Rhodes Island does not exist.

She remained standing.

Just like the way he initially shielded the Doctor from the flying shrapnel and blocked the Doctor's advance during the Reaper's attack.

"Skadi..."

Her name floated into the Doctor's mind. After witnessing this abrupt scene, the Doctor called out her name in his mind, but did not say it aloud.

Black smoke billowed from the putrid interior, and the smell of burning protein filled every corner.

The deafening explosion was like background music to the reaper's judgment, allowing her to raise her butcher's knife with satisfaction as the blast raged, and then bring it down heavily on her final target.

The black blade pierced into the little girl's body, which was enveloped in green light.

"Wow—"

At the same time, transparent water droplets fell from the sky like curtains.

It dispersed the black smoke rising from Skadi, washed over her broken body, and slapped against the bridge of the nose beneath the Doctor's hood.

That was a smoke detector at the top of the children's playground. After being disturbed by the smoke caused by the explosion, it reacted as it was supposed to, doing its job.

In the pouring rain, the Doctor turned around and met the eyes of the Reaper who had completed the assassination.

She pulled the blood-stained blade from the small body of the locked circuit, the blood and water flowing together and falling.

The doctor opened his mouth as if to say something, but couldn't utter a word.

He simply looked at the Reaper, at the locked circuit lying flat on the ground, and at the necklace set in her chest, emitting a faint glow.

-

Thank you segment.

Thank you to "anchoy夏末寒sptzer" for the monthly pass, thank you.

Fast forward to May 1st.

Chapter 226, Part Two Hundred and Twenty-Four: Fragments of a Fleeting World

"Cut! Everyone call it a day!"

At the director's command, everyone who was on edge was redeemed.

"Phew~ I'm exhausted, I'm exhausted. It's just filming a combat video, does it really have to be this realistic?" A prospective operator tilted his head back and drank the sports drink in his cup, his face full of complaints about the past few hours.

"Of course we need to." The director, Ironhide, pushed up his round sunglasses and said in an unquestionable tone, "Not to mention that film itself is a form of art, what we are making is a beginner's guide for new operators to quickly understand Rhodes Island's combat style, so we must take it even more seriously."

"But aren't all the new recruits monsters?" The trainee operator wiped the sweat from his brow with a towel. "Do they really need this so-called introductory manual we're providing?"

"Why not?" Ironhide rolled his eyes at her. "I admit that the new operators are indeed very strong as combatants, but being strong alone is not enough. They also need to understand Rhodes Island's rules and respond to relevant tactical orders. As a soldier, if you can't understand the commander's words on the battlefield, isn't that like groping in the dark?"

"Unless that soldier can take down everyone on the other side single-handedly." The prospective operator shrugged.

"Unless that operator can single-handedly take down everyone on the other side." Ironhide shrugged.

"...But do such operators really exist?" The prospective operator questioned the words he had just blurted out.

"If that were really the case, why would we come to Rhodes Island?" Ironhide took off his sunglasses and hung them on the front of his clothes. "Why not go find a mercenary organization to make a name for yourself instead of coming to a medical company as a lowly operator?"

"Aren't you a famous star too?" the prospective operator muttered under his breath.

“My situation was special,” the Iron Eater frowned. “People need to get treatment when they get sick. Besides, it’s not good to have someone with Oripathy filming a movie.”

"I don't think so..."

The two operators continued chatting casually.

Meanwhile, outside the filming location, the suspicious hooded man who had been standing in the audience showed a slight smile at the scene.

"Don't start grinning like an idiot just because the girls are talking." A cold, slightly mocking voice rang out from behind him.

"Ok?"

Although the voice was extremely familiar, the doctor still turned around and looked toward the source of the tone.

A Sarkaz woman with white hair and red horns.

"I couldn't find you anywhere. Turns out you were here watching the female operators film a movie. What a refined taste, Doctor." Seeing the Doctor turn his gaze toward him, W took the opportunity to make a sarcastic remark.

“After all, that’s an iron-eating beast.” The Doctor gestured with his hand hidden in his sleeve. “How could I not be interested when one of Yan’s top actors condescended to come to Rhodes Island to give us guidance?”

"Alright, alright." W shook his head. "I haven't watched any martial arts movies from Yan, nor do I understand those fancy entertainment methods. Your excited attitude in front of me only makes me uncomfortable."

"Let's skip all that. Did you need something?" The doctor resumed his usual demeanor.

"Your face changes pretty quickly, it's disgusting." W chuckled strangely. "Yeah, something's up."

"What is it? Is it about Kal'tsit or about the Reunion Movement?" the Doctor asked.

"...Can't it be about you?" W looked helpless and shook his head. "Is it always other people's thoughts on your mind?"

"Rhodes Island's affairs are my affairs," the Doctor said without any hesitation.

"Ah, okay, okay, yes, yes, yes, please stop with those righteous pronouncements that sound like they're from Rhodes Island. They just make me uncomfortable." W raised her hand to cover her nose, then switched to her signature fake smile. "So, let's get back to the reason I came to you—what have you thought about what happened before?"

"What happened before...which one?" the doctor asked. "I still hope you can speak clearly when you speak, so that it will be easier to communicate."

"Come on, don't you talk to that old woman like that too?" W's smile was slightly disdainful. "You just can't remember anything related to me, admit it."

"No... wait." The Doctor frowned slightly after being told this by W, and began to search his memory for the agreement he had made with W before.

"what."

Then, just like the exaggerated style often seen in comics, a light bulb lit up above his head.

"You remembered?" W's tone was strangely sarcastic.

"I remember now," the doctor nodded.

"Then tell me, what is it?" W squinted his eyes and asked the doctor with a smile.

"Regarding Rhodes Island's next trip to Kazdel," the Doctor replied. "If we want to conduct medical work in Kazdel, we'll need you and your former Sarkaz mercenary colleagues..."

“No.” W shook his head.

"Isn't that right? Those are the daily regulations concerning the Sarkaz and Sarkaz within the ship, I remember..."

"No, that's not right." A murderous intent began to build within W's smile.

"Specifications for the Use of High-Energy Rock Explosives..."

"No." W's smile began to twist, and now it seemed as if she could kill the Doctor with just her smile.

"That is……"

"Doctor." W slowly approached the Doctor. Although her height of 1.65 meters only allowed her to barely look over the Doctor's shoulder, it did not prevent her from whispering in the Doctor's ear, "Just say you forgot."

"No, I'm sure I remember everything," the doctor insisted.

“Yes, you do remember everything.” W did not refute the doctor’s statement. “With PRTs as the data processing support, what could you forget? You won’t forget anything. You just remember too many things, so you can’t remember which one I was talking about.”

“Rhodes Island’s official duties and political affairs occupy too much of your memory, to the point that you can’t sort out your personal matters.” W sighed, a rare occurrence for him.

She didn't even blame the doctor.

“So let me explain, otherwise you’ll just keep going on and on about everything.” W shook his head and then slowly began to speak.

"Have you decided whether to get chocolate or strawberry for the anniversary cake?"

"this……?"

Faced with W's question, the doctor was speechless.

He does remember it.

Having PRTS, he will not forget any of the records in his memory, but there are priorities in everything.

For him, matters concerning himself were often relegated to the back burner, so much so that when faced with W's questioning, he couldn't give an accurate answer immediately.

"Doctor."

After a long time, w finally gave up the fake smile he had always insisted on.

When will you start thinking more about yourself?

The two looked at each other.

The doctor opened his mouth as if to say something, but couldn't utter a word.

He just looked at W.

-

It's May now, and I've resumed stable updates. I haven't read the Deep Sea event storyline yet; I heard it's not going well. I also heard from some readers in the group that I successfully predicted it.

In short, what I want to say is that although my story involves the deep sea, it is ultimately a secondary setting, a Lostbelt-like worldview, so there is probably no backstabbing involved.

The following is the usual thank-you section.

Thank you to Fengwen'an, Carmen, Shanqingshuixiu, Wujiaohao, Lazy Procrastination, Classic Top Lane ADC Senior OL, and Jiuguiyi for the monthly tickets and razor blades. Thank you.

Chapter 227, Part 225: A graceful singer, swaying in the sea breeze, smiles amidst the flowers.

The doctor and W stared at each other.

-

The doctor and the harvester stared at each other.

He didn't recognize the woman in front of him.

But he could sense something familiar about her.

This feeling is very strange.

He knew perfectly well that this woman, known as the Reaper, had killed Skadi and the Closed Circuit in front of him, but for some reason he couldn't muster any feelings of revenge or anger.

It was as if a piece of his heart had been hollowed out.

The locked circuit lay flat between the two, blood-red stains spreading along her clothes, and the necklace on her chest emitted a faint glow.

He recalled what the locked circuit had said.

The necklace had become one with her heart and had brought her back to life once; it was the most important thing in her entire being.

So, what is this necklace?

What is its origin?

Why is it integrated with the interlocking circuit?

The jumbled memories were being reassembled in his mind.

"Ding."

At this moment, the reaper put down his blade and stepped towards the door.

She planned to ignore the doctor and leave this place filled with bloodshed and conflict.

But she was stopped.

It wasn't the doctor who stopped her.

A hazy light burst forth from the necklace on the closed circuit's chest, covering almost the entire room.

The Reaper seemed to realize the importance of the necklace at this moment, and immediately took out another blade, preparing to destroy the necklace to prevent future trouble.

But this is like a honey trap used to lure bees and butterflies.

The Reaper seemed to have never considered this possibility before launching its attack directly at the source of the light.

At that moment, the air froze.

The same applies to the spirit of a doctor.

He wanted to reach out and stop the harvesters, but that could only remain a thought.

He couldn't keep up with the harvesters' speed.

Even with Originium Arts activated, it's still not enough.

So he could only watch helplessly as the blade pierced down, like a tomb robber carving jewels from a statue.

What was he thinking at that moment?

The person I was protecting died so easily?

Or is it that the crazy girl who always considered herself a friend is dead?