Only Lennok comprehended the significance of witnessing the sky from this underground location, and he bit his lip hard, struggling to process the implications.
The man had summoned a colossal giant, effortlessly shifting the power plant building aside—an absurd and seemingly impossible feat that left Lennok questioning its plausibility, despite understanding it intellectually.
Confronting such an immense scale that defied direct confrontation, Lennok swiftly made a decision. Continuing the battle, even in the presence of the giant hovering above the man like a divine guardian, would amount to suicide.
The only recourse was to employ the Five Fingers of Enakphil to escape this perilous situation. Utilizing the long-range teleportation magic, [Teleport], embedded in the first finger, a few individuals might be able to salvage their lives. However, Lennok wasn't certain if the man would simply stand idle and allow their escape.
If the battle were to persist, he needed to find a way to buy time and activate the artifact. Lost in contemplation, Lennok suddenly noticed the giant, prompted by the man's gesture, raising one of its colossal hands.
Whooom…!!
With a gesture utterly distinct from its initial menacing demeanor, the giant gently cradled the man.
"Consider yourself fortunate," the man declared, peering down at Lennok from the palm of the giant.
"If the wizard named Eden were alive, all of you would have become my experimental subjects."
His voice was nonchalant, lacking any sense of gravity, reflecting his ambiguous appearance that offered no clues about his age. His audacious remarks held little significance when faced with his overwhelming power.
A dark wizard. Undeniably possessing transcendent skill, surpassing Level 7.
If such an accomplished individual had arrived to assist Eden, who could he possibly be?
Recalling the address traced from Beck Clinton's mobile phone, Lennok murmured.
"Pandemonium… Are you affiliated with the Juice master?"
"Ho?" the man smirked.
"You're astute. Yes, I came here to fulfill his request and negotiate a trade."
"Why didn't you kill us?" Lennok inquired, maintaining his composure.
In response to Lennok's calm question, the man shrugged his shoulders.
"If Eden were alive, I would have been compelled to honor his request and engage in a trade. However, he is no longer. So, what does it matter? I will simply take what I desire."
Was that the reason behind his rummaging through the safe?
The man, gazing down at Lennok in silence, gradually broke into a smile.
"And besides, I have no desire to kill a talented youngster. Despite appearances, I have a keen interest in nurturing successors."
Talent. To what extent had the man discerned the bounds of Lennok's abilities? If he truly comprehended Lennok's qualities in their entirety, could he afford to be so relaxed?
Amidst the whirlwind of intricate thoughts racing through Lennok's mind, the man continued speaking.
"In order to bring about change in this stagnant world… we require as many gifted individuals as we can find."
Lennok momentarily forgot his fear, pondering the man's words.
A stagnant world. These words resonated with the enduring conundrum he had heard and contemplated from the Great Seer.
Whether the man was aware of Lennok's state of mind or not, he stared at him intently before summoning something in his hand and tossing it.
"If what I said intrigued you, then take this," the man said, waiting for Lennok to catch it.
"It may not be necessary now, but there may come a time when you'll want to know the truth."
"This will aid you then," the man concluded, raising his gaze towards the sky.
Simultaneously, a dark magic circle materialized from his back, enveloping him entirely.
"Aaaaah!!"
A brief gust of wind swept through, and when people reopened their eyes, the man had vanished without a trace.
Even the giant, with its imposing demonic presence, had disappeared.
"Phew……!"
Only after confirming the empty sky did the others finally relax, slumping down where they stood.
Killian, his face drained, leaned against the collapsed vault wall and spoke in a bewildered manner.
"Just as you said, Van. If Eden had managed to buy more time…."
Though no one voiced their agreement, they all nodded towards Lennok with similar expressions.
They had also heard Lennok's words, realizing that moments ago, they had faced a member of the Pandemonium.
If Lennok hadn't vaguely understood his intentions and swiftly eliminated Eden, their survival would have been far from guaranteed in that situation.
Observing the others, who struggled to regain their composure after the shock, Lennok glanced down at the object left behind by the man.
It was an obsidian brooch shaped like a tear.
Considering the man's affiliation with black magic, it was logical to assume that the item was associated with the dark wizards rather than belonging to the Pandemonium itself.
Could it hold knowledge about the secrets of this world?
Verifying the truth was currently impossible.
He needed to discover and judge for himself.
Lennok tightly gripped the brooch, silently gazing up at the sky.
The night sky over Vulcan remained brilliantly bright, devoid of stars.
At this juncture, where everything was falling back into place, Lennok's collaboration with Dyke was drawing to a close.
⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩
With Eden's demise, the gang was completely wiped out, and things progressed surprisingly swiftly.
The brief appearance of the black giant in the 48th district caused a stir, but it wasn't overly difficult to keep the incident under wraps.
Dyke cleared the power plant that had been displaced by the dark wizard of the Pandemonium, establishing a new branch office in its location and swiftly seizing control of the market.
They had to stabilize their operations quickly before the government's inspection commenced.
In fact, for the other project teams, including Panua, the real work was just beginning.
With the plan's success, the long-standing internal conflict within Dyke's headquarters came to a definitive end.
Shareholders unanimously supported the management, and control of the company fully transitioned to Dustin Goodman.
The strict personnel restrictions that had burdened Panua were completely lifted, and her position soared day by day.
"Please follow me. They've been expecting you," Manya said, leading Lennok to Panua's office.
Normally, it was difficult to gauge Manya's emotions, but lately, she seemed more animated.
"Seems like things are going well."
"I guess I'm wearing it on my sleeve."
Manya's expression remained stoic as she replied.
"Even though we haven't fully launched the business, the projected revenue is substantial. Various clients, including freelancers and mercenaries from the outer districts, are already looking to trade with us to replenish their insufficient weapon inventory."
"……"
"The outlook is so positive that we need to run more than half of the production line to handle the expected volume."
Considering the success of the project she was involved in, her status in the company must have skyrocketed.
The elevator stopped, and the doors opened.
On the floor where Panua's office was located, the space that used to be her solitary workplace was now filled with dozens of employees bustling around, shuffling documents, conversing, and talking on the phone.
"There's an issue with the maintenance of factory number 4, and we're short-staffed. I'll send you a list of subcontractors to choose from and get back to me by email."
"The quality check process for the first production batch isn't being done properly."
"Request additional manpower from upper management and review the manual again."
"Does anyone have expertise in the materials department? Who's handling this phone call?"
Upon noticing Manya's presence, the busy employees adjusted their behavior and glanced around.
Subtly relishing their obvious attention, Manya lightly tapped on the glass door of Panua's office.
The door opened promptly, and Panua, looking slightly pale, greeted Lennok.
"Please come in. It's our first meeting since the operation."
"It's been a while."
As soon as Lennok settled onto the familiar office sofa, he inquired,
"You don't seem to be doing well."
"Well… there are pressing matters that need immediate attention."
She skillfully smiled at Lennok.
"But I couldn't delay the gift I wanted to give to the wizard."
Like the old saying goes, the job isn't finished just by boiling the hunting dog.
Instead, Panua made an effort to stay in touch with Lennok even after the job was done, to demonstrate that she hadn't forgotten about him.
The unexpected success of the plan was widely acknowledged as the result of one man's capabilities—Lennok's.
His ability to overcome the shortage of manpower and information, and confront the gang head-on, was a testament to his skills that surpassed mere wizardry.
Panua was aware that haphazardly cooking the hunting dog could ruin the meticulously prepared pot.
So, she had only one option.
To offer a sweeter reward and ensure that his focus remained on their direction.
For this very moment, Panua had worked tirelessly, even squeezing nonexistent time.
"Although I gave you the Five Fingers of Enakphil as an advance payment, I had planned to compensate you separately for the complete success of the plan. Please accept this in the meantime."
Saying this, she handed over an anonymized bankbook and a seal.
"It's a straw bank account with 300 million cells. You can withdraw all the money in cash, and it has been perfectly laundered."
Silently, Lennok took hold of the bankbook.
300 million cells.
Considering Lennok's increased value and the risk involved, the amount was undoubtedly significant enough to pose a burden for an individual.
However, Panua knew very well that hoarding money in a place like that wouldn't be of any help.
Moreover, the reward she had prepared didn't end there.
She promptly produced a pair of matte black gloves and a small bottle of green liquid.
"These are gloves crafted by artisans from the Black Palace workshop and a potion called ‘Spring Water of Tone.' It's primarily used for healing purposes."
Panua glanced at Lennok's face and continued,
"I thought you might have pushed yourself too hard during this assignment, so I prepared these."
Since she must have received a report about the potential involvement of the Pandemonium towards the end of the operation, she couldn't let it slide with a straight face.
The gifts she had prepared clearly reflected her struggle to match the circumstances.
Instead of giving a dismissive response, Lennok decided to address his curiosity first.
"The Black Palace workshop?"
"It's an exclusive workshop that caters to a select few members. Even our company recently managed to secure a waiting list and become a member. The products from this workshop are of exceptional quality and are often used as coveted gifts."
Setting aside Panua's casual tone, Lennok picked up the gloves and slid them onto both hands.
They clung to his palms, yet felt incredibly lightweight.
As a test, he channeled mana, observing how it smoothly flowed through the gloves. It was evident that the product paid meticulous attention to even the conductivity of mana.
"These gloves are designed to rapidly harden upon receiving a certain amount of impact, providing protection up to the wrists. Even if you were to fall from a ten-story building, as long as you properly place both hands on the ground, you can greatly reduce the risk of injury. They're among the most popular and sought-after items from the workshop."
Upon hearing that, Lennok removed the gloves and cast a shock spell.
Bang!
Just as Panua had described, the surface of the glove instantly hardened, extending up to the wrist to shield the joints.
Only then did a smile form on Lennok's face as he nodded.
"You've brought something truly remarkable. Thank you."
"Of course, I don't expect you to be satisfied with just these items. The funds recovered from the gang's safe will be added and deposited into the account based on your contribution to this operation. It seems we spent a considerable amount during the fight, but you should still be able to claim over 70% of the remaining funds."
"I'll be waiting."
There was no reason to decline the money deposited into the account.
Panua explained various aspects of how Dyke Corporation would expand its business in the future and how it could assist Lennok along the way.
Though she subtly hinted that she hoped Lennok would contribute more to Dyke's endeavors, Lennok didn't respond and left the company headquarters building.
The disappointed faces of Panua and Manya flickered before him, but Lennok easily brushed off any lingering emotions.
He had done what was required and received more than enough in return.
Not only had he achieved his original goal of establishing himself as a renowned freelancer, but he had also obtained various artifacts and funds as compensation.
Above all, the materials related to the unique lightning series magic he acquired from Eden's laboratory were undoubtedly the greatest treasure from this mission.
In the heat of battle, he had confirmed that he could utilize the applied skills within those materials without even needing to learn the unique magic itself.
Through systematic research, Lennok's magic would undoubtedly soar to a much higher level than it currently stood.
Even Lennok, who was typically unperturbed by emotions in ordinary matters, couldn't contain his excitement at the mere thought of it.
He yearned to retreat to his one-room apartment and immerse himself in research right away. However, there were a few external matters that needed his attention before that.
‘I'll entrust the follow-up to Jenny, and first and foremost, I need to upgrade my lifestyle a bit.'
It was evident that Lennok's reputation and worth had skyrocketed as a result of this incident. Consequently, it was necessary to change his existing environment now that he finally had a substantial amount of money in his possession.
In particular, his current cramped one-room apartment couldn't accommodate the items Lennok had acquired, and the public security of the area left him feeling somewhat uneasy.
With this amount of money, he could afford a relatively spacious house even in the inner city.
‘Earning money is challenging, but so is spending it…'
That was the key point.
Excluding the expenses for purchasing potions and medications, how much money could he allocate to improving his living conditions?
And how much more investment would be necessary in the future?
Considering that a wizard required a proper laboratory, it was inevitable that his personal space would need to expand.
However, at the same time, enough funds had to be set aside for maintaining his physical health and vitality through the purchase of more expensive potions and medications.
It was a challenging problem and a concern that couldn't be shared with anyone.
Just like swimming in deep water with only the ground beneath his feet as a guide, Lennok had no choice but to grapple with his worries alone and find the answers.
The smoke scattered far and wide mingled with the cold city air and vanished.
Winter was approaching.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
