Black Online-Chapter 201: Father

"Congratulations on reaching the round of 16!"

The young woman said with a sweet smile.

She then moved Fang Raon’s nametag to the next round, and it didn’t look like his opponent was known yet.

"When will the next round begin?"

Fang Raon asked.

"In an hour or so."

The young woman said.

Fang Raon nodded and thought about heading back to his room to rest up before the next round.

However.

Then he noticed that the weather outside wasn’t all that great, as rain was dripping down from the skies.

It started light, but it was quickly becoming heavier, and everybody outside was rushing inside as they didn’t want to get wet.

’It’s raining now? The weather sure changes quickly over here. At one moment, it’s all sunny and warm; the next moment, it’s raining and thundering.’

Fang Raon thought with a sigh.

He didn’t have an umbrella, and he didn’t really want to get wet, so he decided to just stay over at the tournament hall.

After looking around for a moment, he found a place to sit—which was far away from others—so he could concentrate on his thoughts.

"Raon!"

But his peace didn’t last for long as Raikou walked over to him, and he wasn’t with his posse of Bastard Men.

He was all alone.

’What the fuck does he want?’

Fang Raon frowned.

"...Father wants to see you."

Raikou said coldly.

"...What the hell do you mean?"

Fang Raon asked with a puzzled expression.

"He is here, on the third floor, and he wants to see you privately. Don’t make him wait any longer."

Raikou said with a scoff, and then he walked away, as if he didn’t want anyone to see him talk to Fang Raon.

Like it was something to be embarrassed of.

’Father is here? Why? I’ve never heard of him playing Black Online. What the hell does he want? I don’t want to see him...’

Fang Raon gritted his teeth.

However, he knew that it wouldn’t do any good to keep avoiding Aizen, as he would find a way to make contact eventually.

He stood up and made his way over to the third floor and saw that the third floor was mostly a restaurant floor.

There was a bar, kitchen at the back, and a few tables were occupied by people enjoying their meals.

In that moment, he saw someone familiar sitting at the back, occupying a table for two, and he was eating what seemed to be a plate of spaghetti.

’He really is here...’

Fang Raon frowned, and then he approached the table, and his father, Aizen, lifted his gaze from the plate.

In that moment...

Aizen smiled like he was truly happy to see his son.

"Raon."

He stood up, approached Fang Raon, and, out of nowhere, hugged him, which lasted about two seconds, before he backed away and patted him on the shoulders.

"You look stronger. That’s good. It does look like you’ve been taking good care of yourself."

Aizen said with a smile, and then he sat back down.

Meanwhile, Fang Raon looked genuinely surprised.

’This is the first time... that he had touched me that wasn’t a slap. What the hell is going on? Why is he acting like this? This is really creepy.

’Is this really Aizen or just a skinwalker?’

Fang Raon gulped, and he sat down across from his father and then saw him wave his hand over to the waiter.

"You can order anything you want."

Aizen said.

"...Not hungry."

Fang Raon said and crossed his arms.

"As you wish."

Aizen waved off the waiter, and then he continued enjoying his spaghetti.

It was food that wouldn’t be able to fill his real-life body, but he didn’t eat it for necessity but because of the taste.

"I didn’t know you played this game, Aizen."

Fang Raon said.

"Aizen? You make me sound like a stranger. I am your Father, so call me that."

He said.

’...The last time I remember that, when I called you Father, you looked like you wanted to throw up. Is he a little demented?’

Fang Raon scratched the back of his head.

It really didn’t feel like he was talking to that Fang Aizen that he knew, but someone that had taken over his body.

"What did you want to talk to me about... Father?"

Fang Raon asked.

"Couldn’t I just see my son, whom I hadn’t seen in a while?"

Aizen asked.

’Right... The oh-so-great Lord Aizen is a busy man, and he would never waste his time coming here for no reason.’

Fang Raon thought.

He wished that he had some mind-reading abilities so he could tell what Aizen was really thinking about.

’Maybe there are some mind-reading skills... I’d want to get my hands on one, but I don’t think that’s possible for a Warrior such as myself.’

Fang Raon thought.

"I met with your sister and brothers yesterday. I also wanted to have you for that, but that doesn’t matter now, as I can tell you about it directly."

Aizen said, and he stopped eating and wiped his lips with a napkin.

’And here we go... The real reason for him wanting to meet me.’

Fang Raon nodded.

He was wondering what could be so important for him to come meet him directly in person.

"...I want you to return home immediately."

Aizen said and took a sip of the cold water that tasted like it had been stored in a refrigerator for a few hours.

Fang Raon’s eyes widened in surprise.

There was a time when he wanted to return home. He tried for months to get in contact with Aizen via Anna.

He tried... tried... and tried.

Eventually, he realized that they didn’t want him.

When he received his Virtual Reality Pod, he decided that he didn’t need his family anymore and wanted to improve his own life by himself.

’My old self would be thrilled that I get to go back... The 18th floor of the Megaworld is a horrible place to be at, but... I don’t want to go back anymore.

’I don’t need them. I don’t want to go back there!’

Fang Raon clenched his hands into fists, and he looked directly into the eyes of Aizen, who was staring at him back.

Aizen’s eyes slightly squinted as he noticed the unwillingness.

"I won’t come back."

Fang Raon said.

"I need you, my son. There is a problem... and I need you."

Aizen said, and at that moment, he looked very uncomfortable and quickly grabbed one of the napkins.

He covered his mouth and started coughing.

The cough sounded wet and painful, and it really sounded like something was wrong with the way he was coughing.

’What’s... going on?’

Fang Raon thought with a frown.

"Argh..."

Aizen put the napkin away, and once he cleared his throat, he looked in the eyes of his son with a pained gaze.

"Son, I am dying... and I don’t think I have much time left."

"What?!"

Fang Raon cried out in surprise.

He always thought that Aizen was the pinnacle of health, as he had never even been sick a day in his life.

"That was also my reaction when I found out about it. I couldn’t believe it either, but life can be such a bitch sometimes."

Aizen said with a wry smile, and then he reached out his hand across the table and grabbed his son’s hand tightly.

"I need you to come back... I need an heir that will lead the Fang Family once I am gone, and I want it to be you."

Aizen said with a serious look on his face.

"...Are you fucking joking me? You exiled me. You have acted like I haven’t existed for years, and now... You want me to come back to be the heir?"

Fang Raon asked in disbelief.

"Yes..."

Aizen pulled back his hand and cleared his throat, and then he continued talking with some struggle behind every word.

"...You are the only one that I can trust... Raizen, Raikou, and Anna... They don’t know yet, but I don’t want any of them to lead...

"...Raizen... Well, you know... I don’t know what went wrong, but he is definitely not good to be leading anything, and you know why...

"Raikou is just a fucking idiot. He will run the family into the ground in his first year. He’s too reckless and impulsive."

"And Anna... First of all, she is a woman, and second, she is crazy. I let her lead that guild of hers, to see if she has the ability to lead, and she does...

"But I cannot trust her. She is far too unpredictable, and I cannot have someone like that be the future head of the Fang Family."

Aizen said with a serious gaze.

"...So why me?"

Fang Raon asked.

"You are the only one that I can trust with this role. You’ve always been better than your brothers, but your disability was the only thing holding you back.

"You must also understand my position. The leader can’t possibly be weak, and because of your disability, there were worries that you wouldn’t even be able to live past your thirties.

"But now... You are all better, and that’s why I can wholeheartedly trust this position in your hands. I trust you."

Aizen said with a soft expression on his otherwise hard-looking face.

Fang Raon looked at his father, and he was without words, as he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

’This is such... bullshit.’