I, with my frail and sickly body, simultaneously traverse hundreds of worlds.

Page 11

Startled, Bai Zhi raised her head and saw Hephaestus's gentle smile.

He was stunned for a moment.

"Didn't you hear me? I'll repeat it again: I want you to survive the forging and repair process and continue to live."

"...Yes, my goddess." Bai Zhi, her mind in turmoil, knelt on one knee, and for the first time, she felt a genuine faith in the gods.

......

There are ten minutes left until midnight.

With the earth's fire burning and divine power amplifying it, the furnace's temperature soared higher and higher. The embryo underwent deformation under the intense heat and eventually melted into a liquid.

Her slender hand reached into the edge of the furnace, undeterred by the high temperature, and gently touched the liquid artifact embryo, expanding it into a square shape the size of a person. Then she clenched her fist, and the liquid instantly solidified.

“Ready.” Hephaestus, sitting in his wheelchair, withdrew his finger. “You have less than ten minutes left. I need you to lie down before your body reaches its limit.”

Glancing at the coffin-like box inside the furnace, Bai Zhi swallowed hard and said, "Lord Hephaestus, I need some help. I'm afraid I'll be burned to ashes when I step into the furnace."

There was an invisible barrier inside and outside the furnace. He couldn't be sure how high the temperature was inside the furnace, but even the embryo of a divine artifact had melted. If a mortal body were to enter, it might instantly vaporize.

"Do you think the blessings of the gods are merely an increase in power?" Hephaestus glanced at Bai Zhi, feeling sorry that he was unaware of the treasure he possessed.

"Blessings are the authority of the gods. With the blessings of the moon god and the god of light, your status is equal to that of the child of the moon and the child of light. No demigod is as noble as you, and the authority wielded by the weaker gods of Olympus may not even be as great as yours."

"The Son of the Moon and the Son of Light?!"

This weight is no small matter. Even with the memories of other Bai Zhi, he could not clearly fathom the power of the gods. Now, with Hephaestus's reminder, he truly realized the preciousness of the blessing.

"So, does that mean I can enter without taking any protective measures?" He looked at the furnace, his mind racing with various thoughts.

“No,” Hephaestus denied.

"The moment you enter, your body will burn away, leaving behind your soul and will, blessed and protected by the gods. This can only be achieved through your will; I cannot intervene. However, I can give you a definite answer: when you touch the embryo, I will not fail in the remaining forging." This is the forging god's affirmation.

"Then I'm all set." Having learned the remaining steps, Bai Zhi entered the furnace without hesitation.

In an instant, unimaginable heat burned his body to ashes.

However, Bai Zhi remained in the same place, a humanoid figure with a silver and orange halo as its main features.

Unable to speak, unable to breathe, unable to think, Bai Zhi still remembered what she had to do.

The silver-orange humanoid figure, with its shaky steps, approached the artifact embryo step by step, slowly but firmly lying down on it and merging into it.

Outside the furnace, Hephaestus looked on with satisfaction.

Bai Zhi's will and soul were more resilient than her frail body, so Hephaestus, the god who had promised the child, would not let him down.

“Such unwavering will makes you a fine prospect.” Hephaestus raised his forging hammer. “Let me speed things up and work on you carefully.”

Bang!

Terra Blacksteel Temporary Worker: Chapter Twenty - Ark World Commission

In the ruined city at the border of Terra, Kazdel, and Syracuse.

This city was once a trading hub between two countries, but it was completely abandoned in the fighting that spread from the greed of the mafia and the arrogance of the Sarkaz.

Those who still live in this ruined city today are either Oripathy infected people struggling to survive, gangsters hiding in the shadows, or mercenaries driven by profit.

An Originium-powered armored off-road vehicle drove in from the desert outskirts. The vehicle was marked with the special logo of Black Steel International. Its special alloy shell could withstand bullets, and the windows were one-way glass, allowing people inside to see out but not outsiders to see in.

The vehicle found a secluded spot to stop, and a buzzing sound of electricity filled the air. Sakta, with white hair and golden eyes, sitting in the passenger seat, took out a communicator and connected to a special frequency radio wave.

"Zzz...zz...zz...Black...Blacksteel members, can you receive the signal?"

A detached, hoarse male voice came from the other end of the communicator.

“Yes.” The white-haired, golden-eyed Sakota paused for a moment before speaking: “Order MAXIN9527, employer codename Doctor, my codename is Andrecher. My team has arrived at the target city. Please provide the remaining mission information so we can proceed with the next steps.”

"According to the latest intelligence, our hostile forces have crossed the border and, together with the Sicilians of Syracuse, have stormed into Letania and kidnapped a group of special personnel. They are all researchers specializing in Originium Arts. Once they are taken back to their territory and forced to research dangerous Originium weapons, a new round of war in Kazdel will be imminent."

"The diplomatic pressure on Letania, and the internal conflicts within Kazdel, have made it impossible for the country to withstand such pressure any longer. Therefore, your target is to securely rescue these researchers."

"We have intercepted the hostage-taking forces' reinforcements. You have five hours to locate and rescue the hostages."

The person on the other end of the communicator was explaining the stakes, seemingly trying to appeal to emotions, yet their hoarse and indifferent voice showed no sign of weakness. Instead, it sounded like they wanted the researchers to stay in these ruins forever, creating a very contradictory feeling.

Moreover, you gave a long speech but provided no real information and even set a time limit. Since you intercepted subsequent support, why didn't you send your own men to rescue them instead of hiring Black Steel?

Bai Zhi inwardly complained, but verbally offered her opinion:

“Five hours isn’t enough. Our team needs to explore the city and locate the hostages. The exact timeframe will depend on our subsequent results,” Bai Zhi continued, before the other party could speak.

"My team has participated in numerous special operations, including VIP protection, stronghold assaults, hostage rescues, and threat elimination. During this rescue operation, I will strictly adhere to company regulations to serve you."

In the second half of her sentence, Bai Zhi pointed out the power behind him.

Blacksteel International is a private security consulting firm headquartered in Colombia and a well-known security contractor. Its core business is providing private security consulting and defense contracting services, while its remaining business includes armed escort, armed rescue and other armed deployment operations.

At the same time, the appointment of 'biochemical protection personnel' makes it one of the few large companies that possesses personnel related to mineral resources and infected individuals.

The two parties are in a relationship of employer and employee. Given the size of Blacksteel International, Bai Zhi is not worried about the other party getting angry. Moreover, the news of the recent outbreak of the Casdale Civil War has been spreading widely internationally.

Based on information from her previous life, Bai Zhi knew more. The regent, Theresis, was about to target his younger sister, Queen Theresia of Kazdel. If they got involved, even with the size of Blacksteel International, they wouldn't come out on top.

"The suggestion is reasonable. To ensure the success rate and timeliness of the commission, I will provide more preliminary information."

The hostages were being held in a department store located near the city's central square, which was also one of the strongholds of the Syracuse Sicilian gang.

According to intelligence from an inside source, an agreement was reached between the two sides. The main armed force stationed in the mall consisted of the Sakas mercenary group led by the mercenary "Ash," a small number of Sicilian gang members, and a hidden Pardoner.

The indifferent voice on the other end of the communicator spoke, but the information provided did not allow Bai Zhi to relax.

"I won't ask how you obtained this detailed information, but there is a lot of hidden information in the order you signed, Doctor. I will report this to the company. However, there is one thing I need to confirm again: what is the attitude of the pardoners of Castells towards the hostages?"

Bai Zhi, who was born in Sarkaz, had heard of the pardoners of Kazdel.

The Sarkaz and Sarkaz are both mutually exclusive and interdependent in terms of race. The closer one is to the center of power, the more obvious the rejection of the opposing race becomes, while the common people's views are much more neutral, at most they just don't like each other.

Just as the Lateran Notary Office, the legitimate official institution of Lateran, has legally appointed professional executors, Casdale also has a mysterious organization, the Pardoners. It is not a medical organization on the surface, but a hidden secret that perhaps only the true rulers of Casdale can know.

However, Bai Zhi understood one thing: the Pardoners were no less powerful than the Executors of Laterano.

Therefore, it is unknown what role the organization behind the Doctor, who knows about the existence of the Pardoner, plays.

But Bai Zhi knew one thing: their team's rescue mission was not simple.

He made a hand gesture to alert his two teammates of equal rank, indicating that this assignment was going to be quite troublesome.

"I don't know much about that pardoner, but I'm sure she won't harm the hostages, but she won't let them go easily either."

"The researchers from Letania will be handed over to support in the early hours of five hours later and sent to the border of Casdale. Everyone in Blacksteel needs to rescue the hostages within this time limit. After that, notify us and operators will come to pick up the hostages."

"This is all the intelligence I can provide."

"According to the additional notes to the order, our faction will not publicly acknowledge this commission. The actions of the Blacksteel members are completely unrelated to us. If you are exposed or killed, we will compensate you for the commission, provided that..."

The doctor paused for a moment: "If the Blacksteel members find that the mission cannot be completed... then kill all the researchers."

That's a bit much, especially the last sentence.

Bai Zhi bared her teeth, glanced at the mission reward, her heart skipped a beat, and she swallowed her complaints.

"Order information confirmed, rescue mission timer begins."

There was nothing I could do; the other party was giving me far too much. One commission was equivalent to five normal ones.

Terra Black Continent Together {One C Sisi>b*a Steel Temporary Worker: Chapter Twenty-One The Team's Hardships, Bai Zhi Sighs

Half an hour later, a hundred meters away from the department store, an armed off-road vehicle sputtered and drove away toward the edge of the city.

Three operators dressed in Black Steel's exclusive suits remained in the abandoned building.

"Ah, a three-man surprise decapitation strike, Andrej, your plan is unexpectedly audacious~"

Removing her sealed helmet, revealing two upright brown fox ears, Franka looked in the direction the off-road vehicle had disappeared with a playful smile on her slightly immature face: "If we don't train those new operators properly, they won't grow no matter how many missions they go through later."

"We must take every task seriously; this is the fundamental principle of our professional security work."

She also removed her sealed helmet, her gray ponytail tied up, and even the two dragon horns on her head couldn't hide the lack of confidence in Razer's eyes. After hesitating for a moment, she asked, "Captain, your plan is indeed a bit abrupt. According to the information the Doctor just gave us, the existence of the [Ash] mercenary group alone is enough to make us spend a lot of time, not to mention the Pardoner."

"Don't worry, before accepting the commission, I specifically requested intelligence sharing with the company. The main obstacle in this mission is that the Sicilians' primary objective is to eliminate rival gangs in Syracuse and seize its territory. Therefore, they've only deployed ordinary gang members. Any one of us can take on ten at once; with cooperation, this number is nothing to fear. As for the [Ash] Mercenary Group..."

Just as Bai Zhi was about to continue explaining, Franka interrupted her.

"The [Ash] Mercenary Group is famous for its leader, the elite mercenary [Ash]. He is an infected person skilled in burning Originium and wields a two-meter-long greatsword. In the past, defeated enemies were wary of him burning to ashes, hence the code name [Ash]."

Franka drew her thermite sword and gently stroked the intricate patterns on the blade: "Burning and exothermic, I'd love to test which of the two Originium Arts is stronger."

"I didn't expect Franka to have made preparations beforehand." Bai Zhi really didn't expect that Franka, on the surface, seemed to be a frivolous and harmless person. He shook his head and was about to continue, but Razer interrupted him.

"Besides [Ash], the mercenary group's outsourced member, the Sarkaz swordsman [Flame], is no less skilled than the group leader [Ash]. According to intelligence analysis, this swordsman almost never fights seriously, hiding his true strength very well, but he is undoubtedly very powerful."

Razer's expression was very serious as she gripped her shimmering shield tightly, having identified the enemy ahead.

A decapitation strike is a military term that aims to eliminate the enemy's leader and main fighting force, thereby completely destroying their will to resist. The key elements are speed, precision, and inside help.

Therefore, it is very important to plan the mission deployment in advance. Although Franka and Razer complained, they still chose their own targets.

"Wait a minute, aren't you two going to discuss this? What about the hostages? Who's going to deal with the rest of the gang and mercenaries? Especially the Pardoners, are you planning to let me take them all down by myself?"

Bai Zhi was quite helpless. It was good that her teammate had ideas, but it was not good to leave the biggest trouble to him.

Razer and Franka exchanged a glance, then looked at the halo above Bai Zhi's head. In the twilight, the halo still emitted a soft glow, so eye-catching. Presumably, at night, the brightness of the halo would be enough to dispel the darkness and bring light.

so......

"Oh dear, ever since I met you, Captain, I've given up on the idea of ​​covert operations." Franka covered her mouth and chuckled.

"I'm counting on you for the bait," Razer said matter-of-factly.

"You really think highly of me."

The team has had a tough time, Bai Zhi sighed.

“Mission actions are indeed determined based on individual characteristics, I admit that. Moreover, in this commission, we are clearly involved in the internal strife in Castells. Whether it is the employer or the mission target, it is a game in Castells, and we cannot get too involved.”

With all the intelligence already revealed, Bai Zhi could only offer her own insights.

"The actual requirement of the mission is to rescue the hostages. For this decapitation mission, we are not required to kill the enemy leader. Instead, we should first find the hostages and protect them as the top priority. If necessary, I will carry out any additional requirements of the mission."

In the second half of his sentence, Bai Zhi's words were resolute; for the sake of his own safety, he would not care even if it meant killing all the hostages.

Franka didn't care, but Razer seemed a little reluctant. Well, she's a serious girl.

Bai Zhi reached out and patted Razer's little head, comforting him, "Don't worry, that was the last resort. After all, once we've taken out the hostages, we'll be facing more than just one enemy; even our employer won't let us off the hook."

Snapped.

Razer slapped the hand off his head and glared at Bai Zhi: "Workplace harassment is prohibited."

"Oh dear, I've suddenly gained a chimera nephew and niece, and they've suddenly become my aunt. I'm having a little trouble accepting it~" Franka joked.

This earned it a glare from Razer.

Watching the two team members playfully bickering, Bai Zhi smiled knowingly, but she knew in her heart that this mission was not easy.

Who is the Doctor? He is the evil spirit of the Tower of Babel, a tactician who treats human lives as pawns. In his hands, one must be careful not to be used as a sacrifice, let alone these clients.

Upon closer examination, it becomes clear that the Doctor is aligned with Princess Theresa, so the mastermind behind the hostage-taking is Regent Theresis, a man capable of killing his own sister.

Both sides are in trouble. Razer and Franka may have found some information in advance, but compared to Baizhi, who knows the future development, they are still not enough.

After all, no one could have predicted that the Sarkaz nation of Kasdel would be completely destroyed in the civil war of the coming years.

Bai Zhi sighed. The doctor's information was correct, but the hidden details might be beyond his imagination.

Looking up at the sky, the dim yellow sunset illuminated this ruined city, and the warm glow brought a touch of life.

However, the blessing of Apollo shared by the Greeks is gradually fading, and the blessing of Artemis is not taking effect so quickly. Moreover, this rescue operation is indoors, so the amplification of the blessing is unlikely to be effective.

Yes, it was the blessing of Apollo and Artemis.

Terra Angelica has been shared.

But because of the differences between different worlds.

The abilities of each Angelica dahurica share are diminished and altered.

At least regarding divine blessings, aside from the increased power of Greek angelica as it changes over time.

The other Angelica dahurica varieties each have their own prerequisites for receiving the blessing's amplification.