Rhodes Island does not exist.

The doctor's gaze was vacant, his expression dazed, and he muttered to himself.

The townspeople watched the stranger whose expression had suddenly changed with a hint of doubt, but they didn't know what to say to him, so they could only stand aside and observe him.

In their eyes, he was just a man who suddenly started staring blankly at the necklace on the ground.

After all, to them, the necklace was unremarkable, neither worth much money nor particularly beautiful. Moreover, many women in the town had worn similar jewelry before; it was ultimately just a simple trinket made of stone or metal.

But the doctor knew that appearance could not determine its value, not even one percent.

Because he remembered clearly that this was a keepsake that Levini had given him in his dream, and he could even recognize the wear and tear and the old feel of the necklace.

After receiving the necklace from Levini, the Doctor put it in the top pocket of his coat. Now, the necklace has fallen out of the pocket.

But why? Why is this happening?

Wasn't what he experienced before a dream?

Why do items obtained in dreams appear in reality?

Moreover, considering that the necklace was given to him by Levini herself, does that mean that the connection he established with Levini in his dream has now been brought into reality?

No, that's really unlikely.

But the necklace did appear in his pocket.

"Is this necklace that you dropped yours your mother's?"

At this moment, a female resident hesitated for a moment before suddenly speaking and asking the doctor a question.

-

came back.

Yesterday was my birthday, but I skipped the whole day.

So it's true that it's a birthday celebration.

Then comes the usual thank-you segment.

Special thanks to Yueyue for the dog food and soap, thank you~

Chapter 140, Chapter 139: Deep Sea Tales - Chapter 73: My Hometown

"Is this necklace that you dropped yours your mother's?"

The female townswoman seemed to hesitate for a moment before daring to speak.

After all, this necklace is really too ordinary; it's practically a local bestseller.

"This necklace..."

The doctor instinctively wanted to reply, "This necklace was a gift from Levi," but he knew that was impossible in reality, so he immediately nodded in agreement with the woman.

"...Yes, it was given to me by her mother."

"I knew it." The female townswoman placed her clasped hands over her chest, as if relieved. "I knew this chain looked familiar. Look, her name is on it."

As she spoke, she walked toward the doctor, then gently turned the pendant over with her calloused right hand, revealing several crooked letters carved on the back.

“La…Levini.” The doctor read out the name represented by the letters, following the pronunciation.

“Excuse me, let me introduce myself first.” The female townswoman bowed and said gently to the doctor, “My name is Sofia, and I am a metalworker in Asturias. The necklace you are wearing was made by me by Anita to commemorate the birth of her daughter.”

Anita was Levini's mother's name, a fact the doctor quickly realized.

After all, his identity here was that of an acquaintance of Levini's parents, so if he were unfamiliar with her mother's name, it would inevitably arouse suspicion. Therefore, for now, all he needed to do was remember the name and not do anything unnecessary.

"But I never expected that she would give you this necklace before she died... She probably wanted you to pass it on to her daughter. What a pity." Sophia shook her head and sighed as she looked at the tombstone in front of her.

"Then I'll return this necklace to its rightful owner." Holding the necklace in his hand, the Doctor recalled what Levini had said when she handed the necklace to him.

"This is a keepsake from my mother, so I've always worn it to remember her—you must think so, right?"

Don't feel too guilty. It's just one of the small items I stole from passersby's luggage. I don't even know its owner's name.

Actually, I have quite a few of these pendants at home, all of which I stole. I just happened to choose this particular necklace when I went out yesterday, which is why I'm still wearing it.

"The child doesn't learn anything good, all he does is lie. What about stealing or robbing? His first sentence was clearly the truth."

The doctor shook his head with a wry smile.

The boundary between reality and dreams was no longer so important to the Doctor at this moment.

As long as Levini exists on both sides, and as long as the Levini on both sides is the same person, that's enough.

They're all old acquaintances anyway.

“It’s alright, really.” Sophia glanced at the doctor’s expression and smiled kindly at him. “If you feel that you still have any memories or feelings about this relic, it’s better to leave it with the living rather than return it to the deceased’s grave.”

“After all, if you leave it here, it will eventually be weathered away by the years and dust, but if you keep it with you, it can last longer. So I think Anita would probably think it's better this way too.”

Sofia smiled, her face gentle.

“…I understand.” So the doctor accepted the proposal and put Levini’s necklace back into his pocket.

Then, he looked up and asked Sophia a question that had always been on his mind.

"Excuse me, is Levini's house still there? If it is, I'd like to go and see it."

-

The Levienne family mansion still exists.

Although it's called a house, it's really just a small wooden cabin that has survived years of wind, rain, sun, and dust.

Rusty wind chimes hang on the low porch, and the ancient pillars still fulfill their duty, supporting the last facade of this abandoned hut so that it doesn't look too dilapidated.

The address here was provided to the doctor by Sophia; she herself did not travel with him.

So in the end, only the Doctor stood in front of the porch.

For some reason, although he had never visited this place before, he could always feel a sense of familiarity from it.

"Perhaps it's a psychological suggestion based on déjà vu," he told himself.

After all, when he was temporarily staying in Longmen, he had read a lot of third-rate novels from street vendors, and many of them had similar plots, which drew a lot of criticism from him during the reading process.

And now, he has become the protagonist in such novels.

The plots and arrangements of these bizarre novels are always the same; the characters living in the stories are either dead or insane, and very few actually find happiness. Readers, deeply affected by this, often curse the authors, saying that writing like this will not end well, and that Heaven is watching.

But the author didn't care.

Even the fate that writes life into a book doesn't matter.

The author may care whether his book will be accepted, but fate never cares about that.

After all, its readers are forced to read it.

His books will always be read.

"call."

The doctor stood in front of the festering lock and took a deep breath.

This is his habit.

He does this when something relatively important comes up.

Then, he stepped forward and pushed open the small wooden door to Levini's house.

"crunch-"

The expected screams.

Surprisingly, despite the fact that the signs of life had faded over the years and the house looked like it had been uninhabited or unvisited for a long time, there wasn't as much dust as I had imagined.

This must be what the seaside looks like.

Picture frame.

Levini's house doesn't have much furniture, so every item stands out.

"Sure enough... she looks exactly like the girl in my dream." Gazing at the smiling girl in the photo frame, the Doctor superimposed her image onto the person in his memory.

So why can I see people in my dreams who I've never met but who actually exist?

This question may only be answered later.

The doctor sighed, dusted the picture frame off with his sleeve, and put it back in its original place.

So what else should we pay attention to in the room?

No more.

This impoverished wooden house contained almost nothing but a bed, table, kitchen utensils, and a few wooden chairs.

The doctor opened the drawer under the table, and inside were only a few shriveled beetles and some empty medicine bottles.

He was speechless, recalling what Levi had said that day.

Actually, I have quite a few of these pendants at home, all of which I stole.

"Levini, Levini, your family has nothing at all...?"

-

Thank you segment.

Chapter 141, Chapter 140: Deep Sea Tales, Chapter 74: Nanke

So, you're planning to leave?

The bartender wiped the table, his back slightly bent, like a shrimp abandoned on the shore by fishermen.

"I don't know, maybe." The doctor sat at the bar, took the leather suitcase handed to him by the bartender, placed it at his feet without checking it, and drank the water in his glass.

"You initially said you were waiting for someone, but you're leaving before they even arrive?" the bartender asked.

"I don't think she'll come today," the doctor shook his head. "So I'd better find a place to stay."

"But there are no guesthouses available right now..."

“I know.” The Doctor nodded, interrupting the bartender’s words. “You told me about this because the priests from Iberia came to inspect, right?”

"Hmm, that's how it is... Strange, did I say that?" The bartender tilted his head and thought for a moment.

“I did say that,” the doctor said with a smile, “you just might have forgotten.”

"Now that you know there are no guesthouses left, what are you planning to do?" the bartender asked again. "Have you found a place to stay?"

"More or less. If I were to ask the townspeople, perhaps some would be willing to accept me." The professor gently slid his glass towards the bartender. "After all, how will you know if you don't try?"

"Well, you're right," the bartender said thoughtfully. "But if you really can't find it, you can come back and ask me for help."

“If I really can’t find it, that’s what I’ll do then. Thank you in advance.” The doctor picked up the briefcase at his feet, then stood up from the stool and gave the bartender a quiet farewell. “That’s all for now, I’ll be going.”

"Oh, okay, take care... Ah, welcome."

Just as the bartender was saying goodbye to the doctor, he saw another guest walk in behind him, so he changed his words and started greeting the guest again.

Why do you look like you're about to leave?

A familiar, cold, and ruthless female voice rang out behind the doctor.

"what……"

The doctor couldn't help but sigh.

He knew perfectly well who the voice belonged to.

"Of course it's because I'm getting ready to greet you, Miss Kal'tsit."

-

Rhode Island.

"And so the story ends here."

The professor straightened up and stretched, like an old man being surrounded by children telling him stories.

"Hey, are you done?" Amiya's two rabbit ears twitched slightly, then she blinked her bright little eyes and looked at the Doctor. "But there are still so many things that haven't been explained. How can you say you're done?"

"Haha, do you think I haven't explained it clearly enough?" The doctor reached out and gently touched the little rabbit's ears. "Then tell me, what else would you like to know?"

"Didn't Dr. Kal'tsit arrive at the end? What happened after that?" Amiya asked anxiously, like a child waiting in front of the TV for an anime to start.

"After that, Dr. Kal'tsit and I reached the deal we had agreed on and then parted ways again." The Doctor smiled. "I did my thing, and she did hers, until we met again."