Ark Chess Player

Always rushing to the front lines, the cross-sections of their limbs, wrapped in hemostatic bandages, have long since stained the dirty bandages with blood.

If he were ten years younger, how could he have allowed these infected people to invade his city, and how could he have let Zoya's father go to the dangerous area alone?

"Again! Hurrah!!"

Valery let out a deafening battle roar like a bear, and the other three soldiers and policemen couldn't help but roar back.

Zoya held up a revolver-shaped Originium Arts trigger device in one hand, and a beam of concentrated heat energy shot out from the muzzle, blowing the heads off the continuously surging infected citizens.

She whispered "Hula," but she didn't have much strength left.

Since the infected began relentlessly attacking the military and police building, they had been unable to venture outside to scavenge for supplies for a long time. Forced back from the first floor to the second, third… their defenses were breached time and again, ultimately forcing them to remain on the rooftop. Exposed to the wind and sun, with no shelter, their only respite was a slightly shady corner.

The girl last ate more than 20 hours ago, and now she has difficulty concentrating and can barely keep her eyes open.

These soldiers and police officers, too, are sustained by their willpower to stand here and fight side by side, probably by a spirit of not giving up.

Jaeger, who was skilled in boxing, knew he was infected. His gas mask had long been destroyed by an infected person, and the infected person who destroyed his mask... was someone he knew.

Or rather, he was his good brother.

Jaeger used to go to a tavern every day after get off work. The owner was his comrade-in-arms, and he drank there for free. Every night he would get half-drunk, bragging and discussing national affairs with his friend. They were both soldiers, men who had risked their lives to defend their country on the front lines. His good brother had suffered a head injury during a battle to capture a city, which severely affected his eyesight, forcing him to retire. After the war, he and his brother were sent to this most remote city, where they lived a decent life.

They used to complain that these days were too mundane and far less interesting than when they were fighting, using this to flaunt their status as soldiers.

Only now, with peace gone forever, do they realize how wonderful it is to be able to drink until they're half-drunk.

Jaeger personally granted his friend a release, and this soldier who had once been on the front lines faced an unexpected end.

“There’s movement, Valery, Jaeger, get ready.”

Holding a standard-issue Ursus knife and police shield, Montani warned his companions while turning to another military policeman who was preparing to build a ladder, shouting, "Old Fei, if you don't finish building that lousy bridge, the first person I bite after I become infected will be you!"

"..."

The taciturn Lao Fei did not answer, but silently welded the rough steel pipes together.

It needs to be even stronger, even stronger.

Old Fei wore round glasses, one of which had a crack, broken by his own people during their escape these past few days.

As a civilian employee of the police department, Old Fei was the longest-serving officer. He was originally two months away from retirement, which would have been in the spring of Ursus, a less cold season. He could have returned to his hometown, to the bustling city of Loria, instead of continuing to work himself to the bone for a pittance in this industrial city that lacked resources, food, and rations.

It's hard to say whether it's fortunate or unfortunate, but because of his reclusive personality, his family didn't want to live with him. His children and his beloved granddaughter lived in Loria, not with him in Chernobog. This spared his family from the disaster dominated by the infected, which, in a sense, was a good thing for him.

Old Fei was transferred to Chernobog. He wasn't well-liked, was usually quiet, didn't drink, smoke, or gamble. After get off work, he would just go home and sleep, so in the military and police department, nobody really paid him any attention.

However, even so, he still had one obsession.

Old Fei turned his gaze to Zhuoya, who was panting slightly, and his gaze suddenly softened.

He never got to see his granddaughter.

But he didn't want this child, who was about the same age as his granddaughter, to be frozen in time forever.

She deserves a better future.

Old Fei lowered his head, the sparks from welding the steel pipes flashing brightly, illuminating his wrinkled face.

Chapter 125 Your Wish, I Received (4K)

"coming."

Montagni raised his police shield, his right palm feeling wet.

To dispel his fear, he struck the police shield heavily with the back of his saber to boost morale.

The dull footsteps echoed through the empty corridor, each step heavy as if a thousand pounds of iron were pressing down on the steps, causing the building to groan.

Just as everyone was feeling heavy-hearted, the footsteps stopped abruptly, the silence evoking a sense of dread, like the calm before a storm.

Montagnier took a heavy breath, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst out of his chest.

Suddenly, Montagnier shouted, "Jaeger, run! Don't stand there!"

Upon hearing this, Jaeger reflexively stepped back. Montagnier's intuition was always accurate, and he trusted his comrade.

"boom--!!"

A violent tremor came from the floor, and the spot where Jaeger had been standing was pierced from below.

The enormous, flesh-colored monster burst through the eaves. Instead of obediently climbing the stairs, it gathered its strength at the bottom and leaped, punching through the thick foundation of the building and launching its most deadly attack.

The monster was three meters tall, its grotesque shape giving it a half-human, half-demon appearance. Its entire body was covered in writhing human faces, as if stitched together from dozens of infected individuals. The countless heads and arms were chilling to behold; even a robust man like Montani couldn't help but tremble as he held his police shield.

Even though Jaeger reacted immediately, he still couldn't completely avoid it.

Flying debris struck Jaeger's abdomen and the arms he was using to protect his head, tearing away a layer of flesh and knocking him heavily to the ground. He tried to get up, but the foundation of the area he was in had been destroyed by the Stitches and was rapidly collapsing, causing him to fall involuntarily to the next floor.

As for what might be on the next floor, there's no need to elaborate.

In the lightless darkness, countless shadows gazed at the food falling from the sky, their eyes gleaming with a scarlet light.

"Jaeger!"

Valery, who was guarding the entrance to the passage, did not expect the sudden change to happen and instinctively turned to look at Jaeger.

In a moment of carelessness, Valery was pinned down by the entangled infected and had his shoulder torn open by the bite.

Valery cried out in pain, but fortunately Zoya timely cast a spell on the infected who had ambushed him, bending the infected's head almost 160 degrees backward. This allowed him to retaliate, grabbing the infected by the neck and throwing it to the ground, then stomping on it hard, crushing the hard skull to pieces.

"Haa...haa...ah..."

Zoya swayed slightly, almost falling to the ground, her head throbbing as if something was swelling inside.

She only awakened Originium Arts in the last few days. After inheriting her father's belongings, she learned magic to protect herself.

"You can't cast any more spells, or you'll die."

The usually taciturn Lao Fei spoke up; this was the first time he had spoken to Zoya in days, even though he cared about her a lot.

"It's okay... I'm... fine, I can keep going..."

Zoya clutched her head, her left eye bloodshot and barely open. The strain from excessive use of Originium Arts had severely compressed the girl's brain nerves; just as Old Fei had said, she could no longer cast spells. If this continued, no one could guarantee she wouldn't suddenly die.

“You’ve done enough. Now leave the rest to us old folks. Children should act like children.”

Old Fei said in a deep voice, as he erected a temporary ladder made of welded steel pipes to the municipal building on the other side, five meters away.

Faced with the enormous, monstrous creature, Old Fei didn't even flinch; his hands remained calm, as if fear were foreign to him. In truth, he considered himself a man who had lived long enough to live, for death was insignificant to him, so what could possibly frighten him?

"Hurrah!!"

Valery became more determined despite setbacks, wielding a 2.5-meter-long battering ram with ferocious force, clearing a clean area with his might.

He could still hear Jaeger's howls. The tough guy who had fallen among the infected had not died, but had managed to stand up despite the biting and hunting.

"I'm twenty heads too, Valery!"

Unable to escape, Jaeger roared, his voice booming like thunder.

"I'm thirty!"

"You fart!"

Valery couldn't help but smile as he listened to his comrade's angry rebuke; it was a laugh of fearlessness and resignation to death.

"Next... is your thing."

Valery looked at the deformed and twisted monster. Even a well-traveled and burly man like him couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine at the sight of such a bizarre creature.

"Strength and glory!"

"Victory and death!"

"The Ursus people are fearless!!"

Valery roared a battle cry; as the military police chief, he was naturally adept at boosting morale.

Not only that, he took the lead, wielding a hammer in one hand as he faced the stitched monster. With each swing of his hammer, a large chunk of flesh was smashed into dust.

The Stitches monster felt no pain, and no matter how fiercely Valery attacked, it never retreated an inch. Its constantly flowing blood quickly turned the ground into a pool of blood.

After taking five or six blows in succession, the Stitches, as if annoyed, unexpectedly threw a punch, as fast as lightning, leaving Valery, who swung the hammer, no time to dodge.

"I'll do it!!"

Montani seized the opportunity to enter the battle, using his shield to withstand the Stitches' punch that was powerful enough to shatter the mud wall.

A deafening roar erupted from the shield, and Montani's arm was instantly pressed against his face, producing a piercing, bone-crunching sound as if his flesh was being compressed into a ball. He was in so much pain that he almost knelt down, but he managed to brace himself with his shoulders, refusing to lower the shield, which had bent into a folded shape.

Montagni, carrying a police shield and with blood and foam at the corners of his mouth, yelled, "Old Fei... are you fucking done yet?!"

Montagnier and Valery alone are simply no match for this monster... no, how could such a monster possibly be defeated!?

If they had sufficient supplies and their guns and crossbows were still usable, they could have continuously and intensely stripped the monsters of their flesh, instead of doing useless work like they are now.

Old Fei glanced at them silently, then fixed the assembled ladder across the distance between the buildings on both sides.

He patted the ladder hard, but it didn't budge; it was quite sturdy. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

"You go first."

Old Fei took off his backpack and handed it to Zoya.

"These things can help you live a few more days, to live well."

Zoya reflexively shook her head, wanting to refuse, but Lao Fei raised his hand to stop her from saying what she was about to say.

"The longer you live, the deeper the wounds. The more you see, the more silent you become. I have lived long enough to witness firsthand how the late Emperor made this country great, to see him ensure that the people had food to eat, to see him reclaim our territory, and to see him instill confidence in every Ursus. We can proudly say that we are Ursus, we are fearless, we are invincible. Our enemies will tremble at our battle cry, and our path ahead is unobstructed."

Old Fei was lost in his memories, and he subconsciously clasped his hands to his chest, adopting a very ancient gesture.

“My child, you may not know, but this country has changed, lost with the passing of the late emperor.”

“We old folks can’t change anything now, but you can, you still have a chance. The flame of Ursus will not be extinguished. As long as your generation is here, one day the current emperor will grow old, and someone will break the shackles of Ursus and truly save this country.”

"Promise me you'll live, okay?"

Old Fei stared intently at Zhuoya, his words filled with anticipation for the girl.

Zoya took a deep breath. Looking at the old man's outstretched hand, she didn't refuse again, but instead accepted the heavy burden. Perhaps she was moved by the old man's words, or perhaps she simply didn't want to disappoint the kindness of this usually quiet old man.

The more silent one is, the more intense the emotions that erupt.

Zoya turned her head and glanced at Valery, whose attention had been focused on her, so he naturally noticed her gaze.