Arknights: The Life Inside-Chapter 79

"Woo~~~"

Waves of low humming reached Yoren's ears. The pink mist severely reduced visibility, making it impossible to pinpoint the source of the sound. It might have been the sea surface or the depths below.

The air carried a strange, almost intoxicating fragrance. As Yoren breathed it in, he felt no abnormal changes—his mind remained sharp, his body agile. But clearly, not everyone was the same.

"Boom!"

ACE slammed his hands onto the table, struggling to keep his eyes open.

"What... is happening?"

Yoren spun around. The Platts brothers, along with nearly everyone else in the restaurant, had slumped over, their consciousness seemingly ripped away. Only ACE remained awake, though his clenched jaw and strained expression made it clear—he was barely holding on.

"Brother ACE!"

Yoren rushed to support him, then hastily grabbed a napkin, soaked it with wine from his glass, and pressed it over ACE's mouth and nose. He had no idea if this would help, but in that moment, it was the only thing he could think of.

His thoughts were in complete disarray. One second, he was debating with Lao Pu about whether the Victoria 30 Years Collector's Edition was fake. The next, everyone around him seemed to have been possessed by some unseen force. He didn't even have time to wonder why he alone was unaffected.

"Woo~~~"

That eerie, drawn-out hum echoed again. This time, Yoren could swear it was closer.

"Brother ACE, what's going on?!"

ACE, still covering his mouth, lifted a trembling hand and pointed outside.

"Go outside?"

ACE nodded.

Yoren turned to the mist-covered deck, uncertainty clawing at his chest. Then, gritting his teeth, he made his decision.

"Brother ACE, hold on here. I'll check what's happening—and look for Snowsant and the others."

The world beyond the cabin was a murky gray, thick with an ominous presence. Yoren could feel his fingers trembling. No matter how strong he was, fear was instinctive when faced with the unknown. But cowering wouldn't change anything.

Snap!

He slapped himself, forcing the creeping fear away.

Damn it, I'm going to Victoria!

Taking a deep breath, he stepped through the hatch. As he moved, his hand slid into his pocket, pulling out a small fruit knife. Under the weight of the oppressive atmosphere, he felt the dark energy within him stir restlessly.

The pale pink mist blanketed the deck, obscuring everything. Even the ever-present sea breeze had vanished, leaving only an unnatural silence.

There was no one in sight.

Yoren swallowed hard, his pulse hammering in his ears. Something was watching him. Whether from the mist-covered sea or the abyss below, he couldn't tell.

"Windmill!"

A voice broke through the silence.

Yoren spun around to see Snowsant staggering toward him, supported by Ifrit. Relief washed over him as he rushed to meet them.

"Are you okay? Any dizziness?"

Snowsant collapsed onto the deck, panting. "I feel so lightheaded. My vision's blurry. Big Windmill, what's happening?"

"I don't know."

She was affected, just like ACE—but not completely incapacitated like the others.

Yoren knelt beside her, checking for injuries. Finding none, he turned to Ifrit, who stood watching with an almost amused expression.

"What about you? Feel dizzy?"

Ifrit tilted her head. "Nope. Feel normal. Just kinda hungry."

Yoren frowned. She wasn't pretending—Ifrit was genuinely fine.

Why? What made him and Ifrit different? And why were ACE and Snowsant only partially affected?

His mind raced, piecing together the puzzle. Then, a possibility hit him.

The only thing he and Ifrit had in common... was the ancient stones fused into their bodies.

The black and white twins. The Balrog. These were remnants of powers that defied time itself, forces beyond the laws of nature.

The black and white twins represented the ancient devil and the goddess of the sky. The Balrog—Ifrit—was the flame giant that could consume everything in ancient times.

As for ACE, he was a pinnacle of strength among modern beings. If this phenomenon affected both body and mind, then his sheer resilience could be why he was still conscious.

But Snowsant? She was an infected, but otherwise ordinary. Unless... something in her belongings had interference properties?

"Woo~~~"

The sound came again, cutting off his thoughts.

No time for this.

They needed answers. Was this a natural sea phenomenon? A man-made trap? Some unknown entity?

Whatever it was, they had to break free. They were adrift in the endless sea, with this ship as their only salvation. If the crew had succumbed and only a handful of them remained... their survival odds were grim.

"Crunch."

The ship trembled slightly.

Not a collision—this was different. The sea itself had shifted, like something enormous was passing beneath them.

Heart hammering, Yoren bolted to the railing, gripping it tightly as he peered over the edge.

The water had turned murky, tinged with that same pinkish hue. He couldn't see beyond the surface.

He narrowed his eyes, scanning intently. Then—his breath hitched.

What the hell...?!

A massive, shadowy form moved beneath the hull. It was so enormous that he hadn't noticed it at first—because it spanned dozens of meters below the ship.

His fingers tightened around the railing, his whole body tense.

He couldn't make out its shape, but it was nothing he recognized. No creature he'd ever seen matched this thing.

If he had to compare it to anything...

Then it looked like something that belonged in the deepest nightmares.

Something that could swim beneath the ocean floor.

Seeing the dark shadow lurking under the water, Yoren quickly turned around and shouted to Snowsant and the others.

"Stand back and stay away from the fence!"

Yoren didn't know what it was, but based on its size, he thought that if the creature wished, it could easily overturn this medium-sized passenger ship.

"Pass!"

A ball of flame rose in Ifrit's palm, and she scowled.

"Whatever it is, let me roast it!"

"Roast your ass, it's in the water."

With the rising fog from the sea and the reactions of the passengers, Yoren knew this was far from normal. This wasn't just an ordinary sea creature. Judging from the current situation, it wasn't a physical attack but something else—some kind of force pressing on their minds.

It wasn't just damage; it was like a curse, a weakening of will, a corruption of thought. If this continued, it could soon take control of their minds. A terrifying idea crossed Yoren's mind—was something beneath the water trying to devour not just their bodies, but their very spirits?

"Woo~~~~~"

A deeper, more resonant sound rose from beneath the waves. With this eerie call, the once calm sea surface suddenly churned.

Yoren watched closely. He could see it now—the water was moving in a deliberate pattern. And then he realized something that made his stomach drop.

A whirlpool.

Centered around the ship, the seawater began to spiral. Though the vortex was only beginning to form, if left unchecked, it would undoubtedly pull them under.

Yoren turned to check on the others. Snowsant was weakly leaning against the cabin, silent. Ifrit, her expression dark, seemed drained of energy.

There were nearly 300 people aboard, including the crew. Though most were strangers, Yoren knew that this wasn't a matter of choosing who to save—everyone's lives were bound to the ship. There was no easy solution. He couldn't just toss someone overboard like a sacrificial offering.

And yet... this didn't feel like a simple monster attack. It was something beyond logic, something ritualistic. This thing in the water wasn't merely hunting; it was enacting something—communicating, influencing. It didn't just want bodies. It wanted thoughts, spirits... souls.

The darkness beneath the water receded as if whatever lurked below had dived deeper. Yoren wasn't even sure it was a living creature anymore.

But the mist remained. The scent lingered. And more importantly, the whirlpool was only growing stronger.

Cold sweat trickled down Yoren's forehead.

He had to act.

"Stop messing with me! Come out and face me!"

Yoren yanked a fruit knife from his pocket.

With a sharp exhale, he sliced his palm open.

Blood dripped down his hand, scattering into the air.

Pain flared through his nerves, jolting his body. In an instant, the black power inside him surged like a fire catching dry grass. The intricate black markings in his left eye sharpened, and a thick, inky mist coiled around him, rising from nowhere.

A quick glance at his wrist confirmed it:

[The fusion rate of somatic cells and Origin Stone is 12%]

[Crystal density of blood source stone 0.48u/L]

[Individual power: 1636]

[Critical period: 3]

[Countdown to next cycle: 17 days]

Today was the 13th day of the black and white twins' operation cycle. From experience, he knew that in the early days, his power grew at a crawl. Only in the last stretch, right before the critical point, did it explode. Right now, his strength was barely a fraction of its full potential.

But reality didn't wait. Danger didn't wait. The enemy didn't wait.

All he could do was use every bit of power he had.

"Boom!"

He gripped the railing, metal bending beneath his fingers. The Originium bracelet on his wrist hummed, supporting his energy consumption. Adjusting the black power within him to its peak, he fixed his gaze on the depths below.

By now, his left eye's markings blurred, black veins pushing against the pattern, threatening to unravel. His expression twisted into something raw, something furious—rage that wasn't just his own. It was the wrath of something ancient, something primordial.

Maybe, at this moment, Yoren was the one looking at the sea.

Or maybe, in the eyes of higher beings, the thing staring into the abyss was no longer Yoren at all.

People say when you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back.

What Yoren didn't realize was that, to the abyss, the force leaking from his left eye was deeper, darker than anything it had ever known.

Something that had existed before time. Something that stood beyond the laws of nature.

Clenching his fists, Yoren glared at the water.

If that thing surfaced again, he would dive in himself if he had to.

No one is free of fear—especially fear of the unknown. But there was no running from this. If he waited for the enemy to strike first, it would already be too late.

"Woo~~~~~"

Another moan from the depths. Yet this time, it was different—softer, hesitant.

Fear? A test?

Yoren's body burned from holding the black power at its peak. Even with the Originium bracelet, he couldn't maintain this state forever.

He didn't know what that sound meant, but he knew one thing: he was at a disadvantage. This was the sea. He was a land-dweller. Prolonging this standoff only made things worse for him.

Sweat dripped down his face. Yoren bared his teeth, shouting into the ocean.

"Come on, bastard! Face me!"

But there was no response.

Then he noticed something—the mist was thinning. The pink haze drifting over the sea had begun to fade.

The whirlpool around the ship was slowing.

"No! Don't piss it off!"

An old voice rang out from behind him.

Turning, Yoren saw an elderly man gripping the railing of the second-floor balcony, his face pale, his voice shaking. He looked like a drunkard barely holding himself together.

Yoren had seen him before. Though they hadn't spoken, he remembered—the old man was the ship's captain.

The captain clutched the railing tightly, barely keeping himself upright as he shouted down to Yoren.

"Young man, don't anger the things in the deep."

The captain knew what this was.

Yoren kept his eyes on the water while calling back, "I didn't provoke it! What the hell is it?"

Fear flickered in the old man's gaze.

"A disaster from the deep."

A disaster from the deep?

The words struck something in Yoren's memory. If he recalled correctly, this ship passed through the Agor waters. And when it came to Agor, there was one thing that couldn't be ignored.

Agor. Giant creatures. The deep sea. Disaster.

A cold figure flashed through his mind—long silver hair, red eyes, and a blade unlike any other.

[My people have been fighting those scourges for countless years. When I finally surfaced from the sea after a long period of darkness—when I opened my eyes, the brilliant starry sky dripped into my vision, the boundless waves brushed my cheeks. My tears and the taste of home were all salty.]