Unholy Player-Chapter 74: This man…

The next morning, when Adyr arrived at the division building, he found Victor waiting outside his room.

"Yo, anything new?" Adyr greeted him with their usual casual tone, then unlocked the door and gestured him inside.

"Come on, you’re the guy with the highest merit points on the board. You tell me what’s new," Victor said, giving him a light punch on the shoulder as he followed him in.

Adyr didn’t ask how he knew the nickname—he could already guess. Knowing who his father was, it wasn’t surprising. The two were cut from the same cloth when it came to straightforward reasoning.

Adyr didn’t care either. It wasn’t something that could harm him, and most of the research team, along with a few staff members, probably already knew who he was. Anonymity didn’t mean much at this point. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

"I’ve always been the smart and hardworking one, remember?" Adyr said while brewing himself a bitter coffee and preparing a sugar-loaded tea for Victor.

They hadn’t had much time to talk in recent days, both occupied with their own tasks. Still, like all close friends, the moment they reconnected, it felt as if no time had passed at all.

"And I’m the useless one born with a silver spoon in my mouth. No complaints about where I ended up, though," Victor replied with a grin before his tone shifted.

"I heard about your mother’s station. I’m sorry," he added, eyes lowering slightly.

Victor hadn’t known until that morning. He’d only caught wind of it through some casual chatter among his wealthier friends—and once he looked into it, he realized Adyr’s mother was directly involved.

Adyr didn’t respond right away. After handing over the tea and taking a few sips from his bitter coffee, he asked, "Do you know anything about this Cannibal guy?"

Victor nodded. "Yeah, he’s pretty well-known outside the city walls. People call him one of the Overlords."

It matched the intel Selina had given him.

"What kind of person is he? What makes him an Overlord?" Adyr pressed, trying to go deeper.

"Well, you know how it is—even out there, in all that chaos, there’s still some kind of hierarchy. Most regions are controlled by self-proclaimed rulers, and they’re usually called Overlords. As you’d expect, they don’t just get there through brute strength. It takes brains, cunning, and a willingness to do whatever it takes."

Victor started explaining everything he’d picked up from the circles he spent time with.

"Cannibal’s especially known for his ruthlessness and the durability of his mutant body. He rules through fear. And believe me, even though the outside world’s filled with filth and inhuman monsters, most of them look like saints next to him," Victor said—then paused, realizing what he’d just implied. He glanced at Adyr. "Sorry."

Adyr waved it off, keeping his expression neutral. "It’s fine. Go on."

Victor didn’t find his composure strange and continued. "I asked my father for more details, but as you’d expect, he avoided giving me anything useful. Still, from what I gathered through my own sources, the clashes with Cannibal’s group have gotten more intense over the last few days.

Bloody, too. The strange part is—and I can’t say this with certainty—but there are rumors he’s not just strong anymore. He’s getting stronger. Ridiculously stronger. Some even claim he survived a direct hit from an RPG."

"He’s evolving?" Adyr asked, suspicion creeping into his voice. "I mean, sure, he’s a first-generation mutant, but how is he still growing stronger?"

Victor nodded, clearly understanding where Adyr was going. "Yeah. It’s like evolution. Not a normal mutation—more like he’s part of the game too."

As absurd as it sounded, all available signs pointed in that direction.

Outside of shelter city governments, it made no sense for terrorist organizations to have access to game devices. The only possible explanation was that someone on the inside had leaked the technology. But what could their motive be?

"There has to be a logical explanation," Victor said, though none came to mind at the moment.

"Anyway, I’ll keep an eye on the situation. Don’t worry. The station isn’t hopeless. From what it looks like, Cannibal’s real target isn’t your mother or her team. He just wants to stir chaos and draw attention. I’m sure things will settle down in a few days and they’ll return safely," Victor added, trying to reassure him.

"Okay. Thanks for checking in," Adyr replied with a small smile as he saw him off.

Later, he checked his merit points and saw he had received the reward for the last batch of information he shared, bringing his total to 305. Without hesitation, he powered on the computer and used 100 merits to purchase official status, leaving the rest for another time.

Then, he returned to the playroom and dove back into the game.

—

As Vesha opened her eyes and greeted the morning sunlight with a stretch, her gaze drifted to the leather armchair in the corner of the room. It was empty. She let out a quiet sigh of relief, though a faint trace of disappointment flickered across her face.

After getting out of bed, she went through her morning routine at the private washbasin in her room, then quickly chose an outfit for the day and stepped out to join her father for breakfast.

"Good morning, Lady Vesha," her middle-aged maid greeted her with a respectful bow as she stood by the door.

"Good morning, Nessa," Vesha replied, walking down the hallway toward the dining hall. The maid fell in step beside her.

"We have a guest this morning, Lady Vesha. He’s having breakfast with your father as we speak."

Vesha paused for a moment. "One of the other lords? My father didn’t mention anyone joining us."

"No, he’s not a lord from the kingdom," Nessa said, lowering her voice to a whisper. "In fact... he doesn’t look like anyone I’ve seen around here. Probably a foreigner. Judging by his appearance, I’d say he could be a noble from another kingdom. Quite handsome too—and easily one of the tallest and most striking men I’ve ever seen."

A mischievous, playful glint danced on Nessa’s face, along with a hint of genuine admiration. It was clear that whoever this guest was, he had made quite the impression.

But Vesha, in stark contrast, stopped in her tracks, her expression shifting to one of disbelief.

"You said tall?" She asked, suspicion rising in her chest. Her pace quickened immediately.

As the grand double doors of the dining hall opened, she saw her father seated at one end of the long table, laughing warmly in the midst of a lavish breakfast spread.

And at the other end, just as she had suspected, tall, with messy black hair and dressed in a sleek black tactical uniform, sat Adyr, eating with effortless composure.

"This man..." Vesha muttered, unable to stop the words from slipping out.