"What a big mouth you have!"
Shalint paused for a moment, sizing up the young man in front of him, then sneered, "I don't care who you are or what kind of high-ranking official's son you claim to be, I'm taking Kim Soo-jeong with me right now! There's no room for negotiation!"
"High-ranking official's son? No, you misunderstand, I'm just an ordinary person," Orson replied with a faint smile.
Shalint raised an eyebrow in doubt. One of his bodyguards whispered to him, "This guy is pretty famous in the game. It seems like he has some sort of grudge with Soo-jeong in Infinite Dimensions. It's likely he pissed her off, and now she's coming after him."
Shalint couldn't help but sneer. As an elite member of his country, he looked down on people like Orson. Without hiding his mockery, he said, "A guy who spends all his time playing games thinks he can kill someone and cover it up? I think you've gone crazy, kid."
"Maybe you're right, you make a good point," Orson responded calmly, looking at the pompous high-ranking official in front of him.
"Shalint! Help me, they're trying to kill me!"
Pokpung, who had been locked in the corner, suddenly found hope. Wiping away her tears, she immediately adopted a pitiful expression.
"Where is the law of the land? K.D., your secret project is finished now!" Shalint roared, spitting in K.D.'s face as he entered.
"Take it easy, let's talk calmly," K.D. said with a smile, trying to smooth things over.
Then, he helplessly shook his head at Orson. Orson understood the meaning; with the foreign diplomat present, K.D.'s plan to "activate Blank" was obviously doomed.
"No matter what she did wrong, taking the law into your own hands is your problem, and it's a serious violation of our countries' friendly relations!"
When K.D. softened his stance, Shalint thought he had gained the upper hand. He glared viciously at Orson and said, "Don't think that because she hasn't done anything to you yet, you're free to do whatever you want. Face the facts!"
Orson couldn't hold back a laugh. This fool kept ranting about national interests, but anyone could see he was abusing his power.
A NUK man leading an assassination attempt in the US, only to fail and then try to backstab—this hypocritical behavior was truly something else!
"Blank, can you drag this on a bit more?" Orson said calmly, standing by the door.
"Get out of the way!"
One of the bodyguards barked.
Orson stood still, staring at the man, unfazed.
The bodyguard, acting arrogantly, drew his sidearm and aimed it directly at Orson's head, preparing to strike.
Whoosh—
A flash of white light. The large bodyguard's breath hitched, his eyes wide in shock as he looked at his hand.
A smooth, clean cut appeared on his wrist, and his gun fell to the ground.
Within seconds, blood poured out, and the bodyguard screamed in pain, clutching his hand.
"What… What did you do?" Shalint stepped back several paces, looking at Orson in terror.
The members of The Bruce Family, who had seen countless battles, were visibly shocked. "That speed… It was so fast!"
Orson's Supreme Arcane Blade flashed and vanished in an instant, as if nothing had happened.
"I don't care who you are or what your title is, if you take one more step forward, I'll send you to meet the old ancestors of Marx and Lenin," Orson said with a faint smile. An overwhelming pressure filled the small space, making everyone feel cold and tremble.
"Well, I guess it's unavoidable. Shalint, I owe you an apology. Please, I've prepared a humble drink for you," K.D. awkwardly tried to smooth things over.
Shalint, used to acting tough, had never experienced this kind of pressure. He was now slumped against the wall, almost collapsing.
"I… I will report you to the authorities!" Shalint shouted, trying to regain some semblance of dignity.
"No, no, no, you've misunderstood. Before you report me, I believe you've been colluding with foreign forces to plot against important figures of the state," Orson said with a smile, shaking his head.
Shalint gritted his teeth in frustration, "Little bastard, what are you talking about? Do you even count as an important figure?"
"K.D., do I count as an important person?"
Orson turned to K.D. with a curious expression, while K.D. was already sweating.
K.D. rubbed his temples and said, "Technically, you're now the main candidate for Radiant Shuttle, classified as a state secret. You hold power equivalent to the heads of the ten greatest families in the US."
"Ok! That works for me," Orson grinned, showing his sharp white teeth as he smirked at Shalint. "You talk about official power, but I've surpassed you by dozens of levels. How can I not crush you?"
"Wh… What?"
Shalint froze, not knowing how to respond.
"You talk big. Come on, continue talking," Orson said, stepping forward. With a swift motion, he slapped Shalint so hard that Shalint spun in place.
"You think you can act all high and mighty? I may not be as loud as you with magic, but you, a diplomat, are trying to teach me what to do?"
Orson sneered, grabbing Shalint by the head and slamming it against the wall twice. Shalint's face quickly became a bruised mess.
The two bodyguards, trying to help, were stopped by The Bruce Family members.
Orson let go of Shalint's head and wiped the blood from his hands. "Who do you think you are? Lie down and stay there."
Shalint lay limply on the floor, and Orson had been careful not to deliver a fatal blow.
Otherwise, with Shalint's 200 HP, a single slap would have been enough to end him.
"I'm finished…"
Pokpung's face turned pale, her last hope vanished in an instant.
The Bruce Family members stood frozen, realizing that Orson was still just a candidate.
If he were to actually take charge of Radiant Shuttle, becoming the leader of the Ten Overlords of the US, he could easily overturn the entire country!
K.D., seeing this, swallowed hard.
As Shalint was about to be killed, K.D quickly approached and whispered, "Orson, the foreign woman can be dealt with, she'll inevitably clash with those countries eventually, but this man can't be touched."
Orson knew K.D was right. Shalint's status was sensitive, and without solid evidence, killing him would cause trouble.
Even though Orson now held an exalted position, he still owed a lot to the state, and killing Shalint would bring negative consequences.
"You're finished. Assaulting a diplomat is a capital crime," Shalint gritted his teeth, his resentment growing.
Orson sneered, snapping his fingers. "Laketon, come out and make this dog talk."
Immediately, Laketon, a young expert in ancient civilization studies, appeared at the intersection. His mouth stretched into a wide, eerie smile, and his pupils glimmered with golden light.
This was Laketon, now parasitized by the Immortal Slave, a perfect tool for Orson.
Laketon, with stiff limbs, grabbed Shalint by the collar. Shalint recoiled in fear, "What… What do you want?"
Laketon stared at Shalint, his eyes glowing with an unsettling golden sheen.
Memory search!
Mind control!
Shalint's mouth gaped open, his expression mirroring Laketon's, as if his very being had been twisted.
"This Shalint is a good man at heart, planning to confess everything," Orson said, glancing at the others. "What are you waiting for? Get your phones out and record the criminal evidence."
Under the camera, Shalint stood up in a daze, mumbling to himself, "January 3rd, received 2 billion Korean won in cash from Kim Yong-jae's driver, opened US embargo channels…"
"February 14th, celebrated with lover number four, received a luxury car from The Roberts Family's second son…"
"July…"
K.D and the others were stunned. They had been struggling to find evidence to accuse Shalint, but here he was, cooperating without question.
His willingness to spill all the details was shocking!
The most terrifying part was that he didn't just confess his crimes, but also vividly described his chaotic affairs with his lover, making everyone cringe.
Meanwhile, Blank, uninterested in Shalint's sordid details, silently closed the room's iron door.
The bright white light flickered, and Blank stopped trembling. She drew the blade from her leg.
Her so-called "goodness" had been nothing but selfishness and avoidance toward her family.
She knew Orson had been right. Emma had always been disappointing.
But, the first thief of Infinite Dimensions, Blank, would lead her people to survive!
She would put an end to her past.
Even if the cost was—
A thought that turns to evil!