Rhodes Island does not exist.

He didn't know what the best course of action was at that moment, but blocking the interlocking circuit was definitely the worst thing he could do.

Strangely enough, he was the one who originally wanted to kill the Reaper the most, and even until just now he was still expressionless and merciless as he kept pulling the trigger on the Reaper.

However, now that things had come to this, as he gazed at the drones hovering above the Reapers' heads and at the Reapers' empty and powerless expressions, he felt a pang of pity.

It was as if the person about to be executed was not his enemy, but his friend.

No, maybe it really is.

Otherwise, the Reaper wouldn't have been able to seek revenge for himself so frantically, as the woman from Felin described.

But why did she choose a locked circuit as the target of her revenge?

Or is it that the locked circuit was simply blocking her path and had to be eliminated?

After all, the sixth and seventh floors are connected. If she wanted to leave here and go to the lower floors, she would have to break through everything on the sixth floor and kill countless monsters who were considered friends by the closed circuits in the process.

Thus, hostility erupted between the two sides and eventually reached an irreconcilable point.

If that's the case, then everything makes sense.

So, should we prevent the interlocking circuit from closing?

Still not working.

Ultimately, the reason the Reapers are in this predicament is entirely their own fault.

If I were to suddenly step forward to protect her now, that would be even more ridiculous and laughable.

"Thank you, friend."

Facing the doctor who had made his choice, the closed loop salutes him.

After choosing to give up, the Doctor did not simply stand by and watch the locked loop and the Reaper.

Because he has his own things to do.

"let me find it……"

He slipped his right hand into his pocket, his fingers rummaging through the narrow space, until he touched something cold.

"There is."

The doctor made a scissor shape with two fingers and took a glass bottle filled with liquid out of his pocket.

"The last bottle of seawater, thankfully it didn't break during the previous violent movements." Looking at the glass bottle full of seawater in his hand, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Previously, when they were on the upper level, Skadi had asked the doctor for seawater to treat her injuries.

Now, facing Skadi, whose body is already badly damaged, the doctor thought of this matter.

"boom!"

On the other side, the city-breaking spear hanging under the drone delivered a heavy blow to the Reaper's shoulder blade.

The loud noise signified the immense intensity of the attack.

But the doctor did not choose to watch.

He simply held the seawater in his hand and walked towards the statue-like Skadi.

A green light flowed in his eyes, transforming into a torrent of Originium Arts, analyzing Skadi's current physical condition.

Then, he gradually came to understand everything.

Skadi didn't fall because all her bones and joints had hardened.

In order to protect her body from harm as much as possible during the explosion, her bones and muscles became as tough as steel, and with this, she protected her internal organs from the shock waves generated by the high-energy stone bombs.

However, such behavior has side effects.

The side effect is what the doctor is now seeing – completely motionless, as if petrified.

However, this petrification was something she inflicted on herself.

"I see."

After carefully observing Skadi's current condition, the doctor understood why there hadn't been any scenes of blood and gore or dismemberment in the previous episodes.

It seems this huntress always manages to surprise herself.

“Then let’s pin our hopes on this bottle of seawater.” The Doctor stood before Skadi, who was as stiff as a rock, and pulled out the cork that was blocking the mouth of the seawater bottle.

A magical scent immediately wafted out from the bottle opening.

The doctor noticed that Skadi's nose seemed to twitch slightly.

"Then let's begin."

He looked at Skadi and raised the bottle of seawater in his hand.

Although he didn't know if Skadi could hear everything he was saying, he spoke up just in case.

"Bang bang bang bang-"

Meanwhile, the closed-loop drone execution array has not yet finished its trial.

tick.

Meanwhile, the doctor slightly tilted his wrist and poured a few drops of seawater onto Skadi's right arm, letting it seep into Skadi's skin.

"Hopefully it will work."

He watched the droplets, which were first moist, then dried up, and finally turned into nothingness, and prayed in his heart.

Skadi was indispensable to him, so he wanted to save her no matter what.

Skadi responded to the Doctor with her actions.

After the seawater dripped in, her arm fell to her sides.

-

Thank you segment.

Chapter 231, Part 229: The Meaning of Everything

Previously, the doctor only thought that seawater could cure Skadi.

But now he realizes that he was wrong.

That can hardly be called treatment.

The effects of seawater on Skadi's body have almost completely restructured her.

The liquid flowed, seeped, and penetrated Skadi's body along her skin, covering the ravaged parts of her body by the Reaper's bombs, and filling all the tissues and bones at a visible speed.

Her hair began to change from dull to lustrous, and her skin began to change from dry to supple.

The hard tendons softened, and along with her stone-like bones, she transitioned back to her original posture.

The seawater that dripped into her body repaired almost everything except her clothes, restoring her to her appearance before she encountered the Reapers.

"call."

A breath of life force emanated from her lips.

Skadi opened her eyes and her gaze fell on the Doctor and the empty bottle in his hand.

"As expected, I knew you would use this method to save me." There was no surprise in her tone. "And you really did it. Thank you."

"...You trust me that much?" The Doctor couldn't simply dismiss Skadi's magnanimity.

“I have always trusted you.” Skadi nodded.

"No, what I mean is, how do you know I still have seawater in reserve?" the doctor asked, puzzled. "And what if this seawater wasn't properly stored and was damaged in the fierce conflict just now? Aren't you worried about that?"

“Because I can sense the presence of seawater in your pocket.” Skadi was very honest. “Ever since the last treatment, I’ve known that there’s still seawater in your pocket. Besides—I don’t think this bottle is that fragile.”

"why?"

“Because it’s filled with seawater,” Skadi replied. “You’ve seen the strange thing on the tenth floor go crazy because of the seawater, haven’t you?”

She was referring, of course, to that strange creature, as strong as a mountain.

It once launched a frenzied attack on itself, the reason being the seawater in its own pocket.

The doctor nodded.

“And at that time, it only smelled the scent seeping from the cork and it became like that.” Skadi shook her head. “Imagine what would have happened if it had smelled seawater exposed to the air instead of the seeping scent?”

“They’ll definitely lose all their reason,” Skadi finished the sentence herself. “So, that’s why this bottle shouldn’t be so fragile.”

"But on the other hand," she said, her gaze refocusing on the empty bottle, "if it were to accidentally leak out during the battle, it would probably only have a beneficial effect on you, not a harmful one."

"Why is that?" the doctor asked.

“You’ve drunk seawater before, haven’t you?” Skadi looked into the Doctor’s eyes as she slung her greatsword back over her shoulder.

"I've had it. The feeling wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either." Savoring that long-lost taste of madness, the doctor felt a pang of nostalgia for some reason. "At least it saved me from the corrosive influence of fear."

“That’s its benefit,” Skadi nodded. “It can free you from fear, and it can also drive monsters mad, if used properly.”

fear.

Yes, fear.

I became aware of this word again from Skadi's words.

Having wandered Rhodes Island for so long, the Doctor had forgotten the feeling of fear, and even the definition of fear.

Ultimately, what is fear?

What is there for PhDs to fear these days?

When you are alone, fear comes from the unknown and the threat to your life.

However, the Doctor now understands the rules of Rhodes Island and can even communicate with the supernatural beings, achieving a common understanding with them. Even threats that come from the shadows can be avoided with the warnings of lavender.

In such circumstances, what could possibly instill fear?

With that in mind, the Doctor turned his gaze to Skadi.

If Skadi dies, will I feel fear?

Since Skadi's power has always far surpassed his own, he had never considered this issue before, but after what just happened, the Doctor felt that he probably needed to re-examine it.

—What impact would losing Skadi have on my life?

First of all, one's journey will undoubtedly become difficult.

After all, without a reliable travel companion, even the most joyful moments are left unshared.

But this is Rhodes Island, not a tourist destination.

Everything he does here is to escape, so even if he wants to experience happiness here, it's meaningless.

No, wait.

Is it really possible to leave this place?

The doctor's thoughts suddenly drifted to a rather strange place.

"There's something wrong with your eyes."

Skadi frowned slightly as the Doctor watched her.

It was a tingling, burning sensation that made her skin feel numb, something she had never experienced before.

“Skadi.” But the Doctor did not defend himself for staring at her. Instead, he slowly posed a question, “I have a hypothesis that I would like to hear your opinion on.”

“What assumption?” Skadi asked.

"If Rhodes Island has no exit at all, and we are just having our memories wiped over and over again, endlessly repeating the same cycle here... what would you think?"

The doctor tried to lower his voice and soften his tone.

Even so, Skadi's expression still underwent a subtle change that was rarely seen before.

"Is there any basis for your assumption?" Her tone remained calm.

“No.” The doctor shook his head. “This is a baseless guess, and the foundation of this hypothesis is nothing more than a few intuitions and ideas.”

“Then don’t say things like that,” Skadi said.

“But you panicked just now,” the doctor said, staring into her eyes. “That means you’ve thought about something similar.”

“…Yes.” Skadi sighed. “I’ve thought about it, of course I’ve thought about it…after all, there’s absolutely no hope here, and I still can’t find my purpose for coming here.”