Chapter 290: Chapter 197: Dull Blade
The lodging for Bloodfall had been arranged by Leo Joyce’s men. It was clear these weren’t last-minute preparations, but arrangements made well in advance.
Recalling the rumors about Leo Joyce being prudent and meticulous, both Claire Chapman and Paige Summers felt they were probably true. He wasn’t even certain they would come to Southreach, yet he had accommodations ready for them... He truly thought of everything.
So, when Leo Joyce’s men came the next day to escort them to a meeting, neither Claire Chapman nor Paige Summers was surprised.
It just so happened, however, that the timing was complicated.
As soon as they had settled in the previous day, an excited Lennie had gone out despite the darkness to contact his old friends. Several of them had already arranged to meet with Paige Summers today.
This was Paige Summers’s primary goal, so of course she couldn’t cancel.
Claire Chapman had no objection. She made an excuse and went with Leo Joyce’s men by herself.
Paige Summers didn’t have to wait long before a group of six arrived at her door.
Marcus Monroe’s original force consisted of over a hundred people, split into ten squads. He personally led one of those squads, and his bond with them was naturally stronger than with the others. These were the core members who later followed him from Southreach to Central City.
The other nine squads gradually broke apart after Marcus Monroe decided to remain in Central City for the long term.
The six who arrived today were the captains of squads two through seven, the highest-ranking ones. They were all part of the original cohort who had followed Marcus Monroe. For various reasons, they hadn’t gone to Central City, but their respect and loyalty toward Marcus had never wavered, and so they had persisted in keeping their squads together.
As for squads eight and nine, they had joined the Hunting Party later, so their bond wasn’t as strong. When Marcus Monroe left, they were unwilling to be led by anyone else from the group, so they disbanded and went their own ways.
Never mind them. As Paige Summers listened to Lennie’s explanation, she mulled it over. ’They respect and are loyal to Marcus Monroe, but I’m the one who needs to employ them now.’
’Even with my connection to Marcus, it’s still different.’
’I’ll have to see what their attitude really is.’
She was right. As Lennie led the six men in, they saw her waiting with a smile and couldn’t help but exchange a glance.
Having worked together for years, they shared a deep rapport; a single glance was all it took to know what the others were thinking.
Lennie had left in a hurry last night, with no time for details. He’d only said that the young woman was someone their leader cherished deeply, that she was the vice-captain of their Bloodfall Hunters, and that she was a powerful speed-type superpower user.
’But looking at her now... while she seems calm enough and her presence isn’t weak, she’s ultimately too young. And with a speed superpower, she might not be as capable as he claimed.’
’Lennie’s praise was probably mostly due to her relationship with the boss!’
’Protecting someone like her would be one thing, but having her lead them into battle against Zombies and Mutant Beasts? That hardly seemed appropriate.’
It was no wonder they thought this way. The group’s strength had plummeted after Marcus Monroe left, but individually, each of them was a minor celebrity in Southreach’s Superpower User circles. Being suddenly asked to follow the orders of a young, unfamiliar woman would give anyone pause.
Paige Summers sensed their silent exchange and had a good idea what they were thinking, but she simply smiled. "Please, have a seat."
Once they were seated, she got straight to the point. "Let me introduce myself. I’m Paige Summers, vice-captain of the Bloodfall Hunters. I imagine Lennie has already told you about my relationship with Marcus Monroe, so I won’t elaborate. The mission Bloodfall came here to the Southreach area to complete has changed. It’s become more difficult and requires more capable fighters, which is why I’ve come to you. That’s the gist of it. What are your thoughts?"
’So... direct...’
The six men were taken aback. None had expected her to be so direct and frank. Their plans to chat for a while, to feel her out and learn more before making a decision, were completely dashed. They had no choice but to follow her lead.
Still, it had to be said, they appreciated this approach.
People who fight for a living rarely appreciate beating around the bush. They prefer to speak their minds, say what needs to be said, and get a clear yes or no. It’s one thing to be guarded with outsiders, but pulling those kinds of games with your own people is just irritating.
But with Paige Summers, they weren’t sure where they stood.
No one knew her personality. If she wasn’t their cup of tea and they wanted to refuse, they’d have to be diplomatic about it, given her connection to their old leader.
So they felt they had to probe a little.
Now that she had laid it all out, they decided to abandon their probing and ask their questions directly.
"Then we won’t hold back," Mason Hayes, the group’s de facto strategist, spoke for the others. "Miss Sum... uh, Vice-Captain Sterling, why don’t you start with the mission specifics? How exactly has the difficulty increased? How many people does Bloodfall have? How many do you need? What’s the plan?"
Paige Summers smiled. ’Asking questions means they’re interested. This is a good start.’
"Of course. But before I begin, I need to make it clear that this mission is confidential. Not a single word about the objective or the plan can get out. I trust you all can understand and respect that."
Howard Jacobs, a brawny man sitting next to Mason Hayes, looked annoyed at the implication that they couldn’t be trusted. "That goes without saying!"
Paige Summers wasn’t offended. "It’s best to state the harsh terms up front. It makes things easier for everyone later."
Mason Hayes nodded. ’Her laying things out so plainly at least proved she wasn’t difficult to deal with, which isn’t a bad thing.’
The other four chimed in, agreeing that it was standard procedure and they understood completely.
Paige Summers’s gaze passed over each of the six men. Though a faint smile played on her lips, its solemn intent was clear to every one of them.
They couldn’t help but nod to themselves. ’Setting aside her combat skills, her temperament alone is rare. She’s direct but not reckless, and very measured in her approach.’
Paige Summers then began to explain the mission in detail.
When it came to clearing out The Foundry, she had to explain why. Of course, even if she didn’t, they could probably guess. That being the case, it was better to be upfront about her objective. It would make her seem more forthright and show that she trusted them.
Paige Summers had never intended to hide it.
But because it concerned the future of Bloodfall, she had to specifically remind them to maintain secrecy to avoid any complications.
However, not wanting to stir up trouble was not the same as being afraid of it.
If these six men failed to keep their word, she certainly wouldn’t be merciful.
’It didn’t matter if they were Marcus Monroe’s men or anyone else’s. Anyone who needed to be taught a lesson would not be shown mercy.’
Besides, even if they did talk, who would try to stop them, other than those who deliberately wanted to cause trouble for Bloodfall? The Foundry wasn’t too far from Southreach. Anyone who was serious about it would have already made a move long ago. Those who hadn’t must have decided it wasn’t worth the risk. People might have once coveted the supplies inside The Foundry, but with May Joyce’s return, the news was bound to spread that the resources had already fallen into the hands of the City Lord.
Paige Summers was certain Leo Joyce wouldn’t deny it.
For one, he really had acquired some of the supplies. For another, the claim would only add to the City Lord’s prestige. She guessed it was just like with the team members May had recruited—no one believed May would be foolish enough to sneak off to such a dangerous place without Leo Joyce’s authorization.
All these possibilities flashed through her mind, leading her to a firm conclusion.
She candidly explained the purpose and plans for her mission.
When she finished, a long silence filled the small living room.
It wasn’t that they had nothing to say, but that they didn’t know *how* to say it.
At this point, the six men were convinced of Bloodfall’s strength.
They had all seen The Foundry before. Although they hadn’t ventured deep inside, the sheer number of Zombies at the entrance was enough to tell them that getting the supplies was no easy task.
And yet, Bloodfall had not only retrieved them but had also escaped safely with almost negligible losses.
This was more than enough to prove that, while Bloodfall might be an unknown name to them, its strength was on par with the city’s mid-to-high-Level Hunting Parties.
They were gratified to hear it.
But then again, clearing out The Foundry entirely... that wasn’t just a little more difficult. It was a whole different beast.
There was a huge difference between fighting your way in and out and performing a complete extermination!
Who knew how many more Zombies were still lurking inside, hidden in the shadows? If things went south, it would be a fatal enterprise.
That’s what they were thinking, but they didn’t say a word of it.
Why not?
Because they were embarrassed.
They were a group of big, burly men. Could they really bring themselves to tell a young woman that the place was too dangerous and they were afraid to die?
They just couldn’t say it aloud.
The six men exchanged glances for a moment until Mason Hayes understood their silent message. He sighed to himself in resignation. ’So it’s my turn to be the spokesman again, is it?!’
He cleared his throat. "Vice-Captain Sterling, I’ll be frank. This mission is extremely difficult. Even with Bloodfall and our teams combined, we’d have just over a hundred people. That’s likely too small a force to completely clear out The Foundry."
"It won’t just be us, of course. We’ll have more people reporting for duty over the next day or two. Captain Chapman and I plan to assemble a force of two hundred. We will definitely reach that number before we depart."
’A hastily assembled group?’
’Wouldn’t that just be a disorganized mob?’
’That’s even worse!’
Mason Hayes wanted to say as much.
’But... well... I have to be diplomatic,’ he thought. "It’s not just about the numbers," he said, choosing his words carefully. "The main issue is that if everyone is fighting together for the first time, they won’t know each other’s styles. Coordination is bound to be a problem. So..."
"Are you afraid?" Paige Summers cut him off abruptly. The smile never left her face, and there wasn’t a trace of contempt in her expression, but her every word was like a knife twisting in the hearts of the six men. "You’re afraid because there are too many Zombies and the Hunting Party is too small. You’re afraid you won’t make it back in one piece. You’re afraid you’ll die at The Foundry."
Before she even finished, and before anyone else could speak, Howard Jacobs exploded. "What are you talking about? Don’t you dare look down on us! When have we ever been scared?! Like hell we are! They’re just Zombies! No matter how many there are, I’ll kill ’em one by one! If two come, I’ll kill a pair!"
"Is that so?" Paige Summers said coolly. "I think it’s normal to be afraid. But... a person can’t lose their will to fight. Coming here, I noticed that Southreach is indeed well-managed. It’s even quieter here than around Central City. But if you only ever fight minor Mutant Beasts in an environment like this, even the sharpest blade will grow dull!"
