Death Notice

“The team to which Apostle 70053 belongs has triggered the main storyline, ‘Major Montana’s Wish’. This storyline is a team mission. Additional mission rewards will be distributed based on the apostle’s contribution.”

Major Montana’s Wish (Captain – Lieutenant Colonel rank): In order to test the combat command abilities of apostles and to eliminate his long-standing greatest threat — the British Royal Order of Protestant Knights, also known as the HELLSING organization, Major Montana will send a Millennium Bug special forces squad. Led by the apostle, they will infiltrate London, England, and launch a surprise attack on HELLSING headquarters.

Mission Objective: Destroy the Order’s secret headquarters. Achieving 70% destruction of the base is required to complete the objective. Alternatively, directly killing the leader of the HELLSING organization, Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, will also count as mission completion.

Basic Mission Reward: 20,000 Shattered Crystals, 500 Exchange Vouchers, 10 Contribution Points, +5 to Soul Life Limit, and an Intermediate Stress Training Scroll.

Mission Hint: Accepting this mission will default you joining the German faction. The Anglo-American Allied Forces will automatically become a hostile faction. This also triggers the hidden guidance mission ‘Empire’s Dawn’.

Mission Hint: As this world is in a space-time fusion phase, environmental details cannot be accurately predicted. During this main storyline, there is a certain possibility that the mission difficulty may escalate. If difficulty increases, the basic reward remains unchanged, but the additional rewards may improve based on World Exploration Degree.

Warning: The apostle must complete this main storyline within the permitted task stay duration. Otherwise, it will be considered a mission failure, resulting in a deduction of 30 Soul Lifespan points and a reduction of the Soul Life Limit by 15 points.”

“The basic reward is truly good! It even includes Soul Life Limit and a training scroll!” Receiving the mission prompt, relief washed over both men. Grant’s teasing voice sounded in the Team Channel.

“Heh heh, you didn’t look at the mission difficulty! Highest difficulty Lieutenant Colonel rank! Not easy to finish!” Qin Lun reminded with a laugh.

Having experienced so many Quest Worlds, Qin Lun and his companions now thoroughly understood the difficulty levels of missions assigned to apostles by Shattered Starry Sky. Tasks of the commissioned officer rank (Lieutenant+) either boasted extremely powerful enemy forces, or featured individual fighters equivalent to high-rank apostles.

Take Qin Lun’s experience in the Toril World for example. The mission escorting the Moon Elves to Ank Forest was a mission of Major rank. That mission not only involved human bandit groups and Orc cavalry but also saw several high-level Assassins from the Zhentarim appearing. It nearly got him killed on the spot.

The most important thing was that whenever missions of the commissioned officer rank appeared, apostles were never without powerful Plot Characters alongside them. In the Toril World, Qin Lun had Iristin and the members of the Lost, including Kelly. Even during their first entry into the World War II World, he and Grant had an entire team of the Gentlemen’s League with them. Many enemy powerhouses didn’t need them to handle personally.

However, this time seemed different. Since it was a test, Major Montana might not give them too many personnel. Furthermore, their Plot Identities were both war heroes. When it came to fighting, they might have to shoulder the main responsibility themselves.

“Qin Lun, don’t be too pessimistic. Lieutenant Colonel is the maximum difficulty; the bottom line is only Lieutenant rank. Look at the mission details! It only requires us to destroy 70% of the HELLSING headquarters facilities…”

Grant paused mid-sentence, shaking his head with a wry smile. “Too bad Firecracker isn’t here. Otherwise, this mission would have been almost no trouble at all!”

“Grant, you’re mistaken. Don’t forget the warnings from Hansen and Rand. When we go to London to carry out the mission, there should be many unforeseen factors!” Qin Lun cautioned seriously.

“You mean there might be Reincarnators hindering our mission? But we haven’t received any Death Hunt prompt until now?” Grant asked, bewildered. “Maybe we haven’t been chosen for Spatial War this time!”

“No, Grant, you are the only one among us five who hasn’t experienced Death Hunt. In actuality, even if there are Reincarnators in this world, Shattered Starry Sky won’t give us a hint!”

Qin Lun frowned slightly, recalling. “When Hill and I entered the Phantom Demon World, Star Void directly placed us among a group of newbie Reincarnators. Yet, they were completely unaware of our presence, simply treating us like ordinary newcomers.

Shattered Starry Sky, Superstring Space… these entities based on Space-Time Laws are different from Sapient Races. They don’t make subjective assumptions. Without clear evidence, they won’t give apostles or Reincarnators any prompts. Therefore, even if a Reincarnator stood right before us, unless we fought them directly, we wouldn’t be able to tell.”

“Qin Lun, are you implying that this time, Superstring Space is invading a Shadow World dominated by Shattered Starry Sky? The Reincarnators know about our existence, but we don’t know if they’ve entered this particular mission world?” Grant rubbed his temples, a headache coming on.

“Exactly. So, we must not only pass Major Montana’s test, but we must also perform flawlessly. If there are no Reincarnators, our excellent performance will earn us more Exploration Degree. We might even complete the hidden mission ‘Empire’s Dawn’ before our stay duration runs out.”

Qin Lun replied with a smile. “If Reincarnators are indeed present, our outstanding test performance will win us more bargaining chips. You’ve witnessed the German soldiers’ combat morale. Having more German Superhuman soldiers under our command means greater self-preservation capabilities if we encounter Reincarnators.”

“So troublesome. Not seeing the Reincarnator prompt made me think things would be a bit easier this time,” Grant sighed, muttering softly.

Just as Qin Lun was about to speak, he remembered something and abruptly stopped the discussion in the Team Channel. Turning to the chubby major, he asked with a smile, “By the way, Major, where is our other companion? Captain Hans should have brought her onto the airship as well?”

“Yes, they are all here. There were eight people on the bus you encountered the accident with. However, we initially thought only Captain Kluge was aboard, so we didn’t pay attention to the others.”

The chubby major chuckled awkwardly. “After receiving your hint at the hospital, Captain Hans transferred the other seven people to the airship as well. But besides the two of you, none of the others’ identities could be verified. Therefore, they were all isolated in separate sickbays.”

“Eight people?” Qin Lun raised an eyebrow slightly and exchanged a knowing glance with the Joker.

Since waking up, Lace had contacted him once. Knowing the female archer was safe, he hadn’t paid further attention. He hadn’t expected there to be other, unknown people.

“Qin Lun, do you think they could be Reincarnators?” Grant couldn’t help but blurt out in the Team Channel.

“Possibly. Of course, it’s more likely they are other apostles… or ordinary people.” A sharp gleam flashed in Qin Lun’s eyes as he narrowed them in a sly smile. “But… does it make any difference to us?”

“Hee hee, absolutely no difference!” The Joker licked his lips with a menacing grin.

“Major Gerthard, are those individuals… problematic?” Observing Qin Lun and Grant’s shared look, the chubby major’s eyes flickered thoughtfully. He inquired gently with his customary smile.

“One of them is fine!” Qin Lun described Lace’s appearance. The female archer hadn’t adopted a Plot Identity and thus retained her original looks, making her easy to identify.

“And the other five?” A cold gleam passed through Major Montana’s eyes as he asked with a smile, “Their injuries were less severe than yours. However, the physical recovery of a few individuals was… abnormally quick. We initially assumed them to be your descendants, but now it truly seems somewhat suspicious!”

“Major, as I mentioned before, Captain Kluge had been under Allied surveillance throughout his service. With the world situation so tense, how could the Allies relax their vigilance against Superhumans like Captain Kluge?” Qin Lun responded placatingly, his smile unchanged.

“Anglo-American spies? I understand what to do!” The chubby Major Montana chuckled softly and rose to his feet.

“Major, please wait! Do not alert them yet!” Qin Lun quickly called out to stop Montana, his eyes flashing thoughtfully. “Some among them might be formidable Superhuman fighters. If we act rashly and they retaliate, they could damage the Zeppelin Airship.”

“Don’t worry. They’ve been very quiet these past few days. Besides, even Superhumans need to eat, drink, sleep, and… relieve themselves. By the time they sense something wrong, we’ll already have them under control!” Major Montana declared with confidence.

“Well… alright then.” Qin Lun’s eyes flickered briefly, but he offered no further opposition.

He understood deeply that apostles and Reincarnators differed fundamentally from ordinary Superhumans. Methods effective in controlling ordinary Superhumans might very well fail against apostles or Reincarnators. Leaving aside the Law Body’s considerable resistance to drugs within this quest world, even if someone were caught off guard and suffered negative effects, most apostles and Reincarnators possessed enough recovery items on them to neutralize toxins.

He simply couldn’t explain this nuance to this chubby major of the Millennium Bug Corps. Doing so would raise serious suspicions about their true origins.

“Major, before we proceed against them, there’s one more thing I must ask of you!” Qin Lun’s eyes gleamed slyly as he continued smoothly, “You mentioned before that the Millennium Bug Corps possesses excellent body modification technology. Does this Zeppelin Airship carry such scientific equipment?”

“The Zeppelin Airship is our mobile base. Of course, it possesses such modification facilities. But… Major Gerthard, I fail to grasp your intention?” Major Montana gazed at Qin Lun with surprise. “You couldn’t possibly be thinking of modifying your own body?”

“No, not modification. I prefer to call it… a promotion!” Qin Lun raised one finger and wagged it. “The truth is, though I haven’t been in the military all these years, I never neglected my training. Recently, I’ve sensed my body approaching a critical threshold, on the verge of a new breakthrough. I wish to use your equipment to constantly monitor my physical condition.”

Hearing Qin Lun’s words, Grant nearby visibly stiffened. Unable to resist, he asked in the Team Channel: “Qin Lun? You can promote to Second Order now?”

Qin Lun gave a slight nod. Confirmed by the young man, Grant shrugged helplessly. “You’re still a step ahead. From what I know, even that battle maniac Hansen hasn’t received his advancement task yet.” Qin Lun remained silent.

Novice Apostles established their combat professions. Second-Order Apostles perfected their professions’ skill systems. The third order, synonymous with High-Rank Apostles, represented the pinnacle of a particular profession branch. Each tier was an entirely new world. This vast gulf between tiers was the main reason apostles found it nearly impossible to challenge opponents above their level. If it weren’t for his inheritance of the system of the ancient Elven Hunter lineage during his time in the Toril World, he would be progressing at a pace similar to the other Serial Killers.

“If that’s the case…” Major Montana responded, his gaze holding a profound, unspoken speculation as he looked at Qin Lun, his smile layered with meaning, “please follow me. Though, may I inquire… approximately how long do you estimate this promotion might require, Major?”

“Half a day should be more than sufficient!” Qin Lun smiled easily and stood to follow the chubby Major Montana.

“In that case, we’ll postpone our action slightly. We can’t afford any unexpected disruptions during your critical moment!” Major Montana nodded decisively and issued orders to the soldier guarding the door. “Notify the Doctor. Prepare the cyborg Medical Kit!”

Major Montana harbored no suspicion regarding Qin Lun’s explanation. Under the influence of the Space-Time Rift over the past years, Earth’s lifeforms weren’t limited to mutated animals and plants. Unavoidably, even humans had undergone certain unknown physical transformations. Superhumans frequently surfaced around the globe – individuals not originating from the biochemically engineered soldiers developed in research labs of major powers.

For example, significant figures had emerged in America: someone able to scale walls called the Spider-Man, a figure suspected of possessing giant lineage known as the Incredible Hulk; Russia reported individuals capable of invisibility dubbed Ghosts; China witnessed phenomena linked to stylistic monsters reflecting common mythological forms arising from suspected genetic reawakening. Naturally, upon their emergence, these Superhumans were invariably recruited into special forces at the earliest opportunity, minimizing potential disruption to normal society. America saw the formation of the Avengers Alliance, following the Justice League; Russia established a State Special Committee. Among other nations, similar initiatives took form.

Qin Lun and Grant followed Major Montana out of their room for the first time. Instantly filled with curiosity, they surveyed the vast airship beneath their feet. The Zeppelin Airship stretched nearly a hundred meters long and forty meters wide, towering roughly ten stories high. Unlike the hydrogen-filled zeppelins of World War II, this airship achieved lift utilizing an anti-gravity device dismantled from an Egyptian cube structure. Eight massive gas turbines mounted on twin wings provided propulsion. Soaring over the Atlantic at an altitude exceeding twenty thousand meters, its silhouette resembled a swollen spindle outfitted with short wings. The internal spaces were enormous. Besides living quarters for the crew, most compartments housed scientific work. Biochemical weaponry and human modification technology constituted the two most significant areas. The airship moved with remarkable steadiness. Walking along its external metal passageways yielded no discernible vibration. Were it not for the clouds drifting past the windows set within the bulkheads, they might not have realized they floated tens of thousands of meters above Earth. “Heh heh, compared to aircraft from the World War II era, this airship represents true advancement. It seems you reaped substantial benefits during the Egypt Incident after all,” Qin Lun offered sincerely.

“No.” Major Montana’s expression turned somber. “That giant cube in Egypt harbored countless artifacts of high technology. Though it crashed afterward, the Allies, receiving the largest share of the primary location, claimed the majority of technological fragments. We merely… seized residual opportunities from their delayed control.” Mentioning the event triggered visible resentment. “Our intelligence indicates the Allies recovered a fully functional mechanical life form from within that cube’s rubble…”

“A robot?” Qin Lun inquired with heightened interest.

“No, not a robot. A mechanical life form. The Americans call them Transformers! That thing possesses consciousness and autonomous thought patterns, much like humans!” Major Montana responded, his tone thick with regret. “Our actions were too delayed back then. Had we secured that mechanical life form ahead of the Allies, perhaps we’d already possess a high-intelligence robotic force!” He sighed heavily. “In truth, the primary difficulty facing our three great organizations isn’t funding, but personnel. World War II ended decades ago. While Germany now sees burgeoning seeds of Third Reich ideology anew among some, most young citizens have long consigned both the war and the glory of the Empire to oblivion.”

Through Major Montana’s seemingly casual account, Qin Lun and Grant gradually gleaned insights into the present situations governing the triumvirate comprising Millennium Bug, Hydra (known as Nine-Headed Serpent in Germany in adjacent conflicts) and the vampire corps – the Vampire Battalion. In the waning hours before its demise, a select German military leadership, anticipating inevitable Allied reprisals post-war, initiated detailed preparations covering extraction and safety protocols. Their arrangements orchestrated the systematic transfer of wealth amassed by the Third Reich from across all Europe beyond German borders. These resources effectively included treasury reserves and precious metals drained from conquered European nations. While key figures faced Allied capture upon Germany’s surrender, the core financial network evaded destruction. Utilizing this accumulated hoard of gold, jewels, antiquities, and financial securities, a subterranean commercial empire rose over ensuing decades, its purpose to secretly fund the Aryan Ark Corps – the precursor embodying the gathered three specialist groups. Concurrently, Hydra, implicitly a German operative unit aimed at infiltration overseas and administered as an independent spy faction, cultivated its own massive covert web inside America. Gaining control of most science projects deriving from Nazi projects conducted by WWII scientists, the primary technological research network emerging became the Millennium Bug Corps, presently acting as the largest supplier of unofficial weaponry globally. Even Baron von Wurdenbeller’s Vampire Battalion received support from disgruntled remnants of old aristocratic families scattered throughout central Europe. Consequently, the trio of major surviving Nazi-linked organizations suffered no shortage of funds. This financial backing constituted the chief reason enabling Major Montana’s successful development and construction of the Zeppelin Airship.

“You… you are Major Gerthard! The Empire’s ultimate fighting hero…” Entering an independent compartment crowded with various instruments alongside the chubby major, Qin Lun encountered a studious man sporting thick-rimmed, black glasses. Confronted by Qin Lun, the scientist grew visibly agitated, his face lighting up with excitement upon meeting Qin Lun. “Heh heh, Dr. Shahil ranks among our most objectively focused and skilled imperial scientists! Truthfully, he persists in desiring to abandon his experimental duties, seize a combat rifle, and charge alongside Captain Hans into battle!” Major Montana indicated the suddenly florid-faced, profoundly excited scholarly man whose breathing seemed almost ragged. “Doctor, your nation requires your intellect more urgently than sacrifice!” Qin Lun’s gaze shifted unnoticeably. He stepped forward readily, smiling as he rapped Dr. Shahil’s frail shoulder. “Heil Deutschland!” Dr. Shahil’s lips trembled. Words failed him momentarily; he swayed on his feet before snapping them tight. Raising his miniature chest, he offered an awkwardly delivered Nazi salute.

“All right, Doctor, are the preparations complete?” Major Montana signaled towards Qin Lun with an amused quirk of his lip, teasing gently, “You’ve idolized Major Gerthard since long ago. You wouldn’t risk compromising a treasured role model by letting uncontrolled excitement impair function?” “Doctor, I entrust myself entirely to your care!” Qin Lun gave a confident nod towards Shahil, concealing dismissive thoughts internally. Had achieving fusion of the Demon Bloodline lacked inherent danger, he’d never risk undergoing this promotion upon this vessel. “Be assured! I stake my life upon your safety!” Mentioning his specialized expertise visibly transformed Dr. Shahil. His expression hardened seriously, shedding the former air of instability. “Major Gerthard! Requesting you disrobe and enter this specially prepared amniotic Medical Kit!”