Ark Chess Player

"If you take action to pursue your ideals, then no matter what the outcome, the process will definitely be meaningful."

"Exactly!" Exusiai, who had been eavesdropping the whole time, jumped out in agreement. "Uncle! A man is a boy until he dies! Don't give up on your dreams! Although you look pathetic when you're drunk in the bar, you're really cool when you're working hard!"

"Exusiai! Don't interrupt when people are talking about serious matters! Sorry for being rude."

Texas embraced the excited Exusiai and carried her back.

"I think she's right, you can be more confident."

Lin Lu glanced at Exusiai, who was making a fuss in Texas's arms, and couldn't help but smile like a proud father.

"Those who care about this city are not just the Royal Guard officers fighting on the front lines against the enemy, but also you. It is because of people like you that Lungmen has not fallen. Even though it is scarred, Lungmen still has a breath left. By removing the lesions and solving the problem at its root, I believe that one day this pearl of Terra will shine brightly again."

Lin Lu gazed into the distance, and as far as his eyes could see, the residents of the slum, whether ordinary people or infected, all wore satisfied smiles. A future possibility was gradually taking shape.

“Swell, your key is already on the silver lock, all that’s left is to turn it open.”

"Yes, Mr. Lin!"

Behind the Rhodes Island group, Superintendent Chen, who was eavesdropping in the shadows to avoid suspicion, was somewhat stunned.

She leaned against the wall, feeling a real, slightly cold touch behind her, yet it warmed her heart. This facility was built overnight to provide a safe haven for people, so they would no longer be displaced and could rest even on rainy days.

Chen Huijie knew this city very well; she had done many things here, and she believed no one understood Lungmen better than her. She thought everything she did at the Guard Bureau was to make Lungmen a better place, but now…

She looked at the residents of the slum in the shelter. Everyone here had experienced disaster, but there was no fear or hesitation on their faces, no weakness or despair. They were not worried about tomorrow, nor were they confused about the future.

"Dragon Gate..."

Chen picked up the teddy bear that the infected girl had given her.

Perhaps it was because of the warm light, but the teddy bear's eyes reflected a cozy glow.

Chen placed her hands on the teddy bear, and without realizing it, a smile appeared on her face.

Chapter 360 Thank you, Hermer (4K)

Rhodes Island ships.

Escorted by Penguin Logistics, Lin Lu and Amiya returned to the fifth district of the outer ring of Longmen.

Lin Lu had originally planned to take Amiya and her group to the Longmen Restaurant in Chaolong Mountain for lunch, but Amiya said that Dr. Kal'tsit had mentioned earlier that they needed to discuss work today. Their visit to the slums to assess the situation was also partly due to the fact that if the Guard Bureau didn't intend to take charge, Rhodes Island, as an international medical company, would offer necessary assistance.

Although Rhodes Island cannot accept so many disaster victims, nor is it obligated to do so, it can still do what it can.

Upon returning to the Rhodes Island ship, Penguin Logistics' temporary mission was considered complete. Before departing, Exusiai excitedly ran to the Rhodes Island medical ward; as an expatriate operator, she was entitled to a free medical check-up. Texas, on the other hand, went to the Rhodes Island ship's lounge area, ordered a black coffee in the café, and quietly enjoyed a moment of tranquility.

Texas does enjoy sweets to refresh her tired brain, but she also loves the bittersweet taste of coffee. Both chocolate bars and coffee help relieve the headaches caused by Exusiai's excessive energy.

"Dong dong."

A soft knock came from the door of Kal'tsit's office.

"Please come in—Amiya, where is the Doctor?"

Kal'tsit asked, not seeing the familiar figure behind Amiya as she entered.

"Haha... Doctor... ran away."

Amiya gave an awkward but polite smile, her tone somewhat helpless.

Because of the large number of operators coming and going in the corridors of the Rhodes Island ship, Amiya, who had been holding the Doctor's right hand, felt a little shy under everyone's gaze. In less than five minutes after she let go of his hand... the Doctor disappeared in the blink of an eye!

This PhD student will do anything to avoid work!

"I knew it……"

Kal'tsit sighed and rubbed her forehead; she had roughly guessed that Lin Lu would do this.

As if anticipating this, she invoked the PRTS system to locate the doctor's mobile terminal.

A soft, shimmering blue light quietly spread across the table, revealing the entire structure of the Rhodes Island ship, suspended in mid-air in a three-dimensional model. Specks of light moved about, eventually marking the deep red dot representing Doctor Token as the system filtered and identified the dot.

Kal'tsit and Amiya gazed silently at the 3D structural diagram, exchanging a glance.

"Intensive care unit?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Rhodes Island ship, intensive care unit.

The gray-haired, red-eyed Ursus girl lay on the hospital bed, dressed in a light green hospital gown. Her slender, thin body looked like a small teddy bear on the large bed. Her breathing was slow, and the rise and fall of her chest, which supported the sheets, was intermittent, making one wonder if she might suddenly stop at any moment and never move again.

"Her injuries have mostly healed, but she is too weak. Before boarding the ship, she was in a very dangerous Originium environment, and we still need to monitor her for any signs of infection. We consulted Dr. Shining's opinion, and it's not just that she overexerted her body by starving for several days, but more importantly, her spirit is on a downward trend. She seems... unwilling to wake up."

Dr. Himer, from the Rhode Island Medical Department, reported on the patient's condition with a grave expression, then handed Zoya's medical record to Lin Lu.

Lin Lu glanced at the information in Zoya's medical record, then used his spiritual domain to observe the girl's physical condition; there were basically no discrepancies. He sighed softly, turned around, and returned the medical record to Hemer.

"Thank you, Himer."

"You're welcome, this is my job."

Dr. Hamer adjusted her glasses; her race was not well-suited to working during the day, so she looked somewhat tired.

Lin Lu noticed that Hermer was struggling to fight off his fatigue, so he took the opportunity to ask, "Could Zoya and I be alone for a while? If so, could you please wait a moment on the bench outside the door?"

"of course."

Hemer did not refuse Lin Lu's kindness. She nodded and staggered out of the ward.

Lin Lu casually grabbed a chair and sat down beside the hospital bed, holding Zoya's hands in his own. Her hands seemed even thinner than before, and felt uncomfortable to the touch, which made him feel heartbroken.

That makes sense, considering Zoya has been relying on intravenous nutrition to maintain her vital signs these past few days; it would be strange if she didn't lose weight.

How late do you plan to sleep?

Looking at Zhuoya's tightly closed eyes, Lin Lu felt a pang of sadness.

Even if Lin himself were to shatter a star with a single, magnificent sword strike, or if the Dragon Knight were to kick away bones, so what?

They can't even wake up a little girl who has suffered so much; they can only sit here and watch her sleep.

"Since you want to stay in bed, I'll chat with you. Back in Chernobog's upper town, before I met you, I met some girls around your age. They, like you, were struggling to survive..."

Lin Lu held Zoya's hands in his own, transferring his warmth to the small hand.

He recounted his journey to the upper city of Chernobog, overcoming numerous obstacles and defeating countless monsters along the way. He used the Fulton recovery device to send the Ursus girls back to Rhodes Island, and also incidentally took in a handsome but actually incredibly incompetent Sarkaz mercenary.

Time passed slowly, and Lin Lu talked about everything from the Chernobog incident to the Lungmen incident.

His voice echoed in the small hospital room, along with Zoya's soft breathing.

As Lin Lu finished talking, he felt, perhaps it was just his imagination, that Zhuoya seemed to be smiling.

"I will come to see you again, Zoya."

Lin Lu placed his hand on Zoya's head and gently combed her hair.

When Lin Lu first met Zoya in Chernobog, the girl's hair was a mess; she had cut it herself. Because long hair made her vulnerable to being grabbed by crazed infected during battle, increasing the risk of death. So Zoya cut her hair short, letting go of the precious symbol of youth.

However, it seems that Zoya's bangs have grown a little longer now.

“It’s alright, I’ll be here waiting for you, always waiting for you.” Lin Lu lowered his hooded helmet, bent down and gently kissed Zoya’s forehead, whispering, “You don’t need to be afraid of what the world will be like when you wake up, or whether it’s even a fraction as good as the dream. Where I am, it will always be paradise. I will never let you return to the abyss, I promise.”

Lin Lu put his hood back on, turned and left towards the door.

...Behind him, Zoya's fingers twitched slightly.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Dr. Hamer."

Lin Lu looked at Hermer, who was dozing on the bench, and then turned his gaze to the girl sleeping next to her.

The girl's shoulder-length light blonde hair was tied into symmetrical pigtails, adding to her youthful appearance. What inevitably draws the eye is not her Rhine Labs hazmat suit, but her unusual horns and her tail, which has a mineral-like texture reminiscent of Originium.

Ifrit?

Lin Lu looked at the girl nestled next to He Mo with curiosity, and couldn't resist reaching out to poke her cheek.

The girl's cheeks were exceptionally smooth and felt even more comfortable than she had imagined. Because children generally have a higher body temperature, her cheeks were also warm, making Lin Lu unable to put them down.

Ifrit frowned. She seemed to smell something, and her expression gradually changed from anxious to blank. She shook her head following the scent, then opened her gaping maw and bit into empty air.

"Crack!"

The sound of the upper and lower teeth clashing was like an iron gate falling, producing a startling noise.

"That was close!"

Lin Lu withdrew his hand in fear.

He had a premonition that if he hadn't reacted quickly enough, his entire hand would probably have been bitten to pieces.

That kid is amazing!

我喜欢！

Ifrit's eyes were brimming with tears because of her toothache. She glared at the culprit, Lin Lu, and let out a childish scream.

"Hey! Who are you?! Why are you touching me! Get back! You... what do you want to do coming closer to me? Do you want to put me on the lab table too?! Be careful, or I'll burn you..." Ifrit glanced at Himer and changed her words, "Be careful, or I'll bite you! I really will bite you! Ouch!!"

"Go ahead and bite, if you can bite it, I'll admit defeat."

"Awooooo!!"

"Uh-huh?"

Hearing the noise, Himer slowly opened his sleepy eyes, put on his glasses, and looked around.

...Doctor, Ifrit, why did you bump into each other? What are you two doing?

Himer was quite surprised, his mouth agape.

The situation was briefly out of control.

Lin Lu couldn't help but pick up Ifrit, lift her high, and spin her around.

Ifrit was both scared and amused. She lowered her head and nibbled on Lin Lu's hood, making "woo woo woo" sounds.

Lin Lu still remembers driving his Noah motorcycle at breakneck speed across the desert, heading towards the upper town of Chernobog.

He first used the Ark Driver to transform into the heavy-duty operator Croissant, wielding the Magnetic Storm Hammer and slamming it heavily onto the ground! Using the impact, he lifted the Noah Heavy Machine and, relying on its powerful performance, charged across the wall. Unfortunately, the Noah Heavy Machine alone wasn't enough to defy the laws of physics, maintaining its speed and soaring into the sky on a perfectly vertical wall.

Fortunately, Lin Lu's thoughts were as free as the timing of Hypergryph's updates. He switched his Ark Driver class card and transformed into Ifrit. Using the Flamethrower to unleash the Originium Arts Scorching the Ground, he became a Rocket Thruster Jinchuriki and successfully climbed the hundred-meter-high wall.

When Lin Lu transforms using the Ark Driver, the projected phantoms of operators overlap with his body, creating an invisible mental connection during battle, allowing them to transmit a portion of each other's thoughts.