Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

It is an honor to be able to participate in the research of neurotransmitters. In Rhine Life, they are the elite among the elites!

As for the person in charge of the experiment—she had long since left her post to digest the data from the first experiment. Dorothy was a talented researcher, but she wasn't good at inspiring her subordinates, much less communicating with others. She was even a bit of a naive person, so Ferdinand's speech was meaningless to her.

Another person who listened to Ferdinand's speech in its entirety was Saria.

In fact, she had always been puzzled. Why did Ferdinand, the head of the Energy Department, hang out with Dorothy, the head of the Originium Technology Application Department? Before, when she was at Rhine Life, she had never heard that the two of them had a close relationship...

It wasn't that Saria hated the Rhine Life director's good relationship, but Ferdinand was clearly overly concerned with the transmitter, his eagerness exceeding the concern of a colleague. It was almost as if the transmitter was his own creation.

Although he hated to admit it, there had always been hidden competition between the various departments of Rhine Life, and Ferdinand had no reason to be overly happy about the emergence of singularity technology in the Originium Arts Application Department...

This made Saria wonder——

Of course, these things have nothing to do with Noah, who just returned to the ward with Muirseth. Regardless of whether there is any conspiracy behind this, her condition has improved and she looks very energetic. After all, compared to surgery, neurotransmitter therapy is not only painless, but also does not cause any damage to the body. She can directly return to normal life after the experiment is over.

The next test was in three days. During these three days, she was not restricted in her movements. She could even wander around Colombia with Miu Miu's company.

As long as he doesn't leave Columbia, Rhine Life will not restrict Noah's actions.

On the second day after the experiment, Noah was taken out by Muirseth to bask in the sun. Muirseth pushed the wheelchair and took Noah away from the Rhine Life building.

"Welcome back to Columbia," Muirseth said. "How's it going? Are you bored staying at Rhine Life? Let me tell you, I feel bored even staying at Rhine Life. I have to find time to go out and explore."

"Everything in Rhine Life's lab is up-to-date, and there's an air circulation system, so it shouldn't be stuffy, right?" Noah asked curiously. "I feel pretty comfortable here, don't I?"

"That's not what I'm talking about." Muirseth waved his hand. "Don't you think it's really boring to be facing those old scholars and old men all the time, especially people like Parvez and Ferdinand?"

"Parvez and Ferdinand... Oh, you mean the two directors?" Noah suddenly realized. "I think they're just responsible. Besides, I don't think they're boring."

"Hey... Noah, my dear Noah, why are you so tolerant?" Muirseth said helplessly, "They don't understand what fashion is. Did you know that their clothes in the closet are all copied and pasted? They only wear the same clothes all year round. I want to talk to them about fashion, but they don't understand. They are too out of touch with the times. They can't talk to a beautiful girl like me."

"——Well, I don't know much about fashion." Noah said helplessly, "Do you think I'm boring?"

"No, no, no, Noah is Noah. I'll help you choose Noah's clothes. As long as I do it, I guarantee you'll turn heads!" Muirseth was not happy. "I'd rather be with you, Noah, than with those old pedants. It's a pity I can only take you out for three hours, otherwise I would definitely take you to visit all the streets of Tremont."

"Shopping—I don't mind, but Miu Miu, Miss Dorothy will probably be very worried." Noah reminded, "Miss Dorothy has to check on my physical condition every two hours."

"Dorothy—well, I don't think she's the type of old scholar, but I can't really get along with her..." Speaking of Dorothy, Miu Miu's face fell. "She's a beautiful girl, too—and has a lovely voice. Sigh, it must be because she's so focused on her research that I can't find any cuteness in her!"

Noah recalled Director Dorothy's voice. To be honest, that gentle voice did leave a very good impression on her.

But it's completely different for Miu Miu. It can't be said that Dorothy and Miu Miu have a bad relationship, but Miu Miu always takes the initiative to avoid Dorothy - how to say it, there is always a feeling that they don't get along.

"I think... Director Dorothy is a gentle person." Noah said sincerely, "And she always feels a bit natural."

"I agree with that." Muirseth nodded, then changed the subject. "But I'm the one who came out to accompany you shopping! Why do you keep talking about other women?"

"...Huh?" Noah was stunned. "I thought it was just small talk... Director Dorothy has always cared about me after all."

"I care about you dozens of times more than that woman!" Muirseth emphasized, "We are old friends!"

"Okay, okay, Miu Miu, you're the best~" Noah naturally wouldn't ignore Miu Seth's concern, and simply changed to a soft voice and said coquettishly. "Miu Miu is the best in the world~"

"That's more like it~" Muirseth's face flushed slightly. Although this trick was very old-fashioned, she really fell for it. "Humph, I'm not an easy woman to deal with~"

"Yes, yes." Noah smiled, "I knew it when we first met."

Chapter 5 Singularity Technology

In fact, Noah still has a lot of questions she wants to ask Muirseth, but she is a little worried that these questions may make it difficult for Muirseth, after all, some questions may be more sensitive.

For example, what exactly is transmitter, why was it chosen for the experiment, and since singularity technology is not used to name transmitter technology, it means that there were other singularity technologies before transmitter, and what were those technologies.

In her opinion, neurotransmitters are already quite advanced technology. Although the working principle of this thing is still unclear, the fact that it can reduce the fusion rate of Originium and cells in the human body is already a breakthrough from scratch.

You have to know that even Rhodes Island, which is at the forefront of Originium research, has never done this. Rhodes Island's inhibitors can only prevent the further spread of Originium, but cannot solve the problem of Originium itself.

Singularity technology... What kind of technology can be called singularity technology?

Noah really has a lot of questions to ask.

Perhaps sensing Noah's strong thirst for knowledge, Muirseth took Noah to a cafe she liked very much. The environment there was quiet and the atmosphere was very good. More importantly, because the owner liked to arrange all kinds of flowers and plants in the cafe, the whole cafe was filled with a faint floral fragrance, which was very much in line with Muirseth's preferences.

"I know you have a lot of questions, and there are some things I really can't explain—after all, you're not from Rhine Life, and explaining would be like leaking secrets, which is unacceptable." Muirseth was the director of the Ecology Department, and while she knew a lot, there were some things she couldn't share. Much about Singularity Technology was confidential, but that didn't mean Muirseth couldn't say anything.

"In essence, the neurotransmitter technology is that the metallic liquid you see is not a so-called [drug], but some kind of micro-machine that is so small that it is invisible to the naked eye. Do you know why we call this thing a neurotransmitter?" Muirseth asked mysteriously.

"Transmitters... I only know about neurotransmitters: dopamine, acetylcholine, GABA, serotonin, and 5-hydroxytryptamine. That's about it, right?" Noah hadn't played games during her college years at Columbia, so she naturally knew what transmitters were. But when she mentioned this, Muirseth shook his finger. "What are the effects of neurotransmitters? They're chemicals that transmit information between neurons, enabling them to communicate and control various bodily activities, including thinking, emotions, learning, and movement—that's right, transmitters are essentially a bridge."

"...a bridge?" Noah was even more confused. "What does that have to do with the transmitter I injected?"

"Let me give you another example. You should know the Sakota of Lateran, right?" Muirseth offered a second example. "The Sakota have a sympathy that science can't yet explain. And this sympathy, the transmitter, can be replicated."

"?" Noah was really scared this time.

"Transmitters... can replicate empathy?"

"Yes, but don't tell anyone about this. If Rutland knew, they'd be furious," Muirseth said mysteriously, lifting his coffee. "That's the fundamental function of transmitters. Similar to neurotransmitters, these machines can connect closely to your nerves. Through the interconnection between the machines, people with the same neurotransmitter connection can achieve lossless, long-distance, and instant communication. That's the original intention of their development."

"...I see. But why is it used to treat oripathy?" Noah seemed to understand part of it, but she was still very curious. Since the original intention was for long-distance lossless communication, why was it used to treat oripathy when it was used on her?

"This touches upon Director Dorothy's inner thoughts. She's a very, very…" Muirseth searched for an adjective for a long time before coming up with two words. "The kind Director Rhine Life. Her kindness is unquestionable. I even suspect she's the most humane Director at Rhine Life, and I think she should be considered one of them. Of course, that doesn't mean she's not insane. Everyone at Rhine Life has a little bit of insanity."

After complaining about her colleague, she continued, "Originally, the research on transmitters was for communication, but Dorothy's research went astray. Today's transmitters are completely different from the original concept. Not only can they achieve lossless communication over long distances, but they also have a variety of functions. Curing mineralogy is just one of them."

"...Is this just an unexpected function?" Noya was even more shocked. This groundbreaking technology wasn't originally intended to cure oripathy, but rather a side effect. "These micro-machines enter my body through that metallic liquid and connect to my nerves. Then, using a pre-programmed program, they begin to erode the Originium clusters within me. Because the damage is minimal, my self-repairing ability will gradually replace the eroded Originium clusters, completing the treatment of my oripathy—is that correct?"

"In theory, yes," Muirseth replied, "but the price you pay is that you might have to regularly excrete some transmitters, because these transmitters carry the mineral fragments with them, and then you have to replenish them."

"...Is this the treatment process? It's not that hard to accept." Noah didn't think it was risky. "But you were so nervous before the experiment."

"...Well...it's normal to be nervous, because we're not sure whether the transmitter can distinguish between normal cells and cells infected by Originium..." Muirseth scratched his head. "That's the risk. It's like cancer. The difficulty lies in distinguishing between cancer cells and normal cells, so if it spreads, it will be very troublesome. After all, transmitters are still newly developed technology, so it's difficult to guarantee safety."

"So whether it's an antidote or poison is just a matter of thought... I see." Noah was drinking milk tea, and she felt she needed a sip of milk tea to calm herself down.

"Then I'm quite lucky," she sighed. She hadn't expected that after so many years of bad luck, her good luck would suddenly burst forth. Perhaps this was the so-called accumulation of strength for a sudden burst of energy—well, it should be just a sudden burst, so as not to use up a lifetime of good luck in one go, right?

"That's why I was so against it before the experiment—" Muirseth complained. "You didn't even listen to me and just agreed to the experiment. I was worried to death."

"I figured, since I wasn't going to live long anyway, I might as well take a gamble," Noah said with a smile. "Look, I won. I think I'm pretty lucky, right?"

"Don't have a gambling mentality, Noah. You must never get involved in gambling habits in the future!" Muirseth warned sternly, "It's a bottomless abyss—"

"Actually, if I take into account my assets in Casimir, it would be a skill to make me go broke gambling away." Noah said seriously, "Back then, I was the one who was losing money even though I was squatting down to pick up the money."

"I know you were very rich back then, and you even invested in Rhine Life. Theoretically, you're our sponsor." Muirseth waved his hand. "After we sent you away, you've grown incredibly fast in Casimir. I was stunned when I saw the sponsorship. When Justin Bieber came over to grab some coffee from me, he even mentioned that you got the sponsorship funds just for me."

"Hehe, isn't this a surprise?" Noah scratched his head. "Besides, investing in Rhine Life shouldn't be a loss, right?"

"Scientific research is a money-making business. We need an endless supply of funding, so occasionally we even have to sell some of our technology to make some money," Muirseth complained. "Angel investors like you are rare. They either want technology or we need to develop something to suit their needs. Our Ecology Department is fine, but you know Ferdinand? He's the director of the Research Department, but now his style is becoming more and more like that of the Administrative Department."

"I see—" Noah nodded. "Isn't there also some discussion within Rhine Life about whether the Research Department should maintain its own style, or whether a clear distinction should be drawn between the Administrative Department and the Research Department?"

"Indeed—" Although Muirses had just complained about Ferdinand, she knew he had done nothing wrong. He was arguably one of the people who loved Rhine Life the most. "Rhine Life is an organization that seeks the future, but on that journey, we always make mistakes... If that weren't the case, Saria wouldn't have left Rhine Life."

"... Director Saria didn't tell me why she left Rhine Life." Noah shook her head. "Is this something we can't talk about?"

"No, it's not really a secret anymore." Muirses sighed. "To put it simply, Rhine Life sponsored a certain... well, I won't play it safe, it's the Loken Tank Project. This project led to the unnecessary deaths of many children. At first, we didn't know it was related to Rhine Life, but later, Saria and I investigated and found out... This is only part of it. Later, the incident with Eve also appeared... Ifrit is also in Rhodes Island now, right?"

"Oh... Was Ifrit also caused by the Locke Tank?" Noah had some understanding of the Locke Tank. After all, it was a very famous inhumane experiment.

"That's not the case with Eve—" Muirseth shook his head. "But the transformation of Eve was indeed accomplished with the technology found in the Rocken water tank. Ever since the incident with Eve, Saria has parted ways with Rhine Life."

"...I see. Director Saria has never discussed such matters with me before." Noah nodded. "But Miu Miu, didn't you also discover this? You wouldn't..."

"Don't worry. Although I'm not a founder, I hold a very special position in Rhine Life. I'm the general manager's confidant." Muirseth proudly put his hands on his hips. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"Of course I believe you, but if anything really happens, please contact me." Noah said seriously, "I don't want to lose any friends."

"Hehe, does this count as you caring about me?" Muirses said with a grin, "I heard about the scandals about you in Casimir and the Knight of Glory. Although I don't quite believe them, but - what if your orientation is really female, then wouldn't I be in danger?"

The subject was changed - Noah realized that Muirseth did not give a direct answer, but changed the subject naturally.

This meant that there must be something within Rhine Life that she found difficult, forcing her to change the subject.

"Yeah, yeah, Miu Miu is so cute, why would I not like you~" So, Noah could only follow her topic and said casually, "If I really am gay, then Miu Miu, you better be careful, I will climb into your bed at any time~"

"Hey~ Then you have to be sure, don't grab my water clone~" Muirseth also laughed. This was just a harmless little joke between best friends. But Noah could tell which one was Miu Miu and which one was the water clone. After all, the water clone didn't have a heart, and Noah couldn't sense the other's emotions. And the Muirseth in front of him was the real Muirseth. "Hey, I've been in Rhine Life for a long time, and I feel so happy to be with you, Noah."

"You were my teacher back then, and I just randomly chose Ecology as an elective. I never expected that we'd end up being best friends—" Noah complained. "Why would I, a history major, choose Ecology? It's truly a fate unto itself."

"How can you say it's a bad fate? We are connected by a red thread~" Muirseth said seriously, "And if you had listened to me and joined Rhine Life directly, perhaps it wouldn't be so hard."

"...That's right." Noah thought about what had happened since returning home and nodded silently. "But I don't regret it. After all, I have to keep my promise."

"Promise... If I make a promise with you, you'll definitely keep it, right?" Muirseth blinked. "Then I'll make a promise with you. If anything bad happens to me, no matter where you are, you must come to my side."

"Okay, I have a deal with you." Noah nodded. "No matter what trouble you encounter, I will come to your side, although I may not be able to help you solve the problem-"

"That's too cunning, that's what you said. Then why did you come here~" Muirseth laughed so hard that her body shook. She didn't take the verbal agreement seriously, but Noah took it seriously.

Muirseth was her friend, and she always kept the promises she made with her friends.

Chapter 6: Defilement

"What exactly is normal and taken for granted?" Noah hummed the little tune he had just learned from Muirseth, entertaining himself before the second experiment began.

Compared to the Witch King, who has extremely high requirements for the music he listens to, Noah can appreciate most music equally. Of course, music that is purely noise is another matter.

She has never been a self-proclaimed elegant performer. She believes that there is no high or low in music, only personal preference.

"Ms. Noah, preparations for the second experiment are in progress. Are you ready?" At this moment, the door was pushed open, and Miss Joyce Moore, code-named White-Faced Owl, came to the ward. She used her signature system-like voice to inform Noah that the next experiment was about to begin and asked Noah to be prepared.

In fact, Noah was also curious. Was this really the so-called brain damage that caused this, or was it just Miss Joyce's own interest?

However, when I asked her, Miss Joyce pretended to be dumb. It was probably her own interest.

"I understand." According to the instructions, there would not be so many directors observing this time. After all, the first experiment was special and required cooperation from various departments, but this time it was simply the people from the Originium Technology Application Department who had to solve it themselves.

Everyone is very busy and it is impossible for them to be present at every experiment - well, except for the director of a certain ecology department.

I don’t know if it’s because the water clone is too convenient, but Muirses always appears in the laboratory before the experiment begins, and blends into the experimental team as if nothing happened, making it seem like she is very familiar with the Originium Technology Application Department.

If she hadn't known before that she and Dorothy didn't get along very well, she would have almost believed that she was actually a non-staff member of the Originium Arts Department.

However, Dorothy herself was unaware of this. Instead, she was happy that Muirseth had been coming to her laboratory frequently to get close to her. During this time, Noah got to know Dorothy a little better. She was of course a kind and innocent person. It was hard to believe that she would have bad intentions towards anyone, and she was also easy to coax. Muirseth occasionally brought some fruits grown by his own ecology department and Dorothy was captured by him.

I don’t know whether it’s because Miu Miu is good at controlling people, or because Dorothy is too easy to deal with.

In short, now Muirseth goes in and out of the Originium Arts Application Department as naturally as going home for dinner. Dorothy will even greet him with a smile, and there is no sense of crisis at all about him being in another department.

Of course, the main reason why Muirseth and Dorothy had a good relationship was that she could come to see Noah anytime and anywhere, and of course she couldn't be absent when Noah was conducting the second injection experiment. After leaving the work to the water clone and those useful consumable college students, she ran over to see Noah's experiment very easily.

This is already the second test, and everyone feels a lot more relaxed. After all, the first test is the riskiest, and we can basically rest assured with the second and third tests.

Noah has a good adaptability to neurotransmitters. There is almost no rejection reaction in her body, and there are no problems with her daily life, as if the neurotransmitters do not exist in her body at all.

However, the fusion rate of her Originium and somatic cells continued to decline. After a week, it had even dropped to 3%. Don't underestimate this 3%. Before, 1% was impossible.

This 3% is probably equivalent to the decades of efforts of experts specializing in the study of mineralogy, and this is not an exaggeration at all.

But Noah was a bit miserable, because the Originium swallowed in her body could not disappear directly, so she would occasionally have to go to the toilet suddenly to excrete the transmitter and Originium crystal cluster fragments out of her body. It must be said... this was really embarrassing, especially when she was chatting with Miu Miu, her face suddenly changed and she ran to the toilet, and Muerseth always laughed wildly.

After this embarrassing situation continued for several times, Dorothy finally made an improvement and changed the way to expel the Originium crystal cluster fragments to... vomiting...

Well, actually both are very embarrassing, but Noah should not have to worry about being suddenly woken up by suffocation at night.

After a week, Noah's neurotransmitter supply was nearly depleted, and it was time for a replenishment. This time, the dosage was still small; Dorothy even used a syringe to draw up the neurotransmitter, injecting it directly into Noah's upper arm like an intramuscular injection. She pushed the plunger all the way to the bottom, allowing the metallic liquid inside to completely enter Noah's body.

These transmitters will spread rapidly, and finally merge with the previous transmitters, continuing to work as miners in the Originium crystal cluster. Noya is now like a mine, and the transmitters are the tiny miners, crushing the Originium crystal cluster, then wrapping it with themselves, and finally excreting it out of the body.

In this process, the most seriously injured part should actually be Noah's stomach and intestines - she has been getting used to vomiting recently.

She was a little worried that she might develop a vomiting habit, but this was probably unfounded. After all, vomiting was just a neurotransmitter-induced reaction, and it happened cyclically. She wouldn't vomit right after eating.

Moreover, neurotransmitters can also help Noah digestion, so not only did Noah not lose weight, but he actually gained a little weight.

Muirseth was very happy about this and liked to pinch Noah's arms occasionally. After a week, Noah's arms became much softer and more comfortable to pinch.

After the transmitter entered Noah's body again, Dorothy observed the data for about ten minutes before declaring that there were no abnormalities in the second test. Of course, she would still keep a close eye on Noah's condition, but she didn't need to keep an eye on him all the time.

Muirseth also came to the laboratory as soon as possible, picked up Noah who was sitting in a wheelchair and turned around. Muirseth looks thin and small, but she is surprisingly strong. She can easily lift Noah, who is of this size.

You know, Noah is actually just slightly shorter than Margaret.

"Alright, alright, Miu Miu, you're making me dizzy." Noah quickly patted Muirseth's shoulder, "I told you nothing will go wrong."

"I'm still worried - even though little Dorothy said it's okay, I still have to keep an eye on her to feel at ease." Muirseth said with a smile, but still put Noah back in her place as he said.

"Miu Miu is right. Experiments require seeing for yourself. No matter how confident you are in an experiment, unexpected things will always happen—" Dorothy didn't mind Muirseth's words. "It's just like when I used to culture fungi in the lab. I was very careful, but they still died easily. However, strains from the wild were just indestructible. Some things really can't be solved by just being careful."

"Look, little Dorothy said the same thing." Muirseth put his hands on his hips. "And, Xiaoya, you don't know this, but even the governor is concerned about your situation. You are the treasure of Rhine Life."

"That's too much." Noah shook his head helplessly, "I'm just a patient, here to get treatment, that's all."