Ark Chess Player.

Sonia's body trembled suddenly, and her complex and stagnant inner turmoil came to an end.

For her, time seemed to have passed for a very long time, but it was just a matter of a moment.

She needs to make a decision.

Abandon the pride of being human, abandon moral principles, abandon everything except survival.

As a survivor, as a resident of a gray world, as a villain whose hands are stained with life.

As if to push her to the edge of an abyss, the omnipresent, dark self, transformed into black mist, leaned close to her ear and whispered, "It's alright. Haven't we been doing this all this time? For food, for protecting our companions, how many times have we done this? Kill him, kill him instantly, without any mercy."

Sonia's hand holding the short axe trembled, as if invisible hands were supporting her shoulders, teaching her step by step how to do it.

"Keep an eye on this guy in front of you. No matter how weak he is, he's still the one who defeated the Sarkaz infected. First, cut off his hands, then his feet, and finally chop off his head. That way you can drive this car and take two people with you. As for who those two people are, don't you already know?"

Sonia slowly raised her hand. The axe, stained with the blood of humans and monsters, still had pieces of meat stuck to it and emitted a strong stench.

"Sonia?"

Anna, supporting Natalia and Radamanthys, watched Sonia's back and vaguely sensed what Sonia was about to do. She quickly called out, "Sonia, wake up!"

She tried to run up, but in her haste she tripped over Natalia and Rada, and the three bear cubs fell heavily to the ground.

The monocular mirror slipped and crashed heavily to the ground, cracking as it did so.

Anna flung the pendant holding the monocle away and shouted at the girl's retreating figure, "Sonia, wake up! You don't need to feel guilty about that, you did nothing wrong! Don't be impulsive!"

Sonia acted as if she hadn't heard anything; her body convulsed as if in a spasm, with two wills battling within her, neither able to gain the upper hand.

Lin Lu watched her quietly. Within his spiritual vision, he could see so much.

He gave the choice to the girl in front of him, while also anticipating and waiting for her response.

With her hands holding the short axe, Sonia struggled repeatedly, her remaining humanity and bestiality battling each other until a victor emerged.

“Sonia, head of the Ursus Student Self-Government Association. I don’t care what happens to me, but my companions need a place to stay. I know there’s no such thing as a free lunch. I’m willing to give you my life; you can use it however you want. Whether you want to use me as a pawn or resort to the dirty tricks of the nobility, I’ll accept it all.”

Sonia held the short axe in front of her with both hands and bowed her head to show her loyalty to Lin Lu.

She vaguely heard another version of herself hysterically raging, venting, mocking, and howling.

Sonia was prepared, even if doing so was unlike her, unlike... a hero.

Lin Lu stared at her, reached out and took the short axe the girl was holding. The axe was heavy, much heavier than he had imagined.

Sonia's eyes were lifeless. She tried to back away, but unexpectedly, her hand was grabbed and pulled forward, her cheek gently bumping against a solid chest.

Lin Lu hugged the girl, throwing the short axe aside, where it fell deep into the churning mud.

He held the girl's head with his right hand and gently patted her back with his left.

"It's okay, it's okay."

Lin Lu held the girl in his arms, gazing at the still-dim night sky in the distance.

The moon is bright and flawless; the dark clouds will eventually disperse.

Chapter 114 The Seed of Evil

"If you cry now, no one else will see it."

Lin Lu held Sonia in his arms and whispered in her ear, as if a demon were talking in his sleep.

There are only two places where a girl cries: either when she's alone in the bathroom, or when she's in her father's arms.

Although Lin Lu isn't a bear dad, he's a professional when it comes to being a father. He's either the father of his enemy, beating them up like a son, or a loving father to a sweet girl like Amiya, treating her like candy to be kept in his mouth or ice to be held in his hands for fear of melting—he's a middle-aged man after all.

Mr. Lin, who is known as the perfect man, are you kidding me?

"I won't cry..."

The girl protested softly, but her voice was full of sobs, and her body was trembling. Her little hands were tightly clutching the vest on Lin Lu's chest.

Sonia tried to hold back; she didn't want to show even a hint of fear or exhaustion in front of her companions. She had to pull herself together; she couldn't just give up like this.

...But the chest in front of her felt so good that Sonia pressed her cheek against it. She could hear Lin Lu's heartbeat, and she could smell his scent—a very pleasant scent. Besides the all-too-familiar smell of blood, she also smelled the sunshine.

She didn't know, and Lin Lu didn't know, that the vest he was wearing was actually taken out by Kal'tsit from a box that had been sealed away for three years. She had personally washed it, sun-dried it, and then ironed out every single wrinkle, straightening them like straightening hair. After finishing, she sprayed it with her favorite scent through a thin layer of gauze. It was like a cat asserting its dominance, leaving its mark on all its possessions.

In such an embrace, held tightly by those long, strong hands, Sonia's heart, pierced by the shadows, seemed to begin to beat again. The wound was soothed by warmth, and the dried-up, invisible blood began to regenerate. Her soul, wounded and tormented by its own struggle, found its warmest refuge.

"Your choice is right, it's correct."

Lin Lu held her and comforted the girl, like long-lost family members embracing each other.

“You did nothing wrong. I don’t know what you’ve done in the past, and I can’t presume to say I understand you or know you. After all, we’ve only just met, but I hope I can be your friend. If you’re willing to talk, I will listen carefully. If you want to bear things alone, I will always be there to offer you a safe haven when you’re tired.”

Lin Lu gently stroked the girl's back, and through her clothes, he felt a series of wounds.

He didn't know how deeply Sonia had been hurt by the traitors that night, and how she had almost died in her sleep.

Unbeknownst to him, in the countless nights that followed, Sonia dared not let herself fall asleep; even when resting, she would keep her eyes slightly open.

He knew these wounds had healed before, only to be reopened by even more brutal battles. To this day, they remained unhealed, constantly radiating pain.

"Right now, just right now, it's okay to cry for a while."

Lin Lu unconsciously tightened his arms around Sonia, so tightly that she could hardly breathe, so tightly that her eyes welled up with tears.

"I...won't...cry."

She could no longer bear it; tears welled up and spilled from her eyes, running down her blood-stained face.

She deliberately leaned her head into Lin Lu's arms to prevent her tears from falling to the ground.

She bit her lip hard to keep her sobs from getting out; this was her small act of defiance.

Aside from Rosalyn, that carefree, single-minded girl who could laugh and joke all day as long as she had salt and water, Anna cried, Rada cried, and Natalia cried too.

Sonia endured it all, never shedding a single tear in front of others.

She is General Winter, the guardian of the weak. She wants to be worthy of these titles and hopes that she can truly live up to them.

Even if countless arrows pierce her back, she will not shed a tear. Instead, she will let out a resounding Ursus battle cry, forcing herself to turn and charge towards her attackers. She will never stop, never show the slightest weakness. If she shows fear, they will think she has become weak and will recklessly try to harm those she wants to protect.

...However, even for just a little while now, please give her a chance to relax.

She is a girl, she is not yet an adult, yet she has taken on things that most people in the world have never thought of.

Lin Lu didn't know what the girl had gone through, but he could sense Sonia's self-destructive behavior and sense of giving up on herself.

Just like Kal'tsit, she was almost squeezing herself dry, not giving herself a chance to breathe, fearing that if she relaxed for even a moment, she would lose everything again.

not to mention……

What's eroding the girl every moment isn't just her kindness, but also a kind of human malice.

"Should we proceed with Originium Energy extraction? Success rate: 60%"

As Lin Lu gently patted the girl's back with his left hand, a message popped up in his spiritual vision: "Request permission."

Among so many unfortunate victims, these mischievous children were considered lucky. Even when the cataclysm struck Chernobog, Sonia was not infected by the ubiquitous Originium clusters. What was planted in her was not the fearsome ore, but Originium Arts. Someone had planted the seeds of evil within these children, using them as a walking greenhouse.

Such a deep, misty aura was like the black sludge that Lin Lu had conjured out of thin air when he used the black card to become a knight.

Lin Lu took a deep breath and, risking failure, chose to extract the magic from Sonia.

Even when the chances of failure are higher when extracting unknown substances from the ghost shark, he always has a backup plan.

Rhodes Island's private wards were originally designed to care for certain special individuals. For example, operators like Specter who are emotionally unstable yet possess considerable offensive capabilities. Or, for instance, the Kingkiller, recruited by Lin Lu from Reunion; the Kingkiller's combat abilities are among the best on Rhodes Island. Even other elite operators wouldn't be confident in single-handedly hunting down over forty Sarkaz mercenaries on the battlefield.

After all, Rhodes Island's elite operators include many Sarkaz, or rather, Rhodes Island's Sarkaz population far exceeds that of any pharmaceutical company in Terra.

If Ursus is a warrior race, then the Sarkaz are synonymous with bloodshed; the fearsome title bestowed upon the demon race is no joke.

When Kal'tsit built the private wards, she naturally considered the possibility of the residents going berserk.

A private ward is a room for recuperation, and also a well-equipped cell with a bright and shiny exterior.

Lin Lu was mentally prepared that even if he lost control of his mind due to the failed extraction, this private ward would be able to contain him.

The difference now is that this is not Rhodes Island, this is Chernobog, Chernobog that has been captured by the Reunion Movement!

Trapped in enemy territory, the Spirit Realm is unable to search the surrounding area for any surviving monsters. Too many unknown factors exist, and a slight misstep could lead to certain death!

"Heh...so what?"

Lin Lu's lips curled up slightly, a confident smile that seemed to look down on the world.

The Spirit Realm is merely a tool for providing information; the most important thing is whether the person who controls the system has the courage to make decisions.

Compared to the dangers that might lie ahead, Lin Lu knew all too well that if he couldn't even save this girl trapped in despair, what else could he possibly do? Stop dreaming! When I awoke again in the stone coffin, it was by my own will. Even though I had lost my memories, even though I didn't remember my identity, I knew what I had to do!

Lin Lu mentally raised his hand high and punched the non-existent red button.

"Confirm extraction."

The mark on the back of Lin Lu's left hand emitted an orange-red light, and the intertwined flags were burning, with flames blooming.

The Originium magic deeply embedded in Sonia's body tried to escape as if it had encountered a natural enemy, but all its efforts were in vain. Lin Lu could clearly feel an invisible hand gripping the dark figure tightly, the knuckles of the hand clenching so hard that bluish-white veins appeared. The wrath of a king could crush bones to dust.

Extraction, dissolution, decomposition, absorption.

Lin Lu felt a sharp pain in his brow, and countless negative emotions surged up, almost overwhelming him.

Fortunately, the anemone promptly turned on the headlights of the Noah motorcycle. The incandescent light shone on Lin Lu's back, and the gradually solidifying heat made him feel warm, dispelling the chill.

Behind Lin Lu, a jumble of random characters flashed in Yin Lianhua's eyes. She covered her head, feeling uncomfortable from the overwhelming negative energy, but she quietly hid it away.

Even though Anemone often acts crazy and silly in many inappropriate situations, she knows how important she is to Lin Lu right now, and she doesn't want to be a burden.

The mark on the back of Lin Lu's hand is directly related to the Spirit Realm. When he extracts all substances related to Originium, whether it is Originium clusters as hard as iron, meteorites falling from the sky, or Originium techniques processed by the spiritual will of others, he will continuously screen and filter them until they are decomposed into the purest and most impurity-free energy.

Whether it's a spell of fire or a spell of ice, the same applies.

However, this is not without its burdens. Even machines experience wear and tear during processing, let alone the more complex spiritual energy.

The more impurities a source stone contains, the more distracting its contents become, making extraction more difficult. This explains why Lin Lu's mouth watered when he saw the pure source stone in front of Kroos. Since his awakening, aside from the voluptuous and alluring body of the Specter Shark, this was the first time he had felt such a desire to possess it. He wanted to extract the pure source stone, to decompose this pure and unpolluted energy, and to unleash its power.

"This is?!"

Lin Lu's expression gradually turned serious. Just how dark and despicable must a spellcaster be to use such a vicious Originium Arts on children?!

As the spell continued to dissolve and decompose, Lin Lu gradually realized the true nature of this unknown magic. His brows furrowed tightly, and anger surged into his heart.

Extracting the essence of magic from the process of obliterating humanity, using human evil thoughts as nourishment for the mutation of magic.

The sorcerer treats humans as livestock and life as toys, wantonly manipulating others' lives and transforming them into containers.

Lin Lu finally understood. He gradually grasped everything, his analytical mind connecting every clue. From various subtle hints, he had vaguely sensed this possibility from the beginning, but he deliberately avoided thinking about it, unwilling to face it. But now, the truth was slapped in his face, leaving him no room to escape.

Whether it's a monster with sharp, giant claws on both hands or not.

Whether it's a monster whose arms transform into sharp spears or...

Whether they are reduced to monstrous, ferocious creatures like locusts.

Whether they mutated into werewolves or were once twin brothers, they were monsters.

Whether it was the slime monster that Lin Lu used his immense spatial power to strip away gravity and plummet from a hundred meters in the air to the ground, destroying the remaining monsters on the ground along with it.

They... were all once Chernobog people.

Moreover, they are probably all students from four nearby schools.

Lin Lu's gaze gradually turned cold. He hugged Sonia tightly, like an old mother protecting her child, letting the girl's tears soak his clothes.

His gaze swept from Anna, who was helplessly helping her companion up from the ground, to Rosalind, who was covering her arm and dared not approach.

The suffering these children have endured is probably far more severe than he imagined.

This is why Natalia's eyes look dead; she probably... witnessed her companions gradually degenerate into monsters, and then personally killed each and every one of her former comrades.

It's normal for her to feel so excited when she saw Lin Lu.

The more a person struggles in a swamp, the deeper they sink. In despair, they give up thinking, feeling their limbs being enveloped by heavy mud, clearly feeling their chest being submerged, their lower body losing sensation, and their entire body unable to function as they wish.

In her utter despair and fear, a person miraculously appeared before her.

She thought to herself, even if I can't wake up from this nightmare, please let me be free, let me see the sunrise in Chernobog again.

Lin Lu closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and suddenly opened his eyes, which were burning with cobalt blue flames, and ferociously extracted the magic wrapped around Sonia like a demon.

As if venting his emotions, Lin Lu swiftly and indiscriminately dismantled the Originium Arts into fragments, even immersing himself in it with his own spirit. He wanted to find out who the caster was, and he wanted to personally twist off their head. He wouldn't let them die so easily; even if only their head remained, he had ways to keep them alive, hanging them in the sun's brightest spot to let their brains bask in the heat.

What kind of dark and twisted person would use such magic?!