Ark Chess Player

Lin Lu smiled slightly, sheathed his straight-bladed longsword, lowered his body, and calmed his mind.

"You know me so well, you must also know... there's always a thin line separating the hunter and the prey."

Lin Lu's fingers moved back and forth on the hilt of the sword, and all the surrounding sounds disappeared. The only sound that echoed in his ears was the beating of his own heart.

A blazing white sword light rose section by section from the scabbard, and Lin Lu's figure, like an arrow released from a bow, instantly traversed twenty or thirty meters and arrived in front of W.

The sword storm, traversing the world, flew everywhere, slicing the landmines deployed in various places into thin pieces, and even shattering the signal triggering device in W's hand.

Mei Mingliu – Ultimate Skill: Mei Ming Cross Slash.

A straight-bladed longsword, clear as a mirror, rested against W's neck. Lin Lu lowered his body and stared into those defiant, scarlet eyes.

"Now, I'll ask, and you'll answer."

Chapter 43 The Holy Grail of Iz

"This style is so familiar it's frightening. Are you really suffering from amnesia?"

W raised his hands and performed a very proper and standard French military salute.

"The first question."

Lin Lu ignored W's words, instead silently frowning and enduring his discomfort, asking, "How long has it been since you last took a shower?"

"Huh? You actually care about this?" W's expression changed. She lowered her head and sniffed. It was a mixture of the smell of explosives, blood, and earth, a reassuring smell. "I don't think it's dirty. Do you think everyone is like you, wearing perfume on the battlefield? Hey, it's Victoria's perfume."

Without fear, W held the straight-bladed longsword to her neck. She tiptoed closer to Lin Lu and sniffed, a look of realization flashing across her face for a moment. Surrounded by the gentle fragrance, she unconsciously relaxed her body, feeling a sense of healing, but quickly realized her relaxation, her face instantly tightening into a stiff expression.

"..."

Lin Lu frowned deeply, but didn't say anything more.

Perhaps it was the unique sense of smell of the Felin race, or perhaps it was the extraordinary perception of the Guardian Operator Melantha, that made him feel extremely dangerous. W exuded a strange, familiar, and ominous... insane scent.

What truth are you looking for?

"...Hmph, still pretending to have amnesia?"

"Don't answer questions with rhetorical questions; I don't have the patience or the time."

Lin Lu applied pressure, and the straight-bladed longsword left a fine bloodstain on W's neck.

With his swordsmanship, he could easily sever the Sarkaz girl's throat in an instant, without even getting blood on himself.

W's face gradually darkened, her scarlet eyes revealing deep hostility, her pupils bulging like a cat's—this was her true expression.

"What role did you play in the final battle at Babel three years ago?"

"...Don't answer questions with rhetorical questions!"

"This is the truth I've been searching for!!"

W reached out and grabbed Lin Lu's collar. Even though the blade had already grazed her skin and was bleeding, she did not flinch.

"The battlefield commander of Babel, the leader of the Army Without Borders, the Fourth Scourge, the one who deceives the world. Your story is a legend told in every tavern in Kazdel, in every Sarkaz mercenary camp, and among every faction in the War of the Two Kings. How could someone capable of tilting the scales of war so easily not have guessed a decapitation strike—a strike aimed at strategy rather than tactics? How could you have failed to protect even one Sarkaz!"

The girl screamed and roared, asking questions with resentment.

It was a hysterical outburst, and also the hatred that lingered day and night for three years.

She gripped Lin Lu's shirt tightly, pulling him close to her. Their eyes reflected each other as she searched for an answer.

"……who is she?"

Lin Lu slowly asked, even though he was the one in control, even though he had his sword hanging over the other's life, he was being suppressed by the other's fearless aura. When the other takes off his shoes, the barefoot are not afraid of the one wearing shoes, so the threat no longer has any meaning.

"Heh, hehe."

W saw confusion and bewilderment in Lin Lu's eyes and couldn't help but let out a mocking laugh through gritted teeth.

“Listen carefully. Remember this name. Everyone can forget her, even me, but you absolutely cannot. You may not remember, but in every photo I've taken, she only shows a peaceful smile when she's with you.”

Theresa.

"Yes, Theresa."

When she called out that name, W's expression became incredibly gentle, as if she were basking in the sunlight and witnessing a glimmer of hope.

"Theresia—"

Lin Lu murmured, his pink pupils instantly becoming unfocused.

The data-driven world vanished in an instant, and even the virtual AI anemone disappeared with it.

Consciousness converged into an ocean, and Lin Lü found himself on a tranquil lake, gazing at the beautiful figure in the center of the lake.

Lin Lu stepped forward slowly, his steps light and gentle as he waded through the rippling lake water.

Longing transforms into misty clouds, enveloping the dreamlike lake in a haze. It is so gentle, yet so profound, drawing one in completely, immersing one in the nostalgia for one's hometown, unable to extricate oneself for a long time.

"You are……"

Lin Lu reached out towards the figure of the woman in the white dress and touched the hazy white silk veil on her face.

The next moment, a blood-red full moon suddenly rose over the ocean of consciousness, and endless crimson dyed the lake surface into a pool of blood.

The lake was boiling, the ever-bubbling water turning it into a prison. Lin Lu lost his footing and sank into the scalding water. Countless chains surged from the depths of the lake, pulling him further in. His only outstretched hand still pointed towards the center of the lake, but all he felt was a sticky, cold, wet sensation in his palm.

"Ugh...uh...ahhh!!"

Lin Lu struggled to come back to his senses from the hallucination, and the last trace of cobalt blue in his black pupils quietly dissipated.

He struggled to lift his arm, grabbed W's wrist tightly, and stared at the strangely shaped jade cup in her hand.

"Doctor, do you remember this? This is the burial item from three years ago when you were placed in your coffin, the Iz Grail. It took me a lot of effort to steal it out secretly. I sneaked into the sarcophagus alone and took care of all the researchers who coveted your body. You should thank me."

While Lin Lu was distracted by Theresa, W secretly smeared the deep red blood, which exuded a mysterious aura and was contained in the Holy Grail, onto Lin Lu's Ark Driver. As Lin Lu's mind was connected to the Ark Driver, his consciousness was directly affected by the synchronization, his spirit was deeply eroded, and his spiritual domain closed again.

"What...did you do!?"

Lin Lu clearly felt his body was losing control, his blood was rushing wildly, and his skin was turning bright red. The purple Felin Clan 3D projection dissipated from his body, along with the straight-bladed longsword he was holding, and his knight riding form automatically dissipated.

Is this power that is 1000% stronger than Guard?

As expected, those who claimed to have a thousand riders all failed!

“I’ve already said it.” W narrowed his eyes and smiled slightly, his smile full of coldness, his lazy voice rising slightly, “I will stop at nothing to pry your mouth open, even if it means letting the monster that destroys the world reappear, I don’t care, I just want the truth.”

"You're crazy..."

"I wasn't the only one who went crazy; everyone present that day went crazy. Tsk, it really comes true as soon as you say it."

W frowned and reached out to grab Lin Lu, but the dark green shadow was faster than she was, sweeping Lin Lu away right in front of her.

Lin Lu subconsciously wanted to resist, but the Originium arms that were holding him high in the air were so cool and comfortable that the high temperature emanating from his body quickly transferred and dispersed the heat, making him involuntarily give up struggling and settle down to be a lazy bum.

"Roar."

The dark green Originium creature floating in mid-air let out a low growl and threw Lin Lu, who was wrapped around its body, off.

The white-haired, green-eyed woman caught the dazed Lin Lu, her expressionless face ultimately revealing a complex emotion.

"Ugh……"

She let out a soft sigh.

Chapter Forty-Four: The Law, Drink It

“What an unexpected reunion, Kal'tsit.”

W withdrew his empty hand, his attitude arrogant, putting on an indifferent air.

At the same time, she quietly put the Iz Grail back into her pouch behind her, just in case it got stolen later.

"...What is your name now, W?"

“Sarkaz mercenary, W, it’s been a long time. Although this ‘long time’ might have a different meaning, I haven’t had a chance to change my name yet.” W crossed her arms, showing no fear even when facing Kal’tsit. “So, could you explain?”

"Is there anything I need to explain?"

"What do you think? Why are you also putting on this act of feigning madness?!"

W's gaze was fixed on the person who was limp in Kal'tsit's arms, her beautiful eyes almost burning with anger.

"You traveled all this way just to take him away after he woke up? You? Kal'tsit?"

“Yeah, what else?” Kal'tsit retorted sarcastically. “Are you suggesting we stay and have dinner together?”

"Heh, if you weren't pretending to remember nothing like this bastard—of course, judging from his reaction, it might be true, but it doesn't matter... if you weren't like that, then your brain cells must have been burned clean by those bizarre experiments of yours!" W couldn't help but swear again. "Damn it, if I'm not crazy, then you are. No, even if I am crazy, it doesn't mean you aren't."

Kal'tsit glanced at her calmly and said indifferently, "Only truly insane people don't cry out that they're sick; such behavior is just a craving for others' care and attention. You're perfectly lucid, W, even though you know what you're doing might send you into the abyss."

"Kal'tsit, you son of a bitch (Kazdel profanity)!"

"Idle chatter can be done at another time; I don't have time right now."

Kal'tsit naturally placed the back of her hand on Lin Lu's forehead, who was running a high fever, while listening to W's questions and giving Lin Lu a makeshift medical check-up. Finally, her gaze fell on the blood-stained Ark Driver, and she frowned, quickly taking out an emergency sanity potion from her pocket and pouring it into Lin Lu's mouth.

"Lü, drink it."

Her voice carried an unquestionable tone.

However, Lin Lu, whose consciousness was hazy, couldn't hear anything. His remaining consciousness was fighting against another will within his body, and his turbid thoughts could no longer accommodate any extraneous ideas. At this moment, his entire body was flushed red, and his limbs were unnaturally swollen, like a bomb about to explode, the kind with only three seconds left on the countdown.

Kal'tsit held a whole bottle of Emergency Rational Elixir, but Lin Lu only actually drank a few drops; the rest flowed out of his mouth.

Why are you always so disobedient?

Kal'tsit sighed again. Lin Lu's body temperature had reached an extremely dangerous level; if it dragged on any longer, he would really explode.

Without any hesitation, Kal'tsit decisively took out the last dose of Emergency Stability Potion from her pocket, poured it into her mouth, and held it there. She propped up Lin Lu's head and met his lips. Through mouth-to-mouth contact, she forcefully used her tongue to block the solution in Lin Lu's mouth, preventing it from spilling out.

The liquid of the emergency sedative entered Lin Lu's body through his cool lips and clumsy tongue, and he remained silent for a few seconds before reacting. It was as if he were tasting heavenly nectar; as the sweet, orange-red liquid slid down his throat, it was like a minty drink flowing into his lungs, the cool fragrance suppressing the burning restlessness within him.

...Even the other will within Lin Lu's body was affected, its offensive to seize control of the body froze, seemingly stunned, and its movements slowed down as a result.

Lin Lu naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass. He instinctively took advantage of Kal'tsit, his hands unconsciously wrapping around her shoulders to prevent her from escaping.

Kal'tsit's bright, emerald-like eyes widened instantly. She didn't know where Lin Lu got the strength from, that he could suppress her.

--Oops!

"Ugh ugh ugh ugh! Haa... Ritsu, wait, wait... um~ um!!"