Asura in Arknights

Li Ang accepted the stares without a care in the world. Since he hadn't shown his face, no one knew who this strangely dressed guy was.

Adele, however, was not so thick-skinned. She only lasted for about ten minutes before giving up under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

"Should I get you a helmet too?" Li Ang whispered to Adele.

Upon hearing this, Adele lowered her head and pinched Li Ang hard.

Once they entered Rhodes Island, the feeling of being the center of attention finally lessened considerably.

Adele had lived on this massive landship for quite some time, and with her guidance, the two quickly found her in Kal'tsit's office.

When they entered the office, Kal'tsit was busy with some paperwork.

Perhaps hearing their footsteps, Kal'tsit said without looking up, "You've arrived much faster than I expected."

"After all, the situation was quite urgent, and we didn't waste a single minute on the way."

As Kal'tsit stuffed the patient file she had just finished writing into the file bag, she couldn't help but twitch her eyebrows when she looked up and saw the helmet on Li Ang's head.

"Using this method to conceal your identity? Not a bad idea. When people see this clumsy imitation, most will probably be able to distinguish you from the Hurricane Knight."

"So it has this function? I just randomly picked one."

Touching his chin, Li Ang felt that Kal'tsit's words made some sense. "Then let's just not change it."

After all, who would have thought that this clumsy imitator would actually be the real person?

Good morning, Dr. Kal'tsit.

On the other side, Adele also politely greeted Kal'tsit.

Good morning, Miss Nauman.

Kal'tsit withdrew her gaze from Li Ang and gave Adele a slight nod.

"Alright, let's get straight to the point."

After exchanging greetings, Li Ang went straight to the point and asked, "What was that you mentioned on the phone earlier?"

"The child's health is not very good, and he is still receiving treatment in the medical department."

As she spoke, Kal'tsit took out a small glass bottle from the drawer of her desk, which contained the drop of blue liquid that Adele had separated yesterday.

"Before her treatment is over, let's talk about what you've found."

Are you referring to the victim?

However, since they had already arrived at Rhodes Island, the two were no longer in a hurry. They sat down on the sofa and decided to listen to what Kal'tsit had to say.

Have you ever heard of Loken Williams?

Who is that?

They shook their heads, indicating that they had never heard of the name before.

Kal'tsit was not surprised by their answer.

Loken Williams' downfall happened several years ago, and most news about him has been suppressed by the Colombian authorities. Even Colombians have gradually forgotten about Loken's existence, let alone foreigners who have never been to Colombia.

Kelsey briefly explained to the two who Loken was: "Loken Williams was a brilliant scientist from Columbia University who was sentenced to life imprisonment for illegal human experimentation, and his experimental data ended up in the hands of many people."

Kal'tsit nodded; she had mentioned most of this information on the phone.

However, Leon didn't care who William Locken was, especially since the man was currently a prisoner.

"So, what is this thing used for?"

“Loken’s initial goal was to artificially create infected organs that would not spread Oripathy and could be safely implanted into the human body to replace traditional spellcasting units, and even allow people with Originium Arts adaptability defects to use Originium Arts. The sample you brought was made using the technology he left behind.”

"Blood?" Li Ang guessed.

“That should be right.” Kal’tsit nodded.

If everything in the human body is considered a replaceable organ, then blood and skin should be the two largest in volume.

Moreover, if only a part is replaced, the risk is not as great as replacing other organs. Losing a little blood or a few pieces of skin will not cause death.

"But...didn't you say that the same substance wasn't extracted from the blood of those prisoners?"

If Loken intended to use this to replace traditional spellcasting units, are spellcasting units capable of disappearing on their own if left unattended?

Anyway, Li Ang had never seen anything like it.

"That's why I said that there are only some similarities, while most of the differences have become different."

Chapter 39

"It's not some kind of hallucinogen?"

Adele was very puzzled.

Although Kal'tsit was very certain, the riots couldn't be explained unless they involved hallucinogens.

Time was limited, and the number of samples was very small. This was all the data Kelsey could analyze, and it differed significantly from the original samples they had.

“I have a transcript of a speech given by Loken Williams after he returned to his alma mater. You can take a look if you are interested.”

As she spoke, Kal'tsit sent a video file to both of their terminals.

After thinking for a moment, Li Ang opened the video and watched with Adele to see what Kal'tsit wanted to express to him.

Perhaps because the video was filmed some years ago, the footage is not particularly clear. You can see a middle-aged Liberian man in a suit standing on the platform, speaking loudly. When he gets to the crucial parts, he excitedly waves his arms, and his excited appearance makes you worry that he might suddenly die there.

With a couple of taps on the terminal, Loken Williams' impassioned speech echoed throughout the office.

"...What if there were safe, artificially manufactured, implantable surgical units?"

"Just as a person who has been in a car accident can run again with a prosthetic leg, and a person who is born blind can regain sight by receiving a cornea transplant from someone else, people with defects in their ability to use Originium Arts can also have the power to change everything."

Interestingly, Loken also mentioned the Tower Warlocks of Letania in his speech, drawing inspiration from the horrifying rumors that these warlocks used infected as casting units.

In fact, that wasn't just a rumor; the tower sorcerers really did like to do it. It wasn't the Witch King's exclusive right; it was just that the Electors of Letania were wary of the Witch King's power and conveniently pinned the blame on him.

Because aside from being intimidating, it's hard to say that infected individuals would be better suited for unleashing Originium Arts than staves produced by professional workshops.

In the video, Loken's speech continues.

For a researcher like him, accepting an invitation from his alma mater to give a lecture is a rare opportunity. It not only allows him to spread his reputation but also attracts some graduating students.

Therefore, Loken always has to offer something substantial.

In Loken's theory, the role of a spellcaster unit is to receive and encode the caster's neural activity and release different forms of energy to the outside. Originium can be used as a spellcaster unit because it naturally has complex energy conversion circuits and can also receive the caster's neural signals.

The so-called Originium Arts adaptability is the 'intensity of nerve impulses'.

According to Loken's theory, those with Originium Arts adaptability defects are either due to insufficient signal strength or other reasons that prevent the spellcasting unit from receiving and recoding the signal.

Because not all Originium artifacts can be used as casting units, there are very significant individual differences among these 'decoders'.

What Loken wanted to do was to artificially create a decoder that only used Originium as an energy conversion circuit, thus solving the 'Originium Arts adaptability defect' caused by decoding problems.

Of course, this is the ultimate form of Loken's theory, and it is only theoretically feasible. His current research is still focused on how to mimic infected people and safely and harmlessly implant Originium-made spell units into the human body.

"It sounds like something I'd rather not do," Li Ang said, stroking his chin.

Li Ang thought it was something powerful, but it turned out to be... just this?

Liquid spellcasting units? They can be stored inside the body as part of the bloodstream.

But if you think about it carefully, isn't this essentially the same as a spellcasting unit that can be carried around and cannot be taken away in any way?

Couldn't we achieve similar results using portable surgical devices like bracelets or necklaces, without having to endure the consequences of such a dangerous surgery?

Any foreign object implanted in the human body carries some risk, especially since the blood will carry this foreign object through the whole body. If the blood-brain barrier is also breached, the risks of such surgery are absolutely unpredictable.

"The actual effect probably isn't that great, is it? If he were really as amazing as he boasted, he would be a VIP at some company by now, instead of being locked up in jail."

Terra is not a peaceful world. Experimental ethics guidelines... although they exist, they are more like a useful brick, moved wherever needed, so don't expect these guidelines to actually control people.

The reason why Loken Williams was sentenced to life imprisonment for this crime is more likely because he was powerless and had offended some people, and was then thrown into prison on a whim.

Of course, it's also possible that someone has their eye on his research findings; such things are not uncommon, both in reality and in works of art.

"...In fact, Loken's experiment has been successful."

Kal'tsit raised an eyebrow and said, "Although his experiment has once again lowered the ethical boundaries of scientific research, it is undeniable that Loken did create an artificial infectious organ."

"He was treated as an honored guest... If his experiments hadn't been exposed, that would have been possible, but now that his misdeeds are known to everyone, even if his backer is unwilling, he must be dealt with."

“They must at least abide by the official order in Colombia, and the Melander Foundation has done a lot of work in this process.”

"The order on the surface... ha." Li Ang chuckled dismissively.

It's just a last fig leaf. So what if he's sentenced to life imprisonment? Does being locked up in prison mean he can't continue his research? If Loken still has any use, they could easily build him a special laboratory in prison.

Given Colombia's incredibly flexible moral compass, they could very well do that.

After saying that, Kal'tsit stopped talking about Loken and his experiment. She only wanted to tell Leon about the prototype of this unknown liquid and had no intention of discussing Loken's experiment in depth.

After tapping twice on her terminal to confirm a message, Kal'tsit said to the two, "Alright, Rosemary's treatment is over. Come with me."

With that, Kal'tsit stood up, preparing to take the two of them to the medical ward to visit the poor child.

Rosemary... was that child's code name? Someone who couldn't face their memories eventually became brave; the story behind that name isn't exactly beautiful...

At least that's what Li Ang thinks; amnesia itself is a very unfortunate thing.

Chapter Thirty-Nine: What the hell is that thing?

Leon and Adele followed Kal'tsit to Rhodes Island's medical department.

Although Rhodes Island has various subtle problems and even resembles an illegal armed organization, at least nominally, it is a medical organization that provides medical services to the infected.

The medical department is the largest department on Rhodes Island, occupying a full fifth of the massive landship.

Li Ang had spent some time in this place before, so he was quite familiar with it.

Rhodes Island's medical department is always busy, with uniformed medical operators moving back and forth between the various wards, and critically ill infected people being wheeled into the emergency room every now and then.

However, Li Ang noticed that the atmosphere in the medical department was different from before. Senior medical officers appeared several times more frequently than usual. In just the few minutes he had walked over, Li Ang had seen several senior medical officers who looked exhausted.

Was it because of the treatment by that 'rosemary'?

Kal'tsit really values ​​that child... Li Ang even saw Warfarin looking dejected.

However, since the Blood Demon Doctor looked like she could die at any moment, Li Ang didn't bother her.

"Speaking of which, Dr. Kal'tsit, why do you want me to meet that child named Rosemary?" Leon asked casually.

If it's just about introducing him to research on Loken, there's no need to make it so complicated.

His intuition told him that Kal'tsit must have other motives.

Upon hearing this question, Kal'tsit paused in her tracks. Li Ang was right; she did indeed harbor some other thoughts.

After considering for less than half a second, Kal'tsit readily admitted, "I would like to ask you to help me check on the child's condition."

“Loken modified her brainstem to infect the organs, which caused some special changes in Rosemary that could not be detected by ordinary instruments.”

“I remember you mentioned that you have a special ability to observe, and you might be able to find out about her condition.”

"Is that so? Then there's no problem." Li Ang nodded thoughtfully.

Well, it's just a look anyway, and Kal'tsit didn't ask him to produce any results.

For Leon, who already owed Kal'tsit a favor, he didn't mind doing such a small favor.

Moreover, Kal'tsit's words had piqued Leon's interest.

"Then I'll leave it to you."

Hearing that Li Ang had agreed, Kal'tsit secretly breathed a sigh of relief. "Rosemary's ward is right here."

Before following Kal'tsit into the ward, Li Ang subconsciously took out his phone and glanced at it, then noticed a series of missed calls and text messages.

All the calls were from Cintrea... Could something have happened at the company?

Li Ang frowned and opened the text messages one by one. After reading them, Li Ang gained a certain understanding of what had happened in the company.

The collaboration between Rhine Life and Pol Pharmaceuticals... there really is such a contract? Ferdinand, as the head of the Energy Department, came here specifically to retrieve the relevant research data.

"Tsk."

Thinking of this, Li Ang couldn't help but click his tongue.

Things seem to be getting interesting. The most suspicious Rhine Labs actually appeared at the very beginning. Shouldn't they have been hiding behind the scenes all along? Why did they come out so openly? Rhine Labs' actions caught Leon off guard.

The previous collaboration between Rhine Life and Pol Pharmaceuticals is likely real, after all, Director A himself is no saint, and human experimentation would not be a psychological burden for him at all.