"CIA"? Why isn't it called the "FBI"?
Fulen's smoking lips twitched slightly.
To be honest, Fulen had some expectations for Rosell's underground forces; after all, the most powerful intelligence agencies directly under the strongest countries on Earth were none other than the American FBI and CIA, while Britain's MI6, Russia's KGB, and Israel's Mossad also frequently appeared in films and TV shows, so he figured the name would be chosen from among these.
And the result was as Fulen expected; Rosell, living up to Fulen's hopes, indeed chose the name "CIA." "CIA" is the simplified Chinese abbreviation for CIA, though strictly speaking, the FBI is more famous.
"So you're a Beyonder too?" Fulen exhaled a puff of smoke and asked. The room was already starting to fill with smoke, but perhaps due to differences in cigar manufacturing between this world and Earth, the cigars here, when lit, not only had a smoky scent but also the aroma of spices, making the accumulated smoke in the smoking room not so unpleasant.
"I am a Beyonder, but unfortunately, I can't advance," Wilson chuckled self-deprecatingly, flicking off some ash. "I am a Warrior, but sadly, I can only ever be a Warrior."
Fulen didn't ask, knowing that if Wilson wanted to talk about it, he would, and if he didn't, Fulen didn't want to upset him.
"Let's not talk about that. In fact, the Emperor wrote about you being a Beyonder and your conflict with the Demoness Sect in a letter he gave me earlier. He asked me to hand something over to you."
Wilson didn't want to elaborate on his experiences; he simply turned to a corner of the room where a cabinet was placed to look for something.
Fulen also put down his cigar and followed him. He saw a strangely shaped object, characterized by a slender iron tube, a rather bulky-looking grip, and several odd components whose purpose was unknown.
Wilson sighed and said, "Emperor Rosell said that giving you other extraordinary materialss would be useless. Most of his collection is familiar to other forces, and if you used them rashly, you would surely face a more intense pursuit. Therefore, Rosell has invented a new extraordinary materials for you to use."
Fulen looked at the item, his lips twitching. It was clearly a revolver, and after Wilson handed the revolver to Fulen, a closer look revealed the English word "Colt" engraved on the barrel, which was the famous surname of the firearms company Colt.
For a moment, Fulen suspected that Rosell was testing whether he was a "transmigrator," but after a moment of thought, Fulen knew it was impossible. He and Rosell had never even met, so it couldn't be a test.
"Wilson, what's engraved on the barrel of this thing? I don't recognize these characters." Fulen asked curiously, as if by chance.
Wilson also said, bewildered, "Characters? I thought they were symbols or a code. However, Rosell does have a habit of engraving various unfamiliar characters on items he personally makes. Oh, by the way, this item is called a revolver, but the key isn't this item, but rather..." Wilson pulled out a few bullets from somewhere.
"The purple bullet is called 'Stars.' It's activated by saying 'Stars' in ancient hermes, and its effect is to unleash a torrent of Stars to overwhelm enemies. The red bullet is called 'Flame-Axe,' activated similarly, and its effect is to unleash flames to eliminate enemies..." Wilson rambled on, introducing six bullets: "Stars," "Flame-Axe," "Mechanical," "Travel," "Obstruction," and "Illumination."
After he finished, the room fell silent for a moment. Finally, Fulen couldn't help but ask, "Why is Emperor Rosell helping me?"
Wilson laughed heartily and said, "You're a lucky fellow; you benefited from Kvedo and that Karl kid. And Mr. Benjamin has actually been paying attention to his kin in Trier all along. At the same time, you are also part of Emperor Rosell's plan. Under multiple factors, you were able to get this life-saving extraordinary materials."
Fulen nodded, and Wilson continued, "Oh, right, Fulen, I know you might have a narrow escape, but for the Governor's plan, you must attend the Extraordinary Gathering at the Flame-Axe bar this afternoon. Otherwise, Rosell never spares those who disappoint him, even if you are Mr. Benjamin's kin, it's the same principle."
By the end, Wilson's expression was serious and earnest, letting Fulen know that avoidance never solves problems.
However, Fulen laughed loudly, "You underestimate me. Even without Governor Rosell's help, I would still go. While I hope to preserve my life, there has never been an example of a life under others' gaze remaining safe and sound. With your help, I also hope to thoroughly resolve the problem."
Seeing Fulen laugh instead of being surprised, Wilson felt that this person was indeed worth befriending. So, he stepped forward, clapped Fulen on the shoulder, laughed heartily, and then continued smoking, drinking, and making merry as before.
Soon after, Fulen had lunch at Wilson's house and then left.
Watching his friend leave, Wilson sighed and turned back into the house.
For a moment, Wilson looked at Fulen's departing back as if he were sending his own brothers, friends, and comrades to the battlefield, while he himself was always powerless.
Wilson gained his Beyonder abilities while in the military, when he was engaged in a desperate struggle with the Feysac and Loen people. Wilson touched the soft, warm sofa in the study, momentarily unable to believe that he had already left the military for five years.
The scenes of blood and gore on the battlefield replayed in Wilson's dreams, often waking him up in a fright. The blessing and the Nightmare were intertwined.
In one skirmish between Feysac and Loen, two Sequence 9 Beyonders died simultaneously, but Wilson, who was nearby, achieved the ultimate victory: survival is victory. Both thought that someone whose arm was almost severed and heart stabbed two or three times could not possibly survive, but they did not expect that those few stabs towards the heart were ultimately slightly off, and the battle between the two Beyonders was ultimately ended by a severely wounded mortal.
In the pool of blood, the three bodies were piled together, and Wilson's exposed heart was slowly beating. A miracle occurred: one of the Beyonders was a "Warrior" and the other was a "Corpse Collector." Under the effect of two potions that significantly enhanced physique, Wilson ultimately survived until the army doctors could treat him.
The good news was that Wilson survived, but the bad news was that Wilson could no longer fight on the battlefield as an instructor or a Warrior. Becoming a Beyonder couldn't heal such severe wounds. Wilson consoled himself that living was the best outcome, so Wilson still retired.
And a Warrior who could not advance and whose body was already riddled with wounds ultimately could not find a decent job. Just as Wilson was despairing, Rosell found him, giving him work and hope.
"Mr. Rosell, you will, as always, be a beacon of hope for everyone, won't you?" Wilson looked up at the ceiling, then at Fulen, who had already left for his appointment, and for some reason, he sighed in his heart.