Ark Chess Player

You don't actually have a boyfriend, do you?

Does she not have a boyfriend?

Surely she doesn't not have a boyfriend?

--Bar?

"thump."

Gavial knelt down on the spot.

The kind where both knees are on the ground, kneeling quite naturally.

"Master..."

Gavial's gaze toward the regicide gradually changed.

As an Adakris, Gavial possessed unparalleled combat skills, often treated as a warrior. However, after awakening her talent for healing magic, she resolutely chose to dedicate herself to saving lives, persisting on her path despite the objections of others. The ostracism she faced from her tribe for becoming a doctor, the cold shoulders she endured after contracting Oripathy—these were all trivial matters to her.

She's here now, healing everyone, and that's enough for her.

Gavial originally thought that this would be enough for him.

But now—

She understood.

Medicine wasn't created for this kind of thing; it was created to bring smiles to patients' faces.

What kind of medical care ignores people's feelings?

Chapter 320 An Eye for an Eye, and a Double Payback (4K)

"Hello, fellow operators, this is Amiya."

Amiya, facing the gazes of the Rhodes Island squad, momentarily faltered in the composure she had painstakingly cultivated. She gently shook her head, the movement barely perceptible. She knew very well that she absolutely could not show the slightest hesitation when issuing commands.

A leader can be blind, but he must never lose faith in himself.

Even if you're not 100% sure, you still have to pretend to be in complete control.

...Of course, if this tactic is overused, it can easily make one appear as a mentally immature, slacker leader.

Amiya spoke in a slightly hoarse voice, "Everyone, this was our mistake, and it's also my dereliction of duty as commander. But... I, I—"

—If only the doctor were here.

That annoying thought popped into my head again.

Amiya gritted her teeth; this time, she wouldn't obediently bow her head.

Yes, if the professor were to direct, he would surely be able to do it perfectly, right?

But...but...I'm not reconciled! What have all my efforts been for? Was it just to wallow in self-pity and shift all the blame onto the Doctor at a time like this?! No, no! I don't want to go back to three years ago, watching helplessly as the Doctor lay dying in his sarcophagus, unable to do anything about it! I promised Princess Theresa that I would accept the weight of the Sarkaz history, I would take over Rhodes Island. I will never let down any of the operators who entrusted their lives to me, I will—

Rebuilding the future, the Ark sets sail!

Amiya clasped her hands together, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled all the remaining unease and fear in her heart. She had cast those self-doubtful thoughts into the distance; she no longer needed them.

At this moment, Amiya was filled with determination.

"I will lead you to victory."

"Next, an even more arduous battle awaits us."

"I will stand with you to face any difficulties. We will use reason to fight against fanaticism and clever tactics to defeat hostility."

"Rock, you're in charge of assessing the wounded and escorting the incapacitated operators back to Rhodes Island for treatment. For the remaining combat-capable operators, I need you to take up arms and fight alongside me. This isn't just about the trade agreement with Lungmen; a female Infected woman, worthy of our respect, risked her life for us. She could have easily hidden herself until the end, but… to prevent further sacrifices, she stepped forward and left us."

Amiya's voice unconsciously became more varied and expressive, boldly speaking when she was firm and clenching her teeth when she was suppressed, making people involuntarily concentrate on listening.

She didn't use any mental power throughout, but rather evoked a sense of resonance in everyone through her own emotions.

"We don't know what she has that makes Reunion go to such lengths, and we don't care! Misha is our friend, our partner, and Rhodes Island's newest operator."

Amiya clenched her fist, raised it high, and the veins on the back of her hand bulged.

"We promise that we will never abandon any operator. Let's go together and bring her back!"

"—Woo woo woo!!!"

All the Rhodes Island operators present raised their hands, and even Gavial in the back row got excited and almost punched the air again.

The Kingslayer smiled as she watched Amiya's retreating figure. She seemed to see Lin Lu five years ago, and... Talulah three years ago.

Was Talulah like that back then? She was like the sunshine for the infected, shining on the frozen land of northern Ursus. Wherever she went, she would bring life back to the lifeless earth and give hope to the wandering infected.

Until that day... what happened in that obscure little village... completely changed Talulah.

Amiya might encounter something similar in the future?

I hope that day never comes.

"Everyone, let's take action!"

Amiya finally broke into a confident smile. She could feel the hearts of the Rhodes Island members; everyone shared the same goal.

At first, some were reluctant, after all, Rhodes Island had suffered far more hardships than the mission itself in order to protect Misha. However, Misha, a small figure running alongside the medic Natalie, diligently bandaged the wounds of each injured operator, and did not back down even when she heard rumors. Even when the Bone Giants attacked and the Rhodes Island team was in dire straits, it was she who, despite her serious illness, offered to exchange herself.

Anyone with common sense would be furious to see such a young girl so selflessly throwing herself into the enemy's hands, let alone the Rhodes Island operators who have fought bloody battles for years.

Their beliefs will not be so easily broken!

"...That's really amazing."

Hoshiguma remained silently leaning against the door of the SUV, looking at Amiya, then at the Rhodes Island operators who had been lifeless just ten minutes ago. Now, these people were as energetic as if they had been injected with chicken blood. Some even picked up the hard upper fin of the giant mackerel to sharpen their weapons, which had reduced sharpness, preparing to embark on another three-cat journey.

Compared to the Guard Bureau squad, especially her group of spoiled young officers who consistently disrespected her, Rhodes Island seemed much more vibrant and energetic. Hoshiguma felt that her underlings were more like slackers working for unscrupulous pharmaceutical companies, while Rhodes Island was the epitome of upright and incorruptible police.

"Hey, you're here?"

Hoshiguma's sensory radar went live; she didn't even need to turn around to detect who was approaching on a motorcycle.

"...Is Rhodes Island throwing a party?"

The dashing Officer Chen gracefully stopped the Guard Bureau's police motorcycle, her long, beautiful legs slung diagonally across the seat before her feet touched the ground.

She could hear the loud shouts of the Rhodes Island people from a great distance; their voices were so loud that anyone who didn't know better would think they were bandits preparing to raid a village.

“No, this is a pre-battle speech, the kind that increases your hope by two points.” Hoshiguma smiled, but her smile quickly faded, and she said solemnly, “The giant monster we couldn’t stop attacked Rhodes Island’s position, causing casualties, and… our mission target Misha was kidnapped. The Infected from Reunion Movement also left with that monster. This was a targeted conspiracy.”

Chen Huijie's solemn expression immediately turned gloomy. She glanced at Rhodes Island again and said indifferently, "It seems they have no intention of giving up."

Hoshiguma said frankly, "Don't underestimate Amiya. Despite her young age, she is a qualified leader."

"You rarely praise people like this, not even Swire." Chen narrowed his eyes, his tone tinged with displeasure. "Back then, you were the same with that Rhodes Island doctor, practically worshipping them. All these years, why have I never heard you praise me?"

Hoshiguma blinked and said playfully, "Jealous?"

Superintendent Chen ignored her, instead rolling his eyes at her, and his dragon tail swept unceremoniously across Hoshiguma's calf.

Even a demon's body couldn't withstand such a blow, but because Amiya happened to walk by, Hoshiguma could only endure the pain and pretend to be fine. Chen was, after all, her superior, and she still had to give her face during formal talks.

"Amiya, why won't you hand over the mission objective to the Guard Bureau!" Superintendent Chen launched into a tirade.

If Amiya had been questioning her existence just minutes before, she would probably have been terrified by this outburst and cowered like a withdrawn rabbit.

But now, Amiya's heart is filled with Pava!

"If the Guard Bureau is not willing to provide even the most basic intelligence, then there is naturally no need for us to continue cooperating."

Amiya met Commander Chen's fiery gaze with an air of dominance, showing no sign of backing down, her eyes sharp and piercing.

"We witnessed Lungmen citizens indiscriminately slaughtering Oripathy patients in the Lungmen slums, and we also saw people in Guard Bureau uniforms wielding weapons and aiding and abetting the evildoers. We cannot stand idly by and do nothing about this. We have also tried to communicate with the Guard Bureau, hoping to reach a solution. Indeed, I can understand your thoughts, Commander Chen, and I can also guess that someone is trying to disrupt our communication and attempt to undermine the cooperation between Rhodes Island and the Guard Bureau."

Amiya hadn't forgotten what happened in the slums. She remembered her calls to Commander Chen being maliciously intercepted, and she knew that Commander Chen had tried to send a team to negotiate for support, but they were thwarted by the Reunion Movement's ambush. Therefore, Rhodes Island had to rely on itself in the slums. The Rhodes Island team, through sheer strength, traversed blood-soaked ground and successfully broke through the encirclement of Lungmen's new recruits and the Reunion Movement.

"But we cannot accept the inaction of the Guard Bureau!"

“The infected of Lungmen should belong to Lungmen, shouldn’t they?” Amiya took a step forward, her aura overwhelming, the presence of a leader. She stood straight like bamboo, unyielding and resilient.

"If Longmen is unwilling to take charge, then who should?"

"..."

Chen frowned. She felt like she was talking to Wei Yanwu, not the timid little rabbit she had been a few days ago.

"Commander Chen, tell me, what exactly is on Misha? Why is the Reunion Movement searching for her at all costs? If we continue to hide this, the cooperation between Rhodes Island and the Guard Bureau will only become more and more difficult." Amiya looked up at Chen Huijie. If she weren't short enough, she would have pressed her face against Chen's so that he would look her directly in the eyes.

Chen said calmly, "I have no obligation to inform you."

"But Rhodes Island has an obligation to understand the target and develop a response strategy."

Amiya had almost anticipated Commander Chen's words and launched her attack the instant he finished speaking. Before becoming Rhodes Island's tactical commander, Amiya was the CEO of Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.; in other words, business warfare was her forte.

"In the cooperation agreement we signed, yes, Rhodes Island will follow the command of the Guard Bureau in the operation. However, we also attached a special statement when we were at the Lungmen Administrative Office that even if Lungmen uses infected people to fight infected people, mutual respect is still required. Intelligence sharing is the most basic respect. I believe that Rhodes Island's submission of intelligence on the Reunion Movement in the past two days can prove our sincerity."

"So, where is Lungmen's sincerity?"

"An abandoned, dilapidated building filled with more than sixty listening devices?"

"A group of security contractor mercenaries attempting a decapitation strike?"

"A high-ranking police superintendent from the Lungmen Guard Bureau who immediately berates you upon meeting you?"

"Are you kidding me?"

Amiya's smile froze instantly. She faced Superintendent Chen directly, a fleeting white diamond pattern flashing in her azure eyes. Even the air behind her blurred, the framework of a magical unit vaguely appearing.

"—Are you kidding me?!"

Amiya roared angrily.

A cornered dog will jump over a wall, and a cornered rabbit will bite.

Rhodes Island suffered humiliation in Lungmen, and Rhodes Island will naturally retaliate in kind, tenfold.

Even if Rhodes Island is just an ordinary pharmaceutical company, it is by no means a pushover!

Everyone present was stunned. Only now did the operators realize that Amiya also had a fire burning within her. A raging fire, destined to burn away all injustice and unfairness, thus retaliating against all wrongdoing.

Chen Huijie calmly endured all of Amiya's anger. Only now did she understand why Hoshiguma had praised her so highly.

Hoshiguma looked completely bewildered, not yet realizing what had happened. The positions between the two seemed to have reversed; the usually hot-tempered Superintendent Chen was now quiet, while the usually gentle Amiya looked ready to fight.

"Regarding the unfair treatment Rhodes Island Enterprises received in Lungmen, the Guard Bureau will give you an explanation once this matter is resolved." Chen's gaze towards Amiya changed slightly, at least shedding her initial contempt. She said calmly, "Let's keep things separate. The fact remains that the mission objective was taken from your hands by the Reunion Movement."