Ark Undead

“Things might not be very peaceful these days. If Mr. Herag finds it inconvenient, you can provide medical assistance to these rescued refugees on the spot. You can freely mobilize the doctors we brought. In addition, Rhodes Island will also be sending a batch of supplies to Chernobog in the coming period, so there is no need to worry about medical supplies.”

Amiya looked at Herag intently and said.

"I've been observing those oddballs who call themselves part of the Reunion Movement these past few days. They are indeed helping us rescue refugees, so let's try to avoid conflict with them. If anything happens, please contact me and Dr. Kal'tsit immediately, and we will respond as soon as possible!"

A smile appeared on Hrag's aged face.

"Okay, thank you for your concern, Miss Amiya, I understand."

Ace nodded and put Amiya on the transport plane.

The two watched the transport plane carrying Amiya fly away, then exchanged a glance.

Ace gives the communicator Amiya left behind to Herag.

"General Helag, this is a communicator left by Amiya. If you need anything from me, just use this communicator."

Herag took the communicator.

"OK, thanks."

"It's nothing, I'll go take care of my work now."

After saying that, Ace picked up the shield that was placed aside and continued her mission of helping refugees.

Helag, on the other hand, turned and went in a different direction from Ace.

On the very day they arrived in Chernobog and began their rescue mission, they encountered a group of infected individuals who claimed to belong to the Reunion Movement.

These infected individuals were well-equipped and acted in an orderly manner. However, they were not destroying Chernobog, but rather providing aid to the refugees trapped under the rubble.

Amiya couldn't quite understand why you, who conquered Chernobog, would lend a hand now that you're helping the Chernobog refugees.

Isn't this like being a prostitute and then trying to have your cake and eat it too?

But they didn't answer; they just went about their business in silence and showed no intention of attacking Rhodes Island's humanitarian aid team.

Amiya didn't recognize him, and neither did Ace.

But only Helag knew who they were, and who their leader was.

After walking for quite some time through Chernobog, which was now almost a ruin, Hrag stopped in front of an abandoned building.

Beside them was the location where their Azazel Clinic had been based before they encountered persecution from the Ursus authorities.

Originally, only the people had left; the clinic building itself was still in good condition.

But after the Chernobog incident, even this building was destroyed by the enraged infected.

To this day, the infected still roam the city, while the remnants of the soldiers responsible for defending the city have long since been evacuated from Chernobog under orders.

Returning here, everything had changed, and even Helag couldn't help but sigh.

"Returning to places you've been before always brings back many memories."

"It's the same when we see old friends."

A figure slowly emerged from the ruins.

He had horns on his head that resembled the branches of an old tree, and the red light in his eyes was faint, yet one could still see rationality within them.

“If I hadn’t known what you were doing all along, I would never have imagined that my old friend would become the leader of the Reunion Movement, let alone that you would lead your troops here.”

Helag couldn't help but smile.

"However, this is something you can definitely do."

"I have a clear conscience, that's all."

The man came to within five meters of Helag.

He lowered his head slightly.

"Long time no see, General."

218. I will not be your enemy.

"You know, you don't always have the chance to be in the first place, sit down, have a smoke, and chat with your friends."

Helag lit a cigarette and sat on a window in the ruins that hadn't yet been destroyed.

He looked at the patriot standing outside, intending to hand him the cigarette case. But seeing the mask he was wearing, he simply smiled, shook his head, and put the case back in his coat pocket.

"I almost forgot, you don't smoke."

"I used to smoke. Now, I can't."

Patriot shook his head. Seeing Hrag's behavior, he followed suit, found a large rock, sat down on it, and placed his halberd and shield on either side of him.

"How long have you been in this line of work? Decades? A few years?"

As he smoked, Herag looked at the patriot in front of him through the swirling smoke.

"The last time I heard from you was before I withdrew from here, it must have been a year or two ago, right?"

"It's been a long time. I can't remember."

Patriot paused for a moment, then looked down at his decaying fingers, which twitched involuntarily. He then vaguely calculated in his mind how long it had been.

"Twenty...thirty...never mind, it's been a long time."

"Yes, that makes sense. We haven't seen each other for decades."

Herag nodded, exhaled a puff of smoke, took a deep breath, and said.

"How does it feel to strive and fight for your own goal, instead of for the country?"

"General, I have always done it all for the country."

Patriot stared at Hrag sitting by the window, his eyes glowing red, and said.

"Whether it's rebellion or betrayal, I have never betrayed my country."

"..."

Herag picked up his cigarette butt again, put it to his lips, and took a drag.

He knew that the man before him was one of the most loyal generals.

Even though all his actions were interpreted as betrayal by the people in Ursus's officialdom, he never betrayed his country in his heart. Now, it's the same; he's just in a higher position, and for the future of the Infected, isn't it also for the future of Ursus?

"This country is already corrupt. I don't think it's a good thing to shift the blame."

Patriot spoke, his vocal cords weakened by Oripathy, making it difficult for him to utter a complete sentence. Even though his mind remained sharp and his thoughts were still keen, he couldn't escape the torment caused by Oripathy.

"The infected are power, not insects. Ursus is rejecting a stronger power."

Patriots do not believe that their so-called betrayals will bring disaster to the country.

Instead, he somehow came to believe that the future of Ursus required infected people.

In the past, Ursus had always focused on conquest. But the Patriots realized that mere conquest could not alleviate the burden that Ursus had carried for so many years as a war machine.

When problems arise within the country, they always focus on the immediate troubles but fail to consider the future.

“You’re right, the infected are a much more powerful force. But Ursus chose to ignore it because the Emperor doesn’t think so.”

Herag shrugged and said.

"In that emperor's eyes, Ursus was already powerful enough. Even if the infected could bring even more ferocious warriors, the price to be paid would be greater, and it would seriously disrupt the existing operation of Ursus."

"But he didn't understand. Ursus cannot rely solely on conquest. The people need rest."

The Patriot spoke slowly, turning his head to look at the ruins of the Azazel Clinic that Hrag had once run.

"I fought on the battlefield, achieving great feats. I fought on the frontier, slaying evil spirits. But Ursus still feels like the most primitive village."

"I brought victory to Ursus. But victory is only temporary. Ursus cannot escape the Infected."

Patriot's past betrayals were not impulsive; every decision he made was made after careful consideration.

Whether he was the first to leave Kazdel, or joined Ursus and then left the Ursus army to become a demon wandering the snowy plains of northern Ursus.

He fulfilled his duties in every role he held, and he never regretted the decisions he made.

Except for...his closest relatives.

"I understand what you're thinking; I only gradually came to understand this myself later."

Herag nodded, threw the cigarette butt he had finished smoking at the ground and stomped it out, then looked up at his old friend.

"It's impossible to kill all the infected. Ursus's rejection of the infected is like forcibly cutting away a piece of flesh that could have been theirs."

"Yes, perhaps it will take Ursus some time to adapt to the rejection reaction caused by this mass of flesh. But the wounds caused by cutting off the flesh will be even more bloody, and these gaps cannot be repaired."

It cannot be said that Ursus's decision was wrong, but someone needs to bear the consequences of every decision.

The situation in Ursus is different from that in Lungmen and Da Yan. Ursus needs manpower, and it needs sufficient manpower to make up for the lack of manpower due to years of war.

The infected could have been an integral part of this fighting force. But Ursus chose to refuse, instead viewing these people who could provide logistics and combat power for Ursus as a scourge, and wanting to drive them out of their homeland.

This might stabilize the military's focus in the short term. But in the long run, what the infected can bring is definitely of great value.

Not to mention, Ursus never intended to address the core class contradictions.

For a long time, the theory of the threat of infected people propagated by Ursus has instilled a strong fear of infection in many Ursus citizens, not to mention the long-standing conflict between the remaining nobles and the army.

These are all unresolved problems.

"The old-fashioned nobles and the military suppress the newly emerging nobles who control wealth, while the new nobles, while holding onto their wealth, exploit the ordinary people of Ursus. The pressure on the ordinary people has nowhere to go, so it is precisely the infected at the bottom of society that they vent their frustrations. The people believe that the infected are making their lives so difficult, but is that really the case?"

Herag shook his head.

"As long as the attitude of the nobles toward the people remains the same as it has been for hundreds of years, the country will never be able to move toward a new tomorrow."

"But they forgot their duty. They forgot why they were nobles."

The patriot spoke calmly, his eyes gleaming with a bright red light.

"There are even people who, in pursuit of power, unconditionally accepted them."

At this point, Hrag stared at Patriot in astonishment, paused for a long time upon seeing him, and then suddenly realized what was going on.

"So... okay, I forgot. After all, it's you. Even though you have their flesh and blood in you, you are still you."

Patriot nodded, then lowered his head again.