Phi-Fic Chapter 420 The Banes
Chapter 420 The Banes
Godfrey opened his eyes. He blinked and looked at Isolde sleeping by his side. Grunting softly, he sat up, left the bed, then leaned on the windowsill, staring at the greenery around the mansion bathed in a pale silver glow.
His eyes went to the clock. '1 a.m. Wow, I slept for a long time.'
It felt otherworldly for some reason. His mind paused, taking in the sight. It brought memories of his days before Manhattan.
"How are you feeling?" Isolde's voice rang.
Hearing that, he slowly turned his head and smiled at her. "Much better."
Isolde sat up. "Is there something on your mind?"
Godfrey looked at his feet, then shook his head once.
Isolde stepped away from the bed. "The idea of the House of Order. It gives us a foundation and also allows us to expand our influence throughout the globe and other worlds. And we want you to be the leader. I might be your wife, Frey, but I'm also a woman who rules over a domain filled with the most prestigious creatures across several worlds."
She drew close. "Neila has been a demigod, maybe long before we were born. Isaac trusts you, so does Percival, and even Snow. I don't see what's bad about that."
Godfrey maintained eye contact with Isolde but said nothing.
"What's on your mind, Frey? Let me in. The moment we spoke about forming a House, you've been too quiet. Did we do something wrong?" She touched his face, her eyes glistening with concern.
"I won't let you die."
Godfrey sighed heavily. His hands wrapped around her thin waist and he pressed her into his chest.
"I just had a bad thought."
Isolde blinked. Her draconic eyes gleamed with warmth and concern, emotions that seemed out of place in such predatory eyes. "What kind of thought?"
"You said Cain's summon has four heads. We identified three. You didn't see the fourth head and we haven't found a fourth man. What if it's me?"
Isolde's eyes went wide and she loosened her grip. "That's ridiculous. He would have known that I'm alive."
Godfrey chuckled softly. "That's why it's a thought."
A burst of hot air left Isolde's mouth as she stared at Godfrey like he needed a slap.
"I suspect everyone, Isolde. Suspecting myself isn't ridiculous. Not in the world we live in."
Isolde sat on a sofa close to the window. She crossed one leg over the other, then leaned back.
"We should focus on the Ruination. Why are you thinking about Cain? If we fail the Ruination, we won't be alive to worry about him."
"Because I want to kill Cain, Isolde. I have had enough of his mind games. Once the Ruination is over, I'm bringing Gabriel down first, then Sebastian. I'll scour the world for Cain and drive a sword through his chest. The fourth man will continue the circle, so I want to make sure I know who he is before then."
"I did the same thing and I—"
"This isn't the same thing, Iso. I'll be a peak-level Sovereign or a Godking. That's the best time to strike. He won't know my tier at that moment and he won't expect it." Godfrey interrupted.
"All his bodies are connected. Attack one and the other will know." Isolde retorted.
"We can't wait any longer!" Godfrey's sudden spike in volume made Isolde fall silent. "We can't."
His voice softened drastically. "I don't know who he'll strike next. I'm not sure if I'll be too late."
"What if you lose? We have pieces of his skills but it's still pieces, not the whole thing. You don't know what he's going to throw at you… you're not looking back at the people you might be leaving behind." Isolde glared at him.
Godfrey went down, sat on the floor and held his head. "He has me backed into a corner at every turn. I'm afraid to care, I'm afraid not to care. He's never been struck. The order defeated him once, I'm certain we can do it again. I only have to win against this Ruination and then I have the window to make the first move."
"Frey…" Isolde went on her knees and hugged him. She laid his head on her bosom but had no words.
'Could this be why he doesn't want to become anything? He feels it's just another means for Cain to exploit.'
"We have a goal then." Isolde said. She had to support him. If this was the goal, then they would both work toward it.
"Survive the Ruination and kill Cain once it's over."
She later sat beside him, leaning on the wall. After a while, she parted her lips. "Aina Bane sent a congratulatory letter to the both of us."
Godfrey raised an eyebrow. "Oh. I forgot about her."
"So did I." Isolde's eyes gleamed. "I have a feeling she was introducing herself. I also discovered she's growing new guilds and beating down the old ones."
"What is this House of Order going to be like?" Godfrey replied.
Isolde's eyes widened.
"Are you…?!"
"I am."
Aina was building something. He couldn't remain like this. He had to change, to become something more than just Godfrey Daniels on earth.
***
A red-haired woman whose hair went all the way back without a strand out of place wore black combat attire with a black sword that seemed to absorb the light around it attached to the belt around her waist.
She stood in the office of the guild master, arms crossed as she gazed at the screen that broadcasted Staten Island's victory over the biggest green gate ever recorded.
There was always a bigger dungeon. This one almost swallowed an island. The next might cover a country and after that… the continent?
That was a terrifying thought, but Eliza didn't think it was impossible. Who knew what kind of gate would pop up tomorrow?
"Godfrey Daniels. Staten's Golden Angel. He's always making headlines. The Pendragon new Family Head too." Eliza frowned. A new era had come and they were fighting to rip open this barrier and gain access to all they could offer.
She had forced her way into the Paragon Tier and almost died fighting to earn that evolution. There were rumors she was a Titled god, but those rumors were unfortunately just rumors.
Her guild master, Caspian, was different though. He survived a green gate at his own home and emerged with a Titled god Tier summon, unfortunately, the burns he received kept him in the hospital till this date.
Out of all the hundred and fifty demigods recorded out there, none of them could heal. So at this moment, Justice Guild had a power demigod who was struggling for his life.
She on the other hand had gathered Progenitors and Paragons, ensuring their salary was worth it.
That was the only way they could keep up. New guilds were rising, the old ones were not able to keep up anymore. Gate Defenders had no demigod, making them unable to handle the major threats of this Ruination.
Eliza walked over to the desk and leaned on it. They had just launched an attack against a red gate in Manhattan with their full force and lost three Progenitors.
Although the gate was closed, it was a huge loss. Not only did it make their guilds less appealing, their current force was almost crippled at this point.
The limit she had broken at the King Tier had caught up with her at the Origin Tier. This was it. Eliza could feel it.
This was where her journey stopped. She looked at her fists. Who knew these limits that she broke through were so stiff? It turns out everyone truly had a limit. King Tier or Origin just wasn't hers.
But there was no way she could be a major player in this new era.
Her eyes went to a letter she had once tossed aside. The seal bore the crest of the Bane Family. Their new head requested the guild to become a part of the Family.
Apparently Aina Bane, the head of the Bane Family, was a demigod, someone with a future in this new era. Once the Ruination was over, the cores she had drained would certainly push her to higher tiers.
"We should have done all we could to recruit him back when he saved Brooklyn. It's a better option than sacrificing our autonomy." Eliza exhaled heavily.
There were still more options to explore. Even though her personal strength had reached the limit, the guild's resources should be able to bring in at least one functional demigod.
A woman would be better. If she had someone interested in her, it could mean two demigods, if the guild was lucky enough.
Something like the Pendragon couple.
Eliza's eyes went to another letter. The symbol it had was a golden fist and three stars. The symbol of a new guild, Great Might Guild.
"The audacity to even try to poach the acting guild master is appalling." She clenched her teeth. Eliza could see the finger of Aina Bane all over this.
The Bane Family was about to dominate New Manhattan just like the Pendragons had authority over Staten Island.
***
Four off-road trucks drove through a red gate into a vast expanse filled with dry sand. A few kilometres in, the trucks screeched to a halt, forming a horizontal line.
Before them was a towering ribcage. Each rib was over fifty feet tall. In the middle of this ribcage stood an army of red-skinned imps.
Over two hundred of them stood in a barely proper formation with spears and armour.
Behind them stood a huge fifteen-foot-tall red-skinned demon with a massive stomach and short legs. He held cleavers in both hands and wore a skull mask that added two extra horns to his own.
They were marching through the red gate only to be cut down halfway by human forces.
People clad in chest plates and helmets made from metal ores gotten from dungeons and some from Earth's mana-rich iron ore mine filed out.
They stood behind the truck with the intent of using it as a blockage. Each of them lifted their guns, aiming at the imps. These people had bronze fist symbols on their right arms and their chests.
One of them opened the door of the third truck and a woman stepped out. She wore a black jacket over a black dress and a large hat. A Victorian style with a few modern modifications.
The man bowed as Aina Bane.
She turned toward the imp army with glowing eyes. The imp army charged at them the moment the boss roared.
The boss lowered its body, about to launch itself into the air when a portal flashed on Aina Bane's shoulder and her summon appeared.
An owl perched on her shoulder. Its eyes flashed with silver light and a ripple spread out, forming a see-through dome that covered a kilometre radius.
'Home of Errors.' Aina's cold gaze locked on the imp army. Their ferocious charge collapsed to the extent it became laughable.
The boss, who wanted to leap into the sky with his cleavers, lost them. His hands just slipped off and he flew into the sky… weaponless.
At that moment, the ripples turned red.
"Bane of Defence." She whispered, a game-changing adaptive skill she had just gained. Just activating it filled her with glee.
The moment the dome turned red, the combatants unleashed a torrent of bullets. Bullets that would have bounced off their armour and tough skins pierced through, staining the sand.
Gunshots rang for a short moment. And all that was left of a small army led by a 37.5 demigod were corpses filled with holes.