Ifrit: "Don't Go!" / The End

The girl lying on the bed—no, Ifrit —waited a few more moments after noticing the figure disappear from the window before finally letting out a slight sigh of relief.

However... just as she breathed a sigh of relief, a childish voice, full of playful mockery, suddenly rang out beside her.

"Hehe~ Which little guinea pig is still awake so late?"

"!..."

The sudden sound caused Ifrit's pupils to shrink slightly, and scorching flames instantly appeared beside her. She instinctively wanted to cry out.

However, before she could even speak... a slender hand wearing a black glove was placed in front of her lips, physically calming her down.

"Shh~"

"You don't want to attract attention and then have to give yourself two injections, do you? If you don't want that, then keep quiet."

"..."

Although she had been startled, Ifrit calmed down considerably after seeing Mobius's "youthful" appearance and hearing her words clearly, and she also withdrew her flames.

But after doing all that, she looked up at Mobius with a puzzled expression, as if asking her why she had come here.

"Can't you speak yet... is it because of psychological reasons?"

Faced with Ifrit's questioning gaze, which resembled that of a small animal, Mobius did not offer an answer. Instead, he murmured to himself thoughtfully.

Mobius knew before she came in that Ifrit couldn't speak yet, because she had just checked the mouse's data and "treatment" progress.

However, the researchers here may not know, but Mobius is quite clear that Ifrit's current inability to speak is less due to physical damage or insufficient language reserves, and more due to purely psychological reasons.

Generally speaking, only strong stimuli can make Ifrit speak again, just like the plot that Mobius saw before he traveled through time: painful experiments plus Saria's candy.

Of course, Mobius certainly didn't intend to give Ifrit any strong stimulation, since she was currently only considered an infiltrator.

Moreover, whether the mice can speak or not is irrelevant to her, as it does not affect her experiment (treatment).

"..."

Looking at the "little girl" in front of her who was completely ignoring her and instead immersed in her own world, Ifrit glared at her unhappily, then turned her head to the side, avoiding Mobius's hand that was placed in front of her lips.

"Oh dear, what a mischievous little guinea pig!"

Mobius wasn't angry at Ifrit's actions. After teasing her, he calmly continued:

Aren't you curious about who I am and why I'm here so late?

P. S.: Please give me some votes and then urge me to vote. Hopefully I won't stay up too late tonight; yesterday was absolutely terrifying...

Chapter 62 Ifrit: "Don't go!"

Aren't you curious about who I am and why I'm here so late?

"Hmm..."

After hearing Mobius's words, Ifrit's little head didn't turn back, but the occasional furtive glances she gave him proved her curiosity.

"Heh~ I came here, of course, for you~"

"?"

Mobius's words completely piqued Ifrit's curiosity, making her turn around and examine the little girl who looked about the same age as herself in the darkness once more.

If this had happened normally, and someone else had said these words to her, Charmander would probably have become wary long ago.

However, because Mobius's current appearance and childlike voice were so deceptive, she was not able to be too vigilant in this "strange" situation.

"Little mouse, do you want to get better and become a normal child again?"

After taking in Ifrit's reaction, Mobius showed no surprise whatsoever. Instead, he couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips slightly before continuing to seduce her with his childish voice.

As for why there were no surprises, it's because Mobius was well aware of the "advantages" of his appearance.

Without knowing her or her background, very few people could resist her pitiful, childlike appearance; almost everyone would lower their guard...

Moreover, in order to make herself "popular," she even learned how "Elysia" spoke.

"...?"

After hearing Mobius's words, Ifrit looked puzzled, but still nodded in agreement.

No one likes being locked up every day under the guise of guardianship, and no one likes the excruciatingly painful "treatment" that comes every few days.

If it weren't for Silence and Saria who stayed by her side through the treatment, Ifrit might have already snapped, shirked her responsibilities, and refused to cooperate.

"Since you want to, then cooperate with my research, little lab rat~ But don't worry, I won't treat you as roughly as those guys did during the day." Having coaxed him to this point, Mobius paused slightly, lowered his eyes, and pondered for a moment before continuing:

"If you're willing to cooperate, I might be able to ease your pain~ So, how about it, will you say yes?"

"..."

This time, after hearing Mobius's words, Ifrit did not agree as readily as before. Instead, she covered her head with her hands and fell silent, a hint of fear, even terror, appearing in her eyes.

Charmander might not understand many other things, but she clearly understood the meaning of the word "research" that Mobius had just mentioned... This instinctively instilled fear and dread in her.

"That's why I said I'm not good at taking care of children." Looking at Ifrit, who was lost in her own emotions, Mobius lowered his eyes to hide the darkness and impatience in them, and said in a low voice.

Then, without giving Ifrit any chance to react, she suddenly stepped forward and used her armored fingers to stuff a round object into Ifrit's mouth.

"!"

Ifrit was startled again by Mobius's actions and instinctively wanted to retaliate in self-defense, but... before she could even begin, an indescribable taste spread through her mouth first.

She sat there stunned on the bed, the fear in her eyes fading considerably, replaced by a hint of confusion.

"Think about it carefully yourself, my patience is limited~"

However, Mobius didn't care about Ifrit's expression at that moment.

After doing all this, she stopped looking at the person on the bed, simply left a casual remark, and went outside to continue searching for information.

After all, what had just happened was nothing more than a minor incident caused by her own wicked sense of humor. Her main objective tonight was Rhine Lab... or more precisely, the Ifrit data and information that the Structural Department had already collected.

As for whether Ifrit would cooperate with his research or keep it a secret, Mobius didn't care at all from the beginning. Since she came, she must have already made thorough preparations.

Even if the mice are uncooperative, it will only make the process a little more complicated.

"..."

A while after Mobius left the room, Ifrit finally came to her senses, then turned her head and stared intently through the observation glass at the person bustling about outside.

Honestly, Charmander is feeling a bit lost right now, unsure how to respond to Mobius's final words.

Because, in Ifrit's view, Mobius's words and actions were full of contradictions that puzzled her.

Although their words and address to her were not exactly friendly, their actions and behavior did not make her feel any malice.

Thinking about it, Ifrit subconsciously pursed her lips, and the refreshing sweetness in her mouth spread again, calming her complicated emotions and soothing her.

"..."

Only after all the relevant information had been copied using special methods and everything had been restored to its original state did Mobius finally seem to remember Ifrit's existence and turn his gaze back to her.

Then, what came into view was a little dragon staring longingly at him through the glass.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Have you made your choice, little guinea pig?" As he spoke, Mobius once again used the Black Mud clinging to the ground to sneak into Ifrit's room.

"... ah."

Looking at the "little girl" who had returned to her side, Ifrit opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end only uttered a meaningless syllable. This couldn't help but cause a trace of anxiety to flash across her face.

"Heh~ I don't understand, little guinea pig. You need to tell me your choice yourself~" Watching Ifrit's anxious look, Mobius's mischievous amusement surged again, and then he said "softly" word by word.

"Otherwise, I'll just have to assume you've given up this opportunity, which would be a real shame. To continue being locked up in this place for who knows how long, and to keep enduring those guys' brutal experiments~"

At this point, Mobius paused slightly, then gently touched the corner of his lips and continued, "Besides, we might not even be able to eat candy anymore. Just thinking about it is terrifying~"

"Hmm..."

Upon hearing Mobius's words, Ifrit tried to open her mouth again, but in her haste, she chewed up the remaining candy in her mouth, and still only uttered meaningless syllables.

"Looks like it didn't work out~ Well then, farewell, and never see you again." With that, Mobius "regretfully" shrugged at Ifrit and made as if to turn and leave.

"Don't... don't go!"

End of Chapter 63

"Don't... don't go!"

Hearing Ifrit's anxious plea for him to stay behind him, Mobius, who was about to leave, curled his lips slightly, and a triumphant smile flashed quickly in his gradient vertical pupils.

Then he slowly turned around and said to the person behind him:

"Hmm? It can actually speak now~ So eager to be my guinea pig?"

"I... I'm not called a lab rat, I have my own name... I'm called Ifrit!" Ifrit corrected him somewhat unhappily after hearing Mobius's words.

Before, she couldn't speak, so she couldn't correct the way someone addressed her and could only accept it. But now it's different; she can speak... and she certainly doesn't want to be called a "guinea pig."

"Oh dear, you don't like this nickname? That's troublesome~ After all, I really like it~" With that, Mobius turned around and spread his hands at Ifrit with a troubled expression.

"Hmm..."

Ifrit was clearly taken aback by Mobius's predicament, and a hint of hesitation slowly flashed across her eyes, as if she were weighing the current situation.

"... Well... I've already told you my name, so what's yours?"

After some final hesitation, Ifrit temporarily stopped insisting that Mobius change how he addressed her and instead asked for her name.

"Me? Hehe~"

Upon hearing this, Mobius chuckled softly, then touched the corner of his lips before continuing, "You can call me [Serpent Lord], or [Infinity]~"

"Ugh! This doesn't sound like a name at all, it's not fair..."

After hearing the two titles Mobius used, Ifrit puffed up her cheeks in displeasure, looking quite unhappy.

Although she wasn't very knowledgeable, she could still tell that the two names the "little girl" in front of her used were more like titles than names.

Looking at the sulking Ifrit in front of him, Mobius's smile deepened.

She then maneuvered the machine beneath her forward, looked directly into the eyes of the person before her, and said with a meaningful smile:

"Hehe~ That's fair, after all, I didn't ask for your name. You told me yourself, didn't you? Little guinea pig~ Throwing out your chips too early will only lead to losses."

"Snort..."

At this point, Ifrit completely lost interest in looking at the person in front of her. After letting out a soft snort, she turned her face away again.

"Heh~ You're getting angry already? Alright, it's getting late. Since you've chosen to have me stay, then cooperate with me to do some sampling." Mobius paused slightly before continuing his "tempting" tone:

"If you continue to behave well, I might tell you my name when you do well too~"

To be honest, Mobius's patience with children was almost exhausted. If Ifrit, after letting her stay, disagreed with the experiments and treatments, she planned to abandon the "gentle" approach altogether.

After all, the mission didn't specify what the treatment and stabilization process would entail...

Mobius's personality and patience did not allow him to endlessly indulge a child for the sake of a task.

"Then... if I cooperate obediently, can you come and spend more time with me?" After hearing Mobius's tempting words, Ifrit was slightly taken aback at first, and then asked cautiously with a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Little mouse, you have no room for negotiation." Mobius said "ruthlessly" in the face of Ifrit's hopes.

But after saying that, she slowly lowered her eyes and added, "However... I will come regularly to give you a check-up."

"...!"

Ifrit was somewhat disappointed after hearing the first half of Mobius's statement, but after hearing the second half, her mood soared like a rollercoaster.

Before Ifrit could ask any further questions, Mobius spoke up again, saying, "I'll come as needed until you've settled down; once you've settled, this schedule will be fixed."

"Um!"

Ifrit was satisfied. She nodded heavily, grasped Mobius's hand, and finally agreed.

"I will cooperate with your... Mobius."

"?"

Upon hearing Ifrit's address to him, Mobius's expression froze, and a large question mark slowly appeared above his head.

"Little lab rat, don't call me that so childishly!"

"Mobius!"