He couldn't believe what he was seeing. While a mage had been expected, Alaric's presence had been a complete shock.
'How much did rentil pay to hire soone like him?' Brayan wondered. Alaric was no ordinary fighter. They had likely promised him a fortune—enough to buy a small building, at the very least.
Yet, Gin had defeated him.
A man with that level of power wasn't soone to take lightly. Rumor had it that Gin had once been bait for a mission involving a demonic beast ranch.
There had been talk of a mage aiding him back then, and Brayan suspected it might have been the sa person.
'They said he was incredibly handso, didn't they?' Brayan recalled. Only Jay had seen Gin's face in person, but even with a mask, it had apparently been obvious that he was strikingly attractive.
Today, Gin had briefly revealed himself, though Brayan hadn't caught a glimpse due to being occupied with the fight.
The team had left only a skeleton crew to guard the trucks, focusing their main effort on the offensive.
The few who remained were on high alert, watching for any potential ambushes. One of them had seen Gin appear, albeit fleetingly, before he vanished again.
"I can't believe it," one of the guards murmured.
"They captured The Iron Wall Knight…"
Alaric was known by that title—a testant to his ability to withstand any attack without flinching. For years, his reputation had been ironclad.
Though he wasn't an official knight (only the Five Great Houses could bestow that title), the nickna had stuck due to his unmatched defense and combat prowess.
Brayan glanced toward Jaiden and asked, "So, has that mage—Gin—disappeared?"
"We're not sure," Jaiden replied. "He was hidden from the start."
"He's either watching us from the shadows or has already left," Brayan muttered thoughtfully.
"Rember when the guild master tried to assign soone to track him?" Jaiden asked.
"Yeah. Jay predicted where Gin might be and tried to intercept him, but it backfired."
"So, Gin knows we've been watching him?"
"Of course. Jay was involved.
He would have noticed imdiately."
"Did the master withdraw after that?"
"Yes. He said he had a bad feeling about it and told us to leave Gin alone."
"Wise move," Brayan said with a nod, pausing before continuing. "Still… if we could recruit soone like him, it'd be a ga-changer."
"That might be difficult," Jaiden replied. "It seems Gin prefers working alone, especially with Jay handling negotiations on his behalf."
Brayan chuckled. "People who work alone eventually realize they need allies. Keep tabs on him. But for now... maybe try using soone else."
Brayan's gaze fell upon Alberta, who was resting so distance away. Jaiden noticed and shook his head.
"She's not soone who can be easily manipulated.
We've tried recruiting her several tis, and she's rejected every offer."
"Why'd you even try? Her abilities seem… diocre," Brayan said with mild curiosity.
"Her leadership is exceptional.
She's sharp, resourceful, and commands respect," Jaiden replied.
Brayan observed Alberta for a mont before smirking. "You sure you don't have personal reasons for being so invested?"
Odis hesitated, unable to deny it outright. Finally, with a serious expression, he said, "I won't pretend there's no personal interest… but she's definitely worth recruiting."
"Then do it," Brayan said with a sly grin.
"I already told you—we've failed," Jaiden replied with a sigh.
"Failure only happens when you give up. Adjust your terms. Offer her sothing she can't refuse," Brayan insisted.
"Are you planning to use her to get closer to Gin?" Jaiden asked, his tone cautious.
"Well, she is quite the rare beauty.
Probably outclasses most celebrities," Brayan remarked casually.
Odis nodded reluctantly, knowing it was true. His mood darkened at the implication, though. The idea of using Alberta as a pawn didn't sit well with him—especially given his personal feelings.
Sensing the tension, Brayan chuckled softly. "What's this? Don't tell you've already given up because her rival's a mage?"
Jaiden shot him a glare.
Brayan raised his hands in mock surrender. "Relax. You've known her longer. You've got the advantage. You'll win this."
Jaiden scowled but didn't argue.
He knew Brayan wasn't wrong—but winning her heart through deception was not an option.
"Should I take over, then?" Brayan teased. "I'm confident."
"Don't you dare," Jaiden growled, clenching his jaw.
Brayan laughed and patted his shoulder.
"That's the spirit.
Just rember—I'm counting on you to bring a powerful mage into our guild."
Before Jaiden could respond, a convoy of vehicles pulled into the area.
The lead van door opened, and Jay stepped out, smiling broadly.
"Well done, everyone! We'll handle the cleanup from here. You can all get back to your duties now. Ha ha ha!"
With Ruben subdued, Gin quietly left the battlefield. His part in the fight was over.
From the beginning, it had been agreed that Jay would handle the aftermath. As Jay rushed to the scene with reinforcents provided by Astra Pharmaceuticals, Gin returned to his hotel.
The battle had granted him a wealth of new insights, though he knew such impressions could fade with ti.
He needed to solidify his understanding while the experience was still vivid. Locking himself in his hotel room, he began thodically reviewing the day's events.
The fight itself had been deceptively simple. Gin had launched two waves of lightning that incapacitated most of the enemy forces.
He had then used his shield to hold off Alaric, ultimately hurling him away with a shockwave. Finally, there had been his magical confrontation with Ruben. Despite the brevity of these skirmishes, the lessons Gin learned were profound.
One revelation ca from Alaric's unique ability: shock dispersion. Gin saw the potential to incorporate it into his own durability enhancent magic, which utilized mana waves to absorb, neutralize, and discharge external impacts. Alaric's approach differed; his mana flowed evenly throughout his body, deflecting all external stimuli. However, while effective, Alaric's thod had a flaw—redirected impacts continued beyond him, potentially endangering allies.
Still, the efficiency of the technique was undeniable. Gin's durability magic had greater capacity and scalability but was primarily designed to handle physical force.
Alaric's thod, by contrast, could neutralize both physical and magical stimuli, making it far more versatile.
Gin already had the foundation to adapt this ability.
He had previously researched embedding passive defensive enhancents into his body and had created a mini-core along his spine to regulate mana flow.
Distributing mana evenly throughout his body was a trivial adjustnt. However, this change would make him more conspicuous on Earth—his aura would resemble that of a local ability user.
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