Ark Chess Player.

At this moment, they seemed to be the emperors of Ursus, capable of killing someone with a single thought.

This power to completely control the life and death of others can turn a person into a demon.

The mines were transformed into slaughterhouses, where the infected were not even considered livestock. While livestock could at least be fed and fattened, the infected received only the bare minimum of food each day, yet had to expend unequal hours of labor.

When Yelena was five years old, her parents drew a black ball.

When Yelena was ten years old, she drew a black card, but her grandmother swapped it for her and took her place on the execution platform.

When Yelena was eleven years old, she drew a black card again, but it didn't matter anymore.

The miners' attention was no longer on the lottery; they were tired of killing. Yes, tired of killing.

All adult patients in the mine have died, and new infected have not been added, causing mining efficiency to plummet. The overseers' actions have led to a shortage of manpower in the mine and have enraged the Ursus leadership.

However, the Ursus leadership was not angry because of the miners' atrocities, but because of the failure to provide a large amount of Originium minerals as scheduled.

Therefore, the Ursus garrison decided to go all the way and prepared bamboo tubes filled with black tags, distributing them to the last batch of infected people in the mine... the oldest of whom were not even sixteen years old.

They wanted to abandon the entire mine, blow it up, and use it as a graveyard for the infected, a way to cover up their crimes. They hoped to return to warm towns and start their lives anew. They could still enjoy the privileges and status of Ursus soldiers. No more spending their days in the cold mine with a bunch of inhuman infected, they could enjoy fine food and hot soup whenever they wanted.

It's as if this world is just so unreasonable, that innocent civilians should be sent to the mines, while butchers with blood on their hands can step over corpses and walk to higher places.

On the day of her execution, Yelena was forced by the overseers to kneel amidst the pile of corpses. She tried to resist, but one of the overseers struck her in the back with a shovel and slammed her heavily into the pile. She lay on the bodies, weeping bitterly; she remembered the names of the dead. She had broken countless stones in this mine, she had lived there with other children, and when she was sick, it was the infected miners who cared for her.

Now she can only crawl on the cold corpses of these miners she once considered family, about to suffer the same tragic fate.

At that moment, Yelena let out a roar of defiance, her burning emotions melting in her chest and surging wildly with her rapidly beating heart. She heard the voice of Originium, and she responded to it. Black ice crystals appeared before her eyes, and she grasped the power.

A cold wave swept across the sky, turning it black, and emotions that had been suppressed for five years since Grandmother's passing finally erupted.

The magic converged, compressed, and exploded, instantly freezing the four executioners into ice sculptures. Yelena's frail body was also permeated with Originium. At that moment, she desperately wished she could hold on a little longer, even if it meant freezing one more overseer. She was unwilling to end it all like this.

Unexpectedly, the Ursus garrison, which had suffered losses due to an infected child, suddenly rallied. Their ruthless military discipline allowed them to adapt to any unexpected situation. They quickly suppressed Yelena's outburst and knocked the children who had drawn the black lottery to the ground.

Cries echoed across the mine, the final wails of children who had never seen the light. They knew nothing of what lay beyond the mines; they had eaten nothing but broken rice porridge and Ursus leba, which could almost crush ore. They had never been to school and knew not how to write. Their lives should not have ended like this, but demons in military uniforms were about to unleash their slaughter.

Just at this time……

A guerrilla force arrived at this remote, small mine that did not belong to any city and had no surrounding settlements.

"Those are the Bozokastine guerrillas."

Froststar looked at Lin Lu, who was listening intently, and murmured, "All the Ursus soldiers guarding the infected on the Northwest Tundra have a dream, and this team is their worst nightmare. The guerrillas are specifically there to punish the Ursus people who harm the infected. I've heard the miners talk about them; the miners' dying wish was for the guerrillas to reach this mine."

Lin Lu took a deep breath, silently imprinting the life of this snow-white Carter's girl into his memory.

This time, he won't forget.

Chapter 378 Spicy Candy (Fourth Update)

As Lin Lu listened to Froststar's words, he felt a strong urge. He so wished he could travel back in time and change the girl's life before anything terrible happened.

Unfortunately, this was just a thought.

All Lin Lu could do was listen to Shuangxing's past and watch over her future.

"Bozokastine's guerrillas..."

Lin Lu muttered to himself that he remembered them.

Froststar continued, “The guerrillas wiped out every executioner in the mine. None of these overseers were innocent; their hands were stained with the blood of innocent infected people. The dead were enough to fill the mine. If the guerrillas hadn’t come, then I… and my brothers and sisters would have been buried in the mine. These executioners who committed these crimes would be able to enjoy new lives, while we would be buried by the wind and snow, forever remaining on the frozen soil of the Northwest Ice Plains.”

Froststar nestled against Lin Lu's chest, and said with a self-deprecating laugh, "I was lucky to be rescued by the guerrillas. But my less fortunate companions were left behind on the pale, colorless ice plains. I only realized now that these Ursus garrison troops were initially just following orders to capture infected people. The reason they became demons wasn't because they were inherently evil, but because the overwhelming rhetoric, the embellished stories, and the deliberately created hostility allowed cruelty and indifference to take root in their bodies."

"It is this Ursus that inspires soldiers to fight bloody battles on the battlefield, defend their homes and country, and win glory."

"It was Ursus who allowed soldiers to enslave the infected in the rear and degenerate into demons through indulgence."

"Our enemy is Ursus."

"We...can't win at all."

Frostnova's body trembled; a sense of powerlessness seeped into her very bones, for her enemy was not a solitary figure. Her enemy was Ursus, a nation, one of the strongest nations on Terra.

Her enemy is the will of Ursus; what power does she have to change all of this?

Lin Lu could clearly feel the girl's trembling body. This stubborn girl had always carried a regret. She could not change her motherland, she could not change the situation of the infected. She could only watch helplessly as the hot blood of her infected compatriots mixed with the filthy blood of the demons, freezing into deep red ice, becoming a part of the earth.

"..."

Lin Lu gently held Shuangxing in his arms.

At this moment, Lin Lu had no evil thoughts that he shouldn't have.

He only hoped that he could give her more warmth and comfort.

The two nestled together, unaware of how much time had passed, until Froststar raised her flushed face.

"Well……"

Froststar pleaded softly, "Rule, do me a favor."

Lin Lu said solemnly, "I'm willing to do anything. If you'd like, I'll go and smash the Ursus Emperor's head right now."

"No need, I just wanted you to help me carry something." Froststar was startled by Lin Lu's words, because when Lin Lu said he would smash the Ursus Emperor's head, his domineering aura made it seem like he wasn't joking.

"Even if we really smash the emperor's head, it's fine." Lin Lu blinked.

"Yes, yes, yes... I have a few candies in the left pocket of my coat, could you give me one? My whole body is numb from my fingertips to my neck, I can only move my head and neck. This is probably a side effect of overusing magic, and it's more severe today. This has only happened once before. I've been unconscious, paralyzed, and unable to move freely even after regaining consciousness. I know my own condition best."

At this point, Froststar's bright eyes darted around mischievously, and she smiled in the same unchanging tone, "If you'd like to try some, you can take one for yourself."

Lin Lu's attention was focused on what Froststar was saying. Froststar's physical condition was worse than he had imagined. If she continued to use Originium Arts like this, she would definitely break down... Lin Lu thought to himself as he reached into Froststar's pocket.

Distracted, he reached for nothing before realizing he had touched Frostnova's right pocket.

Even the clever Mr. Lin could not escape the laws of nature, repeatedly plugging the USB port in backwards and confusing the left and right pockets.

"and then?"

Lin Lu picked up two candies; the white candy wrappers showed signs of being handmade.

"Ah~"

Frost Star slowly opened her small mouth, revealing her beautiful white teeth and pink tongue to Lin Lu.

Lin Lu's LSP radar emitted a loud blast, causing him to tremble slightly, this time out of excitement, not fear.

It has to be admitted that the image of the beautiful girl closing her eyes and waiting to be fed is etched into Lin Lu's DNA, and Lin Lu's DNA has been activated! The Tower of Babel has also been activated! What he wants to feed Frostnova is not the candy in his hand, but his deoxyribose.

"Lü, what are you dawdling about?"

Froststar looked at Lin Lu with a hint of reproach, "Even feeding him candy takes so long."

"I was thinking of putting it in my mouth first, and then feeding you mouth-to-mouth... Okay, okay, I'll feed you now, I'll feed you now." Lin Lu felt a little flustered by Shuangxing's glare, so he quickly tore open the candy wrapper and gently put the candy into Shuangxing's mouth without even touching her lips.

"Thank you."

Froststar smiled with joy, as if this were the most delicious candy in the world, and her smile became much sweeter.

Lin Lu stared blankly at Shuangxing's smiling face, momentarily lost in thought, foolishly clutching the other candy.

"This is candy that I made with a good friend, it's handmade. I remember you used to love sweets, so consider it a return gift for getting this candy for me. Try it, you can't get this kind of candy in Lungmen. It's a special candy from Ussau, and I only have three left in my pocket, so every one I eat is one less. Although the taste is a bit strange, life is short, you should always try new things, shouldn't you?"

Froststar smiled and urged Lin Lu to eat the candy. Her tone was unintentionally slightly coquettish. Who could resist that? Being persuaded to buy a product by such a beautiful rabbit girl, even if he was holding a half-step to madness, Lin Lu would be willing to eat it.

Besides, it's candy.

Lin Lu loves sweets, and this hasn't changed in the past or present. Sugar is a wonderful thing; it can relax the mind and make you happy.

When someone is unhappy, eating a piece of candy can make them feel half better.

"I'm not welcome."

Lin Lu tore open the white candy wrapper and put the red candy into his mouth.

Froststar's smile brightened as she gazed at Lin Lu with a beaming smile.

Lin Lu nodded, feeling the sugar coating burst on his tongue. His tired brain was replenished, becoming more active and his thoughts quickened. Then—

"Well!"

Lin Lu shuddered.

Lin Lu's face gradually turned red.

Lin Lu's gaze darted back and forth.

Pain exploded on the tip of his tongue, and Lin Lu's eyes widened in shock from the spiciness.

Lin Lu loves sweets the most, and he is least good at spicy food.

"So spicy!!"

It was incredibly spicy; Lin Lu felt a stinging sensation even when he breathed.

"Ahahahaha!"

Frostnova laughed so hard she almost dropped the candy in her mouth, and tears welled up in her eyes. Perhaps it was the contrast that made her feel so happy to see this confident and reliable man showing his vulnerable side.

"Is it fun?!"

Lin Lu resisted the urge to spit out the candy. He wasn't the type to waste food, especially since... it was Froststar's favorite candy. It was perfectly reasonable for him to finish it; it was a matter of respect for a woman.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't help... wanting to tease you a little." Froststar unconsciously revealed a cute, girlish expression. She squinted, her clear gray eyes reflecting Lin Lu's expression. She smiled and said, "I've tried this joke on people around me before, and because I've done it so many times, no one has fallen for it anymore. Now I've finally found an opportunity. I won't play pranks on anyone other than you."

Froststar looked at Lin Lu's face, which was flushed red from the spiciness, and her smile gradually became charming and mature, with a mischievous grin.

"Since it's exclusively mine, then there's nothing I can do about it."

Lin Lu said softly that he always felt like he was being flirted with, but he had no proof.

I don't know if this feeling of excitement is because the candy is too spicy, or because of something else.

"Hoo hoo... Do you Ursus people have such unique tastes? Even your candy is mixed with vodka, chili, and a little bit of sugar... So this is what Ursus candy is like. No wonder you said Lungmen doesn't have it."

Lin Lu asked subconsciously, completely unaware that Shuangxing's smile was slowly fading.

“Because I’m cold,” Froststar whispered.

"Really? It feels quite comfortable to hug."

"...You really are the kind of person who keeps things to yourself!"

Frosty Star, unable to hide her shyness, headbutted Lin Lu's chest. Because of her weak strength, it felt more like she was being coquettish.

“You’re the only one in the world who won’t get frostbite from me.” Froststar lay prostrate on Lin Lu, raising her eyes to look at him with curiosity, as if he were some rare creature. “My body temperature is very cold, colder than winter itself, and external heat cannot penetrate it. If anyone else were to come into contact with even the slightest bit of my skin, they would suffer severe frostbite.”

"really?"

"Would I lie to you? What's the point of lying about this?"

Froststar sighed, "If I could, I would also like to become more normal."

"If I'm the only one who can touch you normally... then wouldn't I be your soulmate?"

Lin Lu suddenly realized and asked, "When are we planning to get married? Do you prefer a Yan-style wedding or a Victorian style? To be honest, I don't really understand the wedding customs in Ursus. Do I have to fight your father first and win before I can take you home?"

—On the outskirts of the ruins of Chernobog No. 14, a huge danger emanates from above the head of Patriot, who is searching for his daughter.

Chapter 379 I'm Healed (Fifth Update!)

What are you talking about?!

Froststar's face instantly turned even redder than Lin Lu's. She glanced to the side, unable to meet Lin Lu's gaze.

Lin Lu knew when to stop and didn't delve any deeper into the topic, maintaining a pleasant distance in their conversation.

"Can you drink hot beverages? Coffee, black tea, or something like that?" Lin Lu asked.

"Yeah, I like hot drinks because I can feel the temperature of the beverage as it slides down my esophagus into my stomach. It's my way of feeling warm... Sadly, hot drinks burn my internal organs. I can't even take a hot bath. Taking a cold bath in frigid Ursus feels like having ice shavings rubbed against my body, it's really uncomfortable... Wait a minute, are you imagining what it's like for me to take a bath!"

Lin Lu stared intently at Shuangxing, and with a sudden twitch of his body, he let out a long breath.

"I'm ready."

"No good!"

Although Froststar didn't understand what Lin Lu was implying, she had a bad feeling.

Lin Lu naturally wouldn't explain the joke to her; if she didn't understand... wouldn't that be even better?

"Is this because of Oripathy?" Lin Lu asked.