Book 4: Chapter 26: The Hydra of Heracles

Back in the underground passage, although Qin Lun and Grant had the guidance of Lili and Little Lian, they did not actually reach the final destination.

The area where Lili and Little Lian were belonged to the core of the Allied Forces Non-conventional Forces Research Institute, while the laboratory of the ‘Super Soldier Program’ was just the outer part of it.

Given the specific situation at the time, Joey and Grant also did not have the time or strength to break into the core area, and they ended up stopping at the outer laboratory.

Even though the Gentlemen Alliance was not strong enough to take on the Justice League, the Allied Forces did not dare to slack off at all.

Under the trap and the double attack from traitors, the Gentlemen Alliance still managed to obtain the ‘Super Soldier Program’.

Skorzeny and others even briefly broke into the real hidden base of the three-nation leaders, giving the Allied Forces a loud slap in the face.

In this situation, the Allied Forces no longer dared to look down on the Gentlemen Alliance.

They not only tightened the blockade in Casablanca, but also quickly sent away the leaders of the three nations and the important figures from the Non-conventional Forces Research Institute.

However, some scientists who were badly injured in the shelling could not endure the long journey by plane or warship.

They could only be sent by the steadiest military train to Ceuta in Morocco.

Then, they would cross the strait to enter neutral Portugal for recovery.

Among these was Albert Einstein, who was seen as a major target by the Gentlemen Alliance.

Actually, this was all part of Qin Lun and Grant’s entire plan.

Before the operation started, the two Serial Killers had already realized they might not break through to the core area where Einstein was.

So, they asked Lin Feng to forge false intelligence.

They lied that they had intercepted the Allied Forces’ telegrams, and they mixed in Einstein’s pathology report with the laboratory data they obtained.

As the only surviving communications soldier in the team, Lin Feng was unlikely to be suspected.

And the laboratory for the ‘Super Soldier Program’ was itself the top technological force studying biochemistry, so it wasn’t strange for Einstein’s pathology report to appear there.

Just as the two Serial Killers expected, Skorzeny and others easily accepted this false intelligence that could only come from an Apostle.

“No, Stark, the target we will attack is only less important than the three-nation leaders for the Allied Forces,” Skorzeny said seriously.

“They probably also have many Superhumans with them. Only by gathering all of us do we have hope of winning!”

“The Super Soldier data should be handed over to the intelligence officer here to take on the submarine, while the Gentlemen Alliance joins hands with Hydra to strike!”

“Alright, if it is like that, let Hydra’s army doctors tend to some of the wounded first, and then we set off immediately,” Baron Stark nodded.

“As for the intelligence officer carrying the research data, they can depart after we begin our assault, which will make it easier for them to break through the defense lines.”

Even though Hydra Corps and the Gentlemen Alliance were not in a superior-subordinate relationship, and Stark’s rank was higher than Skorzeny’s, this operation was led by the Gentlemen Alliance.

Also, Skorzeny held a higher position in the Führer’s eyes than him.

In a way, at least for this operation, Hydra Corps was in a serving position.

As the two SS leaders opposite spoke softly in discussion, Grant’s eyes flashed.

He turned to Joey beside him and asked quietly, “Qin Lun? Joey?”

“Joey!” Joey glanced at him and replied coldly.

“Joey? Why have you lost the aura of the ‘Dissector’?” Grant frowned slightly.

He hesitated for a moment, but still felt uneasy and asked secretly.

The so-called ‘Dissector’ aura in Grant’s words naturally referred to Joey’s unique killing aura as a Serial Killer.

To some creatures with sharp Perception, this aura was like a super bright light—clearer than a thousand-watt bulb.

Just as when the top predator in the food chain appears, the surroundings go silent, and even insects stop their chirping.

Although Grant was not an instinctively sharp insect, his Perception was similarly powerful, so he naturally felt Joey’s difference from before.

Every Serial Killer would carry a unique evil aura when revealing their dark side, like their personal trademark.

For example: after Grant put on the Human Skin Mask of the Joker, his temperament would become totally different, showing a strange, cold aura that was hard to predict with joy or anger.

And Joey’s aura was one of wild, surging killing and death.

Of course, this aura couldn’t be kept up for long because the real terror of a Serial Killer lies in their heart, not their appearance.

No matter how evil or dark the negative emotions are, they build up over time.

The horror of a Serial Killer often comes from this eruption of their stored darkness.

Once the negative emotions have been released, a Serial Killer usually wouldn’t maintain that evil aura anymore.

This wasn’t because they couldn’t, but because they resisted it instinctively.

The reason was simple: staying in negative feelings for too long could make even a mentally unstable Serial Killer lose their nature and become a senseless beast.

Every ‘successful’ Serial Killer had two sides—knowing when to control and release the demon inside.

In short, they all had their own symbols and tools.

Like the Joker’s mask, the Dissector’s dual personality, or Hill’s Shepherd theory.

“Why do I need to have the Dissector’s aura at all times?” Joey’s lips curled at the corners, revealing a flash of white teeth like a cunning wolf baring its teeth.

Grant narrowed his eyes to hide his surprise.

It wasn’t strange for a Serial Killer to change their aura, but according to rumors, Joey Foster was a negative personality born to protect Qin Lun—much like his own Human Skin Mask.

If Joey could control his Serial Killer aura freely just like him, then the hidden information in the ‘Dissector’s tone was vast, with several possibilities.

Whatever the truth, it probably wasn’t a good sign for Qin Lun, the other personality.

“You don’t need to guess wildly. Qin Lun and I have coexisted for so long like conjoined twins,” Joey said coldly, seeming to realize he had revealed too much and added an explanation.

“It’s not hard for either of us to disguise as the other!”

Grant nodded and fell silent, but his mind was racing, as Joey’s unnecessary explanation made him think of even more.

Even the Joker, after seeing Joey’s wild side, recognized that Qin Lun was easier to deal with.

But if Joey could always control his aura and disguise himself as Qin Lun at any time, then the situation was different.

“Come here and check this out!” Skorzeny discussed with Stark for a while and then called them over.

“This is a three-dimensional model that Madame Monica made based on the map provided by the intelligence officer,” Skorzeny explained to everyone while pointing at the dirt model in the center of the room.

This three-dimensional model was a steep, dangerous canyon with a railway bridge crossing it at the top, about a hundred meters long.

The canyon was winding and bent, with a rushing stream running at its base.

The stream had a broad surface not less than a big river, but it was still called a stream because it wasn’t deep—the deepest part was under two meters.

The stream had clear water, but since this part of the canyon had a large height difference, the water flowed extremely fast.

Moreover, there was a thirty-meter-tall waterfall ahead in the canyon.

The target the Gentlemen Alliance was about to attack would pass through this place in a military train.

After discussing, Skorzeny and Stark decided to ambush the Allied Forces train here.

The terrain was harsh here—troops couldn’t deploy—making it perfect for small groups of elite special forces.

If their time wasn’t so limited, they could have planted explosives on the railway bridge beforehand for Captain Bock to detonate them, and there wouldn’t be likely any survivors.

“During the fight, you must be careful,” Skorzeny reminded them all seriously.

“Although there’s a stream below the railway bridge, the depth is low, with weird stones all along the sides and bottom.”

“Even if we fall in, survival would be slim.”

“Sure enough, they chose this as the ambush location!” Grant and Lin Feng exchanged a knowing look secretly.

“Lin Feng, notify Little Lian and Lili to prepare themselves mentally.”

“Temporary Apostle Team 753, you have completed the Main Quest spin-off ‘Golden Apple of Heracles,’ with a 78% completeness in obtaining the ‘Super Soldier Program’ data.”

“Apostle 70053, your personal contribution to this mission is 31%, awarding you 15,000 Shattered Crystals, 500 Exchange Vouchers, one Law of Shattering Fusion Crystal, and 5 Contribution Points.”

“Attention: Completing the spin-off quest ‘Golden Apple of Heracles’ is treated as Team 753 fulfilling the Main Quest.”

“Temporary team members can choose to give up any other spin-off quests taken, receive rewards for this Main Quest, and return to the Shattered Starry Sky after extra rewards for World Exploration Degree are calculated.”

“Attention: Team 753 has triggered the Main Quest spin-off ‘Hydra of Heracles.'”

“Team members choosing to delay their return to the Shattered Starry Sky will have a ten-day extension to complete this quest.”

“Warning: If you delay your return, you cannot freely go back during the mission, and failure will cost you the base rewards from the previous Main Quest.”

The ‘Heracles’ Main Quest spin-offs that had appeared were all named after Heracles’ twelve impossible tasks.

The Golden Apple clearly referred to the ‘Super Soldier Program’ obtained by the Gentlemen Alliance.

And the Hydra in legends was the nine-headed snake—though this Hydra didn’t mean the Hydra Corps led by Baron Stark.

“In mythology, Heracles had an ally Iolaus when fighting the Hydra, just as we have Baron Stark and the Red Skull helping us,” Lin Feng suddenly spoke up on the Team Channel.

“It’s worth noting that the nine-headed Hydra also had a crab monster as an ally, so besides the Justice League, might we meet other Superhuman groups this time?”

“Possibly!” Grant replied, then glanced at Joey who stayed silent.

He remembered the chained quest the Dissector had taken—’Grimm Foe’.

Although Casablanca gathered all the extraordinary people from the Allied powers, not every Superhuman truly belonged to the Justice League.

Just like the Gentlemen Alliance—beyond warriors like Captain Bock and Skorzeny who came from the army, people such as Madame Monica and Baron von Wurdenbeller would leave the Gentlemen Alliance after this incident.

If the Grimm Academy appeared on the target train, because of the ‘Grimm Foe’ connection, they might clash fiercely with Joey, causing bigger troubles for the Gentlemen Alliance.

For the Gentlemen Alliance, this was bad news, but if used well… Grant’s eyes flickered briefly over Joey’s back as he glanced away, his gaze flashing with a strange light.

Joey, facing away from Grant, lowered his head slightly and curled his lips into a barely noticeable vicious smile.