Ark Chess Player

The skeletal hostage's wrist cracked under the strain, finally severing in two, its massive hand severed. Amber liquid gushed forth like a fountain, the scalding liquid staining the bone-crushing gunblade. Whether it was an illusion or not, one could faintly hear an excited response from the gunblade, its edge trembling involuntarily.

Alex felt a throbbing, aching pain in his arms, and cracks appeared at the base of his thumb where he gripped the knife hilt, from which blood seeped continuously. Not only were his hands in excruciating pain, but even the wounds W had bandaged for him had flared up again. He felt as if he had been pulled from water, blood and sweat mingling together, sand clinging to his clothes, creating an uncomfortable sensation.

“……爷爷？”

Alex stood unsteadily, perhaps due to excessive blood loss, and a towering figure appeared before him. His proud, albeit not blood-related, grandfather—the old hunter Gehrman Donpson, who only acknowledged Alex as his successor upon their separation—stood before him.

This is an illusion, a mirage, a will residing within the Shattered Bone Blade.

Alex knew, he was clear about it, but he still couldn't control his emotions. His eyes were misty, but the phantom in the mist was still clear. In the mist, his grandfather seemed to be thirty years younger, wearing an old hunter's outfit, a heavy tricorn hat, and a brass plate tied to his left leg. He stood like a pine tree, majestic and awe-inspiring.

"So old, and still such a crybaby."

The old man spoke.

The voice echoed in Alex's mind.

"These two weapons are used like this, watch carefully."

The old hunter's illusory figure overlapped with Alex's, and the old hunter's hand, through Alex's hand, grasped the Bone-Shattering Gunblade. Alex's eyes seemed to reopen, and he spun his body, power flowing from his waist, raising his twin blades high! The gunblade flashed, deflecting the skeletal kidnapper's swinging arm with a deafening roar.

At the same time, the Bone-Crushing Gunblade switched from its blade form to its gun form! The weapon emitted a clear and pleasant sound of mechanical shafts turning, as amber liquid seeped into the intricate mechanism, producing a burning sound. The Hunter's Workshop's craftsmanship was on full display in this weapon, directly absorbing and transforming the Originium-containing solution into bone marrow ash, amplifying the weapon's power.

Alex aimed the Bone Crusher at the pillar connecting the shield to the monster's arm and pulled the trigger.

The grenade from the Bone Crusher struck the Bone Hijacker's arm first. One of the two Originium explosives successfully hit the key part connecting the shield, while the other thwarted the monster's attempt to raise its arm to defend itself.

The purple field continuously absorbed the aftershocks of the grenades fired by Alex's channeled mental energy, but the resulting shockwaves successfully deflected its defensive direction, exposing its weak points to Amiya's view.

Amiya leaped into the air with a rabbit-like kick, her hands gripping the curved black blade as she gathered power during her backward flight. At that moment, the diamond-shaped totem on her back doubled in diameter, floating in the sky like clouds obscuring the bright moonlight.

"Trajectory correction in progress, target locked, charging initiation... Charging complete, ready." The PRTS system's cool, mechanical female voice came through Amiya's communication headset.

When Amiya activated her belt to transform, the Eye of Presence was already activated, providing her with the necessary assistance.

"READY?"

The PRTS system inquired.

Amiya took a slow breath. Without Lin Lu's data-driven spiritual domain, she couldn't directly see the data changes. She could only trust her intuition and make judgments based on her combat experience.

"EXCEED CHARGE"

Amiya straightened her back slightly, and the Ark Driver emitted dark red patterns. The central core shone a light curtain, and the reddish light wall wove together the symbols of the special class.

“嘿哈！！”

Amiya, wielding two black blades, charged forward at high speed, the diamond-shaped totem on her back erupting with surging energy, propelling her attack. The moment Amiya's body touched the wall of light, she felt her strength triple, and her speed soared once more.

A tearing, mournful cry echoed through the air, and dark red light flickered with arcs of electricity, like a falling meteor.

Amiya's incredibly fierce strike sliced ​​through the billowing smoke from the Originium explosives, seemingly severing space itself. When the blade touched the pillar connecting the shield, it melted the bone-like structure with its amber veins instantly, like a hot knife through butter. The Originium-infused solution triggered an explosion with a deafening roar!

Bone fragments spun outwards, and the impact of the air blast knocked Alex over.

Amiya spun around and slashed during her dive attack, leaving a deep gash on the skeletal kidnapper's left arm. The gash widened, and Amiya finally severed the monster's seemingly indestructible skeleton.

A ghostly figure landed on the ground, raising a cloud of yellow sand. Amiya weaved through the skeletal kidnapper, her leg bracing against the ground as she slid for nearly ten meters before finally coming to a stop. The blades of the two curved black blades in her hands were both twisted and broken, having fulfilled their purpose, and dissipated into faint particles.

Behind Amiya, a massive magical shield crashed to the ground with a loud thud as the connecting pillar broke.

The skeletal kidnapper raised her right arm to cover her nearly severed left arm, attempting to stabilize it with her regenerative abilities, but the quick-witted Gavial was already prepared! She hurled her Originium Staff—yes, a healer who used her staff as a spear. And it must be said, her movement was quite impressive, exuding the aura of a tribal chief from a remote region.

The Originium Staff streaked through the air, flying and trembling like a giant python poised to strike. Peeking out from a hidden corner, it leaped into the air with a burst of energy, its gaping maw ready to bite its enemy.

The Bone Lurker had nowhere to run. It couldn't stand on one leg, and its right arm caught its left, causing it to lose its balance. Gavial's spear exploded with a sound no less powerful than Amiya's Crimson Slash, piercing the shaky left arm and flipping most of the Bone Lurker's body over, sending it crashing to the ground.

Alex, who was knocked over by the gust of wind, managed to tumble to the side, but even that couldn't save him from the impact. Neymar rolled a few times on the ground, dazed, and looked up, spitting out a mouthful of sand in disbelief, regretting that he hadn't put on his whaling mask.

Rhodes Island...

Alex took a slight breath, surprised by the strength of Amiya and Gavial.

Sure enough, this was completely different from what Talulah had said. Whether it was the night raid a few days ago or today's infiltration of Lungmen, these wars simply treated their infected brethren as expendable resources. Once a person's existence is reduced to a number, then whatever evil deeds are committed afterward seem perfectly justified.

"Are you kidding me?"

Alex stood up, glaring at the fallen skeleton raiders, his gaze drifting further into the distance.

Far from the battlefield, in a rather comfortable place, perhaps Mephisto and Talulah are enjoying the feeling of having their men willing to risk their lives for them after delivering a passionate speech? Is this what high status is all about? How is this any different from those who persecute the infected?!

"Are you kidding me?!"

Alex roared out another heart-wrenching scream.

He felt it was unfair to those who fought alongside him and firmly believed in the original tenets of the Reunion Movement.

The Reunion Movement's commando units are essentially suicide squads, a promise Captain Alex once made to his men.

"Those infected are patients, not criminals."

"Those infected should have a future; their lives should not end here."

"Those who will be infected in the future, those who will come after us."

Alex stood up unsteadily, his short white hair falling across his face, mixed with yellow sand that clung to his skin.

I want to live.

Must survive.

Whether it's Talulah or Mephisto.

I will definitely seek justice for those brothers who burned out in falsehoods and lies!

"Click click".

The skeletal hijacker didn't get up; it remained lying on the ground, quietly raising its head. If Lin Lu had been there, he would have definitely warned it, because he had seen this starting position more than once. The monster that ravaged the battlefield in the Lungmen slums had once used this very move to destroy Lungmen's special operations force, the Vermilion Bird Squad.

"Knock knock knock..."

Trapped in the birdcage, Misha raised her arm and pounded on the barrier, desperately issuing a warning.

She watched the entire battle from her VIP seat, but she wasn't just a spectator.

When Misha boarded the Jet-Black Train, also known as the World Serpent, at the Army Without Borders' Lungmen base, she already displayed intelligence beyond her years. She quickly deciphered the mechanisms and effortlessly unlocked the interlocking locks.

This keen observation, which even Lin Lu couldn't help but admire, was not just for show.

Misha observed that the amber-colored substance in the birdcage changed whenever the skeletal kidnappers made a move. The more violent the movements, the more energy they consumed, and the more energy was drawn from the birdcage. For example, it might enhance regenerative abilities or rapidly grow bone spurs.

The skeletal hijacker now lay prone on the ground, poised to strike. The semi-solidified amber in the birdcage showed signs of melting, far exceeding anything it had done before. Misha deduced that the hijacker was preparing to unleash a terrifying attack; once it was used, everyone present would be in danger!

“咚……咚咚！”

Misha endured the boiling water in the birdcage; her skin turned red from the heat, and she struggled to breathe. Even so, she continued to raise her arms and pound against the periosteum-like barrier, sending out sounds that could not be heard.

"--careful!!"

Perhaps due to the telepathic connection between fraternal twins, Alex suddenly felt a sense of unease.

He clutched his chest, as if he could hear his sister's voice.

Could it be...?

Alex abruptly looked up, staring intently at the skeletal kidnapper. The rings around the kidnapper, resembling eye totems, now had bone spikes pointing upwards, and the energy within its body glowed due to the rapid flow of energy.

"—Stop it!"

Misha's voice echoed in Alex's mind, conveying itself clearly.

Without hesitation, Alex endured the excruciating pain and channeled his mental energy into the Bone Crusher in one fluid motion. He had memorized the feeling, how to fully unleash the power of the Originium explosives, and how to maximize the weapon's capabilities.

The old hunter's phantom had left him at some point, but Alex would never forget this lesson.

The grenade traced a trajectory and landed on the circle of the skeletal hijackers, producing a deafening roar and billowing black mist. In the deep, viscous darkness, a dangerous red light rose from the triangular eye sockets of the skeletal monster.

Chapter 343 DIEND (4K)

"Gaga gaga aa ...

The skeletal hijacker raised its inverted triangular head, and the orange-red glow dispelled the lingering black mist!

A terrifying power accumulated, and it abandoned the regenerative abilities of other parts of its body, allowing an amber-colored liquid to flow from its wounds. This energy-rich liquid was highly flammable, igniting as Alex's Originium explosives detonated. The fire was spreading, making the Bone Jackal look like a beast returned from hell.

Alex didn't stop attacking. He replenished the Originium fragments needed for the Bone Shattering Gun and continued his assault. He wasn't just scratching the surface; each shot inflicted significant damage when Amiya cleaved through the enemy's shield. The Bone Lurker, however, adopted a desperate stance, completely ignoring the melting cracks within itself.

"Oh no..."

Alex reached into his pocket, only to find it empty. The feeling of emptiness made him freeze in place.

"Click, click, click."

Alex pressed the mechanism of the Bonebreaker Gunblade and swung his arm again, but this time the transformation failed, and he was unable to successfully return to the gunblade form. The weapon was malfunctioning; it seemed to be overloaded.

Whether it was the battle against Texas, the fierce fight against the Kingslayer, or the act of shielding himself from the claws of the Bone Jackal... and the forced use of the Transformation Slash after parrying, all of these things caused his weapon's durability to plummet to a dangerously low level. Add to that Alex's relentless firing with Originium explosives fully activated...

Those who do not know how to cherish weapons will naturally not receive the favor of the god of weapons.

Alex wanted to directly pull the pivot to change its form, but the Bone Crusher was firmly locked and could not be transformed into a blade.

This is probably the drawback of traditional old hunter weapons. The hunter workshop manufactured these weapons in a very long time ago, and the craftsmanship has long been lost. Even if repaired, they will eventually reach their limit.

They ran out of ammunition and food.

If you can't switch to gunblade mode, forcibly slashing in gun form will only render the weapon useless.

Alex also put all the Originium material he carried into the Bone Crusher. He didn't have a single Originium left... No, how could he not have any left?

I am infected with Oripathy!

I myself am Originium!

I am Broken Bones!

"Athena, we have used all our strength this time, and now we have nothing left."

"What nonsense are you talking about? Seiya, you're not completely without anything—you still have your life, don't you?"

Alex was hallucinating. Five years ago, Lin Lu had told him a story in a temporary camp in the northern border of Ursus about a bad woman named Machima who turned into leftovers in the refrigerator... no, it was a story about a bad woman named Athena.

This story tells of the unscrupulous capitalist Athena who tricks her miserable employee Seiya. She tells her group of workers called Saint Seiya that they should go to Tata with beautiful hopes and dreams! Believe that they should risk their lives to go to Tata! If this continues, sooner or later, with the efforts of the Saint Seiya, Athena will be able to afford a Lamborghini.

Once, Seiya fought until his eyes were closed and his mouth was agape, his entire body turning into a groan as he collapsed to the ground, howling. He told his unscrupulous boss, Athena, that he was about to die from overwork and couldn't keep going like this. Athena replied that talking about money was vulgar; he was a working-class man with dreams! Seiya thought for a moment, "Yes, I still have dreams, I still have hope! With hope, who am I afraid of!" He downed this bowl of inspirational chicken soup, put down the bowl, and went to work. His idealism erupted, and he defeated his enemies.

Later, Seiya was defeated by an enemy, this time a god, an being standing at the very top of the order. He was in despair; he had lost everything, even the courage to stand up. At this moment, the inhuman Athena appeared. Leaving aside the question of what humanity was worth to a capitalist like Athena, she immediately declared, "Don't you still have life?" Seiya thought for a moment, "Yes, I still have life!" So he roared and burned his life force, his idealism erupting once more, and he defeated the god.