Among the medical operators present, the only one capable of directly detecting the Originium concentration in someone's blood without relying on instruments was Warfarin.
Having spent so much time with Specter, there was no one more familiar with her condition than her.
And now—
The blood Originium density that she had tried countless methods to reduce, without even the slightest success, had visibly decreased.
Was this Steven's so-called trump card for curing Oripathy?
If Steven removing his own infection could still be explained as a quirk of his unique physiology, then the changes in Specter's body completely proved that he possessed a method to cure the infected.
However—
After conducting a more detailed examination of Specter's condition, Warfarin quickly suppressed her initial excitement.
Yes, the Originium crystal density in Specter's body had decreased.
But at the same time, it had inflicted massive damage to her body.
Had it not been for the inhuman physical resilience of the Abyssal Hunters, anyone else undergoing this treatment might have ended up crippled or dead.
In other words, Steven hadn't been lying.
If they wanted to use his method to cure Oripathy, it would need further refinement before it became a viable treatment.
At the very least, someone like Amiya—whose infection was at a critical level—would not be able to survive this kind of damage.
"Well? I was right, wasn't I?"
Seeing Warfarin's expression shift from excitement to deep contemplation, Steven finally spoke.
"Words can be spoken recklessly, but food shouldn't be eaten carelessly. It's not that I'm trying to keep secrets from you—it's just that even I can't guarantee the safety of this treatment yet."
As he explained, he reached into his inventory and pulled out another bucket of milk, waving it slightly to confirm that he did, in fact, have more.
Of course, when it came to how to make the treatment safer, Steven had already come up with a rough plan.
The problem was—
One, the people here would likely never agree to it.
And two, it was simply too much of a loss for him personally.
"Would it be possible for us to purchase some from you for—"
"No."
Before Kal'tsit could even finish her request, Steven shut her down immediately.
He already knew what she was going to ask.
And no matter how worthless milk might seem to them, he had zero intention of handing it over for research.
Did they not understand the importance of holding onto core technology?
Sure, with how broken minecraft bullsit was, he was fairly certain that even if he handed the milk over, Rhodes Island wouldn't be able to replicate it.
But why should he make trouble for himself?
If they couldn't figure it out, they might start suspecting that he was hiding some secret ingredient.
It was better to not give them anything in the first place.
"I can't guarantee that you wouldn't use this for... special research purposes."
Steven was completely open about his reasoning.
"To put it bluntly, the level of trust between us is far from sufficient for that."
His voice was calm, without a hint of hesitation.
"This concerns my privacy and secrets. If you really want to study it, then maybe you can try defeating me."
"Who knows? Maybe if you beat me up hard enough, I might drop some loot."
Steven grinned, looking genuinely excited at the idea of them trying.
Unfortunately, Kal'tsit's initial fervor gradually faded, and she soon regained her composure.
As expected, older people are always so annoyingly rational.
"Please don't joke about such things."
Her voice was as cold as ever.
"If you're unwilling to provide it for research, then do the terms of our previous agreement still stand?"
She didn't resort to force as Steven had expected, nor did she attempt to snatch the bucket of milk from his hands.
Instead, Kal'tsit simply confirmed their prior agreement with him.
"That's not an issue. As long as you're willing to pay, I'm happy to help with treatment. That's a separate matter."
Steven shrugged.
Paying for medical treatment was common sense. He had no reason to refuse, plus, it was a good opportunity to test his theories.
"Alright, then Rhodes Island sincerely thanks you, Mr. Steve, for helping us suppress our rampaging patient. If you have any requests, feel free to state them now."
Kal'tsit stopped Warfarin, who still had questions, before formally thanking Steven.
Since he wasn't planning to run off anytime soon, their priority now was to calmly process the overwhelming amount of information they had just received and strategize on how to negotiate with him going forward, rather than risk angering him with ill-timed inquiries.
What remained was figuring out how to earn his trust and how to refine his so-called treatment method.
And, of course, ensuring that news about him remained absolutely confidential—especially from Rhine Lab.
If that group caught wind of this, there was no telling what kind of insane experiments they'd try to pull.
"What kind of request could I even have? Didn't I say it already? Help fix my daughter's brain. If she keeps clinging to me, how am I supposed to travel the world?"
Steven shrugged, pointing at Gladiia.
At the moment, she was the only person he cared about to any degree—but even that was just out of responsibility.
Now that it was clear his milk couldn't fix brain-related issues, he could only rely on this medical organization to provide him with some pleasant surprises.
"Her body is healthier than most people here," Gavial finally spoke up.
She had been just as shocked by everything that had happened, but since her expertise wasn't as deep as Kal'tsit's or Warfarin's, she had adjusted fairly quickly.
"And her memory loss isn't even a disease. It's more like a self-defense mechanism of her brain. There's no actual 'treatment' for it."
"Maybe if people talk to her about her past, she might regain her memories."
Steven sighed.
"So you're saying she just needs rest? And to have people chat with her?"
This conclusion was something he had already suspected.
But hearing it confirmed by actual professionals still left him a little disappointed.
Looked like he wouldn't be able to shake off this extra baggage anytime soon.
Gavial nodded.
"Alright, I guess that's the only option. I'll need to stay here for a while. Kal'tsit, I assume you won't mind?"
Though he already knew the answer, Steven still asked, sounding a little exasperated.
Without waiting for a response, he quickly walked over to the Abyssal Hunter girl who was supporting the unconscious Specter.
"Miss 'Owes-Me-A-Ton-Of-Money,' I'll be leaving my 'daughter' in your hands."
"Helping her regain her memories is something you wanted to do too, isn't it?"