[High-Value Bounty Commission]
[Bounty Target: [Image] Name Unknown]
[Issuing Organization: Arasaka Heavy Industries]
[Reason for Bounty:
The target caused fatal damage to 20 B rank combat armor pilots and 1 combat commander of our company who were executing a mission in the Hive District within the borders of the United States of Pacific.]
[Target's Dangerous Characteristics (Verified):
Ability: Can turn chess pieces into 8 soldiers and 2 cavalrymen for combat. The 8 soldiers' strength is at A- rank, and the 2 cavalrymen's strength is at A+ rank or above. Other abilities are unknown.
Speculation: The ability seems to be related to chess. The 8 soldiers are pawn pieces, and the 2 cavalrymen are rook pieces, so it is not ruled out whether there will also be 2 knight, 2 bishop, 1 queen, and 1 king pieces.]
[Bounty Conditions and Amount:
Kill Target: Must provide conclusive evidence proving the bounty target has been eliminated.
Bounty: 20,000,000 Credits]
Firefly looked at the commission above, falling into deep thought.
It hadn't even been half an hour since their team was wiped out, was Arasaka Heavy Industries' reaction that fast? They were already issuing Cerydra's wanted poster?
"Sam, have you chosen a commission yet? I saw you staring unmoving." Su Xiaoxiao leaned over with curiosity, poking her head to look at Firefly's screen. "High-value bounty commission? Are you going to catch someone?"
"No." Firefly shook her head calmly, lightly swiping her fingertip to flip past the commission page. "The target is someone I know. I saw it, so I was a bit surprised."
"Eh?" Su Xiaoxiao was taken aback for a moment before reacting, her eyes widening in surprise. "You're saying you saw your friend on a wanted poster?!"
She lowered her voice, filled with disbelief.
"Mhm."
Firefly gave a faint response, then continued to search for information in the commission list.
"Then... then are you going to help her?" Su Xiaoxiao seemed a bit anxious. "This is a high-value bounty! The starting price is at least a million Credits! There will definitely be many powerful mercenaries taking it!"
"There's no need." Firefly didn't even raise her head, speaking in a certain tone. "With her strength, no matter how many mercenaries go, the result will be the same, and that is death."
After hearing this sentence, Su Xiaoxiao was instantly choked by this overwhelmingly confident answer. After staring blankly for a few seconds, she asked in a low voice:
"...Is your friend also... very strong, just like you?"
Firefly's finger swiping the screen paused slightly, and then she began to seriously consider Su Xiaoxiao's question.
"In terms of area-of-effect destructive power alone, I might be stronger. But her strength..." She paused, choosing a more direct expression. "It is enough to make any mercenary who comes knocking never return."
"Oh..." Su Xiaoxiao nodded in half-understanding, scratching her hair. "Alright, since you put it that way, Sam... then I'll go back to looking at commissions with Ye Yunzhi and the others."
"Mhm."
Watching Su Xiaoxiao run back to Ye Yunzhi and Rin's side, Firefly quickly browsed through a few commissions. After casually accepting a task to exterminate an A rank Mutant Beast, she walked straight toward the front desk of the Mercenary Association.
"Hello, sir. How may I help you?"
The Receptionist revealed a professional smile.
Firefly didn't waste words, directly taking out a black gold card gleaming with a dull metallic luster from her system space, and placed it on the counter.
The moment the Receptionist's gaze touched this card, the smile on her face immediately became incredibly sincere.
"Respected S rank mercenary, sir, how may I assist you?"
Firefly tapped open the Terminal again, displaying the interface of Cerydra's high-value wanted poster.
"This bounty target is my friend."
"Do you wish to cancel this commission, sir?"
The Receptionist reacted extremely fast, immediately asking tentatively.
Firefly shook her head.
"Then... what do you mean?"
Confusion surfaced on the Receptionist's face.
"Her strength is extremely formidable." Firefly's tone was flat, yet it carried immense persuasiveness. "I can guarantee that any mercenary who takes on this commission will find it impossible to complete the task, and... will in all likelihood be killed by her."
At this point, she deliberately paused, letting the Receptionist digest this information.
"I came to remind your association that if you don't want to see some pointless mercenaries lose their lives because of this, it is best... not to open the access permissions for taking this commission."
Immediately after, her tone shifted. Bolstered by the mechanical voice, her words seemed incomparably cold.
"Of course, if there happen to be some 'troublesome' thorns within the association that need to be 'dealt with,' then by all means, guide them to accept this commission." Following that, Firefly added with some profound meaning, "That friend of mine won't be leaving that place for the time being, so there is no need to worry about not finding her. Moreover, she would be very happy to help out with this little favor."
After saying this, she didn't linger any longer. She put away the black gold card, turned around, and cleanly left the front desk area.
At this moment, the Receptionist stood in place, the professional smile on her face having long since vanished, replaced by an incomparable solemnity.
She took a deep breath and immediately picked up the Terminal, her slightly trembling fingers beginning to dial the phone number of their Branch President.
...
"Mhm, with Firefly's operations on that side, it shouldn't be long before someone comes looking for me."
Inside the luxurious room, having watched Firefly's series of actions, Cerydra nodded in satisfaction.
She had already successfully obtained over six hundred Stellar Jades from the group of Arasaka Heavy Industries people she had wiped out, and she wondered how many more Stellar Jades the incoming mercenaries would be able to contribute to her.
Knock, knock, knock.
At this moment, a somewhat hurried knocking on the door interrupted her thoughts.
Damian?
After sensing the person outside the door, Cerydra's brows furrowed slightly. She quickly restrained her expression, returning to that cold, unapproachable appearance.
"Come in."
Her cold, clear voice penetrated the door and reached Damian's ears.
The door was carefully pushed open, and Bishop Damian walked in.
At this moment, his face was clouded with gloom, his eyes flickered, and his hands were clasped together uneasily.
"What is it? I didn't sense any enemies invading the church."
Cerydra glanced at Damian and asked indifferently.
"Lord Imperator..." he spoke, his voice carrying an imperceptible hoarseness. "Our church... I'm afraid... has already been thoroughly abandoned by AMA."
"Abandoned?" Cerydra raised her eyebrows slightly, her tone carrying a hint of playful mockery. "What? Does your master find you, this dog... no longer useful?"
This naked sarcasm caused the muscles on Damian's face to twitch violently. The last bit of forced respect vanished, leaving only a face full of bitterness.
"I just... received definitive news." His voice was low, carrying suppressed anger. "Arasaka Heavy Industries' attack on our church this time was inherently tacitly approved by AMA behind the scenes!"
"AMA's original plan was to wait until we were wiped out, then join forces with Apex Entertainment to release the news. They would use public opinion to launch an attack against Arasaka Heavy Industries, stripping them of their privileges to operate in the city's core district in one fell swoop..."
"But..." Damian's voice took on a hint of choking. "Because of you... because of your existence, we survived... AMA's plan failed, and Arasaka Heavy Industries instead counter-attacked, falsely accusing our church of 'harboring a dangerous rogue Ability User', and claiming they were simply 'carrying out an arrest in accordance with the law'!"
"Although we have combat footage to prove they attacked first, Arasaka Heavy Industries' reaction was also very fast."
"They immediately promised to release a large amount of strategic resources and elite troops to fully cooperate with AMA to 'eliminate the unstable element in the city,' which is you... and promised to 'compensate' AMA with all surplus resources afterward..."
Speaking of this, his fists clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white.
"And the price is... during the process of 'apprehending the dangerous target,' conducting... 'necessary indiscriminate fire coverage' on our church! AMA... they accepted it! They used high-sounding excuses to package and sell us all out! They just want to use us as stepping stones in exchange for lingering on their last breath for a while longer!"
"Hmph."
After listening, Cerydra let out a disdainful cold snort.
"Sacrificing chess pieces in exchange for a chance to breathe is inherently a common rule of survival for the weak. Since you chose to attach yourself to AMA and enjoy the resources they handed out, you should have expected... that when they sever their tail to survive, you would very likely be that discarded tail."
Having said that, she leaned back lazily against the back of her chair, arms crossed, her cold eyes looking down at the humble Bishop below.
"Speak plainly, Damian. You ran all the way here to complain about these grievances that have nothing to do with me... What is your ultimate goal?"
Hearing Cerydra's words, Damian's body trembled violently.
He abruptly raised his head, the last trace of hesitation in his eyes replaced by resolve.
Accompanied by a heavy thud, Damian fell to his knees on the ground.
His forehead smashed viciously against the cold floor, letting out a muffled sound.
"Lord Imperator!" His hoarse voice carried a desperate entreaty. "I... our entire church begs you! Please allow us... to become your most loyal servants! As long as we can survive this storm... we are willing to offer up everything! We only seek... we only seek to obtain your protection!"