Chapter 40: A Second A Rank Mission?!
[System Prompt: You have triggered the A Rank mission [Cancer of Civilization]. Accept/Decline?]
A translucent blue interface unfolded before Hodell's eyes without warning, ghostly and soundless, cutting across his vision like a blade of cold light.
For a split second, he nearly lost control of his expression.
What?
The prompt was followed by a long block of text, so dense and solemn that it felt less like a system notification and more like a verdict.
[Mission Introduction: Civilization is not built upon legal statutes alone, but maintained within shared cognition and consensus. When individual will no longer flows as a coherent river, when the source of decision quietly deviates from its proper course, a collapse more silent than war and more precise than plague has already begun. The Empire's body is formed from the convergence of hundreds of millions of wills. It is a symbol of order and strength, but also a vessel coveted by ambition and erosion. When shadows learn to imitate light, when thieves master the mold of the key, the gravest threat no longer comes from without, but from hidden decay within. Power is not the end, but the tool. When the foundation of the tower begins to loosen, the first to hear it is not the watcher at the summit, but the faint groan in the stone itself. Erosion must be cut away. Mimicry must be exposed. This rot is not fate, but disease, and disease must be excised. This is not a contest of victory or defeat, but a reckoning. A reckoning of hypocrisy, betrayal, and the Empire itself. This battle has nothing to do with glory. Standing at this threshold, at this moment, you are the threshold.]
[Mission Hint: This is a long term mission. Rewards depend on your degree of destruction, whether direct or indirect, of the mysterious organization. Current progress: 0%. Extra rewards depend on your degree of destruction, whether direct or indirect, of the plan. Current progress: 24%.]
[Note: Progress is not fixed. If the mysterious organization expands and develops, progress will decrease accordingly. This mission can be concluded at any time. If final progress is below 20%, it will count as failure. Above 20%, it will count as completion. Rewards depend on final progress.]
Hodell's heart skipped.
Another A Rank mission.
He had already learned enough about the system to know how abnormal that was. A Rank missions were not something handed out for clearing a gang nest or surviving an ambush. They touched the direction of entire regions, even civilizations. They were the kind of mission that, in the original game, could shift the fate of a planet.
And now, one had appeared because of the chain of reasoning he had just laid out in a meeting room in Oluson.
Fortunately, everyone else was still digesting his words. No one noticed the momentary stillness in his gaze.
Twenty four percent.
That number struck him even harder than the mission title itself.
His mind began moving immediately.
If the mission's extra progress reflected damage already done to the mysterious organization's broader plan, then some of his previous actions had already disrupted them in a meaningful way.
Which ones?
The Obsidian Group? The strange alarm component in the abandoned tunnel?
No. Not just that.
The Snake Fang Gang flashed through his mind first.
Back then, he had stepped in alone and snatched away the soul stone before that gray robed figure could secure it. Afterward, he had handed the thing directly to the authorities. The General Administration had definitely begun deeper analysis.
Then came the Black Bone incident. But in that case, he had been more like a man accidentally swept into a whirlpool. As for Phantom, that had scared the Erhai School into hiding, but it involved one of their own internal operatives. Strictly speaking, it was unlikely to have dealt a major blow to this other, larger organization.
The Blingshee Society matter also felt different. In that affair, he had mostly been an observer with suspicions, not the one who shattered the board.
But the soul stone.
And the mana net shielding device.
Those were different.
Those were things he had pried out of the dark and forced into official hands.
His pulse quickened.
So my guess was right.
At least mostly right.
There really is something behind all this.
The room remained silent for a few seconds longer.
It was Eileen who finally spoke, her hands clasped tightly on her knees.
"If Ryan's guess is true," she said softly, worry plain on her face, "then that's terrifying. That would mean the Blingshee Society wasn't the culprit at all. They were being used. But… for what? What exactly is the mastermind trying to do?"
Loyi adjusted his glasses unconsciously, his voice drier than usual. "The speculation is bold, but it isn't baseless. If we treat the Blingshee Society as a decoy thrown out at the right moment, then many of the contradictions in the case do become easier to explain."
Mark selling "core materials" far too casually. The buyer's absurd reaction speed. The appearance of shielding technology more than once. The four well trained Psychics inside the mine. When viewed separately, they were anomalies. When connected, they looked less like coincidence and more like design.
Kyle gave a slow nod, his expression grim.
"The overlap in timing, motive, and technical characteristics is too obvious to ignore," he said. "If there really is a larger hand moving behind the scenes, then what we're dealing with in Oluson is not a routine security case. It's something far uglier."
Baron did not understand every step of the logic, but he had understood the important part.
Someone had set them up.
Someone had tried to kill them.
That was enough.
His eyes widened. "Then what are we waiting for?" he barked. "We dig them out!"
"Dig them out with what?" Arthur's voice cut in, calm and measured.
He had been silent until now, standing with one hand resting on the back of a chair, listening to the discussion without interruption. When he finally spoke, every gaze turned toward him.
Arthur stepped forward and braced both hands on the table.
"Ryan's reasoning is self consistent," he said. "But that is not the same thing as evidence. At present, what we have is a model of possibility built from scattered clues, not a conclusion."
Baron's expression soured immediately. "What are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying that the risk of forcing several unrelated incidents into one giant conspiracy is extremely high." Arthur looked around the room, then deliberately turned back to Hodell. "Ryan just came back from a vicious fight. He has every reason to want the attackers behind that ambush dragged into the light. I understand that. I also understand that all of us have been under constant pressure lately. When people are exhausted, it becomes very easy to connect every shadow into the outline of the same monster."
He paused.
"But investigation isn't driven by mood. It's driven by evidence."
Arthur's tone remained courteous, but the edge beneath it was unmistakable.
"Let's put it another way. How can you be sure those four Psychics had nothing to do with the Blingshee Society? The Obsidian Group employing Psions for off the books security work isn't impossible. Attacking Ryan may simply have been an attempt to cover up their own dirty business before it surfaced."
Baron slapped the table hard enough to rattle the cups on it.
"Then what about the mana net shielding? What about the way those four moved? What, are all underground Psychics in Oluson suddenly trained like elite operatives now?"
Arthur opened his mouth to answer, but Kyle raised a hand.
"What Baron said is exactly what worries me," Kyle said. His tone was lower now, more deliberate. "Whether this is a conflict of interest or something larger, one fact doesn't change. The other side has already crossed the line and taken action against us."
Just then, the badge at his chest vibrated faintly.
Kyle looked down, checked the message, and the look in his eyes changed.
When he raised his head again, his expression had grown even more complicated.
"The investigation into the missing minerals has produced a result," he said.
The entire room quieted.
Kyle continued.
"The line Arthur pursued personally has been confirmed. The inspection department found that two technical officials colluded with an Obsidian Group project manager to exploit a permissions loophole. They sold off a batch of ore and forged the records afterward. Everyone involved has already been detained. The Obsidian Group has dismissed the manager and expressed willingness to cooperate fully and provide compensation."
Loyi blinked. "That fast?"
Arthur nodded at the right moment. "There's more. That manager wasn't just taking bribes. He also had private dealings with gray list buyers. Once the matter surfaced, it was only natural he would try to silence anyone who got too close. Hiring underground Psions to eliminate Ryan may sound extreme, but for someone already facing ruin, it isn't unthinkable."
His tone remained balanced, even regretful.
"So for now, the most reasonable reading is this: an illegal interest chain spiraled out of control and triggered secondary crimes. Not a hidden organization manipulating events from above."
Kyle's expression remained heavy. "Headquarters has issued a stabilization directive. Oluson has seen too many cases, too much unrest, and too much speculation lately. Anything that could trigger wider panic is being characterized as quickly and narrowly as possible. That is why the inspection department moved so fast."
The room fell silent again.
Eileen's lips parted slightly. "That conclusion feels… too clean."
Kyle did not answer her. Instead, he looked at Hodell.
Hodell met his gaze calmly.
"A report can be perfect," he said, "without the truth being so."
No one interrupted.
He continued evenly, without heat, which made his words land even harder.
"If we want to rule out even the smallest chance that this explanation is just a lid pressed over something worse, then we need to know one thing first."
He leaned forward slightly.
"How deep is the water, really?"
Baron slapped the table again, though this time in support. "Exactly! Let them write whatever report they want. We dig underneath it ourselves. Otherwise I'm going to choke on this."
Loyi nodded as well. "I agree."
Arthur's gaze paused on Hodell for a fraction too long.
"As long as it does not interfere with the formal line of investigation," he said at last, "I won't object to private verification."
He straightened his sleeves.
"But be careful. Very careful."
Then he turned and left the room.
Hodell watched his back until the door closed behind him.
Something about Arthur was too smooth.
Too clean.
Too ready.
…
The medical room was quiet in a way the rest of Oluson never was.
A pale golden membrane of healing light covered Hodell's wounds, isolating him from the clamor outside. The restoration pod hummed softly beneath him. His breathing had steadied, but his thoughts had not.
A second A Rank mission.
Cancer of Civilization.
The title lingered in his mind like poison in a vein.
Footsteps approached from outside.
Even before the door opened, Hodell recognized the rhythm.
Arthur.
He did not move. He simply let his consciousness sharpen and then settle again, like a blade slipping back into its sheath.
Arthur entered carrying an elegantly packaged nutrient solution.
"Your recovery speed is impressive," he said lightly.
He set the bottle beside the bed.
Hodell opened his eyes and glanced at it. "That looks expensive."
Arthur smiled. "Between colleagues, there's no need to be so formal."
He pulled up a chair and sat nearby in a relaxed posture, as if they were simply two people making casual conversation after a difficult day.
Hodell did not believe that for an instant.
Arthur studied him for a few moments before speaking again.
"Ryan, your reasoning today was excellent," he said. "Maybe a little too excellent. To be honest, it worries me."
Hodell turned his head slightly. "Worries you how?"
Arthur leaned forward, forearms resting on his knees.
"When people start seeing too far ahead," he said softly, "they sometimes stop watching the ground beneath their feet. Oluson can't handle another wave of chaos right now. The higher ups' report may not be beautiful, but it stabilizes the situation. Challenging it further won't just be dangerous."
His gaze flicked to Hodell's injuries.
"It may drag you into places you should never have approached in the first place."
Hodell watched him silently.
Arthur continued, voice gentle and sincere enough to fool most people.
"You have talent. Real talent. With the right direction, you could climb very quickly. There are channels, resources, opportunities that are not available through ordinary routes. If you want, I can help introduce you to some of them."
Hodell gave him nothing.
Arthur lowered his voice even more.
"Ryan, I don't want you to become an unnecessary sacrifice."
The wording was perfect. Concerning. Thoughtful.
Almost intimate.
Hodell's reply was equally calm.
"I'll think about it."
Arthur smiled as if satisfied.
"I hope next time," he said as he rose, "we'll be standing on the same side of the table."
Then he left.
The moment the door clicked shut, the warmth vanished from Hodell's expression.
He picked up the nutrient solution and let a strand of source energy brush over its casing.
A faint, hidden ripple answered.
A mark.
He gave a low laugh.
"So that's your move."
He dropped the bottle directly into the medical room's isolation box. The containment field lit up at once, devouring the hidden signature until nothing remained.
Then he leaned back and closed his eyes again, breathing slow and even, as if none of it mattered.
…
By the next day, with the help of healing magic and his own ridiculous recovery speed, Hodell was fit enough to move.
After a brief discussion with his teammates, he left on his own.
His target was the Blingshee Society.
The system had already confirmed one crucial point: whatever this mysterious organization was, it was not the Blingshee Society itself. That meant the Blingshee Society, now smeared and sanctioned, might still hold scraps of truth precisely because it had been chosen as the scapegoat.
He did not go through official channels.
He made no appointment.
Instead, he changed into plain, dark clothing and headed directly for Echo Courtyard.
The young man guarding the entrance spotted him almost at once. The moment Hodell approached, the youth's expression tightened.
These days, very few people came to the Blingshee Society with good intentions.
"Do you have business here?" the young man asked, trying to keep his voice polite. "Do you have an appointment?"
"No appointment," Hodell said, stopping a few paces from the door.
He did not bother easing into it.
"I'm Ryan from the Rapid Response Department of the General Administration of Mysteries. I want to speak with someone in your Society who can explain the Mark affair and the warning that followed it."
The young man's face changed instantly.
That title carried more than enough weight on its own.
He fumbled at the communicator near his ear and spoke into it in a quick, hushed burst, glancing at Hodell twice while he did.
While he waited, Hodell extended his perception quietly.
There were people watching from deeper inside the compound.
More than one.
Their gazes were cautious, uneasy, and sharp with the instinctive tension of people who had recently been dragged through mud and still expected the next boot to fall.
After about a minute, a middle aged man in Blingshee Society attire emerged from within. His smile was impeccably polite.
His eyes were not.
They held scrutiny, restraint, and just beneath both, a question.
What exactly had this official come here to do?
.....
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
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