Rhodes Island does not exist.

"She's really strong," the Doctor thought. Perhaps only a woman like her is qualified to brave the storms and overcome everything on Rhodes Island. He was at best a wandering opportunist, chasing after his past self but never finding any clues, and ultimately even getting lost in his own memories.

But a sharp pain in his right arm interrupted his negative thoughts.

The silent warning from the lavender was foreshadowing the impending crisis.

This stinging sensation was different from the previous one, which was more like a childish tantrum. This time, the pain emanating from the lavender thorns was far greater in both depth and intensity. The last time the Doctor experienced such pain was when he encountered that man-eating monster on his sixth floor.

So, what does this mean?

It's obvious without even thinking about it.

"Whoosh-"

The sound of a sharp blade cutting through the air rang out, and green lights instantly illuminated the iris.

The doctor saw the face and outline of the attacker.

It was the woman he had seen on the surveillance screen before—the Reaper.

She is coming.

After destroying the sensory organs distributed throughout the six layers of the locked circuit, she appeared in person.

Holding a blade of indistinguishable material and sharpness, she thrust it directly towards the doctor's heart with deadly force.

"Ding!"

However, such a simple attack cannot easily hit the doctor.

Because the doctor's eyes were fixed on her.

The eyes that were once used to detect surveillance cameras were now focused on this uninvited guest. The power called analysis was taking effect in every tendon of her body; if she raised her arm, the Doctor would know which direction she would swing the blade; if she turned her body, the Doctor would know which direction she was about to move.

But the two have not yet landed.

The Doctor was still being thrown into the air by the shockwave, while the Reaper also leaped up to the Doctor's level and launched an attack on him.

Therefore, it is almost impossible to move freely in the air.

"Whoosh!"

In the next instant, the Reaper launched a second dash towards the Doctor in mid-air, almost defying the laws of physics.

It was as if the air itself became the foothold of her feet, and all intangible things froze for her sake, allowing her to attack her prey.

Through his eyesight, the doctor predicted the Reaper's landing point this time.

It was still his heart.

But he was helpless.

Because he was now no longer at the height he was thrown back, he was plummeting downwards due to the pull of gravity. The Reaper's attacks came from above, and without the Reaper's ability to move freely in the air, he could only watch as the future he had deduced gradually came true, unable to do anything about it.

He is incapable of doing anything.

But Skadi can.

"Get out of my way!"

The azure ripples suddenly interrupted the doctor's vision.

A beam of light blocked the path between the Doctor and the Reaper, dividing their worlds into different sections.

That's Skadi's greatsword.

If the Reaper hadn't braked in time during her mid-air dash towards the Doctor, then that sword strike wouldn't have separated the block, but her entire body.

"Boom."

A cloud of dust billowed up as the Doctor's body crashed onto the slightly uneven ground, a result of the explosion. The locked circuit, which had been thrown up with her, landed beside her moments later.

The overhead lights had been turned off at some point, and now only darkness enveloped the children's playground.

An uneasy feeling mixed with the smell of Originium dust spread, reigniting the fear that had accumulated from the explosion.

"Are you still thinking about negotiating with them?"

Skadi reached out her left hand to help the fallen Doctor up, and didn't forget to throw in a couple of sarcastic remarks.

"They struck first." The doctor shook off the dust and gave a wry smile. "It seems the Reaper came prepared; everything was arranged long ago."

“Fate can only be arranged by the gods; it cannot be arranged between individual living beings,” Skadi retorted.

But the doctor shook his head.

"Nothing can determine destiny, not even the gods."

-

Thank you segment.

Thank you to Ichinose Castle sptzer 楠鸢荟 for the razor blade, thank you.

Chapter 219, Circuit Switching

Silent wind, silent night.

In the darkness where everything was extinguished, footsteps were moving.

The Doctor shielded the locked circuit behind him, while Skadi stood in front of them, wielding her greatsword.

The air was tense, the atmosphere as cold as an icebox.

"Whoosh."

Then, like a plucked string, the person hidden in the darkness moved.

This woman, known as the Reaper, is not only skilled at setting traps, but also adept at stealthy assassinations.

It seems she must have been an excellent assassin before entering Rhodes Island.

But standing before the assassin was a warrior.

"Ding!"

The sound of metal colliding and resonating spreads with the water vapor in the air, creating invisible ripples.

"I suggest you don't entertain such despicable thoughts." Skadi held her greatsword, her posture unwavering, as if the attack from the Reaper had not shaken her in the slightest.

“I can see you, assassin.” The red pupils shone brightly in the darkness, the color that was like the symbol of Skadi burning like a lighthouse, becoming the only light in the Doctor’s vision.

"cut."

The light was so bright and eerie that the Doctor even seemed to hear a whisper from his opponent.

"Don't be too nervous."

Just then, the locked circuit, which was being protected behind the doctor, suddenly spoke, using the mature voice that had appeared before.

It seems that my ability to think has returned after a long absence.

It makes sense, considering we're already in such a critical situation. To act as shamelessly as before would be too reckless.

So the doctor moved the pickaxe from his left hand to his right, and used his left hand to protect the locking circuit, and said to her, "You are her target."

“I understand.” Locked Circuit nodded, relaxing her limbs in the Doctor’s arms. “But don’t forget that I am also the administrator of the sixth floor. No matter how fierce she acts here, she is still under my control.”

"Then why was you killed by her before?" the doctor asked.

"Because of the lack of the power of friendship, didn't I say that before?" The closed circuit laughed.

"Why are you bringing up such nonsensical things..."

“It wasn’t without reason.” Closed Circuit shook its head slightly. “The so-called power of friendship is just a matter of numbers. Before, I was all alone, and most of the monsters wandering in the sixth floor were useless minions. So in the end, I was forced to face the Reaper alone… And you’ve seen her strength, haven’t you?”

"Yes, you wouldn't stand a chance against her in a one-on-one fight," the doctor said bluntly.

"That's hurtful, but it's also true." The closed circuit chuckled with a hint of helplessness. "After all, I'm not the kind of player who relies on physical strength, but rather on intellect."

"You, the Intellectuals?" The doctor found it hard to associate the words "Intellectuals" with the usual closed-loop circuits.

Because, to be honest, her mind, just like her name suggests, had its thought processes completely shut down and locked; she wasn't thinking about anything, and she couldn't possibly think about anything.

“Don’t look at me like that,” the locked circuit sighed. “I can’t explain the reasons to you here. Just think of me as someone with two sets of thought circuits.”

"Can you maintain a second thought process indefinitely?" the doctor pleaded with a wry smile.

“Thinking about it won’t work either.” The locked circuit lay in the crook of the Doctor’s left arm, and raised its right hand to flick the Doctor’s forehead. “Just like a race car can’t keep up with nitro boost forever, or the sun can’t stay in the clouds forever, using this circuit also comes at a price.”

"Is the price just that you always give up thinking?" the doctor quipped.

“bngo.” The locked circuit raised a huge corner of its mouth. “That’s how it is. So, as a brainiac, I have to do something that only brainiacs can do in this precious time. And if I want brainiacs to work in peace, someone has to help me hold that reaper back.”

"Don't worry, I won't repeat the mistake you made when you faced her directly." The Doctor gripped the pickaxe tightly.

Although he understood that the real frontline force was not him but Skadi.

At this very moment, Skadi is embroiled in a fierce battle with the Reaper.

"Boom!"

The massive blade slammed into the fragile ground.

Although Skadi is known for her strength, that doesn't mean she lacks advantages in agility and speed.

On the contrary, only strong physical strength can support the subsequent burst of speed.

However, a frustrating fact confronted her—she simply couldn't keep up with the Reaper's speed.

Whenever she caught sight of the Reaper and launched an attack, the Reaper would vanish, leaving her with nothing but a meaningless illusion, like a mocking mark.

However, the difference in their speeds was not so great that they were completely unable to catch up.

Because Skadi can only not reach the Reaper when she is actively attacking. If she abandons the offense and switches to defense, the Reaper still cannot get close to the Doctor and the Closed Circuit.

But simply defending is not the best strategy, and Skadi knows this very well.

If she wants to break the current deadlock, she has to do something.

—That's what she thought until the doctor's voice rang out behind her.

"No, no need."

However, the doctor said this to her.

“You just need to defend,” he said. “Protect the locked circuit, and she will bring us victory.”

"Really?" Skadi asked a meaningless question.

“Even if it’s fake, it must be real at this moment,” the doctor replied. “The Reaper’s target is her, and no matter how many feints are made, in the end it will be her.”

“And as the master of this place, the ruler of the sixth floor, she naturally has the ability to fight on the same level as her,” the doctor said. “So we just need to trust her.”

“Then I’ll listen to you.” Skadi shifted from an offensive to a defensive stance, adjusting her position to a relatively blind spot to better defend against the Doctor and the closed circuits behind her. “But remember, things don’t always go as planned. What if something unexpected happens…”

"Then leave it to me."

The doctor's voice was surprisingly reliable.

And for some reason, Skadi felt like it wasn't the first time she'd heard that phrase.

Chapter 220, Part 219: Smoke and Smoke

As the administrator of the sixth level, the closed loop has authority over many aspects.

Incidentally, she was also very clear about what the Reaper had done before.

She cut the surveillance camera's wiring, planted a bomb in the children's playground, and also sabotaged the lighting system to further favor her in the environment and situation.

However, from the perspective of the current closed loop, these are nothing more than pointless tactics used to buy time.

"Om..."

Azure light flowed between her fingers, surging like pure droplets, and after forming plump fruits, fell to the ground, seeping into every crevice of the earth.

"What is this?" the professor asked, filled with curiosity.

“I control every inch of the sixth floor.” The Locked Circuit’s eyes closed slightly, and its voice gradually lowered. “So if this place is damaged by outsiders, I can repair it with the power of my authority.”

“That’s why the Reaper is determined to kill me,” she said. “After all, if I don’t die, she won’t be able to do any effective damage to these six layers.”

“Everything is a connected loop. Only by destroying me, who holds this loop together, will this place truly break and collapse, becoming part of the ruins she passed through before.” The Locked Circuit raised its right hand, its originally deep voice becoming ethereal with the blue light.

"And since it's about repair, the first thing that should be repaired is naturally..."

The right hand is slightly turned up, and the knuckles move rhythmically. The up-and-down movement of the bones causes the skin and flesh to touch, resulting in a snap of the fingers.

"Snapped."