Chapter 185: Look on the Bright Side—Maybe the Commander’s Already Dead

"Didn't deserve to be killed?"

Mo Chen grew even more curious.

"Yes," D replied calmly, "because it doesn't align with the mission parameters."

She seemed fully aware of her fate now—no excuses, no lies.

Under Mo Chen's questioning, D began to explain everything.

D wasn't just her codename; it was her name.

She was the leader of the Perilous Siege Squad, an elite unit under the Central Government, tasked with eliminating potential threats to humanity in the shadows—removing anyone deemed dangerous to Ark.

Their targets usually included wealthy corporate moguls, corrupt officials, opportunists straddling the line between legal and illegal dealings, and terrorists attempting to destabilize Ark.

This time, however, the mission came directly from the top of the Central Government.

The target? Mo Chen, the shining hero of the recent Ark Defense Battle.

The charges? Spreading false rumors, inciting Nikke rebellions, amassing private forces, disobeying Ark's directives, secretly colluding with Raptures and Heretics, and violating Ark's laws.

Given the mission's sensitivity and importance, she had been assigned to execute it personally.

But the moment she received the order, D sensed something was off.

For starters, the target was Ark's publicly celebrated hero.

Moreover, the mission itself severely violated protocol.

Normally, the process required the "Judicator" agency to first designate a target, followed by an investigation conducted by designated Nikkes to verify the alleged crimes. Only after thorough reports would an assassination be authorized.

However, this mission bypassed the Judicator entirely. No investigation had been conducted, and the high command blatantly ignored procedure, issuing a direct assassination order to the Perilous Siege Squad.

D wasn't someone who blindly followed orders. After receiving the mission, she didn't rush to act—instead, she conducted her own investigation into the target.

And the results were exactly as she suspected.

The target had committed no crimes, nor was he some evil mastermind. So, she made the decision to abort the mission.

"Won't you get into trouble when your superiors find out?" Mo Chen asked, curious.

D met his gaze without hesitation, her wine-red eyes as calm as still water.

"If I comply with injustice out of fear of punishment, how am I any different from those who enable it?"

That went against everything she stood for.

Having seen the worst humanity had to offer, her ideal was to eradicate evil and steer the world toward goodness. That was precisely why she'd joined the Perilous Siege Squad.

Every member of the squad knew the risks—failure could mean death.

To D, that was simply the price of the job.

Even now, if Mo Chen decided to kill her, she'd accept it.

But instead of killing her, he smiled.

"Good."

She was exactly like in the game. Not someone who killed without reason.

She had principles.

And Mo Chen liked that.

"You can leave now."

His words left D momentarily stunned, clearly not expecting to be let go so easily. For the first time since joining the Perilous Siege Squad, she felt… uncertain.

"You're letting me go?"

Mo Chen chuckled at the question, speaking to the supposedly dangerous assassin before him. "Yeah. Didn't you let me go earlier too? Consider us even."

D didn't look relieved. On the contrary, she frowned slightly.

"You're too lenient. That's a weakness. If you don't fix it, one day it'll get you killed—and there won't be a chance to regret it."

At some point, she'd already stashed her knife away.

But seeing her youthful face speak such serious words didn't come off as annoying—in fact, it was kind of cute.

"A flaw is something you can fix. A weakness is something you can't," Mo Chen replied with a smile. "Don't worry, I'm not soft-hearted. It depends on the person. You just happen to be my type."

If it were anyone else, Mo Chen wouldn't have trusted them so easily.

But he knew D from the game. She wasn't a mindless killer. She had her own beliefs and ideals. Seeing her in person now only confirmed it.

D stared at Mo Chen for a moment before saying something unexpected.

"Your type? So, should I take that to mean… you've fallen for me, and that's why you're letting me go?"

Mo Chen was stunned, suddenly realizing that what he'd just said could be easily misunderstood.

"No, don't get the wrong idea. I don't have eyes for you."

D's delicate brows furrowed even more.

"While that does clear up my doubts, I have to say—your words sound pretty harsh."

"Ah, that's not what I meant," Mo Chen quickly corrected himself, clearing his throat. "What I meant was, I admire your actions and ideals. Ark needs people like you to uphold justice."

"Justice that needs to be upheld isn't true justice," D replied calmly, her gaze lowering slightly. "It's just a delayed consequence—a price paid by those who betrayed it."

"Hmm. You've got a point."

Mo Chen nodded, then suddenly smiled.

"Well then, there's something just that needs to be done. Would you be willing to help me?"

Outside the door—

Anis had her ear pressed tightly against the wood, trying to catch any sound from inside.

"That's weird. Why is it so quiet?"

"Isn't that normal? What, were you expecting some noise?"

"Of course not! But absolute silence is suspicious too."

"You think the Commander's in there… you know, doing that with the assassin?"

"Come on, the Commander's not someone who only thinks about that kind of thing."

"Then what do you think could cause this kind of silence, huh?"

"Impossible! Based on my experience, even if it's a seduction attempt, the Commander wouldn't fall for it that easily. Besides, look on the bright side—maybe the Commander's already been taken out!"

While Anis and Neon were whispering back and forth, Rapi, standing behind them, had already raised her gun.

Suddenly, the door swung open.

Caught off guard, both Anis and Neon stumbled and fell flat on the floor.

Mo Chen stood there with a deadpan expression.

"Seriously? You two were hoping I'd die?"

Anis sprang up, quickly grabbing Mo Chen's arm with a cheerful grin.

"No way! We were just worried about you, Commander. Right, Neon? You were the one who said he might've been seduced!"

Neon's eyes went wide in disbelief—she hadn't expected Anis to throw her under the bus so quickly.

"Unbelievable! Traitor!"

Their bickering came to an abrupt halt as a young woman stepped out from behind Mo Chen.

It was D.