Arknightcraft Modpack

After bidding farewell to Kal’tsit, Steven, as usual, strolled into the medical office where Gavial was, as if he were an old man taking a leisurely walk.

Coincidentally, Warfarin was also there, seemingly discussing some medical issues with Gavial.

Steven approached the two of them with his hands behind his back. By now, the two had grown accustomed to Steven’s habit of wanting to observe everything out of curiosity, so they made no effort to conceal their discussion from him.

“Frostleaf’s condition has reverted to the very early stages of Originium infection. If it weren’t for the trace amounts of Originium elements detectable in her blood, I’d think she was never infected in the first place,” Warfarin said.

“What’s more, the Originium crystals that were once exposed on her skin seem to have been removed by someone. Yet, there’s no sign of healing scars, nor can we detect any explanation for how it was done.”

“Now she’s asking me which doctor saved her, insisting that she must personally thank them.”

Steven, of course, knew who this “Frostleaf” Warfarin was talking about. From her tone, it seemed like she wasn’t directing the conversation to Gavial but rather asking him indirectly. However, Steven simply shrugged and didn’t pick up the thread.

Gavial, on the other hand, glanced at Steven with a meaningful expression. Frostleaf’s recovery seemed far too similar to the implausible treatment method Steven had mentioned before.

“I think we should keep this matter under wraps for now. If the one who performed the surgery doesn’t agree, we’ll just be causing trouble for them, won’t we?” Gavial said, casting a sidelong glance at Steven as she followed Warfarin’s train of thought.

“Sigh, such a beautiful young girl. If she found out her savior was a handsome guy, wouldn’t that make for a great story? From her gratitude, I could tell she was genuinely moved,” Warfarin quipped, her eyes also landing on Steven, her tone laced with a hint of mockery.

This guy was shrouded in secrets, none of which he was willing to share, which only heightened their curiosity about him.

“Enough with the insinuations. I’m not in the mood to listen to your sarcastic remarks today, nor do I feel like bickering with you,” Steven said with a grin, folding his arms as he sat on a chair nearby. He didn’t seem at all fazed by their conversation, as if it didn’t bother him in the slightest.

Clearly, they were trying to provoke him, hoping to extract some information. But Steven understood that all too well.

“I’m leaving,” he said calmly, his words stunning Gavial and Warfarin, who looked at him as if the sun had risen in the west. They were surprised to see Steven not engaging in their usual banter.

“So I came to tell you and say goodbye,” he added, tilting his head slightly as he spread his hands, waiting for their response.

“Wait, are you joking? Are you dissatisfied with something on Rhodes Island?” Warfarin asked, squinting her eyes. But when she saw the sincerity in Steven’s gaze, she frowned.

This wasn’t good news. Steven leaving meant the progress of treating Oripathy would slow down significantly. As long as he remained on Rhodes Island, she could at least coax some information out of him occasionally.

Even more importantly, if they encountered patients in the terminal stages of Oripathy, like Frostleaf before, they could still plead with Steven to give them a glimmer of hope.

When it came to saving lives, no price for begging to Steven would be too high.

“No, nothing of the sort. It’s just that the food here is mediocre, there aren’t many recreational facilities, people are a bit too gloomy, and there are too many patients around. Other than that, it’s fine,” Steven replied, listing the shortcomings of Rhodes Island.

Then he realized that, apart from having more people to talk to, this place wasn’t nearly as comfortable as building himself a makeshift shelter anywhere else.

“…Is it really as bad as you say?”

“Don’t you already know the answer?” Steven retorted, locking eyes with Warfarin. The latter quickly averted her gaze.

Indeed, Rhodes Island’s living conditions were just as Steven had described. While it surpassed the living standards of most people in this harsh land, it could only guarantee survival. Comfort was another matter entirely.

“But you haven’t fulfilled your promise to me yet. You said I could be your test subject!”

At this moment, Gavial also spoke up and questioned Steven. Aside from touching the Originium crystal areas on her body on the first day, he hadn’t conducted any experiments on her, which left her confused. Initially, she had been worried about her safety, but now that it hadn’t even begun, Steven was already leaving?

“Ah, those experiments… When I treated that girl you call Frostleaf, I more or less completed them. As for the remaining matters, I think I’ll have to leave Rhodes Island to find what I need,” Steven replied.

“Draco saliva? Then you should go to Victoria instead of Ursus, right?” Gavial instinctively assumed that Steven’s departure was to search for that peculiar material, recalling his previous question to her.

“Uh, maybe I’ll find it there. After all, no one ever said that all Dracos must live in Victoria, right? I’ve got a hunch I’ll come across it,” Steven said without offering much of an explanation. In fact, Gavial’s reasoning was a pretty good excuse, so he went along with it.

Dragon’s Breath wasn’t necessary for him, but Originium crystals certainly were—he was running low on EMC points. In a way, Gavial’s reasoning wasn’t entirely off.

“Aren’t you concerned about your ‘daughter’?” Warfarin asked, frowning as she sensed that Steven was determined to leave. Wasn’t he here to treat his daughter? How could he leave before finishing her treatment? Rhodes Island didn’t even charge him. Was he really in such a hurry to leave?

“Gladiia will be fine. Her two companions are looking after her, and besides, I’m not her biological father. Also, I’m not running away; I just want to take a trip to Ursus. It’s not like I won’t come back,” Steven said, shrugging.

When the main storyline started, he was definitely going to return. He was serious about this, and Kal’tsit had only allowed him to leave under the premise that he would return.

Rather than confining him on Rhodes Island and making him resentful, it was better to let him explore the world. Perhaps then, Steven might come to understand certain things on his own.

“As long as you’re coming back, it’s fine. Before you leave, can you at least…” Warfarin rolled her eyes, feeling reassured upon hearing his promise to return. As someone with a long lifespan, she had plenty of time to wait. Like Kal’tsit, she understood that solving the problem of Oripathy wasn’t something that could be rushed.

“If you’re asking me to let you draw my blood, then the answer is no. But as a parting gift for all the days we’ve spent together, I do have something for you—a little something to keep you busy after I’m gone,” Steven said with a grin.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small vial of pink, glowing liquid and placed it in front of him.

Compared to the overpowering and inexplicable effects of milk, this [Potion of Healing] was much easier to explain. In this world, there were plenty of items with similar effects, so he wasn’t worried about being hunted down for it. With healing magic already existing in this world, a potion that was more effective and faster wasn’t too hard to rationalize.

“Drink it when someone’s on the brink of death, and it’ll pull them back. But don’t expect it to cure Oripathy. Also, I only have this one bottle, so don’t come looking for me once it’s gone,” Steven said, pushing it toward the two medical operators whose eyes were now glowing with excitement. Their reactions were entirely within his expectations.

“Well then, that’s it. Farewell for now—until fate brings us together again,” Steven said, standing up.

However, he was quickly stopped when Gavial grabbed his sleeve.

“Can I… go with you?” the green-haired girl asked, her crocodile tail swishing behind her, betraying her nervousness. Despite her unease, her gaze was resolute.

Gavial had said she wanted to learn how to treat Oripathy, and now it seemed that the only way to achieve that was to stay by Steven’s side.

“I don’t think so. Honestly, you still have a lot to learn. If you come with me, you’ll just end up wasting your potential. Focus on doing what you want to do here,” Steven said, shaking his head.

He understood Gavial’s reasoning, but precisely because of that, he couldn’t take her along. What would she do—follow him to mine Originium? Expect him to actually teach her how to heal? Steven thought to himself that healing was the job of angels. At best, he could send people to meet angels in heaven.

“If you told me it’s because you like me and want to elope with me from this heartless medical company, I wouldn’t mind taking you along. But unfortunately, we’re not at that stage yet, and honestly, I’m not confident enough to handle your hair color. So, I’ll pass,” Steven teased, grinning.

Before Gavial could respond, he turned into a faint purple glow and vanished from the spot, leaving her with a mix of embarrassment and irritation.

Warfarin, meanwhile, was stunned by his teleportation, a hint of regret flashing in her eyes. Just how many secrets did this guy have? If she weren’t outmatched, she’d strip him down and pin him to a surgical table to examine him thoroughly.

As for Gavial, she subconsciously touched her carefully maintained emerald green hair, confused by Steven’s parting words.

Just as they were starting to feel a sense of melancholy over his departure, the door to the medical office suddenly swung open.

Steven’s head peeked in from outside.

“Uh… How do I get off Rhodes Island again? Do I need to call the driver to stop the car?”