With a thunderous explosion, the wall burst open, and the study was thrown into chaos. Amidst the rising dust, a red-haired man swung his sword fiercely. The iron lump blocking Chern Crow, or rather, Klaune Ranfield, was cleaved in two with a single strike.
Logan, though pushed back by a much weaker beam of light than before, resisted the impact and quickly shortened the distance, launching another attack. But Klaune was already conjuring a wave of red flames to engulf him.
“Die!” he roared.
Yet, his five layers of fiery waves were devoured by eight layers of golden waves erupting from his enemy.
Klaune, having lost his remaining orbs, was struck by the golden waves and thrown through the wall, tumbling outside.
Logan approached him with glowing blue eyes, “What’s bothering you so much, Mr. Klaune? Huh?”
Klaune Ranfield’s past was shrouded in mystery. Where he learned magic, what he did before becoming a superhuman, all remained unknown. A superhuman who appeared out of nowhere just before the Empire War and achieved legendary success, he was known for his sadistic, paranoid nature and odious personality.
“How did you know? I erased all traces!”
Klaune, resembling more a fugitive than a future superhuman, tried to back away in fear and confusion.
“Where do you think I came from?” Logan prodded him.“Don’t joke! That’s mine!” Klaune yelled, and a burst of blue light exploded from his grasp. The close-range attack disrupted Logan’s balance, despite his attempt to block it with his sword. Klaune seized the moment to dash back into the building.
‘Curiosity got the better of me,’ Logan thought. At this point, Klaune’s past didn’t matter. He should’ve focused on eliminating a future threat. Regaining his focus, Logan charged towards the breach in the wall where Klaune had escaped.
Entering the dimly lit chamber, Logan recognized it as a magician’s laboratory. He found Klaune donning a black robe that emitted a strange light.
“Die!” Klaune’s voice echoed as he unleashed a storm of icy coldness and streaks of yellow lightning. The speed of his magic was incredible for a class mage.
But Logan’s eyes flashed, and his sword pressure disrupted the magic’s trajectory. A golden beam sliced through Klaune’s staff and pierced his hand.
“Aaah! You bastard…!”
Klaune’s scream filled the air as his black robe emitted an eerie aura, but it was too slow. A massive golden sword cleaved through the laboratory, bisecting Klaune diagonally, spilling his insides.
With a deep sigh, Logan wiped the sweat from his forehead. The ceiling of the lab split open, and part of the building collapsed under the might of his sword strike.
Standing amid the sudden sunlight pouring in from outside, Logan surveyed the ruins of Klaune’s lab. The famous ‘Artifact Master’ of the future, his lab was expected to hold many artifacts, but Logan had already destroyed most of them during the fight.
Only three artifacts remained, hastily stored in a corner. They hadn’t been used by Klaune in his desperate moment, so Logan had little hope for them. Yet, something else caught his eye.
His gaze turned to a bookshelf, a desk, and piles of papers in the corner. The notorious Massacre Magician of his previous life had been able to mass-produce lower-grade artifacts. He had developed a method to permanently imbue ordinary metals with magic, replacing the need for rare metals like mithril.
This development was only a few years away in the future. Perhaps the research for this method was here, among these papers and books. It had to be.
Logan’s eyes narrowed as he approached the bookshelf, beginning his search for the groundbreaking research that had once enabled the Massacre Magician to arm an army with artifacts.
‘Even if it’s not the final version…’
Logan methodically searched the laboratory. From open books to papers Klaune had scribbled on, he examined everything closely.
“Figures… I can’t make sense of it.”
In his previous life, he was quite proficient in ancient languages, but magic was not his forte. He could only recognize a few words in the books and notes; the rest was beyond his understanding.
Then, unwelcome noises reached his ears.
“Over there!”
“It’s the mage’s house!”
“It’s destroyed!”
“What trouble has been caused now?”
“Contact the soldiers!”
Hearing the commotion outside, Logan sighed lightly and picked up a bag he had left in the library. He quickly started gathering all the books and papers in the lab, stacking the easily dispersed papers neatly and picking the most used books from the shelves. Fortunately, the bag, large enough to fit a person, had ample space for all the items, including the remaining artifacts.
After collecting everything in the lab, Logan checked the intact parts of the house for any hidden passages or additional labs. He even found two magical tomes hidden under a bed and packed them, just as voices from outside reached him.
Mage! Are you in there?!
Logan sighed again, slung the bag over his shoulder, and headed for the front door.
Thud. Thud.
“Hello. You’ve been busy.”
“Who are you?” asked a knight leading the soldiers, adorned with a chest-plate bearing a bell symbol, looking baffled at Logan.
The mage’s house was wrecked, and they hadn’t dared to enter, but now a stranger calmly walked out.
“Oh. I’m a merchant who came to sell goods to Chern. I just arrived in the city today…”
“Oh, that merchant.”
Someone behind the knight recognized Logan. A soldier Logan had seen at the city gate earlier.
“Is he known to you?”
“He’s a merchant who entered the city today. He said he’d been robbed…”
“Robbed? What’s a robbed merchant doing here with something to sell?”
Unfortunately for Logan, the knight wasn’t a fool.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Logan’s fist crashed into the knight’s armor, caving in his side. The knight was at best a skilled common knight, and Logan’s punch broke his left ribs and blacked out his vision. Despite the intense pain and breathlessness, the knight remained dutiful.
“He’s an enemy…”
Whack!
Thud.
“Tiresome people.”
Knocking the knight unconscious with a blow to the back of the head, Logan casually smiled as the surrounding soldiers panicked and raised their weapons.
“He’s the enemy!”
“Catch him!”
‘Even if it’s not the final version…’
Thus, Logan thoroughly inspected the laboratory, scrutinizing every book and scribbled note.
“Still… I can’t understand any of it.”
Though proficient in ancient languages in his past life, Logan was a novice in magic. He could only recognize a few words in the documents, leaving the content largely incomprehensible.
Just then, unwelcome noises began to filter in.
“Over there!”
“It’s the mage’s house!”
“It’s been demolished!”
“What has he done now?”
“Notify the soldiers!”
As the surrounding area grew chaotic, Logan sighed and picked up a bag he had left in the library. Swiftly, he began gathering all the books and papers in the lab, stacking the easily scattered papers and selecting the most handled books from the shelves. Fortunately, the bag, large enough for a person, could hold everything, including the remaining artifacts.
After collecting everything from the lab, Logan meticulously checked every corner of the house for any hidden passages or additional labs. He only moved on after securing two magical tomes hidden beneath a bed. Outside, voices called.
Mage! Are you there?!
Sighing, Logan shouldered the bag and headed towards the front door.
Thud. Thud.
“Good day. You’ve been busy.”
“Who are you?” asked a knight managing the soldiers, wearing armor emblazoned with a bell symbol, looking confusedly at Logan.
Despite seeing the mage’s house in ruins, they had hesitated to enter, but now a stranger casually walked out.
“Oh. I’m a merchant who came to sell goods to Chern. I just got to the city today…”
“Oh, that merchant.”
Someone behind the knight seemed to recognize Logan. A soldier he had seen at the city gate earlier spoke up.
“Do you know him?”
“He’s a merchant who entered the city today. He said he’d been robbed…”
“Robbed? And he came here to sell? What could a robbed merchant possibly have to sell?”
Unfortunately for Logan, the knight wasn’t a fool.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Logan’s fist crushed the knight’s armor, sinking into his side. The knight, barely more than a skilled commoner, went dark at the blow. Despite the excruciating pain and breathlessness, he remained committed to his duty.
“He’s an enemy…”
Whack!
Thud.
“People these days…”
Knocking out the knight with a blow to the back of the head, Logan casually smiled as the surrounding soldiers, startled, readied their weapons.
“He’s the enemy!”
“Catch him!”
But the soldiers, unlike the knight, lacked his dedication. However, facing an opponent who had knocked out their knight in just two moves, it was hardly cowardice that prevented them from acting.
‘I’d love to sweep through a small domain or two.’
But provoking the Empire any further was not on Logan’s agenda. He glanced at the twitching knight but refrained from further action.
“So, carry on with your duties.”
Raising his hand in a casual salute to the soldiers, he swiftly left the scene. The combination of Ghost Shadow and Wind God Boots made it impossible for the soldiers to follow.
That day, a rumor spread through the southeastern corner of the Empire in the small domain of Ruspel: a ‘3-circle’ mage had been murdered. But apart from being associated with the Lord of Ruspel, nobody knew the victim’s identity, and few cared. Instead, people were more relieved about the disappearance of the troublesome Chern Crow.
The only regret was from a lord who had visited Chern’s house and seen some artifacts. Soon, a bounty for a fierce-looking young man with red hair and ‘blue’ eyes spread from Ruspel to the neighboring domains. However, it was a half-hearted effort, and the bounty quickly faded into obscurity.
Three days’ walk from Ruspel, Logan, who had traveled non-stop for half a day, set up a campfire in a clearing in the forest as the sun set.
‘Hrmm… Not the best outcome, but certainly the best under the circumstances. That man was shady and problematic.’
Even if the items he collected didn’t include the targeted research materials, Logan resolved not to dwell on it. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a slight regret. Opting to examine the artifacts instead of the incomprehensible books and papers, Logan muttered,
“Don’t expect much…”
Though he spoke skeptically, his eyes sparkled with curiosity as he examined the artifacts: a ring, a necklace, and a gauntlet.
Activating the ring with Force, it vibrated lightly and emitted a weak mana aura, creating the illusion of a black snake in the air.
“…That’s it?”
The effect was underwhelming.
The necklace fared better. When worn, it enhanced his strength by about 10%. A significant boost, considering Logan’s already formidable abilities, but compared to his Wind God Boots, it was less impressive.
“Well, can’t complain.”
Mana, fundamentally different from Force, was toxic for Force users. The ability to use two mana-enhancing artifacts without overload was rare.
‘But still…’
He could still use this necklace along with the Wind God Boots. Its effect would be significant for promising individuals like Ronian, Victor, or Eileen.
With a lighter heart, Logan picked up the gauntlet. At first, it didn’t seem powerful. But once he held it, he sensed a vast energy hidden behind its weak mana presence, reminiscent of the sensation he felt with the Wind God Boots.
“Could it be…?”
Focusing Force into the gauntlet, it absorbed his energy voraciously. The feeling of a blockage clearing in his mind followed, revealing the artifact’s capabilities.
The gauntlet adjusted to his hand size, offering comfort akin to the Wind God Boots.
“Increased strength and durability by 30%. Force amplification. Size adjustment. Self-repair… Another one?”
Similar abilities to the Wind God Boots and a familiar sealing sensation suggested it was made by the same person or group.
“No matter. As long as it serves me well.”
He didn’t dwell on unanswered questions. The joy of eliminating a future threat and acquiring useful artifacts made for a triumphant return.
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