Ch.8282. Cold War

After ending the sudden meeting with the doctor,

Amon and Sonia headed to their lodgings.

While heading to a luxury hotel in Paris, Sonia whispered just loud enough for Amon to hear.

“What do you think of that doctor?”

“As a president?”

“Yes.”

Amon shook his head.

“He’s a good person, but not suited for the president position.”

“I agree.”

The doctor was certainly a good person.

Even to Sonia, he seemed like someone trustworthy enough to believe in and rely on.

Amon also had no objection to the fact that in terms of integrity, the doctor was more than reliable.

But that didn’t mean he was suitable for the president position.

‘That position requires more than just the right mindset.’

In terms of keeping pharmaceutical companies in check, he needed to be competent beyond just being trustworthy.

Surely the doctor had accumulated sufficient knowledge and wisdom during his thousand years of life.

But that was just knowledge as a doctor and wisdom as a human being,

not necessarily meaning he was suitable to lead a company.

To put it a bit coldly, placing him in the president’s position could make people unhappy in a different way.

At worst, a path to hell paved with good intentions could unfold.

Besides…

“The doctor said he wasn’t interested anyway.”

They had already asked directly, and he had declined.

Though not asking directly, when they had casually inquired if he was interested in a high position, the doctor had declined with a smile.

– “The dregs of the era… no, I promised not to say such things anymore. I’ve abandoned my attachments to the secular world. I’d like to remain a doctor.”

They couldn’t force him if he didn’t want to.

Hearing Amon’s words, Sonia nodded with disappointment.

“Then we’re back to square one.”

“No, not necessarily.”

Amon took out a business card from his pocket.

“It wasn’t a waste of time.”

Amon slipped the card the doctor had given him between his index and middle fingers.

<Koenulrich Forge Representative – Yotron>

No matter how introverted the doctor was, living for a thousand years naturally created connections.

According to the doctor, it was a forge that had never “fallen” even once over hundreds of years of family tradition.

Not only in a spiritual sense, but also in a technical sense, it had never fallen.

Of course, things could change if they gained power, but,

– “That won’t happen. I guarantee it.”

The guarantee of a doctor who had lived a thousand years was trustworthy.

“Let’s go find this person tomorrow.”

With this gain, the meeting with the doctor wasn’t a waste of time.

Amon tucked the card back into his pocket and continued walking.

The two quietly strolled through the streets of Paris.

Crossing a bridge over the Seine, they headed toward an alley.

They each took out pistols from their pockets.

“This should be far enough.”

Phew!

The triggers were pulled, and a sound like air escaping from a balloon was heard.

Simultaneously, the shadows on both sides of them collapsed.

Thud.

People camouflaged with black spots all over their bodies fell to the ground, creating pools of blood.

Each with bullet holes in their necks and eyes.

“An eye shot in the midst of all that? Have you gotten sharper lately?”

“I’ve always fought with guns. If anything, I think you’re the impressive one. Did you have time to practice shooting?”

“I learned by watching over someone’s shoulder.”

Exchanging such meaningless banter, they each drew their weapons.

Amon with a pistol in his left hand and a sword in his right.

Sonia with an assault rifle.

Amon spoke toward the shadows.

“If you don’t come out, we’ll come to you.”

As if responding to his words, the shadows stirred.

Eventually, a group wrapped in black spotted cloth emerged.

Looking at them, Sonia asked Amon.

“Miller Pharmaceuticals?”

“I don’t think so. Just a hunch.”

No matter how he thought about it, it didn’t make rational sense.

Amon suspected…

“I think it might be a third force.”

“Suddenly?”

“Coincidences are rare in this world. Most things have causes.”

Amon adjusted his grip on the sword, holding it in reverse.

“I don’t know, but why don’t we ask these people?”

With those words, Amon disappeared.

“?!”

The attackers’ bodies trembled slightly.

Where did he go?

They rolled their eyes quickly.

Immediately after, feeling a chilling sensation from above, their gazes turned in that direction.

‘Above?’

Recalling the information that Amon possessed the Sky Step, they aimed their weapons at the sky.

But what they saw in the sky was just a single sword spinning and falling toward them.

“A feint—”

Shunk!

A blade emerged from the thigh of someone who appeared to be a tanker.

The tanker, caught from behind, drew a dagger and swung it backward, but Amon launched himself over the man’s head.

In mid-air, he pulled the trigger twice toward the man’s shoulder.

But the pistol bullets merely bounced off ineffectively.

This was expected, so he wasn’t surprised.

Rather, it was what he had been aiming for.

The pistol bullets that ricocheted off the tanker’s shoulder headed toward the faces of the other attackers.

The subordinates turned their heads in haste, astonished.

‘Impossible!’

How could such a feat be possible?

Of course, it was just their misconception.

Amon had only aimed for the ricochet, not calculating where the rest of the bullets would fly.

He just didn’t care where they went since the tanker was in the middle of the group.

Of course, to a third party, Amon seemed like a monster who had calculated even that.

His elusive movements following the feint with the sword established that image of him.

And that was exactly what Amon was aiming for.

The more the enemy misjudged him, the more his advantages as an assassin were maximized.

Information asymmetry and cowardice were his weapons.

Amon cut below the knee of one attacker who was wary of him.

“Aaaaargh!”

It was sliced off cleanly like tofu.

With the scream, the attacker’s line of sight lowered.

Fear dominated the group.

Sonia didn’t miss the momentary stiffness caused by it.

Ratatata!

Her rapid fire, along with the guns of four snipers, destroyed their hands.

In an instant, the situation was reversed.

Those they thought were prey were actually predators.

The attackers’ defeat became evident.

Nevertheless, they faced Amon and Sonia instead of fleeing.

The two subdued them without killing them.

Partly for religious reasons, but much more to extract information.

Given the vast difference in skill, they judged there was little danger.

Eventually, the group was completely subdued.

Most were half-paralyzed or missing their lower bodies or both arms, but they were still breathing.

Amon approached them as they lay sprawled on the ground.

“Now, let me ask where you’re from—”

But before Amon could finish speaking,

the attackers simultaneously bit their teeth.

They spat blood and stopped breathing.

“Suicide?”

Though their expressions were hidden by their clothes, they were surely wearing satisfied smiles.

However, there was something they were mistaken about.

“Pernicies.”

As Sonia murmured the word, a warm light seeped into them.

Their pupils vibrated at the realization that vitality was returning to their bodies.

Those who had been waiting for death by blood loss were unable to hide their bewilderment as they saw their bleeding stop.

Some quickly tried to bite their tongues, but,

“Oh my. You shouldn’t do that. You won’t be able to go to heaven that way.”

With those chilling words, Amon grabbed their lower jaws.

In the end, they couldn’t even succeed in committing suicide.

Looking down at the fallen attackers, Amon smiled kindly.

“Now, let’s start our conversation again.”

He tidied his clothes and attached something to his chest.

He lifted one of the attackers and leaned the armless man against the wall.

Amon questioned:

“First question. Who sent you?”

“…”

“Please. Just tell me.”

“…”

“Look, I’m a devout believer. I won’t torture or kill you, so if you just talk, I’ll let you go.”

He was sincere.

As a devout believer, Amon had no intention of causing additional harm to the attackers.

‘Who would euthanize a cat just for hissing?’

Their attack posed only that level of threat.

The difference between them and Amon and Sonia was that vast.

They would rot in prison for life, but he had no intention of retaliating with torture or murder.

“See this cross? I swear on it, I won’t harm you, so please talk.”

Of course, such behavior from Amon only had the opposite effect.

A person who cut off limbs and then talked about faith couldn’t possibly be normal.

The forgotten fear in their hearts was revived.

Moreover, there was one fact that Amon was overlooking.

The fact that 80% of torture in this world originated from religion.

The attackers’ lips were sealed even tighter.

Amon sighed in frustration and gave up cleanly.

At that moment, one of the attackers quietly asked.

“If… if I tell you, will you protect me too?”

Amon brightened and nodded.

“I’ll at least guarantee your life.”

The attackers glared at the betrayer, but he ignored their gazes and opened his mouth.

“Actually, we are—”

“Don’t do it!”

“You crazy bastard!”

Amon was puzzled by their reaction.

These people, who didn’t even fear suicide, were afraid of something.

Something was strange.

Right after, sparks erupted from their heads.

With a crackling sound, the attackers simultaneously rolled their eyes and convulsed.

Smoke rose from their heads along with a scorched smell.

“Oh no.”

Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside—no, in this case, it was the opposite.

Soft on the outside, crispy on the inside, the attackers showed no more response.

It was a series of questions.

‘Poison and electricity?’

Why prepare two methods?

If they could commit suicide with poison, why also prepare electricity, and why use it later?

It was a series of inexplicable actions.

Amon tilted his head in confusion as he cleaned up the bodies.

After finishing the cleanup, Amon asked the body cam attached to his chest.

“Kathy. What did you see?”

A voice came through the earphone.

[It was hard to see clearly through the camera.]

“So there was no harvest?”

[Not exactly. Despite the noise, I could see something.]

Over the speaker, Kathy took a breath and said.

[It seems like we’ve gotten caught in a cold war between pharmaceutical companies.]