Ark Chess Player

“I didn’t want to kill you, really. I thought the reason I made up my mind to run out at night was to save someone, right? I went through so much internal struggle over a distress signal from an unknown source, all because a girl desperately called out ‘Daddy,’ which made me so soft-hearted that I wanted to teleport to her side the next second. What kind of mess is this? Answer me, what kind of mess is this?”

Lin Lu slowly stroked the man's hair with his left hand, his voice soft, like a teacher expecting a student to answer a question.

The man looked at Lin Lu in despair, his eyes bloodshot from lack of oxygen. He had given up resisting, and his eyes revealed a pleading emotion.

The surrounding refugees wanted to rush forward to rescue the man, but fear prevented them from doing so. They all turned their gaze to their leader, only to find that his hands were trembling so badly he could barely hold the heavy spear.

Because Lin Lu concentrated his spiritual domain on him, to the refugee leader, it was as if countless eyes were watching him from all directions, even from inside his body...

Lin Lu said leisurely, "Even if you surrounded me, tried to kill me, tried to take all my belongings, and tried to seize my car, I could forgive you. After all, you're blind. You don't even know who the real enemy is, you don't even know you've been betrayed, and you don't even know the basic principles of being human. Ignorance is no excuse, but it's the fault of those who failed to teach you. Really, that's what I thought at first. Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt has its debtor. I originally only wanted to cause trouble for your leader."

"But ah..."

Lin Lu gently patted the man's blood-red face, and a gentle smile appeared on his scholarly, fair face.

"Why are you directing your inappropriate thoughts at my people?"

Lin Lu's smile vanished instantly. He pressed his left hand against the man's eye socket, causing the fragile eyeball to rupture on the spot, oozing a mixture of colors. Before the man could even scream, Lin Lu's right hand had already gripped his neck, and with a forceful twist, the horrifying sound of flesh and bone tearing was incredibly piercing in the silent night, yet not a single cry of pain could be heard.

Deathly silence reigned over the desert; all voices seemed to have been erased.

In the end, Lin Lu threw the decapitated body on the ground with a dull thud.

Lin Lu twisted his fingers, which had bent backward due to excessive force. His deep-sea monster-like regenerative ability allowed his right hand to return to its original position almost immediately after hearing the sound of bones grinding together.

"So, who's next?"

The monster, whose left eye blazed with cobalt blue flames, asked this question.

Chapter Ninety-Three: Dr. Rabbit of Chaolong Mountain (Limited Edition)

Kal'tsit felt a chill run down her spine.

Rhodes Island's basic logistics system refused her order, something that would never have happened before.

I am clearly the leader of Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals, so why does nobody listen to me?

Just as Kal'tsit's emotions were becoming increasingly agitated, her jacket pocket twitched, and a melodious violin tune came from her white mobile terminal.

"Who is this? And of all times, at this time..."

Kal'tsit frowned, but almost instantly pressed the answer button after seeing the number in the caller ID.

"Lin Lu! How dare you call me? Where are you now? Come back right now!"

Kal'tsit practically roared into her phone; her voice was like a lioness's.

She, who is usually calm and collected, only loses control in front of Lin Lu, probably because her old habit of bickering has returned.

Kroos sat quietly to the side, sipping her engine oil like a single dog, savoring the couple's daily bickering. It was the first time she'd ever seen Kal'tsit act like a wife who'd been abandoned at home, launching a tirade against her husband who had gone out to play cards without a word.

"what?"

A bewildered voice came from the other end of the phone, as if the person had just woken up, and their tone revealed some fatigue.

Kal'tsit, veins bulging, shouted, "What?! Come back here right now! Do you know how unfavorable this situation is for us? There's a bunch of Ursus outside trying to skim off our profits! If it weren't for the Rhodes Island boarding area's strong armor, they would have already smashed us with battering rams. Listen up, if you encounter those Ursus, try to avoid them and minimize the conflict, understand?"

"..."

Silence fell on the other end of the phone.

Kal'tsit vaguely heard a shrill scream, and her heart tightened immediately. Fortunately, the voice was much rougher and didn't sound like Lin Lu's voice.

—Wait, the screamer's voice is much rougher?

"Rhodes Island, you haven't already made your move, have you?!" Kal'tsit exclaimed in surprise, asking nervously, "The reason Rhodes Island ships can sail within Ursus territory is because we promised to prohibit the use of war-related weaponry within its borders, retaining only the most basic escort equipment. We've never given the Ursus Empire any leverage. If they use this to kill our citizens and stir up trouble, we'll be in a very passive position. Do you understand what I'm saying? Answer me!"

"...Kal'tsit, you should be in Kroos's office right now, right? Have you opened the gift I gave you?"

"Don't change the subject!"

"Take a look when you have the chance. I've thought about it, and you'll need it."

"Lin Lu!!"

"Oh, right, Kal'tsit, I'll pick you up for breakfast tomorrow morning. Remember to go to bed early tonight, and don't miss me too much."

"you--"

Kal'tsit was about to say something when she heard the long, drawn-out sound of the voice call ending.

"How dare you hang up on me! How dare you hang up on me! You hung up on me!!"

Kal'tsit's grip was so tight it almost crushed the mobile terminal. She wanted to smash it to the ground, but the movement froze when she raised her hand above her head. As a thrifty and hardworking leader, and as a mother figure caring for over a hundred employees of Rhodes Island, she ultimately restrained herself.

The unscrupulous doctor has already spent enough; she can't afford to waste another penny.

"I'd like to see what kind of gift you've prepared for me!"

Kal'tsit angrily tore open the red gift box and found a miniature version of the Doctor's plush toy inside.

Chaolong Mountain Rabbit - Doctor Ver. Limited Edition.

"What would I do with this?!"

Kal'tsit's eyes were practically blazing with anger, but as she grabbed the doll, a portable hard drive fell out of the doll's arms.

She paused for a moment, picked up the data hard drive, and turned to look at Kroos.

Kroos scratched her head and spoke up before Kal'tsit could ask any questions: "This was made by my computer while the Doctor was waiting for the shipment. I don't know what's inside."

Kal'tsit glanced at Kroos with suspicion, then turned and inserted the hard drive into the computer.

After a scan of a dozen seconds, the virtual sandbox system was passively activated, and a faint blue light spread across the desktop, converging to form a template of a mobile city.

"This is... Chernobog?"

Kal'tsit narrowed her eyes slightly; as the one who devised the rescue team plan, there was no way she wouldn't recognize him.

"The Reunion Movement's personnel distribution—they've infiltrated every area of ​​Chernobog from the very beginning. And this is... a detailed map of the core city, central city, and lower city. A map of Chernobog's infrastructure, the location of the Originium engine devices, the information tower key, the central management core. How come even the locations of Chernobog's military and police are included? And the Third Army stationed on the outskirts, they just stood by and watched the Chernobog Infected incident unfold without sending a single soldier. After the core area was captured, the Third Army chose... to retreat!?"

Kal'tsit analyzed all the intelligence contained in the time-marked virtual sandbox. Initially, when Lin Lu awoke, the area covered was almost the entire core area, but as time changed, the detailed information on the map's range shrank. The upper city was completely dark; the reason there was no information about it was probably because it wasn't near the evacuation point.

This virtual sandbox, so detailed it's almost unsettling upon closer inspection, is like a painting to any discerning eye, revealing countless stories unfolding on its surface.

These are the chips.

Although it cannot be used directly, it can turn the tide when necessary.

Kal'tsit shut down the virtual sandbox system, carefully put away the external hard drive, and held it tightly in her hand.

This is a double-edged sword; it could bring Rhodes Island to its doom, or it could become a powerful ace in the making.

Kal'tsit turned her head and glanced at Kroos, her cat-like vertical pupils seemingly assessing whether she should silence her.

The Blood Demon Girl raised her hands at lightning speed, shouting, "Wait, wait, wait! I know this is important, I won't tell anyone! You can't do this to me! I've done great things for Rhodes Island, I've shed blood for Rhodes Island, I need to see the Doctor! Doctor, save me—"

"It's so noisy, be quiet."

Kal'tsit sighed wearily, feeling somewhat lost after absorbing so much information.

She was no longer sure which level the Doctor was on. She clearly felt that the Doctor was on the first level, but the Doctor suddenly showed off a series of atmospheric operations, making her, who thought she was on the fifth level, start to doubt herself.

"How's the Bad Guy's condition? Can it depart?"

Kal'tsit rubbed her furrowed brow and asked Kroos.

Kroos tilted her head slightly, her mind a little foggy from working overtime, but she still confidently confirmed, "When Huang and the others returned, they had already done the maintenance and refueling, so there shouldn't be any problems with normal use. However, we haven't replenished our supplies yet. We never lack medical supplies, but we're a bit tight on other things."

Kal'tsit rolled her eyes at her, instantly seeing through Kroos's cunning merchant intentions, but she was too lazy to expose her; they could just keep quiet about it.

"Replenish within thirty minutes, all expenses will be reimbursed by the company. I will arrange for the operators to board the aircraft. Understand? Get to it quickly."

"Understood!" Kroos was immediately motivated upon hearing that there was money to be made. She got up at lightning speed to prepare supplies, while asking with some curiosity, "Kal'tsit, what are you taking the Bad Guy for? Are you going to capture the Doctor? Or are you going to support the Doctor?"

"...Is that even a question?"

Kal'tsit sighed softly, unconsciously hugging the Doctor doll in her arms tighter.

"Rhodes Island has never been a burden to the Doctor; we are his support."

Chapter 94 Protecting the Operators is the Doctor's Responsibility

"Anemone, was it you who called Kal'tsit?"

Lin Lu stared at the dim screen of his mobile device and muttered to himself.

The miniature anemone cautiously raised its hand and timidly replied, "Doctor, after my fiftieth unsuccessful attempt to communicate with you, I determined that your mental state is extremely unstable. To ensure that your subsequent actions are not hindered, I believe it is necessary to assist you in regaining your sanity. Among your network of relationships, Dr. Kal'tsit is the most qualified person to awaken your consciousness. As it turns out, my unauthorized action was effective and successful. If there is anything wrong, please punish me."

Anemone glanced at the crimson wasteland, littered with severed limbs and fragments, which made her feel unstable.

In short, she believes the Doctor has gone mad with killing and deduces that excessive venting will affect the Doctor's thinking ability.

As an AI maid, she has the responsibility and obligation to help the doctor stabilize his mental state so that he does not fall into a state of self-collapse again.

"Hmm...you did a good job, but I hope you'll remind me before calling her next time. Hearing her voice suddenly made me a little nervous...anyway, thanks, Anemone."

Lin Lu didn't deny Yin Lianhua's decision; after all, he had indeed been blinded by rage for a moment. Even dragons have scales that cannot be touched, and he was no exception. If anyone dared to declare to his face that they intended to slaughter his agents, he would make them experience a fate worse than death in an instant.

Protecting the operators is the Doctor's responsibility. Lin Lu's worldview is very simple; he is just someone who dotes on his own people.

Lin Lu slowly raised his head, took a deep breath, and his nostrils were filled with the smell of rust.

"I'm ready."

He wore an extremely comfortable smile.

Lin Lu finally understood why he enjoyed provoking Kal'tsit so much.

This woman, who always pretends to be a cold and indifferent beauty with no emotions, is so adorable when she's angry, with a strong sense of realism that makes him linger.

I need to figure out a way to become an annoying PhD.

With these thoughts in mind, Lin Lu walked toward the only person still alive among the pile of corpses.

This person was the leader of the refugees, named Esby, who had been specially marked by Lin Lu from the very beginning.

A dignified two-meter-tall Ursus man was now kneeling on the ground, trembling like a newborn fawn, unable to even stand up.

Do you know why I don't kill you?

Lin Lu gently patted the other person's face with a warm smile, like a patient older brother next door.

"It's not because I think you look like a refrigerator, nor because I felt compassionate after hearing Kal'tsit's call, nor because I'm worried you'll have a daughter who looks just like a refrigerator. It's simply because I'm a very particular person, and some things can't be left so easily."