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Only after that did Chen and Hina, who had been sticking to him tenaciously, also retreat gradually.

No one was fatally injured, but everyone was battered, as they had all tied Jaun’s legs.

The labored breaths and waning strength of their comrades indicated they were pushed to their utmost capacity.

A fleeting instant of tranquility. Yet, even in this moment, the fortress was beginning to fall apart.

Jaun glanced back at them and let out a deep sigh.

“What a dog’s life.”

Silence hung in the air.

“I was certain Craig would bring destruction to the 50th district, yet it concluded without unfolding at all. Human affairs are far from straightforward,” he remarked.

“Is this really the time for such discussions?”

A metallic clang resonated.

Hina raised her blade, her determination unshaken.

“The Apostle of Justice got caught, huh?”

Jaun’s reply was laden with gravity.

“If he failed to control the fragment of Annihilation, there’s nothing more to see. Clinging to a failed plan is not to my taste. Let’s part ways here.”

“Who said I’d allow you to leave?”

Chen stepped up, his curved blade held high, only to be met with a disdainful smile.

“That’s not for you to decide, you idiot. I’m talking to the wizard standing behind you.”

Unforeseen words, yet their undeniable truth silenced the gathering.

Within this assembly, only two individuals had genuinely fulfilled their roles.

Jaun Odyss, the solitary force capable of ensnaring the strides of numerous adversaries.

And Lennok, the lone infiltrator of the fortress, dispatched with the mission to eliminate Craig and dismantle his grand scheme.

Jaun made it conspicuously clear that only Lennok possessed the authority to deliberate on the next course of action.

Indeed, without the concurrence of these two powerhouses, no other individual could advance the proceedings.

Lennok wordlessly extracted the cigarette from his lips.

‘There’s not much power left.’

Ordinarily, a confrontation like this wouldn’t have so heavily taxed his reserves. However, the issue lay in the fact that manipulating and reversing the domain, along with nullifying Craig’s necromantic incantation, had exacted a substantial toll.

Moreover, the implementation of his unique magic within the domain had added further strain, even for someone as formidable as Lennok.

Time would eventually mend the depletion, yet the present moment was ill-suited for sustained combat—especially against a seasoned wizard like Jaun.

After a brief contemplation, Lennok nodded with deliberation.

“Let him go.”

“Van?”

For those swept up in the fervor of battle, such a decision might be hard to emotionally embrace.

However, the truth was that by vanquishing Craig, Lennok and the agents had accomplished their designated tasks.

Persisting in an attempt to apprehend Jaun on these grounds would yield no advantage for either party.

“A wise decision.”

Jaun assented, retrieving three gems from his pocket and slipping them onto his fingers.

One of the freelancers whispered in a tone of awe.

“He still has some left after using so many spells…..”

Given that the freelancer’s initial contingent had been diminished by over fifty percent, Jaun’s lingering power after an extended confrontation against numerous adversaries was undeniably impressive.

Carrying on the struggle within this deteriorating bastion would only invite superfluous losses.

Jaun Odyss was assuredly not an individual who could be easily dismissed as a mere insurgent.

Gripping the trio of gems and crushing them, he dispersed the powdered remnants onto the floor, unveiling a portal aglow with a vivid blue radiance.

“It’s a pity. If I had killed you here, it would have been so much cleaner.”

With one foot stepping into the portal, Jaun glanced back at Lennok, a sly smile playing across his lips.

“I’ve lost money and all my henchmen are dead… Unlucky to meet all these strange guys. I never imagined someone could interpret the artificial domain and replicate it directly.”

Certainly, Jaun seemed to possess an astute understanding of how Lennok had foiled Craig’s intricate scheme.

This presented evidence that, beneath his flippant demeanor, Jaun harbored the acute perception and discernment expected of a seasoned wizard.

Without a doubt, he was a foe not to be underestimated.

Would their paths cross again? Given his enigmatic combat tactics, it wasn’t an encounter Lennok anticipated with eagerness.

But Jaun appeared to share the sentiment, offering a smile and a dismissive shake of his head.

“Well, it hardly matters now.”

“…”

“Let’s never see each other again. Live well in that rotten city. Don’t come outside needlessly.”

With those words, Jaun pivoted away without a trace of remorse and plunged into the portal.

Lennok observed his departure in silence as he vanished in an instant.

He had faced his fair share of lunatics, yet few exhibited such capriciousness as this one.

From emphasizing the primacy of wealth, to mulling over avenging a comrade, only to later modify his stance and make his escape.

Whether he was cloaking his genuine emotions or deriving amusement from untruths remained unclear.

Even his fighting style mirrored his propensity for deception.

He wasn’t Lennok’s kind of person. An encore meeting wasn’t on his wishlist either.

Only once Jaun had completely vanished did Hina methodically sheathe her sword.

“It’s over.”

Her fatigued countenance attested to her intense clash with Jaun.

Considering how he had harnessed diverse gems to invoke entirely disparate forms of magic, it was natural to perceive him as an arduous adversary.

Chen also bowed his head, an air of despondency clouding his expression.

“I could only hold him by the leg. If he had a bit more time, I would have been the one to go down first.”

“It’s sufficient,” Lennok responded.

Ultimately, they had assisted him in confronting Craig alone—wasn’t that their contribution?

It would do.

Rumble, rumble…!!

Amid their conversation, the edifice’s disintegration intensified.

Now, the surroundings were inundated with cascading rubble, reclaiming nearly half of the space.

“We should flee before the entire structure collapses.”

Someone voiced this concern, though the assembly on site didn’t seem overly alarmed.

Perhaps by design or by fortune, the surviving freelancers were all adept manipulators of mana.

If mere plummeting stones were a lethal threat, the terrorists would have dispatched them long ago.

Hina addressed the group with unyielding resolve.

“I will investigate the database remaining here and escape. I cannot go back until I find the statement regarding Reisen’s slush funds.”

“……”

“I originally thought about interrogating that crazy old man directly, but… what’s the point if he’s dead?” Cheisha expressed her annoyance with a slight pout.

“That’s unnecessary,” Lennok spoke up, producing the hardware he had retrieved earlier. “I’ve secured the database Craig personally used.”

“This…!! Thank you!!”

Lennok nodded, his gaze following Hina’s delighted expression as she examined the hardware.

“Let’s get out. It’ll be tough to look good if we don’t escape quickly from here.”

“What do you mean…?”

“By this time, Reisen’s mercenaries must have realized that this is their hideout.”

Every person present comprehended Lennok’s implications.

***

KWAAA!!!

A massive sinkhole materialized, following the vast subterranean chasm, causing the labor camp to crumble.

The peripheral factory and the anonymous old vehicles in the parking lot were inevitably swept away.

Onlookers – the remaining laborers, supervisors, and locals dwelling nearby – watched with hollow eyes as the labor camp disintegrated.

Its feeble construction contributed to its easy collapse.

Similarly, the interpersonal bonds cultivated here were equally transient.

If Lennok had been privy to this truth, his escape from here might have been smoother than on the day he had initially awakened in the factory.

While the rest sought out bikes, Lennok, stationed amidst the nearby ruins, sensed a presence and turned his head.

Though he anticipated that all members of Falcon’s organization would have fled by now, remnants appeared to linger.

“The factory’s crumbled…”

“What about the supervisors? Did they escape?”

“Are we finally free…?”

The absence of mana indicated that the laborers working at the camp were trapped and unable to escape.

Although the tremors had abated and no immediate peril persisted, they now faced the task of forging their own paths.

Lennok’s interest began to wane until he recognized a familiar countenance among the laborers.

The very person who had once handed Lennok a cheap cigarette as he feigned death.

The laborer who had offered him a cigarette for his journey to the beyond was within arm’s reach.

His name was definitely Van.

Hadn’t he adopted that alias for the back alleys to repay the favor he’d initially received?

It was an uncanny coincidence.

Lennok unconsciously stood, weary muscles protesting, and advanced toward him.

“He’s approaching…”

“He’s a wizard; you handle it.”

“Screw that, you deal with it… What do you want me to do?”

Lennok, undeterred by the anxious laborers, found Van seated, a fatigued expression on his face, and crouched in front of him.

Van glanced at Lennok’s visage, yet he didn’t betray fear.

Opening his mouth, he adopted a gruff tone, avoiding Lennok’s gaze.

“Got business with me?”

“…No.”

Lennok offered a faint smile as he extracted a cigarette from his pocket. Between his slender fingers lay not just one cigarette.

“Care for a smoke?”

The rationale wasn’t entirely clear.

Perhaps he harbored a desire to settle a trifling debt that had lingered in his thoughts for quite some time.

Had it not been for the cigarette Van had given him in the past, Lennok might not have managed to escape the clutches of the factory.

Van, who had been gazing vacantly at Lennok’s visage, returned a slight, wry smile.

“Sure, why not.”

“That’s enough.”

The two sat in quietude, sharing a contemplative gaze, as they ignited their cigarettes. Wisps of smoke melded with their fatigued gazes, diffusing through the frigid winter air.

Vroooom!!

Lennok rose to his feet, alerted by the distant hum of the motorcycles.

Van silently tracked Lennok’s retreating form with his eyes.

No farewells were exchanged.

Van was ignorant of Lennok’s identity, and Lennok held no intention of disclosing it.

They passed each other by, ignorant of each other’s circumstances.

Much as they had encountered each other initially.

And much as they were parting now.

That was the extent of it.

***

“Damn it…”

Ill omens often materialize into reality.

Before Lennok’s eyes unfolded a thoroughly undesirable tableau, akin to muttered curses manifesting themselves.

A convoy of a dozen jeeps blocked the road ahead, thwarting the progress of his group’s motorcycles speeding across the plateau.

A multitude of freelancers disembarked in their path.

The culprits attempting to sabotage a done deal required no introduction.

The freelancers contracted by Reisen had intercepted them in the nick of time.

[Wow… That was a close call.]

The burly figure at the forefront exclaimed with evident delight.

[I never thought you’d meddle with the data handed to Wooshin.]

“……”

[Thanks to that, while you folks were merrily looting Falcon’s headquarters, we were merely robbing the small fry, damn it!]

Kwaang!!

A furious roar accompanied a stomp, triggering an explosion that enshrouded one end of the plateau in a colossal cloud of dust.

Despite having ended innumerable lives, Lennok found himself taken aback by the might displayed.

While the warrior seemed exceptional at first glance, his speech bore an unnatural cadence, a feature he couldn’t effectively disguise.

Particularly given that his cranium consisted of metal, not human flesh.

In response, Lennok couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Didn’t you tell me you would dress up properly next time? This look isn’t quite what I expected.”

[What the hell are you blabbering about!!]

Mad Manson, the burly man, tore off his shirt, proudly showcasing his bulging muscles.

[Behold this magnificent physique. It’s the epitome of beauty achievable with a human body!]

“Does altering your physique also strangely alter your voice? I get that you’re unhinged, but that’s just bizarre.”

Lennok cocked his head at Mad Manson.

[Shut it. Just by looking at you, I can tell you’re not in any shape for a proper brawl. It would be wise to relinquish the data you retrieved from there. Our councilor is fuming.]

“Indeed.”

Emerging from behind Mad Manson, a young man in azure robes ambled forward, his gaze fixed on Lennok, a faint smile on his lips.

“The councilor was incensed to discover he’d been hoodwinked by Marcia… The situation has become rather complicated.”

“……”

“If we return empty-handed, the agents will be slapped with charges of deceiving the city council, prompting a thorough internal investigation within the organization itself.”

The young man, Wooshin, maintained his smile, though it now bore a glint of seriousness.

“If you surrender the data now, we’ll do our best to present a favorable account to the Councilor.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m not familiar with the data you’re referring to.”

Hina retorted with an unchanged countenance.

“We’re en route from eradicating a terrorist outfit to safeguard the city, so I’m at a loss regarding your discourse.”

Wooshin’s slender eyes ceased their smile.