The mysterious man was Klaus. He came by the name Morgan—a pseudonym he used when searching for the missing Sheila.
ραndαsΝοvεl ƈοm Nodding, the tomboyish-woman understood his reasons for arriving late. She glanced at the green-haired man, using eye contact to urge him to rise from his seat. The green-haired man sighed as he offered his seat to the guest.
"Please have a seat, Mr. Morgan. I apologize if there are no good seats. You know where we are, right?" she said.
"That's okay. I appreciate your kindness, Izzy. Gang members with ethics are hard to come by," Klaus replied.
"Nah, I'm not that nice. It's because you're my friend's boss." She glanced at Sheila, giving her a slight smile.
But Sheila averted her gaze.
As Klaus was about to sit down, Izzy stopped him.
"Recruiting high-ranking awakeners has been quite hard lately. Please heal them." Her gaze turned toward the wounded people. Their expressions were enough to convey the pain they were enduring.
"Of course," Klaus answered. "They've been doing a good job."
Rubbing the ring on his middle finger, Klaus took out dozens of red liquid vials. He handed them to Sheila, who then distributed them to the injured.
Klaus grinned as he watched the gang members gulp down the potions.
These people were under Roach's command—leader of the criminal gang in the Bronx and a black market trader of dungeon monsters. Klaus paid them to cause chaos during Richard and Jonathan's campaign.
In other words, Klaus was the mastermind behind it all.
One key to winning voters is to capture public attention. There are many ways to do it, but one is most effective for stealing the public's gaze: controversy.
Bad news is good news. This idea didn't come without reason. People, especially humans, tend to gravitate toward problems. The bigger the issue, the more it piques their interest.
If you look at television or social media, controversial news always goes viral. Celebrity affairs are far more intriguing than a student winning a gold medal in the Olympics. Terrorism news is more captivating than the construction of a thousand school buildings.
That's why Klaus came up with the crazy idea to create a scenario where Richard and Jonathan were attacked by an unknown group. Once the media covered this news, they would shake New York.
People would be infuriated seeing this news. Moreover, the gubernatorial election was underway. There would undoubtedly be people speculating and concocting conspiracy theories. Klaus was confident that in the next few days, the names Richard Dickson and Jonathan Thompson would dominate news headlines on every television channel.
Leveraging the uproar created by public anger, Klaus intertwined a touch of sadness into the incident. This way, he could garner sympathy from the people of New York, showcasing Richard and Jonathan's heroic actions in aiding the victims.
At the same time, he seized the opportunity to boost his guild's popularity. Rays of Hope's heroic actions in driving out the clowns wouldn't escape the news spotlight.
Klaus killed two birds with one stone.
"They seem to have recovered."
After consuming the potions, the gangsters made a complete recovery. Bruises and tears scattered across their bodies vanished. Izzy let out a relieved sigh as she saw her entire crew were healed.
"Please, have a seat," she said.
Klaus took a seat, as did Izzy. The two of them locked eyes.
"We've done our job. Now, pay money for our pain."
Reaching into his pocket, Klaus retrieved a bracelet and handed it to Izzy. The tomboyish woman examined it closely as she held it. She could sense the magical aura emanating from this small object.
"What's the name of this arcana?" Izzy asked.
"Radiant Light. With this arcana, you can beat Roach's murderer."
Discomfort crossed her face when Klaus mentioned the boss's name.
When Klaus asked Sheila to contact her old friend, she received news that Roach had been killed. This information surprised him. Klaus had made a deal with Roach. However, the bald man died before they could execute it.
But that didn't mean their agreement was nullified. Izzy took over the gang's business, and they continued it.
It all began when the gang boss was relaxing inside their hideout. Roach wasn't alone; his crew was with him, including Izzy and Dax. Suddenly, a woman in a gray hoodie appeared at the entrance. Though, outside there were dozens of heavily armed guards already present. When Roach asked why she was here, she needed information about the whereabouts of "Morgan."
Of course, Roach refused to divulge any information and instead ordered his subordinates to attack the mysterious woman, which turned out to be his biggest mistake. The hooded woman swiftly defeated dozens of soldiers within seconds. According to Izzy's account, she wielded the power of shadows. Anyone who attacked her was engulfed in darkness and vanished without a trace.
The mysterious hooded woman was genuinely powerful. Even after Roach, Izzy, and Dax combined their power, they couldn't defeat her. In fact, they were the ones utterly defeated.
At a critical moment, Roach bought time for two of his subordinates to escape. Izzy and Dax went into hiding for several months. During that time, they received no news about their boss. Eventually, they mustered the courage to return to their headquarters.
There, they found Roach's headless body.I think you should take a look at
"I don't sense anything special from this object," Izzy said, furrowing her brow. "It's just a Rare-grade arcana. Are you sure this can defeat her?"
Klaus huffed, a faint chuckle escaping him. "I promised a weapon to defeat the person who killed your boss, not a high-grade arcana. Remember our deal?"
When Klaus met Izzy, she was furious with him. She believed he was the cause of Roach's death. The mysterious woman wanted Klaus's life, but it was Roach who lost his life.
However, Izzy knew she couldn't blame Klaus. The only way to avenge her boss was to eliminate the perpetrator. Of course, she was aware of her limitations. After all, she was a C-Class. There wasn't much she could do against a monster in human form.
Klaus knew what haunted Izzy's thoughts. So, he capitalized on it to execute his plan. He promised an arcana that would aid Izzy in defeating the mysterious woman if she agreed to take on dirty work for him. To make Izzy trust him more, Klaus lent them two Legendary-grade artificial arcana for use during the chaos they would create in Richard and Jonathan's campaign.
"Hmm, the name doesn't sound fitting for a weapon," Izzy remarked.
"But it can make someone wet their pants."
Izzy raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Can you tell me why?"
Hearing the desired response, Klaus grinned. He asked Izzy to come closer. Then, he explained how the [Radiant Light] worked. Meanwhile, Sheila returned after distributing the potions. A curious expression was evident on her face as she saw Klaus and Izzy engaged in such a serious discussion.
Izzy furrowed her brow. "Is it really that simple? I just need to do that to defeat her? Are you sure about this, Mr. Morgan?"
"Absolutely," Klaus replied succinctly.
Frowning, Izzy was torn between doubt and trust upon hearing how the [Radiant Light] worked. On one hand, she was skeptical, and on the other, she wanted to believe.
Izzy glanced at Dax, and the green-haired man nodded. Eventually, she made up her mind.
"Alright, I'll trust you. Somehow, I feel you know about that woman's power."
Klaus grinned. "That means we have a deal."
Izzy nodded in response.
Klaus stood up, and Izzy followed suit.
"Good doing business with you. I'd like us to work together again in the future," Klaus said.
"Sure."
After that, Klaus turned and left. Suddenly, Izzy called out to Sheila.
"Come visit us sometime. You're always a part of us."
"Indeed," Dax added. "Forgive us if we've done wrong."
Both of them gazed at Sheila with hope in their eyes. However, Sheila's expression turned cold.
"You don't need to apologize to me. Apologize to the children who died." With those words, Sheila walked away, leaving Klaus to follow after her.
Disappointment was clearly etched on their faces. Dax and Izzy had yet to receive forgiveness from Sheila because they concealed the fact that Roach had been selling monsters to Miranda, leading to the deaths of the orphanage children.
Klaus nodded at them before he caught up with Sheila.
...
The incident of the attack on Richard Dickson and Jonathan Thompson became the primary focus of various media outlets, triggering intense discussions and public attention. The event quickly sent shockwaves through New York.
In newspapers, captivating headlines adorned the front pages: "Brutal Attack on Gubernatorial Candidates: Security on the Edge?" and "Shocking Incident Rocks Political World: Who's Behind This Attack?" Various media outlets dissected the incident with detailed reports and in-depth analyses, attempting to uncover the truth behind this startling attack.
Television news stations were equally fervent. Serious-faced anchors guided viewers through the narration of the news. Quality panel discussions delved into factors that could be involved in the incident, from political differences to potential perpetrators.
Social media networks became hubs of deep interaction. Hashtag trends like #DicksonThompson and #PoliticalCrisis quickly went viral, with thousands of users sharing their views on the event. Comments ranged from speculation to conspiracy theories, shaping the discourse coloring the online narrative.
Security experts, political analysts, and legal scholars were invited to radio and podcast interview programs to provide profound insights. They discussed the potential long-term consequences of the attack on the government and society, as well as outlined possible political implications.
Harsh criticism was inevitable. Several observers suspected potential political motives behind the attack, raising difficult questions to other gubernatorial candidates and the police.
In the following weeks, the coverage continued. Various news sources outlined the progress of the investigation, identification of the culprits, as well as responses from the government and security authorities. Stories about the bravery of Richard and Jonathan, along with the victims, during this chaotic assault served as inspiration.
In an instant, the number two gubernatorial candidate skyrocketed in the people's choice polls.
