Ark Chess Player.

"Klose".

Klose lowered her head. "...I'm here, Doctor."

“Because of your recklessness, you almost drew enemy fire to where the medic operator, Hibiscus, was. Not only that, the Ranger operator was also injured as a result; he paid the price for your impulsiveness.” Lin Lu turned on his communication headset and said in a deep voice to Kroos, who had returned to another high platform, “Adaptability and flexibility in battle are good things. However, never question my orders.”

"There won't be a next time, Klose."

"Yes, doctor."

Klose slowly narrowed her eyes, as if she were locking something away.

She took a slow breath, calmed herself down, apologized to the forest ranger, and continued her mission.

Lin Lu glanced at her from afar, then raised his left hand, looking at the mark on the back of his hand, and remained silent.

"Doctor, please try not to use excessive force. This is Lungmen; we're here to discuss business, not to break down doors."

Amiya's voice echoed in Lin Lu's mind, like an invisible chain wrapped around his limbs.

Finally, Lin Lu tilted his head back and slowly exhaled.

"Go to hell with Longmen."

Lin Lu clenched his fists and jumped off the platform.

The height of nearly ten meters, equivalent to three stories, was nothing to him. Lin Lu landed on one knee, the shockwave causing his black coat to billow.

Superheroes landing.

Lin Lu took a step forward, his back as sharp as a blade, cutting black lines across the battlefield.

"Forest ranger, go and bandage your wound."

"Kroos, you'll be in charge of suppressing the enemy for now. Remember, your own life is your top priority."

"Yanrong, Dulin, you've worked hard. Go to the rear and rest for a while to recover your mental strength, then await orders."

"Kingslayer, six members of the Lungmen Guard will assist you and Finn. Prepare to break out."

Lin Lu stopped in his tracks. In front of him lay an iron sword lying on the muddy ground.

This is Beagle's sword.

Lin Lu was silent for a few seconds before raising his hand and pressing the communication headset.

"Amiya..."

"Doctor, are you alright—Doctor?"

"Amiya, listen to me, I..."

"Doctor, you don't need to say anything, I know."

Amiya pressed her left hand on the communication headset, raised her right hand to conjure a spell, and knocked down the Molotov cocktail thrown by the Reunion Movement from the air.

The scattered flames transformed into a curtain of rain, and the scorching light illuminated Amiya, revealing a slightly relieved expression.

"Do as you see fit, Rhodes Island will stand by you."

"Thanks, Amiya."

Lin Lu cut off the communication.

He picked up the iron sword from the ground.

A standard Rhodes Island longsword, judging from the meticulous care taken in its blade, suggests that its owner wipes it several times a day.

Lin Lu held the sword in his left hand and rubbed it with his palm as if drawing a sharp sword from its sheath, producing a sharp whistling sound.

The bloodstains and dirt clinging to the sword were shaken off, revealing the iron sword's cold, gleaming light.

Lin Lu looked at the lumberjacks not far away, cracked his neck, and made a popping sound.

"Dare to touch my operators?"

Chapter 173 I've Delivered Your Death

"What kind of superhuman strength is this?"

Hoshiguma frowned as she swung her Hannya sword, parrying the lumberjack's axe time and time again.

If anyone thinks the Prajna shield is merely a defensive weapon, they are sorely mistaken. The Prajna's handle has a circular gyroscope at its center, which, when twisted, transforms the triangular shield into a cutting machine capable of slicing through even iron.

The constantly swirling, sharp angles sharpened the thick axe blade, creating sparks that illuminated the faces of Hoshiguma and the lumberjack.

Hoshiguma felt a chill run down her spine. She saw the shattered goggles, the lumberjack's eyes gushing with a mixture of fluids, and his mechanical, unchanging expression. He was like a puppet, devoid of any human life, numbly acting according to the whims of some will.

Hoshiguma wasn't afraid of the massive enemy in front of her, who was as big as a small mountain. What worried her was... why was such a person being controlled?

"Roar!!!"

"Oh no!"

The lumberjack, seemingly a walking corpse, seized the moment when Hoshiguma was distracted and slammed his axe down on Hannya. His arms suddenly swelled, and the rampant Originium tore apart his clothes and makeshift forestry gear, growing ferocious clusters of Originium. The godlike strength abruptly stopped Hannya's relentless cutting!

"Originium...?!"

Hoshiguma looked troubled. The power struggles she used to crave were now her weakness. Was this the old saying from Yan Kingdom: fortunes change?

If the stalemate continues, even if she wins, it will increase the Oripathy infection rate. That's why so many people hate infected people; even if they can't beat you, they'll try to drag you down with them.

"..."

The lumberjack, who had been expressionless, suddenly laughed—a rather ferocious and mocking laugh that moved the stiff muscles in his face.

It was as if an unseen person was standing on his shoulder, forcibly pulling at the lumberjack's lips with their fingers.

"Are you laughing at your mother?"

Hoshiguma was taken aback; clearly, such vulgar language did not come from her mouth.

Although she had lived in Lungmen for quite some time, she could never learn the Lungmen swear words.

Just as Hoshiguma was feeling confused, a sharp, cold light flashed past her side, like a comet streaking across the night sky.

Hoshiguma's pupils unconsciously contracted, and her hands instinctively pushed harder, causing the metal-on-metal clashing sound to emanate from Hannya, who was being suppressed by the lumberjack. She felt an overwhelming killing intent, and all her senses were drawn in, instantly entering a demonic state, where her perception was amplified several times over.

In her demonic form, Hoshiguma barely managed to catch a glimpse of a rapidly approaching figure. For a fleeting moment, her vision blurred, and she mistook it for black armor. Like a knight crawling out of hell, countless vengeful spirits clung to his back, emanating a thick aura of bloodlust.

Lin Lu slowly stopped, his figure quietly appearing behind the lumberjacks, facing the countless thugs.

These thugs were originally just watching, waiting for the lumberjacks to crush these few Lungmen people who were trying to stop a chariot, before charging into the city. They wanted to ignite the flames and spread the will of the Reunion Movement throughout the world. They wanted the world to know that the blade that once hung over the heads of those infected with Oripathy would not spare anyone.

This black-robed figure, who appeared out of nowhere, suddenly appeared here, facing them directly, yet seemed to see nothing at all.

The next moment, a violent shockwave followed, and the howling sound was like an air raid siren, extremely sharp and ear-piercing, which shocked everyone present.

Before Hoshiguma, the lumberjack's axe cracked, and with a soft sound, the crack rapidly expanded. The thick axe blade shattered, scattering fragments onto the Hannya, producing a series of soft cracking sounds. Not only that, a bloody gash climbed up the lumberjack's arm, the flesh and blood visibly bursting open, the black crystals overflowing from his skin being cut into smooth sections.

Hoshiguma took several steps back, using her Hannya to shield herself from the splattering blood.

"Leave this to me, Star Sir. I'll leave my operators to you."

Lin Lu shook the blood off the iron sword as if he had done something insignificant.

"Dr. Lin Lu...who exactly are you?!"

Hoshiguma was speechless. Even she found the enemy troublesome, and yet they were defeated just like that...

"I'm just a doctor from Rhodes Island, remember that."

Lin Lu swung his sword backhand, the blade straight and the light shining through it without the slightest tremor, as swift as lightning.

The iron sword pierced the lumberjack's spinal cord with precision, avoiding the dense clusters of Originium and nipping his intentions in the bud.

"Want to blow yourself up?"

Lin Lu flicked his longsword upwards, slicing it up along the lumberjack's back, cutting off the Originium cluster he was carrying.

"You're fucking dreaming," Lin Lu said coldly, still letting the blood splatter on him.

Even if an empty soul cannot feel pain, a lumberjack's body is still human. Once a person's spine is injured, no matter how strong they are, they will either lose control of their lower body or become paralyzed. No matter how hard their brain tries, it will be unable to transmit commands.

His mountain-like body fell heavily to his knees, and a slender, fair hand, as delicate as a young girl's, pressed down on the lumberjack's smooth head to prevent him from collapsing completely.

"Hey, what are you doing?!"

Hoshiguma shouted quickly, vaguely sensing that something terrible was about to happen.

"Do you even need to ask?"

Lin Lu placed his left hand on the lumberjack's head.

He stood behind the other person, the ground covered with bloodstains and clusters of Originium that had mutated and grown.

The air was filled with the smell of burning, the smell of sourness, and an unbearable, foul odor like black mud.

It felt like stepping back into the night in Chernobog's upper town, with half-bodies submerged in a sea of ​​blood, blood raining down from the sky, and body parts staining the city red.

"Mephisto..."

Lin Lu gently patted the lumberjack's head, as if testing the sweetness of a watermelon, his technique practiced and skillful.

"You're looking at me, aren't you?"

Lin Lu leaned forward, his voice calm and devout, like a priest praying for believers.

The seed of evil.

When Lin Lu placed his left hand on the lumberjack's head, a message appeared in the spiritual realm.

This person is Mephistopheles' puppet, a victim, and... a dying man.

The lumberjack was beyond saving; even his soul had been completely devoured. Even when Kroos pierced his skull with a crossbow bolt, shattering his brains, he showed no reaction. The reason he hadn't completely turned into a zombie was probably because Mephisto had mastered a new method, making better use of talented individuals.

"Then you'd better watch closely as I take your death..."

Lin Lu released his left hand, held the sword with both hands, stood up high, and ignored Xing Xiong's obstruction, immediately slashing.

The crescent moon, illuminated by the cold light, condensed into a single line. The lumberjack's head slid off, and the gushing blood splashed onto Lin Lu's coat, turning into black sludge.

"Delivered."

Chapter 174 AR Squad, M4a1

"you……"

Hoshiguma raised her hand, unsure of how to phrase her words; she was confused.

How come this Rhodes Island doctor is even more ruthless than her? You're the Lungmen Guard Inspector, aren't you?

“Star Sir, you should be able to tell, right?” Lin Lu swung his longsword, shaking the blood off the iron blade. “He has lost his own consciousness and has become a plaything to be manipulated. And the one who started all this is watching from afar.”

"This is the best relief for him, and... our battle is not over yet."

Lin Lu turned around, looked at the dark mass of people in front of him, and sighed softly.

"I'll give you three seconds."

The rioters stirred. Although Lin Lu's move did intimidate some of them, it also ignited the anger of many others.

Even if they were just a motley crew, with no real camaraderie, the same principle of "the rabbit mourns the fox's death" still applies; no one wants to die like that.

Moreover, they had no way out.

Even if they don't die at the hands of this person today, once the Reunion Movement is defeated and the world returns to normal, the treatment of those infected with Oripathy will not change! They will still die at someone's hands, be treated as tools, be despised, and be fooled.

Rather than starve or die from exhaustion, it's better to squander life to the fullest, enjoy it to the fullest, and then die!

Oripathy is not a crime. The real criminals are those who try to rise above others and treat people as lambs to be slaughtered!

"time up."

Lin Lu lowered his raised hand. He was very perceptive about the passage of time; if he said three seconds, then it was three seconds.

"The time for prayer has ended. Farewell, everyone."

Lin Lu sighed silently. He slowly raised his sword and swung it at the thugs who were advancing instead of retreating.

The attackers burst into wild laughter. They were more than ten meters away from Lin Lu. No matter how long the sword was, how long could it be?

The next moment, a crisp explosion rang out, and the Rhodes Island standard longsword shattered as Lin Lu swung it. A torrent of black mist swirled around the blade, disintegrating the iron sword that had been with Beagle for nearly half a year into hundreds of identical iron filings, which shot towards the oncoming thugs!

From Hoshiguma's perspective, Lin Lu was like a bucket of water being poured out, each drop easily piercing the armor of the thugs and Reunion soldiers. The gushing blood mist and the faint black fog mixed together, shrouding the constantly falling people in a veil.