Chapter 116

"Miss Franka's mental madness is clearly a 'Trigger Damage.' The master of the 'Pollution' set the rules... Just as life is a prerequisite for action, here, it will also become the price of action."

Life is the prerequisite for action, and naturally, it is also the prerequisite for death.

Medic understood that Franka's survival depended not only on the timely rescue by Liskarm and Blaze, but also on Su Sulo's timely treatment... And thinking this way, Medic could also understand why such a rudimentary outpost could slowly cause the deaths of hundreds of people one after another, with the corpses piling up into a small mountain.

"... Violation will trigger the event, and immediate treatment after triggering will prevent death... and there will be no further attacks... so attacking the Pollution entity is an effective action..."

Watching Medic write notes in his notebook such as 'Trigger Damage,' 'The Dominion? substantial collapse,' and 'social paradox?', followed by various situation descriptions and solutions, Ah Fu continued: Seven

"I didn't witness the entirety of your previous battles against the Pollution because of PRTS's read-only settings and access restrictions. However, you must have seen how the Pollution moved with bizarre, stiff movements, almost as if fast-forwarding."

"Yes, we saw it on the cameras. As for the direct combat against the Pollution, I didn't send the operatives into close combat; we used airstrikes to eliminate them directly."

"The rational choice Pollution an alternate dimension. As mentioned before, everything in an alternate dimension is abnormal... It's even possible to experience the same speed, but going back the original route is faster than going in a straight line... This is 'Nonlinear Movement' caused by Pollution."

"Such a bizarre posture, when reflected in reality, manifests as a ghostly appearance; the twisted limbs combined with the black light would frighten and terrify ordinary people... This is perfectly normal, and also extremely deadly."

"The creatures of the earth... our minds, especially negative emotions, are excellent nourishment and stimulants for Pollution; accumulated human fear can even become a real monster."

"I can't imagine what kind of monster would be created from hundreds of doses of fear-inducing nutrients. I can only say that Your Excellency Medic, your handling of the situation was extremely timely... And whatever the person who Trigger Damage originally intended to do with these life-exchange nutrients, you successfully thwarted their plans." Qi

"So the next attack will inevitably be deadly and difficult... You still haven't told me how to deal with intangible Pollution."

Seeing Medic's calm and composed demeanor, Ah Fu also bowed slightly and took out a notebook from a nearby cabinet: a

"The Cyclopes's Witchcraft ritual... You need a Pollution, isolated within the instrument by spatial illusion... The brilliant black, like the night sky, is the unique color of the Cyclopes's magical units. I have prepared all the procedures for you."

Watching Medic take the booklet without hesitation, Ah Fu respectfully placed both hands in front of him and said with a smile, "Private..."

"I must remind you again... As the original prototype of the Ursus Inner Guards, if the Inner Guards lost the right to touch the real earth with their own body in order to gain this power, then the Cyclopes ritual is the most tragic fate you could ever hope for."

"All Cyclopes inevitably foresaw the worst possible outcome. Countless people tried to change it, but more often than not, they found that their own actions had created the tragedy... Even so, will you still take this booklet?"

Ignoring Ah Fu, and without even pausing his movements, Medic deftly picked up the booklet and began to open it to the Sarkaz script written in the car's stationery:

"Ah Fu, have I told you about my past? My mentor, the priests of the monastic order I served in..."

Standing politely in place, Ah Fu listened attentively.

"... Many times, it's not that we don't know our fate; danger can be judged by the enemy's strength, the combat power of our members, strategies, contingency plans, and fighting style... It's simple to understand whether there is danger or not; just keep 'judging'."

"But sometimes, even knowing that danger awaits us, we still take the initiative to face the challenge... My mentor was like that, so I will be too... My mentor's fate is already clear, and I myself will sooner or later face that so-called destiny."

"So, the 'most tragic fate' and all that was predetermined from the beginning... I did something similar three years ago, and I think I'm prepared for it."

"... I can't trust you to take care of Eileen and the others in this condition... You can't even take care of yourself."

Medic chuckled at the old man's words and handed the handbook back to him.

"Whether it's the ideals of Rhodes Island or the beliefs of Sankta... as long as when I look back on my life at the so-called end of my destiny, I will not regret wasting my years or be ashamed of having accomplished nothing, that will suffice."

"At that time, I will have the honor of reporting to my mentor that I have devoted my entire life and energy to the healing of this land. Even if I cannot build the ideal paradise on earth, let my flesh and blood become the bricks and rubble..."

"Even if I am as insignificant as I am, if I can shelter someone from the wind and rain, then I will be more than satisfied."

"... Do you mean rosemary?"

"You can do it too."

Without disturbing the old man's rest any longer, Medic smiled and said goodbye to Ah Fu. As soon as he closed the door, he turned around and saw a person squatting at the door with teary eyes, looking like a ghost. Medic was so frightened that he almost drew his gun.

"... Sister Mary? What are you doing squatting here so late?"

Seeing the orange cat nun with teary eyes and sniffling, Medic tilted his head in confusion. Was she cold?

That shouldn't be the case. Even at night, the central air conditioning is still on... Although the corridor isn't as warm as the dormitory rooms, it shouldn't be cold.

Could it be that Mary overheard her conversation with Ah Fu?

That can't be right, the sound insulation of this Exploration Vehicle is actually quite good.

Sister Mary?

In short, seeing that this fellow church member seemed frightened by the dark corridor, and was even from the same tribe, Medic chuckled and took him back to the fourth floor.

Medic, having just learned how to make a mocha for Mary, tried to draw a cat's head with latte art, but failed... Fortunately, Medic added a ton of milk foam to cover up the truth, then handed over the unrecognizable hot drink:

Are you still afraid?

"... Sorry... it was just a nightmare... I think I confused dreams with reality."

"It might be residual Pollution... I just confirmed the details of the Pollution with Alfred... If one is too afraid, even the rare Pollution could become nourishment for the enemy, or even materialize."

Seeing the orange cat girl's tail bristling, the black cat from Rhodes Island, both amused and exasperated, grabbed the cat's paw with both hands, interlacing their fingers and even their tails together. Only then did Medic manage to calm the orange cat nun down.

"However, don't worry... there are no actual 'carriers' of Pollution here... they can't harm you."

"But... but those things... just thinking about them is terrifying... in my dreams, they just twisted and grotesquely lunged at me..."

"I see, you had a nightmare..."

Letting the other person hold his hand, Medic thought for a moment, and as a certain Dead Soul excitedly gestured beside him, the black cat from Rhodes Island, half-believing, pressed his forehead against Mary's:

"Well... let's try this... I have a method... to create lucid dreams... but only Rosemary has ever entered through Thought Chain Ring before... The Little Cat is sleeping now, I don't know if my attraction is strong enough... but please believe me, with me by your side, there's nothing to be afraid of anymore... I swear on my life, I will protect you."

"... This is... from the Mass?"

The orange cat nun's puzzled expression made Medic twitch his cat ears, and as if infected, the ears hidden under Mary's headscarf also began to twitch. Medic smiled and said:

"These are the words my mentor says when he decides to help someone... Well, maybe it's because he mentioned that person to Ah Fu before... which is why I keep bringing him up now... But there's no one else here right now, Mary, you remember my Halo, right?"

"Um... so, Medic... no, Nana, who are you?"

After thinking for a moment, Medic, feeling there was no need to hide it, said with drooping ears:

"... I am a nun from the Laterano Church in Raisington City... The church that was burned down in the news because of the Infected riots is the one where I serve... The priest there was my mentor... He died protecting Rosemary and her brother who were being persecuted..."

"Rosemary's... brother?"

"Hmm... a pair of twins... and Aili, Xiya... ah, they don't look alike at all... Would you like to hear the story in detail? It might be... a bit long... and compared to the fact that there were no casualties, what happened to Rosemary might be the real nightmare."

"... But, Medic, you mean this is about that priest, and also about your pursuit of goodness and morality?... If that's the case, then even if the road is full of death, it doesn't seem so scary."

Mary's words were somewhat unexpected for Medic, but then the Rhodes Island black cat revealed a rare, bright smile:

"Right? That's what I told Ah Fu too—the so-called most tragic fate..."

If it's a path you choose to walk yourself, what's so scary about it?

PS: Our Miss Black Cat is ready... Although, three years ago... in the previous volume's plot, she already showed a similar performance, but now she has truly figured out the cause and effect.

Three years ago, she actually tended to act on instinct.

PS2: Meow Meow Cat

I'm dizzy and disoriented from being beaten by the Demons... Muhen, you're just one after another, one after another, ahhhhhh!

PSS: Damn it, did I forget to post this chapter this morning?... Meow meow, Muhen, give me back my brain!

4th Crimson Warm Winter: 121 Rhodes Island Human Resources Department: A Taste of Food

As the azure dawn rose from the edge of the Snowfield, PRTS began to assess the state of the external environment.

As the air quality indicators, such as the composition of the Originium, returned to normal, the side grille at the rear of the huge vehicle slowly opened, releasing the exhaust fumes mixed with residual heat from the night's stay of nearly a hundred people.

White steam rises from the Snowfield plains, turning into white mist like the breath of Beasts —this is the vibrant atmosphere of life on the Northwestern Ursus Snowfields.

[It has been confirmed that all hazardous elements in the surrounding environment have been cleared. The side window locks can be manually opened. The usage permits for the rear and front observation decks and the top flight deck have been downgraded to... Level 1.]

[Good morning, passengers. After a night's journey, we have passed the fifth checkpoint and are about to reach our next destination— the Reunion Movement Settlement...]

The morning for Rhodes Island 'Human Resources Special Operations Team was a morning interspersed with PRTS broadcasts. As a response system that only broadcasts when passengers outside Rhodes Island are on the bus, this was the first time Medic had heard it, as it was also her first time eating in the third-floor public dining hall.

As breakfast on the Snowfield, the Welfare Department's cook and his Shieldguards and Yeti helpers each displayed their unique skills.

Perhaps due to the scarcity of supplies, the Sarkaz chef was not used to using the cold storage for food. He habitually opened a can, reheated the chickpeas, and mashed them into a paste with a spoon.

If you enter the kitchen halfway through making it, the clumps of paste might not look very appealing at first glance. However, once carefully ground, the finished product has a smooth and creamy texture. Combined with the kitchen's seasonings, sesame paste, and a drizzle of olive oil, it's ready to be plated. Although it has a slightly bitter taste, it has a coffee-like aftertaste, making it perfect as an appetizer or as a side dish with other dishes and main courses.

Setting aside the possibility that there's nothing else to eat in that godforsaken place... canned chickpeas are indeed the most popular food in the Kazdel region.

The Shieldguards's cook, who came from Victoria, immediately turned on the coffee machine upon arriving in the kitchen that morning, and then began fiddling with the fryer...

Large quantities of potatoes were fed into an automatic washing and peeling machine; this Ursus man of Victoria origin had actually found a food processor mold for slicing ingredients.

Perhaps it was tasting hometown dishes at Rosemary's birthday party that made her itchy to cook, but how can Victoria classic like 'fish and chips' be complete without fish?

And in the Exploration Vehicle's freezer, there really were fresh frozen fish purchased from the Ursus supply ship.

However, the fish in Ursus are obviously not as 'delicate' as those in Victoria. It seems that they were intended for the rough men of the army, and even the smallest fish that Rhodes Island purchased were not the kind that could be directly used in Victoria's fish and chips recipe.

The Shieldguards's cook had no choice but to replace the 'fried fish' dish with 'grilled fish,' which was more in line with the Ursus spirit.

First, they called over three or five Shieldguards who couldn't wait for breakfast and were constantly wailing with hunger. The group went to the kitchen counter and chopped off the heads and tails of the smallest of the Scale Beast, which were at least the length of a forearm. They paid special attention to handling the fish intestines, which might contain Originium particles, and threw them into the waste bin marked 'Originium Pollution'.

With the two ovens, which resembled refrigerators more like refrigerators, preheated and the racks, which probably totaled more than thirty layers, set up, the simply prepared fish pieces were neatly arranged on a baking tray, with onions from the Ursus supply ship serving as a base, and then placed in the oven to bake together.

First, sear the fish skin over high heat until charred. Then, cover the fish with radishes and red beets, and invert a baking pan to prevent excessive moisture loss from direct heat. This allows the cook to help remove the hard Ursus specialty black bread for the machine to slice while frying the cut fries.

This process was less like cooking and more like a strenuous workout. Medic felt exhausted just watching the Shieldguards's cooks in their vests alternating between the two deep fryers.

As the semi-finished and finished fries were alternated, the golden, steaming fries quickly filled the entire food trough. With the grilled fish finished, the Shieldguards began to serve it on plates.

Using a spatula that looks like it's used for plastering walls, scoop up a piece of onion and grilled fish together and put it into the main dish compartment, then pile the compartment full of fries.

The chef from the Shieldguards was quite satisfied with the finished 'Fish and Chips', but as Ursus native, he still felt something was missing... Then, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he found a can of pickled cucumbers... Finally, he scooped a spoonful of pickled cucumbers with some broth and placed it in the small dish compartment.

Perfect!

Satisfied, I handed the plate to the chef, only to realize I had underestimated Rhodes Island's catering services. The chef, expressionless, ladled a large spoonful of hummus into the round grid, then served a cup of sweet coffee, and the plate was ready to be handed to the person collecting the food.

Not far from the people picking up their food, an unlimited supply of crispy black bread slices was being served... Because this was all machine-made, it piled up all over the food counter without anyone noticing.

It's simply a matter of taking only what you need.

As part of the standard mealtime routine, Medic wasn't used to being served roasted meat and fried food so early in the morning... But when in Rome, do as the Romans do. He followed Medic up to the third floor. Although they didn't continue holding hands, Sister Mary would occasionally pat Medic's tail with her tail, said that this kind of breakfast was quite normal in Victoria.

Medic couldn't tell whether the problem lay with the chef at the Shieldguards or with Victoria...

What puzzled Medic the most was that, despite having three chefs, it seemed like only two of them were actually doing the work.

While eating fries and munching on a grilled fish fillet, Medic peeked out and soon spotted FrostNova and the Yeti's 'chef'... They seemed to be circling around the coffee machine the whole time.

Alright, case solved! The Yeti's cook and the Yeti's princess are both busy adding sugar and milk to everyone's coffee.

Medic saw FrostNova secretly putting the powdered sugar from her fingers into her mouth several times after opening the candy packets... Then, as the White Rabbit seemed to notice his gaze, Medic quietly turned his head away.

Well, let's just pretend we didn't see it...

Under the gaze of the White Rabbit, Medic began to enjoy his exotic breakfast.

As Su Sulo and Blaze sent messages in the PRTS system asking where he was, Medic, halfway through his meal, saw the Rhodes Island crew rushing towards him from the direction of the main elevator.

"Ugh... Medic, you actually ate all by yourself without saying a word?!"

Approaching so brazenly, the large black cat grabbed the assassin from behind, then glanced at Sister Mary's swaying tail, and whispered in Medic's ear, "Fin..."

"Speaking of which, we were originally planning to have the A4 group of Erlin VIII Wuling San Liu Jiu in charge of the meals, right? We haven't even had a chance to taste Yato and the others' cooking yet, and now it's turned into a mixed bag of dishes? Let me see what we're having today!"

"Yato has essentially taken over the shipping issues that were originally my responsibility. It's a good thing that it can lighten their workload, and they can also enjoy authentic foreign cuisine... To describe it, it's roughly like Kazdel -style appetizers, Ursus- style Victoria home-style dishes, Snowfield specialty rye bread, and... FrostNova's special sweet coffee?"

"Why did you specifically point out who did it at the very end?" Ling

"... Probably because I looked at this more carefully..."

He took a sip while talking... Medic is hard to evaluate.

Combining an expensive coffee machine with expensive coffee beans to create a flavor reminiscent of instant coffee on your cheeks—in a way, perhaps FrostNova has a real talent for it.

"Hey, I heard a chorus of strange sounds."

As the mealtime drew to a close, the Shieldguards and Yeti gave way to the refugees from the Welfare Department and the Mercenaries from the Disciplinary Department.

Meanwhile, the cooks finally had enough food and were able to relax. As the Medics were eating fries with pickled cucumber juice and chatting, FrostNova also sat down in the seat opposite Medics with her plate.

"You saw it and came to help..."

"... Weren't you having a lot of fun with the coffee machine?"

"I think you might have some misunderstanding about the phrase 'frantic' in Medic... I can only say it's good that you kept the equipment and instructions nearby."

Seeing FrostNova's pouty, almost spoiled expression, Medic thought for a moment and asked:

"So... is the coffee machine fun?"

"... It's alright, quite interesting... modern appliances."