Hearing Yuanshan's words, Yoren's emotions at that moment could only be summed up in one word.
Permit!
It was too accurate—this couldn't be real! How could she know so much just from a deck of cards? And judging by the way Yuanshan stared at them, her interpretation wasn't even finished yet.
Standing before Yuanshan, Yoren felt as though he had nowhere to hide.
"Yuanshan, actually, I am..."
"Don't tell me."
It was the first time Yoren had met someone like her. Most people were curious about the unknown, but Yuanshan was the opposite—she refused to ask any questions beyond his name.
Yoren guessed that it wasn't a lack of curiosity but rather an overwhelming confidence in her own divination. She didn't need to ask—she could see the truth for herself.
But beyond what she saw in him, what truly fascinated Yoren was the divination itself, the technique called "Hand of Fate." It was like watching a master illusionist perform an impossible trick, leaving him with only one thought:
I want to learn.
Feigning indifference, Yoren couldn't help but ask, "Ahem, Yuanshan, how did you do that?"
Yuanshan's eyes remained locked on the cards as she replied softly, "This deck is called [Vientiane Revelation]. It contains the essence of all things in the world. My choices influence you, and your choices influence me. This divination intertwines our fates—no one in this world understands their own destiny better than I do. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Uh... more or less."
It was deep—far too deep to fully grasp—but Yoren tried to make sense of it. It seemed that Yuanshan could refine her predictions by comparing them with her own fate.
Yuanshan reached out and flipped back the cards she had chosen, leaving only Yoren's selections.
"Each card in [Vientiane Revelation] reveals a piece of your destiny. The 24 cards you picked represent the composition of your fate, and the order in which you chose them sets the timeline."
Then, methodically, she turned over Yoren's cards one by one.
Yet he failed to notice that she was flipping them in the exact reverse order of how they had been drawn.
"Each card is connected to the others in a secret relationship, including the ones I chose. My choices influence the divination results just as much as yours do. By intertwining our fates, many things become clear."
Finally, she turned over all 48 cards, leaving only the last card—the one neither of them had chosen.
"This is what the Hand of Fate means. Your choices shape your destiny, and my choices bring it into focus. But when all 49 cards are considered together, they reveal more than just the fate of you and me."
Yoren's breath caught in his throat.
"Then... what do they reveal?"
Yuanshan gazed up at him.
"The fate of this world."
With that, she turned over the final card.
Unlike the others, it had a deep black background. In the center, three letters were printed—letters that Yoren recognized immediately.
They meant "End." They meant "Death."
Yoren couldn't believe his eyes. He and Yuanshan had perfectly avoided this black card, the one representing the world's demise.
Yuanshan exhaled slowly.
"Divination of 'death' is considered a taboo in our craft. But I don't see 'death' as the end—I see it as a new beginning. The same is true for the death of the world. This is my reading, Yoren. You have the ability to see the truth. Your fate carries immense weight in shaping the world's direction."
She had seen far more from this divination than Yoren had. In the shadows, she might have already glimpsed truths that even he was unaware of.
Suddenly, before he could react, Yuanshan reached out and grasped his wrist.
A cold sensation seeped into his skin, coursing through his body like an icy current.
Then—
Smack!
A force repelled her touch as if struck by an electric shock.
Yuanshan quickly withdrew her hand, eyes narrowing.
"So it's true... You are a Black and White Twin."
Yoren's mind reeled. Black and White Twin? Was she referring to the strange powers within him?
He met her gaze with an intensity he had never shown before.
"Yuanshan, the reading is over. Can I ask three questions now?"
"Of course."
Yoren took a deep breath. He desperately wanted to understand the power inside him, but first, he had to know why Yuanshan had come to Rhine Life.
"First question. Why did you—"
"I already know what you're going to ask. And perhaps, there's a simpler way to answer."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"There is an old myth passed down in the world of divination. Maybe it will give you the answers you seek."
"What myth?"
Under Yoren's watchful eyes, Yuanshan began to tell the tale.
In ancient times, a glorious civilization flourished.
One day, four stones of different colors descended upon the world. Researchers discovered that these stones could fuse with the human body, granting power beyond the realm of science—power strong enough to shake the world's foundations.
However, those who merged with the stones were not immortal. They could still die, and when they did, the power would seemingly vanish with them.
It was considered a cruel joke by the gods. The turmoil caused by the stones lasted only a short time before fading into obscurity, dismissed as a historical anomaly.
But years later, the stones reappeared.
It was then that people realized a pattern: even if the heir perished, the stone itself did not disappear. Instead, it dissolved into the air like mist, only to reform decades later in a random location.
And one myth in particular spoke of a stone unlike any other.
At the dawn of the world, the gods shaped the land, bringing forests, rivers, mountains, and oceans into being. Life flourished under their watchful eyes.
But from the world's shadow, a demon was born—Thrall, a being of darkness. Though he could not escape the earth, he longed for the heavens, where the goddess of the sky, Visemia, resided.
He watched her for thousands of years and, in time, he fell in love.
When the other gods learned of this, they were furious.
They stripped Visemia of her godhood and erased Thrall from existence, leaving behind only his rage. Overcome with grief, Visemia faded into the endless sky.
Their bodies vanished, their memories erased. Only their emotions remained, lingering in the world, indelible and eternal.
Fearing history would repeat itself, the gods sealed their emotions within two stones. One held the demon's wrath, the other the goddess's sorrow.
The gods sought to bury them on opposite ends of the world, but as soon as the stones touched the earth, they became bound together, forever inseparable.
Yoren's chest tightened.
"The name of this stone is the Black and White Twin."
Yuanshan carefully gathered the cards, her expression unreadable.
"It's just an old myth. There's no way to prove its truth. Every religion in Terra has its own version of creation. You needn't take it too seriously."
"But the Black and White Twin—"
"Yes. Every stone has a legend. But you, Yoren... you are the only one who can uncover the truth."
A deep silence stretched between them.
Yoren's mind raced. If this myth was tied to his power, then what did that mean for him?
Finally, he asked, "Yuanshan, is that why Rhine Life brought you here? To learn about the Black and White Twins?"
Yuanshan shook her head.
"No. They seek the truth of another stone."
"Another stone?"
"Yes. I can tell you all four of their names."
And with a quiet, knowing voice, she spoke them:
"Killing. Styx. Fire Demon. Black and White Twins."
Yuanshan told him the full names of the four stones.
After hearing them, Yoren was stunned.
Everything in his mind finally connected.
Killing. Styx. He had never heard of these names before, nor did he have any desire to explore them. The last one, the Black and White Twin, was undoubtedly the power that had fused into his body.
But what truly shook him was the third name.
"Fire Demon."
This couldn't be a coincidence.
Rhine Life's SP experiment was also known as the Fire Demon Project.
Three years later, White-Faced Owl's operator file would reveal the Fire Demon Incident.
In his original world, this event was never mentioned in the game. But in the real world of Terra, it was a terrifying secret that he now held in his hands.
Rhine Life had unknowingly obtained one of the four ancient stones—the Fire Demon.
After discovering the surging energy contained within it, they had decided to fuse the stone with a human body to create the ultimate humanoid weapon.
Yoren recalled something Yuanshan had said earlier:
"In ancient times, there was a glorious, high-level civilization in this world, and four mysterious stones could be fused with the people of that era."
Clearly, the era Yuanshan spoke of was ancient—so old that it wasn't recorded in any of Terra's historical sources.
How she knew of it, Yoren couldn't say. Maybe it was through divination, or maybe the knowledge had been passed down. But since she had spoken of it with certainty, he was inclined to believe her.
And if these were two entirely different eras, then there was a strong possibility of—
Racial differences.
Yoren boldly speculated that, in the time Yuanshan described, the world may have been populated by a completely different race—one that had since vanished. Perhaps, back then, only one kind of person existed, with no subhuman species bearing animal traits.
His thoughts racing, Yoren looked up at Yuanshan.
"Yuanshan, does Rhine Life have the Fire Demon Stone?"
"That's right. They paid a hefty price to bring me here, just to learn about fusion."
"And... you told them?"
"Of course. Fate guides all things. Information has value, but fate cannot be bought. As long as it aligns with my principles and the right price is paid, I will share anything. But if it goes against fate, I wouldn't reveal a word—not for any amount of money."
Yuanshan was a peculiar person, but at least Yoren knew she had recognized his fate.
"Yuanshan, can you tell me about the Fire Demon as well? What exactly does it represent?"
Legends didn't concern him much. They were often exaggerated, turned into stories over time. What truly mattered were the properties of the Fire Demon Stone.
Still, if Yuanshan was willing to share, he wanted to hear everything—even if it was just myth.
Yuanshan nodded slightly, her voice calm.
"For you, I'll share the legend of the Fire Demon for free."
"Thank you."
She lifted her gaze.
"The legend of the Black and White Twins traces back to the origin of the world. The Fire Demon is not as ancient—at least, relatively speaking. Even so, its origins are separated from us by several eras."
Yoren listened in silence.
"Within the Fire Demon Stone is sealed a great flame spirit. Legend says it had two horns upon its head, a body as large as a mountain, and was wreathed in an unquenchable fire. Its power could burn all things. It was born from the raging heat left behind by the Dark Demon Thrall's death. Its name was Ivlit."
Yoren's eyes widened.
"Wait. You said its name was... Ifrit?"
"That's right."
He fell into thought.
Yuanshan wouldn't lie to him. The little fire dragon—Ifrit—was an experimental subject of Rhine Life. Perhaps that wasn't her real name. Perhaps she had never been given one. It was possible that, when Rhine Life started the Fire Demon Project, they had named her after this ancient being.
And maybe—
The eighteen test subjects who had died before her had all borne the same name.
The rest of the legend hardly mattered to Yoren.
According to Yuanshan, Ifrit's power had grown stronger and stronger, until one day it threatened the world itself. The gods, in response, sent down divine punishment to destroy Ifrit's body. Its remaining power, still raging in the flames, was sealed within a stone. That stone became known as the Fire Demon Stone.
To Yoren, it all sounded like the tale of a rebellious god facing divine retribution—like a fable passed down through generations. Impossible to verify, a legend that existed only if one chose to believe it.
But one thing was certain.
Whether myth or not, the power within the ancient stones was real.
And after hearing the legend of the Fire Demon, Yoren now had another pressing concern.
"Yuanshan, has Rhine Life already fused the Fire Demon Stone with a test subject?"
Even as he asked, he realized how bold the question was. This wasn't just about the stone anymore. It was about the progress of the experiment—highly classified information. Rhine Life would never share such details. How could Yuanshan possibly know?
Yet, her response surprised him.
"Heh. It's impossible for the Fire Demon to fuse with the creatures of this era."
"What?" Yoren's brows furrowed. "Why?"
"For some reason, none of the four ancient stones can be fused with the races that exist in Terra today. If a stone enters their body, they turn to ash within moments. Only those from the previous era can survive the fusion."
"What?"
Yoren was stunned.
It was like seeing a world-renowned scientist announce that climbing Mount Everest was impossible—while Yoren himself stood at its peak, wondering how he got there.
"Impossible to fuse?" He let out a dry laugh. "Then what about me?"
Yuanshan's lips curled into a knowing smirk.
"That is what I'm curious about, Yoren. You don't have the obvious animal traits of the races in Terra, and yet the Black and White Twins have undeniably fused into your body. If I had to guess... I'd say you are not from this era."
Yoren's mind reeled.
That was it.
Not only was he not from this era—
He wasn't from this world at all.
Whether Terra had any connection to his original world was still uncertain. But one thing was undeniable:
His body was different from every race in Terra.
Yoren had always thought of himself as human—the weakest, most fragile existence.
But this human body had fused with an ancient stone.
And that changed everything.