Ark Chess Player.

She was an assassin, a killer, not a warrior, a knight. She shouldn't have stayed alone in the Sarkaz mercenaries' territory. She wasn't capable of taking on a hundred men single-handedly. She was just a stupid woman who was clearly intelligent but too lazy to think things through!

Lin Lu was unsure of the exact strength of the Sarkaz mercenaries, but judging from the injuries sustained by the reconnaissance team members present, they were definitely not weak.

Even without being able to activate his spirit domain, Lin Lu could still assess the situation based on his experience. Scout, the reconnaissance team leader, despite being severely bloodlogged and with cold limbs, had still managed to shield him from Faust's attack with a bullet. How could a Sarkaz mercenary be weak if they could injure Scout from his prime to the point where he could barely stand?

"Doctor, we should leave now. The Reunion soldiers could catch up at any time."

Dobermann stood in front of Amiya and advised the doctor, "We are all here now, and the evacuation point is right in front of us. We need to get back to the ship as soon as possible to treat the wounded."

"Well, go back."

Dobermann breathed a sigh of relief: "Doctor, I'm glad you understand—"

"You all go back, I'll stay."

"PhD!?"

Under the astonished gazes of all the operators, Lin Lu pushed away Ace, who was supporting him, and reached out his hand to Amiya.

"Amiya, I'm saying this one last time, give me back my card."

"No, I can't let you risk your life to return to the war zone again, Doctor! You've already tried so hard, don't keep doing this to yourself..."

Amiya gritted her teeth, unwilling to let the Doctor go back.

"Then I don't want it."

Lin Lu said coldly, staring at Amiya as he walked past her.

Dubin grabbed Lin Lu's arm and asked with a questioning look, "Doctor, where are you going?"

"Go pick someone up."

"The people from Rhodes Island are all here!"

"I'm going to pick up my people."

Lin Lu slapped Doberman's hand away with great force, so much so that Doberman covered his reddened hand, his anger rising to the top of his head.

"What about Amiya! Are you going to abandon her alone?!" Dubin shouted. "Do you know how much pressure she endured to save you! How many of us sacrificed, how much we gave, how much we gambled on this mission!"

"...You came to find me, and although I don't know who you are, I am grateful for your kindness. I have come all the way with you. The road has been long, full of mud and thorns. I have done everything I could to keep the team intact, and I have done my best. I have a clear conscience."

Lin Lu slowly removed the mask from his face. Although he had no feeling in his whole body, the three teeth marks on his face from the King Killer were burning hot.

"That's it. Thank you all for your kindness. From now on, we'll go our separate ways. You go your way, and I'll go mine."

"PhD……"

Amiya didn't turn around; she held the black card in her hands, her small body trembling.

Lin Lu gazed at Amiya's back as if she had been abandoned, and his delicate and sensitive heart was touched, but the voice of the regicide echoed in his mind.

……

"You clearly promised you wouldn't abandon me, you clearly made a promise with me and Elmoni, so why did you sneak away?"

"Maybe I'm already dead, and I'm just dreaming. Anyway, it's not the first time I've dreamed of you."

"If you lie to me this time, I will find you no matter where you are hiding."

"law."

……

"Amiya still has you by her side."

Lin Lu pulled the side of the Ark Driver, looked at Dobermann's furious face, and slowly loaded a class card into the card slot of the central core.

"But for that person, I'm the only one left by her side."

Lin Lu said calmly, pushing the Ark drive forward with both hands.

Ark Drive

"Specialist"

The golden light transformed into a red wolf shadow, forcing the surrounding Rhodes Island operators to retreat and clear a wide area.

"Projekt Red!"

Amidst the interplay of light and shadow, standing proudly amidst the billowing smoke is a wolf girl with grey hair and golden eyes, draped in a deep red coat.

"If you want to stop me and force me to go to Rhodes Island... go ahead and try. You'd better pray you have a way to make someone lose their memory again."

Lin Lu glanced at Ace, who was about to make a move, his gaze cold, making Lin Lu even wonder if a dagger would fly over next.

"Goodbye."

Lin Lu memorized the faces of everyone present, making sure he wouldn't forget them, before turning and leaving.

"PhD!"

Amiya shouted loudly, her voice clear and resonant.

Lin Lu stopped in his tracks. Although he didn't want to pay attention, he felt that leaving like this would cause psychological trauma to the little rabbit.

"Doctor, I am the leader of Rhodes Island, and I must prioritize the greater good."

The little rabbit, surprisingly, did not become depressed. Instead, she quickly cheered up and strode over to Lin Lu's side.

“We won’t wait here for long. I can’t let everyone stay here. I can’t…” Amiya clenched her fist, reached out, and gently patted Lin Lu’s back. “I can’t stop you from going to such a dangerous place, but I hope you can think more about yourself. We’ll wait here for you for half an hour, until you bring her back, until you bring back the new member of Rhodes Island. Even if Dr. Kal’tsit refuses, I have the right to decide on employee onboarding. Don’t underestimate me.”

Amiya placed the black card in Lin Lu's hand, her rabbit ears drooping in disappointment, but she still managed a forced smile.

"Rhodes Island will always be the Doctor's home, and that will never change, no matter how many years pass or what happens."

"...Half an hour?"

Lin Lu tightened his grip on the black card in his hand and slowly pulled up the hood of his fluffy coat to conceal his expression.

“Yes, half an hour!” Amiya nodded vigorously.

"enough."

……

The Rhodes Island crew watched the Doctor's figure disappear at high speed. Dobermann slowly lowered the whip he was gripping and came to Amiya's side.

"Amiya... is she really okay?"

"Yes, I believe in the doctor!"

“No, I mean…” Dobermann’s expression was somewhat subtle. She leaned closer to the rabbit’s ears and whispered, “Dr. Kal’tsit’s communication just came through. She heard what you said…”

"What!?"

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Wolf Pack

Chernobog Central City Southwest Area.

The area suffered less damage from the natural disaster, but the overwhelming magical attacks still reduced the city to ruins, with traces of Originium Arts' erosion everywhere. Thick smoke drifted into the sky, plunging everything into darkness. The battlefield was shrouded in dense smoke, making it seem as if one had arrived in Victoria's industrial district.

"enough!"

Garsen, the Sarkaz mercenary leader, brandished his heavy greatsword, and a raging hurricane swept away the thick fog, sending it soaring straight into the sky. Garsen hoisted the door-wide greatsword onto his shoulder, his furious expression, hidden beneath his black iron mask, contorted into a hideous grimace, as he let out an impatient roar.

"How long are you going to hide! You despicable traitor!"

Garsen roared at the deserted streets outside, but he knew someone was hiding nearby, and the ground was littered with the corpses of Sarkaz mercenaries.

An hour earlier, they encountered other forces disguised as Reunion Movement soldiers here.

Garson had already received information about Rhodes Island beforehand, and he launched an attack on these people without hesitation, overwhelming them with overwhelming power.

Initially, the Sarkaz mercenaries easily killed two and seriously wounded the remaining four. As time passed and reinforcements arrived, the situation changed. Ironically, the enemy leader turned out to be an acquaintance of Garsen's, someone he had fought against three years prior… Given this, it was even more imperative to annihilate them!

After a very amicable declaration of war and a rejection of the other side's offer to join forces, Garsen ordered the mercenary Sarkaz sorcerers to focus fire on the enemy leader, and vines entwined with malevolent and deathly magic bound Scout in place.

Just as Scout was about to perish, thick smoke billowed from the ground.

A lone wolf emerged from the shadows, using a short blade less than a meter long to deflect Garson's heavy sword and save Scout's life.

The balance on the battlefield has therefore been tilted.

Sarkaz's swordsmen, mages, warriors, swordsmen, and snipers—none could keep up with her figure, and they all perished in the thick fog. Some didn't even manage to touch the hem of her garment before dying, watching helplessly as she rushed into their arms and beheaded them.

Even a demon will die if its head is cut off.

"Kingslayer! I know it's you! I just want to know what price Rhodes Island paid to make you betray Talulah. You have several times more soldiers than other groups, and your power within Reunion is second only to Talulah's. What more could you possibly want?"

Garsen shouted, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings as he searched for prey with the unique senses of a Sarkaz.

"What could possibly make someone like you, who prioritizes your own life, risk death in battle to evacuate Rhodes Island from here? Look, they're all gone. They didn't even stay to help you, let alone say thank you. You're all alone here, but do you think you can escape? Dream on! When I catch you, I won't let you die so easily. I'll make you reveal the bargaining chip Rhodes Island gave you, then I'll personally bring it to you and smash it to pieces."

As Garsen took a step, he sensed a fleeting sense of unease, and a smile involuntarily crept up his face beneath the black iron mask.

When you are staring into the abyss, the abyss is also staring into you.

Garsen moved, the heavy greatsword as light as a wooden stick in his hands.

He turned his back, and with fluid movements, swung his body and slashed the greatsword diagonally upwards!

A piercing metallic clang rang out as Garsen's greatsword clashed violently with the short blade hurtling down from above, sending sparks flying. The flying metal shavings emitted a blinding white light, illuminating a pair of bloodthirsty red eyes and a dark mask that couldn't conceal the aura of violence.

The Kingslayer shifted the force of the weapon clash by twisting his wrist, simultaneously spinning twice in mid-air and delivering a powerful kick to Garsen's face. Unfortunately, Garsen blocked the kick with his massive sword, failing to shut that foul-smelling mouth.

With his feet on the ground, the Kingslayer tried to disappear into thin air again, but was repeatedly forced back by Garsen's storm of slashes.

"You're getting impatient, you're getting impatient, you're getting impatient!" Garson's voice came through the black iron mask, his hoarse and deep voice full of malice. "It seems Rhodes Island has given you quite a few bargaining chips. What kind of treasure is it? Something that can make you so angry that you'd even drag your wounds to take my life? I really want it!"

"……Shut up."

The regicide swung her arm and twirled her short blade, barely managing to deflect the incoming blows time and time again. The wound on her side tore open with the violent movements of her body, and blood soaked her trousers and boots. Her breath was filled with the smell of rust, which clung to her mask and wouldn't dissipate.

A Sarkaz curse user was ruthlessly disguised as an ordinary sorcerer and thrown onto the battlefield as bait by Garzan. As a result, the Kingslayer was wounded by the curse user's counter-spell, which was cast at the cost of his own life, the moment he attacked. His movements became sluggish due to blood loss, and his consciousness was blurred by the curse that kept echoing in his ears.

"It doesn't matter what you are, you'll fall into my hands sooner or later. If it's treasure, I'll take it. If it's a person, I'll bring them to you in the dungeon and tear them apart piece by piece in front of you, so you'll understand the fate of a traitor before you die!"

"Shut up!!"

The Kingslayer suddenly raised his head, a black shadow covering his entire body, distorting space the instant Garsen's greatsword fell.

Garsen's powerful strike slammed straight into the ground, creating a large crater in the floor, with cracks spreading in all directions.

The Kingslayer, who had teleported behind Garsen, swiftly turned around, his short blade emanating a black aura, and the ominous blade slashed towards Garsen's vulnerable nape.

"Hey."

Garsen let out a cold laugh, and the instant his slash missed, he lowered the hilt of his sword. Just as expected, just as he had anticipated, everything unfolded as he had predicted. Garsen sidestepped and raised his left arm, forcefully blocking the Kingslayer's short blade. Half of the blade pierced his skin, muscles, and bones, embedding itself deep within like a nail.

The mad demon gained the upper hand at the cost of an arm.

Garsen grabbed the Kingslayer's cheek with his right hand and slammed her to the ground with a deafening roar.

The kingslayer suffered a severe head injury, his vision went black, and the dark shadows that had been clinging to his body instantly collapsed, dissipating into smoke and vanishing with the wind.

“You probably don’t know, but I can tell you… the Sarkaz Blood Demons are very sensitive to blood.” Garsen’s enormous, beast-like claws pressed down on the Kingslayer’s head, slowly pulling her from the shattered ground. Bloodstains mixed with dirt and stone chips dripped slowly onto the ground, and the sound of swallowing saliva came from under the black iron mask.

"More than forty Sarkaz mercenaries died at your hands. Even the Rhodes Island crew, the one who fought me on the battlefield three years ago, didn't lose a fraction of the number of men they killed. How are you going to compensate me for all this?"

Garsen tightened his grip, and the sound of the Kingslayer's skull struggling brought him some solace.

Keep in mind that his men didn't lose this many men when they stormed Ursus's key military strongholds.

"Tell me, what exactly did Rhodes Island promise you?"

The regicide did not answer; her fingers moved upwards with difficulty, grasping the half-charred stick hanging from her coat.

She raised her hand tremblingly and tapped Garsen on the head, the soot from the charcoal leaving a scratch on the ugly mask.

Garsen remained silent.

That's enough. He's given up. Rhodes Island doesn't matter anymore. All Garsen wants now is to crush the head in his hand!

“Ouch——!!”

A sudden roar of wolves filled the air. Garsen frowned and looked around, but no one was there. When he turned back, he found his hand empty. Startled, he scanned his surroundings and discovered a stranger had appeared out of nowhere in front of him and snatched his prey away.

"Who are you?"

Garsen felt a chill run down his spine, raised the heavy sword stuck in the ground, and pointed it at the approaching figure.

A red wolf embraces the blood-soaked kingslayer, its lonely figure appearing and disappearing in the shadows.

The wolf girl slowly turned her head, and her golden eyes, filled with uncontrollable rage, instantly blazed with crimson light.