Chapter 248

Chapter 248. Invasion (1)

After meeting Vellego, I headed towards the reception room of Jose Wolfrian.

Obtaining immunity for Vellego from him wasn’t difficult at all.

‘After all, he’s indebted to me.’

Because of my slippery maneuvers, Jose Wolfrian managed to take down a significant number of extremists.

Of course, I wasn’t intervening for the sake of moderates or the future of the Order.

But if Jose Wolfrian felt indebted to my actions, there was no reason to stop him.

‘The favor and sense of debt from someone in power are just perfect to exploit.’

It was thanks to his sense of indebtedness and favor that I was able to search the Count Protoram estate first.

And it’s also why I obtained Vellego’s immunity today.

Thus, I was able to use Vellego’s inheritance as I wished.

I chuckled lightly, recalling Vellego, whom I had met in the underground prison.

‘I certainly owe him a lot.’

From the very moment I first crossed into Bihar, Vellego kept popping up in my life.

He often filled my pockets when I needed it.

In a way, Vellego was quite a helpful existence.

‘So, I suppose it’s fair to help him in return.’

Helping Vellego inherit his wealth and getting his parole process underway is simply a give-and-take.

Moreover, once I’ve mobilized enough funds as I desire, I have no greed for the Protoram family’s property anymore.

“Considering everything, I doubt there will be any property left after I’m done, anyway.”

It’s not even a lie because I never promised to leave anything behind.

“There might even be a shortage after using them up.”

I also planned on completing some missions that the system had recommended.

“To pursue Eril, I have to venture deep into the corrupted area anyway.”

I should sweep up all the loot rich missions along the way.

“Vellego seems to have figured out that I’m playing wordgames.”

Yet, he has accepted my proposal.

“That’s enough.”

Once he gets out of prison after wearing the shackles imprinted with my mana, he will have no choice but to move according to my will.

Fortunately, everything had gone according to plan so far.

“I’ve laid out all the groundwork.”

All that’s left is preparing for what’s to come.

Reflecting on upcoming tasks, I headed for the portal.

Having wrapped up everything in Gemal, I planned to return to Habon.

Upon arriving at the portal, I unexpectedly encountered someone familiar.

“K?”

It was Alio, the head of security at the Habon Temple.

‘What brings him to Gemal?’

While waiting in line at the bustling portal, where many priests were actively passing by, alio held a large box the size of his torso.

“Sir Alio.”

I approached, acknowledging him, and Alio, still holding the box, stepped out of the waiting line.

He walked directly towards me.

“It’s been a while. You were in Gemal?”

“Yes, I had some matters to attend to. Have you been well?”

“Every day is the same for me. Are you okay, sir? I was worried upon hearing you got injured.”

“As you can see, I’m fine.”

“That’s a relief indeed.”

After a brief exchange of pleasantries with Alio, I asked.

“By the way, what brings you to Gemal?”

Alio handed the box he was holding to me and said,

“I came to receive an item for you, K. The High Priestess Lario informed me she couldn’t reach you.”

“My item?”

“Indeed, I was planning to deliver it to your residence.”

“Ah.”

Lario Deril, the aide to Yuria, the highest priestess of the Order of Palao.

Since my visit with Lario to Gemal, we hadn’t had any interaction.

But we had been exchanging occasional messages through the temple’s homepage.

For example, the notice about the item Alio was delivering.

Upon checking the comment section on the Order’s website, as expected,

– Lario Deril: The magic tool you ordered has been completed and delivered. How would you prefer to receive it?

– Lario Deril: Seeing you haven’t checked the message for some time, I decided to send it through Sir Alio from Habon.

The concise comment with the message left yesterday afternoon.

And having not received any response from me, she left another message this morning.

“I was late in checking because I was looking into other matters.”

K: Received it. Thank you.

Leaving a comment for Lario, I accepted the box from Alio.

“Finally.”

Since attending the banquet held in the imperial city, I’ve been regularly contacting a noble with a spirit stone mine.

Not just exchanging words, but even presenting gifts from Earth.

According to Gretman’s words, he has a fondness for vanity and strongly desires to be acknowledged as someone special and distinct from others.

In practice, he fits that description precisely based on my interactions.

So, I catered to his whims here and there, and was able to receive spirit stones in return for the presents of earth civilization.

I could order magic tools from the Dwarves thanks to that noble.

“I never imagined he’d be smitten by a Polaroid film camera.”

It seemed a camera I acquired from Earth for five million mana truly pleased him.

When I told him there were gadgets that could record video, he was ecstatic and begged me to procure one.

“I told him it would be tough to procure since it takes a hundred million mana to bring a camera.”

This was, of course, an offhand remark designed to extract more spirit stones.

Given that getting more spirit stones for a hundred million mana was worth it.

Alas, it seemed taking more from the existing contract quantity was difficult.

He offered his command sheet for the magic tool he possessed instead of more spirit stones.

“While different from the original plan, the result wasn’t bad.”

It happened so that I got an opportunity to contact the Dwarves.

“I should check once I return.”

Having stored the box in my inventory, I joined the queue with Alio near the portal.

The portal area was bustling with a human sea.

With priests and knights constantly moving back and forth from different temple locations to headquarters, the liveliness was expected.

Watching the scene instilled a strange sense of emotion.

“Everyone’s adapted now.”

When the portals first appeared, people marveled at the ability to long-distance travel without a spatial mage.

But now everyone uses the portals routinely.

Witnessing that recalls just how much time has passed.

Time when strange things have become the norm.

The time remaining until all of it disappears.

While mulling over the intangible, I felt a sense of detachment from reality.

“K?”

However, the call from Alio, standing behind me, shattered that feeling.

Setting aside these thoughts, I returned to Habon through the portal.

Upon arrival at the base, I wasted no time opening the box given by Alio.

“Oh…”

A gasp escaped my lips the moment I checked its contents.

There were two items in the large box.

One was the armor revealed as soon as I opened the box.

‘Breastplate.’

It was larger than the Jeber Scout light armor I had used previously and could cover up to my abdomen.

At first glance, it seemed plain with no peculiar features.

Though the material was something unique.

‘No sheen?’

The black armor reflected not a single speck of light.

To confirm, I held it next to a lamp, but the result was the same.

Instead of reflecting light like ordinary metal, it seemed to absorb it.

Moreover, its black color was perfect for lurking in the shadows.

‘Magic enhancement?’

I couldn’t fathom how it was crafted.

Of course, the reason I ordered the armor wasn’t the peculiar material.

I examined the slots located on the sides of the armor.

‘There’s a total of fourteen slots.’

All slots were meant for fitting Mana Accumulation Tools.

A typical armor wouldn’t possess these features.

‘This is a modified version of the equipment-form tools used by mages.’

It’s equipped with functions similar to the armor worn by Eril.

One function includes miniaturizing Mana Accumulation Tools.

‘I didn’t expect them to make so many slots.’

I hadn’t specified a number. I merely requested it to be done as per the creator’s capabilities.

‘Well, it’s for the better.’

As it turns out, I currently possess 13 Mana Accumulation Tools.

I started inserting them one by one into the slots.

Each fist-sized gem snugly fit as I slid them into the slots.

After equipping all the Mana Accumulation Tools taken from Eril onto my armor, a sense of satisfaction washed over me.

I even extracted the gem from a ring-shaped Mana Accumulation Tool and fitted it into a slot.

Of the fourteen slots, thirteen were now full.

Next, I wore the armor and tried moving around.

“It’s amazing.”

While it felt solid to the touch, it flexibly shifted form according to my movements.

“Now I get why people are obsessed with their gear.”

I was immensely pleased with my new defensive attire.

What’s more, the Mana Accumulation Tools were invisible while worn.

Whether through illusion magic or refraction magic, I couldn’t tell.

“It hides the wearer’s cards.”

It was impressive; everything about it appealed to me.

After thoroughly enjoying the unboxing and preparing to organize the box,

“Ah.”

An item I had pushed to the back burner for the armor caught my eye.

A small box the size of my fist.

The moment I opened it, there was a message card inside.

「A gift for the new neighbor. Glam Tomar.」

Upon seeing what lay beneath the card, I was left speechless.

A red jewel radiating a lustrous glow.

‘7-star…’

Creating a Mana Accumulation Tool is a challenging task, taking several years just to finalize.

Hence, new products are rare, and acquiring them even rarer.

‘I heard that it causes fierce competition whenever the dwarves release a new Mana Accumulation Tool.’

Rumor has it that auction frenzy even leads to violence among mages.

A red 7-star Mana Accumulation Tool, in other words?

With only 22 existing previously throughout the continent?

‘Then, is this the 23rd?’

Pausing my bewildered stare at the unexpected Mana Accumulation Tool.

I fitted it into the last slot on my armor.

‘I’ll have to separately show some gratitude to the Dwarves later.’

Currently, we’re practically strangers, but that will change once we cross over to Earth.

‘Once there, they’ll truly become neighbors, and can offer various forms of help.’

Brushing my hand across all fourteen Mana Accumulation Tools on my armor, I composed myself.

‘I need to fill these next.’

Proper planning subjects rushed through my mind then.

What magics to use, and how often.

Which magics can turn the tables and initiate a counter in a pinch?

Dozens, if not hundreds, of variables based on my mana bolted through my thoughts.

Crafting my exclusive battle scenarios turned surprisingly pleasant.

To be honest, the process was quite enjoyable.

Until now, I had always squeezed myself into every restricted situation.

‘With more options, creating scenarios becomes far more diverse.’

With autonomy ensuring inevitability for more complex thought processes, joy was inevitable.

I spent the entire day devising battle scenarios.

As evening fell and night deepened.

-Kj: I’ve mulled over it all day yesterday, and—

A message arrived from Kim Yul, having crossed into Earth.

-Kj: Let’s have a dinner meeting!

The content delightfully eyebrow-raising in its randomness.

While engrossed in hammering out scenarios, talk of a dinner meeting seemed so out of place.

I wanted to type out a response dismissing the idea.

-Kj: Uncle Taeho doesn’t need to hide any longer, and K hyung’s usage of magic tools is widely known, isn’t it? Even if they try to catch hyung, they won’t have a method.

-Kj: So, let’s enjoy delicious food on Earth! Let’s visit hot eateries!

-Pudding: Sounds like a good idea, right? I’m all for it.

Yet before I could, the word “Earth” struck deep in my vision.

After a brief silence, I glanced past my bedside table.

Displayed upon it was a calendar brought from Earth, its marked date reading August 2nd.

“No, it’s August 3rd.”

Considering the time difference between Earth and Bihar of about 5 to 6 hours,

It’s past midnight here, so dawn should have broken back on Earth.

If I mark August 3rd as my reference point, there remain precisely 9 days until my parent’s memorial day.

‘A morning start after this minor task…’

I could properly mark my parent’s spiritual remembrance.

Fiddling with the Monami pen in hand,

‘It’s already been more than half a year since I promised Uncle Jongwoon…’

While visiting Earth early this year, I hadn’t seen my family.

After that, swept up by matters flooding in Bihar, time flew by swiftly.

If I don’t make the time now, several months could slip by easily again.

-Kj: Hyung hyung hyung quick reply please, let’s have a meeting let’s go to eateries, Why not spend the trove of wealth you’ve amassed in Bihar-

With Yu Kim urging more insistently,

I tersely replied back.

Damned System