Chapter 134. Exceeded Expectations.
Southern Continent.
Eldorath Empire.
Somewhere north of the Empire, away from the capital.
Frontlines.
Sector 3.
Base c322.
Captain Peterson’s office.
Captain Peterson was currently going through a list of paperwork.
Suddenly, he received a notification. He tapped his watch.
A holographic notification appeared before him. The software AI displayed a message.
[High Difficulty Mission Completed.
Operation Thin Ashen Wasteland.
Operative sent on mission: Private Aiden Vhorn.
Mission Assessment Criteria: Exceeded Expectations. Operative Vhorn managed to destroy the Ashen Wasteland.
Contribution points awarded: 600,000 contribution points]
"He... what?" Captain Peterson could not wrap his mind around what he was seeing.
He did not understand how this was possible.
The Ashen Wasteland was a death zone. This was why the mission to thin down the number of beasts in the Ashen Wasteland was considered a very dangerous, high-difficulty mission.
He initially had his doubts about the fact that Admiral DeepSea commanded this mission be given to operative Vhorn to carry out alone.
However, when the Admiral explained that an operative like Aiden Vhorn could pull off the mission alone, Peterson figured that perhaps his personal judgment may have been flawed. He thought that since the Admiral had more experience than him, his judgment and assessment concerning Aiden Vhorn was more accurate. Peterson therefore saw no need to be worried that operative Vhorn would die on the mission. If the Admiral had such high hopes for him, then it meant he would survive and complete the mission.
Aiden Vhorn completing the mission was not what shocked him. It was the fact that the fellow had destroyed the Ashen Wasteland.
"Elite Unit divisions are usually sent to the Ashen Wasteland to thin down the numbers of beasts there to avoid overpopulation which would eventually lead to chaotic beast tides across sector 3. However, there has not been a single occasion where a single operative has managed to kill every creature in the Ashen Wasteland and ultimately destroy the terrain and the wasteland altogether."
"The most absurd thing about this whole situation is that he’s a legendary rank 2 warrior. According to Intel, the apex predators of the Ashen Wasteland are beginner and intermediate rank 3 chaotic beasts. Those apex predators have been asleep for a long time and are not a threat. So, if he managed to considerably thin down the number of rank 2 and rank 1 beasts, the mission would have been considered a completed mission. Even that achievement would have been considered something unprecedented, since a single operative has never been sent to the Ashen Wasteland before. Even when unit divisions are sent there, not all of them return. Some die. In some cases, most don’t even return. But this guy, he went in alone, and destroyed the wasteland??? How could a legendary rank 2 warrior pull off something like this??"
Peterson could not wrap his head around the situation no matter how hard he tried to. He was trying to use logic to assess the situation. But the only conclusion he could come to was that the current outcome was impossible.
Yet... the holographic data staring at him said otherwise.
Operative Aiden Vhorn had literally done it. What a monster.
"I need to make a report to the admiral. He was right about operative Vhorn. He will be very pleased with the news."
****
Eldorath Empire Frontlines.
Sector 3.
Base c322.
Admiral DeepSea’s office.
Admiral DeepSea and three other admirals were seated across a large table.
One man and two women.
"Brothers and sisters, For the Order and For Humanity." DeepSea tapped his chest twice as a fanatic glint flashed through his eyes.
"For the Order and for humanity."
"For the Order and for humanity."
"For the Order and for humanity."
The other admirals tapped their chests and said with a fanatic glint flashing through their eyes.
"I suppose you have already been filled in by brother Leonis?" DeepSea asked.
"Yes. The emperor has already told us everything," Admiral Sarah said.
"He told us everything before our reassignment," Admiral Newton said.
"But should we be so worried about him surviving? The Ashen Wasteland is the perfect place for a legendary rank 2 warrior to die," Admiral Fluria said.
DeepSea chuckled. "Indeed. The Ashen Wasteland is the perfect place for him to die. Coupled with the fact that the industries that want him dead will send assassins after him, it’s highly possible that he’s dead now. I anonymously leaked the location that leads to the Ashen Wasteland to them."
"So there is nothing to be worried about, right?" Admiral Newton said.
"We still can’t let our guards down," DeepSea added. "According to brother Leonis, The Analyser’s computation revealed that Aiden Vhorn could become a catastrophic threat to the Order in the future. Someone like that may not be so easy to kill. This is why the emperor brought you guys to the base."
Sarah, Newton, and Fluria nodded.
"You are right. The Analyser’s computations cannot be taken lightly. Then, we will be prepared to initiate the plan. If he returns from the mission, it means he will have enough contribution points to get resources to grow stronger. Not only that, his achievements could spur him on for promotions. Promotions will come with connections to majors, colonels, and generals willing to have his back," Newton said.
"We will ask him to be our disciples. When he rejects our offers, which he will because of his autonomous mindset, we will demonstrate extreme anger and hostility towards him. This will blacklist him in people’s minds. No one will be willing to befriend someone who has offended three admirals. Majors, colonels, and generals are all ranks beneath admirals. They will stay away from him because they won’t want to be blacklisted by us. Not only that, we will have obvious reasons to blacklist him from ever getting promoted.
This way, getting rid of him will be easier," Sarah added.
"One more thing. We need to ensure that he cannot use his contribution points if he doesn’t die and return from the Ashen Wasteland. Since he’s a catastrophic threat, we need to treat him as such," Fluria said. "Any means through which he can grow stronger has to be cut off."
"That’s right. With contribution points he can purchase cultivation manuals and other resources to grow stronger," DeepSea added.
Suddenly, DeepSea’s watch buzzed.
He gestured to the other admirals.
"The captain assigned to him is calling."