Reincarnated With An SSS-Rank Talent In An Apocalyptic World

We sat in silence for a while, both men lost in their own thoughts. The strong wind from the open window made our hair whip wildly, and the bright moonlight was the only source of light in the room.

It was terribly cold, but none of us felt it. For the first time, I was with someone like me—but it only made my mood bitter.

"Why do you think I lost Louisiana?" Lee Bai spoke up again. "Do you think it's because this world is strong enough?"

Hmph!

He scoffed and chuckled even before I could respond.

"Why do you even think I made a desperate move to take territory out of this realm?" he continued, almost like he didn't need my response.

"Why?" I asked, and he fell silent.

Only now did he realize how stressed he was, talking about this topic.

"My forces are stretched thin. We are besieged on all sides by the darkness, and I'm in need of more soldiers and quality arms. So I turned to this world after I realized they had aether-powered weapons. But of course, capturing a territory in a peak realm is one thing. Keeping it is another."

"I should have aimed for Africa… maybe retake Congo from the beast-kin," he muttered under his breath.

I watched him act out of character and understood the kind of stress this man must be under. He must be bombarded by thousands of notifications warning him of the condition of his territories as we speak.

"You need help, don't you?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

Lee Bai frowned for the first time since the meeting. His eyes met mine, and his frown deepened, almost to the point of rage—but he never refuted my words.

After a few seconds, he let out a heavy sigh, relaxing his expression and nodding at my words.

"I'm a leader without a sword," he chuckled. "I need you to be my sword."

This man was good with words—but so was I.

Because it sounded good didn't mean I had to go along with the plan.

"I'm sure you have met many Gatekeepers. Why come for me?" I asked the first question in my head, and Lee Bai smiled.

He bopped his head a bit, as if listening to music, before rising to his feet. But even then, I didn't move.

"Because you are of a higher quality," he said plainly. "You are relatively weak now, but quite strong for a new Gatekeeper."

"I'm not buying that shit," I shook my head.

Nothing is new under the heavens. The moment a person believes he is something special is the moment he dies. Talented people are born every day—just because I haven't met them doesn't mean they don't exist.

Lee Bai just laughed at my words but didn't argue.

"The second and probably the most important question. What is in it for me?" I asked.

Upon hearing this, Lee Bai grinned and revealed a row of razor-sharp teeth like those found in the mouth of a shark. It was a genuinely terrifying thing to witness, but I was also scared, so I wasn't moved much.

"We become co-kings in every new territory we conquer together, making it easier for us to take and defend new territories. You also gain my support in other territories owned by you. If needed, I will send my army over to defend your lands the same way I call on you to help defend mine."

Lee Bai's hand gestures when explaining made me remember how women acted when talking.

'Is he gay or something?'

'I don't think I'm comfortable having a gay as my co-king.'

"And I'm not gay," Lee Bai snapped, and I jerked back in shock.

"How did you know what I was thinking?" I blurted out.

Sigh!

Exhaling loudly, he pressed his fingertips against his forehead and stood there in silence for a short while before responding.

"I have gotten that look several times, and some have been bold enough to ask—so I know what it means when someone looks at me that way."

"Ooh," I mumbled under my breath while adjusting my sitting position.

I pushed my hair back before asking the question that came to mind.

"Co-kings—is that really a thing?"

Ding!

[Co-kings are very much possible as long as both Gatekeepers are in agreement. However, should the agreement fall apart, all territories shared between them become a no man's land until one side is driven out or obliterated.]

The system responded even before I could get my answer from Lee Bai.

"I guess you just got your answer," Lee Bai chuckled.

It was natural he could tell when someone was reading system messages, since he does the same.

Instinctively, I began rubbing my chin while gazing at the message intently.

After a few seconds, I raised my gaze to meet his eyes.

"Is this common amongst Gatekeepers?" I asked, and Lee Bai shook his head.

"How could it be?" he laughed like I just asked a stupid question. "If it were, we would have united the realms and driven out the dark entities a long time ago."

Watching him walk back to the sofa, I blinked repeatedly, visibly confused by his words.

"Explain better," I demanded.

Lee Bai didn't rush to answer. He sat down and picked up the glass of milk, gazing at its content for a while before speaking.

"Have you forgotten already?" he asked. "Gatekeepers are vicious souls condemned by the heavens. While a few of us are just victims who refused to submit to the will of the heavens, a lot of us are really nasty souls who did diabolical things just for the fun of it."

"Do you really think people like that can trust each other and rule together?"

Only after hearing this did I realize how disconnected I was from reality.

People like me, who were wronged by the heavens, may actually be in the minority.

The rest may actually be vicious souls that deserve this gruesome punishment.

"That explains why there are Gatekeepers joining the Abyss…" I muttered.

"Bingo!" Lee Bai snapped his fingers with a small smile.

"So how do I know you are not one of those evil souls?" My tone turned stern, and my eyes turned cold. "How do I know you are trustworthy?"

Lee Bai chuckled a bit and quickly gulped down all the contents in the cup in one go. He wiped his pale lips with the back of his hand and grinned once again.

"You don't," he said plainly. "It's a risk, and that's why I don't expect a response tonight."

Saying this, he stood up and walked toward the window beside my bed. My eyes trailed his every movement, but I didn't grab onto Rai'ki—yet.

"A successful alliance comes when both sides have needs the other can meet. So until you have a need for me, I don't expect you to join me."

Snap!

A spiraling dark rift spun into existence beside him. It was silent and impossible to notice.

If I wasn't looking at him, I wouldn't have noticed the presence of the rift.

"Before I forget. You are a millionaire… you have a visitor of Chinese descent—the least you can do is buy some tea for the days I visit, and maybe a Go board game too," Lee Bai said before taking half a step into the rift.

"And in a show of good faith, I'll give you a little information. Someone is coming to kill you tonight, and it's someone you know." He chuckled. "She's close already, and I believe she would be a tough opponent even for you. So good luck with that."

"What?" I blurted out in confusion, but he didn't wait—he just walked into the rift.

Someone is coming to kill me tonight… and it's someone I know.

It's a woman, and she'll be a tough opponent?

Was it Kenza?

No, Kenza could only harm me because I wasn't trying to kill her. If I had my Berserk mode, I would easily overpower her talent and rip her head off.

Natasha?

Impossible.

Her talent may be unique and dangerous, but it's not something that can threaten me at my current level.

This leaves me the final female figure in my life…

"PAMELA!"

My gaze steeled, and my hands balled up into a fist!