Chương 53

The teleportation gates of Ehrendil gave a warning, indicating the incoming passenger had a full security clearance. The worn-out Travis McGregor appeared in front of the elite guard team, blood dripping from his arm, or what was left of it.'' C-Councilor! Are you okay?'' the captain of the team asked in a panic.'' Do I look okay?'' Travis snapped as he rose into the air with [Mana Flight] and flew away toward his old friend's house to fix his arm.

His house had no shortage of higher-tier healers, but showing up there like this would damage his image. Even though losing a limb was nothing shameful, losing it to a mere kid would be a hot topic at the balls for many months to come. And I have no doubt Justin would be telling the stories everywhere, he thought as his face darkened and he sped up. He descended in front of the door of a simple-looking villa and knocked on it twice. A ten-year-old girl with a ponytail opened it and beamed when she recognized him.

''Uncle Travis!''''Hi, Elise. Is your grandpa home?'' he asked with a smile.''Yes. He is in the kitchen making a smoothie.''''I'm sure it's just a smoothie, sweetie,'' Travis said as he patted her head and entered the house. A short walk brought him to the kitchen where a bald man in a loose robe was stirring green liquid in a small cauldron.''Busy day?'' the man asked without turning back.''An understatement, but I'll take it.''''Have a seat. That's gonna take a while,'' the man said, glancing at his arm.

''Why not use Isabella? She is much better than me at treating that kind of injury.'' Travis fetched his arm from his storage ring.

''You'll do fine. The wound is still fresh. And it's a little complicated. That's why I've avoided home.''''Oh? Not because you're afraid of your old man?'' The man closed the lid of the cauldron and walked toward Travis, taking the arm and inspecting it with mild curiosity.

''Yeah, that'll do. Most don't have the chance to grab their limbs back, you know.''''Stop teasing me, Martin.'' Travis watched Martin fold his sleeve up and place his arm back before activating a skill that siphoned mana from everywhere nearby, including his own reserves.

''Do you know what Kathrine's up to these days?''''No, I don't,'' Martin said, staring at him with a frown.

''And neither should you.'' Every nerve, every vein, and every tissue reconnected itself to his arm in a matter of seconds. He was already able to move his fingers.''Jumpy as always. I'm just asking.'' Making a fist and relaxing his fingers again, he gave a satisfied nod and turned to leave.

''Thanks. I still have some business, but I might come to visit again this weekend.'''' Sure,'' Martin said with a smile and added behind his back, ''It'll be itchy for a few days. Try not to scratch it.'' Travis snorted as he left and flew to his house directly. He paused in the air for a second and donned a new robe before diving toward the front gates of his home. After a rigid salute, the guards opened the doors silently and let him in.

In the spacious front yard, his butler approached him with steady steps and bowed.

''Welcome back, my Lord.''''Get me Michael and his boy,'' Travis ordered without stopping his walk. The butler followed close behind.

''Right away.''''Any news about the investigation?''''Yes. The reports have come back. The people he had met up with are no longer in Ehrendil. Other than that, he only hired some kid as a guide in the city and had a one-night stand with a girl named Leyla. She was reluctant to share any information, but when asked whether his origins could be outside of Elisium, she showed signs of discomfort and panic. Would you like me to send someone and learn the truth?''''Not just yet,'' Travis said, sighing.

''Is my father in his chambers?''''Y-Yes. Patriarch hasn't left his chambers for three months now.'' Travis hesitated a bit and shook his head, continuing his walk. What could he even do? Even the chairman is afraid of that woman. He went to his room, took a long shower, and wore a different outfit before going to his office. The butler was already waiting in front of it with Michael and Oliver. They all bowed and followed him into the office. Sitting in his chair, Travis offered a gentle smile to Oliver.

''Congratulations. So young yet already tier-4. I bet you'll pass your old man in no time.'' Oliver shivered a bit, looking at the floor.

''Thank you, my lord. I've risked my life foolishly. I'm nowhere near as talented as him.''''I hope you can forgive me. I heard of your return some time ago but didn't have any chance to speak to you directly. It must've been a terrible experience venturing that far into Ivory Woodland all by yourself.''''I-It's n-nothing. T-Thank you for your k-kind words.''''Relax. There is nothing to be worried about,'' Travis assured.

''What I wanted to ask you about is the kid you met before that, Ethan. Tell me everything about him.''''Ethan?'' Oliver looked toward his father, surprised. Seeing his father nod seriously, he swallowed and began talking.

''We met him at the border of Ivory Woodland. He was in terrible condition and asked for directions to the nearest town. Since we were planning to return soon enough, we invited him to join us.''''Did he say anything about his background?''''No, he didn't.'' Travis narrowed his eyes.

''It's okay, Oliver. I'm not asking to hurt him. In fact, today I learned that this whole mess was a misunderstanding on our part. I just want to reach out to him to apologize properly.'' He turned to the butler.

''Speaking of it, make sure to call off all the bounties as soon as possible.''''Thank you, my lord!'' Oliver said in a hurry.

''He is not a bad person. I knew there was some sort of a misunderstanding.''''Tell me, did you notice anything unusual about him?''''Well, everything about him was unusual,'' Oliver said with a wry smile.

''He knew pretty much nothing about Azora. He was speaking in strange terms like levels or grinding, and complaining about wi fi something. Not to mention, his close combat abilities were nothing like I've seen before. He said he was trained purely to fight in close combat until the age of 18 without any other distractions.'' Travis listened in deep thought with a placid face. Fuck my life. Did that brat really come from a higher realm? Is that why that bitch is so eager to protect him?''

Did he mention any place he was planning to go?'''' Not really. He learned the names of the places from us, to start with.'''' Very well. That's enough for now. I'll do my best to find him and fix this issue.'' When the father and son left, Travis pinched the bridge of his nose with a dark face. For a brief moment, he considered extending an olive branch and putting everything behind him. He didn't mind swallowing the humiliation. It wouldn't be the first time for him, nor the last.

But then, he remembered the look on the kid's face just before he'd left, his calm eyes staring at him like he was looking at a dead man. He'd seen that before—in the competent veterans of his family, the silent promise of a professional. Travis set his jaw and gave another order, ''Get me Veronica.'' In about five minutes, the butler returned alongside an early tier-6 girl with ice-blue eyes, wearing dark, trendy armor that hid her lithe figure. Her blonde hair was neatly tied at the back.

She walked with confident steps, her expression attentive yet curious. As they greeted him, Travis stood up and went for his small safe. From the inside, he took out a small metallic ball and pressed his palm over it. The mana he'd stolen from the boy seeped into the ball as it glowed for a brief moment before trying to slowly roll toward the northwest. He tossed the ball to Veronica.

''That's your target. Leave no evidence and bring all his belongings to me, but you cannot act in any of the Free Cities. No matter how long it takes, wait until he is far away. Take my personal anti-mage team with you as well.'' Veronica looked at the ball with an odd expression.

''This aura belongs to a tier-3.''''And?'' The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. She gave a stiff nod.

''Consider it done.''''Do not underestimate him, and do not mess this up.'' ~~~ As night settled over Niamaris, Ethan was ambling along the streets with his placid gaze fixed on the horizon, getting a lot of attention with his appearance. Since he wanted to get used to his newly healed legs, he avoided using [Blink] for now, only keeping the [Mana Conceal] active.

'Ani, turn off the signal of my biochip.'

'It's now turned off.'' He increased his pace bit by bit until he was running. Once he felt that his legs were good enough, he arrived at the outer walls of the mansion with a few [Blink]s, and used [Void Wrap] before teleporting inside. Myriad stars shone brilliantly upon the archaic mansion and its denizens. A big crowd had gathered in the courtyard. Leo was among them with more than 30 people behind him. About 100 feet away, Pete was standing in front of him, next to Michelle and a dozen more people behind them.

And just as many were watching from the sidelines.'' The moment he refused to join us, he was already an outsider. This is no different from any other jobs we do. Stop making a big deal out of it!'' Leo barked at Pete with a scowl.'' Big deal? Are you kidding me?! If I leave this group, will you stab me in the back as well? How many mana stones is my head worth, Leo? Do you have any honor at all? Do you still call yourself a man?!'' Pete yelled, lightning cracking around his fists.

Next to him, Michelle watched silently without an expression, her hands resting on the hilts of her dual swords, but Pete seemed to be barely holding himself.'' Watch your words! What should I do, huh? Shelter him? Hide him?'' Leo asked, mocking.

''The McGregors have two tier-9s in their ranks. Any random elite they send would be the end of us. That's right! They would kill all of us just because we are on the way! What would you do, Pete?''''I wouldn't sell him myself at first sight like some blessing from the heavens, you fucking bastard!'' Lightning started to revolve around him, making sparks on the ground. The others got tense, but Leo was still watching with scorn.

''What? Are you going to attack? Let me warn you, there won't be turning back if you do so. Be careful choosing an outsider over your own people.''''For the record, Ethan did help me close our biggest-paying contract to date. He did that in a few hours without spilling a drop of blood and didn't demand a penny for it,'' Michelle piped in a casual tone as she addressed the people watching and turned to face Leo.

''What about the spoils from your hunting trip, Leo? Why didn't you let our people record the details during the hunt and return them to our treasury when you came back, as agreed upon?'' That caused some murmuring from the crowd, people exchanging worried looks. Leo didn't wait for it to escalate. He crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

''We only recently returned, Michelle. I've been busy removing the target on our back. The target you invited to our home without knowing any better,'' he said, turning to Pete with a cruel smile.

''Thankfully, I made sure it's no longer a problem. We even profited and made connections with one of the strongest families of Ehrendil. I'm sure even your new friend would approve wholeheartedly, Pete. Well, if he was still alive. Or maybe he is. Alive is a strong word after all. What do–'' Seeing that Leo's goading was effectively pushing Pete and his allies toward a weeding-out scheme, Ethan didn't linger any longer.

Before canceling his [Void Wrap], he [Blink]ed right behind Leo and plunged Devi into his throat from the side, its sharp edge resting next to his spine. The lack of resistance filled him with a sense of nostalgia, reminding him of the good old days. So simple. So effective. From the perspective of others, a crimson dagger appeared out of nowhere and penetrated Leo's throat from one side and pierced through before the man holding it came into view. A deafening silence fell.

Eyes wide open, Leo opened his mouth in an attempt to speak and found gushing blood instead of words. His hand reached for his spatial pouch, but Ethan acted faster, yanking the pouch from the belt. Then, he leaned toward Leo's ear.

''You really shouldn't get under Pete's skin, Goldie.'' The crowd awoke from their shock, the names Leo and Ethan echoing through the air. Yet, no one made a move. They knew the life of their leader was hanging by a thread. Ethan winked at Pete and turned his attention to Leo. Unperturbed by the threats and the hostile gazes of Leo's subordinates, he continued his monologue, ''Don't you know? There are three things all wise men fear.''

Already drenched in blood from head to toe, he didn't mind the new addition as the scarlet liquid leaked from his dagger, streamed through his wrist, and entered inside his sleeve. He stood still while his cloak fluttered in the wind, his voice steady and aloof.'' The sea in storm.'' The courtyard went silent after his dismissal. Panic and despair settled in Leo's eyes as he stared at the people he'd planned to purge just now, searching for a way out to save his skin. Alas, time waited for no man.''

A night with no moon.'' The wind started picking up, shaking the tree branches in the courtyard and scattering leaves all around. The rustling sound mixed with the decisive yet taunting speech.'' And the anger of a gentle man.'' Ethan slashed his dagger and severed Leo's spine.'' No!'''' Leo!'''' You–'' His rank-2 [Mana Aura] unleashed his killing intent and let it wash the crowd like a tidal wave, freezing everyone for a moment. Ethan threw a cold glance at Leo's supporters.

''I don't mind killing more scumbags tonight. Step up if you are tired of living.'' Hesitation spread through the angry mob, but Leo didn't lack zealots in his circle. The one who spoke first wasn't even from his fan club but a local tier-4.

''He is just one man! Kill the bastard!'' Gritting his teeth, the man unsheathed his sword and attacked with resolve. It broke a spell among the others as they also joined with cries and curses. Not all, though. About half of the 30-something people charged at him. Interestingly, the only one Ethan knew of, Rafael, wasn't among them. Putting the spatial pouch in his cloak's inner pocket, Ethan called his other dagger and [Blink]ed out of encirclement.

It didn't take them long to figure out where he was, but the moment they stopped to look, two [Fabric Tear]s appeared in front of the two tier-4s in the group, and within them, two daggers made their way to their heads in an instant. One of the tier-4s managed to block it with a defensive artifact, while the other one took the dagger in the eye, dying on the spot. The fallen comrade didn't affect the resolve of the mercenary band too much.

Most of the Earthlings in the group had been rankers of God's Fist back on Earth, a VRMMORPG where the true skills of the user mattered, just like in Cut-Throat. When it came to battle, their mental and physical capabilities were on another level, not much different than Ethan himself. However, this wasn't Earth anymore. While they were hunting tier-3 beasts with the right tools, balanced teams, and sufficient preparation in the Emerald Forest, Ethan was soloing tier-5 wyverns without equipment.

In a flurry, weapons were enhanced with skills, buffs were distributed, a fireball took shape, and some kind of curse energy started to gather above. None of it mattered. With a grin, Ethan vanished. No one here had rank 3 [Mana Sense]. Unless they had unique artifacts or specialized skills, his rank 2 [Void Wrap] alone wasn't something they could compete with. It didn't matter what they did when they couldn't pinpoint him. The only problem was the mana consumption.

Even with Devi filling his reserves, he wasn't sure if he could fight against this many people. Especially because his daggers would make an appearance upon contact, and it would take some time until they disappeared again. He had to wait for good openings and choose his attacks carefully, while his [Void Wrap] constantly depleted his mana. Of course, in the worst case, he could always take a bit more risk and [Blink] among their ranks as he fought.

Fortunately, his worries turned out to be unfounded because Pete and Michelle rushed to his help, along with three others. Michelle dashed for the last tier-4, while Pete confronted three people with azure lightning revolving around him and striking every time he thrust or swept his spear. With the group distracted, Ethan started fishing in troubled waters. Heads started rolling one after another. [Shadow Spike]s emerged from [Fabric Tear]s out of the blue, taking lives as easily as shooting fish in a barrel.

Panic took hold as he helped Michelle kill the tier-4, and their numbers kept diminishing at an alarming rate. Barely a few minutes in, someone surrendered, and it caused a chain reaction, everyone starting to throw their weapons and beg for mercy. Ethan deactivated his skills and staggered a little. Pete ran toward him, followed by his group.

''Are you okay?''''Yeah,'' he replied, looking at his timid friend who became a ferocious lion for his sake.

''Thanks for the help.''''You look like shit,'' Michelle commented, a slight worry in her eyes.''I feel like shit,'' he confirmed.''There is a hot tub in Leo's room–''''Pete, I'm not taking Leo's room,'' Ethan said with a frown.''No, no. Don't misunderstand, I'm just offering you a good rest, nothing more,'' Pete said quickly, realizing that it sounded like he was offering the seat of the leader.

''By the way, what happened with McGregors? Can you even stay here?''''Yeah, I can. In a nutshell, someone saved my ass, and I have no idea why,'' he explained, suddenly feeling tired after everything had happened.

''A hot tub, huh?'' Pete jumped forward to hold him by the arm and pulled him toward the mansion.

''Come here. I'll show you the way. You look like you're about to collapse.'' Taking one last look at Leo's corpse, he led the way.''Hey, what was that fancy skill you used? Since when you're this strong?''''[Azure Whirl]. It was a gift from my father. I-I m-mean my future father-in-law,'' Pete said, averting his eyes.

''And I'm not strong. Average, m-maybe.'' Amused by how his conduct could change so rapidly, Ethan added after a moment of silence, ''I'm sorry, Pete. I shouldn't have come here. I underestimated the trouble I was in.''''Where else should you go but here? You are one of us, Ethan, more than that selfish bastard ever was,'' Pete said as he gave a tight squeeze to Ethan's shoulder.

''We've lost eight more of our people tonight, even if it was necessary. I really don't know how many of us will be left after a few years or decades in this world. Not many, I imagine. No matter what you do in the future, don't forget that you'll always have a place here.'' Ethan smiled despite himself and held himself back from teasing the guy, allowing him to have his moment. Pete showed him the room and left quietly. Before long, he was already inside said hot tub, where he was getting Scarface vibes.

If it was another time, he would definitely pour himself a whiskey and light up a cigar, but now, just washing himself took all his energy. It was weird because his resources weren't that low. He guessed that it was the side effect of the high-grade potion bringing him back from that condition. As he slowly dozed off, he used [Mana Sense] to locate the bed so he could [Blink] there before falling asleep completely, only for Ani to interrupt him.

'I have an assumption that might be useful, but it's still in progress. You've asked me to share such assumptions with you, but at what percentage of certainty should I tell you?'''Oh, yeah? It's okay, bud. I'll let you know if it's unnecessary,'' he muttered.

''Tell me, what is it?'''The Olsen family might be from Earth as well.' Ethan's drowsy eyes shot open.

'' What!?''