Her's expression was grave. It was clear she had given this a great deal of thought before speaking.
Yoren sat on the bed, stunned. His mind took a mont to catch up.
She wanted him to take Ifrit and leave Columbia? Why?
Then, the weight of her words hit him. He imdiately got up and stood in front of Her, locking eyes with her.
"Her, let confirm this again—you're not joking."
"I never joke."
"Alright... then tell why."
Deep down, Yoren had already guessed her reasoning. He hadn't expected this, but it didn't entirely surprise him. After all, three years from now, Her would take Ifrit and flee to Rhodes Island. But because of his interference, history had shifted. The Fla Demon incident had happened earlier than it should have, and its outco had changed. He wasn't even sure if Rhodes Island existed yet, or if it was still just a small pharmaceutical company.
Even so, he needed to hear Her say it.
In the dim light of the room, she looked at him solemnly.
"This is the plan I've been considering since the Fla Demon incident. I used to believe that as long as I stayed in Rhine Life, I could protect Ifrit. I thought that by leading the research, I could give her a stable, free life. That if I worked hard enough, I could ensure the experint's success. According to the higher-ups, Ifrit would beco a unique and powerful existence.
"I was naive. I thought that if the Fla Demon project succeeded, Ifrit would no longer be just an experint. She would have rights, a place, a future within Rhine Life."
Her voice grew quieter, filled with bitterness.
"But I was wrong. I should have realized it sooner. Rhine Life isn't sentintal. To the upper ranks, there's only success and failure. No matter how strong Ifrit becos, if she can't fully control the power of the Fla Demon, she's worthless."
Yoren's brows furrowed. "What orders did the higher-ups give?"
"They're moving to the next phase of the Fla Demon Project, and I won't be leading it anymore. I've been sidelined."
Yoren's chest tightened. "Next phase? What does that an?"
Her's expression darkened. "They want to modify Ifrit's DNA again, now that the Fla Demon stone has fully fused."
He wasn't an expert in Rhine Life's research, but even he could tell this sounded dangerous.
Her continued, "I know better than anyone how risky this is. With the stone already fused, any error in the DNA modification could cause the Fla Demon's power to violently reject Ifrit's body. If that happens, she'll be burned alive—just like the eighteen test subjects before her."
Yoren clenched his fists. "Are those bastards insane? Did you tell them the risks?"
Her eyes flashed with quiet frustration. "I did. It didn't change a thing. After what happened at Base No. 4, they saw firsthand how powerful the Fla Demon can be. And they realized it's also incredibly dangerous."
Yoren's voice dropped, turning cold. "If they can't control it, they'll destroy it."
Her nodded. "Exactly. They won't allow a test subject with uncontrollable power to exist. They need her to master it, and fast. The best way, in their eyes, is more DNA modification. And if sothing goes wrong? Well, they're willing to accept the loss. As far as they're concerned, if she dies, at least no one else will get their hands on the Fla Demon's power. The stone will disappear, only to regenerate sowhere else in the world years later."
A slow, burning rage rose inside Yoren.
He had risked everything to pull Ifrit from the flas. And now Rhine Life wanted to throw her back in?
His nails dug into his palm. "Where is that bastard Aibo? I'm going to rip his damn throat out."
Her grabbed his arm before he could move. "It won't help. This isn't just Aibo's doing. You don't understand how deep this runs. The real power in Rhine Life isn't just the directors you see. There are figures in the shadows, core mbers who shape everything. Killing one person won't change anything. And Rhine Life has strong ties to the Columbian military. You can't fight them with brute force."
Yoren took a breath, forcing himself to think. She was right. This wasn't sothing he could solve with violence alone. Rhine Life was too vast, too well-connected. Even if he fought and won today, another order would be given tomorrow.
Power alone wasn't enough. If he truly wanted to change anything, he needed more than strength. He needed influence. Strategy. Allies. That was sothing he was still learning—how to fight a war beyond fists and fire.
After a long silence, he asked, "Then why ? Why not take Ifrit yourself? You have more influence than I do, and you hate Rhine Life as much as I do."
Her sighed. "I can't leave."
"Why?"
"I'm in charge of monitoring Ifrit. I have to submit reports every day. If I suddenly disappear, the higher-ups will know sothing is wrong imdiately. With their resources, we wouldn't even make it out of Columbia before being caught."
Yoren's expression darkened. "Then what's your plan?"
"I'll create the illusion that Ifrit is still here. I'll cover for you while you escape."
Yoren felt a prickle of unease. "And what about you? When they figure it out—"
"By the ti they realize what's happened, you'll be gone. Three days. That's how long I can buy you. Within three days, you need to be out of Columbia. I'll stage an incident to make it look like Ifrit lost control and fled on her own."
Yoren's mind raced. "And when they find out the truth?"
Her's voice was unwavering. "This isn't a humane experint. If they co after , I'm prepared. I've backed up all my research. Rhine Life won't dare touch ."
There was no hesitation in her eyes. Only determination.
"This is my choice. I've thought it through. No matter what happens, I'll make sure Ifrit gets out of here. I won't let her die in a sterile lab as just another failed experint. She deserves to live—truly live—in a world beyond Rhine Life's grasp."
For a mont, Yoren said nothing. He just stared at her.
Then, slowly, he nodded.
He would do it.
Because Ifrit was not an experint.
She was a person.
And he would make sure she got the future she deserved.
Yoren had no doubt about Her's determination, nor did he think she would regret her choice. However, he saw the hidden reluctance in her eyes. No matter how much she tried, in the end, she couldn't protect Ifrit personally.
But she did not give up. She placed her hope in Yoren's hands.
After hearing Her's well-considered request, Yoren had no reason to refuse—or rather, he had no choice but to accept it.
Her's aning was clear. She wasn't asking him to sacrifice his life to protect Ifrit. In truth, Ifrit had a strong instinct for self-preservation. What Her wanted was for her to experience the world as an ordinary person.
Whether sadness or happiness, anger or betrayal—she wanted Ifrit to feel it all, to learn from those experiences, to make her own choices.
Her hoped that Yoren would be the key to helping Ifrit integrate into the world.
At so point, the moon erged from behind the clouds. Yoren stood in front of Her, bathed in its pale light. He pounded a fist against his chest and spoke with solemn resolve.
"Don't worry. I, Huoyu Yoren, will take care of it."
"Thank you."
Afterward, they spent the night discussing the details of the escape plan.
There was one thing Her needed to confirm first. She looked at Yoren and asked, "Have you decided where you're going next?"
"I'm going to Victoria."
Her was surprised. "Victoria? That far?"
"Yeah."
After considering it, Her realized it was actually the better option. A place that far would be beyond Rhine Life's direct influence. They wouldn't dare reach into a world power like Victoria so easily.
Based on their discussion, the escape was set for tomorrow night. Her had devised a foolproof plan for its execution.
The biggest problem now was how Yoren was going to take both Snowsant and Ifrit across such a vast distance to Victoria.
Once they left, Her could no longer help them. She was tied to Rhine Life; all her connections were within its sphere. She couldn't ask anyone she knew for help. Yoren had to figure things out on his own.
But when it ca to Victoria, a thought struck her.
"I can't help you after you leave Rhine Life," she admitted. "But when you get to Victoria, there's soone you can trust."
"Oh?" Yoren perked up.
To be honest, having soone there to receive him would be a godsend. He had considered Victoria because of Vina, but the country was massive, with dozens of major cities. He had no idea where Vina was, nor any way to contact her.
If he had a guide from the start, he could avoid wandering aimlessly.
He imdiately asked, "Her, does this person live in Victoria?"
"Yes. He's a native and has no connection to Rhine Life. He's completely trustworthy."
"That's great. Who is he?"
"My second uncle."
Yoren blinked, thrown off by the unexpected answer. He wondered if he had misheard.
"Her, who did you say?"
"My second uncle. You do know that ans my mother's younger brother, right?"
Yoren waved a hand. "Yeah, I get that. It's just... I wasn't expecting that."
There was nothing wrong with a second uncle, but sohow, hearing it from Her felt... off. It was like being in a serious diplomatic eting, surrounded by high-ranking officials in suits, only for one of them to suddenly say, "Hey, you've gotten more handso lately."
But if he thought about it logically, it made perfect sense. This was the real world of Terra. Her hadn't just appeared out of nowhere—of course, she had family. She might even have a third aunt, a sixth sister-in-law, or a second cousin twice removed.
Yoren rubbed his chin. He had expected Her to ntion a comrade from the battlefield or a hidden master in the city. Instead... second uncle.
He sighed. Fine. Second uncle it is.
Then another realization hit him. Since arriving in this world, he had never truly been on his own. He had no real-world knowledge or survival skills here.
From day one in Chernobog, Vina had thrown him into chaos. His journey since then had been one wild roller coaster ride after another. He had never experienced a normal, mundane life.
He brought this up to Her—without explaining why. He didn't need to.
Her assud it was a side effect of his power, a form of mory loss. Without hesitation, she spent two hours teaching him basic survival skills: how to use public transportation, how to pass international checkpoints, where to buy food when hungry, where to sleep when tired.
For two whole hours, she was his life coach.
Once he had absorbed the basics, Yoren had one last question—one he needed answered before leaving Rhine Life.
He picked up the envelope Her had given him and pulled out a banknote.
The dark yellow bill was clearly not the Lungn Coin he was familiar with in the ga.
Holding it up, he asked, "Her, what currency is this?"
"This is Terra Coin, the global standard."
"Terra Coin? Not Lungn Coin?"
Her paused before nodding. "I've seen Lungn Coins before. They're blue and issued by the Lungn Special Zone. They were widely used in the eastern regions of Terra, but they're limited in reach."
Yoren studied the banknote. Apart from its issue date and security patterns, there was a circular emblem in the center, likely symbolizing Originium.
The note's value was 1,000 Terra Coins. Her had given him 100,000.
He needed to understand exactly what that ant.
Her sighed and patiently explained. "Terra Coins are accepted worldwide. Even in remote areas, you can exchange them for local currency at a bank. They have the highest exchange rate. For example, Lungn Coins—1 Terra Coin is worth nearly 20 of them."
"1:20?!"
Yoren swallowed hard. That ant the 100,000 Terra Coins Her had given him were worth 2 million Lungn Coins.
Her continued. "In major Columbian cities, the average monthly salary ranges from 800 to 2,000 Terra Coins. A typical family's monthly expenses rarely exceed 500. That should give you an idea of the cost of living."
"Got it."
Since they were on the topic, he couldn't help but ask, "By the way, Her, how much is a Source Stone worth?"
"B-grade and higher Originium isn't regularly traded, so there's no fixed price. S-grade Originium is outright banned."
Yoren waved his hand. "Co on, you know there's smuggling. Just give an estimate."
Her folded her arms. "Alright. I don't know the exact black market rates, but an S-grade Pure Originium can sell for at least hundreds of thousands of Terra Coins—sotis even more. But only if it's properly processed before sale."
Yoren nearly dropped the banknote in shock.
He had guessed Originium was expensive, but this was absurd. No wonder Vina and her people had been so tense. Back in Chernobog, the Glasgow Gang had smuggled nearly 50 of them. That was tens of millions in profit.
No wonder people risked their lives for it.
By the ti they finished talking, dawn was breaking.
Before leaving the room, Her gave him one final warning.
"Rest now. Tomorrow, just prepare your things and wait. I'll handle Ifrit. I'll co to your room in the evening. Whatever you do—don't expose yourself."
Yoren made an "OK" gesture. "Got it."
Her hesitated, then softly added, "Yoren... thank you."
After she left, he lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.
How was he supposed to sleep after all that?
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