Asura in Arknights

Besides physical contact, Originium poses another deadly threat to the human body—radiation. Therefore, prolonged contact with Originium products may lead to Oripathy due to Originium radiation. This is knowledge that Li Ang learned in Letania.

The doctor told him that in order to avoid the effects of this radiation, a more advanced measure than physical isolation was used here: to neutralize the damage caused to the human body by Originium contamination through another energy field that is harmless to the human body.

"It turns out...that's it."

"Thank you so much."

Having come this far, Li Ang had already figured out a way to deal with that eerie shadow.

Chapter Fifty-Five: Soul Impact

Although this was the first time Li Ang had ever seen such a strange thing, once he knew its weakness, all that remained was to choose a suitable opportunity to completely eliminate the shadow.

To verify that his guess was correct, Li Ang even wandered around several factories nearby. Unsurprisingly, the strange figure avoided the Originium reactors running at full power.

Neither ordinary dwellings nor human bodies contain much Originium energy, so the shadow can move around freely. However, when it encounters something like an Originium reactor, its ability to move around becomes less effective.

The last uncertainty was also eliminated, and Li Ang's guess was correct. The inability to pass through areas with excessively high energy reactions was the flaw of that ghostly figure.

Finally, Li Ang chose a very open highway as the location to take action.

There are few people here, and very few vehicles pass by. Most importantly, there is no building higher than half a meter within a few hundred meters, so the awkward situation of the shadow escaping through the wall while Li Ang is blocked by the wall will not occur.

"You've been following me for so long...aren't you going to come out?"

As Li Ang spoke, several rings simultaneously disintegrated into Originium particles, which flew in all directions.

Fifty meters is just a distance that can be crossed in an instant for Originium microparticles. Before the strange shadow could react, the activated Originium microparticles formed a huge cage, trapping Li Ang and the shadow together.

The shadow finally realized something was wrong, and its entire body condensed into a thin line, fleeing away from Li Ang.

This invisible energy barrier is practically non-existent to humans; only highly perceptive sorcerers can vaguely sense a discordant element when passing through it.

However, for a non-physical entity like a phantom, this thin barrier is an insurmountable chasm.

The spell barriers that warlocks often use work on the same principle; by canceling out the Originium energy, they can reduce the power of spells to some extent.

The moment the shadow collided with the barrier, the entire cage trembled violently. Because Li Ang had very little time, the barrier he had hastily constructed was not very sturdy.

However, when the shadow failed to break through the barrier the first time, it had already lost its last chance to escape.

Under Li Ang's control, the barrier's range continued to shrink, further compressing the shadow's space to maneuver.

"Who sent you to follow me?"

Naturally, Li Ang received no answer. The shadow, like a mindless beast, rampaged wildly in the small cage, creating ripples in the barrier.

Even an ordinary person can now observe the abnormal distortions occurring in the nearby air.

The howling hurricane exploded in the cage, and sharp blades of air sliced ​​through the small space wave after wave, but the shadow remained full of vitality and seemed unharmed.

Li Ang disguised his Originium Arts quite well. Almost everyone at Pol Pharmaceuticals thought that his Originium Arts were about controlling airflow and attacking enemies using air pressure. However, Li Ang never revealed the further attribute changes to anyone.

Physical attacks are ineffective... Fire magic should be saved as a trump card and not used until the very last moment, so Li Ang only has one option left - to pull out all the stops.

Wasn't that shadow afraid to approach the Originium reactor? Well, he'll now artificially simulate the situation at the center of the reactor and destroy it using pure force.

An endless supply of Originium was released from the ring, but it was then restricted by an even more powerful force, firmly attached to the longsword-shaped staff that Pol Pharmaceuticals had heavily invested in.

This is not a sophisticated technique at all. Anyone who can be called a 'sorcerer' possesses this ability; it is merely the most basic 'activation' and 'control'.

However, under Li Ang's control abilities, which have no upper limit, even the simplest thing, activating Originium energy, becomes extremely terrifying.

Only a faint light appeared on the sword, but from a perspective imperceptible to the naked eye, the concentration of Originium contamination around Li Ang rose sharply in just a few seconds, surpassing even the contamination at the center of the Originium reactor. It was as if a small natural disaster had struck.

This level of Originium contamination has begun to affect the surrounding environment, causing some anomalies that only occur at the epicenter of natural disasters.

Particles different from soil began to precipitate from the ground. When countless particles piled up together, large and small black translucent crystal clusters bloomed like flowers at Li Ang's feet.

Under the intense Originium energy that had recrystallized into crystals, the shadow was as if it were embedded in a wall, unable to move an inch, and could only watch helplessly as the longsword pierced its body.

In the hazy sword light, the dark figure melted away like ice and snow, turning into wisps of green smoke and disappearing before Li Ang's eyes.

"it's over……"

Everything was over in less than two minutes. The shadow had no chance to send any message. Although cleaning up the traces left on the ground would be a bit of a hassle, it was ultimately a close call, and they successfully dealt with a person who couldn't...

That was what Li Ang originally intended to say.

But the instant that shadow was evaporated, a shock that reached the depths of one's soul surged up as well.

As fragments of memories flashed through Li Ang's mind, he realized that what he had just killed was not a shadow at all, but merely a vessel created by someone.

The true nature of that thing is...

The human soul.

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

"They...were killed?"

Inside the Bohr Pharmaceutical Industrial Park, Adams' face showed a hint of surprise.

He could feel that the quality of his soul had suddenly decreased by one unit, no more and no less, exactly the same as the unit he had sent out not long ago.

"They really are not to be underestimated..."

"Hmm? Who are you calling someone not to be underestimated?"

“I was referring to Hurricane Knight,” Adams replied calmly. “Hurricane Knight is truly outstanding… Finding such talent is a great blessing for Pol Pharmaceuticals.”

"You agree, don't you?"

P.S. Ugh, I have a terrible headache and I'm so upset.

Chapter Fifty-Six Fragments of Memory

The magical shield surrounding Li Ang was as if it didn't exist. This impact originated from the deepest part of his soul and was impossible to resist in any way... There might be a way, but Li Ang didn't know how at the moment.

Fortunately, this wasn't the first time Li Ang had encountered such a situation. The magical conflict he had with Miss Liz earlier was similar, with the two of them clashing directly on a mental level.

However, the impact Li Ang faced this time was far more intense than that one, after all, one was an unconscious collision, while the other was the last struggle made by the soul before its annihilation.

At the moment when this soul was about to vanish into nothingness, some invisible connection was severed, and the emotions suppressed for countless days and nights erupted all at once.

Anger at being deceived, regret for the past, hatred for the culprit, and a faint longing—these intense emotions, mixed with countless fragmented images, surged like a flood that had burst its banks, rushing towards the only living person present.

Li Ang.

He felt like a small boat sailing in a storm, with the possibility of capsizing at any moment in the raging waves.

It is unknown how much time passed before this storm in the spiritual world finally subsided.

Compared to before, nothing around them had changed. The Originium crystal clusters on the ground were still releasing energy into the outside world in a regular manner, and no one around noticed the abnormality. It seemed like only a few seconds had passed.

However, in Li Ang's subjective perception, he had just spent a considerable amount of time.

Shaking his head to banish the lingering dizziness, Li Ang randomly chose a direction and quickly fled the scene.

Every mobile city has a dedicated agency to deal with Originium contamination leaks. Li Ang's act of forcibly destroying that soul has definitely attracted the attention of the relevant departments. They will probably arrive at the scene soon. If Li Ang is still here then, he will have no way to defend himself.

Before those people arrived, Li Ang quickly left the place. As for the pollution he accidentally left behind... Li Ang could only apologize.

From the fragments of memory brought by that soul storm, Li Ang also learned more or less about things related to that soul. It was a story that... sounded somewhat ridiculous, but upon closer reflection, it was incredibly tragic.

The protagonist of the story is a boy who grew up in the village of Kazimierz. He admired the knights from a young age and dreamed that he would become like them when he grew up.

Finally, on the day he came of age, the boy and his two companions embarked on a journey to the Great Knight's Territory.

However, for a rural boy who had never seen much of the world, this was just the beginning of a nightmare.

In an attack by infected creatures, they lost the life of one of their companions. Danger lurked everywhere in the wasteland outside the town, and even large caravans could not guarantee their safety, let alone three children from the countryside.

Having barely escaped from the infected creatures, they encountered another nightmare in the Kazimierz Wasteland—the slave-hunting team.

Indeed, the slave trade in Qazimir has not been abolished to this day, and whenever the issue arises in the National Assembly, it always encounters unexpected resistance. This document could come from the Supervisory Board or a business alliance, both of which can profit from the slave trade.

In this situation, the voices of opposition from the National Assembly become less important.

When he arrived at the Great Knight's Territory in a daze, he was all alone.

Even after going through countless hardships to become a knight, the boy did not live the life he dreamed of. A lower-ranking knight... in the Great Knight Territory, he was just at the very bottom, not even as good as an ordinary person with a proper job.

How could a boy accept such a cruel reality? Kazimierz's social structure is a strictly ordered pyramid, and what he admires is only the very few people standing at the top of the pyramid.

Most of them were like him, strangers who came to Kazimierz for dreams or other reasons, barely fed and clothed, dreaming all day long of becoming knights.

This is Kazimir, the land of knights.

A country that appears wonderful on the surface, but is actually cruel at its core.

In the century since the development of knightly competitions, how many people like this young man have been drawn to the title of knight, only to meet their demise without a proper burial?

Even with a thousand thoughts swirling in his mind, Li Ang could only let out a helpless sigh.

From these fragments of memory, Li Ang also found the information he was looking for.

Under this series of blows, the boy went a little crazy. He would do anything to improve his strength, and this crazy idea played right into the hands of some people.

When Li Ang saw that familiar face, he knew his guess was correct.

Just as the boy was about to despair, a man appeared before him. Adams, as he remembered him, still wore that humble smile and respectfully said to the boy, "Sir, our company highly values ​​your potential. Would you... consider cooperating with us?"

The memory ends there, but what happened next is self-evident.

Driven by his thirst for power, the boy fell into Adams' trap, and in the end, even his soul became a plaything in the hands of others.

Adams… this guy is definitely not a simple spokesperson, but if that’s the case, what is his true identity? And what is his purpose in approaching me?

Looking back now, the timing of Adams's approach to him was also very problematic. Li Ang never showed any desire for anything. Although he did need money, it wasn't to the point where he couldn't survive without it.

Without directly asking Adams himself, probably no one could guess what he was thinking.

Besides, saving Renn has become even more difficult. Li Ang's prediction was wrong all along; it wasn't an illness, but rather a matter involving the 'soul'...

While pondering these questions, Li Ang avoided everyone and quietly arrived at the Lin Guang family's mansion.

But this time, the person who greeted Li Ang was not Marna, but someone else he had met once before.

Zofia, who was enjoying afternoon tea in the living room, froze on the spot when she saw Li Ang push open the door and enter.

Chapter Fifty-Seven: Missing

"How did you get here?" X2

The two of them said in unison.

Although Li Ang was not wearing his iconic armor, Zofia had seen his file through the Knights Guild and knew what he looked like. When she saw Li Ang, Zofia was so surprised that she almost spilled her tea on the table.

Upon hearing Li Ang's question, Zofia paused for a moment before saying somewhat irritably, "Shouldn't I be asking you that question?"

"This is my... no, this is Maria's house, I'm her aunt, why can't I be here?"

"I'd like to ask you, where did you get the key to this place?" Zofia asked, raising an eyebrow in an unfriendly tone.

“Maria’s house… wait, you’re all from the Nearl family?” Li Ang frowned, suddenly realizing that things were not so simple.

If Zofia in front of you and the girl before you are both members of the Nearl family, then who is Adele who is mixed with them?

At this moment, Li Ang remembered something he had overlooked for a long time... When Marna handed him the key, she had said something meaningful to him: "There will be a surprise waiting for you there."

Leon thought this surprise was referring to Nearl's identity... but unexpectedly it was referring to Adele?

Thinking of this, Li Ang's feelings were a little complicated. He composed himself and then said to Zofia, "This set of keys was given to me by Marna. I came to see him this time. Is he not here now?"

“Marna? You actually know that guy?” Zofia’s tone sounded somewhat incredulous.

In her eyes, Marna, who was willing to be a useless corporate slave, and Hurricane Knight, who was at the height of his power, were two parallel lines that never intersected. She was too lazy to even ask Marna a question. She never expected that the two of them would have another intersection.

Although she harbored some resentment towards Marna for handing over the manor keys to an outsider, Zofia calmly replied, "I see..."

After all, she was just a branch of the Lin Guang family and had no right to interfere with Marna's decision.

"But Marner isn't home right now. Is there something you need to talk to him about?"

“…I have some personal matters to discuss with him,” Li Ang said vaguely, without telling Zofia the purpose of his visit.

Even Adele doesn't know what Leon is doing right now, so how could he possibly tell the truth to an outsider? If anyone should be told, it should be Marna.

"So, does Miss Zofia know when Marna will be back?"

Zofia shook her head, replying somewhat unhappily, "I don't come here every day either. Who knows when that guy Marna will be back."

It seems that Zofia and Marna don't get along well, and Li Ang's plan to get some information from her has failed.

"In that case, I'll wait here for a while."

The next thing is very important. Li Ang must meet with Marna in person and explain everything to him.