From Tang Rou’s loss of contact during the attack to the ambush of the search and rescue team, and then Alexander’s accidental stimulation of the Eye of Ra, which led to its complete awakening—the mission’s events were primarily recounted by Tang Rou, Christina, and Alexander.
As a logistics observer, Lin Yu did not have much to add.
Vigus provided real-time translation through his earpiece, converting the rapid, variously accented English into clear Chinese that flowed into his mind.
His English was sufficient for exams, but in such a formal setting, he likely would have struggled to keep up without the translation.
When the report reached the moment Alexander mentioned his bullet accidentally hitting the Artifact Containment Box—
“What did you say?!”
Director Tangris stood up abruptly, his fist hitting the table with a bang that made the water glasses tremble.
The veins on his temples bulged as he glared at Alexander.
“Through what channel did you learn the mission location? And why did you join the mission without authorization?”
“If it weren’t for me,” Alexander said calmly, a composed smile remaining on his face, “the Divine Artifact would likely have fallen into someone else’s hands by now.”
“Continue the report.”
Chief Carter interrupted them just as the dispute threatened to escalate further.
The briefing continued in a somewhat stiff atmosphere.
When it was finally mentioned that Alexander had delivered the final blow to the Avatar of Ra on the platform and successfully “conquered” the Eye of Ra, gaining the right to use it—even though Alexander himself insisted it was more a matter of luck and catching a break, emphasizing that Ra had already been heavily damaged when he arrived—Director Tangris’s expression softened visibly.
As the report progressed, it soon reached the part where Lin Yu saved the two of them.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Yu stood up at Tangris’s signal.
“At the time, under Christina’s cover, I ran toward the other side of the hole…”
Lin Yu’s words were broadcast in the briefing room through Vigus’s translation.
Even before the translation was finished, many of those who understood Chinese already showed expressions of disdain.
Once the translation was complete, the looks on everyone’s faces became even more awkward.
It was not surprising; no matter the circumstances, abandoning a companion was never an honorable act.
“My leg was injured at the time, so I chose to have him find a way to escape first,” Christina added.
Lin Yu glanced at Christina.
She was being quite loyal, even omitting the reason why her leg was injured.
“Soon after, that group—the Bounty Hunters—pursued us. There were three of them. I fought back with my gun but was knocked down, and then I lost consciousness,” Christina continued.
“Not long after I ran, I heard gunshots. I was terrified, and I started to hesitate about whether I should go back… eventually, I decided to return. But when I got back, I only saw her lying on the ground, surrounded by blood. That made me even more afraid. I just thought about how I didn’t want her to die, and then I don’t know what happened. It felt like I was in a dream, and something in the dream told me I could heal her…”
Lin Yu said.
“It looks like a Divine Revelation.”
Tangris rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and the others nodded in agreement.
‘Divine Revelation? Divine Revelation, my foot!’
It was all a lie he had just made up on the spot.
To make it fit that damned superpower, he had fabricated an Awakening story for himself, modeling it after what Professor Corso had said on the train.
Although he was feeling unsure, the story seemed to have worked based on their reactions.
He had bluffed his way through the most critical part.
Next, he roughly described how he had saved Christina and Kobayashi Mirai, while blaming everything unexplainable on accidents.
After Lin Yu finished speaking, the Japanese girl seemed to want to say something.
However, when her eyes met Lin Yu’s, he felt a sense of unease.
The girl then hesitated and sat back down without speaking.
“Healing others through contact,” Director Tangris said, crossing his hands on the table and scrutinizing Lin Yu with a sharp gaze.
“It sounds very much like… the Grade A Divine Sense ‘Regeneration’.”
He paused, and the briefing room fell silent.
Then, the director, who was known for his strictness, slowly stood up.
His voice was low and clear.
“As the Director of the Operations Department, I must acknowledge one fact—because of you, the casualty count for this Grade A mission is zero.”
He leaned toward Lin Yu, performing a standard, impeccable, yet cold bow.
“I thank you for that, Student Lin Yu. You saved the lives of my team members and preserved the dignity of the Operations Department.”
He straightened up, his eyes still sharp and filled with a complex emotion he couldn’t entirely hide—a mixture of gratitude, but more of resentment and scrutiny.
His attitude was entirely different from the pure disappointment and anger of the last briefing, but this change did not stem from a shift in his personal opinion of Lin Yu.
It was an acknowledgment of the results.
“I still don’t think you possess the determination and awareness that a qualified warrior should have,” his words were blunt to the point of cruelty, “but your ability is a resource that the Operations Department needs.”
This blatant remark, which separated the person from the ability, made Lin Yu freeze for a moment before he understood.
Tangris’s gratitude was real, but it was limited to the “results.”
His opinion of Lin Yu as a “person” likely hadn’t changed much.
The briefing ended before noon in a subtle and slightly awkward atmosphere, and everyone gradually left the room.
Half an hour after the reporters had left, the circular briefing room closed again, the atmosphere now completely different.
This time, only a few people entered, sitting around the central round table.
The air was so heavy it felt like it could be wrung out like water.
“Gentlemen, ladies,” Tangris spoke first, his voice suppressed with anger as he broke the suffocating silence.
“There is no doubt that our recovery of the Eye of Ra and the subsequent search and rescue operation were within the opponent’s expectations and control from beginning to end.”
The holographic projection lit up, showing a simplified map of the Mediterranean region, clearly marking the key nodes and timeline of the mission.
“They knew Tang Rou’s transport route and the exact time, executing a precise strike. They knew our support team would arrive and set an ambush in advance, even using Bounty Hunters for the first wave of attrition.”
Tangris’s finger tapped heavily on several key ambush locations on the projection.
“Every step of ours was like being led by the nose.”
Chief Carter pushed up her glasses and spoke calmly.
“The opponent seems to have a thorough understanding of our operation patterns, emergency procedures, and even some of our internal communications. This is by no means an accident. And yet, we still don’t know who this group calling themselves ‘New Era’ actually is. We know nothing of their core members, organizational structure, or ultimate goal…”
She operated the control panel, pulling up several extremely blurry image captures—long-distance shots of Ri and Yue wearing sacks over their heads in different scenes, with resolution too low to discern specific features.
“We are facing an enemy hidden in the mist. They possess significant combat power, precise planning capabilities, and…”
She paused, her gaze sweeping over everyone present.
“…most likely, deep-seated internal information channels.”
Those words caused the briefing room to fall into an even more oppressive silence.
Several high-level officials looked at each other, seeing the gravity in one another’s eyes.
Vice Principal Nonakawe, who had been as silent as a rock until now, slowly raised his head.
His deep gaze swept across everyone in the dim light.
His aged voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable power, each word striking the hearts of those present.
“The imbalance of intelligence has turned us blind.”
His thin finger tapped lightly on the smooth table, making a crisp sound.
“Before we find the sand in our eyes, the School’s communication encryption system and mission confidentiality procedures must undergo a comprehensive review and upgrade immediately.”