Chapter 274
The woman’s breastplate stopped glowing and was eventually destroyed.
[Name: Jeanne Huppert
Level: 336 (Diamond)
Guild: Frank
Corps: Pierrette
Attack Squad: Jeanne]
There was no way this woman was Indra. I cut off her hands and ears with small bolts of lightning. Her hand was grasping an A-class Level 402 item called ‘Hayagriva’s[1] Iron Mace,’ and A-class Level 432 earrings called ‘Theseus’ Earrings’ were dangling on her ears.
It was as easy to control my lightning as it was to control my own limbs. The sparks in the air only removed items from her in a sharp, accurate, and flexible manner. By the time her burnt hands and ears fell on the ground, the woman’s items were already in my inventory. She was unable to resist, like a deer in a slaughterhouse.
I kicked her in the waist.
“Argh!”
Within an instant, she disappeared after being pelted through the wall, leaving only her parting scream in the air. I came out from a freshly made hole in the wall. The occupation troops that had accompanied the woman were spread out leisurely, but they quickly gathered themselves when they saw her.
I had expected this exact scene. Her subordinates were swarming all over the street. The Frank Guild had led a large army into my territory by giving up their central area. This guild must have obtained the highest achievements because their guild leader knew how to make such a bold decision. However, they were now on the same stage as me. That could be either misfortune or good luck for them, but it depended solely on what Indra would end up deciding.
As they rushed towards me, I announced only one thing: that I was Odin, the owner of the city. Those who didn’t understand English continued to sprint at me, but Odin’s Wrath was waiting for them.
Zap. Zaaaaaaaappppp-!
After the fluttering tongues of the lightning bolts died down, I could hear the other guys buzzing from the distance. I wasn’t fluent in French, so I didn’t know what the words ‘fanatique[2]’ or ‘sauveur[3]’ meant, but it was clear that they were referring to me. It sounded like a curse.
Since they had already defined me as the enemy, they endlessly tried to see through me. If the System was a computer, then this would have been like a DDoS attack,[4] causing it to lag.
Unfortunately for them, they soon discovered something was wrong. They began stuttering because the only message that popped up indicated that they had failed to see through me no matter how many times they tried. They had never experienced this before. To them, they at least had to receive a message with a question mark even if the difference between our level sections was huge.
When the people high up on the ladder, who were equipped with A-class trappings, became gloomy, one fellow finally stepped out from the crowd. He must have done so because he couldn’t withstand the look in my eyes.
He commented begrudgingly, “That was a great lightning show. Your name must be… of course, Odin. I’ll suggest a deal that will never be disadvantageous to you.”
Instead of answering, I looked through him.
[You have perfectly seen through the subject. (Skill, Night Eyes)]
[Name: Gerard de Goldstein
Level: 260 (Diamond)
Guild: Frank
Corps: Indra
Attack Squad: Indra]
[Indra’s Sword (Skill)
Skill Class: S
Effect: Focuses powerful lightning power on a single target.
Proficiency: LV.3 (12.39%)
Cooldown Time: 3 minutes]
By far the most noticeable thing was his family name, Goldstein. There were only two ways to become the top dog of the vipers in suits. You either saw through their habits or you were one of them. The latter was learned only through elite education.
Gerard bluntly said, “You must agree that all-out war between us will only benefit the other forces.”
At a glance, I could tell that he wasn’t the type who wore different types of masks according to the situation. Basically, he was protecting himself with just one hard mask. Although he had reached this far with only that in his pocket, he still had the vibe of an elite. Of course, there were many people who used the last name ‘Goldstein,’ but I could bet all my money that he was actually a member of the famous Goldstein family. In other words, he had been treated like royalty ever since he was born. Even though the Goldsteins had collapsed, the fact that they still had a representative in the Jeonil Club made them the elite of the elites!
His blue eyes somehow resembled the eyes of Colton Spencer Goldstein, the current head of the family. Gerard continued to speak in an emotionless tone, “Nevertheless, a merger is inevitable. I hope the two of us can make decisions together without seeing blood…”
I interrupted him, “Did you take the lesson to become a successor?”
“...”
I clarified, “I’m asking if you are related to the famous Goldstein family.”
If he said ‘yes,’ then that meant the Goldsteins would be blessed. The Seventh Evil had become powerful due to having Shiva’s Sword, and Indra’s Sword was as strong as that skill. Well, Devi’s Sword was far superior to both of those skills, which was why it was called an unbelievable skill.
“You must be familiar with my family. Then, will you join my team as my guy?” Gerard finally asked.
His proposal was ridiculous.
I simply replied, “Let’s hash things over now.”
I gestured to him to follow me, then turned around. His army hurriedly blocked my way back to the city hall, but there was no need for me to send out another bolt of lightning.
Gerard opened the way by saying one sentence in French, “Get out of the way.”
***
Gerard seemed confident that he would be able to kill me alone even if something happened while having a conversation with me. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have left all the overwhelming supplies and his royal bodyguards behind. He followed me quietly without anyone with him.
Indra’s Sword was a skill specialized in one-on-one combat. Although its current Proficiency Level was only three, he wasn’t wrong to be confident in it.
He remarked, “Many people know about my family, but only a few know the details. If you are one of them, then your social status must be high. Tell me. How do you know about us Goldsteins?”
“The family is a part of the Jeonil Club. Basically, you guys had collapsed, but not really.”
For the first time, emotions rose into his eyes, but I could tell he wasn’t uncomfortable. He said as if he was surprised about something, “It looks like we were awakened at a similar age, but I have never seen you before.”
He was referring to the fact that he hadn’t seen me in social clubs or facilities such as a school or church where only the children of upper-class families attended. The rich all over the world hung out regularly and kept in touch with each other.
“To be honest, this is unexpected. Although a few are aware of the world government, they only know it under the name of Bilderberg. As you know, that’s an old name.”
However, I was pretty sure that this young guy wasn’t a member of the Jeonil Club. After all, Colton was the one currently representing the Goldsteins. He had turned a blind eye to his sister, who had died in the dungeon, to keep his family and handed over all family businesses to the Jamie Corporation. In return, he became the head of the Goldsteins and remained an executive of the European Union, which were the rewards for his painful choices.
Then, Gerard mentioned the name, “Then, you might know my grandfather, Colton Spencer Goldstein.”
In that way, he revealed that he was the rightful heir.
I nodded slightly. “Of course I do.”
“Then, you must know what the world will be like after the Stage of Advent.”
The corners of his mouth went up slightly, but that was it. He intentionally erased his expressions and continued to speak, as if he was educated not to show his emotions to outsiders. The impression I got there was that he was enjoying our current conversation. He seemed to be thinking that he had finally met someone who spoke the same language as him.
“The world government…”
He was referring to the Jeonil Club.
“You must know because you seem to be a bottom-line guy. The world government won’t like those who worship you. Unavoidable restrictions will appear, and damage will also be done to you. It’s suicide to drag those fanatics outside.”
It was obvious that he was telling me to make a decision and come under his command, then he would let me have the glory in his family.
“You will need time to decide, but I hope you make your choice by the end of today…”
I suddenly interrupted, “I believe that you are one of the Goldsteins, but you are just an heir. Stop being arrogant.”
His expression didn’t change even when I tried to provoke him on purpose. Only the muscles under his eyes twitched a little bit, but that was it.
I continued, “Your grandfather couldn’t have told you because it’s hard to talk about such a shameful past to one’s descendants. I’m talking about the person who controls the Jeonil Club.”
At that moment, a very distinct light flashed in his eyes.
“He is Korean. He is about your age and is currently standing right in front of you. That’s why you have to lower your head.”
I didn’t hide my identity because he would learn it now or later when he became the Goldstein’s new head. I thought it would be better to tell him while the merger was going to happen between the two camps.
We needed to counterattack against the Seven Demon Kings in their territory during Act Two, Stage Two. Therefore, all the camps had to be united under the name of Revolucion before the stage began. I was getting ready to convince him by telling him the story of the relationship between his grandfather and me.
I was in the middle of persuading him when his eyes suddenly glared with a murderous intention. Even his voice became cold and chilly.
He snarled quietly, “I wasn’t sure before, but God must be on my side. He sent you to me at this moment.”
Since it was an emotion that he had suppressed for a long time, he looked desperate for blood.
He continued, nostrils flaring, “I didn’t expect to meet the owner of the club like this. Did you know? You were the first person I was going to visit as soon as I got out of this hell.”
He ran his hands through his hair and looked at me as if I was his mortal enemy.
“I was planning on going to Korea. To the person named Na Seon-Hu. So I could kill him.”
***
There was one specific man who had taken away all the glory of his splendid family. That man had also destroyed hundreds of years of order by placing his aides at the top of the world government. The Goldsteins had collapsed then. His grandfather always lived in agony, and when he was so drunk that he couldn’t control his mind, he always called Gerard and told him the story. His grandfather never remembered anything the next day, but his eyes remained filled with guilt and pain. That was the reality of his family, a miserable reality.
However, this was his opportunity. Indra didn’t hesitate, and this was his only chance. It was something that he could never do outside!
[You have used Indra’s Sword.]
1. An avatar of the god Vishnu. He is worshiped as the god of knowledge and wisdom. He has a human body and a horse’s head, is brilliant white in color, is clothed in white garments, and is seated on a white lotus. ☜
2. Religious fanatic in French. ☜
3. Savior in French. ☜
4. Distributed Denial of Service Attack. A cybercrime in which the attacker floods a server with internet traffic to prevent users from accessing connected online services and sites. ☜