While Jeremy and hispanions lingered around the outskirts of the Dark Swamp instance, debating their next move, General Howard, along with Liam and Benjamin, were in the city council''s meeting room, discussing the defense strategy for Moonlight City.


    Howard had just presented a detailed defense n to Benjamin,ying it out in full for review. After reading through the n, Benjamin''s expression grew increasingly grim. As the mayor of Moonlight City, he could see that Howard''s proposed defense n was riddled with critical ws.


    "Is this seriously the defense n you''re offering me?" Benjamin demanded, his tone cold and critical. "Do you think this n has any chance of sess? Sure, we managed to clear out the most dangerous instances along the city''s outer edge, but there are still numerous high-threat instances around Moonlight City. Without a wless defense strategy, the city could be thrown into a serious crisis. You need to take this more seriously! You can''t just hand me a n with so many ring weaknesses."


    With these words, Benjamin stood up abruptly, his frustration palpable. He red at Howard, his eyes filled with a fierce intensity, as though trying to make the general understand just how uneptable this was.


    Liam, observing the exchange, chose to remain silent. He, too, believed the n had numerous vulnerabilities. However, he was aware of certain internal challenges. Liam knew well that General Howard had, in fact, done his best. The upper echelons of the federation and military headquarters had already pulled away most of Howard''s elite forces, leaving him significantly undermanned. In this situation, how could the general possibly craft a perfect defense n?


    Though Liam sympathized with Howard''s predicament, he didn''t intend to speak up in his defense. To Liam, these were issues Howard needed to address himself.


    Facing Benjamin''s outrage, General Howard responded calmly, his tone measured.


    "This is already the best n I can offer. The forces at mymand are much fewer than before. I simply don''t have the resources toe up with a better defense strategy."


    Howard''sposed demeanor and matter-of-fact tone only served to deepen Benjamin''s frustration.


    "Can''t you convince military headquarters to bring back the forces they pulled from here? The situation in the capital has improved a lot, hasn''t it? Why are they still redeploying elite troops over there?" Benjamin yelled at Howard, his frustration bursting into anger.


    Howard let out a bitter chuckle at Benjamin''s words.


    "I wish headquarters would return the forces they took from me, but they won''t. The elite troops reassigned from Moonlight City are intended to remain in the capital indefinitely. As for the state of the capital you mentioned, I don''t know much beyond what little I gather from the reports headquarters sends. From their perspective, the situation in the capital hasn''t stabilized as much as you might think. They''re even considering moving additional forces to strengthen the area."


    As he finished, a hint of regret crossed Howard''s face. Deep down, he believed the military headquarters was overreacting, but he also understood their reasons. The security of the capital remained their top priority. Even though conditions had improved, headquarters was stillpelled to send reinforcements. Should any serious incidents arise in the capital, the generals would face severe bacsh from the federation''s leadership, who might go as far as to remove them entirely.


    Benjamin''s face softened as he listened to Howard''s exnation, his initial anger fading. He slowly sank back into his chair, gathering his thoughts. After a moment of silence, he turned his gaze to Liam.


    "General Howard doesn''t seem to be able to offer us any further support. Don''t you have anything to add, Liam? After all, you are the director of the Special Situations Bureau."


    Clearing his throat, Liam began to speak in a calm tone,


    "The Special Situations Bureau does have some operational resources. We can help to strengthen General Howard''s defense n, but we won''t be able to patch every single gap. That''s why I believe we should concentrate all avable defenses around the core structures of the city—ces like the city hall, and our own headquarters at the Special Situations Bureau. As long as we ensure the safety of these key buildings, Moonlight City can continue to hold out a bit longer. As for the civilians… unfortunately, there''s not much more we can do for them."


    "Perhaps we could gather the civilians together and have them relocate to the city center. After all, there are still some civilians living out in the suburbs. We simply don''t have the resources to ensure their safety anymore," Liam suggested.


    His proposal was, in fact, quite practical. However, Benjamin found himself hesitating. Moonlight City wasn''t an ordinary ce. Its industrial district was one of thergest in the federation, and abandoning it would lead to a significant drop in weapon production—a loss that would rapidly weaken the military''s strength.


    Moreover, several vital research facilities were located in the city''s outskirts. The equipment and resources in those institutions couldn''t be relocated easily. If they abandoned the industrial district and research facilities, Moonlight City would lose all strategic value in the eyes of the federation''s leadership.


    It was worth noting that General Howard, a highly regarded figure within military headquarters, wouldn''t have been stationed in an unimportant city. If the federation deemed Moonlight City to be without value, there was a high chance that Howard would be reassigned. Consequently, the resources Moonlight City could expect in the future would dwindle.


    After a moment of contemtion, Benjamin slowly shook his head.


    "I won''t approve this n, Liam. It sacrifices far too much," he said firmly.


    Liam wasn''t surprised by Benjamin''s response. Nodding in acknowledgment, he replied,


    "You''re absolutely right. This n does call for abandoning several critical assets. However, it''s the only solution I coulde up with."


    Following Liam''s words, the meeting room fell into silence once again. After a lengthy pause, Liam''s mind suddenly turned to Jeremy.


    "While we might not have any ideal solutions left, perhaps Jeremy could offer us some assistance. His actions in the past have proven his strength. On his own, he''s nearly as effective as an elite unit."


    Upon hearing Jeremy''s name, both Benjamin and Howard''s expressions shifted slightly. They knew well how formidable Jeremy was; his help would undoubtedly make a significant difference. But the key issue was what they could offer Jeremy in return.


    After all, Jeremy already had some of the rarest and most powerful weapons at his disposal.


    Neither General Howard nor Benjamin had any means of providing Jeremy with weapons more rare than those he already possessed. In truth, Jeremy didn''t seem to need any other assistance from them.


    After a moment of reflection, Howard spoke up slowly.


    "Of course, Jeremy is willing to help us. But we need to offer him some form ofpensation in return! We can''t keep expecting him to contribute without giving him something in exchange."


    Benjamin nodded in agreement.


    Understanding their sentiments, Liam shared his own thoughts.


    "I understand what you both are suggesting. I believe we do have something to offer Jeremy that he might find hard to refuse. While Jeremy''s own strength is formidable and likely beyond needing our aid, hispanions aren''t quite at his level yet. Jeremy often works solo on missions, and during those times, hispanions would certainly benefit from our support.


    "We can assure Jeremy that we''ll guarantee hispanions'' safety. Furthermore, when needed, we could supply them with rare equipment we acquire. We could also share our intelligence with him. I''d imagine that the intel we collect surpasses what he has ess to, especially concerning real-world information. In the real world, we surely have moreprehensive sources than Jeremy does."


    Liam delivered his proposal in a single breath. It was clear that he had been refining this idea in his mind for some time. Upon hearing Liam''s n, both Benjamin and Howard felt that it was indeed a feasible way to secure Jeremy''s cooperation.


    With a smile, Benjamin said to Liam,


    "Since you came up with this proposal, you''re the one best suited to persuade Jeremy. I''m confident you''ll seed."


    Liam nodded confidently.


    "Absolutely. However, as far as I know, Jeremy and hispanions are currently engaged in the Dark Swamp instance. I''ll approach him once they''ve finished there. I promise I''ll convince Jeremy, and if I fail, I''ll resign as Director of the Special Situations Bureau."


    Liam''s words took both Benjamin and Howard by surprise. They hadn''t expected Liam to stake his career on this negotiation.


    "We believe you''ll seed, Liam! Even if, in the end, things don''t go as nned, we won''t hold you responsible," Benjamin assured him, his tone gentle and reassuring. "We know that you''ll have given it everything you''ve got."


    Benjamin''s words were intentionally calming, as he didn''t want to add undue pressure on Liam. He knew that the more pressure Liam felt, the lower the chances of him achieving sess. Benjamin understood that approaching Jeremy required a clear mind and confidence, not the weight of unnecessary expectations.