Gin moved quietly at the back of the group, his keen eyes observing every step. Over fifty people were advancing toward a single building, an act impossible to conceal. Even if the streets had been crowded, such a large group would have drawn attention.
Here, in the desolate outskirts, they might as well have announced their arrival with a fanfare.
Inside the building, Shedim would undoubtedly be preparing their defenses.
As Gin followed the group, he carefully considered possible scenarios, formulating strategies for every potential confrontation. This was his first real battle, and yet he felt a surprising calmness.
How strange, he thought. This could be a life-or-death situation, yet I feel as though I've done this a hundred tis before.
Was it because he was a mage? He glanced ahead at the others.
None of them seed calm.
Their emotions—fear, excitent, nervousness—swirled chaotically, threatening to overwhelm their focus.
If this is how they enter combat, they'll never perform at their best, Tae-soo mused.
He couldn't help but wonder about the enemy's arsenal.
Could firearms co into play? On Earth, he would have been able to estimate the level of armant based on the location.
In London, the odds of guns being used were slim. In a place like Russia or xico, however, anything could appear.
Can I handle bullets with magic? Gin calculated the answer in his head. Yes, he could. He'd studied the chanics of firearms, shockwaves, and explosives, determining how much mana to use and in what configurations to block or deflect them. Assault rifles? Doable. Sniper rifles? Manageable with preparation.
But right now, I'm not prepared, he reminded himself. That was why he stayed at the back.
At the front of the group was Ferrari, his excitent evident. He reached the building's locked tal door and kicked it with all his might, channeling his mana into the blow.
Boom!
The door crumpled inward with a thunderous crash, flying across the lobby and shattering the reception desk.
The first floor was empty, and the building lacked an elevator. Two staircases spiraled up on opposite sides of the space. Ferrari led half the group toward the left stairs, while the other half took the right. Gin followed Brett's group, his analytical mind at work.
Why waste mana like that?
Ferrari's use of mana to enhance his physical strength and deliver the powerful kick was effective but inefficient. A skilled mage could achieve the sa result using far less energy with a precisely shaped spell.
As they climbed, Gin's suspicions deepened.
The Shedim mbers defending the upper floors weren't using magic in any refined way. Like Brett, they relied on brute force, channeling mana to enhance their bodies and amplify their attacks. Occasionally, they wielded elental effects—fire, lightning, or ice—but even these were crude, inefficient applications of mana.
They don't even seem to know how to use real magic, he thought. It's all instinctive.
The battle was chaotic. Though the Shedim mbers were skilled, they were outnumbered and unable to withstand the sheer onslaught of excited attackers.
The tide of the battle quickly turned against them.
Gin hung back, observing. He confird his earlier suspicion: the Shedim fighters weren't mages but rather "empowered individuals" with unrefined mana use.
Yet, despite being overwheld, the Shedim mbers seed oddly calm. They didn't panic or show signs of despair, as though they were waiting for sothing.
Gin decided it was ti to act. Drawing threads of the chaotic mana swirling within him, he created multiple identical magic circles in the air, layering each one with precision.
Compressed air swirled around the Shedim fighters' feet. With a subtle signal from Gin, the circles detonated.
Boom!
Explosions erupted at ankle height, destabilizing the Shedim fighters and sending them stumbling. The attackers seized the opportunity, landing blow after blow.
The Shedim fighters fell quickly. Their montary loss of balance had given the attackers the upper hand, and the recruits' excitent boiled over into an unrelenting barrage.
Gin watched with a faint smile.
A simple spell, executed perfectly, had shifted the battle. His heart pounded—not from fear, but from exhilaration.
Should I really be enjoying this? he wondered.
The sight of blood and chaos shouldn't have been thrilling, yet here he was, savoring the mont.
With their side victorious, the recruits tied up the surviving Shedim mbers using ropes they'd brought.
The bindings wouldn't hold against magic, but none of the captives appeared capable of escaping.
"Let's move to help the others," Ferrari said, his voice still thick with excitent.
The group began to shift toward the other staircase, but before they could leave, a deafening crash echoed through the room.
Boom!
The ceiling caved in, but the rubble didn't reach the group. Instead, a massive figure landed with a thud, shaking the floor.
A monstrous wolf stood before them, its massive fra covered in razor-sharp spines protruding along its back.
A single horn jutted from its forehead, glowing faintly with eerie light. Blood dripped from its fanged jaws, bits of flesh still clinging between its teeth.
A terrified whisper broke the silence. "A… Malice Beast?"
It was unmistakable.
The creature that was supposed to be absent from Shedim's base now stood in their path, its nacing growl rumbling through the air.
The recruits froze, paralyzed by fear. The beast exuded an oppressive aura, its mana radiating like a suffocating fog. Its core pulsated, channeling power through its lungs and throat, amplifying the terror it inflicted on the room.
The fear wasn't natural—it was a deliberate magical effect. The recruits' bodies locked in place, their minds overwheld by the beast's presence. So trembled; others cried out, unable to move.
But Gin stood unaffected. He had faced the chaotic mana of the portal and overco it. Compared to that, this was nothing.
The beast, confident that its prey couldn't escape, moved slowly, savoring the growing panic. Each deliberate step deepened the recruits' terror.
Gin narrowed his eyes, his mind working quickly.
The beast has a core. That's the key.
His hands twitched, mana flaring to life as he prepared to strike.
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