novelraw Chapter 139
Chapter 139
Chapter 139
A strange tension lingered in the conference hall.
“Is it really alright for us to meet like this?”
“It’s already been decided. You look unusually nervous, Zyle Stormwalker. If you tremble like that when facing criminals, no one will ever think of you as a capable prosecutor.”
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tease me even though you know I’ve already retired. Considering who we’re dealing with, isn’t it natural to be on edge?”
“If you’re scared, then leave. A few others already made excuses and said they wouldn’t come. Tsk, fools. As if that changes anything.”
“Come to think of it, what about Serena Beresford?”
“She said she’d come with Aaron Stingray. From the looks of it, she’s already sided with him.”
“That traitorous bitch. I knew it would happen someday.”
“Let’s not go that far yet. If what she says is true, then maybe Aaron Stingray will stand with us, won’t he?”
Aaron Stingray.
The strongest villain of the original work was coming here. Members of the Transmigrator Alliance could not hide their restless hearts at that fact.
Originally, all twenty-three members were supposed to attend, but less than half were present. Even those who remained trembled their legs or bit their lips, each trying to relieve their tension in their own way.
‘This atmosphere is rotten already.’
Kara the Red Fixer.
She watched the conference hall in silence, then shook her head as if disappointed.
They had already lost the battle of presence.
Aaron Stingray hadn’t even arrived yet, and this was their state. It was obvious what would happen when he finally appeared.
Just making eye contact with Aaron Stingray would scare them stiff, leaving them unable to even exchange words properly.
Of course, they couldn’t entirely be blamed. Their wariness of Aaron was deeply tied to the troublesome phenomenon called “synchronization.”
‘If not for synchronization, Aaron Stingray would’ve just been one of many villains in a novel.’
No matter how overwhelming his presence in the original story had been, there was no reason to fear someone encountered only through words on a page.
But now, fully assimilated into the novel’s characters, just hearing the name Stingray made them tremble with fear.
Moreover, as transmigrators, they knew of Aaron’s vile nature, murderous tendencies, and overwhelming strength—things the original characters themselves never knew. That knowledge made the atmosphere what it was.
Still—
‘……Well, it’s none of my business.’
Unlike the others, Kara’s reaction was indifferent. As a government special fixer holding the title of “Red,” the Stingray Group didn’t frighten her so much.
She believed even the Stingray Group wouldn’t dare touch her recklessly. And even if Aaron went on a rampage, she was confident she could at least keep herself safe.
Besides, she herself wasn’t tied to the main scenario of the original story.
Other than existing as a background setting and being mentioned once in passing, she never held much presence. She calculated that Aaron wouldn’t bother paying her any attention either.
Even so, she had come here to see for herself if Aaron Stingray was truly someone worth cooperating with, just as Serena claimed.
And above all……
‘How did he avoid synchronization?’
The “will of the world” issue that had forced everyone here into synchronization.
If Aaron had really resisted its influence and kept his original self intact, then that method was of great interest.
Holding onto that thought, Kara observed the other members’ conversations from a slight distance.
And then—
At last, he appeared.
“He’s finally here……”
Someone muttered.
It was Grigori Silvereyes’ voice. His magic must have reacted to Aaron’s presence.
Kara, too, confirmed through her scanner that two biological signatures were approaching from down the hallway.
One was Serena Beresford.
The other was……
‘N-no, wait……!’
Kara froze in shock.
The response registered as Aaron Stingray was far too immense to be considered that of a single “human.”
‘That’s insane, h-he’s a monster……!?’
A monster.
There was no other word for it.
The sheer energy condensed within his body was a level no ordinary arcane module or two could ever reach.
‘Could it be…… two, no—three or more Game Changer-class combat modules equipped……!?’
Crazy.
The words slipped out of her mouth.
As Aaron’s bio-signature grew closer, she was engulfed in an emotion she had never experienced since transmigrating into this body.
Fear.
Having equipped a single Lv.5 Arcane Module herself, she knew better than anyone.
Just adapting to one Game Changer-class module required immense talent, blessings, and curses alike.
Even she had to abandon all the knowledge, experience, and equipment she had built up until then just to accept one such module—a sacrifice too great to describe.
Yet he had accepted three or more into his body. That meant he had chosen, from birth, not the life of a “human,” but the life of a “war machine.”
Or it meant he had discarded even the final thirty percent of his humanity that should never be forsaken.
‘That’s…… unbeatable……!’
Kara tried to assess.
If Aaron Stingray started fighting everyone here in this very place, could their side prevail?
No—that was the wrong question.
Of course they couldn’t win.
Such a being wasn’t made to be defeated.
The only option was survival.
If she threw everyone else as sacrifices, could she escape alive? If she risked everything on fleeing, could she get far enough where he wouldn’t chase?
That at least seemed possible.
As long as she didn’t face him head-on, survival itself shouldn’t be an issue. Of course, everyone else here would die, but Aaron Stingray wasn’t greedy enough to want more than that.
“Hoo……”
Once she calculated she could at least preserve her life, her fear subsided a little.
Looking around, she saw that others who sensed Aaron’s power were just as frozen stiff, like rabbits before a lion.
But they were few. The majority were still only terrified because of the names “Stingray” or “Crown Prince.” They weren’t strong enough to even sense the power of a true predator.
Step, step.
The sound of shoes echoed from afar.
Would it be an exaggeration to say it sounded like a giant’s footsteps? Perhaps. Yet Kara could clearly feel even the faint tremors his steps sent through the ground.
Already, every cell in her body recognized Aaron Stingray as a colossal monster. No doubt that confident stride came from the belief in his own overwhelming power.
“……”
“……”
Before long, his footsteps stopped in front of the conference hall, and the firmly closed mahogany doors swung open. A handsome young man appeared.
Aaron Stingray.
With golden eyes, he scanned each of the faces in the room, like a predator choosing its prey.
And slowly, the corners of his lips curved.
It was such a faint smile that one wouldn’t notice unless looking carefully. But it meant his evaluation of them was over.
Soon, he spoke calmly.
“Greetings.”
“……”
No one answered.
No—they couldn’t answer.
Only silence filled the hall.
Kara reconfirmed what she had thought earlier.
‘This is…… already doomed…….’
Even before the meeting began.
They had already lost.
They’re all familiar faces.
The moment I entered the hall, I checked the members seated at the table and inwardly smiled.
‘Serena’s information was correct.’
The list of members Serena had given me.
I had worried—what if she deceived me? What if this was a trap? But by checking directly, I saw that she had told me only the truth.
Zyle Stormwalker, Grigori Silvereyes, Kara the Red Fixer, and about ten others were present, all of them included on the roster Serena had handed me.
A massive round table stood in the hall.
The members sat scattered, each seemingly at their designated seats. In the center, a hologram projector idly displayed meaningless images.
‘That hologram projector must be the channel for his communication, right?’
Aside from the projector, there was little lighting, leaving the interior somewhat dim. But with my Military-Grade Ocular Scanner Module, there was no issue distinguishing faces.
Still, something bothered me.
“Quite a lot of seats are empty.”
“It is difficult to arrange a schedule where all members can attend.”
The man seated opposite me spoke.
His bushy beard and heterochromatic eyes—one golden, one silver—stood out. That must be Grigori Silvereyes.
His long coat resembled priestly robes, giving him an aura of mystique. Perhaps it was prejudice, but everything about him screamed, “I am a wizard.”
“Everyone has their circumstances, so I ask for your understanding.”
“Hmph. Isn’t it possible they have other schemes?”
“Are you accusing us?”
This time, the man on my left retorted.
A middle-aged man. The subtle traces of cosmetic surgery remained on his face. His sharp nose and well-shaped brows radiated trust and a sense of justice at a glance.
He must be Zyle Stormwalker, the prosecutor-turned-politician.
“Not everyone began with the same background as you. Some members here live day to day to make ends meet.”
“And what am I supposed to do with that?”
I sneered.
Because I knew it was an excuse.
“Less than half of the members I was told about showed up. Am I just supposed to forgive that? Honestly, I feel insulted.”
“……And yet you’re the one who expressed a desire to meet us, only to cut off contact and vanish.”
“Enough.”
Grigori stepped in to stop us.
“First, let me apologize, Aaron Stingray. Truthfully, there were those who refused to attend out of fear of you. But with those gathered here, we can still proceed with the discussion. Please forgive us.”
“Y-yes. Mr. Aaron, please forgive them, for my sake at least.”
Serena, seated beside me, also tried to dissuade me.
Her earlier “Dear Husband” had reverted to “Mr. Aaron.” It seemed that even she was too embarrassed to use that term here.
Well, I didn’t intend to push any further either.
I had only pressed because their excuses annoyed me, not because I came here to fight.
When I nodded quietly in acknowledgement, Serena sighed in relief and guided me to the guest seat. I checked to make sure there were no traps and then sat down, with Serena taking the seat beside me.
So it wasn’t a designated seat?
That thought crossed my mind, but I didn’t have time to fuss over it. I had barely managed to spare the time to be here, after all—I wanted this over quickly so I could leave.
“Well then. Now that Mr. Aaron Stingray is here, let us officially begin—”
“I’ll speak directly.”
I cut Grigori off and opened my mouth at will. In my mind, I had already calculated that I could take on everyone in this room if I wanted.
A meeting? Useless.
The moment I saw them, I immediately realized it.
The gap between me and them.
I was superior in every way. There was no need to indulge them.
Therefore, I wanted only one thing.
“Raise your hand if you’ll serve under me. Otherwise, I’ll consider you all my enemies.”
Like Shade Wells, who died on his own, what I needed were subordinates who wouldn’t disrupt my plans.