Sister Skadi, I Have a Girlfriend

"You?"

Miss Doctor turned around and looked him up and down, then shook her head, somewhat disdainfully.

"Forget it. You should put on some weight first, so people don't kick you around like a ball. Like FrostNova—you couldn't even carry her."

"You motherfucker!"

Dodging the ice shard FrostNova threw at her, Miss Doctor moved over to Mudrock.

"I say, old... ah, no, young lady, want to join Rhodes Island?"

"Rhodes Island?"

Since she rarely interacted with Miss Doctor and had been distracted until now, this was the first time Mudrock had heard the words Rhodes Island from her. She suddenly remembered something, and the hammer in her hand fell to the ground.

"Holy shit!"

"Oh, the benefits are negotiable. Over at our place... huh?"

Miss Doctor had already prepared herself to be rejected. She never expected Mudrock to agree so readily, leaving her with a strange sense of unreality. Had she really recruited her just like that? They had not even discussed salary or benefits yet!

But Mudrock seemed to recall something else. She reached out and placed a hand on the Doctor's shoulder.

"Doctor, do you know Mizuki?"

The moment she said that, FrostNova's ears shot up. She could not help looking toward the Doctor and Mudrock, her eyes filled with shock. Why was there another person who knew Mizuki?!

"Ah, I do know him..."

"Wait!"

FrostNova hurried to the Doctor's side and interrupted before she could finish.

"I can join Rhodes Island, but I have one condition."

"What?"

"I want to share a room with Mizuki!"

Mizuki Already Has a Girlfriend

"How could it... be empty?"

Looking at the empty Sarcophagus before her, Amiya could hardly believe her eyes. Kal'tsit could not possibly have misremembered something like this. How could the Doctor not be inside?

"Doctor... where is the Doctor..."

"Amiya, calm down!"

Seeing something black seeming to rise from Amiya's body, Dobermann quickly interrupted her, lest the girl trap herself in a dead end of her own thoughts.

Amiya was only fourteen, after all. Though she was mature for her age, she seemed especially prone to losing control whenever it involved the Doctor.

"May I take a look?"

Mizuki was not surprised by the result at all. In fact, the moment he saw the Sarcophagus, he had felt that the Doctor was probably not inside. It was an indescribable instinct, like how some people could sense that something bad was about to happen.

"Sorry. I lost my composure."

Amiya stepped aside and watched Mizuki walk up to the control panel. Before she could tell him how to operate the machine, his hands were already moving at a speed she could not follow. He did not look like someone using it for the first time at all.

But Amiya remembered clearly that Kal'tsit had said only certain people were allowed to operate this machine. Amiya had only been granted permission because of certain circumstances, and its operation was extremely complicated. Why did Mizuki have permission too? And why did he look so proficient?

"Hmm. There have not been many recorded activations. Besides just now, the most recent was forty minutes ago, and there was another six days ago. The Doctor was probably taken away by someone, though it is also possible she left on her own. The Sarcophagus can be opened from within. That was likely a safeguard to prevent the sleeper from dying if the hibernation process malfunctioned."

Mizuki did not realize there was anything strange about his ability to operate the Sarcophagus. The instant he placed his hand on it, nearly every method of operating the machine had surfaced in his mind.

"So the Doctor was taken away?"

"No. The one six days ago was opened from the inside. The Doctor probably left on her own and likely has not left the city yet."

Hearing Mizuki say that, Amiya could not help sighing in relief. Her heart settled considerably. What worried her most was the Doctor's safety. After all, the Doctor was weak enough to go toe-to-toe with an Originium Slug and had no means of protecting herself.

"But we need to find the Doctor as soon as possible. Reunion has already taken control of this city, though they do not seem as radical as the rumors suggest."

"Indeed... wait a moment. You said who has taken control of this city?"

Mizuki seemed to have noticed a blind spot. Since Kal'tsit had handwritten the mission materials, she had not mentioned much about Reunion. Mizuki only knew that someone was going to attack the city; he did not know it was Talulah and the others.

"Reunion. You didn't know?"

"I didn't. But that makes things easier. Amiya, can you tell me what the Doctor looks like?"

"Silver hair, not very tall, but with a very good figure. Her eyes..."

As he listened to Amiya's description, Mizuki extended his senses outward. Reunion's evacuation had already been completed, so he no longer needed to hold back as much.

Amiya was about to continue when she noticed that the air around them had suddenly become moist, like a forest shrouded in morning mist. Yet there was no mist at all. Her sharp eyes spotted deep-blue tentacles crawling out from the dim corners around them, while the sound of water droplets falling onto the floor seemed to echo by her ears.

"Why did the rain suddenly get heavier?"

Miss Doctor glanced outside. If it had merely been a light drizzle before, it was now unquestionably pouring rain.

Why does this rain feel so familiar?

Shaking her head, Miss Doctor turned to look at the man before her, who wore a felt hat and carried a long sword on his back.

"I say, Redblade, are you really not coming? Rhodes Island has pretty great benefits, you know. There'll even be a cat named Susie joining the island later. You could have another little sister and little brother. What's not to like?"

"Doctor, I've told you many times. My name is Red. And who is Susie?"

Red rubbed his head helplessly. Because his Originium Arts allowed him to coat his blade in his own flames, making it fiery red and extremely intimidating, people in the group usually called him Redblade. Miss Doctor had simply started calling him Brother Redblade, and that title now seemed to have spread even more widely.

"Fine, I got it, Wolf of Carbon."

Although Miss Doctor could be extremely irritating sometimes, she was genuinely hard to dislike. Red had more or less figured out her stubborn, clingy personality.

"Are you really not planning to go? Mudrock has already packed up and is ready to leave with me."

Considering that Reunion had so many Infected and would definitely need a long-term supply of anti-Oripathy medicine in the future, Rhodes Island could sign a long-term contract with them. In that case, it was perfectly reasonable for Miss Mudrock to go to Rhodes Island as Reunion's long-term "ambassador to Rhodes Island," right?

"If she's going with you, then I need to stay even more."

Red turned to leave as he spoke. Seeing that, Miss Doctor helplessly brought out her trump card.

"Rhodes Island has Mizuki."

The moment he heard those words, Red's raised foot froze in midair before finally returning to the ground. He was silent for a long time, then reached up and adjusted his collar.

"Are you serious?"

"Of course!"

Miss Doctor rubbed her hands together. According to the plot, Mizuki did not seem to have joined Rhodes Island yet, but that was not a problem. She would trick this bunch into joining first. Once they reached Rhodes Island, they would have no say in the matter.

But this world is seriously strange. Alina isn't dead, Talulah didn't go bad, FrostNova's condition is much better than expected, Mephisto never went astray, and all these people actually know Mizuki. Could Mizuki be a transmigrator like me?

As a transmigrator, Miss Doctor had not possessed someone else's body. She had developed normally as an embryo. Other than that, she retained some memories from her past life, though only certain things came back to her at certain times. For example, when she saw a formula, she would instinctively derive the entire calculation process and its applications.

And now, she keenly realized that Mizuki might have been the main factor behind Reunion becoming what it was now. But that was a good thing. Whether Mizuki was from her hometown or not, Reunion had not ended up destroying itself, Talulah had not gone bad, and she had even become somewhat airheaded.

"...I'll go take a look someday."

Red thought about it. Reunion was still too weak, and he was considered one of its high-end combatants. He could not leave yet. But if Miss Doctor intended for Rhodes Island and Reunion to establish a cooperative relationship, then there would inevitably be plenty of contact between them.

"Then it's a deal. I'll save you the room next to Mizuki's."

"Why are you saving me a room?"

"What can I do? FrostNova said she wants to share a room with Mizuki, while Mudrock said she wants to live next door. She's probably even thinking of taking the surname Wang. By the way, was Mizuki part of Reunion before?"

"More or less. All of us old Reunion soldiers have benefited from his care one way or another. He was the one who saved Alina's life too."

Miss Doctor nodded thoughtfully. The more she heard, the more Mizuki sounded like someone from her hometown. Otherwise, there was no way to explain how he had ended up in such a distant place.

But that was even better. Before transmigrating, Miss Doctor's favorite male Operator had been Mizuki. If he was from her hometown too, then that made them even closer! It would be much easier to win him over!

After transmigrating for so many years, I only just found out what world I ended up in. If I'd known back then, I would've left myself more advantages.

Rubbing her head helplessly, Miss Doctor had lost some memories, but she was certain that when she had first transmigrated, she had not known what world this was. The Old Civilization was at least ten thousand years in the past, so the gap was simply too large. Still, she remembered her past life very clearly.

Mizuki was someone who would risk his life for her, Miss Doctor. It was hard not to like him.

If he really is from my hometown, I just hope he isn't too different from the original Mizuki.

With that thought, Miss Doctor, having successfully tricked another person, prepared to look for the people from Rhodes Island. By her calculations, Amiya and the others should have entered the city by now. They would definitely be shocked to discover that she had already crawled out of her coffin.

"Hm? What's that?"

As she was thinking, Miss Doctor suddenly spotted many deep-blue tentacles appearing on the street. They looked oddly familiar.

"What?"

Redblade looked in the direction Miss Doctor was pointing. The street was completely empty aside from a few Reunion members.

"You can't see them? Those tentacles... wait, tentacles... could they be Mizuki's tentacles?"

"Among Reunion, only Alina can see Mizuki's tentacles. I didn't expect you to see them too. Wait, does that mean Mizuki is in the city?"

Realizing that, Redblade ran out without another thought, leaving Miss Doctor behind. She watched a tentacle crawl onto her windowsill like a growing vine.

The moment it saw Miss Doctor, the tentacle swayed happily.

"So they really are Mizuki's tentacles..."

As someone who had kept Mizuki as her assistant on the home screen for over two years, Miss Doctor was not about to forget them. Curious, she opened the window and reached out her hand.

The tentacle seemed confused at first, not expecting the Doctor to be able to see it. But then it proactively extended toward her and rubbed against her hand.

It was not slimy or wet, but clean—more like holding crushed ice, with something of the feel of a snake's tail. It felt rather pleasant.

"Found her."

The moment the Doctor and the tentacle touched, Mizuki opened his eyes. An inexplicable joy flashed through his heart, and the smile on his face became exceptionally bright. Carrying his umbrella, he ran straight out so quickly that the others could barely react.

"Mr. Mizuki!"

"Quick, follow him!"

"Little brother! Wait for me!"

Elsewhere, Mr. K, wearing a mask, shook his head endlessly at the torrential rain. With rain this heavy, he did not even dare show his head. Mizuki would not notice his faint reaction from over here, but the tentacles would. Last time, his body had been torn apart by them and turned into fresh nourishment.

Now that Mizuki and the Doctor were about to meet, how could he stop them? She could not take off her mask and embrace them, because once she put it on, she became he—Mr. K, rather than their companion.

"Doctor... can you lead Mizuki down an entirely different path?"

From beneath Mr. K's mask, the voice changed from a hoarse, deep male voice into a cold female voice carrying a trace of pleading.

"What heavy rain. Are those Mizuki's tentacles?"

Because Mizuki had given her his heart, Alina could see his tentacles. She could also sense that the rain contained Mizuki's power and toxins. But to her, it was a blessing instead. Having become half an Abyssal Hunter, Alina often felt somewhat dehydrated.

Looking at the tentacles spreading across the distant streets, Alina knew Mizuki was nearby. Though she could not determine his exact direction, the closer she got to him, the faster her heart beat. Thus, she could also feel that Mizuki was approaching this place.

"Alina, the evacuation is complete. Most of the machinery has already been dismantled and transported to Core City."

Hoederer, Ines, and W walked over together. The three of them were the captain and vice-captains of the Sarkaz mercenaries, so they naturally had to come report on the work.

"Thank you for your hard work. Have you seen Mizuki?"

"No. He's nearby?"

"Then it seems he's coming from the other side."

Alina looked toward the opposite end of the street. The pouring rain made it hard to see what was happening over there, but her heartbeat was accelerating. Hoederer and the others also heard a set of hurried footsteps, followed by a blue figure running over quickly beneath an umbrella.

The sensation of his clothes being soaked by rain was unexpectedly pleasant, though it obstructed his vision somewhat. Mizuki waved his hand, and the rain above him immediately weakened. He did not know how to describe his feelings.

The tentacles were extensions of his five senses. The moment they touched the Doctor, an inexplicable emotion surged from Mizuki's heart. He could not put it into words. He merely instinctively wanted to see the Doctor as soon as possible.

To see her, then embrace her and listen to all her arrangements—this seemed to be the meaning of his existence in this world. If Mizuki's trust in Exusiai was two hundred, then his trust in the Doctor was probably at least ten times that.

However, Mizuki soon noticed several old friends before him. Besides Alina, there were Hoederer and the others. He was sincerely glad he still remembered them, or he might have simply gone around them.

Seeing Mizuki stop before her, Alina was very happy. Just now, she had felt that Mizuki had come specifically to find her. As for FrostNova? Hah, she was nothing more than a fat shut-in bunny.

"Long time no see, everyone."

"Mizuki!"

Before W and Ines could speak, Hoederer threw himself at Mizuki in tears and embraced him.

"Come back already! This family can't survive without you! If this keeps up, I'm going to starve to death sooner or later!"

Listening to Hoederer's heart-wrenching complaint, Mizuki could not help looking at Ines. She turned her head away somewhat embarrassedly and decided to replace Hoederer's dinner with spicy mashed potatoes that night.