Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Black Cat: This is also why I believe Lanen is not the Gatekeeper. If the Shepherd God and the Gatekeeper were the same entity, considering the authority currently displayed, they should be able to move freely between reality and dreams. The Rift of Dreams would hold little significance for them. Moreover, since the church is named the Secret Church and players had never heard of it before, it indicates their extreme secrecy, fitting their moniker. There's no reason for them to so openly recruit followers at this juncture.

Of course, there might be other motives, but I'm not clear about that. Currently, there's too little information about the Gatekeeper to analyze anything. As for the Shepherd God, both the data and Lanen's performance in the game provide clues, which is why I think they are not the same deity.

Lanen: ... (Elder, Subway, Mobile Phone.jpg)

It's hard to say, Black Cat indeed separated his identity from the Gatekeeper as he predicted, only retaining the part about the Shepherd God. But then he took off in an even more absurd direction.

It's difficult to explain. Lanen wanted to say that the name Secret Church was just a random choice, and the wide recruitment of followers was merely to prevent players from wandering into other gardens.

As for setting up these faction missions, it's purely because, aside from these tasks, there weren't any other regular missions to do. Now, Arkham is not thriving, but it's certainly suffered some damage. Anyway, the players are idle, so they might as well lend a hand.

Besides, Lanen also wanted the players to integrate into this world, or rather, to harbor some fondness for the NPCs of this world, teaching them respect, which is better than reckless behavior.

As heaven and earth can witness, Lanen just thought so simply and never expected that players would imagine so much based on these faction missions!

53l: So you mean, as long as the number of followers increases, Lanen might still have a chance to return to reality, right qwq?

54l: I get it now, no wonder Lanen's faction missions are about rescue. In this post-disaster situation, people's hearts are most unsettled, and it's indeed the prime time for recruiting followers.

55l: I totally get it.jpg

56l: I get it too, as long as the Secret Church recruits more followers, Lanen will descend back to reality, and then we can continue adoring him (✓

57l: Exactly! Right now, you can only meet Lanen when you first join the church qwq, it's so hard, if only Lanen could come back.

58l: Off to grind faction dailies and preach hhhh

59l：+1

Subsequently, players unanimously agreed, leaving Lanen with mixed feelings.

How to put it? It feels like, maybe, I've dug myself into a hole?

Black Cat said it like that, so to make players distinguish between the Shepherd God and the Gatekeeper, it seems I have no choice but to accept it?

Lanen exited the forum page and looked at the task posting page, thinking to himself that this task posting feature shouldn’t have been given to him.

It should be given to these players who automatically brainstorm follow-up tasks!

#What’s called excellent self-management skills of players#

……

Meanwhile, as Lanen and the players engage in their battle of wits, elsewhere...

The Star-Gazing Team silently read the information on the forum.

Fatty's voice echoed softly, "Joining gives you an enchanted weapon, A-grade potions, A-grade enchanted weapons in the faction store, plus Old Seals, Crowbars, faction dailies..."

"Cough cough." Destiny in Me coughed, "Maybe all factions have these. The officials wouldn't create imbalanced forces, and think about it, with official backing, the faction stores won’t be bad. More importantly, there are channels through the Inspection Bureau. Since they're an official investigator organization, they won’t lack missions. Don’t forget, this is our main goal for pioneering."

Indeed, compared to the faction store, a more crucial resource in this game is a stable channel for receiving missions. The guild analyzed the first beta version and concluded that the key factor in widening the level gap between players was the difference in the missions they undertook. The higher the level and quantity of missions, the more significant and beneficial for the players.

That's why they first chose to bet on the Inspection Bureau.

The female team member also spoke softly, "I somehow feel that the Secret Church's missions won’t be few either. And Captain, you said before about using the information that Lanen is the Gatekeeper to exchange for faction points. But now, whether he is the Gatekeeper or not is still in question."

Her point was valid; so far, all important missions in the game were triggered around Lanen.

"At least, Lanen is indeed a deity, isn't he? I think the Inspection Bureau would still be interested in this information," Destiny in Me coughed, "We're almost at the Inspection Bureau, let's hurry and at least give it a try."

……

The Inspection Bureau had officially moved out of the police station and relocated to a rented small apartment, which had been temporarily transformed into various meeting rooms, training rooms, and archives.

Today, the blonde man, Job, approached Edmund again to discuss their next steps.

"Recruiting temporary investigators?" Edmund was somewhat startled upon hearing Job's suggestion.

Since waking up from that incident, Edmund had spent the entire day answering questions from this elite squad and writing the incident report, leaving him no personal time.

"Yes, although it's an investigation, we are understaffed. If we spread out to search for clues, the efficiency will be too low," the blonde man explained.

"Then why not just hire local detectives?" Edmund asked.

The neurotic man working at the computer, known as Iddy, said, "Ha, those amateur detectives won't be of much use. Plus, if we can hire them with money, so can others to buy information from them."

Job nodded, "Moreover, the investigation might take an indefinite period. We may need to stay in Arkham City for a long time. After much consideration, recruiting temporary investigators seems better. It will also be easier for training. I believe other forces investigating in Arkham are thinking the same."

Edmund wondered, "What if other forces try to infiltrate us?"

Job confidently crossed his arms, "No worries, we have hired a professional to help us identify these people. He should be arriving soon."

At that moment, the sound of a car stopping was heard at the door. Job looked towards the apartment entrance, and Edmund followed suit. They saw a taxi stopping outside, and then a doctor in a white coat, with a stern face, got out and headed straight for the apartment.

Who is this...?

Edmund paused for a moment, "Dr. Archie?"

Isn't this the police consultant who had done a psychological analysis on him?

Dr. Archie Hayes entered the apartment, glanced over the group working in the hall with a cold look, briefly met Edmund's gaze, then quickly averted his eyes. Job walked over enthusiastically to shake his hand, "Hello, Dr. Archie, I've heard much about you."

"The pleasure is mine. I've always admired the Inspection Bureau," Dr. Archie replied, his gaze briefly lingering on Job's blonde hair before smoothly shifting away as they shook hands.

Edmund also initiated a greeting, having previously interacted with Archie at the police station. It seemed unnatural not to say anything now: "Dr. Archie, what brings you here?"

"Ha ha, Dr. Archie is the expert we've invited. His talent in psychology has amazed many doctors at headquarters, who've even tried to hire him for a high salary, to no avail. I didn't expect the honor of working with Dr. Archie," Job said with a bright, affable smile.

Archie adjusted his glasses, "I prefer a more free-spirited lifestyle. They're giving me too much credit."

"Then we'll rely on Dr. Archie's expertise for this recruitment."

"Let me clarify upfront, psychologists can't read minds or detect lies."

"Ha ha, Dr. Archie, you're quite humorous. We're aware of that," the blonde man chuckled. The woman with glasses behind him teasingly added, "Who was it that got tricked when they first joined the Bureau, almost spilling everything, even the age when they wet their pants?"

Job's face fell, "Diana, let's not bring up such old stories. I was deceived back then. My senior scared me, saying the Bureau's psychological tests were extremely rigorous and I had to reveal everything, or else I'd be locked up as a cult spy."

The others laughed unabashedly, and even Edmund let out a few awkward chuckles, glancing subtly at Archie.

Archie noticed Edmund's gaze but didn't respond, "Where is my office?"

"I'll show you. There's also a polygraph machine you can use," Job said, leading Archie to an empty room which had been transformed into a temporary office. The original bed and cabinets were removed, leaving only a desk, a coat rack, and a water dispenser, along with a conspicuous machine.

Edmund had previously seen Kri Chapman adjusting the machine, who now plugged it in as they entered.

Job asked, "Chapman, is the machine ready?"

Kri Chapman, without even lifting his eyelids, replied, "Ready, can be used anytime."

"That's great."

Job quickly went to the machine and casually put on the bracelet connected with wires: "This is the Bureau's latest version of the lie detector, which can analyze whether a person is lying based on pulse and heart rate. It's highly accurate, even for professionals trained in lie detection, as tested by some spy agencies."

"For instance, if I now say, 'I'm actually an undercover agent sent by an evil deity organization,'" Job joked.

Archie: ...

Edmund: ...

The lie detector instantly lit up red. Job glanced at the data, "See, since it's just a test for you, I didn't feel much psychological burden lying, but the machine still detected my lie. I believe with Dr. Archie's professional knowledge, he can create an even more tense atmosphere during the recruitment interviews."

"I'll do my best," Archie nodded coolly.

The blonde man: "Dr. Archie, would you like to try the machine yourself?"

Edmund's pupils slightly narrowed, but he maintained his composure.

He remembered that he had once intimidated Dr. Archie under Lord Lanen's instructions. Later, he discreetly asked Lord Lanen if they should eliminate the psychologist, but Lord Lanen said Archie was already one of them.

Meaning, both individuals present were undercover agents.

Archie glanced at Job, stepped forward, took the bracelet from his hand, and without hesitation, fastened it onto his own wrist.

The blonde man, noticing how snugly the bracelet fit, asked, "Dr. Archie, do you have any religious beliefs?"

"No," Archie said coldly. "Believing in an unknown and intangible entity, naively thinking that salvation can be attained through prayer, is foolishness."

The lie detector showed no reaction.

The blonde man: "Have you ever joined any mysterious cults or organizations?"

"No," Archie replied without hesitation.

The lie detector still showed no reaction.

Job was about to ask another question, but Archie had already removed the bracelet, a look of impatience on his face: "I recall I'm here to assist, not to waste our time."

"I'm not an employee of your Inspection Bureau, nor do I have any obligation to undergo such questioning. In fact, our police department is also quite busy. If you don't trust me, I'll leave."

Job quickly apologized, "Sorry, sorry, we were just testing the tool, no offense intended."

Edmund was internally surprised. Although he had thought Dr. Archie might pass the test, he hadn't expected it to be so effortless.

Or was the machine just a facade with no real efficacy?

Unbeknownst to him, Archie, too, had cold sweat on his palms after passing the test.

Clearly, fooling such a professional lie detector wasn’t easy for Archie. Thankfully, having advanced through the second layer of the Dream Rift, he had gained finer control over his body. Otherwise, despite his extensive knowledge in hypnosis, it would have been difficult to suppress his instinctual reactions.

Kri, observing the machine's data from behind, narrowed his eyes.

Although there was no level of response triggering an alarm, at one point Archie's pulse data briefly neared the critical threshold before stabilizing again.

Just then, the neurotic man who had been working outside suddenly knocked on the door: “Boss, someone’s here to see us.”

“Oh? What for?”

“You might not believe it,” Iddy said with a strange expression, “but they're here to inquire about joining the Inspection Bureau.”

Job, taken aback: “You've already sent out the recruitment notice?”

“That's the problem, I just released it a short while ago.”

The blonde man frowned and turned to Archie: “Sorry, Dr. Archie, to trouble you with work as soon as you've arrived.”

“I'm here to work,” Archie replied.

Job and Edmund stepped out of the office to find the makeshift reception area already filled with several strangers, their striking attire making Edmund's heart skip a beat.

The players were equally surprised to see Edmund.

Inside the Star-Gazing channel:

Fatty: Damn, aren't those Lanen's followers? What are they doing here??

Go Player: Didn’t you see the guild's collected info? In the earlier 1.0 beta, some players spotted Edmund in the city. He's a member of the Inspection Bureau.

Fatty: Oh right, I remember now. But isn’t this messed up?! If they're here, doesn’t it mean that the evil deity's forces have infiltrated the Inspection Bureau? Are we really going to join such a doomed organization?

Destiny in Me: "Quiet, Fatty. Don’t give us away. Pretend you don't recognize them."

Fortunately, the players were still standing by the door, especially Fatty, whose figure was blocked by Destiny in Me, so the blonde man didn't notice their reaction.

“Hello, I’m Job Gage,” the blonde man asked with a smile, “May I know how you learned about our recruitment?”

Seeing no other players around, Destiny in Me, unable to contain his excitement, replied with a smile: “Well, we found some information about the Inspection Bureau online, and then heard in the city that the police were investigating strange incidents. We learned from the police station's security that you had moved out and then found out this address.”

This statement was a mix of truth and fabrication. The Star-Gazing - Destiny in Me and his team were professional guild players who had undoubtedly gathered information from forums before entering the game. They knew the Inspection Bureau had been active at the police station, and then someone in their team with social skills had inquired and discovered their relocation, leading them here.

Destiny in Me also thought they were quite clever. It was clear that no other players had discovered this place yet. If they could successfully join, they would undoubtedly have an advantage.

The woman with glasses raised her eyebrows and pushed up her glasses to look at the blonde man.

“I see. Come on in then,” Job said cheerily, signaling discreetly to the other members, and then to Destiny in Me and the others, “Wait your turn to come in one by one, we’ll have a brief interview process.”

“No problem!”

The players queued outside the office, arranged by the woman with glasses.

Destiny in Me was first in line. As the door opened, they were taken aback to see Dr. Archie sitting in front of the interviewer's desk.

Dr. Archie pushed up his glasses: “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and come here.”

Star-Gazing players’ channel:

Go Player: "Is that, by any chance, Dr. Archie Hayes?"

Destiny in Me: ...

Rachel: "Captain! Wake up! The Inspection Bureau is a lost cause! Even the interviewer for the Bureau is one of the evil deity's followers! Shouldn't this organization be renamed the Secret Church already? It's being infiltrated like a sieve! Do we really need to join this organization?!"

Destiny in Me: ... "Hold it together."

Destiny in Me was also itching to criticize how the Inspection Bureau had turned out. It was completely infiltrated by followers of the evil deity. Maybe it was time to quit!

But the path he had chosen, he had to follow it, even on his knees.

Taking a deep breath, Destiny in Me walked in without betraying any emotion, closed the door, and approached Dr. Archie alone: "Hello."

Job opened the door and walked in as well, pulling up a chair to sit beside Dr. Archie, giving Destiny in Me a friendly smile: "Don't be nervous. We're just going to ask some basic questions. It's only for a temporary investigator position, nothing too difficult."

"Okay, okay," thought Destiny in Me. Was he nervous about the interview? No, he was nervous because a follower of the evil deity was right in front of him!

"Alright, so why do you want to join the Inspection Bureau?" Job asked. "Please wear the lie detector and answer carefully."

Destiny in Me: "Of course, because I am driven by justice!"

Beep beep beep beep beep —

The lie detector emitted a rapid beeping sound. Destiny in Me and the two evaluators looked at each other, and finally, Destiny in Me awkwardly said: "I was just testing the sensitivity of this lie detector. Do you believe me?"

Job chuckled awkwardly: "Alright, please answer seriously from now on."

Subsequently, the players became considerably more serious, yet still found themselves cornered by Archie's probing questions.

Archie: "Do you harbor any ulterior motives in joining the Inspection Bureau?"

Destiny in Me: "No, absolutely not! I come with a pure heart!"

Beep beep beep —

Destiny in Me: ...

Archie: "Do you know what the Inspection Bureau does?"

Destiny in Me answered shakily: "Yes, they investigate strange incidents, constantly facing life and death, unsung heroes in the shadows."

Archie: "Good, how did you come to know about the Inspection Bureau?"

Archie's questions were sharp and comprehensive, delivered at a rapid pace, leaving little room for thought. Destiny in Me realized they had been too careless, but it was too late to reconsider his answers. He went from cautiously responding to gradually letting loose.

Sigh, if all else fails, just change the character card and try again.

With this defeatist attitude, Destiny in Me's answers became increasingly audacious, causing Job's smile to barely hold.

"That's right, I'm not here for justice. I'm here for my own gain. I want to advance my career and get a raise!" A promotion and raise in the real world.

Job instinctively looked at the lie detector, but absurdly, it didn't react.

Job: ...?

Who in their right mind joins the Inspection Bureau for a promotion and raise? Wouldn't it be more sensible to seek that in a corporate environment? A promotion and raise in the Bureau often come at the cost of one's life!

"Danger? Never thought about it, just do it and that’s it!"

"Parents? I have no parents; I'm an orphan." The character card's background is an orphan.

"No one incited me to come here, nor am I following anyone's orders to infiltrate! I came here by my own will!"

Archie always felt a strong sense of déjà vu with these wild yet familiar, slightly irritating worldviews. Under Job's watchful eye, Archie didn't do anything extra, just 'normally' questioning the players.

Under Archie's sharp questioning, the players felt like they were being thoroughly exposed. Thankfully, words like 'otherworld', 'player', 'Fourth Calamity' were automatically censored, or Destiny in Me would have been forced to reveal everything.

Finally, Destiny in Me left the office dazedly, with the next player taking a deep breath, entering the office as if walking to the gallows.

Fortunately, for the following players, Archie’s questions were more or less the same, mainly asking why they wanted to join the Inspection Bureau, how they learned about it, if they had any religious beliefs, if they had joined any organizations, and where they had worked previously.

Of course, all these questions were asked while wearing the lie detector bracelet.

Job was taking notes on the side, occasionally throwing in a few sharp questions, to which the players all answered one by one.

Compared to ordinary or neurotic players, Destiny in Me's group, having gathered information beforehand and knowing the NPCs' high intelligence in the game, plus learning from Destiny in Me's example, didn't try to be too clever and answered all questions straightforwardly.

Star-Gazing Team Chat

Destiny in Me: "These NPCs ask so many questions."

Fatty: "Yeah, they almost started asking about my ancestors going back eighteen generations. How could I remember all that?"

Go Player: "Sob, I’m the type whose heartbeat speeds up when I can't answer. I almost forgot so much of my backstory."

Destiny in Me: "It's okay, as long as we don’t lie, we should be fine. Just hang in there, everyone."

After the last interrogation, Job, having not heard any sounds from the lie detector, turned his head towards Archie, who also slightly shook his head, indicating he hadn't detected any lies. The group's psychological state seemed normal. Thus, Job politely escorted them to the door, mentioning that the interview results would be announced later, then returned to the room, holding his forehead.

"So they came all this way just to join the Inspection Bureau and are willing to risk their lives without monetary gain?"

"Humans are a vast group; I've long been accustomed to their diversity," Archie said expressionlessly, methodically organizing the interview records to hand over to Job, "Are you going to reject them?"

"No," Job put down his hand and said, "I will let them join and become temporary investigators of the Inspection Bureau."

Archie raised an eyebrow: "Is the Inspection Bureau really that short-staffed?"

The behavior and mannerisms of the group that came for the interview were very similar to the followers of Lanen that Archie had encountered before – neurotic but psychologically stable, possessing a somewhat skewed yet stable worldview. However, since there was no indication from Lanen's side, Archie was unclear about their situation and treated it as a normal work matter.

Therefore, in the report he handed over, Archie didn’t believe Job couldn’t see the oddities of the players.

"Well, I'll explain this to everyone in a bit."

……

System notification rang out:

[You have joined the faction: Inspection Bureau, Current faction reputation: 0 (Indifferent)]

Destiny in Me and the others instantly heaved a sigh of relief, exchanging glances filled with excitement.

Success! They were probably the first players to join an official faction.

Now they just needed to quickly climb the ranks in the Inspection Bureau, and the rewards for pioneering would surely be substantial.

At that moment, Job and Archie also opened the office door and stepped out.

Destiny in Me eagerly asked, "So, Mr. Job, what training or tasks do we have next?"

Job calmly replied, "Training? None at the moment, and we don't have any tasks either. We'll notify you when there are."

"Are there any rewards or an internal store or something?" Fatty asked eagerly.

"Sorry, our funds are limited, so that's a bit difficult..." Job skillfully displayed a look of difficulty, "The internal store is only open to official investigators."

It meant that the Star-Gazing team were only temporary workers and had no access to the internal channels.

Fatty was somewhat frustrated: "There has to be at least some compensation, right?!"

"Uh, about that..."

Job continued to be evasive. Fatty was about to press further, but Destiny in Me quickly covered his mouth, calmly saying, "I understand. Please contact us whenever there's a task."

"Sure, no problem," Job replied with a smile.

The Star-Gazing team left the apartment. As soon as they stepped out, Fatty was still grumbling in the chat channel.

Fatty: "What's this all about? Not even a bit of compensation? Nothing at all? Why did we even join this faction??"

No one else spoke, but their expressions clearly echoed similar sentiments.

Destiny in Me was also feeling doubtful, but his years of gaming experience told him there must be benefits to be had in the Inspection Bureau; giving up so easily seemed like a loss.

"Let's give it another try," Destiny in Me finally said. "The game developers wouldn't really do this; otherwise, the game would be too unbalanced. How could anyone play it? And if we switch to Lanen's church now, do you think we'll have more advantage than those veteran players?"

With these words, the other team members quieted down, pondering.

"Even if we switch to the Secret Church now, we won't have the advantage of those who joined in the beta 1.0 version. So when we join doesn't really matter. But it's different with the Inspection Bureau. Besides us, no other players have joined here; it's still an unexplored blue ocean," Destiny in Me paused.

"Plus, the game has been preliminarily assessed by the guild as having potential to become popular. If it really takes off, our accounts will definitely be monetizable. The guild leadership suggests we explore and pioneer as much as possible, and we can sign a higher revenue-sharing deal for pioneering. But if we choose the Secret Church, we might not get such a high share since many players have already joined there, and their accounts are more valuable."

After Destiny in Me and the Star-Gazing team analyzed the pros and cons, the previously restless members calmed down.

"I didn't say this before because I thought we had an understanding, as we always play games in this pioneering mode. Of course, if you have objections, you can opt out."

The other team members hesitated but eventually, no one left.

……

Meanwhile, watching Destiny in Me's team leave, the woman with glasses pushed up her frames and looked at Job: "Usually, don't temporary investigators need a period of training before starting work?"

"Yes, that's the usual case," Job shared the interview details and his suspicion that there was something off about this group with the others.

"So they traveled all this way just to join the Inspection Bureau, and they’re not even concerned about compensation, only interested in promotions and raises? They accepted this without compensation, except for one who protested. What are they here for, to work for love?"

"Good point, Captain," Diana said.

Job: "Honestly, that device isn’t as useful as we thought."

Kri, who had just come out, heard this and rolled his eyes: "That's your problem, not the machine’s. It's my latest research. Even if they used Origin abilities or artifacts, this machine can detect it. It's infallible, unless they’ve completely deceived themselves psychologically."

Saying this, he glanced at Archie, who returned his gaze expressionlessly.

Job, massaging his temples and ignoring Kri’s protest, said: "I don’t know how they did it, but if we refuse them, they probably won’t give up and might start working in the shadows. Better we observe them openly. Let’s find out who’s behind them."

No one openly objected, and the deputy captain, Diana, adjusted her glasses: "Understood. So, do we continue recruiting other temporary investigators?"

After pondering for a few seconds, Job shook his head: "Honestly, I didn’t expect our arrival in Arkham to be exposed so quickly. It shows that the forces operating in the shadows are more arrogant and powerful than we thought. Continuing to recruit temporary investigators would require discerning whether they are spies, and with our limited manpower, we can't afford to focus on that."

"Iddy, Eunice, you’ll have to work hard to gather clues online and in reality."

"No problem."

"Got it~ Eunice is the best at questioning, I'll get the information out in minutes," the team's youngest girl cheerfully exclaimed.

"Great, Edmund will assist you, and you too, Iddy."

"Already on it. I was gathering information while you were interviewing them. Here are the results."

Iddy turned the computer screen towards the others.

"Just as you suspected, Boss. They're all suspicious, all unregistered: two thugs, one homeless person, and one marked as temporarily unemployed, supposedly here in Arkham to find work. But isn’t it absurd to come here for work at this time? And from what I've gathered, they didn’t know each other before, at least not for long."

"Moreover, from the surface information, they haven't joined any suspicious forces or religious groups," Iddy added, grinding his teeth with pride in his electronic skills, "It could also be falsified data. If so, I must say, the organization behind them is not small."

They suddenly appeared in this sensitive period, claiming they wanted to join.

The level of suspicion was off the charts.

Job nodded: "I understand. I will report this to headquarters and ask them to check other databases."

"That's the situation for now. Nothing else to report, and it's almost time for lunch. Everyone, go grab something to eat. Oh, Iddy, stay behind."

The others left to attend to their various tasks or to dine out, leaving only Iddy to follow Job upstairs. Archie turned and left the apartment, and Edmund hesitated for a moment before following.

"Captain, is there something else?" Iddy asked, puzzled, as he followed Job into a room and noticed Job locking the door, "Captain, couldn't you have just texted me?"

"This matter is too important to be shared over any electronic device, including with you, Iddy. After I tell you, you can't upload it to any device."

Iddy frowned: "I understand. What is it?"

Job: "I need you to monitor Dr. Archie's communication devices, including his phone, computer, and any other tools he might use to contact others."

Iddy: "...Huh? If you suspect him, why let him be part of our operation?"

"How should I put this... Alright, you should know, this is a secret mission," Job rubbed his temples, looking grave, "Actually, we didn't receive just one mission this time, but two. And both are of 'unknown' level."

Iddy's mouth dropped open, the lollipop falling: "Two 'unknowns'? How is that possible."

"I know, I had doubts at first too. But the higher-ups said this mission was personally assigned by that big shot. We have no choice but to accept."

"Does the mission involve Dr. Archie?"

Job nodded: "The rest of the team doesn’t know yet. I didn’t want to cause panic. We’ll gradually reveal it to them. This mission is special; we need to find and kill someone."

Iddy muttered: "Kill someone? Captain, did I hear that right? Since when did the Inspection Bureau start doing dirty work?"

Jobe resignedly said, "I had the same reaction when I first heard about this mission, but you heard right, our task is exactly this."

"Who is he?"

"A traitor from the Inspection Bureau, Albert Eiken, Alchi's childhood friend from way back."