Enforcer Manual
Chapter 599: Stormy Weather_1

Chapter 599: Chapter 599: Stormy Weather_1

Song Lan had never expected the curse of the consciousness aggregate to take effect so quickly.

The next morning, he experienced the taste of his own medicine.

Even Lu Xiang, who had returned to the hotel from outside, looked at Song Lan with a doubtful eye, and while sitting on the chair at the edge of the bed with her legs crossed, she asked him, "What exactly did you do to Helifis and the commander of the First Army Corp, that now the streets and alleys of Antigon are plastered with search warrants?"

It was the first time she had seen a manhunt notice that seemed to be a citywide warrant.

Believers of the Lunar Eclipse Sect had fully demonstrated their cohesion, with every corner of the city teeming with people searching for the "office worker."

They were looking for a man dressed in a sharp black suit, carrying a briefcase, the quintessence of corporate attire.

Although the face in the portrait bore some differences from Song Lan, Lu Xiang was certain that he was the one behind this mess.

Last night, after the Archbishop and the commander of the First Army Corp returned to Antigon, they had convened an overnight meeting, and after a prolonged war, two incompatible forces had once again allied.

The advent of the Ritual of Termination made them realize the existence of their true enemy; they had no time or energy to waste on endless internal strife. This strategic alliance would last until the day the war against the consciousness aggregate ended.

Subsequently, they began the reconstruction work of the Third Neutral Country.

The ’mine’s’ outbreak had almost halved the population of the Third Neutral Country in a short time, and most cities outside the core city were destroyed by aberrant constructs. For a long time to come, they would have to devote themselves to eliminating the threats posed by mutants in each city.

Yet, under such tense circumstances, the Archbishop Helifis still had the spare energy to mobilize a substantial workforce to search for people.

Even though the Barrosa Group’s actions were not as conspicuous, just one morning’s work was enough for the airships from the First Army Corp to the Third Legion to patrol non-stop over and around Antigon. It was clear to everyone that, like the Archbishop, they were searching for the whereabouts of the "office worker."

Song Lan said that he had only planted an idea in the minds of Helifis and the First Army Corp commander, a necessary step to expel the brand of the consciousness aggregate from their bodies.

However, from the current situation, this "simple idea" seemed not to have lessened their zeal but rather shifted it from the "Father God" toward another target.

The side effect of this idea even led them to temporarily disregard the threat of the Bug Swarm.

"Really, just a simple idea."

Said Song Lan.

But just as he had thought, after having his idea implanted, the "fates" of Helifis and the commander of the First Army Corp started to develop down another path.

Its impact on people surpassed Song Lan’s imagination; it was even more ingrained than the consciousness of the Devourer, perhaps the most convenient of manipulative tools for those who controlled it.

He could make the same manipulation to anyone’s brain at any time, their lives would undergo fusion, and under its influence, become "fate’s" puppets. Those higher life forms seemed to be steering the fates of humanity and this world through such means.

This arbitrary control over "fate" gave Song Lan the sensation of looking down upon the world from another dimension, but he was equally aware of its evil nature: human free will would be nonexistent in its presence.

Once again, it was a skill he had acquired without any learning curve.

He had fully grasped it just by contemplating after meeting the potential new friend that was the consciousness aggregate.

But Song Lan was an upright and sunny individual.

He felt the need to drag this dangerous and evil capability out of his skill column.

"How is the battle situation in the peripheral cities?"

He changed the subject.

After exchanging glances with him for a moment, Lu Xiang finally said, "The rescue operation is progressing very smoothly. The Barrosa Group has kept their promise and helped out; we have now evacuated the Bug Swarm troops from the city. That soldier named Kunka has become the Expeditionary Army’s overt commander."

In the past few days, Kunka had demonstrated exceptional commanding abilities. Not only did he cooperate methodically with the Bug Swarm, but he also established enough prestige within the Expeditionary Army that even the unruly criminals active in the border cities came to regard Kunka as their leader.

This was a general born from war, and if promoted by the United Government, he was bound to make significant achievements. However, after realizing the despicable act of the United Government sending them to the front lines to die in exchange for intelligence, Kunka decided to integrate the remnants of the Expeditionary Army to form a new military force.

They now had basic equipment and a large amount of supplies collected during the rescue process, fully capable of being self-sufficient in the harsh "outside" environment.

"The Barrosa Group provided them with a new exodus. Their current plan is to establish a military stronghold in the coastal area between the third and fourth Neutral Countries. Kunka said that as long as the Bug Swarm needs help, they will immediately send reinforcements," Lu Xiang continued.

After the war, the Bug Swarm had gained an ally of nearly ten thousand people, all equipped with military-grade exoskeleton armor.

"The United Government has become the only loser of this war," Lu Xiang said mockingly. "It seems the law that the United Government is always the winner has been broken this time."

When the Lunar Eclipse Sect and the Barrosa Group ended the civil war, representatives of the great families and companies far in The First Region were still engaged in meaningless and inefficient bickering over which troops to send to the front line.

Now, they no longer had the chance to redeem themselves.

People would remember that this war ended with the total defeat of the United Government’s Expeditionary Army and the end of the civil war within the third Neutral Country’s population. Moreover, given the technology displayed by the Lunar Eclipse Sect and the Barrosa Group in this war, the United Government would probably not dare to start a conflict with them easily in the short term.

Having swallowed such a bitter pill, Lu Xiang could imagine the scenes of the Councilors’ faces contorted with anger. However, for a long time to come, they would have to focus on pacifying the public. The negative emotions resulting from the defeat at the front would inevitably affect every city, and the contradictions temporarily suppressed by wartime mobilization would become acutely intense.

For this Empire that had been controlling the world since after the war, an era of turmoil had arrived.

Now, Lu Xiang also faced a serious question.

"What do you plan to do with this young girl?"

He looked at Yeying, who was still lying unconscious on the couch. Her will was nowhere near as strong as that of Helifis and the First Army Corp commander, and she had passed out soon after setting out to find the Archbishop.

Song Lan had used his Spiritual Energy to pull her out during the flesh dispersal, and Lu Xiang had carried the unconscious Yeying back to Antigon’s residence all the way.

According to their original plan, they had intended to bring Yeying and the "Angels of Death" back to the Bug Swarm, but that was all predicated on the death of the Archbishop Helifis.

Now that the other person is still alive, such blatant poaching might be considered unethical competition.

"Let her make her own choice once she wakes up," he suggested.

In the face of this tumultuous era, Song Lan also had to push his plans to the next stage.

"Old Lu."

"Hmm?"

After pondering for a moment, he said seriously, "I only have one question right now—where is the nearest shoe store from here?"