Ark Chess Player

A few wrinkles appeared at the corners of Razer's eyes, and the injury on her arm throbbed faintly, showing that she was extremely unhappy.

She sighed, "Franka, stop looking around, the enemy is coming!"

On the other side of the dense fog, a skeleton soldier in muscular armor raised his hands high, plunging them directly into the ground. Black smoke poured from his hands into the ground, followed by a huge crystalline object rising from the ground. It was building material carbonized in the violent explosion, which the skeleton soldier had actually pulled out, and not only that, he had reinforced and secured it.

"Snapped--!!"

The skeleton soldiers hurled the boulder directly at Amiya and the others, their speed increasing dramatically, instantly creating a series of explosive sounds as it pierced the air.

Razer retracted her flash shield and, almost without hesitation, chose to leap to the side. She was a heavy-armored operator, but she wasn't stupid! When she didn't need to protect the operators behind her, she naturally tried to dodge enemy attacks whenever possible, without wasting stamina.

Everyone easily dodged, and just as Franka was wondering if it was too easy, the carbonized crystalline boulder emitted a red light!

“各位，快躲开！”

Amiya shuddered as she sensed a massive energy contracting and regrouping within the boulder, causing ripples to spread through the air.

No, it's too close, there's no way I can dodge it!

Amiya's mind raced, and after a brief hesitation, she made her decision immediately.

Without realizing it, she had become accustomed to making choices.

Amiya focused her mind and began chanting rapidly, swallowing all her fear and a resolute will rising in her eyes. As the Originium Arts unfolded layer by layer, a dense magical barrier covered the giant rock, like layers of Ursus dolls.

Suddenly, Amiya remembered a little bit of knowledge that the Doctor had once taught her.

"It is better to guide than to block, and better to guide than to block."

Amiya decided to remove the barrier pointing above the boulder, deliberately leaving an opening for the vent.

"Crack! Crack! Crack!!"

Cracks appeared on the crystalline object, the turbulent gas compressed to its limit, the earth trembled, and a deafening explosion occurred! Terrifying energy surged and collapsed, converging and erupting with a violent and ferocious force, billowing black smoke soaring into the sky! The mist that shot straight into the sky transformed into dark clouds, flashing with dark purple electricity, resembling a calamity cloud that inspired fear, and even the magical barriers set up by Amiya were successively destroyed.

Fortunately, Amiya had a flash of inspiration; otherwise, given their speed of dodging, the black smoke would have caught up, and even the Thunder Serpent wouldn't have been able to stop it.

The surprise attack failed, and the muscular, armored skeleton soldier gradually faded away. Before he disappeared, his lifeless eyes remained fixed on Amiya. The skeleton soldier's soul had long since been replaced by another substance, but he would still act on instinct, tracking and hunting his target until the mission was complete.

"...Amiya."

Razer and Franka quickly returned to Amiya's side.

Both of them looked serious, especially Franka, who couldn't smile anymore.

Even when fighting against the Bone Shatterer, Franka felt no fear. Even when she was overwhelmed by the Bone Shatterer and could hardly breathe, she still felt she had a chance. But now, she felt her heart pounding and her back going weak; things were beyond her comprehension.

The skeleton soldiers were actually able to transfer the damage they took to the building materials and detonate them. If Franka hadn't completely killed the enemy, the energy generated by the hundreds of thermite swords would have flowed back... Just thinking about it made Franka's right hand go numb.

“Amiya, I have a bad feeling. The Reunion Movement has sent out more than just two of these… super soldiers.” Razer took a few seconds to think of what to call these monsters, coughed lightly, and continued, “The Reunion Movement has been pursuing Misha, and there’s a high probability that they will send super soldiers to the rear of the squad. Misha may be in danger.”

"You need to... make a choice."

Amiya fell silent. She turned to look in the direction of the flickering, fiery phantoms—the very ruins from which they had evacuated, now engulfed in flames. Moreover, the danger in this area had exceeded her expectations; continuing on this path… might come at an irreparable price.

Amiya made many choices today, and every choice has a result.

She didn't know if her decision was right, but she believed she wouldn't regret it.

"Franka, Razer."

Amiya's eyes, as blue as the ocean, shone with unwavering determination.

Her deep gaze seemed to pierce through the thick fog; she seemed to have already seen the figure of the kingslayer.

“You all immediately return to the rear of the squad and begin the retreat. I will go and bring the Kingslayer back. I know she is not dead yet; I can feel her fighting spirit. She is still holding on…” Amiya said earnestly, “I told you, I will not let her fight alone.”

Upon hearing this, Razer wanted to say something, but Franka stopped her with a gesture.

Franka shook her head.

Here, Amiya is the commander; what they need is to obey orders, not to refuse or make excuses.

Razer pursed her lips tightly, took a deep breath, and said solemnly, "Amiya, if you don't return within ten minutes, we will bring the Rhodes Island team to your aid. Please remember, between you and the mission objective, we will choose you. You are our commander, our employer... and our friend."

This is Razer's biggest concession; she is not only a partner of Rhodes Island, but also a mercenary of Blacksteel International.

As mercenaries, the safety of their employers is of paramount importance.

Amiya nodded; her goal was quite clear.

Saving Private Kingslayer!

Chapter 304 Long Time No See, Faust

(The previous chapter has been significantly revised. Dear readers who have been following the story, please refresh the page! Sorry!)

--at the same time.

The Longmen Guard Bureau Building, the interrogation room for criminal suspects in the detention center.

The interrogation department was extremely busy, and the officers present had grim faces; the air was so heavy it seemed like it could be squeezed dry.

Since the incident ten days ago in Chernobog, a border city of the Ursus Empire, where the entire city was overrun by Reunion infected, Lungmen, as the closest mobile city in the region, has been like a high-speed machine, constantly accommodating escapees from Chernobog.

The massive influx of people will place a heavy burden on Lungmen. Moreover, those who come often harbor ill intentions. For example, there are wanderers from the desert, criminals expelled for violating international law, and… infected individuals who are eyeing Lungmen with predatory intent!

Thanks to Governor Wei Yanwu's keen political instincts, the emergency response bill he swiftly issued improved the efficiency of the Longmen border crossing, effectively curbing the overload of population flow. Most importantly, the officers of the Imperial Guard Bureau possessed emergency enforcement powers. In critical moments, there was no need for cumbersome proposals; they could directly arrest criminals attempting to cause trouble—in other words, act first, report later.

Good things are all good things.

After being granted emergency enforcement authority, the Royal Guard officers were able to arrest nearly sixty suspects per hour. That's an average of one arrest per minute—their efficiency rivals Anna's queue for hormone injections; everyone's been enhanced! Hurry!

And so, the good old days of the interrogation department guys eating hotpot and singing karaoke in the Guard Bureau building, clocking in and sleeping every day, and beating people and drinking after get off work, were over. Regardless of age or gender, anyone who entered through the Dragon Gate outer ring checkpoint and failed to pass would be sent for interrogation. If they arrested the wrong person, they'd be released; if not, they'd be directly criminally detained—a one-stop service. Next!

The interrogation department was immediately unhappy. They complained to their superiors, claiming that the officers in charge of checkpoint inspections were taking advantage of the situation! To reduce their workload, they were arresting people indiscriminately for interrogation – was that reasonable? This is outrageous!

However, their complaints were suppressed by the Imperial Guard, especially those who filed the lawsuit, who were transferred to the Lungmen Outer Ring Road checkpoint that same day.

The interrogation officers could only watch helplessly as their once-best superiors cheerfully led more suspects into the detention center. A true double agent, turning on you in an instant; this seasoned veteran was even more cunning than the prostitutes in brothels.

Happiness is often something you can grasp clearly, but dedication is often hidden.

To avoid dying suddenly on duty, the officers in the interrogation department had no choice but to voluntarily work overtime.

For the first three days, the officers in the interrogation department felt like they were living in a nightmare, seeing different faces every day when they opened their eyes.

Their job is to constantly pressure these people, using various psychological techniques to break down their defenses, obtain information that may or may not be useful, make judgments, and then write reports to submit to their superiors. After obtaining approval from their superiors, they are sometimes required to interrogate the same person repeatedly to verify whether the results are true and to repeatedly emphasize their authenticity.

This high-intensity workload tortures not only the prisoners but also the officers themselves, leading to many officers suffering from depression.

Even after doctors at Lungmen Hospital issued medical certificates, the Guard Bureau's higher-ups rejected the interrogation officers' requests for leave. In this critical moment, all Guard Bureau officers entered a state of high alert, remaining on standby and prohibited from leaving Lungmen even after their shifts.

An army is raised for a thousand days, but used for only one.

Now is the time for everyone to contribute. It's one thing for the interrogation department to slack off normally, but now they want to slack off even more! They want an eight-hour workday, they want holidays. And if we give them holidays, do they want summer and winter vacations too? Even in death, this is a winter vacation! Think all of this through.

That's what they said, but in order to alleviate the pressure on the interrogation department, the higher-ups in the Guard Bureau still gave a lenient instruction.

Provided that no one dies, the interrogation department can conduct any interrogation, and any methods used are acceptable, even if they are rough.

The subtext of this statement is that as long as no one is killed, any method of handling the situation is acceptable. Even if the suspect is physically and mentally broken, as long as it can be determined whether the person is an enemy of Longmen, what their purpose is in coming to Longmen, and their identity information... that's enough.

The efficiency of the interrogation department immediately doubled, but this also allowed the darker side of human nature to flourish, gradually deviating from the proper procedures and teetering on the edge of chaos. Some began to enjoy the process of interrogating others, no longer viewing it as work, but rather as a form of leisure and entertainment.

This shift in mindset turned the detention center into a living hell overnight.

Even in the dead of night, one could hear the piercing screams coming from the interrogation room.

Where interrogation used to take at least an hour, now it's down to twenty minutes, or even just five. The officers have developed a tried-and-true method: For ordinary people who don't confess, they slash their arms and throw them into the cells holding infected individuals. If an infected person tries to resist, it's even simpler; Lungmen's criminal law has never been designed to protect the infected.

The forensic officers stand on the front lines against the darkness, yet they are also a group of pitiful creatures constantly battling danger and madness. As they gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into them.

Ironically, when the officers of the Criminal Investigation Department formed a secret alliance of law enforcement officers, agreeing never to leak information about their violent enforcement, the former head of the Criminal Investigation Department, who had been transferred by Superintendent Chen, cleverly filed a report.

As a seasoned veteran, the former team leader was acutely aware of the Guard Bureau's corrupt mechanisms and understood that it only took a gentle nudge to shake morale. When he witnessed the insane speed of the interrogation department, he immediately grasped what it was like now.

Upon learning of the incident, Superintendent Chen immediately reported to Wei Yanwu. However, the Reunion Movement launched a surprise attack that very night. As a result, the matter was delayed again and again. Wei Yanwu did not take the matter to heart, but instead focused on confronting Alexander Sodan, the head of the Eagle Pulse Group.

In addition, the Reunion Movement launched an attack just three days later, giving them no respite whatsoever.

Furthermore, the disturbances caused by the new Longmen group in the slums diverted most people's attention.

If it weren't for the problems with the Silverwing security contractor who launched the attack on Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals, the instructors of the Lungmen Guard Bureau's Special Forces Submarine Team, and the officers in the Guard Bureau Building's Witness Hall—which drew attention back to the Interrogation Division—perhaps no one would know what happened here, or what would happen next.

The failure of the Reunion Movement's nighttime raid a few days ago also allowed the Guard Bureau to successfully apprehend many suspects from the Reunion Movement.

The interrogation room door was pushed open, and the cautious, respectful voices of the interrogation officers outside could be faintly heard. It was hard to imagine that the officers, who had been so imposing just a moment ago, striking criminal suspects in the face with their batons, were now speaking in timid, submissive voices, revealing deep fear.

The suspect from the Reunion Movement awkwardly raised his scarred face, his dark green eyes shifting from bewilderment to alertness, bulging due to extreme shock.

"It's you?!"

This was the first time he had spoken since being detained in the detention center.

"haven't seen you for a long time."

Attorney Lin sat in the chair in front of the interrogation table, idly playing with the lamp on the table and shining the light on the suspect's face.

"Faust".

Chapter 305 In Search of Lost Memories (4K)

"Aren't you surprised? Why am I here?"

Lin Lu looked at the wounds on Faust's face, then at the untreated, mottled bloodstains on the table, and smelled the slightly sour scent of the interrogation room. His expression changed slightly, his pupils contracted, and he gradually narrowed his eyes. Even without using his digitized spiritual domain, he could still piece together complete information in his mind from these details and reconstruct what had happened here.

The interrogation team had no idea that they had just narrowly escaped death.

If Misha is taken away by the Guard Bureau, treated like an infected person who could be crushed with a single finger, and left in a sorry state by the interrogation department using their newly developed interrogation methods... then Lawyer Lin wouldn't mind helping Wei Yanwu with a thorough cleaning, just as a way of bleeding Lungmen dry.

Although Misha is not Lin Lu's person yet, Lin Lu is a rather stubborn person.

He will remember those who are good to him, silently and will not tolerate them suffering the slightest injustice.

Lin Lu once bought gifts for everyone involved in the Chernobog rescue project at Kroos's shop. He didn't just buy random trinkets, props, or candies; instead, he carefully referred to the operator information registered in the PRTS system to deduce the operators' preferences or daily necessities, and then selected different gifts from the purchasing department to give to them.

This shows that Lin Lu is a very thoughtful person, and he cherishes everyone who cherishes him.

Although Lin Lu used Kal'tsit's card at the time, it doesn't matter! Kal'tsit will be his sooner or later anyway. Besides, Lin Lu now has another way to pay, and neither transportation cards nor bank cards are as good as my dear Jessica.

As for those operators who stayed in Chernobog and never returned... Lin Lu silently kept them in his heart and would not forget them.

Misha may never know that the two days she spent carefully caring for the comatose Lin Lu would rewrite her life's destiny.