Interrogation

As Rey's crimson eyes glowed ever so bright, preparing for the execution, he looked through Ogun's Status Window once again.

Then, he ceased his initial plan.

'It would be a waste to just kill him. Since he's an executive member, I better collect as much information from him as possible.'

Rey had been having suspicions about the whole thing that had gone down, so in order to satisfy his curiosity, he decided to use the Barbarian before him.

Doing so wouldn't be difficult at all.

'[Absolute Mental Control].'

The moment he sent a pulse of energy to Ogun, the man's will was no longer his own.

He was reduced to nothing but Rey's slave.

"I have a few questions. Answer me as honestly and as accurately as possible. Understood?"

As Rey's voice echoed among the pile of flesh and blood, the barbarian slowly nodded with his blank face as he opened his lips to speak.

"Yes. I understand."

The first question Rey wanted to ask was the most pertinent one at the moment.

"Why did you attack us? Did Scylla hire you? Did the three Obsidian Councilors on her side hire you?"

Ogun shook his head to all of these questions.

"We were not hired by anyone. Our leader decided that we side with Lady Scylla and her New Order."

Rey ensured he used Sound Magic to broadcast everything Ogun was confessing so that the ten witnesses could hear him loud and clear.

"I see. Is it just your leader, or all of you?"

"The words of the Leader are the words of the Gang. The Mercenary Gang follows his wishes."

Rey nodded as he placed his hand on his mask's chin.

'It's as I suspected from the very start. The Mercenary Gang can't be trusted.'

Perhaps it was because he wasn't too involved in matters relating to the Criminal World, so the biases associated with certain principles didn't shackle his thought process the same way they did to people like Rebal Blanc.

He already suspected the possibility of the Mercenary Gang interfering in this conflict.

Still, Rey's knowledge was limited to mere guesses. For him to truly have something to work with, he needed more information.

"Why did your leader decide to join them? Did he tell you?"

"Why else? The benefits far outweigh the alternative. Those were his exact words…"

As Rey listened and mulled on Ogun's words, only one thing kept ringing in his mind.

It was a grim reality that he had to address.

'Rebal mentioned the reasons why the Mercenary Gang never chose a side, since it would be bad for business in the long run.'

However, there was an exception to the rule—a certain situation where their alliance with a side wouldn't result in any detriment at all.

'… The absolute annihilation of the other side.'

If the Mercenary Gang chose the winning team, and the losing side was to be absolutely removed from the map, there would be no bad blood.

'Sure, there would be less customers, but their influence would rise, and they'll get to plunder the resources of the losing team.'

The Mercenary Gang could even take over their territories.

'They certainly have enough power and influence to do that.'

As Rey looked at Ogun's blank face, he couldn't help but sigh in both worry and disappointment.

'Right now, Rebal's plans will have to be slightly tweaked, or else everything will crumble.'

Rey took a good look at the trembling caravan members, as well as the unconscious Yuri and shook his head slightly.

"This is why I didn't want us to play it too safe. While the enemy is making big moves, we're taking measured steps.'

The only reason he didn't interfere any further into the plan was due to his inexperience in the Black Market, as well as his place in the hierarchy.

'If things get too dire, maybe I'll say or do something.'

For now, though, he only intended to relay the information he got to Rebal and see what the man would do about it.

'Okay. A few more questions, and I think we're done here.'

"Tell me more about your—"

Right as Rey was about to ask his question, his extraordinary senses—which had [Danger Sense] already imbued in it—

warned him of something.

'Don't tell me…!'

Rey swiftly teleported away from Ogun, using his barrier to cover the man.

The ebony Ogun suddenly began to expand, as if suddenly bloated. Like a balloon, he grew massive in size, every part of his body growing at an astronomical rate.

Tears fell from his eyes, followed by streams of blood; the same thing happened with his mouth, nostrils and ears,

"H-help… meee…" Were the last words he uttered before meeting an inevitable end.

~BOOOM!~

The same way a balloon would pop after reaching its limits, the bag of meat and bones exploded.

Blood and gore splashed all over the interior of Rey's barrier, preventing any of the bloody flesh and thick blood from flying around.

Ogun died on the spot, his form unrecognizable from how it had been in the past.

'He was killed remotely, huh? Is it because he answered my questions? Was it automatic, or did someone activate it after knowing he revealed secrets?'

Rey had many questions, but it seemed he wouldn't be getting any here.

He looked at his Status Window, and just as he expected, the numbers he accrued from killing a hundred people had been added to his Stats.

'Looks like I won't be getting anything for Ogun's death.'

After all, he didn't kill with his own power.

'It's a shame, but at the very least, it looks like I've Leveled Up.'

Right there and then, Rey had successfully broken into Level 100.

'It's about time.'

[STATUS WINDOW]

- Name: Rey Skylar.

- Race: Human (Otherworlder)

- Class: Anomaly (A-Tier)

- Level: 100 (07.01% EXP)

- Life Force: 82 (+161) [+300]

- Mana Level: 199 (+161) [+500]

- Combat Ability: 140 (+161) [+500]

- Stat Points: 4

- Skills (Exclusive): [Doppel]

- Skills (Non-Exclusive): [Fusion/Fission]. [Merger]. [Dead Calm].

- Alignment: Neutral Good

[Additional Information]

You are an irregularity to the world. Achieving the unbelievable, shaking the balance of reality… you seek to overturn what is and isn't.

Will you succeed? Or will your failure be miserable?

[End Of Information]