Stronger with More Jobs-Chapter 525 - 253: Reaching the Coastline!
After he finished speaking, the person beside him immediately reported, with a slightly hoarse magnetic voice: "I’ve contacted three Tier Two Divine Chosen..."
The third person pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, the lenses reflecting a cold light: "I only have one here, ’Thousand Mechanism Poison Hand’ Elder Mo, a master of poison, Tier Two Peak."
The last person spoke succinctly: "Two. Shade, skilled in intelligence and assassination. Berserker Lion, a Power-type Grandmaster, Tier Two Peak, bloodthirsty but obedient."
He Manhe listened quietly and took another sip of her drink.
The room fell into a brief silence.
Only the faint "crack" of ice melting could be heard.
"Still not enough..."
He Manhe finally turned around, her face expressionless, her gaze sweeping over the four kneeling individuals, carrying a scrutinizing pressure, "The quality is acceptable, but the quantity is far too lacking. With these few people, it’s barely enough to clear the periphery."
She placed the glass on the small table beside her, making a slight "thud" sound.
"Keep looking," her voice was not loud, yet it carried an undeniable command, "Time is running out. I need true strong individuals, not cannon fodder pretending to be something they’re not. Understand?"
The four subtly tensed up, unanimously responding: "Yes, Secretary General!"
"Additionally..."
He Manhe’s gaze sharpened, like cold needles, "Fang Qingyu has murderous intentions towards me. Deeply so."
She paused, as if sensing the chilling fear she had before.
"This ’Curse Corpse’ of mine can’t die yet. Staying on the ship is too risky, I will go ahead to Glazed Light City."
Her gaze swept over the four: "You all, bring the people you’ve recruited and meet me in Glazed Light City as quickly as possible. I will notify you of the specific time and place later."
"Yes, Secretary General!" the four responded again.
"Go now."
He Manhe waved her hand, turning back to look at the pitch-black sea outside the window.
The four immediately stood up, swiftly and silently exiting the room one by one.
The heavy door closed once more.
In the living room, only He Manhe remained, along with the extreme darkness in the corner.
He Manhe stood where she was, silently gazing out at the darkness outside the window, her fingers unconsciously tracing the rim of the glass, as if contemplating something.
After a long while, she let out a very soft snort.
...
Deck elevator hall.
Wei Banmeng and the three others were still waiting there.
Chu Kuanglan paced irritably, Lu Jiuyuan leaned against the wall holding a sword, his sharp eyes fixed on the passage entrance, while Wei Banmeng stood quietly, her cold face carrying a grave expression.
Jiang Wei, at some point, had taken out another lollipop, quietly sucking on it, but her clear red pupils occasionally swept towards the direction where Fang Qingyu disappeared.
When Fang Qingyu reappeared.
The four instantly surrounded him.
"Captain!"
"What’s the situation?"
"Did you catch up?"
Fang Qingyu’s molten gold vertical pupils swept over the faces of the four, finally landing on Wei Banmeng, speaking succinctly, his voice extremely low:
"He Manhe returned to her room. There are four of her subordinates inside, all Tier Two."
He quickly recounted the conversation he heard within the room.
The four reported the list of recruited Grandmasters and Divine Chosen, He Manhe deemed the manpower insufficient, ordered them to continue recruiting, and announced she would go ahead to Glazed Light City, instructing the four to take the recruited people to Glazed Light City for rendezvous afterward.
"Pantheon... they’re definitely planning something big!"
Chu Kuanglan listened, curiously asking in a muffled voice: "Gathering so many Tier Twos to Glazed Light City? What are they trying to do?"
Wei Banmeng’s delicate brows furrowed: "The target definitely isn’t the City of Light, unless they have a death wish. More likely trying to seize something? Or... meet some entity?"
She looked at Fang Qingyu: "If we act now to capture He Manhe and those four, we might be able to extract some information?"
Lu Jiuyuan didn’t speak, but his gripped sword handle indicated his stance.
Fang Qingyu shook his head slowly.
The depths of his molten gold vertical pupils glimmered with analytical calm.
"Capturing them isn’t difficult. But He Manhe’s body is likely just a ’Curse Corpse’. Killing her would only alert them, exposing that we know her whereabouts and plans, without gaining any substantial benefit. Given Pantheon’s way of operating, they would never easily let core secrets be known to peripheral executors, so forcing those four might not yield truly valuable intelligence either."
Then he paused, his voice carrying a cold resolution.
"Instead of alerting them, it’s better to... play the long game."
"Play the long game?" Wei Banmeng immediately understood Fang Qingyu’s intention, "You mean... follow them to Glazed Light City, wait for them all to gather, and see what they intend to do?"
"Yes."
Fang Qingyu nodded.
Chu Kuanglan and Lu Jiuyuan exchanged glances, seeing excitement and battle intent in each other’s eyes.
This sounded way more thrilling than just catching a few small fry!
"I agree."
Wei Banmeng immediately expressed her stance, her cold eyes glimmering, "But on the condition that we must firmly track those four individuals."
Fang Qingyu looked at Wei Banmeng: "Let’s return to the room, I’ll sketch their appearances, and you send them to Shangjing for confirmation, the faster the better."
"Alright."
The group immediately returned to the room to discuss the upcoming journey.
...
The subsequent voyage was smooth and uneventful.
The Ark of Hope, this iron fortress, crushed through the broad Arctic Ocean like a moving island, exuding an unassailable majesty.
Ordinary sea Life Ghosts, sensing the terrifying energy fluctuations emanating from this colossal structure, steered clear from afar.
Occasionally, some unwitting Low Tier Life Ghosts attempted to approach.
Only to be instantly torn to shreds by the escort warships.
