Asura in Arknights

Kal'tsit didn't seem surprised by the result.

Afterwards, Li Ang took Kal'tsit to the Structural Department. At this time, Himer was still busy adjusting the schedule and arranging the surgery time for Ifrit, so she only told Li Ang that she had helped Kal'tsit arrange a room, and did not come over in person.

Of course, Kal'tsit's room was normally assigned to the staff dormitory area.

There are quite a few people like her who collaborate with the structural engineering department, so the staff dormitory always has some empty rooms available for these partners who have come from afar. People like Li Ang, who stay in the nursing ward, are exceptions.

After helping Kal'tsit move her two large pieces of luggage, Li Ang casually asked, "Dr. Kal'tsit, is there anything else I can help you with?"

“I want to see the child first,” Kal’tsit said. “There’s no way to get specific information over a long-distance communication.”

"Also... if you have time, I hope you can be present during the surgery."

“Me?” Li Ang seemed a little surprised. “I should be free recently, but what do you want me to do? I know nothing about surgery.”

“Just in case,” Kal'tsit said calmly, “to avoid the worst-case scenario, I and mon3tr should be able to suppress the rampaging Balrog, but we cannot guarantee the safety of the child and the other surgical personnel.”

"Therefore, I need the power to knock it down instantly."

The candidate... is naturally Li Ang.

"You mean... that brat can go berserk?" Li Ang frowned.

From Kal'tsit's previous descriptions, one can guess just how terrifying the destructive power of a Royal Firelord is; even if only a portion of it is unleashed, it would be enough to destroy most of the Structural Department.

But that's not important. What's important is... if that brat really goes berserk, can her body really withstand the power of the Flame Demon?

The King's Flame Demon could only unleash that level of flame by sacrificing his own body. Would that brat burn himself to death?

Li Ang has already told Muirsey that Ifrit is alright. If something were to happen at a time like this... Li Ang would be too embarrassed.

"It's only a possibility."

Kal'tsit's expression remained calm, but a subtle emotional fluctuation appeared in her voice when she spoke of Ifrit.

A hint of confusion slipped through her voice. “The previous conditions didn’t meet the requirements… No one has ever tried this method before. Her situation is unprecedented.”

Indeed, even among the Sarkaz, the use of Balrog fragments was limited to crafting them into staves to enhance fire-based spells.

Implanting fragments of the Flame Demon into one's body in an attempt to seize the Flame Demon's power... I wonder which genius came up with this idea.

It couldn't possibly be Palvis; he was just an executor.

The person who devised this plan must have a deep understanding of the Sarkaz and the Balrog. Ordinary people... like Himeru, they may not have even heard of the Balrog, let alone know the secret of the Royal Balrog's transformation and its attempt to awaken the remaining consciousness in the fragment.

If Kal'tsit weren't absolutely certain that the Balrogs had long been wiped out, she would have suspected that some Balrog might have survived and joined Columbia's Ministry of Defense.

However, one thing is certain: there are definitely people within the Colombian Ministry of Defense who have a deep understanding of the Balrog, which is why they were able to devise such a fantastical plan.

Is it a lich?

After thinking it over, Kal'tsit quickly identified the most suspicious target.

Although there was a banshee in Rhine's life, Kal'tsit knew very well that she was just an ordinary young banshee with little connection to the Banshee Royal Court and could not possibly know such secrets.

And the lich...

The liches pride themselves on being the guardians of the temple of knowledge, bringing knowledge to all races and allowing Originium Arts to develop significantly.

They do not interfere with the development of various countries, and if the price paid is right... the Colombians can indeed obtain knowledge about the Balrog from the liches.

However, Kal'tsit's thoughts went a step further.

[After all these years... the reclusive liches have finally made a new move. Do they intend to leave Letania?]

[That's true. The situation in Letania is unpredictable. Something must have happened to the twin queens. Staying in Letania isn't a good choice. Their next destination is... Columbia?]

Thinking of this, Kal'tsit glanced at Leon beside her without leaving a trace.

It's unclear whether this matter has some unknown connection to him, after all... since the Gemini Queens fell into silence, they have issued very few orders 'personally', one of which was to capture an ordinary student who hadn't even graduated yet.

This really makes one's imagination run wild.

Although Kal'tsit was unaware of the true nature of the situation, she felt that... the unusual activity in the Lich King's court might be related to this inexplicable order.

Even if you calculate the start time of the Flame Demon Project, it roughly corresponds to that event.

"So I hope you can come and help to avoid the worst-case scenario."

"That's no problem."

Without much thought, Leon agreed to Kal'tsit's request. "But what exactly do you need me to do?"

"In the worst-case scenario, the Balrog's consciousness might awaken during the process of removing the Balrog fragments, or the child might be controlled by the Balrog's instincts."

After hearing Kal'tsit's explanation, Li Ang understood where the problem lay.

Although he didn't know what mon3tr Kal'tsit was talking about was, Leon thought... it probably referred to another consciousness hidden within Kal'tsit.

In his perception, Kal'tsit's spine was made of some kind of ultra-high density Originium material and had a very complex mechanical structure, which seemed to be able to detach from Kal'tsit's body on its own.

That faint consciousness was discovered by Li Ang on that section of the spine.

Transforming one's own spine into a biological weapon... Li Ang was not in a position to comment on this approach, but Kal'tsit had done this human modification to herself, and no one else had the right to criticize her.

When she first had a misunderstanding with Kal'tsit, she seemed to want to call out that thing, but before she could, she and Amiya were subdued by Leon.

High-density Originium composite material... that thing doesn't seem like it would be afraid of high temperatures at all. The real danger is Ifrit herself.

Even though the implanted Flame Demon fragments gave her fire resistance, preventing her from being vaporized by the flames she released, the problem is... the removal surgery would require cutting open her abdomen.

Even the slightest movement by Ifrit during this process could cause her internal organs to spill out everywhere.

And a person who has lost control cannot be expected to pay attention to their own physical condition.

"So... what I have to do is, when the Flame Demon's consciousness rises, press it back down?" Li Ang raised an eyebrow.

“That’s right.” Kal’tsit nodded and said, “If I’m not mistaken, you should be able to do that.”

"You guessed right."

A few days ago, Li Ang had already tried it on Ifrit himself.

Perhaps due to its long-term entanglement with the Flame Demon's consciousness, the brat's soul was extremely sensitive; any attack involving the soul could deliver a critical hit tenfold.

Subduing the out-of-control Ifrit shouldn't be difficult. Whether using stagnant powers or a soul-shaking attack filled with murderous intent, Leon is fully confident he can do it.

"If that's all there is to it, then I have no problem."

"...Please."

After Li Ang made a promise to help with the surgery, he finally relieved Kal'tsit of all her worries.

Although... if the child went berserk and died during the surgery, she wouldn't have to bear any responsibility, Kal'tsit clearly had her own plans.

If Trevor's presence hadn't thrown Kal'tsit into such a state of confusion, she would definitely have taken Himer and Ifrit to Rhodes Island for treatment.

Kal'tsit could see that because of the so-called Balrog Project, Himer had developed a rift with Rhine Lab. The reason she was still maintaining a superficial peace was only because she wanted to use Rhine Lab's channels to save that child.

If given the chance, Kal'tsit felt... she should take Ifrit away from Rhine Lab.

Kal'tsit felt that she could create this opportunity for her.

Both the experimental subjects of the Balrog Project and Himeru herself were quite valuable in Kal'tsit's eyes.

Although she had more important things to do this time, she didn't necessarily have to give up her initial plan. Kal'tsit felt that she could try again; there was still a chance.

Thinking of this, Kal'tsit said to Leon, "Then, take me to see that child."

"Wait a moment, I'll go ask Dr. Hamer for permission... No one else is allowed to enter that place normally."

The head of the Structural Medicine Department, Palvis, the head of the Chimera Therapy Project, Himer, and the database maintainer, Joyce, are all allowed inside, as is Seria.

In any case, if Himer hadn't led them, the two of them going there directly would have definitely triggered a whole bunch of alarms.

On the other side, Himer seemed to have encountered an unexpected situation and couldn't get over in a short time. However, it didn't seem to be bad news, as Li Ang could hear the excitement hidden in her words.

When Leon suggested taking Kal'tsit to see Ifrit, Himer readily agreed and granted them the necessary permissions.

Himer also told Li Ang that she would soon be able to handle all her affairs and might be able to arrange the surgery for Ifrit as early as this afternoon.

This is probably why Himer was so excited before... For her, only by resolving Ifrit's problem as soon as possible can she truly put her mind at ease.

Li Ang told Kal'tsit about this, and Kal'tsit had no objection.

She's in pretty good shape right now, and if she rests for a while at noon, she should be able to perform surgery in the afternoon without any problems.

After confirming that he and Kal'tsit had obtained access to the confidential area, Li Ang then led her to Ifrit's ward.

-------------------------------------

Chapter 110

When Leon and Kal'tsit arrived at Ifrit's hospital room, the child was lying on the bed looking through a picture book.

The edges of the picture book pages are severely worn, revealing a ring of obvious burrs, clearly indicating that it has been flipped through many times.

Unable to go out and forbidden from using any electronic devices, Ifrit is no different from a prisoner in jail. This picture book and the building blocks scattered on the carpet in the corner are Ifrit's only means of entertainment.

Hearing the door open, Ifrit immediately dropped her picture book and turned around in surprise.

Besides Himer and Saria, only Joyce usually comes here to examine Ifrit's body or administer medicine.

For a while now, a beautiful elf sister would come to keep her company in the evenings. Although this made Ifrit sleep a little less at night, she was still very happy.

Anyway, she doesn't have much to do during the day, so if she gets tired, she can just rest.

Unfortunately, the fairy sister hadn't come to see her for several days... This disappointed Ifrit, but she also understood that the adults all had their own work to do and couldn't stay with her all day.

That's why Ifrit was so excited when she heard the door open.

Whoever comes can keep Ifrit company during this boring time, which is what she looks forward to most every day.

To Ifrit's disappointment, it wasn't the people she expected who opened the door, but the guy she hated the most.

The white-haired monster swaggered into the room with a green woman he didn't recognize.

Just as Ifrit was about to say something, she suddenly felt a chill that seemed to come from the depths of her soul.

With a start, she rolled off the hospital bed and hid behind the electrocardiogram monitor, only her eyes peeking out as she warily watched Li Ang, as if this could give her a sense of security.

"What are you doing here? Where's Hamer?"

Ifrit's tone was still a bit sharp, but it wasn't as rude as before.

Ever since Li Ang gave her soul a little jolt, Ifrit's attitude has improved a lot.

Even if there is no memory of something, it has been deeply engraved in the soul, and whenever Ifrit is about to say something rude, the instinct of her soul will warn her.

After Ifrit's attitude changed, Leon didn't dislike the kid as much anymore. After all, he was just a child who had suffered a lot, and there was still room for correction in his education.

From Himer, Li Ang also learned why Ifrit had such a violent temper.

Because her soul was constantly colliding with and devouring the consciousness of the Balrog, Ifrit was constantly enduring pain that was unbearable for ordinary people. When she was first sent to Rhine Lab, she was even unable to fall asleep normally.

A variety of factors contributed to Ifrit's volatile temper.

“I didn’t come here to see you,” Li Ang shook his head, pointing to Kal’tsit beside him, and said, “I’m just here to show people the way.”

“Your Himer has work to do. Director Palvis has dumped a lot of work on her, so she won’t be able to come over anytime soon.”

"That old man..."

Recalling Palvis's appearance, Ifrit muttered to herself, "That sinister smile, he doesn't look like a good person."

On this one point, Li Ang completely agreed with Ifrit's idea.

Palvis's smile was only superficially amiable, but if one's intuition was sharp enough, one could still detect the malice hidden beneath that smile.

Clearly unlike the dull-witted Himeru, Ifrit was a clever child who was good at reading people.

"Then who is she?"

After mentally hurling insults at Palvis, Ifrit turned to Kal'tsit beside her.

The woman in front of her... gave her the same unpleasant feeling, as if another Palvis was sizing her up.

“Her? She’s the attending physician that Himer found for you. Do you remember what Himer discussed with you that day? There was a slight accident, so you don’t need to leave Rhine Life for the time being. The doctor has come here in person.” Li Ang explained.

A few days ago, Himer had already discussed this issue with Ifrit, and it took her a long time to convince Ifrit.

However, it seems that... Hermer did not tell her about the later changes to the agreement. But thinking about it, it makes sense. One second he was saying he would take her away from Rhine Lab, and the next second he suddenly changed his mind. Such fickleness could set a bad example for a child. Now that Li Ang is speaking, there are not so many problems.

"Hello Ifrit, I am Kal'tsit from Rhodes Island. I will be in charge of your surgery."

Even when facing a small child, Kal'tsit still greeted her very formally.

Perhaps it was this attitude that intimidated Ifrit; she shrank back somewhat fearfully and whispered, "Y-hello..."