Chapter 74: Awarding Ceremony

Lin Jie and his two companions slept for an entire day and night within the safe house in Le Marais district.It wasn't until dusk the next day, when the golden afterglow of the setting sun streamed through the apartment's stained-glass windows, dyeing the dust motes in the room a warm amber color, that Lin Jie finally awoke from the chaotic nightmare filled with skeletons and roaring echoes.

His body still felt a hollowed-out weakness, but his brain, which had nearly shut down due to high-intensity combat and extreme mental energy output, had finally regained clarity with the help of the specially formulated deep sleep incense provided by the Paris branch.

He slowly sat up and discovered the cuts and scrapes on his body had been carefully re-bandaged with clean linen.

A set of neatly folded, clean cotton pajamas was placed at his bedside.

Warm firewood crackled in the room's fireplace.

On the long table before the fireplace sat a still-steaming silver dinner platter—a rosemary lamb chop grilled to a crispy exterior and tender interior, a portion of mashed potatoes with rich gravy, and a bottle of properly aerated, high-quality Burgundy Pinot Noir.

The warm scents of food, burning wood, and soothing incense drove away the lingering cold and decay of the catacombs from the depths of his memory.

"Our chef has already crawled back from hell ahead of us."

A familiar voice came from the armchair on the other side of the room.

Lin Jie turned towards the sound and saw Sergeant William sitting there.

He had changed into a clean shirt, and the ferocious wound on his left shoulder had already begun to scab over.

He wasn't holding a gun, but rather cradling a cup of steaming hot black tea, his face carrying the calm of one who had survived a disaster.

In another chair, the Curator Julian was also awake.

Although he still looked somewhat listless, the fire of knowledge and discovery burned once again in his eyes.

He was intently studying, by the lamplight, the several fragments that had fallen from the Catacomb Nightingale.

"Eat up quickly, lad, since you're awake." William gestured with his chin towards the dinner on the table. "I 'borrowed' this from the restaurant downstairs, which supposedly supplies nobility, using the Association's funds. If you don't eat it soon, this picky Frenchman Julian will probably devour it all himself."

"Hmph, barbaric Englishman." Julian let out a scholarly snort of disdain without even looking up. "You people understand nothing of true cuisine beyond roasting a poor piece of lamb in the most brutish manner. If it weren't for this bottle of reasonably decent Pinot Noir from the 1878 vintage, I'd rather chew on my parchment maps."

This exchange of barbs, each marked by their distinct personalities, brought Lin Jie back from that deadly and mad underground adventure to this warm, humane, real world.

He smiled, picked up his knife and fork, and began to enjoy the meal.

For the next hour or so, none of the three mentioned anything about UMAs, cults, or the mission.

They were like three ordinary friends who had just concluded a long business trip.

Julian talked incessantly, educating Lin Jie and William about the subtle differences in flavor profiles of Pinot Noir from various Burgundy regions—differences he claimed only a French palate could truly appreciate.

William, for once, became quite talkative.

He recounted a story from his youth in New Zealand, dealing with the Maori people, and how he was astonished by the locals' method of cooking a whole pig using a peculiar geothermal pit oven, which earned him Julian's taunt of "Savages, indeed."

Lin Jie, in turn, described to them a commoner's delicacy from another distant world called "hot pot," which made the other two Europeans, who had never heard of it, look curious.

It was a familial warmth and harmony.

When the dinner ended and the expensive bottle of wine was finally empty, Julian reluctantly set down his glass as if suddenly remembering his official duties.

"I suppose it's time now to submit our report card to those important gentlemen sitting comfortably in their Geneva offices." Julian adjusted his temporarily repaired glasses.

This time, they didn't delay further.

The three gathered all the evidence, then once again took the Association's carriage directly to the Paris Secret Archives beneath the Louvre.

The Hermes Ether Communication Array, capable of cross-border communication, had already been pre-warmed and activated.

The person responsible for their remote meeting was still that white-haired, stern-eyed, yet wise I.A.R.C. European Affairs Department Executive Director—Sir Henderson.

When the three heroes, bearing their wounds and fatigue, appeared before the crystal screen filled with static and electric arcs, the powerful old man on the other side of the screen stood up from his seat and gave them a solemn salute.

He placed his right fist over his heart, then slowly traced a circular motion.

"On behalf of the Supreme Council in Geneva," Sir Henderson's voice held undisguised praise and a touch of belated fear, "I extend the highest honors to the three members of Operation 'Serpent Breaker'."

"You, a lone force of three, penetrating deep without any backup, successfully assisted in defusing a time bomb beneath this city poised to welcome the world's gaze—a bomb powerful enough to blast European civilization and order back to the Dark Ages."

"Your complete action report, along with the detailed analysis and conjectures you later supplemented, Julian, regarding the 'Eternal Serpent Cult's Artificial New God Project,' have all been received by headquarters."

Henderson's gaze lingered on Lin Jie's face for a long moment. "Mr. Lin, I must admit, when you and Sergeant William submitted your Scotland Yard report in London, a significant portion of the Council still believed you might have exaggerated the threat level posed by the 'Eternal Serpent'."

"But the facts have now proven," the old man's voice carried a hint of self-mockery, "that we severely underestimated the imagination and execution capabilities of these lunatics."

"If not for your foresight and the intelligence you provided, then at the upcoming World's Fair, what we might have faced could indeed have been an incomprehensible and undefeatable pseudo-deity, born from a fusion of human 'memory' and UMA 'divinity'."

"Therefore, following an emergency assessment by the Supreme Council," Henderson's tone became solemn, "the initial task completion rating for Operation 'Serpent Breaker' will be elevated, and the three of you shall receive rewards commensurate with this achievement."

He began to read from the pre-prepared list of rewards.

"Master Julian Belloc, in recognition of your irreplaceable scholarly support and crucial tactical assistance during this operation, headquarters has decided to award you the Association's high academic honor, the 'Eye of Wisdom' medal, and a one-time reward of five hundred Association points."

"Furthermore, the analysis report you submitted will be classified as a top-level S-Class confidential file, permanently archived within the Association's core database."

When Julian, a scholar who valued knowledge and honor above life itself, heard this result, his scholarly face broke into a pure, childlike smile of satisfaction.

"Sergeant William Keane," Henderson's gaze turned to the silent veteran, "you, with a mortal body, confronted several elite guards who had undergone Ascension modifications head-on, demonstrating the pinnacle of human will and combat skill."

"Your bravery will earn you the 'Lionheart' combat medal, and a one-time reward of five hundred Association points."

"Additionally, you will be exceptionally promoted directly from Fifth-Level Investigator to Fourth-Level Investigator!"

The muscles on William's rock-solid, resolute face twitched involuntarily, and the veins on his clenched fists bulged.

This veteran who had crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, this Guardian who had been ruthlessly 'exiled' by the Scotland Yard bureaucrats, had finally received the honor he deserved within I.A.R.C., an organization that valued capability above all else.

Finally, Sir Henderson's gaze fell upon Lin Jie, his eyes becoming profound and complex.

"And you, Mr. Lin, our 'Interpreter,' our 'Miracle Kid'..." The old man pondered for a long while, as if contemplating what words to use to evaluate this mysterious newcomer who continually overturned everyone's expectations.

"You led the entire operation with unbelievable tactical thinking, ultimately destroying that sinful workshop with extraordinary wisdom and decisiveness." Henderson said slowly. "Your contribution cannot be measured by combat or intelligence alone;what you have brought us is a philosophy of victory filled with possibilities."

"Therefore, the Council has decided," Henderson's voice became clear, "to grant you honors and rewards of the same level as Master Julian and Sergeant William."

"A cash reward of three hundred pounds, and likewise, five hundred Association points!"

This was an astonishing figure.

"With the points earned from this mission, your total points have now surpassed the vast majority of 'Rookie Hunters' who joined the Association in the same period as you, or even before you." A gratified smile appeared on Henderson's face.

"From today onward," he announced solemnly, "your name will no longer linger at the bottom of this quarter's 'Rookie Hunter Observation Roster.' You will leap directly into the middle ranks of that list."