Asura in Arknights

"Huh? What did you say?"

Ryan thought he had misheard. It felt like he hadn't been in a coma for a month, but for several years. Why was Byron about to win the championship when he woke up?

Is this really not a joke?

"In short... there are very complicated reasons behind this."

"For some reason, Byron's strength has suddenly improved significantly, which is why he has become a favorite to win the championship..."

As he was speaking, Li Ang suddenly stopped.

Because at that moment, someone had already approached the ward from the outside.

"...Why did you come here?"

Why can't I come?

Standing behind Li Ang, Byron spoke calmly.

Update a little late today

RT, I'm exhausted this week, so many trivial things have happened...

The company office was locked down because of the pandemic, I got into a car accident on my way home, the temporary office was locked down again after only a few days, and I almost got locked up for fourteen days... After I got home, my neighborhood was locked down... I'm so pissed off...

I ran out of drafts yesterday, and I need to write code today, plus I have a ton of other things to do. I have to admire how many things can be crammed together.

Chapter Seven Byron's Purpose

Byron was an old acquaintance of Ryan's, so it wasn't surprising that he came to visit Ryan after hearing that he was hospitalized.

But the problem is... Byron isn't suitable to place Rennes right now.

“I didn’t say you can’t come, but… you need to be mindful of your current status. The most popular champion candidate is running around everywhere. Have you thought about how much trouble that will cause others?” Li Ang said calmly.

Fish have a memory that lasts only seven seconds, and when a person or thing disappears from the public eye, people's memories of it only last a few days.

Li Ang had only been away from competitions for a short time, yet the audience in Kazimierz had already completely forgotten about him; now Byron's fame had completely overshadowed Li Ang's.

Wherever Byron went, his every move was watched by countless eyes.

If those ever-present reporters find this place, who knows how much trouble it will cause Renn... After all, one of Byron's few defeats was against Renn, and those people would definitely be very happy to dig up the secrets hidden behind them.

"I will take care of those people."

"...Just a heads up, killing someone in a mobile city is illegal."

Li Ang felt that Byron's tone just now made it seem as if he wanted to kill all the reporters who were following him. He was still under the name of Bohr Pharmaceuticals, which meant that if something really went wrong, Li Ang would be the one to clean up the mess in the end.

"You don't need to remind me of this, Director," Byron said sarcastically.

Whether it was because Li Ang had taught him a harsh lesson before, or because Li Ang had suddenly become his superior, Byron always felt a prickly tone when he spoke to him.

Of course, Byron could only make sarcastic remarks; in a real fight, he was still no match for Li Ang.

After making that retort, Byron ignored Li Ang.

"Looks like you're lucky you haven't lost your life yet," Byron said coldly, looking at Ryan on the hospital bed.

"...You know, I've always been very resilient."

In just two sentences, a faint tension had already formed between them.

"Since you are still alive, I have something to give you."

As he spoke, Byron threw something at Renn.

Rein instinctively reached out and grabbed the dark figure, but the force it carried was beyond his expectations. In pain, Rein quickly pulled his hand back.

"You want to kill me, you bastard!" Renn glared at Byron, his face full of anger.

That thing was incredibly fast. If he had been a fraction slower, he would probably have been smashed to the ground and covered in blood. However, Rein himself was a little confused... When did his reaction become so fast?

He couldn't have done this before he fell into a coma.

"The weak should be aware of their weakness. Someone like you who can survive here... be grateful for your good fortune."

Byron showed no remorse whatsoever. He coldly uttered those words and then turned and left the ward.

"What's wrong with this guy...?"

He came over, said something harsh, and then ran away? What exactly is he doing here? Renn was completely baffled by Byron.

"Are you alright? Were you hurt just now?"

After Byron left, Sarah hurriedly entered the ward, took Ryan's hands with concern, and was no longer angry as before.

From this perspective, Ryan should even thank Byron.

If he hadn't suddenly intervened, Ryan would have been forced to kneel on a washboard for hours after returning home.

"Leon, that guy just now... wasn't he Renn's opponent in his last match?" Adele tugged at Leon's sleeve and whispered, "What's he doing here?"

Adele and Sarah had noticed Byron long ago, but because of his fierce aura, they waited until he left before daring to approach the ward.

"It's definitely that person. As for why he came here, it's probably to visit Brother Renn."

Then Li Ang said hesitantly, "Byron is a complicated person. I don't know how to describe him. However, his ferocious performance in the ring certainly doesn't represent the whole person."

At least after learning his purpose for participating in the knight competition, Li Ang's impression of him changed.

Under Sarah's concerned gaze, Ryan shook his hand and said with a wry smile, "I'm fine, my hand just hurts a little."

"But... why would he give me this?"

Ryan opened his right hand, and lying in his palm was a brand new bank card. A string of numbers was written on the back of the card, which was undoubtedly the secret of this card. This was the thing that Byron had just thrown over.

"You... probably don't know why Byron is participating, right?"

The others in the ward shook their heads in agreement.

“You may not believe it, but Byron participated in the Knights’ Tournament in order to change the future of the infected in this country.”

Amidst the incredulous gazes of the others, Li Ang uttered these words: "The Supervisory Commission has secretly reached an agreement with the Business Federation. If Byron can win the championship in this Special Major, they will take this opportunity to announce that even infected individuals can legally participate in the Special Major and obtain the status and identity of a Cavalier."

"It's not like something he would do, is it? But that's the truth."

Li Ang only learned about these inside stories after taking over Pol Pharmaceuticals. If he had known them earlier, he might have gone a little easier when testing with Byron.

"Is the situation of the infected people here... bad?" Adele asked cautiously.

She hadn't been in Kazimierz for very long, and had spent most of her time at the Nearl family's manor with Sarah, rarely coming into contact with other infected individuals. Therefore, she wasn't very clear about the situation of the other infected.

Neither Ryan nor Sarah looked too pleased when the topic came up.

"It can only be said that... infected people without any support will find it very difficult to survive in this country."

The environment is somewhat better now than before; at least there won't be cases of people being arrested on the street.

However... the business alliance simply changed its approach to treating these infected individuals.

They are allowed to live here, but no job opportunities are provided to the infected. Before long, the infected will be unable to afford the cost of living in the mobile city, thus falling into the trap of the business alliance.

They either end up stranded in the wilderness or risk their lives in an underground arena secretly run by a business alliance.

It can only be said that Adele is very lucky; there are always people willing to help her, and the Nearl family are not the kind of people who would mind infected people.

"Byron... wants to establish a knightly order that can accept the infected, to fight for more living conditions for the infected."

"

Chapter Eight: Next Stop, Sami

Byron's goals were truly ambitious. Although Li Ang did not possess the same spirit of selflessness, this did not prevent him from admiring such people.

“Then he should need this money more than I do…” Renn murmured.

Through Sarah's phone, Ryan had already found out exactly how much money was in that bank card. Byron had likely deposited most of his income into that card recently, and if he wanted to establish a knightly order, he wondered how much money he would need to put into it.

Li Ang shook his head and said, "No, this isn't about money."

"While Byron may have such an idea, whether he can actually do it remains to be seen. It depends on the outcome of the negotiation between the Securities and Futures Commission and the business community."

"Since he gave you this, you should accept it."

Admittedly, Byron wanted to fight for a place for the infected to survive, but a knightly order that only accepted the infected... in Li Ang's view, this would only exacerbate the conflict between ordinary people and the infected.

What he really needed to do was eliminate the differences between ordinary people and those infected, but it was clearly impossible for one person to do so. Byron could only settle for second best and first unite the infected to fight for their rightful benefits.

Who cares if it exacerbates the conflict with ordinary people? Even if conflicts arise in the future, the priority is for the infected to survive.

"...Okay, you're right."

After hearing what Li Ang had just said, Ryan accepted his explanation.

"In short, it's too early to talk about such things now. First, Byron must win this year's Special Championship, and then we have to wait for the Knights Association's approval. By the time all of this is settled, it will be at least six months from now," Li Ang said.

By then, Li Ang will also be able to provide Byron with considerable assistance, since he wholeheartedly supports improving the treatment of infected individuals.

However, Li Ang still had a question in his mind: where should the infected, this group that was quite numerous in the world of Terra, be placed?

According to the information he obtained from the Originium Will, Originium is the embodiment of the planet's self-defense mechanism. In a sense, the Infected are the people 'chosen' by this planet, and they can easily obtain powerful strength from Originium.

Therefore, as the race that was the first to master Originium Arts, the Sarkaz are almost entirely infected.

However, as time went on, the situation slowly changed. Although Originium can grant people power, there are limits to how much a person can endure. Just like a bowl of rice can fill a person up, but eating a hundred bowls will only make a person die from overeating, the infected people are facing this awkward situation.

After releasing a large amount of Originium energy, the Originium Will discovered that the number of invaders had not decreased, so it increased the amount released next time. Over time, the Originium content in the Terra world became higher and higher, and it even condensed into a physical form, which is the various Originium mines that people are now mining.

The same applies to the infected. They have a higher affinity for Originium energy, so they absorb too much Originium energy that they cannot control, and Originium crystals condense on their bodies.

Liquid objects can be easily reshaped, but it's not so easy to change them into solids. Only a very few exceptionally talented individuals can manipulate Originium energy that has been condensed into a solid form.

Even if the Originium crystals are removed from the body, it cannot change the infected person's inherent talent. On the contrary, these infected people have already been marked as 'talented' by the Originium Will, and removing the Originium crystals is considered a loss. In order to replenish this loss, the Originium Will will increase its investment in this area.

This is why removing the Originium crystals from the body not only fails to cure the disease but also worsens Oripathy.

In other words, the infected were all infused with too much Originium energy by the Originium Will, and in the end they died from overeating. The excessive 'love' turned this blessing into a curse.

Only a very small number of lucky individuals have a way to solve this problem. For example, Li Ang has very little Originium energy remaining in his body; most of it has turned into Originium particles that orbit around him like satellites.

Ultimately, however, these are all problems of those immortals who have obtained power but have done nothing about it.

"Nurturing bandits to enhance one's own importance"... This perfectly describes their situation. If the process of the Originium Will is not interrupted, more and more people will be infected with Oripathy, which is something no one can change.

"Speaking of Li Ang, now that you're not planning to continue participating in the Special Championship, what are your plans for the future?"

After putting the bank card away, Ryan casually asked, "Are you planning to take care of company matters?"

“No, I’m too lazy to deal with those things, and besides, I’m not capable of handling them,” Li Ang shook his head and replied. “I’ll entrust someone trustworthy to handle it. As for my next plans…”

"I should be going to Sami in a few days."

“Sami?” Renn asked, somewhat puzzled. “What kind of place is that?”

After thinking for a long time, Renn still couldn't remember where Sami was. At this moment, Sarah reminded him, "Have you forgotten? Sami is in the north, in that small country that borders Ursus."

"Oh, now that you mention it, I remember."

Ryan slapped his forehead, but after a moment he suddenly stopped, raised his voice and shouted, "What? Sammy? What are you doing in that godforsaken place?"

That place was so remote that if Sarah hadn't reminded him, Ryan wouldn't have remembered where it was at all.

“There are some special reasons,” Li Ang replied. “I will go there with Adele to look for information about her father.”

“…Hmm.” Adele responded with a slight nod. “That’s a place my father once went to. We should be able to find some clues he left behind there.”

"Well, there's no need to rush like this," Ryan said, somewhat incoherently. "Aren't you planning to rest a bit more?"

“No,” Li Ang shook his head, “If you rest for too long, your body will rust.”

They weren't going to Sami for sightseeing this time; they were bound to encounter many dangers along the way. So, Li Ang planned to wait until his equipment was repaired and all the necessary items were prepared before setting off with Adele as soon as possible.

“Besides, we’re planning to come back before the baby is born,” Li Ang replied with a smile.

"Since you've already said that, what else can I say?" Renn said helplessly.

"All I can do is wish you a safe journey."

Chapter Nine: The Hidden Map

The conversation between Leon and Adele took place last night.

Before they rested, Adele, who had already made her decision, told Leon the good news: with the help of Shining, she had successfully deciphered part of the notes left by her father.

Upon hearing Adele's explanation that Dr. Nauman's notes were encrypted in a complex way, Leon frowned.

This means that Dr. Nauman knew he was being watched long ago? Even so, Dr. Nauman did not give up his research, but used many other means to prevent his research results from being leaked.