Join I.A.R.C.

When Barton's leather-gloved hand clasped Lin Jie's, the atmosphere in the underground safehouse changed completely.

Marcus's tower-like frame relaxed as well. His gaze remained full of curiosity, but the hostility was gone.

Lin Jie had not only cleared himself of suspicion; more importantly, he had successfully submitted an exceptionally impressive "résumé" to the massive, mysterious organization known as I.A.R.C.

"Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, I should return Cartographer Karl's belongings to the Association, as required by the rules." Lin Jie didn't greedily claim the diary and pistol for himself. Instead, with complete composure, he placed the two priceless items on the table.

His decisive gesture clearly improved Barton's impression of him once again.

Keeping the Association's property was a serious offense. Lin Jie's decision to return it was an unmistakable show of goodwill.

Barton picked up the thick German diary and gently ran his fingertips over its familiar cover. A trace of remembrance for his departed comrade flickered in his eyes.

Then he picked up the Webley revolver and examined it carefully before looking at Lin Jie.

"Mr. Lin, according to the Association's rules, returning the belongings is indeed necessary. However..." Barton changed tack, a knowing smile curling his lips. "There's another provision: any 'outside collaborator' who provides the Association with crucial intelligence or makes a decisive contribution to a hunt for a high-risk UMA is entitled to an equivalent reward."

He slowly pushed the revolver back toward Lin Jie.

"This was Karl's personal weapon, and his first Grotesque Armament. We call it 'Heart of Serenity.'"

"The gun's grip contains an auditory bone from a deep-sea UMA in Norwegian waters. It can resist most low-level psychic attacks and fear auras, and slightly improve the bearer's reflexes. I imagine you've already experienced its effects firsthand."

Barton paused, then continued, "During the hunt for the Mist Walker, you saw through its disguise and discovered its fatal weakness, preventing what could have been much heavier casualties for the Association."

"You've earned this weapon. So, from now on, it belongs to you. It's your rightful reward."

Lin Jie's heart skipped a beat.

He hadn't expected Barton to so readily give him such a powerful Grotesque Armament.

The so-called "return" had only been a gesture, a test.

If Lin Jie had shown even the slightest greed or hesitation, Barton's opinion of him would have dropped a whole level.

He didn't refuse again. With composure, he accepted the revolver, which meant so much to him.

"Then I'll accept."

"As for the diary..." Barton held it in his hands, with no intention of returning it. "Its strategic value is too great. The Association has to recover it and keep it secure. But as compensation, the Association will provide you with a 'translation service.'"

"What do you mean?" Lin Jie asked.

"We'll keep the original, but the Association's linguistics department will translate every word of German in it into English and provide you with a complete copy. Of course," Barton added, "we may... obscure certain parts concerning the Association's highest-level secrets."

"But you'll be able to read everything about UMAs and Mr. Karl's hunting experience. That should be worth far more to you than keeping an original you can't understand, don't you think?"

Lin Jie's eyes lit up.

This was an unexpected bonus!

The German had been his biggest headache, and now I.A.R.C. was willing to use its organizational resources to solve that problem for him.

Trading a "dragon-slaying manual" he couldn't read for a detailed "user guide" in English was a deal that couldn't possibly go wrong!

"I have no objections." Lin Jie immediately agreed.

Barton smiled with satisfaction. He knew he had successfully used two irresistible gifts to show this promising "Interpreter" I.A.R.C.'s sincerity and strength.

"Excellent." Barton carefully put the diary away, then took out a transmitter that had been modified from a telegraph.

"Please wait a moment. I need to report everything that happened tonight, along with my assessment of your value, to headquarters in Geneva. This will determine your position in the Association and the resources you'll be allowed to access. It's important."

With that, he began tapping out the code with practiced ease. A stream of invisible messages traveled through the secret network spanning the globe, swiftly reaching the headquarters of the mysterious organization in the world's neutral center.

Silence settled over the basement again.

Marcus studied Lin Jie curiously. The Oriental had astonished him too many times that night.

Lin Jie sat quietly in his chair, wiping down his recovered Heart of Serenity and patiently waiting for the verdict from across the ocean.

These few short minutes would determine his fate.

He was no longer a laborer struggling to survive, nor a fugitive whose life could be snuffed out at any moment.

His future would be tightly bound to the vast organization known as I.A.R.C.

Time passed, second by second.

The discussion and assessment on the other end of the transmitter seemed to take quite a while.

At last, after a burst of rapid clicks, Barton stopped tapping. He looked up, his expression a complicated mix of "just as I thought" and surprise.

"Headquarters has replied." Barton's gaze lingered on Lin Jie for a moment. "Their reaction was even more... intense than I expected."

"First, Cartographer Karl's death in the line of duty has been confirmed. Headquarters expresses its regret over what happened to you and has officially withdrawn the 'arrest warrant' against you. You're free now, and a friend of the Association."

Lin Jie let out a long breath. The heaviest weight on his mind had finally lifted.

"Second, headquarters gave the highest possible assessment to your rare Retrograde Induction ability and your outstanding tactical analysis skills." Barton's tone turned serious. "They believe that a 'talent' like you could be more valuable than an entire field team on certain missions."

Lin Jie's heart began to race again.

Marcus, standing nearby, looked utterly incredulous.

He couldn't imagine that headquarters considered this seemingly frail young man more important than a battle-hardened Kingdom Rank UMA hunter like himself.

Barton cleared his throat and continued, "Based on this assessment, headquarters in Geneva held an emergency meeting and drew up a special cooperation agreement tailored to you. Something like this is extremely rare in the Association's history."

He took a document sealed with wax from a locked filing cabinet and slid it across to Lin Jie.

"You can choose to become an official member of the Association, starting as a sixth-grade investigator and receiving training and promotions through the usual channels. You'll have a steady salary, a safe place to stay, and all the resources available to new recruits. That's the safest option."

"Or..." A strange light gleamed in Barton's eyes. "You can sign this 'Free Hunter Agreement.'"

"Signing this agreement means you won't be an official employee of the Association. You won't have to follow most of the Association's internal red tape or accept fixed assignments. You'll have a great deal of freedom in your actions."

"You can think of the Association as a... platform. You can take on various commissions posted by the Association, or use its intelligence network to investigate events that interest you."

"Each time you complete a commission, you'll receive a corresponding bounty and points. Points will be the sole measure of your 'clearance level' within the Association."

"The higher your level, the more classified intelligence you can access and the more advanced resources you can use. You'll even be able to commission the Association's Armed Craftsmen to make a Grotesque Armament just for you."

"To put it simply," Barton concluded, "this agreement makes you a powerful 'contracted enforcer' or 'problem-solving specialist.'"

"But it's riskier, because the Association won't provide any direct armed support while you're carrying out unofficial commissions. In return, though, there's no upper limit to what you can earn. It all depends on your own abilities."

The basement was so quiet they could hear one another breathing.

Lin Jie looked at the agreement in front of him, still carrying the scent of ink, and felt his fingers tremble slightly.

This wasn't just a contract. It was a ticket to an entirely new life.

Freedom or security?