Mephisto inspected a photo. There he saw a young child with sizeable clusters of crystals forming on some parts of her body. Her expression was peaceful as she slept suspended within a vat.

"Her name is Ifrit?", Mephisto squinted and smiled. "She's so beautiful. She looks just like a princess that I really want to wake up. So, what about the other information? Your Rhine Lab's primary project was the experiment. Surely this one photo isn't all you have on her?"

The lead researcher reluctantly replied, "This photo is all that's left. All other data on her was either stolen or destroyed."

"Who did it?"

"Our former colleague, Silence.", another researcher spoke up on the topic, "She managed to steal Ifrit and all the critical data about Ifrit because she was in charge of Ifrit from the beginning.". The lead researcher nodded, "Yes, as for the data that was destroyed, Saria is responsible for that. She assisted Ifrit during their escape, and sabotaged all attempts to retrieve Ifrit, as well as destroying all experimental data we had left."

"Sounds like a very interesting person.", Mephisto looked up from the photo, an odd smile on his face, "But, do you really expect to use just this photo to secure our cooperation? Isn't that a bit too naive of you?"

"... Although most of the data is no longer in our hands, I still remember the most critical detail."

The lead researcher took a deep breath, catching Mephisto and the woman's attention, before slowly saying, "The Ifrit's Cell-Originium fusion rate reached 19%."

Mephisto paused in apparent disbelief, "Nineteen percent?! Are you kidding me?!"

"We do not joke about any research statistics.", the lead researcher seriously replied.

"Nineteen percent, nineteen percent.", Mephisto began repeating to himself.

"Silence has continued treating her," the lead researcher continued, "She brought Ifrit to seek refuge in a pharmaceutical company called Rhodes Island, preventing us from reclaiming Ifrit."

Mephisto raised his eyebrows, "Rhodes Island? Hmm, now where did I hear that name before?"

At that, he turned to look at the woman who had remained waiting on the second floor, "Aren't those the guys that fought with you last time, W?"

W silently leaned against the wall, her expression betraying nothing.

"Interesting, rather interesting," Mephisto mutters to himself, intrigued.

Another former female researcher of Rhine Lab spoke up, "On the surface, Rhodes Island is just a regular pharmaceutical company. But in addition to selling pharmaceuticals, they've been steadily building up a powerful force. I heard that they've recruited many powerful infected personnel willing to fight for them."

Mephisto's eyes narrowed, gaining a dangerous glint, "Really? Gathering infected people, very interesting indeed."

His eyes returned to Ifrit in the photo, and his tone suddenly became gentle. Suddenly, he stood up.

The former researchers of Rhine Lab exchanged nervous glances between themselves, in the end, the lead researcher stepped forward and asked, "So, are you satisfied with this arrangement?"

Mephisto held up the picture of Ifrit, and shook it in front of the researchers, "Can you guarantee that everything you say is true?"

"Of course.", the lead researcher nodded, "As I've already stated, we don't need to lie in this kind of place. If you don't believe us, you can test her yourself. You infected should know the infected better than we do."

Mephisto lightly tapped the floor with his hand.

"We infected prefer to call each other compatriots." Mephisto smiled and looked at the lead researcher, "I hope you can remember that in the future."

Staring into Mephisto's eyes, the leading researcher didn't know why he felt fear. He was looking at a kid who was younger than him and didn't know how old he was. He had a smile on his face, but he felt that his gaze was like that of a poisonous snake's. If he wasn't careful, he'd be paralyzed, even killed.

"Okay." Mephisto said, changing the subject, "Get to the point. If the information you're telling us is true, then we are very satisfied with this child named Ifrit. We can agree to your terms, we can help Rhine Lab."

The lead researcher sagged in relief, ever so slightly, "Excellent, so, when can you bring this child to us? We can't do it by ourselves."

"What do you mean?"

"As you can see.", The lead researcher stepped aside, allowing Mephisto to see the motley group of researchers standing behind him, "My colleagues and I are... ill-suited for such a task. It's basically impossible for us to take Ifrit back from Silence alone."

"Silence? Isn't she just another researcher?"

"She is, but she's not the problem. The problem is Rhodes Island, who stands behind her.", the leading researcher clenches a fist, "If Rhine Lab hadn't been dissolved, we naturally wouldn't have to be afraid of them, but now we are all that remains."

Mephisto smiled and asked: "So... can I understand that you want me to make such a large investment with only a photo and some verbal testimony?"

"No, more than that, of course.", the lead researcher took a deep breath, "We can lure Silence and Ifrit out. In fact, we already have an appointment with her to exchange some equipment in the future. Silence will definitely come to talk to us in person, and in Ifrit's case, it's impossible for her to leave Silence at all, so she will come too."

"I see..." Mephisto nodded with a smile, "Then after you lure Silence out, we come in to take Ifrit away, right?"

The lead researcher nodded. Mephisto suddenly began clapping his hands, and the sound of applause filled the empty villa, leaving the researchers at a loss at how to react.

"It's a former colleague." Mephisto applauded, smiled, and praised, "Before you even contacted us, you already had such a good assessment of your former colleague. It's amazing, it's worth eating with your brain. People. In your opinion, this child named Ifrit has always been an important asset for your revival of Rhine Labs, but it was temporarily placed in Silence's possession, right?"

"That's right.", the lead researcher was silent, it was a male researcher standing behind him, that had spoken indignantly, "Even if Silence was the project head, she stole the fruit of all the hard work we'd spent years on, what's wrong with that?"

Standing in the corner out of fear, the female researcher with a fruit knife chimed in, "Ifrit isn't Silence's property, it is Rhine Lab's, and belongs to all of us present. Rightfully."

Her words seemed to speak to everyone's heart. Everyone nodded and agreed with each other.

"That's right, Ifrit was originally an asset of Rhine Lab."

"They ruined Rhine Lab. It's only appropriate that they help in its revival.", the researchers discussed in a low voice.

Mephisto watched the farce playing out in front of him with great interest, only clapping his hands after several minutes, in order to calm everyone down.

"I understand what you mean.", Mephisto said with a smile, "In that case, it doesn't matter what happens to this Silence right? I originally thought that as your former colleague, you didn't want me to try to hurt her."

He was still smiling gleefully like this was all a fun game to him.

"Frankly? I'm relieved to say that.", Mephisto once more turned his gaze back to the lead researcher, "I strongly agree with you. Those who are capable of making such things are not trivial. If that's the case, then we will cooperate with you. By the way, I still don't know your name yet."

The lead researcher extended a hand out to Mephisto, "Just call me Cardo, the former chief researcher of Rhine Labs."

"Hello, Cardo." Mephisto smiled and shook his hand, "I wish us a happy and fruitful relationship."

After the former Rhine Lab researchers left, Mephisto's smile gradually faded, but his mood didn't turn bad. While humming, he took out the handkerchief from his pocket and carefully wiped the hand that had touched Cardo's just now.

"Are you planning to go alone?", W's voice came from the building.

"Yes. Why do you ask?", Mephisto said with a smile, "or do you want to come to play with me?"

She said. "I'm still wanted at Lungmen."

"And you care?"

"Nope"

"Then it's up to you.", Mephisto spread his hands in a shrug, folded the handkerchief neatly, and tucked it into his pocket, "Big no for me, I'm looking for someone else, though that kid would really suitable for us."

"To be used as a bomb?"

"With that kind of fusion rate, even if she were to be used as a bomb, she'd be the best bomb of her kind,", Mephisto said with an excited smile.

W asked Mephisto, "What about Rhodes Island?"

"It's just a pharmaceutical company." Mephisto said dismissively, "Even if you have a little force, what can you do? An organization that betrays its compatriots in order to survive, kill as many as you have to."


{Rhodes Island's Psychologist}


Draft by mihjaqtio

Proofread by PanzerComrade56