Chapter 31: The Legend of Aldric Riina [1]

"When the portals first opened on Earth, the apocalypse arrived within a week. The nations that once called themselves the rulers of humanity, such as America and China, soon discovered how powerless they truly were."

Salvatore’s voice echoed through the training room.

He was teaching me history as part of my successor training.

....But this history was different from the history that rest of people known.

I sat across from him as he placed a thick document on the table.

"The first monsters emerged from the portals, and humanity was caught completely off guard. Conventional weapons proved ineffective against the stronger creatures, while the Awakeners who appeared among us were too few to make a meaningful difference."

He paused to take a sip of coffee.

"Cities fell. Governments collapsed. Millions died within days. Those who survived were forced to abandon their homes and seek refuge behind the walls established by the strongest Awakeners."

I glanced at the document, which contained photographs of ruined cities, massive portals, and creatures that looked as though they had crawled straight out of humanity’s worst nightmares.

Although I already knew about the portals and the monsters that emerged from them, seeing these historical records was an entirely different experience.

The scale of the destruction was horrifying.

"Eventually, the surviving nations realized that fighting among themselves would only accelerate humanity’s extinction. They began cooperating, pooling their resources, and establishing a unified authority capable of organizing humanity’s resistance."

"The World Government?" I asked.

"Correct."

Salvatore nodded.

"However, don’t make the mistake of thinking the World Government was established purely out of goodwill. Cooperation was necessary for survival, but power was still power. The strongest Awakeners naturally gained the greatest influence, and the organizations that supported them rose alongside them."

He turned a page.

"Over time, the World Government consolidated its authority over the surviving territories. Many former nations disappeared entirely, while others retained their names but lost their independence. Berlin is one such example."

I nodded.

On the surface, the World Government governed Berlin. Beneath that surface, however, the Riina family controlled much of its underworld.

It was a reminder that political authority and actual power weren’t always the same thing.

"Eventually, humanity gained its first SS-rank Awakener," Salvatore continued.

"An Overlord?" I asked.

"Correct. SS-rank was the classification assigned to beings of that level, while Overlord was the title given to those who stood at the absolute pinnacle of human strength."

He pushed another document toward me.

"This is a record of the first Overlord’s achievements."

I picked it up and began reading.

The document described a man who had defended settlements from monster hordes and given survivors time to evacuate before entire communities were wiped out.

In one battle, he had reportedly held back hundreds of thousands of monsters for nearly two days.

Two days.

Even if the records exaggerated his achievements, his strength must have been beyond anything I could currently imagine.

"So he became the first Overlord and helped humanity turn the tide of the apocalypse?"

"Partially."

Salvatore shook his head.

"One man couldn’t protect the entire world. Even an Overlord has limits. He could defeat monsters that would annihilate entire armies, but he couldn’t be everywhere at once."

"That makes sense."

"Over the following decades, more powerful Awakeners emerged. Some established organizations to protect settlements, while others gathered followers and expanded their influence. Gradually, humanity reclaimed territories that had once been lost."

Salvatore pulled another document from the stack.

"And that brings us to your grandfather."

I looked down at the photograph he placed before me.

An older man with sharp eyes stared back at me. He wore an expensive suit, but there was nothing particularly extraordinary about his appearance.

"Don Vincent Riina," Salvatore said. "Before the apocalypse, he controlled a powerful criminal organization in Italy. However, when the old world collapsed, Italy ceased to exist as an independent nation, and most of his subordinates abandoned him."

I frowned.

"Wait. My grandfather was unawakened?"

This information had never appeared in the game.

...And father didn’t talked about grandfather, so I didn’t know almost anything about him.

This was Interesting piece of information.

"Yes."

Salvatore answered without hesitation.

"Unlike your father, your grandfather possessed no extraordinary abilities. He was an ordinary human in a world where strength had become the most important currency. His wealth, connections, and former status became practically worthless once the apocalypse began."

He took another sip of coffee.

"His subordinates deserted him one after another. Some joined powerful Awakeners to secure their own survival, while others simply disappeared. Eventually, your grandfather was left with only a handful of loyal followers."

That was difficult to imagine.

The Riina family I knew was one of the most powerful organizations in the world. Even the World Government had to consider its influence before making certain decisions.

Yet its founder had nearly lost everything?

"What happened afterward?" I asked.

Salvatore smiled faintly.

"Your grandfather had one piece of luck left. Your father."

"Father?"

"Your father awakened at a remarkably young age. Recognizing the significance of his talent, your grandfather immediately began preparing him to become his successor."

Salvatore’s expression grew nostalgic.

"Don Vincent taught him to recognize opportunities, understand his enemies, and make difficult decisions without allowing his emotions to cloud his judgment. He also taught him that strength alone would never be enough to rebuild the Riina family."

"So he raised Father to become a weapon?"

"Not quite."

Salvatore shook his head.

"A weapon can be pointed at an enemy. A leader must decide which enemy deserves to be fought, when to retreat, and what sacrifices are necessary to secure victory. Your grandfather wanted your father to become the pillar of the family, not merely its strongest fighter."

I nodded thoughtfully.

The Riina family hadn’t become powerful simply because Aldric was strong. Someone had to turn that strength into influence, resources, and a lasting organization.

And that someone had been Vincent Riina.

"Then how did Father rebuild the family?" I asked.

"Through blood," Salvatore replied.

I stared at him.

I expected him to say that.

His expression became serious.

"Your father was still young when he began fighting monsters alongside your grandfather. His strength grew at an astonishing rate, and he quickly surpassed most Awakeners of his generation. Meanwhile, your grandfather gathered the remaining loyal members of the Riina organization and began rebuilding their network."

"Father became their strongest fighter, while Grandfather handled the organization?"

"Precisely. Your grandfather secured alliances, recruited capable people, and managed their remaining resources. Your father protected their territory and eliminated threats that ordinary Awakeners couldn’t handle."

I narrowed my eyes.

"So Grandfather became the brain, and Father became the fist?"

Salvatore chuckled.

"That’s a crude way of putting it, young master, but not an entirely inaccurate one."

For a time, their arrangement worked remarkably well. The Riina family began expanding again, reclaiming territory and attracting Awakeners who wanted to join an organization capable of protecting them.

However, the incident that truly established my father’s legend occurred several years later.

Salvatore pulled out a photograph of a massive portal surrounded by a devastated landscape.

"The Domain Barrier Crisis."