Mystery: Big Alarm Clock Ghroth Path

Chapter 357 General Roger's Instructions

"Don't overthink it, this isn't just for you."

Luna shook her head:

"After all, MI9 is ​​a state agency of Ruen, and it would be inappropriate for civilians to appear here."

"Of course, you can take this uniform with you later. Your identification is in the inner pocket of the jacket. If needed in the future, you can also act as a Major General of MI9."

"You're so good to me, aren't you afraid I'll use the name of the Rune military to cause trouble outside?"

As Roger spoke, he picked up the military uniform and examined it closely.

The uniform was very well made; although it was just a uniform, it was definitely a genuine general's uniform.

Roger estimated that the outfit was worth close to three figures, almost the same as his best formal suit.

"This is not a decision I made alone."

Luna shook her head, smiled, placed Bandit on the table, told it not to run around, and then said:
"After all, your current background and strength far exceed those of a typical major general. Giving you an official title is actually to restrain and buy you off... In a sense, the rank you obtained is very much in line with the tradition of the military."

"What tradition?"

Roger raised an eyebrow and asked curiously.

"The bigger the fist, the higher the rank."

Luna smiled and then pointed to the changing room next door.

"Go inside and change your clothes. There's a new pair of military boots there. Cecilia and I have checked your size, so it should be correct."

"Okay, thank you, sir."

Roger gave Luna a very exaggerated Rune salute, then ran to the locker room amidst her glare.

Upon entering the locker room, the first thing Roger did was pull out his officer's badge, which read "Quentin Zakaria, Deputy Director of Special Operations Division, MI8".

The photo on the officer's ID card was of a handsome face that Roger didn't recognize.

"MI8... Special Operations Division, this must be the external cover for MI9, right?"

Roger immediately understood that MI9 was a secret national intelligence agency, and ordinary civilians and even soldiers knew very little about it. Although it was an independent agency, it was officially affiliated with MI8.

This is somewhat similar to how "Night Watchers," "Substitute Punishers," and "Mechanical Hearts" are all affiliated with the police department and have higher authority than ordinary police officers. This is both for the sake of secrecy and to avoid disturbing ordinary people and prevent those being investigated from becoming suspicious.

Furthermore, Roger now understands that the higher-ups in Rune probably already know that Roger's instigation played a role in George III's failure to ascend to the position of "Black Emperor".

However, considering Roger's current strength, his contributions in the war, and his relationship with the two major orthodox churches, the higher-ups of Rune could not retaliate against him. They could only try to win him over by granting him military rank and privileges, in order to prevent him from acting rashly and doing something that would destabilize the situation again.

It can be said that with the rank of Major General in Rune, or even Major General in MI9, Roger could basically do whatever he wanted in all of Rune and overseas colonies, as long as it wasn't a particularly sensitive or confidential department.

The principle of not hitting a smiling face is applicable in any era. Even if Roger could consult with Luna, who represents both the royal family and the military, it would still be a good thing.

Roger readily accepted this arrangement, and he was happy to have an identity that would make his activities easier, saving him from future troubles.

He quickly put on his military uniform and boots, and stored his clothes and weapons in the "Original Dynamic Core".

Looking at his reflection in the mirror—tall and imposing, yet with a hint of untamed arrogance in his eyes—Roger was fairly satisfied.

"Although he's a bit like a thug, he's at least a little more serious than Chunas Korg."

Because Roger had interrogated Chunus Colger and knew many of MI9's internal systems and procedures, Roger can now be seen in a sense as having taken over Colger's original position.

Soon, Roger, carrying his military cap, strode out of the locker room and saw Luna Augustus, who was now dressed in a female lieutenant general's uniform.

"Wow, he's quite handsome, and his walk is pretty proper too."

Luna, seeing Roger standing in front of her, commented with some surprise.

But she then added:
"But when you stand still, you still unconsciously reveal the roguish air of a pirate captain... Can you tone it down a bit, Deputy Director Zakaria?"
"Also, don't forget to change your appearance to look like your ID photo later. Your face is too famous now, you know what I mean?"

"Yes, sir."

Roger pursed his lips, then readjusted his posture and appearance before following Luna down the metal staircase.

"Jordan and the others have arrived. Have them complete the procedures, and you can ask them any questions during the defense session."

As Luna spoke, she slammed her foot on the steel floor with a "bang," then took a few steps forward and pushed open a heavy steel door.

The room was a soundproof room with foam padding all around, and the gas lamp overhead was very bright. Two men and a woman were already sitting at the table.

Those were Jordan Phillips, Mikael Zeke, and Aria Chamberlain.

At this moment, all three were wearing the uniforms of junior officers from MI9, with Jordan holding the highest rank, having reached the level of lieutenant.

Upon seeing Luna and Roger enter, the three of them stood up simultaneously and greeted their two superiors.

Since it was the first time they had met Roger, all three of them glanced at him, but only for a moment.

With just one glance, they confirmed three things: Roger was a major general, his skin from his fingers to his wrists was fair, suggesting he had been working indoors in the Northern Continent for a long time, and he had a very close relationship with Luna, most likely being one of Luna's protégés.

These are the basic skills of intelligence personnel, namely, to discover the most information with the least amount of observation. In addition, they kept their heads down throughout and behaved very respectfully and humbly.

Roger understood that this was a manifestation of Luna's deep-seated power in their minds; heaven knows what inhuman torture this female intelligence chief had inflicted on them during anti-torture training.

Afterwards, guided by Luna, the three of them gave their respective reports.

Although the three have not been intelligence agents for very long, they have already carried out many missions under Luna's intensive training. Jordan has just escaped back from Intis, while Michael and Aria are engaged in intelligence liaison work in Fursac and Fenneport, respectively.

Although they had different roles, they all performed exceptionally well. Aria Chamberlain even provided crucial intelligence during an operation to eliminate a mole within the Rune army, preventing Rune from suffering even greater losses.

Luna then asked a few more questions, and all three answered fluently. She nodded in satisfaction and then looked at Roger beside her.

"Let me introduce you. This is Major General Quentin Zakaria, Deputy Director of the Special Operations Division of MI9. He was the one who initially proposed and planned the 'Honesty Demon' program, so he is the mastermind behind it. I brought him to meet you today in the hope that you two can have a more in-depth exchange on the 'Honesty Demon' program."

Upon hearing Luna's words, the three intelligence agents immediately greeted Roger.

"Thank you three for your hard work."

Roger said in a deep voice, having changed his tone and manner, making his voice more powerful and solemn:

"First of all, Jordan Phillips, I congratulate you on your promotion to Sequence 8 and your conferment of the rank of lieutenant."

"Thank you, Major General Zakaria."

Jordan answered calmly and composedly.

It must be said that after the Intis incident, he became much more mature and composed.

"Sequence 8?"

Only then did Michael and Aria glance at Jordan with some surprise.

They had seen Jordan's rank rise before, but they initially thought it was the result of some military achievement. Now it seems to be the result of an extraordinary improvement in his abilities.

"Wait, according to what Ms. Luna said earlier, advancing to Sequence 8 through the 'criminal' pathway should make one cold-blooded and inhuman, but Jordan didn't give me that feeling during our conversation just now?"

Soon, Michael realized something was wrong, as did Aria Chamberlain.

Because the three men received training in counter-interrogation and torture from the same system, they did not notice that Jordan exhibited obvious premonitions and self-suggestion behaviors that concealed his thoughts. Considering that Jordan's personality was like this, a somewhat strange guess appeared in their minds.

"Could it be that Jordan has found the right direction to play the 'Fallen Angel' potion?"

In an instant, the way they looked at Jordan became increasingly strange.

When Jordan joined the "Honest Demon" program, he was the worst performer and the least favored. In addition, his personality was rather dull, so his process of passing the test took much longer than that of Aria and Mikael.

But right now, he has become the first person to advance to Sequence 8 and find the right direction to play, which makes Michael and Aria feel somewhat disconnected.

Then they heard Roger say:
"If possible, could you please share with us your experience of digesting the Sequence 8 potion?"

"Ok."

Jordan nodded, and then, following Roger's orders, recounted without reservation what he had previously told Luna.

However, compared to last time, he added some of his own thoughts and summaries on the essence of the "Fallen Angel" potion during this period, which can be regarded as a summary of the rules of positive role-playing.

Mikael and Aria were both deep in thought upon hearing this information. With Roger's permission, they asked Jordan some questions they were concerned about and received his answers one by one.

"……I see."

After Michael understood what had happened, he raised his head, took a deep breath, and then let out a long sigh.

To summarize Jordan's experience in one sentence, if you want to play a positive role in the process of digesting the "fallen angel" potion, you must find an emotional anchor before the promotion, soften your personality, and then use this anchor to pull yourself up so that you don't fall into the abyss.

Compared to the "criminal" of Sequence 9 and the "serial killer" of Sequence 7, the fact that the "fallen angel" can modify people's minds is indeed the biggest challenge for the positive role and the first major obstacle on this path.

Aria is doing a little better, but for Michael right now, his life has entered a state of lack of purpose, which makes him feel very lost about his future and doesn't know how to move forward.

"Michael".

Just as he was pondering this, he heard Roger call his name.

"Yes, Major General Zakaria?"

Michael snapped out of his daze and looked at Roger, nodding respectfully.

"After listening to Jordan's words, what are your thoughts?"

Roger asked softly, his expression calm and composed.

"This……"

Michael was stunned:

"To be honest, Major General Zakaria, this matter has deeply affected me."

"Tell me more about it."

Roger crossed his arms, leaned forward, and adopted an attitude of keen interest and attentive listening.

"In my original imagination, the path of the extraordinary is not like this."

Michael's gaze was somewhat vacant:

"I originally thought that only the calmest, most discerning, thoughtful, and adaptable people could go far on this path, but now it seems I was wrong."

"To be honest, I'm a bit lost right now. I don't know what's right and what's wrong... I can try to learn from Jordan's approach, but that would undoubtedly be a setback for me."

"Of course, I'm not saying Jordan's path is wrong, but everyone has their own behavioral habits... In the words of Emperor Rosell, it's path dependence."

"I have always considered myself a calm, rational, and decisive person, and this mindset has benefited me a lot. However, it seems to be hindering my progress at present."

"I don't know if you understand what I mean... After all, a person's personality is not formed in a day or two. On the one hand, I have to force myself to step out of my comfort zone, and on the other hand, I don't have any relatives in this world with whom I can place my emotions for a long time. Even though I have already avenged my great enemy, I feel very frustrated... It's like I'm a mayfly without any support."

“Perhaps I am already a failure in your plans… Perhaps I should leave MI9? Oh… no, now that I’ve become a ‘criminal,’ perhaps I should spend the rest of my life under control and surveillance?” “Of course I understand.”

Roger nodded upon hearing this:
"Actually, Mikael, influenced by Jordan's case, you've started to waver and become less confident, haven't you?"

"This……"

Michael was slightly taken aback; only then did he realize that Roger was right.

Indeed, he, who was originally very confident and believed that his rationality and wisdom could overcome everything, now began to doubt himself and waver because of Jordan's experience.

“Mikael, what I’m trying to say is that Jordan has his strengths, and you have yours.”

Roger shook his head, and then said:
"You need to understand one thing: confidence is not a static quality. If a person is always confident regardless of the occasion, then strictly speaking, that is being stubborn and blindly arrogant."

"Your original confidence was clearly not one of these two situations, but rather the result of your long-term wisdom that surpassed that of ordinary people during your growth, which made you always successful in dealing with most worldly problems."

"But the world of the extraordinary is very different from the secular world. Here, many of your ideas will be overturned, and what you gain is often what you lose, while what you lose may be what you gain."

Michael was stunned by Roger's words. He didn't speak for a moment, but frowned and turned to look at Roger again.

Roger ignored his expression and continued speaking to himself:

"After learning that there was an opportunity to avenge your mother, you decisively abandoned your social status and the halo of worldly success, and joined the 'righteous devil's' plan that could cost you your life without hesitation. This shows that you are not as calm and rational as you say, and do not know how to make choices. Instead, you deeply cherish love and kindness from the bottom of your heart, and feel a deep hatred for those who disrupt the peaceful order in your heart."

"Your wisdom and composure enabled you to successfully pass MI9's training and assessment. However, after seeing Jordan's case, your first reaction was not to scoff or to act recklessly, but to feel confused. This shows that you are not a stubborn person, but rather someone who is good at learning and reflecting on yourself. This ability to introspect alone has already surpassed many of those who consider themselves smart."

"Your inner resilience, your ability to learn continuously, and your intelligence are the qualities that belong to you. You are not as 'confident' as you think, and intelligence and calmness are never synonymous with cold-bloodedness. Inclusiveness and a willingness to learn are not the same as cowardice."

"To borrow a saying from my family, a true man knows what to do and what not to do. Simply calculating gains and losses is merely petty cleverness or shortsightedness, or, in many cases, even a breeding ground for the tiny seeds of evil."

"For ordinary people, such minor evils are nothing, but for an extraordinary person who is about to embark on the path of 'righteous evil,' you must find a sufficiently vast and expansive object of sustenance to counteract your individual, self-centered instincts that could lead to the subversion of your personality and a slide into the abyss."

Upon hearing this, Michael closed his eyes, pondered for a long time, and then spoke:
"Then, in your opinion, what should I do?"

"You don't need to leave MI9 for now. You can continue your work, since you have nowhere else to go anyway."

"In this process, you can try to think about the meaning of your own existence and see if you can find people or things worth sacrificing your life to protect... This will involve a lot of thinking and reflection. If one day you feel that you are ready to take the 'Fallen Angel' potion, you can contact me at any time."

"Of course, you must take responsibility for your decision. If you fall into the abyss after becoming a 'fallen angel,' I will personally eliminate you."

Hearing Roger's serious expression, not only Michael, but also Jordan and Aria dared not breathe. They all felt the tangible intimidation and pressure emanating from this major general they had never met before.

"Of course, you don't need to be too pessimistic."

Roger seemed to sense the pressure emanating from him, and his serious expression softened into a slight smile:
"Of course, I will also actively help you in this matter... This help may be in places you can't see, but it can really help you."

He was referring to his efforts to pull Fabuti out of the "abyss," at least to restore some of his self-awareness. Judging from various signs, his efforts in this regard have been somewhat effective.

The only uncertainty is when Fabti will regain his senses and autonomy, so the progress of the "Honest Demon" project can also serve as a reminder of what changes may have occurred in Fabti.

"As for Aria, you can also refer to Jordan's experience. I think this is the right path. If you are fortunate enough to advance to Sequence 7 and digest the corresponding potion, I also have some insights into the role of Sequence 6 potions that I can share with you."

"Considering that there are some new participants in the 'Honesty Demon' program behind you, Lieutenant Jordan Phillips, I order you to summarize your experience into a detailed memorandum and submit it to MI9. I will personally screen the contents of this document and determine the classification level of its different parts."

"Do you understand, Lieutenant?"

Upon hearing Roger's words, Jordan immediately stood at attention, saluted, and then shouted:
"Understood, sir!"

Luna glanced at Roger and Jordan with a half-smile, seemingly amused that Roger had so quickly settled into his role as a major general.

In fact, Roger, who led a large fleet and implemented quasi-military management, naturally possessed the aura of a superior. At this moment, with Roger using his Sequence 4 "troublemaker" ability to self-suggest, he quickly assumed the role of a true rear admiral.

Soon, Michael and Aria also expressed their obedience and gratitude to Roger for his arrangements. Although Michael's confusion was not completely eliminated, the bewilderment on his face had been largely removed.

Roger then got up and saw the three of them off, before returning to the meeting room and sitting down with Luna.

"By the way, judging from your expression, you seem to be planning to do something to the 'Abyss,' am I right?"

Luna blinked curiously and asked.

"I can't say that, you can ask your leader."

Roger shook his head. Although he wanted to admit it, he was equally unsure how this would affect the subsequent plans.

"The leader hasn't contacted me for a while."

Luna pursed her lips, then said:

"By the way, speaking of which, has the leader already...?"

“Thou shalt not look directly at God.”

Roger immediately interrupted Luna.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry."

Luna immediately understood the meaning behind Roger's words. After speaking, the girl made a prayer gesture in front of her, closed her eyes and muttered something, as if she was asking for the forgiveness of the "dreamer".

Roger watched Luna's actions with amusement. After she finished praying, he saw Luna raise her head and ask:
"By the way, there's a new secret organization in Backlund called the 'Hercules School' recently. I'd like to confirm if it's related to you."

"Ah."

Roger nodded, knowing that Luna was asking the question for intelligence security reasons.

"Then I understand. A new evil god organization. We'll destroy it tomorrow."

Luna clenched her fist and looked at Roger with a defiant expression.

Roger chuckled. Instead of trying to argue with Luna, he asked in return:
"Hey you... is there anything else? If not, I'm leaving."

"Bye-Bye."

Luna stretched out her left hand and waved, giving a "take care" look.

Roger sighed, turned and left the conference room, taking Bandit with him, and then used "teleport" again to return to 15 Minsk Street.

Afterwards, Roger spent the night at Worston Gardens with his family. The following day, Roger met with Mr. C and used his network to purchase a large amount of supplies for use in the “Forsaken Land.”

After it was all over, Roger's incredibly handsome subordinate reported:

"Your Excellency, Dark Star Saint, there is something I need to inform you of."

"I received a message the day before yesterday that Ms. D seemed to be inquiring about my whereabouts."

"Ms. D?"

Roger thought hard for a while, and suddenly he realized where he had heard the name before.

This should be an Aurora Messenger whom "The Hermit" Cattleya was acquainted with, but during Roger and Cattleya's personal interactions, she did not mention any details about that messenger.

"What does she want from you?"

Roger pressed for more information.

“I don’t know, but as far as I know, she is a messenger of the gods who is mainly under the command of the ‘Shadow Saint’ Arexos.”

Mr. C shook his head.

"Arexus?"

Roger lowered his head in thought upon hearing this. The fact that he and this "Shadow Saint" were in a hostile state was already common knowledge among the well-informed messengers within the "Aurora Society," so he really couldn't understand why Arexos would send Ms. D to contact Mr. C at this time.

Roger thought for a moment before saying:
“C, you can contact Ms. D and see what her needs are.”

“If she’s here on behalf of the ‘Shadow Saint,’ you can ask her what she’s asking for. If she’s doing it for her own sake and it doesn’t interfere with our work, then you can help her if you can.”

"clear."

Mr. C nodded slightly, having no objection to Roger's words.

"By the way, how's P been doing lately?"

After finishing his conversation about Ms. D, Roger turned his attention to Patrick Wisconsin.

"It's not bad. He has basically taken over all the work I did in Tingen, and it's running quite well so far."

After hearing Mr. C's answer, Roger asked for some more details. Once he was sure there were no problems, he took out a glass bottle from his pocket and handed it to Mr. C.

The glass bottle contained a hazy, indistinct object, which upon closer inspection turned out to be a translucent, grayish-white hand.

“Once P has fully digested the potion, you can help him advance to the rank of 'Shepherd'.”

"Yes, Your Excellency."

C immediately nodded respectfully and then put away the extraordinary "shepherd" characteristic.

"Alright, go outside and stay there. Let me rest for a while."

Roger waved his hand, and Mr. C went out to carry out the order. Roger then leaned back in his chair and entered a meditative state, continuing to process the believers' prayers in the "Primal Core".

Since Roger had previously answered the prayers from the Silver City twice, the number of prayers from the Silver City surged to four within two days, seemingly indicating that the Council of Six had begun a more intensive experiment.

This is undoubtedly good news for Roger. As long as Silver City can gradually lower its guard against the Star Orbit Tuners, it will only be a matter of time before he obtains an anchor from there.

After he finished processing all the prayers, he prepared to return to Worston Gardens to pick up Bandit and go back to the “Forsaken Land” to continue the unfinished work.

However, at that moment, the "Rat of De La Hoya" once again leaped out of the darkness.

"A letter from Little Hat to you."

"And who is the one with the little hat?"

Roger rubbed his temples, took the letter with a puzzled look, and found that it was sent by Ethan.

The letter was simple: Ethan informed Roger that a middle-aged man had personally visited the 'Flame Dragon' bar at noon, expressing his desire to invite Mr. Jack Carbin to a party that evening in Queens Backlund.

Since Roger had informed Ethan of his new alias after returning from "Natalie's Astrology Hut," Ethan immediately relayed the invitation.

"It seems there are still some sensible people in the 'He Xing School'."

Roger smiled and shook his head. All his previous efforts to show off his skills were in vain, but the Sequence 9 "Secret Seeker" Natalie didn't seem to understand his advanced operation. Fortunately, he knew that all interview drafts needed to be reviewed, so he left for the time being.

Throughout the process, Roger remained uncertain about the final outcome, but fortunately, the "Hexing School's" review system came into play, allowing him to pass the assessment.

On the other hand, Roger's answer to the third question involved some advanced techniques. Understanding these techniques is not an easy task; even the most experienced astrologers would need to consult a large amount of information to determine the answer.

This pleased Roger somewhat, and he immediately wrote back to Ethan, indicating that he would attend the "Hertz School" gathering on time.

At 7:30 p.m., Roger, dressed in a black cloak that completely covered his face, appeared precisely in front of a small, gray-white stone building in a corner of Queen Backlund and then knocked hard on the heavy black door.

(End of this chapter)