BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM C.820 The headquarters (3)

Erik used his instability power to figure out what the bartender was thinking.

The man found it weird that he asked for juice instead of alcohol, but aside from that, he found nothing else weird.

"So, is there some new quest worth taking?" Erik asked.

"There is not much. Most quest ask to join the police or the patrol teams. There aren't quests about stealing or killing."

"Nothing too exciting, uh?"

"You bet," the bartender said. "Nothing you can take, anyway."

The bartender clearly recognized the man Erik had stolen the identity of.

The man's words made it clear. Yet, Erik examined his thoughts and uncovered the opinions of the bartender, no, of everyone regarding him.

It looked like the man was a low leveled hoodlum, but still of rank high enough to come here to the headquarters.

This guy, known for his alcoholism, couldn't secure an important task even if he tried to pay for it.

While he excelled at thieving, murder wasn't his forte, but he could still handle a less complex task.

Of course, he was still many times better than those who didn't have the chance to enter the HQ.

His problem was that the quests to join the police or the patrol teams, for those in the HQ, were to take key positions.

This meant they required some level of thinking, something that the drunkard Erik took the identity of clearly couldn't do.

"Do you know if the boss is here?" The bartender raised his head.

That was a weird question. Not many could talk to the boss, especially not those with the drunkard's reputation and rank inside the organization.

"Why?"

"Nothing in particular. Just pure curiosity," Erik said.

The bartender raised his eyebrows. "You don't drink?" The man noticed that Erik didn't even take a sip from his beer. Of course, the young man noticed that and started drinking.

<I hate this shit. >

For the next ten minutes, Erik remained there at the counter, drinking beer, with very much displeasure, and talking about this and that with the bartender, who avoided his initial question.

"You know, everything was much funnier before the parasites attacked," Erik said.

"There were many jobs available. I didn't have to stay stuck here for so long with nothing to do."

"Yeah," the bartender said, "I feel you. Since the others joined the police, there aren't that many clients here at the bar."

"Well, at least there is more beer for me!" Then Erik saw a slight commotion, then June's voice spread through his mind.

<Master, someone is entering the building. >

<Any idea who they are? > Erik asked.

<No, but he looks stronger than average. >

<That is not something that should scare us. > Erik said.

After five minutes, an entourage of people came from the elevator and walked toward what he assumed were the private quarters of the Crystal Cross Gang headquarters.

Erik wanted to ask who the man at the helm was, but the bartender's eyes made it clear. He was one of Volkov's men, Gus Ridley.

The man had been sent here by Volkov to facilitate cooperation. He was one of the very few who could meet the boss.

<Exactly the kind of guy I could take advantage of. >

Erik quickly singled out Gus Ridley among the crowd. Standing tall, Gus's broad shoulders cut into an imposing figure, his skin weathered from years of exposure to harsh conditions, suggesting a life of hard graft.

His hair, a tangled mass of dark curls, framed a face marked by a life of determination and survival.

Deep-set eyes, underlined by dark shadows, scanned the room with a vigilance that spoke of his allegiance to Volkov.

A rugged beard covered his strong jawline, adding to his formidable appearance.

Even in the dim light of the gigantic room, Gus exuded an aura of authority and danger.

Erik had a simple idea in mind. If he wanted to destroy the Crystal Cross Gang in the least time possible, he had to kill the Crystal Cross Gang's leader without the others finding that out.

However, to do that, he needed to get rid of the body, with no one suspecting anything.

For that reason, he decided to take the identity of this Gus Ridley, kill the Crystal Cross Gang's leader and then swap the bodies.

He would then take the leader's identity and say the body belonged to this Gus guy, while instead was the leader's.

<It should work. If not, I will have to find another way. >

Erik had a couple of ideas in mind. The last one he wanted to use was to make June eat him. Erik knew that if he asked, the clone would comply, but it was still something he wasn't keen on asking him.

As Erik pondered this grim option, he couldn't help but hope for a better solution, one that wouldn't require him to cross that last line.

<If it comes to that, I'll have to ask June, > he thought, albeit reluctantly. <But let's hope it doesn't. >

After that, while assuming the leader's identity, he would call all the Crystal Cross Gang members in Frant to New Alexandria and kill them all.

It would for sure take time, but it didn't matter, and it was still faster than any other idea. He would use that time to find more information about Volkov, Fasard and the Blackguards.

Besides, he had to see if the man had some information about uncle Benjamin.

Erik was keen to uncover any links the man might have to the unfolding events, hoping for clues that could shed light on his role inside the organization.

However, to do that, he needed to ask the Crystal Cross Gang's leader. He couldn't blindly search the entire base, he needed a lead.

"What?" the bartender asked as Erik observed this Gus guy.

"Oh, nothing." Erik downed his beer in one long gulp, aiming to project the image of a seasoned drinker.

His gaze followed as Gus made his way toward the private quarters, vanishing from sight.

<Let's hope the guy won't take long. >