Chapter 225
Riko’s words finally made Fang Li understand why she was so determined to defeat Aria and prove that she could surpass her great-grandfather.
Just as Riko herself said, it was all for the sake of freedom.
However, there is often a dark side to the plight of the unfortunate.
No matter how you look at it, Riko was a Butei Assassin who, up to now, hadn’t been aware of how many exceptional Butei she might have killed. This, of course, remains a crime.
After all, this world wasn’t like the first two Dungeon Worlds Fang Li had experienced, where external threats led to the breakdown of order.
Even though this world had numerous Superhumans working behind the scenes, the law was still effective.
Fang Li wasn’t exactly a Saint either. In the previous two worlds, he had also killed many people, his hands stained with blood. His skills and abilities were, in a way, meant for killing.
However, this didn’t mean Fang Li believed he was exempt from consequences.
In fact, throughout the history of the Main God’s Dimension, countless Main Divine Envoys failed to adapt to the differences between worlds, remaining trapped in their previous environments. This ultimately led to their own downfall.
Just like Fang Li, if he were to behave in this world as he had in the first two, killing indiscriminately, the result would undoubtedly be a joint effort by the Superhumans who exist to maintain this world’s order to hunt him down. He’d end up dead beyond doubt.
Therefore, the approach one takes must vary depending on the circumstances.
While Fang Li was quite “to do as one pleases,” that didn’t mean he lacked intelligence. He knew very well what methods would lead to better survival and benefit in this world.
To quote a phrase from the Main God’s Dimension, the nature of Main Divine Envoys is actually quite simple: “We are travelers, but not above all.”
Consequently, believing that familiarity with the Dungeon World’s every aspect allows for unfettered action would undoubtedly lead to an unfavorable outcome.
In this context, Riko must naturally pay the price for her actions.
Perhaps sensing Fang Li’s thoughts, Riko turned her head, locking eyes with Fang Li, and said, “I haven’t killed anyone. The term ‘Butei Assassin’ is a misconception.”
Upon hearing this, Fang Li lifted his head and looked at Riko, his expression one of astonishment.
“You haven’t killed anyone?”
This can’t be right, can it?
Almost all the records of exceptional Butei who disappeared due to the Butei Assassins were available, and the news reported it, didn’t it?
At this point, a thought suddenly flashed through Fang Li’s mind, and he muttered,
“I-U.”
Riko clearly heard Fang Li’s words.
“Impressive, as expected of you to guess so quickly,” Riko sighed and continued, “Do you know what kind of organization I-U is?”
“I’ve heard Aria mention it briefly,” Fang Li replied, “It’s supposedly a terrifying organization that even major countries fear, right?”
“That’s not entirely accurate,” Riko shook her head as she said. “It is true that I-U has many unruly individuals, but at the start, it was simply a training institution.”
“During the Second World War, it was created by Japan and Germany, the Axis powers, to train Superhumans in their mission for victory,” Riko’s voice unconsciously lowered as she spoke, it was as if she were speaking of something taboo. “It was originally a Superhuman legion. However, when the Axis powers were defeated at the end of WWII, the surviving members used their submarines to escape. They followed their unique ideals and transformed I-U into an institution focused on nurturing talents.”
“Within I-U, everyone exchanges their unique skills, sharing abilities with each other to enhance their own power. Through this approach, generations of Superhumans were trained. That’s why I joined I-U,” Riko looked at Fang Li and continued, “Everyone in I-U hopes to see more Superhumans join in, to share their abilities.”
However, under such circumstances, I-U grew increasingly powerful and, due to its detachment from national restrictions, became more and more unruly.
“As a result, to elevate themselves and the organization, I-U started recruiting exceptional talents, even individuals with judicial connections like Butei. As long as they possessed special powers, they were targeted for recruitment. Since Butei wouldn’t easily join a lawless organization, they had to resort to abduction to win them over. Only when things went wrong would they resort to murder to cover their tracks.”
In other words, all those Butei who were believed to have been killed by Butei assassins in the past were actually not dead; Riko had kidnapped them and brought them into I-U.
“No wonder major countries fear this organization,” Fang Li said with a sense of understanding. “If it’s an organization that disregards the line between right and wrong, ready to recruit anyone just for self-improvement, and all its members are formidable entities beyond human, then it’s no wonder.”
“That’s why I joined I-U,” Riko lowered her head and said softly. “If I were in an organization like this, learning various superhuman skills, I would definitely be able to defeat Vlad.”
Unfortunately, Vlad had also joined I-U and became the second-in-command. As Riko honed her skills, this Vampire was also absorbing the genes of extraordinary individuals within the organization, enhancing his own power.
“But now, you’ve defeated Vlad,” Riko looked at Fang Li with a complex gaze.
“From now on, Vlad won’t appear in my life again.”
In other words, Riko had finally gained her freedom.
It can only be said that Vlad had incredibly bad luck. Who else would he provoke but Fang Li? With the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, Fang Li was the greatest nemesis to this Vampire.
Just then, Riko suddenly looked at Fang Li with a serious expression and said, “Actually, it wasn’t just me this time. Within I-U, other individuals were also mobilized to kidnap renowned Superhumans, specifically targeting moments when you were away from the target.”
This sentence triggered an ominous feeling in Fang Li’s heart.
Riko’s subsequent words confirmed Fang Li’s ominous premonition.
“Their target was the top student of the Butei Super-Ability Investigation Research Division.”
“—Hotogi Shirayuki.”