Adam was not relying on his skills to fight these men. He simply moved and defended. Thanks to the realistic combat system, he would not be injured so long as he successfully defended against their attacks.

  “Shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!”

  Levon swore as Adam continued to trip up his opponents and rushed in to attack as well. Adam sensed him coming in from behind, spun around, and thrust out his spear.

  [Thrust]

  Clang!

  The tip of his spear struck the tip of Levon’s, but because Adam had a higher Strength stat, Levon was the one forced back despite attacking first. He stumbled and Adam used that chance to slam a high kick into the man’s face.

  “Lord Levon!”

  “How dare you!”

  “Bastard!”

  Levon’s men attacked with renewed ferocity, for all the good it did. They were becoming even more predictable. Adam wove through their attacks like he was taking a stroll through the park.

  Adam didn’t know how long the battle continued, but a scream soon alerted him to a shift in the atmosphere. One of Levon’s men disappeared in a burst of particles. Behind the man, wielding two daggers, was Lilith.

  “Oh, Lilith. I didn’t see you come in.”

  “I snuck in.”

  “Does that mean the battle outside is over?”

  “Yes, all of Levon’s men have been defeated.”

  “Nice. Okay then. I guess we can wrap things up here.”

  The short conversation ended and the two went on the attack. It barely took ten seconds to kill everyone inside the hall, sans Levon, who stood a few meters away with a look of horror etched on his face.

  “No! Why?! Why are you so much stronger than me?! Why are you better than me?! Don’t you know who I am?! I’m fucking Levon Pleonexia! I… I should be the greatest… the most powerful person here!”

  Adam couldn’t remember a time when he’d seen Levon this unhinged, but then again, this was probably the first time he had been driven so far into a corner. It was only natural for a man this entitled to act like this when faced with such an insurmountable wall.

  “Ha. The best. Give me a break. The Pleonexia Alliance might be the strongest guild in the American Federation, but you’re on the lower end of the International Power Rankings.” Levon gnashed his teeth in anger, but he could say nothing in the face of truth. “Anyway, I don’t feel like dealing with you anymore. Go ahead and die for me.”

  “Wait! Just answer one question!”

  “Nope.”

  “Dammit! Just… where did you learn to wield a—”

  Levon’s words were cut off when Adam unleashed [Energy Sweep].

  -21,251!

  Ding!

  [The Guild War is over. The winner is Destiny’s Overture!]

  Adam looked up as the announcement appeared before him.

  [Congratulations on winning your first Guild War. As a reward for being the first guild to ever win a Guild War, Destiny’s Overture is being given 1,000,000,000 gold coins. Your Fame has also increased by 5,000,000.]

  Ding!

  [We have tallied the total number of kills from each side. The Pleonexia Alliance has killed 0 opponents. Destiny’s Overture has killed 100,000 opponents. Every member of the Pleonexia Alliance was defeated. As a result, Destiny’s Overture will gain a special bonus to the experience they earned. The amount of experience earned is 10,000,000,000 for each player.]

  Ding!

  [Congratulations! You have leveled up! You are now at level 26! +1,500 health! +400 MP! +5 SP! +10,000,000 AP!]

  Ding!

  Several more announcements were made as all the members of his party except, sadly, Kureha, leveled up. He didn’t pay too much attention.

  “We did it. We won,” Adam said.

  “Yes, Master. We did.”

  He couldn’t see her face behind that mask, but Adam thought Lilith was smiling.

  “Let’s go see how the others are doing. I’m sure they’re excited.”

  “Yes, Master.”

  Turning around together, the pair left the now empty hold behind.

  A Small Break

  Adam cracked a couple of eggs and added them into a bowl already filled with all-purpose flour. He whisked the two ingredients, gradually adding milk and water, then adding salt and butter after all the ingredients were properly mixed together. Once the batter was smooth, he added it to a lightly oiled frying pan set over medium-high heat.

  The key to cooking a crêpe was to not let either side cook for too long. After adding the batter, he smoothed it out so it lay evenly over the entire pan, let it cook, then tossed it when the edges started to crisp. The half-cooked crêpe flipped through the air and landed back on the pan.

  “You’re pretty good at that,” someone said.

  Adam smiled at Fayte as she walked into the kitchen. “I’ve had a lot of practice.”

  “You flip crêpes often?”

  “I used to.”

  Fayte went over to the coffee machine, made three cups, and added a ton of sugar and milk to one of them.

  “Maybe you should open a crêpe stall somewhere. I hear those are becoming popular again.”

  “Did you? Maybe I will then. I bet I could make some world-famous crêpes if I did. Speaking of, what would you like in yours?”

  “Cream cheese and fruit, please.”

  “Got it. Aris! What would you like in your crêpes?” Adam called out.

  Aris was practicing yoga in the living room. She was on a mat and performing the bakasana, or crow pose, which involved planting one’s hands on the floor, resting your shins upon your upper arms, and lifting your feet off the ground. It was a combination of chaturanga and plank pose.

  She’s getting much stronger.

  It hadn’t been that long since Aris woke up from cryostasis, and yet her physical strength already exceeded what it had been before she had gotten Mortems Disease. She would have never been able to do poses like that several years ago.

  “I’d like Nutella, please!” Aris called back. She did not disrupt her pose. Instead, she moved her legs out until they were parallel to the floor, then lifted them and tilted her torso until she was performing a handstand.

  Adam made about one dozen crêpes total. Two were for Aris, another two for Fayte, and Adam was eating eight. He spread Nutella on the ones for Aris. Then he spread cream cheese across the two for Fayte and added some diced strawberries, bananas, and blueberries. He wrapped the crêpes up, set them on a plate, and served them to the two women.

  “Breakfast is served.”

  “Thanks, Adam,” Aris said as she bounded to the couch and plopped down beside him.

  “Yes. Thank you. This looks delicious,” Fayte added from where she sat.

  “It was my pleasure.”

  Adam cut into his own crêpes, which were stuffed with a light whipped cream and powdered sugar. He wasn’t often one for sweets, but they had just defeated the Pleonexia Alliance in a Guild War a few days ago. It put him in an indulgent mood.

  “What do the forums look like?” asked Adam as he cut a slice of his food.

  “They’re still exploding with news about the Guild War.” Fayte paused to take another bite of her crêpe. The look of bliss on her face told Adam he’d done a good job. “The Guild War was recorded. Several people put up video files of the Guild War. Our reputation has climbed higher than ever thanks to this… and the addition of the Grim Reapers has only added to our reputation.”

  Adam smiled before taking a sip of his coffee, then said, “Nice. I’d say we did a good job.”

  Not even a day after the Guild War ended, the Grim Reapers made a public announcement that they were officially joining Destiny’s Overture. This news rocked the world. Every media outlet across the world had broadcast the announcement that the infamous assassins guild, known for taking on any job for the right price, had finally sworn allegiance to one guild.

  Many of the larger guilds were not happy.

  Because the Grim Reapers were given a lot of jobs from a variety of sources, they had a lot of dirt on various powerful figures and guilds. It went without saying that the Grim Reapers could blackmail anyone they wanted.

  There were a few reasons they hadn’t been destroyed despite knowing so much.

  The first was because they were simply too good at what they did. Every guild wanted to utilize their services. Not only were they the only all-assassin guild, but they were also the only guild that could assassinate powerful figures without getting caught. Even if someone knew they were the ones responsible, they never left any evidence that it was them.

  The second reason was because of their connections. Nearly every guild on the planet had utilized their services at least once. This wasn’t just the powerful guilds. Even smaller guilds hired them. They had a lot of powerful backers. With so many people who desired their services, someone could not risk trying to annihilate them without invoking the wrath of the other guilds who hired them.

  And the last reason was because they were simply too powerful. A few guilds had tried to destroy them when they were first establishing themselves. Those guilds were made an example of. It only took one night to completely wipe out each guild from the face of the map, and the Grim Reapers had let the world know who had done the deed. Those acts further served as a deterrent.

  No one wanted to get on their bad side.

  It helped that the Grim Reapers never pledged allegiance to anyone. The various guilds who hired them had felt secure in the knowledge that this group of powerful assassins had no master.

  Except now they did have a master.

  They had sworn allegiance to Fayte.

  Adam planned to use the information that the Grim Reapers had acquired to keep everyone else in check. He was already in the process of sorting through all the info they had on various guilds, independent players, and other powerful figures. His plan was to make contact with several of these people and blackmail them into supporting Fayte.

  While individual power was important, it was not the only kind of power, nor was it even the most important kind. The strength of a single individual could only take you so far.

  That was why it was important to have connections.

  There were several types of power in this world.

  Legitimate power, in which a person in a higher position has control over people in a lower position within an organization. Coercive power, where a person leads via threats and force. Informational power, where a person possesses needed or wanted information. Reward power--the power to motivate others with the promise of a reward. Connection power, where a person attained influence by gaining favor or becoming acquainted with powerful individuals. And referent power, which was the ability to convey a sense of personal acceptance or approval.

  That last power was not something that could be attained but something people had to possess naturally. It was the power of charisma. Someone with positive qualities and a high level of integrity possessed this type of power.

  Fayte was fortunately one of those people.

  Adam was currently working on getting Fayte the power of connections. That was what she needed right now. Once she gained the favor of various influential figures, she would be able to build an even stronger powerbase, which would become a shield against Levon Pleonexia’s and the Dairing Family’s influence.

  “Are you sure it was a good idea to have them swear their allegiance to me? I thought you would want to keep using them as assassins,” Fayte said carefully.

  “It’s fine. The Grim Reapers have served their purpose. It was time for them to move on anyway.”

  “Well, so long as you’re sure.”

  Fayte already knew about most of Adam’s history. He had decided to come clean after the Guild War was announced. She knew that he was an assassin, that the Grim Reapers were secretly under his command, and that they had been operating in secret for years now.

  He had told her all this not only because he planned to use the Grim Reapers for her benefit but also because he didn’t want to keep secrets from her anymore. Fayte had been good to him and Aris. Adam always repaid his debts.

  “But what are we going to do now?” asked Aris. She’d already cleaned off her plate and was leaning against Adam’s shoulder. “I mean… how much more work do we need to do before Fayte wins her bet?”

  Adam placed a hand on Aris’s thigh, almost out of habit. “I’m pretty sure Fayte could win her bet right now if she wanted, but there’s no telling whether Levon will uphold the bet since it was just a verbal agreement.”

  “I did secretly record the bet we made,” Fayte said. Then she smiled wryly. “But I doubt that will be enough to stop Levon from doing what he wants.”

  Adam agreed. “He might publicly declare his intentions, but he still has numerous avenues he can use to get at you. It’s safer in the long run to not declare you’ve won the bet until after you’re untouchable.”

  “I agree.”

  Aris looked back and forth between the two of them and grinned like a cat that ate the canary. “You two always seem so close when you talk like this. It’s like you’re on the same wavelength.”

  “Well… that’s… it’s just because we both have similar knowledge about this subject. It’s easy to be on the same page when you both know enough about something,” Fayte defended herself.

  “Aris, no teasing Fayte,” Adam said, a warning in his tone.

  “Tee-hee. Okay. I’ll stop… for now.”

  “Please spare me any further embarrassment,” Fayte said dryly.

  As the two girls bantered, Adam thought about the situation Fayte was in.

  The problem with verbal agreements like the bet between Fayte and Levon was that, barring when it was overheard by a great many people to act as witnesses, anyone who didn’t want to uphold the agreement could simply say it never happened. When that happened, the one who people believed would be the person in the stronger position.

  Fayte’s reputation might be soaring, but Levon still held the stronger position.

  The Pleonexia Family’s influence went far beyond that of individual power. They had connections to other powerful families and even the government. They were also rich enough to make any problem disappear by throwing money at it. The Grim Reapers had even reported that the Pleonexia Family owned a private militia.

  With the complete ban on war and violence in the real world, anyone caught with a private army faced harsh punishment. Most would have all their assets seized and be sentenced to a life of indentured servitude. The fact that this had not happened to the Pleonexia Alliance was proof of their influence and power.

  Aris suddenly coughed into her hand. “Anyway, what should we do today? It’s our day off, right?”

  Fayte tapped an index finger against her lips. “I suppose we could go out somewhere.”

  “Yes! I like that idea! I want to go somewhere fun! We could even invite Su and Lilith to come with us!” Aris clapped her hands excitedly.

  “If you ladies are going out, I’ll go with you,” Adam declared.

  “Really? I thought you wanted to keep our relationship a secret?” Fayte said.

  “I do, but I also don’t want a repeat of what happened last time.”

  The last time Adam had let them all go off on their own, Susan was kidnapped and almost smuggled out of the state. Adam had rescued her. However, whoever had done the kidnapping had erased all their tracks, and so he’d been unable to discover the one responsible.

  “Yeah… I don’t want a repeat of what happened either,” Fayte added with a grimace.

  “Anyway, to avoid letting people know about us, we won’t go anywhere with public security cameras.

  “Do you want to go back to that outlet we went to before?” asked Aris.

  “There are other places we can go. I was actually thinking of going on a picnic,” Adam suggested.

  Fayte clasped her hands together. “That sounds lovely. I even know the perfect spot. It doesn’t have any public security cameras.”

  “Where is that?” asked Adam.

  “The Forebear Estate.”

  “Ah. Of course.”

  While all politicians and public figures had security cameras installed in their homes, none of them were connected to the public security camera system, which was a government-controlled monitoring system to prevent crimes. Of course, the Forebear Estate would be no exception.

  “Will that work?” asked Fayte.

  Adam shrugged. “Works for me.”

  “Me too,” added Aris.

  Fayte smiled. “In that case, I’ll call up Su and ask her if we can come over.”

  “And I’ll call Lilith,” Aris said.

  With their plans set, the group got to work, and Adam decided to head back into the kitchen. They would need food for a picnic, after all.

  Another Attempt

  The rumbling of footsteps echoed around the chamber as the massive golem tried to fight against Adam, Aris, Lilith, and the former members of the Grim Reapers.

  “It’s going to fire its bow! Stagger it!” Susan shouted.

  Adam twirled the spear in his hands. “On it! Asmodeus!”

  “I’m with you, Master!”

  Like every member of the Grim Reapers, Asmodeus was an assassin, so his main weapon of choice was a dagger. He held the thin, black dagger in a reverse grip as he charged the golem behind Adam.

  Adam didn’t activate [Blood Sacrifice] yet as he slammed into the [Mecha Golem], attacking its legs with a combination of [Energy Sweep], [Energy Thrust], [Slash], and [Thrust] in quick succession.

  Asmodeus attacked the same leg, but while Adam attacked the Achilles heel, he stabbed at the joints. His [Pinpoint Strike] penetrated deeply into the golem’s mechanic joints. Sparks flew out from where he struck and a loud grinding sound echoed around them.

  The attack caused the [Mecha Golem] to wobble and Adam swung his spear once more. This caused the [Mecha Golem] to stagger back, which prevented it from firing its bow at Susan, Fayte, and Kureha.

  “Keep it distracted while we aim for its weak point!” Susan continued to command.