Chapter 416

United States, Washington, inside a hidden military underground research institute base.

"Everyone stop."

A man wearing a white coat entered the training room, clapped his hands, and shouted for the six girls currently training to halt.

"Professor Rand, is there a new mission again?"

The girls walked over, and one of them asked.

"This mission is to assassinate the head of state in the Tokyo, Japan area."

The white-coated man nodded, answering her question.

"Head of state, aren't we not supposed to lightly assassinate that kind of figure?"

A girl named Erin asked somewhat strangely.

They are an assassin organization, but they don't assassinate just anyone.

Like heads of major powers, they rarely become targets.

"This time the employer offered a very high price, enough for us to carry out an assassination on a head of state figure."

Qi Wu Zongxuan offered him a share of Varanium mining rights; in the current situation where Gastrea fill the world, Varanium represents how many and how large Safe Zones can be established. This thing is more important than money; it is a strategic resource.

"Do you need us all to deploy together?"

"That would make the target too large; I only plan to send two of you to carry out the assassination."

After the white-coated man finished speaking, he called the names of two of them.

"Erin, Tina."

"Here."

"Professor."

"Just the two of you. Tina will be responsible for long-range sniping; Erin will be responsible for assault-style close combat."

"Professor Rand."

"What is it, Tina?"

"Can this assassination mission be left to me alone?"

"You alone?"

"Yes, I excel at ultra-long-range sniping. After a successful assassination, I can also withdraw easily without leaving any traces. Erin, on the other hand, is a close-combat type Initiator. If she participates in this assassination, she will likely leave more traces and drag me down during the retreat."

"What? You, who ranks 3 places below me, actually dare say I'll drag you down?"

Hearing Tina's words, Erin immediately complained dissatisfiedly, wanting to have a showdown with her.

"Smack—"

But a girl wearing a tight suit slapped the back of her head.

Making this guy cover the back of his head and directly crouch down.

"Rita, you bastard, why did you hit me?"

She asked with tears in her eyes.

"The Professor hasn't spoken yet; is it your turn to speak?

What, do you still want to spar with me?"

Erin stopped talking. Rita is the Initiator with the highest IP ranking among the six sisters, and also the strongest one.

Codename 【Hades】, IP 21. She, with only IP rank 95, is fundamentally no match; sparring with her would only get her beaten.

【Dragging me down during retreat — that's only if retreat is needed. If no retreat is needed, she'd instead be a good helper covering my withdrawal...】

Tina Sprout, one of the Cursed Children he mechanically modified. Her strength may not be the strongest, but her personality is absolutely the calmest.

A pity. As a weapon, she has a fatal flaw: beneath that calm surface, she's a guy who values sentiment.

Saying she wants to execute the mission alone is probably just to protect Erin, this younger sister who is younger than herself, and not let her become a potential sacrificial piece.

However, this is a foolish decision. As a sniper, once she fires, her position will be exposed. If no one is in front to disperse attention, her risk of capture will increase greatly.

"Tina, assassinating a head of state is no small matter. If you fail the assassination, or succeed but cannot withdraw in time, you should know what fate awaits you."

"Professor, I understand. If I am to be captured, I will erase all traces before I am caught."

Tina met Professor A. Rand's gaze without flinching, and the meaning of her words was to choose suicide before being captured.

"In that case, the mission is yours. Hope you execute it smoothly."

A. Rand said nothing more, handed over the intelligence and several multi-leg transfer plane tickets, and left.

"Tina, you better not die."

When the girl with the Owl Factor returned to her room to pack luggage, Rita came over. She said to this sister who was only slightly older than her and had no actual blood relation.

"Rest assured, I'm not that easy to kill."

Tina replied with a smile, and the luggage she brought consisted of only a few pieces of clothing and a notebook computer.

"Don't be too arrogant. The Scorpio on the Tokyo, Japan side has been dealt with, so there should also be Civil Security in the top hundred rankings there."

"Eh?!"

Tina revealed a surprised expression, but quickly composed herself, nodded at Rita, and then left the base.

After arriving at the airport and boarding the plane, she opened the notebook computer she carried and, using the Nightingale account, sent a message to her only online friend.

"I heard Scorpio was dealt with. Is that true?"

This sent message received a reply only two hours later, when she arrived at the London Safe Zone.

"It's not true."

"You were at the scene?"

"Yes."

Since coming to this world, Broly developed the habit of taking out his notebook computer at night to check, because sometimes Nightingale would send messages over.

As a friend he made on the Internet, although Broly didn't know what kind of person Nightingale was in reality, there was no doubt that he regarded the other party, who always supported him, as a good friend.

And after Nightingale expressed curiosity about the Scorpio matter, Broly also told the other party about what happened the day before yesterday.

"Scorpio evolved into an octopus girl?"

"Yeah, so what, you don't believe it?"

"No, I believe you."

Although the words were spoken like that, Tina actually didn't believe it; if Gastrea could re-evolve into humans, even if only half-human half-beast forms, Professor A. Rand could not possibly be unaware of this.

"Right, you still live in the Tokyo Safe Zone, right?"

Tina changed the subject and asked.

"Yes, what about it?"

Broly replied.

"I'll be going to the Tokyo Safe Zone tomorrow; at that time, shall we meet?"

Tina considered for a moment, then typed and sent the meaning of wanting to meet in reality.

"Okay, but I might be a bit busy recently."

"What are you busy with?"

"My master and I built a Scorpion Cult for Scorpio; recently we've been busy publicizing the Scorpion Cult's affairs, preparing to pull people into the cult!"

Tina's first thought was of the school activity clubs established by elementary students, and not taking the matter of Scorpio turning human seriously, she quickly gave a reply.

"Then at that time, I'll come over and join your Scorpion Cult too."

Behind this passage, a cute owl smiling sticker was attached.

"That's great; after we meet, I'll introduce Scorpio to you, introduce my master, and the others as well."

In an indoor gymnasium, behind the stage curtain, Broly was typing away at a notebook computer.

"Broly, where did you run off to?"

Aqua's shouting voice quickly came over.

"Not chatting anymore, my master called me."

Sending this message, Broly put away the computer and ran over to Aqua's side.

"I'm here."

"What are you hiding for?"

"Not hiding, just chatting with someone."

"Who?"

"A friend I met online."

"Is it a wife?"

"Probably not."

In all these days of knowing Nightingale online, Crystal Palace hadn't given any prompt.

And upon hearing it wasn't a wife, Aqua instantly lost all interest in probing further.

"Let's do an entrance rehearsal then..."

Displaying a divine miracle is something Aqua and Eris can do with a wave of the hand, but for Scorpio, whose IQ has currently been measured at only the level of a seven- or eight-year-old child, it belongs to the category of things that need more practice.

"Begin. I will narrate the Scorpion Cult's origin; after I finish speaking, this child Xiao Tian will drift down from directly above the stage, and Broly you must use Qi to set off the atmosphere during this process, making this child's entrance even more sacred and glorious..."

To summarize the rehearsal process: Aqua acts as the on-site host, the little octopus girl plays the Great Scorpion God's human apostle, and Broly is the real-time special effects master, using Qi to produce different colored reactions at different frequencies, manufacturing all kinds of beautiful color special effects.

"Xiao Tian, you must remember: when Mom finishes saying 【The Great Scorpion Apostle Will Bestow Divine Grace Upon You All】, you will release Purification and Healing on everyone present."

The little octopus girl tilted her head looking at Aqua; Aqua could only demonstrate, repeating that line of Divine Grace verbally, and released a large-scale Purification and Healing.

"Eh, this world has no Mana Factor; the release scene of Purification and Healing isn't glorious enough. Broly, can you help add some light and shadow special effects?"

"Aqua Master, what kind of light and shadow special effects?"

"A hazy fine rain-like special effect; can you do it?"

"Can."

Broly adjusted his Qi enveloping the entire indoor gymnasium, making his Qi turn into strands of fine rain.

"Very good, that's it; a Divine Grace scene, how can it be too plain?"

Aqua tried Purification and Healing again, found the scene very glorious, and nodded.

"Alright, Xiao Tian, you also learn from Mom, try the thing from just now."

The little octopus girl looked at Broly, then at Aqua; after Aqua spoke the Grace words again, she simultaneously released Purification, Healing, and the Qi Flame Color Control Technique.

Without even needing Broly's help, she actively mastered the complete special-effects Divine Grace scene performance; truly worthy of a clever child who learns to release Energy Bullets with Qi and perform Qi Suspension Flight after being taught once.

"Right right right, that's it; our family's Xiao Tian really has too much talent, truly worthy of being Mom's good child!"

Aqua reached out and stroked the little octopus girl's head; Scorpio appeared very happy, her body twisting two circles in mid-air, then wrapping around Aqua.

And using her body to wrap, using the tendrils at her hair tips to caress, seems to be Scorpio's way of expressing liking.

"Eh, so ticklish, okay okay, Mom knows you're a good child, but tomorrow you mustn't randomly wrap people; as your own spokesperson, you should maintain mystery and prestige outwardly."

Aqua straightened her face and taught Scorpio; the little octopus girl rubbed her pink little face against Aqua, and after being pushed away on the little face by Aqua's hand, signaling to learn her current expression, she quickly realized what this Mom wanted her to do, and imitated Aqua straightening a serious little face.

Pity, the little octopus girl is too immature and cute; even straining to straighten a little face, she has a kind of fierce beast cub feeling, simply cannot project prestige; on the contrary, it made Eris watching from the side unable to resist reaching out and pinching her little face.

"Ah, sorry, a bit uncontrollable."

Seeing the little octopus girl looking at her in puzzlement, Eris who reacted hurriedly put down her hand and apologized.

"Hmm, a bit not serious enough."

When the little octopus girl also reached out and pinched this Mom Eris's charming face, Aqua then raised her hand and began manually adjusting the expression on Scorpio's face.

"Should be a bit more taciturn, can't be too loose, but also can't be too serious; yes, maintaining a three-no expression is best!"

Aqua adjusted for a while, then looked very satisfied at the expressionless Little Scorpio; the high-and-cold Little Octopus Girl was simply amazing.

Afterward, they rehearsed twice more, and after confirming there were basically no issues, they wrapped up and went home; as for contacting those prospective believers who had signed the application forms and left contact numbers, Aqua tossed that to the hotline department customer service personnel under the Holy Son of Heaven.

Tomorrow daytime publicize for another half day, afternoon go get some Gastrea Virus Serum from Muroto Sumire, evening hold the Scorpion Cult's first Mass Ritual right here, convert those fake believers, absorb and expand the Scorpion Church Group — the plan is simply perfect.

"Oh, right, also need to invite the Holy Son of Heaven to come witness the ceremony, use a secular VIP to boost our sect's prestige!"

Aqua suddenly thought of something and said.

"Aqua-senpai, you intend to use Gastrea Virus Serum to inject those bystanders who witness a divine miracle yet still refuse to convert into believers, forcing them to become Scorpion Cult believers; I think you'd better not screw over your very first believer in this world."

Eris said somewhat helplessly; she could already imagine the explosive degree of tomorrow night's scene — those who voluntarily become believers are fine, but those who don't become believers will probably have a bitter time.

For a god, truly wanting to distinguish whether a person is one's own believer is still a very simple matter, especially in this isekai with no local deities where faith has fallen somewhat into neglect.

Arriving at the hotel in the transfer station area, lying on the bed Tina couldn't help swinging her calves; the mission to assassinate a head of state weighing on her was somewhat heavy, but the fact that she would soon meet her online friend filled her with great anticipation.

Although she hadn't known the Little Bro for long, because they chatted well together, Tina had already regarded him — someone who could speak up for Cursed Children — as a friend.

However, calling him a friend, she actually didn't know the Little Bro's real-life appearance, nor did she know whether the other party was a kid about her own age who just happened to have an explosive temper.

Also, first meeting — should she bring a greeting gift to give the other party after they meet?

But what greeting gift should she give?

A Glock 17 with a minimalist look, lightweight and handsome?

Or a comparatively bulky Barrett M82, which if the Little Bro ever wants to kill someone in the future, he could take for long-range sniping and blowing heads off?

Code name 【Black Wind】, international IP ranking 98 Tina Sprout did not feel that giving some firearms to a first-time-meet friend as a gift was anything problematic.

She was currently agonizing over what gift to give Broly this Little Bro.

(Chapter End)