CHAPTER 49: GOLDEN KNIGHT... A TEENAGER

Meanwhile, a certain golden-haired teen sat at the back of a taxi with a younger boy who had light brown, curly hair. They sat at opposite ends of the seat, Isaac gazing out the window, his fingers clenched tightly around his backpack.

The thought of entering a dungeon, a green gate dungeon of all things, terrified him. He wouldn’t be facing his fellow teens with petty grievances this time; he would be facing creatures that wanted to eat him.

Isaac desperately wanted to cling to the beautiful buildings and sleek cars passing by, holding onto his safe, modern life where he had finally crawled out from the bottom. But that option wasn’t viable, not with Godfrey around.

Sighing helplessly, he glanced at Godfrey, only to find him wearing a wide smile with his eyes shut. ’He’s a monster.’

Unbeknownst to Isaac, Godfrey was reminiscing about his success in building a platform for himself under the name Golden Knight.

On it, he could post requests asking for the locations of green gate dungeons, and once confirmed true, he would send the informant a small amount of money as a reward.

A free two grand did the trick. After all, it was no different from receiving free cleaning services. In this case, Godfrey would clear a green gate dungeon without charging a dime and he always promised to be there faster than any guild.

And so, not even two hours after he created the platform, a message arrived. From the details, there was a ninety-percent certainty the information was genuine.

When the taxi dropped them off, Godfrey stepped out carrying a backpack filled with necessities, including a brand-new 3.5 combat dagger that went for hundreds of thousands. His mother would definitely call about that later.

Food, water, and that dagger were the only things that could be found in Godfrey and Isaac’s packs.

They made their way down the street until they reached a warehouse, currently barricaded by two policemen with 2.4-tier Giant Dogs standing guard.

Standing upright, both dogs were about four and a half feet tall, their intimidating presence enough to scare away passersby, leaving this part of the street utterly deserted.

The dogs unleashed mighty barks at Godfrey, but he merely squinted, his eyes gleaming for a brief instant. That alone silenced them.

The policemen, who had been speaking with a blonde woman, turned around. From the woman’s distraught expression, it was clear she was the informant. She owned the warehouse, and her two daughters had vanished inside.

The guild party sent to help still hadn’t returned, and it had been over twenty-four hours.

Apparently, even before sending the message, she had contacted the authorities. She just wanted help from anywhere she could get it, but the sight of two teenage boys left her puzzled.

"You’re not supposed to be here," one of the policemen said, glancing at his Giant Dog, which now crouched and whimpered meekly.

"We’re from Manhattan High. Those people in there might die before whoever you’re waiting for arrives, let us help," Godfrey said softly.

"Manhattan Summoners’ High?!" one of the policemen exclaimed, eyes widening.

Godfrey and Isaac nodded. The two officers exchanged quick glances, both understanding the weight behind that name. Manhattan wasn’t just known for producing elites; most of its graduates ended up as high-ranking officials in various sectors under the authorities. These teenagers were their future superiors.

"You can’t seriously be thinking of letting those kids enter that dungeon. I hope you’re not," the woman interjected, her voice trembling with anger and fear. "That thing swallowed my girls and an entire guild party of experienced hunters!"

Godfrey’s gaze turned toward her. "Ma’am, I’m the Golden Knight. You sent the message to me."

Her eyes widened as the realization struck, she had just asked another kid to save her own.

A glowing diagram flared to life, and from it emerged a nine-foot-tall black and yellow spider, towering behind Isaac.

Seeing the massive summon, one of the policemen’s eyes dilated. "That’s a Mammoth Spider."

Of course, he recognized it. Manhattan City’s famous fallen hero from two decades ago had one just like it. That alone confirmed that these boys were indeed from Manhattan High, because that was a top-level, high-tier beast.

"What about you?" the policeman asked, turning to Godfrey.

Isaac let out a short chuckle. "You don’t want to know."

His words sent a chill down everyone’s spine, even the woman’s.

They couldn’t help but feel as if they stood before a lord-tier summoner. Only Manhattan High could produce such monsters.

"You may enter, but please... be careful," one of the policemen finally said.

Godfrey gave a single nod to Isaac before striding forward into the warehouse.

***

Godfrey knew he wouldn’t be walking into a warehouse, yet when he stepped through, he found himself in a cathedral-like hall. It was vast and solemn, candles crackling on chandeliers and candelabras, bathing the space in a faint orange glow.

There were no monsters, at least, not yet. Instead, he saw two blonde girls, the elder around nineteen and the younger perhaps twelve, huddled together by a pillar.

Opposite them stood four individuals. The first was a man in his late fifties, one arm entirely wooden and shaped like a tree limb with dark green bark. He was bald, with gray beards hanging thick.

Crouching beside him was a massive bear with a thick green mane, several crooked horns jutting from its head, and two bone-like spikes replacing its left forepaw. Totem markings danced across its fur.

Beside the old man were two men in their late twenties – twins, both flanked by Quicksilver Falcons, two huge birds that eyed Godfrey and Isaac sharply. These birds were peak-level elites at best, yet fast enough to compete with many high-tier beasts.

The last was a woman seated casually atop the head of a five-meter-long Dragon Snake, a constrictor lined with gleaming fangs.

Scar, the old man, frowned. "I told that woman to call the police, and I’m sure she did. So why are there kids here instead? Are the police not doing their job?"

The woman on the Dragon Snake smirked, her voice smooth and mocking. "Hello, pretty-faced boys. You’ve just signed your death sentence."

Hearing that from such experienced-looking guild members made Isaac flinch.