Seeing General Howard arrive, Jeremy, Ritchie, and the stranger all breathed a sigh of relief. General Howard swiftly pushed open the door and stepped into the room, casting a glance at the three men inside. He then spoke in a slightly deep tone, "This man is indeed a special envoy from military headquarters, and the orders he brought are genuine.
So, Jeremy, there's no need for you to hold onto him any longer."
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Upon hearing Howard's words, Jeremy immediately released the envoy. The special envoy's face was somewhat pale, but after taking a few deep breaths, he finally managed to regain his composure.
"General Howard, it's good to see you. I had intended to visit you first, but as you probably know, the generals at military headquarters are quite displeased with your recent actions. So, to avoid further aggravating them, I chose not to seek you out. I hope you can understand my decision," the envoy explained, trying to justify himself.
In truth, there was no need for him to justify anything, as Howard had no intention of making things difficult for him. General Howard nodded. "You're not wrong. So, it's acceptable that you didn't come to see me."
Howard's response was curt. Although he wasn't blaming the envoy, it didn't mean he was going to be friendly, either. The envoy took the hint and realized it was time to take his leave.
Turning to face Jeremy, he said, "I've delivered the orders from headquarters. Take a good look at them! I hope you'll comply with the orders, but if you choose not to, there's nothing I can do to force you."
With that, the special envoy quickly exited the scene. After all, he had fulfilled his duty. Whether Jeremy and General Howard would reject the orders later was no longer his concern.
Once the envoy had left, General Howard let out a sigh.
"The current situation is indeed dire. The defenses in the capital are full of holes, which is why military headquarters is desperate to redirect the defensive forces from other cities," General Howard said, his tone grave. Jeremy and Ritchie listened patiently without offering any response.
"What do you think?" Howard continued. "Are you really willing to go to the capital? The weapons and resources at headquarters are undoubtedly more valuable. If you manage to achieve significant accomplishments there, the rewards you'll receive will certainly be far greater than anything you could earn here in Moonlight City."
Although Howard didn't want Jeremy to leave, he understood that if Jeremy performed exceptionally well in the capital, the rewards would be far superior to what he could gain by staying. Jeremy, however, didn't directly answer the question. Instead, he responded with a calm counter-question.
"Since I'm staying in Moonlight City, we should quickly clear out all the dangerous instances around the city. Even though it hasn't been long since I completed the Tower of Exile mission..."
"But I've learned that there are many dangerous instances around Moonlight City, and their difficulty levels have increased significantly. Shouldn't we prioritize clearing out the most threatening ones as soon as possible? A few of those instances are way too close to the city.
If we can't eliminate them, the monsters within will undoubtedly come out from time to time, putting the entire Moonlight City at risk—just like what's happening in the capital."
Hearing Jeremy's words, Howard immediately stood up. He had already formulated a plan and intended to present it to Jeremy in two days. However, the unexpected arrival of the special envoy from headquarters gave Howard the opportunity to discuss his plan with Jeremy ahead of schedule.
"I've actually already put together a plan," Howard said. "According to my strategy, all available forces in Moonlight City will be mobilized for the operation. As the strongest individual in the city, you'll play the most crucial role. I'll have my adjutant bring over the details of the plan right away. If you find no issues with it, we can start the operation immediately!"
General Howard then issued a directive to his adjutant, who quickly arrived near Jeremy's house via helicopter. The plan Howard had devised wasn't particularly complex, but it was certainly filled with danger.
The primary focus of the plan was to clear out the highest-level instance near the city, which was Level 58. Jeremy himself hadn't yet reached Level 58, meaning even he couldn't guarantee his own safety within the instance.
"I understand that this instance is extremely challenging," General Howard began, his tone carrying a mix of concern and frustration. "But the instance is located far too close to the city. Until we clear it out, there's no way to guarantee the safety of the urban area. Both Mayor Benjamin and Director Liam agree that this instance needs to be dealt with as a top priority.
The problem is, we don't have much information about it.
I tried to send some of my men inside earlier to gather intel, but as soon as they entered, I lost all contact with them. I'm afraid it's likely they didn't make it out alive." At this point, Howard's voice grew hesitant. Although he was convinced that an instance of such difficulty had to be cleared, its level of danger had exceeded his expectations.
Upon hearing this, Jeremy spoke in a calm, measured tone. "If we're going to take on an instance of this caliber, we need to gather sufficient information beforehand. That's why I've decided that tomorrow, I'll venture into the instance with my partner. This operation won't be about clearing the instance; our goal is simply to collect more data and better understand what we're up against."
Howard appeared somewhat reassured by Jeremy's response. "Are you sure it's wise for just the two of you to go in together? There's a chance you won't have enough firepower to handle what's inside. Do you want me to accompany you?"
Jeremy slowly shook his head at Howard's offer, his expression firm. "No, that won't be necessary. Having more people might increase the risks instead of reducing them. The two of us will be more than capable of navigating the instance without drawing too much attention. Besides, our mission is strictly reconnaissance at this point, not direct confrontation."