Ark Chess Player

“Guard…”

Doberman didn't know how to start the conversation.

As an instructor at Rhodes Island, Guard is no exception; newly recruited operators are usually trained under Dobermann.

In her mind, the gap between Guard and Elite Operators was probably thirty of them, enough to match Ace? Perhaps even that wouldn't be enough…

“It’s alright, I… I believe in the Doctor.” Guard looked at the Doctor, his right hand on the hilt of his sword, a surge of strength welling up within him. He said, “The Doctor said that my potential is no less than anyone else’s. I may not be good enough or qualified yet, but I will do what I can. If I ignore something that is easy to do, I will definitely regret it. I don’t want to have any regrets, that’s all.”

"Ah."

Lin Lu smiled and nodded slowly.

at last……

The only discordant voice in the group.

Disappeared.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Natural Disasters

In order to contact the reconnaissance team as soon as possible and head to the extraction point together, at Amiya's suggestion, the Rhodes Island team chose to break through directly instead of taking a detour.

"With our current troop size, we are not suited for narrow urban warfare and are easily ambushed by the Reunion Movement, which employs human wave tactics. However, the Reunion Movement's soldiers are not as strong as ours. Underneath their well-equipped armor and camouflage, most of them are just ordinary Oripathy infected. We should fight quickly and decisively, rushing through in one go to minimize the number of engagements with the enemy. Disrupt their formation and retreat swiftly."

"That's what the young leader of Rhodes Island said," she said, gazing intently at Lin Lu, seeking his approval.

She wanted the doctor to rest a bit, as he had been directing several battles without a break since the sarcophagus awoke.

Lin Lu agreed to Amiya's suggestion, or rather, he thought so too.

……

"Looks like we've shaken off those guys for now. Are you all alright?"

Lin Guang's aura remained perfectly composed; even after a fierce and rapid assault, her fighting spirit remained high.

Overall, the Rhodes Island team maintained a perfect record with no casualties. Even though they were tired, everyone knew that they couldn't stop to rest now.

Ace scrolled through the electronic map and said in a deep voice, "We're almost at the southern exit. Let's hold on a little longer. However... the situation is still far from optimistic. There are bound to be Ursus military police or Reunion Movement forces at every exit of the city. Judging from the noise in the distance, they're probably Chernobog residents trying to escape the city."

"Um……"

Amiya fell silent.

Without a doubt, these local residents who did not have time to escape Chernobog were stopped here by the Reunion Movement, and their fate is self-evident.

Ace seemed to sense Amiya's suppressed emotions and quickly changed the subject, saying, "Speaking of which, I've been here before. A year ago, there was a building here. I came to Chernobog on official business and brought my daughter here to admire the flowers... Back then, irises were her favorite flower."

Ace's voice slowly faded as memories of the past flooded back during his dazed state. He gazed at the ruins before him, overwhelmed with mixed emotions.

“Ace… … ”

Amiya felt even more depressed.

It wasn't until the doctor's voice brought them back from their sorrow.

"Attention all squads, prepare to break out again. There are large numbers of Reunion soldiers ahead... as well as civilians in Chernobog."

Lin Lu gazed into the distance. Surrounded by burning ruins, people continued to die on the filthy land. The cries of civilians, the roars of the Reunion Movement, the resistance of those unwilling to compromise, and the decapitation of others in terror. A torrent of negative energy continuously transmitted into Lin Lu's mind through the digitized world.

"Amiya... no, the whole squad, listen up, listen to me."

Lin Lu took a slow breath, suppressing the discomfort and anxiety in his heart, and said word by word, "Give up these pointless thoughts. We have no advantage and no extra time. No matter how crazy the Reunion Movement is, for us... everyone's safety is the most important thing."

There always has to be someone who plays the villain.

But let me, this nasty little devil who crawled out of a coffin, play the villain instead of the young rabbit.

"Since you have all entrusted your lives to me on the battlefield, my task is to ensure that each of you can return home."

"Others are not in my consideration."

Lin Lu's unwavering insistence on command stemmed from this very reason: he carried the expectations of everyone on his shoulders, and only in this way could he force himself to achieve perfection. A voice always echoed in his ears, compelling him not to abandon anyone in the team. In the battle against Mephistopheles, if he were to employ the tactic of sacrificing a move, he could quickly reverse the disadvantage, leaving his opponent with no options.

"PhD……"

Amiya stared at the civilians being slaughtered by the Reunion Movement ahead, gritted her teeth, and remained silent.

"Amiya, it's too late no matter what we think, and besides... the other side doesn't intend to let us go."

The view changes depending on where you stand. Dobermann agreed with the Doctor's decision; with Rhodes Island's current strength, it was impossible to save everyone. Even if they did their best to save every civilian they saw, what then? They couldn't take the civilians with them; when the cataclysm struck, everyone would die.

"Watch out!" Nearl shouted a warning, "Reunion soldiers have appeared at all exits of the open area simultaneously!"

"E4 Squad, charge! Rout them! Everyone, follow!"

Lin Lu's voice was incredibly firm, as cold and hard as a rock.

"Radiant Knight, I obey Your Majesty's command."

Lin Guang lowered his warhammer, and the axe blades on both sides of the warhammer descended along the mechanism, transforming into two wings of light.

Her weapon is her staff, which, in the name of light, illuminates this murky land and drives away the enemies of our Lord.

A shield of light surrounded Lin Guang, and the golden phantom of a pegasus condensed into a phantom behind her, spreading the halo to every corner.

The dazzling light fell upon the enemy, transforming into scorching flames. The light also bathed our forces, becoming a warm current. Weakening the enemy while healing our own wounds, Nearl is called the Radiant Knight not merely because it is her knighthood in Kazimierz, nor simply because it is an affirmation of her noble character and immense power.

Nearl's title is closely related to her Originium Arts, which are often accompanied by a noticeable glow when she uses them. By unleashing these mysterious Originium Arts, Nearl can heal her comrades on the battlefield and inspire everyone to continue fighting.

"How dare these mere thugs stop us!!"

"Oh oh oh!!"

Team E4 was in high spirits, and it wasn't just them who were excited; the other teams were too.

In this endless night shrouded in natural disasters, Radiant Knight Nearl is more than just an excellent heavy armor operator.

Everyone yearns for the warmth of light, and Lin Lu is no exception. He paused for a moment, then a smile appeared on his lips.

Unfortunately, that smile didn't last long.

"—!"

An invisible pressure descended from the sky, and all those infected with Oripathy felt a stinging pain in the areas where they were infected with the source stone.

Lin Lu's eyes widened, his mind going blank for a moment. The pain that had been locked within him spread with the burning sensation, and his strong will could no longer suppress it. It was as if he had fallen into a sea of ​​fire, every inch of his skin burning, his breath reeking of acrid smoke.

"Near Light, come back."

Lin Lu used almost all his strength to utter those four simple words. He staggered and half-knelt on the ground.

"...Doctor, what's wrong?"

Amiya, who was also feeling extremely unwell, struggled to support the Doctor and found him clutching his chest and breathing heavily.

"Retreat, Amiya, tell everyone to retreat—"

Lin Lu said with difficulty that in his data-driven vision, the Spirit Realm was filled with an overwhelming number of crimson squares.

Every person, every item, even the pebbles on the ground, are described with two bright red words: Warning!

Lin Lu tilted his head back, his gaze fixed on the sky, and he held his breath slightly.

The surging flames swirled within the burning clouds of disaster, and the distorted sky was taut to its limit like a bowstring drawn to its fullest extent.

Originally, there was only half an hour left before the natural disaster struck, but it was forcibly erased using Originium Arts, bringing the curtain of doomsday to fall ahead of schedule.

“哈，啊哈哈……”

The soldiers of the Reunion Movement halted their advance.

Some people stretched out their arms, some hugged each other, some shouted, and some laughed wildly.

Each of them felt a burning pain within their bodies, and this flame would surely ignite everything.

"coming."

"They're here! They're here!!"

"Our salvation has finally arrived!"

"When this land is reddened again, everything will return to the origin."

"We will no longer be different from one another, no longer alone, we are all... all part of the Reunion Movement!"

Chapter Twenty-Three: Talulah

Chernobog Central Town.

The kingslayer narrowed his eyes slightly, a burning pain spreading through his body, as if flames were about to burst from his throat.

She sat on the rooftop of a high-rise building, swinging her long legs in mid-air, and looked up at the celestial cloud that was right in front of her.

“Talulah…”

The kingslayer flipped the short blade in his hand, muttering to himself, "You lied to us, saying that the Law was dead and would never return. I refused to believe he was dead and kept searching for him. Just when I was about to resign myself to my fate, I encountered him in this city that was about to be destroyed. Were you truly unaware, or did you have this planned in advance?"

"Ugh, so annoying. I should have bitten him a couple more times when we parted."

The kingslayer, his cheeks flushed red without him even realizing it, watched as the distorted clouds unleashed a calamity-bringing meteorite.

Below this high-rise building lies a desolate square, where Chernobog citizens captured by the Reunion Movement are surrounded.

She stretched out her hand, pointing at the huge source stone falling rapidly from mid-air, her fingertips lightly touching the void and gently tapping the throng of people.

"...The festival begins."

The regicide spoke softly, his eyes revealing no emotion.

The desolate plaza had become a living hell. When the burning Originium rained down, it was too late for these people to escape. The first meteorite instantly wiped out a third of the population, and the spreading Originium fragments washed over everyone like a jet of water, embedding Originium into the bodies of those closest to the meteorite. However, this might have been a good thing; at least that person died instantly, spared the agony of being engulfed in flames.

The crowd on the periphery cried out, trying to escape the square, but the Reunion Movement soldiers guarding the various exits swung their swords without explanation, blocking the fleeing crowd.

"Are you all insane! Don't you want to live too?! Natural disaster! Natural disaster! We're going to die, everyone's going to die!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please let me go! I'll give you anything you want! Money, or whatever, I'll give you anything you want!"

"I don't want to become infected, I don't want to die, I don't want to!!"

"..."

A soldier from the Reunion Movement watched their comical antics with indifference, slowly raising his arms...