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It was clear evidence that someone was tailing Lennok intentionally.

To be precise, someone was following Van, not Lennok.

Considering the circumstances, there weren’t many potential culprits who could be delving into Lennok’s background.

As Lennok’s thoughts raced, he began to narrow down the list of likely suspects.

‘It’s either the remnants of Cigar Bang or the high-ranking officers of Falcon. The drug traffickers I encountered during my last assignment… All are plausible, but the exploration team seems most probable.’

At this point, news of Brook’s and other members of the exploration team’s deaths must have reached Irina. It wouldn’t be surprising for her to take action, especially considering that her comrades perished while targeting the amulet. She might seek vengeance, setting aside the official explanation.

On the contrary, it seemed more plausible to Lennok that she would dispatch someone like this.

He lightly tapped into his mana and summoned Davi.

“Check the surrounding CCTV. Is anyone monitoring this area?”

[Electronic devices within a 100m radius are currently being blocked in real-time. It’s not a physical disconnection, so they should recover within 5 minutes.]

“Blocking, not surveillance? Hmm…”

Could it be that their intention was to eliminate Lennok right here and now?

At the very least, it was evident that whoever was tailing him was determined to carry out a significant action.

[Remarkable confidence.]

“Let’s see who possesses the skill to accomplish this.”

Lennok folded his arms and turned his back, awaiting the other party’s approach.

He was fully prepared to employ the five fingers of the Enakfil artifact he possessed at a moment’s notice.

For Lennok, who had grasped the deployment method of the domain, there were very few factors that could impede the use of mana.

His confidence in his ability to escape at any time had now shifted to curiosity about his opponent, so he patiently waited.

The pursuer, realizing that Lennok had exposed him through his unwavering demeanor, immediately changed his tactics.

Ssssss…!!

A chilling sound, as if the wind was slithering along the ground.

A focused blade of murderous intent started to penetrate the narrow passages.

By the time Lennok regained his focus, it had already transformed into a solitary shadow, looking down upon him.

A man crouched on a lamppost, gazing down at Lennok with an indifferent stare.

Clad in black robes with disheveled hair, he appeared disconnected from worldly matters.

Nevertheless, the mana within him was remarkably pure and stable.

A highly skilled martial artist who had rigorously disciplined himself and possessed a high level of infiltration skills.

“I made an error.”

After locking eyes with Lennok for a moment, the young man slowly spoke.

“I genuinely believed you hadn’t detected anything until my arrival, but you were expecting me all along.”

“……..”

“Chances are, this location isn’t your true residence; it’s merely a disposable intermediary point. Given the circumstances, I have no choice but to interrogate you directly for information.”

“You’re quite talkative for someone who just trailed me here.”

“…..What?”

“Wouldn’t it be more efficient to ask your questions directly if you’re curious?”

Lennok extracted a slim stick from his pocket and placed it in his mouth as he spoke.

It was a product made from solidified herbal extracts, used as portable health food.

Famous for its bitter taste but not overwhelmingly unpleasant, it had a flavor that induced just the right amount of nausea, and Lennok rather enjoyed it.

He had grown accustomed to the bitter taste of these herbal extracts.

In response to Lennok’s words, the young man let out a cynical laugh.

“Listen, don’t misunderstand. Do you think we’d undertake all of this without thoroughly investigating you first?”

“……..”

“We’ve completed an investigation into your movements when you’re not on assignment. We’ve also gained a comprehensive understanding of the mana system you utilize.”

“That’s quite intriguing.”

Ignoring Lennok’s somewhat lackluster response, the young man swiftly flicked his finger, causing a small bead to erupt from his hand, dispersing a dense powder across the area.

“If I disrupt your lightning magic, your range of countermeasures will be severely limited…! Reveal all your cards!”

With this declaration, the young man transformed into a streak of shadow and charged towards Lennok in the blink of an eye.

Screech!

His velocity, resembling a wave along the building’s dark silhouette, was exceptional. Judging by the flow of mana within him, it appeared to be a martial art technique involving shadows rather than conventional mana or spells.

Lennok, poised to react immediately, deduced the nature of the scattered powder and lowered his head.

“It seems you’ve adopted an unconventional strategy. Are you attempting to trigger a dust explosion?”

Was he hoping to ensnare Lennok in a fire created by dispersing combustible particles in the air?

No, his opponent was not so foolish. Lennok, a skilled wizard, was unlikely to fall into a trap set by his own fire magic. So, what was the purpose behind this action?

Lennok swiftly discerned the answer.

“This alley may appear deserted, but it’s actually quite close to a bustling area… If an explosion were to occur here, it would undoubtedly affect civilians.”

Lennok harbored no unwarranted sense of responsibility for protecting innocent bystanders. However, he wished to avoid attracting attention that could disrupt his freelance lifestyle by involving civilians.

His opponent had detected this subtle difference in attitude and launched a preemptive strike to exploit this minor hesitation.

‘Even if I consciously limit my use of high-powered magic, I still have plenty of options. But what if he anticipated this and dispersed the dust?’

If the young man was indeed a member of the exploration team, what did he seek to observe from Lennok aside from his firepower?

The answer became evident when Lennok recalled mainly employing manipulation-type magic when he had dealt with Brook.

‘He wants to confirm if I can manipulate mana. All these actions are designed to test if a mana user’s skill will reveal itself.’

However, this also implied that the exploration team had not yet confirmed that Lennok was the one responsible for Brook’s demise.

A wry smile graced Lennok’s lips as the young man’s dagger emerged from the shadows, slicing through the air with incredible speed.

Whooosh!

In the normally unreachable mid-air, the mana-infused dagger descended upon Lennok’s shield.

Kaboom!

The shield shattered into more than two layers in an instant, sending a powerful shockwave through the narrow alley.

“Three more layers…!”

The young man’s hands moved even faster as his speed increased. Five shadowy punches pounded heavily against the shield from his position.

However, Lennok remained less perturbed by the fluctuating shield and more intrigued by the words the young man had murmured.

“You’re aware that my shield consists of five layers? You’ve done your homework.”

With this comment, Lennok immediately channeled his mana.

“But that won’t be enough.”

Wheeeng!

The instant the young man brought his hand down, all five layers of the reconstituted shield suddenly expanded, forcefully repelling the young man backward.

With a flick of his finger, two chains shot out and swiftly ensnared the young man’s legs.

However, the substance that oozed from the legs ensnared in the chains was not the expected bright red blood but instead dark shadows.

The young man had transformed parts of his body into shadows to evade capture. Even when bound by gravity-based mana, it proved impossible to hold onto the elusive shadow.

“Damn it…!”

Realization that the powder he had initially scattered had no impact on Lennok’s combat abilities contorted the young man’s expression into one of misery.

His previously confident advance had dissolved; his eyes desperately searched for an escape route, and his fists had relaxed long ago.

He had finally grasped that the distance between them was much greater than he had initially perceived. Naturally, he was unsettled by a battle scenario vastly different from his initial expectations.

Especially for a skilled warrior, his own judgment had likely instilled significant confidence. It was not unusual for him to struggle to adapt to an unforeseen situation.

The young man, who had been conspicuously retreating, vanished into the shadows as if extinguished.

Observing his futile escape amidst a cascade of white powder that fell like snow, Lennok chuckled.

“You’re too late.”

Before realizing that the tips of his outstretched fingers were growing cold, Lennok unleashed his magic.

Clink!

Five ice stakes, as thick as arms, formed by drawing moisture from the surroundings, encircled Lennok. It was a technique designed to inhibit molecular motion and disperse the dust by compressing the air, not expanding it.

However, the young man scoffed at this rudimentary solution, all the while maintaining a safe distance from Lennok.

“Naive fool. Do you think I’ll be struck by that…”

Splatter!

Five ice stakes pierced through the young man’s abdomen from behind as he hastily retreated. Each stake precisely tore through his abdomen, shattering his internal organs.

On Lennok’s fingertips, raised with an expressionless face, Davi had discreetly perched, its appearance altered slightly to avoid drawing attention from bystanders.

‘Just as I suspected.’

The teleportation capability of the artifact he had stumbled upon in University. As soon as he had grasped its potential, Lennok delved into its limitations and potential with Davi, yielding fairly impressive results.

If Roden could manipulate the location of his shock magic, then conversely, Lennok could manipulate the location of the magic he employed.

After numerous experiments, Lennok had established several key facts about the Compassion of Archangel’s teleportation ability:

‘The quantity of mana that can be teleported at once is limited, and it’s not particularly substantial. The teleportation range is approximately 50 meters… After each use, there’s a 30-minute cooldown.’

Though there were notable constraints when employing a power that directly interfered with spatial dimensions, it was more than sufficient for Lennok.

In fact, these limitations provided Lennok with a distinct sense of assurance.

Even if it wasn’t the ‘Compassion of Archangel’, somewhere out there existed an artifact capable of teleporting individuals with a reasonable cost.

And if the teleportation ability that transported living beings operated distinctly from conventional magic, Lennok could harness that power as well.

While organizing his thoughts, he casually flicked his fingers.

[Harmonics]

In that instant, Lennok’s mana, previously confined within the five ice stakes, resonated as one, generating a massive vibration.

Directly through the gut of the pierced young man.

“Aaaaaaah!”

Even a seasoned warrior could not endure the agony of his organs being reduced to mush.

The screaming young man clutched his abdomen and collapsed, convulsing violently.

The outcome of their brief encounter was not only decisive but also utterly futile.

It appeared that the young man had prepared various contingencies to confront Lennok, but in the end, he didn’t get the chance to execute any of them.

Blood spattered from the wound, hitting the ground with a thud and emitting a foul odor.

If the young man were a competent warrior, he wouldn’t simply die from such an injury. There were still questions to be asked.

“Sebastian will make you talk.”

Hiring a skilled torturer was a simple task for a broker.

Whiiiing….!!

Just as Lennok was about to grasp the young man’s clothes by the collar, he paused, hearing an unfamiliar resonant sound from behind.

Zzzap!!

A streak of light shot forth from a ripple that materialized in the air.

Although it was an exceedingly swift and piercing attack, Lennok made no effort to evade it; he simply stared at it.

The soft light, passing beneath Lennok’s arm, pierced through the frozen young man’s head, shattering it.

Kwaaang!!

Although he had lost his interrogation subject right before his eyes, Lennok remained unfazed. The primary goal of interrogating the young man was to uncover his connection to the exploration team.

There was no need for further inquiry when the answer was already clear.

[It’s unfortunate that our meeting had to transpire in this manner.]

The voice was chilling, sending shivers through anyone who heard it. The animosity it carried seemed immeasurable.

Certainly, this voice was being transmitted through the ripple that had manifested in front of him, but its underlying principle was not easily comprehensible.

Recalling what Sebastian had explained, it likely belonged to a distinct principle, unique to top-tier artifacts.

This was a special ability possessed only by high-ranking relics, a cold hand willing to sacrifice even a colleague as a pawn.

There was no need to specify who had appeared at this moment.

Irina Pheffield.

Lennok pretended not to recognize her and inquired, “Who are you?”

[You’re asking that now?]

“Well, if you’re just going to mutter cryptic statements, how do you expect me to respond?”

With that remark, Lennok retrieved a supplement from his pocket and consumed it.

The only reason Irina, who had been observing from a distance, revealed herself here was clear.

In the end, Lennok had not disclosed his status as a Manipulation-type wizard during his battle with the young man, and the young man had failed to glean any clues from him.

While confronting him, Lennok did employ the teleportation ability embedded in the gem, but spatial manipulation abilities were often not easily detectable, even under close scrutiny.

Irina had undoubtedly witnessed Lennok’s use of teleportation, but paradoxically, she must have harbored doubts about him precisely because he had not displayed any manipulation-type abilities.

‘Should I provoke the situation further to gauge their reaction? I need to assess how they respond to provocation.’

Lost in thought, Lennok quietly chewed his supplement.

He had no intention of prolonging this encounter. There were numerous tasks to accomplish, and he needed to make a decision about Irina’s disposition at this moment. Depending on her response, he would have to adapt his strategy significantly.

[Let’s get straight to the point,] Irina stated in a frigid tone.

[If you return the item now and seek forgiveness, I may spare your life. However…]

“However?”

[If you entertain unnecessary greed, a fitting punishment awaits a thief who covets an item with an owner.]

“I don’t quite follow your meaning.”

Lennok chuckled.

In that brief exchange, amid her cold demeanor, the first mode of communication Lennok chose was…

“Did you perhaps misjudge the individual?”

It was a daringly blatant misdirection.