Chapter 701: The Dark Sentinel 12

After hearing those words, several senior officials of the White Tower fell into deep thought. Their expressions shifted subtly, hesitation gradually giving way to reluctant agreement. After a brief silence, one of them nodded and said, “That makes sense. A 3S-level guide is destined to serve the empire. As long as Tang Wan remains stable, Lu Tong should not pose a major threat.”

With that conclusion reached, they wasted no time in reporting the matter to the emperor.

The emperor, a young ruler who had only ascended the throne a few years prior, listened carefully. When the report concluded, he immediately responded, his tone sharp and decisive. “This is clearly a good thing for the empire. As for your concerns about betrayal, you are overthinking it. You keep suspecting people without cause.”

His voice grew colder as he continued. “Has no one ever tried to recruit Lu Tong? Of course they have. But has he ever defected? No. People like him thrive on battle. He enjoys killing, he enjoys the battlefield. The empire provides him with everything he wants, power, opportunity, and purpose. Why would he betray it?”

He paused briefly, then added with emphasis, “And now he has found his guide within the White Tower. You should be even less worried.”

The emperor’s gaze sharpened, even through the screen. “You cannot keep thinking only about how to control people. Defending the empire is the duty of every sentinel. If you want loyalty, then give them reasons to fight willingly, not chains to bind them. You send him into danger time and time again, yet you doubt him at every turn. That is not how loyalty is earned.”

Hearing this, the senior officials lowered their heads, though faint traces of dissatisfaction flickered across their faces. “We understand, Your Majesty,” they replied.

The emperor gave a short nod, then continued, “Send me all of General Tang’s information immediately. I have just received intelligence that the enemy nation has begun cultivating dozens of artificial double S-level guides. Tang Wan’s emergence comes at a very critical time.”

The moment those words were spoken, the expressions of the White Tower officials changed drastically.

“What?” one of them exclaimed. “They are actually willing to go that far?”

Everyone in the room understood what that meant.

Artificially cultivating double S-level guides was not impossible, but the cost was terrifying. The subjects used for such experiments had to be S-level guides to begin with, and even then, the success rate was extremely low. Most would not survive the process.

Guides were already rare. S-level guides were even rarer.

For the enemy to produce dozens of double S-level guides meant that an unknown number of elite guides had been sacrificed in the process.

It was ruthless.

Yet undeniably effective.

On the battlefield, a double S-level guide could suppress entire groups of opposing sentinels. If their mental defenses were breached, both sentinels and guides on the enemy side could collapse simultaneously. The impact was devastating.

Compared to that, dozens of ordinary S-level guides were insignificant.

But now… they had Tang Wan.

A 3S-level guide.

Even without further testing, theoretical models suggested that someone at her level could project mental power across vast distances and overwhelm opponents with ease. Whether she could truly reach that level in practice would need to be confirmed, but the potential alone was enough to change everything.

Seeing the grim expressions of the officials, the emperor spoke again, his tone firm and commanding. “That is why Tang Wan is extremely important. You must not treat her the way you did before. From this moment on, her status surpasses even yours. Do you understand?”

Cold sweat immediately appeared on the foreheads of the White Tower’s senior members. “Understood, Your Majesty,” they replied in unison.

“Good,” the emperor said. “For now, suspend Lu Tong’s missions. Bring both of them to Emperor Star. I want to see them personally.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The communication ended shortly after.

The room fell into silence once more.

The senior officials exchanged glances, each of them processing the gravity of the situation. After a long pause, one of them let out a quiet sigh. “Activate the highest level of protection for Tang Wan.”

The others nodded in agreement.

At that moment, the man with glasses hesitated before speaking. “Is that really necessary? With Lu Tong around, isn’t her protection already at the highest level possible?”

The room fell silent again.

Several pairs of eyes turned toward him.

For a brief moment, no one knew whether to laugh or sigh.

Because, annoyingly enough… he wasn’t wrong.