Ark, after I died, the operators started to love me.

They were all marked.

John, do you really think you escaped on your own terms?

A pathetic fellow who, in the end, refused to admit the truth.

Mike now wants to go up north to see more.

Let's look at the mastermind behind this.

"Mike?"

"nothing."

The dark aura surrounding the operators vanished completely; they were unaware of it, and Mike had no intention of revealing it.

The letter was delivered and returned to Mike's hands. He could almost see a huge, dark creature through the letter.

Hello, Kreisson, long time no see.

The black behemoth had a deep crack on its surface, almost cutting it in two, making it look more like a defective product glued together with strong adhesive.

Last time I didn't manage to cut it down with one blow; it was lucky it was fast.

To everyone's eyes, the letter in Mike's hand suddenly burst into flames, with black flames and blue aura overlapping. Soon, the blue aura gained the upper hand and completely engulfed the letter.

Chongyue clenched his fists thoughtfully, and one could roughly guess the meaning behind it.

"A small trouble reminded me of an old friend."

Mike turned to Magellan, who was huddled in the corner, and asked with a smile, "Do you remember the map on the paper?"

"Don't underestimate the professional skills of explorers!"

Magellan felt a little guilty and tried to cover it up by speaking loudly.

Typhon couldn't help but cover his face.

Daitouyu, you're being too deliberate. It'll make it easy for people to see that you're hiding something.

"Alright, everyone, disperse and find a place to rest. We'll rest here for a day or two."

Mike looked away from Xue Rong, who seemed to want to say something but hesitated. The boy clearly had something to say to him, but Mike thought it best to postpone it until tomorrow, since everyone was tired.

……

That night.

Mike, who had expected to be served by a certain operator, was surprised to see Chongyue standing outside the door.

"Doctor, am I here at the wrong time?"

"No, you've come at the perfect time."

Mike welcomed Chongyue in, poured him a glass of water, and then asked, "Is it about that letter?"

"The demons' deliberate attempt to further pollute the ice field made our appearance here unexpected."

Chongyue held the teacup, his eyes filled with deep meaning.

Mike poured himself a glass of water and sighed, “I do have some connection with Krezon. It flashed past me back then, and I was too busy dealing with other enemies to give it a gift. I thought it had died from its injuries over the long years, but it turned out to be alive and bears the main responsibility for the pollution of the Sami region. Since I didn’t kill it back then, I must now do what I couldn’t do back then.”

Chongyue was not surprised at all by Mike's explanation, because this man could very well exist in a world that far surpasses the history of this land.

He is not one of those xenophobes who are filled with hatred towards a particular race or a particular person.

"I am very curious about the doctor's true abilities."

Mike grabbed his hair: "I already said that was a long time ago. My strength is far inferior to what it used to be. On the one hand, I was too badly injured and haven't recovered. On the other hand, I lost the enhanced state that allowed me to forcibly increase my strength by one level back then."

In fact, Chongyue failed to understand Mike's technical terms and automatically interpreted it as Mike's strength having declined drastically and that he could never return to his former self, at most only half of his strongest period.

"But don't worry, it's more than enough to deal with the demons of the Sami Icefield. I was able to take down these guys many years ago, and of course I can now too."

"I have no doubt about the doctor's abilities."

Chongyue knew very well how strong Mike was, but he didn't know where Mike's limit was. He originally wanted to have a sparring match tonight that was kept within a limited scope, but it seemed that Mike was not willing to do so.

Besides, it seems his timing is also inappropriate.

After finishing a glass of water, Chongyue got up to leave, but he was a little late. As he reached the door, he heard someone knocking.

Mike immediately looked embarrassed.

Chongyue's expression didn't change much. He opened the door and saw Muirsey looking completely astonished outside.

Mike guessed that someone was coming, but Muirsay never expected that Chongyue would be the first to open the door.

What is the Grandmaster doing in the Doctor's room so late at night?

Do they really need to talk about work this late?

For no apparent reason, Muirsay felt a nameless rage rising within him.

She had many friends, including friends from Rhine Lab. Back in Tremont, these guys always worked day and night, often with deep dark circles under their eyes. When talking to people, they would often be in two places at once, talking about their own professions and then running back to continue their research without looking back.

Don't these guys understand what life is all about?

Water Sprite grew up in Colombia and received a modern education. She has always believed that a balanced lifestyle is the healthiest and most comfortable way of life.

Unfortunately, in the face of those mad scientists, her attitude towards life became a burden. Everyone was working against the clock, as if the earth would be destroyed if they were a little late.

Do you all want to be saviors?

Muirsey's expression stiffened slightly, and her voice turned cold: "So Mr. Chongyue is here. I'm sorry to bother you."

“Not at all. I’m about to leave. Good evening, Miss Muirsay. The Doctor may need some counseling, and I think he needs you right now.”

After the Grandmaster finished speaking, he walked away from the Water Sprite, leaving her alone at the door.

Upon seeing this, the head of the ecology department stepped in and closed the door with his heel.

There was a loud bang at the door. Mike was startled at first, but then nonchalantly tidied up the teacups he and Chongyue had been drinking from and tossed them aside.

At this moment, the water sprite had already sat down in the spot where Mike had been sitting, arms crossed and legs crossed, carefully observing the man's back.

She's here tonight to confront me.

Something must have happened between this guy and Magellan during the day. Although Da Tou Yu was unwilling to say and stammered when asked, the clever Muirsey had already guessed the truth behind it.

She had meticulously planned and prepared for so long, intending to find a suitable opportunity to confront Mike, but Magellan beat her to it, making all her previous actions seem so ridiculous.

Muirsey felt utterly humiliated and felt compelled to do something to salvage her damaged image.

For example, now.

She seems to have forgotten what it was like when she broke up with Mike.

No, that doesn't seem to be her, but rather a water clone of hers.

Would you like some coffee?

"No."

Mike laughed in exasperation; this was a sign of her tantrum. If other operators had a love-hate relationship with Mike, then Muirsey had amplified that trait once again.

She would get angry when Mike ignored her, and when Mike faked his death and left Rhodes Island, she would fall deeply in love with the person in front of her and be willing to devote herself to him.

Mike was extremely fond of such a lovely girl.

She looks cute even when she's angry.

Mike knew that everything Muirsay was doing was paving the way for the upcoming transformation.

He decided to help her complete this step first, because the water sprite, after breaking down her defenses, was even cuter when she was extremely embarrassed.

"So, Miu Miu, did you come here tonight to steal my heart?"

"W-What are you saying?"

Mike said seriously, "I've heard that only phantom thieves operate at night to steal the most precious things from their victims."

"What phantom thief? What victim? Stop daydreaming, I'm here to..."

Before Muirsey could finish speaking, Mike hugged her, rested his head on the water sprite's shoulder, and whispered, "The Grandmaster is right, I do need psychological counseling. Can the director help me?"

"Are you a child? Do you think you can get away with this whining?"

Muirsey was ruthless with her words, but when Mike hugged her tightly, she couldn't help but hug Mike back.

She swore that it was a subconscious act, and definitely not what she meant at the moment.

"Okay, let go now. Do you want to kill me? Psychological counseling is psychological counseling. Let go of me first before you talk."

Perhaps because the heating in Mike's room was on full blast, Muirsey's cheeks were flushed as she sat next to the man, fidgeting with her clothes in her hands.

Although it was supposed to be psychological counseling, the two of them just sat there without saying a word.

When they were alone together, Muirsay couldn't help but recall the images she had imagined, and a strong sense of shame made her unsure how to start a conversation.

"PhD."

"I am listening."

"Is there something between you and Magellan...?"

“No, nothing happened between us. This ice field holds her dreams, but it also allowed her to witness some tragedies. She needs comfort.”

"That's right."

When a girl falls deeply in love, she often subconsciously ignores what she doesn't want to hear. She admits that Mike might be a jerk, but she can't ignore his sincerity.

Because this man is the only person on this land who understands her; before, he was one of them, but now even that "one of them" can be erased.

93. An anomaly among elves

Considering that Mike helped Magellan, Muirsay decided not to hold it against him, but at least she would make him understand the consequences of being a scumbag.

"You've misunderstood me. The misunderstanding between us could lead to a situation that neither of us wants to see."

Muirsey squinted, recalling the dance they had performed in Trimont, not the scene in the Sami headquarters office.

"You bastard, don't think I don't take this seriously just because you're saying this."

Mike laughed. Muirsey was always tough on the outside but soft on the inside. The fact that she could say such a thing meant that she had already forgiven him.

However, if this continues, Mike really thinks he will become a scumbag. If he talks to all the female operators like this, they will soon team up and make him suffer the consequences.