Chapter 91

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The music reverberated through the air, threatening to rupture eardrums. The pounding drum beats forced hearts to race against their will.

Vibrant, overpowering lights made faces involuntarily contort in response.

A street engineered for entertainment, meticulously designed to astonish and captivate.

Lights everywhere you turned; cheers filling every corner you could hear.

Wincing at the acrid stench of alcohol, Lennok maneuvered through the crowd, determined to find the address Jenny had given him.

This area was known as the business district, primarily dedicated to clubs and bars. The surrounding buildings boasted unique and unconventional designs.

A pub shaped like a colossal beer glass, a club resembling a shattered guitar, and a structure that seemed like an inverted speaker.

Amidst them, Lennok paused in front of a massive, elongated disk-shaped club, double-checking the address on his cell phone.

No doubt about it.

Realta, one of the most renowned clubs in District 40.

A behemoth capable of accommodating over 6000 people. Just glancing at the crowd swarming the entrance, it was evident that hundreds were already inside.

The mere thought of navigating through that throng made Lennok sigh.

With a complex expression, he extinguished his cigarette in a nearby trash can and ventured into the chaos.

Fortunately, the shield around him prevented collisions with others, but the interior of the club was even more tumultuous, making it difficult to regain composure.

People danced as if possessed under the illuminating lights in the dimly lit space.

Despite the presence of a main stage and a lounge area, the distinction blurred due to the overcrowding.

Without hesitation, Lennok expanded his mana detection.

While he began sensing the life force of thousands within his range, what mattered was the type of mana they possessed.

For now, the lounge and main stage on the basement 2nd floor didn’t seem promising, so it would be wise to investigate the VIP zone on the 1st basement level.

As he extended his mana detection toward the VIP zone, Lennok suddenly froze, feeling a tremor within his heart, as if a penetrating gaze were fixed upon him.

“Hmm...”

It was as though a keen gaze monitored his every move, awaiting his attention.

The power emanating from the gaze wasn’t particularly overwhelming, yet Lennok could never forget the sensation of that mana, not even for a moment.

More than the enigmatic force called mana, the possessor of that fierce physique was etched permanently in his mind.

He had anticipated encountering them again someday, but never in a place like this.

Lennok, slowly turning his weary head, met the gaze that peered down at him.

Those unmistakable reptilian pupils.

A wide grin.

A colossal alligator-man, baring rows of teeth in a menacing smile.

Croken Asilus.

An old mercenary from the past, a monster surpassing humanity, stood before him.

⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩

“Long time no see, kid.”

“...Yeah.”

Despite the deafening music assaulting their ears, Croken’s voice pierced through Lennok’s consciousness with clarity.

It had been ages since their last encounter, yet the chill he felt then had not dissipated.

Since crossing paths with Croken, Lennok had faced countless battles, each serving as a reminder of the monstrosity embodied by this towering figure.

If he let his guard down, it wouldn’t be surprising if his head exploded into a thousand fragments.

Lennok prepared himself, raising his shield to its fullest extent, ready for an attack at any moment.

Croken fixed his gaze upon Lennok, his distinctive vertical pupils scrutinizing him, before finally breaking the silence.

“You’ve undergone quite a transformation. You look completely different from the last time I saw you with that bastard Dylan.”

“......”

“Did you have some kind of awakening? Well, if you hadn’t, you wouldn’t be standing here now.”

The aged mercenary chuckled sinisterly, his words carrying an eerie undertone.

If this monstrous being said so, it meant that Lennok had experienced significant growth since their previous encounter in this world.

Lennok slowly suppressed his fear and collected his thoughts.

An individual who appeared to be a club official hurried over from a distance.

“KkhuKhuKhuKhu... it has been quite some time since I’ve heard such an amusing response.”

Croken chuckled, paying no heed to Lennok’s reaction.

“It seems you harbor some peculiar fantasies about the Pandemonium, but let me assure you, this organization is far from what you imagine.”

“Thank you for enlightening me.”

“Based on what you’ve said, I might hazard a guess as to who you encountered, but do you think I would entertain the requests of that mumbling dark wizard?”

The smile on the crocodile giant’s face was utterly unapologetic.

“I do as I please.”

From those words alone, it was evident that the two monsters did not see eye to eye.

Lennok had intended to inquire about the activities of the dark wizards, but after hearing Croken’s response, he abandoned the idea entirely.

There was no need to take unnecessary risks in the presence of this creature.

“Well, I get that you have some business with his friends. Under the premise that it’s not a promise I’ll have to keep, I’ll let you see them.”

Who would dare to doubt Croken’s direct assurance of their safety?

Eventually, only after providing Croken with a satisfactory answer, was Lennok allowed to ascend to the upper floors of Club Realta.

The hallway resembled a hotel lobby with its simple carpeting and numerous rooms branching off to the left and right.

The space, presumably intended for entertaining esteemed guests, was filled with indescribable knick-knacks.

Unidentified bone fragments, nearly faded scrolls, partially shattered crystals, and various trinkets...

To an untrained eye, they might appear as junk, but Lennok, with his heightened perception, recognized them as essential tools of magic.

Had the dark wizards, who moved their trading tools to avoid inspection, simply left their baggage here and stayed?

He had been puzzled by a few numbers in the address provided by Jenny, likely indicating the room numbers here.

Marching straight through the center of the hallway, he arrived at an open area.

Several tables and chairs, serving as a resting spot for guests, filled the space.

Around a dozen individuals sat there, engaged in conversation, but they abruptly fell silent as if it had been prearranged upon spotting Lennok.

“Hey...”

A man in his thirties, arms crossed, addressed him uneasily.

“This is not a place for outsiders to freely enter.”

Lennok disregarded the man’s warning and examined the faces of the gathered individuals.

He had anticipated a group of dark and sinister dark wizards, but to his surprise, their emanating mana possessed an air of elegance.

Considering their affiliation with the enchantment faction, it made sense that their mana and nature aligned with it.

Perhaps the image of dark wizards Lennok had in mind belonged to the opposing faction.

As Lennok remained silent, a young woman with fiery hair gritted her teeth and stepped forward.

“There are always those who refuse to listen.”

“...”

“If you won’t leave willingly, I’ll make you crawl out.”

With those words, she nonchalantly channeled her mana and lifted something from the ground beneath her feet.

A black disc hovered in midair.

The disc spun vigorously, causing the surrounding air to ripple before hurtling straight toward Lennok.

Whoosh!

It moved with remarkable speed, possessing a power that even Lennok couldn’t underestimate.

Despite being from a non-combatant faction, it seemed they had individuals capable of fighting.

However, mana wasn’t solely about swiftness and strength.

Lennok’s battle-honed instincts had already granted him a deeper level of comprehension.

Casually raising his left hand, he caught the disc, halting its trajectory.

Crack!

“.. ...!!”

Disregarding the astonished woman, Lennok promptly summoned his own mana.

(TO BE CONTINUED)