86. < A Single King Is Enough (3) >
I teleported to Switzerland with Yoo-Jeong, but not via teleport. Kim Yoo-Jeong was speechless.
“You were able to use teleport?”
Technically it wasn’t. It was something better.
“I call this ‘blink.’ It’s superior to ‘teleportation.’ Unlike the teleportation skill, this doesn’t leave any trace. It can be done with black aura.”
Yoo-Jeong nodded slowly at my explanation.
We then looked down. There was an old building, with people standing around. I could see that some of them were my brother’s people. Jong-Geun was there as well.
Kim Yoo-Jeong was surprised to see one person in particular.
“I never thought that he would be one of them.”
“Do you know him?”
“Alan Bermandi. He is one of the world’s SS-rated hunters. He is France’s rising star.”
He was quite strong, a bit stronger than Jong-Geun.
“He looks confident.”
I nodded at Yoo-Jeong’s words. There was no need to deny that.
However, Alan was too confident. If Hong Jong-Geun and his team members attacked together, then he for sure wouldn’t survive.
Unlike other SS-rated, he was more like an S-rated hunter. He was just a bit stronger than Mr. Han, so how could he be considered as SS-rated?
Yoo-Jeong’s explanation told me everything.
“To be honest, Best Ten is not the appropriate term.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Best Ten refers to ten SS-rated hunters in the world. As you know, the method of becoming SS-rated is simple: killing the Black Orc King in fifteen seconds. A person who can do that becomes an SS-rated hunter.”
Someone had told me about that. I supposed it was Ee-Na.
“Alan Berdandi killed the Black Orc King in fifteen seconds. But according to Sophie, he was much weaker than other SS-rated hunters.”
I got it now. He had easily become an SS-rated hunter by accomplishing that goal. So the person who should have been S-rated was ranked SS-rated.
“Even Mr. Hong and Mr. Park over there could do that. But they didn’t.”
“Why is that?”
“He was serving Master Lee. He never wanted to surpass his master.”
That was understandable. In fact, it was a more reasonable choice than Alan’s. But that didn’t matter to me. Things were going to change drastically.
“Let’s get ready.”
Kim Yoo-Jeong laid down alongside her gun. She was ready to snipe.
“Now, who should kill the Godfather?”
I had already told Lee Ho that Yoo-Jeong would be there to snipe the Godfather.
Ho said that he didn’t care about that. Either way, the Godfather would die today. Those were his words.
I sat down and observed the situation.
I wondered what they were talking about now.
***
At first, the Godfather doubted his ears.
“My last words?”
“Yes. I’m interested in them.”
The Godfather chuckled. “You want to kill me that badly?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Ho stopped talking. The Godfather continued to argue.
“Do you know what’s the funniest thing in the world?” The Godfather answered his own question. “It’s justice without reason.”
“…”
“If you kill me, you’ll feel relieved. I persuaded other governments and took money from them while you were clearing the gates.”
The Godfather burst out laughing.
“No, relief is not enough to describe it. You’ll burst out laughing. But what will you feel next?”
“…”
“You might feel void and anxiety.”
“What do you want to say?”
The Godfather snarled like a snake. “Can awakeners and ordinary people coexist?”
“…”
“See the reality. Do you think it’s really possible?”
“…”
“I used you as bait. While you were clearing the gates, I gathered my power. I won’t deny that. But am I really such a bad person?”
Lee Ho frowned. These were quite long for last words.
The Godfather chuckled. He seemed to have even more words to say.
“I wanted to make a world for awakeners. I did my best not to interfere with the boundaries between awakeners and ordinary people. All I did was make crowds protest.”
“What about Sophie’s case and Shilla’s radical actions?”
“Ah, that’s quite hard to define. But know that I’m not the same as my past.” Ho laughed. It was the only emotion he could express now.
The Godfather’s words seemed to be reasonable. He really was different from the past. However, that was just a superficial aspect.
“I wondered why people would cooperate with you. But what you said to them was reasonable. I admit that it was smart to do so.”
“…”
“There was no reason for ordinary people to reject your offer. They would prefer awakeners to live in a different world. Besides, modern weapons are still dangerous to awakeners. After the gate was cleared, the government might use modern weapons to threaten them. That’s why a lot of awakeners followed you.”
The Godfather frowned. What Ho said was true, but he knew that Ho had another purpose.
“But do you know?”
“Know what?”
“Whatever the process is, the result will answer everything.”
“…”
“Your accomplishment was astonishing. If it hadn’t been for three people, you would have taken over the world.”
“Who do you mean?”
“Me, Raul, and Jun Yong.”
The Godfather frowned. “Raul is just a simple man. He won’t comply with your orders. He is not the type of person that can tolerate your ways. When you two meet, one will die. That’s why you did not make
contact with him. The same applies to Jin Yong.”
“…”
“And I would be your biggest obstacle. Yet, at the same time, you needed me as bait.”
“…”
“What would you do if the modern hunters all died in the gate? Would you then show yourself and act like a hero?”
“…I’m not sure about that.”
“After seeing the incident in London, I learned that you are just my target to kill.”
“…I asked about what would happen after clearing the gate. Yet, you are talking about something different.”
Lee Ho laughed. “That’s the future. No one knows what will happen.”
“…”
“Saddam Hussein never thought that he would be hanged. Hitler never thought he would lose the war, and Mussolini never thought he would be killed.”
“…”
“Preparing for the future through just assumption? That eventually led them to fail. Yet, you are walking the same path as they made.”
Upon hearing this, Lee Ho merely smiled. “You are just a coward who has been hiding at my back.”
The Godfather frowned.
“You are emotional now.”
“I’m calm as always. I thought about it seriously and concluded that you needed to die.”
“…”
“That’s my justice.”
The Godfather closed his eyes, then he sighed. His aura was now covering his body.
When they first fought, the Godfather had run away. He was regretting that he’d done so. “I should have killed you when I had a chance.”
He was unmasked now.
“I hate foolish ones, but I also hate smart ones like you.”
“I tried to persuade you, but you were smarter than I thought. Now I have no choice but to kill you.”
“That won’t happen. I will be the one to kill you.”
Ho didn’t have any hesitation. He also used his aura to shield his body and then asked, “By the way, are you really planning to find a world for the awakeners?”
“…You seem to know the answer.”
“I’ve heard that from others. But I want to hear it from you.”
“I showed them how to clear the gate, and they actually believed that I’m finding a world for awakeners.”
The Godfather slowly stood up. “My true goal is to rule the world. Is that what you really wanted to hear?”
Lee Ho’s smile answered everything.
After seeing that, the Godfather asked, “By the way, can you kill me?”
“You’ll see.”
Soon, both men moved.
With a crashing sound, the building collapsed.
****
Hong Jong-Geun was smiling while he smoked. He laughed upon seeing Alan.
“The French people would be shocked to see you.”
“…You mean me?”
He was Alan Bermandi, known as the rising star of France. His hairstyle was just like the Godfather’s. Jong-Geun laughed.
“Do you mean me?”
“Of course. Who else is the frog here?”
Alan frowned. The term “frog” was a mockery of the French language. Some people used it that way since they thought the French language sounded like a frog. Also, because French people ate frog meat. This term was a conventional way to look down on the French.
Alan smirked.
“Says the Korean who eats dog.”
“I don’t eat dog, idiot.”
“…”
“But you do eat frogs. I remember that you were whining for the frog dish. Oh, right. You don’t have the brain to remember that. My bad.”
Hyeon-Soo Park, the man next to Jong-Geun, laughed.
Alan had lost the discussion. However, he still had some words to say.
“You are just an S-rated hunter. Know your place.”
Jong-Geun smirked and inhaled the smoke from his cigarette.
“You can’t say that to me. Your rank is just a title.”
At this point, the both of them were quite angry.
Alan was the spy of those who used their master as camouflage. Hong Jong-Geun had wanted to punch the guy immediately. Yet, his master was still calm. That’s why they were remaining.
Soon, with a crashing sound, the building collapsed.
That was a signal. The war had started.
Alan rushed towards Jong-Geun. Jong-Geun was still standing, his body glowing. Like Yoo Ee-Na, he had learned a unique skill by himself. He was transforming. His body was getting bigger, his muscles stronger, his hair longer.
Jong-Geun was like a man-lion.
That was his ability – to transform and gain the power of the beast.
Alan punched Jong-Geun, but it didn’t make a scratch.
“It’s time for you to learn some lessons,” Hong Jong-Geun chuckled.
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