Chapter 456

The explanation given was that this situation has never happened before, which is why it seems so complicated now.

"Erasing and killing... Ultimately, none of us can determine where the line is."

Having drawn a conclusion with these words, Hua, who knew more than Mei but only slightly more, proposed the next action criteria. After saying so much, what should be done now? Although Mei's gaze towards her became increasingly kind, Hua felt something was off. She felt that Mei's gaze towards her... was a bit like looking at a clueless, silly deer.

Chapter 190 Kevin is dead too?

"So, what should we do next? Kevin... Sue, you and he are old acquaintances. Has he said anything to you privately before?"

After all, Hua had never been a decision-maker before. When faced with this kind of situation, it was better to trust his companions than to stand there clueless and think about it. Sue and Kevin had a good relationship; they were friends before joining the Flame-Chasers. So, when faced with this kind of problem, did Kevin give Sue anything?

"That's why things turned out this way. He entrusted something to me."

He entrusted something to him? This statement shocked Hua. It reminded her of something that had happened before. After entrusting something to Su, what did he do next?

"Entrusted? Sue, we witnessed it together, that time he..."

"Yes, I only just remembered that at that time... when he entrusted something to me last time, I was also preparing to do something. So, Hua, you should know why I said earlier... that handing over the dispatch to Eden was something I had planned all along."

Hua understood what she meant, and the girl nodded firmly without hesitation.

"I see."

Su nodded in acknowledgment, and then the familiar white light reappeared, enveloping Su and Hua together. The white light that had previously led everyone away from the ferocious beast Chakravartin gradually faded, and this time, Hua and Su also disappeared along with it. Shen Gonglin and Mei exchanged bewildered glances.

What did they just say? Why can't they understand a word, and why have they disappeared now?

"They... wait a minute, something's coming."

Mei turned her gaze into the distance. At the same time, the strange phenomenon in the distance, or perhaps the obituary, finally descended from the sky. It was the message they had been waiting for, and it tried to put down the last piece of cold iron in everyone's hearts.

Mei reached out and caught the paper falling from the sky. It was a piece of paper from the archives, covered with densely packed words that bore a chilling resemblance to the real thing. The moment Mei saw the contents of the paper, disbelief immediately welled up in her heart.

This is impossible. Putting aside the fact that she had never heard of the typewriter being repaired, the content of the text alone was unbelievable enough. Faced with this situation, what would wise sages throughout history say?

Kevin is dead. That's what was written on the top of this piece of paper.

In reality, cities shrouded in night always exude a dangerous yet alluring aura. Beneath this undercurrent, the seeds of certain secrets are being sown and sprouted. On this deserted street, a tall woman is walking slowly forward.

"Well..."

With a long sigh, the only sound in the silence was the soft thud of heels on the ground. Raven let out an exaggerated sigh, as if to add more sound to the silence. Raven had started to enjoy liveliness, even though according to the code of conduct for mercenaries, quiet places are safer. Was it because he had been with them for too long?

It was that pitch-black path again. Raven felt like she was starting to have a psychological aversion to it. She wondered how Mei and Shen Gonglin were doing. At least their safety could be guaranteed if they were together, right? They shouldn't be dead, otherwise Gray Serpent's side would be in complete chaos.

I couldn't help but think of Mei and Shen Gonglin. This cool mercenary lady has also learned to worry about others. But now it seems she should take better care of herself. The rendezvous point is just ahead. As an employee of World Serpent, she should put in a little more effort since she's working.

This isn't really curly. If we're talking about curly, the Gray Serpent and the Jackal are much more curly than me. At most, I can only be considered as doing my job diligently and in an ordinary way.

Ah, the contact has arrived. Let me guess which Gray Serpent he is.

The figure was very familiar. Even without rain, the tall, gray figure was still holding an umbrella. Raven walked forward, and the sound of her high heels on the ground made Gray Serpent turn her head. The eerie mask and red prosthetic eye—only Gray Serpent could be dressed like that. In any case, Raven had never thought about human modification; she was quite satisfied with her own body.

"You've arrived."

Without exchanging pleasantries with Gray Serpent, Raven simply pulled out a book and handed it to Gray Serpent. Gray Serpent's mechanical arm took the book, which was titled "Elegant Cocktail." What did that mean?

"Inside."

He gestured for Gray Serpent to open the book. On the simply bound cover, in the center of the hollowed-out book, lay a chip—this was what Gray Serpent needed.

"Your identity information is here. From now on, your name is Pabirus Greenfield, and I am your beautiful assistant, Hypatia. We will be visiting the Nivel Industrial Laboratory at 10:00 AM tomorrow."

After explaining the task to be carried out, Gray Serpent nodded. His mask couldn't show any emotion, but just as he was about to put the book away, Raven took it back.

The Gray Serpent raised its head and looked at the Raven. Although it did not speak, the atmosphere around it turned cold, as if a venomous snake was lurking and waiting for its chance to strike.

"Is your source reliable? I mean, if the intelligence is true and we are facing a very difficult situation, then it is indeed quite troublesome."

Although he had to carry out a mission, Raven didn't want to put his life in someone else's hands so carelessly. He still had a lot to do with his life and needed to cherish it.

"Reliable?"

Gray Serpent chuckled coldly, "Many people believe that only by pulling out a stranger's teeth one by one can they hear the truth from him. But I'm different... I always put the teeth of the person he loves in front of him."

Raven fell silent at the other party's words. She knew this wasn't a metaphor; so this was the source of their intelligence. But this behavior...

"Just kidding, that's a line from a movie I just watched before I came. I sometimes want to change things up, what, did I scare you?"

In the silence, Gray Serpent spoke first, but this feeling was unlike the Gray Serpent of before. Raven seemed to have figured it out; he had this kind of wicked sense of humor...

"That tone... is that you?"

Beneath this cold, mechanical prosthetic shell should be the Gray Serpent he hasn't seen in a long time.

Chapter 191 The Movements of Reality

"Yes, long time no see, Chiora. It's been more than three years since we last met, hasn't it?"

A familiar greeting, 10426, that's the other person's name and also their number, one of the many Gray Serpent.

"I thought you were dead."

"You said the same thing last time. Sorry, you're still haunting me."

The sudden change in style sent a chill down Raven. The girl rubbed her arms awkwardly and said, "You'd better not talk to me like that. The difference between you and the one at the base is just too great. I can't stand it."

Raven was finding it hard to accept that the Gray Serpent spoke like that.

"Really? I don't see any difference. Look, I'm not even wearing my favorite Hawaiian shirt."

Gray Serpent looked down at his current appearance. Was it strange? No, he had been careful not to wear those kinds of clothes.

"Please, just say less and get to the base first. Can you lead the way?"

Raven simply couldn't accept Gray Serpent's way of speaking, mainly because it was completely different from how he spoke at the base. This stark contrast made Miss Chiora quite uncomfortable. It felt like Shen Gonglin had suddenly turned into a mature and shy young man. Was this the kind of cute contrast? But no matter how hard Gray Serpent tried, he could never become cute.

"This place is nearby. I made special arrangements after learning that it was you who was coming."

Raven headed towards the previously designated location, but what greeted her made Raven sigh. Mechs! She thought she could go there quietly. Honestly, why did it have to move around on its own in the middle of the night?

"They're just some wandering mechs, don't worry about them. This place isn't exactly peaceful anyway. And this kind of hospitality shouldn't be unacceptable to you, Chiora."

Without further ado, Raven launched its attack. These mechs were likely just ordinary city defense forces. Anti-Entropy had done a remarkable job in the civilian mech field. Just as Gray Serpent had said, Raven easily dealt with the enemy before them, and the two quickly arrived at their previously established stronghold.

"What are your thoughts on collaborating again after three years?"

Gray Serpent made such a remark as if meeting an old friend, but Raven showed him no respect at all. Raven was actually unwilling to be assigned this job. She would rather go to the Elysian Realm with Shen Gonglin and Mei to slack off. Anyway, she was not the kind of person who liked to work. It would be best to just eat and wait to die. But she was actually asked to work in the Elysian Realm. Who would be happy about that?

"Yes. I want it to end quickly."

"Then go back on vacation? This conversation reminds me of the time when you left World Serpent... Back then, we took good care of each other."

Like a casual chat between old friends, it seemed that, just like before, Chiora's attitude towards work was really not as good as that of the Gray Serpent at the base. Her style of doing things was to just loaf around and wait to collect her salary.

"Shouldn't there be a lot of surveillance?"

Raven rolled her eyes. It wasn't so easy for her after leaving World Serpent. The surveillance only started after she rejoined World Serpent. Although being monitored was something she had expected, she was still annoyed.

"Don't say that. Am I the only one who considers you an old friend?"

"I have quite a few old friends. Let's get down to business. I heard... Schicksal and Anti-Entropy are also making moves?"

Raven rolled her eyes. She didn't want to chat with him any longer. She wanted to finish this quickly so she could get some rest. Staying up late at night was never a good thing. She felt like her skin was getting worse. Now Raven was starting to think about this too. She didn't have the overpowered constitution of Herrscher. She could only focus on skincare. As for who she was showing off her skincare, wasn't that obvious?

"That's right, but they're being more cautious than the World Serpent ... It might be a good thing or a bad thing if it doesn't affect our mission. Let's forget about them for now and focus on the present. Tomorrow's mission requires utmost caution, we can't afford any mistakes."

Gray Serpent emphasized that the matters concerning Schicksal and Anti-Entropy should be put aside for now; the task they needed to do now was extremely important, requiring utmost caution.

"Such an important task... and it's just the two of us?"

Knowing the importance of this mission, Raven was still a little confused. If it was such an important mission, why were only the two of them assigned to it? It wasn't that Raven felt incapable, but... this shouldn't be the case. There were many people more capable than him. Couldn't he have been given a break?

"Just the two of us, from beginning to end, no more. Once we're discovered, all our preparations will be in vain... We'll most likely be caught as well. Judging from this alone, that Gray Serpent really approves of you... After all, he chose you to carry out the mission."

This mission is very important, and having too many people would actually increase the risk, so it's just me and Chiora going to carry it out. This shows how much the Gray Serpent at the base trusts Chiora. But Raven isn't some newbie anymore. Does this kind of talk mean she can get people to work willingly? If you want a horse to run, you have to feed it well first.

"They say it has to be me... but who knows? Maybe they were prepared to sacrifice themselves, which is why they chose the least important piece? By the way, are you sure there are no problems with the bonus? If there are any problems with that, I'll be furious."

Raven emphasized this point because he wanted to make a fortune and buy several games. Although he didn't play those kinds of games himself, he knew that giving gifts to others made them happy, and he himself would also be very happy.

"You don't need to worry about the bonus. As for the pawns... maybe. Maybe we're all pawns."

Before Gray Serpent could finish speaking, Raven waved his hand to end the pointless topic. As long as the prize money was secured, he didn't care about what happened next.

"Alright, I'm tired. I hope the bedroom you prepared is comfortable enough. We can talk about tomorrow's mission tomorrow. I need to rest now. Make yourself at home. Even though I have a mechanical body, I don't intend to let you share a room with me."

Upon entering the lounge that Gray Serpent had prepared for him, Chiora ruthlessly shut Gray Serpent out. How could he possibly let him stay in the same lounge as him? Did he think he was Shen Gonglin?

Chapter 192

"Mei."

The voice called out to Mei, but the girl did not respond. She just looked at the paper in her hand. The words on it were so clear, but the clarity of the words made Mei feel as if she was in a dream. Was she still wandering in a dream?

"Mei."

Despite trying to convince herself of this, the handwriting on the paper was so clear... Kevin, dead? For a moment, Mei couldn't decipher the meaning behind those four words. Flame-Chasers, who had been waiting for Mei's reaction, spoke for the third time, and this time Mei finally came to her senses.

"Mei."

Eden raised his voice to wake Mei. The girl snapped back to reality and looked at Eden with the paper in her hand. She recognized every word on it, but when put together, she couldn't quite understand it. Kevin was up? How could that be? Although he was a seasoned riddle solver, Mei had no doubt about his fighting Mei. The idea that the person would die was simply not in Mei's mind.

However, it does seem to have been printed from that typewriter that only objectively outputs the truth.

"... Eden? This is..."

Mei looked at the papers in her hands and asked Eden how the Flame-Chasers would react and how they viewed the matter.

"We already knew about this before you arrived, which is why there was that commotion just now. Kevin's data disappeared overnight... just like Elysia's."

Flame-Chasers spoke these words softly, but the heaviness in his words was so overwhelming that it was hard to breathe. It felt like a game of Werewolf, first Elysia, now Kevin, and even Sakura's whereabouts were unknown... What exactly happened to the Elysian Realm?

"Disappeared... that's too euphemistic a term."

Kosma also chimed in. Su and Hua had left, but he still shielded Griseo behind him. Even Eden couldn't be trusted. Mutual suspicion and concealment spread among the Flame-Chasers. The Thirteen Flame-Chasers had never been known for their unity.

"Kosma, I understand your concerns, and even... I can understand the anger in Chakravartin's heart. But now the facts are before us, and the truth is still hidden in the shadows. We must... be a little more pragmatic. There's no need to be so tense. Assuming the traitor really exists, he... or they, would not act rashly in front of the visitors and several Flame-Chasers."

Having taken on the responsibility of coordinator, now is not the time for mutual suspicion. Only Eden can do this now. He synchronized the current situation with Kosma, and the autistic boy didn't say anything this time. Judging from his expression, he must have agreed, which is good.

"Then, Pardofelis, if there are no objections, you can come out now."

Satisfied with Kosma's reaction, Eden looked towards the bushes on the other side. A clump of bushes by the roadside suddenly trembled, and after a brief and slightly awkward silence, Pardofelis reluctantly emerged. Seeing Pardofelis appear, Shen Gonglin breathed a sigh of relief. She had a very good relationship with Pardofelis, and Shen Gonglin didn't want anything to happen to her.

Just now Shen Gonglin was wondering if Pardofelis, who hadn't appeared yet, might be the key to unlocking the mystery. However, Shen Gonglin girl's next words quickly dispelled that thought. She realized she had been overthinking things.

After greeting Shen Gonglin and Mei, Pardofelis scratched her head sheepishly and smiled at Eden.

"I'm sorry, Sister Eden... I was just so scared when I saw Brother Jie so angry! So I had to hide in a panic... But I heard what you were saying just now, and I think—Sister Eden is right! Now is not the time for infighting."

It was Pardofelis could lighten the mood. After the girl came out, Shen Gonglin felt that the tense atmosphere had eased a lot. The girl waved her arm, feeling quite uncomfortable with the tense atmosphere just now.

"Aren't we the Thirteen Flame-Chasers? We're all pretty united... well, maybe not that united, but we're still comrades who've been through thick and thin together! Don't make the atmosphere so tense. Maybe... this is just a prank? Or, maybe it's Mobius's experiment... or Sister Vill-V's magic trick?"

The girl's voice trailed off, her once crisp tone becoming hesitant and stuttering. It seemed her plan to lighten the mood had failed; no one was going to agree with her "guess." The girl lowered her head in disappointment, even her lively tail stopped wagging. Shen Gonglin stepped forward and gently patted her head. The cat-girl sighed softly; she knew the chances were slim.

"Sorry..."

"You don't need to apologize."

Even Pardofelis's mood became somewhat gloomy. Kosma responded that it wasn't her fault and she didn't need to apologize for such a thing.

"I just don't believe there could be a traitor among us... Boss Kevin's situation can't be what it seems! There might be some inside story we don't know about, or something unspeakable..."

Pardofelis looked up, somewhat agitated. Boss Kevin was dead? How could that be? There must be something they couldn't know, or perhaps...

"Secret."

Kosma uttered the words that Pardofelis hadn't had time to say: every memory contains a secret, a fact known to everyone, about themselves, about others, or... about the Herrscher.

At this point, Kosma looked at Mei and Shen Gonglin. Eden tried to interrupt him, but he still said those words; he was simply stating the facts.

"Well, it seems we must now admit that a veil of deceit is now swirling among us. I'm afraid... this is a situation the instigators of the conspiracy would be happy to see. No matter how much we argue, it's an undeniable fact that Elysia and Kevin have disappeared, and Sakura is nowhere to be found. In that case, I have a proposal."

As expected of Eden, she has taken on the heavy responsibility of Flame-Chasers the group with neither the first nor the second member present. Now, we must come up with an effective solution.

"Instead of watching the differences deepen and the rift widen, we might as well... go our separate ways, protect what is most important to each of us, and wait for news from Su."