Ark Chess Player.

"...These are symptoms of an acute attack of Oripathy."

Amiya lowered her head slightly; she understood, she understood that pain better than any of the Oripathy patients present.

Razer frowned and asked, "So there's an acute form of Oripathy? Franka, which one are you?"

"You're so charming, this is the only time you care about me." Franka sobbed, pretending to cry.

"...Amiya, if Franka passes away, I hope she can be cremated on Rhodes Island."

"Lei Degang, you little cookie, do you want to fight? That's going too far!"

"Isn't it you who always says you're going to infect me?!"

Amiya, seeing that this comedian was about to charge admission again, said helplessly, "Everyone, now is not the time to discuss the specific differences in Oripathy symptoms. If you want to know, we can wait until we get back. The anti-Oripathy drugs that our medical operators carry are not enough to stabilize Misha's condition. Our plan needs to be implemented as soon as possible to send Misha to the Rhodes Island ship. Only Rhodes Island has the necessary medical resources to treat her."

"Uh, is she... about to explode?"

Exusiai blurted out her name, and was instantly locked onto by everyone's cold gazes.

Texas slammed a powerful dunk on Exusiai and said in a deep voice, "Watch your mouth!"

"Miss Exia."

Franka smiled gently and said kindly, "If I ever feel like I'm about to burst, I'll definitely try my best to climb to your side."

"Waaaah! I'm sorry! I was wrong!"

"Humph."

"Alright, stop it, stop fooling around, let's move the target to a safe area first."

Razer shook his head helplessly, turned to Amiya, and said seriously, "Amiya, are we sure we don't want to hand Misha over to Lungmen? Given our current cooperative relationship with Lungmen, wouldn't doing this be seen as a breakdown in negotiations?"

"Lei Degang, you..."

Franka raised an eyebrow, trying to dissuade Razer from saying anything more.

Razer raised her hand to tell her to shut up; she was now reminding Amiya in her capacity as a consultant for Blacksteel International.

Faced with Razer's question, Amiya fell silent and did not answer for a long time.

“Keep moving, move down one floor at a time from the east side of this building, and get out of here as soon as possible,” Amiya said slowly.

Razer stared intently at Amiya, who slowly nodded.

"Yes."

What they didn't know was...

Misha heard the whole thing.

Her eyes gradually became lost.

She had already come to believe in Rhodes Island, and that Rhodes Island genuinely intended to save her.

But... she heard the words "Guards Department," and even more so, she heard Rhodes Island hesitating about whether to hand her over.

She didn't know what the Reunion Movement was, but she understood what Lungmen Newcomers and the Lungmen Guard had done to the Infected.

Misha sighed inwardly.

"If you just want to arrest me, just say so."

Chapter 287 The Simple and Honest Folks of Ursus (4K)

"Xiaomisha, does it hurt?"

Before leaving the rooftop, Amiya needed to contact the reconnaissance team. In the meantime, the Kingslayer sat down beside Misha. She lifted her hood to tame her frizzy hair and tenderly smoothed her tail, though it wasn't quite as long as she'd hoped.

Misha looked up at the Kingslayer trying to stroke his tail, and her wariness inexplicably vanished. It was as if even her subconscious was reminding her not to worry about this person.

Perhaps it's because the regicide was incredibly stupid... no, incredibly naive.

Misha replied softly, "It doesn't hurt anymore."

"That's a lie. I've had that injection before, and it hurt like hell."

The Kingslayer stared resentfully at the departing medical operator, startling Felin so much that her ears perked up, and she looked around in terror.

It's important to know that the Kingslayer has been living in a private ward ever since he arrived at Rhodes Island.

Because of her sensitive and unique identity, only a few highly skilled and daring medical operators dare to approach her. These include Kal'tsit, Gavial, Aya, Anto, and the carefree Hibiscus.

Before Lin Lu picked her up to complete her onboarding procedures at Rhodes Island, the Kingslayer basically didn't see anyone else.

Considering that the Kingslayer's Oripathy infection was almost as severe as Amiya's, Kal'tsit quietly increased the dosage and personally administered the injection to the Kingslayer's buttocks every day. She could have injected it elsewhere, but she chose this location for better drug absorption.

—It's absolutely not because the regicide said she was an old woman, absolutely not, um, absolutely not.

"So annoying, I can't suppress it no matter what I do... Oh well, never mind."

The Kingslayer hesitated for a moment, then gave up on grooming her tail, deciding to leave it for Lin Lu to do. She knew perfectly well that Lin Lu had an indescribable obsession with his ears and tail; having him groom her tail would be a win-win situation for both of them.

"Xia Misha, it's just Oripathy, let me tell you, it's really no different from a cold."

The regicide waved his hand, displaying a confident demeanor as if he had seen it all, attempting to act as a caring older sister to enlighten the underage girl.

"When you get to Rhodes Island, you'll know there's something even more terrifying than Oripathy." The Kingslayer put her arm around Misha's shoulder, glancing around furtively as she secretly told Misha about the biggest and most devastating event on Rhodes Island. "You must be careful of the Sarkaz, especially the female purple-haired Sarkaz! If anyone tries to feed you a nutritional meal, don't hesitate, run! Just run, Misha!"

Misha asked, "Aren't nutritional meals... supposed to be good stuff?"

“My foolish Misha, I thought the same thing when I was young.”

The regicide wore a smile of utter despair, his face mask conveying a sense of utter helplessness.

"The taste was indescribable, and the scariest thing was that I actually developed a dependence on Hibiscus's cooking... I had no money on Rhodes Island, and I hadn't been able to get my employee card during that time. I also couldn't contact Lin Lu because he was in a coma, so I could only eat Hibiscus's food every day... Wait, was this all part of Hibiscus's plan? Is this why she cooked for me for free?!"

The regicide suddenly realized the truth.

Her usually slow-thinking mind suddenly seemed to be enlightened.

Onore...Hibiscus!!

Misha stared blankly at the kingslayer.

She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt at ease, as if she were caring for someone.

“Sister Kingslayer, let me help you comb your tail,” Misha suggested. She took a wooden comb out of her pocket and carefully rolled up her sleeves, looking eager to try.

"Huh? You're going to let an assassin expose his defenseless back to you?! Are you kidding me?" The Kingslayer raised an eyebrow, but her body still squatted down honestly. The graceful curves from her back to her hips and then to her bent legs were truly pleasing to the eye from the side. She specifically instructed, "Don't be too rough, I'm afraid of pain."

"Does the queen-slayer sister also feel pain?"

"Of course, I'm not a robot."

The regicide puffed out his cheeks, his tone tinged with displeasure.

But the unhappiness on her face quickly disappeared, replaced by a silly grin.

"Xiaomisha, how come you're so skilled?" The Kingslayer's mood improved as he looked at his tail, which had been neatly combed in just a few moments. He even took off his hood. "Could you comb my hair while you're at it? I can't keep it down."

Misha's eyes crinkled with a smile. She reached out and ruffled the Kingslayer's frizzy, permed hair, as if she were dealing with a child. She suddenly understood why she hadn't been wary of the Kingslayer; even though he was older than her, he was remarkably straightforward.

Misha's greatest talent is taking care of children.

“When I lived in the slums, I often helped children comb their hair. After combing it so many times, I became familiar with them.” Misha took out a special hair comb from her other pocket. As a girl, she knew very well that there was a difference between hair and tail. “Don’t worry, I wash it after each use, so it won’t smell like other people.”

"Xiaomisha is really thoughtful."

The kingslayer enjoyed Misha combing his hair while making comparisons in his mind.

Compared to Lin Lu's combing of her hair, Misha's technique was gentler and more meticulous, but for some reason... the King Killer still preferred Lin Lu's rougher and more proactive approach, as if he wanted to touch her until she was in a daze.

"Sister Kingslayer, if you're afraid of pain, why do you fight so hard?" Misha asked cautiously, trying to smooth down the Kingslayer's upturned ahoge.

"Of course, it's because there are some things that scare me more."

The kingslayer closed his eyes to avoid being touched by Misha's hand.

Misha paused, took a soft breath, and asked casually, "Really?"

The regicide nodded instinctively, but then she remembered she was combing her hair, so she stiffened her neck and said, "I never want to watch the important people in my life leave one by one without knowing why. I've made my decision, and I will never let myself regret it again. I will give my all in everything I do. The feeling of being left alone is a million times more terrifying than the pain of being injured."

Misha was taken aback, and her eyes involuntarily reddened.

She understands, she comprehends.

The feeling of being left alone.

That resentment, that regret, that agonizing pain that tormented me day and night. Every time I fall asleep, I return to that day, that snowy day, that bloody path I was dragged through, that scene I can never forget.

"Xiaomisha? Why are you crying! Who bullied you!?"

The Kingslayer felt Misha's body trembling, and quickly opened his eyes, only to be startled.

Misha wept silently. Since that day, she had become accustomed to this way of crying and could never change it.

"Was the child crying?"

The bear angel's attention was fixed on Misha, and she tilted her head in confusion.

Texas glanced at it, then casually touched her handbag to make sure she had enough, before taking out a box of chocolate bars.

"Are you hungry?"

Texas strode forward and handed over the chocolate bar. Her expression remained indifferent, but her voice was much gentler.

Misha wiped away her tears; they were fleeting, a momentary outburst that passed quickly. Misha didn't refuse Texas's kindness, accepting a box of chocolate bars and repeatedly saying thank you.

Texas breathed a slight sigh of relief, and as she turned to leave, she glared at the Kingslayer.

"What kind of skill is it to bully a little girl?"

Texas whispered, in a voice only the Kingslayer could hear.

The regicide: "???"

A person sits on the rooftop, and a pot falls from the sky.

"Okay, stop crying."

The Kingslayer patted Misha's head and said earnestly, "You're my little brother. If you cry all the time, I'll lose face. Didn't I tell you? You're under my protection. Anyone who wants to bully you will have to get past me first."

Misha lowered her head deeply and made a barely audible sound.

"Um……"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

at the same time.

Witness Room, Lungmen Guard Bureau.

A sparse signal appeared on the Guard Bureau's surveillance equipment, and then the image froze on the previous scene.

At that moment, the staff on duty were changing shifts, and the timing was so precise that practically no one saw what was happening.

The Guards officers, finally able to rest at the entrance to the witness hall, were simultaneously stabbed in the back by their colleagues after exchanging temporary keys, their guards most relaxed in that moment. They didn't even have a chance to cry for help. The cold blades sliced ​​through their throats, precisely at the weak point that the Guards' standard armor hadn't reinforced—a weakness known only to the Guards' officers.

Blood stained the earth, and the loyal officers lay dead in pools of blood. Clutching their wounds, unable to utter a sound, their disbelieving eyes fixed on the attacker. Despite constant vigilance, a thief within the organization proved insidious; the once mighty Guard Bureau, like a towering tree, had ultimately been devoured by a vile insect.

There were only two attackers, and their clothing was exactly the same as that of the police officers who died on the ground.

“Jason can only access the surveillance footage for ten minutes,” one of them said in a deep voice. “Modley, stop playing around, business is more important.”

"Understood, understood." The former police officer, known as Modray, was currently removing the protective gear from the two corpses on the ground, stabbing each of them in the heart to ensure they were absolutely dead.

“Trust me, being careful to finish off enemies is never a bad thing.” Modly pointed to the communicator clutched in one of the officers’ hands and sneered menacingly, “Ron, look at this.”

The officer knew he wasn't going to survive the moment his throat was slit. Instead of trying to heal his wound, he secretly pulled out his communicator to try and relay intelligence about the attack. Unfortunately, he was discovered, and his plan failed.

Do you still think I'm just playing around?

Modray raised his hand sharply, then brought it down again, piercing the heart of the dutiful officer with the short blade.

Blood splattered all around, turning the white building into a terrifying crimson hue.

The myth of security for the Lungmen Guard Bureau has come to an end.

Ron shook his head helplessly. He stuck the temporary key to the sensor on the metal door and successfully opened the door to the witness room.

“Even if Jason can maintain control of the surveillance, the temporary key we have has an expiration date. Once the time expires and we are locked in here, neither of us will be able to escape when the next shift of guards arrives.”

Ron carefully put away the temporary key. He pushed the door open and snorted coldly, "Not only that, but this door will trigger an alarm if it is left open for more than five minutes, which can be considered to have given up our idea of ​​blocking the door. However, what is the use of the Guard Bureau guarding it so strictly? If morale is low, this Iron City will still be full of loopholes."

"Oh."