Chương 49: Briefing
(Katsuo POV)
As I entered my room, Tom was there to greet me. Even though it had only been three days, I missed him badly. His silver fur with black stripes, expressive green eyes, and pointed ears were always a sight for sore eyes.
Tom jumped up and rubbed against my leg, purring softly. I reached down to scratch behind his ears, and he looked up at me with those knowing eyes.
"I missed you, buddy," I said softly. "It's been a rough few days."
Tom meowed in response, as if understanding. I smiled and sat down, letting the tension of the past few days slowly melt away. Tom jumped onto my lap, curling up contentedly.
"Just a bit of rest," I murmured to myself. "Then we'll be back out there, fighting the good fight."
Tom's purring was a comforting reminder that amidst the chaos and danger, there were still moments of peace to be cherished.
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Waking up due to Tom's constant headbutting, I felt refreshed; the fatigue I had accumulated over the past few days was now gone. I smiled at Tom and scratched behind his ear. "Good morning, bud."
I got up, washed up, and ordered food from my interface—a meal to boost my energy and a light meal for Tom.
After eating, I wore a comfortable attire. "Got to go, bud. See you later," I said, waving at Tom. He meowed in response, a comforting sound that bolstered my resolve.
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I entered the briefing room and noticed several new figures alongside familiar ones: Lisa, Hank, John, Valerie, Damysus, and William. The new faces included three beastmen, a beast woman, four elves, and five humans. As I made my way to Lisa's side, I felt their gazes—scrutinizing, judging—but I continued, my stride filled with confidence. After all, I had battled and killed an Eldritch god, saved a corrupted world, and my body count was nearing seven digits.
My face, a mask of stoicism, surprised Hank and his group and earned nods of approval from Lisa and William. Who could blame them? I was usually playful, always joking around, but I knew when to be serious.
The beast woman cleared her throat, likely the beastmen's manager, drawing everyone's attention. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice," she began. "As some of you already know, we've encountered a significant threat in the form of a blight that's spreading through one of our target worlds."
Lisa stepped forward, her authoritative presence commanding the room. "Katsuo here has done a preliminary reconnaissance and identified the source—a massive cocoon protected by several smaller ones. We need to mount a proper assault to eliminate this threat before it grows out of control."
An elf man then raised his hand, "How many smaller cocoons are there? And how strong is it?"
"I counted up to thirty, probably many more," I said firmly. "As for their strength, a single one might not pose a significant challenge. However, fighting them in their territory, surrounded by their numbers, will be a different story altogether."
The room fell silent for a moment as everyone absorbed the gravity of the situation. The beast woman's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "This means we need a strategy that minimizes their numerical advantage and focuses on swift, decisive strikes."
William nodded in agreement. "We need to disrupt their coordination and take out as many of the smaller cocoons as possible before tackling the main one. A multi-pronged approach might work best."
An elf woman stepped forward, her voice steady. "I can create barriers to isolate smaller groups of enemies, making it easier to pick them off. We'll also need scouts to identify the exact locations of these cocoons."
The elves nodded, indicating their readiness to take on the scouting roles. One of the beastmen, a towering figure with a fierce expression, spoke up. "My team can handle the heavy hitters. We'll engage the larger threats to keep them off your backs."
"Alright, then the leader of this operation will be Alaria," the elf manager announced, pointing at the elf who had suggested the barriers. "Since you're B-1, the same as Katsuo, but he'll be on the frontlines."
As he said this, I felt the newcomers' surprised gazes turn towards me. I met their eyes with a calm, confident demeanor, unbothered by their scrutiny.
Lisa stepped forward again. "Katsuo will coordinate the front-line assault, focusing on taking down the major threats and clearing a path for the rest of the team. Alaria will manage the overall strategy and ensure our defenses are solid."
A human raised his hand. "Sorry for the sudden interruption, but where's his team?" he asked, pointing at me. His manager sighed in disappointment, surprising his fellow humans.
The human manager then opened up a file—my profile—to be exact, that broadcasted my previous missions. The display detailed my feats: battling a corrupted Gwyn from Dark Souls, decimating entire hordes of mutated zombies, killing an Eldritch god, and recently "cleansing" a planet full of orks. All of these, solo.
The manager spoke up. "If you're questioning his skills, let me clarify: Katsuo is also a Chosen, the same as Alaria and you, Michael." He pointed to the one who had asked about my team.
Michael's eyes widened in realization, and he nodded slowly, accepting the explanation.
Alaria stepped forward, her voice firm. "Let's not waste any more time questioning each other's qualifications. We have a mission to plan and execute. Katsuo has proven his capabilities. We'll need every bit of his expertise for this operation."
A beastman, surprisingly, nodded in agreement. "The focus now should be on preparing for the mission. We need to trust in each other's abilities and work as a cohesive unit."
Lisa added, "Exactly. The success of this mission depends on our collaboration and trust. Katsuo has experience with high-threat environments, and his role on the front lines will be crucial."
With that settled, the room shifted back to planning. Alaria laid out a detailed map of the corrupted zone, highlighting the locations of the known cocoons. We discussed strategies, fallback points, and emergency protocols, ensuring everyone was clear on their roles and responsibilities.
As the meeting drew to a close, there was a palpable sense of unity and purpose. We were ready to face the blight head-on, combining our strengths to overcome the daunting challenge ahead.
"Rest up and be ready," Alaria said. "We'll meet here at dawn for final preparations. This blight doesn't stand a chance against us."
With a final nod, the group dispersed, each member focused on the task ahead. The true test was about to begin, and we were prepared to face it together.
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As I was heading to my room, I heard a call, "Katsuo!" I turned around and saw Michael and his three teammates. I stopped and waited for them to approach.
"What do you want?" I asked, my tone serious, surprising even myself.
Michael scratched his head. "I'm sorry if I offended you earlier, man."
Was I offended? Nope, not in the slightest. It was understandable, really.
"What makes you think that I'm offended?" I asked, genuinely confused.
Michael looked a bit taken aback. "Uh, your reaction during the meeting. You seemed... stern. I thought maybe my question rubbed you the wrong way."
"And we thought you were a psychopath," a young-looking man said, earning him a smack from one of his teammates, a tall woman with dark hair.
I laughed at their interactions and said, "Well, no, I'm not offended, nor am I a psychopath. Though, based on my profile and coupled with this face," I pointed at my buzz-cut head and no-nonsense expression, "you might think that, right?"
Michael chuckled, a bit more at ease now. "Yeah, I guess first impressions can be misleading."
The young man, rubbing his arm where he'd been smacked, grinned sheepishly. "Sorry about that. I just heard a lot about you."
"No harm done," I replied, my tone lightening. "I understand where you're coming from. But trust me, I'm here to work with you, not scare you."
The tall woman with dark hair nodded. "We appreciate that, Katsuo. We're all on the same side here."
"Absolutely," I agreed. "Let's put any misconceptions aside and focus on the task ahead. We have a lot of work to do, and we'll need everyone at their best."
Michael extended his hand. "Truce?"
I shook his hand firmly. "Truce. Let's kick some blight ass together."
With the air cleared and mutual respect established, Michael and his team headed off. I felt a sense of relief and satisfaction, knowing that we'd started to build a foundation of trust and cooperation.
Back in my room, Tom greeted me with his usual enthusiasm. I bent down to scratch behind his ears, smiling as he purred contentedly. "Another day, another mission, huh, Tom?"
As I prepared for the next challenge, I felt a renewed sense of purpose. With my team by my side and the support of my allies, I was ready to face whatever the blight had in store for us.
SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO 
ChrisTian3421
ChrisTian3421 A typical scenario no? You know what's more typical? Bills!
Ah, bills—the bane of our existence, the necessary evil that haunts our bank accounts. They have a knack for showing up at the most inconvenient times, don't they? Just when you think you've got everything under control, BAM! There goes your hard-earned cash, disappearing into the black hole of utility bills, rent, and who knows what else.
But fear not, my friend, for we are not alone in this struggle. We are part of a vast army of bill-payers, united in our quest to keep the lights on and the roof over our heads. And while it may feel like we're constantly fighting an uphill battle, remember that every payment is a step closer to financial freedom (or at least a temporary reprieve from the bill-collectors' wrath).
So here's to facing those damn bills head-on, armed with nothing but our dwindling bank balances and a healthy dose of determination. We may not always come out on top, but as long as we keep fighting the good fight, we'll survive another month to tell the tale.
Cheers to that, my friend. And may the next round of bills be ever so slightly less soul-crushing than the last.
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