Ark Chess Player.

"When I was eleven years old, I first unleashed my Originium Arts in the mine using Originium within my body as a medium. My Oripathy fusion rate has been soaring ever since, creating this terrifying body of mine."

Frostnova recalled what happened at the time, saying, "Back then, I couldn't control Originium Arts anymore. The Frost Tide spell kept draining the Originium from my body. I lost consciousness, and it was Bodrakas who saved me. He held my cold, numb body tightly. He didn't care at all that his two arms, which had been taken off their armor, were almost completely necrotic from the cold. His voice was trembling, but he didn't let go. He kept comforting me. I remember him telling me not to sleep, because if I fell asleep, I wouldn't wake up."

“I don’t know if it was because his emotions at the time affected me… My body stopped casting Originium Arts, and I survived. From that day on, I considered him my father. He was my family, just like my Yeti brothers and sisters.”

Froststar murmured to herself, unsure why she had confided her secrets to Lin Lu without reservation. Perhaps it was because she had never found someone to confide in. Perhaps some secrets, kept hidden in the heart, would change their meaning.

"once?"

Lin Lu seized on this sensitive word and asked, "Did you two have a fight?"

"...Promise me you'll never tell anyone else, and I'll tell you."

"I promise."

“You agreed so quickly, I can’t feel your sincerity. But never mind, it’s not something particularly worth keeping a secret…” Frostnova took a deep breath, her eyes lowered with some worry, “Bozokasti, he was once a war hero of Ursus, who retired to the city-state in his old age. He dedicated his whole life to Ursus, and even after retirement he remained loyal to his duty.”

"A war hero of Ursus".

Lin Lu listened quietly; he was the best listener in the world. He listened attentively to what the other person had to say, spoke when necessary, and subtly reminded the other person that he remembered everything clearly.

"Although the history of Ursus is missing a chapter due to the change of imperial power, and the honor of the soldiers who fought for Ursus for the past ten years has been erased, their legends will forever be passed down in the streets and alleys."

Froststar felt Lin Lu's gaze, which gave her confidence when she spoke.

"Bozokastie, known as 'The Patriot' by the Infected in the Northwest Icefield. Although he participated in the Reunion Movement's violent power grab in Chernobog, he still loves his homeland Ursus in his heart. He fights to eliminate the oppression of the Infected by ordinary people and to create a society where ordinary people and the Infected are equal. He has always carried out the ideals of the Reunion Movement to the end."

"He is my hero."

Frostnova's eyes shone brightly, and she smiled.

It's like a child telling others how great their father is.

The smile didn't last long. Frostnova lowered her voice: "Unfortunately, the world is always unfair to good people like him. Bodrakasti's wife passed away a long time ago. He had a son, an Ursus scholar who fought for the rights of the Infected, a Wendigo scholar, the only Wendigo scholar in Ursus. Bodrakasti didn't know about his son's situation. He dedicated his life to Ursus, fighting bloody battles until he contracted Oripathy in the last war."

"Um……"

Lin Lu nodded slightly, and through Shuangxing's words, he constructed an image of a soldier in his mind.

Even the greatest heroes grow old in Ursus. Once infected with Oripathy, they are branded with a sordid mark. Their past achievements will not be recognized. No matter how much they have contributed to the country, they will be discriminated against, scorned, and left to die in the mines because of their infected status.

However, just because he's infected, it's unlikely he'd fight Ursus from the perspective of an infected person... right? Given his personality, he'd probably just silently drag his diseased body to some dark corner and die. It's a soldier's pride; Bozocasti couldn't accept Ursus's judgment, being labeled an Oripathy infected and executed.

Lin Lu looked at Shuangxing curiously, waiting for her to say something next.

Frostnova pursed her lips and continued, "Not many people knew that Bodrakasti was ill. His comrades concealed his condition from the authorities and his son. Years later, Bodrakasti received an order from the Ursus Empire to 'maintain order at all costs,' and during the 'Great Rebellion,' he allowed his soldiers to use weapons. When swords are drawn, blood is drawn, and conflict erupted, with people falling one after another in the snow."

"Soon, the order of iron and blood was established. But what Bozokastie didn't know was... during the 'Great Rebellion,' his son was working tirelessly for the rights of the infected."

"later……"

Lin Lu held his breath slightly, vaguely guessing what was about to happen.

"Then, Bozokastie saw his son on the street, his son already cold. His son died in this incident at the hands of his troops, on his orders, and under the ironclad rule of Ursus to maintain order at all costs." Frostnova bit her lip and said coldly, "From then on, a guerrilla force that struck fear into the hearts of the Ursus people who abused the infected was added to the Northwest Tundra."

"Bozokastie wasn't doing this for revenge, but for atonement. He believed he had killed his son with his own hands, and he had to fight for his son's ideals and accomplish what his son hadn't been able to do. I wonder if he thought of his son when he was holding me?"

Froststar chuckled self-deprecatingly.

“He never mentioned any of these things to me. Everything was told to me by his subordinates. He wouldn’t reveal a single word to anyone. Maybe he really does treat me like his daughter, but I wish he would tell me these things. What can’t he tell me? I really don’t want to argue with him. I know I made a mistake, but I am not a substitute.”

"What did he find in me? Family? Redemption? Or just a little psychological comfort? I don't know. All I know is that I don't want to be someone's substitute, I don't want to..."

This extremely faint murmur was as painful as an icicle piercing one's chest, causing Lin Lu to reflexively reach out his hand.

“You are you, Yelena.”

Lin Lu pulled Shuangxing into his arms, holding her petite and helpless body—a body that seemed as if it would break at the slightest touch—without any preconceived notions. He raised his right hand and gently stroked her head, which had never relied on anyone before and had always longed for a reward.

Frostnova, this strong young girl, must have always longed for a hug, right? No one else could touch her, not even Borocasti could give her a real embrace. She could only hug herself tightly, enduring her pain alone in solitude. Beneath her outwardly cold and strong exterior, she was also a girl who craved care, but her identity destined her to be unable to ask anyone for help.

Shedding her identity as the Yeti Princess and removing the mask of the Reunion Warrior, Frostnova reveals a fragile and fleeting nature.

"..."

The two remained silent for a long time, quietly enjoying the moment of tranquility.

Froststar was like a southern girl using a hand warmer for the first time, enjoying Lin Lu's warm embrace.

"Come to Rhodes Island."

Lin Lu hugged Shuangxing tightly from behind and earnestly extended an invitation to her.

"I need you, Yelena."

"……cunning."

Froststar tried to appear nonchalant, but her eyes were still a little red.

"How come you're so skilled at this? Taking advantage of a girl when she's most vulnerable, how many times have you done this?"

"I……"

Lin Lu wanted to refute, but upon closer reflection, he realized that he had done this quite often.

"Look, you hesitated, you wavered."

Froststar narrowed her eyes, her gaze towards Lin Lu filled with suspicion.

"To be honest, I have a very good impression of Rhodes Island. The warriors of Rhodes Island... have left a deep impression on me. The sight of that little fox fighting to the death for her comrades made me feel deeply respectful. I also witnessed your battles in Chernobog. I saw your fighting style with my own eyes, and I witnessed your firm stance."

Froststar smiled and said, "If all pharmaceutical companies in the world were like you, perhaps there would have been a solution to Oripathy long ago."

"In that case, then..."

"But I can't just join you like this."

"why?"

Lin Lu looked at Shuang Xing with a puzzled expression, seemingly moved but ultimately refusing.

“I cannot allow you to harm more Reunion infected, Alex… He died at the hands of Rhodes Island, didn’t he?” Frostnova narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Lin Lu’s changing expression.

She learned from Talulah that Brokenbones had already sacrificed himself.

This incident made Frostnova doubt Rhodes Island's stance. Could Rhodes Island really be, as other Infected people said, a lackey of Lungmen, hunting down Infected people for profit, like carrion birds devouring corpses and flesh?

Lin Lu quickly denied it: "That's not true. Xiao Ya and his sister Misha are living in a private ward on Rhodes Island. They eat and drink well every day, have regular check-ups, and receive free medical assistance from Rhodes Island. Those lazy bums from the Lungmen Guard Bureau want us to hand them over? Hand them over my ass! They did a lot of work, but the stats are 0-5. They still want to share experience points? What are they thinking?"

Chapter 380 I have no home, and no cat (4K)

"……real?"

Froststar looked doubtful; she was somewhat skeptical.

According to Lin Lu, Rhodes Island is essentially standing on Lungmen's head.

A pharmaceutical company dares to challenge a city? That's even more outrageous than Lin Lu saying he'd go and smash the Ursus Emperor's head.

Frostnova is no fool; after failing to stop Talulah's attack on Lungmen, she began gathering intelligence on the region. Knowing your enemy is half the battle. While she may not be the best at commanding battles, she's far from being just a pretty face.

As Frostnova gathered intelligence, her understanding of Lungmen deepened, and her attention became increasingly focused on Lungmen's treatment of the Infected. What disgusted her about Lungmen was that the atrocities committed against the Infected in Lungmen were no less than those in Chernobog! It was just that in utilizing the Oripathy Infected, Lungmen focused on making the best use of them, rather than indiscriminately throwing them all into the mines.

Individuals infected with Oripathy and possessing special skills are specially recruited in Lungmen. They are assigned to specific positions and work from 9 AM to 9 PM daily, year-round, with low pay, no health insurance, and face ostracism from Lungmen residents. They are treated as mere tools, for example, despite Rhodes Island's numerous contributions to Lungmen, it still receives little recognition. If Rhodes Island were not a medical company primarily employing Oripathy patients, but rather something like a Silverwing security contractor, it would never face such difficulties.

As for those who were unable to work, elderly, or young, all those infected with Oripathy were swept into the slums like garbage.

Infected individuals living in the slums are not protected by Lungmen's laws, and even if they disappear, no one will search for them. In Lungmen's slums, the infected can forget about having a good life; everyone is already exhausted just trying to get three meals a day.

If Lungmen had had explicit provisions regarding the human rights protection of Oripathy patients from the beginning, the incident of the "Lungmen New Life" organization, a group of private armed men, committing indiscriminate killings in the slums would not have occurred.

In the eyes of the Reunion Movement, Rhodes Island is nothing more than a group of traitors who fawn over Lungmen for money. Ironically, the reason Lungmen repeatedly disregards and ignores Rhodes Island might simply be because they share the same mindset as the Reunion Movement.

Nobody cares about Rhodes Island's ideals—creating a society where ordinary people and infected can coexist peacefully? In most people's eyes, it's just a way to obtain a channel for monetary transactions.

Anyone who takes it seriously is a joke.

"If you don't believe me, you can come to Rhodes Island and see Xiaoya and Misha after we leave here," Lin Lu said sincerely.

Froststar narrowed her eyes slightly. She didn't believe such nonsense and asked in return, "So you're the one who tricked girls into coming home?"

"No, I would say my cat can do backflips."

"……Really?"

Froststar fell silent; she was slightly tempted.

"fake."

Lin Lu took a deep breath, his gaze unconsciously drooping downwards. He murmured, "I have no home, and no cat."

"——!?"

Froststar's pupils contracted slightly, and her small mouth opened slightly in surprise.

Lin Lu was amused by her amusing reaction. He ruffled her long, snow-white hair without any hesitation and chuckled, "After listening to your story for so long, let's hear a little about me... about me, about someone who only has two weeks of memories. It's not exactly interesting, a bit terrible, but it's passable."

"……Um."

Froststar did not resist Lin Lu's caresses. Besides the fact that Lin Lu's head-patting technique was superb, and his palms were warm but not scalding, making her feel particularly comfortable and at ease, she was touched by the vulnerable expression that appeared on Lin Lu's face for a moment, which touched the softest part of her heart.

"When I regained consciousness, I woke up in the sarcophagus in Chernobog..."

Lin Lu began to recount what happened after he woke up in the stone coffin. Despite having lost his memory and knowing nothing about the past, he was able to maintain absolute rationality and view the issues from an objective perspective.

Looking back now, the reason Lin Lu was so calm was precisely because he wasn't afraid at the time.

They were not afraid of death and had no attachment to this land.

Because I know nothing, I don't want anything.

“I met Amiya. She’s a Caucasian like you. If you’re the White Rabbit, she’s the Black Rabbit. I don’t remember who she is, but I have absolutely no intention of hurting her. My body is stopping me, preventing me from harming her. Maybe one day in the future she will kill me with her own hands when I can’t resist—no, it’s better not to think that way.”

Lin Lu shook his head, banishing the terrible thought from his mind.

“Amiya told me that she came to take me back to Rhodes Island. I don’t remember what Rhodes Island is, but I was able to sense that Chernobog was in a very dangerous situation. They chose to risk their lives to find me, and for that alone, I think I should repay their kindness. Or rather, I just had no other choice at the time.”

Lin Lu slowly recounted his experience leading the Rhodes Island rescue team's evacuation from Chernobog, including his encounters with the Kingslayer, Faust, and that brat Mephisto, as well as... his direct confrontation with Talulah, his victory over her, and how, upon reaching the outskirts of Chernobog, he risked breaking with Rhodes Island for the sake of the Kingslayer, fighting his way back into the city alone. Ultimately, by a twist of fate, he lost consciousness and was taken away by Kal'tsit, another leader of Rhodes Island.

"If Kal'tsit hadn't come, I'd probably be in W's basement right now..."

Lin Lu's thoughts gradually drifted away. He too had moments of fatigue, but he was good at enduring them.

Everyone has moments of weakness, and everyone has moments when they want to confide in others; Lin Lu is no exception.

Even if Lin Lu wanted to vent his stress, he couldn't very well complain to Amiya while on Rhodes Island, could he? Amiya was already under immense pressure as the leader of Rhodes Island, and he couldn't become a burden to her.

Kal'tsit's words...

The only person Lin Lu couldn't handle on Rhodes Island was Kal'tsit.

Kal'tsit's mental defenses are too strong; Lin Lu can't break through them except by directly confronting her. Even if the relationship between the two eases slightly, Kal'tsit will activate her AT Field as soon as they are separated for a short time.

Lin Lu is a meticulous person. Through Kal'tsit's reaction and the conversations of the elite operators, he discerned a vague truth from the slightest clues. In the past, he had done something terrible at Rhodes Island, so terrible that when he woke up in the central control room, all of Rhodes Island's veteran elite operators were gathered together in full gear. This was not for a long time, but to prevent the terrible thing from happening again.

It was because of this incident that Kal'tsit was unable to let go of her prejudice against him and was unable to open her heart to him.

"I have no home, and I don't have a cat."

This is Lin Lu's most genuine feeling on Rhodes Island.

Lin Lu's so-called private room on Rhodes Island, the place where he used to live and rest, was nothing more than a cramped cabin. It contained only simple furniture and signs plastered on the walls; it lacked any sense of home. He only returned to his room once, and afterwards, he ran out of it as if he were escaping. Lost, Lin Lu felt a sense of decline constantly pursuing him; he felt he could sink at any moment.

Therefore, Lin Lu chose to go to the upper town of Chernobog, hoping to meet the girl who sent the distress message from Chernobog.

Lin Lu wanted to know what sustained this girl in the absence of water and food, surrounded by enemies. He believed that seeing her would provide the answer and dispel his confusion.

This was a decision Lin Lu made himself, and in the eyes of others, this action was incredibly crazy.

Having finally escaped from Chernobog, how could they possibly think of going back? What's the difference between that and suicide?

But Lin Lu believed this was meaningful. If he hadn't gone, the girls of the Ursus Student Self-Government Group would have remained forever in that night, and the girl who wept bitterly in front of her burned-down home, clutching the mud, would have perished. He also couldn't have witnessed a middle-aged military policeman, like a hero, lifting a battering ram, carrying an Originium silencing device, and leaping towards a monster that devoured flesh and blood to protect the city.

Lin Lu then realized the change in himself.

Initially, Lin Lu maintained absolute rationality, always considering things from a purely third-person perspective. Therefore, he was always right, always achieving the greatest victory with the least amount of damage. This is why W dubbed Lin Lu "the evil spirit of Babel," a title that was not a term of respect but rather an expression of hatred for demons.

The current Lin Lu would act rashly for the sake of a king-slayer and a woman, would swoop down from the sky to slay a monster out of respect for a hero, and would step into a trap set by Mephisto to save someone. None of these actions are in line with absolute rationality, nor with the Lin Lu of the past.

The reason Lin Lu is lying here now is precisely because he was distracted while controlling the power of time to save everyone except Amiya and the others. Before the incident in the upper city, he wouldn't have cared about the lives of the Guard Bureau squad and the Yeti squad; he would have simply grabbed his kids and run away, even managing to get outside the city to watch the fireworks.

Is this a bad thing?

Looking at Shuangxing lying on his chest, Lin Lu came to his answer.

Good things are all good things.