The Degree
Preparation of Arthur

“Ha ha ha, you managed to uncover the case again, I am proud of you and your colleagues, Arthur!” said the man in stout stature despite his age had reached the head of five while lifting a glass filled with juice.

“That's nothing, I'm glad to be able to help you,” Arthur said with a wry smile.

If to be honest he really felt nervous every time he faced the old man, he was sometimes at home at lunch like now. Even if he was too old, the old man could still slam Arthur with one hand.

In addition, the old man had such an extraordinary position that Arthur was quite affectionate towards him. In the country of Indonesia itself, the person who reaches his place at that time can be counted by the fingers.

Arthur did not expect that Mira had such an amazing parent and also a high-ranking person in this country.

True, Mira's father was a five-star major general in the country of Indonesia, he became the only person with the highest rank at present in the military and a figure who could be in direct contact with the leader of the country alias, presidents.

He is Ardianto Baharuddin Marshal. A great general who is also known as a hero for combating ****** in papua region.

Arthur called the man ‘Uncle Ardi’ as requested by Ardianto.

“Ha ha ha you are a capable man, it is a pity because you did not join the military. With such talent I am sure you will get an amazing achievement.”

“It was an interesting offer, but I'm not interested in the military. Besides, I'm not WNI.”

“I can take care of it, that's the point of high rank,” Ardianto still insist to make Arthur join the state military.

Mira feels Arthur's difficulties due to his father's coercion, he finally speaks and helps her.

“You pushed him too much, dad. Let Arthur make his own choice. He does not want to join the military, so it is his choice that must be appreciated!”

Ardianto looked a little stunned and scratched his head, “You may be right, my daughter. Looks like I'll have to give up getting him to join the military.”

“Yes, that's true!” Mira nodded her head in satisfaction.

Arthur and Mona just stared at the conversation in silence, they felt they did not have the right to interfere in it, until finally Ardianto made a unique idea.

“Why don't you two just get married? I always forbid you to bring any guy or play with him, but if it's Arthur I don't think it's a problem. He is smart, strong and very deft. It's decided, you guys should get married!”

“Hah?!”

Not only Arthur and Mira, but Mona was surprised at the shocking suggestion. Surely, it was something that was beyond expectations for a great general like him to say.

“A-a-a-a-I disagree! Strongly disagree!” Mona breaks the table and opposes it.

Mira did the same, “That's right! I don't want to marry him! Even though he's the ideal man to make a husband with, I can't do it, he's too good for me!”

Arthur only fell silent, he was certainly pleased with Mira's praise, but somehow his heart was also slightly hurt.

Ardianto only sighed while furrowing his brows, “Huh, the typical reason of women I don't understand.”

After saying that, the face of the kind person who was attentive to her immediately disappeared. Ardianto currently looks so firm, fierce and also scary.

“Now let's address the bases and let's have a serious talk.”

Mira is suddenly silent and very obedient, of course Arthur and Mona behave the same. Every time Ardianto became like that, it could be interpreted that he was in a fierce military mode and could not be joked with.

Ardianto began to briefly describe the situation of Arthur and the others.

Two years ago ten thousand people mysteriously disappeared without any trace. Among the ten thousand Mira, Arthur and Mona are one of them.

Surely at that time Ardianto was so angry and sad because his daughter disappeared without knowing the existence of even his corpse. Until six months ago, Mira suddenly appeared before him along with hundreds of strangers.

Ardianto is certainly happy to know his daughter is fine, but after learning of her daughter's situation she loses that sense of pleasure. Although many parts of the story are hidden, Mira is not yet safe.

“You guys were in a place for two years and got something that gave you strange powers. Mona with her incredible analysis and Mira .. well, it doesn't matter. In essence your current situation is not good.”

Arthur is grateful that Secret's rules about keeping the organization's existence secret and the Degree loose enough to allow a few unrelated people to know about it.

Previously Arthur had given an explanation to Ardianto that there would be people who disappeared two years ago and would create chaos in this country.

Surely Ardianto will refuse to believe, but until the time when crime begins to run rampant, he increasingly believes that Arthur does not lie. During that time, Arthur helps Ardianto to solve some complicated cases such as premeditated murder and such.

Surely Ardianto did not intervene about it, he did it every time there is a spare or find the police force difficult to solve it.

“These superhumans will make a mess, .. Seeing you come before me by telling me vaguely is a sign that you want my help. Surely, I realize that you guys seem to have something that requires you to withhold as much information as possible.”

Ardianto understands the situation well even though Arthur only conveys a little because he himself is worried about breaking the limits tolerated by Secret.

‘Is this also my Degree factor? If so ... it's terrible.’

If the Degree affects all of that, then the Degree is most likely to change one's fate in an extraordinary way. Even Arthur was a little afraid of his own Degree. He was afraid because he did not know how far his Degree could affect his life.

“I'm honestly willing to give you guys some help to end it all and prevent chaos in the country.”

Arthur became hopeful because of Ardianto's words. If he managed to get help from the military side of this country, then there would be many things he could do.

“What is that really, dad?!” mira asked with a happy face.

“Yes, but if military matters it's another matter. I do want to help you, but as a great general I can't use my powers arbitrarily.”

“As long as there's no real evidence then I can't move anything. The army of this country is devoted to safeguarding sovereignty and matters relating to defense as well as the security of the country.”

That means Ardianto will not move his army for something that is not yet clear of its existence. Even if he had seen it firsthand, as long as it had not threatened the security of the country, then the army would not move.

If Arthur wants to clean up troublemakers like Ray and the others, at best he has to go to the police.

“Did you really not do anything about it?” mira asked with sadness.

“Army doesn't belong to dad, son. The army belongs to the people and the state. If something rises to the surface and moves to threaten the people as well as the country, then father swears to step in to solve it.”

Arthur can't do anything about it, nor does he have the right to do it.

‘If it's been like this, then I just have to focus on building my name and connection in other fields.’

Arthur has moved to build his own company. The goal is for money, connection and power. If he had all three of those things, Arthur would be able to move people for personal gain.

“If big things happen to this country, you will want to go ahead and finish it?” ask Mona.

“Yes, that's my job.”

“If that's the case, you'll only move if there's a loss of life, right?”

Arthur looked at Mona in surprise. The words were clearly presumptuous before Ardianto and sure enough, the man was not happy.

“Nak, countries have their own procedures. The army may not have moved yet, but if you come to the police then the investigation will be run.”

“Sorry but they are not like you who will understand our difficult situation. In the end they will just receive a report and laugh at it, even if you yourself are asking for it.”

Mona might just be making her own assumptions, but it's easy to imagine it happening. Generally, superhuman really only exist in fiction.

Moreover, even if Ardianto believed in them, he would not report this because it had integrity that needed to be maintained. As long as the existence of a human with special abilities had not been revealed to the world, then the talk of him would only be a joke.

“You must have heard the words that it is better to prevent than to treat.”

Arthur has no idea what Mona is trying to say, but he has no intention of stopping her. He believes that Mona is not the girl who will do something harmful.

Even Ardianto seemed to listen to what Mona wanted to say.

“Continue,” said.

“We won't be able to perform surgery to remove the cancer if we don't know where it is. If we look for him while in surgery then it's very likely that person will die before we find him. In addition, waiting for the cancer to get worse is also a stupid choice.”

Therefore, there is an option that they can do. Even if they can't immediately handle anything, at least they won't experience any hassles when the time comes.

“What are you really trying to convey?” ask Ardianto to make sure, even though he knows what Mona wants, but Ardianto still wants to hear it directly.

“We cannot perform surgery without knowing the location of the cancer, and waiting for it is not an option. Therefore, we should look for it first. In short, I want you to create a special team to do a search for this cancer.”

The cancer in question is the troublemakers of Degree users. They are currently planning or even committing a crime. Starting from murder, rape and even robbery.

To overcome that, they needed to at least investigate where those bastards had gathered and lived. By doing so, by the time a great mess occurs they are ready.

“It makes sense. Create my own research team and collect things about this superhuman so I can reveal its existence to the world. All right, I'll think about a little.”

“Really? Thank you very much!” Mona exclaimed with pleasure.

Arthur on the other hand smiled gently, “Good work, Mona. With this we can focus on the thing that is—”

Just as Arthur was planning to focus on his ever-evolving plan, a message rang from his watch. Not only hers, but also Mona and Mira.

Only one person could send a message to them through the clock, Secret.

Ardianto had heard that the clock was functioning like a restraint rope so that they could not escape. In addition, the people who use the watch are superhuman.

‘I wonder who is behind all this. Is it possible, a mysterious figure who brings many new discoveries such as teleportation did it? I need to deepen it,’ thought Ardianto.

On the other hand Arthur, Mona and Mira are deeply shaken by the information they have just received. How not? The last task that was thought to last long enough was not like that. Really, Secret's actions never went along with their thinking.

“Other details of the last task and also .. predetermined completion conditions,” Mona murmured.

Arthur himself did not believe what he received. He glanced at Ardianto slightly before staring at Mona and Mira. Arthur then begins to speak Japanese, which Ardianto does not understand.

It was done to keep himself also so as not to reveal excess information that can make Secret intervene. Lucky that with Secret technology, Degree users will understand the language.

“Do not let uncle Ardi know our conversation, this is for the sake of mutual security. Thanks to this notice everything is so annoying, our plan to build a lot of relationships first will no longer be used.”

In this world money and power are justice as well as absolute power. The world is driven by money so that it can keep spinning and civilization flourishes.

Arthur's goal of collecting it without exchanging DP seems to be over, no. More precisely forced to end.

“There is no other option, we have to rely on plan B. Indeed, this may be a pretty rough way to do.”

The new rules presented by Secret are about puzzles and golden keys, the determinants of the end or absence of this task.

This notice contains about:

—The first golden key has been achieved and the puzzle has been given to the owner of the golden key.—

—More provisions about The Degree.—

—Unconquered groups and golden keys will be eliminated from four days from now.—

—Telrelated liberation.—

—One can skip the last task and stay alive with payment of a certain amount of DP as well as some conditions that are worth fulfilling.

—Last Quest.—

—The choice of the throne will begin soon.—

A continuous message that every sentence was very surprising. All of these games are entering the final stage.