Chapter 1935 – 1935. Dark Moon
Step, step.
I walked down the hallway.
Bergman, my target, was sure to be on the top floor. Normally, I would have immediately taken the elevator or stairs up. It would be a disaster if Bergman were to escape.
‘Bergman can’t escape.’
This was Bergman’s only residence. Bergman, already branded a traitor, leaving the company? There was no way the Imperial Army, which was watching this place, would let that happen.
Bergman’s only way to survive was to somehow kill me, then buy time by denouncing the Imperial Army in a public setting.
[Detection]
I used detection magic. I could feel the positions of enemies in real-time, as well as the internal structure of the building. However, there were places that felt like they were covered in fog. Places that had been specially treated to block detection magic.
Too obvious to be a trap.
‘This is a company building. Most of it is filled with company technology.’
Most company buildings had several places where magic was blocked. It was a precaution to prevent technology from being stolen by magic.
I turned my steps towards that place. Since I was raiding the company anyway, I might as well take some technology.
‘Since they’ve grown this company to this size, the technology should be worth some money. It might even be technology I need for my business.’
A large iron door blocked my path. It wasn’t ordinary iron. It was a special wall made with special technology and materials that greatly increased magic resistance.
[Telekinesis]
I tried to forcibly open the iron door using telekinesis. But as soon as the telekinesis touched the iron door, it scattered.
-You fool. Do you know how much money we poured into that room to stop a thief mage like you? It seems you’re interested in our company’s technology, but give up and come up. Your grave isn’t there, it’s upstairs.
Bergman’s voice echoed from the speakers on the ceiling. He was checking my location with cameras installed everywhere.
I thought about smashing the cameras, but I stopped. I came here for an all-out war anyway. I had no intention of hiding and moving around. It was better to act boldly and turn his stomach.
[Air Strike]
Kwaaaang!
The wind created by magic struck the iron door. The aftermath became a powerful wind that made my hair flutter.
‘Just because it’s a wall and door with high magic resistance doesn’t mean there aren’t any gaps. I just need to exert physical force indirectly.’
[Air Strike]
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!
The iron door, which seemed so sturdy, began to buckle under the impact. Even though Air Strike was only a second-tier spell, I, who was using it, was a fifth-tier mage. It was only natural that its power was much greater.
[Air Strike]
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!
The crumpled iron door flew backward and fell to the floor. I entered and curled up the corners of my mouth.
“Even the air is different.”
The white floor and walls were for cleanliness and hygiene. The temperature was cool thanks to the air conditioner that was running at full blast. A little further in, I saw artificial organ incubators. However, they looked slightly different from the organs I knew.
‘Modified organs.’
Artificial organ technology. The technology to create human organs was common in this world. You didn’t have to kidnap ordinary people and steal their organs; you could create organs with just science and technology.
‘Artificial organs themselves don’t make much money.’
That’s why there were modified artificial organs. Organs with special powers made by imitating monster organs. For example, a dark hole of a black mage. Just by implanting them into the body, you could gain special powers.
[Wind Cutter]
Blades of wind shattered the incubators lined up in a row. The incubators burst, and the culture fluid and artificial organs spilled onto the floor.
-You crazy bastard, how dare you!!!
To Bergman, it would look like money was being poured onto the floor. Special artificial organs were expensive.
“I’m going to smash everything and take anything that looks like data. I can sell it to other companies for a high price. Come down if you want to stop me.”
He wouldn’t be able to come down.
Bergman would have his own plans, and he would be most worried about a diversion.
For now, I’ll take any data chips I see. My pockets became heavy.
That’s when it happened.
I felt a presence creeping up on my senses. A very faint presence.
‘An assassin.’
There was no sound, and their body was transparent as if they had used magic.
‘But that doesn’t mean their existence disappears, so they can’t hide from someone with keen senses. Like how I noticed them now.’
I pretended not to notice on purpose. The moment I turned my body and tried to go outside, the assassin swung their sword.
The barrier split like tofu.
‘A barrier eater.’
A special weapon focused solely on destroying a mage’s barrier.
[Using Instant(刹那). Remaining stacks: 11]
I dodged the attack by stepping back. The eyes of the assassin in the special suit shook. It was understandable. Even I thought I had dodged too cleanly.
‘If I can’t dodge with Instant, that’s more strange.’
[Absolute Polymorph]
I changed my right hand into a hand cannon and aimed it at him. Just before I pulled the trigger, the assassin jumped up. They moved nimbly, sticking to the ceiling and approaching.
[Air Strike]
Kwaaaang!
The assassin, hit by the shockwave, flew backward and rolled on the floor. Sparks flew as if the suit was damaged.
“How foolish. Didn’t you know that you could also be hit by the shockwave?”
“I’m fine. Did you think I relied on just one barrier?”
Instead of being surprised, the assassin threw their sword at me. The sword stopped in front of my eyes. It wasn’t a barrier. It was telekinesis. I had wrapped telekinesis around my whole body to replace the barrier. That was why I was fine from the shockwave of Air Strike.
It required more concentration than using a barrier, but it was a great help when the barrier was useless, like now.
“…I heard you were an alchemist, but now I see you’re just a battle mage.”
The assassin got up as if they were in despair. There was no reason to just watch.
I shot the assassin with the hand cannon. The assassin’s upper body flew away. I moved on, leaving the corpse behind. If there was anything that looked expensive, I smashed it no matter what. Bergman, who was watching me through the cameras, must have been a mess with frustration.
• • •
I advanced openly.
Traps and enemies welcomed me, but they couldn’t stop me.
That was the scary thing about battle mages. Mages who specialized in combat. The power of magic itself was a powerful force that was difficult for ordinary people to understand. It wasn’t for nothing that high-level battle mages were treated as tactical weapons.
“Attack!!”
As soon as I reached the 7th floor of the building, a dozen enemies attacked at once. I, who had already known the existence of the enemies through detection magic, used the magic I had prepared.
[Explosion]
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaang!
An explosion occurred, sweeping away the enemies.
I used explosion magic regardless of whether the building was destroyed or not. The effect was excellent. All the guys who rushed at me at once were caught up in it. Most of them died instantly. Even the ones who were lucky enough to survive weren’t unscathed.
I shot the surviving enemies in the head with a pistol. I had to make sure they were dead. If I left them alive, there was a chance they would get up and try to attack me from behind.
‘I’m alone here. I need to reduce the variables.’
I killed, smashed, and stole my way to the top floor.
What greeted me on the top floor was Bergman and his family. One woman and three men. Bergman, the eldest, and his siblings.
Bergman was holding a sword in the center, the second was holding a gun, the third was a battle mage, and the fourth, the only woman, was clenching her fists tightly.
“So, you finally made it all the way up here.”
Bergman, the eldest, said. His voice was full of annoyance. He glared at me with murderous eyes.
“That’s why, brother, I told you we should have gone down and dealt with him ourselves. We can’t trust mercenaries.”
The second said, pulling the bolt of his rifle.
“As a fellow battle mage, I respect you. I could never become a battle mage as skilled as you, even if I died and came back to life… But in the end, you’re the one who’s going to die. You must have used a lot of stamina and mana to get here. It’s easy to hunt a tired beast.”
The third was long-winded. But he was right. I was somewhat tired from coming all the way here.
“Brothers. Instead of talking nonsense, let’s kill that bastard. I’ll go first.”
The fourth, the only woman, clenched her fists and rushed at me. Scales appeared on the woman’s skin.
‘Dragon scales? A dragonkin with dragon factors?’
The fourth’s fist pounded on the barrier. The barrier swayed, but it held. Her physical abilities were too weak to be a dragonkin.
One hypothesis came to mind.
“Did you implant a dragon’s organ?”
“I replaced the human pancreas with a dragon’s pancreas. It’s possible!”
Her nails grew long. Her nails tore through the barrier and aimed for my neck. But they were blocked by the second barrier and bounced off.
‘Even if it’s not a dragon factor, it’s strong enough to easily neutralize one barrier. If I don’t go all out, I might be the one who gets taken down.’
I took out a golden gift from my pocket. Without hesitation, I put the escape potion I had obtained from the ancient ruins in my mouth.
The potion was sweet like honey. And my body began to overflow with power. A potion that increased all stats by 50% for 3 minutes.
I used magic, feeling my senses become sharper.
[Chain Lightning]
The lightning bolt that started from my fingertips extended to Bergman’s brothers, starting with the fourth, who was closest.
The third used a barrier, but the chain lightning easily pierced through the barrier and electrocuted them all at once.
‘They’re still alive, so they must have some skill.’
I reached out and grabbed the head of the fourth, who was closest. She counterattacked by swinging her fist at me. It was only blocked by the barrier.
“The barrier is stronger than before?! What the hell did this bastard eat?!”
“I ate something good. It’s a bit boring that your last words are just that.”
[Explosion]
Kwaaaang!
An explosion occurred. Black smoke rose, but it was carried away by the wind that came in through the open window and disappeared immediately.
“Ugh, ugh….”
“You survived that?”
Slightly surprised, I used magic again.
[Explosion]
Kwaaaang!
[Explosion]
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!
The woman’s body shattered and scattered in all directions.
