Rhodes Island does not exist.

The echoing background noise grew louder and louder.

It makes one wonder if there's a giant radio causing all this trouble.

"Did you hear that sound?" Seeing that Skadi hadn't commented on the matter, the Doctor couldn't help but ask.

"Ah, I've been listening to it since just now, and it's quite clear. What's wrong?" Skadi asked.

What do you think that sound is?

“What sound… I don’t have any similar reference in my mind to answer this.” Skadi was a little stumped by the question. “Or rather, I’ve never heard this sound before.”

"Yeah."

In fact, the doctor had a memory of that sound.

Because he had a half-broken television set in his room on the fourth floor.

Aside from that one time when I saw some inexplicable programs, the television only ever flickered with static and offered absolutely nothing of value.

And that's the sound that comes out when the TV screen flickers with static.

"Tsk, this feels really bad."

Staring at the pipes on the ground, the doctor already had the answer in his mind.

And the answer, in the form he had been expecting, was presented to him shortly afterward as the two of them finally emerged from the cluster of tombstones.

-

"Sizzle, sizzle."

The tall, dense array of black tombstones stood behind the two, burying all the past they had spent on their journey.

What appeared before the two of them at that moment were huge display screens covering the entire wall.

Those eerie electrical sounds came from the flickering of the screen.

Aside from the flashing lights, the screen displayed everything on the sixth floor.

The benches where Skadi and the Doctor once rested, the fountains where they once met, the streets they once strolled through, and the shops they once visited are now presented to the two of them from the audience's perspective, openly and honestly, like a vast reality show.

"What...are these things?"

Skadi, who had absolutely no prior knowledge of this subject, froze on the spot.

She couldn't understand what was happening in front of her.

Because she didn't even know what television was.

“This is the place we’ve been.” Although the Doctor was also shocked, he wasn’t too flustered because he had already rehearsed the scene in his mind. He was still able to continue explaining to Skadi beside him.

“The cameras we found, and the feeling of being watched that you mentioned on the way, are all here now... You should have been prepared.”

The doctor's gaze swept over the incredibly large screens, and he shook his head.

“Who would have thought these things could be so big?” Skadi frowned. “They’re not pigeons in the square.”

"You told me not to use those hard-to-understand jokes, but why are you doing it yourself?" The Doctor glanced at Skadi. "Using your position for personal gain?"

"Is this joke really that hard to understand?" Skadi said. "It should be ten times, or even nine times, easier to understand than your barnacle joke, right?"

"Hard to say."

The doctor shook his head.

The initial tension of seeing the enormous object was largely dispelled by the two men's nonsensical remarks.

Strange, when did these two become so close?

This is a question that even they probably can't answer.

"Now, let's get down to business."

Skadi shifted her gaze from the flickering screens to the empty ground beneath the Doctor's screen.

Where is the owner of this place?

She gently loosened the greatsword in her hand by two inches, planted it on the ground, and asked a question.

"Don't worry."

The doctor shook his head and pointed to his feet with his right hand.

The thick cables were still beneath their feet; everything they were stepping on had not yet returned to normal flooring.

And the journey of these cables is not over yet; the television screen is not their final destination. Their journey continues to the distant stars and the vast ocean.

Now that those tombstone clusters are no longer obstructing the view, their flow can be clearly seen from the field of vision alone.

"See that?"

"Direct Skadi's gaze to the other end of the room," the doctor said.

Skadi nodded silently.

Chapter 202, Part 201: A Miniature Tea Party

At the end of countless tombstones and interwoven pipes, there is a small throne placed on a platform.

Behind the throne was a high mountain.

A mountain made up of countless ugly plush toys.

The two stood about fifty meters away from the mountain, looking up at the scenery that seemed out of place yet perfectly complemented their surroundings, separated by the height difference between the platform and the mountain.

“To be honest, I was even hoping that the anomalies on this floor were some kind of mud-like crawling creature or some hideous monster.” Skadi stood beside the Doctor, momentarily at a loss for words regarding the scene before her. “What on earth is going on like this?”

"Since we're here, we might as well make the best of it," the doctor said. "Although the style here has changed a bit, I haven't felt any blatant threat yet."

“That’s not good.” Skadi shook her head. “On Rhodes Island, losing your ability to judge threats means certain death. Never be deceived by appearances. Perhaps the next moment, those piles of plush toys will pull out a knife from somewhere and kill you.”

"The toy is in my pocket right now." The doctor patted his coat pocket.

"Anyway, let's go ahead and stop talking nonsense." Skadi raised her greatsword and walked towards the platform of the throne. "So far, we haven't found anything strange on this level, nor have we seen any suspicious moving objects, but that's precisely why it's so dangerous here."

“I understand.” The Doctor nodded and followed behind Skadi.

From the moment they entered the fast food restaurant, the two of them were on high alert, fearing that they would be ambushed from a blind spot.

But such tension was ultimately proven meaningless by the passage of time.

All they had persisted in was emptiness, chasing the wind, and until their end, they never encountered anything that could be called a threat.

I've only ever scared myself.

"Please get my sword for me."

Upon reaching the connection between the pipe and the platform, Skadi glanced at the edge of the platform, which had a height difference of about two meters, and naturally handed the greatsword in her hand to the Doctor.

"Ah."

Without any hesitation, the doctor switched the pickaxe to his left hand and took it with his right.

But he regretted it the moment he took it.

He should use both hands.

"Why is your sword so heavy?"

As Skadi released all five fingers of her right hand, a powerful pulling force that the Doctor had never experienced before instantly caused his right hand to lose its balance, and his body tilted in the direction of the greatsword's weight.

"Huh?" Skadi was slightly surprised by the Doctor's exaggerated reaction. "It's nothing, I've been carrying my sword all the way here, what's with your reaction?"

"No...this sword..."

At that moment, the Doctor finally understood the difference between Skadi and himself.

The creature that could carry this sword with one hand all the way to where it is now is already a monster that inspires more fear than any other strange creature.

The key point is that such weight is just common sense to her.

"Hold this for me."

Skadi gave the doctor some instructions, then slowly took a breath, jumped towards the upper edge, grabbed the platform with both hands, and then easily climbed up using her hands, feet, and waist.

"All right."

After climbing onto the platform, she leaned her upper body out from the edge and stretched out her right hand toward the Doctor, saying, "Give me your sword and your pickaxe."

"Wait a moment."

The doctor handed over the pickaxe in his left hand, then steadied the greatsword in his right hand, which he had barely managed to maintain his balance with.

Incidentally, he couldn't maintain his balance on his own, so he took a shortcut by stabbing the greatsword directly into the surface of the pipe beneath his feet, using external force to stabilize the unreasonable weight of the greatsword.

That's why he said something like "wait a minute" to Skadi.

To hand the greatsword to Skadi, he first had to draw it.

“How did you turn such a perfectly good thing into a king’s coronation…” Skadi, leaning out halfway, complained. “Let me tell you, there’s something interesting up there, so if you want to investigate, you’d better come up quickly.”

"Wait a minute... it's done."

He finally pulled the greatsword embedded in the rubber layer, then gripped the hilt with both hands, his face flushed red, and raised it.

"Hey."

Skadi reached out and casually retrieved her weapon, then set it aside.

Having witnessed this scene countless times, the doctor finally understood the true meaning behind this seemingly casual action through his own experience.

He couldn't help but vow in his heart that he would never mess with Skadi again, no matter who he offended.

"how about you?"

At that moment, Skadi's voice from above snapped him out of his thoughts.

He looked up and saw that Skadi was still in the same position as before.

"What about me?" he asked instinctively.

"Do you want me to pull you up?" Skadi shook her hand that was resting on the edge, her five slender yet strong fingers gleaming in front of him.

Although that brightness was just the reflection of the leather gloves.

Even so, this seems to be the first time Skadi has reached out to the Doctor.

"So what are you still standing there for? Give me a straight answer, yes or no." Skadi was getting a little impatient as the Doctor stared at her right hand without saying a word.

"No, it's nothing, please."

The doctor smiled slightly, extended his right hand, and shook hands with Skadi's right hand.

"Okay, then come on up."

Skadi, in her usual calm and collected tone, pulled the Doctor onto the platform.

-

Interesting things.

—These are Skadi's exact words to the Doctor.

The truth is, this small platform is quite interesting for the overall atmosphere of Rhodes Island and everything in this cemetery.

Around the throne were various exquisite and small tables and chairs, and tea sets that looked like toys were overturned. The teacups were empty, with only a few withered tea leaves lying at the bottom, settling with a dream that had lasted for a thousand years.

At this point, even the most dull-witted person would understand that this is just playing house.

Cups and teapots are essential for a tea party, while tables and chairs are used to receive guests, who... are obviously plush toys.

Although it was quite obvious that not a single guest had come.

However, this is understandable, since the host who was in charge of the tea party was not present.

"So, this is the end of the sixth floor?" Standing in front of the small long table, the professor gazed at the toy mountain behind the throne and asked.

“I think so.” Skadi stood at the edge of the platform, scanning the surrounding scenery for anything she could miss.

"In that case, we should—"

"—Are you a guest?"

Without warning, the two people's words were stuck in their vocal cords.

Silence descended like darkness.

-