Chapter 31

According to Madison's testimony, the area where the blueprint was stolen by the robbers is an apartment complex in District 35, operated by a certain construction company. The 30s district is generally a residential area where many citizens of Balkan live. Renock had been considering moving to this area as soon as he had a bit of spare time. After all, in terms of security, it was incomparable to the 40s district, and considering the importance of security for the magic research he conducted in his studio, it was a necessity.

It was a season with warm breezes. Families strolled the streets, and groups of friends chatted noisily. "........." A peaceful scene that once seemed so natural but now felt absurdly awkward. Calming his uneasy heart, Renock found the place Madison had mentioned. Given his situation, there was no doubt that his intention to retrieve the blueprint was genuine, and thus, there was no reason to lie to the two of them.

At the back of a dilapidated apartment complex scheduled for redevelopment, a narrow path with a small bald hill. Renock nodded as he confirmed the bloodstains scattered on a dusty bench. He immediately cast a spell. [Bloody Chase] The magical power that spread from his palm formed a specific image and instantly turned into a dark red magic circle. The magic circle, centered on the bloodstains, slowly rotated and then suddenly turned into a single red thread— *Snap!* It broke and disappeared. "......."

Although the tracking spell, which had never failed him when pursuing criminals, did not work this time, Renock was not overly surprised. Bloody Chase is a relatively simple spell, and it often fails due to minor variables. It was fortunate that there had been no issues until now. Renock was rather pleased that the tracking spell had been cut off. If the blood had been Madison's, the spell would not have stopped from the beginning. Whatever happened here, the bloodstains were also evidence that the robbers who stole the blueprint had left here.

'There are two possibilities when Bloody Chase is cut off.' Either the owner of the blood was a powerful enough individual to notice and interfere with the spell immediately, or the blood mixed in the stains came from more than one person. And to Renock, the latter seemed much more likely. If a magician of such high caliber had been here, they would not have left such traces in the first place.

"What should I do....." Renock, who had collected the bloodstains in a plastic bag, fell into thought. Although he was using a common spell to track the target through the blood, his knowledge of blood itself was extremely limited. Ultimately, this meant he would need someone's help in this field rather than solving it alone. There were a few options, but it seemed that additional costs would be unavoidable no matter which one he chose.

While calling Sebastian's number, Renock slowly left the apartment complex. [.........] After discussing the additional expenses, he immediately headed to the 40s district. District 44. This area, fittingly ominous with its number, was primarily inhabited by people dealing in occult practices. It was a place where those who handled extremely dark and minor catalysts in the field of sorcery, or those who practiced secret rituals passed down through individual lineages, or those who dealt with studies like divination and astrology, which did not directly help people's futures, could set up their businesses without hesitation.

As Renock entered a street with a particularly strong fishy smell, he slowly looked around. By the smell, it seemed he had come to the right place, but he was at a loss as he couldn't find the entrance. *Huff*! Spreading his magical power widely to check the surroundings, he finally noticed the entrance hidden behind a place covered with talismans. A strange pattern drawn in red ink on blue paper. It was obvious that the ink was not just a pigment. Blood Mage

Without hesitation, Renock removed the talismans and entered through one of the entrances. A person who was burning incense with their back to the door turned his head. A boy who looked to be in his mid-teens. Despite his young appearance, which made it hard to believe he worked in such a place, his expression was very calm. This was the first time Renock had encountered such a young partner in this line of work, so he looked at the boy with a curious gaze. The boy, in turn, scanned Renock from head to toe and then spoke in an indifferent tone. "I never said I was open for business." "If the door is open, doesn't that mean you're accepting customers?" "......" The boy, who was looking at Renock with a somewhat sullen gaze, reluctantly nodded. "....Sit down." As soon as Renock sat down in the small room designed for sitting, he took out the blood sample he had collected. "I'm looking for someone. I want to know whose blood this is." Holding the bloodstain that had cut off the Bloody Chase, Renock had come to the lair of the Blood Mages. It was possible to hand over the blood sample to a research facility for analysis and tracking, but he judged that it would be more efficient to seek help from those who specialized in blood magic, even if it cost a bit more. He had considered seeking help from Blood Mages when chasing Taylor Evans before, but had given up due to the high cost, as Jenny had mentioned. However, no one could surpass Blood Mages in extracting and handling information from blood at a professional level. The boy replied indifferently. "3 million cells, upfront. Additional costs will apply based on further work." Renock silently placed a bundle of cash next to the blood sample, and the boy immediately picked up the money and the bloodstain. Placing the blood sample on an old table, the boy slowly brought his index finger close. A bright red light emerged from the bloodstain and seeped into the boy's finger, and soon he spoke. "The blood is a mix of three people." "Three?" "One man in his 40s, and one man and one woman in their 20s." Madison and the two robbers, perhaps. While Renock was lost in thought, the boy continued without hesitation. "The man in his 40s shows no signs of magical training, but the other two have a considerable concentration of magical power. The injured parts of all three are the tips of their fingers. The metallic smell suggests that the wounds were intentionally inflicted with a blade." "......What?" "The blood has been exposed to the outside for about 30 hours. The two in their 20s are magic users, so I'll need to use magic again to find them, but I can write down the location of the man in his 40s right away." ".........."

While he had expected the information to be helpful, the details extracted from just a few drops of blood were almost unbelievable. Of course, it would be impossible to identify the owners of the blood with this information alone, but combined with the underworld's various information and the circumstances of the case, it would be possible to narrow down the candidates significantly. It was precisely because of such advantages that Blood Mages, despite the fatal drawback of having to pay with their life force, had consistently maintained their lineage and met the constant demand. According to Jenny, even the city's investigative agencies occasionally visited this street, so the usefulness of these people, given the existence of blood as a medium, could not be expressed in a single word. Of course, these advantages only applied to those who did not have strong resistance to target designation, like Renock, and lacked significant power. Considering the number of people who died in this vast city every day, it didn't make much of a difference. The boy, who had been talking, suddenly closed his mouth and stared at Renock intently. "From here on, it's an additional cost." "Additional cost?" "12 million cells to find the locations of the two in their 20s. 4 million cells for the man in his 40s." It was a considerable amount, as expected, but it was much more expensive than what Jenny had mentioned. Therefore, instead of answering, Renock asked the boy a question. "How much is it to classify the mixed bloodstains separately?" "What?" Ignoring the boy's question, Renock took out another bundle of cash from his pocket. *Snap!* 5 million cells in cash, which he had withdrawn from the bank on his way. After paying the upfront fee, Renock placed the remaining money on the old table and said, "5 million cells to accurately classify the mixed blood into three separate samples." If the blood wasn't mixed, it would be possible to determine a general direction using Bloody Chase. It wouldn't be as efficient as having the Blood Mage pinpoint the location, but there was no need to spend money unnecessarily. Seeing Renock take the initiative, the boy slowly shook his head. "It's a bit short." "......" "I'm not just haggling for the money. If not money, offer something of equal value." The boy's tone was considerably softer. He wasn't just being stubborn; he genuinely believed that the money Renock offered was insufficient. Value... What value could Renock offer him now? Considering that the mages who stayed in one place and made money by serving customers would find value in certain items... A conversation with Evelyn came to Renock's mind. "How about this?" "Tell me." "I heard that there will be a checkpoint for mages operating in the 40s district soon. It seems like important information for Blood Mages like you." Evelyn had revealed the checkpoint information as if she was doing a favor, but Renock had