On the Ark.

"Yes."

Kal'tsit said slowly, "I feel like Skadi could have handled this on her own, but you insist on involving these unnecessary people from the past."

Lin Ye's eyelids twitched involuntarily. He thought to himself: Kal'tsit, if you talk like that, you'll never find a boyfriend.

Of course, he couldn't say it out loud; he wanted to live a few more years.

“Furthermore,” Kal'tsit said, resting her chin on her hand and frowning, “that region has been quite turbulent lately. Or rather, it has never been very peaceful. Because it’s a border region, Ursus doesn’t have much control over it. So it’s full of poor people, criminals, and infected people. It’s one of the most chaotic areas in Ursus. If Skadi goes alone, there won’t be any problem, but if she has to take care of you, it’s definitely going to be dangerous.”

"...Wouldn't it be better to have a few more people accompany us?"

Kal'tsit looked at Lin Ye with a "What the hell are you talking about?" expression: "It's just a simple request. Skadi could have handled it alone, so why send more people? No manager with a normal brain would make such a decision."

Lin Ye was speechless.

Well, it seems I really can't find a reason to slip away smoothly.

Lin Ye sighed softly, then turned to leave.

I was originally planning to see Skadi, whom I hadn't seen for months... um, Skadi?

Turning around, Lin Ye discovered that Skadi had also appeared in Kal'tsit's office at some point, and was now leaning against the office door, her long gray-white hair flowing down her shoulders to her ankles.

"Skadi?" Lin Ye asked in surprise. "When did you arrive?"

Skadi glanced at Lin Ye, said nothing, and then turned her gaze to Kal'tsit, saying slowly, "I've never been there."

"What?" Kal'tsit didn't hear clearly.

“I said I’ve never been there before,” Skadi said, “so I don’t know the way.”

"……so what?"

“So I need a navigator,” Skadi said. “Preferably one from Ursus.”

“Is that so? Sure.” Kal’tsit nodded. “I’ll find someone from Ursus on the island to accompany you.”

“No need for that,” Skadi shook her head and said, “Lin Ye will suffice.”

Lin Ye was stunned.

Kal'tsit frowned. She understood Skadi's meaning, and her tone became somewhat stiff: "Dr. Lin Ye is not available. I can find you another guide."

Skadi said, "I'm not good with strangers."

“It’s just as a guide; you don’t need to be an expert,” Kal’tsit said.

Skadi looked into Kal'tsit's eyes and said something far from calm in an extremely calm tone: "If that's the case, I can't guarantee he'll make it back to Rhodes Island alive. After all, you know I'm not good at protecting people."

The moment these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the office immediately became tense.

Lin Ye and Kal'tsit weren't fools; how could they not understand the meaning behind Skadi's words?

Since they both heard it, their reactions were different.

Lin Ye's inner monologue was, "Damn, there's absolutely no need for this! If he can't go, so be it. He just got back anyway, a good rest wouldn't be a big deal. Why is it so tense?" Meanwhile, Kal'tsit's inner monologue was... well, Lin Ye had no idea what she was thinking; all he could see was her terribly gloomy face.

“Are you threatening me, Skadi?” Kal'tsit asked.

“No,” Skadi replied calmly, “it’s the truth.”

"What facts?"

“Everyone on the island says that going on a mission with me never ends well,” Skadi said softly. “The rumors about killing teammates are just labels others have given me. No one on this island wants to go on a mission with me except Lin Ye. So I hope Lin Ye can be my guide, because I don’t want anyone else but him.”

Skadi's words caused Kal'tsit's expression to change slightly.

She gazed into Skadi's eyes, remained silent for a moment, and finally let out a sigh.

……

Ten minutes later, Lin Ye and Skadi left Kal'tsit's office together.

Looking at Skadi walking beside him, Lin Ye couldn't help but say, "Actually, there's no need for this."

"what?"

“I mean, there’s no need to say things like that.” Lin Ye sighed. “If what you just said gets back to other people, wouldn’t the misunderstandings about you be even deeper? Maybe even more people will think you’re going to hurt your teammates.”

"That kind of thing doesn't matter."

"How could I not care?" Lin Ye rambled on like a mother hen, "I've been trying to change how others perceive you, you can't..."

Blah blah blah.

Skadi glanced at Lin Ye without saying anything, but what she was thinking was...

That kind of thing really doesn't matter.

……

……

Author's note: My slacking-off time is almost over, and I'll try my best to make up for my missed updates starting tomorrow. To make it up to everyone, and to celebrate reaching five years, I'll just add five more updates to my already owed schedule!

(③42967465)

P.S. I absolutely love Nian, she absolutely has to appear!

Chapter 478 Kalan has lost the glory of God (3K)

Skadi mentioned that the bounty hunter branch was located in a small town called "Sap" on the Ursus border. And just as Kal'tsit said, it was not a peaceful place; it could even be described as a remote and impoverished area, teeming with all sorts of shady characters. Even the Ursus authorities didn't really care about it, and there weren't even any troops stationed there.

Lin Ye wanted to go to such a place with Skadi for another important reason: the town of "Sap" was less than half a day's journey from Chernobog. Lin Ye had lived in Chernobog for over two years; while not exactly pleasant, it wasn't too bad either. He also cared about the siblings next door, wondering how they were doing, and wanted to go back and see them, since they were his first friends since arriving in this world.

"You said your Leaping Wave Technique has improved?" Skadi asked.

"Yes," Lin Ye said with a smile, "It's all thanks to your special training."

Skadi ignored Lin Ye's flattery and simply asked him to elaborate. Lin Ye then gave a brief account of the battle that night. Of course, to avoid worrying Skadi, he didn't mention the opponent's strength or that he had been in a fierce battle and almost lost his life. He only mentioned that the duration of Leaping Waves in the rain was greatly extended and asked Skadi what the principle behind this was.

However, Skadi replied that she didn't know.

"Huh?" Lin Ye was a little puzzled. "You don't know either? How could that be?"

“I’m not entirely sure,” Skadi said calmly, “because my Leap Strike doesn’t have a time limit.”

Lin Ye: "..."

Without time limits, would he not have these kinds of troubles? Tsk, damn strongmen, they're truly enviable.

“But since you’ve put it that way,” Skadi turned to look at Lin Ye and said slowly, “then let me see just how much you’ve grown.”

Lin Ye's lips twitched slightly.

This sentence sounds so familiar, doesn't it? It's like someone said something similar to him a few days ago.

Oh, it's Yato.

"Cough cough cough, that won't be necessary." Lin Ye tried to refuse. After all, Skadi was different from Yato. Lin Ye felt that he could fight Yato if he went all out, and might even be able to defeat her. But Skadi, Lin Ye felt that even if he went all out, he could only prevent her from accidentally killing him. After all, he still vividly remembered how she had cut that huge tumorous monster in two with a single sword strike.

However, Skadi ignored Lin Ye's refusal. She drew her sword, took two steps back, and then slowly said, "Use your full strength, or you might get hurt. After all, I don't know how much you've grown."

Lin Ye wanted to say, "No, I haven't grown at all, I'm still just a weakling," but he couldn't bring himself to say it. Perhaps he didn't want to appear too weak in front of Skadi, or maybe he genuinely wanted to see how big the gap was between him and Skadi. So even though Lin Ye was saying "No!", his body betrayed him by withdrawing [Maple].

When fighting Yato, Lin Ye needed to switch from [Maple] to a regular training black steel sword. But against Skadi, he didn't need to, because Skadi's greatsword was no ordinary weapon; even [Maple] couldn't cut it, and he didn't know what material it was made of.

“Are you ready?” Skadi asked.

Lin Ye took a deep breath, and before he could even finish saying "good," Skadi made her move.

Skadi's swordsmanship has always been simple, unadorned, and brutal, devoid of any fancy techniques; it's all sweeping and powerful, like that of a brute who knows nothing. But it is precisely this brutal swordsmanship that puts immense pressure on Lin Ye, as if what is being slashed at him is not a sword, but a surging wave that could engulf him in an instant.

Lin Ye immediately raised his knife to parry. In front of Skadi, he always seemed to only be able to parry.

Clang.

The Skadi Greatsword intertwined with Lin Ye's [Maple], producing a clear and melodious sound.

"Oh?" Skadi said with some surprise, "Your strength has really grown quite a bit."

Lin Ye did not speak.

To be precise, they were unable to speak.

He seemed to have blocked Skadi's first attack, but Skadi only used one hand, while he used both, and was forced to use Leap Strike immediately. This comparison made Lin Ye realize Skadi's strength once again. Half a month ago in Lungmen, Lin Ye actually compared Skadi to Golden Demon, but now it seemed like a joke.

With the boost from Leaping Wave Strike, Lin Ye, fighting with all his might, could barely hold off the all-out attack of Jin Gui, but he couldn't stop Skadi, who was using only one hand. This made Lin Ye realize that if he had half of Skadi's power, with [Maple] by his side, he would have been able to instantly kill Jin Gui that night, without the fierce battle.

"You..." Lin Ye felt his shoes were sinking into the wooden floor. He gritted his teeth and asked, "Did you use Leaping Wave Strike?"

Skadi shook her head and said, "Of course not, but I did use my strength this time. Unlike the first time, when I had to be very careful when I swung my sword, your strength has indeed grown a lot."

Lin Ye wasn't sure if he should be happy, after all, he had managed to block Skadi's sword strike in her normal state, although he still felt something was off. But Skadi didn't give him time to think, and instead said, "During the battle, don't talk or get distracted, remember that."

After she finished speaking, Lin Ye sensed Skadi holding back her strength. He thought the trial was over and was about to breathe a sigh of relief when Skadi suddenly unleashed her power again. The black greatsword slashed at him from another angle, and Lin Ye realized that the trial was far from over; in fact, it had only just begun.

If the first attack was merely a test of Lin Ye's strength, then the subsequent attacks were a true test of his combat skills. Skadi unleashed a barrage of attacks on Lin Ye; although the movements weren't fast, the pressure on him increased exponentially. Lin Ye had no power to retaliate and could only passively defend. He withstood each attack, but the brutal force still made Lin Ye, even with the added power of his Leaping Wave Strike, feel numbness in his arms and the space between his thumb and forefinger, as if he might lose his grip on his sword at any moment.

Skadi was also mentally calculating the limit of Lin Ye's endurance. Logically speaking, even without using her skills, Lin Ye shouldn't be able to withstand her attacks for very long. She originally thought that Lin Ye could only withstand three or four moves at most, but she didn't expect Lin Ye to withstand nearly ten attacks.

This pleased Skadi greatly, and she became even more eager to see where Lin Ye's limits lay.

Lin Ye realized this as well, and he suppressed the urge to give up and admit defeat, gritting his teeth and persevering. Thus, the sound of "forging iron" echoed continuously in the not-so-spacious office, and the clash of knives and swords sparked golden sparks in the air.

Unfortunately, after blocking the fifteenth attack, Lin Ye finally couldn't hold on any longer, and the [Maple] in his hand was directly knocked away by Skadi's upward slash. After spinning twice in the air, it pierced through Lin Ye's desk, making Lin Ye's eyelids twitch.

"I lost," Lin Ye said with a wry smile.

Skadi also sheathed her sword. Compared to Lin Ye, who was covered in sweat, she remained elegant as if she hadn't done anything: "This has already exceeded my expectations."

"Really? It seems I'm still quite weak, as you expected," Lin Ye said.

Skadi remained silent, but Lin Ye interpreted this as tacit agreement.

He sighed softly, then turned to look at the wall clock. The time showed that he had only lasted less than two minutes under Skadi's onslaught, though it felt like an eternity. This was completely different from his fight with the Golden Demon. The Golden Demon had already put immense pressure on him, arguably the strongest enemy Lin Ye had faced since arriving in this world, but he could still sense that Skadi was on a completely different level.

As expected of Skadi?

Feeling the soreness in his shoulders and wrists, Lin Ye just wanted to lie on the sofa and rest, but then someone knocked on the door. He was about to get up when Skadi had already gone ahead and opened the door for him.

Standing outside the door was Chu Xue, whom Lin Ye hadn't seen for half a year.

First Snow didn't see Lin Ye at first, so she was slightly taken aback when she saw Skadi: "Lin, isn't Doctor Lin here?"

Skadi didn't speak, but simply turned her body to the side, allowing Chuxue to see Lin Ye.