Ark Chess Player.

Chapter Fifty-One: Selling Crutches

"The one who is truly running away is me."

Kal'tsit sighed softly, which was why she didn't refute Lyudmila's accusations.

As a result, she was the only surviving researcher at the institute; all the others perished.

“Lyudmila, I sent you to Syracuse before I left Chernobog, but you went back to that city on your own. You see, you are like your father; sometimes, willpower can even overcome time. You will always return to Chernobog, just as you will meet me here.”

"If some things could be solved simply by force, there wouldn't be so many problems in the world."

The regicide bit his lip, and his tightly clenched fist loosened weakly.

She had been doubting and hesitating until now, when she finally came to an answer.

The kingslayer murmured to himself, "So, everything my father and I did... was meaningless?"

"No, the researchers kept the secret with their deaths. Ursus still can't decipher the device inside the sarcophagus, so they abandoned and sealed the research facility. Now, only a tiny amount of energy is being recycled to power Chernobog's core. Your father's efforts were meaningful, and even though Ursus has covered everything up, you still remember, and I will remember. They saved so many people, so many people."

Kal'tsit said earnestly, as someone who had been involved before, she knew very well what this meant.

She could never forget the rows of towering containers inside the sarcophagus facility, filled with dark green liquid, and... the creatures that were once called "humans".

If the sarcophagus device is indeed used by high-ranking officials in Ursus, then Ursus will benefit, but it will also suffer greatly.

“If I were truly a traitor, then I would be a traitor to Ursus. But I would never be a traitor who betrays his comrades, and I would never betray anyone. Ursus purged the entire research institute, slaughtering the rare and precious compassion in the scientists’ nature. The real traitor is the insatiable Empire itself.”

Kal'tsit slowly got up and moved away from the bedside, her voice slightly weary.

From devising the plan to rescue the doctor until the third day after successfully rescuing the postdoctoral fellow, she slept for less than ten hours in total. Her consciousness, sustained by medication, softened as she reminisced; she felt incredibly tired and exhausted.

Kal'tsit placed her hands behind her back and quietly pressed the acupoints on her hands to restore some warmth to her perpetually cold hands and perk herself up.

Now is not the time to rest.

"..."

The regicide had nothing to say; she slumped down, hugging her legs and curling into a small ball.

Autism.jpg

Driven by revenge, she crawled and rolled on the edge of a knife, honing her skills in the most extreme environments.

From a childish girl who would sulk and turn away if asked to say hello, she transformed into a cold-blooded assassin, reaping lives in the mist, thick blood seeping from between her hands, blood that could never be washed away. She raised her hands; her once fair and soft hands were now covered in scars.

"Everything my father did had meaning... So what about me?"

What did I do this time?

She thought to herself and slowly lowered her hand.

“Come back, Mon3tr.”

Kal'tsit observed Lyudmila's changing expression and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

—Finally, they managed to trick the child into becoming crippled.

"Lyudmila, would you be pleased to have killed me?"

"...You'd better not give me a chance to kill you," the Kingslayer said defiantly, pouting slightly.

"is it?"

Kal'tsit said calmly, then turned and walked towards the door.

"Keep growing, Lyudmila. Keep your fighting spirit, think more, reflect more, and broaden your horizons. You may not be able to do it now, but in the future, you will realize your true dreams."

After leaving behind this intriguing remark, Kal'tsit left the private ward.

"Good morning, Dr. Kal'tsit!"

As soon as Kal'tsit left the ward, she heard a cheerful greeting. She instinctively turned her head and saw a Sarkaz girl with short purple hair greeting her. The girl had a bright and cheerful smile and was carrying food bags containing portable lunch boxes.

"Good morning, Hibiscus." Kal'tsit nodded politely.

"Hey hey hey~"

The medical trainee named Hibiscus looked at Kal'tsit with adoring eyes, her face slowly turning red, like a little fangirl meeting her idol on the street.

The medics on Rhodes Island generally admire Kal'tsit, and even the most skilled healers show her respect. This is not only because of her superb medical skills, but also because of her character and unique personal charm.

Beneath his cold and intimidating demeanor lies a tender and considerate heart, though his manner of expression may be somewhat stiff.

Just last month, Kal'tsit spent 72 hours straight next to the operating table performing emergency surgery on a Sargon military patient.

Only she could perform this surgery on Rhodes Island; no one else could, not even the Shining Healer, who was most skilled in magical healing. The surgical team worked at least eight or nine shifts, but Kal'tsit hadn't slept for three days, only taking a break to drink water and wipe away sweat.

When the surgery ended, the patient was out of danger, and the operation was declared a complete success, all the medical staff present silently applauded Kal'tsit, congratulating her on saving another life. Afterwards, when the staff who participated in the surgery talked about it, they all praised Dr. Kal'tsit's superb medical skills and unwavering will, calling her a model of medicine.

It seems she never falls, always standing tall in front, leaving behind a silhouette of unwavering faith.

Only she knows the truth.

"Dr. Kal'tsit, how is she?"

Furong unconsciously straightened her back, stood on tiptoe, and asked with a serious expression.

"The injuries are no longer life-threatening, but they need to be observed for a few more days to ensure the wound won't cause a secondary infection. It's a pity Shining isn't here; I'm not as good as her in this regard," Kal'tsit said softly.

"Please don't say that! Dr. Kal'tsit also has her own unique skills, and your medical skills have always been our goal!" Fleur said excitedly. In order to encourage Kal'tsit, she shared some interesting anecdotes about Kal'tsit's medical skills that she had treasured, waving her little hands nervously and almost knocking over her lunchbox.

Kal'tsit seemed surprised by her high standing in the trainee medic's heart. She reached out and gently patted the girl's shoulder.

"Thank you, Hibiscus. I understand what you mean. So, can I ask you for a favor?"

"Of course! Please give me your orders!"

Furong's eyes seemed to light up, as if there were stars in them.

Kal'tsit turned her gaze to the ward and sighed again.

"Lyudmila was once a member of the Reunion Movement, and even a cadre. Before building interpersonal relationships, we should first help her understand her position and integrate into Rhodes Island. This requires both affirmation and inclusion, but also for her to first establish sufficient self-awareness."

"I hope you can help take care of her; it's a personal request of mine."

"Oh, oh!" Hibiscus freed one hand and patted her chest, which was in the same style as Sister 45's, making a heartbreaking thud. "Please leave it to me! Doctor Kal'tsit!"

"Well... then, I'll leave it to you."

Before Kal'tsit turned to leave, as if remembering something, a subtle smile appeared on her lips.

"By the way, that child is about the same age as Yan Rong, so you can guide her as an older sister... You can be a little firm."

"I see, I understand! Goodbye, Dr. Kal'tsit!"

Furong nodded energetically, turned around, registered the lock on the private ward with her rank card, and excitedly pushed open the door.

Good morning, Lyudmila!

"...?"

At this moment, the kingslayer had no idea what awaited her next.

Chapter Fifty-Two: The Lone Wolf

Good morning, Lyudmila!

With the sudden sound of the door being pushed open, a cheerful and energetic voice rang out.

The king-killer, in his autistic state, slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with despair, as if he had lost his dreams and become apathetic.

The kingslayer murmured, "Who are you?"

"Rhodes Island trained medical officer, Hibiscus. Although I'm just a trainee doctor, I can still provide reliable medical assistance to everyone!"

Furong carefully examined the King Killer. Although he looked completely different from her sister Yanrong in terms of physique and appearance, the two had a similar temperament—I think it was called tsundere?

"My wound has already been dressed! I don't need it dressed again today!"

The regicide instinctively clutched the blanket tightly, wrapping himself up like a bullied little girl, and retreated backward, his back pressed firmly against the wall.

"Yes! Kal'tsit told me, don't worry, Lyudmila-chan, your injuries are fine, everything will be alright."

Hibiscus smiled sweetly, her smile utterly sincere, making no attempt to conceal her kindness towards others, so dazzling that it momentarily stunned the king-killer.

She placed the bag on the table, took out the lunchbox from it, and said, "I heard the operators talk about Lyudmila-chan's exploits when I was treating their wounds. She's amazing! She can take on so many Sarkaz mercenaries all by herself. If it were me, one of them would probably be able to crush me."

"...Will Rhodes Island send doctors to the front lines to fight the enemy?"

"Basically, no. Even on the battlefield, our main role is to help our comrades recover from their injuries and save lives. Ah, except for Dr. Gavial. If she's not kept in check, she'll probably swing her staff at the enemy's head. She's super fierce. She once said that the best way to heal our teammates is to kill all the enemies."

"Huh... Gavial?"

"Dr. Gavial was once one of the top warriors in the Adakris tribe, but after awakening her talent for healing magic, she chose to dedicate herself to saving lives and became a doctor. Normally she's quite well-behaved, but when the situation turns against her, she'll impulsively rush onto the battlefield and fight the enemy. Hmm~ maybe I'm being a bit violent, but actually she's a kind and respectable doctor worthy of our respect! I'll introduce you to her sometime."

"No, not anymore."

The regicide covered his head and resolutely refused.

She thought to herself, "Is Rhodes Island really a pharmaceutical company?"

Kal'tsit, that crazy woman, is one thing, but why are the other medical operators also so unique in style? Fortunately, the little girl named Hibiscus in front of us looks harmless and probably only has a combat power of five, so she's not a threat.

The kingslayer gradually regained her confidence, blinked, and asked, "Aren't you afraid of me?"

Furong turned her head, tilted it curiously, and asked in return, "Why should I be afraid of you?"

"I am the Kingslayer." The Kingslayer pointed to himself, saying with a malicious look, "I am a cadre of Reunion... well, a former cadre, but also a ruthless killer. Someone like you, a Sarkaz, I could kill unarmed in three minutes. You came alone, aren't you worried I'll kill you? Damn it! Does every medical worker on Rhodes Island have a Sojiro?! What's the point of fighting then? Rhodes Island might as well just take Ursus."

The Kingslayer was terrified by her own speculation, and her gaze toward Hibiscus changed. The sweet-smiling, purple-haired girl became another Kal'tsit in her eyes.

"Sōjirō?" Fuyo tilted her head, seemingly not quite understanding, but she still answered the lord-killer's question honestly.

"Because I know Lyudmila is a very good girl."

"What? Are you out of your mind?!"

The Kingslayer's eyes widened. She? A good child? You'll have to apologize to all the good children of Terra for this!

"To keep a promise, you fought alone, leaving yourself no way out. Don't you deserve my respect? If the doctor hadn't come to pick you up, you definitely wouldn't have come back. Wait a minute, let me tell you this."

Furong remembered something, put down the lunchbox in her hand, and took out a black communication terminal from her pocket.

She swiped around on the screen, and the machine made a lot of noise; she could hear people arguing about something.

"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."

The sound wasn't very clear, probably because the recording environment was far from ideal, with magnetic interference and electrical noise everywhere.

However, there was one voice that the Kingslayer recognized very well. Even though it had been altered by the machine, he could still tell the difference...

"law?"

The regicide's attention was drawn to it. She slowly crawled out from under the covers and looked curiously at Hibiscus's communication terminal.

"..."

"Amiya still has you by her side."

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

"...(A series of noisy mechanical sound effects rang out)."

The audio from the communication terminal was cut off at this point. It was only a small segment taken from the reconnaissance team's recorder, so it was naturally not complete.

Because the doctor's words were just too cool! Furong used the threat of nutritional meals to coerce Scout into keeping this message and sending it to her.

While Rhodes Island operators should strongly condemn the Doctor's extremely irresponsible behavior towards Rhodes Island, as a young woman, who wouldn't want someone willing to resolutely return to rescue them when they are alone and surrounded by enemy forces? This unwavering attitude towards operators naturally makes one feel good towards the Doctor.

Hibiscus secretly played the audio for other operators, enthusiastically promoting the Doctor x Lyudmila pairing and creating her own fanfiction. In a sense, her actions made many Rhodes Island operators feel favorably towards this former Reunion cadre. Without the Kingslayer, probably no one from the reconnaissance team would have returned to Rhodes Island.

—For some reason, Special Agent Gravel crushed the cup she was holding after listening to the audio.

"Lyudmila-chan, what's wrong?"

"Sis, no, it's nothing... Don't look at me, you idiot!"

The regicide raised her hand and wiped her face haphazardly, her thin cherry lips pressed tightly together, tears falling uncontrollably like pearls from a broken string. She clutched the blanket, trying to hide her tears, but eventually couldn't hold back any longer, letting them flow freely, her shoulders trembling slightly.

"Okay, okay."