Chapter 266

Previously, the Ghost Squad, along with W's mercenaries, helped Bai Ye carry out a purge within the city, eradicating many scourges. Afterwards, W was sent by Bai Ye to Columbia to cause trouble and do shady work, while the Ghost Squad was secretly hidden away.

Bai Ye never gave up on cultivating and training the Ghost Squad; he wanted to develop this Squad Five into the Core City's Anbu.

It seems too difficult for a Squad Five to maintain order and deal with traitors throughout an entire Mobile City. Perhaps a different approach is needed.

Bai Ye obtained command of the Ghost Force from Talulah. He was originally prepared to explain, but Talulah agreed immediately without even asking Bai Ye for a reason.

Talulah is far too easygoing, even to the point of blindly trusting Bai Ye, giving him almost anything he asks for. After all, if he hadn't turned to the dark side, he'd practically be an extremely idealistic saint. It feels like Black Serpent's efforts to educate her were completely wasted...

Bai Ye was moved by Talulah's trust.

However, he did not take immediate action; he still needed to prepare.

Bai Ye returned to Rhodes Island.

Specter wanted to say something more, but then he noticed that Bai Ye's expression wasn't very pleasant.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" the girl asked.

Bai Ye was about to refuse when he suddenly remembered something. He nodded to Laurentina and said, "Come to the lab with me."

As the head of the Rhodes Island branch, Bai Ye naturally had access to all the cabins.

He found a laboratory with Originium and Arts Unit that included a testing area, and then he started tinkering with it.

At first, Specter was quite interested in seeing what Bai Ye was going to do, but soon, the Abyssal Hunter, whose Originium Adaptability was 0, had no idea what Bai Ye was doing.

However, she did admire Bai Ye quite a bit. Just like her former captain, he not only had outstanding personal combat power, but was also Technology Executor who could tinker with these strange and unusual things.

It's much harder than simply being a soldier.

'I wonder where Skadi found such a land dweller... a land dweller capable of wrestling with Abyssal Hunter...'

Time passed by, Bai Ye was busy in the laboratory. She would sometimes check the data in Rhodes Island's database, and sometimes she would run to the Stone Coffin research institute next door to seek help from the researchers there.

Specter was almost asleep; she didn't know why Bai Ye had dragged her over. Was it simply because he was worried something would happen if she were away from him for too long?

The Bai Ye finally stopped late at night.

He breathed a sigh of relief, holding a silver metal bracelet in his hand.

"Shark, try this." Bai Ye looked at Specter with excitement.

The girl put down her book and looked up at what Bai Ye was holding.

"What... is this?" Specter looked at the silver bracelet and said with a subtle expression, "Is it something to wear around the neck?"

At first, Bai Ye thought Specter was joking, but then he realized that Specter might not be joking.

She may have been fitted with similar suppression devices by the "dead" members of the Abyssal Church in the past. The Abyssal Church has been searching for ways to control this terrifying Abyssal Hunter.

"No, it's just a bracelet," Bai Ye shook his head reassuringly. "If all goes well, it will become a new talisman."

"So you believe in this kind of thing too..."

Specter's expression brightened once again. She gently rolled up her right sleeve, revealing her slender, fair wrist, and then unfastened the bracelet and put it on.

With a "click," the bracelet and the Specter's skin came together.

"That certainly suits your style, an amulet with absolutely no aesthetic appeal... Wait a minute?"

At first, Specter wanted to complain that this thing wasn't very good-looking, and wondered how Bai Ye could have gone to so much trouble to come up with something like this.

However, she froze the next second.

Subconsciously, he pressed a button on the bracelet, and Specter's figure gradually disappeared into the room.

"What... what's going on? I can't see my hands..."

The girl's voice suddenly appeared in the laboratory, but no one was there.

"It worked!"

Bai Ye clenched his fist.

Then he heard a series of crackling sounds from the side. It turned out that Specter had stumbled and knocked over some experimental equipment.

Specter pressed the bracelet again, deactivating the current state.

"What... what happened?"

She looked at the bracelet on her wrist and frowned.

Although it is an infected individual, Specter has zero Originium Arts compatibility, making it completely unable to cast spells. Originium Arts and Abyssal Hunter are incompatible.

But now, she is able to cast spells.

"That's invisibility," Bai Ye explained. "It's a very simple light refraction modification technique; you just need to change..."

Perhaps because there was an audience, or perhaps because Bai Ye was in high spirits, in any case, even though Specter was very unwilling, he still dragged the girl and forcibly explained the principle of the bracelet.

Bai Ye did not use Originium Arts, so even someone like Specter, whose Originium Arts adaptability is 0, could activate the pre-set spells in the bracelet.

This is how Bai Ye uses her powers, but it also incorporates a lot of Originium Arts and Arts Unit techniques.

Because it was his first time experiencing invisibility, Specter looked incredibly cool without his own body as a reference point. This also served as a reminder to Bai Ye that if the Ghost Squad were to use this type of bracelet, they would need to constantly train to adapt to combat methods when they couldn't see their own bodies.

Yes, Bai Ye was preparing the bracelets for the Ghost Squad.

In addition to optical invisibility, the bracelet also has three spells: a silencing barrier, a shield, and an emergency escape.

The first two are easy to understand. As for the last one, the principle is also quite simple: at the same time the shield is activated, a gas explosion occurs at the user's feet, blasting the user away to achieve emergency escape.

Bai Ye still hoped to protect the Ghost Squad. These were all experienced veterans who had conducted guerrilla warfare and sabotage behind the Army Group's lines during the Ice Age, and were skilled in various infiltration and covert operations.

These experienced veteran units are the most valuable asset, and Bai Ye doesn't want them to be lost. He's counting on these people to train new Assassin Court assassins.

Afterwards, Bai Ye tested the operation and function of other spells in the test area. The shield became stronger due to the upgrade of Bai Ye's power, and it could withstand the Specter's saw for 5 seconds. Considering that the saw cuts continuously, it might have lasted longer if other attack methods were used.

As for the emergency escape, it blasted the Specter away, which looked quite powerful. However, because of the shield protection, the Specter appeared to be unharmed.

Bai Ye was in a good mood. This thing was something he had created on his own, outside of the game's system skills. Although it borrowed from the structure of the Arts Unit, it was ultimately his exploration and application of his own powers.

The biggest advantage of this thing is that it can be charged by blowing air and can be used without requiring Originium Arts adaptability. Yes, I'm talking about warriors like White Bai Ye from the past.

There are also Abyssal Hunter like Specter.

Bai Ye plans to mass-produce some first, not only to equip some of the Ghost Forces going out on missions, but also to equip each of his friends with one.

Bai Ye now understood just how dangerous the situation had been; Alina had actually been targeted in the Core City. Considering that this might happen again, Bai Ye decided to get some insurance for all his friends.

However, aside from Alina, almost all of Bai Ye's friends are quite capable, so it doesn't seem like there's much of a need for that.

Thinking of this, Bai Ye frowned again.

It seems the assassin's targeting was indeed very precise; their objective was clear, focusing solely on Alina, who had no combat abilities and whose skills were no different from an ordinary person. If Alina hadn't had her protective amulet, she would have been killed.

Furthermore, Alina's identity is special; she's Talulah's friend, a rather sensitive position. If Talulah becomes angry, it could spark a new conflict with the Ursus Empire. The already ambiguous relationship between the two sides would rapidly deteriorate...

"There are enemies inside."

Bai Ye drew a conclusion.

Alina wasn't particularly famous. While the other officers had made some appearances on the battlefield, Alina was entirely a support staff member. Few people even knew when she transitioned from teacher to officer.

"Let's start playing Werewolf..."

Bai Ye gave a cold laugh.

It doesn't matter, the Assassin's Court, ah, no, I mean the Ghost Force will take action.

To Bai Ye's surprise, Specter suggested keeping the bracelet.

Bai Ye said she didn't care about this.

Although it looks very high-end and can be driven without Originium Arts, the principle is actually similar to the trigger-based spells engraved in the Arts Unit.

Even similar ornaments existed in the extinct Gaul.

Bai Ye had previously obtained this as Players.

It was a piece of jewelry belonging to Gaul nobles, a gold brooch. After Gaul, the Laterano nobles collected it as a symbol of status.

The brooch is fitted with a universal Originium circuit that carries defensive spells, generating a protective shield upon receiving an attack. The defense is decent, but nothing special; it won't keep up with the pace of Players in later versions.

However, the Originium Circuit of that thing is engraved on high-purity Originium crystals, and it may cause infection once it comes into contact with Originium.

More importantly, these ornaments are unique and cannot be mass-produced. High-purity Originium crystals are rare treasures in Terra, difficult to obtain, and require substantial funds and strong technological support to mine.

Furthermore, the circuits engraved on the Originium crystals are extremely complex, especially the energy storage circuits that allow the accessory to activate its shield multiple times. For people today, this technology is incredibly complex and impossible to replicate.

These technologies all disappeared with the fall of Gaul.

Later, Bai Ye sold the brooch to an art collector, perhaps so that he could appreciate the former strength and splendor of Gaul from this treasure that combined artistic and practical value.

Unfortunately, Bai Ye was completely oblivious to this.

He just felt it was a pity; if the shield were stronger, it would be a very useful piece of equipment, capable of soloing bosses or achieving better speedrun records—sometimes tanking a boss's attack is more time-efficient than dodging everywhere.

As for the artistic value of the gold brooch?

Bai Ye wasn't interested at all, but he was still quite happy because he had acquired a considerable fortune from the collector due to the artistic value of the piece. This fortune later became part of the "Thunder Hammer" Powered Armor on Bai Ye's body.

For the next two days, Bai Ye spent his time in the lab, and Specter witnessed firsthand Bai Ye's focus on his work—he simply slept in the lab.

Therefore, Specter had no choice but to sleep here. After all, she couldn't stray too far from Bai Ye.

Fortunately, there are bathrooms in the Rhodes Island branch building, and even a large bathhouse, otherwise Specter might have gone crazy from discomfort.

The bathhouse was specially prepared for the Aegir —besides the Abyssal Hunter, there are other Aegir on Rhodes Island. It's likely that these Aegir scattered across other regions originated from ancestors who migrated from the deep sea.

Bai Ye, on the other hand, didn't feel anything. As Players, he was already familiar with this routine—wasn't it just about grinding the proficiency of secondary life skills? Just treat it as this.

For Players, spending several days in a row is quite normal. In fact, Bai Ye once spent a whole month lying in the jungle to farm some rare materials.

Those memories were even worse than now... I was turned into a savage.

Over the course of two days, Bai Ye prepared bracelets for the Ghost Force.

Now, his "Anbu" can be deployed.

Bai Ye secretly summoned Lyudmila, the "Kingslayer," and her most elite group of ghost captains.

This is a group of skilled infiltration, assassination, and stealth.

Looking at the assassins standing in front of him, Bai Ye nodded. This was more like an elite force.

Bai Ye did not attempt to give another speech. Ever since his failed speech after taking office on Rhodes Island, Bai Ye did not want to embarrass himself again.

He simply looked at the ghosts before him and said coldly, "With high-ranking leaders assassinated, what we need to do is retaliate in kind, with blood for blood. I need you to create terror, kill those who want to harm us, and deter those scoundrels hiding in the shadows."

"This is the Four Winds Bracelet. With it, you can defeat any sun... and hide your true form."

Bai Ye spoke, he distributed the bracelets to the ghosts and Lyudmila.

With his increased strength, Bai Ye no longer needed to feign compliance with his enemies. He didn't care what the plans were behind it all; he simply didn't care. Whoever sent people to harm him, he would retaliate by sending people to kill them.

He wouldn't even mind taking matters into his own hands.

With his formidable strength, Bai Ye now only wants to peacefully serve as a part-time GM, incidentally dealing with exceptionally powerful enemies. If anyone tries to cause trouble or disturb him, he won't hesitate to take action.

Bai Ye sent detailed information about the tactical plan and objectives to the Ghost Squad's tactical terminal.

As the Ghost Squad departed, Bai Ye secretly called out to Lyudmila, who was walking at the very back. He looked at the girl and whispered, "Remember to eliminate any potential threats completely. Be thorough and don't leave any loose ends."

Lyudmila nodded.

This guy is a ruthless individual who planned to take Sergei's son and single-handedly kill Sergei, putting on a show of filial piety. He even received special training in Siracusa. She will carry out Bai Ye's orders.

After the girl left, Bai Ye shook his head. "How can you govern a country well when you're dealing with these insects?"

"Since it's inconvenient for you to do it, I'll take care of it."

Only after dispatching the Ghost Force did Bai Ye finally have a temporary respite.

However, it seems that there have been a lot of things going on lately. While inviting leaders of various political entities to send messengers to participate in the meeting, all sorts of messy things have been happening one after another.

For example, when Bai Ye opened the game forum, he realized that he seemed to have forgotten that "that thing" had happened recently.

The so-called "that thing" refers to a major event that happened between the Players and the native inhabitants.