While they were draining the monster’s strength and continuing the battle,
I pondered what the strongest move I could make was.
Without a sword, Altair swordsmanship was out of the question.
I could buy one with EXP, but all the ones available now were too fragile.
They might shatter under my mana before even clashing with the enemy.
Moreover, unless it’s a sword with a shape and length I’m familiar with, its efficiency would drop, making it pointless.
So, I recalled a technique I had used before when fighting a guy named Danju.
A technique that turns the body itself into a weapon.
It was something I had learned from Isabel.
But that alone wasn’t enough.
“I need something beyond that.”
As someone who had thoroughly read the original work multiple times, I knew about the higher-level techniques Isabel had mentioned.
Their principles, power, and methods—I remembered them all vividly.
The text was so clear in my mind that it sparked my imagination.
There was just one variable.
“My talent is inconsistent.”
Basic Imperial swordsmanship?
I fumble like a novice.
But the techniques Isabel taught me?
I execute them flawlessly.
It’s so confusing, not knowing what the issue is, but my abilities fluctuate wildly.
“Well, it’s not like I can back out now.”
Whether it works or not, I have to give it my all before giving up.
Of course, perfectly recreating techniques I’ve only read about isn’t easy.
Most physical skills are like that.
They can be described in endless detail in text, but seeing them in action can make them instantly understandable.
That’s why audiovisual materials are so important.
But in this case, it’s an exception.
“I’ve seen it once before.”
The day Arcane and Amcheon invaded.
I lost consciousness and had a strange dream.
A dream that showed me someone who wasn’t Theonar or me.
In that dream, I clearly saw Isabel using her techniques to deal with the demonic beasts.
Even if it was just for a brief moment.
“Remember it, please remember it!”
I mimic the form of the mana that surrounded her.
I move my body along the path she took.
I time my strike to match the moment she unleashed her attack.
I replay that fleeting moment in my mind dozens, hundreds of times.
The wild, rough mana covering my body suddenly flows smoothly in one direction.
The vast mana compresses, and the atmosphere around me distorts.
When everything is concentrated into a single point—
“Spit out my friend, you hybrid bastard.”
My fist explodes with a single point of impact, obliterating everything in its path.
***
“Ugh…”
“Ah… um, are you okay?”
“…I’ll manage.”
The strike I unleashed didn’t just send the Chimera to the afterlife.
The mana that pierced through the ceiling caused debris to fall, nearly killing the Rabbit Knight too.
Rozennia, who was a bit further away, wasn’t hurt, but she exhausted herself creating a barrier to protect the other innocent people.
“Bastard, sleeping so soundly.”
Gray, fortunately, was unharmed.
“Ugh… Madam, you shouldn’t do this here…”
I worked my ass off, and it’s annoying to see him sleeping peacefully, muttering unpleasant things in his sleep.
But I didn’t have the strength left to punish him after gathering so much mana.
“Ugh, every time I go somewhere, something happens.”
Like a detective in a murder mystery, wherever the protagonist goes, trouble follows.
Why does something always happen around me?
Thinking that all of this is fuel for growth is good news, but…
‘Why do I have to go through what Ian should be experiencing?’
Enduring hardships and achieving rapid growth is supposed to be the protagonist’s narrative.
‘This… this is what the original protagonist was supposed to go through.’
Why am I the one suffering like this?
‘It’s not like I can drag him around by the collar every time.’
Maybe I should have taken a year off and attended classes with Ian.
That way, it’d be easier to drag him along.
“Sigh, complaining won’t change anything. Let’s just keep going.”
After the demonic beast incident, those who had escaped the black market early informed the guards.
Not long after the Chimera was dealt with, knights and soldiers began suppressing the demonic beasts.
The demonic beasts rampaging through the black market were quickly dealt with.
“Ah, Captain Fuen! It’s an honor to see you here.”
“Enough with the greetings. Take those sprawled out over there into custody. Whether they’re alive or dead.”
“Yes! Understood!”
The main culprits of this incident—the bandits and suspicious figures—were captured.
This situation isn’t just about slave trading;
It’s connected to dark magic, so the Empire will have a headache dealing with it.
Moreover, the Elyon Trading Company, the host of the black market, will be heavily shaken.
‘But where did that guy go?’
Everyone else was arrested, but Danju, the one I defeated, was gone.
Dellar Hyde was torn to pieces during the process of becoming the Chimera’s core, so he’s no concern.
But that guy shouldn’t have been let go.
‘I was too focused on the Chimera to notice.’
Even in the midst of the chaos, his relaxed attitude kept bothering me.
So, as soon as I dealt with the Chimera, I went to secure him, but he was already gone.
‘It’s strange that he went down so easily too.’
The eerie feeling I got when he first grabbed me from behind— he wasn’t the type to be taken out by a single lucky punch.
There are too many suspicious aspects, but there’s nothing more I can do now.
I’ll have to leave him for later.
‘Rozennia is involved too, so she’ll look into it.’
Plus, Gray will investigate anything that seems off.
I’ll just casually ask for information later.
“The investigation is over. You’re free to go.”
After the Imperial guards confirmed my identity, thanks to the testimony of Captain Fuen, I was released fairly quickly.
Normally, I’d have to go through all sorts of investigations, but everything was skipped.
‘Power is great, isn’t it?’
A single word from someone in a high position, and the soldiers scramble to let you go.
‘Let’s rest for now.’
Too much happened today.
I thought I’d just stop by the black market, buy something, and go home.
Instead, I explored some mansion, rescued kidnapped people, and even killed a Chimera.
It’s hard to believe all of this happened in a single day.
Such a spectacular experience requires some time to soothe my mind and body.
***
In a narrow alley tucked away in the pleasure district, the shadows seeped in so deeply that not a single ray of light could penetrate, dyeing the surroundings in darkness.
“Ah, that was a good experiment.”
A figure emerged, parting the pitch-black darkness.
It was Danju, the leader of the slave-trading group.
“It’s a shame the Philosopher’s Stone was destroyed, but what can you do? It was just a prototype.”
Things didn’t go as planned, but there were still valuable results.
With a satisfied expression, he began gathering his belongings, preparing to leave.
But just as he was about to step out—
Tap.
An old man leaning on a cane blocked his path at the alley’s entrance.
His stiff, graying hair, wrinkled skin, and the dark spots covering his face made him look like any ordinary old man.
The old man had a tiger mask hanging casually on the side of his head.
“Nice to meet you, young man.”
He greeted Danju with a friendly smile.
“Ha… I’m in a good mood today, so I don’t feel like killing anyone.”
“Keuk keuk, then don’t kill anyone. Simple, isn’t it?”
“Hmm, what do you think, old man? If you step aside quietly, I’ll just break your legs and let you go.”
Until this moment, Danju hadn’t thought much of it.
He just wanted to return and examine the results of his experiment.
He truly was in a good mood and didn’t want to kill anyone.
After all the effort he’d put in, he didn’t want to dirty himself with the blood of some ordinary, smelly old man.
“Where do you think you’re going, lackey of Shimuin?”
But that changed when the old man spoke those words.
“…What? You’re not just some ordinary old man, are you?”
Shimuin was the god worshipped by the group Danju belonged to.
Though some called him a demon, it didn’t matter to them.
To them, anyone who granted power and fulfilled their desires was a god—or a demon.
“Fallen bats who’ve torn off their wings and abandoned their identities. Like cockroaches, you just won’t die no matter how many times we kill you.”
“Just die.”
Enraged by the old man’s mocking tone, Danju lashed out at him.
But—
Crack.
“What the…?!”
His outstretched arm was instantly twisted in the opposite direction.
The old man then—
“Kuaaaah!”
—ripped the arm clean off.
“These lingering ghosts from the past are such a nuisance.”
“Keuk keuk, so it’s you. The one who’s been hunting us down like rats.”
“Do you still resent us? That deal was what your daughter wanted—”
Thud.
“Enough.”
Crunch.
“You’re too noisy.”
The old man frowned in displeasure and casually crushed Danju’s skull with two fingers.