113

Hunter, Don't Shoot My Friend

Chapter 113 - The Judgment Before Departure [2]

When Ethan descended to the basement of this building, he walked towards what would be his office to finish some pending paperwork, ensuring everything was completed.

What surprised him was seeing JJ there, along with Stiles, who had been transferred to undergo his extensive training.

By noon, about two hundred people were seated in an auditorium within the Association of Light's base, located inside this art museum.

Each person held a thick contract in their hands, along with a pen.

They were all dressed in the same attire: a black t-shirt with sharp words, "S.C.G." printed on it, black pants, and black boots.

However, they all shared a common trait — they belonged to different branches of the military and had been selected for this new job after fulfilling their duties.

Looking at their faces, it seemed they didn't quite understand what the new commando group, which would serve the Association of Light, was supposed to do.

Click!

The sudden opening of the door drew everyone's attention to the front. JJ, dressed entirely in black like many of the security workers upstairs, walked toward the podium under the gaze of the entire room.

The symbols on his lapel were the syllables "TAOL," which stood for "The Association of Light."

JJ, with his slightly muscular build and cold expression, looked at everyone in the conference room and said, "As I mentioned before, once you read the contract and are satisfied with its content, you'll receive all the benefits outlined in the numerous pages you were given. However, if anyone breaks the contract, the punishment will be worse than a peaceful death."

Upon hearing the man’s natural-sounding words, everyone fell silent.

In reality, they all had problems at home, and the contract in their hands guaranteed a bright future even if they died, something that could easily happen.

In this era, it was incredibly difficult to buy a home without taking out a bank loan.

The requirements for getting a job and the difficulty of being selected today were nearly impossible for many.

That was why most, if not all, had been soldiers, and after reaching a desperate point, they received this new job opportunity — something they wanted to accept without much thought.

No one had been forced or deceived into being here; each one was rigorously selected not only for their financial situation but also for their outstanding skills and prior military experience.

So, just seconds after JJ from the podium spoke, people began signing the contracts one after another.

Once the first person started, the rest followed suit.

"Good." After everyone had signed, JJ clapped with a proud smile. "You should all be proud. You will be the future of humanity!"

"Excuse me." At that moment, one person raised their hand and asked, "Why were we gathered here? Is the Association of Light part of the government?"

"You're not entirely wrong, young man." The man at the podium looked at the young man and said, "My name is JJ, but from now on, you will call me 'sir.' Let the Regent help you with your doubts."

When JJ said these words, he pointed to the door on the right side.

Tap-tap! Tap-tap!

As that series of footsteps echoed, everyone's eyes turned in the direction JJ had pointed.

At that moment, they saw Ethan, dressed in a black suit, the most prominent feature being the purple cross on his chest, slowly entering the room and walking toward JJ with a slight smile. "Pleasure to meet you, my name is Ethan Winchester."

As Ethan approached the microphone, JJ stepped back and gave a slight bow before standing silently by his side.

Seeing the so-called Regent Guardian being greeted with such respect by JJ, everyone exchanged puzzled looks. However, Ethan paid no mind and began his speech.

"I know most of you are confused as to why you were suddenly selected for a unique special operations group that operates in the shadows. Since you've all signed the contract, I can now tell you that there are creatures, climatic events, and even simple diseases in this world caused by certain dark entities."

Under everyone's gaze, Ethan revealed a completely new expression. "The Dark Entity Elimination Command or, more simply, Agents of Light. This is the job for which you were selected, and from now on, you will belong to the Association of Light."

"The Association of Light isn't just a group of forces fighting against evil; we are the guardians of life, protecting the gates of hell. You will be field agents assisting the Exorcist Priests who will need your support, and your only job is to kill. You will be the agents eliminating these threats that are hidden from the human eye, and you are the first line of defense long before the world faces these dark entities."

"Of course, I know many of you aren't here to save humanity, but rather for the money and all the benefits that come with signing the contract. But let me assure you, every word in the contract will never change, and once there's a mission to deal with a dark entity, each of you will receive a special bonus based on your accomplishments in the mission." Ethan looked at everyone — men and women — and closed his eyes slightly.

"This is the special unit of the Association of Light in this city, and I am the Regent responsible for the safety of half the world and your leader. You'll be stationed at this secret base for a long time, and our base will primarily deal with dark entities beyond this place."

"Now, for those without family in the city, you can relocate them, and the Association will assist in finding suitable housing. Alternatively, if you're looking to buy property in the city, the Association will help. Also, all medical expenses for both you and your family will be fully covered by the Association."

After saying this, Ethan added, "As for the rest of the benefits written in the contract, there’s no need to mention them."

"Incredible..." Hearing Ethan's words, regardless of gender, people looked at each other in surprise, inevitably thinking it was some kind of joke.

At this point, most of them didn’t care what this was about or what they had to eliminate. The additional benefits Ethan mentioned erased all doubts. Many of them urgently needed money, and others needed good hospitals for personal reasons.

As for Ethan, he remained silent, reorganizing his thoughts.

He found that all the new recruits for the newly created Association were very talented, even if their focus was on money. He was confident they would make good soldiers for the Association of Light.

"Indeed, the Association's contract made many choose to accept without thinking too much. To have soldiers willing to fight in hell, the best way to do it is to offer enough money and good insurance for their families," Ethan thought, sighing bitterly.

"Well, we need men, and you need money..." Ethan wasn’t troubled by bringing these people into the darkness. He also had a job, and he would do everything to execute it perfectly.

As for the combat effectiveness of this group, Ethan had a list of teams assigned based on their abilities and combat performance.

However, only a few were capable of leading a team correctly.

Thinking about this, Ethan glanced at JJ, his right-hand man, who had his own vengeance to pursue. Ethan planned to use that to his advantage, knowing JJ would help the Association in exchange for his support in seeking revenge.

Without JJ, Ethan wasn’t sure if this group would succeed.