Chapter 212: It Doesn't Matter, I'll Take Action
Chapter 212: It Doesn't Matter, I'll Take Action
Kal'tsit looked at the young man before her.
Contrary to what Closure had reported, he did not immediately evacuate the patients from the deck.
Instead, she had a feeling that even in the face of a Catastrophe, this guy still had a way to handle it.
"What do you intend to do?"
Noticing the slightly serious expression on Steven's face, Kal'tsit softly asked him a question.
That was a Catastrophe—a terrifying disaster caused by Originium. No matter how strong a person was, it was nearly impossible to face such a force head-on.
As far as Kal'tsit knew, individuals capable of dealing with something of this scale did exist in Terra, but their number was certainly fewer than ten.
Even then, what they did wasn’t really "opposing" a Catastrophe—it was more like dispersing it.
Yet, from the young man before her, she sensed a feeling of resistance.
No—more precisely, he wasn’t trying to resist the Catastrophe. It was more like… he intended to control it.
Was such a thing even possible?
Kal'tsit had lived far too long on this land, yet she had never once seen anyone capable of doing that.
"What do I want to do? I just want good weather so that nobody's fun gets spoiled. That’s all."
Steven shrugged, turning back to look at the deck where patients and operators were singing and dancing.
The festival atmosphere had already taken over, and at this moment, there were no distinctions between patients and operators, infected and uninfected.
There were only people—humans, enjoying the celebration together.
Such a beautiful scene, yet it was about to be interrupted by a Catastrophe?
That was way too much of a buzzkill.
"But that's a Catastrophe—an Originium-infused disaster!"
"So what?"
Faced with Kal'tsit's serious and wary expression, Steven merely turned back and responded casually.
"…"
Kal'tsit fell silent.
Steven’s words meant that he had already made up his mind. But how exactly did he intend to deal with this crisis?
"For most people, a Catastrophe is unavoidable. It is the source of Oripathy's tragedies—the wrath that Terra itself manifests."
"But it doesn't matter. I'll take action."
Speaking softly in front of Kal'tsit, Steven had no intention of hiding anything from this old cat. After all, it wouldn’t hurt to give her a little scare.
Calmly opening the input console, Steven wore a confident smile.
Just as he had said, this so-called Catastrophe might indeed be terrifying, perhaps even akin to the fury of nature itself.
But unfortunately for it—precisely because of that, it was still part of the weather.
At least, this particular Catastrophe was.
Looking at the apocalyptic scene before him, where dark clouds flashed with lightning, seemingly ready to devastate the land, Steven merely smirked.
[/weather clear 18000]
Steven made no movements.
Kal'tsit didn’t even see him lift a finger—he merely glanced at the ominous storm clouds.
Yet in the very next instant, the ominous clouds that had seemed to spell doom vanished, as if erased from the sky with a rubber eraser.
Not only that—the entire sky was swept clean in an instant.
The phrase "clear skies for miles" had never been so vividly realized.
Warm sunlight bathed Kal'tsit’s body, affirming that what had just happened was no illusion.
The moment Steven finished speaking, the Catastrophe was over.
Unbelievable!
With an expression of utter shock, Kal'tsit stared at Steven.
She had imagined all sorts of ways this mysterious young man might resist the incoming Catastrophe, but never—never—had she considered that his solution would be this simple.
So simple, in fact, that she hadn't even realized what he had done before the Catastrophe was already gone.
"You… just who are you?"
After a long silence, Kal'tsit finally asked the question that she should have asked much earlier.
She had thought she already knew the answer, but now, it was clear she had been wrong.
She didn't understand this young man at all.
What little she did know was merely what he allowed her to see.
"I already told you, didn't I? I'm just a traveler, wandering around. Nothing more."
Steven chuckled.
He didn’t even bother checking how many points that command had cost him.
If he ran out, he’d just earn more—overthinking things would only hold him back.
Then, without another word, he walked past the old cat who was still in shock, making his way toward the crowd below.
The people there, blissfully unaware of what had just transpired, were already dancing to the music from the speakers.
The crisis had been dealt with.
Now, it was time to enjoy the festival, wasn’t it?
Meanwhile, Kal'tsit watched Steven’s departing figure, her gaze filled with complex emotions.
As long as someone like him was on their side, the sense of security was immeasurable.
But the problem was…
Steven had made it clear—he was just a traveler, nothing more.
He wasn’t part of Rhodes Island.
Every time he took action, it was purely for himself.
That was precisely why Kal'tsit desperately wanted to recruit him.
Even if it was just on a temporary basis, even if he was only a hired operator—his presence would be an invaluable asset to Rhodes Island’s future endeavors.
But this wasn’t something that could be forced.
If Steven didn’t willingly join, then any agreement would be meaningless.
Even if he accepted, it wouldn’t necessarily benefit them in any real way.
"…Sigh."
She let out a soft sigh. There wasn’t much she could say at this point.
That last competition had been the perfect opportunity, but she had been too cautious—too hesitant—and ended up overcomplicating things.
She had no one to blame but herself.
Just then, Closure came sprinting out from the broadcast room, running up to Kal'tsit in a panic.
"The Catastrophe—it— it’s gone?!"
Closure had been monitoring the situation, using detection devices to determine how Rhodes Island should avoid the impending disaster and reroute accordingly.
But in the blink of an eye, the incredibly dangerous Catastrophe had vanished into thin air.
Her instruments returned to normal.
The sky above was clear and bright—there wasn’t even a trace of an approaching disaster.
It was as if everything she had observed earlier had been a mere illusion.
That was why she had rushed out to find Kal'tsit—this was too abnormal. She had to be sure.
"I know."
Kal'tsit responded calmly.
Closure’s reaction was only natural.
If she hadn’t witnessed it herself, she too would have struggled to comprehend what had happened.
If she hadn’t seen Steven erase the Catastrophe with just a glance, she might have doubted reality itself.
Now, all she wanted was to find a quiet place to think and figure out a way to strengthen Rhodes Island’s relationship with Steven.
"If he were here… I probably wouldn’t have been so passive… nor would I have made that mistake earlier."
Kal'tsit cast her gaze toward the direction of Ursus, narrowing her eyes as a figure flashed through her mind—a person clad in a Rhodes Island uniform, wearing a strange hood, and known as the "Ghost of Babel."
"But now… it's still not the time. The moment hasn’t come yet…"
Muttering softly to herself, Kal'tsit shook her head, snapping out of her thoughts.
"Regarding the Catastrophe, just pretend nothing happened. No need to spread the word. Everything else continues as usual—just do what needs to be done. As for the dance on the deck, let them enjoy themselves."
After giving her instructions to Closure, Kal'tsit waved her hand dismissively and started walking toward her office.
"Huh? That's it? It just ends like this? Are you sure?"
Closure was still struggling to make sense of the situation.
If things ended like this, wasn’t there a chance the vanished Catastrophe could reappear?
And from Kal'tsit’s reaction, it seemed like she knew what had resolved the disaster?
But remembering Kal'tsit’s cryptic nature, Closure could only sigh in resignation and drop the topic.
After all, even if she asked, Kal'tsit wouldn’t necessarily answer—and even if she did answer, Closure might not even understand.
"Then… Kal'tsit, don’t you want to go down for a bit? Walk around, dance, have something to eat?"
This time, Closure didn’t call her "Dr. Kal'tsit" but instead addressed her by name, as one friend speaking to another.
Of all the people on the island, Closure understood best how much Kal'tsit had sacrificed for Rhodes Island.
And precisely because of that, she couldn’t bear to see this proud old cat looking so exhausted.
She had done so much already.
Why couldn't she take just a brief moment to rest?
"…What?"
Kal'tsit turned back, looking at the Sarkaz vampire in front of her with a hint of confusion in her eyes.
"I mean, Amiya is down there. She might get bullied, you know? I think she could use someone to watch over her. Besides…"
Closure sighed and gestured toward the crowd, where a small rabbit was scanning her surroundings with a bright smile and eager eyes—clearly looking for someone.
"Amiya obviously wants to dance with you."
Closure grinned at her old friend.
"…Hmm."
Kal'tsit’s gaze softened as she looked at Amiya.
And for once, the proud feline allowed a smile to curl at her lips.
"Alright… just for a little while, then."
With that, she and Closure walked toward Amiya, who was still waiting in the crowd.
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