Rhodes Island does not exist.

"I'm here."

The deep-sea hunter opened his eyes.

The eerie red light that lingered around her was completely dispelled in that instant, leaving only her original red color, which remained dormant in her eyes.

"Ouch... my head hurts so much."

Clutching her scalp, which was throbbing as if she were being pricked with needles, Skadi sat up.

But she was greeted not with a warm embrace from her family, nor with kind greetings from her friends.

"boom!"

"Roar!"

The blood-soaked beasts struggled on the shoreline, where half the land was sea and the other half was yellow sand. The suppressive fire from the Punishing Army and the Papal Knights completely covered their formation, pinning them to the coast and preventing them from advancing an inch.

"Is this... a memory from the Great Tranquility?"

Seeing this scene, Skadi couldn't help but recall the first time she had experienced a great stillness.

Almost the same thing happened then as it is now, except that the most obvious difference was that there were countless comrades on the beach back then.

At that time, "deep-sea hunter" was not a title to describe a specific person, but rather a code name for a certain group.

"No, this is reality."

The doctor put the empty syringe back into the suitcase, then tightly closed it, and reached out his right hand towards Skadi, who was sitting on the ground.

"you……"

Skadi covered her head and looked up at the Doctor.

"I think I lost my composure just now."

She remembered what had just happened and understood that she had been saved by the person in front of her.

“That’s more than just losing your composure,” the doctor shook his head. “If we just leave you like this, you’ll probably go straight into brain death.”

“But you saved me, thank you.” Skadi took the doctor’s right hand and slowly stood up with his help.

“No, you don’t need to thank me,” the doctor said, looking at Skadi. “You didn’t abandon me back then, so just consider it as repaying a debt of gratitude.”

“Ha…” Hearing the doctor’s words, Skadi couldn’t help but sigh self-deprecatingly, “That was just part of a game that I myself didn’t even realize, so how could it be my achievement?”

"Since you were the one who saved her, that's your credit." The doctor patted her on the shoulder. "As for now—"

His gaze drifted to the ferocious beasts still struggling in the hail of bullets, and to the fish that had slipped through the net and were gradually trying to break free.

"—You should go and fulfill your responsibilities."

-

Skadi did consider leaving Iberia.

After the Great Tranquility ended, she thought about it countless times.

Maybe I can leave this dangerous and scornful place and live a life under the sun. Then I can find a relatively stable job in some city and experience a different kind of daily life.

Or perhaps I could find a job hunting wild beasts or Originium creatures, make a living from the bounty, and then travel the world – that seems pretty carefree.

But in the end, she stayed in Iberia.

Not for any other reason than the shackles of a sense of responsibility that bound her to this never-ending shore.

After all, she's the only one left in the Deep Sea Hunters organization.

The rest had all perished on that quiet night.

So, driven by this sense of responsibility, she continued her work.

She spends her days sleeping in her own little room, then wakes up near night to kill those driven mad by the whispers of the deep sea.

But sometimes, she would wake up during the day and suffer from insomnia all day as a result.

At that time, she didn't know that the so-called sense of responsibility was just a suggestion brought by whispers, and the insomnia that kept her awake during the day was a side effect of this suggestion.

However, it was precisely because she woke up during the day that she was able to meet the Doctor and Levini at the Gate of Saints.

After all, life may not be all bad.

As long as you're not dead, there's always a chance for things to get better.

—That's what she was thinking, her cheeks splattered with blue blood.

-

"call."

This is the first time since the Great Tranquility that the greatsword has so freely drunk its fill of blood.

Skadi stood at a gap in the shore, surrounded by a mountain of corpses.

On the other side of the coastline were the ferocious beasts, which had almost turned into a pile of minced meat.

In the past fifteen minutes, they had endured a barrage of over five thousand Originium-etched projectiles per minute. In this fire-soaked swamp of equal density, creatures like them had absolutely no chance of survival.

Even preserving the body intact was a luxury.

"This is just the vanguard. It's really a bit difficult for me to do it all by myself."

Skadi bent down slightly, leaned gently against her shoulder, and exhaled a breath of stale air.

“Although I don’t mean to compete with you for credit, it’s still a little uncomfortable to be simply ignored like this,” Kal’tsit said from the side. “I hope you understand.”

“I didn’t mean that,” Skadi shook her head. “I was just thinking about my former comrades.”

“Lonely people are just pretending to be strong because they have unspeakable sadness hidden in their hearts,” Kal'tsit said.

"What?" Skadi, despite feeling slightly tired, still expressed her confusion at Kal'tsit's sudden question.

“It’s just an excerpt from a short poem, written by some obscure Ursus poet,” Kal’tsit replied. “It wasn’t even published; the original manuscript was later lost.”

"Not published? Then how did you know about this poem?" Skadi looked at Kal'tsit.

“Yes, because the young man who wrote this poem died at home due to poverty.” Kal'tsit reached out and gently stroked mon3tr’s forearm. “I found this book of poems in his room when I went to collect his body.”

"So the loss of the poetry collection is also because of you?" Skadi asked, her right hand resting on the hilt of her greatsword.

“No.” Kal’tsit shook her head. “I have no fixed abode and am not suited to collecting anything, so I gave his poetry collection and inheritance to his distant uncle. But unfortunately, his uncle did not seem to care much about his nephew’s work, so during a big cleaning, he threw all of his nephew’s works into the trash.”

"Would you feel sorry about this?" Skadi asked.

“What a pity, why?” Kal'tsit’s eyes were fixed on Skadi.

“After all, it was the young poet’s last work. He’s gone now, and if the things he left behind are lost, it’s as if they’re lost forever, right?” Skadi said.

“Perhaps,” Kal'tsit replied dismissively, “but I think you need to understand one thing.”

"what?"

Nothing lasts forever; what's meant to be lost will eventually be lost, even yourself, so—

Her gaze fell upon the sea, which had regained its calm.

Farewell will always come, it's just a matter of sooner or later.

Chapter 132, Chapter 131: Deep Sea Chronicles, Chapter 65: Facing the Deep Sea

Everyone knew that the ferocious beasts that had just come with the tide were merely scouts sent to their deaths.

They cannot be considered true combat power, not even vanguard.

All they can do is rush onto the beach one after another, only to be swept away by the tide like trash under its relentless onslaught.

At the same time, their appearance also signifies the clarion call of attack, a criminal proclamation from the deep sea.

“After they all die, the ocean will return to a brief period of calm to allow the people on shore to rest and prepare for the next fierce battle… I think this might be the mercy of the deep sea.” The doctor closed the suitcase and stood beside Skadi, saying, “Then it’s time to discuss this.”

"What are you discussing? What are you planning to do?" Skadi sensed the doctor's inner thoughts as she looked at him carrying a black box.

"To be honest, there was a selfish reason behind waking you up." The doctor smiled at Skadi. "After all, I've made so many medicines for people, and in the end, I have to think about myself too."

“Explain yourself.” Skadi stared at him, her red eyes burning hot.

“Sometimes it’s pointless to explain things too clearly…Here, Kal’tsit.” The Doctor raised his hand and handed the black suitcase to Kal’tsit. “I’ll leave the rest to you. All my things are in this suitcase. I’m sure you understand.”

"how about you?"

Kal'tsit did not refuse, but gently took the Doctor's suitcase and looked at him with the same calm gaze as always.

"I……"

"Woo——"

The sound, like a horn, resounded far and wide.

The sound carried the ethereal quality of the sea, filtered through the heavy waves and undercurrents, and finally diffused through layer after layer of molecules into the warm, humid air.

"Looks like we don't have much time left." The Doctor's gaze swept over the troops on the seawall, who were clearly in turmoil because of the horns, before finally returning to Kal'tsit. "Take Levienne with you."

"Huh? What?" Levini, who was standing to the side, heard her name and immediately looked up at the Doctor in surprise. "What are you planning to do, Doctor?"

“Let Kal'tsit take you away from here,” the Doctor replied. “All of Iberia’s military forces are concentrated here now, so leaving the city is the best opportunity.”

“I’ve already drawn up the route map for leaving Iberia, and Kal’tsit’s abilities are beyond question, so you just need to follow her out of here.” The Doctor explained the next steps to her methodically. “The most suitable city-state for you to live in is Lungmen. After leaving Iberia, you can go to Syracuse and take the long-distance bus that runs once a month. I have some old friends there, so once you arrive in Lungmen, you can go directly to them with your letter of introduction. I’ve already included your letter of introduction in your suitcase. You can use the Originium in the suitcase as living expenses as you like. If any villains try to steal your luggage, just use the orange potion on the lid of the suitcase…”

"Sir, what exactly are you saying—"

Levi had already realized the doctor's intentions, so she tried to stop him from continuing in a strong tone.

"Don't interrupt, just listen, this is very important to you." But the doctor's words silenced her.

A mischievous child can never outmaneuver a serious adult.

After all, adults' attitudes toward children are always based on tolerance, and once that tolerance becomes no longer important or even necessary, children will have no power to resist.

"The orange potion is used to blind and seal Originium circuits. Because it's very potent, be careful not to spray yourself. Generally, this is enough to deal with threats." The doctor's voice was gentle, and his speech was slightly faster than usual, but still audible. "However, if you feel you are facing mortal danger, then you should use the red potion. I've placed the red potion below the orange one. If the person sprayed with it is an Infected, they will immediately lose their mobility and die within a minute. If the person sprayed with it is not an Infected, they will die within ten seconds... But this only applies to ordinary people. If the opponent is too strong... well, people who are too strong won't bother you."

"Then there's the matter of Pure Originium." The Doctor thought for a moment and continued, "Most of the channels selling Pure Originium are illegal, so if you want to exchange Originium for money, you can only go to the places I mentioned in my letter of introduction. Although they aren't exactly good people, they're not the kind to abandon morality for profit. After all, in Lungmen, you can't survive without a code of honor. Let me think of something else..."

"So, Doctor, you were packing the box just now for this...?" Levini asked cautiously, recalling the doctor's actions earlier.

"Hmm? Hmm," the doctor replied. "Yes, so did you remember everything I just said?"

"What do you mean by remembering or not? What are you planning to do? Weren't you going to leave here with me?" Levini asked, puzzled, her expression now frozen.

"Regarding that matter, I think you should leave with Kal'tsit." The Doctor smiled, looked at her, and shook his head. "Farewells are inevitable, it's just a matter of sooner or later. After all, we will part ways one day, it's just a little earlier than expected."

"And what about you? You're not going to tell me you're planning to stay here and face everything with Miss Skadi, are you?" Levini had lost control of her emotions and began to shout, "This is suicide! Don't you still have your ideals? How could you do such a thing?"

“No.” The doctor shook his head. “I have never thought that way, nor have I ever intended to waste my life on something that might be meaningless.”

"But...?" Levini had no idea what the doctor was planning to do.

"In about a few tens of minutes, the reinforcements from Lateran should arrive," the Doctor murmured, gazing at the temporarily calm sea. "The Vatican of Lateran has never stopped monitoring and paying attention to Iberia. No matter what happens here, they will know immediately. Therefore, suppressing the situation in Iberia to the lowest acceptable level is also part of their duty."

“Therefore, I need to finish what I want to do before they arrive,” the doctor said slowly.

“What do you want to do?” Levini asked.

"I want to communicate with the deep sea."

Chapter 133, Chapter 132: Deep Sea Tales - Sixty-Six Lunar Phases

Dark clouds obscured the night sky.

Everything happened faster than expected, to the point that people couldn't even say the most basic goodbye.

"Run, Levini, run!"

This was the last thing the doctor said to Levini.

As for Kal'tsit, given her relationship with the Doctor, it seems there's no need for a farewell at all.

"There's no one in sight anymore."

Skadi pulled the greatsword from the sand and glanced back at the small hill behind her.

That's the only place in the area that isn't blocked by seawalls, and it's also the only place currently without military garrisons, so if Kal'tsit and Levi's want to leave, they have no choice but to go through here.

"That little girl was actually quite fast in the end," she said casually.

“She’s very smart; she knows when to do what,” the doctor replied. “Actually, she’s always known, she just doesn’t want to do it.”

"And what about you?" Skadi's gaze drifted to the distant, deep blue sea. Above that pool, a massive whirlpool, as large as a sun corona, was slowly forming. "Are you staying here to truly converse with the deep sea?"

“I never lie.” The doctor nodded. “Because I want to know what kind of being could turn this city upside down so quietly.”