Meanwhile, at the Public Infirmary, Silvia was undergoing treatment by a doctor and a group of nurses inside the emergency room. However, they were encountering difficulties in eliminating the toxin from her body. Removing the toxin from her body before they could administer the healing concoction to address her injuries was crucial.
Outside the emergency room, Liam anxiously paced back and forth, his expression constantly shifting. He had been informed about Silvia's critical condition and was advised to prepare for the worst. She had lost a significant amount of blood and had been poisoned by the corrosive energy of the Chaotic Wolf monster, leaving her in a seemingly hopeless state.
Amid his distress, Cyril arrived, his body still covered in the crimson shell as a result of his body fortification. However, Cyril's appearance momentarily startled Liam, who mistook him for an enemy. He abruptly halted in his tracks, grabbed a sword from the corner, and readied himself for a confrontation. However, upon recognizing Cyril's familiar stature and physique, as they had lived together for a long time, Liam realized his mistake.
Liam spoke with a hint of doubt: "Cyril?"
"Liam, how is Silvia's treatment? Is she alright?"
As soon as he entered the infirmary's hallway, Cyril ignored Liam's actions and anxiously inquired about Silvia's condition.
Liam briefly glanced at Cyril's unusual appearance before replying: "I don't know. She is still undergoing..."
Before Liam could finish his sentence, the infirmary door swung open, revealing the doctor who had led Silvia's operation. A frown etched across his face, indicating a troubling development.
Seeing the familiar doctor, Liam immediately grabbed his hand and asked with concern: "Doctor Finn, how is Silvia's condition? Did the detoxification procedure succeed?"
"Detoxification...?" Cyril muttered, his expression filled with confusion as he observed the interaction between Liam and Doctor Finn.
Doctor Finn, taken aback by the seemingly blood-stained figure standing behind Liam, cautiously inquired: "You... Who might you be?"
"It's me, Doctor Finn."
Hearing the familiar voice, Doctor Finn suddenly recognized its owner and asked with a hint of doubt: "Wait, are you, Cyril?"
Cyril nodded in confirmation, intending to speak, but Liam interjected anxiously: "Doctor Finn! Please, answer me! What happened during Silvia's operation?"
Doctor Finn, still puzzled by Cyril's unusual appearance, regained his composure upon hearing Liam's frantic question.
Afterward, he shook his head gravely and replied: "No, we failed to eliminate the toxin from her body. The toxin is otherworldly and requires specific methods for complete removal. Unfortunately, Edge City does not possess such a method. Although her condition has stabilized after the operation, I'm afraid that..."
Doctor Finn glanced at Liam, tactfully choosing not to finish his sentence. Liam understood the implication without the need for further words.
"Is there no alternative to eliminate the toxin in Silvia's body, Doctor Finn?"
Liam refused to accept that there was no possible way to cure Silvia of the poison coursing through her veins, gradually consuming her life. However, once again, Doctor Finn shook his head, destroying his little hope and plunging him into complete despair.
Liam decided not to ask any further questions as it was pointless to do so. Instead, he barged into the room, followed by Cyril, who still had lingering inquiries about the current situation.
Doctor Finn observed the two boys entering the room with a melancholic expression, shaking his head.
He muttered aloud: "How unfortunate for such a lovely and vibrant girl to succumb to those chaotic monsters."
Having previously met Silvia, he knew that she was not someone who easily sustained injuries. This was the first time he had treated her, leaving him pondering why her initial injury had to be her last.
Cyril, on the other hand, suffered from a mysterious disease since childhood, making him the person Doctor Finn had treated the most among the three of them. Despite being regarded as one of the most prominent doctors in Edge City, he was unable to provide a proper diagnosis for Cyril's enigmatic ailments.
As soon as Liam and Cyril entered the room, the nurses who had remained to bandage Silvia's wounds after the operation exited, leaving the two boys alone with her.
Stepping into the dimly lit patient's room, Liam and Cyril were confronted with the fragile figure of Silvia, lying motionless on the bed, her face pale and feeble. Her complexion, deadly pale though it was, couldn't conceal her ethereal beauty.
Silvia had her eyes closed as if peacefully asleep. However, upon sensing the presence of Liam and Cyril entering the room, her eyelids fluttered, and she weakly opened her eyes. Her blurry gaze first fell upon Cyril, still covered in the crimson-steel residue from his [Blood-Steel Body Fortification] skill.
Despite Cyril's unusual appearance, Silvia didn't exhibit surprise or treat him as a stranger. It was as if she could instantly recognize his identity, regardless of his appearance.
After briefly staring at Cyril, her gaze turned to Liam, who displayed an uncommon expression on his face— a mixture of worry, guilt, and helplessness.
"How could this be..."
When Liam beheld Silvia's deteriorated condition, which was noticeably worse than when he had brought her to the infirmary, his entire world seemed to crumble before his eyes. He stood there, blankly staring at the haggard Silvia, motionless.
"Silvia..."
On the other hand, Cyril, who had already broken down upon witnessing Silvia's injury, losing his mind for a period of time before awakening from his unstable state, approached the bed where Silvia lay, his face filled with anguish.
Cyril knelt down beside Silvia's bedside, with Liam following suit but standing next to him.
Gently, Cyril took Silvia's hand, his eyes brimming with tears that he struggled to hold back, causing his eyes to appear reddish.
As soon as Cyril held Silvia's hand, he undid his transformation. The crimson shell of steel that covered his entire body shattered instantly, falling and scattering like broken pieces of glass onto the room's floor.
Once her vision adjusted, Silvia looked at Liam, who clenched both of his fists in guilt, displaying a despondent expression.
"Liam... Cyril?" She weakly murmured.
Silvia's gaze met Cyril's figure which was no longer covered in the crimson shell-like substance. As if in confusion, she glanced at Liam once again before looking back at Cyril.
Observing Cyril's bloodshot eyes and dispirited expression, Silvia forced a weak smile and spoke in a whispering tone: "You came..."
Upon hearing Silvia's weak and faint voice, Cyril and Liam instinctively sensed that her time was running out.
With a trembling voice, Cyril tried to comfort her, saying: "Silvia... Everything will be okay. I have defeated the monster that did this to you. Once you recover, the three of us will go back to the orphanage together."
Silvia looked at the ceiling for a brief moment and replied in a sluggish tone: "You're right... This is nothing."
She then added boastfully: "Have you guys already forgotten that I am the strongest one among the three of us?"
Silvia was well aware of her own condition. She also knew that Cyril was simply trying to provide comfort. Therefore, she decided to play along and lighten the mood. After all, this could very well be their last conversation.