Code Collector

A couple of minutes later, someone was banging on Allen's door. He was about to answer it when Gwen stopped him from doing so.

"It's my colleague," she said. "I told him I'm in your place and he immediately found it. He's a police officer, and so am I."

No wonder she had first hand information about The Wandering Trader, and her rather different personality from the other support roles. She was a police officer.

Gwen must've received the details of how Allen's alter ego looked from the witnesses, that included the famous police officer Jeremy.

The door opened and Allen could had the worst luck in the entire Haven. Jeremy himself was standing in front of his door, smiling after seeing Gwen inside.

"There's my beloved friend," Jeremy chimed. "Come here, you."

"Shut up, and give this man a reward or something," Gwen said. "He saved my life from the goons of the Phantom Cunt. He should at least get a meal."

"Perfect," Jeremy smiled. "I reserved us a table at the Luxx."

"Let me guess, a table for two?" Gwen crossed her arms, making Jeremy lose his composure.

"I-I think I can get us an upgrade or something," Jeremy shuffled for his phone and walked out of the room to make a call.

While watching the two exchange their words, Allen had regretted every single decision he had made so far. He was so lucky that he didn't display the Cloak of Nobody in the rack like he usually does.

It was like a statement to him that he watches every time. His life had changed and he felt proud. Thank heavens the so-called statement was hidden in his Inventory, or else it would be the end of the world.

"Uhm, Gwen, you don't have to," Allen started his move on getting out of this mess. "I don't need anything at the moment. Maybe I can just call you if I do?"

"No, we insist," Jeremy walked back inside with a wide smile on his face. "You're the savior of my friend. You should celebrate her life with us."

"That sounded exactly just like you," Gwen snorted. "Let's go. What time is it anyway?"

"Just before dinner," Jeremy answered. Gwen suddenly looked lively after her friend came. She walked with him out the door, the two just talking to each other while Allen stood inside his room, not believing the situation he was in.

–

"So, I was in the street, off duty when I saw these men come up to me. No one expected what happened next. I was suddenly being dragged into an alley and I was sure that they were gonna take me with them," Gwen said.

She was talking about her experience when she was almost taken away. After she took her first bite of her food, she had started becoming talkative. Her entire character changed.

"You met hungry Gwen, haven't you?" Jeremy asked Allen while his friend continued to talk in the background. "She's usually like this, unless she's hungry which makes her look like she's a commander of a battalion of soldiers or something."

Allen snorted and nodded, "She does look more lively than when I first talked to her."

"Yeah, that's because you met the hungry Gwen– ouch!"

Jeremy had received a smack on the back of his head from Gwen. She frowned at him, returning to her chair. "Were you not listening to me?"

"Of course, I was," Jeremy smiled and settled back in his seat. "I was just teasing our new friend, Dante here about your alter ego, Hungry Gwen."

"That girl is sleeping right now," Gwen laughed a bit. "But she is also mad because her best friend is not listening to her."

Allen don't understand the relationship of these two, neither did he want to intervene. His only priority as of the moment was getting out of the restaurant, fast.

On the other hand, he could just stay and collect more information about the one who's trying to imitate him and ruin his reputation. He can't have just anyone pretending to be him and destroy what he wasn't finished creating.

He had to make a decision whether to stay or leave. And he has to decide now.

"So," Allen cleared his throat, making Gwen and Jeremy turn their gazed to him. "How did you know that the men that tried to take you were working for the Phantom Cunt?"

"A man who assaulted helpless girls can do crazy things, even try to eliminate a cop who's also someone who can stop his rampages," Gwen replied. "I told you, I am capable of nullifying his poison. I am slowly healing the victims a couple of the a day."

"Didn't you mention that the skill required for it takes on a lot of energy?" Jeremy asked, placing his elbows on the table and his chin on the back of his hand which he crossed. For some reason, this small gesture of the man irked Allen. His eyes almost twitched after he saw Jeremy's movements.

"It does," Gwen replied. "It also takes a lot of time to channel, so I'm trying really hard to do it. That time when they tried to take me away, my body was already weak from healing seven people."

"Only seven?" Allen gasped. "Does it take that much energy and time?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Gwen sighed. "The Phantom Cunt got a hold of this information and he had take to eliminate those who can heal his poison."

Whoever was behind this Phantom Cunt persona was a powerful man, and they also had connections. Gwen is a police officer, someone that even on her bad days could still fight off a bear one-on-one. To hunt her, the Phantom Cunt had to plan his move and take her at the time she was most vulnerable in, when she's weak after healing.

For Allen, this case was bigger than he actually thought. But one question lingered in his mind like the taste of cigarette after.

What's the Phantom Cunt's purpose into doing this? Why go this far?