Ark Chess Player.

Beagle's feet left the ground, and she was thrown into the air along with the heavy shield in her hand.

Her judgment was correct; she did nothing wrong, it was just that the power imbalance between the two was too great.

If Beagle hadn't reacted in time, the heavily cracked shield would have been split in two, severing the girl's body along with it.

Dulin and Yanluo, who were constantly shifting positions, emerged from the shadows at the same time, and the condensed spells converged on the giant lumberjack!

The explosive and optical spells shone brilliantly, and flickering flames clung to the lumberjack's body, accompanied by a loud bang and a cloud of smoke.

Solve it?

Yan Rong staggered, her excessive mental energy causing her to experience oxygen deprivation.

She had never used magic so violently before; she had used every trick in the book to save her companions.

“…How could this happen?!”

Yan Rong's eyes widened in disbelief.

As the black smoke dissipated, the lumberjack, his body wreathed in flames, shouldered his axe and walked towards the fallen Beagle...

Chapter 171 I Keep My Word (Fourth Update)

"I am..."

Beagle lay on the ground, his throat filled with an itchy sensation, making it difficult for him to make a normal sound.

She involuntarily spat out the blood clot that was stuck in her throat, her nasal cavity filled with a hot, moist sensation, from which bright red blood flowed.

The constant, overlapping ringing in her ears made it difficult for her to hear the sounds around her.

Beagle barely managed to open her eyes, her vision blurred as she saw the heavy shield lying in the distance. Cracks rippled across its surface, a testament to the devastating blow it had suffered. Her jumbled thoughts swirled as she tried to recall what had just happened. She remembered that she had parried the enemy's attack, but hadn't been able to completely block it.

"no……"

Beagle reached out towards the heavy shield in the distance; her hands were covered in bruises, and even her wrists were swollen.

"I want to protect...everyone."

The unbearable blows left her covered in wounds, but even so, her fighting spirit was not extinguished.

If she had been even more capable, if she hadn't become complacent during training because she got A grades in all the assessments, if she had been even more diligent and hardworking... she could have proven with her actions that she was right, that the doctor's teachings were right, and that she hadn't done anything wrong.

Beagle's fingers gripped the ground tightly as he dragged his numb body toward the shield.

"Boom...boom..."

A heavy breathing sound, like the throttle of an accelerator, came from behind Beagle, and a dark shadow obscured the girl's outstretched hand.

The communication headset, which had somehow fallen out of Beagle's ear, was trampled underfoot as the lumberjack endured Dulin's magical attack and took heavy steps.

"Beagle, get up! Get up now!"

Blackhorn threw the sturdy shield aside and dragged his left half toward Beagle.

As a senior, he couldn't just stand by and watch his juniors be in danger!

However, the closer Blackhorn got to the lumberjacks, the more he could feel the oppressive aura emanating from the enemy.

It's hard to imagine how such a young child could withstand such pressure and raise the shield with unwavering conviction.

Braving the crossfire from Dulin and Lava, Blackhorn successfully approached Beagle amidst the constant spray of light and flame.

With time running out, Blackhorn no longer cared about the difference between men and women, and simply picked up the girl by the waist with one hand and carried her on his shoulder.

Blackhorn's injuries were aggravated as a result, and he gritted his teeth and endured the pain, cautiously retreating.

—On the battlefield, never expose your back to the enemy.

Upon seeing this, the lumberjack suddenly sprang into action, swinging his large axe towards Blackhorn.

Blackhorn did not retreat. He raised his left arm to protect Beagle, and beneath the shattered mask were clear eyes that showed no fear.

He had only one thought in his mind: if he could exchange one hand for the life of a younger generation, it would be worth it!

"Surfing!!"

At the critical moment, a crossbow bolt pierced through the lumberjack's goggles and went straight into his eyeball, splattering blood.

"Stay away from her."

On a platform a hundred meters away, Klose, who always squinted, opened her eyes.

The pale green pupils did not reflect the irises; a hint of sinister purple lingered in the eyes.

Even when dispatched to the battlefield, Klose remained completely calm and leisurely accepted her mission.

She, who was always able to calmly aim and shoot at the enemy, was now dominated by rage, her whole body radiating malice.

Although Klose always seems slow-paced and indifferent, she becomes serious when it comes to things she cares about.

Klose's attention had completely drifted away from her original mission. She deftly dodged the Molotov cocktails thrown by enemies in the distance, quickly finding the next advantageous position and seizing every opportunity to fire from the rangers' cover. She fired the sharpest arrows at the most difficult angles, each arrow imbued with her fury.

The ranger understood her feelings, and he silently took all the pressure of suppressing the outside world upon himself, using his own strength to delay the frenzied rioters.

Humans are not machines; they have emotions and will prioritize things based on their feelings.

The battlefield is ever-changing, and the situation quickly turned against them after the Nightblade and the Kingslayer's decapitation operation in the enemy ranks was thwarted.

Yato was accidentally injured during the attack by Reunion's reinforcements, the Seekers. After much hesitation, the Kingslayer chose to rescue her, escorting her to Fang's side. Reunion's human wave tactics appeared incredibly direct and brutal at this moment, using countless thugs and soldiers to surround and annihilate them.

Even a regicide cannot fully utilize his advantages when protecting others, leaving them feeling powerless.

Amiya was focused on helping the three people who were surrounded to break through the encirclement, and had no time to consider the overall situation.

Because of Yato's injury, Blackhorn was momentarily distracted and was unwittingly ambushed by a Reunion Movement mage.

Not to mention the members of the fourth squad of the Lungmen Guard Bureau, who had already retreated when they saw the situation was not good.

"..."

The lumberjack stopped, slowly raising his hand to grasp the fletching of the crossbow bolt through his tattered goggles. With a nonchalant air, he pulled the arrow out along with his eyeball. A torrent of blood gushed forth, a truly horrifying sight. Yet, as if completely oblivious to the pain, he continued walking like a walking corpse, the Originium clusters on his back radiating a black glow.

"Klose, go back to where you were."

Klose heard the Doctor's voice through her communication headset, but she ignored it and continued to fire precisely at the lumberjack.

Compared to Dulin and Lava's spells, Kroos's modern crossbow is more accurate in hitting the enemy's weak points.

The lumberjack was hit in the eyes, throat, and groin by crossbow bolts, but he did not stop.

"Klose, I'll say it one last time, go back to where you were."

Klose paused, biting her lip, the modern crossbow she held trembling, yet she refused to lower it.

"Doctor, didn't you say that Beagle's safety was the top priority? What are you doing!" Klose pressed down on the communication headset and asked coldly.

"I'm doing it."

"what have you done?"

"I am doing what I promised."

Lin Lu sighed softly. After all, he was just a child, and he was still too impulsive.

That makes sense, though. Rhodes Island is a pharmaceutical company, not a military, so you can't expect them to behave like soldiers.

Rhodes Island doesn't need an army; what it needs are talented people who share the same goals.

Lin Lu lowered his cold tone and said softly, "Look behind you, I'm here."

Klose turned her head and looked around, her eyes widening unconsciously, as if in disbelief.

The doctor, with Beagle and Blackhorn tucked between his arms, stood behind her on a high platform, looking directly at her.

Even through the hood, Klose could read the helplessness in his cobalt blue eyes.

"how come……"

Kroos abruptly turned her head to look at where Beagle had been standing. In the faint mist of lingering magical traces, a tall, green-haired woman appeared. She held up a rather peculiar triangular shield, blocking the lumberjack's heavy axe. Sparks from the metal clashing mingled and illuminated her face.

"I've said it before, I will never abandon my operators."

Lin Lu gently placed Beagle and Blackhorn flat on the ground, then raised his head to look Klose in the eye.

"I keep my word."

Chapter 172 Dare to touch my agents? (Fifth update)

"Is this all the support the Lungmen Guard Bureau has?"

Lin Lu frowned. Of these few oddballs, apart from Inspector Hoshiguma, none of them were presentable.

"The Lungmen Guard Bureau is undergoing reorganization and assembly."

Hoshiguma spoke to Lin Lu from the perspective of a partner, cautiously saying, "More support from the Lungmen Guard Bureau is on its way, and we must persevere. If the suppression of the infected in Districts 1 to 3 can end as soon as possible, we will be able to relax a lot."

“In that case, I have a request. Limited to this operation, I need the Lungmen Guard Bureau…” Lin Lu’s gaze swept over each of them in turn, “that is, command of your current seven-person team.”

"Who are you? Who do you think you are!"

A member of the Lungmen Guard immediately objected, looking at the strange, unsightly guy in front of him with disdain.

But that's normal. It's not the teammates who are incompetent that are scary, it's the bosses who have no brains.

Battlefield combat is about gambling with your life and fighting with your life on the line; no one would casually entrust their life to someone else.

As expected, Hoshiguma shook her head and did not agree to Lin Lu's request.

"They will only follow my orders."

Just as Lin Lu raised his eyebrows in displeasure, the seemingly cold older sister suddenly smiled.

“However, if it’s you, I’m willing to refer to your tactics in this operation.” Ignoring the objections of the noisy Guard Bureau members, Hoshiguma looked directly at Lin Lu, switched the spare walkie-talkie to channel three, and handed it to him. “I’ve observed your command style. Your ideas are closer to practical application than the formulaic military textbooks. There’s a feeling that’s very familiar to me. I hope you can impress me, Doctor of Rhodes Island.”

Lin Lu took the walkie-talkie, pressed the start button, and tested it:

"It's my pleasure."

——Time returns to the present.

"sorry Sorry……"

"I'm in a daze," Miguel said, clutching the hem of Lin Lu's coat, tears welling up in her eyes.

Even when facing the enemy on the battlefield, even when she suffered serious injuries, she did not cry.

But now, she knows she's dragging the team down, because her weakness has caused problems in the battle.

Unable to hold back any longer, bitter tears welled up in his eyes, and Beagle reluctantly pursed his trembling lips.

“Beagle, you’ve done enough.”

Lin Lu removed the girl's glasses with the broken lenses, carefully folded them up, and put them away.

"You're still a newcomer as an operator, but you've been working hard, haven't you?" Lin Lu said softly, gently stroking the girl's head. "Your performance today has far exceeded my expectations. Keep up the good work in the future, and now get some rest."

"PhD……"

Beagle murmured softly, and under the reassuring comfort, the girl slowly closed her tired eyes and loosened her right hand, which had been tightly clutching the hem of her clothes.

She was so tired, so very tired. The moment she closed her eyes, her consciousness faded away.

Lin Lu took a deep breath, his expression hidden by his hooded mask.

He waved to Furong, who had been forced to hide, and she immediately came over.

"Doctor, I'm sorry." Blackhorn's mask was half shattered. He lowered his head and said in a low voice, "As a heavy-armored operator, I failed to fulfill my most important mission and was unable to hold the front line. It is my dereliction of duty that has implicated this little girl."

"If you want to protect the people you care about, you're not quite there yet," Lin Lu said coldly.

“Yes, Doctor…” Blackhorn became even more dejected.

"From now on, I will increase your tactical training with Yato, and night missions will also increase. Be prepared."

Blackhorn opened his mouth, then hesitated, saying, "...Is this a reward or a punishment, Doctor?"

"What do you think!" Lin Lu poked Black Horn's wound, causing him to almost jump up from the ground in pain.

Lin said fiercely, "Listen up, you can only avoid this miserable state by becoming stronger. Once you and Yato have recovered from your injuries, there will be a intensive training program that I personally designed for you. Don't cry in front of the girls you like then, Blackhorn."

"Yes... Doctor. No, I didn't say I liked her!"

Lin Lu stood up and entrusted the Black Horn and Beagle to the flustered Fu Rong.