The disaster that occurred in the core laboratory of the Structure Department was ultimately classified as a harmless minor incident.
After all, during the process of reconstructing the "incident," Director Saria of the Defense Department discovered that all the researchers in the Structure Department were suddenly slapping their own bodies as if possessed, as if they were putting out a fire.
They first looked in surprise at Ifrit, who was in the isolation operating room at the innermost part of the laboratory, then ran out the door in a panic, some even falling hard and cracking their chins.
In the entire laboratory, only Silence remained, fully unleashing her Originium Arts into the air, barely managing to hold up a shield.
And afterwards, Researcher Ptilopsis and Researcher Goki, who rushed into the laboratory against the flow, also raised their arms to block the calm room, similarly releasing Originium Arts to protect themselves.
Finally, Goki used a high-strength alloy baton, a weapon issued by the Defense Department, and after imbuing it with Originium Arts, he easily broke the bulletproof glass and rushed into the room.
He seemed to have sensed the abnormality around him and eventually woke up the wailing Ifrit and Silence, who was making strange movements.
The entire process was like an awkward pantomime, without special effects or sound, making it feel particularly eerie.
During the interrogation of those involved, everyone seemed to have felt that the experimental subject Ifrit had gone berserk, and the resulting flames instantly filled the entire laboratory.
The researchers involved in the Ifrit Project feared this situation the most.
Especially those researchers who followed Parvis to Sargon seemed particularly afraid of any abnormal movements from Ifrit.
The reason for their fear was not difficult to ascertain; at Researcher Goki's suggestion, Saria briefly questioned Researcher Anita with the Aura of a Wyvern.
Anita, who wasn't particularly keen on continuing her work anyway, quickly spilled the beans, revealing the reason they had concealed for so long.
After Parvis left Rhine Lab, without Saria's restraint, he conducted a completely unethical human experiment, delivering the impossible-to-succeed inferno potion to a snakehead on the Sargon border, allowing the latter to "voluntarily" use the potion to collect experimental data.
After that, he even directly dug open the Seal within the Sargon temple, releasing the irresistible Incarnation of the God that Saria saw in the video.
They had already seen two Flame Giants and were terrified that Ifrit would become the third.
And for Saria, this was an absolutely overstepping action.
Although the main culprit was dead, the other expedition team members were still ordered by Saria to take unpaid leave—and her supervision over other departments became even stricter.
However, in the end, apart from the Structure Department losing an expensive piece of glass, Rhine Lab suffered no other losses—this was just a minor incident.
Saria had no reason to stop the experiment, but she became more wary of what the Director was pursuing, concerning the Ifrit Project and that bizarre "God."
Saria did not intend to treat this incident as a minor incident; instead, she planned to participate in the experiment.
She had to figure out what exactly caused this collective hallucination event.
And... whether "God" truly exists.
However, despite all the bad things, there was one thing that reassured Saria.
The new Operator Goki not only had excellent work performance, timely preventing this incident, but also got along very well with Ifrit—
How to put it... everyone was very satisfied.
And so, peaceful days slowly passed by.
— — — —
Saint-Foucault City, Columbia, Takela Valley.
Approaching evening, with the setting sun shining obliquely.
Monday, May 31st.
Rhine Lab, Structure Department, Ifrit Project Experiment Department, Isolation Ward.
In front of a pure white hospital bed, a tall, black-haired male in a light green uniform was flipping through a storybook, sharing a newly made-up story with the small Sarkaz girl sitting on the head of the bed.
"Zeus couldn't get up, and the Olympus God Sword was also cast aside, his mouth only yelling: 'Well fought!' Kratos cursed: 'Damn you! Still dare to talk back!' He raised his fist and landed a punch right on his eyebrow, splitting his eye socket, and his black pupils burst out, as if a silk shop had opened, with red, black, and purple colors blooming forth—"
Turning the last page, Goki closed the storybook and looked at Ifrit, whose eyes were shining.
"And so, Kratos completed his ultimate revenge, slaying the gods, and the Olympus myth ended. For the sake of the world, he released the power of hope within him, returning the world to Mortals—this is the story of the God of War."
Clap, clap, clap—
As soon as the story was finished, Ifrit, who was beside him, reached out her small hands and clapped vigorously, looking exceptionally excited.
"That's, that's amazing! The gods in old storybooks were always high and mighty, helping Cinderella turn pumpkins into carriages and stuff, I never thought there were so many bad guys... But bad guys should definitely be taken down!"
Her small tail wagged back and forth behind her, and Ifrit's arms were still connected to many electrodes, with an IV needle pricked into the back of her hand, but she wasn't afraid of them falling off at all.
In the past, if Silence saw her so lively while on an IV drip, she would definitely hold her newly sprouted Sarkaz horns and give her a good lecture.
If Saria or Ptilopsis came, it would be fine, they could help smooth things over, but if no one came... then she would just have to dutifully listen until Silence herself got sleepy.
But Goki was different; he was very gentle. He wouldn't scold her like those bad guys, nor would he lecture her at length like Silence.
"Alright, alright, don't move around so much. The IV is done, I'll take it out for you. Come, hold the cotton swab—mm, good girl."
Watching the liquid in the IV bag disappear, Goki put down the storybook he had hastily prepared at the last minute and helped Ifrit remove the IV needle.
Half a month had passed since Goki was transferred to the Ifrit Project research team.
During this period, apart from his original purpose for being there, Goki's main job was to accompany Ifrit, acting as a Defense Department Researcher to ensure her safety during experiments.
Thanks to the education from Kaltsit, the world's best doctor, Goki crammed pediatric nursing methods at the last minute, which allowed him to avoid any slip-ups.
And very quickly, Goki also built a good relationship with Ifrit—to get along with such a simple child, no special methods are needed. You just need to be kind to her, talk to her as an equal, and gaining her trust is incredibly simple.
This poor, twelve or thirteen-year-old little Sarkaz girl had a pure personality, like a blank sheet of paper. Her memory was limited to the time she was researched at Rhine Lab; she knew nothing about the outside world, nor did she know her parents or her childhood.
This might be amnesia caused by oripathy, or perhaps... the time she had spent at Rhine Lab was already long enough for her to forget her childhood.
She was a little older than Anita, but equally well-behaved and sensible. Although she occasionally seemed a bit irritable, she never threw tantrums—clearly, the "Ifrit" had not yet fully manifested in her mind.
Goki felt both pity and love for her, treating her completely as a younger sister and daughter—now, he even hesitated to jokingly refer to this little darling as his "wife" in his thoughts.
Just like earlier, he relied on his entertainment knowledge from Earth to create many interesting stories—Kratos, that killer who slaughtered the gods of Olympus, was in a sense, Goki's colleague.
"Silence should be awake by now and probably coming soon. I'll be off work in a bit, right?"
Looking at the time on his phone, Goki reached out his large hand and ruffled Ifrit's small head, his eyes full of affectionate pity.
Hearing this, Ifrit pouted, released her hand, which was no longer bleeding, and tugged at Goki's clothes with her small hand, whining in the special spoiled tone of a child.
"Mmm—no, stay with me a little longer... Brother Rogue, I don't want you to go."
Half a month ago, this older brother whom she had already met, rushed to her side in her most helpless moment, rescuing her from the painful burning.
Although Saria later said that the flames that erupted from her were all false illusions, the pain Ifrit herself felt was real.
When that tall and handsome figure passed through the blazing flames, held her shoulder, and woke her from her suffering, Ifrit had already fallen in love with him.
It was just like the white knight saving the damsel in distress from the stories Silence used to tell her!
Moreover, unlike Silence's overly serious approach, Goki, who was responsible for Ifrit's experimental safety alongside Saria, was very lenient in his supervision of Ifrit.
He not only told her all sorts of stories she had never heard before, explaining what the outside world was like, but he would even secretly bring some snacks Ifrit had never tasted.
Although both of them would get lectured whenever Silence found out, Brother Rogue would always just stand in front of Ifrit, sincerely admitting his mistakes but never actually changing his ways.
Of course, Ifrit still liked Silence and Saria; if she had to choose a favorite, Ifrit couldn't do it.
If everyone could always be together, that would be the best—this was Ifrit's simple and pure wish.
So... Ifrit wanted everyone to stay a little longer.
"Just, wait a little while, until Silence comes, and chat with her, okay?"
Looking at Goki, Ifrit's orange eyes seemed to sparkle with stars, far more brilliant than the setting sun outside the window.
"...Alright, I'll wait a little longer."
Although he knew that Skadi was still at home, silently looking forward to him bringing back delicious food, and Kaltsit, though she wouldn't say it, would still mock him with thorny words if he came home late, Goki still decided to indulge the child.
"Mhm, mhm, I knew it, Goki is the best."
Rubbing Goki's chest with her crystallized horns, Ifrit greatly enjoyed the solid chest that she could not feel on anyone else.
Click—
The ward door opened at just the right moment, and two familiar figures walked in, bringing a surprised smile to Ifrit's face.
"Silence, Saria! You're both here!"
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