Amid the burning hall ceiling, small debris began to fall—harmless except for potential burns—before a large, heavy piece finally gave way. Below it, a group of people stood frozen in despair.
I reflexively aimed my palm at the collapsing ceiling and condensed wind magic. A week had passed, and I could use my magic again.
—Swosh!
I unleashed the wind. Unexpectedly, the mana I used was too much, causing my hand to recoil backward, followed by my body as I released the spell.
—Crash!
The ceiling shattered into smaller, less dangerous pieces after I fell backward. Once again, I hadn't intended to release such a powerful gust, but it surged out with immense output. I still couldn't control my magic.
'At least I saved them.'
My gaze then shifted to the curly-haired boy named Rival, who was being dragged out by two security guards. He didn't stay still, resisting fiercely. Still, he was no match for the two men pulling him away. All he could do was curse—words I couldn't hear over the distance and the noise filling the hall. The ceiling had stopped burning because, as it turned out, there was a water-specialist mage present.
I stood up, slung my bag over my shoulder, and stretched my sore hand, still aching from the spell's recoil.
My thoughts lingered on that boy. Honestly, his invention was impressive, but it was unstable, and I had a bad feeling about it. If a weapon like that were seriously developed by a major corporation—it would be extremely dangerous. Even a device that small had already caused this much damage. What if it were larger? It would be like a nuclear bomb.
Pushing the thought aside, I weaved through the crowd until I finally stepped out of the now-smoky hall.
"Cough! Cough!" Still clearing my throat, I continued on to the lab where Professor Nolan was—my professor.
I reached the lab. Opening the door, I saw a man of thirty-seven with unkempt blond hair falling to his temples, wearing glasses. His face looked stern due to his pronounced jawline, but it wasn't a cold sternness—it was a gentle firmness. In his hands was a book, and spread before him were numerous documents. That was Professor Nolan. Besides being a lecturer, he also worked part-time at the Biogenic Corporation—where my aunt worked. Though I still didn't know what his role was. Perhaps a researcher?
"Excuse me."
"I heard a commotion outside. What happened?" he asked, looking up at me, his voice deep yet gentle.
"Oh, that. A student made some strange device and caused a scene," I replied, sitting across from him before opening some theses from other students that I needed to review. In this world, Adrian was a student with exceptionally high grades compared to others. That was why Professor Nolan had recruited him as a Partner—helping with grading and even occasionally teaching freshmen. It wasn't without reason: Havient University lacked lecturers because most people chose the Magic Academy over university, preferring not to become vulnerable civilians.
If it weren't for Erickson, Adrian wouldn't have enrolled in university. He would have entered the Magic Academy alongside Sierra, Aaron, Emily, and Azrael.
"What kind of device?" Professor Nolan inquired.
"A Mana Buster…" I explained everything to him, from how the device worked to its effects. He nodded faintly, listening intently.
After finishing my explanation, I asked, "Honestly, it's an incredible invention that could change humanity, but it's also extremely dangerous. What do you think, Professor?"
"Hmm… I don't think calling it dangerous is quite right just yet. That boy has a point—why stick to old methods when technology is advancing? If we want to achieve something, we must also be prepared to face the risks involved." His lips curled into a gentle smile.
"Yeah… true. But I hope it's developed for good," I replied. The room fell silent again as we ran out of topics. Suddenly, amid the boredom of grading these theses, I wanted to ask something:
"Professor, do you know which city has the highest crime rate? And a black market…?" I asked nervously. My reason for asking was to visit the black market and buy magic gear. True, the Hunter Guild sold such items, but they were exorbitantly expensive and came with cumbersome procedures. It was better to try the black market—maybe I'd find something useful there.
"Gloomhaven. A colleague of mine has been there, and I hope you don't go," he answered flatly, as if it were trivial. I was slightly taken aback by how straightforward he was.
I left earlier after my lecture and was now in my room, preparing to head to Gloomhaven. At the black market, I planned to buy magic gear, most importantly a "Rune"—a crystal that enhances attributes—specifically a "Rune of Shadow." My current attributes were only Fire and Wind, which seemed strong for now, but against an entity capable of manipulating fate? They'd be useless.
I put on a thigh-length black coat with pockets at the waist for my hands. The coat had no buttons, hanging open to reveal my white shirt and black formal pants. Then, I picked up a round black hat and placed it on my head.
"Perfect." There was a reason for dressing like this: I couldn't look too conspicuous, but I also couldn't appear too mysterious. If I did, I might be mistaken for a cop, and the locals would surely withhold information about the black market.
'Sorry, Adrian. I'll be using your savings.' Fortunately, Adrian had saved up a lot for a drone. Yes, a drone—to see the world outside. He also theorized that other civilizations existed out there, something I knew from his memories and diary.
'Your theory is right. There is life out there. Now, let me take over to save our family.' I patted my chest.
I left the room, and as usual, Debby clung to me. I just patted her before walking away. Alicia wasn't home yet—it wasn't time for her to return—so I left a message on her phone saying I'd be out late and had already eaten, so she wouldn't worry.
I closed the door, leaving Debby inside. Outside the complex gate, a taxi I'd booked was waiting.
I opened the door and got in. "Gloomhaven," I said shortly. The trip would likely take about an hour and a half—enough time to think through my plans carefully.
Time passed slowly in the taxi until I finally arrived on the outskirts of Gloomhaven. I told the driver to stop just across the way because I wanted to walk, observe my surroundings, and ask civilians where the black market was.
I paid the driver twenty Crowns. Crowns were the currency of this Safe Zone. I didn't know much about this Safe Zone's history, but according to Adrian's memories, the currency was named "Crown" because it symbolized unity. Back when the walls were built, enclosing several nations, they faced disputes over currency. In such situations, the dominant nation would win—clearly unfair. So, humanity took a middle path: they considered their old nations gone and now saw themselves as one united entity—the Safe Zone.
I shook my head as I looked at the money in my wallet, feeling a sense of pride. In my novel, I had only created the idea of Safe Zones outside. That was it. But now that this world had become reality, that simple detail had been filled in with its own logic and history, bringing the place to life. That made me proud, but also bitter—they all lived because of me, and they would also die because of me. Back then, I wrote about their deaths while sipping coffee without a hint of guilt. Now, after living among them, it felt completely different. It was cruel. None of them deserved that—just to motivate a protagonist.
It felt incredibly cruel to kill them all just to motivate Lucas, now that I was living among them.
I wandered around Gloomhaven. The city was so close to the wall that some houses or shops nearly touched it. Buildings here were often cramped tightly together, so I had to navigate narrow alleys to ask for directions. But if an alley felt too quiet and threatening, I avoided it, afraid something might happen.
I had asked several civilians but still hadn't gotten any information. Was my acting not convincing enough? I'd asked in a neutral tone with a blank expression to appear mature, though it seemed futile. My face was so young! But setting aside my face, my acting—combined with my expression, voice, and outfit—was very convincing. This was a skill I'd honed in my old world. It sometimes amazed me why my acting seemed so convincing around strangers, yet when I tried to be a good older brother to Alicia, I became incredibly awkward!
After an hour of wandering that left my feet sore, I finally got information from someone and now stood before the place. It turned out to be just a shack with stairs leading down—and no guards? Just as I reached the door, a voice stopped me:
"Stop right there." Four large, tall men surrounded me. I tried to stay as calm as possible.
"Why are you here?" asked one with a scar over his eye.
"Just here to buy some magic gear inside. You can search me," I said, following the advice given by the old man who'd told me about this place: state my purpose and let them believe I wasn't police or an informant. They feared the police, which was why they didn't guard the door openly—that would make the place stand out. Instead, they hid in crevices, ready to ambush anyone suspicious, like they had with me. If I were a cop, I'd likely be killed. Luckily, I genuinely wanted to buy something.
I raised my hands as they searched me thoroughly, from the tips of my toes to between strands of my hair, leaving no room for even the tiniest surveillance device. They also took my wallet and phone to check, making me anxious they might steal them.
"Clear." After the two men searching me stepped back, my wallet was tossed back to me. They hadn't taken a single coin.
"Sorry about that. Just procedure. You can enter now," said the man who'd thrown my wallet. He patted my shoulder casually and smiled, changing my perspective of them.
"Yeah, I know," I replied, smiling back and tipping my hat respectfully before heading down the stairs.
"Be careful, young man," the man called out warmly behind me before I heard the footsteps of the four men dispersing.
Maybe they were actually good people, just working to provide for their families? Who knew?
The initially dark path brightened with lantern light. The stairs didn't just go straight down—they had many branches, confusing me. Thankfully, there were signs pointing to "Center." I also passed a few people climbing the stairs, probably heading home.
After nearly two minutes, I finally reached the bottom. I paused in awe. I'd been wrong about something. All this time, I'd imagined this place would be gloomy and dark. I was wrong. This wasn't just a place to buy illegal goods—it was a magnificent casino, like a birdcage, with earthen walls being lined with cement and red paint by workers. Massive pillars encircled the space, supporting it.
'Even the underworld keeps up with technological progress,' I thought, shaking my head in amazement. I also wondered, 'A place this grand must have suppliers, right?'
'Uh, focus on your goal!'
Inside, my ears were filled with the whirring of slot machines and the shouts and raucous laughter of drunk people celebrating wins or lamenting losses. Clearly, this place wasn't just for the poor—the wealthy played here too. 'No wonder the friend Professor Nolan mentioned got addicted to this place.'
'Lowlifes,' I thought, disgusted by the people here, and quickened my pace toward the other side of the room, where a large sign read "Market" above a gaping cave mouth.
I entered the so-called market. The contrast was stark. While the previous area was like a meticulously carved birdcage designed to trap visitors, this place was the opposite—not carved, but a naturally irregular underground cavern or cave. The walls remained raw earth and stone, and the lighting was dim, just enough to see by.
Spotting a shop displaying magic tools, I approached to check it out.
"Welcome, sir. How can I help you?" asked the shopkeeper—a thin but healthy-looking man with one blind eye.
"I'm looking for Rune of Shadow, stages 1 and 2. Do you have them?" I kept my expression neutral.
"Oh, I have…" He disappeared behind a curtain and returned with something. "Stages 1 and 2 seem to be out of stock, sir. I only have stage 3. Stages 1 and 2, though low-level, are incredibly rare because they drop from Rank E monsters and Rank D or E dungeons—as you should know, they hardly ever yield items." He placed a black rune crystal on the counter, adorned with a glowing purple symbol resembling a grim reaper's robe, a weapon resting on its shoulder, surrounded by a faint purple tornado.
'Should I buy it?' I wondered, stroking my chin. It was indeed a Stage 3 Rune of Shadow, but if I absorbed it now, it would be useless—the effects would vanish because I hadn't completed the first two stages.
"How much?" After some thought, I decided I wouldn't absorb it immediately—I'd save it for later.
The man smiled. "180 Crowns."
My jaw dropped in shock. Twenty Crowns, converted to my old world's dollars, might cover a week of meals in my apartment—and that was if I was extremely frugal! But 180 Crowns?! That was three times the price of a Fire Rune!
"Don't look so surprised, sir. I understand," he said, noticing my stunned expression. "180 Crowns is a fair price for a Rune of Shadow—even cheap compared to buying it from the Hunter's Guild, where it could cost 250 to 300 Crowns." His salesmanship made it hard to refuse.
"Can you lower the price?"
"No," he replied smoothly.
He'd won.
"Alright, I'll take it," I said, taking money from my wallet and handing over 180 Crowns.
The man handed me the Rune of Shadow with a smile. "Pleasure doing business with you. Need anything else?"
"No," I replied, pocketing the rune before walking away from his stall to check other shops. "Phew… glad I brought 600 Crowns."
I wandered through the market, going from shop to shop, but so far, none had Runes of Shadow in stages 1 or 2.
Still searching, something caught my eye nearby: a large iron-barred prison cell with mana flowing through it. While walking at a safe distance, I squinted to see what was inside, but the darkness and distance made it impossible.
Sigh…
I stopped to rest for a moment, standing with my back to the prison as I wearily scanned the new shops ahead.
'What time is it?' I checked my watch: 5:00 PM.
'Alicia must be waiting. I need to find what I'm looking for and head home soon.'
Just as I was about to step forward, I suddenly felt an intense, murderous intent behind me. It felt like a massive needle piercing straight through my heart, shaking my Rank D Mana Core so violently that even breathing became a struggle.
'What is this?' I fought desperately to stay on my feet.
Hoshh!
A heavy, threatening exhale washed over me, strong enough to knock my hat to the ground.
I turned slowly, like a statue, to look.
My eyes widened instantly at the sight of a large creature exhaling white breath back toward me, its red eyes staring at me with pure hatred.
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