye, Skadi, Nightingale, and Ifrit.

But Lin Ye always felt that something was missing, until Kal'tsit called.

“Dr. Lin Ye?” Kal'tsit said. “I’ve already read Warfarin’s report that she gave me yesterday, and to be honest, I was quite surprised. If I weren’t out of town right now, I would definitely come to see you in person. I heard you’re going to Halloween? I was going to suggest you don’t go out, but I don’t think you would listen anyway. In that case, you might as well bring someone else with you.”

"Who?"

"Lappland".