He entered the office gracefully, taking a seat on the designated guest sofa.
“Ummm… You, you’ve picked people very well.”
“Just get to the point.”
Unfazed by Jenny’s indifference, Manson, with his cold, unfeeling demeanor, spoke.
“Was it Dray? The security system that mercenary devised is so thorough, I had to roll around outside with him for a good six hours. How could there be such a person?”
“He’s a veteran. He may not have encountered a madman like you, but he’s familiar with commanding mana users.”
“Exactly!! No wonder he can issue commands without getting on my nerves. He seemed experienced in handling people like this…”
“What do you want to say?”
It had been nearly a week since Manson accepted Lennok’s offer and started working here with no initial funds.
Jenny, by nature, had reservations about Manson, the freelancer. After all, it was challenging to discern the thought processes and values of someone capable of hosting multiple bodies. The sample size was limited.
Furthermore, Manson was the madman who had turned himself into a machine to manage his subordinates, controlling multiple bodies. His track record was nothing short of chaotic.
His selection of clients and his unconventional criteria for accepting jobs gave the impression of genuine insanity.
Instead of revealing his mental state to Jenny, Manson simply lowered his head, rested his chin on his hand, and began to speak.
“Remember when I said I had a bad relationship with the Cartel?”
“Yeah. You said that’s why you decided to join us?”
“Right. There’s something more I think I should say about that.”
“What?”
Rather than answering directly, Manson tapped his head with his finger, where his temples should have been.
“I usually don’t remember well and forget things, but suddenly it came to mind. I think I need to tell you.”
“It’s amazing you’re still alive living like that. What is it?”
“I might have let the Cartel tamper with my body once.”
“What?”
“In my memory, they seemed to be engrossed in experiments to artificially alter human bodies at that time. I think I participated in their experiments for a good sum of money…”
Despite the sincerity in his gaze, Jenny found it challenging to trust Manson’s words.
Manson continued to tap his head and shake it, creating an impression that he might not be telling the complete truth.
“Anyway, considering the guys Van recently dealt with, I think they might have succeeded in their experiments. I’ve been spacing out at work and such thoughts occurred to me.”
“Is that so? Fine.”
Jenny nodded.
“I’ll talk to Dray to significantly increase your work hours. More time to think alone, more memories might come up, right?”
“Eeek? Nooooo!! Wait, now that I think about it, I don’t remember anything…!!”
Manson panicked just as the office door burst open.
“Time’s up for the meeting. Let’s get out, you lunatic.”
Velber and Velita, as if they had been waiting, effortlessly escorted Manson out of the office.
Both of them also helped ensure Jenny’s safety outside of the working hours Dray had established.
Velita winked with one eye while pulling Manson away, and Velber, always unwavering in his convictions, added,
“That stock you recommended last time really shot up.”
“Are you going to keep embarrassing your sister like this?”
Jenny offered a faint smile as she observed Velber being pulled away, then contemplated Manson’s words.
Among the Cartel executives that Van had recently confronted, Virgil from the president’s team, and Girard and Eolara from the board of directors stood out.
There wasn’t much specific information available about Virgil other than his exceptional strength, but Girard and Eolara were different cases entirely.
Girard’s strength appeared to increase dramatically when he was injured, and Eolara had the ability to enhance her combat skills through her third eye.
Furthermore, according to Van, both of them seemed to utilize some form of magic property alteration. If Manson’s claim held any truth…
“The Cartel executives using such property changes might not be a mere coincidence…”
Could this information prove valuable in dealing with the Cartel?
Satisfied with another piece of information to share once Van returned, Jenny reached for her laptop once more.
Boom!!
The office door swung open for the third time, and someone entered.
It was Dray, his face covered in sweat.
“Jenny!”
“Is it serious?”
From his expression alone, it was evident that something significant had occurred.
Dray’s words confirmed Jenny’s expectations.
“The Dyke Company’s weapons factory has been attacked.”
“…”
“They have started to move.”
* * *
Three days had passed since Lennok’s departure.
Upon his return, he didn’t head straight to Jenny’s bar but to the factory site in the 50s district where Dyke’s weapon production factory was situated.
The area was filled with abandoned factories, purchased for expansion purposes. The factory site resembled a battlefield, utterly demolished.
[Jenny’s voice came through the earphone, calm and collected. “According to Panua, it was a new factory area being built for the expanded weapons business.”]
[Only a couple of Dyke’s associates were present at the time of the attack, and the rest of the victims were all construction company personnel.]
“That’s strange.”
As Lennok gazed at the distant factory site, he commented.
“The timing and place they chose to strike are too odd. If they wanted to show force like I did, there were plenty of better places than here…”
Virgil had already exceeded the two-week deadline he had set. It wouldn’t have been surprising for them to target Jenny’s bar once more. However, they chose Dyke’s site, and specifically a new factory site with minimal manpower and financial loss potential.
Jenny provided the answer.
[It seems the information that you, Van, passed through Dyke’s site while transferring Girard, whom you had captured, got leaked.]
“That means…”
[They’re not looking to simply pay us back for what we did to them.]
“Interesting. Are the traitors moving to silence each other? Then, what’s waiting beyond here is…”
[Right. It must be a member of the faction within the Cartel that betrayed their chairman. You might understand the whole story once you confront them face to face. But there’s another more pressing issue.]
“What is it?”
[The magic core that was to be installed in the factory before construction was hijacked by them. Panua said she doesn’t care much about the core being stolen, but if it explodes, this whole area could melt away.]
“Just back and already loaded with a headache…”
Lennok sighed, standing up and shaking his head.
“It doesn’t matter. Just tell Panua one thing.”
[What?]
“That magic core, I’ll take it.”
Lennok required a new power source to elevate his already impressive accomplishments to the next level.
The core was notorious for being an unstable energy source, but its efficiency was unmatched, making it the ideal choice for Lennok’s customization needs.
Panua would not reject such a request.
As Lennok finished his communication and turned around, he noticed Kilian, who had followed him to the factory site.
“Sorry to put you to work right after arriving.” Kilian said, though his expression didn’t appear apologetic at all.
“What have you been doing that you’ve been out of touch for three days? And where’s the coat you always carry around?”
“Just some business,” Lennok replied, his shoulders covered not by his usual heavy coat but a black cardigan. Only this morning, as the drug’s effects wore off completely, had his senses returned to normal, yet he still felt strangely uncomfortable. Even the coat seemed burdensome, so he had opted for a cardigan from the lab. It wasn’t a bad choice, given that the weather was warming up with the changing season.
However, unlike the warming weather, the place Lennok was surveying was permeated with the strong odor of blood.
Gazing down at the blood-stained ruins, Lennok inquired, “You’ve heard the rough story, right?”
“It’s our company’s situation, so of course I’m informed. The shareholders are already in a frenzy. They’ve asked us to prevent a terror attack using the core explosion at all costs.”
Kilian sighed as he spoke. “I hate to say this, but… I need your help.”
Rather than offering a verbal response, Lennok rose from his seat.
“I don’t think the Cartel would use such a brute method… But let’s go down and think about it.”
“Let’s do that. But you don’t look too good, are you okay?”
Kilian’s observation was accurate. Lennok’s expression was stiff and awkward, difficult to conceal even with disguise magic. It hadn’t been long since the drug’s effects had fully worn off, and all his senses had returned to normal. While moving his arms and legs posed no challenge, there was still some muscle stiffness. It was the consequence of reactivating muscles that had been dormant for an extended period.
“It’s needless worry.”
“Are you sure? Your condition is very important to us.”
Kilian was not mistaken. Everything currently hinged on Lennok’s capabilities. The cooperation with Dyke Corporation and the strategy they were devising were all made possible because of Lennok’s ability to single-handedly dismantle a gang. His connections with Antares, the Krimgal office, and even the agents were essentially built on Lennok’s personal network. Despite the Cartel’s overwhelming numbers, their ability to compete stemmed from Lennok’s capacity to deliver results individually or with a select team, rivaling larger groups.
In essence, Jenny’s business relied on two pillars: her managerial skills and Lennok’s abilities. If Lennok were to falter now, everything they had achieved thus far would crumble like grains of sand.
However, Lennok merely offered a faint smile and brushed aside the concern. “Don’t worry. I might be a bit tired, but my mind is clearer than ever.”
“Can I trust that?”
“Yeah. I don’t know how to explain it, but… I’ve had some personal achievements recently. Just needed time to sort them out.”
“If someone like you says they’ve achieved something, I can’t even imagine the level of growth.”
“Well, it’s not that grand.” Lennok replied, gazing at the overcast sky. “Not memories, but visions. I’ve just decided to go beyond reflecting on the past.”
What the world he desired looked like was a question he had answered at a level of self-transformation, but Lennok chose not to boast about it. He believed that actions would speak louder than words, and discussing the serendipity he had gained during his absence would suffice.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about… Okay, let’s go in and check.” Kilian said, sticking out his tongue playfully, and he led the way without further delay.
The two of them soon entered the factory site, now reduced to ruins. The expansive areas in the 50s district were eerily vast, filled with abandoned plots of land, contributing to the significant size of the devastation. In construction, the value of the land was often paramount, and it wasn’t surprising that a factory built on such cheaply acquired land would be disproportionately large.
The sight that greeted them was haunting. Bodies were strewn all over the demolished factory, each with a terror-stricken expression and deep, savage wounds. It was evident that every person had been subjected to torment before meeting their end, a realization that furrowed Lennok’s brow.
His wolf-like senses kicked in, and he bent down to inspect the mouth of one of the fallen corpses.
“…Almost all of them died of shock. It’s not that they were tortured and killed, but rather, they were tortured to death and then discarded.”Lennok remarked.
“…”
“The one waiting for us ahead is definitely not in a normal mental state.”
Instead of replying, Lennok slowly channeled his mana, extending his sensory range. Since the Cartel was well aware of Lennok’s capabilities, the person behind this gruesome incident was likely a high-ranking figure, possibly at the board level.
Despite Lennok’s previous victory over Girard, he remained vigilant. Capturing Girard had only been possible because Lennok had exploited his weakness using the Charm of Earth’s Embrace. Killing Girard, who grew more powerful with each wound, would have required significantly more effort. Furthermore, knowing that Girard had been defeated and yet still waiting for Lennok meant they likely had more effective strategies in store.
‘Considering that the act of torturing the factory personnel to death might not just be a preference…’
Girard had achieved a transformation in the properties of his magic by inflicting wounds upon himself. If other board members had also reached the 6th level of magic property transformation through certain ‘conditions’…
Lost in thought, the two quickly reached the heart of the factory ruins. Abandoned conveyor belts that could have churned out thousands of firearms, metal casting equipment crushed and contorted like playthings, and the dark red bloodstains that crudely overlaid all traces of destruction painted a gruesome picture.
The extent of the massacre that had occurred here was unmistakable. Bodies were grotesquely suspended upside down from the high ceilings of the workstations, and chunks of flesh were scattered in all directions.
Amidst this scene of death and bloodshed, a man sat in a chair, playing the violin in solitary contemplation.
