Asura in Arknights

“But based on what you just discovered, it’s very likely that Loken used some unknown method to stitch the souls of the Rosemary brothers together with this child.”

As she spoke, Kal'tsit's brows furrowed, and she wore an expression of utter disbelief. "It's unbelievable... in this era... how did he manage to do that?"

The soul is indeed a real thing. Li Ang himself has the ability to observe and destroy souls, but he cannot perform such 'operation' on a soul. The human soul is too fragile. Even if you pierce a warrior with a strong will, his soul may be slightly stronger, but it is not fundamentally different from that of a newborn baby. They are both sand piles that will collapse with the slightest touch. Li Ang is not good at such delicate operations.

Stitching together different souls while ensuring that the stitched monster doesn't break down on its own is incredibly difficult, even a child could imagine.

Kal'tsit was puzzled by this very point. While the previous civilization could indeed do something similar at its peak, the Terra civilization's current level of technology made it impossible to do so by any means. They didn't even have the means to observe souls, let alone perform surgery on them.

Even if they dug up some good things from the ruins of a previous civilization, it wouldn't be possible. Even if the monkey found a nuclear fusion reactor, it wouldn't know how to use it. This level of high technology isn't something you can use immediately just by getting your hands on it.

After Kal'tsit shared her speculation, both Leon and Adele fell silent.

After a long pause, Adele finally let out a soft sigh.

"This is too cruel..."

During this period of silence, Kal'tsit also finished examining Rosemary's body.

After removing the electrode pads from Rosemary's body and dressing the girl back in her blue hospital gown, Kal'tsit's expression looked anything but relaxed.

"Sure enough, his physical condition has not improved and even shows signs of further deterioration."

"Dr. Kal'tsit, is there any way to cure her?" Adele asked worriedly.

Anyone with a conscience would find it hard not to sympathize with this poor child. Adele wanted to save her, but unfortunately, she didn't know anything about it and could only place her hopes on Kal'tsit.

"Frankly speaking, given Rhodes Island's current equipment conditions, it's very difficult."

Kal'tsit shook her head. "We have done everything we can to treat Rosemary, but with little success. Her condition continues to deteriorate."

"Since it's an equipment problem, can't we seek help from other organizations?"

Adele's idea was simple: if the equipment didn't meet the requirements, why not just replace it with new equipment? Columbia has the capability to process rosemary like this, so their equipment should be able to meet the requirements, right?

Hearing such a direct question, Kal'tsit was momentarily speechless. She paused before continuing.

“…I understand what you mean. Putting aside the budget issue for now, no country on this land has more advanced equipment than Rhodes Island, otherwise the Melander Foundation wouldn’t have entrusted this child to us.”

Despite the many secrets surrounding Rhodes Island, and even its status as Kazdel's exiled government, its current name is ultimately Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals, a rather unconventional pharmaceutical 'company' that even takes on armed escort and military contracting jobs.

Let's be realistic. Since it's a business, it has to make a profit. Putting aside the old grievances like illegally employing child labor, Rosemary is just an ordinary patient on Rhodes Island. Patients like her die every day. Rhodes Island can't save everyone, and they won't go to any lengths to cure just one patient.

Moreover, Kal'tsit has made it clear that even compared to the nations of Terra, Rhodes Island's equipment level is among the most advanced.

With two unknown 'agents' lurking within this small organization, Rhodes Island is not some random, insignificant organization that can compare.

"...I'm sorry, I underestimated the situation."

Adele realized that she had spoken somewhat without thinking.

Kal'tsit waved her hand dismissively, not paying much attention to such a trivial matter. She looked up at the spot directly above the hospital bed where Rosemary's 'brothers' were, and said, "You should be able to hear our conversation, right? Your presence has already placed a considerable burden on Rosemary. If this continues, the child won't be able to hold on for much longer."

It seemed that Kal'tsit intended to persuade Rosemary's 'brothers' to reduce their impact on Rosemary's morning performance, but unfortunately, in Li Ang's perception, the monster was still quietly floating in mid-air, without reacting to Kal'tsit's words in the slightest.

"It's no use. This level of soul stitching can't possibly preserve even a trace of self. At most, it can leave behind a bit of instinct, which should now be controlled by Rosemary's subconscious."

But these are ultimately foreign souls forcibly stitched together, and Rosemary cannot control them perfectly, which leads to another unsolvable vicious cycle. The powerful force brought by these foreign souls is gradually getting out of control, and Rhodes Island cannot find a way to forcibly sever this connection for the time being.

"As expected."

Kal'tsit calmly replied that it was just an attempt, and the failure didn't make her feel too sorry.

“However, you must have other ideas,” Li Ang said confidently.

He noticed that when Kal'tsit answered whether she could cure Rosemary, she used the word "very difficult," not "impossible."

"Of course, after so many treatments, we have also designed some plans, but because the experimental data obtained by Rhodes Island is incomplete, we cannot guarantee the effectiveness of the treatment."

“But if we can get Loken’s experimental data, Rhodes Island is at least 80% confident that we can solve the child’s problem,” Kal’tsit said cautiously.

Even a frustrated researcher like Loken could modify rosemary in his small workshop, so there's no reason why Rhodes Island couldn't do the same.

Even if we can't restore Rosemary to a normal state, we can at least stop her body from deteriorating further.

Where can we get that experimental data?

If it's not too much trouble, Leon wouldn't mind doing Rhodes Island this small favor.

As if afraid that Leon would change his mind, Kelsey spoke rapidly, "After Loken was arrested and imprisoned, the Colombian Ministry of Defense seized his laboratory. Most of the laboratory's assets were taken over by the Ministry of Defense, only a very small portion flowed into the black market and was intercepted by the Melander Foundation, and the last part... fell into the hands of Rhine Life."

“Rhine Lab is one of the largest research organizations in Colombia and has a lot of cooperation with the Ministry of Defense. They are very likely to get the data that the Ministry of Defense could not get.”

This was exactly the result Kal'tsit had hoped for; dealing with the businessmen of Rhine Life was much easier than dealing with the politicians and military personnel of Colombia.

The only downside is that, despite having some cooperative relationship with Rhine Labs, Rhodes Island is too small to obtain this level of classified information.

However, it's different for Boer Pharmaceuticals on Li Ang's side. Although their factory area was destroyed by explosion, they also gained the coveted "money-printing machine" that is Plot Zero. Boer Pharmaceuticals' position in Kazimir has not only not declined, but it has also shown a trend of dominating the entire medical industry.

If we can leverage the power of this partner, there is still a good chance of obtaining that data.

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this familiar name, Li Ang raised an eyebrow in surprise.

I have a feeling... like we've been tricked by Kal'tsit. The head of Rhine Lab's energy department just came to us, and then Rhodes Island suddenly had a request for help from Rhine Lab. It's hard to say that this wasn't all part of Kal'tsit's plan.

However, this should be a mere coincidence. Rhine Lab played an unknown role in the recent riots at Plot Zero, analyzing the special substances found at the site to identify characteristics of Loken Williams' work. Coincidentally, some of Loken's experimental data also fell into the hands of Rhine Lab.

It seems that Rhine Labs is indeed the culprit this time.

As Li Ang pondered how to deal with the troublesome Rhine Lab, he suddenly heard Adele's pitiful voice behind him.

“Li Ang…”

Unaware of the situation, Adele had already quietly walked up behind him and gently poked his lower back with her finger.

Even without turning around, Li Ang could imagine Adele's expression at that moment.

"..."

Scratching his head, Li Ang sighed helplessly, "Alright, alright, I'll help."

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

Chapter 42 The Ubika Sisters

"I'm not some terrible person, how could I possibly abandon this child?" Li Ang joked.

In fact, even if Adele hadn't brought it up, Leon would have chosen to help Rosemary anyway.

If Kal'tsit intended to gain his sympathy in this way, then it must be admitted that Kal'tsit's plan was quite successful.

Rosemary's plight is indeed pitiful, and Li Ang does have the ability to help this child now, so it wouldn't hurt to lend her a hand.

Moreover, Li Ang's intuition told him that the trouble hidden around Rosemary was something he couldn't escape. Even if he managed to get away with it this time, he, or rather the entire Boer Pharmaceuticals, would eventually be drawn into the vortex centered around Rosemary.

The intricate connections between Rhine Lab, Loken, and Rosemary already illustrate a lot. If we take the initiative to get involved now, we might be able to gain some control.

Feeling a little embarrassed by Li Ang's teasing, Adele lowered her head to hide the blush creeping up her cheeks. To break the awkward atmosphere, Adele playfully punched Li Ang hard in the back.

The girl didn't use much force; instead, she was being a bit coquettish with Li Ang, which made Li Ang's teasing expression even more undisguised.

"Ahem, okay, I'm not kidding anymore."

Before Adele could truly lose her temper, Leon quickly suppressed his teasing expression and said to Kal'tsit with a serious face, "Dr. Kal'tsit, I can help you with this, but in a different way."

"You also know about the riot that happened on Plot Zero not long ago. Rhine Labs is definitely behind this. They may very well have used Loken's technology."

"Therefore, I will not ask them for Loken's experimental data in the name of Ball Pharmaceuticals."

Although Rhodes Island's target is very likely what Leon is currently investigating, he wouldn't be foolish enough to expose it to Rhine Labs.

At that point, let alone taking the initiative, it's not impossible for them to be led by the nose by Rhine Lab.

Don't reveal your true intentions; this is the most basic thing in the world.

Upon hearing this, Kal'tsit pondered for a moment and nodded, "You're right...we really shouldn't let them know."

Kal'tsit felt somewhat regretful that she couldn't use the name of Pol Pharmaceuticals to negotiate, which would make obtaining Loken's experimental data much more difficult. However, she was already very satisfied that Leon was willing to help.

She wasn't simply pitying Rosemary; Leon's discovery gave Kal'tsit a very ominous feeling. In any era, experiments involving the soul are extremely dangerous.

I really don't know what the Ministry of Defense and Rhine Life were up to while she was away from Colombia.

How much time is left for the rosemary?

"Judging from the rate at which her health is deteriorating, she may only have one to two years left. Moreover, if the condition is not completely resolved within six months, it will leave Rosemary with permanent sequelae."

"Six months...that's enough."

Li Ang rubbed his chin. There was much more time than he had imagined; he had thought he only had one or two months left.

He's only been in Terra for less than two years, half a year... half a year is enough for him to do a lot of things. It seems that if nothing unexpected happens, Li Ang's next stop will be Columbia. He can also take the opportunity to visit Magellan, whom he hasn't seen in a long time. He wonders how the matter he asked her to do back then is going.

Upon hearing that there were still more than six months to go, Adele's slightly anxious mood eased somewhat.

"Let's stop here for now. I'll give this matter serious consideration later. I have some other things to take care of recently," Li Ang said.

The most important thing now is to find out the truth about the riot at Plot Zero. If we can find something to hold against Rhine Labs, that would be even better. Maybe we can use that as a breakthrough to force Rhine Labs to disclose Loken's research results.

“Plot Zero... If needed, I can also send Rhodes Island operators to help.”

Clearly, Kal'tsit had the same idea as Leon.

Even a behemoth like Rhine Lab must abide by the rules of the game, and cannot do anything outrageous in a blatant manner.

If solid evidence can be found, the Melland Foundation would likely be happy to help them cause trouble for Rhine Life.

"Not for now, I'll contact you if needed."

Leon declined Kal'tsit's offer. It wasn't the right time to seek help from outsiders, and Leon didn't really trust the abilities of Rhodes Island operators. It was best to handle such an important matter personally.

Having achieved their main objective of meeting Kal'tsit, Li Ang and his companion decided not to bother her any further, as she always seemed very busy.

However, just as they were about to leave, Kal'tsit suddenly called out to Leon.

"Wait a moment, just now, Rhine Lab also sent people to Rhodes Island."

"Huh? What are they doing here?" Li Ang asked in surprise.

Judging by the timing, they should have just finished looking for Hinterlea and then sent someone to Rhodes Island. Li Ang couldn't figure out what kind of person this head of the Energy Department was.

"There must be a request to be made to Rhodes Island. If you're interested, you can listen in on our conversation."

After considering it for less than half a second, Kal'tsit decisively sold Rhine Lab.

Compared to Rhine Lab, maintaining the relationship with the person in front of her is more worthwhile. Of course, this also depends on the identity of the person who came. If the person who came was the head of the Energy Department, Kal'tsit might hesitate for a few more seconds.

But when Kal'tsit recognized the identity of the person in charge, she realized that the other party did not seem to value this commission very much, so she had no psychological burden of betraying Rhine Lab.

"Rhodes Island has collaborated with Rhine Lab several times to send several employees who were accidentally infected with Oripathy to Rhodes Island for treatment."

Kal'tsit explained the relationship between Rhine Lab and Rhodes Island to Leon: "Asteria Ubica, along with her sister, received treatment on Rhodes Island for [Common Oripathy]. After the observation period ended, she did not leave Rhodes Island, but accepted our employment and is now serving as an astrological literature consultant on Rhodes Island, codenamed Astronomical."

"Astrology? You guys study that?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ang immediately became interested, not expecting that there would be people in Terra researching such an obscure field.

Admittedly, astrology is the precursor to astronomy and one of the important prerequisite disciplines for breaking free from the gravitational pull of planets, but all of this is meaningless on this planet.

Terra's starry sky is fake, man-made. A huge celestial canopy tightly envelops the entire planet, preventing terrestrial life from peeping into the universe. Even the Pathshapers, who have almost evolved to the limit of organic life, have not been able to completely break through that barrier. This season's Terran civilization seems even more ridiculous; they can't even build a few decent flying machines.

Rhodes Island is really neglecting its core business... they're even researching this kind of thing.

“Studying astrology is pointless, but the Ubika family are important elders of the Astrological Research Association, so we hired Astronomy to keep track of their movements,” Kal'tsit said meaningfully to Shibamura.

Clearly, Kal'tsit, who has lived for countless years, also knows the secrets of the starry sky.

However, Li Ang had no intention of causing any further trouble for the time being. After keeping this in mind, the two of them tacitly skipped over the topic.

"So, the person who came is Miss Xingji's sister?"

"Elena Upika, a senior researcher at Rhine Lab and a student of Ferdinand, the head of the Energy Department, has just submitted an application to the General Administration Department, saying that Rhine Lab has an important commission and hopes to discuss it with them."

"Adele, what do you think?"

Instead of immediately answering Kal'tsit, Leon looked at Adele beside him and asked for her opinion.

Too many unexpected things have happened in the past two days, so my original plan to spend some quality time with Adele has basically fallen through. Li Ang was planning to stay and take a look, but if Adele doesn't agree, then he'll just go back.

Anyway, if Rhine Lab's request is important, Kal'tsit will definitely send him a record afterward.

"Then stay."

Adele seemed to have read what Leon was thinking, and she nodded slightly.

"I understand what you mean, you don't necessarily have to come out with me..."