Arknights: The Life Inside-Chapter 57

Yoren looked at the data appearing on the bracelet.

"This is..."

"Yes, this is an instant detection device customized specifically for your body structure. Even if you leave here, you'll be able to monitor your oripathy progression and the critical cycle countdown."

Hemer's explanation made Yoren's face light up with joy.

This thing was amazing.

Individual Strength: 81. This was real-time data. Since he hadn't drawn out the black power yet, his strength level was that of an ordinary person. This meant he could track not only his current state but also his daily growth and changes.

At the same time, the bracelet could monitor his blood's fusion rate with Originium. If his condition suddenly deteriorated, he would be alerted immediately—preventing a situation where he might collapse without warning.

Yoren gave a thumbs-up. "This is great. Hemer, you're really thoughtful."

But then, another thought crossed his mind. He asked, "How durable is this thing? What if it breaks? Maybe you should make me a spare?"

Hemer's expression darkened slightly. "A spare? Do you think this is easy to make? Once you wear it, it syncs with your nervous system through your skin. Every data point has to be calibrated. Do you have any idea how much effort my team put into making this one?"

"Uh, okay."

"Besides, it's not easy to break. The material is highly durable, waterproof, heat-resistant, and can absorb external impacts. In a regular battle, you'd break before it does."

Yoren smirked. "Wow, Turtle, this is top-tier."

With that, he now had a bracelet capable of monitoring his body's changes. Even if Hemer wasn't around, he could use it to keep track of his condition.

At this point, his original goal for coming to Rhine Life had been fulfilled.

His oripathy was stable. He had unraveled the mystery of his own abnormalities and mastered the power of the Black and White Twins, along with their cyclical nature.

Hemer took a sip of coffee, then gave him a rare smile. "It's a little late to say this, but I still want to thank you properly, Yoren. Thank you for saving Ifrit in Mandel City. And thank you for cooperating with our experiments—you've been a huge help in advancing the Flame Demon Project."

Yoren let out a slow breath. Like Toyama had said, maybe this was fate.

He smiled. "You're welcome."

Hemer stretched lazily, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "Alright, you're free now. If you want to take Snowsant with you, I can arrange transport to the nearest city, or even request some funding from the higher-ups. Just tell me what you need, and I'll do my best to make it happen."

"Thanks, but I'm not in a hurry."

"Good. Take your time. Not everyone knows exactly where they're headed next. Stay here as long as you need, and when you decide, just let me know."

"Alright."

Hemer was a good person—smart, dependable, and tough in ways that didn't match her appearance. More importantly, she was loyal.

As Yoren turned to leave the lab, he suddenly remembered something. He stopped at the door and asked, "By the way, how's Ifrit's experiment going?"

"We've made tremendous progress." Hemer's expression filled with confidence. "Thanks to the changes in your body, we've discovered a new method for fusing the Fire Demon Stone. The success rate so far is very high."

"And if it fails...?"

"It won't fail." Hemer met his gaze, unwavering. "The Flame Demon Project will not fail. I'll oversee everything personally. The fusion method is already highly refined. We just need to fine-tune a few final calculations before we begin."

Yoren didn't fully understand the experiment's mechanics, nor did he pretend to. The Black and White Twins were entirely different from the Fire Demon. Just because he had survived his ordeal didn't mean he could offer meaningful advice.

But looking at Hemer's expression, he knew she wasn't taking any risks.

This was Ifrit's life at stake. Hemer wouldn't proceed unless she was absolutely certain.

"Well, Hemer, I wish you success. And I hope Ifrit stays safe."

"Thanks."

Some things couldn't be changed by force.

Even without his direct interference, history was shifting. The butterfly effect had already begun.

So, Yoren chose to believe in Hemer.

To believe that she could make it happen.

As he stepped into the hallway, he ran into someone.

Ifrit.

The little firebrand was crossing her arms, pouting—probably angry at someone for staring at her again.

When she noticed him, her eyes widened. "What are you looking at, baldy?"

"Huh?"

Of all the things she could've said... she had to go with that.

Yoren grabbed her shoulders and pointed at his head. "Look closely. My hair's grown back."

He even shook his head dramatically for emphasis.

Ifrit stared at him like he was an idiot and muttered, "Tsk. Still ugly."

"What did you just say?!"

Before he could argue, she shoved something into his hand.

A piece of candy.

She looked away, voice quieter than usual. "Um... this is for you. Thanks... for saving me back then."

Yoren and Ifrit crouched in the empty corridor, chewing bubble gum like a couple of street thugs.

Staff members passing by only dared to steal quick glances before hurrying along.

Pop!

Yoren's bubble burst first.

Stuffing the gum back into his mouth, he asked casually, "Ifrit, do you like it here?"

She chewed lazily. "It's fine. I've been here since I got my memories back anyway."

Yoren tilted his head back, looking at the ceiling. "Don't you hate all those people in lab coats?"

"They're annoying when they put me on the exam table."

"Then why stay? Haven't you ever thought about leaving?"

"Nope."

He turned to look at her. "Why?"

"Because Hemer's here. She'd be sad if I left."

That answer didn't surprise him. He kept going. "What about Saria? You don't seem to like her much."

"That's not true."

"No?"

"Nope. I actually like Saria a lot. But... I always see her and Hemer arguing. So... it kinda scares me."

Yoren chuckled knowingly.

He ruffled her hair—only to be met with fierce resistance.

"Don't touch me, baldy!"

June 5th, Rhine Life Science Experimental Base No. 4.

Everything was as peaceful as usual.

BOOM!

Until it wasn't.

A deafening explosion shattered the silence.

A pillar of fire—hundreds of meters high—erupted from the ground, scorching the sky.

Deep crimson flames devoured the entirety of Experimental Base No. 4, like the mouth of an abyss swallowing everything whole.

What happened that day would go down in Rhine Life's history.

A classified event.

A secret that future generations would never be allowed to uncover.

June 5th, Rhine Life Science Experimental Base No. 4.

Late at night.

Boom!

A deafening explosion erupted from underground, shaking the entire base.

"Ouch!"

Yoren, jolted from his sleep, tumbled off the bed and hit the floor.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

Before he could react, a piercing alarm blared through the facility, red warning lights flashing in every corridor. The tremors from below didn't stop.

Something big had happened.

Scrambling to his feet, Yoren didn't even bother putting on slippers. He grabbed his scarf from the bed and dashed out of the room.

The shrill alarms filled the air. The entire hallway pulsed with red emergency lights.

Just as he stepped outside—

Bang!

Another violent tremor knocked him straight to the ground.

At that moment, Snowsant poked her head out from her room, crawling on all fours. Her wide, fearful eyes darted around in confusion.

Seeing her, Yoren immediately shouted while gripping the wall for support.

"Turtle! Come here! Now!"

"Big Windmill!"

Without hesitation, Snowsant crawled toward him, clutching his waist tightly.

"Big Windmill, what's happening?! This is so scary!"

"Damn it, I have no idea!"

The fourth floor of the base was usually empty. But now, with nothing but the alarms and flashing lights, not a single person was in sight.

Yoren didn't know what was going on, but it felt like an earthquake.

He pulled Snowsant up.

Having been out with Saria before, he remembered where the first-floor exit was. Whether it was a natural disaster or a full-scale attack, they couldn't stay here.

"Hold my hand. We're getting out."

"Okay."

Without another word, they sprinted toward the stairs, the entire base shaking around them.

As they ran, Yoren noticed something strange.

Base No. 4 was built almost entirely from reinforced metal. Yet, when his hand brushed against the wall, it burned.

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The air was getting hotter, the temperature climbing rapidly. The very walls seemed to shimmer with heat distortion.

Squeak, squeak, squeak!

Nozzles emerged from the ceiling, spraying a translucent green jelly-like substance.

Yoren barely had time to process it, but he guessed it was a fire-suppressing coolant.

Reaching the stairs, he saw Aina rushing up, clutching a large fire extinguisher-like device.

The moment she spotted them, she shouted, "You two! Get out of here!"

Before they could respond, she aimed the device and sprayed Yoren with the green mist.

"Agh! What the hell is this?!"

"Fireproof and heat-insulating vapor! No time to explain. The exit on the first floor is open. Go!"

Aina's tone was sharp and urgent.

Without wasting another second, Yoren pulled Snowsant along and bolted downstairs.

Aina followed close behind. It was clear she had come up specifically to find them.

The temperature in the air was unbearable now, waves of heat pressing against them like an invisible force.

Flames flickered into existence, seemingly out of nowhere.

Yoren held Snowsant's hand tightly, yelling over his shoulder, "Aina, where is everyone else?!"

"The staff have already evacuated. White-faced Owl was the last to leave—she took the research data with her."

"What about Hemer?!"

"She's in the underground lab. Saria went to get her. They should be evacuating now."

The moment Yoren heard underground lab, a dreadful realization struck him.

The tremors were intensifying. The flames weren't spreading—they were manifesting.

Could it be...?

Bursting onto the first floor, the heat was like a living thing, wrapping around them like a smothering hand.

Yoren quickly covered Snowsant's face with his scarf to protect her airways from the scorching air.

"Go!"

Scooping her up, he shielded his own mouth and nose and followed Aina through the escape passage—plunging through what felt like a tunnel of fire.

The night air hit him like a slap.

Unlike the inferno inside, the Buda region was cool after sunset.

Blinking against the temperature shock, Yoren gasped for breath, his vision clearing as he realized they had made it out.

After running several hundred meters, he finally stopped, setting Snowsant down.

Looking back—

Base No. 4, the towering, metal-clad facility, was shrouded in thick white mist, glowing eerily in the darkness.

From a distance, it looked like a massive steamer pot, boiling over.

Still panting, Yoren stared at it with wide eyes. "What the hell is going on?!"

Nearby, several researchers knelt in small groups, their faces ashen.

Some looked horrified.

Others looked utterly defeated.

Fragments of conversation reached his ears.

"I can't believe it failed..."

"Base No. 4 is gone."

"I knew it. Trying to override nature's laws would never work."

A chilling realization gripped Yoren's heart.

The Flame Demon Project.

He spun around, panic surging in his voice. "Hemer... where's Hemer?!"

BOOM!

A second explosion rocked the land, shaking the heavens.

The night sky blazed into daylight.

A pillar of fire—hundreds of meters thick—erupted from underground, rising like an awakened dragon.

Everything within its reach melted.

Base No. 4 vanished in an instant, consumed by an inferno so vast it looked like the world was ending.

Even after witnessing countless horrors, Yoren had never seen anything like this.

He fell to the ground, stunned.

This was too real.

"Ahhh!!! NO!!!"

A heart-wrenching scream tore through the air.

Yoren's head snapped toward the voice.

The raging flames cast a bloody glow over the scene.

Saria, White-faced Owl, and Hemer had emerged.

Saria stood motionless, face shadowed, her usual composure darkened with an unspoken weight.

White-faced Owl clutched stacks of documents, her face dust-covered and expression unreadable. Yet, her uneasy gaze betrayed her shaken state.

Not far from them—

Hemer was on her knees.

Her clothes were scorched, her face marred with scratches. But it wasn't her injuries that made the sight unbearable.

It was her scream.

Tears of pure anguish streaked her face as she stared at the inferno, her voice cracking with grief.

"Ahhh!!! Ifrit!!!"