Arknights: The Life Inside-Chapter 56

Tears flowed silently.

Yoren lay on the bed, tears trailing down his cheeks and pooling behind his ears. He felt the last fury of the demon, the final resolve of the goddess.

He understood now.

The origin of the black and white twins was not what Toyama had claimed.

The goddess had sacrificed herself—not only to save the world but to save the one she loved. She severed her bond with the demon, hoping the world could return to peace, that everything could reset.

The demon did not fall to the gods' judgment.

He fell because he wept for the goddess.

The Black and White Twin Stones—

They were born from the mingling of their tears.

There was no emotion in the demon's tears, only endless wrath, driving him to destroy everything.

There was no memory in the goddess's tears, only her final wish. And whenever she sensed the demon's power consuming all, she would raise her sword once more and sever everything.

The world would return to the beginning.

And the cycle would start again.

From a modern perspective, it was difficult to grasp the choices made by those who had transcended the laws of all things in ancient times. It almost didn't seem real.

But who could say, with certainty, that their own existence was the absolute truth?

Wiping away his tears, Yoren reached a hand toward the ceiling.

He had inherited the black and white twins, had seen their origins, had heard the voices that had long since faded into time.

And he had a feeling—

The four ancient stones each held a different history.

Killing, Styx, Fire Demon, Black and White Twins—

Each one carried a story of its own.

Yoren sat up, his thoughts shifting.

The past could not be changed. But now that he had inherited this power, he had the ability to alter the course of things—events that had already happened in his memories but had not yet taken place in this world.

His body felt normal again. All abnormalities had vanished.

Of course, the Originium crystal at his neck remained.

He was still infected.

Now, he needed to find Hemer. He needed science and data to help him understand exactly what had happened to his body.

When Yoren returned yesterday, Hemer had immediately conducted an emergency blood test.

And early this morning, she and her team had prepared a full set of experiments.

Lying on an unfamiliar device, Yoren allowed them to carry out their tests without resistance.

Three hours later.

When the tests were complete, Hemer approached and handed him a dagger.

"You know what to do."

"Yeah."

Entering the combat room, Yoren didn't hesitate. He drew the blade across his palm, watching as blood welled up from the wound.

His left eye darkened, black blood vessels creeping toward his pupil—

But this time, they didn't reach it.

The fine black pattern circling his iris cut them off.

Yoren could feel a distinct power awakening in his left hand. But unlike before, it did not rampage through his body. It lingered beneath his skin, waiting for his command.

The black and white twin mutation had always been triggered by pain, but now, he could control it. It lay dormant, like a force waiting to be unleashed. To activate it fully, he would need an Originium shard as fuel—or he could let his own body take the toll.

A mechanical arm extended from the wall, offering him a shard.

Yoren took it, and the power inside him surged to life. Strength filled his limbs, the raw energy almost intoxicating.

A white cylinder rose from the ground before him.

Beyond the observation window, Hemer nodded.

Switching the shard to his other hand, Yoren clenched his fist and struck the cylinder with full force.

Bang!

Evening.

After dinner, Yoren lay on his bed, one leg propped over the other, absently chewing a piece of bubble gum—Ifrit had given it to him earlier in the afternoon.

Snowsant had already returned his scarf, and now it rested neatly beside his pillow.

Blowing a large bubble—

Smack!

It burst, the sticky mess spreading across his face.

With an exaggerated groan, he used his tongue to pull the gum back into his mouth and resumed chewing.

Something felt wrong.

He couldn't put his finger on it, but something wasn't right.

The next day.

Hemer brought Yoren back to the lab for another round of tests.

In the combat room, he activated his dark power once again, drawing it into his fist.

With a determined yell—

"Punch of Earnest, HI!"

Boom!

His fist slammed into the target.

Then, he tossed the Originium shard aside and trudged out of the combat room, visibly disappointed.

Ten minutes later.

Sitting beside Hemer, he stared at the screen in confusion.

"Hemer, is this really my power stat?"

"That's right."

Designation: 020-SP

Somatic-Originium Fusion Rate: 12%

Blood Originium Crystal Density: 0.48u/L

Abnormal Substance Stability: Stable

Physical Fitness Test Level: A2

Individual Strength: 512

Physiological Tolerance: 107

Somatic Viability: 384

Originium Arts Adaptability: Unknown

Originium Energy Conversion Rate: 424

Yoren rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

His strength after the mutation was 512.

But wasn't that the same as when he first arrived at Rhine Lab a month ago?

He had felt something was off ever since returning.

Now he knew.

His strength had actually shrunk.

He pointed at the screen and turned to Hemer.

"Doctor, explain this to me. I'm confused."

Hemer adjusted her glasses. "After conducting tests over the past two days, we've observed a drastic reduction in the power output of your abilities. In essence, your strength has reset."

"Why?"

"It's not necessarily a bad thing. The reason your body hasn't been torn apart by this power is because your strength has been 'zeroed.' Your body hasn't grown to endure more—but rather, your expanding power has been forcibly reset. That said, the change isn't entirely negative. The energy within you is far more stable than before. And we've discovered something else."

Yoren perked up. "What is it?"

"There's a new substance in your body. It enhances your ability to recover. However, the effect isn't visible to the naked eye just yet."

Yoren raised his hand, studying his palm.

Yesterday's wound had scabbed over, while today's cut remained fresh.

"Hemer, can you just summarize this in plain terms? What exactly is happening to my body?"

Hemer leaned back, a rare spark of confidence in her expression.

"Yesterday, I wasn't sure. But after analyzing today's data, I've figured it out."

"Then hurry up and tell me."

"Your body has completed a full cycle of transformation—a reincarnation. Every day, your dark power will grow stronger, until it reaches the limit of what your body can endure. And then, just before it destroys you, another force will intervene."

Yoren finally understood.

His power didn't grow indefinitely.

Every 30 days, the cycle would reset.

And he would have to start all over again.

Returning to his room from the underground laboratory, Yoren felt conflicted.

He wasn't exactly disappointed, nor was he particularly happy.

How could he describe it?

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It was like finding a wallet on the street filled with crisp banknotes—but you could only spend one bill on the first day, two on the second, and so on. By the 30th day, not only would you have spent all the money, but you'd also have to pay interest equal to everything you had used. And just like that, you'd be broke again.

Then, the money would reappear in your wallet, and the cycle would start all over again.

On the surface, it seemed like an endless loop. But with each cycle, there were subtle changes—changes too faint to fully grasp.

This periodic shift in power was the reason for Yoren's frustration.

It made things... complicated.

If he were always strong or always weak, he could adapt. With the right intel, he could measure his actions precisely.

If he was outmatched, he'd run. If he had the upper hand, he'd fight. That was the basic instinct of any intelligent being.

But for him, things weren't so simple.

Just because he couldn't win today didn't mean he couldn't in a few days. And just because he was invincible now didn't mean he would be tomorrow.

Every 30 days, he went from being at the top of the world to being at rock bottom.

In this unpredictable world, he could only control his own actions. But life was built on coincidences. Reality wasn't a carefully scheduled martial arts tournament. Did the people who wanted to kill him care about waiting for the right moment?

June 1st, Rhine Life Science Experimental Base No. 4.

A week had passed since Yoren's critical threshold. In other words, it was now the seventh day of the second cycle.

Sitting at his desk, he took out a dagger and lightly cut his fingertip.

He could now control the flow of black power with precision. The method of activation was still the same—pain. But now, he had the choice of whether or not to draw it out further.

Drip.

A drop of blood landed on the table.

One drop.

Two drops.

Three.

Yoren watched the blood fall in silence, as if counting in his head.

Drip.

On the seventh drop, the bleeding stopped on its own.

Not only was his power growing stronger with time, but his self-recovery ability was also improving.

That said, the increase wasn't dramatic. Compared to medical treatments or Originium Arts, this regeneration was like carrying a small bandage in his pocket—helpful, but not game-changing.

Hemer had theorized that the white light inside him—the force capable of dispelling everything—would only manifest at the final moment of the 30th day. In other words, it wasn't triggered by his physical injuries but by the dark power reaching its limit.

His current self-healing was likely just a lingering effect of that white power.

His endurance hadn't significantly improved. A fatal wound would still kill him.

Morning.

Yoren sat on a bench in the first-floor lobby, staring at the ceiling.

This had become his favorite pastime over the past month.

Hemer had told him that his oripathy had stabilized. Though his infection rate was high, its progression was under control.

All the data Rhine Life could gather from him had already been collected. If he wanted to leave, he could.

If he chose to stay, that was his decision.

At that moment, Yoren spotted Snowsant bounding down the stairs and called out to her.

"Hey, Turtle, get me a coffee."

"Oh!"

A short while later, Snowsant returned with two cups, handing one to Yoren before sipping from her own.

Yoren crossed his legs and took a sip.

Then, with a serious expression, he asked, "Turtle, let me ask you something."

"Sure."

"Am I handsome?"

"So handsome."

Yoren nodded in satisfaction. "You're a good kid. You always tell the truth."

Snowsant tilted her head. "Actually, I didn't think you were handsome before. But after seeing you bald, I think you're really handsome now."

Yoren choked on his coffee and coughed awkwardly. "Ahem—looks are just illusions. What matters is the heart."

"Mhm."

Jokes aside, his voice carried a trace of melancholy.

"Turtle, do you want to leave this place? I mean... together."

She blinked. "Big Windmill, are you all better now?"

"Almost."

"Hmm... well, there's food and a bed here, but I always feel weird about this place."

"Yeah."

She smiled at him. "So, where would we go? Are we looking for Vina? Either way, I'm fine with it. If you want to leave, we'll leave together. If you want to stay, I'll stay with you. Hehe."

Yoren's face remained calm, but inside, he was so moved he nearly teared up.

With a friend like Snowsant, what more could he ask for?

Afternoon.

Hemer called Yoren to the lab.

Ever since he was a kid, Yoren had been convinced that he was ridiculously handsome. In his mind, he was the best-looking guy around. He was so confident in his narcissism that he didn't care what others thought.

But ever since the baldness incident, he had become sensitive.

As soon as he sat down, before Hemer could even speak, he blurted out, "Hemer, am I handsome?"

"Handsome."

She didn't even glance at him. Her tone was completely perfunctory.

Unfazed, Yoren pressed on. "What if I was bald again? Would I still be as handsome as I am now?"

He stared at her with anticipation.

Hemer simply ignored the question, adjusting the controls on the lab table. Then she turned around and handed him a small device.

"It's done."

Yoren picked it up, inspecting it. It resembled a high-tech watch, made of durable material, with a small translucent screen in the center.

"What is this?"

Hemer sipped her coffee. "A critical timer, custom-made for you. It has several other practical functions."

"Huh?"

"Try it on."

Following her instructions, Yoren secured the bracelet around his wrist. Instantly, he felt a strong suction, and it latched onto him snugly.

A moment later, numbers appeared on the screen.

[Somatic Cell and Originium Fusion Rate: 12%]

[Blood Originium Crystal Density: 0.48u/L]

[Individual Strength: 81]

[Critical Cycle: 2]

[Countdown to Next Cycle: 23 Days]

Yoren stared at the screen.

A countdown to his next reset.

Hemer took another sip of coffee. "With this, you won't have to guess anymore. You'll know exactly how much time you have before your next cycle."

Yoren let out a slow breath and leaned back in his chair, staring at the numbers.

Twenty-three days.

And counting.