Ark Chess Player.

The Kingslayer stared into the pitch-black smoke, remaining vigilant. Who knew if this madwoman might suddenly change her mind, drop the Bone Shatter, and launch a reckless sneak attack? In her memory, W and the Bone Shatter weren't exactly on good terms; after all, W was originally just a moderately skilled Sarkaz mercenary… Wait, why was W promoted?

Was it because I blocked and killed most of the Sarkaz mercenaries back then?

Am I working for W for free?

The ultimate working-class man, the king slayer!?

The Kingslayer's lips twitched slightly. After confirming several times that W had left, she asked, "Amiya, what should we do?"

"...The other party has already made the choice for us."

Amiya sighed in distress, "Let's go back and rescue Misha. I wonder if Liskarm and Miss Franka can hold them off..."

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.

While Amiya and the Kingslayer struggle against the Atomized Parasites and the Hardened Parasites.

The Rhodes Island squad members followed Amiya's instructions in an orderly manner, constantly moving towards the rear and the Lofty Hoof docking area to shorten the distance to the medical team that was on its way to provide support.

The reconnaissance teams maintain a stealthy approach, clearing paths and providing terrain information; they are the eyes and ears of the entire Rhodes Island squad. Although they are not directly involved in combat, the tasks they shoulder are equally weighty.

The Guardian and Heavy Armor squads held off the Reunion Movement commando team's attack, while the sniper squad, having lost its high ground advantage, could only provide support from the flanks. The medical team did their utmost to treat the wounded, including Misha, whose skillful hemostasis and wound bandaging were of great help. Even the wounded who initially had reservations about her couldn't help but nod and thank her shyly after receiving her assistance.

How old is she? About the same age as Amiya, right?

Why does this world always burden such young children with so much?

This was probably the thought in everyone's mind: a deep sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, deep emotion) and helplessness, because they had no power to change the world.

“Hey…whoosh!”

Misha struggled to lift the heavy medical kit; she had no idea what was inside that made it so heavy.

“Misha, that’s my equipment. I can carry it myself.” The gentle and generous medic Natalie reached under Misha’s armpits and hugged the heavy white metal box that almost dragged her to the ground. It had a symmetrical symbol on it, the symbol of the Star of Life.

"But I..."

"Misha, I understand how you feel right now."

Natalie slung the medical kit over her shoulder, a look of relief in her bright brown eyes, and gently patted Misha's head.

“You want to help us, right? That’s a good thing, but you can’t push yourself too hard because you feel guilty. That’s not good for anyone, and everyone will worry about you. Just do what you can.” Natalie

“Both you and Amiya are almost overwhelmed by the immense sense of responsibility, and that’s not good.” Natalie gently hugged Misha, patted her small shoulder, and smiled kindly like a mother. “It’s okay, you’re still a child, and children always have the right to make choices again. We adults may not be able to do other things, but protecting you is no problem.”

"Um……"

When Misha looked up again, her eyes were a little red.

She was still a child.

She herself had almost forgotten about it.

"Misha, you..."

Natalie was about to say something, but a chilling gust of wind brushed against her neck, and she abruptly straightened her back. An ordinary person might have mistaken it for a gentle evening breeze at dusk. But Natalie wouldn't, because she was a medic from Rhodes Island, and a member of Kal'tsit's private squad—the Life Star Field Rescue Team.

Something bad has secretly followed us.

“Billy, take Misha and the frontline troops to assemble.” Natalie said in a deep voice. She placed her hands on Misha’s shoulders and gently pushed her toward Billy, the guard operator who was limping and had an injured leg.

Billy asked, somewhat puzzled, "And what about you?"

"I followed shortly after; I had some personal matters to attend to."

Natalie chuckled, but her voice took on a more serious tone, exuding an invisible sense of authority.

Billy shivered, whether from the wind or from being startled by Natalie's sudden seriousness, he couldn't tell.

“Little… cough cough, Misa.” Billy swallowed the impolite term “kid” and helped Misa walk forward. “Let’s go, let’s go. We, who are no longer in the combat, shouldn’t get in the way. Reducing the burden on the frontline operators is also a responsibility.”

"OK……"

Misha nodded slowly, a sense of foreboding creeping over her. She turned to look at Natalie.

"Can you come back soon?" Misha asked anxiously.

“Of course, see you later,” Natalie said with a smile.

"Um...it was a promise!"

Misha nodded vigorously, took two steps, and in the end, she was the one helping Billy forward.

Natalie watched the two figures disappear into the distance, gently waving her hand as her calloused fingers slowly clenched into a fist.

Natalie's usually gentle eyes were now sharp. She snapped open the medical kit that Misha couldn't lift—it was actually her weapon case. Inside were three types of scalpels: some were pale white with a sharp, cold glint in their blades; others were entirely silver, covered in patterns, cold yet sacred; and the least valuable one radiated a golden light, with numerous markings and symbols faintly visible inside.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but…”

Natalie drew a different type of scalpel from each hand, and an obscure spell bound the six scalpels between her fingers with invisible threads. As an Oripathy patient, she was naturally able to use the minerals on her body to cast Originium Arts.

"Sorry, this road is blocked!"

Chapter 313 Why Are You Crying? (4K)

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the scarred mobile city, and a thin mist gradually obscured the view.

Natalie held her breath and stood still, calmly closing her eyes and trying to perceive the changes around her.

As a doctor, maintaining a calm and composed mindset is a fundamental skill for her.

Back when Natalie was performing surgeries on the battlefield with Dr. Kal'tsit, the conditions were far worse. Outside, artillery fire raged, the sounds of battle were deafening, and screams of agony echoed everywhere. The small, makeshift operating room tent was constantly spewing dust down—a far cry from the air-sterilized operating rooms of the Colombian Federation. With limited manpower, the battlefield medical team also had to send lookouts to guard against enemy attacks, making it impossible for them to focus on any single task.

Even in that environment, Dr. Kal'tsit was able to complete the surgery with precision and meticulousness, seemingly unaffected. Not only that, she was also able to attend to the psychological state of the other doctors present, accurately directing each demanding surgery as the attending physician. The years she spent with Kal'tsit exposed Natalie to harsh realities, teaching her when to abandon illusions and prepare for struggle.

"Don't even think about leaving!"

Natalie suddenly turned and swung her arm, a sharp scalpel gleaming with a silvery sheen cutting through the air with a sharp clang.

The scalpel trembled in mid-air, the surging wind like a boulder falling into water, the ripples reflecting the outline of a human figure. Even though Natalie's scalpel was caught between the enemy's two fingers, she had achieved her goal: the silver blade with anti-magic properties successfully disrupted the disguise of the "Three Items" parasite.

The concealment effect of distorted light refraction lost its effect, and Irie, the only female member of the Wolf Guard, silently appeared on the ground that had been deserted just seconds before.

She wore winter clothes riddled with tears, revealing her wheat-colored skin tanned from years of wind and sun. Her arms, exposed by a torn sleeve, were smooth as jade, yet exuded a strong resilience, reflecting a gleaming sheen like polished iron. She also had long, black hair reaching her waist, the ends bearing obvious burn marks, as if she had been pulled and set on fire with a torch.

Illie is a near-perfect flaw created by Mephisto. She is called "Triple" by Mephisto because she can withstand three prototype parasites and can use hardening, misting, and stealth abilities.

As for why Mephistopheles considered her a flawed product...

Because she is not very obedient.

Mephistopheles acknowledges Iriet's loyalty, which is a good thing, but blind loyalty is not advisable.

For Mephistopheles, the most important thing about a pet is obedience; disobedient pets should be punished. Of course, pets can be trained to overcome their innate bad habits. Mephistopheles is a man of action; he is adept at using various harsh methods for training people. He buries pain deep within people's hearts to completely distort their thinking and change their lives.

For example, one could slightly change the object of Iriet's blind loyalty to the regicide.

Replace the regicide with him.

"..."

Illie watched Natalie silently.

Her eyes were different from the other three; they were no longer lifeless and devoid of emotion, but overflowing with sorrow.

Iriet no longer cared about anything.

Even if she gets discovered, it doesn't matter. She just needs to complete the mission and doesn't need to worry about anything else.

Illie slowly shattered the silver knife she had been holding between her fingers. Dragging her no longer human body, she walked towards her objective. Her mission was to capture Misha; Natalie was not on her radar.

Even if she were attacked, she didn't plan to deal with it, since she couldn't die even if she wanted to.

Throughout the journey, Iriet remained completely hidden, avoiding contact with anyone, and cautiously made her way here. If Natalie hadn't discovered her, she would have simply grabbed Misha by the collar, hoisted her onto her shoulder, and carried her away, completing her mission silently without disturbing anyone else.

"I've already said, this road is blocked."

Natalie swung her arm again, and the gleaming white scalpel easily tore through the air, its extremely sharp blade striking towards Iriet.

As soon as Irithyll took two steps, she instinctively hardened her body and used her shoulders to brace herself.

If the previous offensive continues, then ten more stabs wouldn't pose a threat to her, and she could just endure it.

Anyway... compared to the injuries I sustained elsewhere, this doesn't hurt that much.

However, Iriet's judgment was wrong. Compared to the previous silver knife, this white-glowing blade possessed far greater penetrating power! Moreover, seemingly because the anti-magic effect of the previous silver knife still lingered on her skin, Iriet's hardening couldn't be fully applied in time, and the scalpel plunged deep into her shoulder! The immense impact sent her tumbling over, her entire body slammed to the ground like a fluttering bird mercilessly slammed to the ground by a hunter.

Illie swayed, and before she could pull the scalpel handle from her left shoulder, Natalie suddenly raised her arm and pulled on the invisible threads wrapped around the scalpel! Chunks of bloody flesh were pried up from where the scalpel was embedded, and Illie's body swayed heavily. Her hand missed the handle.

Natalie is no rookie operator. The only valuable lesson she learned from past experiences is to reserve all her gentleness for her own people. If the person in front of her is an enemy, then she must show no mercy! Even if the enemy's life is completely cut off, she must make a few more cuts on the corpse's carotid artery, otherwise... the next person to die will be an important ally.

A faint sense of remembrance welled up in Natalie's heart, but more so, an unwavering will.

The scalpel, gleaming with a dark golden light, flew from her hand and struck Irie's abdomen. The runes engraved on the blade, triggered by Originium Arts, erupted with immense heat. As dusk approached, a blazing pillar of light rose from the ground. Hot air billowed out, the oppressively dry heat replacing the chill of the surrounding region, leaving fiery red marks on Irie's skin. Even the evening breeze felt scorched by fire, rushing into her nostrils and burning her lungs with every breath.

However, Iriet was no longer breathing.

She also doesn't need to circulate oxygen through her mouth and nose.

"..."

Iriet clutched her chapped abdomen, swaying as she tried to turn and leave, continuing in the direction Misha had gone. Like an old, single-threaded machine, she understood nothing but following task priorities.

—Kill her.

Mephistopheles' voice suddenly echoed in Iris's mind.

Illyrie froze, her movements halting in a way that defied logic; her step didn't land. Like a wound-up toy running out of energy, a puppet placed on a small stage remained frozen in its previous pose. The toy's false freedom was ruthlessly confiscated by its owner, and her future was forever frozen in that instant.

Illie opened her mouth slightly, as if she wanted to make a sound, but her consciousness was quickly drowned out by another command from Mephistopheles.

——Kill her!

Iris trembled all over and involuntarily lowered her head.

A dark and gloomy feeling overwhelmed her confusion, and she slowly straightened up.

A chilling glint gradually appeared in her eyes, revealing an uncontrollable malice.

"Kill her."

It sounded like the voice of a broken cassette tape coming from Irie's throat.

One can only imagine how many times she must have cried out for help hysterically in the darkest of environments to have her voice become so hoarse.

Illie's body turned into thick mist, the pure white scalpel piercing her shoulder fell to the ground, and she let out an indescribable shriek as she attacked Natalie.

Natalie remained unmoved. Even though the other party's momentum was as overwhelming as a high-speed train, the composure honed by a doctor allowed her to remain calm in the face of danger, silently tightening the three scalpels between her left fingers.

"Ruined—"

Natalie pinched her index finger, raising her arm to parallel with the patterned silver knife held between her middle finger! Her Originium Arts flowed through the Originium crystals on her body onto the scalpel, the precise magical transmission mirroring her superb medical skills, flawlessly concentrating power into the scalpel.

"—All Laws!"

The patterns engraved on the silver blade shone brilliantly, illuminating the ethereal and fleeting Ariel and forcing back her dragon-like charge. The silver blade seemed unable to withstand the continuous magic Natalie poured into it, and cracks appeared, but even as it was destroyed, it still managed to bring the misty Ariel back to her physical form.

Iriet had to stop, her legs, which had reformed, landed on the ground, kicking up dust and mud.

—But in the next moment, she unleashed a speed far surpassing that of mist-like flight!

Before Illie's upper body had fully materialized into human form, her body vanished from its original spot and appeared before Natalie. A phantom image remained where she had been standing; a scalpel radiating golden light pierced the afterimage, unleashing a scorching flame that burned everything, and the shadow flickered and disappeared.

Natalie's second move failed; she hadn't expected her opponent to be so fast, leaving afterimages.

"Crunch, crunch, crunch!!"

Just before Iriet's formed right arm could swing out, Natalie's instinctive reaction saved her life.

The last pure white scalpel Natalie held in her left hand shifted away from Irie's wrist. The extremely sharp blade cut through metal with a hissing sound that made one's teeth ache and legs go weak. Fortunately, Natalie was already used to this sound; otherwise, she would have been the only one affected, which would have been extremely disadvantageous for her.

"Feng feng feng feng!"

A violent gust of wind howled past, and Irie, bound by malice, attacked Natalie tirelessly like a machine. Natalie's all-out attack with the Ruined Blade of All Laws only managed to dispel Irie's mistification, failing to counteract the hardening that followed. Irie was now a completely different person from the exhausted, walking corpse she had been just minutes before; this was the true power of the parasite. An appendage of the barren Holy Grail, an immortal, indestructible skeleton soldier.

Natalie's Originium Arts once again stirred the invisible threads, drawing the pale blade that had fallen to the ground in the distance.

Unfortunately, his attempt to backstab Iriet backfired, as she dodged his attack with her monstrous body reflexes, and he nearly injured himself in the process.

"Squeak! Squeak—!"

The ear-piercing sound, like fingernails scraping a blackboard, continued to echo.

Natalie wielded both swords simultaneously, but even with her extensive surgical experience and hands she considered steadfastly trembling, the powerful recoil caused them to sway uncontrollably. Even though Natalie could always find openings in her opponent's raised arms and legs when fully focused, she couldn't break through Irie's hardened muscles. She could only constantly deflect Irie's attacks, seeking respite amidst the relentless onslaught.

Even if her willpower held up, the thin scalpel in her hand could not remain still under the onslaught.