Chapter 45: Source of the Apocalypse

The two entered the Intelligence Division building. Inside, it was completely empty—everyone else had long since gone home.

They walked all the way to the team leader’s office, where Li Xingyue shut the door and began explaining the purpose of their overtime shift.

Thanks to the Logistics Division working around the clock, the scene of the Engineer’s decapitation had been fully restored, and the courtyard bungalow had been returned to its original state.

The commotion from last night’s operation might have been heard by some nearby nosy neighbors. The Apostles from the Logistics Division had systematically eliminated every potential risk of exposure.

Li Xingyue didn’t go into detail about what methods were used—but Lin Xun immediately thought of a certain movie, Men in Black… flashbulbs, memory wipes, that kind of thing…

His task now was to manifest the Engineer’s Shell and stay inside the bungalow—waiting to catch a big fish and gather intel.

Since Lin Xun was still a newly appointed Apostle, Lu Caiyi’s role was to disguise herself as a newly recruited subordinate of the Engineer and stay by his side as a bodyguard. Just in case he was exposed, she’d be there to protect him.

She had been the enforcer in the last mission; now she was the bodyguard.

Once Li Xingyue finished briefing them, she made a call and summoned Agent Zero and Ye Xiaoqi.

Apparently, Zero still didn’t know that the Paladin of Discipline who saved him earlier was actually this very pretty boy sitting right in front of him.

Zero gave Lin Xun a detailed rundown of the New World Organization and the Engineer’s personal history, so he wouldn’t blow his cover during the operation.

Ye Xiaoqi, meanwhile, immediately dragged Lu Caiyi away—who knows what the two of them were off to do.

By the time Lin Xun had digested everything Zero had told him, it was close to midnight.

Zero completed his task and left with a flourish.

Now only Li Xingyue and Lin Xun remained in the office.

The two of them sat on the sofa. The sultry, black-stocking wearing team leader gazed him up and down with those enchanting peach blossom eyes before finally speaking.

“So… what’s the deal between you and Lu Caiyi from the Armed Division?”

Something in her tone set off alarm bells in Lin Xun’s head. Why did it sound like she thought they were harboring some scandalous secret?

He immediately straightened up and replied righteously, “Team Leader Li, please don’t slander me. Lu Caiyi and I are just coworkers. That’s all.”

“Oh? Is that so?”

“Normal male and female coworkers go out drinking alone at night?”

Her tone was getting weirder and weirder.

Lin Xun asked back, “…Is that not allowed?”

“It’s allowed. Perfect, actually. I have a special mission for you.”

“What?” Lin Xun was caught completely off guard.

Li Xingyue crossed her arms—further accentuating her ample figure. Her black stockings wrapped snugly around her curvy legs, and her expression was… unreadable.

“I want you to recruit Lu Caiyi.”

Lin Xun jolted, eyes wide. He rubbed his ears.

“Team Leader Li… did I hear that right? You want me to recruit Lu Caiyi?”

“Of course you heard right. That little girl’s scheming is written all over her face…”

Li Xingyue sneered, oozing that powerful older-woman aura.

“She’s clearly trying to poach you for the Armed Division. You think I, the head of Intelligence, wouldn’t notice?”

“The division of labor between the Armed and Intelligence Divisions isn’t as clean-cut as you think. We’re not just intel, and they’re not just combat.”

“Usually, missions that start with us, end with us. We only hand them off to the Armed Division if we truly can’t handle them.”

“So we also need combat-capable personnel. If we can handle it in-house, why bother with external help?”

“Instead of constantly borrowing Lu Caiyi back and forth, why not just have you turn the tables—bring her over to us.”

Lin Xun let out a breath. So that’s what she meant by “recruit Lu Caiyi”—not some wild romance mission sanctioned from above. It was a counter-poaching op.

Counter-poaching?

Now he was truly stunned. What kind of undercover mole drama was this?

Aren’t they all under the Apostle Security Council? Shouldn’t everyone be united and harmonious? Why did it feel like everyone here was craftier than a sieve?

Lin Xun had already forgotten that just earlier today, he had literally thrown an Armed Division officer into a toilet stall.

“So? Are you accepting the mission or not?”

Li Xingyue rested her chin on one hand, looking at him with interest.

Lin Xun was just about to decline when she suddenly manifested something out of thin air.

It looked like a lump of foul-smelling, rotting black sludge—he remembered this was something she had obtained from the deceased Engineer.

[Type-II Source of the Apocalypse Fragment — Corrupted Mire: This item is unique. Upon the Apostle’s death, it is guaranteed to drop. You may bring this item to the Library and solidify it into a Relic.]

Lin Xun’s pupils contracted sharply. Source of the Apocalypse? Relic?!

He’d never obtained anything like this before.

The Relics section of his Apostle Panel had always been empty.

Seeing his reaction, Li Xingyue smiled with satisfaction and shoved the Source of the Apocalypse into his hand.

“Since you’ve accepted this, I’ll take it as your agreement to the mission: recruit Lu Caiyi.”

Then, she explained its origin and function.

When an Apostle finishes decoding a chapter of the Book of Salvation, the game calculates a decoding rating. If the rating is S-rank, it rewards a Source of the Apocalypse.

Once back at the Library, the Apostle can solidify the Source into a powerful item called a Relic.

But earning a Source of the Apocalypse was incredibly difficult. Most Apostles couldn’t even clear a chapter, let alone reach the evaluation stage.

Even powerful Apostles typically only scored D or C grades. B and A were extremely rare—and S-rank was practically unheard of.

But Lin Xun felt something wasn’t quite right.

If the Source of the Apocalypse could become a Relic, why didn’t the game just give out the Relic directly? Why insert this extra step?

Was it possible the Source had other uses?

He turned to Li Xingyue with a questioning look. This time, she didn’t answer.

“The Source of the Apocalypse is yours now. With the Engineer Shell, your cover should hold.”

“As long as you manage to establish contact with the New World Organization using the Shell, this operation is more than halfway to success.”

Lin Xun nodded. Even if his cover were blown, Lu Caiyi was acting as his bodyguard—he’d be safe.

And just how strong was Lu Caiyi? Lin Xun knew all too well.

Back when he invaded her game, the white-clad girl knelt motionless and let him attack—he had to hit her with five or six of his strongest skills just to win.

If it were a real-life duel, he’d be the one running for his life.

Knock knock knock.

The office door opened.

Ye Xiaoqi strolled in, dragging along a stunning girl.

“Lin Xun, take a look. This chick hot or what?”

The stranger was dressed in Lu Caiyi’s clothes, with the same voluptuous figure—but her face was completely different, though equally beautiful.

If she wore different clothes, Lin Xun definitely wouldn’t recognize her.

“Comrade Xiaoqi, this… this is your handiwork?”

Ye Xiaoqi tilted her chin proudly.

“Of course. My skills are top-notch.”

Lin Xun nodded. So Ye Xiaoqi could even do face swaps? Marrying her would be like getting a new wife every day.

‘Wait, when did I become such a pervert…’

“Alright, everything’s ready. Xiaoqi, go help Lu Caiyi change again. Then they can head out for the mission.”

“No problem~”