Hearing her companion cry out in such intense pain, Skadi's expression instantly turned ice-cold.
She didn't have time to question what exactly Steven had put in that bucket—all that mattered now was calming the rampaging girl down.
Specter was never this out of control. Even when trapped in her nightmares, she rarely exhibited such aggression.
But that voice—so full of agony—was something Skadi had never heard from her before.
One thing was clear: she had to be stopped.
If Specter were allowed to unleash her full strength, all of Rhodes Island might be in danger.
Like an arrow loosed from a bow, Skadi shot toward the frenzied girl, trying to reach her before things escalated further.
But before she could even steady herself to offer words of comfort, an immense force struck her, sending her flying backward.
Glowing, strange wounds began appearing all over Specter's body, from which a brilliant orange-yellow energy burst forth in violent surges.
Skadi had never seen anything like this before. She had no idea how to stop it.
Meanwhile, Gavial's jaw nearly hit the floor in shock.
That orange-yellow glow—there was no mistaking it. That was the same energy released by Oripathy-infected patients when they died.
But Specter's spinal column had always contained unstable Originium condensate—so why was it suddenly erupting like this?
There was no time to figure it out. Acting on instinct, Gavial grabbed Steven's wrist, trying to drag this bizarre guy away to a safer location.
She was already an Infected, so exposure to the energy wouldn't make things worse for her.
Skadi, being an Abyssal Hunter, also had some level of resistance to this stuff
Steven? He showed no signs of infection. If he stayed any longer, he'd be at serious risk.
But, as always, Gavial couldn't move him an inch.
He stood there, as immovable as a boulder.
"Move! This place is dangerous! You need to explain what the hell was in that bucket!"
She shouted at him. Sure, Specter's rampage was definitely related to him, but she also realized he wasn't exactly at fault—who could have predicted that her first instinct upon waking up would be to chug whatever was in front of her?
Still, the strange pain now radiating from the Originium crystals on her own body made her suspicious.
What exactly was in that bucket?
"It was just a bucket of milk." Steven replied matter-of-factly. "She decided to chow down on my stuff without asking. Honestly, the fact that I didn't even get mad is already pretty generous of me."
He still stood there stubbornly, his gaze fixed on the girl whose entire body was now overflowing with raw Originium energy.
Truthfully, he could have stopped her.
But he didn't.
Because, in that brief moment, curiosity had gotten the better of him.
He had wanted to see what would happen if someone else drank the milk.
And now, well… it looked like the reaction was a bit more dramatic than he had anticipated.
Turns out, milk didn't do much for amnesia. But for other conditions? Yeah, it definitely had an effect.
For a second there, he had worried that the milk was completely useless.
With his mind now at ease, Steven was fully prepared to enjoy the show.
He was just about to pull up a chair, grab some beer, and watch these beautiful women duke it out—there was no way he was leaving just because Gavial told him to.
So, even as Gavial shot him a glare full of frustration before running off to get reinforcements, Steven still made no effort to move.
Meanwhile, Skadi, having just been blasted away by Specter's energy, was already charging back toward her.
This time, she was done talking—she reached out, ready to pin Specter to the ground.
But Specter, already driven to madness by the searing pain in her body, wasn't about to let that happen.
Like a wild beast, she lunged—tackling Skadi to the floor.
The fight between Skadi and Specter was nothing but a chaotic brawl, void of any refined technique. Yet, the sheer force of their struggle, combined with the Originium energy surging from Specter's wounds, made the small infirmary feel as though it had been struck by an earthquake.
As Steven debated whether to bet on Specter or Skadi emerging victorious, he noticed that Gladiia—seated beside him—suddenly had a sorrowful expression on her face. Then, for some reason, she stood up.
"What's wrong?"
Steven shot her a puzzled look.
If there was one thing he disliked, it was seeing someone cry—especially when that someone was a beautiful girl.
"Dad, I don't know... I just don't want to see them fighting or getting hurt. It... feels really uncomfortable."
Her delicate face was filled with sorrow as she pointed at her chest with a slender finger.
She didn't know what this emotion was called, but her consciousness was transmitting a sensation so unbearable that she could hardly stand it.
"Can I stop them?"
Gladiia asked pitifully, her crimson eyes filled with even deeper distress.
"And what exactly would you do? Get beaten up?"
Steven rolled his eyes, his amusement fading.
Damn it. He should never have picked up this so-called daughter. Why did he have to be so soft-hearted?
What a waste—two gorgeous girls locked in a fierce battle, and he barely got to enjoy the show before it had to end.
With a sigh, Steven stood up.
He had no choice—until this adopted daughter of his was fully cured, he owed her.
This debt of turning her into a fool wasn't so easily repaid.
"Watch your old man work his magic."
Saying something that sounded a little strange even to himself, Steven suddenly vanished, leaving behind only a fleeting afterimage.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared between the two combatants, right in the middle of their clash.
Reaching out, he effortlessly grabbed both of their arms. With just a slight application of force, he separated the two girls who, mere moments ago, had been tearing into each other like rampaging dragons.
"Ladies, take a breath. Let's talk this out, shall we?"
He grinned, completely ignoring their struggles.
Then, after a brief pause, he realized—he had nothing to say.
"Actually... I don't have much to add. How about you both just take a break?"
He had spent a few moments trying to come up with something meaningful, but nothing appropriate came to mind.
Skadi was completely dumbfounded.
This boy—who had just casually interfered in a battle between Abyssal Hunters—had stopped her without breaking a sweat.
That realization alone was enough to make her freeze.
But Specter, still writhing in agony, was far from being so easily calmed.
When she found that she couldn't break free from Steven's grip, her instincts took over.
In a feral, mindless act, she opened her mouth and bit down on Steven's hand.
"Oi! What's wrong with you? First, you steal my milk, and now you wanna eat me too? Where's the justice in this?!"
Steven twitched in annoyance. With Skadi finally settled, he had a free hand, and he wasn't about to waste it.
He had no intention of holding back for the sake of some misplaced chivalry—so, with a swift motion, he delivered a firm chop to the back of Specter's neck.
At first glance, it didn't seem like a particularly powerful strike. His movements were light, almost casual.
But despite this, Skadi felt a chill run down her spine.
Her battle instincts screamed at her—if that strike had been aimed at her, she wouldn't have been able to block it.
And if she couldn't, then neither could a berserk Specter.
Steven's hand landed on Specter's nape like a feather—yet the moment it touched her, the rampaging girl instantly collapsed into an unconscious heap.
"I know you're worried about her, but don't stress. I held back. She's got a sturdy build—worst case, she'll have a stiff neck for a few days."
Steven casually flexed his fingers, as if he had just swatted a fly.
Meanwhile, Skadi, still sitting on the ground, looked up at him in shock.
Steven turned his gaze toward her, his expression turning deadpan.
"Also, your friend just cost me a bucket of milk. That's going on your tab. Let's say… one or two million LMD? Sounds fair, right?"