Free Web NovelChapter 123: Mission [9]
At present.
After watching the entire report about the incident, No. 46 was just about to turn off the television.
However, before he could do so, the news suddenly switched to another segment.
"The Church has officially responded to this incident."
The screen changed.
A tall old man with a huge build appeared on the screen.
He had a long white beard, sharp eyes, and wore the white robes of the Church embroidered with golden symbols.
Behind him stood several high-ranking members of the Church.
The reporter then introduced him.
"The person in charge of investigating this incident is Grandmaster Alger of the Church."
Grandmaster Alger looked directly at the camera with a stern expression before speaking in a deep voice.
"The Church has officially taken over the investigation of this incident."
He paused for a moment.
"We will investigate every clue, no matter how small."
"We will not stop until we find the people responsible."
His expression became even colder.
"To massacre so many people and kill an innocent daughter of a noble family is already an unforgivable crime."
"But what they did afterward..."
"...leaving behind a message to provoke the Church..."
"...is an act of blasphemy against God Himself."
A powerful pressure unconsciously spread from his body, causing even the reporters standing nearby to instinctively step back.
"The dignity of the Church cannot be challenged."
"The dignity of God cannot be insulted."
"I, Alger, swear in the name of God that the Church will hunt down every single person involved in this incident."
"No matter where they hide..."
"No matter how powerful they are..."
"They will receive the punishment they deserve."
After saying those words, Grandmaster Alger turned around and left, ending the interview.
The news anchor looked back at the camera before continuing,
"According to official sources, the Church has already formed a special investigation team under the direct command of Grandmaster Alger. More updates will be released as the investigation progresses."
Hearing this, No. 46 silently turned off the news on his tablet.
Then, in a fit of anger, No. 46 threw the tablet onto the ground.
Crash!
The tablet shattered into countless pieces.
He then looked at No. 143 and said in a serious voice,
"Recall every squad that is currently on a mission."
"And cancel all the missions that were scheduled to take place today."
"I want every member present at the headquarters before No. 1 arrives."
No. 143 immediately nodded and left to carry out the order.
After No. 143 left, No. 46 slammed his fist onto the table in frustration.
Bang!
He gritted his teeth before muttering,
"Who is it...?"
"Why did this have to happen during the mission I was in charge of?"
He remained silent for a few moments before speaking again.
"Now even the Church is involved in this incident."
"Even if we weren’t the ones who caused it, and someone else is trying to frame us..."
"...if the Church investigates this matter with its full capabilities, it won’t take long before they discover our existence."
Two hours later.
A total of 180 members of the Reaper Guild had gathered in the open field of the headquarters.
Everyone wore grim expressions after hearing about the incident.
Someone was trying to frame the Reaper Guild, and because of that, even the Church had begun targeting them.
The atmosphere was unusually heavy.
No one spoke.
They simply stood there, silently waiting for the arrival of the Guild leaders.
Then, the surrounding space suddenly distorted.
A spatial ripple spread across the open field.
The next instant, two figures appeared in front of everyone.
Both of them wore masks that completely covered their faces.
As soon as they appeared, every member of the Reaper Guild instinctively straightened their backs.
No one dared to make a sound.
The two people who had just arrived were No. 1 and No. 2.
Both of them were Grandmasters, a realm far beyond that of a Master.
No. 1 had striking blond hair that flowed behind him.
Even though he wasn’t releasing any aura, his mere presence naturally drew everyone’s attention toward him.
Standing beside him was No. 2.
Unlike No. 1, he had black hair and an eerie presence that instinctively filled everyone around him with fear.
Just standing near him made people unconsciously want to keep their distance. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
Very few members of the Guild had ever met these two.
As Grandmasters, they rarely interfered with the Guild’s daily affairs, leaving almost everything to the Masters below them.
That was why their sudden appearance here made everyone realize just how serious the current situation had become.
Then No. 1 shifted his gaze toward No. 46.
As the person in charge of assigning missions, No. 46 possessed all the information regarding every operation carried out by the Reaper Guild.
The moment No. 1’s gaze fell upon him, No. 46 felt an immense pressure descend on his shoulders.
Cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.
No. 1 looked at him for a few moments before speaking in a serious tone.
"How did this happen?"
His voice wasn’t loud, yet it echoed throughout the entire open field.
"How was the information about this mission leaked to the person who orchestrated this incident?"
The entire headquarters fell into complete silence.
Everyone turned their eyes toward No. 46, waiting for his answer.
No. 46 took a deep breath before replying in a trembling voice,
"I... I don’t know."
"Everything was perfect."
"There wasn’t anything unusual."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"The only unusual thing was that a new recruit joined the Guild yesterday, and he was assigned to this mission."
"But I personally checked his background."
"I also bound him with the artifact."
"So I don’t have a single clue who could have leaked the information or who orchestrated this entire incident."
No. 1 was just about to say something when No. 2 suddenly placed a hand on his shoulder.
Then he silently pointed toward one corner of the headquarters.
He whispered something into No. 1’s ear.
Before anyone could understand what the two Grandmasters were talking about, No. 1 suddenly raised his hand.
A massive bolt of lightning shot out from his hand and streaked across the open field.
The lightning struck the corner of the headquarters with terrifying force.
The ground exploded apart.
At the same time, the surrounding space shattered like a broken mirror.
Cracks spread through the air, revealing a hidden figure that had been concealed within the distorted space.
