A new official always fires three shots upon taking office.
Jay only needed one to make everyone aware of his methods, and no one dared ignore his orders after that.
Only now did his efforts to stabilize the situation truly take effect.
Since he had voluntarily assumed the responsibility of base commander, he couldn't let the people within spiral into chaos.
Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.
Capturing Colonel Hammond, who attempted to flee, was already a great achievement. Ensuring the base continued to operate normally and preventing any riots, another major credit.
By the time personnel from Marine Headquarters arrived, he refused to believe he'd still be just a Warrant Officer.
As for the compromising secrets Colonel Hammond had on him...
Chances are, he'd never get the opportunity to speak again.
Hypnosis, what a wonderful ability!
Jay then led his people in gathering and organizing evidence, storing it away separately and securely.
If he wanted to completely nail Colonel Hammond, he couldn't afford to overlook the details.
The mastermind was in custody, and the accomplices had been 'willingly' thrown into the dungeon.
As for the rest of the Marine personnel, they could be described as having been coerced and forced to go along.
Given that they now recognized their wrongdoings, chances were high they'd be let off due to the principle that the law does not punish the majority.
Buck and the others quickly spread this 'news' throughout the base, bringing relief to many.
Jay had thought of everything, who would still dare to make trouble? Who would dare speak a single word against him?
Night fell.
Even though Jay had placed the base under strict control as the acting commander…
And had even arrested several people earlier in the day who tried to escape...
But that still couldn't stop some people from taking desperate chances.
After all, "the law does not punish the masses" was just a hopeful assumption.
Jay was just a branch Warrant Officer, what weight did his promises carry?
Might as well sneak away under cover of night; even becoming a deserter was better than being locked up.
And that wasn't even the most shameless part.
The most shameless ones wanted to make a last grab before fleeing.
They couldn't get Colonel Hammond's money anymore, but there were still supplies issued by Marine Headquarters in the base.
Since they were already planning to leave, why bother being polite?
"The moonlight is beautiful tonight. If only there were a splash of red, it'd be perfect."
Standing on the rooftop, Lafitte looked down at the sneaky figures below.
Beside him, Bonez casually stretched his limbs. "I'll leave this side to you. I'm going to handle the ones trying to escape over there."
"Don't kill everyone. Try to leave a few alive, or Jay will get mad."
Bonez grunted in response and turned to leave.
Lafitte, meanwhile, extended two white wings from his back and soared downward.
The next morning.
When the base's marines gradually woke up, they were greeted by a shocking sight.
Dozens of men had been stripped naked, tied up, and hung from the training ground's flagpoles.
In front of them was a wooden sign explaining the reason.
Everyone who read it gasped in horror.
"Trying to escape even under strict lockdown, what idiots!"
"That's not all. Some of them even tried to steal military supplies. Heh."
"Are they insane? Didn't they see what happened to the others yesterday?"
"Maybe they thought Jay, uh, Base Commander Jay, didn't have full control of the base yet. Tried to gamble... and ended up dead."
"Let's not just laugh at these guys. Some of us might still be thinking the same way."
"Come on, no way... you're overthinking."
…
Some looked grim. Some chuckled awkwardly.
But most felt a growing sense of fear and unease.
Still, that mood lifted somewhat during breakfast.
Because instead of a downgrade, the meal quality had actually improved!
Why? Jay had abolished Colonel Hammond's daily private meals and redistributed the expensive ingredients to the cafeteria so everyone could enjoy a proper feast.
This approach not only earned him goodwill but also eased tensions.
After all, when people feel satisfied, they're much less likely to cause trouble.
And everything seemed normal, just like any other day.
Everyone ate when it was time to eat, trained when it was time to train.
Of course, just to be safe, Jay implemented a strict alcohol ban.
That was non-negotiable.
Anyone with complaints would have to bottle them up.
Since no one knew when Marine Headquarters personnel might arrive, Jay didn't want them walking into a base full of drunkards.
That would seriously hurt his reputation
And potentially reduce the merits he'd worked so hard to earn.
Fortunately, most people understood: special times required special measures.
As for the rare few who were still dissatisfied, Jay had Lafitte have a "heart-to-heart" with them.
The results were immediate, no more complaining.
Once the base's discipline was temporarily under control, Jay began calculating in his mind.
Even if Marine HQ realized right away that the West Sea had produced a major parasite like Colonel Hammond, it would still take them a few days to respond.
So while he had time, Jay decided to enter a dungeon instance to assess the situation.
He returned to his room, ordered that no one disturb him, and focused his attention on the
[Purple Card: [Inosuke Hashibira (Youth)]
[Dungeon - Hide and Seek in the Deep Mountains. Initiate!]
The next moment, a spatial portal appeared before him, like a miniature wormhole.
Fully equipped and stocked with supplies, Jay took a deep breath, and stepped through.
As he emerged from the portal, a look of surprise spread across his face.
Before him were towering, ancient trees, dense and wild like a primeval forest.
Judging from the dungeon's name, he was now deep within a mountain covered in vegetation.
Then the portal disappeared, and a system prompt sounded.
[Dungeon - Hide and Seek in the Deep Mountains activated. Attempt count: 1]
[Objective: Capture Inosuke Hashibira (Youth) and bring him to the designated location.]
[Time limit: 5 hours.]
"Doesn't seem that difficult..." Jay murmured, a bit surprised.
But then he reconsidered. Finding a single person in such a vast mountain range within five hours, and then delivering him to a marked spot, wasn't easy at all.
"Let's just try and see. Even if I fail this time, I still have two more chances."
Without wasting another second, Jay focused and activated his [Tactile Perception] ability.
The air flowed around him
Brushing past tree trunks, ruffling the fur of a passing white rabbit…
Like a radar, the ability precisely marked every living creature within range, waiting for Jay to filter them.
Most outlines didn't resemble humans.
Until one signal made his eyes snap open. He immediately dashed to the left.
But when he arrived at the target identified by [Tactile Perception], he froze.
It wasn't Inosuke Hashibira at all.
It was a… humanoid demon.