... I, Kim Hajin, did not neglect training.
I made enough money to enjoy life, giving me too much surplus time. Since I had to worry about sudden death by monsters or Djinns, I repeatedly trained. This way, I'd be able to avoid such situations.
There were times when I caught myself thinking, 'Maybe I shouldn't have stopped being a hero if it was going to be like this anyway,' but I couldn't help it. At that time, I really lost all my motivation and didn't even want to set foot on the island called Cube.
Taking deep breaths, I repeated my strength training as I pondered.
First, I couldn't return to Earth. And now, I was in this situation.
It was really sudden.
If I had done something wrong or this was due to someone's sabotage, I wouldn't have felt this empty and hopeless.
I just woke up one day with several notification windows popping up.
[The Miracle Tower has appeared!]
[The Secret Tower has been resolved!]
[Baal is destroyed, and the world is secure.]
[All episodes are finished.]
[You can now stay here forever.]
[Congratulations!]
'Congratulations, my ass.'
That was a bolt from the blue. How did I even destroy Baal?
I wanted to ask the system, but it hadn't sent any messages since that day.
Fortunately, my powers, including 'Stigma' and 'Setting Intervention,' remained despite the misfortunes. However, my evaporated mental strength did not return.
At the time, the only reason I was able to endure was the hope of returning...
Brrrr-
My smartwatch notification bell went off.
[Rocallist commissions Xtra.]
[Range Guard, Hall Guide]
-Protection target: Rachel, Vice-captain of the British Royal Guild.
-Reward: Guide - 300 million won (100 million won in advance), Guard - 300 million won (100 million won per month), additional 100 million won when the mission is successful.
-Caution: Your presence must not be discovered by the Vice-captain.
[Consult with Rocallist for details of the quest.]
The mercenary mission was commissioned through the Violet Banquet, and the client was the British Royal Court Guild.
Hmm.
Their members seemed to be trying to hire me without Rachel's knowledge.
In fact, the mission was requested a week ago. 'Dr.Pmin' directly inquired through the Violet Banquet message function, asking if I could protect her.
I worked as a mercenary for a little while four years ago, and I quit as soon as I got tired of it. However, Rachel's name intrigued me.
She was, after all, one of the main characters in my story, and I probably owed her a huge debt.
"Should I do it?"
I had to observe and protect her from hazards until 'Hall' day, at which point I'd have to accompany her directly to Central Asia, serving as her guide.
I'd only receive 700 million for all that hard work.
"... 700 million."
Smiling unknowingly, I looked around the floor I was on, finding state-of-the-art exercise equipment making full use of magic engineering. It also had a gravity field, hologram room, and others. This exclusive training room of mine, superior to most guild training centers, was worth around 30 billion won in total.
Taking that into consideration, 700 million didn't matter all that much to me. I could even just use it as a mop. The price of the magic dumbbell set I was fidgeting with already exceeded that amount.
"Hajin~!"
The door to the training room swung open, and a clear cry rang out. I turned off my smartwatch and turned my attention to the entrance, finding Evandel and her friends. I counted thirteen. They all smiled brightly and innocently.
"Look at this~ We went here after meeting the Terrain unnie~"
Evandel sprinted over and proudly showed off the picture she had just taken.
In the midst of the female protagonist and the male protagonist, Evandel, whose face was flushed red, twisted her body.
A smile spread across my lips.
"It must have been fun."
"Yeah! It was so much fun~"
Today, at the private cinema on the 47th floor of this building, the VVIP premiere of Evandel and her friends' favorite movie series, 'Magical Terrain Girl' was being held.
Eleven people in total attended, including Evandel and her friends.
The two main characters of the film were more than happy to take the time to come to see them— although, of course, they asked for a performance fee.
In return for giving up Cube, I was given Evandel's daily routine.
"It's not time for bed yet. Is there anything else you want to do?"
"Hmm... I want to do what my friends want to do!"
"Oh? That's nice. What do you want to do, you guys? Do you want to play at the water park?"
The children responded vigorously to my question.
"Yeaah!"
I felt like I came to a kindergarten.
"Okay. Um, manager Lee?"
"Alright."
The man who had been waiting like a shadow behind them came out. Smiling joyfully, he took them downstairs.
"Keep safe."
"Yeah~!"
I saw them off with a smile and again stood in the center of the training room.
This was a 107-story building in the downtown area of Seocho. It stood out among the many skyscrapers in Seoul, and I could see the Han River in all directions from here.
All of this belonged to me, Kim Hajin.
"... I definitely made a lot of money."
Such was the result of focusing only on my finances for five years.
I tried to fill my heart, which was devastated by my failure to return home, with money. Beginning with the thought of wanting to live comfortably, I became obsessed with that notion, turning me almost no different from a crazy person.
Raising my net worth was easy since I already knew the future to some extent.
To be honest, I just acted upon the fact that stocks related to the Strait of Jeongsu would unconditionally soar. In addition, by acquiring and applying the concept of 'leverage,' I raked in even more money.
Of course, just knowing the future might not be enough, so I also helped Yoo Yeonha since she came directly to me anyway, which was as expected from her.
Of course, not in the real world, but the virtual world I created - [Truth Office].
Although it was a private matter, the Truth Office had now become an information store known to all high-ranking people.
’I know almost everything...'
It was a very simple yet powerful leading company in its industry, having at least billions in requests.
Even the heads of major guilds and chaebols, famous for being stiff-necked, were always polite when dealing with the [Truth Office],
- Hajin chan~
I heard a familiar voice transmitted through my smartwatch.
Kim Hosup, a business partner of the Truth Office.
That little pig-like guy was right next to me at the graduation ceremony of the Agents Academy, which was held during the prologue.
I answered right away.
"Nice timing. I have something I've been meaning to say too."
- Hmm? What is it~?
"I received a request from the British Royal Guild."
-Oh, really~?
"It's to be Vice-captain Rachel's bodyguard. I'm going to take it, so please do some quick research and let me know."
- Got it~
I hung up and went to Evandel in the basement. However, the moonlight's reflection entered my sighs as I passed by. Squinting, I looked out the window, finding a group of gargoyles flapping through the night.
"... How can I get fond of this world like this?" I sighed.
Amid the full moon, they looked down on the ground, their majestic form in full display. Their skin, glinting like metal, sharply reflected the moonlight. They'd probably keep observing the area below them for a while, waiting for the right time to headbutt a skyscraper.
Of course, heroes would soon arrive now that they had exposed themselves, but was there any need to wait for them? After all, all the land and buildings around here belonged to me.
I took out the Desert Eagle from my Stigma, then combined it with Ether to turn it into a vicious sniper rifle. Opening the windowpane,
I aimed at the gargoyles.
Click-
With no obstacles in sight, I pulled the trigger. Six flashes of light swiftly stretched out quietly and pierced their targets, destroying their hearts while still midair.
Watching the hordes of avian monsters plummet from the distant sky, I called the caretaker.
"There are gargoyle corpses outside. Please collect them."
* * *
[...On Monday, two weeks from now, the plenary session will finally be held in Central Asia.]
Rachel watched the news while waiting for the entrance exam that would soon begin.
[La guild-Lumiere of France, Penzberg of Germany, Reislaufer of Switzerland, and Legiones of Italy have all been selected as representatives...]
The world was only talking about the 'Hall,' the most likely reason why Lancaster sent a warning at such a time.
He knew better than anyone that England would have no future left if they didn't participate in the Hall.
But Rachel steeled her courage.
If it meant it could stop the feud between Lancaster and England, her own body being crushed that fateful day wouldn't sound that bad.
"We're beginning now, Vice-captain."
She turned off her smartwatch and raised her head.
Under the balcony seats for the judges on the upper floors, a vast land stretched. Covered with soil and sand, they prepared this stage solely for the entrance exam.
"Now, bring in the audiences."
"Got it."
Soon, a large number of civilians began to enter. All of them had purchased tickets for the 'Royal Guild Admission Test' prior to this event.
They sat in the stands away from the dry fields, an opaque magic barrier serving as the boundary between the test area and the spectator's area.
The VIPs were seated on the balcony of the upper floor.
Among them were celebrities, the heads of companies, the British minister, a famous hero, etc. They dressed luxuriously, making it seem like they came to watch an opera.
This 'private test' was the British Royal Court Guild's long-standing tradition.
Today, on that stage, the examinees would be demonstrating their true worth to the world, and they would receive the audience's enthusiasm as support.
The voice of the presenter came from the ceiling speaker.
- The full-scale Royal Guild entrance exam, 'Opening,' will begin in fifteen minutes. Thank you for your patience.
'Opening.' That was what they called the first phase, which allowed them to show off their talents freely.
In this test, twelve examinees would be given five minutes to show their skills to everyone present.
- Please note that a large number of spirits may be mobilized for 'Opening.'
Rachel closed her eyes and communicated with the spirits. They, in turn, informed her there were no risk factors around the test site.
They were still in the middle of the British Royal Guild site, after all. Even Lancaster wouldn't start his invasion from this place.
Tak- Tak- Tak-
The lights went out.
The noisy audience grew silent amid the darkness. A spotlight lit the center of the test bench.
In the middle of it, the host appeared, wearing a full suit. Soon after, he shouted, "Ladies and gentlemen!" That signaled the entrance exam's start.
- The pamphlet distributed contains the list and order of the Knights taking the exam today...
Only then did Rachel look at the brochure.
"First up is Finley? I would've changed the order a bit." Dake whispered, glancing at her. Finley was a strong candidate. He was more suited to be the finale than the opening act.
However, she had no interest in order.
"... Don't worry too much, Vice-captain. We're inside the Royal Guild grounds. Bodyguards and members alike are securing this place and observing the general public. Besides, I... ahem, ahem. Oh, here he comes."
He swallowed back what he was about to say, preventing himself from spilling out what he did in an attempt to make her feel better.
Fortunately, Rachel didn't even show any signs of suspicion about it.
- Now, here comes the examinee you've been waiting for. The brave lion knight that claims to be the shield of royals! Jaaaaames— Finley!
As soon as the door to the test bench opened, James Finley from Lumiere walked out of it. The audience cheered and applauded the promising and handsome player.
He saluted the judges and closed his eyes. While taking a couple of steps back, he gathered mana in his hands.
He then turned it into a huge shield.
Whooooa-
Admiration erupted from the audience.
Clank-!
At that time, the iron bars in front of him opened, revealing a dozen spirits in the form of giant wolves.
Finley stood resolutely, waiting for them to rush in.
- Grrrrrrrr!
As he expected, the canine beasts soon charged at him. Fearlessly, he faced them head-on.
They all attacked the lone human relentlessly, but the longer the battle progressed, the more one fact became clear.
They couldn't break through his shield.
On the other hand, bashing them sent them whimpering away. When one of them staggered back, Finley swiftly pounded his shield against its forehead.
It was quite the revolutionary and daring shield technique.
The audience rose from their seats and shouted.
Boom... Boom...
However, after he dealt with all the giant wolves...
Boom... Boom...
A faint vibration reverberated throughout the field.
The audience held their breaths.
Boom... Boom...!
Finley raised his head exaggeratedly, moving like an actor looking at the commotion's source: another spirit.
Known as the Great Tiger or the Mountain King, it seemed to be at least an intermediate level 3. Its shoulders twitched.
"... Ugh."
He clenched his teeth and bent forward, making the onlookers think and murmur that he was about to give up. Soon, however, mana began to burn inside him.
"Kuhhh..."
Suppressing his groans, he released all of it, allowing it to envelop his physique like an aura. Rachel, whose attention had only ever been on her surroundings, only noticed him at that moment. His potential, having far exceeded her expectations, caused her eyes to widen.
"Hmm? I didn't know he could do something like that."
"I was a little worried when he asked for the Great Tiger to be his opponent, but now that I've seen his skills..."
Finley leaped amid the audience's admiration. As he did, a strange, thread-like light flashed and disappeared right after.
Embers soon spread, emitting smoke. Everyone saw it, but none of them could determine what it was due to how faint the phenomenon was.
On the contrary, the result was displayed as clear as day.
"... Ah!"
Among the audience, an old man cried. He had poor eyesight, rendering him unable to capture the beams that crossed the stage. Hence, he only watched James Finley from beginning to end, ultimately leading him to witness his body toppling over.
Black haze-like soot rose from his forehead as his body sunk to the ground unmoving. His pupils had all but lost their focus.
It took a bit of time before the reality of the situation settled in their minds properly.
Sniping and assassination.
Silence devoured the entire building.
However, as blood began to gush out of Finley's corpse, deafening screams began to shake the ceiling.
- Aaaaaaaaaaaah!
- W-w-whatjust happened?!
- H-he's dead! This is bad!
- It's a Djinn! A Djinn!
People stood up and rushed towards the exit simultaneously, crashing and shoving away those who could only stare in disbelief. For the sake of survival, they willingly stampeded through the ones trying to protect the vulnerable. With people stepping and stomping on others, shouts, screams, and cries chaotically intertwined.
Amid that instantaneous disarray, Rachel sat as still as a wax figure.
Dumbfounded, she couldn't even hear anything. She didn't even notice herself detaching from reality.
All she could see was James Finley's corpse.
In front of her unfolded the death of a young man who only wanted to be a hero to fulfill his pure passion.
"Princess! Princess! We need to evacuate you now!"
Shaking off Dake's shout, Rachel sprinted. Windy followed after her, taking a form much more ferocious than she had ever seen.
Rumble-!
The spirit had become a storm, seemingly speaking on behalf of its master's wrath.
... I, Kim Hajin, did not neglect training.
I made enough money to enjoy life, giving me too much surplus time. Since I had to worry about sudden death by monsters or Djinns, I repeatedly trained. This way, I'd be able to avoid such situations.
There were times when I caught myself thinking, 'Maybe I shouldn't have stopped being a hero if it was going to be like this anyway,' but I couldn't help it. At that time, I really lost all my motivation and didn't even want to set foot on the island called Cube.
Taking deep breaths, I repeated my strength training as I pondered.
First, I couldn't return to Earth. And now, I was in this situation.
It was really sudden.
If I had done something wrong or this was due to someone's sabotage, I wouldn't have felt this empty and hopeless.
I just woke up one day with several notification windows popping up.
[The Miracle Tower has appeared!]
[The Secret Tower has been resolved!]
[Baal is destroyed, and the world is secure.]
[All episodes are finished.]
[You can now stay here forever.]
[Congratulations!]
'Congratulations, my ass.'
That was a bolt from the blue. How did I even destroy Baal?
I wanted to ask the system, but it hadn't sent any messages since that day.
Fortunately, my powers, including 'Stigma' and 'Setting Intervention,' remained despite the misfortunes. However, my evaporated mental strength did not return.
At the time, the only reason I was able to endure was the hope of returning...
Brrrr-
My smartwatch notification bell went off.
[Rocallist commissions Xtra.]
[Range Guard, Hall Guide]
-Protection target: Rachel, Vice-captain of the British Royal Guild.
-Reward: Guide - 300 million won (100 million won in advance), Guard - 300 million won (100 million won per month), additional 100 million won when the mission is successful.
-Caution: Your presence must not be discovered by the Vice-captain.
[Consult with Rocallist for details of the quest.]
The mercenary mission was commissioned through the Violet Banquet, and the client was the British Royal Court Guild.
Hmm.
Their members seemed to be trying to hire me without Rachel's knowledge.
In fact, the mission was requested a week ago. 'Dr.Pmin' directly inquired through the Violet Banquet message function, asking if I could protect her.
I worked as a mercenary for a little while four years ago, and I quit as soon as I got tired of it. However, Rachel's name intrigued me.
She was, after all, one of the main characters in my story, and I probably owed her a huge debt.
"Should I do it?"
I had to observe and protect her from hazards until 'Hall' day, at which point I'd have to accompany her directly to Central Asia, serving as her guide.
I'd only receive 700 million for all that hard work.
"... 700 million."
Smiling unknowingly, I looked around the floor I was on, finding state-of-the-art exercise equipment making full use of magic engineering. It also had a gravity field, hologram room, and others. This exclusive training room of mine, superior to most guild training centers, was worth around 30 billion won in total.
Taking that into consideration, 700 million didn't matter all that much to me. I could even just use it as a mop. The price of the magic dumbbell set I was fidgeting with already exceeded that amount.
"Hajin~!"
The door to the training room swung open, and a clear cry rang out. I turned off my smartwatch and turned my attention to the entrance, finding Evandel and her friends. I counted thirteen. They all smiled brightly and innocently.
"Look at this~ We went here after meeting the Terrain unnie~"
Evandel sprinted over and proudly showed off the picture she had just taken.
In the midst of the female protagonist and the male protagonist, Evandel, whose face was flushed red, twisted her body.
A smile spread across my lips.
"It must have been fun."
"Yeah! It was so much fun~"
Today, at the private cinema on the 47th floor of this building, the VVIP premiere of Evandel and her friends' favorite movie series, 'Magical Terrain Girl' was being held.
Eleven people in total attended, including Evandel and her friends.
The two main characters of the film were more than happy to take the time to come to see them— although, of course, they asked for a performance fee.
In return for giving up Cube, I was given Evandel's daily routine.
"It's not time for bed yet. Is there anything else you want to do?"
"Hmm... I want to do what my friends want to do!"
"Oh? That's nice. What do you want to do, you guys? Do you want to play at the water park?"
The children responded vigorously to my question.
"Yeaah!"
I felt like I came to a kindergarten.
"Okay. Um, manager Lee?"
"Alright."
The man who had been waiting like a shadow behind them came out. Smiling joyfully, he took them downstairs.
"Keep safe."
"Yeah~!"
I saw them off with a smile and again stood in the center of the training room.
This was a 107-story building in the downtown area of Seocho. It stood out among the many skyscrapers in Seoul, and I could see the Han River in all directions from here.
All of this belonged to me, Kim Hajin.
"... I definitely made a lot of money."
Such was the result of focusing only on my finances for five years.
I tried to fill my heart, which was devastated by my failure to return home, with money. Beginning with the thought of wanting to live comfortably, I became obsessed with that notion, turning me almost no different from a crazy person.
Raising my net worth was easy since I already knew the future to some extent.
To be honest, I just acted upon the fact that stocks related to the Strait of Jeongsu would unconditionally soar. In addition, by acquiring and applying the concept of 'leverage,' I raked in even more money.
Of course, just knowing the future might not be enough, so I also helped Yoo Yeonha since she came directly to me anyway, which was as expected from her.
Of course, not in the real world, but the virtual world I created - [Truth Office].
Although it was a private matter, the Truth Office had now become an information store known to all high-ranking people.
’I know almost everything...'
It was a very simple yet powerful leading company in its industry, having at least billions in requests.
Even the heads of major guilds and chaebols, famous for being stiff-necked, were always polite when dealing with the [Truth Office],
- Hajin chan~
I heard a familiar voice transmitted through my smartwatch.
Kim Hosup, a business partner of the Truth Office.
That little pig-like guy was right next to me at the graduation ceremony of the Agents Academy, which was held during the prologue.
I answered right away.
"Nice timing. I have something I've been meaning to say too."
- Hmm? What is it~?
"I received a request from the British Royal Guild."
-Oh, really~?
"It's to be Vice-captain Rachel's bodyguard. I'm going to take it, so please do some quick research and let me know."
- Got it~
I hung up and went to Evandel in the basement. However, the moonlight's reflection entered my sighs as I passed by. Squinting, I looked out the window, finding a group of gargoyles flapping through the night.
"... How can I get fond of this world like this?" I sighed.
Amid the full moon, they looked down on the ground, their majestic form in full display. Their skin, glinting like metal, sharply reflected the moonlight. They'd probably keep observing the area below them for a while, waiting for the right time to headbutt a skyscraper.
Of course, heroes would soon arrive now that they had exposed themselves, but was there any need to wait for them? After all, all the land and buildings around here belonged to me.
I took out the Desert Eagle from my Stigma, then combined it with Ether to turn it into a vicious sniper rifle. Opening the windowpane,
I aimed at the gargoyles.
Click-
With no obstacles in sight, I pulled the trigger. Six flashes of light swiftly stretched out quietly and pierced their targets, destroying their hearts while still midair.
Watching the hordes of avian monsters plummet from the distant sky, I called the caretaker.
"There are gargoyle corpses outside. Please collect them."
* * *
[...On Monday, two weeks from now, the plenary session will finally be held in Central Asia.]
Rachel watched the news while waiting for the entrance exam that would soon begin.
[La guild-Lumiere of France, Penzberg of Germany, Reislaufer of Switzerland, and Legiones of Italy have all been selected as representatives...]
The world was only talking about the 'Hall,' the most likely reason why Lancaster sent a warning at such a time.
He knew better than anyone that England would have no future left if they didn't participate in the Hall.
But Rachel steeled her courage.
If it meant it could stop the feud between Lancaster and England, her own body being crushed that fateful day wouldn't sound that bad.
"We're beginning now, Vice-captain."
She turned off her smartwatch and raised her head.
Under the balcony seats for the judges on the upper floors, a vast land stretched. Covered with soil and sand, they prepared this stage solely for the entrance exam.
"Now, bring in the audiences."
"Got it."
Soon, a large number of civilians began to enter. All of them had purchased tickets for the 'Royal Guild Admission Test' prior to this event.
They sat in the stands away from the dry fields, an opaque magic barrier serving as the boundary between the test area and the spectator's area.
The VIPs were seated on the balcony of the upper floor.
Among them were celebrities, the heads of companies, the British minister, a famous hero, etc. They dressed luxuriously, making it seem like they came to watch an opera.
This 'private test' was the British Royal Court Guild's long-standing tradition.
Today, on that stage, the examinees would be demonstrating their true worth to the world, and they would receive the audience's enthusiasm as support.
The voice of the presenter came from the ceiling speaker.
- The full-scale Royal Guild entrance exam, 'Opening,' will begin in fifteen minutes. Thank you for your patience.
'Opening.' That was what they called the first phase, which allowed them to show off their talents freely.
In this test, twelve examinees would be given five minutes to show their skills to everyone present.
- Please note that a large number of spirits may be mobilized for 'Opening.'
Rachel closed her eyes and communicated with the spirits. They, in turn, informed her there were no risk factors around the test site.
They were still in the middle of the British Royal Guild site, after all. Even Lancaster wouldn't start his invasion from this place.
Tak- Tak- Tak-
The lights went out.
The noisy audience grew silent amid the darkness. A spotlight lit the center of the test bench.
In the middle of it, the host appeared, wearing a full suit. Soon after, he shouted, "Ladies and gentlemen!" That signaled the entrance exam's start.
- The pamphlet distributed contains the list and order of the Knights taking the exam today...
Only then did Rachel look at the brochure.
"First up is Finley? I would've changed the order a bit." Dake whispered, glancing at her. Finley was a strong candidate. He was more suited to be the finale than the opening act.
However, she had no interest in order.
"... Don't worry too much, Vice-captain. We're inside the Royal Guild grounds. Bodyguards and members alike are securing this place and observing the general public. Besides, I... ahem, ahem. Oh, here he comes."
He swallowed back what he was about to say, preventing himself from spilling out what he did in an attempt to make her feel better.
Fortunately, Rachel didn't even show any signs of suspicion about it.
- Now, here comes the examinee you've been waiting for. The brave lion knight that claims to be the shield of royals! Jaaaaames— Finley!
As soon as the door to the test bench opened, James Finley from Lumiere walked out of it. The audience cheered and applauded the promising and handsome player.
He saluted the judges and closed his eyes. While taking a couple of steps back, he gathered mana in his hands.
He then turned it into a huge shield.
Whooooa-
Admiration erupted from the audience.
Clank-!
At that time, the iron bars in front of him opened, revealing a dozen spirits in the form of giant wolves.
Finley stood resolutely, waiting for them to rush in.
- Grrrrrrrr!
As he expected, the canine beasts soon charged at him. Fearlessly, he faced them head-on.
They all attacked the lone human relentlessly, but the longer the battle progressed, the more one fact became clear.
They couldn't break through his shield.
On the other hand, bashing them sent them whimpering away. When one of them staggered back, Finley swiftly pounded his shield against its forehead.
It was quite the revolutionary and daring shield technique.
The audience rose from their seats and shouted.
Boom... Boom...
However, after he dealt with all the giant wolves...
Boom... Boom...
A faint vibration reverberated throughout the field.
The audience held their breaths.
Boom... Boom...!
Finley raised his head exaggeratedly, moving like an actor looking at the commotion's source: another spirit.
Known as the Great Tiger or the Mountain King, it seemed to be at least an intermediate level 3. Its shoulders twitched.
"... Ugh."
He clenched his teeth and bent forward, making the onlookers think and murmur that he was about to give up. Soon, however, mana began to burn inside him.
"Kuhhh..."
Suppressing his groans, he released all of it, allowing it to envelop his physique like an aura. Rachel, whose attention had only ever been on her surroundings, only noticed him at that moment. His potential, having far exceeded her expectations, caused her eyes to widen.
"Hmm? I didn't know he could do something like that."
"I was a little worried when he asked for the Great Tiger to be his opponent, but now that I've seen his skills..."
Finley leaped amid the audience's admiration. As he did, a strange, thread-like light flashed and disappeared right after.
Embers soon spread, emitting smoke. Everyone saw it, but none of them could determine what it was due to how faint the phenomenon was.
On the contrary, the result was displayed as clear as day.
"... Ah!"
Among the audience, an old man cried. He had poor eyesight, rendering him unable to capture the beams that crossed the stage. Hence, he only watched James Finley from beginning to end, ultimately leading him to witness his body toppling over.
Black haze-like soot rose from his forehead as his body sunk to the ground unmoving. His pupils had all but lost their focus.
It took a bit of time before the reality of the situation settled in their minds properly.
Sniping and assassination.
Silence devoured the entire building.
However, as blood began to gush out of Finley's corpse, deafening screams began to shake the ceiling.
- Aaaaaaaaaaaah!
- W-w-whatjust happened?!
- H-he's dead! This is bad!
- It's a Djinn! A Djinn!
People stood up and rushed towards the exit simultaneously, crashing and shoving away those who could only stare in disbelief. For the sake of survival, they willingly stampeded through the ones trying to protect the vulnerable. With people stepping and stomping on others, shouts, screams, and cries chaotically intertwined.
Amid that instantaneous disarray, Rachel sat as still as a wax figure.
Dumbfounded, she couldn't even hear anything. She didn't even notice herself detaching from reality.
All she could see was James Finley's corpse.
In front of her unfolded the death of a young man who only wanted to be a hero to fulfill his pure passion.
"Princess! Princess! We need to evacuate you now!"
Shaking off Dake's shout, Rachel sprinted. Windy followed after her, taking a form much more ferocious than she had ever seen.
Rumble-!
The spirit had become a storm, seemingly speaking on behalf of its master's wrath.
