Chapter 281

"Yes, it's perfect for forgetting everything, isn't it?"

After this rather abrupt and unconventional exchange, Gladiia stepped directly onto the dance floor, tapping her heels to the beat.

"Although I don't quite understand what's going on between you and that person just now, it's not okay for you to bring that kind of emotion to the mission with me. Although dance means completely different things to different people, I've always believed that dance is an outpouring of emotion, a place where you can express your feelings more freely than on the battlefield."

"So come on, it's not about anyone complementing anyone else, it's a solo dance... Forget your sorrows, and try to keep up with me."

Gladiia led Nana into her rhythm, which even made Nana forget to ask why Closure seemed so strange... And as the rhythm grew more intense, Nana indeed forgot everything, just as Gladiia had suggested.

A whirlwind-like gait, long white hair, and a deep blue hunter's coat created a scene reminiscent of a deep-sea whirlpool.

And what about adding Nana? ⊙

That was the storm where the sea and sky blended into one color.

Gladiia's physique is indeed unparalleled on Rhodes Island. Even without Nana's Halo activated, keeping up with this hunter's dance moves does, to some extent, achieve their initial goal of 'forgetting everything'.

In fact, until Nana was helped to sit down, her mind was unusually blank, a state that only calmed down after the cat took its third deep breath.

"What incredible dance moves! I never expected to see something like this when I walked in..."

"Chen, and Superintendent Hoshiguma ..."

Looking at the two Lungmen members sitting beside her, Nana's face, flushed as if slightly tipsy, couldn't help but show a hint of annoyance: Wife

"Sorry, I think I left you two in the examination room earlier."

"It's no big deal. After all, you were busy with other things at the time... and we didn't expect the Rhodes Island banquet to be such a... formal occasion?"

As he spoke, Hoshiguma glanced at Nana's outfit and nudged Ch'en, who was holding a beer, with his elbow: Three

"Judging from this, Ch'en, shouldn't you wear your suit too? It looks like it would go really well with Medic's white dress~"

"That's obviously not appropriate..."

As he said this, Ch'en looked at Nana, who had a puzzled expression:

"Hoshiguma was referring to the men's black tuxedo that another colleague jokingly gave me; she was just kidding. But if we had known we needed to dress formally, we definitely should have changed."

Seeing Ch'en Hui-chieh's serious expression, Nana smiled and waved her hand:

"Actually, it's not necessary. I wore formal attire just out of personal courtesy... But speaking of which, I have someone I need to introduce to you both..."

Thinking about what she and Gladiia were going to do in Lungmen, Nana considered it for a moment and realized there was nothing to hide. As she spoke, she searched for Gladiia's figure.

Seeing Nana once again leading 'unfamiliar' people around purposefully, ACE and the others, who had entered drinking mode, sighed and raised their glasses to Nana:

"Nana, you're working again? Why don't you take a break?"

"I am indeed resting. I danced four times, and I've been resting for almost three hours now."

Jokingly, Nana accepted the glass ACE offered her, smiled, and downed it in one gulp. However, just as Nana thought she could continue working, Touch and refilled Nana glass with beer.

"You're counting from when you get off work? Seriously, how come you're busier after work than during work hours...? Generally, our elite team is on standby for long periods, and we don't see anyone for a while. Nana, you seem to appear out of nowhere... Have you really been getting enough rest? I feel like you're either on field missions or busy running around on the island."

"That's right, that's right, take a break~ Kal'tsit won't feel sorry for you. It's already past nine o'clock, the manufacturing station has already closed for the day and shifts have changed, and you're taking Lungmen guests to work... Even if you think you have plenty of energy, Medic, think about how Lungmen guests are still on their way home from work?"

"This..."

Seeing that Nana seemed genuinely hadn't considered this, Hoshiguma chuckled and then forcefully patted Ch'en on the shoulder:

"Good Guy, this is really Good Guy! No wonder you Ch'en were able to work together so well from the start, you're the same type of people, aren't you?"

"... As a senior superintendent, I have to set an example and pay close attention to important developments, okay? Besides, I've had plenty of rest..."

After swatting Hoshiguma's hand away, Ch'en Hui-chieh raised her glass to Nana:

"Don't listen to her. We all know that once you reach a certain level, work interferes with your life, and simply trying to isolate yourself isn't enough... In fact, even ordinary staff members sometimes get called out of bed in emergencies, don't they? Considering the upcoming collaboration between Lungmen and Rhodes Island, I think it's best to deal with this as soon as possible."

Listening to Chen's impassioned speech, and considering that they were about to be informed of another enemy of civilization, Nana's smile became slightly strained... She even considered waiting until the two of them had at least gotten a good night's sleep before telling them about it.

But since it concerns the Seaborn, who is on par with the Demons, it's best to inform and explain things as soon as possible... With this consideration in mind, Nana had a couple more drinks with Touch and other Elite Operator and introduced Chen and Hoshiguma. Amid Scout and Stormeye's cheers, everyone knew that Nana was about to start working again.

This obviously drew further criticism from Nana's supporters, led by Huang.

"Eh--!? Going to work again? Nana, you're only just getting back... Come to think of it, didn't we have this kind of conversation a few months ago? And Nana, you didn't go on vacation this time, did you?"

[Seriously, sending tactical equipment from Rhodes Island to beat Siracusa to a pulp, what kind of vacation is that?] Everyone kept these kinds of questions to themselves.

"Sorry, something urgent has come up."

She clasped her hands together in apology, but how could Huang, who often spent time with Amiya and the Little Cat, be so easily fooled by Nana's mere act of cuteness?

Seeing her relatives and friends staring at her as if she needed a clear reason, Nana could only say embarrassedly:

"So, to put it simply, it's an emergency mission. Although it's still in the early stages of investigation, the mission itself is indeed of a disaster level."

"So, those willing to participate in Catastrophes -level missions and who don't have any backlog of work can come with me now... I'm almost ready to finalize my selections anyway."

Hearing Nana's tone, which suggested that not only would she not take a holiday, but she also wanted everyone else to work overtime, several Elite Operator were on good terms with her showed expressions as if they were about to faint.

This is why Nana can so casually announce working overtime. After all, other Elite Operator have their own fixed teams, and everyone's attendance time is the same. It's rare for them to be able to gather manpower whenever something happens, just like Nana does.

However, after hearing Nana utter the word "Catastrophes- level," the previously lively scene suddenly fell silent again... Several other Elite Operator responsible for intelligence work quickly took out their Terminal to check if they had missed any recent Catastrophes warnings.

Seeing everyone's flustered state, Nana could only smile and wave her hand to explain further:

"Ah, but the danger level is 'Catastrophes,' and besides, this is classified information; no one can find out about it..."

"Well, the fact that this matter was entrusted to Medic itself shows how much Rhodes Island values it."

As he said this, Huang, who had also entered drinking mode, his face slightly tipsy but clearly still quite conscious, came up behind Nana, buried his face in Nana's perfumed neck, took a deep breath, and then raised his hand:

"That's why I'm going! Nana's call is a crisis for the land, how can I stand idly by!"

"... That sounds so nice, but Huang, you're sneaking off, aren't you?"

"Huh--? Su Sulo, you're the one who went on a trip to Siracusa with Nana without saying a word and is talking about me?!"

The equally tipsy big cat and the pale purple Little Fox were caught in a tense standoff, arms around each other's shoulders, playfully grumbling. ACE, no longer the captain of Blaze, could only chuckle and sigh, then led the Elite Operator in raising a glass to Nana:

"In short, call us if you need anything; the Elite Operator team is ready at any time."

"Um, thank you everyone... Anyway, as I just said, things are still in the early stages, so we don't need that many people at the beginning... Ah, I'll leave Huang and Su Sulo in the care of others for now, and... Um, Typhon, please sit down. You can rest for a few more days... Nagisa, come with me."

Seeing that Nana was about to leave with Chen and Hoshiguma, FrostNova, who could now support Hoshiguma without freezing her or being scalded by the heat emanating from her, called out to Nana:

"... After returning from the old man's place, I don't have much to do for the time being. Although my strength has decreased considerably after my condition improved, I hope to do my part if you need any help."

"Thank you, FrostNova. Once I've finalized the battle plan, I'll prioritize hiring a low-temperature Originium Arts artist if needed."

After waving goodbye to Nana, FrostNova looked at Hoshiguma and Su Sulo and Su Sulo, causing the two drunken guys to let out monkey-like screams.

Now that things had come to this point, it was impossible for Gladiia not to have noticed Nana's speech, so she also came to Nana's side. The group left the banquet hall and found a small, lockable meeting room nearby.

"Even though I've mentioned it before, I still have to say... the atmosphere at Rhodes Island is really great!"

Amidst Hoshiguma's exclamation, everyone casually found seats and sat down. Ch'en was the first to look at Nana:

"But Medic, you called us here to discuss something important, right...? And what is this lady about...?"

Regarding Ch'en's doubts, Nana first glanced at Gladiia. Seeing that this hunter, who acted very assertively around Kal'tsit but became quite... or even deliberately polite when facing strangers, didn't seem inclined to introduce herself, Nana had no choice but to take over the conversation:

"I apologize for gathering everyone during your break. Before we get down to business, let me first explain the relevant permissions regarding the confidentiality agreement."

"Gladiia, Kal'tsit has entrusted me with handling our next task... And in my consideration, this matter cannot be accomplished without the support of the Lungmen local government and relevant personnel. I've decided to inform them of the necessary information to avoid any further damage caused by misunderstandings. What do you think?"

Faced with Nana's formal question, Gladiia's overly polite gaze towards Ch'en gradually shifted to the scrutinizing look she had shown Nana before... Having Gladiia somewhat, Nana knew that she would be more stern with people she knew well; this was probably the combination of Aegir's friendliness in life and his high demands at work.

However, it was clear that Gladiia did not apply the same meticulous consideration she showed to Nana to Ch'en Chen and the others. The governor of Aegir simply glanced around before crossing his arms and slightly closing his eyes.

"What I need to do remains unchanged, and since Kal'tsit has entrusted this matter to you, I will prioritize it according to your plan... Let's proceed as you have designed."

With Gladiia's permission, Nana then looked at Ch'en and the other man... As Nagisa gradually retrieved some of the intelligence previously transmitted from the ICA as requested by Nana, Chen reverted to the image of a man with furrowed brows that Nana had first encountered.

"Then, please give me some time, let me begin with a disappearance case in the city-state of Siesta in Columbia..."

Wu Yiqi Baba Lingqi VI Yao PS: Wuwu Cat

PSS: So, ever since he met Nana, Ch'en's high blood pressure probably hasn't gone down (looking up at the sky).

9th Lungmen Seafood: 319 Farewell to Gladiia

Time ticked by in the meeting room, and the coffee cups on the table gradually piled up. Because they needed to explain the ins and outs to Ch'en Hui-chieh and the other person who didn't understand what Seaborn was from the beginning, they talked from evening until midnight, and then rushed towards four in the morning.

As for Ch'en Hui-chieh, with Nana's careful explanation, she went from initially being incredulous and vehemently refuting the accusation to now seemingly accepting that Rhodes Island's blunder was the best way to deal with Lungmen.

After all, compared to Nana's plan to simply provide the venue and then have them demolish it so that another person could infiltrate the cult and wipe them out in one fell swoop, Gladiia's "disinfection" that used quarantine as an excuse to exclude suspected individuals, seemingly "humanitarian care" but actually a complete massacre, was clearly the type of "disinfection" that Lungmen could not accept.

Even Nana wondered if Gladiia's radicalism was a deliberate attempt to create a broken window effect by proposing ideas that were completely unacceptable to ordinary people.

But seeing how serious Gladiia looked, making it impossible to tell if she was joking, and with that highly feasible, premeditated massacre plan, anyone with a sound mind would know which of the two options to choose.

Seeing Chen fiddling with the analysis notes filled with more than a dozen pages in front of her and speaking heavily, neither Gladiia nor Nana were surprised by her choice.

"Whether it's Aegir or the Abyssal Hunters... Lungmen cannot allow such an outrageous thing to happen..."

"... Then let's cooperate with Medic's preferred plan... Killing everyone in the area is absurd, but it's indeed the best way to deal with the Seaborn if they get out of control. Don't give them any chance to spread, otherwise you'll be forced to leave your home like me... When you see everyone become Seaborn's food and nutritional reserves, you'll understand that I won't include any threatening writing in the plan."

Seeing Nana's hesitant expression, Gladiia shrugged. In response to Hoshiguma's comment that "this is too cold-blooded," the hunter said in a cold but experienced tone:

"It's just that you're not used to facing this kind of catastrophic entity yet... But whatever you think, this plan is here."

"Compared to the declining Iberia, Yan has absolutely no knowledge of the ocean, but at least you have music and dance... You continue with your lives... Compared to those other countries I saw on the road that built their power on ignorance... But that's all."

"The social structure on land is neither efficient nor safe... To make up for this, Nana has been keeping me and you guys in meetings until now... Please rest assured, I don't mean to complain, this is no one's fault."

"But the experience Aegir gained from Seaborn must seem unorthodox to you. Our situation is completely unimaginable to terrestrial species. I'm used to it... but after weighing the pros and cons, it is indeed the most effective type of resistance."

Seeing the somewhat displeased expressions on the faces of the two superintendents, Nana smiled wryly and reached out to try and smooth things over:

"We might actually do that if things get to the point of no return, but that's precisely why we've been discussing countermeasures..."

"Clearly, this was an extremely inefficient communication; a significant amount of our personal time was wasted on arguing about the truth or falsehood of certain established facts."

As she spoke, she glanced at the synchronized display of the ship's exterior gold window, then Gladiia her head slightly to draw everyone's attention to the relentlessly ticking timer before asking:

"So, Rhodes Island and I have already provided Lungmen with the necessary intelligence. Now, have we reached a conclusion regarding the Seaborn issue?"

Faced with Gladiia, Ch'en remained silent for a long time before finally managing to squeeze out a sentence:

"I will inform Lord Wei of this matter in its entirety..."

"... So, in other words, you don't actually have any say in your own life. Even though you're someone Medic values and wants to be told the truth?"

Seemingly sighing, the hunter, dressed in a cloak-like garment, said nothing more, rose, and left.

"This is the administrative efficiency of a terrestrial government... Never mind, according to the plan, I will begin investigating the movements of those beasts in Lungmen. The rest is up to you, Medic."

"Wait?! What are you doing without permission?!"

Seeing that Gladiia simply waved to him and then disappeared into the conference room, Ch'en looked like his blood pressure was about to spike, and then looked at Nana like this:

"Don't tell me you guys are really going to prepare according to that ridiculous safety net plan--?"

"You yourself said it's the worst-case scenario... and Lord Wei also expressed his hope for deeper cooperation with Rhodes Island in related fields, right?"

Seeing that Nana, while not entirely approving, didn't seem to object to the absurd plan of turning an entire area to ashes at the drop of a hat, Hoshiguma sighed helplessly: Ryou

"Perhaps what Lord Wei meant by 'deep cooperation' isn't quite what you understand it to be now."

"It doesn't matter. Since we're talking about Demons, we can talk about Seaborn too... But the key now is to prevent them from happening in the first place." (Sigh)

By meeting Chen's gaze without any fear, Nana effectively set the tone for Gladiia's departure. Although Ch'en and Hoshiguma still wore expressions of 'Lungmen is going to explode?' as if they couldn't accept the fact at all, unfortunately, Gladiia didn't seem like the type to tolerate someone who asked for trouble.

After all, Nana had already warned Lungmen on behalf of Rhodes Island... Furthermore, this location is in the northeast, bordering Ursus. Compared to Seaborn's coastal hometown, Lungmen, although it has rivers running through its fortress, has fresh water and low soil salinity.

Neither the Church of the Deep nor the original Seaborn were suitable places to settle down in Lungmen.

However, the mere fact that Seaborn might exist is frightening enough... As long as Lungmen doesn't resort to any self-deceptive tricks, then saving themselves naturally requires efficient action.

Coincidentally, Ch'en Hui-chieh is an incredibly efficient person:

"... If this is Rhodes Island's intention, then I will inform Commander Wei verbatim... Although I don't know how many personnel can be mobilized for the operation, I will at least ensure that the Celestial Masters' Office is properly notified." (Qing)

"Please be sure to tell us the full truth about Seaborn's adaptability... Although I haven't personally witnessed how adaptability increases with weapon upgrades in a large-scale war, Gladiia has no reason to lie to us. The necessary preparations will determine the corresponding level of the lower limit of our plan."

Seeing Nana reiterate the backup plan, Chen frowned even more, speechless.

"... So Medic, you didn't have any faith in the initial infiltration plan at all?"

"There's no such thing as that. I just can't assess an enemy I haven't seen before... After all, nothing has even started yet. Because of the pursuit from Columbia, we don't even know what level the Disbanded Church of the Deep and its accompanying Seaborn symbiotes are at."

With a troubled expression, Nana nodded her lips. Although her attitude wasn't as forceful as Gladiia's, one could still sense the "if necessary" vibe in her tone.

Nana could also tell that although Ch'en kept saying things like "We need Lord Wei's approval," he was mainly troubled by this kind of persistent enemy who would spread threats everywhere once any one of them escaped.