Asura in Arknights

Kal'tsit nodded slightly and said, "Ifrit, Himer asked me to come here so that I could help you remove the Originium crystals implanted in your body as a result of the Chimera Therapy. I think you should have realized that Himer and the others' treatment plan has gone astray, and it won't do any good except make you feel more and more pain."

Upon hearing this, a feeling of fear appeared in Ifrit's eyes. Although it was for treatment, the pain was more cruel than any torture in the world. This final treatment... was already Ifrit's limit.

If she were to undergo the same kind of 'treatment' again, Ifrit felt she definitely wouldn't be able to endure it.

At that time, she had almost lost consciousness, as if something was about to come out of her body... But in the end, Ifrit persevered, and she didn't know if it was just her imagination.

But... Ifrit felt as if there was a voice inside her reminding her that she must not let that situation happen.

This matter sounded rather bizarre, so Ifrit never told anyone about it.

Contrary to popular belief, Ifrit is not stupid; on the contrary, she is very intelligent.

Hayden Pharmaceuticals is a den of iniquity that constantly devours lives; countless experimental subjects have died inside.

They don't distinguish between adults and children when they conduct experiments. Was Ifrit's survival in this hellhole really just pure luck?

People assumed she was a child, so they didn't shy away from discussing certain confidential topics from Ifrit. Although she didn't quite understand some of the technical terms in their conversations, Ifrit could more or less grasp what they meant.

The green-clad woman before her... seemed to have no ill intentions. According to Ifrit's understanding, the woman's words were meant to help her.

Ifrit's only uncertainty was whether the two people in front of her were deceiving her.

Surgery, doctors, physical examinations... these words brought back many unpleasant memories for Ifrit. If it weren't for Himer and the others' companionship during this time, Ifrit felt she might have gone crazy.

But thinking of her previous agreement with Himer, Ifrit gritted her teeth.

Ifrit looked at Leon and asked with slight unease, "Is everything you're saying true? Himer never told me any of this."

“Maybe he was too busy and forgot?” Li Ang shrugged. “I can call Himer and have her talk to you in person.”

Anyway, Li Ang wasn't there to lie, so he wasn't afraid to call Himer.

Even if Hemer is very busy, he still has time to answer a phone call.

After ringing for several dozen seconds, the extremely busy Hermer finally answered the phone.

"Hello? What's up? I'm very busy right now!"

Hermer's irritated voice came through the phone; she seemed to still be arguing with someone.

Because the noise coming from the other end was too loud, even Li Ang couldn't make out what they were saying... It seemed to be a dispute about research funding, but since Palvis, the only one who could make the decision, wasn't there, Himer could only try to mediate the conflict between them.

Taking advantage of the brief silence on the phone, Li Ang quickly stated the purpose of his call.

"Hime, Kal'tsit and I are already in the ward. Kal'tsit wants to help Ifrit get a check-up, but... you don't seem to have mentioned this to Ifrit? Anyway, she doesn't trust us."

Himer paused for a moment on the other end of the phone, then realized her oversight. "Sorry, I forgot to tell her about this... Give the phone to Ifrit, I'll explain to her."

Then, Li Ang handed the phone to Ifrit.

Although their voices were very soft, Li Ang still heard them. Himer was comforting Ifrit, telling her not to be afraid, that the next examination would be the same as before and would not cause her any pain.

Hermer's tone sounded very gentle as she carefully instructed Ifrit, word by word, but Leon felt that... she didn't need to treat Ifrit completely like a child.

Ifrit... at least according to Leon's judgment, she wasn't as panicked as she appeared. It was probably because the pain had taken away her already limited intelligence, making it impossible for her to think normally.

Li Ang helped her suppress the pain caused by the mutual devouring of souls, and Now Ifrit has regained her normal thinking ability.

Ifrit could understand some simple truths.

Ifrit said into the phone, "I understand, Himer. I will be a good girl."

Himer seemed relieved and quickly said, "The work here will be finished soon, I'll come find you right away."

After hanging up the phone, Ifrit handed it back to Leon and said nervously, "What should I do?"

Li Ang turned to look at Kal'tsit, indicating that it was her turn to appear.

"You just need to lie in bed and answer some of my questions; you don't need to do anything special."

Upon hearing this, Ifrit hesitated for a moment, but then obediently lay down on the bed.

As Kal'tsit was setting up the equipment in the room, Leon casually asked, "Should I excuse myself for a moment?"

“No need,” Kal’tsit replied without looking up. “Just in case, I’d appreciate it if you could stay a little longer.”

in case?

This keyword made Ifrit quite uneasy, and her body tensed up instinctively.

Kal'tsit obviously didn't notice this, and even if she did... given Kal'tsit's personality, Leon felt she wouldn't offer much explanation.

Considering his promise to Muirsey and Joyce, and the upcoming surgery, Li Ang still spoke up to remind her, "Don't overthink it. I'm staying here to ensure the upcoming examinations go smoothly."

"If that pain recurs, do you think we can continue with the examination?"

"Oh, I see... That really scared me to death."

Hearing Li Ang's explanation, Ifrit breathed a sigh of relief and finally relaxed.

At this moment, Kal'tsit had also finished adjusting Rhine Lab's equipment, setting it to the state she was most familiar with.

"Turn over first and expose your back," Kal'tsit said, holding a pile of electrode plates.

Ifrit had done this countless times before, so she was quite adept at it.

Ifrit obediently turned over, revealing the Originium crystals on her back and her crystallized black tail.

Kal'tsit reached out and gently pressed the Originium crystal on Ifrit's body, then asked, "Does it hurt?"

“It doesn’t hurt, I don’t feel anything at all.” Ifrit shook her head.

"Then I will gradually increase the pressure. If you feel pain, tell me and let me stop."

Kal'tsit then increased the pressure on her hand until a noticeable dent appeared on Ifrit's skin, at which point Ifrit frowned.

"Stop! It's starting to hurt."

Upon hearing Ifrit's voice, Kal'tsit released her grip and then attached the electrode patches to Ifrit's back.

While disinfecting with alcohol, Kal'tsit said, "Rhine Lab's approach is correct. Apart from the high cost, chimera therapy can indeed be used to treat Oripathy."

"Ifrit's condition has stabilized. After removing those fragments, we can try to cut off a portion of the Originium crystal."

Originium that fuses with somatic cells does not all appear in critical locations. For example, Originium crystals that pierce the skin can be removed surgically.

The Originium crystal implanted in the chimera therapy is equivalent to continuously dialyzing the patient's blood. There is no need to worry about Originium particles accumulating again at the removed crystal sites, causing more serious fusion.

In theory, chimerism therapy is a very successful treatment method.

Chapter 111

Dialysis can be performed inside the body; the special Originium crystals used to absorb Originium particles can be replaced; if Parvis did not implant the Flame Demon Fragment, then the Chimera Therapy can basically be declared a success.

The only thing left to do is to find ways to control the cost of consumables and improve the stability and safety of the surgery.

Even though she had only read the information about the Balrog Project and had not actually come into contact with the specific details of the Chimera Therapy, Kal'tsit could still imagine the prospects of this treatment plan.

Before they could truly analyze Originium, this was one of the best solutions the Terrans could come up with.

Given Rhodes Island's resources, neither its technical personnel nor its equipment could meet such high requirements, yet Kal'tsit was generous in giving them such high praise.

Unfortunately... Parvis ultimately went astray, turning a perfectly good treatment plan into the creation of biological weapons.

Although Kal'tsit offered her own insights, Leon had no intention of playing the straight man, and Ifrit simply didn't understand what she was talking about.

Ifrit is a little more mature than her peers, but to expect her to understand these things... is still a bit of a stretch.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, Kal'tsit's expression didn't change, and she continued her work at her own unhurried pace.

After attaching all the electrode patches, Kal'tsit checked Ifrit's horns and tail.

Ifrit is a Safra, and after having fragments of the Balrog implanted in her body, she also exhibits characteristics of the Balrog.

In this era, almost no one can recognize them anymore. These crystallized horns and tails are unique characteristics of the Flame Demon race.

After some examination, it was discovered that Ifrit's horns and tail were not superfluous tissues that had mutated, but actually possessed some of the basic functions.

Beneath that keratinized outer shell, corresponding nerves had even grown... Kal'tsit had originally intended to suggest that she have the extra horns and tail removed...

Ifrit was never a Sarkaz, so she doesn't need to bear the Sarkaz's bad reputation.

However, since even nerves have grown out, whether or not to remove them needs to be discussed carefully.

The tails and horns of the Terran tribes are not superfluous decorations; there is a reason why they have been preserved. Cutting off horns and tails... is usually used as a form of punishment.

As for other situations... only a few extremely demanding armies would request the removal of this part of the tissue to prevent it from being used as a weakness in fierce battles.

Even so, many people are unable to adapt to the state after this part of the tissue is removed and are ultimately eliminated.

These things are easy to cut off, but putting them back together is not so simple.

When Kal'tsit's inspection process was about halfway through, hurried footsteps could be heard from the depths of the corridor.

A minute later, Himer burst in, panting.

"Dr. Kal'tsit! I...I've got an operating room appointment."

Because of the frantic running, Hermer's breathing was quite rapid. "The time is... this afternoon!"

She took a deep breath, calming her racing heart, and said, "Dr. Kal'tsit, what do you think? If possible, I'll schedule the surgery for the afternoon."

"Sure, I'm fine with it."

Kelsey pondered for a moment and replied, "However, I have some things to discuss with you... Don't worry, it has nothing to do with the upcoming surgery, just some follow-up treatment issues."

Hearing this, Himer was relieved, as long as the surgery went smoothly.

As for the subsequent treatment... to be honest, Himer hasn't thought that far ahead yet; right now, the most important thing is to keep Ifrit alive.

"No problem, then I'll schedule it for... 4 PM today."

As he said this, Himer also made a few operations on his terminal and finalized the surgical schedule for the entire day.

The fact that the surgery could be scheduled so quickly also had an element of luck involved. Two senior colleagues in the structural surgery department had a dispute over funding, and one of them came to Hemer's office specifically to cause trouble.

As for Himer... he dared not sign off on financial matters carelessly, so he could only miserably act as a peacemaker.

Both sides, adhering to the principle that "if I can't have a good time, neither can you," refused to allow the other to participate in the surgical experiment scheduled for the afternoon, and argued fiercely over a single spot.

The final result of the dispute was that Himer benefited from the situation, and both sides decided to stop doing it and wait for Palvis to return before discussing it further.

This left a vacancy in the already arranged work schedule.

The right to use it will expire if it is not used, so Himer naturally took the opportunity to occupy that spot under the name of the Chimera Therapy Project Team.

After confirming with Kal'tsit, Himer announced the arrangement.

Afterwards, Himer notified Joyce and two other new recruits who had recently joined Rhine Life, asking them to come at 4 p.m. sharp to participate in the surgery.

Those two people... although they lacked experience, Himer could completely trust their character and was certain that they had nothing to do with the darkness within Rhine Lab.

With Kal'tsit as the chief surgeon, Himer as the assistant, and Joyce in charge of anesthesia—since they were just doing the grunt work—two full-fledged researchers were sufficient.

After making all the arrangements, Himer looked up and asked, "Everything's arranged... Dr. Kal'tsit, was there something you wanted to tell me?"

"Some things to pay attention to during the surgery, as well as issues regarding postoperative treatment."

Kal'tsit paused her work and went to the other side of the room with Himer.

At this moment, Ifrit also got up from the medical bed and looked at Kal'tsit and Himeru with curiosity.

Unfortunately, they were a little too far apart, and Ifrit couldn't hear what they were talking about at all.

"...When removing the fragments of the Flame Demon, it may activate the residual Flame Demon consciousness within them. This risk is unavoidable."

“I know,” Hamer asked gravely, “so what’s the solution?”

The ineffectiveness of analgesics and the risk that the Flame Demon's consciousness might awaken during the surgery are two challenges that Himer faces.

The former, Himer, has an anesthetic she developed herself that should be effective on Ifrit during surgery. However, she and Seria had previously discussed that the anesthetic had already been studied and was extremely risky; even a difference of 0.1 milligrams in dosage could cause cardiac arrest.

Hemer didn't want to use the anesthetic kicked out of the Sleeping Beast's venom unless absolutely necessary.

However, Kal'tsit provided her with an upgraded version of this anesthetic, which caused negligible side effects.

As for the second problem... Hemer had no solution either, and could only pray that his luck wouldn't be too bad.

Hearing Himer's question, Kal'tsit said calmly, "Just leave it to him. He'll be responsible for putting the Balrog's consciousness back in."

Hamer subconsciously turned around and looked back. As if she had heard their conversation, Li Ang, who was standing on the other side of the room, waved to her.

Recalling what Li Ang had done before, a faint sense of understanding arose in Himer's mind.

Even if other companies or organizations have the technology to treat Oripathy, could they possibly find someone who can stop the Balrog's consciousness from awakening?

Perhaps... only Rhodes Island can save Ifrit.