Chapter 199: Blue Whale Squad
South Sea City, in the basement of the Security Bureau.
The room was bathed in the glow of high-tech electronic lights.
This basement hadn't always been like this. The Security Bureau never had such advanced technology.
It was only after the Peacekeeping Bureau arrived that a variety of high-tech equipment was installed. The signal source and special protective keys were all linked to the Peacekeeping Bureau's vehicle parked in the Security Bureau's backyard.
This place had now become the office of the Peacekeeping Bureau.
For the South Sea mission, relying solely on the Raven Squad was insufficient. After all, they were just the most basic unit of the bureau.
Their participation in a mission of this scale was only because they had previously encountered the Ghost King.
Present here was the Blue Whale Squad, which operated several levels above the Raven Squad in terms of security clearance.
While the Raven Squad members possessed only C-rank talents, the Blue Whale Squad was led by an A-rank talent user, supported by three B-rank members.
Make no mistake about the capabilities of Peacekeeping Bureau administrators—no one with a spiritual score below five could ever join the bureau.
The Blue Whale Squad's combat power was formidable, capable of handling most security incidents.
At this moment, the Peacekeeping Bureau's office was hosting a meeting.
A middle-aged man with long hair sat at the head of the table. He was the captain of the Blue Whale Squad.
Seated beside him was Ethan Blake, with an empty seat across from him, presumably for Security Bureau Chief Reed Richards.
The other Blue Whale Squad members sat in succession, while the Raven Squad occupied the far end of the table, clearly marking the hierarchy.
The Blue Whale Squad members looked impatient.
A green-haired girl from the squad muttered under her breath, venting her frustration:
"Why do we have to wait for latecomers? The mission is straightforward—just go through the motions.
What's the point of waiting? It's not like they're useful anyway.
I barely got a chance to visit South Sea, and I'd rather be out clubbing right now!"
The members of the Raven Squad looked awkward and uncomfortable.
The latecomers were none other than Security Bureau Chief Reed Richards and Raven Squad's Number Three, Ryan Carter.
The long-haired captain remained composed, his eyes closed, while Ethan Blake appeared calm as well.
The office door suddenly opened, drawing everyone's attention.
A short-haired young man entered, drenched in sweat from running.
This was none other than Ryan Carter from the Raven Squad, who had just recently earned his hunter qualification.
"Well, look who finally decided to show up. What a grand entrance," sneered the green-haired girl, her arms crossed, her disdain evident as she openly mocked him.
The bald captain of the Raven Squad forced an awkward laugh and pretended to scold:
"Ryan, why are you so late? Sit down quickly!"
Ryan's mind was preoccupied with the Super Fruit and the Mercenary Guild app. The voices around him seemed to fade into background noise.
"Zzz… Zzz—"
A faint electrical buzzing sound caught his attention. He glanced at his phone.
On the screen, the Mercenary Guild app's chat channel was glitching. After a flurry of static, the app briefly flashed back to the main page and then froze.
He tried to relaunch it, but every attempt resulted in a server error message.
"Stop fiddling with your phone and sit down! The meeting is starting!" The bald captain cast a nervous glance at the long-haired man and scolded him harshly.
Ryan, deep in thought, reluctantly sat down.
The long-haired man checked his watch and spoke in a cold, indifferent tone:
"We won't wait for Chief Richards any longer. Let's begin.
We've already gathered enough intel on the South Sea situation.
Ethan, there's something I'd like to ask you first."
Ethan Blake lifted his gaze slightly.
"Go ahead."
The long-haired man casually flexed his wrist, and a faint musty smell emanated from his body. His palm grew mottled with patches of mold.
He placed his hand nonchalantly on the meeting table, and the mold rapidly spread, creeping across the table and even toward the walls of the room.
The bald captain's eyes showed a flicker of fear.
[A-Rank Talent: Corrosive Mold]
This was clearly meant to intimidate Ethan Blake.
Ethan, however, remained unfazed, his expression completely neutral as he calmly observed the long-haired man.
The long-haired man frowned slightly, clearly displeased by Ethan's unshakable demeanor. He finally spoke:
"In South Sea City, there's a transcendental force. Are you saying you, Ethan, were unaware of this?
Was this negligence on your part, or was it intentional?"
Ethan Blake's heartbeat quickened slightly.
Could they have discovered the Mercenary Guild?
However, Ethan maintained a calm demeanor and furrowed his brow as he replied, "A transcendental organization?"
The long-haired man let out a derisive snort through his nose.
"Exactly. The Divine Church has extended its reach into South Sea City, and yet your Security Bureau knows nothing about it?
No matter. The Security Bureau is merely a tool for maintaining social order. Considering how stable South Sea is under your watch, I suppose that's commendable."
The implication behind the long-haired man's words was clear: the Security Bureau's role was limited to maintaining public order, whereas the Peacekeeping Bureau was tasked with creating societal peace.
Not all Peacekeeping Bureau administrators were as arrogant as this long-haired man.
However, this particular individual bore a personal grudge against Ethan Blake.
The role of South Sea Security Bureau Chief was highly coveted, even by senior Peacekeeping Bureau administrators.
South Sea's prosperity, combined with its natural defenses as a coastal city, made it a rare position where monster sieges were infrequent.
The long-haired man had once vied for the position but was beaten to it by a woman named Welma.
After Welma's untimely incident, the long-haired man saw another opportunity to claim the role. Unfortunately for him, Base Country 3 had recently faced unrest, and the Peacekeeping Bureau was understaffed.
As a result, the position went to Reed Richards, whom the long-haired man considered a useless bureaucrat, leaving his ambitions unfulfilled yet again.
Driven by jealousy, the long-haired man now sought to nitpick and find fault. With Chief Richards absent, his focus turned entirely toward Ethan Blake.
Ethan remained silent, offering no reaction.
The long-haired man glanced at the green-haired girl, who caught on immediately. She raised her small hands, emitting a faint green glow.
A holographic image of a priest exuding a pious and sorrowful aura appeared before the group.
This was an illusion simulated by the green-haired girl.
The figure depicted was none other than Desmond, a priest from the Divine Church.
The long-haired man spoke:
"This man hails from Base Country 1. He is a priest of the Divine Church.
A-rank talent, sixth-level spiritual resonance, and a danger level of Sequence 5.
His purpose in South Sea is self-evident: recruiting followers and brainwashing the citizens of South Sea City.
The Susia Chapel has been operational for three months now, and yet you, as the Deputy Chief of the South Sea Security Bureau, were completely unaware?!"
Ethan stared at the image of Desmond in silence for a long time.
Of course, he knew who Desmond was. He also knew that this foreigner was a formidable individual.
During a monster siege on South Sea City, Desmond had saved Ethan's life.
At the same time, Ethan had noticed a hunter (Lily) among Desmond's entourage.
Ethan instinctively believed that Desmond's true identity was connected to the Mercenary Guild.
The long-haired man, mistaking Ethan's silence for intimidation, allowed a smug smile to creep onto his face.
He continued:
"Even if you did discover that he's from the Divine Church, an A-rank talent user is beyond the jurisdiction of your Security Bureau.
This matter falls under the Peacekeeping Bureau's authority. We'll deal with him and ensure he's expelled from South Sea."
Ethan nodded slightly.
"Much appreciated."
Without drawing attention, he picked up the phone recording the meeting, intending to inform the Mercenary Guild about the Peacekeeping Bureau's plans to act against Desmond once the meeting ended.
To his surprise, he discovered that the Mercenary Guild app wouldn't open.
Then it hit him.
Wherever the Peacekeeping Bureau set up operations, they deployed specialized signal jammers.
No networks, aside from the bureau's private intranet, could function properly.
Could it be that even the Mercenary Guild app couldn't bypass the Peacekeeping Bureau's jammers?
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