Ark Chess Player

The door opened softly, and Angelina, with her brown twin tails swaying as she moved her head and her fluffy animal ears twitching, walked into the office carrying a mailbox, looking troubled.

"Ah, Amiya, Doctor, good evening," Angelina greeted.

Lin Lu responded reflexively, "Hello, Brother Jie!"

"Jie, Brother Jie?"

Angelina tilted her head slightly, looking at the doctor who was completely covered up and wearing a hooded mask even indoors, with some confusion, not understanding what this meant.

"Don't be nervous, the doctor was just making a little joke."

Amiya turned her head slightly and squinted at Lin Lu, which made Lin Lu tremble violently.

When Amiya looked at Angelina, her smile became gentle and kind, as warm and friendly as a girl next door.

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

“Amiya, we have received an official letter from the Ursus Empire. I believe this is quite urgent and needs to be reported immediately.”

"Ursus?"

Amiya took the envelope from Angelina; it indeed bore the wax seal of the Ursus Empire.

After she took it apart and read it carefully, her confident expression gradually disappeared, and the girl's brows furrowed. It was clear at a glance that it was bad news.

"Doctor...we're in trouble."

Amiya handed the letter to Lin Lu and said in a deep voice, "Regarding Rhodes Island's presence in Chernobog on the day of the Reunion Movement incident, and the exposure of your rescue operation in the upper city of Chernobog three days ago, the Ursus Empire has expressed that it needs an explanation—the Ursus Empire delegation will be visiting tomorrow."

Chapter 145 Theresa's Coffee (4K)

"An envoy from the Ursus Empire? Hmph, more like a bunch of bandits."

Lin Lu looked at the formal, literary document in the envelope, and between the lines it revealed two words: cannibalism!

Lin Lu had absolutely no goodwill towards the Ursus Empire; rather, he harbored a negative impression of it.

Leaving aside the Ursus Empire's policies towards the Infected, after all, Lin is an ultimate powerhouse capable of extracting, decomposing, melting, and absorbing highly polluted Originium Clusters and even Originium Arts. His stance is less from the perspective of the Infected and more from the perspective of a third party.

Lin Lu has his own unique opinions, and he will not change them because of the type of people in his environment.

What truly disgusted Lin Lu with Ursus was everything he saw in Chernobog on the day he woke up.

If a country can even use its own territory and people as bargaining chips for personal gain, then its emperor must be the most incompetent and deserving tyrant in history. Now, this person has reached out to Rhodes Island, to Rhodes Island at the forefront of the fight against the Reunion Movement, to the place where Lin Lu's hands reach.

Lin Lu's gaze gradually turned cold, and some violent thoughts condensed in his mind. He unconsciously crushed the envelope in his hand.

"PhD?"

"...What's wrong, Amiya?"

"Your eyes, your emotions, are terrifying."

Amiya said crisply, looking at Lin Lu with some worry.

Angelina leaned against the wall unconsciously, seemingly intimidated by Lin Lu's murderous intent.

Lin Lu was slightly taken aback. He tapped the hood on his head and shook his head helplessly.

"I'm sorry, it was my fault. I will control my emotions."

Lin Lu did not refuse to admit his mistakes because he was concerned about saving face. He was a very self-disciplined person and would never take out his unnecessary emotions on others, especially those around him.

Lin Lu turned and smiled slightly at Angelina, the operator who had once borrowed his power.

Even with his face hidden under his hood, he still hoped to convey friendly feelings.

“Angelina, your judgment is correct. This gives us more time to deal with it. Thank you.”

“No, you’re welcome…” Angelina whispered, looking curiously at the doctor who looked tired, and nervously began, “Um…”

"what happened?"

"Doctor, have we met somewhere before?"

Angelina mustered her courage and asked. She felt a strange, familiar warmth towards Lin Lu, as if they had fought side by side not long ago. This feeling was like a dream, but the dream was all too real. She saw a strange city, a monster that seemed to have jumped out of a horror novel, and an unbelievable version of herself.

Moreover, upon waking, Angelina was surprised to find that she had become much more adept at using Originium Arts. Previously, she could only maintain Anti-Gravity Mode for a very short time, but now she could use it freely, and even if she fell asleep while floating in mid-air on her Originium Staff, she wouldn't fall.

It all seems to be related to that dream.

There was another person in the dream, and that was the Doctor.

"If we had known each other before, I regret that I have no memory of the past now."

Lin Lu threw the crumpled envelope at the corner trash can, hitting it precisely and it landed in the trash can every time.

He secretly cheered in his heart. Sometimes, a man's happiness is that simple. Simple little things can turn a dusty day into a sunny one.

"However, this does not prevent us from having the opportunity to get to know each other. I am very happy to have such an excellent operator join Rhodes Island, and it is an honor to work with her. Angelina, I see unlimited potential in you. Perhaps one day you will face unimaginable crises, but I believe that if it is you, you will be able to protect those around you."

Lin Lu said sincerely that he saw the future and infinite possibilities in this child's talent.

"Thank you, Doctor!"

Angelina lowered her head somewhat flusteredly, clearly not expecting to receive such high praise. She had heard some news about the Doctor a few days ago, such as his blood-soaked appearance in the Rhodes Island cafeteria, silent and with a deathly gaze—but now, the Doctor seemed more like a virtuous and good leader, showing concern and blessings to his employees.

"I still have work to finish, so I'll take my leave now. Goodbye, Doctor... Goodbye, Amiya!"

Angelina noticed Amiya's gaze, quickly clutched the mailbox, and fled as if running away, a smile on her face.

"Uh, Amiya?"

Lin Lu, who had made a careless remark, suddenly realized that Amiya was still there. He subconsciously squeezed his legs together and cautiously looked at the girl.

However, Amiya did not express any dissatisfaction. Or rather, the girl's mind was not on matters of love and sex at that moment.

Amiya is still young, but she is also the leader of Rhodes Island.

The Ursus Empire's communications were less of a negotiation and more of a one-sided oppression. Now that Dr. Kal'tsit was absent, or rather, the Ursus Empire may have obtained information through secret intelligence that Kal'tsit had left Rhodes Island, and thus rushed over in a race against time, attempting to fleece Rhodes Island at its weakest moment.

"Can I do it as well as Dr. Kal'tsit...?"

Amiya's gaze was fixed on something so far away that she couldn't see where she was standing.

Lin Lu watched her quietly, then subtly rose, his movements slow and rhythmic, revealing the essence of stealth. Even if someone were intently watching Lin Lu, they might not have noticed his actions.

Lin Lu turned and went to the hot water room in the office, where he clumsily ground coffee beans into powder, which was probably one of the few things he wasn't good at.

In his lost memories, someone seemed to have taught him how to make coffee; the steps were simple. Lin Lu's arms seemed to be supported by an invisible hand as he placed the filter paper into the filter bowl, carefully pouring hot water several times to ensure it adhered perfectly. His digitized spiritual domain allowed Lin Lu to precisely and evenly distribute coffee grounds down to thirty grams, and then slowly poured ninety-four-degree hot water over the coffee grounds on the filter paper. The coffee grounds, having fully absorbed the hot water, quickly expanded, releasing a faint aroma.

Just as Lin Lu was at a loss about what would happen next, invisible hands lifted his arms again.

Even with his memory lost, Lin Lu's body still retained the intimate touch of someone hugging him from behind. Lin Lu's hand, gripping the kettle, began to draw circles somewhat uncontrollably. Hot water was poured onto the coffee grounds, and he made four or five small circles in the center. Then he expanded outwards, making four or five larger circles, finally slowly pouring the water back into the center.

This process was interrupted once to extend the extraction time and create more layers of flavor in the coffee.

During the second extraction, the tactile sensation on my arm gradually disappeared, vanishing into nothingness.

Lin Lu turned around abruptly, but saw nothing; it was as if it had all been an illusion.

A gentle yet slightly playful laugh echoed in my mind, bringing a sense of peace.

Lin Lu couldn't help but smile faintly, picked up two cups of fragrant coffee, and returned to his office.

“Kal’tsit isn’t here, but I’m still here, aren’t I?” Lin Lu handed the blue mug to Amiya, then picked up the black mug and took a sip, exhaling a long puff of white smoke. “Amiya, it doesn’t matter if you can’t stand on your own right now. You will grow, and you have a long road ahead of you. I will let you ascend the throne; that’s where you belong.”

"Doctor...you've become much more glib since you woke up. Where did you learn that?"

Amiya took the coffee, the warm heat flowing into her palm, which made her unconsciously relax her tense nerves.

"But even with a doctor like this, I still like him." She murmured to herself, picked up her coffee, blew on it, and took a small sip.

The pure, unadulterated coffee slid smoothly down her throat, the warm current dispelling the chill that had gripped her body. Her fear of the Ursus Empire, this world-class violent organization, seemed to lessen considerably. Amiya couldn't help but smile with relief. After all, it was Princess Theresa who had brewed the coffee for the Church Doctor back then.

Princess Theresa's unique coffee-making technique, even when passed down to the Doctor, still possesses a calming and soothing power.

Lin Lu said, "Amiya, let me host the delegation tomorrow, since this whole thing started because of me."

Amiya hesitated for a moment before saying, "Doctor, you don't know much about Rhodes Island yet, is that alright?"

“It’s okay. In the days since I woke up, I’ve gradually come to understand everything.”

Lin Lu slowly put down his coffee and glanced at the anemone beside him, who was looking at the mug with envy.

"This is Rhodes Island, our home turf. We can prepare in advance and adapt to any situation! As long as we can lower their IQ to a certain level, we can defeat them with fancy techniques. Tomorrow I'll show them what Rhodes Island corporate culture is all about, what a Terra 500 company is all about!"

Lin Lu waved his hand, and the AI ​​Anemone, who never expected that it would be the source of Lin Lu's inspiration, nodded in full approval and activated the PTRS system.

A crystal-clear blue projection screen displayed the Rhodes Island ship's structure in detail, with each floor's specific facilities clearly marked. Furthermore, all Rhodes Island operators not currently deployed to other missions were listed, their titles arranged in the right-hand column for easy deployment.

Lin Lu's office is equipped with a virtual tactical sand table. His identity is not just that of the head of the personnel department, but also the commander who holds the highest military authority in Rhodes Island.

"Extreme individual combat is my forte, but my true skill... is leading people to victory."

Lin Lu smiled as he positioned the most important character in this operation right in the center, his smile bright and innocent, like a child preparing to play a prank.

Amiya quietly raised her head and looked at the name on it, suddenly feeling a sense of foreboding.

“赫拉格……”

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

15:43 am Clear skies, visibility 20 km.

Nine kilometers outside Longmen, on the outskirts of the desert.

The ERR19 Vanguard armored vehicle sped across the desolate plains, the deep red pollution index displayed on the main control screen almost staining the vehicle body with blood.

Natasha Andreyevich Rostov, head of the Ursus delegation, sat in the back seat, her plump, snow-white right leg crossed over her left, her arm resting lightly on the window, gazing at the scenery outside in an extremely relaxed posture, even as the dark red warning lights illuminated her profile.

It wasn't just the interior of the car that was covered in blood; the scenery outside the window was even more so.

That makes sense, since this is a region with a high concentration of Originium radiation, there are naturally no pleasant things here.

As Natasha looked around, the blood and charred blackness almost merged the ground and the sky into one, and a desolate silence permeated the surroundings, making her feel even more powerless than when a natural disaster struck.

She saw the territory that once belonged to the nation. No, even now Chernobog still belongs to the Ursus Empire. But... how could the territory of the Ursus Empire be allowed to be invaded by others?

Faced with the incomparable and powerful generals of the Yan Kingdom, and the Yanxia warriors who used unique Originium techniques and martial arts, the soldiers of the Ursus Empire fought to the last man without retreating or yielding an inch.

Faced with provocations from the Colombian Federation, the Ursus Empire fought on despite repeated defeats, growing ever more courageous with each battle. Until the other side repaid everything it had eroded, retaliating in kind, a hundredfold in return.

The archers of the Kingdom of Victoria, the knights of Kazimierz, the papal musketeers of Laterano, the warriors of the Eastern Kingdom… the Ursus Empire’s footprints have almost trampled over every nation of Terra, even when besieged by the International Federation. The banner of the Ursus Empire stands tall, and to this day it remains a military superpower, standing firm through countless battles.

"Soldiers shouldn't question; soldiers only need to obey, even if it's blind obedience...?"