Ark Chess Player.

“Look, W, look into their eyes. How loyal, how perfect, how… touching.”

Mephisto forcefully grabbed the True Wolf Guard by the neck, lifted his hood, and made W see the eye holes in the pale mask.

The True Wolf Guards' eyes were empty and desolate, lifeless like those of marionettes. A black worm seemed to crawl across their withered eyeballs, but they showed no reaction, no emotion. The souls of these four True Wolf Guards were no longer what they once were; their wills had been shattered and then mixed with unclean elements, reassembled together.

The only ones still able to move around here today are the souls of the dead who have walked through hell once.

Mephisto affectionately called them... the Skull Army.

W said coldly, "You're insane, Mephisto."

"I have always been clear-headed."

That's why I said you're crazy.

W's finger rested on the trigger. She was suddenly glad that the weapon she had brought today was a grenade launcher; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to exchange one for five.

Mephistopheles didn't stop her little scheme, nor did he intend to use it to pressure her for the Iz Grail. He knew what kind of woman W was; she was a madwoman, and mutual destruction was just a perfectly normal tactic for her. If necessary, W would never hesitate.

"If you're not going to make a move, then just stay here and watch."

Mephistopheles turned to look at the battlefield, his gaze deep and unfathomable, fixed on the Kingslayer.

"This is quite an excellent... medium."

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.

"Amiya, to the left!"

"Okay, leave it to me!"

The Kingslayer breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Amiya recover from the backlash of the spell.

Her hands were now covered in wounds, trembling uncontrollably, as if her bones were about to shatter. She never expected that brat, Broken Bones, would go so far! So what if your weapon is good? So what if it can pierce armor? I have the tactical gloves Lu gave me; they're way better than your gunblade!

What the regicide didn't know was that if it weren't for this divine artifact of the Yan Kingdom protecting her heart, the ultimate armor-piercing attack of the Bone-Shattering Technique wouldn't have simply stopped at her arms. Instead, it would have transformed into a torrent rushing straight to her heart, shattering it.

"Amiya, we can retreat now!"

Franka launched an attack from the side, helping to cover the two as they recovered from the onslaught of broken bones.

The Rhodes Island squad members had basically left along the reconnaissance squad's retreat route. Even if they were fighting and running, it would be easier than being surrounded and wiped out like this.

"Understood, Miss Kingslayer, please—"

As soon as Amiya spoke, she suddenly looked up at the high platform in the distance.

An indescribable stench hung heavy on the platform where W stood. Amiya was momentarily bewildered; she couldn't believe W possessed such a strong aura of blood. But soon, she realized the person emanating the stench wasn't W, but—

"Mephisto?!"

Amiya gasped in surprise.

Why is Mephisto here?

No, this isn't Mephistopheles himself, this is a...

"shadow?"

Chapter 302 Bang, hahaha! (5K)

Amiya, don't get distracted!

Franka reminded her that she and the Kingslayer had to work together to hold back the raging bone fragments.

At this moment, Shattered Bones seemed to be controlled by a malevolent spirit sealed by a gunblade, completely disregarding its own injuries and only knowing how to attack. The silver-white blade light wove into a fine net, as precise as a metal cutting machine, making it difficult to tell whether Shattered Bones had truly lost its mind.

This overwhelming aura, as if it were about to sweep across the entire world, suppressed Franka's swordsmanship, causing her to become somewhat hesitant and unable to fully unleash her skills.

Franka's swordsmanship emphasizes speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness. The reason she can disregard her own defenses during combat is because she is confident in herself. No matter what kind of enemy she is, they will all be forced to dodge in disarray under her sharp edge.

This time, however, Franka met her match; her opponent was not afraid of the thermite sword in her hand at all.

What's most infuriating is that if it were a one-for-one trade, Broken Bones would probably be seriously injured, but Franka would definitely die.

If it were Franka a year ago, during the period when she had just contracted Oripathy, and faced with this choice during a mission, she would probably laugh self-deprecatingly and then recklessly choose the tactic of trading her life for another's. She would think resignedly, "Since I'm going to die anyway, I might as well die gracefully, die meaningfully, and leave behind a legend."

But things are different now; she doesn't want to leave so soon.

Franka was now preoccupied with a matter of life and death; she was determined to live. To this end, when submitting her personal information and resume to Rhodes Island, she provided a more credible version, along with a formal action assistance contract and several agreements for voluntary treatment. Unlike before, she no longer maintained her nonchalant attitude and deliberately manipulated others with her carefully crafted rhetoric, finding pleasure in toying with them.

It's easy to be willing to die for someone else.

Being willing to live for others is harder than retiring unscathed from a life of crime.

"Mephisto?"

The Kingslayer heard Amiya's shout, and the emoticon mask on her face honestly reflected her feelings.

It's so annoying, so incredibly annoying, so extremely annoying!

The kingslayer had never hated anyone so much.

Compared to Mephisto, even that old woman Kal'tsit seemed much cuter—no, a hundred times cuter! The Kingslayer would rather stare at Kal'tsit in a private hospital room, or even be given an injection in the butt by her, than see Mephisto's sour face.

“Oh no…”

The Kingslayer suppressed her displeasure. Although she hated Mephisto, she had to admit his strength.

When Mephisto unleashed his Originium Arts, the air was filled with fluttering white feathers, like a magic trick. It was both extravagant and eye-catching. Reunion soldiers who came into contact with the feathers experienced rapid wound healing, pain shielding, and various amplifications. This Originium Arts was practically made for battle, which is why Mephisto's team maintained such a high win rate.

Mephisto's exceptional Originium talent and unique Originium skills, coupled with his understanding of tactical command and numerous victories in actual combat, earned him Talulah's trust and made him a member of the Reunion Movement.

But! The Kingslayer knew perfectly well the true nature of this spell; it was definitely not as glamorous and dazzling as it appeared, with colorful feathers falling like angels descending. The Kingslayer was certain it was poison, and one of the most potent poisons in the world of Terra!

Rapid wound healing comes at a price. Mephisto's spells significantly increase the Originium fusion rate of Oripathy-infected individuals; the more severe the injury, the more pronounced the increase. Furthermore, Mephisto can freely manipulate the power of the spells, giving the user the special effects of hallucinogenic drugs. Those affected experience dulled thinking, paralyzed senses, and a strong dependence on the spell, becoming obedient to him.

His poppy-like Originium Arts, coupled with Mephisto's smooth talk, made him highly respected within the Reunion Movement.

Oripathy is an incurable disease; each infected person's life seems to be predetermined by death. If a fatal wound in battle means certain death, then what's wrong with Mephisto's healing magic? Even with increased Originium fusion rate, at least a life can be saved—this is the true thought of most Reunion soldiers.

Mephisto fully capitalized on this advantage, and with no one able to impeach him, he unleashed increasingly rampant magic, directly using infected soldiers as experimental subjects to hone his spellcasting skills.

In addition to rapidly healing his injuries, Mephisto gradually mastered a special ability: mind manipulation.

Mephistopheles could arbitrarily transform a person with weak willpower into a puppet, devoid of pain and emotion, obeying only his commands. He euphemistically called this spell "Shepherding the Flock," and he was the shepherd of these lost sheep, destined to guide these short and fragile lives. He reveled in the process of arbitrarily controlling a person's destiny.

The Kingslayer had fallen victim to this before; she felt as if hundreds of Mephistopheles were speaking in her head simultaneously, trying to control her mind. But she gritted her teeth and persevered, using her strong willpower to thwart Mephistopheles' scheme.

"Amiya, you and Franka go first, and hurry!"

The Kingslayer cried out in despair. She was confident she could defeat the Bonecrushers, but she wasn't confident she could take on both the Bonecrushers and Mephisto at the same time.

If only Law were here. With him, this day next year would be Mephistopheles' death anniversary. The Kingslayer thought subconsciously.

"Where do you think you can hide? You can't escape, Rhodes Island." Shattered Bones' voice was hoarse, like that of a smoker with over thirty years of experience, sounding terrifying. He roared, "I will crush you! To atone for the spirits of my people in heaven!"

Shattered Bones simultaneously converted his dual-wielding gunblades into gun mode, unleashing armor-piercing grenades imbued with terrifying power, aimed at Amiya.

"Don't think about it!"

The Kingslayer unleashed four consecutive teleportation Originium Arts attacks on Shattered Bones from different directions—a technique of True Wolf. Previously, she didn't need to fight alone; she could easily deploy an encirclement with her personal guard squad. But not now. She had to rely on herself, and even with the burning pain coursing through her body, she absolutely could not stop.

The Kingslayer interrupted the Bone Shatterer's poised aim, and he roared furiously as his blade pierced through the Kingslayer's afterimages.

"Amiya!" Franka pressed Amiya's shoulder and said anxiously.

"...We will retreat first, and after the assassin leaves, we will immediately detonate the explosives on the load-bearing pillar."

Amiya's eyes darted around as she devised a suitable plan in her mind; she didn't insist on fighting the enemy to the death here.

A single commando captain from the Reunion Movement was troublesome enough, let alone the Sarkaz mercenary W, who could strike at any moment, and the hostile Mephisto. In an instant, the battle seemed to have returned to Chernobog. Amiya once again faced the most elite force of the Reunion Movement, a gathering of powerful individuals, the only difference being…

This time, the doctor was not by her side.

Amiya could only trust every judgment she made and carry it out resolutely.

"killer!"

"You guys go first, I'll catch up later."

The regicide did not turn back; she had to block the shattered bones and buy time.

She refused to believe that Bone Shatter's high burst damage would come at a huge cost and couldn't possibly continue indefinitely. Otherwise, Bone Shatter would have already defeated her; why would she still be in the Reunion Movement? Why didn't she go and kill the Ursus Emperor and avenge all the Ursus Infected?

Amiya gritted her teeth and, with Franka's help, retreated backward.

When the Thunder Serpent, who was in charge of bringing up the rear, saw them, his pale face improved slightly.

She was alone in this passage, almost overwhelmed by the surging Reunion Movement infected.

"Can you go?"

Razer retrieved the remote control for the explosives. The explosives, which had been placed at the bottom of the ruins, were originally intended to destroy the building's load-bearing walls and block the road.

Franka, who was supporting Amiya, was startled by Liskarm's actions and quickly called out, "Liskarm, wait! The Kingslayer hasn't come out yet..."

"boom--!!!"

Before Franka could finish speaking, a deafening explosion came from behind her! It wasn't just behind her; it seemed like explosions were happening simultaneously from every direction she was in. The sudden sonic boom robbed her of her thoughts, leaving her mind blank.

In the dim light, Franka saw Liskarm rushing against the flames, crouching on the ground with his shield raised, blocking her and Amiya.

A bright pillar of fire shot into the sky, and the shockwave from the explosion surged through the streets and alleys of the ruined area. Countless burning fragments flew rapidly, smashing against Razer's shield with a series of loud bangs.

Her pale face immediately flushed with an unhealthy red, her blood surged throughout her body, and the muscles in her arms tensed.

Time seemed to slow to an unbearable halt, and Razer felt her consciousness oscillate between reality and illusion. The deafening roar not only made her eardrums feel like they were about to burst, but it also caused her to hallucinate, vaguely seeing blurry human figures floating in the air. Even so, Razer didn't let go. Behind her were Franka and Amiya; she had to protect them. This wasn't about completing a mission; it was about not losing them!

"Bang! Hahaha—!"

On a high platform not far away, W casually tossed aside the useless remote control, feeling quite satisfied.

This was the best viewing platform, where she witnessed the beautiful fireworks rise and burst into dazzling light.

The only downside was that she didn't kick Mephisto down with her, otherwise she would have laughed even harder.

W suddenly felt that all his previous efforts had not been in vain. Patiently setting up landmines and then detonating them at the same time to create a chain reaction was like cooking a dish with complicated procedures.

The process of cooking is quite tedious and boring; every step must be done correctly, or the dish will fail, and there are no spare ingredients to start over. Once you overcome all the difficulties, the sense of accomplishment when you finally finish cooking a delicious meal is truly exhilarating.

W chose to detonate the landmine at this time for two reasons.

First, Mephisto's skeleton army marched towards Rhodes Island just a minute ago, passing right by W's ambush point. Now is the perfect time to blow it up! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; let's just explode it and be done with it.

Secondly, W was quite annoyed with Mephisto, and even more annoyed by his skeleton army.

There is no other reason, really no one.

She absolutely did not intend to save Amiya as a side benefit, absolutely not.

"you--"

Mephisto turned and stared at W's face, the distance between them only 126 centimeters, the limit of W's tolerance for his closeness. Mephisto reeked of an unpleasant stench, which even a good girl like W, who wasn't afraid of getting dirty or tired, couldn't stand.

"What do you mean, 'what do you mean?' Didn't you say you were going to report my work status to Talulah? Report: I have annihilated the main force of the Rhodes Island squad. I'm going to bring the mission objective back to the core city of Chernobog. Mountains are high and roads are long, but rivers flow long. Everyone has their own dreams, and each person's life is wonderful."

W responded sarcastically, watching the four members of the skeleton army disappear in a dazzling display of sparks, and almost couldn't resist striking a "Yay!" pose in front of Mephisto.

Well, she really couldn't resist.

W stepped onto the dilapidated roof and threw a punch into the air.

"Great!"

However, Mephistopheles's embarrassed expression did not appear as W had anticipated.

The annoying guy still had that fake smile on his face, and for some reason, W suddenly felt something was wrong.

"You did a good job, you did a good job!"

Mephistopheles applauded for her, the applause was enthusiastic, far more so than when the Skeleton Army appeared.

"Watch closely, my skeleton army... will be reborn from the ashes! Your fireworks will be their best gift."

"..."

The smile on W's face vanished completely.

She looked at Mephistopheles, and his words sparked a multitude of possibilities.

However, none of these possibilities have a good outcome.

Below the high platform, in the ruins of the fifth district of the outer ring of Lungmen, the roaring explosions finally subsided. Explosions from burning air continued intermittently, and billowing flames relentlessly scorched the moving city's slabs, leaving only a scene of utter devastation as far as the eye could see.

Whether by chance or not, in the recent Reunion Movement attack on the fifth district of Lungmen Outer Ring, most of the flammable materials in the buildings were reduced to ashes, thus preventing secondary damage. The only concern is whether the exceptionally durable building materials, even by the standards of a mobile city, can withstand repeated destruction. The answer is clearly no; some areas have already suffered irreversible damage.