In Mr. Hunter's office, when she called Mason "Reserve Old K", Mason knew that the big leader was in for a showdown.

So he didn't care any longer, and asked:

"So, is this some kind of test? Like the initiation ritual of the Evil Brotherhood? I have to do certain things to show my abilities and earn the respect of others and so on."

"If you're going to convince yourself that your hands are bloody, that's a good reason indeed."

Mr. Hunter nodded and said:

"My two battle-hardened pioneering teams, Afterlife and Exx, are among the top teams in the Stars. You've just met Anna.

I think you already knew what kind of person she was when you tested her.

The captain of the afterlife has the same philosophy.

I see your potential, so I recognize your possibilities in the future, but their outlook on life that has been formed by the crisis seems to be a bit simpler.

If you want to earn their kindness and recognition, you have to show what you are capable of.

If you want to be "your own person", you have to prove that you are reliable with your actions.

After all, the world is too complicated, and we don't have so much time to observe what a person thinks in his heart, so we can only see how he acts.

You know what I mean?

Only blood can lay the foundation of true unity!

Either it's the enemy's or it's your own."

"Understood, I'll organize the action when I get back."

Mason doesn't dwell on that question anymore.

But now that the card is revealed, he is no longer polite, and he talks about what he needs most at the moment.

"About my material application.

One World Gate is really not enough, and even before we arrived at the Star Castle, the magic circle on my side had already begun to monitor the space-time disturbances of the entire world.

You know the bottom of that ultra-dangerous world, and I feel like I really need the care of the organization.

"But in principle, a squad can only have one door to the world, that's the rule."

Mr. Hunter tended to the papers, and said without raising his head:

"Even I have to abide by this rule, and my team can only use one door when they go on a mission, and I can't help you.

As for the risk of your discovery in the base world, this is a must for every member of the Stars.

Most of the world, regardless of the power system, is not friendly to outsiders.

If you can't even solve the problem of hiding yourself, then, in the words of my fellow swordsman, your Excellency the Swordsman, you deserve to be finished, leaving the gates of your world to those who are more capable and more in need."

Such a direct refusal did not make Mason angry or disappointed, because he had already keenly grasped the loophole in Mr. Hunter's words.

Mason rolled his eyes and said:

"In principle, not allowing it means that there are always special circumstances, and the moment the rules are set doesn't mean that loopholes also appear?

Dear Mr. Hunter, you see, I'm not asking you to open a back door or anything for me.

I just need a reminder from you.

I just need a little bit of life experience from the elders to tell me that this reckless young rookie must not make those mistakes at work, lest I make another mistake and get you in trouble.

It's really just a work request.

Please don't get me wrong.

If you are inconvenient or busy, I can go to the cold Miss Anna or Miss Judy, with your permission.

Isn't bringing new people with them part of the job of mature employees?"

"It's good, you've learned to put the rules and loopholes in perspective, which is a very commendable advantage for newcomers.

As the immediate superior of Team K, I should indeed remind you of some "taboos" at the job level."

Mr. Hunter stopped working,

nodded thoughtfully, and after thinking about it, he leaned back in his chair and picked up his coffee cup, like an old cadre holding a teacup.

Coughed a few times, drank a sip of water, and said in a lengthened voice:

"First of all, although each World Gate is numbered and recorded with a power projection at the time of distribution, there are always some accidents that cause the World Gate to be lost and cannot be recovered.

Most of the Stars Society's bounty quests are about recovering the World Gate left behind in a dangerous world.

Therefore, you must be strict with your team members on weekdays!

If you inadvertently "pick up" the door to the world left by a team that has been wiped out or is on the verge of annihilation, don't just carry it in your pocket, and be sure to hand it over in time to avoid loss of the organization's property.

Don't even try to disassemble the handle of the World Gate and soak it in a highly concentrated Divine Purification Liquid, as that will cause problems with the positioning of the World Gate.

All of its coordinates will be invalidated, and the Star Fortress will temporarily lose track of it.

As a result, organizations lose significant property.

Remember!

This terrible thing must not be done! The results of what was found were quite serious."

"I'll write it down in my notebook and I'll be sure to tell my teammates about the importance of it again and again when I get back."

Mason pulled out a notebook and recorded all the teachings of his superiors.

As he wrote, he said:

This article is called "the sanctity of organizational property." Are there any other terrible taboos I need to be aware of? Your Excellency."

"Of course, as a well-organized system, we have to pay attention to some small details in our work."

Mr. Hunter stroked his left arm, which was obscured by his robes, and said:

"For example, under all circumstances should you avoid entering areas where your energy is disturbed or your magic is out of control, as this will not only put you in danger, but will also prevent the Stars Castle's monitoring center from being able to capture the exact location of your squad.

This means that it will be difficult for HQ to monitor private conversations between you through soul seals, and it will be difficult for HQ to dispatch search and rescuers if you are in danger."

"That sounds terrible! Sure enough, it's a life-threatening detail, and I'll be sure to take care to avoid those places."

Mason hastened to record this as well, and looked at Mr. Hunter expectantly.

The latter thought for a moment and said:

"Avoid entering a base world that has been vassalized by a squad, where members of our 'brother organization' are usually present on some important mission.

You have to understand.

The Stars Society is just a larger organization under the umbrella of the Explorers, and unlike the "humane management" of our organization, most of our sister organizations are military-controlled.

Once you stumble into their workplace, it's easy to be terminated on the spot.

It's also important to inform the vassal world's squad in advance if you have to go and have them issue a provisional certificate, such as when you're going to help organize the task of eradicating the inner girl.

I'll give you a secret execution warrant.

Because the world of Sandstorm has been vassalized for a long time and has been deeply developed, don't run around when you go there, it will be very troublesome if you encounter a pioneer cleaner or a more dangerous conqueror."

Hearing this, Mason's heart suddenly moved.

Mr. Hunter's words confirmed his thoughts, and the "Cleaner Legion" and the Stars Society are indeed the same as the Stars, different organizations under the same organization. new

He stepped forward and placed the Cleaner Commander Booster he had found earlier on Mr. Hunter's desk, who immediately sat up straight when he saw it.

She snapped her fingers to activate certain forces in the room.

"This is a booster that only Vanguard Commanders use, and each one is said to be specially rationed by the Cleanup's logistics department, and it's almost impossible to get a physical one.

Where did you find that?"

She picked up the little liquid that was left

The small injection bottle of the body asked very seriously.

Mason no longer had any reservations about his subsequent explorations at Hogwarts, and after listening to this, Mr. Hunter was silent for a few seconds, and then said to Mason:

"It's really hard to judge whether your luck is good or bad. Okay, take it back, you can study it or use it for yourself, but once you find it, you must clear the relationship!

The Cleanups are so named because they are all purpose-built to be cold-blooded and ruthless killing machines.

The very existence of these guys is to destroy all those who resist.

The most troublesome thing is that compared to us explorers, they are real combat sequences. It's like the difference between a clever and cunning hound and a mad dog that pounces on its prey.

Avoid contact with them under any circumstances, and even more so avoid conflict."

"And under what circumstances will they be dispatched?"

Mason asked.

This time Mr. Hunter hesitated longer, as if considering whether to tell Mason about the apparently deeper secrets.

In the end, she chose to be truthful:

"The first case.

When a world rebels excessively against the Stars' pioneering behavior, or survives the "pollution" on its own and plots a counterattack, the Stars have the right to apply to the higher organization for a cleanup.

The second case.

When the Hounds of the Stellar Society confirm that there is an item of special concern in the target world, such as a dangerous divine power, they can also request the intervention of the Pioneer Cleaner."

"Pollution? Is it the zombie virus that is actively spread by the scum among us? You call them "hounds", well, that's a good name.

Calling the hounds of Doom is not a good thing to hear."

Mason raised an eyebrow and said:

"But the world of Hogwarts doesn't fit either, they haven't survived the zombie virus, and there are no gods in that world."

"So the Cleaners aren't really out in that world, Mason. In addition, the wizarding world is not really "polluted".

The Walking Dead you see is nothing more than a "downgraded" version of the pollution poison, and the same "non-lethal" stuff that Old K spreads in the pirate world.

The ones you find in your world are the ones that are really used in the "pollution war."

Mr. Hunter handed the vial to the young man, and she explained:

"The nature of the Cleaners is the military! Once they appeared, at least a small warband of thousands of people with enough conventional force and landing ships to bulldoze a world, not a squad of three or four people.

The world that has been attacked by those mad dogs is unlikely to be intact, and judging by the corpse you found, it should be an undisclosed "private operation."

She explains:

"That's the third rare case.

For example, the private advice of some big people in the superior organization often triggers such actions, just like the pattern of the Pioneer Team of the Stars Society, sending the elite of the cleaners to infiltrate in a low-key manner to achieve the goal and then evacuate."

Mr. Hunter pondered for a moment, flicked his finger and said:

"I guessed what they were looking for there, remember the piece of the Philosopher's Stone you gave me? It was said to be able to be made into some kind of longevity-prolonging drug.

It was probably the dying old guy in the higher authorities who was too afraid of death to contribute to the rapid destruction of a world.

But just a few people can cause that level of destruction, and I guess there's at least one "conqueror" among them, the kind of super-powerful monsters that can destroy civilization single-handedly like Kryptonian Superman and Wonder Woman in your world.

But they failed.

That's why Old K took the bounty quest to enter the ruins of Hogwarts."

Mr. Hunter's words silenced Mason, who whispered after a few seconds:

"I'm sorry about Old K. Now, he doesn't seem to be a downright bad guy."

"Once you've entered the Stars Society, don't use the simple word "good or bad" anymore

Almost naïve standards to distinguish a person, Mason."

Mr. Hunter waved his hand and said in a relieved tone:

"We're all complicated.

As for the old K...

I don't blame you for killing him.

Your actions may even bring him some kind of relief from surviving the nightmare of living in secret. He should have given you something back?"

"Hmm."

Mason took the Cat School's legacy badge from his neck and handed it to Mr. Hunter, who took it in his hand and looked at it with a complicated gaze.

After more than ten seconds of silence, she spoke:

"Interested in the Grass Trial? Mason, maybe becoming a witcher will give you more power to protect yourself, and now that you have it, it may be a revelation of fate.

I can help you through this trial.

The herbs have been improved and there will be no more terrible rates of loss, and of course pain is still inevitable."

"Thank you for your kindness, but I don't need to."

Mason shook his head and said:

"I've heard about this trial from Old K, and I don't think I'm good enough to pass it, and I think it's good to be a normal person.

Speaking of which, I saw in Old K's notes that he described the scenery of his hometown of Towcente, the fairytale country, and the scenery around the Star Castle was almost identical.

So, isn't this the hometown of old K?"

"Almost."

Mr. Hunter said ambiguously:

"It's the last vestiges of a ruined world, like a 'specimen' taken from a corpse, or a collection used by hunters to show off their exploits.

So, I don't think he thinks this is his hometown.

He rarely comes to the Star Castle for long stays unless he has to.

It's a miserable and tired soul, he's relieved now, but you'll have to shoulder the responsibility he's left behind, Mason, and when you come back, you'll be codenamed "Old K."

As he spoke, Mr. Hunter's leather-gloved fingers pinched gently.

A worn-out Gwent card appears in her hand, which is her logo, with a black logo in the corner of the legendary Witcher Geralt's deck.

She said:

"In our little group, you connect directly with me. When your squad is strong enough, you will continue to complete it if Old K can't finish it.

Find someone who can help us in the world where he has fallen into the sand."

"I'm curious, what the hell is our organization going to do?"

Mason asks:

"It's to overthrow..."

"Huh"

His mouth was covered.

Mr. Hunter, who was still in front of him, appeared behind him like a flash, clasped his hand around Mason's mouth to prevent him from saying the next words.

She almost lay on Mason's shoulder, and whispered a cold warning in his ear:

"There are things I can't say, I can't even think... It stares at you, it stares at us and never relaxes! You guessed it, we all hate this place that uses the name of the end times to do evil.

The reasons may be different, but the goal is the same."

Such close contact made Mason move his body a little uncomfortably, but the uncomfortable feeling of thinking that Mr. Hunter was actually a woman disguised as a man dissipated a lot.

He nodded.

Mr. Hunter let go of his hand and said:

"It's time for you to leave, Mason Cooper. Keep going with your doubts and one day you'll see the mystery revealed. If you can survive to that point...

Try to live as long as you can.

This thing is for you."

She picked up a delicate hourglass from the corner of her desk and handed it to Mason, the hourglass was very peculiar, the grit in it slipped off the influence of gravity.

Even if Mason turns it upside down, it will fall backwards.

"It's a countdown."

Mr. Hunter said:

"The moment it ends, the 'Third Impact' will come, and I'll send someone to inform you of the situation. The sooner the sandstorm is over, the better, and then stay in your world and don't run around.

As long as the super world is not too lucky, there will always be strength to protect itself.

But then you need to be prepared for action against your world to be on the agenda after the shock event is over.

If you want to protect it from the poison of the Stellar Society...

Then get strong as soon as possible.

No matter what you think in your heart, the protection claimed by the weak does not mean anything. I have witnessed such a tragedy with my own eyes, and I should not repeat the mistakes of the past."