Ark Chess Player

"If this gives you some space, it's not too bad."

Amiya spoke softly, a faint smile appearing on her youthful face, a smile full of bitterness.

Lin Lu wanted to ask something more, but he frowned, jumped up from the coffin lid, and turned to face the other exits of the basement.

"Amiya, surely no one from Rhodes Island would be wearing a hood and mask in broad daylight, looking like a suspicious person, swaggering around in someone's house?"

"Of course not, you mean—"

"We have a guest."

Lin Lu said in a deep voice, and came in front of Amiya to protect her.

At Lin Lu's prompting, Amiya quickly activated her mental perception, and black ripples spread in mid-air.

The noisy sounds came through my senses, growing louder and louder, as if they were very close by, and the outline of a human figure echoed.

“They’re infected.” Amiya frowned slightly.

There were twelve people in total. They acted in an orderly manner and had a clear purpose. They did not seem like people who had fled Chernobog. They seemed more like an infected organization that had started the war—the Reunion Movement.

"Why would members of the Reunion Movement come here?"

"What is the Reunion Movement...?"

"Doctor, we are currently in Chernobog, a mobile city-state under the Ursus Empire. Just four hours ago, an infected organization called Reunion declared war on Ursus and started fighting in this city. We haven't had much contact with them, and we've been avoiding confrontation with them while coming to rescue you, Doctor."

"...Then it seems the other party is an enemy."

Lin Lu moved his limbs, which were constantly throbbing with pain, and quickly devised a perfect assassination plan.

The puzzle-solving Lin Lu did in his mind when he first woke up was not for nothing. Since he could distinguish the movement trajectory of a top assassin from the traces of the battle left at the scene, why couldn't he reconstruct it after he had become completely familiar with the combat environment?

"No."

The person who stopped Lin Lu from continuing his actions was that junior medical officer.

She reached out and blocked Lin Lu's way. Even though she wasn't tall enough to reach Lin Lu's chest, she stubbornly looked up at him.

"It must have hurt a lot."

She carefully observed Lin Lu's changing expressions, clenching her small hands tightly.

“It’s impossible for nothing to happen. No matter how well you hide it, your body will unconsciously send out distress signals. I’ve been watching you. Doctor, your arm convulsed four times, and you’re constantly sweating profusely on your forehead, neck, and back. You can’t even breathe properly while sitting still. Doctor, you’re just good at hiding your pain, and that’s not right!”

"...I knew you were an excellent medical professional."

Lin Lu wasn't angry; instead, he felt a sense of relief, as if he hadn't misjudged the girl, and couldn't help but pat her head.

"Hehehe... Ah, Doctor, please don't change the subject!"

The medical staff were initially delighted to receive the praise, but then they were stunned for a minute by Lin Lu's superb cat-petting skills before they could react.

"We're not just asking for the Doctor's help; we also hope to contribute something in return. Although I've only been with Rhodes Island for two years, your contributions to Rhodes Island are recorded in the database. You are a legendary tactical mastermind; every operator knows of your existence, and every operator hopes to fight alongside you..."

"Doctor, a battlefield fought by one person can only be considered a battle; only when there are multiple people can it be called tactics, right?"

The little Felin girl spoke resolutely, her lips pressed tightly together, her hands clasped tightly to her chest, her eyes showing no sign of backing down.

Lin Lu slowly raised his head, seemingly deep in thought, and finally reached out to rub the girl's head again.

“I take back what I just said. You are not only an excellent medical professional, but also an excellent person.”

"Uuuuuuu..."

The girl was so excited by Lin Lu's skillful touch that she felt almost floating on air.

"Doctor, please don't touch girls' hair!"

Amiya quickly picked up the medical operator, while warily watching the Doctor, even though she had just been happily having her head patted.

I didn't realize! Dr. Diamond has suddenly become so charming and smooth-talking. His emotional intelligence has actually increased after losing his memory?

Lin Lu smiled faintly. He looked at the intruder walking straight towards him from the data perspective, his heart as calm as still water, neither hurried nor impatient.

Amiya, what's your opinion?

Lin Lu chose to leave the decision to the little rabbit.

As soon as he asked the question, Lin Lu felt a wave of dizziness, as if he had said the same thing to someone before...

"—Which one would you like to choose?"

I can't remember that person's name or face; I only have a vague outline.

Lin Lu exhaled slightly, bringing his scattered thoughts back together.

At the same time, Amiya made up her mind and took a step forward, making a decision based on her own ideas.

“Doctor, although you have lost your memory, we have indeed been through a lot together… a lot.”

Amiya perked up her long, thin ears, straightened her back, and responded earnestly: "Perhaps even you yourself don't quite believe it, but I always trust you—with the Doctor here, no matter how difficult the mission, you will definitely bring us victory."

Amiya gripped Lin Lu's hand tightly; his icy palm had warmed up and was no longer bone-chillingly cold.

"Please command—Rhodes Island!"

Chapter Six There are two kinds of people in the world

"It's that simple?"

The Filin medic stared wide-eyed at the Reunion soldiers lying on the ground, bound like crabs.

"Yes, it's that simple."

Lin Lu said dismissively, leisurely reaching out to poke the mask of the Reunion Movement soldier. The style of the mask felt familiar.

The Vanguard Squad's Guardians looked utterly bewildered. They were only four people, yet they had defeated an enemy force three times their size without suffering any casualties. They suddenly understood why the database described the Doctor's tactics only with onomatopoeic sounds like "tap! bang! tap!"—it was true, the battle ending completely in just a few minutes.

Under the Doctor's instructions, the Guardian Operators dispersed to designated locations and launched attacks from the shadows in sequence according to the Doctor's signals, and then they won.

The thrill of victory is exhilarating, so exhilarating that it can make one lose oneself in the joy of triumph.

A guard operator, his face obscured by a knitted hat, sunglasses, and a mask, leaned against the wall, breathing softly, staring at his hands in disbelief. He had never imagined he could take down enemies so easily. Through his communication headset, he needed no thought; only the Doctor's voice filled his mind, only the enemy was in his vision, and everything else vanished. As he wielded his longsword, it was as if an invisible hand rested on his shoulders, making each attack fluid and effortless.

Is this the power of a PhD?

Rather than a tactical mastermind, it's more like the whispers of a demon, immersing players in the battle from which they cannot escape.

No one raised any objection, not because they didn't want to, but because they dared not.

He believed the other three Guardian Operators shared his thoughts, only their eyes seemed somewhat... fanatical?

"Are you OK?"

A caring voice came from beside him, startling the guard operative who gripped his sword hilt tightly. Realizing his rudeness, he quickly shook his head.

"It's nothing, I'm just a little... nervous. The doctor's tactical command is indeed reassuring, just like the rumors say, it's quite an eye-opener."

"Right! Impressive, right! Easy peasy, right! Hmph, Doctor's strength is not just this much." Amiya smiled perfectly, as if she were the one being praised. She said with a hint of pride, "The battles that Doctor has experienced are not just this level."

Lin Lu glanced at her, tilted his head slightly, and tried to recall the relevant memories, but still had no recollection.

"Doctor, we should leave. It's not safe here. There may be many more soldiers invading this place."

"Okay, just a moment."

Lin Lu turned around and removed the mask from the face of a Reunion soldier.

This is a boy who is only fifteen years old. His right eye has been penetrated by Originium crystals, and half of his face is covered with signs of infection.

"Oh, young man, your days are numbered. Do you have any last words?"

Lin Lu said softly, "The data-driven perspective not only provides material information, but also allows me to see some special data about others. It is precisely because of this that I was able to judge the ability level of the four Guardian Operators upon their first meeting, and thus make reasonable tactical arrangements."

The Originium infection level of this boy is such that even if he doesn't die on the battlefield, he won't last more than a week.

"...You are not Ursus people! Why are you stopping us!"

The boy's eyes were bloodshot, and he clenched his teeth tightly, trying to break free of the ropes.

"The reason is very simple."

Lin Lu covered his face with the mask and said calmly, "There are only two kinds of people in this world: those who are my people and those who are my enemies. That's all."

"You, you devil!"

"Are these your last words?"

"...Tsk, what last words could I possibly have? Countless people like me have died. And it will be the same from now on, everyone will die." The boy gritted his teeth, recalling why he joined the Reunion Movement, why he donned the uniform equipment and weapons purchased from the underground market, and why he stepped onto the battlefield without hesitation.

"I hope that when I die, we will have completed our mission... to ensure that every infected person has enough to eat, enough clothes to wear, and a warm home."

"I see. Then you'll probably live for a very long time."

Lin Lu extended his left hand and placed it on the boy's right eye, where a crystal had formed. A faint cobalt blue light appeared on the back of his hand.

The boy opened his left eye wide and stared intently at Lin Lu, but couldn't utter a single word.

His consciousness gradually faded, and the last image that appeared before his eyes was the strange symbol on the back of the other person's hand.

...like a burning flag.

Lin Lu withdrew his left hand, put the mask back on the boy's face, and tapped it gently.

"Use these eyes to witness the future of those infected, young man."

……

"Doctor, greetings. I am Dubin from Operations Team E1, formerly of the Bolivarian National Guard. Time is limited, so I'll get straight to the point. We are currently in the core facilities of Chernobog. Our long-range communications are blocked, and we are unable to contact Dr. Kal'tsit, the leader of this rescue operation. Unable to maintain contact with Dr. Kal'tsit, we are implementing our backup plan: leading the rescue team to the assembly point in the west to confirm the evacuation signal."

"……Uh-huh."

Lin Lu observed Doberman's ears and hair from a data-driven perspective, his attention wandering.

—Okay, I really want to touch it.

It looks very high-quality; I wonder what it feels like to touch. It seems like it would be very smooth...

"Doctor, can you hear me?"

"PhD?"

"Did you get disconnected?"

Dubin involuntarily frowned. She didn't have a deep impression of the doctor; it was only their first meeting, and she had only heard a few rumors about him.