Ark Chess Player.

"What are you looking at?"

Bai Huang raised her eyebrows, a gesture that made her look much more mature.

Lin Lu smiled and said, "I realize that you're not looking down on me, but rather feeling sorry for me."

"Is there even a question? I witnessed your peak, and how could someone who has seen a legend cheer for a fake?"

Bai Huang slammed her hand on the table, and the file data printed from the instrument was directly generated and transmitted through the robotic arm.

"You changed after you came back from the ancient ruins three years ago. You weren't as confident anymore, and you looked like you'd seen a ghost. Then, one thing after another became more outrageous, and in the end, you left behind a bunch of documents that you would destroy after reading and then left. You were so comfortable being a hands-off manager, without ever thinking about what the rest of us should do." Bai Huang sat back down in her chair angrily, staring at Lin Lu with a sidelong glance.

Lin Lu took the data from the robotic arm and looked at his medical examination report.

If it were an ordinary person, they would probably be a cripple by now.

Chapter 213 Abnormal Beings

"I don't know about the past, nor do I know what I was like in the past."

Lin Lu glanced at the documents in his hand, tossed them onto the table, and seemed somewhat dismissive.

“All I know is that I still have the ability to protect my people, and I still have room to grow. This is a good thing for me, not a bad thing.” Lin Lu looked directly into Bai Huang’s dazzling golden eyes. He felt it was necessary to be frank with her. “If you’re expecting the past me, you’re probably going to be disappointed. The person sitting in front of you now is the Doctor of Rhodes Island, not the BOSS of the Army Without Borders. I can cooperate with you, but I won’t take on so much responsibility anymore, and I have no desire to be the leader again. I’m not a tool, and I’m fed up with being a tool.”

"Rhodes Island? Ah, you mean them..."

Bai Huang blinked. She didn't have a good impression of Rhodes Island... After all, in the eyes of the Army Without Borders, Rhodes Island was a burden.

If Rhodes Island's intelligence hadn't been flawed, the BOSS wouldn't have been in such a crisis, and the King of the Army Without Borders wouldn't have been forced to leave his throne.

"Compared to Rhodes Island, we can offer you far more assistance. For the past three years, we haven't stood still. We've realized Project Utopia within your blueprint, establishing bases in countries around the world. We've expanded our recruitment, but we absolutely refuse to accept useless individuals, those with ulterior motives, or those who commit heinous crimes. Your deeds are known to everyone in the Army Without Borders. We will not betray you; no matter how arduous the battlefield, with you by our side, we have nothing to fear."

Bai Huang's expression was serious; her eyes did not waver in the slightest, and her will was as firm as a rock.

"In terms of research and development, we are involved in all fields. Military equipment, daily necessities, medical drugs, we can provide you with the most perfect top-notch logistics. BOSS, the gun-themed humanoid project you left behind when you left is almost complete. We have never slackened, we have always maintained combat readiness, and we have been waiting for you to return."

"..."

Lin Lu remained silent.

It's impossible not to be tempted.

Putting everything else aside, this idyllic base alone allowed him to glimpse the depth of the Army Without Borders.

If I could regain my leadership, I suppose I could accomplish anything I set my mind to, right? But...

"The day I leave, it won't be you who come to take me away, but Rhodes Island."

Lin Lu spoke his deepest thoughts, which sounded somewhat childish, or even impulsive.

Only children care whether their father or mother picks them up from kindergarten. Adults, on the other hand, go to their biological mother's house for a meal first, and then go shopping for clothes with their stepmother. They want it all.

But Lin Lu is still a child, less than a month old.

Lin Lu had no memories of the past; he only knew that in Chernobog, he felt Amiya and the Kingkiller's emotions almost overwhelm him. So much joy, so much emotion, the relief that he was alright, the peace of mind that he was alive.

Children prefer to follow people they feel they can rely on rather than candy.

Bai Huang was speechless for a moment. She shook her head helplessly and sighed, "Even if you have amnesia, you haven't changed. You would give your whole heart and soul to those who are good to you. As for those who are bad to you... probably not many of them will live long."

Lin Lu chuckled and said, "You know me quite well."

"You're the one who lured me from Yan Kingdom back then, how dare you say that?"

Bai Huang raised an eyebrow, her golden eyes holding a hint of reproach, as if she were scolding Lin Lu.

Lin Lu remained calm, rotating his wrist to check his physical condition as he casually said, "I'm not interested in being the leader of the Army Without Borders, but I am interested in you. I won't abandon you, but I need time. There's no reason for an amnesiac like me to wake up and have to work odd jobs everywhere. What kind of tool am I?"

"...I believe you will change your attitude, even if not now."

Bai Huang was not discouraged. She knew Lin Lu's original purpose in establishing the Borderless Army, and she believed that he would definitely come back.

"How could that kind of thing be—"

Before Lin Lu could finish speaking, he suddenly frowned and tensed up.

The next moment, a sharp alarm sounded throughout the entire research and development platform.

It wasn't just here; it seemed the entire Lungmen branch was on alert at the same time.

Bai Huang raised her hand without changing her expression. Out of respect, she prioritized sharing the information to the projector.

On the giant screen, the construction plans for the entire Shangri-La branch were presented in a three-dimensional manner.

There are a total of command platform, base construction platform, intelligence platform, support platform, research and development platform, combat platform, medical platform, and isolation platform.

The main and secondary platforms are relatively close together, but the main platforms are separated from the command platform by a kilometer. This allows the Borderless Army ample time to defend and respond in the event of a base attack. Conversely, the long distances between the platforms limit an intruder's attack to the area between a single main and secondary platform. Each main and secondary platform is equipped with defensive systems.

The Army Without Borders once even had its own mobile cities, until a massive attack by Agor infected creatures swept in, creating an apocalyptic scene. Even though victory ultimately belonged to the High Overlord and the Army Without Borders, it couldn't change the fact that the old base was destroyed. Therefore, the architectural design of Project Utopia was more dispersed.

"A warning from the intelligence platform: some members of the combat team sent to deal with the 'abnormality' have been injured, and the defense team is blocking the intrusion."

Bai Huang's expression remained completely calm, and even with the blinding red light shining on her face, she showed no sign of panic.

"Do you need me to take action?"

Lin Lu tapped the table with his finger, his eyes full of smiles.

Bai Huang knew that she was being underestimated, or rather, the entire Borderless Army was being looked down upon, and the one mocking her was none other than the Great Leader.

“No need. Even if Jing isn’t here, the combat team is still there. Arno has already been sent there. That guy was someone you picked up from a disaster site. Although the impact of the disaster caused him some mental issues, he’s still someone who can hold his own against you. By the way, he also brought back the information about your return. He said he saw you riding away on a motorcycle in the desert, and he thought he had forgotten to take his medication and was having another bout of delirium.”

Bai Huang hummed softly and switched the projector image to the cameras placed in various corners of the Lungmen mobile system. These cameras were numbered according to different areas.

The next moment, Bai Huang frowned, and the feathers symbolizing the Liberi race trembled.

"Area ST-0133?"

Chapter 214 Daigo is boiled into soup

Longmen Mobile City, ST-0133 District.

The well-trained, borderless army combat team was at a stalemate.

This place is very close to the Originium Engine of Lungmen; the entrance is less than 200 meters behind us.

If we use the human body as an analogy, this is the lung area, and further in is the heart.

This also prevents the combat team members from using equipment with excessive damage output, as the area is surrounded by sophisticated devices and equipment. Recklessly using the military-grade equipment provided to the combat team would, at best, force the city of Lungmen to a standstill, prompting a large influx of Lungmen residents to investigate and unnecessarily exposing the secluded paradise base.

The worst-case scenario is that the Originium engine explodes. Even if the defenses of the Paradise Base can withstand it, the city of Lungmen might not. Aside from the possibility that the explosion would instantly vaporize everyone in Lungmen, the more terrifying possibility is that the Originium radiation level would rise without limit, turning this mobile city into a ghost town.

If the enemy is human... then no matter how strong or imposing the enemy is, they will have no fear.

In terms of close combat, virtually every combatant from the Borderless organization has extensive experience.

So-called combat experience is something veterans gain by being thrown around by the boss, while new recruits gain it by being thrown around by veterans. This is the traditional skill of melee teams.

Unfortunately, their enemy is not humans, but rather the anomalies that have frequently appeared in recent years, all sorts of bizarre creatures.

As Terra's environment was altered by the Originium Industry, monsters from various Columbia bestselling novels began to seep into reality. Of course, this doesn't mean there's some real force causing the monsters depicted in books to appear in reality; it's a metaphor, because the monsters described in these texts are far more endearing than their real counterparts.

The amusing anecdotes these mercenaries used to chat about gradually became reality, and when disaster struck, they finally understood... it was because someone had stood in their way, blocking out all the darkness. And that person, too, succumbed to the darkness, sinking deeper and deeper into the sea, turning into a stone statue.

Now is the time for them to become light.

Combat Team D-07 consists of four people. The team usually hunts with four people, unless there is a large-scale raiding mission, in which case it will be upgraded to a sixteen-person team.

The injured members have been escorted back by the defense team, while the remaining three are tasked with stalling for time and waiting for reinforcements to arrive.

Squad leader Kevin had served in the Victorian Army, where he was a regular soldier, a key battlefield leader, and a breakthrough initiator. Later, due to certain events, he became utterly disillusioned with the country's actions and chose to retire after being wounded during a mission.

He was only in his early thirties, which was incredibly young even for a man of Fengti (a type of Chinese ancestor).

After choosing to leave the country, Kevin began to travel the world. He wanted to see how big the world was, and why this vast world couldn't accommodate those infected with Oripathy. Kevin had dreamed of that day countless nights, watching his superior officer unhesitatingly shoot a child who looked to be under fifteen years old, simply because the child had black crystals on his shoulder.

This country is sick.

Kevin thought so, but he didn't have the power to change the country, so he chose to leave.

During his world tour, Kevin was spotted by a field combatant of the Army Without Borders by chance.

After a series of unsuccessful attempts to invite him, including knocking him unconscious and taking him away, and physically persuading him to surrender—all in line with the traditional culture of the Army Without Borders—Comrade Kevin was deeply moved and decided to serve the Army Without Borders and give his heart to the BOSS.

Even though it has been more than two years since he joined the company, he has never seen the BOSS in person.

If it weren't for the evidence, he would have suspected that the BOSS was a fabrication.

Four years ago, an armory in northern Victoria exploded with the force of 150 tons of Originium explosives, burning down more than 200 square kilometers of forests, trees and buildings.

Military archives Kevin reviewed during his time as an officer revealed that this was an industrial accident. Due to insufficient safe distance between Originium products and other chemicals, and their prolonged storage together under lax management, the accident occurred. Even in the sparsely populated border region, it resulted in over a hundred deaths, more than five thousand injuries, and three hundred missing persons. This led to a major purge of officers in the Northern Territory, which provided Victoria's royalists with a pretext to harass the military, subsequently triggering a series of unrest within the country.

However, when Kevin joined the Army Without Borders and was promoted to squad leader of Group D, gaining higher authority, he was fortunate enough to be authorized to view the combat records left by the BOSS.

He was shocked.

The familiar Victoria North, an unfamiliar environment, gradually evolved into the Victoria North he eventually came to know.

Who knows how agonizing the viewing experience was for him? Who knows how much he questioned life because of it? Who knows that he said goodbye to his past world from then on?

That was the first time he witnessed the existence of anomalies, and the first time he realized that those interesting stories circulating were actually true.

Kevin used to think these legends were exaggerated, but he later realized they were actually realistic.

Now, it's his turn to face these monsters.

"Everyone, bayonets!"

Kevin said sternly, and the other two team members picked up their melee equipment. One of them swung a shovel that looked quite old.

Although the Army Without Borders is a private armed force, it is different from a regular army.

Regular army soldiers emphasize collectivism, and the training of soldiers requires all-round development, standardization, and substitutability.

The military makes decisions based on functions rather than individuals, ensuring the stability and efficiency of the force.

An army without borders places greater emphasis on individual and squad operations. In training its members, it prioritizes individualized instruction to maximize each person's strengths. Each individual needs to leverage their unique characteristics to the fullest extent, relying on a small elite force to coordinate and achieve targeted objectives.

Kevin's previous military training changed after joining the Army Without Borders. He quickly accepted reality and adapted to the situation. The adaptation period from soldier to mercenary was only a week or two for him. At least in the Army Without Borders, no one would discriminate against each other because of Oripathy, or commit atrocities similar to those committed by the former Victorian army.

In countless battles, even a rescue mission or a long period of holding a position can quickly strengthen the friendship between people.

Kevin gripped the military knife in his hand tightly. It was the knife he used to command in the Victorian army. It was heavier than an ordinary military knife and required considerable strength to use normally.

"They're here!" Kevin shouted.

Bright lights cast huge shadows on the walls, along with countless swaying arms.

A piercing, teeth-grinding sound approached from afar, like someone being dragged along the ground, leaving a long trail of blood...

Chapter 215 Villains

An army without borders, Lungmen Base.

There are six combat teams stationed at the Lungmen branch. Three teams are mainly out on missions, while the remaining three teams stay at the base.

Upon receiving news of the base being invaded, the two groups of personnel remaining at the base immediately changed into their combat uniforms, assembled, and set off. The remaining members, who had been taking turns on leave to relax in Lungmen City, were also urgently recalled.

Based on experience gained during combat exercises, each team member followed the commands of their respective team leader and remained on high alert. Combined with the Borderless Army's independent system capable of covering the entire underground city of Lungmen, the combat teams conducted search missions in suspicious areas.

In order to locate the enemy as soon as possible, the initial search was relatively scattered, which led to one of the mercenaries being the first to encounter the enemy and being injured.

However, this also confirmed the enemy's location. The defense team sent two people to retrieve the wounded, while their main task was to remain at the base for defense.

After all, the Army Without Borders has also contained some anomalous entities. These creatures, mutated from Originium, have considerable research value and can be used to extract a new type of energy source with endless energy. If they focus on the immediate situation and allow the anomalous entities in the containment unit to break through containment, the damage would be no less than that caused by an Originium engine explosion.

These things are not exactly law-abiding creatures; the reason they are given the fearsome title of "abnormal beings" is naturally because they have unique characteristics.

In fact, the reason why these anomalous entities are subject to information blockade by various countries... is not only because they cause panic, but also because national leaders regard them as resources and a branch of Originium energy.

Since it is Originium energy, can it be used in Originium industry? Can it be used in Originium weaponry? How can it be controlled and turned into a force without causing casualties or harm? Even if this force is not controllable, as long as it is strong enough, it can be airdropped into the capital of an enemy country to wreak havoc.

Regardless of the country, led by the Colombian Federation, they have already tasted the benefits of the Originium industry.

Even if it causes further environmental pollution, countries cannot stop it and can only go further down this path.

Whoever stops first will be divided up, devoured, and destroyed by other countries. They will be nailed to the pillar of historical shame, never to rise again.

In these precarious conditions, nations are like trains with bombs planted on them. A sudden stop or slowdown will trigger an explosion, and to avoid being blown to pieces, they must keep moving forward until their energy runs out. They are willing to derail, crash into any building, and kill countless people.

This is why the explosion at the armory in northern Victoria was downplayed, the truth was hidden by Victoria, and the media continued to release false information.

If the world's other largest violent organizations are trying to control this new energy source, why should I give it up? The Colombian Federation did it, Ursus did it, why can't I? Therefore, information about the anomalous entities was concealed by various factions, and those that couldn't be covered up were blamed on naturally occurring pests. After all, these pests were mutated into bizarre shapes due to Originium infection, and since they couldn't be recycled, issuing bounty missions to deal with them was enough.