Ark Chess Player.

"Doctor, after receiving Dr. Kal'tsit's communication, Ms. Kroos has already set Rhodes Island on its way to its destination." Amiya held up her blue mobile terminal covered in cute stickers. "I have already informed the operators on the mission of the new coordinates of the Rhodes Island flagship. We expect to arrive in Lungmen around 6 PM. Doctor, please prepare accordingly in the meantime."

"Get ready...that's good, there's something I need to do."

Lin Lu rubbed his wrist; the rope marks remaining on his fair skin were somewhat too conspicuous.

"Doctor, what are you planning to do? The preparations I mentioned, are you going to finish these three days' work ahead of schedule?"

Amiya asked, having unknowingly arrived at her desk and placed the prepared work documents on it.

“...I need to give an explanation to the children I brought back from Chernobog.”

A strong will to survive prompted Lin Lu to speak as formally as possible. He had finally escaped from the endless cycle of work, so how could he possibly let go of such a good opportunity to slack off!

"When Major Natasha left, I refused her request to take Sonia, Anna, Natalia, Rada, and Rosalind with her. I was worried about letting them leave with the Ursus delegation, but it was my own decision, and I needed to tell them."

“I see…” Amiya smiled thoughtfully, “Then there’s nothing I can do. Doctor, you go ahead. I’ll take care of these tasks.”

"Amiya—" Lin Lu's eyes widened in surprise as he asked, "Are you really Amiya?!"

"Doctor, in your heart, am I the kind of unreasonable, bad woman who forces you to work?" Amiya's rings on her ten fingers emitted a black light as she smiled at Lin Lu and said softly, "Am I the kind of despicable woman who only tells you that you can't rest until the work is finished? Hmm? Doctor? Doctor, don't run away, Doctor!"

"You're smothering the road—"

Lin Lu slammed the door shut. Anyone who answers such a death question is a fool; one cannot act against one's conscience.

He had barely taken five steps outside when Lin Lu waved to a hidden, shady spot.

"Thank you for your hard work, Platinum."

Within the shadows, the completely concealed aura shifted slightly, as if someone had secretly taken a deep breath.

A woman in white with silver hair and brown eyes stepped out from a hidden corner, her arms casually folded across her unremarkable chest, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion.

"Doctor, how did you find out where I was? I was hiding very well..."

Platinum pouted slightly, seemingly quite unconvinced, as if someone had easily done what she was best at.

Lin Lu subconsciously replied, "I'd like to ask you why you're dressed all in white and yet you look so confident in your stealth abilities—is your assassin mentor Altaïr or Ezio?"

"...Who are these two people?"

Platinum tilted her head, looking confused.

Lin Lu smiled slightly, without explaining much. In fact, he himself couldn't recall it; he was just instinctively making sarcastic remarks.

"Is it because of my clothes...? Even the knights of Kazimierz couldn't detect my presence. Could it be that I'm feeling fatigued in the comfortable environment of Rhodes Island?" Platinum looked at her long-sleeved white robe, sexy crop top, white hot pants, and black knee-high socks with some confusion, and spun around in place.

"Awesome!"

Lin Lu's gaze was involuntarily drawn to Bai Jin's slender waist and the fluffy tail beside her tight buttocks, perfectly accentuated by her hot pants... It made him want to ride a horse, mount a horse, flatter her, offer hindsight advice, ride alone, gallop on horseback, keep going, and even fall over.

Great! My vocabulary has been updated again. From now on, when I see Agent Kurta, my mom won't have to worry about my studies anymore.

"Was it Kal'tsit who asked you to help protect Amiya in the shadows?" Lin Lu smiled gently and waved his hand at the silent girl. "It's alright. I understand that Rhodes Island needs some kind of help hidden in the dark, which is also the value of the SWEEP team. When you have time, please let me make you a cup of tea to relieve your fatigue."

"...If possible, I would like to taste the hand-brewed coffee that you, Doctor, have prepared yourself."

Bai Jin gazed silently at Lin Lu, and without even realizing it, a gentle smile curved her lips.

Platinum had smelled the aroma of coffee early on; it had been a long time since she had smelled such a rich and mellow fragrance that it deeply attracted her.

Even as time passes, she can still sense it keenly.

"Well, of course."

Lin Lu smiled, his smile warm and flawless.

As Lin Lu walked towards the infirmary, Bai Jin silently watched his back, unconsciously triggering her Pegasus Vision as if she wanted to deeply imprint his silhouette in her mind.

"The Doctor from Rhodes Island... is quite interesting."

Platinum recalled the last time she saw the Doctor, on the mast on the deck, when she had inadvertently seen...

"Humph."

Unbeknownst to her, the Kazimierz Unarmored Assassin, her pretty face flushed, pursed her lips and quietly slipped into the shadows.

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Chapter 162 The Frigid Winter

Rhodes Island - Ship Deck.

5:16 pm Cloudy, visibility 12 km.

Lin Lu gazed at the distant sky; winter always seemed to pass too quickly.

At this time of day, the sky was already showing signs of approaching dusk, with the setting sun peeking out in a few arcs of light amidst the clusters of dark clouds.

Even though Lin Lu had unleashed a stunning sword strike in Chernobog days ago, a strike that pierced the clear sky and shattered the clouds of disaster to bring light back… it couldn't shatter this false sky. With the atmospheric circulation, tiny particles of Originium re-entered this clear airspace. The pristine sky was once again stained with bizarre colors, overcast and filled with melancholy.

The Rhodes Island ship, accelerating, made the wind blowing on the deck much colder, lifting the hem of Lin Lü's hooded coat high.

"Is there something you can't say in the infirmary? Why do you have to get some fresh air here?"

"So noisy! Who knew it would get this cold! I didn't know the sun would set so soon... Ah, ah... Autumn!"

Wearing a thin hospital gown, Sonia crossed her arms, her beautiful face slightly squinted against the wind, and called out to Lin Lu.

Lin Lu shook his head helplessly, took off his hooded coat, and covered Sonia's head with it.

"Remember to return my clothes when you get back; they contain my mobile device and employee card."

"Tch, who wants this tattered clothing! It's so heavy—ugh, and it smells like smoke, it stinks."

Sonia muttered something, but obediently put on the slightly loose coat that was too big for her.

She gripped the edges of her sleeves with both hands, and pulled down the sturdy hood, which was inlaid with D32 steel, almost causing her neck to ache from the weight.

Lin Lu's new hooded coat was a protective accessory that Amiya had strongly requested from Kroos. She seemed to have read some bizarre ghost story and developed a phobia of golf clubs, wishing she could replace the Doctor's head with an alloy one. With this hooded coat, even a refrigerator-like Titan swinging a golf club would surely break its hand.

"It's quite warm."

Sonia whispered. As an Ursus, she wasn't afraid of the cold. But the thin hospital gown she was wearing felt like she wasn't wearing anything at all, making her feel uncomfortable all the way on the Rhodes Island ship, and there was a strange, irritating sensation rubbing against her skin.

"I'm not a cold-blooded animal. The clothes I wear are definitely warm."

Lin Lu was only wearing a white undershirt and casual pants, but he didn't feel uncomfortable at all; in fact, he felt quite cool.

Although Lin Lu is not a cold-blooded creature, he is a monster and is incompatible with ordinary people.

What monsters truly fear is not the drop in temperature, but the loneliness of being alone.

Lin Lu sighed softly: "You came to me saying you had something to discuss alone. Before that, I need to apologize to you."

"...Apologize for what?" Sonia asked, puzzled.

Lin Lu gazed into her eyes and said earnestly, “When the Ursus Empire delegation left, they requested that we take you back to the Ursus Empire. I did not agree; this was my personal decision. I should have asked for your opinions first and prioritized your own wishes. As an apology, when the Rhodes Island ships dock at Lungmen, I will send Operations Team A4 to escort you to Ursus. If you have any relatives there, you can give me their contact information. If you do not wish to return, you can also seek refuge in Lungmen—hmm, what are you doing?”

Sonia silently threw a punch.

It struck Lin Lu's left chest with precision, speed, and accuracy.

With Sonia's strength, she could easily carve a dent into the wall.

When she wields the short axe, she can even chop off the heads of corrupted monsters.

At that moment, Sonia's fist that struck Lin Lu's chest didn't hurt at all; it didn't hurt at all.

Sonia's small hand remained pressed against Lin Lu's chest, as if she were feeling his heartbeat.

"cut……"

"cut?"

“Chernoberg!” Sonia looked up, her light blue eyes reflecting Lin Lu’s face. She shouted, “Who wants to go back to a city without hope? Ursus? Who wants to go back to a country without a future! Rhodes Island is our true starting point now! We have no plans for the future, and we’re not at an age where we need to plan for the future! So what, is that not allowed?”

Sonia grabbed Lin Lu's white clothes and pulled him down.

To avoid tearing his clothes, Lin Lu had no choice but to bend down.

Their eyes were so close that their breaths could brush against each other's faces.

“I, Anna, Radamanthys, Rosalind… and Natalia. We’ve all decided to live on Rhodes Island from now on. Since you took us away from Chernobog, you should take more responsibility for us! Whether you send me to the front lines or do something else, it’s up to you! Wasn’t that agreed upon? Are you trying to back out?”

There seemed to be something burning, enduring, and uneasy in Sonia's eyes.

She pouted, getting angrier the more she thought about it, and tilted her head back, slamming it hard into Lin Lu's stomach.

That hurt a lot.

But for some reason, Lin Lu felt that the punch the girl had thrown at his chest earlier hurt even more.

"Don't just abandon us like that... you bastard."

Sonia buried her head in Lin Lu's clothes, and muffled sounds came from inside.

"We've already been abandoned once... We don't want to be abandoned a second time."

Sonia's hometown was engulfed by war, but the brutal battlefield was not what she cared about most.

What Sonia could never truly forget was that during the long and painful years at Peterheim School, the Emperor of Ursus never offered a helping hand to his people. All the waiting, all the anticipation, turned into an unforgettable hatred.

When she was at her most desperate, when she was about to collapse, it wasn't Ursus who appeared, but Rhodes Island.

It was the man standing before me.

Now, what this man said hurt her.

Sonia isn't some useless person who can only eat and can't do anything. She has the ability, maybe she's not qualified yet, but she's willing to learn and endure hardship, and one day she'll surpass him.

When the time comes, if the Doctor needs her help, she will appear before him shining brightly and lend him a helping hand—just like that night.

"I see."

Lin Lu slowly raised his hand and gently rubbed the bear girl's head. The soft brown fur slid through his palm, bringing a gentle touch.

"I take back what I said before."

Lin Lu rubbed Sonia's round ears, gently stroking along her earlobes, and smiled, "From now on, you will live on Rhodes Island. As long as I'm here, you won't go hungry. I will raise you to be outstanding girls. Rhodes Island needs you, and I need you too."

"Keep your word?"

Sonia tilted her head back, and whether it was just her imagination or not, she felt that her eyes had become somewhat red.

"a man of his words."

"I'll trust you just this once, just this once."

Sonia reluctantly broke free from Lin Lu's embrace, took a few steps back, and took off her hooded coat.

"Here you go! You better remember this: I'll keep earning merits and rising through the ranks until I finally replace you. Then, I'll make you obediently drape this coat over my shoulders!"

"Didn't you complain about these clothes before?"

"That was just now, this is now!"

Sonia tilted her head back, looking smug.

Lin Lu shook his head helplessly and put his coat back on.

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that the clothes had become much warmer.

Lin Lu asked, "What was it that you wanted to talk to me about privately before?"

Sonia paused slightly, stopping her steps towards the ship's interior, and turned to smile.

"I've already discussed everything I wanted to discuss."

"Yeah……"

Lin Lu stopped, as if he had remembered something.

“Every Rhodes Island operator has their own codename. You can prepare a word to identify yourself. Some people like to use their names directly, and some people like to use things. Have you thought of your own exclusive codename, Sonia?”

"Hmph, my codename was decided long ago."

Sonia gave herself a thumbs-up and a fearless smile.

“Winter, leader of the Ursus Student Self-Government Association! That’s all. Please bear with me in the future, Doctor.”

Chapter 163 Doctor, the car is ready! (4K)

Group 4⑧87④97⑨9