Chapter 160: Made It In Time!

“Join Rhodes Island with your three sisters, or become fresh crafting materials in our Originium storage right this second. Take your time to think it over. After all, Rhodes Island deeply respects the wishes of every new Operator…”

Aya tilted her head, her alien mind completely failing to grasp the threat. “Why do the wishes of a new Operator matter?”

Thorns raised his sword, the edge gleaming with toxic intent as he prepared to strike. “What do you think?”

Aya blinked, looking genuinely aggrieved as she tried to negotiate. “The struggles between you big shots shouldn’t involve a weak, helpless little sea beast like me…”

She can still be saved!

Thorns was playing the role of the ruthless henchman to perfection, his lethal aura steadily wearing down the giant beast’s mental defenses. However, the interrogation wasn’t going entirely smoothly. Aya’s complete lack of tension and her utterly non-human thought process made it like talking to a brick wall.

But there was no rush. The volcano wasn’t going to erupt in the next five minutes, and watching this cross-frequency communication between an eccentric Aegir and a literal eldritch sea monster was highly entertaining.

Ding-dong!

[Rhodes Island Happy Family Group]

[Electric Guitar is Not Heresy: @Everyone I just found a genius band while on vacation! Can someone please share my hype?!]

[Electric Guitar is Not Heresy: [Image sent]]

[Lungmen Disciple Ch’en the Third Jumps off a Cliff to Prove Her Resolve: What kind of group chat is this? Isn’t it working hours right now?]

[Lungmen Disciple Ch’en the Third Jumps off a Cliff to Prove Her Resolve: Wait, why is my ID set to this?!]

[“Lungmen Disciple Ch’en the Third Jumps off a Cliff to Prove Her Resolve” has been removed from the group chat.]

[Like This And My Brother Will Pick Cotton:…What the heck? My only complaint is that they’re not as good as Sunset Aglow. By the way, where’s my brother? Isn’t he at the concert?]

[Electric Guitar is Not Heresy: You’re just too conservative! Don’t watch it if you don’t like it!]

[Call Me By My Title During Work Hours: @Electric Guitar is Not Heresy Stop fooling around. First, check if the Doctor is nearby. Then, zoom in the camera a bit.]

[No Period Blood Thanks: Kal’tsit?! Why are you lurking in the group chat too? (Vampire_Laughing.zip)]

[The Snowfield Investment Rule is All-In on the Doctor: You people… when was I added to this group?]

[Kazimierz Three-Time Champion: I invited you. No need to thank me, Boss.]

[Call Me By My Title During Work Hours: I am currently on a business trip. Let’s shelve that discussion for now. Zoom in the camera first.]

[Why Hasn’t The Trial For The Saintess-To-Be Arrived Yet: Oh, so Dr. Kal’tsit enjoys music too.]

[Crazy Deer: Wait, a pink-haired Sarkaz with vertical horns… and that voice… wait a minute!]

Crap! What did I miss?!

You hurriedly typed a private message to Vigna.

[No More Online Dating: Wait, which venue are you at?! I’m coming right now!]

Holy crap, why did they start playing Haruhikage early?!

Seeing that Thorns’s intimidation tactics and psychological warfare hadn’t completely shattered Aya’s defenses, you realized you didn’t have the luxury of letting him experiment anymore.

“Step aside. Let me handle this.”

You bent down slightly, your cold gaze locking onto Aya, who was currently pinned to the ground by jagged spikes of Originium. You delivered your ultimatum with succinct precision.

“If you don’t surrender, I will eat you right now. If you surrender, I will eat you later.” You paused, your eyes darkening. “Even a small sea beast is still meat.”

It was a vivid, brutal threat—and it aligned perfectly with Aya’s predatory logic. The giant beast finally grasped the gravity of the situation.

“That makes perfect sense! Please, eat me later!”

Thorns: “?”

So it turns out all my subtle hinting was just a waste of time!

You nodded in satisfaction. Reaching down, you pulled a decorative strap from your coat and tied it securely around her wrist. “I’ll swap this out for something better later. Wearing this means you are officially my emergency rations. Got it?”

Aya visibly relaxed, letting out a breath. “Got it.”

With a sharp snap of your fingers, the high-density Originium that had been binding her instantly shattered, transforming into pure white dust that scattered harmlessly across the ground. The gruesome, gaping holes in the giant beast’s body caused by the crystals were exposed to the air, but as her authority over her own form returned, her flesh immediately began to writhe and regenerate.

“Tell those sisters of yours to follow behind us. You’re coming with me first.”

Aya nodded, obediently falling into step behind you without a single word of complaint.

You smiled, satisfied with your new acquisition, and then spun around.

“Charge, Sea Urchin! Or they’re going to finish their performance without us!”

On the other side of the city, the performance of Haruhikage was rapidly nearing its climax.

Three tall, imposing Sarkaz were singing and dancing on stage, absolutely drenched in sweat. However, this perspiration wasn’t born from physical exhaustion—it was pure, unadulterated anxiety.

Is the Doctor really not coming?!

If this continued, the next time they saw the Doctor might be as enemies on the blood-soaked battlefields of Londinium!

The Nachzehrer King was practically vibrating with panic. As the main force of the Sarkaz line-fillers and the clumsiest, largest battlefield vanguard among the Royal Court members, he knew exactly what awaited him. If a real fight broke out, the others would at least have their unique combat mechanics to rely on. But fighting the Doctor? That would be a simple, unadorned, brutal daily routine. Black pieces deal high damage, white pieces deal high damage—no brain needed. The Doctor’s only effort would be placing Originium tiles at his feet while pummeling him into the dirt, screaming, “Black pieces, speak up! Black pieces, speak up!”

Theresis was even more frantic. He was almost done with his choreographed dance routine. If the Doctor still didn’t show up, what would happen to his lifelong reputation? What about his majesty as the Sarkaz Regent?! He couldn’t exactly lead two entire Royal Courts to crawl on the ground and beg for mercy, could he?!

The melody transitioned into its final section, the rhythm becoming increasingly soothing and melancholic.

“Hikari wa yasashiku tsureitta… Hikari wa yasashiku tsuretatsu yo~”

“We finally made it!”

“We finally lured them out!”

Amidst the noisy, packed venue, the three figures who arrived in a desperate hurry were relatively inconspicuous—especially the white-haired Liberi dressed in a tightly wrapped, unassuming uniform.

But Theresis spotted those cold, calculating gray eyes among the sea of countless people in a single, desperate glance. His racing heart instantly eased, and he let out a long, shuddering sigh of relief.

Unlike other races who had to go through a difficult Inspiration Check—like surviving a literal SAN check—the Sarkaz method of identifying the Doctor was far more effective. Whichever direction gave them the most intense, phantom sensation of having thorns driven into their backs… that was exactly where the Doctor was standing!

You suddenly felt a prickle of unease. Subconsciously, you looked up at the brightly lit stage.

Huh?

My Haruhikage… it’s… it’s already over?!

Wait, why was such an exquisitely dressed Warden starting to bow and take a curtain call?!

No! I’m actually going to throw a tantrum!

[Rhodes’s Note: “Haruhikage” is a reference to a highly emotional and meme-status song from the anime BanG Dream! It’s MyGO!!!!!, where a character famously cries out “Why did you play Haruhikage?!” during a tense moment.]

[Rhodes’s Note:

Enjoying the operation so far, Doctor?

(This daily grind literally pays the landship’s rent!