"What kind of task is it?"
Leilin took the file marked "Top Secret" on the cover, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
"The Federation has ordered our Special Task Force to strike against the Three Snake Cult and the Mobius Ring across the entire nation! And I am the person in charge of the entire Eastern District!"
Shike's voice was filled with an iron-hard, military flavor.
"This time, your squad will be responsible for several Three Snake Cult strongholds that have already been discovered, while I will personally handle the Mobius Ring!"
Clearly, the other party's trap from before had thoroughly enraged Shike, and now he was going to retaliate under perfectly legitimate authority!
"The Three Snake Cult?" A flicker of interest appeared on Leilin's face, though inwardly he sighed.
When he had first come to the Atlanta Federation, his original intention had been to gather intelligence on the Three Snake Cult. But too many things had happened afterward—the appearance of the Fire Origin Stone in particular had immediately made him somewhat abandon that plan.
But just as he had hoped to continue lying low, this matter had suddenly popped up and landed right on his head, leaving him with a truly exasperated feeling.
"This order was personally signed by the President himself! The garrison troops across all regions will cooperate with our operation. In other words, once you earn military merit, you'll appear before the President immediately. This kind of opportunity doesn't come along often!"
Shike said, almost as if reminding him.
"Understood!" Leilin snapped to attention and saluted, though he was already quietly guessing at the underlying situation. It seemed that Shike's connections within the Federation were quite extraordinary—to have actually landed the position of person in charge for such an important operation, his backing must be formidable. No wonder Locke had been so eager to curry favor before.
"Good! You're dismissed! Send Locke in!" Shike nodded with satisfaction.
"Yes, sir!" Leilin immediately saluted and exited. Every movement was crisp and precise, brimming with iron-hard military bearing. Shike nodded approvingly to himself.
"Captain Locke! The instructor wants to see you!"
After stepping out, Leilin found Locke already waiting off to one side. Compared to before, there was more composure and resolve on his face. His Fire Feather Technique had also "unnoticed" broken through to the sixth layer, reaching the seventh—a strong fighter within the Earth Rank.
Of course, all of this was an illusion. Leilin believed the other party was at least a Sky Rank powerhouse, though he didn't know why Locke had infiltrated and even earned Shike's trust.
This time around, Leilin was responsible for the Three Snake Cult, while Locke would follow Shike and handle the Mobius Ring affairs. Just from this arrangement alone, Leilin could see that Shike trusted Locke a bit more in his heart.
Rumors had long circulated within the Special Task Force that Leilin and Locke were Shike's right and left hands, and even Shike had never publicly denied it.
"What a pity... If you ever found out that the two subordinates you rely on as your right and left arms are both enemy infiltrators, I wonder what expression you'd wear? Though I imagine it would be quite entertaining!"
Leilin rubbed his chin, a playful smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Captain Leilin? Is there something else?" Locke looked at Leilin's expression. For some reason, a sudden chill ran through him, as though he had a very bad premonition.
"Oh! Nothing—just remembering the scene from our last mission together. Get going!"
Leilin patted Locke on the shoulder and walked off with casual indifference.
Locke retreated half a step, his gaze fixed on Leilin's retreating back. Though his salute appeared perfectly respectful, a strange light flickered in his eyes.
"Soon... everything will change..."
Although Locke's own strength was decent and his relationship with Shike was good, in many matters he always seemed to fall a step behind Leilin.
On the surface, he might not have cared—after all, he was here as an infiltrator, not genuinely planning to make a career in the Atlanta Federation—but inwardly, there were always some uncomfortable feelings gnawing at him.
Of course, these feelings were well hidden. Even those closest to him hadn't noticed a thing.
"Locke, what are you still waiting for?"
Shike's slightly displeased voice came from inside the room. "Reporting!" Locke startled, his face immediately shifting back to its usual expression of honest simplicity tinged with a hint of shrewdness and admiration. He entered the office with a respectful bow.
...
Back at his residence, Leilin carefully studied the contents of the file. After a long while, he set the folder down and let out a sigh.
The information was detailed to an almost excessive degree—even the leaders' cultivation levels and combat strength were clearly recorded. It was evident that the Atlanta Federation had definitely planted spies and moles within the Three Snake Cult.
"This time, the entire Three Snake Cult is probably going to suffer some serious damage..."
Leilin rubbed his chin. Since he still couldn't determine whether the Three Snake Cult was truly a force created by the three Comoin Giant Serpent Dukes, he had no intention of taking any particular action.
After all, these were just branches and outposts. Even if they were all wiped out, it wouldn't be a great loss. He could even use the situation to advance his standing and perhaps gain greater trust from the Federation, making it easier to investigate the secrets of the Fire Origin Stone!
With these thoughts, the light in Leilin's eyes gradually grew cold, like ice, carrying a bone-piercing chill.
"B-Boss... W-What's wrong..."
Misi pushed the door open at that moment and met Leilin's gaze. He instantly collapsed to the ground, cold sweat pouring down his face, and even his words came out in a stammer.
"It's nothing. Our official mission has come down—take a look."
Leilin smiled, as if all the ice melted in that single smile, warm sunlight streaming down. Misi finally stopped slumping on the floor and managed to struggle up to accept the file.
But as he read the document, his hands were still trembling slightly. Misi swore that he had never imagined before that when this Boss Leilin's face darkened, it could be this terrifying!
That bone-piercing chill was something he had never witnessed before. Swearing by the honor of the Fire Feather Clan, he never wanted to face that gaze again. Heavens! Right now he felt that even the scorching sun outside would be more comfortable than staying in this room.
"Well? Finished reading? Give me your thoughts." Seeing Misi in this state, Leilin gave a slight smile, crossed his arms, and leaned half-reclined in his chair, looking perfectly at ease.
"Well... since this is an order from headquarters and the President, we have no choice but to comply. However, our squad members may not have sufficient strength—we'll probably need to coordinate with the local garrison troops!"
Misi had survived to his current position by no means being without a brain. With just a little thought, everything became clear, and he already had a preliminary plan.
But... Misi secretly stole a glance at the expressionless Leilin and decided that until he had figured out the other party's intentions, it would be better to keep it to himself.
The killing intent Leilin had let slip earlier had truly shaken him.
"Mm, very good. Leave all the coordination with the local garrison to you. Don't disappoint me."
To Misi's surprise, Leilin didn't even ask what his plan was and simply assigned the task directly.
Although Leilin hadn't mentioned the consequences of failing to complete the mission, Misi could already vaguely guess—they were absolutely not something he wished to experience.
"Understood, Captain!" Out of long habit, the moment Leilin issued the order, Misi instinctively straightened, puffed out his chest, and saluted, his face showing earnest compliance.
Since joining Leilin's squad, he had long been won over by the man. He understood Leilin's way of doing things—always straightforward and ruthlessly direct, brooking no objections—and Misi knew full well when to do what.
"Mm, go relay the orders. Assemble the squad."
Leilin waved his hand, and Misi fled as if granted a pardon.
Normally, Leilin was a very easygoing person—Misi could even come here to enjoy the cool air or other small perks. But during a mission, Leilin became remarkably decisive and ruthless, and Misi certainly didn't dare provoke him at a time like this.
Once the orders were given, the squad assembled quickly.
On a small drill ground, Leilin in his military uniform walked past the ranks, which were arranged in immaculate formation, a look of satisfaction on his face.
The Lava World was, after all, a world that possessed extraordinary powers. Individual strength far exceeded collective force, so his squad members were few—only a dozen or so. But each of them was at least at the fifth layer of the Fire Feather Technique, a peak Transcendent Rank powerhouse. Even Earth Rank fighters numbered three among his squad, all of whom had been subdued by Leilin during missions. To many, this seemed almost incredible.
After all, an Earth Rank powerhouse was among the most elite forces even within the Atlanta Federation, qualified to hold important positions in the legions. How could they willingly serve under a mere squad leader?
But Leilin had accomplished exactly that, leaving many in awe.
In truth, Leilin's methods were very simple—it was nothing more than brute force, overpowering them through sheer strength.
Even so, these three subordinates hadn't been deliberately recruited. They were accidental catches along the way.
For someone at his current level, Earth Rank fighters were roughly equivalent to first or second-level wizards and warlocks from the
Even Sky Rank fighters—those of the third-level wizard tier—amounted to nothing in his eyes.
The only ones who could truly make Leilin show any reaction were those of the same Star Rank! The gaze of a Morning Star would always fix upon enemies of the same rank!
"According to intelligence, the supreme commanders of the Atlanta Federation's major military districts are all certainly Star Rank powerhouses. And the legendary Federation President should far surpass the Star Rank—perhaps even a fifth-level Brilliant Moon Realm expert..."
Leilin rubbed his chin, a glint of anticipation flashing through his eyes.