I'm on the Ark, and I start out as Gretchen.

The substance that was just detected in Ifrit's body was unknown not only to the researchers present, but also to Saria.

However, regardless of what it is, there are only two possible origins: either it is produced naturally, or it is injected artificially.

If it's the former, that's fine, but if it's the latter... in Saria's eyes, that would be a major dereliction of duty.

After all, she was the head of the defense department of Rhine Labs. The fact that someone injected a patient with this strange substance right under her nose was clearly a dereliction of duty on her part.

"No."

Upon hearing this, Ifrit quickly shook her little head and replied.

P.S.: Sorry, there's nothing we can do to save it, it's terrifying. Best regards everyone.

Chapter 83 Saria's Frustration

"No."

Upon hearing this, Ifrit quickly shook her little head and replied.

"..."

Looking at Ifrit, who was shaking her little head like a rattle drum, Saria narrowed her eyes slightly. For some reason, she felt that the person in front of her was a little guilty.

However, given Charmander's current state, Saria ultimately didn't say anything, but simply reached out and rubbed her little head again.

After all, Saria preferred to investigate herself rather than question a child who was in poor condition. Even now, when she had a lot of things to do and some time was tight, this was still the case.

"Well!"

Ifrit, sensing Saria's complicated feelings, gave a soft hum and nuzzled her hand.

Although she couldn't reveal the truth because of her promise to the snake, she could still comfort Saria, who was in a bad mood, in her own way.

……

While the two were enjoying a tender moment together, everyone else in the lab was busy with their own tasks.

Himer, in particular, was more eager than anyone else to figure out what this substance that had suddenly appeared in Ifrit's body was and whether it would be harmful to her.

However, not only her, but even Ahrendt Parvis, the current head of the Structural Engineering Department, couldn't figure out what this substance was for the time being.

However, precisely because they can't figure it out for the time being, the laboratory's research focus has now shifted to this special substance.

Afterwards, while everyone was busy, it was Saria who took Ifrit, who had already received this "treatment," back to her room.

After saying goodbye to Ifrit, who looked reluctant to leave, Saria didn't rush to leave but instead chose to return to the laboratory.

She felt it was essential to have a serious talk with Ahrendts Parvis.

In addition, Saria also plans to investigate the surveillance videos near the Structural Engineering Department to check if there have been any suspicious or abnormal individuals recently.

If her suspicions are true, then the substance in Ifrit's body was injected artificially.

So... whatever that person's purpose was, whether it was for Ifrit's good or something else, Saria would not allow such serious misconduct to continue.

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

"Ah Qiu..."

Having just finished the experiment, and before he even had time to put down the instrument he was using to record data, Möbius sneezed again.

"..."

The sudden second sneeze caused Mebius, who had been in a good mood because he was well-prepared, to slightly furrow his brow.

Then, a possibility occurred to her, and she slowly put down what she was holding and silently walked to her office.

At the doorway, I locked the door and disposed of the excess water in the office.

Well, Mebius wasn't superstitious, but she often trusted her intuition, or rather, the intuition of a snake.

After finishing these tasks, Möbius returned to the lab table and began tidying up the mess. At the same time, he muttered to himself thoughtfully:

"Judging by the time, those guys should have noticed something was wrong by now."

Although Mebius's previous investigation revealed that the time the lab staff spent "treating" Ifrit on treatment days was unpredictable, she now calculated that it was about time.

After the treatment was almost finished, they also discovered that there were still drugs remaining in Ifrit's body.

Although Mebius had silently decided to stay in the lab during the day for the next few days after meeting Horhythia that morning, there were still some things she needed to investigate.

Because, no matter how much the snake tries to give Ifrit some trust, the uncertainty of a child is still there.

Therefore, the later examination directly determined whether Mebius should give Ifrit a follow-up examination tonight.

After all, maybe Saria or Himeru have discovered something and are choosing to wait for them to come to them at night?

Although Mebius had ways to deal with being ambushed, it would still be too troublesome, disrupting her plans and wasting her time.

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

the other side--

"..."

Saria's mood was even worse at this moment. The two things she had tried earlier had both failed to achieve any useful results.

The first thing was to negotiate with Ahrendts Parvis, the head of the structural engineering department, but the final result was completely unsatisfactory...

When Saria pointed out the problem, that guy kept dodging the question. In the end, she spent a lot of time and effort, but not only did she fail to find any clear clues about his weakness, she also felt very frustrated.

The second thing was to check the surveillance footage near the Structural Engineering Department, or more precisely, this particular laboratory. Although the surveillance footage from each department is usually quite private, Saria, as the head of the Defense Department, ultimately still had some authority.

However, the final result was very unsatisfactory, and she did not find any particularly useful information.

At most, we can only conclude one thing: if the substance in Ifrit's body was injected intentionally, then the most likely culprit is someone she knows. After all, the video didn't show any outsiders near the lab.

Of course, it's not impossible that someone might possess special Originium Arts, but that possibility is relatively small. Generally speaking, no one would infiltrate a large corporation's laboratory just to inject a child with painkillers.

Moreover, based on current observations, if this special substance is indeed a pain reliever, it is highly likely that it is an original human invention, or even something specifically researched and developed.

Who would believe that a stranger would do something like this, where there's no profit to be made, or even if they lose money?

"Ugh……"

Thinking it over, Saria sighed helplessly and made a new decision.

In her opinion, neither of the outcomes nor the progress of these two matters were particularly encouraging, but if she had to compare them, the latter was slightly better than the former.

However, due to her lack of understanding of the personnel at the Himer Labs, or rather, her lack of knowledge of matters beyond the written intelligence, Saria was unable to draw a definitive conclusion.

So later she planned to talk to Hermer privately about this matter to see if there were any more clues.

However, just as Saria was pondering Ifrit's situation, her communicator suddenly rang.

"Hey."

P.S.: It's a bit early, but not completely early. I'll try to finish the second one as quickly as possible.

Chapter 84 Horhaya's Visit

"Hey."

"Please keep an eye on the time, busy Saria, it's almost time for our appointment!"

After Saria connected the communication, Muirsays' somewhat helpless and teasing voice slowly came through.

Ignoring her friend's teasing tone, Saria glanced at the time, calmed herself down, and replied seriously, "I understand, I'll be there right away."

"Okay, then I'll wait here. Oh, by the way, I bet you haven't had lunch yet, so I brought you some. Just come over."

After hearing Saria's reply, Muirsays also put away his playful attitude and said...

"...Yes, thank you for your help."

Upon hearing this, Saria was slightly taken aback, her tense face relaxed, and her tone became much calmer.

"Well, it's nothing, see you later!"

"see you later."

"..."

After the communication ended, Saria glanced at the time again, and after confirming that there was very little time left, she quickly composed herself and hurried towards the agreed location.

In Saria's opinion, Ifrit's incident today really made her lose her mind... Otherwise, how could she, who is always punctual, have almost been late?

Indeed, emotions can cloud judgment and make people irrational...

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

Möbius's office —

Although Mebius had previously speculated about those...

The guy may have already noticed Ifrit's unusual behavior, but it's too early to go out and investigate.

With the experiment finished and preparations for the evening complete, Snake took advantage of this "free time" to immerse herself in the knowledge of this world.

Just as Mebius herself said before, she had spent too little time in this world, and there was too much knowledge here. Moreover, much of this knowledge needed to be accumulated and practiced to be truly understood.

Therefore, whenever she had such "free time," she would immerse herself in studying.

It's important to understand that Möbius's study wasn't just about creating an antidote; it was also about trying to continue exploring the "infinity" in this world, building upon Möbius's memories and experiences.

"咚咚-"

However, just as Mebius was immersed in his studies and oblivious to what was happening around him, there was a sudden knock on his office door.

"..."

Upon hearing the knock, Möbius glanced at the door, and after identifying who was outside, he completely lost the desire to open it, lowering his gaze again to focus on the paper in his hands.

"Dong dong..."

As Mebius remained inactive, the knocking resumed, but for some reason, it was much quieter than before, even revealing a hint of apprehension on the part of the knocker.

"..."

However, this time, the person, who was so engrossed in studying, didn't even lift their eyelids.

What a joke! Once he knew who was outside, Mebius would never open the door for her; that would be a complete waste of time.

And outside the door at this moment...

"Could it be that he's not in the office? But that doesn't make sense..."

Standing outside Mebius's office, Horhaja looked puzzled and hesitant.