Chapter 26 : Another Rare Grade!

Later on, the briefing continued with more images shown, indicating that the Capital had already been invaded. The number of large vehicles, such as trucks and vans, entering the Capital had increased significantly since yesterday morning.

The meeting lasted for at least 2 hours before people were allowed to leave, with further instructions to be provided by the HQ later. However, the 5-star mercenaries had to wait, which intrigued Aaron as he found it inefficient.

"Now I know why I am the only 5-star mercenary attending this meeting… F*ck.." thought Aaron, realizing that there were two or three more figures wearing masks similar to his but this time a cat, a dog, and a crow mask.

He stared at Alex for a while, realizing that the other 5-star mercenaries had been allowed to skip the entire two hours of useless briefing!

…

When the other 5-stars took their seats, the HQ leader whom Aaron had met once before began a quick briefing, covering the same information as the previous two-hour session, but in a much shorter and condensed format.

Aaron was left speechless...

At least he had some time to observe the other 5-star mercenaries. Judging by their body physiques and outward appearances, he guessed that the individuals behind the cat and dog masks were women, while the person behind the crow mask seemed to be in their twenties. The guy wearing the crow mask appeared to be more focused on non-physical abilities, as his physique appeared average.

But Aaron's observations were cut short as the HQ leader presented options for him to choose from in terms of how he could assist the association within his capabilities. However, to his disappointment, Aaron wasn't given the freedom to choose. Instead, he was assigned to partner with the other 5-star mercenaries. It seemed that none of them excelled in physical combat, so Aaron had to compensate for this deficiency.

"I guess I'm still a newbie to them... So it's like an internship, huh?" thought Aaron.

Despite the limitation, he found solace in not having to make decisions and instead focusing on his physical prowess.

"Alright Golden Chick, you are going to cover and protect Cat until her task is completed," commanded the HQ leader.

"Yes, thank you," replied Aaron quickly, acknowledging the order. The person with the cat mask then gestured for him to follow her out of the meeting room.

Aaron observed the seriousness with which everyone began to act. He hastened his pace to walk alongside his mission partner.

Aaron followed her silently as they made their way towards the artifact department. He wondered if she had a specific reason for coming here, so he continued to walk alongside her until they reached their destination.

As she attempted to push open the door, it remained unyielding. She then used her card to bypass the door, but it was still blocked from the other side.

"Let me handle this," Aaron said, pushing her aside gently. He positioned himself in front of the door, bracing himself like a sumo wrestler, and with a powerful shove, he forced the door open.

Inside the room, they found Raizen on the ground amidst a scattered mess of furniture, including tables and chairs that had been used to barricade the door. The woman, now removing her mask, expressed her frustration towards Raizen, who was trembling nervously.

"I am sorry, miss... Please don't hit me…"

Suddenly, a whip made of light appeared in the woman's right hand, and she began to lash it at Raizen.

Whip, whip!

A few minutes later, Raizen lay on the ground with red marks covering his body from the relentless whipping.

"Ah, my bad…" The woman with black hair slowly turned to face Aaron, tucking her whip away into her bracelet.

However, Aaron had already read the description of the whip, it was actually a Rare grade artifact!

[Rope Of Light (Rare) - Made with millions of condensed light particles by the 2nd Artifact Master. Moves extremely fast as long as the user can endure it. The current maximum length of the rope is 30m. It can't be destroyed unless against another artifact with the same or higher grade. Inherited by Natalia]

"Yo, new guy, I'm Natalia! The real leader of this department! As you can see, Raizen was just in charge of this place whenever I'm not around."

She possesses the allure of a mesmerizing mature woman, standing at an elegant height of 170cm. Her tresses cascade in a luscious mane, framing her lean figure and flawless, supple skin. Every gesture emanates an effortless elegance that enchants all who behold her.

"Umm.. Yo! I am Aaron.."

"AHAHAH! No need to be so awkward.. You see, I'm older than you think wink.." Natalia winked mischievously before she retrieved a tablet. With the tablet in hand, she accessed the holographic interface in the room, searching for an audio message she wanted to show Aaron. It took her a while to find the desired file amidst the digital archives.

It turned out to be an audio recording of Brian's final message before he was ambushed by the evil organization. Natalia and Brian were actually close friends, which explained why she received the last message instead of the association. As Aaron listened to the recording, he was startled to hear his own name mentioned by Brian.

"The Golden Boy is the key to fight against them.. He possesses the most best artifact to take them down.." Brian's words about Aaron echoed in the audio message, emphasizing his significance in the battle against the enemy.

"You know, usually every 5-star mercenary would already have their own artifact once they receive one from the HQ. Specifically, it happens when they sign a contract to work for us for a few years for an artifact. Also for your information, I'm the one who crafts them. But in your case, I haven't made yours... So we kind of need an explanation here, even the association is curious too," Natalia's expression turned slightly serious, but her tone remained curious.

Aaron was taken aback by Natalia's question, but he maintained his composure.

"Cough cough.. I believe I have no reason to answer your question," replied Aaron with a cynical smile.

Natalia stared at him for a moment.

"Whatever.."

She continued to control the hologram projector, displaying several panels of video in front of them. Raizen watched silently from the side.

"This video was captured by one of our hidden surveillance devices around the Capital. It seems there were hundreds of them.."

The video showed Brian and his subordinates fighting for a while before they were overwhelmed and immobilized by the evil organization.

"Since you don't feel like sharing about your artifact, how about sharing information about theirs, since you've fought them before, right?" Natalia turned off the hologram and approached Aaron with a notebook, ready to gather information.

Aaron had no reason to withhold anything related to them. He had even told them about the dagger he had stolen from them previously before destroying it. He provided a brief explanation about the emissary's artifact, which seemed to be able to control others through invisible threads.

A few minutes later...

"Is that all? Urgh... Thank you for sharing this information," Natalia sighed in frustration.

"Raizen will inform the association. Meanwhile, we should gather with the other 5-stars and start working."

She spoke with Raizen for a while before leading Aaron to the highest floor of the building.

It wasn't Aaron's first time on the highest floor. Marco (Garry's first butler) had brought him there once for the initial briefing, although it had been brief. He remembered the place—a meeting room with a U-shaped table connecting each section, and a large desk for the association leader positioned next to a wide window.

Upon arriving, Natalia and Aaron were greeted by the association leader. The other 5-star mercenaries were already seated at their respective places, observing Aaron curiously. It seemed strange to them that the association leader would be so friendly, especially to someone new like Aaron.

During the briefing, Aaron discovered that the association leader, Rodney Bruce, was a former 5-star mercenary, just like himself. As he listened attentively, Aaron learned that the other 5-star mercenaries were occupied with crucial missions of their own, leaving them unavailable to assist. To ensure the safety of the Capital, the mercenary association had sought aid from the Royal Army.

Within the room, Aaron's gaze fell upon a group of individuals dressed in distinct attire, yet all adorned similar outfits. Their presence signaled that they were members of the Royal Army, called upon to support the mission.

However, Aaron couldn't help but notice the absence of government representatives, except for a lone official present during the briefing.