“I have traveled the world for a very long ti,” Antares remarked.
His eyes glistened gently in the dim starlight.
“After eting countless people and passing by nurous deaths, I finally realized. All the events that I had casually passed by were, in fact, the struggles of those who had awakened to the truth before .”
“……”
“The mont an individual’s consciousness transcends its limits and awakens, humans sohow construct their own worlds. But at the sa ti… you end up comparing the world you’ve created to this one.”
Whether they are wizards wielding magic, superhumans solely focused on physical enhancent, or spellcasters employing curses—it matters not.
It’s referred to as Domain, the inner world, or microcosm, but fundantally, it entails projecting one’s own psyche onto the world.
To project is essentially to make comparisons.
Those who have elevated their perspective and standards to a level where they can weigh the world eventually co to this realization.
“Whose mind did this world truly originate from?” Antares inquired.
“Could it be that this world, which I have seen and felt and rembered countless tis while traveling, might not be the first?”
Lennok found himself without an answer.
Antares, who had been an integral part of this world, seed to be drawing closer to the fragnts of truth with greater precision than Lennok ever could.
However, as Antares observed Lennok’s expression, he offered a faint smile.
“I can guess what kind of dilemma you’re in. Still undecided about the direction of your heart? A vessel capable of choosing the direction of your talent… is quite overwhelming. That’s why it’s an exceptionally wise choice.”
Lennok responded, “I don’t understand what you an,”
Antares lowered his head slowly and locked eyes with Lennok.
“It’s a qualification.”
“……”
“Unlike us who naturally project the sceneries we’ve held in our hearts since birth, you have the qualification to draw the world you wish. Don’t you understand what that ans?”
Antares gazed into Lennok’s wavering eyes, nodded, and stood up.
“It’s a long story. But you should be able to understand it fully. The mont of choice cos to everyone, and a world where each person’s answer becos everything arrives.”
Lennok sensed sothing in Antares’ profoundly composed response and raised his head.
At first glance, it might have seed like detachnt, with ambiguous words whose intent was unclear. Yet, beneath the surface lay unwavering determination.
Not the resolve of soone who had given up, but that of a warrior confronting a battle.
“Antares, you… have already made your choice.”
“I understand what people like Pandemonium are trying to do. I can sowhat sympathize with their ideology. However, the monsters descending from the sky after the heavens open… are not in the realm of human understanding. How can a person discuss order when the laws of the world are being distorted entirely?”
Antares gazed up at the distant night sky.
“I don’t think the world as it is now is absolutely right. Especially the ‘immortality’ that the old folks in the Vulcan want—it makes sick to my stomach… Ascendants fail to fulfill their purpose and decay, and everyone seems to be rushing towards an end, but…”
“……”
“I think it’s right to accept an ending that I have chosen for myself.”
He said this and fell silent for a lengthy mont.
Lennok, too, remained quiet, uncertain of what to say.
It was a complex conversation, but Antares had undeniably conveyed his own response.
The unsettling truth interwoven in his words made it difficult for either of them to speak easily.
After a prolonged pause, Lennok finally spoke.
“So a ‘Stagnant world’… had that aning.”
“Understanding that phrase alone signifies that you, too, must give an answer,” Antares declared as he slowly rose from his seat.
“It seems that both of us ca to ask each other the sa thing.”
“……”
“I won’t stop my comrades from cooperating with you. Seems like there are quite a few guys who like you… I don’t need to interfere. If you want, go ahead and employ them.”
To the best of Lennok’s knowledge, there were more than a few rcenaries within Antares’ Office who would be eager to work alongside him.
Individuals like Felix, who viewed this matter favorably, could easily be recruited for the job with the promise of reasonable compensation.
Antares’ willingness to cooperate was, in essence, a declaration of alliance. It appeared as though he didn’t view assisting Lennok as a significant issue.
“Does this an the Cartel is not that important in this matter?” Lennok inquired.
“Well… who knows?” Antares replied, gazing down at Lennok.
“Those who have realized the truth are not few… But have you ever thought about why the high wizards and superhumans who are entrenched in this ga-city haven’t moved so far?”
“…”
“Once the balance begins to collapse, it will be uncontrollable. The mont you begin to uncover secrets that were kept under a tacit agreent, you can’t expect the sa peace as before. The Cartel initiated this, so they’re responsible… but you should prepare yourself.”
Antares spoke with a glint of determination in his eyes.
“To overturn the existing order and system, you have to be prepared to make sacrifices. To restore everything to its original state, you’ll have to rise to the top.”
“…”
“Watching whether you are prepared for that, and whether you’re qualified, will be quite interesting.”
“……”
“I have made my decision. I’m waiting for the day you give your answer.”
With a single step forward, Antares’ figure vanished as if extinguished by so mysterious force, evading even Lennok’s magical detection.
Standing alone in the deserted scrapyard, Lennok gazed silently up at the night sky.
The stars, partially obscured by the city’s faint smog, cast only a dim illumination on the ground.
What conclusion had Antares reached as he gazed at the sky?
Though their encounter had been brief, every word Antares had left with Lennok had been etched sharply into his mind.
In a way, he had confird the harsh truths Lennok had been contemplating.
Perhaps Antares, too, had gained a asure of confidence through their conversation.
It was a complex matter.
Lennok had initially believed that he could break free from his own constraints by charging ahead.
However, his growing power and qualifications had exposed him to uncomfortable realities.
And the fact that all life in this land couldn’t escape those truths.
Was Lennok’s arrival in this world more than re chance?
If he had to make choices under the guise of being a tool or bound by destiny…
Yet, was there sothing that needed to be done for the sake of unchanging values?
He sighed and rose to his feet.
As always, the wizard’s rationality discouraged dwelling on unsolvable problems for too long.
He had no choice but to address the imdiate issue first.
Just as he was about to leave the scrapyard and return ho, his phone vibrated loudly.
It was a call from Jenny.
As he answered, her voice sounded urgent.
-Van, can you co to the bar right now?
“What happened?” Lennok asked.
Her voice trembled as she replied, – Jordan has been kidnapped.
***
Upon arriving at the bar, everyone else had already gathered.
Jenny paced anxiously in the bar’s lobby, her face drained of color. It had been a while since he had seen her so shaken.
“The situation has beco severe,” Dray stated, his expression grim.
“I want to hear the full story. Are we sure this is the Cartel’s doing?”
“It’s probably certain,” Killian, who was naturally among the rcenaries, responded.
“I had selected rcenaries to serve as bodyguards for that old man, and more than ten were found with their limbs severed.”
“…”
“Two sets of knife marks uniformly distributed on the wounds… the work of a dual-blade user.”
Dray added, “There’s a homicidal maniac in the Cartel known to use a similar weapon.”
Lennok didn’t need to hear more.
Jenny, wearing an anxious expression, chid in, “There’s a separate, more serious problem,”
“I had given him various artifacts as a precaution, and the fact that he was caught so easily ans either…”
“They have a way to neutralize the artifacts or else—”
“The opponent is so skilled that there’s no opportunity to use the artifact.”
Both scenarios were unfavorable for Lennok.
“Divide the forces.” Lennok quickly decided.
“Dray will stay here and guard the bar with the rcenaries. If too many forces are concentrated on rescuing Jordan, then this place could be targeted again.”
“That makes sense.” Dray agreed.
“Killian, Weian, and I will each disperse and look for traces of Jordan. Fortunately, no one here has forgotten Jordan’s magical energy,” Lennok said, pointing to the map of District 49 spread out on the table.
“The goal is to expand the search around District 49 and locate any remnants of Jordan’s magic.”
“Can just the three of us manage?” Killian asked.
“Van. You don’t need to talk about your senses, but that young guy and I don’t have such a broad range of senses. Even if we spread out the distance so that our ranges do not overlap, the radius won’t be that wide.”
“That can be solved with the guys who have just arrived.”
“What?”
Almost imdiately after Lennok’s words, the bar door swung open, and a calm voice was heard.
“Antares office. I ca in place of the absent Dylan and Mila. Where’s Zenith? I would like to receive the down paynt first.”
“Brother, calm down. Shouldn’t we first greet the client?”
Entering the bar were a pair of male and female twins with identical faces.
A stern-looking man and a woman with a gentle smile waved casually.
“Nice to et you~ Jenny? If you’ve seduced our leader, how about revealing that negotiation soon?”
Their behavior, which could be easily perceived as unconventional, was indeed quite extraordinary.
Killian glanced at them and chuckled, “I’m not fully convinced by fools, but it’s better than having none.”
***
The reinforcents sent from the Antares office were the Vel twins, rcenaries who operated as a pair. The man’s na was Velber, and the woman’s na was Velita.
Both had distinct personalities, but there was no ti for introductions beyond their nas at the mont.
Lennok and his team of six began to move, each heading in a different direction.
Dray, though regretful that he couldn’t take direct action, understood his role. He was essentially the only one capable of commanding the Krimgal rcenary troops at the bar, their base, so it was better to have organized forces concentrated there.
Starting from the alley where it was presud that Jordan had been abducted and his guards slain, they ticulously divided their search areas into five sections and began tracking.
The magical energy traces disappeared from the point where Jordan had lost consciousness, but if he had regained consciousness at the abduction site, traces would inevitably be left behind.
‘If they try to hide Jordan’s presence with tricks, it would actually make things easier for …’
Lennok recalled all the magical flows around District 49.
The mont they attempted to employ tricks to conceal their presence, Lennok could promptly detect any inconsistencies in his mory.
The real question was whether the cartel possessed the foresight to plan to that extent and how to counter them if they did.
By the ti they had eliminated the guards and abducted Jordan, any potential agreent with the cartel had already beco irrelevant.
Their direct actions, rather than rely issuing a warning, ant that even Jordan’s life was no longer assured.
‘They might keep him alive to use as a hostage, but I must prepare for the possibility of torture.’
Jordan was an elderly man.
While he may have maintained his physical condition to so extent, being a mber of this district, enduring torture could take a significant toll on his aged body.
The concern wasn’t solely about ntal strength; his aging body might not withstand prolonged pain.
The only solace lay in the fact that Jordan possessed substantial knowledge in the field of dicine.
The likelihood of complications arising from minor bleeding or injuries was relatively low.
The rest depended on Lennok.
The faint traces of magic that manifested at the presud abduction site of Jordan.
Although others might not perceive it, Lennok, with his highly sensitive magical senses, could discern it.
No matter how one tried to avoid leaving traces, erasing the magical energy emitted by a living person was a challenging task.
Especially when the person was forcibly kidnapped.
If they had employed sothing like a seal to prevent the leakage of magical traces, it would have been a different matter. However, it appeared that the cartel lacked the resources to prepare such equipnt.
Lennok’s expression hardened as he confird this.
‘…They’re not far.’
It was certain that they hadn’t ventured far from this vicinity.
Once Lennok and his comrades decided to pursue them, rash movents would easily expose their presence.
They were still concealed within District 49.
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