At this mont, Yoren finally pieced together the full picture.
Rhine Life had obtained the Fire Demon Stone, yet it was unable to rge with any of Terra's creatures.
During their experints, they had likely tried every thod possible, sacrificing countless test subjects of all races. But nothing worked.
Then, they had a realization: if none of the existing races in Terra could rge with the stone, they had to create sothing new.
Sothing entirely different.
A creature beyond Terra's natural evolution.
That ant altering DNA itself.
As the 19th test subject of Project Fire Demon, Ifrit's operator file recorded her as Sakaz. However, her appearance was distinctly different from a normal Sakaz. The crystalline horns on her head weren't a natural trait—they looked more like a regression.
Rhine Life had used biotechnology to modify Ifrit's genes. They had likely introduced properties of Originium, which fuses with blood and causes infection. That could explain why Ifrit was classified as severely infected.
By changing Ifrit's genes—bringing her closer to a human—Rhine Life had hoped to make her body compatible with the Fire Demon Stone.
That was the true purpose of the Fire Demon Project.
Yoren speculated further.
Since discovering the strange power inside him, Rhine Life must have noticed its similarities to the Fire Demon Stone's fusion.
But there was a key difference.
They could only suppress him temporarily. They couldn't control him. He had his own will, his own mind. As long as he lived, he would never submit to Rhine Life.
Ifrit, on the other hand, was different.
She had no mories of the past whatsoever.
Like a newborn, she had little understanding of the world. To her, Rhine Life was everything. No matter how they changed her, they could always control her.
This was just like parents wanting to see how a prodigy from another family aced their exams—before their own child's final test.
Before the last stage of the Fire Demon Project began, Yoren had beco a test case.
Rhine Life wanted to observe his body's transformation and use that data to refine Ifrit's genetic modifications.
Ifrit and the Fire Demon hadn't fused yet.
Yoren didn't know much about biotechnology, but he had a gut feeling—
As long as he survived the looming danger of his power breaking past its limit and Rhine Life collected enough data from him, the final fusion experint with Ifrit would begin.
His encounter with Yuanshan had given him invaluable knowledge. Many of his doubts were now resolved.
But instead of relief, he felt an inexplicable heaviness.
Yuanshan had provided theories, but they did nothing to change his reality. His body was too fragile. The critical point of his power remained unsolved.
Yoren sat on the bench, steadying his thoughts.
"Yuanshan, thank you for telling so much."
"Don't thank . It's simply fate's guidance."
"Alright."
To be honest, Yoren didn't believe in fate.
Even if it did exist, he would never submit to it.
He would change his fate.
His own.
The fate of those important to him.
The fate of this world.
Finally, he asked the question that had been pressing on his mind.
"Yuanshan, do you know how to properly use the power of the Black and White Twins?"
Yuanshan sat with poise, the hem of her robe draping to the floor.
"I don't. Only you do. Each stone's power is unique. They are unrelated to one another—their thods of use, their forms, their strengths, their destructive capabilities, whether they have backlash—all of this differs."
Yoren felt a pang of disappointnt, but he had expected as much.
For now, he could only harness the "black" of the Black and White Twins—pure destructive power fueled by Originium.
That was all.
Sensing his frustration, Yuanshan continued.
"I may not know how to use it, but I can tell you this: among the four ancient stones, the true power of the Black and White Twins is likely the strongest."
"Really?"
Yuanshan gave a faint smile.
"Have you ever heard of the winged bird?"
"The winged bird? You an the one with only one wing?"
"That's right. A legendary creature. The winged bird is born with only one wing—the male has a left wing, the female has a right wing. When they fly together, they can cross mountains and oceans, soaring farther than any other bird. Black and white, twin forces. Together, their wings surpass all others. They are unrivaled."
Yoren was about to nod in agreent when Yuanshan continued.
"But—while their combined strength is incredible, if they are separated, they beco weak. A lone winged bird cannot fly. If it tries to flap its single wing, it will lose balance, fall into the abyss, and perish."
She t his eyes, her voice calm yet unwavering.
"The demon's wrath can destroy the earth. The goddess's sorrow is a blade that severs pain. The twin forces of black and white complent each other. But without balance, they are also the Achilles' heel of the Black and White Twins. The stronger you are, the more fragile you beco. That is the truth of all things."
Yuanshan didn't know the exact nature of his power. But from her vantage point, she understood sothing deeper—the universal law of strength and weakness.
The stronger sothing is, the more vulnerable it becos.
Kelsey had told him the sa thing.
The Black and White Twin Stone had changed him.
It had given him power—the ability to defy fate.
But if he failed to control it, it would lead to his destruction.
And that destruction wasn't far off.
He only had a few days before he hit his breaking point.
As if sensing his thoughts, Yuanshan stood from her chair and spoke softly.
"You won't be able to control the Black and White Twins yet. But don't worry, Yoren. You won't die so easily."
"Oh? I hope so."
"It's not a matter of hope. The gears of fate have started turning, and you are now a crucial part of them. Soon, an event powerful enough to shake the world will unfold."
Yoren raised an eyebrow. A world-shaking event?
Could she be referring to the Chernobog riots three years from now?
"Yuanshan, is the event you're referring to happening in Chernobog?"
"No. In Londinium."
"Londinium?"
"Yes. It will begin there and spread across all of Victoria."
"What?"
Yuanshan didn't answer. She simply glanced at him one last ti and turned away.
At that mont, a Rhine Life staff mber hurried down the stairs.
"Miss Yuanshan, you said you were going to the restroom—why are you here on the first floor?"
The staff mber noticed Yoren's badge and frowned.
"Miss Yuanshan, please avoid interacting with our test subjects."
Yuanshan gave a polite bow. "I apologize. I was simply having a casual conversation. I've already told you everything I know. Does Dr. Hemr have any further questions?"
"Dr. Hemr said she has no further inquiries. She also asked to thank you and to escort you out."
Yuanshan nodded. "Understood. Let's go."
Before leaving, she cast Yoren a final, knowing glance.
Then, she was gone.
Yoren leaned back on the bench, hands behind his head, and took a deep breath.
He had learned much today—about the Black and White Twins, about the Fire Demon Project.
But what lingered in his mind was Yuanshan's unfinished words.
Three years before the Chernobog riots, sothing monuntal would happen.
And its origin was not Chernobog—
But Victoria.
Yoren couldn't see his fate. To him, what people called fate was nothing more than a chain of coincidences.
If he hadn't sat in the first-floor hall at that exact mont, he wouldn't have t Yuanshan.
Fate was strange like that.
Stretching his arms, Yoren stood from the bench. His conversation with Yuanshan had kept his mind tense. Now that it was over, exhaustion crept in.
He needed to return to his room and process everything he had learned.
Just as he was about to head back to his quarters on the fourth floor of the base, a voice called out behind him.
"Yoren, what did she tell you just now?"
"Huh?"
Turning, Yoren saw a familiar figure.
At so point, Hemr had appeared behind him.
Hands in the pockets of her white coat, she looked at him through her glasses, a hint of displeasure in her expression.
"What did that woman tell you?"
Yoren hesitated for a mont. "No... nothing important."
Her sighed. "You'd be better off not believing her. Sami's so-called first soothsayer—she seems more like a god-speaker, spouting nonsense with no scientific basis."
Seeing Hemr's obvious irritation, Yoren found it amusing.
As a scientist, Hemr didn't believe in legends. A fla spirit, divine seals—she must have thought Yuanshan was talking nonsense. But more than that, Yuanshan had outright denied the possibility of fusing the Fire Demon Stone. To her, the Fire Demon couldn't rge with Terra's creatures. And that belief directly contradicted the Fire Demon Project—the very project Hemr was leading.
Yoren coughed lightly. "Ahem, Hemr, if you don't believe in her, why did you invite her?"
"I didn't invite her. Rhine Life's headquarters did. They wanted her 'insight'—to analyze the Fire Demon from a different perspective."
Hemr abruptly stopped speaking.
Yoren t her gaze. "I know. It's the Fire Demon. The project to rge Ifrit with the Fire Demon Stone."
Hemr lowered her head. "So, you learned everything from that woman."
"I think I have the right to know."
"Tch..."
Yoren thought carefully.
He still didn't know exactly what had happened in the Fire Demon Incident from White-Faced Owl's files three years later. But based on those four words alone, the outco wasn't promising.
One thing was certain—Ifrit had survived. But she hadn't beco the Fire Demon.
Perhaps, in order to save Ifrit's life, Hemr and the others had made sacrifices no one knew about.
That was what had happened in the original tiline.
But now, history had been altered. Because of his existence, the outco of the Fire Demon Project was uncertain.
The butterfly effect was unpredictable. Yoren had interacted with too many people in Mandragora City. His presence was like a drop of chemicals in a glass of water. And once the Mandragora incident ended, that glass of water would be poured into the sea.
No one could predict what it would react with.
The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it beca.
For the people of Terra, the future had not yet happened.
For Yoren, what he had seen in the ga Arknights was only three years ahead.
But what if...
What if the Ifrit he saw now wasn't even the sa person as the one in Rhodes Island three years later?
Rhine Life was a biotech company. They had technologies hidden from the public—human cloning, mory transplantation. Originium wasn't just a power source.
No one could predict the future.
Even Yuanshan, who believed in fate, had said that fate could be changed.
Yoren couldn't predict what would co next. But he could change things, starting now.
He stepped around the bench and approached Hemr.
"Hemr, stop this. It's not too late. You know that if the experint fails, Ifrit will die."
"Don't act like you know everything!" Hemr's voice suddenly rose, her composure cracking.
"Do you know what Ifrit was created for? Do you think she exists to experience the wonders of the world? Don't be naive. If the Fire Demon Project fails, she'll die. I know that better than anyone."
"Hemr—"
It was the first ti Yoren had seen her lose control like this.
She shouted at him, her emotions spilling over.
"To Rhine Life's higher-ups, Ifrit is just a test subject. Test subjects don't need emotions, and no one is supposed to give them emotions. Everything is for the Fire Demon Project. That's reality. Cold, rational reality. What do you know?"
"Hemr, calm down."
She took two steps back and rolled up her sleeves.
On her arms, small Originium crystals glistened.
"I'm infected too. I understand this pain better than anyone else. Rhine Life's research could advance the future of this world. You can't deny that just because of its dark side. Failure is the price of success. That's reality."
Hemr clenched her fists, her voice trembling with conviction.
"I don't have the authority to stop the experint. And as a researcher, I can't let personal feelings cloud my judgnt."
"Is that really true?"
"Yes."
Yoren quietly t her eyes.
"Then why... are you crying?"
Tears stread down Hemr's face.
Her expression was filled with sorrow.
She wasn't just saying this to Yoren—she was trying to convince herself.
But she couldn't.
She looked rational and composed on the outside. But seeing her cry now, Yoren felt sothing tighten in his chest.
Hemr wasn't just a cold researcher.
To most, Ifrit was just another test subject. If No. 019 failed, there would be No. 021, 022, 023.
But to Hemr, Ifrit ant sothing more.
Yoren didn't know what had happened between them. But one thing was clear—
Hemr cared about Ifrit more than anyone else.
A pang of guilt struck him.
He had spoken as if stopping the experint was so simple.
But Rhine Life didn't belong to Hemr. She was just a researcher. If a test subject lost the ability to complete an experint, then to the company, they lost their right to exist.
Hemr had done everything she could.
She had no connections, no backing. Through her efforts alone, she had gained recognition. The forr head of the Originium project had been removed, and she had taken full control of the SP experint.
She was trying to save Ifrit in her own way.
And to her, there was only one way to save Ifrit—
The success of the experint.
"Hemr... I'm sorry."
To an outsider, Hemr's emotional outburst might seem irrational. But Yoren understood.
Hemr wiped her tears, taking off her glasses for a mont before putting them back on.
Her expression returned to its usual calm.
"This isn't sothing you should be concerned about. Worry about your own situation before thinking about Ifrit."
"I know."
"The Fire Demon Project won't stop. And it won't fail. I will keep Ifrit alive. I will give her a new future. Just don't interfere foolishly."
Yoren didn't answer.
But deep down, he had already made his decision.
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