Just as the words fell, a sudden voice echoed in Ophelia's mind: "Thank you for joining the 'Hive' organization as the eleventh member."
Ophelia was so startled she nearly swerved the car off the highway.
[Congratulations, mission 'Establish an organization with more than 10 members' completed. Reward: Skill – Mental Parasite.]
As Lucius considered whether renaming the organization to "Akatsuki" would be more entertaining, the system message appeared right on cue.
That's it?
My Hive organization was founded just like that? Shouldn't such an epic group be making vows on a little boat in the middle of a river or something?
Lucius checked his personal interface again—sure enough, the mission tab had changed.
But what was this new mission?
Lucius stared at the updated mission log with a "Are you freaking kidding me?" expression plastered on his face.
Mission: Destroy or replace one of the following organizations (Team Magma, Team Aqua, Team Galactic, Team Flare).
Are you kidding me?
The last mission was about setting up a small gang of ten people, and now he was expected to take on one of these four behemoths?
Lucius glanced at the group in front of him—each of them reacting differently to the voice that had just echoed in their minds announcing their membership in the Hive. Apart from Flora and Zeyan, who seemed a little excited, the others wore pained or indifferent expressions.
A gang made up of fallen girls, edgy teenagers, and washed-up middle-aged men...
He thought about the enemy forces—Team Magma, Team Aqua, Team Galactic, and Team Flare. Each of them had thousands of members, maxed-out black tech skill trees, and their influence spread across entire regions. They were the kind of groups that made entire cities tremble.
And the system wanted him to destroy or replace one of them with this ragtag bunch?
Lucius massaged his temples and sighed, beginning to study the mission.
Though the Hive was technically founded, at this stage, "gang" would be a more fitting label than "organization."
Lucius had originally planned to let this group linger as a small subdivision under Team Rocket, paying them wages just to keep them afloat. But now that the system—the true mastermind—had set the mission goal, there was no choice but to push forward.
System, is there a time limit for this mission?
"No time limit."
Is there any penalty for not completing the mission?
"No penalty."
Lucius's mind raced. The system's wording seemed generous, but the real trap was hidden beneath the surface.
First, the system only ever issued one mission at a time. If he didn't complete this one, no new missions would appear.
Second, all four target organizations were bound to be destroyed as the protagonists' storylines progressed.
Unlike Team Rocket, which operated across multiple regions and remained resilient, the other four teams would inevitably collapse. Team Magma and Team Aqua would disband after the ancient Pokémon arc in Hoenn. Team Galactic would fall after Cyrus's failed attempt to reshape the universe, with some members defecting to Team Plasma. Team Flare would crumble completely after Lysandre's defeat at the hands of Zygarde.
If Lucius didn't act before their scripted demise, the mission would become impossible to complete.
So, while there was "no time limit," there was absolutely a time constraint.
If he failed, his entire virus evolution system would grind to a halt.
Clever bastard, System.
Time was tight—tighter than he had initially thought.
Judging by Gary's performance last night in the Sunburst Island defense circle, the guy was no rookie. He already displayed near-professional-level Pokémon command skills. That meant his rival—Ash Ketchum—was likely far along in his journey, possibly in Johto or even Hoenn.
If that was the case, Team Magma and Team Aqua would be wiped out within one to two years, followed shortly by Team Galactic.
Targeting Team Flare seemed the safest bet since they would last the longest. However, the problem was that Team Flare was still operating under the guise of "Lysandre Labs"—a supposed humanitarian tech company. Opposing them meant becoming enemies of the Kalos people.
Not that Lucius cared about public sentiment—but the Pokémon League would certainly intervene, making things infinitely more complicated.
That left Team Galactic.
Lucius stroked his chin, contemplating the mission.
"Mr. Archer, now that our organization is established, what should we do next?" Zeyan, the edgy teenager, approached eagerly.
"Next, we find a base of operations and start growing our numbers," Lucius replied casually.
"I have an idea," Zeyan said, glancing at Flora, who was playing with Toxic Flame. "The substance in our bodies can enhance physical strength and potential, but it comes with severe side effects, right?"
Lucius nodded. If mutation was considered a side effect, then yes, the boy was spot on.
"What if we extracted and refined this substance into a drug?" Zeyan suggested. "We could try to minimize the side effects—even if the effect is weaker, it would still sell well."
Refined into a drug...
Lucius's eyes lit up.
That's brilliant.
The Parasol Company had thrived as a biotech firm. What better cover for virus research?
If they could synthesize a drug based on the Progenitor Virus, anyone who used it would be instantly infected.
Moreover, as the organization grew, they would inevitably attract the Pokémon League's attention. A legitimate pharmaceutical front would provide perfect camouflage.
And even if the drug retained some mutagenic effects, there would always be organizations like the Syndicate that didn't care about the well-being of their Pokémon—so long as the results were effective.
With a legitimate product on the market and a black-market variant circulating among criminal syndicates, the experience points and evolution data would flow endlessly.
Lucius's eyes gleamed.
This kid... Clear-minded, with a promising future.
Zeyan was still lost in thought when he noticed the blue-haired young man flashing him a cryptic smile. He shivered involuntarily.
With this plan in place, the first step became clear.
Lucius called out to the group: "Our first mission as the Hive begins now."
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