Chapter 189 Chapter 189: Skadi
Chapter 189: Skadi
Her tone was cold, yet it seemed to carry a hint of barely concealed naivety.
But if anyone truly underestimated the Abyssal Hunter before them because of this, then her physique—capable of easily toppling buildings—would make everyone understand.
What it means to be a killer whale's domineering fist!
Skadi clenched the instrument case behind her with her right hand.
She was already calculating how much strength to use later to keep the other party's injuries within the range of severe disability.
Almost the moment her words fell.
Three figures in tattered robes appeared at the mouth of the alley.
It was them. Others who followed her at least tried to hide a little.
Though it was useless, they did make an effort.
As long as they didn't block her path, she turned a blind eye and ignored them.
But these three practically fanned their presence right in her face, as if afraid she wouldn't notice.
"Wait, don't be hasty."
The person standing in the middle quickly raised a hand. The straightforward, slightly hoarse tone felt strangely familiar to Skadi.
Outcast lifted her hood; she didn't want to experience what it felt like to be punched by one of these monsters.
The dynamometer that Skadi shattered during her file registration was still lying in the equipment room.
Even the Engineering Department couldn't repair it—it was completely smashed to pieces. Rather than spending effort fixing it, it was better to melt it down for materials.
Seeing Outcast's action, FrostNova and Kevin also lifted their hoods.
"So it's you guys?"
She recognized the elite operator and FrostNova.
As for that man, though, he was a complete stranger to Tidi (Skadi).
But judging by his demeanor, he didn't seem like a weak or fragile man either.
"Did Kal'tsit send you to find me?"
Skadi held her forehead, her small face looking somewhat troubled.
What happened back then was too sudden—her former colleague, in order to abduct another colleague of hers, blasted a huge hole in Rhodes Island's main ship...
"No, not entirely. Finding you is just... incidental."
Outcast said with a smile, equally surprised by this coincidence with the other party.
"Incidental? Whatever, follow me first."
Skadi didn't quite understand the meaning behind the other's words, simply gesturing for everyone to follow.
Anita glanced at them curiously a few times but didn't say much, just leading the way forward.
......
Inside a dilapidated house in the northern area
There weren't enough chairs here, but Skadi and the others, along with Kevin, obviously had no interest in competing over such trivial things.
They stood there chatting.
"Doctor Kal'tsit was right; you would come here."
"She really does know a lot."
Skadi didn't deny the Feline's erudition. In fact, the information that old woman possessed had already far exceeded the scope of "erudition."
It was hard to imagine whether there was still anything "unknown" in this world for that woman.
What the naive Tidi didn't know was that Kal'tsit's "unknown" was standing right in front of her at this moment.
Kevin listened to their conversation without joining the discussion.
"Here, have some water. But there's no food left at home. I'll go to the coast this afternoon to see if I can scavenge something."
Anita held several worn-out cups. The patterns on them had blurred into gray smudges, and the design style was quite outdated.
"Thank you."
Everyone took cups of water that were relatively clean.
Outcast even crouched down and patted her hair, saying thank you. The loving smile on her face was a tool to put children at ease.
In this child, she saw a vitality that other citizens lacked. Though equally faint, at least it existed.
"What's your name?"
"Anita."
"A very nice name. Are you the only one left in your family?"
"Hmm... I should say, I'm the only one left in this house. But Grandma Petra next door, and everyone else in the city—we're all brothers and sisters."
Anita seemed very clever. When talking about others, a bit more joy appeared in her gray pupils.
Outcast looked back at Kevin and saw him slowly nod.
The last trace of hope in her heart shattered. This veteran among elite operators also sighed deeply.
She should have realized it sooner—the entire city... why would the little girl before her be an exception?
Perhaps it was the vitality she displayed, completely different from other citizens, that ignited that last sliver of hope in Outcast.
"Why... why did you sigh?"
"Hehe, it's nothing. You're hungry, right? I still have some food here."
Outcast took out a small metal box from her pocket.
Gently opening the lid, inside were exquisite candies—white rabbits made from tumor-beast milk, accented with strawberry syrup for the eyes, looking incredibly lifelike.
Every Laterano is a master of desserts, and Outcast was no exception.
She never expected that this box of snacks she often carried would come in handy now.
"What is this?"
Anita's gray eyes seemed to be dyed with new life because of the appearance of the candy.
From birth until now, she had never seen anything so beautiful.
Shriveled shellfish, bitter-salty fish—even the grass outside the city was grayish-yellow...
"This is candy."
"What... what is candy?"
Facing the little girl's curious gaze, Outcast fell silent again but quickly restored the smile on her face.
"It's something to eat. Very sweet."
Anita carefully picked up one piece. She was actually somewhat reluctant to put such a beautiful thing into her mouth.
"It's okay. There's more after you finish. These are all yours."
After hearing Outcast's words, she finally felt at ease and put the candy into her mouth.
The overflowing sweetness almost instantly revived her impoverished taste buds.
"It's delicious!"
So there were things in the world you could eat besides those scallops and salted fish.
Anita seemed to have discovered a new continent.
Suddenly, she seemed to remember something.
"Wait here, Grandma..."
She turned around, ran to a corner of the wall, and started removing bricks from there.
"So I've reached the age of being called Grandma now?"
Seeing FrostNova stifling a laugh, Outcast helplessly took off the hat on her head.
"Ah, found it. Here you go."
Anita pulled out three scallops from beneath a crack in the bricks. The shriveled meat had obviously been salted; otherwise, it wouldn't have remained unspoiled for such a long time.
"This is something my mother told me I must always keep a little of, no matter what. No matter how hungry I am, as long as I can find other food, I absolutely must not touch these."
"Now, I give them to you, Grandma."
As if presenting a treasure, she held out those three scallops, her eyes seemingly shining.
This was Anita's most important possession.
"Alright, I will cherish them properly."
Outcast had no intention of eating them but still prepared to accept them with great care and respect.
She didn't refuse because this was the greatest kindness this girl before her could offer.
"Don't move." ×2
Kevin and Skadi spoke in unison.
Skadi even stepped forward directly to grab the girl's arm, her expression turning serious.
"What exactly is this?"
"It's... it's shellfish picked up from the shore."
The little girl was scared, not understanding why the big sister who had been so friendly just moments ago had suddenly changed her demeanor.
"Impossible. There is no food in these seas. You couldn't possibly have gained any harvest. This sea has already quieted down."
She stated categorically.
——————
Collectible:
【Hope for Survival】
Effect: When an operator suffers fatal damage, retains 1 HP for 3 seconds.
(Once per operator)
Description: Three scallops cured with sea salt. The unrefined sea salt makes them taste salty and harsh; the crude curing technique further places them firmly in the category of unpalatable food.
Such food would never appear on a noble's dining table in a lifetime.
But for those suffering hardship, it is their last—named "Hope for Survival."
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