Asura in Arknights

"About your companion..."

"I want to determine exactly what role he is playing."

-------------------------------------

"boom--"

A violent explosion echoed through the test site. A dark shadow flashed through the air and slammed heavily against the wall behind the site. The blood that spurted from the person's mouth turned into a large cloud of blood mist, staining the surrounding air a bright red. The entire site was filled with a strong smell of blood.

Even walls made of cushioning material could not absorb this level of force. The impact, exceeding the absorption limit, permanently damaged the wall's structure, leaving a huge dent with a radius of two meters.

Leon looked at the semi-conscious Byron in the crater with disdain, and then put away his weapon with a sense of boredom.

"Hmph, so this is all the 'most outstanding work of the research center' is?"

"This is so disappointing."

Chapter Fifty Trapped in Enemy Camp

"Medical team! Engineering team! And R&D team! Get moving! Don't waste any time!"

As the loudspeakers on the ceiling of the room blared, three teams of people dressed in different outfits poured into the testing area through the passageway, making the place lively again.

The medical and engineering teams rushed to Knight Byron's side. One group carried the semi-conscious Byron onto a stretcher, while the other group immediately took out tools and began to repair the damage that Leon had caused to the buffer wall.

A shot of cardiac stimulant was injected into Byron's body, and he instantly woke up with wide eyes. Accompanied by a violent cough, a large amount of foul blood gushed from Byron's mouth.

Seeing this, the medical team quickly restrained Byron's convulsing body and continued to inject him with several other medications, which gradually stabilized Byron's condition.

The medical team placed Byron on a trolley, preparing to take him to the infirmary for further examination.

Everyone had witnessed the fierce battle in the testing field, and they already had a guess about the extent of the injuries suffered by the losing side.

After all, those two didn't seem to be holding back at all.

The research and development team surrounded Li Ang, removing the prototype armor that was difficult for him to take off on his own piece by piece, and asking and recording in detail about Li Ang's feelings during the battle.

The medical cart carrying Byron swept past them, and Li Ang didn't even bother to pay any more attention to this opponent, simply ignoring his existence.

Li Ang could feel that in the instant the two passed each other, a hateful gaze fell on him.

This is not surprising. Equipment tests like the one just now have been conducted more than once during this period, and each time Li Ang's opponent has been this somewhat unlucky Knight Byron. If he didn't harbor any resentment after being thrashed by Li Ang so many times, then he would be a saint who repays evil with good.

"Humph."

He snorted loudly enough for everyone around to hear, and the engineer beside him immediately stopped what he was doing and asked, "Sir, is there anything you need?"

"It's nothing, you can continue," Li Ang said, nodding slightly.

"Ok sir."

Upon hearing this, the engineer nodded and continued to help remove the equipment from Li Ang's body, which was already overheating.

The preliminary rounds of the Major are now drawing to a close, and all the Cavaliers who are qualified to participate in the main event have already accumulated enough points. The games still being played now are just minor skirmishes for Cavaliers who have no hope of advancing.

The knights aiming for a high ranking in the main tournament were all making intensive preparations in the time leading up to the tournament. They were acquiring the latest experimental equipment, enemy intelligence analysis, and any available medications—basically anything that could be used.

A week has passed since Li Ang entered the headquarters of Boer Pharmaceuticals. During this week, he has not stepped out of the industrial park. He has spent most of his time in the research and development center, working with the engineers there to debug the equipment.

In the esports industry, besides monopolizing most of the high-end drugs, Bohr Pharmaceuticals is relatively weak in terms of esports players themselves.

This time, apart from the newly joined Li Ang and Byron, no one else has managed to accumulate enough points to enter the main tournament. Even if the company manages to send other players into the main tournament through some manipulation, they will probably only end up being eliminated in the first round.

Therefore, Byron naturally became Li Ang's sparring partner... or rather, test subject.

After the intricate equipment was completely disassembled, Li Ang stretched his slightly stiff body and casually remarked to the engineer beside him, "Couldn't the weight of the equipment be reduced a bit? Compared to the Howling Guard's armor, this thing is still a bit too heavy."

Upon hearing this, the engineer couldn't help but smile wryly and say, "Sir, this weight is already the limit we can achieve. Plasticizing gel is a technology unique to Howling Guardians, and we can't reach their level."

Compared to the armor sponsored by Howling Guard, the experimental machine provided by Pol Pharmaceuticals was much heavier. It wasn't that Li Ang couldn't bear the weight, but rather that the feeling of being bound made him quite uncomfortable.

However, this increased weight comes with greater defensive capabilities. It seems that the people at Pol Pharmaceuticals intend to mold Li Ang into a heavy-armored knight. In the one-on-one duels of the Major tournament, heavy-armored knights can have a significant advantage.

Moreover, Li Ang's previous combat methods have been thoroughly studied by others. If he doesn't come up with some new tricks, he will have to find a way to change his fighting style.

The armor provided by Pol Pharmaceuticals contains a magical device that can continuously convert Originium into a shield, which Li Ang can use to form an indestructible barrier.

With the addition of their meticulously prepared high-performance staff, Li Ang can unleash more than 70% of the power of Originium Arts without using his own eyes.

"Then let's leave it at that."

Li Ang answered calmly, without revealing much disappointment.

"Actually, sir, you could also try Byron's plan."

After the equipment was organized, the engineer suggested, "As you have seen, with each enhancement, Byron Knight's strength increases. If you try it, the effect will definitely be much better than his."

If Li Ang was testing the products of the equipment R&D department, then Byron had completely become a test subject for Bohr Pharmaceuticals. Who knows what kind of experiments they conducted on Byron?

“Boring…Do you think I’m so cowardly as to rely on something like that?” Li Ang scoffed at the idea. “Only a piece of trash who can’t even fully control his own body would stoop to using drugs to enhance his strength.”

"Once the effects of the medicine wear off, won't he still be a useless person?"

The engineers felt somewhat ashamed of Li Ang's remarks, but they were also somewhat used to them. Among all the employees at Pol Pharmaceuticals, Li Ang was probably the only one who would dare to say such a thing.

Initially, both departments were prepared to provide support to them simultaneously, but Li Ang refused the drug test without hesitation and thoroughly beat Byron, who had used the drug. Without exception, all subsequent tests ended in Byron's crushing defeat.

Although Byron was an infected person, he did not master Originium Arts and had almost no chance of driving the Engineering Department's products. Therefore, after that, Leon and Byron were assigned to two different departments.

In this way, Li Ang managed to avoid his first crisis after joining Pol Pharmaceuticals.

Li Ang is currently trapped deep in enemy territory and has no way to contact Marna. Even Adele and Sarah's attempts to contact them are likely under surveillance by Pol Pharmaceuticals.

This is his most dangerous time, but also the time when he is closest to the truth. The slightest mistake could lead to serious consequences. He must now proceed with extreme caution, as if walking on thin ice, with every step he takes.

This sense of tension stirred up a long-lost excitement in Li Ang, and his blood began to boil.

Li Ang took a deep breath and said to the engineer beside him in a commanding tone, "Where is Adams? I need to speak with him."

Chapter 51 Quality Assessment

The control center is located outside the test site.

Adams stood next to the head of the R&D center, and the two of them analyzed the battle footage from the test field frame by frame in front of a huge screen.

The supervisor pressed himself tightly against the screen, as if he wished he could jump right into it. However, he was also well aware that everyone in the testing area had the ability to easily tear him to pieces, so he could only observe from behind the screen.

Although Li Ang appeared incredibly powerful on screen, with an invisible hurricane swirling around him and forcing Byron to retreat step by step in the test field, the supervisor's attention was more focused on Byron.

"Sir, in your opinion, what kind of results can those two achieve in the main competition?"

"They both have a chance to win this Special Championship, but Li Ang has a slightly higher chance of winning," the manager said without hesitation.

"Oh?" Adams looked at his supervisor with some surprise and asked, "But didn't Knight Byron lose quickly in the previous test? Why is it only said that Knight Leon has a higher chance of winning?"

"Because there are limits to equipment enhancement, and it's impossible to make any breakthroughs in a short period of time." The supervisor looked at Adams with an idiotic gaze, and then said, "And Byron's potential development is not yet over."

As he spoke, the supervisor revealed an incredibly enthusiastic look in his eyes, "What a brilliant idea! To think that we can break through the limits of the human body in this way, I really don't know how the Sarkaz people came up with this idea back then."

"It seems... the existence of the Sarkaz Empire isn't entirely unfounded..."

Suddenly, the supervisor turned around, grabbed Adams's shoulder, and shook him violently. "Aren't you the boss's direct spokesperson now? Can you ask the boss where this information came from? If we can get more information, maybe we can usher in a new era."

“Manager… calm down,” Adams said with a wry smile. “I’ll ask around for you, but don’t get your hopes up too high. I don’t think the boss will answer that question.”

"...I'm sorry, I lost my composure just now." The supervisor released Adams's shoulder and said somewhat apologetically.

However, no one noticed that when Adams heard the phrase "may usher in a new era," a barely perceptible hint of sarcasm flashed across his face, which he quickly concealed.

"Manager, I have one last task assigned by the boss."

After the supervisor calmed down, Adams asked, "How would you specifically evaluate these two knights? For example, their physical qualities, potential in various aspects, and shortcomings. The boss wants to understand them in more detail so that he can make better arrangements for the next step."

"That's easy to say."

The supervisor turned off the combat replay playing on the screen and pulled up two fully filled files, which contained the data they had analyzed of Li Ang and Byron during this period.

"You should be very familiar with this six-dimensional quality assessment, so I won't go into details. Just look at it yourself."

Tactical planning, combat skills, physiological endurance, physical strength, battlefield mobility, and Originium Arts adaptability are the six standards used by the Terran army to judge a soldier's quality. Later, these standards spread and gradually became a universal standard.

Tactical planning and combat skills, as the names suggest, represent the extent of a person's combat experience. It is clear that Li Ang performed poorly in these two assessments, barely reaching the 'average' passing grade, while Byron's tactical planning reached the excellent standard, and his combat skills reached the highest level of excellence.

Physiological endurance, physical strength, and battlefield mobility are also easy to understand. Simply put, it refers to how strong a person's body is, what they can do with cold weapons, and how fast they can run on complex terrain.

The difference between the two in these three standards is not significant. For Li Ang, they are excellent, standard, and good, while for Byron, they are good, excellent, and standard.

However, in the final aspect of Originium Arts adaptability, the gap between the two was like an insurmountable chasm. The difference between excellence and mediocrity could not be simply described in words, which is why Byron was powerless to fight back.

Just as it's hard to understand why someone with top-tier Originium Arts talent would want to become a knight, the supervisor also struggles to understand why an Infected's Originium Arts adaptability is only average. While it's not so bad that they can't even activate Originium energy, for Byron, Oripathy is simply a burden.

Adams glanced at the screen, nodded thoughtfully, and then asked, "If, if we could only choose one of them for a long-term investment, the final return doesn't matter, what matters is the 'long term,' which one should we choose?"

"Of course it's Li Ang."

Without a second thought, the supervisor showered Li Ang with praise, "Look at him, aside from a lack of experience, what other flaws can you find in him? I never expected the Agor clan to produce such a genius. It's a waste of his talent to be a knight; he should go to Victoria or Letania for further studies..."

As the supervisor spoke at length, a strange light flashed in Adams' eyes. He muttered to himself in a very weak voice, "So that's how it is. It seems that Dan's loss was not unjust... Interesting."

Just then, the supervisor seemed to have overheard his muttering and turned around, asking in confusion, "Hmm? Did you say something?"

“No, you must have misheard,” Adams replied with a smile, as if nothing had happened. “Thank you for your suggestion. I will report this to the boss later.”

The supervisor said with a regretful tone, "It's a pity that Li Ang didn't agree to undergo drug testing. Otherwise, he might have reached the level of a Grand Knight Commander. What a shame..."

“There’s nothing we can do about these things,” Adams said with a sigh. “Geniuses are bound to have some unique qualities. I’ll try to talk to him about it later. Maybe one day he’ll encounter a setback and suddenly have a change of heart?”

"Hey, that's too unlikely. Why would someone with that kind of skill participate in the Special Championship? Anyway, I can't think of anyone who could give our genius a setback."

The manager assumed Adams was referring to the upcoming Special Championship and didn't take his words to heart.

Adams smiled mysteriously. "Who can be sure?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Adams turned to look at the doorway. "Look, isn't our genius here?"

The next second, Li Ang pushed open the door to the control center, and his voice reached their ears.

"Adams, I need to talk to you."

Something came up, I'll update later today.

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Chapter Fifty-Two: The Mysterious Shadow

Guided by the engineer, Li Ang found Adams, who was located in the control center.

However, standing next to Adams was another annoying guy... Regardless of Li Ang himself or the persona he established in front of others, he was very bad at dealing with this type of person.

"Li Ang—!!"

Upon seeing Li Ang appear at the door, the supervisor's eyes lit up, and he pounced on Li Ang like a vicious dog, grabbing his leg.

This description is not an exaggeration at all. The head of the research and development center of Bohr Pharmaceutical, one of the few research talents in the entire Kazimierz region, was kneeling in front of Li Ang, hugging his leg with a fanatical expression.

"Li Ang! What have you thought about what I said before? If you agree, everything is negotiable!" the supervisor said eagerly. "Money, equipment, status—you can have anything you want!"

In front of this guy, Li Ang almost lost his poker face, which he had managed to maintain for so long. He really had no way to deal with this kind of shameless guy.

This guy's status is much higher than Li Ang's. Not only can he not be hit, scolded, or removed, but Li Ang has to take the blame for any problems. Apart from the group's CEO personally intervening, probably no one can control this guy.

The most crucial point is... this guy is the direct person in charge of the 'potion' project. If Li Ang wants to find out the truth, he can't bypass this person.

Twitching his lips, Li Ang avoided his private parts and kicked his supervisor twice before finally managing to break free from his embrace. "I've already said, I'm not interested in that kind of thing..."

No! You're interested!

The supervisor sprang to his feet, his eyes bloodshot, and his thin body suddenly burst forth with great strength, pinning Li Ang, who was trying to escape when he sensed something was wrong, to the spot.

"Haven't you ever thought about what kind of power it could bring you?"

No… I’ve never thought about it. Li Ang answered silently in his heart.

In Li Ang's view, using drugs to enhance strength is a completely heretical approach, especially with such an immature technology. Who knows what side effects this thing might have?

Li Ang looked at his supervisor in silence, without saying a word.

Realizing his plan had failed once again, the supervisor toned down his exaggerated expression and said in a serious tone, "The final enhancement work on Knight Byron will begin soon, and we hope you can come and visit."

"If your opinion remains unchanged after reading this, then let's leave it at that."

At this point, Li Ang realized that the steward's patience with him had probably reached its limit.

No matter how well Li Ang performs, the other party cannot waste all their time on him alone. If he refuses again this time, the supervisor's lead will probably be cut off.

Considering that the other party was only inviting him to observe the experiment and had no intention of tying him to the operating table, Li Ang pretended to be annoyed and replied, "If it can stop you from bothering me, I will go."

The supervisor was overjoyed upon hearing this.