Xiang Nan got up and opened the door.
He saw several unfamiliar people outside, led by a man in a crisp black suit and a cold expression.
"It's you lot, right?"
Before Xiang Nan could invite them in, the others marched in on their own.
They took a look around at the players in the room, immediately got to the point, and placed a suitcase on the table.
Then they took out a computer and began playing some footage. Content originally comes from novel fire.net
"Recently, we've been receiving requests from some countries in the Mitene Union. It seems something has happened to their local ecosystem… That's why we hired you to investigate."
At those words, everyone understood that these people were representatives of the Kakin royal family.
"Although none of you are professional Hunters, your records are passable enough. We're willing to pay a bit more for your expenses."
None of the players spoke.
The current scene clearly was being driven by the system.
Next, the visitors took out ten sets of documents and distributed them to everyone.
They began explaining the ecological information and existing reports from the Mitene Union, and played the images on the computer so the players could see.
However, from beginning to end, these individuals never actually said they were from Kakin's royal family, and none of the paperwork or footage showed any references or images connected to "Chimera Ants."
On the surface, this assignment seemed perfectly ordinary and not too challenging.
But in the system's interface, those "Chimera Ant" words were definitely there.
It was all rather intriguing.
"Looks like the Kakin Empire doesn't want anyone they've hired to learn about Chimera Ants…"
Xiang Nan read the situation.
Kakin's connection to Chimera Ants can be inferred from the original story as well, or perhaps from Beyond's schemes.
Sometime before the main plot begins, Kakin had secretly started all manner of operations, hiring members of the Hunter Association to "feed" the ants—either to covertly weaken the Association's resources or to pave the way for future exploration of the Dark Continent, accelerating the Chimera Ants' growth.
Because King Hui Guo Rou and Beyond must have realized that the ants' dietary habits (especially if they eat highly nutritious food) would allow them to evolve genetically.
That's also one of the terrifying traits of creatures from the Dark Continent.
Anyway… This investigation isn't simple at all.
"And one reason is… basically, it's almost a death mission."
"Kakin doesn't want the outside world learning anything about the Chimera Ants or leaking info prematurely. Whether they plan to feed us to the ants or not, even if we survive, the Empire will likely silence us afterward."
Xiang Nan chuckled to himself.
This means the biggest danger starts right now: the ten of them were already on Kakin's blacklist.
He shifted his gaze over the others.
Most still seemed anxious about the threat that Chimera Ants posed, unaware of the deeper meaning.
Only that Druid Master had a thoughtful look on his face.
"I'll stop here. Because of the urgency, we've already arranged a private airship to take you straight over."
At last, the person in charge spoke.
Since the mission had begun, no matter how complicated everyone's feelings, they had to move forward.
Afterward, they left their hotel, following the official to a corporate building's rooftop, where a small private airship had already landed.
Everyone boarded in single file; as soon as they were inside, the craft took off and left the imperial capital of Kakin.
The entire process was swift under the Kakin official's guidance.
It was only after they'd all boarded that the players finally caught their breath.
The interior of the ship was lavish—like a luxurious hotel lobby—complete with individual suites for resting. The food and drink options were also high-end.
Yet no one really felt like enjoying it.
"A last meal for the doomed, maybe?"
Xiang Nan quietly smiled to himself.
"The current Chimera Ants shouldn't be as deadly as they are later on. Apart from the Queen, probably most are still small ants… I don't know if Squadron Leaders and Officer class have been born yet… they expand fast."
Sitting in the lounge, a chubby member of the group muttered with a worried expression.
"I think we might just find some little ants, grab some sample specimens, then draft a fake report for Kakin based on what we know from the story—would that be enough?"
"Earliest sightings of the Chimera Ant Queen were along the southern coast of Yorbian Continent, then she moved around. She's probably somewhere in the Mitene Union now, but it's uncertain whether she's already built a nest in NGL… They do expand quickly."
They bounced ideas back and forth.
"Yes, just go through the motions… The system told us only to complete Kakin's investigation; as long as we give Kakin a pleasing report, that's it. The process itself may not matter, right?"
"Everyone, don't let yourselves be fooled by the quest text the system gave us. There's a 'positive' side and a 'negative' side—meaning our squad definitely has an opposing group of players. Since we represent Kakin, presumably there's another squad representing some equivalent force. Maybe the Hunter Association or V5… so their mission is probably to obstruct us."
Druid Master abruptly clapped his hands, seizing everyone's attention.
"Hence, they'll find ways to sabotage us if we cross paths?"
"Right, how did I forget that…? You're sharp!" someone blurted out in realization.
"Well, that's only my guess. Given our understanding of the original plot and world, if we stand for Kakin, then the other side stands for a comparable faction. Possibly the Hunter Association or V5. They might suspect what Kakin's up to. But since, story-wise, Kakin's plan never got outed prematurely, it means V5 and the Association presumably remain in the dark. At most, they're suspicious. The opposing players presumably lack exact intel on our mission, though they might guess some. Without solid proof, they can't wrap up their own mission.
"What's more, the Mitene Union is such a sensitive region. If the opposing players know the timeline, they could figure something out, but they'd still need conclusive evidence. And they'd want to capture us plus these little 'suits' from the Kakin side. I bet they want a direct link implicating Kakin. Otherwise, it's just guesses—useless. Meanwhile, they fail and we keep Kakin's plan from being exposed, the story stays stable."
When he finished, several players glanced at each other, impressed.
"Never even thought of it that way…"
"Your reasoning is so thorough."
They showered the Druid Master with compliments.
Xiang Nan silently watched.
Their newly chosen "captain" Manman was all but forgotten now.
Druid Master had said basically what Xiang Nan was already considering.
But in Xiang Nan's eyes, it wasn't worth pointing out.
That was only the mission's superficial layer.
The real crux is that Kakin already wants them dead. So how would they finish the mission and avoid getting killed?
In truth, investigating the Chimera Ants is trivial.
"He's doing this on purpose, huh..."
Xiang Nan mused with a half-smile.
He abruptly turned away and headed for one of the private suites.
Manman likewise followed him, abandoning the group conversation.
As for the other players, they barely cared that their official "captain" was leaving.
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