CHAPTER 119: CHOICES

Isolde looked at Godfrey as he walked ahead. With each step, piece after piece of armour manifested over his arms. Two pauldrons guarded his shoulders, and his legs down to his sneakers were covered in exquisite golden metal plates.

As Godfrey advanced, he meditated within him. This meditation was regulating his body, flexing ever so softly as if sending signals to his muscles.

There was one thing Edwin told him: meditation wasn’t really looking inwardly; in fact, the exact opposite happened during the exercise.

Seeing him exhale, his eyes closed as a 7.5 high tier was already beside him, swinging its warhammer, made Isolde raise an eyebrow.

That blow could crush a car. She could understand that he might be trying to impress her, but it was best if he fought normally.

In that moment, as the hammer was inches away from Godfrey’s cheek, his eyes snapped open, irises locking on the Rook as he already began to move. With footwork honed over the years, Godfrey moved so smoothly to the side that it was like the floor was a slide.

A solid punch connected with the Rook’s thick cuirass before the hammer could touch the ground, and the Rook was sent flying, slamming into a solid object that seemed to be a wall behind the fog.

There was a hole right through it!

Isolde’s eyes slowly narrowed.

Another Rook swung his hammer downward, right at Godfrey’s head, but he stretched his hand out, grabbing the hammer’s head.

His fingers dug into the metal as he stepped on the Rook’s thigh, spinning his torso to generate enough force which he directed through his fist. The punch bent the Rook’s helmet inward and it fell to its knees. Godfrey gently nudged the huge pauldron and the Rook fell.

Another leaped, swinging the hammer down, while three charged from different sides. Golden lightning crackled first from Godfrey’s fist to the rest of his body before his eyes became storm-like.

Lightning crackled as he flickered from one Rook to another, launching several punches so fast that the sound of the Rooks flying backward caused a shockwave.

The seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth all engulfed their hammers with flames and slammed the earth, sending a wave of flames several feet tall and over twenty feet wide.

Godfrey walked out of the flames, his golden pupils gleaming brightly from the middle of his black sclera. Flames swirled around him, burning where his feet touched.

A gale blew as he launched himself at a Rook, tearing through it with a punch. The eighth charged at him, swinging its hammer, but Godfrey casually slapped it and the thick block of metal burst into metal chunks. He grabbed its cuirass and slammed its head right at his knee.

Closing in on the ninth, he punched right at its hammer. The hammer broke, the Rook’s arm tore apart, and the second punch opened a hole through its chest.

"I tried." He turned to Isolde. Her eyes were on the tenth Rook which was just beside the ninth. One move and Godfrey was finished.

"L—!"

His pupils narrowed as Godfrey tore a hole through its head while still looking at her. He proceeded to stretch his arms while walking toward the new path that had opened up.

"Let’s go."

His voice rang. Isolde clicked her tongue and chased after him.

On the next floor, they saw four armoured creatures with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse, a centaur. Clad in silver plates, a kite shield, a long spear, crests that billowed with flames, and tails of blue flames, they were the ultimate knights.

Each of them were 8.0 lord tiers and immediately galloped toward them, spears raised for the kill.

Isolde took a step and ice crept out from where she stood, freezing everything in the hall, even the knights in their charging stance.

"How do you intend to beat me?" Isolde smirked as the door to the next level opened up.

"You have a dragon with queen-tier potential, or maybe even more with the fruits Grace has eaten, and your dragonfly also has such a tier. Symbiosis must have given you a feedback of their strength, which should make you as strong as a peak-level lord tier or even a queen tier," Godfrey said as he walked past the frozen knights. "I admit, Isolde. You have the advantage, but I’ll catch up. I’d love to spar once my fourth knight is out."

"You have a fourth knight?!" Isolde blinked.

Godfrey glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. "You’re not fooling anyone. You know about it. That’s why you brought me here, isn’t it?"

"What are you talking about?" Isolde chuckled innocently, but Godfrey suddenly stopped walking, his face placid.

"That’s why you’ve been helping me since I came to Manhattan. We both came to Manhattan on the same day, arrived at the same time, and you’ve been on my side ever since." He looked at her.

"Don’t get me wrong, you did fool me. I mean, it did feel cool to have a beautiful girl looking out for you, and I liked that feeling, but after you told me about your ability, I’ve been thinking about it."

He exhaled. "You didn’t make sense. You slipped when you said Nyx has an obsession with me."

Godfrey finally looked at Isolde, who remained quiet. She clenched her teeth as the hand holding the spear trembled.

"I-I..."

"It’s alright. If my summon keeps showing me a pretty girl, I’d surely go. We might be fated, you know, that soulmate thing."

Godfrey’s casual statement made Isolde’s cheeks grow red.

"So..." Godfrey turned completely to face her. "I really want to know. Did we get together or some—!"

Isolde launched her spear at him. It grazed his cheek, piercing the wall as she coldly walked past him.

"You dream."

Godfrey shrugged. "Maybe you just haven’t seen it... yet."

Isolde’s eyes went wide. Outwardly, she was fuming, but inside she was going hysterical. Did Godfrey just state his feelings for her without even realizing what came out of his mouth, or did he know?

And he was using the same word she used earlier against him. A reverse blow!

"I’ve seen your future and you did get quite strong, and it all started from your fourth knight."

"Started?" Godfrey raised an eyebrow. "Then there are more doors to unseal?" His heart pounded.

"Yes." Isolde approached him and pulled out the spear beside him. "But if you want me to date you..."

Godfrey’s heart pounded as Isolde stood really close to him. Date... him dating Isolde?!

"...you’ll stop right now. Quit opening those doors and remain at your current tier. I don’t need you to be stronger than me, I don’t need you to face the world for me. Just a quiet corner on a silent island will do."

Everything fell silent in Godfrey’s head at that moment. If he accepted, he would live out the dreams of most men out there. After all, his current strength was quite alright. Most men had to work hard to stand above to get their dream woman, but he was given a choice not to.

But his mother... what about her? Would he leave her fate in the hands of the authorities, who had grown even more powerful with the appearance of new tiers?

What about him? What if the authorities suddenly changed their mind and came for him?! He heard they changed the memories of those who went to Readjustment Class, and they would have to keep revisiting for checkups until the day they died.

He didn’t wish for strength because he loved the thrill of it. No. The road to getting stronger was exhausting, most times boring as he had to meditate for hours, sometimes painful as he continuously endured hits.

He had even lost an arm and was almost burnt alive by Dracula. Those pains were real.

Maybe the Pendragon family would protect him and his mother, but against the authorities and the other families of other major cities, they would be at a major disadvantage.

Godfrey wasn’t a fool. For the authorities to turn a blind eye to such a strong humanoid summoner, especially after people like him had killed hundreds of millions in pursuit of Godhood, turned millions to zombies, and caused several other hazards, his mother had to provide something extraordinary in return.

It just felt wrong to be relaxed. Something in him didn’t want to turn a blind eye to whatever sacrifice was done behind the scenes.

He might lose something he couldn’t afford to.

Godfrey shut his eyes and walked past Isolde, heading toward the next floor with a resolute expression.

Isolde’s eyes became slightly teary. "I see you’ve made your choice," she whispered, "...the Fanatic who became a Vagabond."

Suddenly, the ice spear pierced the floor beside Godfrey, prompting him to turn to the red-eyed girl glaring at him.

"And who said you’d leave me behind?"

If he wished to continue growing, then by all means she would follow... as his queen.

....

A/N: I’ll see what I can do. I’ll try to accumulate outlines to mass release three Chapters on Monday & Tuesday.

I’m not certain yet.