Something's Off About These People

She didn't bring any operators with her on this trip to Columbia. The original plan was to wait until the Doctor and Mizuki returned to Rhodes Island before setting off together. However, for some reason, Kal'tsit felt an inexplicable anxiety and worry lingering in her heart.

This strange anxiety wasn't fleeting; it grew daily, making her extremely uneasy. She couldn't stay on Rhodes Island any longer; she had to do something.

Therefore, she decided to go to Columbia first to ask Trevor Friston for details on certain issues. She already knew his location; many years ago, the Doctor had taken her and Theresa in disguise to that place, and even now, several Elite Operator from Rhodes Island take turns guarding it.

Kal'tsit originally knew about this, and it was even an order she personally signed and passed. However, she overlooked the fact that from the day the Doctor returned to Rhodes Island, she forgot what the Elite Operator's mission to Columbia was, and she overlooked the remnant spirit of the ancient civilization buried deep beneath Columbia for more than 13,000 years.

This is a switch that has long been buried deep in her memory. It will be activated once the Doctor returns. It is a kind of high-level psychological suggestion, second only to the imprint of thought left in her mind by her creator.

"Doctor, Mizuki... and Amiya, Theresa, have you also seen the future?"

Recalling that gentle face, Kal'tsit could only sigh. Theresa was dead. She knew what the Sarkaz, who were entrenched in Victoria, were plotting, but Amiya was Theresa's successor, not the Demon King's heir. Rhodes Island's goal was not to seek revenge against Theresis.

With the situation in Terra now perilous, military forces have been amassed and a battle line established in northern Sami, and both Great Yan and Ursus have taken action. How could Rhodes Island possibly focus its attention solely on Theresis?

Let's go.

After Kal'tsit finished packing, she started the vehicle again; Columbia was just ahead.

"Rhodes Island is just ahead."

The Doctor's voice made the sleepy Irene yawn. She opened her eyes and found herself sleeping soundly on Mizuki's shoulder. Specter's eyes were still full of teasing and amusement, but Irene was no longer shy about this level of teasing.

These days she's been busy traveling, and she's slept with Mizuki by her side several times. She's gotten used to it, and a few times she even used her lap as a pillow. After all, the pressure from the Specter is too strong, and only Mizuki's side gives her a sense of security.

"Rhodes Island ..." Irene rubbed her eyes, leaned on Mizuki's lap and peeked out, seeing the huge landship not far away.

Rhodes Island is vast, encompassing nearly an entire district as previously mentioned, and there are plans for further expansion. Although the Iberian Inquisition's Inquisition land fleet is considerably larger, the sheer size of Rhodes Island still surprised her.

"I hope I won't get bitten on the neck by Rosemary when I go back this time."

Mizuki sighed, but still felt that returning to Rhodes Island was a good thing. Apart from the base in Lungmen, Rhodes Island was probably the only place in his heart that he could call "home".

After nearly ten years of wandering and losing most of my memories, I finally have a place I can return to anytime, which is great.

"She might pounce on you immediately and grab you with both hands and feet. You'd better think about how to pull her off."

"She's quite strong too."

This is what troubles Mizuki the most. Rosemary is too clingy. She hopes that after being away for more than half a month, the little cat won't do anything too intimate when they meet again.

Although he, Exusiai, and the Doctor had all tacitly approved of this behavior, it was still somewhat difficult to explain. He didn't want Gladiia and Irene to misunderstand that he had some special fetish, especially since he had already embarrassed himself in front of Susie some time ago.

"Who told you to provoke such a clingy cat?"

"How dare you say that?"

Mizuki puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. Strictly speaking, the Doctor bore a significant responsibility for this matter. Of course, he felt that the girls at Penguin Logistics should bear primary responsibility. Although he didn't know who had drugged him, Mizuki couldn't help but sigh when she thought about the series of problems that would follow.

Irene didn't understand what the two meant by "cat," but she knew at least that it was the place she would be spending a long time in the future.

"Xiao Le, submit the request to return to the ship, and then... uh, have Amiya hold off Rosemary for a bit."

Mizuki could only hope that Amiya could help him in some way. He closed his eyes, remembering that Amiya also seemed to have a small black crown?

Looking at the top of his head again, the crown that had previously resembled an obsidian crown was now almost completely white, like a sparkling diamond, yet radiating a flawless, soft white light.

It was just a little bit short, but that last bit just wouldn't be stained white. Mizuki didn't know why. It was like a download progress bar that was stuck at 99.9%, which was incredibly frustrating. Fortunately, he could at least control himself from eavesdropping on other people's thoughts and feelings.

(Perhaps Kal'tsit knows how to completely assimilate this thing into my being)

"Good."

Exusiai picked up the communicator, opened Rhodes Island's channel, and submitted a request to return to the ship. She was in an exceptionally good mood. To be Croissant for so long. The girls from Penguin Logistics always gathered together and were used to each other's presence.

In the Rhodes Island office at the other end, Mr. K slammed his hand on the table.

What am I even doing?!

"Damn it, I almost lost my balance after being influenced by Kal'tsit's personality and emotions. I came here to infiltrate and infiltrate, not to work for Rhodes Island for free."

As mentioned before, Mr. K's behavior is extremely dangerous. In order to avoid being discovered by Mizuki and to create the most perfect disguise, she needs to use the part of her body that belongs to Kal'tsit as an outer garment. Otherwise, not only will she not be able to deceive Mizuki, but his tentacles alone will be able to detect all sorts of inconsistencies in this disguise.

As for Mizuki himself? He probably summoned the Sea of Life without hesitation the moment he saw Mr. K. If he were to be submerged by that sea, even Mr. K would die completely.

The Sea of Life can grant life, but it can also take it away, even life itself. For Mr. K or Kal'tsit, who can be resurrected multiple times, this is undoubtedly the most effective way to restrain them.

"I wonder just how much control Mizuki has over that ocean now, sigh..."

This is the issue that Mr. K cares about most right now. She hopes more than anyone else that the world can find a truly hopeful path. However, as things stand, unless the Sea of Life has expanded to the point where it can contend with ******, and Mizuki must control at least more than 60%, there is absolutely no chance of victory.

But this can no longer be described as a sliver of hope. Mr. K didn't want to recall how she had offered help and warnings with hope, yet no matter how much effort or persistence she put in, all she received was destruction. She couldn't remember how many times it had happened.

All I remember is the journey from unwavering perseverance at the beginning to a life of mere survival now. With each death, my sense of self has become increasingly unstable. If it weren't for the anchor of "Mr. K" constantly holding me in place, I wouldn't be Kal'tsit or anyone else here; I would just be a broken madman, on the verge of mental and physical collapse.

"The pollution has also worsened."

Sensing his own state, Mr. K knew that this was his only chance. After this, he would have to give up this body. Kal'tsit's influence had excessively eroded Mr. K's anchor point, causing him to have developed cognitive errors during this period.

The Black Crown on her head flashed for a moment, and Mr. K's part overshadowed Kal'tsit's part. She had lost too many bets and couldn't afford to lose again.

"This time... we must save them."

"Request to return to ship received."

Mizuki and her group arrived very quickly, even faster than the Reunion members. Mr. K originally planned to fool the Reunion first before dealing with Mizuki, but now it seems he can make fewer unnecessary preparations.

But thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. The Reunion has only been in Kazdel for a short time, and it will take a lot of effort to establish themselves there. It's hard to say whether they will be able to spare the time to investigate here.

"Approval granted."

With PRTS's confirmation and disappearance, Mr. K also closed his eyes. He needed a disguise that could fool Mizuki, but the one he had now was not enough; it could only barely fool Amiya.

Mr. K gently stroked the black and white mask placed under the table, picked it up, walked to the window, and casually tossed it out.

After doing all this, a variety of complex emotions flashed through her eyes, from worry to anxiety, from tension to reluctance. If she could, she certainly wouldn't want to kill anyone. If Mizuki hadn't established a connection with the Sea of Life from the very beginning, she wouldn't have needed to go this far.

Mizuki and the Doctor... Killing the Doctor now is futile, and only Mizuki remains. Kal'tsit can't be sure if the coordinates of this world have been locked, but what she needs to do now is to eliminate Mizuki, who could become a landmark.

"I'm so useless."

With a sigh, Mr. K concealed himself in the deepest part of the room, while also suppressing the restless parts of himself.

Kal'tsit opened her eyes, her weary gaze still somewhat dazed. It seemed she had been having a long dream, struggling in the ocean, but when she opened her eyes again, she was back on Rhodes Island, so familiar to her.

What was she supposed to do? Oh right, um, it seems she was supposed to be grading documents. Since Amiya died, Mizuki inherited the Demon King's power, connecting to that Sea of Consciousness, barely carving out a piece of land for them to survive. The Doctor has also become somewhat depressed, and all matters, big and small, on Rhodes Island have been taken over by Kal'tsit.

"I haven't seen such clear weather in a long time?"

Kal'tsit suddenly paused, realizing that something was wrong.

The sky was clear, not obscured by deep, heavy clouds as I remembered, nor were there black snowflakes trying to drown everything.

No, not only that, even Rhodes Island remains the same as before.

"What... did the Doctor succeed!?"

"Dr. Kal'tsit"

Amiya called out from the doorway. She rarely saw Kal'tsit daydreaming. Was she just too tired?

"Mizuki and the Doctor have returned from Iberia. Would you like to go pick them up?"

"The Doctor and Mizuki... Iberia..."

Kal'tsit muttered to herself, then finally glanced at the calendar on the table.

"It's 1097 now... Am I really back?"

"What's wrong, Dr. Kal'tsit? Why don't you get some rest?"

Amiya suddenly became worried about Kal'tsit's health, but the latter simply shook her head to indicate that she was fine.

Years of experience have given her the ability to control her expressions and emotions very well; without a direct confrontation, Amiya cannot read her thoughts.

"Amiya, have you received the mission reports from Mizuki and the Doctor?"

"No, but the Doctor wrote that everything is going smoothly. Seaborn is no longer interfering with Iberia, but he is unwilling to lift the blockade on Aegir."

"... As expected."

Kal'tsit let out a soft breath and picked up her coat, putting it on.

"Let's go see them."

"Um."

Amiya sensed the intense emotion emanating from Kal'tsit, and she was puzzled, as she had never seen Kal'tsit so emotional before.

"We're almost there."

Meanwhile, in Columbia, Kal'tsit looked at the Trimounts and breathed a sigh of relief. The Columbia side didn't make things too difficult, probably because they had already guessed that she would come.

This confirms one thing: Trevor Friston has indeed seized real power in most of Columbia, and the events surrounding Mizuki were definitely related to him.

Having figured all this out, Kal'tsit was even more puzzled. What was the Doctor's purpose in choosing Mizuki as her ultimate trump card, and what did she rely on to persuade Friston to cooperate with her actions?

And most importantly, what is the significance of the Sea of Life's existence?

She didn't expect this meeting to give her all the answers, but she wanted to at least glean some clues; they couldn't afford to waste any more time.

The three-way alliance has been formed, and the enemy could come at any time. We must find out exactly what happened back then.

Chapter 192 A Few People Who Are Not Quite Right

"Mizuki!"

As expected and logically, the moment Mizuki stepped onto the floor of Rhodes Island, Rosemary, who had been waiting in ambush, pounced on her.

Despite possessing the power to reduce Rhodes Island to ruins, the kitten itself is still quite fragile. Startled, Mizuki quickly reached out to catch it, and thankfully, nothing serious happened.

Many people came to pick up Mizuki, including the girls from Penguin Logistics and Lemuen and others, as well as Susie, FrostNova, and Liz.

The arrival of Kal'tsit and Amiya was unexpected for Mizuki, but upon reflection, it made perfect sense, as Mizuki and Kal'tsit had an exceptionally good relationship.

What puzzled him was why Susie was looking at him with an expression that said, "My brother isn't a good person after all." Was it because he was holding Rosemary? But wasn't he holding it like that before?

"I'm back, everyone."

Although she was frustrated that only girls came to pick her up, Mizuki could only attribute it to her exceptionally good luck with women.

Moreover, from another perspective, this is not necessarily a bad thing.

Welcome back.

Compared to Exusiai, Lemuen is more like the empress, except that she and Mizuki are only half siblings, and so far no one except Mostima knows what happened between them.

"Sister!"

Exusiai lunged forward, but Lemuen hesitated and didn't back down. Exusiai was pregnant, and even if the child was conceived by the Sea of Life, it was hard to say whether her body was not as strong as before.

"Still so reckless, you're going to be a mother soon."

"Hey, being a mother doesn't stop me from being your sister. Besides, Mizuki and I aren't even married yet."

Even though she was a woman in her twenties about to Exusiai and Lemuen's relationship remained the same as before. It was only because she didn't want to be separated from her sister that she kept thinking about whether to reunite her older sister with Mizuki during that time.

"And I'll definitely feel at ease leaving my daughter in your care in the future."

"I just can't do anything with you."

Lemuen gently patted Exusiai's head, then cast a tender and alluring glance at Mizuki, but it was subtle and only Mizuki could see it. He could only give Lemuen an apologetic look, then gently patted his hands and feet and used the Rosemary hanging on him.

He suddenly realized that he could use Rosemary to restrain Lemuen and then use Gladiia to restrain Specter. In this way, the three most troublesome people could restrain each other, making things easier for him.

"You're back... huh?"

Kal'tsit stepped forward, intending to say that everything was alright, but looking at the Doctor's chest, which could only be described as enormous, she couldn't bring herself to say the word "alright."

This isn't right. When did the Doctor reach this size? He's not a man... Hmm, no, he does seem to be female. Is my memory playing tricks on me?

Kal'tsit suddenly felt a headache coming on. The image of the Doctor in her mind suddenly became blurry, and she couldn't even remember whether he was male or female. But her intuition told her that the person in front of her was indeed the Doctor.

"What's wrong, Kal'tsit? You don't look very healthy. Did you stay up late again?"

Despite often provoking Kal'tsit's anger, Doctor is actually quite concerned about her condition. Kal'tsit has always been working very hard and busy, and keeping Terra barely on the verge of collapse is the best she can do.

"It's nothing, just a sudden headache. You and Mizuki didn't encounter any accidents this time, did you?"

"It's alright. Mizuki is now the leader of all the Seaborn and Sea Siren. Iberia itself suffered an undeserved calamity, so things are more or less settled now."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Kal'tsit's first thought was, "What's Sea Siren 'sirens'? A new species of Seaborn?" Her second thought was, "Oh no, does this mean I didn't travel back to the past, but to another timeline?!"

However, what puzzled her was that the actions of the Doctor and Mizuki matched the trajectory in her memory, and there was nothing different.

"Um..." Mizuki looked at Kal'tsit with some confusion, "Although I don't really want to say it, Kal'tsit, you have indeed been pushing yourself too hard. You should also remember to rest occasionally."