Episode 79

He was someone Chris didn’t want to associate with, yet there was something he absolutely had to say.

“You think I’m beneath your expectations? That’s just because your eyes are twisted, you lunatic.”

“…!!”

“You’re the kind of madman scum who should just die and disappear for the good of the world. Mark my words—I’ll be the one to cut your throat someday.”

Sherard’s eyes widened in shock at the sudden outburst.

Then—

“Hmm.”

The smile that had lingered on Sherard’s lips vanished, replaced by a chilling coldness.

Thump, thump.

Memories from the past surged through Chris’s heart, making it race—but he didn’t back down.

Instead, he glared at the man with even fiercer hostility, as if to say, “I will cut your throat one day, no matter what.”

The tension between them was so thick it felt like it could snap at any moment.

“Hahaha! Fine, cancel that. You’re somewhat interesting after all.”

Sherard laughed heartily.

“But not enough to steal my full attention yet. Try a little harder.”

Flash!

A drop of blood appeared, and Sherard vanished.

Blood Manipulation Technique.

Despite being from the Dark Mage family, Sherard never accepted dark magic.

Instead, he mastered blood manipulation—a magic perfectly suited to his bloodthirsty nature.

Far off, perched atop a tree, Sherard reappeared, wearing a sly smile.

“I’ll be watching.”

“…”

Once Sherard disappeared completely, Chris ground his teeth.

Then—

Bang!

He struck the tree violently.

“Damn it. Damn it all!”

He had witnessed the enemy who had killed his former comrade right before his eyes—and hadn’t been able to lift a finger.

A crushing sense of helplessness welled up inside him.

“I have to get stronger.”

But growing stronger any faster was impossible.

Chris was already advancing at an unprecedented pace.

Less than a year since his return, he was already closing in on the rank of 4-star.

No one in history had ever grown stronger that fast.

“It’s possible to push the rank up even faster if I overexert myself, but that would likely cause problems later.”

The higher the rank, the more important the foundation beneath it.

Building a solid base was essential for the future, so Chris needed at least some time to raise his rank properly.

“Still, one year. No matter what, I have to kill him within a year.”

He still didn’t sense the lingering presence of a demon from the man.

Meaning he hadn’t yet made a pact with a demon.

If he did—and received the ‘Ghost-Eater’ blessing—then it would truly be a nightmare.

Chris had to cut his throat before that happened.

He needed a plan.

“To kill him within a year, I need a tool to amplify my power.”

An artifact or relic.

All strong warriors who reached a certain level used their own tools to boost their strength.

“I do have the broken holy sword, Grunade, but it’s too limited. It’s damaged and can’t fully channel the power of the constellation. I need another tool.”

The problem was, artifacts and relics weren’t easy to come by.

He had recently acquired the Constellation’s Emblem, but unfortunately, it wasn’t a combat relic.

He could try seeking help from Ruina’s merchant guild, which ran the auction house, but the real treasures never appeared at auctions.

“There might be artifacts or relics held by the Dark Mage family, but they won’t hand them over to me. So there’s only one way.”

Chris’s eyes darkened.

“I have to explore ruins. I already know which ruins hold the artifacts and relics I need. I just have to figure out how to get there.”

At that moment, a servant approached.

“Master, the Marchioness is waiting.”

“Ah, I’ll be there shortly.”

Chris had originally been on his way to meet the Marchioness.

He took a deep breath to steady himself and headed toward her office.

“You’re late,” Fresia greeted him calmly.

Her face looked noticeably thinner, perhaps still shaken from the recent tournament.

‘She doesn’t seem to have called me here with good intentions,’ Chris thought with a wry smile.

Fresia’s gaze was ice-cold.

There was a far stronger hostility in her eyes than before.

It was the kind of hatred that felt like murder—like she wanted to tear Chris apart on the spot.

“What is it?”

“I called you because of the noble gathering. Do you know what kind of meeting it is?”

He did.

‘It’s a social gathering for those newly titled as nobles—lords and ladies—from the three great families of the Southern Mage Kingdom.’

Held once every three years, the newly appointed nobles from that period were grouped together to build camaraderie.

‘They call it a social event, but it’s really a battleground.’

The meeting was always held in a perilous magical realm.

There was an open contest midway through.

The attending nobles competed fiercely for their family’s honor.

‘It’s an important occasion. A chance to make my name known outside the Dark Mage family.’

Fame was power to him.

He had to build his reputation whenever he could.

This meeting would be a good opportunity.

‘But did she really call me here just to tell me this?’

It was something that could have been relayed through the steward.

Chris tilted his head in confusion, and Fresia revealed her true colors.

“The meeting place is chosen in rotation by each family. This time, it’s our Dark Mage family’s turn. We’ve decided on the ‘Seventh Floor of the Underground Garden’ in the territory of the Destruction Mage family’s Duke Vesen. That’s what you need to know.”

“!!”

Chris’s expression hardened.

It was a famous ruin.

A mysterious place within the domain of Duke Vesen of the Destruction Mage family, built by unknown hands at an unknown time.

No one even knew how many floors it had, and the deeper you went, the more dangerous monsters and dungeons appeared.

‘It’s normal for the noble gathering to be held in dangerous places, so the Underground Garden isn’t unusual.’

The Underground Garden was a regular venue for the noble meetings.

By choosing the right floor, they could set an appropriate level of danger for the nobles attending.

But—

‘Why the seventh floor? That’s strange.’

Chris narrowed his eyes.

Was it because it was dangerous?

No, it was actually too safe.

‘The seventh floor isn’t a threat to me at all.’

The Underground Garden had been explored down to the 26th floor.

Interestingly, the floors were divided according to rank.

Floors 1 to 3 were suitable for 1-star mages.

Floors 4 to 6 for 2-star mages.

Floors 7 to 9 for 3-star mages.

And so on, every three floors matched a rank’s difficulty.

‘That’s why it’s called the Garden of Training. Southern Mage Kingdom’s mages often come here to train.’

By that logic, the seventh floor was meant for lower 3-star level monsters.

If they wanted to harm Chris, this was the wrong choice.

‘There must be some ulterior motive.’

To figure it out, he asked.

“Do you know who else will be attending?”

“From our Dark Mage family, you and Lady Jupien. From the Poison Mage family, Lady Marisa. And from the Destruction Mage family, Lord Kashmir.”

“!!”

Chris flinched.

Not because of Marisa, his former fiancée.

It was the name of the Destruction Mage family’s attendee.

‘Kashmir the Resister.’

A famous name from the Age of Ruin.

He later became a 7-star mage and was a leader of the resistance against the Bloodthirsty Demon King within the Mage Empire.

‘Not all mages followed the Bloodthirsty Demon King’s will.’

The Demon King unleashed merciless slaughter, turning the world into hell.

But as the Dark Mage family showed, not all mages enjoyed such carnage.

Most sought only power and dominance, not evil for its own sake.

Rebellion was inevitable.

Kashmir was one of those rebels.

‘Was Kashmir really from the Destruction Mage family? I heard he was cast out by his family when he was young… Ah.’

A puzzle clicked into place in Chris’s mind.

Looking at the list of attendees, he saw the pattern.

Kashmir.

Marisa.

Jupien.

Chris himself.

They all shared one thing.

They were all outcasts within their families.

People many wished would just disappear.

And the suspicious choice of the seventh floor.

‘They’re planning to wipe out all the attendees at once.’

No one knew it yet, but the Underground Garden held a secret.

A secret Chris knew because he was a time traveler.

Using that secret, it was entirely possible to annihilate everyone attending this noble meeting in one fell swoop.

Just as he suspected, Fresia’s eyes gleamed with a sinister light.

She was certain Chris would die.

Proof that his suspicions were correct.

Avoiding it would be wise, but—

“I understand. The seventh floor of the Underground Garden. I’ll prepare accordingly.”

“!!”

Normally, no one would survive such a trap, but Chris knew of one way out.

A way only he could pull off.

No, more than that—

Chris swallowed hard.

“This is an opportunity. A huge one. To obtain the highest-grade relic of the Underground Garden.”

From his past memories, he knew there were relics he absolutely had to get.

One of them was in the Underground Garden, but he had never dared to try retrieving it before—he wasn’t strong enough.

Normally, it would be a challenge far in the future, but if he played this ‘trap’ right, he might just get a chance to claim the relic.

“And maybe gain tremendous fame as well. If I’m lucky, I could become a ‘Pioneer.’”

The Underground Garden was an unexplored ruin.

Those who achieved new feats there were called ‘Pioneers’ and recorded in the Garden’s Hall of Fame.

Among the mages of the Southern Mage Kingdom, the Underground Garden was like a sacred place of magic.

Leaving one’s name there was a tremendous honor.

His name would spread far and wide, beyond even the Dark Maga.

“You’re going to attend?”

“Yes. I’ve actually wanted to visit the underground garden for some time. I’m grateful to you, Aunt, for giving me this opportunity.”

Did Chris’s eagerness rub her the wrong way? Presia frowned.

‘Could it be that he’s caught on to the trap?’

No, that was impossible.

The scheme Presia had devised was a trap based on a secret recently uncovered by the Destruction Maga while investigating the underground garden.

There was no way he knew that secret, and even if he did, once he set foot inside, there was no chance of coming back alive.

“The Gongja conference is a matter of our family’s honor. Make sure you prepare thoroughly.”

“Yes, understood. But may I ask a favor?”

“A favor? What is it?”

“Some money, please.”

“…What?”

Chris grinned slyly.

“I’m exhausted from beating up that Maysak guy at the recent competition. Before we leave, I want to blow off some steam at the castle. So, could you lend me some seed money?”

He had to be ready to survive the trap.

And for that, he needed money.