On the Ark.

"I want to keep it."

"Impossible." His mother firmly refused and pulled him away.

"I can take good care of it."

"Take good care of yourself first," the mother said. "With your health so poor, who will take care of you or the other way around?"

"I will take care of it..." The young boy was still a bit stubborn.

Unfortunately, being frail and sickly, he couldn't resist his mother's insistence and was dragged along like a trolley. In the end, he could only turn back and look at the white cat standing on the wall.

The white cat gazed at him, its blue eyes like pearls.

……

Lin Ye opened his eyes.

The first thing I saw was a white ceiling, and the smell of disinfectant lingered in my nostrils.

Damn it, I'm in the hospital again.

As Lin Ye was thinking this, a familiar female voice reached his ears.

"Just as I expected."

Lin Ye turned his head and found Shining sitting next to him, legs crossed. A black longsword and staff were placed to the side, and her hood was off, revealing a pair of white ram horns and a pair of long elf ears.

"What did you anticipate?" Lin Ye asked.

"The time you woke up," Shining said, glancing at the wall clock. "That's my specialty."

"...How long was I unconscious?"

“Actually, it wasn’t long, only ten hours,” Shining said. “And to be precise, it wasn’t a coma, it was resting. I healed your injuries last night, you were just too mentally exhausted.”

"Is that so? Thank you then."

"Ok?"

"You were the one who saved me in the end," Lin Ye said. "I owe you my life."

“Actually, you don’t need to thank me,” Shining said, “because I’ve been there for a long time.”

"Huh?" Lin Ye didn't react immediately, and was stunned for a moment. "What do you mean?"

“We’ve been there for a long time,” Shining repeated. “We’ve been watching you from the crowd, even before you let that little girl leave.”

Lin Ye lay on the bed in a daze for a few seconds before suddenly sitting up: "Damn it, you guys just stood there and watched me get beaten up?!"

"Don't worry," Shining said confidently. "With my medical skills, as long as you're not killed on the spot, I can save you."

"That's not the point, okay?" Lin Ye was speechless. "Why is this? Although you really have no obligation to help me, why are you doing this..."

Shining held up two fingers: "Two reasons."

"Ok?"

"First, do you remember the question I asked you before you left?"

Lin Ye pondered for a moment, then asked somewhat uncertainly, "Are you asking for my opinion on the infected?"

Shining nodded: "This is a very important question. You should know that more than half of Rhodes Island's members are infected."

"Um……"

"Do you know the ultimate fate of the Infected?" Shining stared into Lin Ye's eyes. "It's not just the mental aspect; the mental aspect is merely a side effect of the Originium's influence. Do you know the truly terrifying end for the Infected?"

Lin Ye was silent for a moment, then said, "Self-destruct?"

“It seems you knew.” Shining tilted his head. “So I’m a little curious, knowing the danger of the infected, you still dared to go alone to a place full of infected?”

Lin Ye scratched his head: "Is it really a self-destruction? I've only heard about it, because I've never seen an infected person self-destruct."

“Because that’s the final outcome, but it’s still under control for now,” Shining said. “That’s why Chernobog is isolating the infected.”

“That solves it,” Lin Ye said. “Besides, most of the infected people in the hospital were just infected; how could they possibly have progressed to that stage?”

“That’s what they say,” Shining said, “but doing it is a different story. Even knowing that the infected there aren’t that bad yet, not just anyone would dare to go in. But you did, and for another infected. Judging from your choice, you’ve answered my question perfectly.”

Lin Ye immediately became excited: "So you mean I can join Rhodes Island now?"

"No, I'm not in charge of personnel." Shining shook his head.

"...Then why are you saying so much?"

"I just submitted your application. Besides, it's not that hard to get a job at Rhodes Island. We're just a pharmaceutical company."

Lin Ye turned to look at the longsword and staff beside Shining, and thought to himself, "I believe it."

"Oh, right." Lin Ye remembered something and asked, "What's the other reason you mentioned?"

“As for the other one…” Shining’s ears twitched, “I hope you can gain my friend’s approval.”

"your friend?"

“Yes, she initially had a deep misunderstanding about you, thinking you were a fraud,” Shining said. “Although she still couldn’t believe in your abilities, your performance last night should have at least dispelled her dissatisfaction. She’s known as a knight and admires people with chivalrous qualities. That’s why I didn’t help you yesterday, hoping she would help you. Aside from her employer, she only helps those she approves of.”

Lin Ye recalled those golden eyes that seemed to burn with flames and asked, "And then?"

Shining sighed: "It was all going to work, but... why did you have to grab her tail?"

Chapter Fourteen: A Worrying Future

"Tail? What tail?" Lin Ye was completely bewildered. "I don't know, I have absolutely no recollection of it. Who was your companion? Sorry, I fainted too early, so..."

Lin Ye couldn't continue making things up.

Because Shining kept staring at him with those calm black eyes, as if to say, "Keep making things up, let's see how long you can keep this up."

Having no other choice, Lin Ye could only lower his head and sincerely admit his mistake: "I really didn't mean to. My mind wasn't very clear at that time."

"So you remember now?"

“…Hmm, I think I did grab something,” Lin Ye said. “It should be the tail, because I was about to fall, and it was completely subconscious, really subconscious.”

Shining nodded: "I understand."

Lin Ye breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that you understand."

"But she can't understand."

Lin Ye choked: "Did I hurt her?"

“I don’t know about that,” Shining shook his head. “But when I rescued you, you were still clutching several hairs in your hand.”

Lin Ye: "..."

Shining sighed, "That's why I said it's a bit difficult. Nearl is very conscious of her image; even I've barely touched her tail..."

"Stop talking." Lin Ye couldn't help but rub his forehead. "It's all my fault. So if I want to get into Rhodes Island, do I have to get her forgiveness? Okay, where is she? I'll go apologize right now."

Shining shook her head: "Nearlight has already returned to Rhodes Island because she's an Infected. So she's not keen on staying here and dealing with the military and police in Chernobog. As for your joining Rhodes Island, that's not Nearlight's responsibility either. Neither Nearlight nor I are in the personnel department. Personnel appointments should go through the Doctor or Amiya. As for Nearlight, don't apologize for now. She's not the kind of person who would stop you from joining Rhodes Island just because of something like this, but I think she doesn't want to see you anytime soon."

Hearing Shining's words, Lin Ye didn't know whether he should be happy or embarrassed. As a veterinarian, he naturally knew how important and special the tail was for an animal. Although Nearl wasn't an animal, well... never mind, it's best not to think about it too much for now.

"By the way, was the companion you mentioned who needed help her the one?" Lin Ye recalled what Shining had told him before.

Shining nodded, a hint of melancholy and worry flashing across her brow: "Yes, it's Nearl. She's already one of the people most deeply affected by the Originium, not just physically. Her body is still stable, but her mental problems are getting worse and worse? And this is precisely Rhodes Island's weakness, or rather, the world's weakness. We can use drugs to stabilize the infected's physical condition, but we can't work on their minds. And Nearl... she's becoming less and less like herself, increasingly irritable."

"is it?"

"Yes, touch the back of your head."

Lin Ye was startled and instinctively reached behind him, but found nothing. He was puzzled: "Isn't it normal? There's nothing here."

“It used to be,” Shining said, “but I healed it.”

Lin Ye asked somewhat uneasily, "What was originally there?"

Nearl's weapon is a switch axe.

Lin Ye's heart tightened.

"But she only disciplined you with her hand."

I felt a sense of relief.

"But no one can guarantee she won't use an axe next time."

Her heart tightened again, and then she glared at Shining with annoyance: "Can't you just finish what you're saying at once?"

“You don’t need to worry,” Shining said calmly. “Nearlight won’t turn her axe on her teammates; she’ll only end herself a second before she completely loses control.”

"To end oneself means..."

"Cut off your own head."

Lin Ye felt the topic had suddenly become much heavier.

"Is there anything I can do?"

“Of course, that’s why I invited you to join Rhodes Island.” Shining looked into Lin Ye’s eyes and said seriously, “I want you to do to Nearl what you did to me.”

The previously silent conversation suddenly took an odd turn.

"...I don't know what to do either."

"Just hold her before she completely loses control."

"Won't she cut off my head?"

"Are you scared?" Shining asked. "Haven't you already done that to me?"

Lin Ye thought for a moment, then smiled: "What you said seems to make sense. As long as she doesn't think I'm harassing her, that's fine."

“You’re a doctor.” Shining slowly rose, slinging her sword and staff over her shoulder. “Once you join Rhodes Island, you’ll face many, many infected, and even non-infected, who have the same problems as Nearl. I hope your talents can also work on them, because they’ve been tormented by the virus for far too long.”

Lin Ye took a deep breath and then nodded solemnly: "If my abilities can be effective against them, then I will do my best."

"Hmm." Shining nodded, then looked into Lin Ye's eyes.

Lin Ye was a little confused by Shining's gaze: "What's wrong?"

Aren't you leaving yet?

"Huh? I'm still a patient."