70

We went back to the hotel. There was no one at the bar, so we went in.

We ordered a lot of food, which Raul devoured as if he were some sort of boar. He drank all his beers bottoms up.

“That’s what I like!”

We looked at him. He had eaten a lot.

“You like it?”

“Hell yeah! I can’t survive without beer.”

This guy was interesting and funny as well.

Raul turned to me and asked, “Are you really a human?”

“Then what do you think I am?”

“A human-like monster?”

“Then call me a monster.”

Raul burst out laughing. “It’s just a joke. But you really are strong. How did you do that?”

“I can say that it’s not because of beer.”

He burst out laughing again. I know that I myself laughed a lot, but he was far beyond me. Then he asked me something again.

“What you told me is related to my ability, right?”

Oh, that conversation.

“There’s nothing to think about. If you concentrate your shield on a certain part of your body, then it will become stronger. You can also enhance a specific part of your body and attack with it. That will also make you stronger.”

“Oh, that was easy to understand. I can see the reason why you and Lee Ho are brothers.”

What did he mean by that?

“I’ve never had someone teach me something. I like you. Let’s do cheers.”

Raul raised his bottle of beer. I also raised mine, and we clinked our bottles. After finishing his beer in one gulp, Raul stood up.

“Are you going?”

“I have a job to do. I’ll go do that now.”

“You said you were going to protect Sophie?”

“Speaking of her, let me ask you something. Isn’t she pretty?”

I blinked for a while before catching what he was trying to say. I laughed.

“Yes, she is.”

Raul grinned. “That’s what I thought.”

He then stretched and left the bar.

After a while, I noticed something.

“He didn’t pay for his food.”

***

Sophie was living in the heart of London. Her house was big, not only because of her family’s wealth, but because she had also managed to earn a lot of money.

If her house had been small, that would have been weird.

She took a long, refreshing shower and returned to her room. While she was drying her hair, she noticed something and froze. She sensed that something was wrong.

She turned her head and dropped her towel.

There was someone in her room.

“Sophie Winsted.”

How did he manage to enter her house? When? Why?

A thousand questions ran across her mind, but she calmly responded to his entrance.

“Who are you?”

“Some people call me the Godfather.”

Moonlight from the window was shining on him. He was a long-haired man with sharp eyes and an impressive beard.

He was quite frightening. The man simply smiled.

“I’m the leader of Tian Wei Tien, also known as the anti-Hunter organization. Nice to meet you.”

That frightened her even more.

First of all, this man was strange. She felt that he was wearing a thick mask over his face. According to Lee Ho’s document, the leader of the anti-Hunter organization was the same man who had also been the leader of Shilla.

So that information was correct.

“…You are the leader of the anti-Hunter organization?”

“Yes, but ‘anti-Hunter organization’ does not sound right. That was just the method of gathering people.”

“Interesting. The most wanted person right now is just walking around, casually entering a woman’s room. What are you here for?”

The man laughed.

“I’m not some sort of rapist; I’m not interested in you. You are indeed attractive, but you are not my type. In fact, I never spied on your naked body. Let’s make that clear.”

Sophie glanced at the man who called himself the Godfather. He then continued.

“What do you think our organization is?”

“Anti-government, and anti-Hunter.”

“That’s the superficial part.”

“I also heard that you want a new world for awakeners.”

“Wow… Did you hear that from the Manifester?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm… Shao Wei divulged more than I expected. Well, yes. That is our main goal.”

That prompted a question from her.

“Why?”

“I actually want to ask you that. Don’t think that awakeners and humans are equal. We are different from them. So let me ask you this—after the gates are cleared, do you think ordinary people will still let us live?”

“…….”

“I want the gates to be cleared. That’s why I let Lee Ho do what he wants to do. But he is not preparing for the world after that. What could possibly happen after the system gets removed?”

Sophie didn’t answer. What he was saying did have a point.

“I respect Lee Ho. I know that his desire to clear the gates is real, but he is not preparing for what happens afterward. So tell me. If the system is removed, do you think we’ll lose our power?”

It was clear. Sophie answered.

“No.”

“Precisely. Our power won’t disappear. We already know how to use aura, the system is just an assistant. Of course, our skills will disappear, but we can still use the aura.”

That was true.

By hunting monsters, Hunters grew stronger. That meant physical growth. The intensity of their bones and muscles changed. If they used their aura as well, then they would be like superhumans.

They were not the same as ordinary humans anymore.

That was a real problem.

Awakeners would retain their powers, and that would cause problems. The Godfather then asked.

“So let me ask you this. What will happen after Lee Ho eliminates the gates?”

Sophie gulped and grabbed her towel from where it had fallen on the floor.

“…You are talking about the beginning and the end?”

“Of course.”

“……”

“You are trying to evade the answer, so I’ll answer it for you. There will be a war. They’ll use nuclear weapons to kill awakeners so that they can get rid of those who have power that surpasses them. If the war between humans and awakeners occurs, who do you think will be the winner?”

Sophie was certain that there would be no winner in that war.

“Both sides will be destroyed completely.”

“Exactly. That would be inevitable. That’s why I want to make a world for the awakeners. What do you think of the gates?”

“…What do you mean?”

“Have you ever explored the entire area of a gate?”

She had. Gates only had a certain amount of space, with a large wall covering the area beyond.

“What if we can break the wall? We can create a world beyond it. My group members will be moving to another world. Do you consider us as enemies now?”

It sounded reasonable, but there were some flaws in his plan.

“First, what is the real reason for creating the poison specialized for awakeners?”

“…….”

“Second, if that really is your purpose, why didn’t you approach me sooner? Is it because I can see the gates’ potentials? If so, what would you do? Don’t tell me that your purpose is to check the potential of the other world you want to go to. I know that’s not what you want.”

“……”

“Third, if that’s your true purpose, why did you make the group for anarchists? Shilla from seven years ago and the group you made now is exactly the same, you only made it wider. Did you learn from your previous failure? What you are saying doesn’t match.”

“I told you that it was just the superficial purpose, don’t you remember?”

“I do. But I don’t trust you. Also…”

The Godfather stared at Sophie, and she stared right back at him.

If it weren’t for Lee Ho’s document, she might have considered joining him.

“When did you infiltrate my country?”

“…….”

“You planted your people in our government. That way, you would earn a lot of profit from my country. You made our country chaotic. What was that for? Did you do that to prepare for something else?”

Both of them had a point. What was important was the result. Everything will become clear as time passes.

The Godfather then spoke.

“I need you. Just join us, I won’t order you around or take your liberty away. I just want you on my team.”

“……”

“I don’t want to force you and be the one to blame. You can just help me when I need you. That’s all I ask of you.”

Sophie only stared at the Godfather without a word.

“Do you need more time to decide? I’ll give you a week.”

His words were quite reasonable, but he was hiding too much. She didn’t tend to work with someone who is not credible.

“I’m sorry, but I decline your offer.”

“…I guess you leave me no choice.”

The Godfather sighed.

“I’m sorry for the UK’s loss. They’ll be losing a talented Hunter.”

Sophie realized that the man was about to kill her. She froze.

“It was nice meeting you.”

Sophie stepped back. To be honest, she was scared. Everyone would eventually meet their death, but this was not the way she wanted to die. She tried to resist her fear.

She would not let him kill her. The Godfather seemed to know what she was thinking.

“…You are a great woman. I’m sorry for this.”

He prepared to attack her.

“Hey, jackass! What the hell are you doing here?!”

Sophie was surprised to hear a sudden voice. Behind the Godfather loomed a very large man.

When did he arrive?

The Godfather raised his head and frowned. What he felt was nervousness.

The man was Raul Albanes, the strongest Hunter in the world.

“I thought you were out drinking with Lee Ho’s brother. Why are you here?”

Raul laughed. “I can smell your stink from there, and that’s why I came here. Wash, you jackass!”

The Godfather laughed as well. In an instant, Raul’s shoulder moved. With gold aura surrounding his arm, he struck the Godfather, who was able to counter it easily.

Raul was quite surprised. His powerful attack caused only a small amount of damage.

He could sense that he had received some damage as well. The man managed to launch a counterattack in such a short time.

Wow.

“What are you?”

“Well, guess.”

The Godfather sighed.

“I never planned to meet you here.”

“Well, I planned to meet you.”

The Godfather smirked. “I never expected you to know that term. What a surprise.”

Raul shut his mouth. If he was being honest, he always followed what his heart told him to do.

The Godfather continued smirking. “Anyway, since you’re already here, let me ask you. Will you join me?”

“Should I answer that?”

“It would be good for me.”

Raul, after thinking for a while, called out to him.

“I’ll give you my answer. Come closer.”

“…Hm?”

“Just come closer. I’ll give you what you want.”

Raul’s fist was clenched, ready to punch. It was so obvious; if he comes closer, Raul will attack him.

“Isn’t that too obvious?”

“Another delaying tactic. Just come. Are you scared?”

“…I’ve always thought that I never wanted to encounter you.”

He was scared. Raul smiled.

“I don’t fit in with someone as simple as you…”

The Godfather shut his mouth as Raul rushed towards him.

Both of them tried to punch each other at the same time. Raul hit the Godfather’s face, and the Godfather attacked Raul’s belly. His barrier cracked again.

Crash.

The Godfather fell, and Raul smirked.

“How was that, bitch?!”