Ark Chess Player.

"——Qiang!"

Alex gripped the Bonebreaker Gunblade, swung his arm sharply, and switched the gun mode to a blade.

Throughout the entire operation, Amiya did not issue any direct command orders to Alex. This was because their respective allies were different at the time. Without understanding each other's abilities, rashly demanding actions from the other could easily backfire.

Amiya's psychic powers allow her to see Alex's past, but she doesn't directly plunder all of his memories, so she doesn't fully understand him. Doing so would be a burden for her and could easily trigger resonance. Now is not the time to use this skill; she can't risk shattering her ring.

Feel free to improvise and adapt to changing circumstances.

This may sound irresponsible, but it is indeed the best approach right now.

Alex did not act rashly, but instead cooperated with Gavial to draw the skeleton hostage's attention.

The closer he observed the monster, and the more he combined it with W and Asahi's testimonies, the more he realized what heinous things Mephistopheles had done!

Even if it's broken... Alex considers himself a radical in the Reunion Movement, but he never thought of such a vicious act as sacrificing human lives.

If Misha were taken away like this, what would become of her? Alex merely thought about it, and his grip on the gunblade tightened even more, the ancient hunter's weapon, imbued with spirit, returning power to him.

"Shadow Strike".

Amiya's shadow overlapped with the silhouette of the skeletal kidnapper. She leaped forward, hurling the curved dagger she held in her left hand upward. A rhombus-shaped totem suspended in the void behind her formed a magical thread connecting the black blade, temporarily serving as a grappling hook.

The power of the special class is not just about increased speed.

The true significance of the Special Class lies in providing a choice of tactical branches, allowing for greater freedom in combat methods.

As the black blade, along with the spun thread, wound its way to the pillar connecting the skeleton hijacker's left arm to the shield, Amiya tightened the semi-solid black thread, pulling her body upwards. Using the momentum, she leaped, nimbly stepping onto the skeleton hijacker's frame to climb upwards.

Amiya raised her right hand, and another black blade slashed down with remarkable precision. Her wood-chopping technique was self-taught, learned from Katsura Kotonoha, and she accurately sliced ​​into the pillar connecting the White Bone Hostage's shield.

"clang!!"

A deafening sound rang out, and Amiya felt as if she were sharpening a knife rather than chopping bones. The gleaming, dark red, curved blade pressed against the connecting pillar, countless sparks sliding down from it, each spark a burning bone fragment.

To break through this shield directly using physical means, you'd need at least a battering ram or similar weapon, right?

Amiya couldn't help but smile wryly as she recalled Gavial tearing the shield apart. No wonder so many Rhodes Island members were afraid to train with Gavial; they were simply not on the same level. Looking back now, she realized Gavial had held back in the training room; otherwise, she would have destroyed Rhodes Island.

At the same time, Amiya also felt a little relieved.

If Gavial is not there, she will face a tough battle alone against the monster.

"Gawoowoowoo!!!"

The skeletal kidnapper let out a shriek, attempting to use its Iron Mountain Lean to shake off Amiya and repel the obstructing Gavial. But its movement was cut short by Alex, who was poised to strike, severing its already wounded left leg with two slashes from his gunblade. Gavial had nearly shattered its left leg at the start of the fight, and Alex's finishing blow sealed its fate.

The massive figure crashed to the ground, forced to brace itself with its hands for balance, its triangular head turned toward Alex. Seemingly intimidated by its weapon, it extended its claws with a mixture of bravado and cowardice, completely ignoring Amiya.

The Bonebreaker Gunblade is an ancient hunter's weapon guarding the Grail Dungeon, possessing a unique lethality against this abyssal derivative. Its predecessor, Gehrman Donpson, was the gatekeeper of one of those dungeons.

Of course, that's all in the past.

The current owner is Alex.

He's not a hunter, but he's willing to hunt nightmares.

Alex looked at his hand gripping the weapon. He didn't know why, but when he severed the skeleton kidnapper's left leg... he felt every cell in his body cheering for it, a kind of illusion of his blood boiling.

They stepped forward to save something.

They fought bloody battles to protect something.

This is not to satisfy anyone's selfish desires.

It's not about being manipulated or treated as a tool.

Isn't that enough of a reason to wield a sharp blade?

Alex seems to be just a little short of finding the answer.

Chapter 342 Crimson (4K)

"Just a little bit..."

Amiya's left hand tightened the illusory thread, pulling the black blade upwards to slash. Her right hand wielded the knife, continuously applying two diametrically opposed forces simultaneously to the arm support connecting the skeletal kidnapper to the shield.

"Zizzi-"

Compared to the muffled cracking of bones, it sounded more like the clanging of metal, and even Alex felt a faint stinging sensation in his eardrums.

The skeletal kidnapper swung its injured left arm, along with Amiya, who refused to give up, and extended its claws toward Alex. It was incredibly fast, like a frightened beast, instinctively using movements that exceeded its limits.

Amiya knew this was a bad situation, but she didn't want to give up.

It was so close—so close!!

"Amiya!"

Alex shouted, "Trust me!"

A strong will sweeps through the spiritual world, causing ripples to spread across the lake of the soul.

Alex opened his defenses completely to her, conveying all his desires and thoughts to her.

Amiya clearly sensed Alex's emotional fluctuations. She slowly relaxed her clenched teeth and nodded.

Without needing verbal confirmation, Amiya chose to believe him.

Don't use the suspect, but don't use it.

These are essential qualities for leaders and commanders.

Amiya stepped onto the shoulders of the skeletal kidnapper and leaped upwards, appearing as light as an elf in the moonlight. The thread she held in her left hand snapped, and the black blade flew out of control, but was quickly reconnected by the thread that reappeared from the diamond-shaped totem, and was nimbly retrieved back into her hand.

As the skeletal kidnapper's claws attacked, Alex dodged to the side at the last second, raising his gunblade to block in front of him.

"Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!!" The skeletal kidnapper's claws scraped against the gunblade, creating blinding sparks. Through the pair of deformed gunblades, Alex withstood the powerful impact with his body. The wound beneath the bandages, which had just begun to heal, was mercilessly torn apart by this force, and warm blood seeped into his clothes, carrying away his body heat with the evening breeze.

Alex could have dodged earlier, but he couldn't miss this opportunity.

“Break it for me!!”

Alex roared in battle, pressing down with both hands to cleave the amber veins of the skeletal kidnapper's wrist. His armor-piercing talent activated, ignoring 70% of the enemy's defense and shattering their tough bone! Combined with the fact that the Bone-Smashing Blade countered the Grail's Abyss derivative effect, he successfully gained the upper hand in this standoff!

"Crack, crack, crack..."

The skeletal hostage's wrist cracked under the strain, finally severing in two, its massive hand severed. Amber liquid gushed forth like a fountain, the scalding liquid staining the bone-crushing gunblade. Whether it was an illusion or not, one could faintly hear an excited response from the gunblade, its edge trembling involuntarily.

Alex felt a throbbing, aching pain in his arms, and cracks appeared at the base of his thumb where he gripped the knife hilt, from which blood seeped continuously. Not only were his hands in excruciating pain, but even the wounds W had bandaged for him had flared up again. He felt as if he had been pulled from water, blood and sweat mingling together, sand clinging to his clothes, creating an uncomfortable sensation.

"……grandfather?"

Alex stood unsteadily, perhaps due to excessive blood loss, and a towering figure appeared before him. His proud, albeit not blood-related, grandfather—the old hunter Gehrman Donpson, who only acknowledged Alex as his successor upon their separation—stood before him.

This is an illusion, a mirage, a will residing within the Shattered Bone Blade.

Alex knew, he was clear about it, but he still couldn't control his emotions. His eyes were misty, but the phantom in the mist was still clear. In the mist, his grandfather seemed to be thirty years younger, wearing an old hunter's outfit, a heavy tricorn hat, and a brass plate tied to his left leg. He stood like a pine tree, majestic and awe-inspiring.

"So old, and still such a crybaby."

The old man spoke.

The voice echoed in Alex's mind.

"These two weapons are used like this, watch carefully."

The old hunter's illusory figure overlapped with Alex's, and the old hunter's hand, through Alex's hand, grasped the Bone-Shattering Gunblade. Alex's eyes seemed to reopen, and he spun his body, power flowing from his waist, raising his twin blades high! The gunblade flashed, deflecting the skeletal kidnapper's swinging arm with a deafening roar.

At the same time, the Bone-Crushing Gunblade switched from its blade form to its gun form! The weapon emitted a clear and pleasant sound of mechanical shafts turning, as amber liquid seeped into the intricate mechanism, producing a burning sound. The Hunter's Workshop's craftsmanship was on full display in this weapon, directly absorbing and transforming the Originium-containing solution into bone marrow ash, amplifying the weapon's power.

Alex aimed the Bone Crusher at the pillar connecting the shield to the monster's arm and pulled the trigger.

The grenade from the Bone Crusher struck the Bone Hijacker's arm first. One of the two Originium explosives successfully hit the key part connecting the shield, while the other thwarted the monster's attempt to raise its arm to defend itself.

The purple field continuously absorbed the aftershocks of the grenades fired by Alex's channeled mental energy, but the resulting shockwaves successfully deflected its defensive direction, exposing its weak points to Amiya's view.

Amiya leaped into the air with a rabbit-like kick, her hands gripping the curved black blade as she gathered power during her backward flight. At that moment, the diamond-shaped totem on her back doubled in diameter, floating in the sky like clouds obscuring the bright moonlight.

"Trajectory correction in progress, target locked, charging initiation... Charging complete, ready." The PRTS system's cool, mechanical female voice came through Amiya's communication headset.

When Amiya activated her belt to transform, the Eye of Presence was already activated, providing her with the necessary assistance.

"READY?"

The PRTS system inquired.

Amiya took a slow breath. Without Lin Lu's data-driven spiritual domain, she couldn't directly see the data changes. She could only trust her intuition and make judgments based on her combat experience.

"EXCEED CHARGE"

Amiya straightened her back slightly, and the Ark Driver emitted dark red patterns. The central core shone a light curtain, and the reddish light wall wove together the symbols of the special class.

"Hey ha!!"

Amiya, wielding two black blades, charged forward at high speed, the diamond-shaped totem on her back erupting with surging energy, propelling her attack. The moment Amiya's body touched the wall of light, she felt her strength triple, and her speed soared once more.

A tearing, mournful cry echoed through the air, and dark red light flickered with arcs of electricity, like a falling meteor.

Amiya's incredibly fierce strike sliced ​​through the billowing smoke from the Originium explosives, seemingly severing space itself. When the blade touched the pillar connecting the shield, it melted the bone-like structure with its amber veins instantly, like a hot knife through butter. The Originium-infused solution triggered an explosion with a deafening roar!

Bone fragments spun outwards, and the impact of the air blast knocked Alex over.

Amiya spun around and slashed during her dive attack, leaving a deep gash on the skeletal kidnapper's left arm. The gash widened, and Amiya finally severed the monster's seemingly indestructible skeleton.

A ghostly figure landed on the ground, raising a cloud of yellow sand. Amiya weaved through the skeletal kidnapper, her leg bracing against the ground as she slid for nearly ten meters before finally coming to a stop. The blades of the two curved black blades in her hands were both twisted and broken, having fulfilled their purpose, and dissipated into faint particles.

Behind Amiya, a massive magical shield crashed to the ground with a loud thud as the connecting pillar broke.

The skeletal kidnapper raised her right arm to cover her nearly severed left arm, attempting to stabilize it with her regenerative abilities, but the quick-witted Gavial was already prepared! She hurled her Originium Staff—yes, a healer who used her staff as a spear. And it must be said, her movement was quite impressive, exuding the aura of a tribal chief from a remote region.

The Originium Staff streaked through the air, flying and trembling like a giant python poised to strike. Peeking out from a hidden corner, it leaped into the air with a burst of energy, its gaping maw ready to bite its enemy.

The Bone Lurker had nowhere to run. It couldn't stand on one leg, and its right arm caught its left, causing it to lose its balance. Gavial's spear exploded with a sound no less powerful than Amiya's Crimson Slash, piercing the shaky left arm and flipping most of the Bone Lurker's body over, sending it crashing to the ground.

Alex, who was knocked over by the gust of wind, managed to tumble to the side, but even that couldn't save him from the impact. Neymar rolled a few times on the ground, dazed, and looked up, spitting out a mouthful of sand in disbelief, regretting that he hadn't put on his whaling mask.

"Rhode Island..."

Alex took a slight breath, surprised by the strength of Amiya and Gavial.

Sure enough, this was completely different from what Talulah had said. Whether it was the night raid a few days ago or today's infiltration of Lungmen, these wars simply treated their infected brethren as expendable resources. Once a person's existence is reduced to a number, then whatever evil deeds are committed afterward seem perfectly justified.

"What a joke."

Alex stood up, glaring at the fallen skeleton raiders, his gaze drifting further into the distance.

Far from the battlefield, in a rather comfortable place, perhaps Mephisto and Talulah are enjoying the feeling of having their men willing to risk their lives for them after delivering a passionate speech? Is this what high status is all about? How is this any different from those who persecute the infected?!

"What a joke!!"

Alex roared out another heart-wrenching scream.

He felt it was unfair to those who fought alongside him and firmly believed in the original tenets of the Reunion Movement.

The Reunion Movement's commando units are essentially suicide squads, a promise Captain Alex once made to his men.

"Those infected are patients, not criminals."

"Those infected should have a future; their lives should not end here."

"Those who will be infected in the future, those who will come after us."

Alex stood up unsteadily, his short white hair falling across his face, mixed with yellow sand that clung to his skin.

I want to live.

Must survive.

Whether it's Talulah or Mephisto.

I will definitely seek justice for those brothers who burned out in falsehoods and lies!

"Kaka."

The skeletal hijacker didn't get up; it remained lying on the ground, quietly raising its head. If Lin Lu had been there, he would have definitely warned it, because he had seen this starting position more than once. The monster that ravaged the battlefield in the Lungmen slums had once used this very move to destroy Lungmen's special operations force, the Vermilion Bird Squad.

"Knock knock knock..."

Trapped in the birdcage, Misha raised her arm and pounded on the barrier, desperately issuing a warning.

She watched the entire battle from her VIP seat, but she wasn't just a spectator.

When Misha boarded the Jet-Black Train, also known as the World Serpent, at the Army Without Borders' Lungmen base, she already displayed intelligence beyond her years. She quickly deciphered the mechanisms and effortlessly unlocked the interlocking locks.

This keen observation, which even Lin Lu couldn't help but admire, was not just for show.