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Suppressing his impatience, he retrieved a pre-prepared bag from his personal belongings.

He lined the interior of the bag with the dirt from the warehouse, placed all of the Malabest on top, and sealed it with enchantments.

A portable transportation bag, crafted with the assistance of Jenny, designed for the conveyance of medicinal herbs. A precious item that also fulfills the role of an artifact.

While Lennok was collecting the Malabest, Grisha appeared to have discovered something and approached him.

“Look at this.”

What Grisha handed over was a rugged notebook composed of several dozen pages bound together.

“It’s a record book for herb export management. I looked for other ledgers, but this was the only one I found for now.”

“It means the herbs in the warehouse weren’t just being stored.”

“The number of names written here is just a little over twenty. I think it might be the number of herbs managed by the Drug Lord.”

“But there’s a higher likelihood that there are more. It probably signifies the number of those who contribute to warehouse management and autonomous rule… But just having the manager’s name is good news…”

As Lennok’s voice trailed off, Grisha turned her gaze.

“Is there a problem?”

“…No. The name and place I remember don’t match. This isn’t probably… a coincidence. Let’s get out of here for now.”

As Lennok uttered these words and rose from his seat, Grisha immediately attended to the remaining tasks.

She emptied the plentiful herbs from the warehouse into an unusual jar she was holding.

Lennok didn’t say much because it had all been agreed upon beforehand.

The decision to break into the Drug Lord’s vault had been entirely made to assist Lennok.

Ultimately, all the herbs would end up in Lennok’s possession.

Lennok never imagined that Lapis would break such a promise, so he paid little attention to Grisha’s actions.

Instead, he was more concerned about the spatial preservation spell on the jar she held.

Being a long-lived sorcerer, she seemed to possess a collection of rare artifacts.

In fact, part of the reason Lennok hadn’t revealed all of his abilities in front of skilled sorcerers was because of this.

Individuals like Byzen paraded around with various artifacts, backed by the Magic Tower.

So, what capabilities would the treasures carried by even more skilled and experienced sorcerers and warriors possess?

For high-ranking sorcerers like Grisha, it wouldn’t be unusual for them to carry a multitude of relics.

Because there would be countless artifacts capable of assisting a skilled person like her in battle.

This also applied to skilled individuals from the Drug Lord’s side or the Pandemonium.

“Let’s go back. Now that we’re certain the Drug Lord is stalling, we can’t delay our actions.”

“Did you notice?”

In response to Lennok’s words, Grisha replied solemnly.

“When we only approached the government building, a guy immediately sent a message. But when we’re breaking into his vault, he remains silent. There can only be one reason…”

Indeed.

It was unlikely for the Drug Lord, known for his persistence, not to be aware when two high-ranking sorcerers above Level 6 were searching through his warehouse.

Having defeated the hybrid beast and Homunculus guarding the warehouse, looted its contents, and still receiving no signal suggested…

“He’s either not concerned about the warehouse he set up at the exhibition hall right now or he’s in a situation where he can’t show that he’s concerned.”

And the reason for this might be, as he mentioned, that he was preoccupied with finding a way to breach the barrier that had been cast over the autonomous territory.

Grisha glanced at Lennok and promptly rose from her seat.

“I may not have any idea after seeing this, but Evan, you’ve figured something out, haven’t you?”

“…Yes. There’s probably some progress.”

“Good. Let’s go back to the lighthouse and discuss.”

Sharing information about the spells used by the Drug Lord would allow them to make educated guesses about how he sought to exert influence across the autonomous territory.

Knowing meant being prepared to counteract.

Deep in thought, Lennok watched Grisha’s departure, carrying the jar and the unconscious Homunculus.

‘A challenging dilemma…’

The more he delved into Juice Master’s alchemy and his intentions, the more he believed that resolving matters here would be the most straightforward approach.

Dominic Cábaro is bound to make his way into the autonomous region.

Even if he currently shows no concern for the pilfered vault, given his relentless nature, he would inevitably attempt to track down Lennok and seek retribution in some form.

Despite Lennok having altered his appearance to conceal his journey to the autonomous region, the Eyes of Blue is aware that Lennok, under the guise of Evan, is employed at Rabatenon University.

If the Eyes of Blue were to be defeated by the Drug Lord in this situation, the likelihood of Lennok’s cover being blown would significantly rise.

Initially, Lennok’s plan was to slip away quietly after acquiring the Malabest. However, things took an unexpected turn when the Drug Lord discovered the existence of the lighthouse and launched a preemptive assault on the autonomous region.

Should he hide until the barrier dissipates and attempt to escape, or should he inflict such substantial harm on the Drug Lord that the thought of retaliation would be out of the question?

Most members of the Pandemonium aren’t genuinely concerned about the organization or each other’s safety.

The dilemma between facing retaliation for stealing the Drug Lord’s assets and fleeing versus the prospect of retribution for eliminating a Pandemonium member didn’t require much contemplation to discern which choice was more suitable to evade future repercussions.

‘If the alchemy he practices truly is the WORLD 1.0 I knew… there’s a way.’

In WORLD 1.0, alchemy was known as a neglected skill that gained attention only shortly before the service ended, but it wasn’t without its vulnerabilities.

As a skill specialized in combining and synthesizing real objects, it had weaknesses in entirely different areas.

And Lennok was not devoid of the means to exploit those weaknesses.

“…”

And if Lennok could obtain the alchemy of that world…

‘Perhaps I could manufacture the drug myself.’

With that thought, Lennok halted his contemplation.

The time for action had arrived.

At the deserted dock, two wing boats awaited the two sorcerers.

***

Pleasure is one of the most potent human motivators.

To savor with the tongue, inhale with the nose, listen with the ears, and observe with the eyes.

The instant one encounters a sensation that stimulates the human brain in a wholly distinct manner, they instinctively realize it could be a means to dominate the world.

“Is everything prepared?”

A composed female voice replied from the shadows.

“We have secured all the required power sources. As for the resistance to spells, which was our biggest problem, obtaining quality ingredients quickly resolved it.”

“…Good.”

Excessive stimulation can be as agonizing as pleasure. Initially, one might be overwhelmed, but with time, they become desensitized.

Therefore, when offering it to others, it’s crucial not only to provide intense stimulation but to leave them yearning for more.

The slight longing that remains after experiencing satisfaction.

Humans tend to relentlessly pursue pleasure to fill that void.

Dominic Cábaro’s life was centered around instilling such longing in the world.

“We’ve confirmed the damage to the warehouse we had prepared on the 2nd floating island. Should we take measures?”

“Leave it. I had anticipated that our hidden tail would be exposed once the autonomous region’s artifact department finalized the hidden location.”

The essence of business lies in expenditure and investment.

A true entrepreneur should not fear losses or become overly fixated on immediate setbacks.

While the value of the herbs stored in the warehouse is significant, if the observers believe they’ve found a lead through it, it couldn’t be more ideal.

It’s always wise to hide a kernel of truth within another truth.

“There’s not much time left. Even if I have to unravel all the foundations invested in the autonomous region, as long as I can find the lighthouse’s location, that’ll be enough…”

Dominic spoke these words as he slowly removed his garments, revealing his well-built physique.

A hand extended from the darkness, deftly taking his clothing.

He proceeded to walk gradually into the shadows and immersed his entire body in the frigid, icy water below.

In the bone-chilling cold that threatened to turn him into ice, he let out a soft sigh and gently laid himself down.

“Whew… No matter how many times I do it, I never get used to this materialization process.”

“It might be better to think of it as fortunate. Being able to minimize the materialization process and reduce the caster’s pain would have been a groundbreaking discovery back in the day.”

A composed female voice followed.

“Of course, this process has the advantage of suppressing physical spasms to a minimum and maximizing assimilation, but the most important thing is the realization that one remains ‘fixed’… It’s a masterpiece that bluntly acknowledges the fact that the mind can never truly break free from the constraints of the body.”

“Hehehe… I have no admiration for the accomplishments of the relics from a forgotten world. Let’s start, and keep your mouth shut.”

There was no response.

In the icy water that sent shivers through his body, the Drug Lord closed his eyes and lost himself in contemplation.

While others might be busy hailing him as one of the top figures in the underworld, they truly didn’t comprehend what truly mattered.

The more wealth he accumulated, the more he keenly felt the one thing missing in his life.

Power was the ultimate principle governing the world.

And as long as transcendent beings existed beyond the reach of wealth, money could never truly surpass them.

Hence, for a long time, Dominic had been in search of something.

Something that his vast wealth could purchase, something to fill the void of power.

And Pandemonium had perfectly satisfied that desire for him.

Through the magic of alchemy, a spell from a forgotten world, it had taught him that life was simply a game.

Now, it was time to embark on a new game.

Right to the sanctuary of the great ascendant known as the Philemon Autonomous Region.

“Preparations are complete. Power transmission extracted from 80 entities, including the new entity. Reconfiguration ready. 30 seconds to the start of the materialization phase.”

Vroom!!

At that instant, the icy water in which the Drug Lord was immersed began to emit a frosty radiance, slowly encasing his body in ice.

With his limbs beginning to solidify, Dominic spoke again, “Come to think of it, the magic he used seemed familiar… Surely, you aren’t having second thoughts now.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ve got a message for Soryu when I return.”

With that, Dominic’s consciousness appeared to fade into silence.

***

Lennok and Grisha returned to the lighthouse.

As Grisha was about to deposit the jar and the unconscious man at the entrance, she hastily retrieved them with a nervous expression.

“…It seems it’s not the time to rely on others.”

Lennok mused while gazing up at the sky.

The sky above the lighthouse, which had been calm when they left, was now teeming with hundreds of winged boats flying in all directions.

He could hear Lapis coordinating the situation from the conference room.

Beside her, more than a dozen watchers were assisting with the current circumstances, but only one among them was a magic user.

This indicated that the watchers capable of providing physical support had all gone outside the lighthouse.

“Mutated beings resembling grotesque flesh are active throughout the autonomous region.”

She said in a hurried tone, her complexion pale.

“There were no casualties in the 2nd and 3rd floating islands, where the residents have been evacuated, but on the contrary…”

“The damage is escalating in the other floating islands. Gathering the people in one place has ironically become the root cause.”

“If they’re making such an all-out frontal assault from over there, there’s only one reason.”

A watcher standing next to Lapis remarked with a stern expression.

“It seems the Drug Lord has completed all preparations in just a day.”