Chapter 197: The Summer Crown Opens Early

Chapter 197: Chapter 197: The Summer Crown Opens Early

Sith gently pushed up his glasses with a finger.

"This recent incident is quite a headache."

"It suggests that a deeply hidden power might be lurking in our blind spots."

After all, Chaos only bestows his gaze upon those who perform the ritual at the same time.

He comprehensively evaluates them from every angle—fate, Talent, potential, and strength—before finally selecting the strongest to participate in the game in the Star Realm.

It must be some other power that was able to cultivate a new recruit stronger than one from our Black Iron Command Bureau under the same conditions.

"The subsequent investigation will likely require some unconventional methods."

Without a doubt, all of this tedious screening work would fall onto Sith’s schedule.

As the two were talking, the door to the observation room was pushed open. A uniformed intelligence agent walked in quickly, signaling to Sith that he had an urgent report to deliver immediately.

Sith glanced at Grailheid beside him, then nodded, allowing the agent to hand him the wax-sealed file pouch.

He tore open the pouch. Inside were two intelligence reports written in code.

Sith quickly scanned the contents, and a flash of surprise appeared in his eyes behind his glasses.

He gathered his thoughts, then handed the reports to Grailheid.

"Sir, this might contain the information you’re most eager to know right now."

Grailheid glanced at him and took the parchment.

The very first line he saw was about the Holy Mountain Bell Ringing and the Legendary feat of someone defeating a god.

Upon seeing that feat, he involuntarily crumpled the parchment in his hand, leaving a deep crease.

It was a clear sign that he had lost his composure.

"Heheheh... to think someone actually defeated a god."

"It seems the world has one more uncontrollable monster in it."

Grailheid turned his head, glancing at Yasa in the plaza below. The battle had just ended, and Yasa was resting, one foot on a fallen comrade.

"His loss was not unjust."

Throughout history, those who could truly defeat a god were few and far between. Every single one was a great figure whose name was etched into epic legends.

Grailheid just hadn’t expected such a person to appear in this seemingly peaceful era.

This often signaled the beginning of a great upheaval; after all, heroes are often born in times of chaos.

And counting the years, several centuries had already passed since the last Hero appeared.

The second encrypted report, while not as shocking as the first, still managed to surprise the well-traveled old man.

"The ritual for the Summer Crown has started early?"

Sith immediately offered his analysis from the side.

"Yes, it’s likely related to Chaos losing to a mortal in his game."

"From the very beginning, his authority has always been linked to Zelos."

"This must be His attempt to recover the authority that was stripped from Him, which is why He triggered the Summer Crown ahead of schedule."

Sith let out a soft chuckle.

"Sir, I suspect this continent is about to get very lively."

Grailheid remained noncommittal about the games between gods; he was more concerned with direct, tangible benefits.

"Has your intelligence network found any news regarding the whereabouts of a rare Werewolf Species recently?"

He cut straight to the topic that concerned him most.

In his younger years, in pursuit of ultimate martial power, he had undergone a radical bloodline procedure from the Mad Doctors of the Command Bureau’s "Melting Furnace."

As a result, his own bloodline had been unstable for all these years.

He was now in dire need of a rare Werewolf Species’ bloodline to repair his body.

"In White River Province."

Sith’s answer was direct.

"Our Wind Media embedded in the merchant guilds there recently intercepted a piece of Black Market intel."

"The Dark River Organization had an accident during a secret transport some time ago and lost a shipment of rare Sub-human Species they had acquired at a high price."

"According to the fragmented intel we intercepted, there was a member of the Werewolf Species among the lost ’prey’."

Sith paused, observing Grailheid’s expression.

"Although we don’t yet know what specific rare type it is."

"What we can confirm is that the deposit paid in advance by the buyer was extremely high. This is definitely not a price an Ordinary Werewolf Species would fetch."

"However, based on the strength assessment of the escort team, the prey’s own power level should still be below the Professional Level. It shouldn’t be difficult to handle."

Sith knew what Grailheid truly cared about.

"This information about the missing Werewolf Species is still in the verification stage. I haven’t officially recorded or reported it yet."

Sith’s heavily suggestive words finally brought a satisfied smile to Grailheid’s face.

He liked subordinates like Sith who knew how to play the game.

If this intelligence about a High Tier bloodline were to be officially reported through proper channels,

given his understanding of the Command Bureau’s internal affairs,

at least three other old-timers facing the same bloodline problem as him would come out to compete for this hunting spot like sharks smelling blood in the water.

This was because, during the turbulent times of the past,

many of the old-timers like him who had struggled to survive the old era had risked everything to fuse with the bloodline of the Werewolf Species in order to gain powerful regenerative abilities.

"Organize this intelligence, issue the list of hunting targets for this operation separately, and send it directly to my office later."

Grailheid glanced down at the plaza below again.

The brutal selection battle had finally ended.

Covered in blood, Yasa stood amidst a field of wailing bodies, looking up at the second-floor observation room.

"This capture mission will serve as a test for the new recruits. Have Yasa Scamander lead the team to complete it."

With that, Grailheid turned to leave the observation room.

Sith immediately fell half a step behind him, following respectfully.

"Since the alpha wolf has been decided among these new recruits,"

Grailheid instructed as he walked.

"When your ’Dog Chain’ division submits the personnel list to the ’Melting Furnace’ department, remember to make it clear in the notes."

"Put in a special request for Yasa to receive an advanced Magic Potion from the [Crimson Sequence] as his rookie reward."

The detailed files of every alpha wolf were always assessed and submitted by Dog Chain, which was in charge of intelligence.

Yasa, however, was an alpha wolf Grailheid had personally spent five years of painstaking effort to cultivate. He had to keep a firm grip on the future direction of this "blade" he had forged.

He had judged countless people in his life and had a keen eye for talent.

He had only misjudged once.

But he firmly believed.

This time, the sharp blade he had personally selected and honed would absolutely not make any mistakes.

"Yes, Sir. I will arrange it personally."

Sith stopped, watching Grailheid’s departing back, and bowed his head slightly in a very respectful reply.