Volume 3: The Nameless Chapter 66 How can someone give gifts to others when meeting them for the first time be a decent person?
"Mason, I've reached the safe zone."
As the three of them approached the Abstergo building in Manhattan, New York, Zha Kang, who had gone to the "safe zone" lobby of the Star Society for intelligence, finally sent back the news belatedly.
"It took you thirty minutes to get there?"
Mason looked at his watch and said in surprise:
"You went there on your legs?"
"That's not the case. It only took me five minutes to get here by taxi, but I just took a shower and had a massage from a professional. It's a pity that they don't provide additional services. It's really disappointing."
This guy said to Mason in a whimpering voice:
"Our colleagues are quite good at finding places. They set up a hotel here and opened it for business. I was allowed to enter only after I showed my ID card.
But the fact that everything is free is worth encouraging.”
"Wait, the safe zone is a hotel?"
Mason's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately asked:
"What's the name of the hotel?"
"It's called the 'Continental Hotel'. I heard it's a global chain. It was fully acquired by the Star Club and used as a base for people like us in this world.
I heard that the Star Club pioneers all stop here as their first stop when they come here, and there are also several B-level teams stationed in this world who share free information."
Zha Kang replied in a relaxed tone:
"The food here is not bad. I just filled my stomach and was about to go downstairs to chat with my colleagues."
Mason, who already felt the danger, felt a headache when he heard the name "Continental Hotel", and he clenched his fists after hearing Zha Kang say that the hotel had been fully acquired by the Star Club.
This is a fucking mixed worldview!
He said to Zha Kang:
"John, it seems that our action plan needs to be changed now. Once you have gathered the information, withdraw from there without alerting others. Find a random place outside the city and wait for us.
We will join you as soon as we finish here."
"Um?"
Zha Kang was a little surprised.
As he walked out of the luxuriously decorated elevator and headed towards the restaurant, he asked:
"From your tone, it sounds like you've encountered something terrible. Tell me, have you discovered any terrible problems with your clever trick?"
Mason was about to explain when he saw Barbara shaking her head and silencing him.
So he changed the subject and said:
"Nothing, I'm just worried that you might get drunk and make things difficult, so don't stay there too long."
"Tsk, who do you take me for?"
Constantine scoffed at Mason's concerns, chatted for a few more words, and then disconnected the call. Mason took the earphones out of his ears and glanced at Barbara. Batgirl whispered:
"The communication line is not secure. At least two 'noises' were detected in John's data signal. He is being monitored. There is something wrong with that hotel."
"Of course there's something wrong with it!"
Mason crushed the earphones in his hand and said to Barbara and Ertong beside him:
“That Continental Hotel… I’ve seen this name in Old K’s notes. It’s the base camp where assassins in this world hand over missions.
It is a worldwide chain but it is run by secret assassins behind the scenes.
It was only because of Lao K's special identity that this secret was not known to the Star Society. Now it seems that the assassins in this world have effectively concealed the background of the Continental Hotel and paralyzed the Star Society. "
He skillfully attributed the "secrets of the past" that came to his mind to Lao K's "accidental discovery", and continued along this topic:
"I now doubt that the Star Club was able to acquire that hotel as a safe zone for the pioneers. It must be some guys in this world who pushed it behind the scenes.
If we look at it from the worst perspective, not only do the monitors of this world clearly know the existence of the Star Society, but even all of the Star Society's actions in this world may be monitored by the assassin.
Including our current actions.
It sounds incredible.
But if the monitors of this world can invade Barbara's control system made from future technology, it proves that the background of this world is far beyond what we see.
Mr. Hunter also reminded me that although the overall strength of this world is average, the power it hides is very dangerous."
After Mason finished his "terrible" guess, Ertong and Barbara looked at each other. Their expressions became extremely serious. The captain thought for a moment and said to his companions:
“24 hours! Regardless of whether our mission can be accomplished or not, we must leave here in 24 hours!
Don't alert John yet, just let him stay there with our companions, and then take him with us when we are done."
After saying this, he glanced at the Abstergo skyscraper not far away and said to Barbara:
"Can you remotely hack into that system? We need to look for something deep in its databases, and I was thinking of just sneaking in, but it doesn't seem like a good idea to risk it now.
I suspect there could be a dozen master assassins hiding out there, waiting for our rash actions to catch them in their tracks."
"no."
Barbara tried it.
There was a blue light flickering in her left eye. After a few seconds, the light became intermittent. She shook her head and said:
"There are very sophisticated physical firewalls there, and you have to be authorized before you can connect the interface to the database, otherwise it will trigger an alarm."
"I'll go."
Second Barrel stretched his neck and hands and said to Mason:
"Give me the invisibility cloak. I can do this. If I'm exposed, don't worry about me. Just leave."
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Mason snorted, took out the folded invisibility cloak and threw it to the second barrel, saying:
"If we leave you here to die, you'll be killed by Batman as soon as you return to Gotham. You'd better take care of yourself, just so that everyone's life in Gotham won't be troubled by the master."
After that, he took out a special syringe and put it into Ertong's hand, and said:
“If you’re really stuck there, use this. This is a strengthening serum extracted from the blood of old spiders. I haven’t asked anyone to try it yet, so I don’t know if it can give spiders senses.
Don’t use it if you can avoid it.”
"Permanent enhancement? Or temporary enhancement?"
Jason took the syringe in his hand. He recalled the scene in Crime Alley where Mason was almost killed by this injection. He curled his lips and said:
"It won't kill me, will it?"
"Temporary enhancement. Permanent enhancements are quite complicated to make and cannot be completed in a day or two. Instead of worrying that my medicine will kill you, you should be more careful about the hidden killers in this world."
Mason shook his head and said:
"The assassins in this world are very evil. They have many ways to kill you in seconds without triggering self-healing. After all, you don't have a skull reinforced with adamantium.
I'm not kidding, two barrels.
Try to avoid fighting them if you can."
"knew."
Ertong put on an invisibility cloak and took a palm-sized data plug-in from Barbara, then quickly disappeared into the night ahead.
While waiting, Mason kept looking around, as if at any time a few men in black might jump out of the darkness and stab him.
Not only did he keep the Widowmaker, a precision rifle that he was very familiar with, at hand, he also took out various dangerous alchemical items and engineering grenades and placed them in the most convenient places.
This vigilant posture was immediately caught by Barbara, and Batgirl whispered:
"Mason, I've rarely seen you so nervous since I met you. You're making me a little anxious. Can you relax a little?"
"You don't understand, Barbara."
Mason's hand stroked the kinetic pistol at his waist and he whispered:
"Abstergo, the Continental, the Golden Apple, the Assassin Brotherhood, the Knights Templar... so many elements combined together are enough to increase the danger here tenfold.
There is something wrong with this world.
There is a big problem with it!
The longer I'm here the more I feel like something's not right, you know that feeling?"
He pursed his lips and said:
"It feels like you are stepping into a quagmire step by step, like an ignorant beast walking into a trap. I have an uneasy feeling that the Star Society will definitely fall into a big trap here, and now I just hope that we can stay far away when that happens.
Don’t get splattered with blood.”
——
In the Continental Hotel in New York, Zha Kang did not realize that he was being monitored. He was still chatting with a dozen B-level members of the Star Club in the restaurant.
Relying on the Sujie Eagle sword in his hand that he had specially taken from Selina before setting off, Zha Kang quickly opened up the conversation of his companions.
He lied that he came here to get another powerful weapon. As the Sujie Eagle was passed around among these guys for appraisal, Constantine soon got the news he wanted to hear.
"Wow, this sword is really nice. It seems your team is lucky, but it's not the best."
A drunkard in his forties stroked the snow-white blade of Su Jie's Eagle and said to Zha Kang, who was flirting with a colleague dressed as a dancer:
“This sword is probably a replica forged by ordinary people in this world through access to the knowledge of ancient artifacts. It is not a real Isu artifact.
I once saw the genuine Isu treasure 'Broken Steel Sword' in Star Castle.
It is held by one of our A-level personnel whose brain is not very good. It is said that the thing is not only indestructible, but can even change the minds of all people around according to the will of the user.
That crazy A-class personnel has conquered several vassal worlds with it."
"Is it that powerful?"
Zha Kang said in surprise:
"As you can see, I'm a spellcaster. I thought the so-called ancient treasures were nothing more than extremely sharp and had some special abilities. But the kind of thing you said that can change the mind, no matter how you look at it, it belongs to the realm of rule-level treasures, right?"
"Why do you think everyone is coming to this world instead of doing their normal tasks?"
Zha Kang's question was immediately laughed at by others.
The dancer who had flirted with him just now sat on Zha Kang's lap, picked up a glass of wine and took a sip before saying:
"Isn't it because this unique world is full of things that are so powerful that they cannot be judged by common sense? Not to mention things like the Broken Steel Sword that can affect people's hearts, the Isu armor that has been found in the past few months is enough for everyone to make a trip here."
"Yes, those armors that are invulnerable to swords and guns, can resist magic, and can be compatible with various technologies."
Another Class B personnel waved his hands and said:
"Last week, someone found three sets in the Egyptian desert. They were said to have been sold at a sky-high price at the previous trade fair. I heard that a Class A member from the Warlock Grandmaster faction also came here a few days ago.
It is said that he came for the 'Conqueror's Sword'.
It was the rumor that had been circulating before, which was said to be the artifact used by Genghis Khan of this world to conquer the world.
There is news that it appeared in North America and was almost caught by our people, but those guys were unlucky and were discovered and killed by the natives of this world."
"Tsk, that's because they are weak, they can't blame others."
Some people scoffed at this and added fuel to the fire by saying:
“So many people left here safely with good stuff, but they were the only ones who got the good stuff but died here. They had clearly entered the treasure house but lost their lives.
The weak are not welcome here.”
Everyone was talking happily, but the more Zha Kang listened, the more he felt something was wrong.
He felt that there was something wrong with these guys' mentality.
It was as if they had ignored all possible dangers and only saw the benefits that were within their grasp. They were all delighted at the good things that were about to be in their hands.
Just like a bunch of greedy people.
However, the members who can reach B-level in the Star Club come from various worlds and have all experienced the trials and tribulations of exploring parallel worlds. No matter how bad they are, they should have the most basic rationality.
There is something obviously wrong with this situation of "collective enthusiasm" that is like walking into a restaurant and enjoying a delicious buffet in a dangerous world.
This caught Constantine's attention.
He chatted with these ignorant guys in the restaurant for a while and then left on the pretext of something. He blew out a smoke ring, covered his eyes with a layer of faint green light, and observed his surroundings.
After entering the "super sensory" state, he quickly caught a glimpse of a strange power radiating from the top floor of the hotel. This discovery made Constantine raise his eyebrows, and then he wore the Sujie Eagle used to disguise his identity around his waist and got on the elevator.
He planned to see what was hidden on the top floor of the hotel.
As a result, the elevator stopped when it reached the seventh floor. Under Zha Kang's surprised gaze, a tall man wearing a black windbreaker and cool sunglasses walked in.
He glanced at the button for the thirteenth floor on the elevator control panel, then glanced at Zha Kang and said:
"You want to go to the top floor?"
"Yes, what's the problem?"
Constantine held a cigarette in his mouth and said in an unhappy tone:
"I'm going to go up there to get some fresh air. I feel like I'm going to become stupid if I stay with those idiots. Who are you, buddy? If you're not from the Star Society, you can't enter this building. So are you also here to look for treasures in this damn place?"
Facing Zha Kang's question, the cool guy wearing sunglasses replied calmly:
"A-level personnel, captain of the 'Blight' team, Albert Wesker."
"???"
Zha Kang, who was smoking somewhat carelessly, was almost choked by the smoke. He coughed a few times and looked up and down at the cool guy in black in front of him.
After a moment, he smiled, nodded and replied:
"Hello, big shot. I'm John Constantine, a C-rank rookie. When they said there was an A-rank personnel here, I thought they were bragging, but I didn't expect it to be true.
Are you really here for the legendary 'Conqueror's Sword'?"
"Constantine? C-class?"
The A-level boss frowned when he heard the name. He looked up and down at Zha Kang with a strange look, coughed a few times, and said:
"No, that's just a boring legend, as boring and dangerous as any other legend in this world. But C-class personnel Constantine, the top floor of the Continental Hotel is not an area you can go to.
I temporarily requisitioned that place.
Maybe I should ask you to leave now?"
"Thank you for your reminder. I almost got myself into danger because of my curiosity."
When Zha Kang heard this guy say that there was danger on the top floor, he immediately responded seriously. He behaved very seriously, did not refute or insist on his own way, and walked out obediently before the elevator closed.
"Constantine, wait."
As he was leaving, Wesker in the elevator called him. Zha Kang turned around and saw the A-level boss took out a very delicate syringe from his pocket and handed it to him, saying:
"C-level personnel will encounter great risks in this dangerous B-level world. Take this biological repair fluid with you. It may save your life at a critical moment."
"Huh? There's such a good thing?"
Zha Kang accepted the gift of healing items with a flattered look on his face, and replied politely:
"Then I thank you."
"See you again, Constantine."
Wesker in the elevator gave a fleeting smile, and as the elevator closed, their gazes were cut off, and Wesker in the elevator shook his head.
The guy with sunglasses folded his arms and whispered:
"After nine teams were wiped out in the past two years by the temporal anomaly of John Constantine, the 'disaster', someone actually dared to recruit him into the team.
Either he is ignorant and fearless, or he is a hungry rookie who eats anything.
But no matter which one it is, they are all cannon fodder in this world."
After that, he took out a special communication device and hung it next to his ear, whispering:
"I am close to the target and will soon make contact."
"Don't worry yet."
The voice of the Warlock, one of the three great mentors of the Star Society, came from among them. With a touch of coldness and lowness, he said:
"Observe closely, don't touch it yet, wait for my instructions before taking action."
At the same time, outside the elevator, Zha Kang returned to his room and looked at the "biological repair fluid" given to him. He pinched it with two fingers and threw it into his bag as if he was pinching some highly poisonous substance.
Zha Kang pinched his nose and complained:
"You're giving me gifts on our first meeting. Do you really think this is my first day out here? But is there something on the rooftop that needs an A-level person to handle? Thinking carefully, Mason ended the call a little too hastily, and his words were telling me to leave here as soon as possible...
not good!
I might be under surveillance!
There is something wrong with this damn place! But I am still very curious about what on the top floor can change the minds of the pioneers so smoothly?
Did Wesker, who was definitely not a good guy, come here for something like that?
Tsk, dangerous things are becoming more and more fascinating. "
