Chapter 33

◈ Chapter 33: Steps Toward the Truth (2)

"Damn it! Brother!"

Bruno immediately reacted upon confirming that Veron's neck had been severed.

Countless insects wriggled out from the gaps in his clothes.

Bruno quickly thought.

'The guy used sound waves. And he even used metal.'

There are a total of ten elemental attributes.

<Fire> <Water> <Wind> <Earth> <Plant> <Electricity> <Metal> <Ice> <Darkness> <Light>.

And there is still an unknown attribute that has yet to be revealed.

In the case of sound magic, it often uses the vibration of the air, so it is frequently considered a derivative of the wind element.

And when Rudger blocked the Tesla gun, he used <Metal> attribute magic.

'Metal is an element derived from earth. Usually, the elements a person can handle are limited to similar categories.'

Bruno judged that Rudger could use three elemental attributes: <Wind>, <Earth>, and <Metal>.

Typically, a mage can handle 2 to 3 elements.

Even if they are very capable, they can handle up to 4.

From 5 onwards, it can be considered a matter of innate talent.

Thus, mages generally assume their opponents can handle 3 elements.

That was the basic common sense.

'If it’s the wind element, small flying insects won’t be effective. I’ll have to use a larger creature.'

Bruno didn’t rule out the possibility that Rudger might handle a fourth element, just in case.

Out of his sleeve, a giant millipede with a thick exoskeleton emerged.

It was a unique creature caught in the southern forest and created through black magic and hybrid breeding, something not found in the normal ecosystem.

But the millipede's head was instantly severed.

And it took less than a second for the sharp blade to aim for Bruno’s neck.

"Ugh!"

Bruno twisted his body to avoid the blade Rudger swung.

Around his body, hidden under his clothes, were solid wind beetles that formed a chainmail-like armor.

'He’s engaging in close combat? Could he be a War Mage?'

Bruno immediately tried to put some distance between himself and Rudger.

At that moment, a rune appeared in front of Rudger.

Bruno's eyes widened.

'That’s [Dancing Flames]!'

The rune, which seemed to depict a burning flame, was engraved in just a few seconds.

The third-tier fire element magic, Dancing Flames, spewed intense flames in less than a second, engulfing Bruno.

"Ahhh!"

With Bruno's scream, the flames flared up, illuminating the surroundings. The soldiers who had been staring at the entrance turned around, their eyes wide open.

"That’s the enemy!"

"How did he—!"

But in the meantime, Bruno's body twisted in the intense heat.

For someone who handled insects, fire magic was the most challenging.

Handling an element completely unrelated to the other three was unbelievable.

"Really, how did he—?"

The millipede was burned to a crisp, but Bruno managed to survive, though his condition was far from good.

His body was covered in burns, and half his face had melted. He fell to the ground, staring at Rudger.

He thought he hadn’t let his guard down, but he hadn’t expected Rudger to have such a strong elemental advantage.

"Who are you, really?"

"..."

Boom!

Rudger didn’t answer but instead pulled out a revolver and shot Bruno in the head.

At the same time, the backup power activated, and the lights inside the laboratory came back on.

"Phew!"

"Even the Bug Brothers are dead?"

The soldiers guarding the inside were at a loss when they saw the bodies of Bruno and Veron.

Even if all of them combined their strength, they couldn’t match one of the brothers, yet the intruder had taken them both down alone.

The soldiers lost their fighting spirit.

How could they fight such a monster?

But as they took a step back in fear, a change occurred in Veron's severed and fallen body.

Squish!

"!"

Rudger immediately reacted. As he leaped forward, a massive hand slashed through the space where he had been standing a moment ago.

It was the front leg of an insect, covered in a smooth exoskeleton and filled with sharp spines.

The others watching the scene were also stunned.

"Wasn’t he dead?"

Rudger, looking at the moving Veron, asked.

"Perhaps he’s a Bugified person."

"Ah. You knew?"

Veron, who handled insects, had a large body and didn’t handle insects. But why were they called the Bug Brothers?

'So that’s it.'

Veron was a black mage whose body had undergone a mutation, becoming something like a bug.

His body couldn’t have changed naturally; he had essentially used his body as an experiment in black magic.

Veron starkly demonstrated why black mages were often considered crazy.

"Even with his head cut off, he’s still functional."

"My body is no longer that of an ordinary human."

At the same time, Veron's body began to change with a bone-chilling sound.

His black robe expanded, and countless spines protruded.

Rudger stepped back.

The already large Veron grew even larger, towering over Rudger.

A monstrous creature that looked like a mix of various insects.

At this point, it was hard to distinguish whether it was a black mage or a Cryptid.

"Such a situation, I didn’t want to use this."

"Hmm?"

"Well, there’s no choice."

As soon as Rudger finished speaking, the laboratory was filled with a blinding white light.

* * *

Rudger emerged from the laboratory, carrying a suitcase filled with the data and experimental drugs used on the test subjects.

Hans, waiting outside, greeted him.

"You’re here. Let’s get out of here first. The police will come if we make such a spectacle. What about inside?"

"All taken care of."

After felling Veron, Rudger checked the deeper parts of the laboratory.

The horrific test subjects trapped in iron cages in the darkness.

They were all ordinary civilians who had once led normal lives.

But their lives had ultimately been shattered.

Their bodies had mutated, and they had lost their sanity, crossing the line where they could no longer be called human, suffering immensely.

The only mercy Rudger could offer them was a painless end.

Rudger destroyed the entire laboratory, killed the scientists, and took their research reports and experimental results.

"Is this it?"

Hans, looking at the ampoules filled with red liquid inside the suitcase he received from Rudger, asked.

"Yes."

"The world has truly become terrifying. I never imagined there would be people conducting human experiments in such a place. I never thought scientists or inventors would team up with black mages."

"There’s more."

"What? What else?"

"How do you think they managed to get such a large secret laboratory?"

"That’s...?"

"Someone is providing them with substantial funding."

"..."

That’s no ordinary matter.

To build such a laboratory in secret would require an extraordinary amount of money.

It meant that the person backing them was very powerful.

"Don’t worry. I already know who it is."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Rudger’s answer made Hans feel uneasy.

"Brother, don’t tell me—"

"Why?"

"That... no, right?"

Rudger didn’t ask what Hans meant. He just stared at Hans intently.

Ah.

There’s no way to stop him.

Hans immediately realized this and took the suitcase.

"I’ll head back to the hideout first. Come by when you’re done."

Hans left without waiting for Rudger’s response.

Rudger stood still for a while.

The red flames from the burning factory illuminated the dark abandoned industrial area.

It was like a candle burning brightly just before it went out.

* * *

"Is this what you call food?!"

Clang!

Inside the luxurious mansion, the wealthy Belbot Rickson threw the plate of food the maid had brought.

The maid, hit by the plate, fell to the ground, bleeding from her forehead.

The food on the plate dirtied her clothes and face.

But no one dared to help her.

The elderly man in his sixties, with a long white beard, glared at the maid with disgust and clicked his tongue.

"Is this what you call food? You’re all worthless trash, even if I pay you."

Belbot got up from his seat and left the dining room.

He was a very successful capitalist who had adapted to the changing times.

But when he achieved success, the Belbot in the mirror was an old man with many wrinkles.

He had ultimately sacrificed his youth to reach this position.

So he wanted to regain his youth.

That’s why he supported the black mages in their experiments.

Recently, he heard that some of the test subjects had escaped, causing delays in the experiments.

Damn it! Stupid fools! Worthless scum!

How much money do you think I’ve invested in you?

Belbot returned to his room, fuming.

'But the experiments weren’t meaningless. Soon, proper results will come out.'

A drug to restore a weakened human body to its prime.

The elixir of youth was close.

Not just to become younger, but healthier and stronger.

Just as he was about to turn on the light in his large, dark room, a voice spoke.

"Belbot Rickson."

"W-What?! Who’s there?!"

Someone was in the center of the room.

Belbot tried to turn on the magic lamp, but it wouldn’t light.

In the darkness, where no moonlight entered, Belbot was trapped alone with the unknown intruder.

"Guards! Guards!"

"They won’t hear you."

A sound barrier was already in place. Of course, in a wealthy man’s house, such magic would trigger an alarm.

But Rudger’s magic was so subtle that it didn’t set off the alarm.

Rudger, who had been sitting in a chair, stood up.

He slowly approached Belbot.

"Belbot Rickson. I have one question for you."

"What? Who are you? Reveal yourself!"

"A 7-year-old child, seeing his parents and himself turn into monsters, desperately trying to survive in this horrific reality."

Crack!

Rudger reached out and grabbed Belbot by the collar, bringing his face close.

In the darkness, his eyes glowed red.

"Knowing this, how do you think it feels to burn them to death?"