NOVEL WEB Chapter 103 - Ruling From The Dark
"Then, we should get going, or we'll be late for our flight." Joren suddenly said.
"You booked us a flight already? Just how much did you earn?"
Jack finally went to the most crucial question.
"Ah… it's embarrassing, but it didn't reach a million." Joren scratched his head while leading them to a van that he rented.
"Huh, so you almost reach a million!? Is that what you're saying!? How is that possible in a week!?"
Towards Jack's doubt, Joren frowned, "What are you saying, Sir Jack? Some CEOs make hundreds of millions of dollars per year."
"And? What's your point!?"
"Let me drive!"
Kidrith immediately said when they entered the van. Nodding, Joren gave her the keys.
"Wow!"
Ness excitedly entered the van, impressed. Sitting beside her in the middle while Jack and Monstein sat at the back, Virena asked Joren.
"What happened? I doubt you even know how to run a company."
"Yes…" Joren nodded…
…
It all began when we parted ways.
"Haa… smells like pollution and smoke. What gig should I do?"
I pondered a little bit about how I should make money here fast. I asked myself, what gig would bring in the most money?
"Ah, I should go and beat the leader of the biggest gang here."
Jack: [I think there's a slight problem in your flow of logic there. Did we miss something?]
What is my greatest skill right now? It's not the experience I gain from the past but the strength I have right now. By using that trait, I would control the group that dominates the city from its shadows.
Before that, I applied at the nearest company first as a backup plan. Not every city has this underground group, after all. I intimidated the employers a little bit before I was taken in and was even given a suit. After a day of work, I picked up what I had left off.
The trick to finding them is to go where most people wouldn't want to. Anything abandoned or forbidden to enter sometimes is their hideout. These guys would either nestle in an unpopulated area, the underground, or when it's dark at night. So, after walking around for a bit, I found their den.
Obviously, I don't have to use all of my strength. I just have to use power sufficient to overwhelm the whole group.
"Is this the head group, or are you guys still following someone's orders?"
I pointed a gun at the gang leader's head while I sat on his back. He acted overbearing at first, thinking he's the toughest out there. Now, he was one step away from crying. Meanwhile, his men were all pointing their pitiful guns they call weapons at me. However, none of them could pull the trigger since I have a hostage.
"You… you don't want to know…."
"I don't want to know, or you don't want me to know? Wait, no, don't answer that. A bullet into your head or the answer out of your mouth?"
Once I said a cool line, he finally answered…
Gargoyles.
What do you know? I've already encountered a myth. I didn't even notice them before.
Of course, I don't trust him. What if this was a ruse to get me out of here so that they could escape? I can't possibly bring him with me while traveling through the city. I have a reputation since I'm now an office worker.
That's why I wrote a letter.
[Virena, it's me, Joren. I want you to go to this location. If you find something weird there, just return this paperback to me through the carrier. If I don't receive your reply, it means you found yourself in danger. If that happened, expect me to arrive after a few minutes.]
If she, a vampire, found danger, that means my target is there.
Unfortunately, the time came, and no reply returned as expected.
I have to move out.
Jack: [Overnight, you became the city's underlord.]
Something like that. After some rounds of gunshots, even their strongest couldn't last. Instead of forever turning into pebbles on the ground, they all submitted to me.
"I only have a week, so let's start now. Give me every information on all of the most powerful people in this city. I'll give you four hours."
"Yes, Sir!"
Fortunately, it didn't take long. They take reigns over the city for more than a century, they told me. They have every influential people as their puppets. No, instead, they were the ones who picked who gets to be powerful.
Within the abandoned cathedral, or their hideout -it would be weird to call it abandoned now- they gave me every weakness of politicians, leaders, and tycoons over the city. I even got the mayor in my hand.
This will not make the Myth Academy take action, right? After all, there's a reason why the mythical shouldn't blend in with humans- humans will inevitably be defeated. Though I'm not a myth, I'm human.
It's been half an hour since the sun rose.
I have to work now, but before I did, they showed me something interesting. The CEO of the company I was working in is a perverted bastard, and in his latest crime, he targeted Kidrith.
I watched the CCTV footage. This guy must've no idea he was being filmed. To control these people, the gargoyles would watch them almost 24/7. They get special treatment.
When this bastard brought Kidrith into the hotel room, I wasn't scared. Instead, I was even hoping he would do something as it would be caught on camera. Needless to say, I know Kidrith wouldn't betray me.
But damn, that kick to the nuts was satisfying!
I'm now late for work, but so what? My boss wouldn't be able to do anything for me.
I got ready and went straight to the boss' office. Typically, they wouldn't let me enter, but I lied that I was called there. That was the hard part, they were suspicious of me, but one of my employers remembered me and vouched for me.
Oh, he does not know that I'm in the wrong here and that their suspicions are true.
Entering the elevator, I climbed up to the highest floor and said-
"Hello, boss."
"Huh? Who are you!?"
Grumpy as I expected. I'm not going to blame him after seeing how he was kicked in the nuts by a Half-Fury. I bet he hid that fact, as it's going to raise suspicions as to how he got such an injury.
Now, he's here, acting like everything's normal, albeit a little bit angry.
"I'm a new worker, Joren Vierei, and I know what you did last night." I smiled, seeing his face freeze.
Then, a second later, something clicked within him, "Joren!? So, you're that whore's ma-"
Hearing him call Kidrith a whore, I grabbed his face, and he desperately tried to reach for the security button.
"I'm the only one who could call her that."
I raised him by his face to show the disparity of strength. He was afflicted by fear so, I struck while the iron's hot.
"Do you know what a gargoyle is?"
His eyes widened, not knowing why I muttered that controversial word. I dropped him, and as expected, he quietened. Wiping his dirty saliva off my hand, I sat at his table.
"From now on, you're going to listen to everything I say. For now, make me a department head. Though it would raise suspicions, I don't care. They can speculate all they want but they wouldn't come close to the truth."
I stood up, "The truth about how I got the CEO under me, got it?"
Even with this, he had an angry look on his face. I just barged in and without any proof, I intimidated him.
"If you want to risk it and go against me, be prepared for the consequences."
"Alright… I'll make you department head…"
He gave in… no, rather, he played safe. It would cause shock but making me department head does nothing to him. If later, he confirmed that I'm lying, he could easily turn the table around.
Smart man, unfortunately, he would be surprised by what he will confirm.
An hour later, a memorandum was posted on the notice board and that was when I called Jessie. After she agreed, it's time to work.
During the day, I gathered information. Ness' group was hired at an arcade. So, I wrote a proposal, saying we should invest in that arcade and give them immediate features, especially, the workers there should be given great opportunities.
I made it vague, I'm not a professional who knows the twists and turns in this, but they are. They can figure it out themselves as long as they listen to what I say.
Once the day finishes, during the night, I was out putting seals in everyone's mouth and solidying my position. I even saw a poster about a stranger jerking you off. This feels like what Sir Jack would do. That's why I sent Lady Mcpimp to help him with it.. If failed, I could just give him a tutoring job.