From God of Lies to Lord of All Worlds

Chapter 171: Desire, Never Ceases

Reykjavik, International Airport.

Gao sat in the lounge with Austin and a team of his agents, looking thoroughly frustrated.

"Boss, have the Icelanders lost their minds? We're from America, yet they locked us in here with this rabble?" Austin asked in disbelief.

The two of them were well-accustomed to rushing about for anything related to the supernatural. After all, Qian Si and Baron couldn't possibly handle this kind of groundwork personally; they were the best men for the job.

Even so, they still felt a profound sense of absurdity and discomfort. Things like this simply shouldn't happen to them!

What kind of country was Iceland?

A nation with a population of barely over three hundred thousand, lacking even a standing army, relying solely on a coast guard!

The strongest military force in this entire country was America's Keflavík Base. When agents like them arrived here, even if they didn't receive above-the-law diplomatic immunity, they should at least be treated with the utmost respect, right?

Instead, the other party had the sheer audacity to lock them up in here alongside agents from other countries.

"Did the NGOs forget to wire them their funds?" Faced with this country's All-Female Government, it was the only explanation Gao could muster.The whole world knew that behind the global feminist movements, or rather these so-called gender struggles, lay the invisible hand of America. They, of course, knew this better than anyone.

All of Europe was their backyard. Prop up a female politician, and that country would inevitably transform into America's Blood Pool. They knew this fact intimately.

Consequently, these nations, especially the Nordic ones, were practically free-for-alls where they could take whatever they pleased. They had even flown in with the intention of monopolizing all the supernatural artifacts!

But today, right after touching down, the legendary Female Prime Minister, who reportedly got along swimmingly with their previous Great Leader, was actually giving them a Show of Force?

"It couldn't be... that she wants to avenge the Old Geezer, could it?" Austin guessed.

"As if she's worthy," Gao scoffed, shaking his head. It wasn't that he was underestimating Iceland, but this tiny nation simply lacked any real weight on the global stage. Even he wielded more practical authority than she did. "Whatever. We'll wait another five minutes. If she still refuses to let us go, I'll have Keflavík Base dispatch a team to bust us out!"

Gao carried Golden Hair's personal warrant and held an official government identity. He wasn't like those CIA operatives scrambling around for off-the-books funding, so he naturally had the confidence to back up his words!

If this country really proved to be that tactless, even a nation's Prime Minister wasn't immune to being replaced.

Such was the absolute confidence of the world's number one superpower. They held too many trump cards; there were countless different hands they could play, and every single one was a devastating Trump Card!

It seemed Gao's inner thoughts had been heard. A few minutes later, the Airport Manager hurried over on his own initiative, profusely apologizing to everyone who had been detained.

Naturally, the crowd had no intention of arguing with the man. They were all shrewd operatives; who were they trying to fool?

Without orders from the higher-ups, even if you gave this Bald Manager ten thousand times his courage, he would never dare to detain so many foreign agents!

Scanning their peers, Austin chuckled. "Hey boss, it's quite the full house this time. Russia, France, the United Kingdom, Germany... Practically every major player on the global stage is here, except for China!"

"China has been acting incredibly secretive lately. Who knows what they're up to? Even their statements on the international stage have dwindled," Gao remarked casually. "Makes sense, though. Just look at New York; so many people have flooded in recently. It's the supernatural, after all. Who wouldn't want to try and get a piece of it?"

"Even our Great Leader, who claims he won't contact the Church and has no intention of scheming for Lyon's Vampire Hunters, still sent us the moment he caught wind of the situation here, didn't he?"

Austin nodded slowly, understanding his boss's underlying point. "We've already established contact with that student. He's holding onto a weapon and two accessories, all retrieved from that cave. And there are six students just like him staying at that Hotel!"

"They hail from several different countries, and that's not even counting the teachers and professors. They all took items from the cave. The other factions here know this intelligence too, so I'm betting that our trip to the Hotel is going to turn into a vicious brawl!"

When it came to supernatural matters, everyone maintained a Tacit Understanding. Now that a new entry point had surfaced, every faction naturally wanted to poke their noses in and see what they could glean. Gao, however, was looking at the bigger picture. "Just how much power can those so-called supernatural artifacts actually hold?"

"I'm afraid the real crux of the matter lies with that student named Olavur. The things in his hands are what's truly important!"

They had a crystal-clear picture of what had transpired last night. Within five minutes of that American student bragging about his exploits on social media, their agents stationed in Iceland had already knocked on his door.

Thus, they were acutely aware of the events from the previous day, including the emergence of the Dragon-Slaying Equipment.

No matter the culture or mythology, anyone capable of slaying a dragon was an undisputed, peerless hero. Even one of Satan's ultimate forms was a wicked dragon!

So, what kind of terrifying power lay dormant within equipment that had been guarded for a thousand years by two mighty beings from a mysterious race, beings capable of defeating dragons themselves?

"You mean, we should go have a chat with this Mr. Olavur first?" Austin caught on. "Then let's head straight to the Hotel!" The group piled into the vehicles they had prepared in advance, while all around them, throngs of rival agents did exactly the same.

The entire city suddenly sprang to life with chaotic energy.

...

Meanwhile, back at the Hotel, everyone had gathered together. They faced the man standing before them, a man clad in a police uniform.

"Students, teachers, professors, please, do not be alarmed. I am the Chief of Police for Reykjavik. You may call me Ralst!" The man was quite plump, a rarity in a city where there were very few overweight individuals; the local Icelandic cuisine made it genuinely difficult to pack on the pounds.

"I know that all of you experienced an extraordinary encounter yesterday. However, such encounters are not necessarily a good thing. If you are willing, I can hold onto those items for safekeeping!"

Upon hearing this, a massive wave of mocking laughter erupted from the crowd. Who here didn't know what supernatural power signified? For him to casually offer to safeguard their items... everyone knew that once handed over, there would be absolutely no chance of ever getting them back!

Ralst wasn't irritated by their reaction. He knew it was a long shot and merely wanted to test the waters. If even one person fell for it, he'd reap a free reward; if no one believed him, all he lost was a bit of pride.

And in the face of supernatural power, what was pride worth?

Professor Torre remained their de facto representative. He looked at the Chief and asked softly, "Mr. Ralst, exactly whose authority are you representing here? Is it the Madam Mayor, or the Madam Prime Minister?"

The employment rate of women in high office in this country was absurdly high; the prestige of their All-Female Government just kept rising!

"Neither. I came here for myself!" A faint red glint flashed through Ralst's eyes. "Supernatural artifacts are far too dangerous for ordinary people like you. It's better if you hand them over to my custody. In return, I will guarantee your safety. How about it?"

"Safety? You think we need your protection?" A tall male student stood up. In his hand, a spear emitted a peculiar silver radiance, its tip pointed straight at Ralst. "Mr. Chief, it seems you severely underestimate these supernatural artifacts!"

He wasn't the only one. Almost every student present, along with two of the teachers, rose to their feet.

Whether wielding weapons scavenged from the cave or wearing rings and necklaces, they all glared at the Police Chief with undisguised hostility.

This sudden escalation left Torre and Olavur, who were watching from the sidelines, thoroughly bewildered!

What was going on? Since when had their colleagues and classmates become so hot-tempered, ready to explode at the slightest provocation?

It was at that exact moment that Professor Torre noticed something terribly wrong. He spotted a ring resting on Chief Ralst's finger!

The shape and intricate engravings of that ring were identical to the accessories they had discovered yesterday!

"Could it be..." The professor shuddered, overwhelmed by an unspeakable sense of creeping dread. "Olavur, hurry! We need to leave this place immediately!"

Olavur hadn't quite grasped the situation yet, but since the professor had given the order, he naturally complied. He quickly escorted the older man out of the room.

The people who had stood up paid no attention to their departure, remaining locked in their tense standoff.

The heavy, oppressive atmosphere in the room felt like the suffocating low pressure before a massive thunderstorm, emanating a thick, ominous aura!

"Too fast, it's just too fast!" Torre said with a grim expression after they sprinted out. "They don't have any foundation, yet they've already grasped supernatural power using those items they brought back from the cave. Tell me, Olavur... what is the price?"

Olavur shook his head. "I don't know. Perhaps... everything? I imagine every single one of them should have known there would be a price when they made their choice, yet not a single person was willing to give it up..."

"Desire truly is the most terrifying thing in humanity!" Professor Torre clutched his chest in anguish. "It's my fault. I should have stopped them before we left!"

Olavur shook his head. "It's not your fault, Professor. Even if you had tried to stop them, would it have achieved anything better than turning them into bitter enemies?"

He was clear-headed enough to know that it wouldn't have changed a thing. This was a situation past the point of no return!

Desire never ceases!