Episode 37
Chapter 14. Mammit’s Lawless Zone (Part 2)
Right after being expelled from the Garden of Swords, before his regression.
Jin had spent some time homeless, wandering aimlessly from one country to another. After his banishment, he lost all purpose in life and lived like a wreck for a while—until he met his magic mentor.
During that time, Jin had encountered countless lost souls lurking in the city’s darkest corners.
Petty thieves, robbers, beggars, alcoholics… They lived like mayflies with no tomorrow, driven solely by their immediate desires.
“But the absolute worst of the worst were the drug addicts.”
Drug addicts.
They were the kind who couldn’t survive a single day without their fix. Without drugs, their eyes would go hollow, they’d foam at the mouth, and if given a hit, they’d foolishly offer up their own hearts in gratitude.
Ten out of ten, a hundred out of a hundred, a thousand out of a thousand!
Among all the addicts Jin had met on the streets, not a single one was any different.
Sure, some managed to quit through sheer willpower and reclaim a normal life, but those cases were so rare they might as well be miracles.
From Jin’s perspective, Alkaro Chendler was definitely not one of those strong-willed few.
“Damn it! Please, please, I’m begging you. You don’t understand—I can’t last even an hour without it. I swear, I’m begging you…”
Alkaro slumped down, rubbing his palms together desperately.
The guards from the Bow Sect who flanked him wore calm expressions, but Jin caught the faintest trace of disgust in their eyes.
“I’ve already told you no. Our top priority is protecting the young master, not indulging his tantrums. If you keep causing trouble, we will have no choice but to—”
“Ahhh! I don’t want to hear it! If you won’t give me my fix, I’ve got my own plans! Damn it, once my darling comes back, every last one of you is dead! I swear I’ll cut off your heads!”
“Hah.”
“Huh! Did you just sigh? You think I’m a joke? You lowly commoners? I am Chendler—”
Smack!
Suddenly, one of the guards punched Alkaro hard in the gut. He trembled violently before collapsing unconscious.
“Damn it, how long do we have to babysit this trash?”
“Would be better if he just died from the drugs. I don’t understand why His Highness keeps him alive.”
“Quiet. We’re just doing our job. No personal feelings.”
The guards hoisted the unconscious Alkaro onto their shoulders and headed back to the room.
Watching the whole scene, Jin couldn’t help but feel like he’d just stumbled upon a treasure trove.
“The relationship between the guards and Alkaro is terrible. And Alkaro’s clearly desperate enough to do anything tomorrow just to get his fix.”
Hmm.
Taking a sip of the beer the attendant had brought him, Jin thought it over carefully. Assassinating Alkaro didn’t seem all that difficult.
The drug-addicted young master would only get more violent with each passing day. If the chaos continued, chances to kill him would come several times a day.
Whether by assassination magic, physical attack, or spiritual energy—killing him would be a piece of cake.
“But the real problem is what happens after. I need a way to eliminate Alkaro and escape the guards safely.”
That was the biggest challenge of this solo mission.
Killing him openly inside the inn and then fleeing was impossible. The Bow Sect guards were all at least six-star level, far stronger physically than Jin.
Poison was out of the question, too. If Alkaro was lured with drugs and then poisoned, the entire Mammit would be thrown into chaos.
This lawless city had no greater taboo than breaking the unspoken rules.
Just thinking about it gave Jin a headache. Secretly killing Alkaro inside the Moonlight Well—a sealed room—was impossible by normal means.
Thud.
Jin finished his beer and set the empty glass down with a loud clink.
“I’ve made up my mind.”
That was his decision.
To launch a magical attack on the Moonlight Well from inside his own room.
The Moonlight Well was where Mammit’s kings gathered.
An inn where the most notorious crime lords of Mammit convened. The moment the attack began, the kings inside would retaliate and hunt down the culprit.
They would be certain the attacker was at least a six-star mage.
“If I combine my four-star magic with my spiritual energy, I can reach six-star destructive power. Enhancing Lightning Call with spiritual energy should do the trick.”
But who would believe a mere fifteen-year-old was a six-star mage?
No one.
Even Veradin Ziphl, the heir apparent of Ziphl and three years older than Jin, had only just reached six stars.
Unleashing six-star magic at fifteen was beyond even the geniuses of Ziphl.
“This isn’t as complicated as I thought. I’ll fill the room with spiritual energy to mask the magic’s presence.”
Anything surrounded by spiritual energy becomes less perceptible.
Jin had once coated a dagger with spiritual energy during a beginner mission and easily killed four-star warriors. Magic and aura were no different. He was confident he could neatly conceal four-star level magic with spiritual energy.
That way, the guests in the Moonlight Well would assume the attack came from outside.
If such powerful magic suddenly erupted inside the inn, the kings of Mammit wouldn’t fail to notice.
“I’ll enhance Lightning Call with spiritual energy and strike the Moonlight Well. I’ll take some damage, but with Orgal’s pendant, I can manage.”
Orgal’s pendant nullified most magic attacks below five stars. Six-star attacks were riskier, but it still offered some protection.
“Right now, I can use the enhanced Lightning Call four times. If I drop it repeatedly around the rooms, the Moonlight Well will be chaos in no time.”
Meanwhile, Jin would feign injury and confusion, move through the chaos to find Alkaro, and finish the mission.
If Alkaro got struck by a random lightning bolt and died, all the better.
“Sometimes his youth annoyed me, but now it’s unexpectedly useful.”
Lightning Call was just a flash of lightning that struck and ended instantly. The moment the magic manifested was so brief that even with spiritual energy mixed in, it would be hard to detect.
Even if someone noticed the black energy mixed in the lightning, they’d likely think it was some kind of mutant magic. Spiritual energy was little known, while countless mutant magics existed in the world.
Regression, spiritual energy, and innate talent for magic.
If any one of those were lacking, the Moonlight Well attack wouldn’t even be possible.
“No need to wait days. That addict could cause who knows what trouble. I’ll strike around noon tomorrow.”
Attacking in broad daylight rather than at night or dawn would be more effective.
The more witnesses who saw his six-star Lightning Call, the better.
10:30 a.m.
Jin came down to the lobby and ordered a late breakfast: well-baked bread, boiled eggs, and soup.
This was all part of his act—to start the day like any other guest in the Moonlight Well.
Five of Mammit’s kings were already in the lobby, eating. They sensed the faint aura emanating from Jin and smiled knowingly.
“You’re impressive for your age, kid. But don’t expect to last long here just because of that. Stirring up trouble recklessly will only cause problems.”
One of the five spoke to Jin.
“Thank you for the advice. But I have someone I need to find. I won’t cause any trouble for those staying here.”
“Heh, I heard you cut down those drunks at the tavern yesterday in one swift move. Now you’re acting like a gentle lamb.”
“They’re on a different level from you. I know my place.”
“Good manners. I’ll allow you to stay a few more days.”
“Thank you. I won’t forget the kindness of Mammit’s kings when I return.”
Jin gave a slight bow and left. The kings exchanged amused glances, clearly finding him adorable.
“Mammit’s finished, huh? When kids like that start wandering around.”
“Well, he’ll last a few days, then be killed by some lowlife.”
“Still, he seems like a decent prospect. Might consider recruiting him as the youngest member of our organization.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. He’d end up a wreck after facing your men. Too pretty-faced for that.”
Ha ha ha ha!
The kings laughed heartily together.
“Good manners, huh? What a bunch of ridiculous trash.”
Back in his room, Jin chuckled quietly. It was funny how these human scum, who had committed all sorts of atrocities outside, were lecturing him on manners. And he was looking forward to raining lightning down on their heads soon enough.
Jin sat cross-legged in the center of the room.
Closing his eyes, he released his spiritual energy, and a dark aura began to seep from his body.
To strike at noon, he had to prepare thoroughly now.
“I’ll wrap the room tightly in spiritual energy so no trace leaks out.”
The room was small; an hour was enough to fill every corner without leaving a single gap.
This hour was crucial. If anyone came to the room, it would spell disaster.
Footsteps echoed in the hallway outside—attendants cleaning, guests moving about.
“Well, this level of risk is something I have to accept.”
Jin began to unleash the spirit energy liberation. With each surge of dark energy escaping, the faint disturbances outside quickly ceased, bringing a sense of calm.
After the scheduled hour passed, the entire room was swallowed by an inky blackness, as if it had absorbed all light. The outlines of furniture—desks, beds—were completely erased, leaving nothing but absolute darkness.
Within that void, the only thing visible was Jin himself, glowing faintly with color.
“I did this, and it’s flawless,” he thought.
He exhaled deeply.
Jin took a few steadying breaths and wiped the sweat from his brow. All that remained was to ignite his magic and chant the lightning summoning spell.
“The spirit energy accumulated inside the room will be carried away by the final lightning strike. Then, I just need to scream as I exit and check if Alkaro is alive or not…”
Brash, but brilliant.
Satisfied with his plan, Jin began to gather magic in both hands.
Crack! Crack!
Blue electricity coursed along his fingers, crackling loudly. Yet, as he had anticipated, not a single person detected what was happening.
The spirit energy unraveled like black threads within the electric current.
“Lightning Summon.”
KRAAAASH!
The first bolt struck, tearing off half the roof of the Moonlight Well.
“Ugh!”
Before the screams of those hit by the lightning could even finish, before they could even reflexively look up at the sky—
Another deep blue lightning bolt crashed down on the Moonlight Well. The second strike.
In an instant, the room was reduced to smoldering embers as people scrambled to escape.
“Damn… I think I picked the wrong day for this.”
Nearby, a girl who was just about to enter the Moonlight Well stopped in her tracks, tilting her head in confusion at the chaotic scene unfolding before her.