Ark Chess Player.

Lin Lu turned and went to the hot water room in the office, where he clumsily ground coffee beans into powder, which was probably one of the few things he wasn't good at.

In his lost memories, someone seemed to have taught him how to make coffee; the steps were simple. Lin Lu's arms seemed to be supported by an invisible hand as he placed the filter paper into the filter bowl, carefully pouring hot water several times to ensure it adhered perfectly. His digitized spiritual domain allowed Lin Lu to precisely and evenly distribute coffee grounds down to thirty grams, and then slowly poured ninety-four-degree hot water over the coffee grounds on the filter paper. The coffee grounds, having fully absorbed the hot water, quickly expanded, releasing a faint aroma.

Just as Lin Lu was at a loss about what would happen next, invisible hands lifted his arms again.

Even with his memory lost, Lin Lu's body still retained the intimate touch of someone hugging him from behind. Lin Lu's hand, gripping the kettle, began to draw circles somewhat uncontrollably. Hot water was poured onto the coffee grounds, and he made four or five small circles in the center. Then he expanded outwards, making four or five larger circles, finally slowly pouring the water back into the center.

This process was interrupted once to extend the extraction time and create more layers of flavor in the coffee.

During the second extraction, the tactile sensation on my arm gradually disappeared, vanishing into nothingness.

Lin Lu turned around abruptly, but saw nothing; it was as if it had all been an illusion.

A gentle yet slightly playful laugh echoed in my mind, bringing a sense of peace.

Lin Lu couldn't help but smile faintly, picked up two cups of fragrant coffee, and returned to his office.

“Kal’tsit isn’t here, but I’m still here, aren’t I?” Lin Lu handed the blue mug to Amiya, then picked up the black mug and took a sip, exhaling a long puff of white smoke. “Amiya, it doesn’t matter if you can’t stand on your own right now. You will grow, and you have a long road ahead of you. I will let you ascend the throne; that’s where you belong.”

"Doctor...you've become much more glib since you woke up. Where did you learn that?"

Amiya took the coffee, the warm heat flowing into her palm, which made her unconsciously relax her tense nerves.

"But even with a doctor like this, I still like him." She murmured to herself, picked up her coffee, blew on it, and took a small sip.

The pure, unadulterated coffee slid smoothly down her throat, the warm current dispelling the chill that had gripped her body. Her fear of the Ursus Empire, this world-class violent organization, seemed to lessen considerably. Amiya couldn't help but smile with relief. After all, it was Princess Theresa who had brewed the coffee for the Church Doctor back then.

Princess Theresa's unique coffee-making technique, even when passed down to the Doctor, still possesses a calming and soothing power.

Lin Lu said, "Amiya, let me host the delegation tomorrow, since this whole thing started because of me."

Amiya hesitated for a moment before saying, "Doctor, you don't know much about Rhodes Island yet, is that alright?"

“It’s okay. In the days since I woke up, I’ve gradually come to understand everything.”

Lin Lu slowly put down his coffee and glanced at the anemone beside him, who was looking at the mug with envy.

"This is Rhodes Island, our home turf. We can prepare in advance and adapt to any situation! As long as we can lower their IQ to a certain level, we can defeat them with fancy techniques. Tomorrow I'll show them what Rhodes Island corporate culture is all about, what a Terra 500 company is all about!"

Lin Lu waved his hand, and the AI ​​Anemone, who never expected that it would be the source of Lin Lu's inspiration, nodded in full approval and activated the PTRS system.

A crystal-clear blue projection screen displayed the Rhodes Island ship's structure in detail, with each floor's specific facilities clearly marked. Furthermore, all Rhodes Island operators not currently deployed to other missions were listed, their titles arranged in the right-hand column for easy deployment.

Lin Lu's office is equipped with a virtual tactical sand table. His identity is not just that of the head of the personnel department, but also the commander who holds the highest military authority in Rhodes Island.

"Extreme individual combat is my forte, but my true skill... is leading people to victory."

Lin Lu smiled as he positioned the most important character in this operation right in the center, his smile bright and innocent, like a child preparing to play a prank.

Amiya quietly raised her head and looked at the name on it, suddenly feeling a sense of foreboding.

"Hellagur..."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

15:43 am Clear skies, visibility 20 km.

Nine kilometers outside Longmen, on the outskirts of the desert.

The ERR19 Vanguard armored vehicle sped across the desolate plains, the deep red pollution index displayed on the main control screen almost staining the vehicle body with blood.

Natasha Andreyevich Rostov, head of the Ursus delegation, sat in the back seat, her plump, snow-white right leg crossed over her left, her arm resting lightly on the window, gazing at the scenery outside in an extremely relaxed posture, even as the dark red warning lights illuminated her profile.

It wasn't just the interior of the car that was covered in blood; the scenery outside the window was even more so.

That makes sense, since this is a region with a high concentration of Originium radiation, there are naturally no pleasant things here.

As Natasha looked around, the blood and charred blackness almost merged the ground and the sky into one, and a desolate silence permeated the surroundings, making her feel even more powerless than when a natural disaster struck.

She saw the territory that once belonged to the nation. No, even now Chernobog still belongs to the Ursus Empire. But... how could the territory of the Ursus Empire be allowed to be invaded by others?

Faced with the incomparable and powerful generals of the Yan Kingdom, and the Yanxia warriors who used unique Originium techniques and martial arts, the soldiers of the Ursus Empire fought to the last man without retreating or yielding an inch.

Faced with provocations from the Colombian Federation, the Ursus Empire fought on despite repeated defeats, growing ever more courageous with each battle. Until the other side repaid everything it had eroded, retaliating in kind, a hundredfold in return.

The archers of the Kingdom of Victoria, the knights of Kazimierz, the papal musketeers of Laterano, the warriors of the Eastern Kingdom… the Ursus Empire’s footprints have almost trampled over every nation of Terra, even when besieged by the International Federation. The banner of the Ursus Empire stands tall, and to this day it remains a military superpower, standing firm through countless battles.

"Soldiers shouldn't question; soldiers only need to obey, even if it's blind obedience...?"

Natasha looked at the walls of the mobile city of Chernobog, at the countless traces of blood and the ravages of war, and sighed deeply.

Even though Natasha was just under the city walls, she could feel a sense of despair.

The Ursus Empire delegation also had another identity: the Ursus Empire Third Army Garrison.

The country she was so proud of, the identity she was so proud of, were all stained with a layer of gray and a layer of blood that could never be erased on that day.

December 23, 1096, is a day Natasha will never forget. On this day, she lost everything—her pride, her soul.

On this day, the Reunion Movement, the largest infected organization in Terra, launched an invasion of Chernobog, a border city of the Ursus Empire.

Chernobog, the mobile city most rife with discrimination against the infected, suffered an unprecedented and brutal blow. Streets burned, civilians died in massacres, and the power system was cut off. The cataclysm struck, and most survivors either died or were infected, transforming from persecutors into victims.

Even so, even if the signal towers in Chernobog were destroyed and the communication system was blocked, the regular army of the Ursus Empire was not blind. Even if they were unaware of the incident at the time, they could react quickly afterward and take as many remedial actions as possible.

Upon receiving the scouts' report, Natasha's first reaction was to mobilize her forces and immediately support the defense of Chernobog, wiping out these damned invaders. She acted swiftly, assembling six thousand men in just fifteen minutes, and they set off immediately. However, she was intercepted during her deployment, not by the enemy, but by officers of the Ursus Second Army.

Natasha received instructions from her superiors in the Empire to forbid any military action against Chernobog.

Anyone who disobeys orders will be dealt with according to military law.

Chapter 146 Inviting the Enemy into the Trap (4K)

Anyone who disobeys orders will be dealt with according to military law.

Without needing to report to the Ursus Military Court, the Second Army has the authority to carry out the executions directly.

Natasha's questioning, Natasha's roar, Natasha's resistance were all suppressed by such a simple sentence.

An unprecedented sense of powerlessness loomed over the soldiers of the Third Army Group, as if a natural disaster cloud had collapsed, making it hard to breathe.

"A soldier's duty is to obey orders. If there's a mountain in front of you, smash it; if there's a sea in front of you, cross it; if there are shells in front of you, meet them head-on!"

This is a principle that Ursus soldiers must keep in mind when enlisting.

So, what is the mission of a soldier?

Isn't the mission of soldiers to protect their country, defend their territory, and safeguard their people?

Natasha's gaze wandered, and she sighed countless times throughout the day. It was hard to imagine that a beautiful woman in the prime of her life would be as listless as a middle-aged man who had been laid off from his job. Lacking motivation and energy, she resembled a struggling writer who had no one to urge him to update or read his work, absentmindedly typing on the keyboard like an old man.

Just as Natasha submitted her transfer request, intending to move from the front lines to logistics and no longer want to do things against her will on the battlefield, she received new orders.

This is why she is now able to sit in an armored vehicle and be so close to the abandoned area of ​​Chernobog; otherwise, she would still be under house arrest. Natasha had once impulsively removed her major's rank from her shoulders, intending to lead a suicide squad to Chernobog to retake it, but was stopped by superior force.

That's why, despite participating in so many wars, she was still only a major.

Because she was disobedient.

People more obedient than her, such as Ivan, who only ever schemed behind the lines, had already been promoted to lieutenant colonel and served as her deputy in the Second Army. Even the ones who stopped her this time were soldiers led by Ivan.

"stop!"

Natasha suddenly roared.

The driver of the ERR19 Vanguard armored vehicle immediately stopped the vehicle, which kept circling on the wet and slippery wasteland before finally managing to brake with difficulty.

If the heavy vehicle hadn't had anti-skid chains on its tires, it might have overturned. But just as a soldier's duty is to obey orders, even if a raging flood or wild beast is chasing behind, the driver must obey the order given by the superior.

The other accompanying vehicle nearby also slowed down as a result. The delegation consisted of six people, divided into two vehicles.

Is there anything that's bothering you?

The young and composed captain of the guard, Auguro, asked. He sat in the front row, his Originium sword pressed against his body, always ready to be armed.

Natasha did not answer; her gaze was fixed on the outer walls of Chernobog, a faint look of bewilderment on her beautiful face.

Following her gaze, Augulo saw a dark mark running from bottom to top across the wall, a dent about half a meter wide.

This might be the route the Rhodes Island agents used to secretly infiltrate the abandoned city, as climbing the outer walls to reach the mobile city without an elevator is the common practice for most homeless people and illegal immigrants. However, this trail is far too audacious; it doesn't seem like they used professional climbing equipment, but rather like they simply charged up the wall…

"Ogulo, with your Originium Arts, are you capable of climbing up like this?"

"Let me calculate..."

Auguro closed his eyes, seemingly meditating. After nearly ten seconds of silence, he slowly spoke, "With my current abilities, if I were to be lifted up alone, I anticipate my mental energy would exhaust at around forty meters, causing me to lose control of Originium Arts and plummet to my death. This is assuming my magic is suited to this purpose; if someone else were lifted up in this way..."

In Auguro's imagination, a mysterious figure pointed his staff directly at the ground, unleashing a burst of flames powerful enough to shake the air, and shot into the sky.

It's not impossible to achieve a similar level using current mechanical technology, but to achieve this level purely through magic...

"The opponent's use of Originium Arts is already highly refined and has reached its peak, enough to be recorded in history. It is at least at the level of a Royal Court Mage."

Oglow offered his assessment, while also expressing some感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of mixed emotions, including regret or unease) that such a person would be working in a small pharmaceutical company.

Even if it costs money and beautiful women, we'd still try to win back such a talented person and keep them around.

Augulo turned to look at the only beauty present. A light gradually appeared in the beautiful officer's eyes, a light that had reappeared since the Chernobog Incident.

"Sir, I must remind you, the Originium radiation level here is extremely high. If you open the car door, the vehicle's internal air circulation isolation system will malfunction. According to my calculations, if we are exposed to the outside for five minutes, the Originium crystal density in the blood of the three of us will increase by at least 0.7 u/L, and there will be a high probability of contracting Oripathy. Moreover, we don't have any lifting equipment right now, so there's basically no way to drive the car into the city. High risk, low profit, please think carefully," Auguro warned.

He had to remind her, because Natasha's eager expression made it seem like she couldn't wait to jump out of the car right now.

"I'm not blind."

Natasha never glanced at him once; her gaze remained fixed on the ruins of the city, her mind filled with fantasies.

She suddenly felt that this mission, which was originally insignificant, had become very meaningful. It turned out that there was someone who had done something that even she, as a soldier, could not do.

"Let's go, quicken our pace. Auguro, hand me the data on Rhodes Island."

"Yes, sir."

The vanguard armored vehicle started moving again. The driver didn't waste any time during the brief stop; he surveyed the rugged, muddy wasteland. Therefore, when he drove off again, he carefully avoided a large crater nearby, ten meters wide and nearly six meters deep, to prevent accidentally falling in and getting stuck.

As Natasha took the documents and began to peruse them, she failed to notice that deep within the crater lay a massive cluster of Originium stones, two meters long, covered with a layer of writhing soft mud...

Four hours later.

This long journey through the wilderness has finally come to an end.

The driver of the ERR19 Vanguard armored vehicle breathed a slight sigh of relief. Maintaining high speed in this treacherous wasteland was virtually impossible; perhaps only a true madman would attempt it. Dangerous Originium clusters were everywhere, along with craters large enough to overturn vehicles, and even massive cracks half a meter long. A single misstep could result in a fatal accident.

However, they have now reached a slightly flatter road, and outside the armored vehicle windows, they can still see many dilapidated tents, which belong to the refugees of Chernobog.

The refugees from Chernobog naturally saw them, but they only dared to curse from the sidelines, without daring to take any actual action.

The Chernobog refugees launched a fierce attack against the employees of Rhode Island Pharmaceuticals.

Faced with the Ursus soldiers who abandoned Chernobog, the refugees were meek and dared not utter a sound.

They suspected that the infected on Rhodes Island possessed weapons of mass destruction, but they dared not suspect the Ursus soldiers, because those people actually did possess weapons of mass destruction.

"Sir, we expect to arrive at the parking lane of the Rhodes Island landship in about ten minutes," Augullo reminded.

How did the other party respond?

Natasha put down the documents in her hand. Her vision had already reached the ships mentioned in the documents, which sat like steel beasts on the wasteland.

“We’ve already informed them of our expected arrival time, and we can also connect to the Rhodes Island ship’s signal network from here,” Auguro said, holding a tactical tablet. “The leaders of Rhodes Island have indicated they will come to greet us in person.”

"Be careful, they are not ordinary private companies."

Natasha said in a deep voice, glancing at the documents next to her seat and thinking to herself, what kind of pharmaceutical company is this?

This is simply a replica of the legendary mercenary organization that once shook up the world order!

The only difference is that this group of people also know a little bit about how to make money.

Rhode Island Pharmaceuticals is an expert in Oripathy infection.

The Ursus Empire treats the infected extremely poorly, basically not as human beings, but as disposable items and tools for making money.

Abundant Originium mines require people to mine them, areas with high levels of Originium radiation require people to clean them up, and even Originium factories need people to manage them. Naturally, ordinary people cannot be sent to these places, nor would any ordinary person work for moldy bread and sewage full of impurities and parasites. The only suitable candidates are Infected individuals.

A mine with high Originium radiation can basically devour hundreds of infected people a month, without even spitting out the bones.

The infected are not endless. The current Emperor of Ursus has repeatedly issued decrees that overturn all the laws established by the previous emperor, and the military and police have the right to arrest the infected. Large numbers of infected are thrown into these dangerous places like pushing them off a cliff—100,000, 200,000, 300,000—but even the largest number of infected will one day all die.

In order to achieve sustainable development, delaying the onset of symptoms in infected individuals is an urgent and crucial matter.

After all, for these cannibalistic capitalists, each infected person can bring them greater value.

Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals is the authority on Oripathy, and even the renowned Rhine Lab is not as proficient in this area as Rhodes Island.

Therefore, most businesses purchase related medicines from Rhodes Island. In addition, some nobles also spare no expense to buy these drugs. As for how these nobles use them, that remains unknown.