Ark Chess Player

Unlike the virtual data in battlefield exercises, everything felt so real. The bloodstains on the sword and shield, the pain from blunt force trauma, even the air felt scorching. It was like stepping back into the time of the Colombian outer guard reserve, Miguel's most arduous yet most precious memories.

When he learned that he would be going to have a real battle, Beagle was extremely nervous.

Finn cheered her on, while Clothes smiled and told her it was okay.

"Beagle, can you still hold on?"

"The masked heavy-armored operator," Blackhorn asked her.

"I'm fine, Senior Blackhorn, you should rest a bit more. I can still manage."

"Sorry, it's because I didn't wear my best mask that I ended up like this... Ouch!"

Blackhorn gasped, his face vaguely revealed by the cracked corner of his mask, which showed nothing unusual about him.

"Was it because Senior Yato was injured that Senior Kurokaku was momentarily distracted and hit by the spell?"

"No, no, that's not true..."

Blackhorn's embarrassed voice came through the communication headset, and Beagle gave a faint smile.

"Protecting everyone is my mission... No matter what difficulties we face, this belief will never waver."

"Beagle said softly, watching the two-meter-tall, muscular man stride toward her. All her tension and fear were forgotten."

Wearing makeshift forestry protective gear and carrying a massive axe, the two-meter-tall burly man aggressively shoved aside the thugs beside him, striding forward with heavy breaths. His perfectly round bald head was a testament to his strength, and beneath his black goggles were whitish eyes that looked somewhat...unnatural.

The thug who was pinned down was initially very angry, but when he saw the lumberjack's back, he was so frightened that he scrambled backward.

Jagged clusters of Originium seeped from the lumberjack's back, as if he were carrying Originium thorns on his back. Every step the burly man took left muddy marks on the ground.

"Beagle, retreat!"

Blackhorn, who was bandaging his wounds from the rear, noticed something strange about Big Axe Brother thanks to the Ghost Clan's excellent eyesight.

Based on his combat experience, he could tell at a glance that this enemy was not someone that the newcomer, Beagle, could handle.

"I...I won't run away!"

Beagle raised his shield in his right hand and held his sword in his left, ready for battle.

"The doctor did not give the order to retreat. I trust the doctor!"

"You silly girl!"

Blackhorn quickly put down his medicine and stood up, wanting to lift his shield, but his left arm was almost blasted to the bone by a spell, and he had no strength to run forward with the shield up.

Beagle's breathing became rapid as she looked up at the mountain-like enemy, the heavy pressure almost crushing her.

Even though Beagle's heart was trembling at this moment, she still forced herself to endure the discomfort and stared straight at the enemy.

"call……"

Beagle tossed the iron sword in his left hand behind him, braced himself with his heavy shield, and focused all his attention on the lumberjack.

During the battlefield exercises, the Doctor carefully taught her combat skills as a heavy-armored operator.

Instructor Dobermann also said that in actual combat, survival should be the priority.

"Please give me courage."

Beagle held his shield in both hands, his gaze fixed on the enemy who was advancing with heavy, mountain-like steps.

"Dulin, Yanrong, provide full support to Miguel."

A slightly androgynous voice came through the communication headset, and Beagle was momentarily distracted.

Just as Beagle was distracted, the commander's voice came through the headset again: "Beagle, don't lose focus, face your enemy."

"Yes, Doctor!"

Beagle's breathing suddenly returned to normal, and his overly tense and rapidly beating heart gradually relaxed.

She trusted the doctor because he had praised her for doing well during the battlefield simulation training.

She'll do just as well this time!

The lumberjack raised his axe high, the thick blade flashing in Miguel's vision—

"Don't just look at your opponent's weapon; that's a major taboo in combat. In a standoff, you need to look at the surface, not just a single point. Like this, come on, try attacking me, whether with a sword or a shield... Got it? Too fast to see clearly? No problem, let's try again... Again!"

The doctor's teachings came to mind.

Anticipating the opponent's actions, or even inducing their actions.

If heavy-armored operators can master these two points, they will be invincible and engage in a protracted war of attrition with the purest endurance.

Beagle took a deep breath and slammed his heavy shield heavily onto the ground.

She didn't know if her actions were right, but if she couldn't even be firm in her own beliefs, then her shield wouldn't be able to protect anyone.

As it turned out, her guess was correct.

The lumberjack's initial stance of raising his axe was just a feint; the burly man suddenly lowered his waist and charged heavily to the side.

The machine-like, meticulous movements, the textbook-perfect dive, and the clumsy, slow actions resulted in a tremendous impact!

Beagle felt as if she had been hit by a heavy truck; the impact traveled through her shield to her arm, making her feel as if she had lost consciousness for a moment.

If she hadn't slammed the heavy shield to the ground in time to gain leverage, she would probably have been sent flying by now.

But that wasn't all. Beagle put himself in the other person's shoes and predicted the lumberjack's next move.

What will happen next is—

Beagle felt a chill run down her spine. She took a step forward and braced herself against the shield.

Without any fancy skills or spells, she used the simplest yet most effective method.

Trust in your heavy shield, trust in your physical strength, trust that you can withstand this blow!

The lumberjack's dive was only the first step; what followed was swinging his axe high into the air, flashing it like a crescent moon.

"boom--!"

A sudden hum of metal clanging erupted as a heavy axe cleaved the ground, its blade, mixed with a spray of mud, striking the heavy shield.

It was like slamming a metal bat against a baseball, producing an ear-piercing, teeth-grinding sound, and a heart-wrenching scene unfolded before our eyes.

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 be?!"

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)

"What am I doing..."

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!!"