章 9: Petty Victory
I finally faced off against Prink in one of the many defense battles.
"I won't lose. Not to a magicless freak."
"I can already use magic, you know."
"There must be a trick. You're using magical tools, aren't you?"
"And if I am? That's not against the rules."
"Magical tools are for children who haven't mastered proper magic. You might as well still be in diapers."
"Then it'd be really embarrassing for you to lose to someone like me."
"I won't lose. I've prepared for this."
The referee cut in before the trash talk could escalate any further. "Both sides ready? Begin!"
"Destruction Field!"
Prink scowled. "A barrier… of course it's a magical tool. There's no such thing as a 'Destruction Field' spell."
I smiled. "Fluid Grasp."
"Fluid Grasp? A detection-type tool, huh? Let's see how you handle this—Fireball!"
The orb of fire shot toward me, but I sidestepped easily.
"You've gotten better at dodging, haven't you? Finally cured your aimless fumbling?"
"Damn you! Fire Tornado!"
The swirling inferno whipped toward me, but it fizzled out the moment it hit my Destruction Field.
"Did you forget? Fire doesn't work inside the field."
I watched Prink grit his teeth in frustration. But he wasn't done.
"Fine. Mud Trap!"
With my Fluid Grasp active, I sensed the flow of magic through the air. Something magical crept through the mud from the hem of Prink's pants. I focused, targeting it with my magic.
Boom.
An explosion erupted from beneath the mud.
"A landmine magical tool? Clever."
"How did you know?!" Prink's voice cracked with disbelief.
"Lucky guess," I said, smiling smugly.
As I advanced, I destroyed each hidden landmine with precision. When I reached him, I held my stun rod to his barrier.
The barrier shattered into fragments.
In truth, I wasn't relying on brute force. I'd manipulated the flow of magic to undo it. But I didn't feel the need to share that little detail with Prink.
"Hiii—!" Prink squealed.
I activated the stun rod, and he crumpled, unconscious.
"Get up," I said coldly, nudging him with my boot.
"Ah—h-here!" he stammered, half-dazed as he stirred.
Zap. A jolt from the stun rod.
"Ah—please, stop!"
Zap. I kicked him to wake him again.
"Ugh—you're toying with me…"
"Oh, I know. The damage transfer enchantment protects you from injury, but not from the pain."
Zap. Another kick.
"Please, stop! I beg you!"
"Did you ever stop when I begged?"
Zap. Kick.
"Ah! My head—! It feels like it's splitting!"
I continued until the enchantment's accumulated damage hurled Prink off the platform. He lay in the dirt, shivering like a fawn staring down a predator.
I felt oddly satisfied.
"The winner, by accumulated damage, is Raido!" the referee announced.
With ten rounds of battles completed, I left the arena and wandered into town. The familiar, chaotic bustle of the street markets greeted me.
"Welcome back!" the shopkeeper called out.
"That stun rod I bought? Fantastic," I said, giving a casual thumbs-up.
"Glad to hear it! What brings you in today?"
"I need an antidote tool—something that can neutralize any poison."
The shopkeeper raised a brow. "Even a defective one?"
"What's the defect?"
"If you overuse it, the tool drains all your magic and kills you."
I shrugged. "Then I just won't run out of magic."
"Uh, this thing burns through a hundred times more magic than regular antidote spells."
"That's fine."
"You sure?"
"Yes. I said it's fine."
"Well, it's got other features too—body enhancement, healing, and antidote functions all in one."
"Perfect."
With a grin, I handed over a large silver coin and took my new prize. Curious about its effects, I activated the body enhancement feature. Immediately, I felt the tool siphoning magic from me, but my Mana Absorb spell was active, feeding it endlessly.
My body felt lighter, faster. I took off running—and it was like flying. The world blurred around me, the scenery streaking by like a high-speed racecar's view.
What kind of maniac designs something this powerful? Maybe assassins used it for brief bursts of superhuman speed. But with my magic reserves, I could keep it going indefinitely. It felt like this tool had been tailor-made for me.
When I finally slowed down, I heard heavy breathing behind me.
"You're… fast…" Phantom gasped, struggling to catch his breath.
"Come on, that was just a light jog," I said.
"I even used body enhancement… and still couldn't catch up…"
"Then train harder. Starting today, I'm running daily—no cheats."
"Got it, boss. I'll keep up."
We agreed to make jogging around the capital a part of our routine. Strengthening my natural muscles would only make the enhancement tool even more effective.
After finishing our first circuit, Phantom showed up with a towel and drink in hand. Say what you will about him—he's reliable.
I wiped the sweat from my brow and downed the juice.
"Time for a bath," I said, stretching. Phantom led me to a local bathhouse.
When I entered the steamy room, a completely naked woman stood waiting.
Oh. One of those bathhouses.
"Uh… I'm gonna pass." I waved her off politely.
I couldn't betray Karina.
"Did I offend you, boss?" Phantom asked, puzzled.
"I've made a vow," I replied solemnly.
Phantom nodded approvingly. "You've got the heart of a true warrior, boss."
We left the bathhouse, and I gave Phantom a little task on the way back.
"Leave a map to this bathhouse by Prink's bed."
A grin spread across Phantom's face. "Heh. Sending him here, huh?"
"If he messes up, his reputation sinks. Mine rises. Simple."
"Got it. He'll have a fun night."
Or at least, he'd think so—right until it turned into a nightmare.
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