Rhodes Island does not exist.

"Ok?"

While thinking about this, the doctor noticed that the pickaxe he had brought was placed next to the bed.

The weapons were left behind? And they were even left here with the intention of "keeping them here so you can find them when you wake up"?

This is not normal.

The doctor couldn't help but feel a bit curious about the owner of this place.

Could it be that the strange entity that has taken over this place is a benevolent being that can communicate with us?

He rolled out of bed, put on his shoes, and picked up his pickaxe.

He gently ran his fingers over the frame of the cot he had just slept on, his fingertips free of dust.

It looks like this place was just cleaned recently.

"Should I wipe it frequently?" With this thought in mind, the doctor touched several more places, but the answer was the same each time.

This place wouldn't be so spotless unless it was cleaned regularly. One could say the oddball living here must really love life.

"Open this door, and you'll probably see something unusual."

The doctor placed his hand, which had only four fingers left, on the wooden door leading out of the room.

In his mind, the layout of the thirteenth floor was probably a huge suite, with its main entrance located in the corridor at the top of the stairs, while his current location was just a guest room.

However, when he opened the door to the room, he realized that he was completely wrong.

"This taste...!"

The sweet aroma that had lingered in his previous memory filled his mind.

Before him lay a vast hall filled with dining tables. Although not as expansive as the eighth floor, it was still quite grand. On each table in the hall were displayed a variety of carefully baked desserts.

At least from the outside, that's how it appears.

"No, you can't eat it."

The doctor took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed his appetite, which was churning because of the smell.

To be honest, the aroma was indeed very tempting. The doctor even believed that as long as it emitted such a fragrance, even if the food itself was made of leather shoes, it couldn't possibly taste bad.

However, in such places, the more tempting something is, the more you must stay away from it.

Moreover, two questions remained in the doctor's mind.

One is Skadi's whereabouts.

After all, he had lost contact with Skadi from the moment he stepped into this area, and he didn't even know if Skadi had walked through the gate with him.

Secondly, although all the tables in the restaurant were filled with desserts, no one was seen eating them.

Is it a bit too obvious that so many tables were set up just for himself?

-

Thank you segment.

Thanks for the blade, thank you.

Chapter 34. Although a name is just a label, it carries extraordinary significance.

Not trusting any well-intentioned but dubious offer of help in unfamiliar places is a virtue possessed by a PhD.

Therefore, he could easily refuse these sumptuous meals.

Furthermore, he noticed that there were many doors around the restaurant similar to the room he had just stayed in—meaning that further exploration was needed on this floor, and everything unknown behind those doors was an impending threat.

The doctor gripped his pickaxe tightly; in the current situation, he had to remain absolutely vigilant.

Until a plate on the table slipped and fell to the ground.

"Snapped!"

The plastic plate didn't shatter into pieces as he had imagined; it simply fell upside down on the ground with a dull thud.

However, what concerned him more was that the desserts on the plate vanished like smoke the instant the plate slipped from his hand.

"It was indeed a trap."

He gripped the pickaxe tighter and tighter.

But the plate landing is not the end.

It was just the beginning of a series of events.

"what."

A gray-black phantom appeared as the plate hit the ground, and at the same time, the phantom seemed to instinctively let out a cry of surprise.

The reason it's described as "seemingly" is because the doctor couldn't determine whether that thing still had self-awareness or could be considered a living being.

"Yes, yes... I'm sorry."

The phantom carefully lowered its head, bowed in the direction of the doctor, and then apologized in a weak female voice.

and many more.

The doctor's mind went into a brief state of confusion.

Putting aside the question of what was going on with that soft, feminine voice, why was this phantom apologizing to me?

No, no, no, first of all, what exactly is this phantom?

The doctor's eyes, aided by the dim light around him, discerned the outline of the illusory figure.

It didn't even have a human shape; it was just a blur.

"I... I was just passing by, but I accidentally knocked the plate over. I'm so sorry, so sorry..."

The illusory figure continued to apologize.

"Stop for a moment." Freed from the brief chaos, the doctor immediately stopped the source of information in front of him and asked the question that concerned him most at the moment, "Did you bring me to this place?"

But the illusory figure swayed left and right, as if shaking its head. "No, no, it was Xiao Ai who invited you in. She said you've finally come back, so we should... Ah! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have said that! I have to go now!"

"Hey!"

The doctor's call had no effect; the female phantom vanished into thin air as if her words had touched some forbidden taboo.

"What on earth is going on...?"

The doctor's mind was once again filled with confusion.

He had assumed this place would be a den of monsters, but things turned out to be far more complicated than he had anticipated.

He felt that he first needed to figure out who "Xiao Ai" was, as the phantom had mentioned.

But just as he had this thought, the plate on the ground suddenly moved.

After all, as I just said—this is just the beginning of a series of events.

"I didn't expect you to wake up so quickly, Doctor. I was thinking of letting you rest a little longer before waking you up, haha."

A faint, ethereal figure, clearly resembling a woman, appeared like smoke, coalesced, picked up the plate from the ground, and placed it back on the table.

"You are……"

“Exia, the little Ai that girl was talking about is me—considering you'll definitely ask who I am, it's better if I just tell you my identity directly.” The phantom turned to face the Doctor and chuckled softly.

The voice had a sunny and cheerful quality that seemed out of place in the context of the situation.

“Considering that you will definitely have some questions later, in order to avoid causing you unnecessary worry, I plan to tell you everything at once.” Exia’s figure swayed in the air. “This is a place similar to a shelter, and we are wandering souls drifting in Rhodes Island. As for why the food on the plate turned into smoke, it’s because that thing was an illusion we created, its purpose was only to provide you with some mental comfort.”

"Wait a minute," the Doctor interrupted Exia as she spoke. "More than anything, do you... know me?"

“Know you? Ah, of course.” Exia smiled. “We met during your last expedition. You told us then that if we met again, you would forget us completely, and it seems you were right.”

"So you brought me in just so I could rest?" the doctor asked again.

“Of course, what other reason could there be?” Exia replied. “You’ve helped us solve some strange problems before, and we’re very grateful for that. That’s all.”

No, that's not right.

But something's not right.

The doctor wanted to deny every word of the phantom in front of him, but he couldn't find a point of entry for denial, nor could he find any loopholes in her words.

The reason is simple—because he has no way to disprove it.

What Exia said were all her experiences from her previous life, experiences that she had completely forgotten when she was resurrected and reshaped into her current self. So whether what she said was true or false, it was all unknown to the Doctor.

However, since they haven't harmed me, does that mean I can trust them for the time being?

The doctor pondered for a moment, then decided to ask some other questions.

"Are you part of the oddities on Rhodes Island?" he asked, "because you just said I helped you solve a problem."

“Yes.” Exia nodded. “But we have our own consciousness, unlike those unconscious monsters that are left only with the instinct to hunt and kill.”

"So, even monsters kill each other?"

“Yes,” Exia replied. “The unconscious monsters have no concept of friend or foe; all they see is food.”

"Are you staying here because it's relatively safe, or because you can't leave?" the doctor pressed.

"...both."

Exia sighed as she finished answering.

“You know what?” she said, “the same questions you just asked were the same ones you asked last time, word for word.”

"Okay, then I'll ask something different." Although he was very concerned about Exia's "not a single word was wrong," the Doctor decided to focus on the question and answer in front of him.

"When I arrived on the thirteenth floor, I was accompanied by a companion named Skadi. Have you seen her before?"

As the doctor uttered those words, the illusory form of Exia standing before him suddenly trembled violently.

In an instant, the doctor's vision seemed to go blank, as if the screen had lost power.

-

【Illusory Honey Cake】

The honey cakes, served on a plastic plate, exude a wonderful aroma.

It emits a fragrance that soothes the soul, enticing people to the place of revelry.

However, since it is composed of illusions, it is not edible.

Back in Rhodes Island, the operators on duty in the kitchen were all very familiar with how to make this dessert. As for why it appeared on the Phantoms' table, it's probably a matter of memory.

-

-

Thank you segment.

Thanks for the blade, thank you.

Chapter 35. In my prime, I listened to the rain on a traveler's boat; a lone wild goose cried in the west wind.

Don't go out, don't make mistakes.

If you have cigarettes, why do you need sunlight?

It was so boring outside, especially with those happy shouts.

If you need to use the restroom, turn around quickly.

—From "Don't Go Out, Don't Make Mistakes" by Joseph Brodsky

-

The cloud of natural disaster lingers.

The dust storm surrounding Rhodes Island has been ongoing for about half a month and is getting worse every day.

Kroos had mentioned at a meeting that she wanted to use her intelligent robots to help Rhodes Island replenish its resources, but before the robots could even leave the sandstorm, the Originium signal controlling them was interrupted due to the natural disaster.

Therefore, it can be said that Rhodes Island has now become a real island, an isolated island.

Food, water, and communication were all cut off by this thick layer of Originium dust, leaving no room for air.

"Then comes the routine report from the medical department this week." Warfarin shook out the hem of her white coat, stood up with her mobile terminal in hand, and said, "Eight patients in the ward have recovered and have applied to be transferred to Rhodes Island's logistics department. Five infected patients in the intensive care unit died due to complications caused by Oripathy and have been disposed of in an incinerator."

"Which five patients?" the doctor asked.