Chapter 81: Perfect plan

"What do you mean, bomb?"

As he stopped tossing the box around, Steven’s face turned pale. He carefully placed it on the ground.

"It’s like I said. A bomb created for you to use."

L’s voice was dark, and he didn’t even dare to look Steven in the eyes.

"But, but, but why?"

Steven asked, moving slightly away from the hidden bomb.

"As you heard, your mission has changed," L answered, grabbing the box himself.

Shaking uncontrollably, Steven was about to jump up and gain some distance, but nothing happened.

L placed the box back on the ground and looked up at Steven.

"Only your blood will activate it, so don’t worry about it exploding by accident."

Steven still didn’t dare move closer, remaining suspicious of the artifact in front of him.

"Wait, I have to blow myself up with it?"

The question hung heavily in the air.

But L immediately swatted the idea away.

"No. A timer of roughly ten minutes will activate after your blood first touches it."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Steven slowly sat back down, his head full of questions.

"But what happened to my old mission? I wasn’t supposed to survive somebody."

"We got somebody else for that job, and it seems like a Finger personally chose you for this."

L answered truthfully, seemingly lost in thought as well.

"But I don’t understand. Why me, and why now? I already prepared so much for the event."

Steven tried to argue, but L only shook his head.

"It’s a command. I can’t do anything against it. You can go to the Fingers yourself if you want to dispute it."

L’s tone was cautious, as if he was trying to tell Steven to simply accept it.

But he couldn’t.

Steven grabbed water from the air and used it to extinguish the fire pit out of rage.

Taking a deep breath, Steven tried to calm himself as another question left his mouth.

"What even is my new mission? Blow up somebody or something?"

L shrugged his shoulders.

"No clue, but you will get your information on that soon, I would guess. They don’t hand out anything early."

"What do you mean you don’t know? You’re the guy I’m supposed to go to for information."

Steven couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

How was he supposed to prepare for anything or warn anyone if he didn’t get any time beforehand?

Were they already on his trail and trying to find his betrayal?

No, that wouldn’t make any sense. After all, he had completed every small task they had given him until now.

"I wish I could tell you, Steven, but some information is even out of my reach."

L apologized deeply before igniting the bonfire once more.

Steven stared at him, annoyed.

This guy really wanted him to crash out tonight.

"Really? You know nothing? No changes in the other plan or something like that?"

L stared at him in confusion before his expression changed as realization suddenly struck him.

"Well, we do have a few things to change, especially regarding your old mission."

L took a dramatic pause, thinking.

"If I remember correctly, your substitute was ordered to already go to a specific island beforehand and not follow the students onto the boat."

"Also, everyone else from our sector was ordered not to enter the boat under any circumstances." L’s hands were slightly shaking.

As the two finally understood what Steven’s new mission might be, Steven couldn’t take it.

He jumped up from the ground, already heading toward the exit.

"I’m not going to blow up an entire boat filled with students."

As Steven left the first sound barrier, L quickly followed him and grabbed his arm.

"Steven, relax. I’m sure it’s not exactly like that. Maybe after they have landed or something."

He tried to sound comforting, but it had no effect on Steven.

"And what if it isn’t? What if my mission is to kill everyone inside and jump from the boat a few minutes earlier?" Steven asked, shaking slightly.

"Shush, not too loud. The rest can’t know about your mission yet." L grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back inside the second sound barrier.

Only reluctantly entering it, Steven’s mind was already racing with possible solutions to prevent himself from carrying out the mission.

Maybe he could get caught by some staff on accident, preventing him from blowing up the boat.

He could also try leading those two new heroes, Sun and Moon, into stopping him, but that would reveal his connection to the Fingers.

"Fuck... Fuck..." He whispered under his breath. Maybe Elizabeth could help him.

No. She wouldn’t be part of the event because it was hosted by Alem.

"Relax, Steven. The only thing you can do right now is wait for more detailed orders and get some rest."

L tried once more to comfort him.

Steven nodded reluctantly.

Maybe his mission truly was something less harmful. There was no way the Fingers would try to kill so many students for no reason at all.

Suddenly, he heard a few loud footsteps behind him, even through the protection of the sound barrier.

"What the—who’s there?"

He tried to sense the person who had just entered the building as he turned his head around.

"You were right, Steven. Destroying the ship during the journey toward the event is your mission."

A familiar, calm voice spoke. V stood inside the entrance.

His gaze was completely empty, and his mana felt entirely different from usual.

"Calostie?" Steven stared at V’s body as it moved unnaturally, slowly waving at him.

"It’s been some time, codename S. Have you had fun with us yet?"

She spoke with a voice completely different from V’s usual cheerful tone.

Beside Steven, L immediately dropped to his knees, his entire body trembling with fear.

"What brings the mighty Fourth Finger to us?" L asked carefully.

Calostie barely gave him a glance, her focus shifting back to Steven.

"I am only here today as a messenger for the young man’s mission."

She answered flatly, no emotion remaining in her voice.

Slowly moving his hand toward the chain on his wrist, Steven stared at Calostie, waiting for her to continue.

And she didn’t make him wait long.

"Codename S, you are hereby ordered to my authority as the Fourth Finger."

She paused for a long moment before continuing.

"You will get onto the ship heading toward the exam island."

"Then you will find out where the professor’s cabin is and position yourself as close to it as possible."

"And with that, you will spill your blood on the golden box and escape as fast as you can."

Her smile only grew with each passing second.

The professor’s cabin? Were they trying to kill them? No. The professors wouldn’t die so easily, even to a bomb.

Lost in thought, Steven barely noticed that Calostie was still staring at him, as if waiting for something.

Clearing his throat, Steven answered,

"I understand my mission and will fulfill it. But might there be a specific target I have to wait for?"

He asked casually, as if they were talking about the weather.

L desperately tried tugging on Steven’s pants to shut him up, but Steven paid no attention to the kneeling man.

"You are a smart guy, Steven. But what makes you think I would tell you this after you failed my last mission so miserably?"

Her voice was cold as ice, filled with pure hatred. Steven avoided her gaze, staring at the floor.

"Still, if you want to target a specific person, I need to know who." He tried to argue.

He could feel L growing even more nervous beside him.

"Please, my lady, forgive him. He isn’t completely used to the job yet." L spoke, his voice shaking.

Calostie looked down at the kneeling boy, surprised.

"I didn’t expect you to speak in my presence again. I am impressed."

She swung her hand, sending L crashing into a wall. "Well, with that out of the way, we can continue our talk, right, Mr. Bright?"

She spoke while Steven hurried over to L to check on him.

Only slightly wounded, L remained completely still out of fear.

"Sure we can. Just tell me who." Steven’s voice was firm, not wavering under her presence.

"Only because you asked so nicely, I will tell you."

Calostie stepped closer, walking directly through the flames of the campfire.

The fire engulfed V’s legs.

Just as his clothes were about to ignite, Calostie stepped out of the flames, her mana suddenly growing weaker.

V’s body automatically tried to resist her possession after feeling the pain.

She stared down at his body in confusion. "This is interesting."

Suddenly, her control returned completely. One of V’s eyes turned golden.

She was using her main power to control him now, rather than merely some spell.

"Your target is a very famous teacher."

Her voice became cold once more.

"Professor Alem must die for what he has done to us."

With that, V’s body collapsed.Her presence disappeared completely.