After giving the scene a curious once-over, she quietly backed away, unwilling to disturb the fairy-tale sight of a sleeping beauty.
Not long after, Lena woke up, rubbed her eyes, and lightly sniffed the air. Her brow furrowed slightly. There was an unfamiliar scent in the air.
Worried that a child might have come in to pick flowers and plants, she hurriedly got to her feet and headed outside.
Once outside, she found nothing unusual. Other than the faint unfamiliar scent in the air reminding her that someone had entered, everything was exactly as it had been before.
"This scent... was it a child? At least they didn't damage the plants here. But I set access permissions for this place. Other than official operators, no one should be able to open this door without going through me!"
Lena walked to the doorway and looked outside. By then, Kanna had long since left, naturally leaving no trace for her to find.
After leaving the greenhouse, Kanna continued deeper into Rhodes Island. Outside a large door, she saw quite a few automated robots coming and going. Peeking inside, she saw more than a dozen staff members sorting items delivered by conveyor belt into boxes. At a glance, Kanna recognized what they were packing: boxes and boxes of white sugar.
Watching the boxes of sugar being bundled together, she guessed this was the processing station—the place in the game where operators combined materials for promotions and skill training.
A glance at the shift schedule nearby showed a standard three-shift assembly-line rotation. Kanna could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. An eight-hour workday was acceptable. She did not know whether there were holidays, but compared to 996 or 007, this was already an incredibly conscientious job—not to mention those "black-hearted" Doctors whose base facilities were perpetually covered in red alerts.
Kanna quickly passed the processing station entrance and headed farther inside.
Inside the processing station.
"Something seemed to pass by the entrance just now. Did any of you see it?"
"Huh? Really?"
"No way. Other than those mechanical carts, the only people using this route are us workers. Have you been working so long your eyes are playing tricks on you? Maybe you should take a break..."
"Hahaha, maybe. But there's no need for a break. This work isn't tiring anyway. It's not easy to find somewhere willing to take in infected people like us and pay us wages for working. If we still slack off, how could we face up to their trust?"
The few of them chatted as they worked, their hands never stopping. Yet after that exchange, everyone seemed a little more energized.
"Sniff, sniff. It smells like seawater." Standing at a crossroads, Kanna hesitated for a moment before entering a passage that carried a faint salty, fishy scent of the sea.
Not long after entering, she noticed that the environment here was very different from elsewhere. The most obvious difference was the humidity.
As a medical institution, most areas of Rhodes Island were kept sufficiently clean and orderly, with excellent ventilation.
But here... Kanna frowned as she looked at the thin layer of standing water beneath her feet. This passage had likely been specially modified, with humidity and temperature unlike those outside. It was probably where the Sargon residents of Rhodes Island, along with other amphibious races, lived.
The Pink Frog Meets the Young Dragon
Just then, a door suddenly opened, and a pink-haired girl walked out of the room.
When she saw Kanna not far from the door, she could not help letting out a startled cry. "Eh~"
This was a relatively secluded area of Rhodes Island, inhabited mostly by residents who liked water and quiet. Children on the island rarely came here. This child looked unfamiliar—had she gotten lost after newly arriving on the island?
She raised her hand, about to call out to Kanna, but suddenly seemed to think of something and pulled it back. Then she moved to an "appropriate" distance, crouched down, and met Kanna's eyes.
"Little one, are you lost? Do you need big sister to take you out?"
Kanna was incredibly excited inside. Blue Poison, the little angel! She had never expected to find her on the island.
As one of the figures in the famous Rhodes Island artwork Blue Poison, Ptilopsis, Doctor, Blue Poison had won the affection of countless Doctors with her outstanding appearance and character setting. Coupled with her decent combat ability, her popularity had always been high.
To think she could see the real person today—Kanna had to admit her luck was amazing.
Before Blue Poison could react, Kanna dashed over, grabbed her hand, and pounced in front of her.
"Eh? Ah? Hey! Wait, I..."
"Hello, big sister. I'm Kanna. Kanna is amazing, and I'm a newly recruited operator too!"
As she spoke, Kanna puffed out her chest so the person before her would notice the operator badge hanging there.
Though some of her own "talents" frightened many people, she was actually just a girl too. She wanted to talk and interact with others, but she had seen little success with that until now.
Someone suddenly approaching her left her somewhat at a loss.
After a brief bout of panic, Blue Poison calmed down and noticed that the other girl really did have an operator badge on her chest, and the photo on it was indeed her.
She remembered hearing passersby mention not long ago that Rhodes Island had recruited a little girl as an operator. Most operators and children on Rhodes Island were familiar to her. Since this was someone she did not recognize, she was probably the person they had mentioned.
"Your name is Kanna... That's a lovely name. Just call me Blue Poison. Even though Kanna-chan is an operator, this isn't really a suitable place to play. How about I take you to the lounge? There are lots of children over there."
Although Kanna really was an operator, her appearance made it impossible not to treat her like a child.
"Nope, nope!" Kanna raised both hands above her head in an X, rejecting the suggestion.
"But there are many patients here. If Kanna gets too noisy, you'll affect everyone's rest, and then they won't get better. Kanna doesn't want to be a bad child, right?" When one tactic failed, Blue Poison came up with another.
"Kanna won't be noisy. Kanna is just looking around. If you don't believe me, then big sister can come adventure with Kanna!" Knowing that Blue Poison was only worried for her safety, Kanna was not annoyed. Instead, she took her hand and led her farther inside.
Finding herself unable to persuade her, and unable to pull free from the hand holding hers, Blue Poison could only walk alongside Kanna and head deeper into the passage.
The farther in they went, the quieter it became, and the more stifling the atmosphere grew. Combined with the damp environment so unlike the outside, it felt terribly oppressive. No wonder few operators or other people came here unless they lived in the area.
The Passing Pink Fluffy Whale
Yet that oppressive feeling did not affect the two in the passage.
Perhaps because of their earlier conversation, Kanna looked around everywhere along the way, but did not ask questions or speak loudly.
That helped Blue Poison relax considerably. Of course, it would have been even better if Kanna could loosen her tight grip on her hand...
As they walked, they finally reached the other end of the passage. Just as they were about to leave, a huge—tall—figure suddenly blocked their path.
Kanna looked up. That enormous greatsword, that indifferent expression, that perfect figure—it was none other than the happy orca Skadi she had been eagerly thinking about ever since arriving.
Skadi looked at the tiny figure before her, a trace of confusion in her eyes.
Though Kanna's body was small, Skadi felt as though a Great Beast were standing before her. That strange sensation, as if disconnected from reality, nearly made her draw her greatsword.
Fortunately, Kanna extended her hand the next second. "Hello, I'm Kanna Kamui, a new operator who joined Rhodes Island. You can call me Kanna!"
Skadi froze for a moment, then extended her hand and said solemnly, "Skadi. An Abyssal Hunter."
The instant she touched Kanna, she felt countless Terror Fish surrounding her. Just as irritation rose within her and she wanted to draw her weapon and wipe them all out, a dragon's roar sounded beside her ear. The Terror Fish around her vanished completely, and her body suddenly felt incomparably light.
When she came back to herself, she found Kanna looking at her with a sweet smile.
Skadi nodded. "Nice to meet you."
"Kanna is happy to meet you too. You look like you have something to do, so Kanna won't disturb you. See you next time, bye-bye!" As she spoke, Kanna stepped aside and cleared the passage.
"Thank you. See you next time."
After Skadi left, Blue Poison unconsciously let out a breath.
Though she was not very familiar with her, Blue Poison knew something about Skadi and the Abyssal Hunters. When Kanna had stood before her and extended her hand, Blue Poison had feared Skadi might do something strange. Thankfully, while their exchange had seemed strange too, it had passed without incident.
"You really scared me to death. Luckily Skadi didn't take offense. Next time, don't just talk to strangers so casually. What if you run into a bad person?" Blue Poison patted her chest, which was slightly tight from nerves, as she spoke to Kanna.
"Skadi is a good person." Kanna turned to look at Skadi entering the corridor. Although she knew there was likely some mysterious creature from the abyss parasitizing Skadi's body, she had no ability to drive it out, so she had merely greeted her.
After leaving the corridor, Blue Poison was afraid Kanna would drag her into meeting some other inexplicable person—there were actually quite a lot of that sort on Rhodes Island—so her eyes darted as she came up with an idea.
"Does Kanna want some cake? Big sister has connections in the cafeteria. I can make delicious cake!"
At the mention of food, Kanna immediately perked up.
Remembering that Blue Poison was skilled at making pastries, her mouth instantly watered, and she unconsciously swallowed.
Seeing her like this, Blue Poison smiled to herself. Sure enough, a child was a child. There was always a way to draw her attention away.
Holding Kanna's hand, Blue Poison led her expertly to the pastry room in the Rhodes Island cafeteria, then stretched her body a little as she prepared to show off her skills.
Before starting on the pastries, she brought Kanna to a small table nearby. Seeing the other girl sit quietly in place, she smiled faintly and began making the cake.
The Cake Looks Absolutely Terrifying but Tastes Delicious—Will a Champion Dare to Try It?
Just as Blue Poison turned around and focused wholeheartedly on making the cake.
Kanna, sitting in her chair, could not help letting her gaze drift toward the finished-product counter beside her.
Though pastry chefs liked making their desserts beautiful to attract people's attention, the point of pastries was to be eaten. Especially on Terra, wasting food was considered deeply shameful.
Therefore, after making cakes, the Rhodes Island pastry chefs placed them on the finished-product counter. If someone came by and liked one, they could simply take it. At midnight, someone would take away the surplus pastries and distribute them to the operators still working.
At that moment, quite a few pastries were displayed on the counter. However, it was not yet afternoon tea time, so unless someone was an extreme dessert lover, they would not come to eat at this hour.
Seeing no one around and the pastries sitting there openly, Kanna could not resist the temptation and craned her head over.
"Nom~"
Blue Poison, sensing something, looked up and saw Kanna still sitting properly in her seat. Though it was a little strange that she was facing away, the pastry in Blue Poison's hands had reached a crucial step. As long as Kanna remained seated properly, Blue Poison did not care how she sat.
Meanwhile, Kanna casually wiped the cream from the corner of her mouth and savored the sweetness lingering on her tongue. Sweets really were the best.
A little later, Blue Poison came over carrying two small plates.
"Come, give it a try. I'm quite confident in my dessert-making skills."
Kanna looked at the dessert before her. If Blue Poison had not said she made it herself, Kanna would absolutely have thought it was poison. The blue and purple colors twisted together like some inexplicable creature coiled atop the pastry, while the colorful little sprinkles decorating it looked like countless eyes at a glance. It was extremely sanity-draining.
No wonder her operator file specifically stated that her pastries had a distinctive color scheme. This really had character. Just looking at it, Kanna could practically hear the words, "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!" beside her ears.
But even the terrifying "deep sea" could not escape the young dragon's enormous maw.
Having no intention of adding any faith, Kanna swallowed the dessert in one bite, startling Blue Poison beside her. She was afraid Kanna might choke.
The flavor of Blue Poison's cake exceeded Kanna's expectations. Like the glowing dishes from Cooking Master Boy, or Soma Yukihira's cuisine loaded with countless ♂ ingredients, it was full of "magic." So happy was Kanna that her tail began crackling and popping on its own. It definitely was not leaking electricity.
After finishing her own portion, Kanna set her sights on the one in front of Blue Poison.
Seeing Kanna's fixed stare, Blue Poison was delighted. She often made pastries and placed them on the finished-product counter, secretly observing afterward. Yet most people were put off by the appearance of her cakes, and only a few took the desserts she made. It had made her a little sad.
But Kanna's greedy expression encouraged her tremendously. Her cakes were clearly fine—those people simply did not know how to appreciate them. That was their loss.
Blue Poison moved the cake in front of Kanna. "If Kanna wants to eat, then eat more! But delicious food needs to be tasted slowly to bring out more happiness and joy."
Worried that Kanna would upset her stomach by swallowing them whole, Blue Poison cut the cake into several pieces, speared one with a fork, and brought it to Kanna's mouth.
How Could Vanishing Food Be the Fault of a Passing Young Dragon?
Faced with Blue Poison feeding her, Kanna happily opened her mouth.
Although eating one bite at a time was satisfying, enjoying it little by little was also a rare pleasure—especially when a beautiful girl was feeding her.
After finishing, the two left the pastry room hand in hand.
...When teatime came, several operators entered the pastry room and scratched their heads at the empty finished-product counter. Had all the pastry chefs taken the day off today?
Thus began the mysterious disappearance of cakes from the Rhodes Island pastry room. By the time the matter reached Amiya's ears, nearly a week had passed.
Curious, she checked the camera footage from that time and discovered that the culprit behind the disappearing cakes was Comrade Kanna Kamui—the little dragon who had spent this period using her appearance to scam food, swindling snacks from quite a few operators and earning herself the honorable title of "Extremely Hungry."
However, considering that Blue Poison had not understood the dragon's danger at the time, she was not criticized for making that mistaken decision. Instead, Rhodes Island announced that notices would be posted at every cafeteria entrance: "Minors and dragons may only enter the cafeteria when accompanied by another person."
Though the notice prompted a certain dragon to attempt inciting the island's children into rebellion, she overestimated her own abilities. The children she had lured in with food were quickly spotted by the little donkey through the island's cameras, after which their parents or teachers were notified to intercept them halfway. By the time they reached the command room entrance, only she remained.
Faced with Outcast's deliberately sorrowful gaze and the dessert in Blue Poison's hand, she promptly declared surrender. This marked Rhodes Island's first "rebellion" being effortlessly suppressed by the "Demon King"—historically known as the Sweet Uprising.
Back to the present, after leaving the cafeteria, Kanna wanted to visit the bridge. Blue Poison thought about it and agreed, taking her onto the elevator leading there.
"Whew~ It feels a little uncomfortable under this hot wind, but the magnificent view from the bridge is really refreshing, don't you think, Kanna... Kanna?... Kanna!"
Blue Poison took a deep breath, stretched herself, and gazed over the boundless wilderness around them, unable to help sighing in admiration.
But after she finished marveling, she discovered the child was gone. With an expression that clearly said, Where's Kanna? Where did such a big Kanna go? She was just here!, she frantically looked around.
"Blue~ Poison~" Just then, Kanna's voice reached her ears. It did not come from around her, however, but from above her head.
Following the sound, Blue Poison nearly had her soul scared out of her.
At the observation deck atop the bridge, dozens of meters above them, Kanna stood on the edge and waved at her.
"Y-you, when did you get up there... Get down right now."
Having never encountered anything like this, Miss Blue Poison was nearly frightened to tears.
With a whoosh, a purple marker flew from Kanna's hand and landed beside Blue Poison, crackling with faint electric currents. Then Kanna abruptly appeared where the marker was.
Seeing Blue Poison on the verge of tears, Kanna hurried over to her.
"Don't cry, Big Sister Blue Poison. Kanna was bad. Kanna promises not to be naughty."
It was rare to find such high ground, so Kanna had acted on a whim. She had used Star Alignment to throw a Lightning Wedge to the top, quickly teleported over, and canceled the previous Lightning Wedge.
Blue Poison had not seen Kanna's earlier test. So when she turned around, she found not only that Kanna was no longer beside her, but that she was standing in such a dangerous place at the edge of the observation deck.
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