Volume 3 Chapter 228

Volume 3 + Chapter 228: The Doctor’s Assistant

“Uuu, nooo, Doctor, you’re too mean, bullying me, I want to go home, uuu…”

Inside, Xia Yi was already laughing, but outwardly she still had to put on a show of regret and fear. It took her a lot of effort to squeeze out a few drops of tears, so that others would think she was really crying.

“Crying won’t help you, Xia Yi. A word once spoken must be carried through, there’s no room for you to back out now,” the Doctor said with a smile. “What you know now, is the secret of those old geezers up above value most. If you tried to leave without permission, those old geezers would lose their minds, and do everything to catch you. Once they got you, it’d be a whole ‘wipe out nine generations of kin’ game over…”

“No, I don’t want to hear it!!” Xia Yi covered her ears and shouted.

“Xia Yi, there’s no need to be so tense. Actually, it’s not that big a deal.”

“Really?”

Xia Yi raised her eyes, looking pitiful.

The Doctor nodded and comforted her: “I’ve already handled your formal paperwork. You are now an official member of Rhine Alchemy, and also my assistant. As long as you follow me and properly help me, then there won’t be any problems.”

“Well, I guess… it can only be like this now.”

Xia Yi sighed and wiped her tears.

“Assistant Xia Yi,” the Doctor suddenly called.

“Mm?”

“Too slow! When I call you, you should respond quickly, you must keep up with my work rhythm.”

“Again!”

“Assistant to the Highest Authority of the Rhine Alchemy Life Experiment Division, Xia Yi · Lawrence—”

“Here!!”

Xia Yi raised her hand as fast as she could, responding to the Doctor’s call.

“Very good.”

The Doctor nodded in satisfaction.

Thinking about it like this, taking Xia Yi as her assistant, at least for this period before the agreed time, she could use this cute little loli to pass the time—it was really quite nice.

She placed a notebook into Xia Yi’s arms.

“Later, when I’m in discussion with other colleagues, if important content comes up, you must record it in this notebook. That’s your work for now.”

“What counts as important content?”

“For example, the progress of the experiments, unexpected incidents during the experiments, the final results… things like that.”

“Got it, I think I understand.”

Xia Yi nodded in understanding.

Perfect. She was already planning to listen in on this content, and now she was officially assigned to do it.

…

“Doctor, this batch of experimental subjects has all been dealt with,” the alchemist in charge of the experiments reported to the Doctor.

At the Doctor’s side now stood a cute little tag along.

He really wanted to complain about this, but since she was the Doctor’s personally appointed assistant, he held back.

“The experimental subject that went into deep Dragonification is dead. His corpse has also begun to be processed. None of the other experimental subjects survived.”

“The Dragonification of this batch was way too fast…”

The Doctor looked troubled.

“No matter how much we dilute the dragon-blood potion, the human body still can’t withstand it? Dragon power is simply too overwhelming for humans, impossible to endure. Even with only the tiniest trace of dragon blood, the curse within it is still able to deeply erode outsiders, to remake their flesh…”

Xia Yi was jotting notes by the side.

At the same time, she was somewhat surprised. It seemed that humanity’s research into dragon curses had indeed already made progress.

This Doctor was really impressive—even though she knew such things.

“Doctor, up until now, we’ve only had one successful experimental subject,” the alchemist sighed. “Now, looking at it again, the Sword Saint’s existence is like a miracle. And miracles may not happen a second time.”

“Those old geezers up above, insisting on creating another hybrid warrior like that guy—that’s far too much to ask. Forcing two completely incompatible things together, and still demanding stability and control.”

As she spoke, the Doctor grew irritated, biting through her lollipop.

“Why can’t they just let me make pure monsters instead? Like that one earlier, the deep-dragonified creature—those, I could whip up in piles with no problem! If not that, why not let me just create full dragons? That might even be simpler than making hybrids!”

“True, but Doctor, such uncontrollable monsters couldn’t be used in war at all,” the alchemist said helplessly. “Forget fighting enemies—if you actually built an army of those things, the first thing they’d do is slaughter each other.”

“…So troublesome.” The Doctor muttered.

Xia Yi thought back to what she had read in the Dragon Library, about the Dragon Wars of the primordial age.

Back then, the reason dragons could stand against all the races with only their own kind, was in large part because of the dragon curse.

Dragons were already powerful enough. To hunt one down meant piling up countless corpses. And even then, at death’s door, a dragon would still release its curse, infecting entire swaths of enemies. Those who killed a dragon would be transformed into mindless slaughtering monsters, who in turn turned on the coalition armies of other races.

A curse even the dragons themselves could not control—how could outsiders hope to?

It seemed that although humanity had made astonishing progress with hybrid experiments, they were still unable to create the ideal super-soldiers.

That impostor really was the only exception…

“Doctor, the next batch of subjects will arrive soon. Shall we inject them with dragon blood directly again?”

“…Forget it. This path doesn’t seem viable. Too much haste won’t work either. Abandon direct injection. As before, proceed with gradual step-by-step screening.”

“Understood.” The alchemist nodded.

The Doctor’s conversation with the experimental staff concluded.

“All right then, Assistant Xia Yi, let me see your notes.”

“Please take a look, Doctor!”

Xia Yi handed the notebook over.

After looking at it, the Doctor fell silent, her face darkening.

“What’s wrong, Doctor? Did I not do well…?”

“No, you did extremely well. The notes are concise, yet cover every key point of information. It’s practically perfect—”

The Doctor paused.

“Perfect enough that it looks just like the work of an infiltrator. Not at all like that of an ordinary student.”

“…”

“Haha, Assistant Xia Yi, don’t be so tense. I’m only joking. That was praise, you know!”

The Doctor laughed and returned the notebook to her.

“Doctor, don’t say things like that…”

“All right, today’s work is almost done. Later I’ll take you to rest. For the time being, you won’t be able to return to Laurel Academy. When the time comes, I’ll help you negotiate with Laurel Academy about it.”

Can’t go back…

Xia Yi thought of one thing—her transformation potions. She had been using them a lot lately, and they were running out.

Although this was an alchemist’s research base, she still didn’t want to refine more potions here.

After all, any unnecessary action might draw suspicion. As long as her cover wasn’t blown, it was better to just gather more intelligence.

Besides, the little fox had cast illusions on her as well—so she was safe.

No need to overthink it. Nothing would go wrong.

…

…

After the Doctor arranged for Xia Yi to rest, a staff member came to her.

“Doctor, it seems you’ve forgotten something.”

“What?”

“You previously promised to assist the Templar Knights at the ruins of the ancient human civilization. They need you to set out immediately.”

“…Tch. How did I forget that?”

The Doctor held her forehead. She’d been having so much fun tugging Xia Yi around that she had pushed it out of her mind.

And those old geezers in her family still kept forcing her to work. Meanwhile she lounged around comfortably, pocketing favors from the Templar Knights…

So annoying.

Sure enough, the plan to poison those old geezers in her family needed to be put on the schedule.

“Can’t I just not go?”

“If you don’t, Lady Knight Princess herself may come to fetch you. She too has been dispatched for this mission. The Templar Knights are treating this operation with unprecedented importance.”

“…Fine.”

The Doctor let out a soft sigh.

If that was the case, then there was truly no helping it. She’d just have to bring Xia Yi along as well.