Chapter 213

Chapter 213

Jennys pub is a three-story building. From the outside, apart from the bar located in the basement, it appears that there are no hidden spaces, but the reality is different. On the opposite side of the passage leading to the office from the inside of the bar, an old mirror hanging on the wall reveals an emergency exit leading to an underground waterway when its back is pried open.

With the help of the Dyke company, weve passed through their factory site several times. Ultimately, we confined him in District 49, but theres no chance his location will be physically discovered. Jenny explained.

Jenny stopped in front of the dimly lit emergency room, walking along the extended corridor of the waterway, and nodded. Bald giant Ike, who was leaning against the door, yawned and then smiled upon seeing her.

Youre here early, he remarked.

How about inside? Jenny inquired.

Killian entered first. Turns out, that guy is quite wild. Im kind of envious.

Well, he is a man who is half a hoodlum in character, not to mention in appearance.

Lennok entered the abandoned control room after sending Jenny up. Originally, there was a control room for managing the waterway and a storage room with discarded pipes inside the glass window.

Girard, with his limbs firmly tied and his head bowed, was sitting on a chair arranged in the storage room. The restraints tied to his limbs were specially made for mana users, interfering with the use of mana by tightening the limbs and burrowing into the veins. If worn for too long, the hands and feet could necrotize, rendering the limbs unusable in an instant, but it was a necessary choice to keep a powerful person alive while bound.

Killian, watching this scene with a bored expression from a distance, nodded at Lennok.

Still no particular signs?

None. He seems conscious but doesnt look like hes planning to resist. But is that really the right thing to do?

Killian said this, pointing at the syringe embedded in Girards shoulder.

As you said, I just plugged in a regenerative ampoule that works on mana users, but theres no reason to heal someone whos dying.

Its thought that his magic gains tremendous strength the more hes injured. Rather than giving him a reason to exert power, its easier to treat him and make him talk, Lennok explained.

Huh, hard to believe. That such a grotesque change in properties exists Killian shook his head in disbelief, but Lennok turned his head, reading something else in his words.

You seem to be aware of the changes in magical properties. Looks like youve been practicing on your own, Lennok observed.

Certainly, Killian was ignorant of such realms when dealing with the Cigar Bang Gang with Lennok. If he could understand Lennoks conversation so easily, it seemed that he too had accumulated a lot of experience.

Well, yeah. Working in this field, I naturally hear things Plus, theres some overlap with the techniques I learned in my hometown.

So theres a separate augmentation technique used by werewolves?

Its hard to explain in detail, but its similar. Of course, Im not saying Ive reached that level but I understand the fundamental principle of overcoming limits under certain conditions, Killian responded. I dont want a self-destructive method like that But maybe one day, Ill have to become a monster in that way.

Theres no need for that. In my opinion, Girard is indeed a very unusual case.

Lennok replied as he pushed open the glass door leading to the warehouse.

Basically, the change in the nature of mana is just a starting point to reach the 6th level, a step that should naturally pass.

If you cant overcome such limits and twist the nature of mana by imposing restrictions or conditions on yourself, you end up with similar results.

Only a monster child like you could say it so easily

Killian grumbled, but Lennok paid no heed and crouched in front of Girard, who hung his head.

Even so, the way this guy amplifies his strength depending on the extent of his injuries is abnormal. Most people use mana for their aspirations or self-improvement, and the way it manifests is generally similar. Yet, achieving such a twisted change in properties with mana alone, without relying on other sources of energy like physical strength or mental power, is

At that moment, Girard, who had been hanging his head as if lifeless, suddenly lunged at Lennoks neck with lightning-fast teeth.

Snap!

Its impossible unless the basic mental imagery that forms ones inner self is twisted.

Girards magical-enhanced bite was formidable, but even this attempt was futile against Lennoks protective barrier, and his front teeth shattered tragically.

Spitting out his broken teeth, Girard laughed.

I wondered what you were saying when I came in, but youre quite the philosopher. Should I join you in a serious contemplation about the purpose of human existence?

Even with his mouth bloodied, Girard seemed unfazed by the pain, while Killian appeared disgusted.

Not a bad idea.

Lennok replied with a faint smile.

To transcend oneself, one must confront oneself first. Facing a twisted human like you helps me to see myself objectively as long as I dont get swept away with it.

For the first time, Girard fell silent in response to that composed answer.

Unperturbed, Lennok retrieved a rosary that loosely hung around Girards neck and placed it on his wrist.

Observing the rosary shrink to fit Lennoks wrist, Girard burst into a sinister laugh.

Heheheh!!! This is why you shouldnt deal with wizards for long. What a stupid mistake I made. I never imagined you would have such an absurd artifact.

His point was valid.

After all, Girard was a Level 6 powerhouse who had achieved an unusual alteration in magical properties.

Yet, he was captured with little resistance because he never anticipated that Lennok would possess a potent restraining artifact like the Charm of Earths Embrace.

A bewildered Killian quickly summoned someone else to watch over Girard and then caught up with Lennok, who was heading back to the pub.

Killian inquired, Van, was it okay not to kill him?

Why bother if hes already talked?

Talked? When?

With an expression of disbelief, Killian asked, and Lennok responded calmly,

A high-ranking official of an organization like the Cartel would almost certainly carry measures to maintain confidentiality. Considering the foreign mana I felt when I was manipulating his internal mana and the tattoo on his tongue, he likely had some specific measure inside his body for location tracking and preventing the leakage of secrets.

Even if location tracking could be countered by the Charm of Earths Embrace and the barriers set up in the vicinity, preventing secret leaks was a different matter.

So you interrogated him this way, knowing that?

A skilled person like Girard would have many ways to communicate without speaking. Plus, Girards behavior suggests he thinks of the organization and himself separately. It was quite likely that this kind of threat would work on him.

The fact that he, a board member of the organization, had come alone to face Lennok, his bold statement that even the chairman might not recognize his face, and his detached attitude all indicated a certain disposition. His eccentric tastes matched his highly personal and independent character. He appeared to hold little affection for the organization, treating relationships strictly as business and assessing mutual benefits accordingly.

For individuals like him, it wasnt too challenging to coax organizational information out of them by applying the right amount of pressure while concealing ones true intentions.

Girard only began to communicate in a way that Lennok could understand after hearing Lennoks final words.

The sudden intensity of his last struggle didnt quite match the timing of my statement; it felt out of place. Compared to the mana I left in his body, it was rather clumsy and prolonged. Crucially, considering the certain pattern in the sounds he made while breaking all his joints.

Only then did Killian grasp Lennoks words, his mouth hanging open.

So, youre saying he used Herington code to secretly convey information?

Is this how they refer to a code system like Morse code here? In any case, as Killian suggested, it was highly likely that Girard had opted to use a sound-based code for communication.

This method of transmitting information and engaging in negotiations had the advantage of being easily deniable. It could be claimed that Girard never verbally disclosed any information, and it was simply an act of desperation while he was attempting to break his own joints.

Even Killian, whose senses were significantly sharper than Lennoks, became so engrossed in the fierce intensity of Girards struggle that he failed to pay attention to the actual sounds Girard was producing.

However, Girard took the bold step of leaking information, gambling that Lennok would decipher the pattern of the sounds, commit them to memory, and decode them.

A sound-based code. Or, if you know the pattern, its not too hard to apply it to an existing code in the network. Lennok remarked.

Lennok immediately joined Jenny at the computer in the office, recorded the sound patterns he had memorized, and then decrypted them using the Herington code, as Killian had mentioned.

Its done.

A meeting between businesses on the 14th, a shareholders meeting on the 16th, and a new office demonstration for business unit 89 on the 17th Jenny muttered, her voice distant. My God, this is a schedule and locations for events involving Cartels businesses. That crazy bastard

* * *

You couldnt find any trace of Girard?

The bald man lowered his head in silence as he listened to the voice emanating from the communication device. His sun-tanned brown skin contrasted with his thick, rough fingers adorned with an array of flashy rings and bracelets that clinked together.

[Life signs ceased right at the scene of the battle. It must have been a high-level binding artifact. Anything less wouldnt have been able to do it. Tracking using a spell seems impossible.]

Instead of replying, the man shifted his gaze to the hologram displaying the report.

Having bypassed the outskirts multiple times with Dykes help then the course of action is simple.

With a flick of his fingers, the hologram in front of him flashed.

Activate the execution squad. Send orders to Avid.

[Isnt Director Yonsen currently occupied with other tasks?]

Use my name; hell understand. Its a matter of urgency.

The man spoke decisively and then suddenly glanced down at his arm.

His body, adorned with various tattoos and jewelry, vividly represented a colorful past marked by both glory and defeat. However, as time passed, the skin bearing the tattoos wrinkled, and his precious treasures gradually lost their luster.

How long does it take to betray a lifetime of loyalty?

He had no interest in clinging to the vain hope of immortality; if he desired anything

The man closed his eyes.

This is a mission sanctioned by Cartels CEO, Parden McQueen. Track and secure the whereabouts of Girard Oje, captured by the wizard Van. If that proves impossible

[You may kill him]

Eliminate him permanently.

Although he had involved Girard in this affair to leverage his authority over the allied businesses, the man had never fully trusted him. Always smiling as if everything were a joke, but when the balance of power shifted, Girard was the first to jump ship.

He had initially thought the geas implanted in Girard would buy him time, but he couldnt afford to be complacent. He must not let the chairman discover his betrayal yet. He needed more time.

(To be Continued)

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