BRDM 155

chapter 155

Lee Hyun was streaking along the trail of radiant light when he suddenly stopped.

In the middle of the corridor, a blond Frenchman stood with his sword lowered at his side, a relaxed smile on his lips.

“To move without walking, riding lightning like it’s an escalator… You have quite the useful movement technique. Later on, can you adjust its height or speed as well?”

Tap!

Lee Hyun released the trail of radiance and landed quietly on the ground.

“A moment ago, I was too occupied to greet you properly. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ghost Thunder. My name is—”

“Maxence Degrémont. A high ranker from the Sons of Zeus.”

“Haha, I see. So you know of me. What an honor. Yes, my name is Maxence Érion Degrémont. I’ve come all the way here, on behalf of the Sons of Zeus, to meet you, Apostle of Zeus.”

With the poise of a medieval European nobleman, Maxence bowed gracefully.

“When I first heard the rumor that the one we’d been searching for was here in this far-off land, not in Europe or the West but in the Far East… I could hardly believe it.”

His face shone with rapture, like a man who had finally heard the voice of God after a long prayer.

“To truly see you in person… it is overwhelming.”

In Greek mythology, Zeus was infamous not only for his lust but for fathering countless children. Most of the fourth generation of gods in Olympus were his descendants, and many of the greatest heroes were also his children or bloodline.

Those who inherited their legends spread across the world, united by the belief that they were the “chosen ones of heaven,” and formed a secret society—

The Sons of Zeus.

They were a peculiar bunch.

Sometimes they caused heinous incidents and acts of terror, earning them a place among the “Axis of Evil.”

Other times, they negotiated with remarkable pragmatism, treated as a neutral faction.

That was because they preferred to blend into society, hiding their identities, and because they were united by one singular goal—

Zeus.

The only god who had yet to appear on Earth.

Their goal: to find him and be recognized as his successor.

“Zeus’s Oracle… That prophecy, delivered through the Fateweaver, was quite famous.”

I exist everywhere. I watch you from all places.
If you seek me—
If you find my radiance within the darkness— I shall grant you a great reward.
I shall pass down this throne.
And I shall place my scepter in your hand.

Of course, such an oracle sparked much debate.

“In the myths, Zeus always feared losing his throne to his children, like his father and grandfather before him. He even swallowed his first wife, Metis, for that very reason. Would a man so obsessed with power really hand over his throne so willingly?”

Lee Hyun, too, found it suspicious. But for those who had inherited the legends of Olympus’s heroes, the story took on another meaning.

• If you find Zeus’s legacy, you might be able to claim him as your own personal inheritance.

• No—since Zeus promised to hand over his scepter, it must mean his main weapon, Astrapé.

• With Astrapé, and Olympus as a power backing you—

• You could gain immense power. Perhaps even ascend straight to the ranks of the top rankers.

Before long, Zeus’s oracle had been twisted to mean: “He will grant you the supreme holy relic and sole control of Olympus.”

So it was no surprise the Sons of Zeus were so desperately searching for him.

Naturally, from the moment Lee Hyun began acting as the Apostle of Zeus, he had known they would come find him one day.

To them, he would appear to be the only gateway to Astrapé.

Even when I asked Daeseong why Zeus did something so strange, even he didn’t really know…

And as Ghost Thunder, Lee Hyun intended to take full advantage of that position.

He already knew from Yi Gunsan that Maxence was present at this facility.

* * *

…This dreadful sensation. This intense aura. There’s no doubt—he really is the Apostle of Zeus!

Maxence clenched his fists, overwhelmed. After more than ten years of searching, he had finally found a clue to the Oracle. His brothers—no, his “comrades” in the organization—would rejoice to hear it.

But the joy was brief.

Taking a deep breath, Maxence looked earnestly at Ghost Thunder.

His opponent knew him. That was understandable—he was one of the few within the organization whose identity was publicly known.

But he didn’t know his opponent.

The mask was still on. He hadn’t even admitted to being Zeus’s Apostle.

First, these doubts had to be cleared.

“Forgive me if I offend, but I have many questions for you, Ghost Thunder.”

Lee Hyun’s golden eyes narrowed with arrogance sharper than any blade.

“You interrupted me, blocked my way, and now you want to detain me to ask questions?”

“If I’ve offended, I beg your pardon. But to us, this is a matter of utmost importance. We came this far seeking the answers to these questions.”

Maxence’s eyes hardened.

“My first question: Ghost Thunder—are you truly the Apostle of Zeus?”

Lee Hyun was silent for a moment.

Then—

Thud!

Instead of answering, he slammed his rune staff into the ground.

ᛊ.

The rune on the amethyst glowed—

Crackle!

Blinding white lightning burst forth, filling the corridor. From the far end came the echo of a whale’s cry.

Groooan…

A storm of thunderballs spun around Lee Hyun, crackling.

Sweat rolled down Maxence’s forehead.

The heat was one thing—but the unstable arcs of electricity were utterly terrifying.

He’s not going to answer me. He intends to show power first? Fine. I’ll just subdue him and get my answers afterward.

Maxence swallowed dryly, but he wasn’t afraid of losing.

There was a gap in their inheritances. A difference in hierarchy. Ordinarily, a child’s legend could not surpass the parent’s.

By that reasoning, Radamanthys’s legend could never defeat Zeus’s. Normally.

But—

Maxence had a secret. One unknown to the world.

The reason he had volunteered as their “envoy.”

Ghost Thunder’s lightning has a strong tendency to condense. It scatters, but always recombines at will. The explosions that follow are rough and destructive. The key is to strike just before the condensation—

As he recalled the weakness he had gleaned by using Camilla as bait—

Lee Hyun suddenly asked,

“By ‘your people’… do you mean the Sons of Zeus, or do you mean Mossad?”

For a moment, Maxence felt as though he’d been struck on the back of the head. His mind went blank.

“Maxence Érion Degrémont. Publicly, you’re known as the descendant of Count Degrémont, killed during the February Revolution. But in truth, your great-grandfather was a Jew executed at the Warsaw camp by the Nazis during World War II.”

“……!!”

“Because of that, you were recruited by Mossad as a child, trained as a special agent, and now serve as a spy, infiltrating the Sons of Zeus. Isn’t that right?”

Maxence felt his carefully hidden identity stripped bare before his eyes.

Lee Hyun sneered.

“Shall I go on? Mossad has long been interested in the Sons of Zeus—sometimes evil, sometimes not. They’ve been wondering if they could reel you in.”

“……”

“With the Middle East conflicts escalating, they fear the flames could spread to them. So, heretics or not, they’re willing to accept you. They’re trying all sorts of approaches—though outside of Israel, only the Americans know.”

I have to stop him. Who knows what else he’ll say behind that mask…

He wanted to silence him—but for some reason, he couldn’t speak. His chest tightened.

It was the atmosphere.

The suffocating storm of lightning.

And the sinister aura within it.

[Various Curse Inscriptions are psychologically binding Maxence Degrémont!]
[Status Effect: Fear has set in!]
[Status Effects: Anxiety and Dread are rapidly rising!]

“And then the Sons of Zeus took an interest in me, so Mossad tried digging into me as well, hoping to use me as a bargaining chip.”

He knew he should keep his expression neutral—basic tradecraft—but it was impossible.

The curse inscriptions ruling the space were tearing down his mental defenses.

“If Mossad learns my identity before the Sons of Zeus, they could use me as a strong card.”

“Pahahaha! I don’t know what you’re—”

“Your heartbeat is 20% faster than normal. You’re trying to hide it, but you can’t. Even your eyelids are twitching.”

“……”

Maxence froze, rigid as ice.

“If you’re going to deny it, deny it to the end. But I have no more words for a man who can’t even reveal his own true face.”

With open mockery, Lee Hyun flicked his finger.

From behind Maxence, chains of lightning surged forward—dragging something into Lee Hyun’s palm.

Thud!

“…That’s—”

Maxence’s face twisted in shock.

A torn right hand clutching a keycard.

“Camilla Duarte’s hand.”

“…!”

“You let her live to distract me, didn’t you? To make me easier to subdue.”

“……”

“You used her well. Played the role of the French playboy, dangled her as bait to confirm my identity, used her to divert me… You drained her to the bone. Truly the work of a black-ops agent.”

Maxence could say nothing.

Each word Lee Hyun spoke shredded his soul.

Like Sun Wukong trapped in the Buddha’s palm—

That’s what it felt like.

Even meeting those golden eyes behind the mask now terrified him. Who knew what would come next?

Part of him wanted to silence that mouth, but—

Would someone like him really not know about my counter-technique? What if he turned it against me instead?

Even if he interrogated me—could I hold my tongue? Just meeting his eyes feels like my insides are laid bare…

But the greatest problem was—

He knew absolutely nothing about his opponent.

Tremble…

For the first time since entering the shadows, Maxence felt fear.

Fwoosh!

Lee Hyun conjured flame-lightning, burning away Camilla’s severed hand. Only the card key remained in his grasp.

Then—

Flash!

A brilliant light flared from the keycard, then vanished. The white rabbit insignia shifted into the eagle of Zeus.

He hacked the Rabbit Hole’s encryption and seized control?!

The Drug King was infamous for investing heavily in maintaining the Rabbit Hole system.

Now Maxence could only see Lee Hyun as a monster.

“Now you’re ready to talk business, aren’t you?”

Reading Maxence’s thoughts, Lee Hyun pressed the card against the wall.

Buzz…

The wall distorted, forming a temporary doorway.

“Go tell your master this: if he wants to deal with me, he’d better come back much more humble than this.”

He didn’t specify whether he meant the Sons of Zeus or Mossad.

It didn’t matter.

To this arrogant man, either was the same.

“Where… shall I find you?”

Finally regaining his senses, Maxence asked in a trembling voice.

If he couldn’t control this titan, he had to at least return with terms worth offering.

“Guam.”

“…!”

The door swung open.

Standing in the threshold, Lee Hyun said:

“I hear the Cartel has several operations around there. If they were all destroyed, I wonder what expression the Drug King would make.”

“…!!!”

“Come find me there.”

“Wai—”

Fwoosh!

Lee Hyun vanished beyond the door.

“…Insane. Absolutely insane. He’s really going to start a war with the Drug King?”

Maxence shuddered. This was beyond arrogance—this was madness.

But the problem was, Ghost Thunder meant it.

In Guam were the Cartel’s prized casinos, pleasure districts, and even their mana-stone mines.

If all of it were destroyed… the fallout would be catastrophic.

Not just for the Axis of Evil—but for every intelligence agency and shadow power alike.

“I—I must hurry…!!”

Maxence broke into a run.

The mine collapsing didn’t matter.

But if the underground balance of power was shaken, any chance of negotiating with Ghost Thunder would vanish.

Whether through the Sons of Zeus or Mossad—he had to find something, anything, to strike a deal with that monster.