The Degree
The Most Important Result

Ray gives Terumi instructions to use Erina if the group is not moved by money alone.

Even so beyond expectations it seems Terumi can not give the green light just like that. As expected by Ray, Terumi.

“He is not a person capable of doing dirty things,” whispered Roid, slightly sighing.

Ray was silent until the voice from behind the phone asked.

“Do you really have the heart to do something like that, Ray? All we're talking about is Erina, our own friend!”

Ray kept his phone away from the ear a little, it was because Terumi said in a loud tone.

This was the reason why Ray wanted fellows like Roid and Yan Hoki to commit dirty acts. He is currently unable to confirm the whereabouts of Leo and Eric, therefore a replacement is needed.

“You seem to have mistranslated my point, Terumi,” said Ray, fortunately he has prepared this answer. “I can't be that cruel to topple someone.”

“What do you mean?”

“We will only offer Erina, but that doesn't mean she should actually do it. Simply create a situation where they have gratitude or debt of gratitude to Erina.”

Erina's Degree works in such a way, arguably her Degree demands to give her a reply. His degree allows for giving and replying.

“When they are indebted then Erina can make her demands in return. Of course he does not need to give up his body if that condition is reached.”

Ray does not really care what will happen with Erina later, as long as his Degree can still be used and the desired results are achieved then Ray will consider it a success.

On the one hand his actions may seem cold-blooded for asking a woman to do something like that, but what is it okay to do. There are no easy shortcuts other than that choice.

“...so. So you mean, as long as the result is the group moving then Erina doesn't need to do something like that?” ask Terumi.

Ray was a little surprised because Terumi understood his point clearly and quickly. As he said, the end result is all that matters.

“Yes. Regardless of the way, those results are what matters. I'm going to end all this, and therefore I need it.”

There is no fool who is confident against hundreds or even thousands of people alone. Even though Ray is smart, there are limits that he can reach.

Ray himself is difficult to penetrate the current situation because it involves not only the users of the Degree, but also the army and the entire country.

Jung Haiyan, the military, and also other Degree users. Of the three groups that were arguably his enemies, the worst part was that Ray had absolutely no idea what they were each planning to do.

There is no picture or prediction. Ray could not predict what kind of situation would happen in the future. That's why he took another path.

“Then there are actually many ways to do it, right?” terumi asked, her voice somehow seemed to shrink.

“Yes but thinking of you, I can't let you do the dirty work. Of course, making Erina a permanent offer something dirty but not to cause meaningless murder.”

Ray knows a woman named Terumi. A girl with a big heart and also fiercely opposed to death that resulted in futility.

As a person who has lived in a harsh environment like other Degree users, it can be firmly said that Terumi is still very naive. Therefore Ray did not involve him much in the big plan.

“So. Can I use other means to achieve this result? Of course I thank you for thinking of me. However, it is still difficult for me to do it.”

Ray let out a long sigh, impressed tired of facing all this.

“Starting from searching for the whereabouts of Leo and Eric who went missing out of nowhere, settling affairs with Arthur and even completing the stupid game Secret.”

Surely some hannyalah mere nonsense, but the important point is to make himself feel burdened. Ray is trying to play the role of a person who really has a lot of complicated things to deal with.

Although not everything actually Ray cares about.

“I don't want you to do something that will mess things up, Terumi. It doesn't matter if you have a better way. I'm open to it.”

“Take it easy. I'm not gonna screw it up, trust me. Then, forgive me for adding the load on your shoulder.”

The call was turned off unilaterally, Ray did not know why but he felt Terumi's atmosphere from behind the call seem so depressed. Although Ray did not bother him, but it was worrying.

“It seems that you have reached the limit where you can continue to manipulate the woman, huh?” said Roid with a little mockery.

Ray never made a statement manipulating Terumi, but he did not oppose Roid's conclusion about it.

“Well, at least he's a skilled person so there's not much to leave a trace of worry about. How's situation? Is there anything new that the thing says?”

When they capture soldiers and steal their clothes, Ray and Roid find a walkie talkie the military uses to communicate.

“When you were talking to Terumi, I heard a message from her.”

Ray did not notice it because the atmosphere around him was so quiet that he only focused on talking to Terumi.

The distance with Roid at this time was indeed a few meters away but that was not the reason Ray had not heard anything. It was possible that Roid had deliberately shrunk its volume for the sake of their safety.

“What does it say?” ask Ray.

For him it was a valuable thing to know the conditions on the other party. From this alone it is clear that how great Informa in all things.

Ray is severely ill-informed about either Haiyan, the military or Arthur. And, to be honest, Ray's worried that his meeting with Arthur won't take long.

After all, it was impossible that the main protagonist did not have a big role in such a big incident. And, as expected. The worst possibility is coming true.

“You won't believe this. There are Degree users who are allied with the military and get high positions as strategic advisors on this situation. That person is Arthur, with great power behind him from the support of Marshal Ardianto.”

Things always get worse but Ray is not surprised by it. In fact, he is more interested in the fact that people as important as Ardianto can connect with Arthur.

It is impossible for thin red threads to appear suddenly, there should be something that connects with each other.

“Tak is just that. It seems that the military is trying to negotiate with Jung Haiyan.”

Ray raised his eyebrows, “Negotiation?”

That's a surprising option from the sheer number of possible options. Ray did not expect that the state apparatus would come up with the idea of negotiating with *******.

“How did it go? What are they trying to achieve from that negotiation?” asked Ray, in a hurry.

“Yes, the details are not so described here but .. the result is a failure.”