Chapter 53

"Probably around here."

Renok, who hadn't searched a place other than the library in a long time, looked around the area.

The weather was getting colder day by day.

The air that had been sharply brushing against his skin had now turned into a piercing chill, seeping into the collar of his coat.

An empty commercial area. Renok paused his steps, catching a glimpse of his own reflection through the opaque glass.

"......"

The image of a young man with a tattered coat, bloodshot eyes, and a round head was gradually fading.

Renok's shoulders now bore a thick trench coat, and his worn-out sneakers had been replaced with thin shoes.

With the gloves from the Black Palace workshop that Panora had given him on both hands, no part of his flesh was exposed except for his face.

If he put on a mask, he would be no different from Dylan.

'The surroundings are quite desolate. This is different from what I heard.'

The information about the black mages that Jordan had given him.

Among them, the faction known for being the most moderate was supposed to be operating in this area, but it was difficult to find anyone walking the streets.

It had been a month since the checkpoints began, and he had thought the atmosphere would gradually return to normal, but perhaps he was mistaken.

Not a single building had an open door, and the windows were tightly sealed with unknown locks, rejecting any external access.

A shuttered store and an unnamed exhibition hall. Only the shabby mannequins lined up in the clothing store greeted Renok's gaze.

It seemed the municipal government was tightening its grip on the underworld more than he had anticipated.

Unable to help it, Renok channeled his magic and scanned the surroundings.

Instantly, he absorbed the visual information of the entire street and quickly checked for life reactions.

The sound of heavy footsteps. A low breath. And a series of people rapidly approaching from a distance.

It seemed these people could answer Renok's questions.

With his arms crossed, he waited. A group of people emerged from the dark alley.

Dressed in suits, with silver badges gleaming near their collarbones, they were municipal government officials.

Renok's eyebrows twitched slightly as he noticed a short, hunched old man standing at the center.

He recognized the face, and he hadn't expected to meet this person here.

The old man, apparently recognizing Renok as well, widened his eyes.

"Never thought I'd see you here again."

"Likewise, Councilor. I hope you've been well."

Councilor Meyer, who had received Renok's calm response, pursed his lips.

"....You still have that smooth tongue. I've been hearing about you all this time."

"......"

"After all, you're the one who's been burning the hottest in this area recently. They say you wiped out an entire gang. Even my friends working under me have been warning me to be careful of mages."

"It seems the rumors are exaggerated."

Meyer chuckled softly.

His eyes, filled with greed, hadn't changed a bit from back then.

Renok sighed lightly, seeing that raw emotion.

Though he acted like a foolish person obsessed only with immediate success, Renok knew that this was a wise attitude in the current situation.

He didn't seek out information or knowledge beyond his authority.

Even if he was interested, he didn't show it.

Even if he were to bite all the officials waiting behind him, it would be difficult to get a decent answer.

Renok nodded, deciding to let it go.

"I'll be on my way then."

"Looking for those friends?"

"Even if they've fled the checkpoints, they probably haven't left the city."

He had no intention of giving up easily over such a trivial matter.

A closed world.

If he wanted to hear about the theory that Alice had dismissed as utterly useless, Renok was prepared to do whatever it took.

"Phew...."

Meyer sighed, as if resigned, and whispered.

"You won't find them in Sector 40. You need to go further out."

"......Thank you."

"Do you know why I'm telling you this?"

He grinned, showing his yellowed teeth.

"Let's have a drink soon."

"......"

Renok shook his head as he watched Meyer leave with the officials he had brought.

Unlike the last time they met at the patent office, Meyer now moved with a group of assistants, looking much more vibrant.

Renok didn't know why the old man had decided to pursue power at such a late age, but it was clear that he had achieved some success.

For that reason alone, Renok didn't dismiss Meyer outright.

Currently, Meyer was the one courting Renok, but the future was unpredictable.

Renok turned and left the bar, feeling the gazes of other patrons who were starting to recognize him.

People who used to ignore him when he entered the bar were now closely watching his every move, which was a nuisance.

Sebastian, who was stirring a whiskey, looked up at him.

"Leaving already?"

"Yeah. Tell Jenny I'm heading to the outskirts."

There wasn't much to do by sitting here for a long time.

He had only come to inform her of his destination.

Moreover, the gazes of other patrons who were starting to recognize him were becoming bothersome.

Before leaving the bar, Renok was stopped by Sebastian.

"Do you remember what you got from the Oterblud job?"

"What?"

"He said to contact him if you need anything. You might need a reliable steed when you're running around places like the outskirts."

"......"

Renok immediately remembered.

It was about the motorcycle design he had obtained from the madam.

He chuckled and turned his head.

While he couldn't deny the allure of a means of transportation, it wasn't something he was currently missing or needed.

Considering his abysmal motor skills, he might need to develop a riding assistance spell to ride a motorcycle.

It was a different issue from just sitting in the driver's seat and pressing the accelerator.

Renok headed straight for the undeveloped area.

Thanks to the various maps included in the data Jordan had given him, he had no trouble finding his way.

Sector 50, an outlaw zone untouched by the municipal government's checkpoints.

He had once received a job to eliminate a contaminated entity in a barren plain, but the direction he was heading now was quite different.

The landscape in the fog zone was starting to become hazy.

A damp meadow filled with moisture, where moss clung to his feet.

A ruin of abandoned civilization, a half-built four-lane road coexisting with a green plain, presented a bizarre scene before Renok.

The dampness that seeped into his nose was unpleasant, but Renok maintained a calm expression as he carefully observed his surroundings.

'If the data is correct, it should be around here.'

According to the data Jordan had given him, a small research facility built by black mages existed somewhere in this area.

It was an unofficial facility sponsored by the Palmers Corporation, which primarily dealt with artificial intelligence, where research on chimeras and homunculi was conducted to gradually develop the intelligence of artificial life forms.

However, rumors circulated that they were using actual humans as test subjects, leading to the official closure of the facility.

Officially, of course.

'Naturally, they wouldn't have closed the doors just because the municipal government advised them to.'

Renok thought, channeling his magic.

Compared to before, the flow of his magic was now infinitely smoother and faster.

The pulsing of his magic, like a heartbeat, spread steadily and surely in all directions, instantly absorbing information from the surroundings.

As the sensation of the vast, empty plain echoed back, Renok suddenly stopped and his eyes lit up.

Though obscured by the oppressive humidity and fog, it was clear.

A strange distortion of the mist. An odd heat emanating from beyond what appeared to be an empty space.

This was the place.

Extending his five fingers, he grabbed the air, and a subtle vibration accompanied by a peculiar sound resonated.

Creak....

The sound of rusty hinges turning.

Black fog flowed out from beyond the empty landscape, resisting Renok's magic, but he smirked and twisted his fingers.

Crack!!

The magic that extended from between his fingers grabbed and shattered the air, and something that couldn't withstand his powerful will shattered, revealing a hidden space.

Crash!!

The sharp sound of shattering glass, and something inside lunged at Renok as if it had been waiting.

"Khaaaa!!"

A bizarre creature, its flesh hanging loosely as if covered in slime.

It had three arms and one leg, with a prosthetic-like appendage on its buttocks and a wolf's head dangling from its shoulder.

A chimera? A homunculus?

Whichever it was, it was clearly not a normal living being.

Bending his left arm slightly, he immediately channeled his magic.

[Lightning Vortex]

Whirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr