Perhaps this wasn't entirely correct, but the Director also understood her mistakes. She knew that the object of her research and experiments was a living person. She was deeply aware of her own sins.
But at Loken Tank, most researchers seemed not to understand that what they were dissecting and studying were human bodies, and what was soaking in cultivation tanks were human organs.
To them, these were merely experimental subjects, like lab mice, to be used and discarded at will.
They used different concentrations of Originium solution and various harsh environmental conditions as controls, experimenting with different projects.
And the experimental subjects were sometimes human tissues, and sometimes living people—who could know the source of the former?
Not to mention the lifeless, crystal-encrusted organs, even the living people mostly had jagged Ore crystals growing on them, and… without exception, all were infants.
"Alright, little one, we're taking you out now."
"Mmm…"
From an old hospital bed, Goki picked up a small boy whose body was covered in electrodes and IV needles. Although the child still had vital signs, his eyes were vacant, and half of his head was covered in black Originium crystals, clearly having lost normal cognitive ability.
On the other side, Skadi came to Goki's side, carrying a child under each arm.
"Goki, do you think Kal'tsit can cure them? Mon3tr, hurry!"
With an equally grim expression, Skadi loudly called Mon3tr's name. Beside them, a ten-centimeter-thick metal wall was instantly torn apart by a pair of black crystal pincers. The black crystal giant beast ripped open a huge crack in the alloy wall and directly squeezed inside.
Behind her was a massive, pre-prepared temporary rescue pod designed to secure the rescued individuals.
These were the rescue pods Goki and Skadi had helped Kal'tsit purchase and create this month. Several "experimental subjects" previously rescued had already been placed inside and could be directly transported away once loaded into the truck.
"Medicine isn't omnipotent, but we can hope for the best."
Securing each child in a temporary medical pod, Goki let out a soft sigh.
In reality, in Columbia, or even across all of Terra, such organizations were not uncommon. Organizations like Rhine Lab, where good people still existed, were rare. Academic cliques and research monopolies were the truth of most research organizations in this country.
Compared to them, even Quintus's experiments could only be considered safe, ordinary experiments.
After all, to Quintus, the Abyssal Church was a double fugitive wanted by Iberia and Aegir, but in Columbia, the definition of whether a person was evil often lay in their own hands.
"However, there's still plenty we can do—the chief culprit must be executed."
Goki knew what experiments Loken Tank was conducting, and he knew what he had to do today.
He would do here what he did in the Healing Church.
Bang—
With a heavy impact, the door to Goki's destination, the core laboratory of Loken Tank, was kicked open by Skadi's brute force.
Inside the room, a blond man in a white lab coat turned his gaze from a floating Feline girl in an experimental tank before him, to Goki and Skadi.
"Ah, hello, welcome, intruders. I never expected Blacksteel's excellent employees to last less than five minutes against you. I watched your prowess on the monitors. Your strength is undeniable, but… you are still foolish."
Saying this, Loken Williams cast his gaze upon Mon3tr behind Goki.
"Ah… Teacher Kal'tsit, after all these years, you still cling to those foolish and outdated views. You and my mentor ended my career, but you never thought I could rise again and master powers you never understood."
Loken's voice was exceptionally loud; his hatred for Kal'tsit was palpable.
"Do you think these excellent mercenaries, who can defeat gangster security personnel, can harm me in the slightest? The power I wield is beyond your imagination. I have created a Caster who is uninfected yet can strengthen himself with Originium—Number 1, crush them."
Thump!
A heavy thud sounded. Around the room, an invisible, immense force overturned debris and instruments, rushing towards Goki and Skadi like an unseen wave.
"Gada dada——"
Without hesitation, Mon3tr immediately curled its massive body, and with cracks appearing on its body, it protected the rescued experimental subjects.
"See? I understand the essence of Originium Arts. This is something you old fossils will never comprehend—hah?"
The invisible psychic force swept through the laboratory. Loken's expression was filled with the excitement and joy of a successful experiment. He would preserve this sole surviving experimental subject well and train her into a true killing machine!
However, as the wave dissipated, Loken's eyes widened.
"This, this is impossible?!"
He saw the black-haired man in the tricorn hat and trench coat, surrounded by blazing flames. The flames were almost extinguished by the invisible giant wave, but it only caused his skin to crack, not allowing him to be crushed into a crumpled piece of paper by the immense force.
And the murderous white-haired girl was even more absurd. She wasn't shredded into minced meat, nor did her skin even wrinkle. Instead, she lightly patted her slightly rippling Hunter's uniform and raised her greatsword at Loken.
"Haha… Skadi, we didn't come here immediately because if we had smashed Loken Tank beforehand, we wouldn't have been able to carry out Rhine Lab's operation. But if we let him live for another minute now, that would be our mistake—kill him!"
Without even giving Loken time to be astonished, Goki and Skadi exchanged glances and instantly charged at the madman.
Madmen like those in the Healing Church, Goki would absolutely not allow them to live!
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