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#018. What’s in the Basement (1)
“… … .”
What did I do just now?
I never thought you could do something like this with magic.
First of all, there was no time to think deeply.
Because even at this very moment, time continues to flow.
Squeak- clank.
I came inside and closed the door.
I looked inside with calm eyes.
‘It’s wider than I thought.’
The basement was about the size of several small rooms combined.
As it was deep underground, the ceiling height was also high.
Directly- Directly-
A long rope hanging from the ceiling.
An old lightbulb hanging from the end made a noise and illuminated the dark basement with a crimson glow.
Desk, bed, wardrobe, sink, etc.
As the information said, this place seemed to be the living space of a man in a coat.
I walked around the basement and arrived at the desk.
There was an open notebook with several used pens.
The writing fills the page.
The folds are full of torn marks.
It was like I was writing and tore out a page because I didn’t like a part of it.
The floor around us was immediately littered with crumpled wads of paper.
Ray read the note.
“Boss. The fierce flame of my life… Boss… has already… excommunicated me from the… organization…”
The handwriting was so poor that it was difficult to read.
“Although… my skills… this is also the boss’s will… my respect and awe will always be… my poor skills…”
The word boss was repeated.
First of all, it seemed like the man in the coat was a member of the organization.
“The red bloodstones I received… I can still become stronger… .”
Does red bloodstone refer to the red gem set into the ring?
“Living on the streets… as sacrifices… orphans… even if they disappear, no one… cares… 66 people… That proves my boldness… my determination…”
As I read the last sentence of the letter, the light bulb blinked involuntarily.
Straight! Straight! Straight!
It soon regained its original light.
…Is my life almost over?
He bent down, unfolded a few wads of paper, and read them.
The content is not much different from what was written in the note, but the parts where the handwriting is legible are different, which helps in inferring the content.
I feel like I’m starting to get a clue.
I stared at a point in the sky and collected my thoughts.
It seemed like the coat man was the one who had been looking for Cedric.
Because the specific number 66 was used, which only the parties involved would know.
But questions remain.
“The executives of Murkred come to our group in person. They stop by periodically to check on the number of people.”
The man Cedric spoke of was said to be an executive of the organization.
‘The man who lives here. He doesn’t seem like a manager. Judging from the contents of the letter, it seems like he was actually expelled from the organization.’
I have listed a few cases that I think are possible.
What if a man impersonates an executive?
Could it be that he has wrapped himself in a high position to establish authority over Cedric?
‘Why did you ask us to gather 66 people?’
I have a gut feeling that it might have something to do with ‘sacrifice’.
But the boy did not know the meaning of the word sacrifice.
Straight- straight-
We continued to explore under the blinking lights.
Squeak.
I checked the wardrobe and the bed.
I opened each desk drawer one by one.
Knock knock. Knock knock.
Knock knock. Knock knock.
There was nothing in the top drawer.
It was just full of junk.
Knock knock.
The last drawer that was open like that.
A square tin can was stored there.
I took it out and opened it.
I picked up the contents with my fingers.
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“… … .”
It was a jewel the size of a fingernail.
It was red and transparent inside.
The barrel contained more than twenty gems of the same shape and color.
‘It’s like the jewel that was on the ring.’
Red-colored mana gently seeping out from the jewel.
Ray recalled the moment when the red mana from the ring connected to Cedric’s heart.
‘This is also mana. It feels a little different from the mana spread in the air.’
Instinctively, you pull the mana emitted by the jewel into your palm.
Woof─
The feeling of being pulled is so smooth that it cannot be compared to the mana in the air.
A red mana like a thread.
A feeling of ecstasy flashes through the boy’s eyes as he looks at it.
What if we use magic with this?
An irresistible question suddenly fills my mind.
According to the boy’s will, the red mana instantly coalesced into a single point.
Hurrah!
The sparks flew.
It was the brightest red the boy had ever made.
‘It usually takes longer than this for the fireworks to bloom… .’
The speed was also much faster.
It was a level where magic was activated at the same time as the thought.
The mana emitted by the red jewel was much easier to handle and of higher quality.
It feels like the mana in the atmosphere has been processed and stored in a jewel.
Straight─ Straight!
The moment the light bulb blinked again.
Knock, knock, knock
Footsteps were heard outside the door.
You’re back already?
It hasn’t even been 15 minutes yet?
Ray was checking the time and leaving the basement.
For a moment I thought it was someone passing by, but the sound of footsteps was definitely coming closer.
The only connection to the ground is a staircase.
There was no other way out, and if I opened the door I was bound to run into it.
An urgent and pressing moment.
But Ray wasn’t flustered.
I took out a few jewels and put them in my bosom.
I closed the drawer and put the scattered items back in their proper places.
It was a quick move, as if this situation had been anticipated.
Knock—knock—knock—
The sound of footsteps is now drawing near.
Ray, who had erased all traces of himself, pressed himself against the corner right next to the door.
widely.
The footsteps stopped outside the door.
Ray also held his breath.
Creak. Crunch. Chunk!
It was the sound of a key being put into a hole.
Then a low voice was heard.
─Huh? What? Did I leave the door unlocked?
Chin! Chin! Crunch!
The key turned once again.
Soon the iron door opened with a loud creaking sound.
“Damn… I forgot my wallet. Damn… I think I’m getting dumber by the day. No wonder my boss abandoned me.”
Squeak─ Boom!
The iron door, which was swinging open, stopped as it hit the wall.
Ray ended up in the triangular space between the door and the wall.
“You wasted time. You could have written a few more lines of a letter to your boss at this time.”
I couldn’t see outside because the door was blocked.
However, the man’s muttering and rustling sounds continued to be heard.
“It’s okay though. Walter, don’t worry. Once this is over, I’ll be able to return to the organization. Boss will definitely see me again. Hehehe.”
Are you comforting yourself?
An uneasy laughter echoed through the basement.
“Yeah. I left my wallet here. I’ll have to buy a lot of food this time. I won’t be going out for a while.”
The sound of searching for something stopped.
Footsteps were heard approaching the door.
and.
widely.
It stopped right in front of the door.
Clank.
The sound of grabbing a handle.
Ray held his breath even more.
“Wait a minute. I think there was something else I needed. Oh, right. I remembered. Just─”
Squeak──!
“I need rat poison! This little rat! I can’t believe I didn’t know you were hiding here!”
The door opened and a man’s distorted face appeared.
Ray let out the breath he had been holding and drew out the knife he was holding and drew it diagonally upward.
The face was also covered with a hood and a mask.
Wedge──!
“Kwaaak!”
The man took a step back, holding his nose with his hand.
Blood dripped from between the fingers covering the bridge of his nose, but he didn’t take his eyes off Ray.
thud!
The man who had immediately closed the door and blocked the escape route glared at Ray with bloodshot eyes and shouted.
“What the hell. What the hell are you? I thought you were the organization’s assassin, but you’re a brat? How did you get in and open the door─.”
Ray didn’t answer the question.
He went straight into the next attack without giving any openings.
It wasn’t what I expected.
But that doesn’t mean the purpose itself has changed.
There was just a small variable in the process of reaching the goal.
‘Subdue them. And get all the information out.’
Then, some of the questions that are currently filling your head will be resolved.
Wedge!
chin!
The knife cutting through the air was blocked.
The man was holding it with his bare hands.
It was an amazing sight.
Because not a single drop of blood flowed from the hand that held the knife.
Ray, who used strength-enhancing magic, was struggling with his hands, which were shaking.
Crackle! Crackle!
Flashing lights.
The faces of a boy and a man appear and disappear beneath it.
“That kid… isn’t answering what the adults say… what the hell, why is he so strong?”
Ray’s eyes were on the man’s ring, not the knife.
The mana of the ring was moving.
It ran through the blood vessels and spread to every part of the body.
A particularly large amount was concentrated in the hand holding the knife.
I realized it instinctively.
Using magic to prevent being cut by a sword.
‘There’s such a thing as magic.’
A rare moment of admiration.
The boy’s eyes read the color combinations and ratios of the mana used in the magic.
I wasn’t conscious of it.
Something that happened naturally, like breathing.
“Hey…! What power…!”
The man who had been gritting his teeth and using his strength suddenly put down the knife.
Ray’s posture did not break.
It was thanks to anticipation and keeping the center of gravity in check.
“fu*k! I let you off because you were a kid! I’ll kill you!”
The man’s movements were quick.
Ignoring the bleeding from the bridge of my nose, I took something out of my bosom and swung it around like lightning.
A long, curved, semicircular blade.
It was a song known to be difficult to handle.
Wedge──!
Just before the blade, spewing forth a sharp aura, sliced Ray’s face.
chin!
Something came up from below then.
“Hey…! You…! What are you…!”
The man was shocked to see the boy’s bare hands holding the sword.
I couldn’t understand it at all.
I didn’t even want to understand.
Because ‘Metalization’ was a unique magic that he had developed on his own and had never revealed to anyone else.
“What are you! This bird─!”
Ray took advantage of the man’s confusion and launched a fierce attack.
Wedge! Buck! Buck!
The silence of the basement was broken by the loud crash of flying objects.
Ray had the upper hand in attack.
The man’s coat was increasingly torn and tattered, and his body was pushed into the basement.
The fedora I was wearing also fell to the floor.
visor!
“Ugh!”
The man was sweating profusely.
He continued to groan as he fended off the attacks.
But strangely enough, there was no fear in his eyes.
Rather, there was a strange heat and excitement stirring within it.
“You…! That’s right! You’re the one the boss sent…! I’ve heard that among the assassins, there’s one who imitates magic…! Hehehe…!”
The man’s eerie laugh.
Ray paid no attention and focused on attacking.
thud!
Eventually, the man, unable to hold on any longer, fell to the floor.
Ray’s knife didn’t stop.
I traced the back of the man’s hand and struck it vertically.
Wedge! Phu!
“Ugh!”
He kicked the fallen spur far away with his foot.
The man’s other hand trampled with a foot that had been strengthened.
Wood crack!
There was a sound of bones crunching.
The man’s body jerked as if in a convulsion.
Movement was completely blocked.
Ray finally held the knife to the man’s neck.
I had no intention of letting my guard down.
The opponent is a wizard equipped with a ring.
But I haven’t used any proper magic yet.
There may be hidden numbers.
The moment the ring’s mana moves, it will immediately enter additional suppression.
Ray spoke in a low voice to hide his identity.
“I have a lot of questions for you. I hope you will answer the questions I will ask you from now on.”
No answer came back.
The man with his head on the floor was swaying and muttering as if something was so enjoyable.
“Kuuuuu… I didn’t know the rumored assassin was this young.”
The man seemed mentally unstable.
His wavering tone and gaze did not make him seem sane.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. If I kill the assassin, the boss will have no choice but to acknowledge my skills. Hehehehehe.”
In my experience, I can’t have a proper conversation with this type of person.
How to get information.
If that’s not possible, wouldn’t it be better to just kill him here and now?
That way, there won’t be any unexpected aftereffects.
You can probably get some information about magic from bookstores.
Ray was making a decision.
The mana of the ring that twitched for a moment.
Shh …
As soon as Ray drew his knife, flames burst out from the man’s entire body.
widely!
Ray quickly took a step backwards, putting some distance between them.
He stared into the blazing fire with emotionless eyes.
There was definitely a feeling of being stabbed in the neck.
But it wasn’t hard to see that the man wasn’t dead.
“Tell the boss that Blood-Eyed Walter will be coming for you soon. Of course, that is, if you return from this place alive.”
Because in the midst of the flames, a man was rising up, his whole body engulfed in flames.
I couldn’t figure out why.
The reason why my heart is pounding so hard.
The color of the mana that made up the flame was being sucked into the boy’s eyes.