Ark Chess Player

Mephistopheles finally revealed his anger, and his disgusting hypocrisy was finally put away.

"When I take off your mask, I'm going to carve the word 'flesh' on your forehead."

"If you can do it, give it a try. Braised pork with preserved mustard greens that's still breastfeeding."

"Mei, braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens?!"

Just as Mephisto was stomping his feet in anger, Lin Lu quickly turned on his communication headset and issued the order.

"The operation is divided into three phases. In the first phase, E3 team is responsible for holding off the enemy's offensive, E2 team will provide support and damage, and E1 team will return to defense. Vanguard team, assemble here. I need you to do two things: maintain team communication and information sharing, and protect our sniper and caster operators. Ace, you have a special mission."

Almost the instant Lin Lu gave the order, Mephisto's troops launched their attack.

Both sides were at their peak fighting spirit, but Rhodes Island had just finished a battle, and their operators hadn't recovered before another fight began. The enemy outnumbered Rhodes Island many times over, and their heavy-armored operators were almost overwhelmed by the enemy's blades.

Most importantly, the two sides have different commanders.

Mephistopheles disregarded the casualties among his men and was ready to use the tactic of sacrificing pawns at any time, but Lin Lu could not.

Lin Lu insisted on making a flawless tactical plan that would ensure no one was lost.

Is such a frivolous idea really possible on the battlefield?

—I'll show you now.

"Ace, do you remember those two black dots on the tactical map?"

"I remember, you meant..."

"One enemy is in the open, and the other is in the shadows. I need you to dedicate half of your energy to guarding against the other one. I will share the target's location with you at any time, so there's no need to worry."

"Understood. But Doctor, shouldn't we consider retreating or breaking out?"

"Time is of the essence, so I'll keep it brief. The E4 task force, responsible for confirming the evacuation route, is on its way."

Lin Lu was willing to push himself to increase the expansion area of ​​his spiritual domain, all in order to confirm the situation of his companions who should have been at the rendezvous point.

If a retreat was absolutely necessary, it wasn't impossible. He had a feeling the Kingslayer's squad wouldn't cause him trouble, probably because of his good connections from the past. However, if he retreated and took a detour, he wasn't confident he could evacuate everyone from Chernobog before the cataclysm struck.

"...Be careful, the soldiers of the Reunion Movement are behaving strangely."

Amiya frowned: "I can't sense their emotions, all I see is blackness."

Ace frowned and said, “In the wars I’ve experienced before, I’ve encountered commanders who are exactly like those of the Reunion Movement. To them, soldiers are nothing more than pawns, to be discarded at will once the goal is achieved. That person injects Originium into the soldiers’ brains, turning them into war machines. They use their forces rationally and efficiently, and then let them fend for themselves when they are no longer needed, saving on training and management costs, and treating living people like objects to be trampled on.”

"This is...too much."

Amiya pursed her lips, her gaze falling on a Reunion soldier who moved stiffly like a puppet.

It was pitch black.

Deep down, they have nothing.

"Ace".

Lin Lu spoke slowly.

"Go ahead, give them respect, and liberate them."

"Yes, Doctor."

Ace picked up his warhammer, nodded to Amiya, and charged into the battlefield first.

The previously tense battlefield balance was instantly shattered. Ace swung his warhammer, smashing it into an enemy soldier's face, sending blood, flesh, and bone fragments flying through the air—an instant kill. He raised his shield in front of his teammates, blocking the barrage of arrows flying from the shadows, while simultaneously twisting his waist and hurling his warhammer. A lightly armored soldier charging forward had his chest dented by the hammer; the armor, capable of withstanding Ursus police gunfire, crumbled like paper.

The lightly armored soldier struggled for a moment on the ground, then gave up thinking.

Ace's bravery and skill in battle attracted Mephistopheles' attention, leading him to deploy more manpower to his position.

The Reunion mage aimed in Ace's direction, using the Originium on their bodies as a medium to unleash a burst of light and flame like cannonballs.

Ace raised his left arm, and the thick tower shield blocked the dark purple reality. A thin film of light shimmered on the surface of the shield, storing the impact. He took a step back, slammed his foot heavily on the ground, and leaped into the enemy ranks, slamming the tower shield down on the warlock's head.

Brain matter exploded, blood spurted into the sky, and the headless sorcerer swayed as he floated to the ground.

Ace placed the shield on the ground, twisted his neck, and took a long breath.

"Sorry, this road is closed."

Chapter Eighteen: Near Light

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

Mephistopheles grew increasingly agitated, and the battle situation became increasingly unfavorable.

The number of soldiers he commands is decreasing, yet the enemy has not lost a single soldier and has maintained its peak fighting strength.

"I won't lose, absolutely not! Next, f3, e5! b3, b4!"

Mephistopheles raised his arm, sending white dust billowing in the wind and settling on the soldiers.

The soldiers' fatigue vanished, as if they had been injected with a large amount of excitement, and they let out even more piercing howls.

Even the minerals they concealed beneath their white robes grew considerably as a result, with irregular objects bulging the clothing high and outlining the monster's silhouette.

Lin Lu instantly saw through Mephisto's intentions and commanded through the communication headset: "Vanguard team, be on alert! Retreat and defend, protect the medical operators!"

The high-flying soldiers ran wildly across the battlefield, bypassing the heavy-armored operators and flanking Rhodes Island from the side and rear.

The medic, who was busy casting a healing spell, heard a series of hurried footsteps. She quickly turned around and saw a terrifying black shadow that had appeared in front of her at some point!

"Yeah!"

"Be careful!!"

Guard from the vanguard team rushed over, wielding his sword to block the berserk Reunion soldiers and parrying their sharp spears.

Guard unleashes unprecedented combat power, single-mindedly focused on defeating the enemy and protecting the girl behind him.

He successfully subdued this enemy who possessed only brute force but lacked skill after five moves.

Are you alright?!

Guard turned to the small Filin medic and asked urgently. He raised his hand to help the man who had fallen to the ground in fright, but his palm was covered in sticky blood.

"No, it's nothing, just a little scratch, it's nothing serious."

The girl held onto his hand, which he was about to pull away, stood up, and took a small breath.

"Guard, are you alright? Your face is so red, where are you hurt? Let me see..."

"No, it's nothing. Wait a minute, I'm wearing a mask, how come you can all see my face!?"

Guard touched his mask, wondering if he was wearing a fake one.

"Of course I know what kind of expression you're making, Guard."

The Filin girl smiled gently and continued to cast spells to support the operators fighting against the Reunion Movement at the front.

Just as Guard was about to say something more, the Doctor's voice came through the communication headset, causing him to involuntarily shut up and listen.

"Vanguard team...spread out...maintain...communication connection."

Because of the distance, he couldn't hear clearly. Guard silently looked up at the girl's back, picked up his beloved knife, and ran to the designated spot. He felt somewhat fortunate; thanks to the doctor's timely instructions, otherwise, based on his intuition, everything would have been over by then.

It's great to have a PhD here.

...Wait, what was I thinking just now?

Guard felt a chill run down his spine. Although he was reluctant to admit it, he had gradually come to accept the Doctor from the bottom of his heart, having gone from rejection to genuine appreciation.

What kind of person is a PhD?

He was already somewhat uncertain.

On the other hand, Mephistopheles, who was directing operations from his high platform, was so angry that he bit his fingers.

His intentions were seen through time and time again. Even when he used the tactic of sacrificing pieces, the opponent was able to capture the pieces while avoiding casualties on his own side.

Since that's the case, since that's the case—

"h2, h6".

The dark mass of soldiers charged toward Rhodes Island's lines. Even with Ace's incredible prowess, he struggled to fight against a dozen fearless soldiers at the same time.

"Take down that big guy first, C7, push, casters focus fire."

The true intentions were revealed as the casters, who had been hiding behind the heavy-armored operators, emerged from their cover and began to conjure dark red Originium Arts at their fingertips.

"Doctor, it's too late! Lie down!"

"Don't panic, Amiya, this is the time I've been waiting for."

How could Lin Lu, who had already discovered the location of the other party's personnel, not have anticipated this move?

The outcome of this battle was decided from the very beginning.

The victor simply wants to win even more beautifully, even more perfectly.

"Sniper operators, fire in unison! Shove the enemy casters' spells back into their mouths!"

The snipers, who had been holding back until now, raised their weapons. Their aiming points had been pre-arranged by the Doctor from the start, eliminating the need to spend time searching for enemies and then aiming precisely. A volley of arrows was unleashed, the advantage of the high-speed crossbow bolts being maximized at this moment, ending the casters' lives before they could cast their spells.

"What!?"

Mephistopheles nearly bit off his own finger.

"Well done! Next target: the high ground on the south side. Fire a volley!"

Combat command is not turn-based; the essence lies in striking while the iron is hot when you have the upper hand.

Winning with fewer troops is not always possible. The art of war lies in cornering the enemy while leaving them with a chance to fight back. It prevents them from fighting to the death, but rather gradually wears them down, causing them to bleed out until all their strength is exhausted.

The sniper operators had no doubt about the Doctor's orders; it was under the Doctor's command that they were able to win battle after battle.

The flying arrow pierced through the tiles and bricks, shattering the mud wall that served as cover and revealing the figures hidden inside.

The other black piece on the tactical map, specially marked by Lin Lu, is an enemy high-level combatant and also Mephisto's ace.

He had short, dark green hair, a dark hooded coat, white trousers, and tall boots that reduced noise.

The boy held a huge sniper crossbow in his hand. He was clutching his shoulder, blood seeping from his fingers, as if he had been injured by a sudden burst of sniper fire.

"—Faust."

Mephistopheles' expression changed drastically, revealing unprecedented anger as he glared at Lin Lu in the distance, as if he wanted to grind his teeth to dust.