Chapter 136 (Patreon)

Seven loud thuds rang out as the rushing Monster Class Morenkai skidded to a halt and, in unison, were forced to their knees.

Head Cameron's force of presence had become overwhelming. The throne he sat on glowed with white light, causing Micheal to realize that it must be an Artifact and not just a simple decorative chair. The man's eyes glowed with green light, the tell-tale sign that he was using his signature gravity manipulation Ability.

The air in front of them was visibly distorted, ever so slightly. Micheal hadn't been able to see this when he was within range of the gravity zone, back when he first met Head Cameron, but could see it now from the outside.

This gravity, combined with the huge pressure Cameron was giving off, had visibly frozen all seven Monster Class Morenkai. It was an incredible feat. Creatures that he had struggled to slow down were all of a sudden unable to even move.

Micheal's eyes widened as he witnessed this scene, a feeling of genuine respect and awe filling his heart as he stood next to Head Cameron.

After a split second, he withdrew several throwing knives from his Spatial Ring. He began to concentrate a layer of Sword Energy on them as he zeroed in on the Monster Class Morenkai.

"Don't. You'll disturb the Field."

Before he could do anything, Head Cameron's voice interrupted his concentration. Micheal glanced back at the Godfather, his face neutral as he replied,

"What?" He studied the man for a moment.

Despite having the Monster Class Morenkai clearly trapped, Cameron wasn't doing anything other than sit and stare at the creatures.

The Head never turned away from the Morenkai as he responded to Micheal,

"My gravity alone isn't enough to hold them." Cameron waved at the Artifact he was sitting on as he went on,

"This is a False Heaven's Throne, a Limited Artifact that cost 188,000 Points in the Shop. We got it from an Irregular, it's the only one of its kind here on the First." Cameron casually continued, talking in a relaxed manner as if he wasn't just a few meters away from a pack of ravenous monsters,

"It projects a Field of Presence that amplifies my Gravity Domain Type and my Ki, all in a synergistic way. Anything that disturbs that Field will cancel the effects out and give them a chance to move. This is a secret, so don't tell anyone." The Godfather's voice took on a dark edge as he finished.

"Oh." Micheal nodded, understanding. He had never heard of this Artifact, or this synergy, but it wasn't too shocking. There were, in total, tens of thousands of Artifacts one could purchase in the Shop, counting all the subcategories one could open and expand. The same applied for Abilities.

The fact that the Godfather acquired one from an Irregular, and that this was the only one of its kind on the First Layer, really just went to show the incredible resources the Godfather Organization possessed.

He blinked as he realized they were at an impasse. However, he was only stuck for a moment before he remembered they didn't actually need to kill the Monster Class Morenkai. Just stall them out till the research team finished.

"How long can you hold them here? Do you need me to do anything else?" Micheal continued as he studied the Monster Class Morenkai. He found his hands oddly itching, as if he felt he should at least be doing something. Sitting around and letting someone else do the work with powerful enemies nearby… it felt odd.

"No… not in the state you're in." Despite not looking at Micheal, the man was somehow able to tell that his stats had fallen compared to his boosted state.

"Well… then… I'll go?" After a minute, Micheal slowly muttered out a response.

"Yep, sounds good to me." Cameron smiled slightly,

"Whatever they want, they're clearly targeting you, but their senses aren't unlimited. You head back first and get out of their range, I'll head back after a couple of minutes. I might not be able to kill them all, but I can at least prevent them from being able to harm me." Holding the 7 Monster Class Morenkai still seemed to be his limit, but from the way he talked, Micheal gathered that the powerful S Ranker wasn't in any real danger.

"Sounds good to me too." Micheal didn't hesitate and instantly fled.

In fact, he ran away so quickly that Head Cameron couldn't help but let out an amused snort.

In the end, Micheal had accomplished his objective already. Without his boosts, he wouldn't be much use here. It was a much wiser idea to just leave and not have to deal with the aftermath. It might be an anticlimactic ending, but why should he care?

Just like that, Micheal successfully made his escape, fleeing back to the rendezvous point.

The location they chose to meet up at was a skyscraper that was several kilometers deep within the territory of the Godfather Organization. It was one of the lesser occupied ones, one that had previously been abandoned before the Great Arrival began. Even now it only had around 100 people that used it, a much smaller number than skyscrapers in the outer edge of the Main Cluster. Those ones often had their entire upper and middle levels completely full.

He used his Life Orbs to great effect, soaring through the Main Cluster and making excellent time. He ignored the meandering groups that populated the skyscrapers above, hunting Morenkai or traveling towards The Towers, as he flew down below.

In what felt like no time at all, he reached the designated skyscraper. It was an average one in every way, colored a dull grey with nothing ornate or special about it. There wasn't anyone on the rooftop when he arrived, making his abrupt arrival one that went unseen by any watchful eyes.

He snuck inside and headed towards the 21st floor. Once more, he didn't encounter anyone, though whether it was a stroke of luck, or just the fact that this skyscraper was generally unoccupied, he wouldn't wager a guess.

Once he arrived on the 21st floor, he peeked through the window that showed the empty hallway of the floor. Behind him, the stairwell he was standing in was well lit, with a set of neon lights shining comfortably on his shoulders. Both the hallway and the stairwell used the same type of long, neon lights, something not all stairwells had in common.

He opened up the door without hesitation and pushed through it, confident that no other humans would be anywhere nearby. His heart was finally starting to calm down, something he thought about with a wry smile.

He was a warrior with a decade of experience in the Seven Layers, and yet some First Layer runts that he could've wiped out with a wave of his hand could cause him so much trouble. He shook his head ruefully. After he settled this business on the First Layer, he was definitely going to put a much greater focus on upping his Ki Cultiva-

His thoughts abruptly cut off as Micheal threw himself down, his eyes widening in horror.

Not a heartbeat later, a large, black fist smashed through the air and collided with the open door to the stairwell, slamming it back into place with a loud thud.

Micheal smacked down hard onto the ground and immediately flipped forward. As he moved, he withdrew his Ashari Blade from its sheath, twisting his body in mid-air to face the attacking enemy.

Ki Energy ran wild in his veins as he focused his body to an extreme level, his heart pounding. His eyes instantly zeroed in on his enemy, prepared to throw everything he had at it.

Standing just behind the doorway was an ordinary, inarguably normal black Morenkai. It was currently looking at its fist in confusion, as if expecting Micheal to be on the other end of it. The creature was only now turning to face Micheal, its head rotating slowly.

When Micheal saw this, his jaw dropped.

"You son of a-" He glared at the creature in resentment, calming his pounding heart,

"Bench..." He finished lamely, channeling his inner Shin.

He had almost bit off his tongue at the shock of the surprise attack. Even now, his heart still felt like it was about to explode from stress. The tension from the fight with the Monster Class Morenkai had clearly stayed with him despite traveling a great distance away. It wasn't something he could help, it had been quite a while since he'd been forced to focus so much on evading life-threatening, and blazing fast, attacks for such an extended period.

With an almost lazy gesture, Micheal leapt forward and beheaded the creature in a single, smooth motion.

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—-Points Obtained—-

Points: 10

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Micheal shook his head as he looked at the Points Notification. After a moment, a small smile appeared on his face as he laughed out loud.

He walked over to the dead Morenkai and looked down on it, studying it for a few seconds.

"A way to make the First Layer safe from you guys, huh?" He muttered, kneeling down.

The Morenkai remained dead, its body lying listlessly on the ground. Its acidic black blood merely pooled about, unable to damage the skyscraper in the least. The body of the creature lay up against the wall of the hallway, just out of range of the door.

He stood back up as he sighed.

"Let's find out if it's possible first." He nodded his head slightly and then turned around, headed towards the agreed-upon lounge they were meeting in.

.. .. .. .. .. ..

"If there was only one, killing a Monster Class Morenkai would be doable. I could manage two at once, possibly. Seven, though?" Cameron shook his head,

"Not even Director Prime could manage that. Probably. Well, I'm not sure. The man is a monster that is suited for close combat, but those things are so damn hard to kill."

Micheal listened closely to the Godfather's words, paying attention to everything he said. He was eager to hear more, curious about how effective the S Rankers of the First Layer truly were. He had always regretted that he never got to experience any of them first hand.

A bustling lounge full of people spread out around him.

He, and Head Cameron, were currently sitting on a pair of cozy chairs in the corner. The Godfather had personally placed down the plush chairs after he returned, flatly refusing to sit on anything less comfortable.

The lounge was large, as most were, with a white tiled floor that was covered in strange grey marks. In it, a long white table dominated the center of the room, stuffed full of computers and pieces of paper.

Doctor Rosphen was currently working on these computers, accompanied by eight other scientists. Micheal was unsure if the other workers were members of the Hidden Truths Organization, but given how they were handling sensitive data, figured they must at least have some level of authorization.

"Then what happened after I left?" Micheal returned his focus back to the calmly resting Head Cameron, eyeing the warrior askance. The man looked not even a bit worse for wear, smiling jovially back at Micheal while he rested in his chair. He certainly didn't look like he had just come back from a battle with 7 Monster Class Morenkai.

"Oh, they went into a bit of a frenzy when you left, but…" Cameron shrugged,

"My defense was absolute. They were forced to give up after a while." Micheal took what the man said in stride, feeling neither envy nor fear. The man was an S Ranker for a reason, after all, and had been here for more than 3 years already. Micheal's time in the First Layer had yet to exceed 2 and a half months, after all.

If he took, say, 6 to 8 months, Micheal was confident he could achieve Cameron's current level with ease. However… time was the one thing Micheal did not have enough of. He couldn't just sit around and let the Vile King's plans run loose.

"Huh. Well, I'm impressed." It was a praiseworthy feat, regardless. There were likely only a handful of people, among all of the hundreds of millions of people present on the First Layer, that could achieve the same thing.

Cameron laughed, raising up a mug of beer with a grin. The man had pulled the mug out of nowhere via the Shop, once more reminding Micheal of how incredibly convenient humanity's special power was. After a moment, he pulled a drink of his own from the Shop, picking out a tasty Root Beer.

While the two talked, the scientists continued to work in the background, their voices gradually gaining a hint of excitement.

After Micheal took a swig of the soda, he wiped his mouth and broached a topic he'd kept quiet about for a while. He took a deep breath before he spoke, composing himself as he glanced at the powerful S Ranker.

"There is something I'd like to ask you about, Head." He began, nodding at the man.

Head Cameron glanced over at him, a hint of curiosity appearing in the man's eyes as he nodded for Micheal to continue.

"It's about the Dragon Build-" Before Micheal could finish speaking, however, he was interrupted.

"Ah, that? Not now." Head Cameron waved him off, smiling genteelly.

"We can discuss the details about all that after we settle this. One thing at a time." The warrior's voice never wavered as he took another swig of his beer, relaxing back in his chair with a comfortable-sounding sigh.

When Micheal heard, that he simply nodded and smiled back.

Internally, however…

He felt a bit sick.

If before he only suspected that the Godfather might have been infected by one of the Vile King's Seeds, now he was roughly 50% certain.

Would the real Godfather, a man obsessed with raising humanity and giving them the power to defend themselves, truly delay giving out such vital information?

If Micheal shared the Dragon Building Liquid with the public, it could take years for everyone to recognize its potential, or even believe its effects. The same applied for the Golden Morenkai hunting method.

Sure, there would probably be a small subset of people that would believe him and find success. But things like that would take time.

If Head Cameron made an official announcement using the clout of the Godfather Organization, the entire Main Cluster, as well as every single occupied Side Cluster, would instantly know. And, with the repute of the Godfather Organization, no one would have any reason to doubt them.

Cameron had the power to instantly start saving large numbers of lives, something that would be even more impactful the sooner he released the message.

And yet he was choosing to delay it, and wouldn't even discuss it with Micheal.

'It can really only be one of two things. Either there is something else at play or happening here, something I don't understand… or it's the Vile King.' As Micheal considered this in his heart, the sick feeling that had settled there remained unchanged.

He desperately hoped it was the first option. Because if it was the second one…

As far as he knew, there was no known cure for the Vile King's Seeds.

Micheal changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on the thought any longer.

"So… when do I get to meet our other members?" In the immediate moment, at least, he wasn't in any danger, and there was nothing he could do yet, so there was no point worrying. He would cross this bridge when he needed to, after making sufficient preparations.

"I have my reasons for keeping the other members as secret as possible. If you meet the others, it will only be out of necessity." Head Cameron shrugged and gave a non-reply.

Before their discussion could continue any further, an excited shout shook the air. Both Micheal and Head Cameron looked up from their cozy chairs, staring at the scientists in the center of the roof.

"Head! Head!" Doctor Rosphen was ecstatic as he ran forward, lugging along a white laptop.

"The preliminary findings are mostly as predicted! It is matching up almost exactly as Isaiah said! If it's like this, we should truly be able to complete our dream!" The man pointed at a graph on the screen, his eyes alight with excitement. He was bounding on his feet, giving off a feeling of boyish charm and happiness that was contagious.

Those feelings seemed to slam into Cameron and wash off like water, leaving him unaffected as he replied cooly,

"Mostly? Almost exactly?"

Doctor Rosphen's face fell slightly when he heard Cameron's rather lackluster reply. Still, he nodded earnestly and gave a full response.

"Yes Head, Isaiah will need to look it over again, but almost everything he predicted has come true. Most of the data is perfect. However, there appear to be some discrepancies that arose over the past few days. We aren't sure what they are, but they appear to all be connected." Rosphen's response didn't dive into the specifics, but it made Cameron frown just from hearing it.

A few minutes passed as Rosphen explained several data points and their correlations, pointing out to all of the ones that were identical, or near-identical, and all of the ones that were now different. Most of it went over Micheal's head, largely because he wasn't a longtime member of their Department.

Cameron, however, seemed to understand most of it. The man rubbed his chin as he listened to the doctor, occasionally asking a question every now and then. He didn't frown or smile any more, but maintained a neutral expression throughout their talk.

They were about 10 minutes into the impromptu interview when it happened.

Nearly everyone in the room froze as three sets of piercing, warbling screeches sounded out loud, interrupting Doctor Rosphen mid-response.

Micheal's eyes jerked wide open in shock as he glared down at his Spatial Ring, and then over at Head Cameron and Doctor Rosphen.

The loud screeches were coming off each of them.

He tapped on his Spatial Ring and was instantly able to determine that the screech was coming from something inside of it, somehow able to create noise despite being stored away. He pulled the object out of his Spatial Ring, the look of befuddlement vanishing as he realized what was causing the noise.

It was a small, metal insignia.

It was the Artifact the Godfather had given him to use to call for help if he found himself in mortal danger, the one Shin had used to save himself and Sophia when they were attacked by the Nightrunner Numbers.

A Long-Distance Alert Insignia.

As Micheal touched it, he realized he could subtly feel it pulling him in a direction, deep within the territory of the Godfather Organization.

As he realized this, something even more incredible happened.

The Insignia in his hand shined.

A second, warbling screech joined the first one, and a second tugging sensation pulled him in the same direction as the first one.

His jaw dropped for the second time today as he realized the implications of this.

Two important members of the Godfather Organization, deep in their own territory, were currently in mortal danger.

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