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At the very least, they should have shown more proactive actions beyond merely reiterating the warnings they had previously sent to Jenny, such as advising her to leave the business.

However, since they did not do so and continued to provoke such incidents, it strongly suggests that they are using Jordan as bait to lure someone out.

Lennok believed that he himself was most likely the intended target.

‘Out of all the forces gathered at the bar, the one most likely to find Jordan is me, the wizard. This situation has been intentionally created by the other side.’

In the end, it becomes apparent that the cartel had no intention of negotiating with Lennok from the outset.

This outcome is not surprising.

Everyone in this line of work knows that once you initiate something, you must see it through at any cost.

It’s just that neither Lennok nor Jenny welcomed the conclusion that the cartel was shaping.

Yet, fully aware of this, Lennok chose to act alone instead of summoning others to bolster their strength.

The possibility remains that all these speculations might have been Lennok’s miscalculation. He had no intention of jeopardizing Jordan’s life on a slim chance.

Even if Lennok made errors during the process of tracking Jordan, someone else had to explore alternative avenues.

There was a rationale behind their decision to search for Jordan in five different directions.

‘It turned out well, after all.’

Lennok’s eyes settled with an icy determination.

‘It would be better to go over this once and for sure.’

Today, Lennok intended to establish whether he, a wizard named Van, possessed the qualifications to challenge the power dynamics of the underground world.

“Is this it?”

Lennok, passing through the scent of blood, gazed up at the grim building.

“A school…?”

Certainly, there couldn’t be any functional educational institutions remaining in District 40.

An old schoolhouse that had lost its purpose and had been abandoned long ago.

If there existed a gloomy building devoid of regular visitors, it would be an ideal location to conceal something away from prying eyes.

Lennok himself had often investigated and explored similar buildings while pursuing wanted criminals.

He could only hope that amid the numerous traces of bodies he encountered, Jordan was not lying among them.

‘The condition isn’t so great. I need to finish this quickly.’

Due to his haste in arriving after the encounter with Antares, Lennok’s condition was less than optimal.

The aftereffects of expending a substantial amount of mana and mental energy to deploy the self-protection barrier, along with the drugs he had taken as enhancements, were taking a toll on Lennok.

Considering the rate at which his mana was recovering, it was imperative to minimize combat.

‘Let’s focus on support magic. It’s been a while.’

Click!

With a click, Lennok summoned the sniper rifle he had shrunk on his wrist and narrowed the scope of his magical detection.

He focused his sensory field, which had previously spanned several kilometers, within the old schoolhouse, significantly enhancing his sensitivity to magic.

Lennok, who effortlessly pierced through the amorphous and unknown magic shrouding the old schoolhouse, quickly detected signs of life.

“Found it.”

On the third floor, in the infirmary.

Hidden behind tattered curtains and concealed by barriers, but unable to deceive Lennok’s keen senses.

There was a figure faintly squirming while bound. And there, a magic pattern that was all too familiar.

Having ascertained that Jordan was indeed alive, Lennok calmly completed his scan of the presence surrounding the old schoolhouse.

Multiple barriers had been cast around the old building, concealing their presence, making it challenging to determine their exact numbers, but he could estimate.

At the very least, there were twenty of them. More than enough people scattered widely around the old schoolhouse, monitoring in all directions.

It appeared that they weren’t just guarding a hostage; it seemed they were waiting for someone to arrive at this location.

As expected, the cartel had anticipated Lennok’s arrival.

With this confirmation, Lennok immediately reached for his cellphone to contact his colleagues.

He wanted to call all four individuals he had mobilized for this mission, but as soon as he realized that the other side had deliberately set up this scenario, he needed to pay extra attention to the bar’s defenses.

He sent a message to Killian and Weian, who had previously coordinated with him, to come over, and instructed the two mercenaries to return to the bar.

“Maybe I’ll reduce their numbers first until we have enough people on our side.”

Lennok contemplated this as he raised his rifle to his eye and peered through the scope.

“Van?”

Weian, who had appeared from behind, widened his eyes in surprise.

“…”

Approximately two minutes had passed since Lennok had narrowed down his magical detection range to survey the old schoolhouse.

Had Weian sprinted across the several-kilometer gap in that brief moment?

It seemed that Weian had not yet read the message sent by Lennok.

“How did you know to come here?”

“What? Shouldn’t I be the one asking that? Wasn’t it agreed that I would scout this area?”

Weian scratched his head as he replied.

“I was thinking of Jordan’s magic pattern while determining the direction and I started to get a sense of it around here.”

“You got a sense of it?”

“In a way, it’s thanks to you, Van. I’ve been working hard to focus on magic sensitivity, just like you advised, and I’ve developed a decent knack for it.”

“…”

Had Weian not forgotten the advice Lennok had casually given him and continued to work on it until now?

To Lennok’s eyes, Weian’s magic sensitivity was already remarkable, but his potential had yet to be fully tapped.

However, it seemed that Weian had consistently explored ways to maximize his magic sensitivity while working as a mercenary.

Perhaps the reason he had arrived here around the same time as Lennok was due to the direction Weian had been responsible for and his magic sensitivity, which could rival Lennok’s.

Having understood this, Lennok immediately took out his phone again.

After sending a message to Killian, who must have been on his way, to take the initiative, Lennok turned his attention back to Weian.

“Good. I’ll explain what I’ve learned so far. We need to make some quick preparations.”

“Just leave it to me.”

Weian’s enthusiasm began to grow, and he grinned.

“The day has finally come when I can work with you again.”

***

In the darkening evening sky.

Through the chilly air, two figures stealthily infiltrated the old schoolhouse.

Weian, who moved confidently along the edge of the spacious schoolyard.

And the contrasting sight of Lennok, panting and concealing his body in the shadow of the wall.

The difference in numbers placed them at a definite disadvantage.

However, with Lennok’s abilities, there was no need to place too much emphasis on numbers.

Ultimately, the key objectives of this operation were to ensure Jordan’s safety, gain a rough assessment of the cartel’s forces, and identify the individual responsible for Jordan’s kidnapping on the cartel’s side.

‘The crux of the matter depends on how well Weian can buy us time…’

Dray stressed that Weian’s abilities had grown significantly, but accurately assessing that level without direct engagement was challenging.

A mana user’s skill and proficiency couldn’t be determined solely by their mana or innate talent.

Therefore, Lennok had no option but to assign relatively straightforward tasks to Weian—ones from which he could easily disengage if necessary.

Thankfully, Weian’s improvement wasn’t limited to just his magic sensitivity.

As he swiftly moved across the old schoolhouse, not even drawing the tonfa at his waist, Lennok observed that Weian’s speed was quite impressive.

The strength displayed by a magic-enhanced physical ability user was distinct from that of an ordinary human.

Even though Weian intentionally ran around the playground to display his prowess, he reached the old schoolhouse in an instant, and it was impossible for the adversaries not to notice.

An array of attacks began pouring down on Weian from the ominously quiet old schoolhouse, accompanied by sharp noises.

Bullets of various calibers, blades, indiscriminate spells, and potent magical projectiles filled the air.

The diverse combat abilities of the Cartel’s members indicated their lack of uniformity and wide-ranging capabilities.

The relentless and fierce barrage suggested that they had identified Weian as someone other than Lennok.

However, Weian skillfully contorted his body while running, miraculously evading all the deadly projectiles.

The rapid gunfire resonated.

“Hmm.”

Lennok involuntarily expressed admiration for Weian’s movements.

Rather than relying on luck to dodge, it was evident that Weian was meticulously calculating probabilities to determine his path.

Most of the Cartel members concealed near the old schoolhouse were positioned at a height of at least one floor, peering down onto the playground from an elevated vantage point.

Weian had deduced this and was deliberately traversing the shadows on the playground to deceive the opponents’ eyes.

Running only in the shadows or the light would have made his movements predictable, but alternating between shadow and light made his actions less discernible.

“A sharp deduction…”

It wasn’t just about quick thinking.

To precisely calculate and act on the timing of moving through the shadows, one needed an in-depth understanding of their physical capabilities and how to apply them in practice.

This served as evidence that Weian had been training himself extensively.

With this realization, Lennok swiftly retrieved his rifle while staying concealed in the shadows.

Click!!

[Aim Correction]

[Trajectory Manipulation]

[Multishot]

[Ricochet Activation]

[Rapid Fire]

As his comprehension of magic and the boundaries of his imagination expanded, the same firearm became capable of much more.

The shooting assistance magic that Lennok layered onto his weapon was gradually surpassing the expertise of the seasoned Magic Musketeer from his memories.

As Weian revealed himself, Lennok kept track of the directions from which the attacks were incoming and adjusted his aim accordingly.

With the computational power of Davi, he fine-tuned the trajectory and manipulated the magic accordingly.

He pulled the trigger.

Boom!!

Shrouding his presence with the Nick’s badge and muffling the sound with silence magic, eight bullets skimmed low across the ground, converged at a single point, and then burst outward.

The fragmented bullets converged and exploded, generating numerous trajectories that punctured through the skulls of the anonymous individuals scattered around the vicinity of the old schoolhouse.

From a distance, the muffled sounds of flesh being torn and the echoes of screams filled the air.

Disregarding Weian’s astonished gaze, Lennok promptly ventured into the old schoolhouse.

With Weian’s heightened sensitivity to magic, he likely detected how Lennok manipulated the magical forces.

Soon, he would realize that Lennok had deliberately eliminated a significant number of Cartel members to facilitate Weian’s task of buying time.

In the meantime, Lennok’s objective was to swiftly rescue Jordan from the third-floor infirmary and make a hasty retreat.

Lennok couldn’t match Weian’s speed, but he possessed a wider range of skills, making this division of roles inevitable.

‘So far, the progress isn’t bad…’

Lennok’s ability to manipulate magic and the Nick’s badge that obscured his presence ensured that the opposition remained oblivious to his existence.

Lennok strolled leisurely among the Cartel members, directing their attention toward Weian, and methodically ended each threat with a bullet to the temple.

Amid the lifeless bodies of those who had no inkling of what had befallen them until their last breath, Lennok retrieved a wireless earphone and placed it in his ear as he proceeded toward the infirmary.

[That young kid hasn’t done anything, but more than ten are already dead!!]

[Fuck, fuck…!! He must have already entered the building. Move quickly!!]

[If we don’t stick to the plan, we’ll all have our faces skinned by Sister… Please…!!]

Lennok quickly gleaned information from the frantic voices streaming through the earphone.

At least ten casualties. A pre-established plan. Mention of a leader referred to as “Sister.” A reference to a psychopath who derives pleasure from skinning faces?

[Wait, wait a minute!! There’s no response from Usman, Jelen, Jonathan!!]

[The internal surveillance has been hit too. He’s listening to this conversation right now…!!]

[Cut the line immediately. Now!!!]

Click-!!

“At least they’re not completely useless…”

They were verifying each other’s life and death, and even monitoring the real-time functionality of their communication network.

This indicated that they hadn’t merely recruited haphazardly but had undergone systematic training, anticipating coordinated actions.

While it was clear they were distinct from the run-of-the-mill thugs Lennok had dealt with previously, he remained undeterred.

As he relentlessly advanced, dispatching the Cartel members he encountered en route, the infirmary door came into view for Lennok.

Without hesitation, he swung open the door and approached the bed concealed behind curtains.

There lay Jordan, pallid and seemingly lifeless, with his eyes tightly shut.