45 – The Unexpected

Breaking the iron bars wasn’t particularly difficult.

All I had to do was coat the hammer in mana and swing it at the bars.

The iron shards of the cage scattered in all directions with a tremendous explosion.

Easier to shatter than I anticipated.

It seems the focus was on resisting internal shocks, given its intended purpose of containing someone, rather than external impact.

‘At this rate, I should be able to demolish them all in minutes.’

Thinking that he could destroy all the prisons in a short time, he looked at those inside.

“S, save me…”

“Don’t come any closer…!”

“Hngh…”

Despite the cage being shattered, they didn’t try to escape, instead cowering in the corner, only showing fear and backing away.

Even those with the benign name of ‘Volunteer Organization’ engage in scams, so it’s unlikely they’d trust a strange man whose name they don’t even know.

‘Especially when that person appears suddenly and immediately starts smashing cages.’

From their perspective, it must be a rather terrifying spectacle.

It wasn’t unreasonable for them to react that way, I considered, as Liana gently tapped my shoulder with a soft smile.

“I’ll handle this.”

Then, stepping in front of me, she spoke louder than usual, so everyone nearby could hear.

“Whether we’re friend or foe, this is your only chance to escape from this place. So, why don’t you all just run?”

Honestly, I thought Liana would utter some cliché like, ‘We’re here to help you!’

I chuckled, surprised that she’d attempt a negotiation like that.

‘That might be better, actually.’

Even if I shout that we’re on their side, confused as they are, the chance of them believing it is slim.

It’s wiser to make them understand what benefits them, even if it’s a bit rough.

So, considering it a decent approach, I channeled mana into my hammer once more, turning my gaze toward another cage.

*

With so many people released at once and made to escape outside, chaos descended upon the auction house.

I watched the auction house’s security personnel unable to even enter, smiling contentedly as I turned around.

‘Roughly fifteen minutes left.’

I hoped they could buy time until Shiren unlocked the barrier.

But since everyone was gradually escaping, and those with sharp eyes were already attempting to enter, this was the limit of what the confusion could achieve.

Thinking this was satisfying enough, I shifted my steps towards the entrance.

‘They’re starting to swarm.’

I could see figures pushing through the crowd outside, heading my way.

Judging by how they were bulldozing through so many people with sheer force, they were no ordinary sorts. I called out to Daisy.

“Daisy, assistance please.”

“Myaang!”

I ruffled Daisy’s head in acknowledgment before stepping forward, scattering Daisy’s flames in every direction.

Flames of the sun that would only incinerate those who harbored malice towards me.

I quickly surveyed the area, hearing screams erupt all around.

‘Only two are withstanding it, I see.’

To remain unfazed with Daisy’s flames clinging to their bodies meant they were perfectly defending against it.

It meant at least two foes needed my full attention.

The moment I made that assessment, I immediately channeled as much mana as possible into my hammer, inhaling deeply to unleash a Point-Blank Burst.

Feeling the powerful mana surge, a concoction of my mana and the sun spirit’s, I gathered it all together.

When I deemed all preparations complete, I launched my attack straight at the enemy who had just broken free of the crowd.

KWA-aaaNG!

Whether it was due to Daisy’s aid or the sheer amount of mana I’d crammed into the blow, the opponent didn’t even react, smashing directly into the ground.

I smashed the fallen figure’s head once with the hammer, then scanned my surroundings.

‘Looks like they noticed.’

It didn’t matter much. I’d managed to avoid the worst-case scenario: two formidable enemies attacking me at once.

So, deciding to face them head-on, I conjured flames towards the man rushing toward me.

Daisy’s uniquely intense flames blocked the opponent’s path, however, the man used mana to suppress the flames and swung his sword at me.

The speed was even faster than anticipated, but I had prepared a countermeasure and it wouldn’t be a problem.

“Daisy.”

The moment I called Daisy’s name, a torrent of fire rained down on him.

He threw himself sideways to evade it, and as I saw him move, I hurled the hammer to temporarily block his movement.

KWAANG!

Then, swiftly snatching up a fallen sword, I swung it, pressuring the opponent.

While not his preferred weapon compared to the blunted cudgel, it was one he often used sparring with Lorraine. Disrupting his opponent’s flow wasn’t so difficult.

“You, you crazy b*stard!”

The voice of his clearly flustered opponent echoed loudly.

Watching as his movements grew frantic, riddled with unnecessary actions, he judged the man to be pushed to his limit.

Immediately, he unleashed Daisy’s fire upon his enemy’s face, blinding him.

*Whoosh!*

“Kaaah!”

This time, unable to defend against Daisy’s flames, the man cried out in agony, swinging his weapon wildly.

Recognizing this as his final, desperate flailing, he stepped back momentarily, gripping his hammer.

Then, with a ferocious grip, he brought the hammer crashing down upon the man’s head, slamming him into the floor.

*KWAANG!*

Crushed. The expression was apt. His opponent lay embedded in the floor, barely retaining any recognizable form.

He doubted there was any chance of survival, but just to be sure, he performed a confirmation strike. As he turned to return to Syren, laughter rippled through the air.

“Interesting work, that!”

A man approached him with an almost unnervingly bright expression, kicking the fallen enemy aside with his foot. He spoke with an intrigued tone.

“To think there’d be some fool trying to rob our auction house. Heh, that’s why they say you gotta live a long life, right? Isn’t that so, young Master Damian?”

Judging by the ineffectiveness of the artifact Liana provided, he was likely facing a mage of considerable skill.

He suspected this might be the most challenging battle he’d fought yet, glancing sideways.

*Better to fight just enough to get away.*

This was the heart of enemy territory. Even if he somehow managed to defeat this one, the chances of facing a fresh wave of enemies were exceedingly high. Fighting just enough before running seemed the wisest course.

So, as Syren worked to unlock the vault, he prepared to grab whatever was inside and flee, lunging toward his foe.

Suddenly, all around him plunged into darkness, and hundreds of eyeballs materialized, popping into existence everywhere.

Like a scene from a horror film, hundreds of eyes stared at him in unison, radiating intense mana.

He couldn’t be sure what those eyes signified.

But wouldn’t it be enough to just blow them up? A smirk played on his lips as he channeled Daisy’s power into his hammer, bringing it down upon the floor.

*CRACK!*

A massive explosion rocked the room, engulfing everything in flames, incinerating and detonating every visible eye.

Watching dark crimson droplets splatter in all directions, he spoke tersely.

“Show yourself.”

In response, a booming laugh echoed from the front, followed by applause and a lightly mocking compliment.

“Hah. First one I’ve seen dismantle that in a single go. Hey, you, what exactly *are* you?”

It didn’t warrant a response, so I swung my hammer, sending a burst of flames toward where he stood.

He dodged swiftly, shifting to the side, his gaze raking me up and down.

“A good-for-nothing who couldn’t even hold a sword properly has become this strong? Lorraine must have taught you well? Or is this kid just a prodigy? Hey, talk to me.”

Usually, attempts to initiate pointless conversation mean one of two things.

Either to glean information, or to stall for time.

And given that this is the enemy’s main base, it’s safe to assume he’s trying to buy time.

The problem being, this guy is considerably strong.

‘Strong, yet deliberately avoiding a direct confrontation to drag out the battle…’

That thought sparked in my mind, and the ‘door’ behind me instantly surfaced in my thoughts.

‘Could it be that he’s also waiting for the door to open?’

And the reason he’s waiting is to steal what’s inside.

Why fellow black mages would try to pilfer each other’s possessions, I couldn’t say.

But one thing I could be sure of was that whatever was inside was definitely not ordinary.

That realization cemented my resolve to secure the item inside and return, fortifying my determination.

I retreated backward, unleashing fire to prevent him from approaching the door.

As I rapidly backed away, the black mage clicked his tongue, saying.

“You’re quicker on the uptake than I thought.”

Realizing he couldn’t let things continue as they were, he began to gather an immense amount of mana, preparing to attack.

I watched that mana gathering, bracing myself to defend against it, when.

Syren, who had been unlocking the door, spoke to me with a somewhat weary voice.

“…Got it.”

The moment I heard those words, I knew that grabbing the item and getting out was the best option.

I gathered Syren and Riana, and immediately stepped through the door.

What awaited us inside was a bizarre place where dozens of locations were tangled together in utter chaos.

Fearing that we might be sucked into some strange place if we weren’t careful, I tried to remain calm and surveyed my surroundings.

Syren pointed ahead and told me.

“Something’s hidden here.”

“Can you get it out?”

“Just a moment.”

Siren swept a hand vertically through the air, and from within it, drew out something of a black form.

A strangely familiar shape, it made one wonder what it could be, causing a closer inspection.

One could see that it was a dark, ebony heart, evocative of shadows.

As I pondered its nature,

Siren, beside me, betraying a hint of dismay, revealed its identity.

“… That is an artificial sun.”

The moment I heard those words, I momentarily stood dumbfounded, realizing that the crystalline core of the artificial sun I so desperately sought in the North, was now in my hands.