"You let a test subject that big just run away?!"
Parvis, the Director of Rhine Lab's Structural Section, violently threw the water cup from his desk. The cup smashed heavily onto the somewhat shiny forehead of the senior researcher who had taken over the project. The senior researcher didn't dare say a word, simply lowering his head in silence.
Parvis was having some pretty bad luck.
Just this morning, he was bragging about his achievements in the meeting, even preparing to make a big push for his Structural Section to advance into the military sector. Why was Raythean Industries the top company in Columbia? Besides being rich, another very important reason was that Raythean Industries, due to its weapons development, had established connections with the military early on.
Since ancient times.
Might makes right.
Having money alone isn't very useful.
Only by establishing connections with the military can one truly stand firm in the world.
And the success of the Flame Demon Project this time had truly allowed Parvis to hold his head high. As long as he could cooperate with the military, then even the Director-General would have to be a bit more polite to his Structural Section.
And Parvis actually admired Silence very much.
She was a genius, a researcher through and through. But such a person would find it difficult to make further breakthroughs in the field of biology, because... she was unwilling to make sacrifices. So-called science, the so-called field of biology, is nothing more than achieving technological breakthroughs through constant sacrifice. For the life we have now, for the mature technology we have now, who knows how many people lost their lives in the early stages of development.
Therefore.
After the project's success.
Parvis had immediately replaced Silence, putting his own confidant in charge of the project. If Silence came around in the future, Parvis wouldn't mind giving her back the position of project leader, but not now...
However.
While his beautiful dream was still in the works.
A piece of news nearly made Parvis break down.
The test subject ran away!!
Escaped!!
She had brazenly forced her way out of the lab, then stealthily escaped the facility and fled to the outside world.
When Parvis learned of this news, he was so angry he almost punched the current project leader to death.
The swan that was just about to be in his mouth suddenly grew wings and flew away?!
How outrageous!
"Go and catch her!! Dispatch the special operations team!! Bring the test subject back!!!"
"Yes!! Director."
The new project leader readily agreed and ran out.
A while later.
Parvis finally calmed down from his anger and opened the surveillance video on his computer.
In the surveillance footage.
Ifrit's performance was flawless.
The scorching flames burning on her fingertips pierced through the room's wall. Along the way, her movements were incredibly agile. Her running speed and endurance had even far surpassed that of the special operations team members who had undergone special combat training. Furthermore, she had knocked out several armed guards with impossibly smooth techniques.
You must know...
This test subject had never undergone any systematic training before. Coupled with her small and frail physique, it should have been theoretically impossible for her to do this.
Parvis felt a tiny bit of gratification.
The fact that she could escape only served to prove the test subject's potential.
Just the initial fusion had transformed a weak Sarkaz girl with no strength to even truss a chicken into a being surpassing experienced special operations personnel in an instant. With a little training in the future, she would become a true super-Infected!
Thinking of this, Parvis successively made two phone calls.
"Give the order, the other experiment is to begin immediately. Refer to the data from the Flame Demon Project."
"Hello, General. The project you desired has been initially completed by our Structural Section. I wonder when you might be available?"
When he said this.
Parvis didn't even add the words 'Rhine Lab', but directly referred to his department as the Structural Section.
—————
"Wow!!!"
Ifrit excitedly looked at the bustling traffic around her. Her eyes were filled with nothing but deep curiosity. It seemed to her that every place, every blade of grass and every flower in this world was incredibly fascinating.
"Big Brother Lucas, are we out?! Is this the outside world?!"
Ifrit had been brought to Rhine Lab at a very young age. In all this time, let alone leaving Rhine Lab, she had never even left her own laboratory. Occasionally, she would be mischievous and run out when the white coats weren't looking, but she would be caught and brought back before she got far.
So...
Ifrit worshipped Lucas at this moment.
A long time ago.
Ifrit had a dream. When she grew up and became as strong as Saria, she would personally pin those white coats to the ground and stab them with the same needles they used on her!!
Stab them a hundred... no, ten thousand times!!
However.
Just now, after Lucas took over her body, he had easily escaped from the laboratory that she had been planning to escape from for years!
*Poof..*
A child's gratitude is often the purest.
Just by helping Ifrit escape from Rhine Lab, the Prayer Power Ifrit provided him was a huge amount..
+200
Ridiculous...
He had only gotten 300 for solving the food problem for Alina in Ursus.
As expected.
Children are the purest and the easiest to stir emotionally.
"Little Ifrit, you'll be able to do it too in the future~"
Lucas comforted with a smile.
And Ifrit was incredibly excited.
"Really? Big Brother Lucas!!"
However, before Lucas could speak.
A third voice sounded.
*Pfft~*
Flame Demon: "If it weren't for my power fusing with you, my god-like power enhancing your body, do you think this person could have escaped?"
Ifrit asked the Flame Demon, which had caused her so much suffering in the past, with some confusion. Children don't hold grudges for long. Even though she had nearly died several times because of the Flame Demon, Ifrit was now quite happy to talk to it.
"Are you really that powerful?"
"Hmph! My power is beyond your imagination."
"But why were you beaten by Lu..."
Ifrit's innocent words made the Flame Demon not want to listen any further.
Flame Demon: "Alright, stop talking."
Lucas had also discovered that this Flame Demon had some issues with its temper. It was a chatterbox... loved to show off, couldn't go three sentences without saying how awesome it was. In fact, it did seem to be quite awesome. And, because its soul's root was now fused with Ifrit's, the Flame Demon was no longer worried that Lucas would kill it, and was gradually becoming more arrogant.
Mentally, it even seemed... a bit immature.
Its personality was a good match for Ifrit's...
"Big Brother Lucas, where's the amusement park? Let's go right now. If we delay, it'll be trouble when Silence comes to get me. I'll probably get a big scolding from her when we get back."
Ifrit's innocence made Lucas sigh.
She really didn't realize her situation.
The Silence she loved so dearly was the person in charge of this experiment. He wondered if Ifrit would be heartbroken if she ever found out the truth...
"Ifrit, do you want to leave Rhine Lab? This company isn't as wonderful as you think. If you want to leave, I'll help you."
Lucas asked.
He had already decided in his heart that as long as Ifrit nodded, he would immediately lead her away from this troubled place.
However.
For this answer that should have been an immediate nod, Ifrit fell silent.
She thought for a moment, then slowly shook her head.
"Ifrit doesn't want to leave~"
"Silence is here, Saria is here, and Big Sister Maggy is here too. Ifrit doesn't want to leave them. Even if I have to get shots every day, Ifrit doesn't want to leave their side..."
"Sigh~"
Lucas sighed, feeling sorry for the little girl.
And just then.
Lucas realized a serious problem.
Not only did he not know where the amusement park was, but more importantly...
He had no money~
When he stayed with Jessica, Jessica had no shortage of money.
When he stayed with Alina, the Reunion Movement was far away in the ice fields, and money was no different from waste paper to them.
Plus, Lucas himself was a soul and didn't need money, which made him gradually lose interest in the stuff.
He had truly reached the realm of...
'I have no interest in money.'
Just as Lucas was struggling with this.
The surrounding pedestrians suddenly scattered in a panic.
A completely black armored transport vehicle screeched to a halt in front of Ifrit.
The Rhine Lab logo was prominently displayed on the armored transport vehicle.
"!"
Lucas frowned slightly.
"They're here already?"
These specially trained combat personnel were different from ordinary operators. The moment they got out of the vehicle, they didn't waste any words. Even as the vehicle door was opening, they had already pulled the triggers of their weapons, and anesthetic needles shot out from the guns.
Not just anesthetic needles.
To ensure a foolproof capture.
They used everything they had that could restrain Ifrit's movements: stun guns, containment nets.
"!!!"
Even Lucas was slightly stunned by this sudden attack. He hadn't expected Rhine Lab's containment team to arrive so quickly. He had only been out for less than three minutes, and these people were already on him.
"Flame Demon~"
Lucas resolutely began to command the Flame Demon inside Ifrit.
Ifrit was just an untrained little girl. On top of that, she wasn't very old, and had undergone all sorts of experiments for a long time, which made her even smaller and weaker than her peers. With such a body, even with an 'ace' like Lucas piloting, there wasn't much he could do.
Fortunately, he had the Flame Demon as a natural power-up.
Under Lucas's intimidation, the Flame Demon, though very unhappy, still became a tool.
It fused its remaining power with Ifrit's small body, while Lucas also occupied Ifrit's body.
Faced with the onslaught of attacks.
Lucas knew that if even one of them hit.
With Ifrit's current constitution, she would instantly lose the ability to resist.
Flames ignited in Ifrit's pupils.
Her slightly panicked, tender little face turned ice-cold.
She took a deep breath.
And mobilized the small amount of power in her body.
With herself at the center, a wave of scorching heat was instantly released, forming a searing barrier that directly blocked all incoming attacks.
The special combat personnel's eyes widened.
Although they knew to be careful when containing such a breach, they hadn't expected the other party to react to their swift attack.
However, as the most professional containment personnel, how could they not have other contingency plans?
They continuously pulled their triggers.
Rhine Lab's special muscle-paralyzing bullets shot out from their guns.
With a wave of his hand, Lucas...
The Flame Demon's power allowed him to summon a blazing fire shield in front of him. However... the current Flame Demon was the 'weakened' version by Lucas, a Fire Demon. Its own fire power was greatly diminished. In its prime, its flames could easily melt these bullets, but now... it couldn't even block them, only barely slowing them down.
"Aiyaa~~ My divine power has become so weak!!"
The Flame Demon complained angrily inside Ifrit.
Transparent World~
Lucas ignored the Flame Demon's rambling and directly used Transparent World. In Lucas's world, the speed of the bullets slowed down considerably. After dodging the bullets, Lucas's Spiritual Power was released directly.
[Shatter~ Mirror Flower, Water Moon!!]
As Mirror Flower, Water Moon was cast, the combat personnel who were still frantically pulling their triggers suddenly heard a sound like a mirror shattering. In the next moment, to the eyes of ordinary people, the actions of these combat personnel became bizarre.
"Run!"
Lucas didn't hesitate and left immediately.
This soul fragment of his had just awakened, so his Spiritual Power wasn't very strong. Plus, the mental strength of these combat personnel was far superior to that of ordinary people, and there were quite a few of them. This meant Lucas could only control them with his illusion for a very short time.
Although Lucas could have poured all his remaining Prayer Power into this soul.
But...
He really couldn't bear to.
If he invested in this soul, then that one, when would he ever save up 1.7 million?
With a free tool like the Flame Demon, Lucas only needed to use his own skills.
Lucas controlled Ifrit's body, sprinting wildly through the streets. She didn't know where she was going, and Lucas wasn't familiar with this area either. After a series of twists and turns, Lucas went from one main street to another.
However, at a corner, Lucas collided head-on with someone who appeared right in front of him.
"Little one, are you okay?"
That familiar voice?
*Hiss!!*
Lucas sucked in a sharp breath.
It really was!
In front of him, Jessica was crouching down, trying to help him up. Beside Jessica were Liskarm and Franka, holding large and small shopping bags. The three of them seemed to have just finished shopping together.
"Jes!!"
Lucas subconsciously wanted to shout, but luckily he covered his mouth in time.
"Jes... Big Sister... I'm fine, sorry, Big Sister, I have to go, I'm in a hurry."
Lucas immediately turned tail and ran, ducking into an alley on the side.
Jessica frowned.
"What's wrong, Jessica?"
Franka asked in confusion.
"Senior Franka~ That little kid, I have a feeling she's really familiar..."
After thinking for a moment.
Jessica called out to the Lucas in her necklace, wanting to verify something.
However, there was no response.
Jessica gritted her teeth and decided to chase after her.