Ark Chess Player

Chapter 371 Welcome Back, Jessica (3K)

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"Stop talking nonsense. Do you intend to spend your whole life on the front lines?"

Lin Lu tapped Shuangye's head. His hand was much warmer than Shuangye had imagined, leaving her somewhat dazed.

"With your reckless fighting style, how long do you think you can last? Even if I told you, you definitely wouldn't do it. I understand that everyone has moments when they have to burn their lives and fight to the death, but at least... you should think about your future."

Lin Lu patiently rubbed Shuang Ye's reddened forehead and said, "Learn more so you can find another job after you retire from the front lines. Life goes on. Do you really want to rely on your looks to be a pretty face assistant in my office? To be honest, it's not impossible. In fact, I would be very happy if you did that... Never mind, you shouldn't go to class."

"Doctor, you've spoken your true feelings again."

“I call this honesty, and honesty is a virtue.”

Lin Lu pinched his index finger against Shuangye's head, making her lie back down and stopping her impulse to return to the battlefield.

In her current state, going up there would be suicide; she might as well hide and avoid making people risk their lives to rescue her.

Lin Lu turned to the silent Frostnova and smiled, "Thank you. Without you, she definitely wouldn't have made it this far. You saved my operator's life. Regardless of your identity, you're my friend. If you're interested, you're welcome to come to Rhodes Island. We at Rhodes Island need talented, kind-hearted, fair-skinned, and beautiful young female casters like you..."

“Rhodes Island is the enemy of Reunion.” Frostnova interrupted Lin Lu.

"Rhodes Island and Reunion initially shared the same goal, only their methods differed. If you believe that Reunion can save everything through violence, then... Reunion will only encounter even greater violence."

Lin Lu stopped there, not intending to continue. Those willing to understand would naturally realize that the Integration Movement had deviated from its principles, while those unwilling to listen... even if you held a microphone in their ear a hundred times, they wouldn't listen.

You can never wake someone who is pretending to be asleep.

Unless you pull off the other person's blanket and throw them into the mosquito-infested southern sky.

Froststar stared silently at the former leader of the Reunion Movement before her, her feelings a complex mix.

In the current Reunion Movement, no one believes in the promises Talulah once made.

"Amiya, I need your help."

Lin Lu turned to look at Amiya, who was hiding by the door and secretly observing Frostnova.

Although Amiya tried to hide, her long rabbit ears gave her away.

"that……"

Amiya approached Frostnova timidly, hesitated, and ultimately remained silent.

Frostnova slowly shook her head. She could see Amiya's concerns, so she stood up and left Amiya's side.

She smiled at the slightly nervous Amiya and said calmly, "Don't worry, I won't attack you for now. Rhodes Island's priority is after Mephisto. Once I deal with Mephisto and you leave this ruined city, we'll still be enemies."

"Wait, that's not what I meant! I just..."

Amiya did not treat Frostnova as an enemy; Frostnova had taken care of Frostleaf, and this was a debt of gratitude that needed to be repaid.

"only……"

Amiya didn't know how to articulate her feelings; she sensed a vague emotion emanating from the other person. She could feel Frostnova's pain and confusion, which surprised Amiya. It turned out... there were normal people in the Reunion Movement too.

—The King Killer: "?"

From the Chernobog evacuation to the Lungmen defense, the emotions Amiya sensed from the Reunion infected were one of hysterical madness. These infected recklessly turned into kindling, attempting to ignite everything in their path and burn the world to ashes.

Frostnova made Amiya feel that communication was possible, and perhaps there was still hope for the Reunion Movement to stop. Things didn't have to get so bad; there was still a possibility of opening up another path before a greater catastrophe occurred.

"Let's talk about it after the battle."

Froststar shook her head. Just as Lin Lu said, sometimes it's simply a matter of different perspectives.

She left the ruins and walked towards her comrades in the Yeti Squad.

Amiya silently withdrew her gaze. Frostnova's assistance to Frostleaf was solely due to her personal wishes, and it did not represent the opinions of all Reunion members. Perhaps some people would even criticize Frostnova for this.

"Doctor, Jessica, she..."

Amiya looked at Jessica, who was being held by Lin Lu. Her cat-like head was dull and her eyes were unfocused.

Even though Amiya was standing right in front of her, Jessica didn't react at all, as if she had locked herself away.

"Perhaps past psychological trauma has been triggered? She feels guilty and blames herself for her powerlessness." Lin Lu held Jessica, who was unresponsive. Her body temperature was low and she felt quite cold to the touch.

If left unattended, Jessica will never be able to leave this ruined city.

"Amiya, bring her back," Lin Lu said solemnly.

"Ok!"

Amiya took Jessica's hand, took a deep breath, and quietly activated her mental power, causing the blue ring to glow red.

Lin Lu caught Amiya, who was leaning forward, with a bunny in his left hand and a cat in his right, and silently leaned against the broken wall of the ruins. His gaze drifted beyond the building, veins bulging on the back of his hand, and a cobalt blue flame flickered in his deep eyes beneath his hood.

Shuangye looked up at Lin Lu, and she sensed... that the doctor was angry.

Jessica's heart, a gray world.

There was no color; the sky and coastline were grayish-white, inspiring a sense of despair.

This wasn't the first time Amiya had infiltrated someone else's consciousness, but no matter how many times, it always made her feel intensely uncomfortable. Everyone subconsciously hides things, fearing that their true self will be discovered—their weaknesses, their inability to say no, or even their little quirks. No one is perfect; not everyone can present themselves without reservation, hence the resistance, the erection of mental barriers.

Amiya stepped into the turbulent sea of ​​her heart, and waves of sorrow washed over her.

Each wave carries fragments of memory, and images appear before Amiya's eyes.

Jessica encounters an unexpected situation during her first mission with Blacksteel International: the intelligence she and her partner receive from their employer is entirely false. It's a massive trap, a scheme by a rival security contractor designed to distract Blacksteel International.

During that mission, the confident Jessica did not choose to retreat but instead held her ground within the encirclement, attempting to counterattack and eliminate members of the opposing organization. Her performance was perfectly linked to her outstanding training results; relying on her exceptional perception and tactical training, Jessica single-handedly outflanked the hostile security contractor. She silently killed nearly half of the enemy and even eliminated their top leader.

As Jessica smugly prepared to leave, she discovered... that her predecessor had sacrificed himself to save her.

She was once so arrogant, and now she is just as insecure.

That spirited young mercenary girl made a brief appearance during her first mission and gradually disappeared from people's sight.

For two whole years, Jessica had no new partner. Until the Blacksteel CEO transferred her to Franka's team, the insecure Jessica needed an extremely confident person as a role model to guide her out of the shadows of the past and step into the blue sky again.

"I see……"

Amiya walked step by step toward the isolated island of the Sea of ​​the Soul, facing the waves that stung her skin.

Jessica.

Amiya called out to Jessica on the deserted island, but her voice was drowned out by the sound of the waves and could not be heard.

"Jessica!"

The further Amiya went toward the island, the stronger the sense of stagnation became.

Something was pushing Amiya, preventing her from moving forward.

“It’s okay, Jessica. We’re here. We won’t leave you alone.”

Amiya did not give up; she continued to move forward, her strong will shaking her inner world.

"You must pull yourself together, Jessica. You are a Blacksteel operator, and also... a member of Rhodes Island!"

Jessica's drooping cat ears twitched slightly as she looked up at Amiya, who had walked up to her.

"Amiya..."

Jessica murmured, and a ripple spread through the lightless world.

“Amiya…Amiya…I…it’s all my fault…I’m sorry, I’m sorry…I can’t do anything.” Jessica held her head and choked out a sob. It wasn’t just the recurrence of past trauma, but also the psychological shadow caused by her mistake that led to Frostleaf’s serious injury, which reminded her of her senior, Black Steel, who had sacrificed himself because of her.

"It's alright, Jessica."

Amiya gently hugged Jessica.

"I felt it; I've also experienced losing someone important to me."

"I also hate my powerlessness, being able to watch things happen helplessly, and being unable to do anything about it."

“I understand, Jessica… I’m the same as you.”

Amiya gently stroked Jessica's back, comforting the girl who had endured so much.

She saw Jessica, in her agonizing struggle, pull the trigger on Mephisto, attempting to kill the enemy leader and salvage the dire situation.

She saw Frostleaf, who had risked burning her blood to cast a forbidden spell, leaving behind a solitary figure.

She saw so much, so much...

“Jessica, Frostleaf and Meteor are waiting for us.”

"The battle is not over yet. I need you to stand up and pick up your weapon."

"You will never be alone again. We will always be by your side. We will go back to Rhodes Island together."

"You don't need to be afraid anymore. We will never abandon you. You can unleash your full potential."

Amiya's hands glowed, and the warm light enveloped Jessica in her arms, making her feel safe and secure, like a cradle.

Jessica gradually regained consciousness and saw a mirror, in which another version of herself was smiling.

"You are an operator I can trust."

Sunlight pierced through the dark clouds, and the gray world regained its brilliance.

Jessica felt like she was having a nightmare. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Amiya smiling.

"Welcome back, Jessica."

Chapter 372 The City of Sin (Bonus Chapter)

"I'm sorry, it's all because I've dragged everyone down."

Jessica apologized, somewhat unable to look Frostleaf in the eye.

Frostleaf said softly, "After we return to Rhodes Island, study with me, and I will forgive you."

"Eh?"

"If I say I don't mind, you'll definitely remember it, right?" Frostleaf struggled to her feet, gripping her spear axe tightly against the ground to support her severely exhausted body. A smile appeared on her pale face. "In that case, come and take classes with me when we get back to Rhodes Island. I don't want to be a decorative assistant in the Doctor's office, unable to do anything."