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Chapter 11

I picked up the pouch of gold coins that had fallen at my feet and began organizing my thoughts.

‘Right now, I’m a mage.’

There’s one reason why raising a mage in Demon Fantasy is the hardest.

The difficulty of the early stages. In other words, it’s tough to survive until you actually learn magic.

If you follow the standard route, you need everything to go right—starting at the right point, having a clean background, a stable source of income, loyal NPC companions who won’t betray you.

Only with all of that, and a lot of luck, can you barely obtain a single basic magic book.

Even if you make it through that, you still have to acquire magic-related traits and equipment, and then there’s the chronic weakness in close combat to deal with.

But what about me now?

‘I’ve already overcome most of those issues.’

I’ve mastered the basic courses of the four major elements and can use combat-advantageous modified magic.

On top of that, my Spirit Engraving compensates for my close combat weaknesses, and I even have a Mythic tier magic trait.

In every way, I’m a pretty decent mage.

So, if I put my mind to it, breaking through this guard’s encirclement would be no problem at all.

Crackle-!

Yellow sparks flickered around me.

I raised a wooden shield in front of me and concentrated my magic into my feet.

All that mattered now was speed.

“Attack!”

At the shout of the guard captain, the encircling guards charged toward me.

One of the guards who reached them first swung his sword.

In that instant, I felt my heart beat a half-step faster.

Thump!

-You have entered an awakened state.

I had been waiting for this moment. My previously stiff body loosened in a second.

The second I realized I was awakened, I dashed forward.

Whoosh!

‘This feels like I’m using [Shield Charge].’

“Huh, huh?!”

The guards flinched at my overwhelming speed.

I didn’t care and pushed myself to go even faster.

This was my one chance.

If I didn’t break through the encirclement now, even I would be in trouble.

Boom!

The wooden shield in front of me crashed into the guards’ shoulders.

Two guards were knocked aside, and the encirclement was broken.

I regained my balance and sprinted in a straight line.

I couldn’t relax until I got past that massive front gate and found a place to hide.

“What... How is he so fast?!”

“What are you doing?! After him, now!”

“Yes, sir!”

Thud, thud, thud!

As I ran, I glanced back over my shoulder.

Luckily, the distance between me and the guards was steadily increasing.

At this rate, I’d make it to Sector 6 without any trouble.

That’s when it happened.

Beeeep!

A sharp, tingling sensation shot through me, and a ringing noise pierced my head.

My already racing heart began to pound even faster.

Thump! Thump! Thump...!

What the hell was happening?

In that split second, I came to only one conclusion.

Instinct.

Shhhk!

I immediately stopped in my tracks.

My leather boots scraped the ground as I slowed down and came to a halt.

And I saw it clearly.

A silver blade falling right in front of my face.

Shing.

A part of my messy hair was sliced clean off.

I swallowed hard.

Holy shit, I almost died.

“You’ve got good instincts, huh?”

Standing in front of me was a silver-haired swordsman.

No, not just a swordsman.

He was a knight.

The red emblem with a snake insignia on his left chest proved that much.

“Sir Shuharn...?”

…Yeah, now it was clear.

The guard captain who had been following me knelt on one knee and saluted the silver-haired knight.

“Captain Jansen of the 7th Guard unit, at your service, Sir Shuharn!!”

His voice echoed loudly.

His stiff posture showed just how high-ranking this knight must be.

But the silver-haired knight didn’t return the salute.

He simply looked me up and down with a curious gaze.

“A beggar?”

What a shameless person you are.

Yeah, sure, I’m a legendary beggar, you fucker.

But despite my inner feelings, I nodded with sincerity.

I put up expressions like I\'m facing the most holy person in my life.

This world forces you to act weak in front of the strong.

“Looks like you awakened your magic by luck, huh? How long has it been?”

“...”

I kept silent instead of answering.

At the same time, I thought about how to get out of this situation.

“Well, no need to answer. I can tell just by sensing your magic.”

Buzz.

His eyes flashed for a brief moment.

“…Wow, you’ve grown fast, haven’t you? You awakened just three months ago?”

What a joke.

He must’ve used some kind of [Detection], but that thing isn’t accurate.

The margin of error is pretty wide.

Especially for someone like me who grows rapidly.

‘…It wasn’t three months, it’s been two weeks, you little shit.’

I swallowed my words and continued thinking.

Soon, the rest of the guards would catch up.

There was only one thing I could do.

I had to shake this guy off and make a run for it.

But my heart pounded violently, as if protesting against that idea.

It wasn’t hard to understand what that meant.

‘…If I try to run, I’ll die.’

Even if I did manage to escape, the silver-haired knight would catch up in no time.

Still… there were no other options.

Either die here or die trying to escape.

And if it’s the same death either way, I’d much rather go down fighting.

At least I’d be doing something.

‘I have to do it.’

Just as I resolved to gather my magic again—

Clink.

The silver-haired knight sheathed his sword.

…What’s this? Does he think someone like me is no match for him even bare-handed?

But the words that came out of his mouth were unexpected.

“Go.”

“…What?”

“I said, go. I’ll let you live.”

“S-Sir Shuharn! This man is—”

“Shut up. Unless you want to lose your head.”

“…”

The guard captain bowed his head again at the cold and authoritative voice.

The silver-haired knight continued, as if answering the confusion in my eyes.

“It’d be a waste. You’ll be stronger the next time I see you, right?”

The reason he wasn’t killing me was the same as the red-haired man’s.

“Do whatever you want. Hide somewhere, go deeper into the city, or leave Asteron entirely. But remember this—next time we meet, your heart is mine. Don’t forget it.”

“…”

He wanted to fatten up his prey.

I got a good look at his face.

One side of his mouth was twisted into a strange smirk.

‘He wants to give me loot when we meet next time? Good!’

“Get him!!”

“You… you bastards!”

I put up a frustrated expression on my face.

The guards were getting close again.

I quickly gathered my mana and sprinted off like an arrow.

Crackle!

The silver-haired knight didn’t chase me, as if he really meant to let me go.

Even the other guards just stood there, staring blankly as I ran.

And so, I made it safely to Sector 6.

I collapsed against the wall in a shadowy alley to catch my breath.

“Hah…”

It\'s definitely a blessing to be alive and I should be relieved about that, but...

But instead, I just felt dirty.

***

After entering Sector 6, time passed quickly.

First, I tracked down a broker and bought a suitable identity then I found a place to stay for the next week.

After taking a bit of rest, I tidied up my messy hair with a razor and changed into everyday clothes that wouldn’t attract attention.

My reflection in the mirror looked quite human compared to before.

‘At this point, no one would recognize me even if we crossed paths.’

While keeping myself busy, night had already fallen before I realized it.

I found myself inside the largest tavern in the entertainment district near my lodgings.

“A new face, huh?”

“I just moved here recently.”

“Got it. What can I get for you?”

“Start with a beer, please.”

“Alright.”

As the owner walked away, I drifted back into my thoughts.

‘I’ve been through a lot, but… I’ve at least made it out of Sector 7.’

Getting into Sector 6 carried a lot of significance.

First and foremost was safety.

Sector 7 lacked a protective wall like the Great Wall.

That meant it was completely exposed to demonic attacks.

On the other hand, while Sector 6 was still on the outskirts, it was protected by a wall, making it relatively safer.

Barring any special events, I could at least sleep peacefully here.

In this world, where managing your condition could mean the difference between life and death, that was important.

The second benefit was that I could now start building my character in earnest.

Though Sector 6\'s facilities were old, it still had the basics like markets and a magic tower.

But before doing anything else, I had to acknowledge something.

‘This isn’t the timeline I know.’

That was the biggest issue I was facing.

This world was different from the game I used to play.

- Did you really think your 100-year-old tricks would still work?

Based on what the guard captain had said, this place was set 100 years in the future compared to the game\'s timeline.

Now that I think about it, there were plenty of clues.

Like how Sector 7’s layout was slightly different or encountering a silver-haired knight in Sector 6, and the fact that so many people were after a mage’s heart.

Just looking at the menu in front of me made me feel a sense of alienation.

[Roasted Firebird - 500 Silver Coins

[Dried Feedna Snake - 700 Silver Coins ]

[Vitality Soup - 1,200 Silver Coins]

[Beer - 500 Silver Coins]

Maybe there had been some inflation, but these prices were outrageous.

I could overlook most of it, but half a gold coin for a single beer?

Even considering that this tavern might be unusually expensive, it was hard to accept.

‘They charged me 50 gold coins just for a room…’

I could understand why the guards tossed gold coins around like trash.

It is clear that the value of gold has hit rock bottom over the past 100 years was totally unknown to me.

“Here you go. Beer.”

“Thank you.”

Anyway, this place was different from the world I knew.

Which meant I needed information.

I had to figure out exactly what had changed and how much.

That’s why I hadn’t rested and had come straight to the tavern.

I was here to gather intel.

Gulp, gulp.

“Ah, that’s good.”

As I quenched my thirst with beer and I focused my attention on the chatter around me.

The noisy conversations were bringing me bits of information.

“I heard Gandar has turned into a bounty hunter.”

“Did you hear about the underground auction? The spellbook is being auctioned off, and the price is crazy!”

“These days, mercenaries aren’t making enough. At this rate… I’m thinking of switching professions.”

Since the information was coming from an open place, its quality wasn’t great.

Most of it was news you could easily pick up with a little effort.

But it wasn’t entirely useless.

For instance…

“Today, a new bounty was issued. They say someone broke through the main gate and entered Sector 6.”

“Ha! The main gate? That’s quite audacious, isn’t it?”

“Let’s be real—it’s not just audacious; it’s stupid. Or maybe the kid’s out of their mind. Leaving the back door wide open… Tch, there’s no way they’re normal.”

…That was about me, a story I hadn’t even known.

‘…What? A bounty? Are they saying I’m now a wanted person in Asteron? Wait, there’s a back door? …Since when?’

Ugh… It’s all so confusing.

A hundred years may have passed, but this is a bit too much change, isn’t it?

“…Damn it, let’s just drink.”

I gulped down my beer with complicated feelings.

It was bad enough being trapped in the game as a beggar, but now I was a wanted criminal?

I could almost hear the bounty hunters closing in already.

What did I do to deserve this?!

When I was a little tipsy, I heard an interesting piece of info.

“Did you hear? The Aldeon Academy is opening its magic tower!”

“...Is that true? Why would they suddenly unseal the tower that’s been locked away for so long?”

“Oh, come on. There’s only one reason for that. They’re planning to officially take on apprentices at Aldeon!”

I set my beer down with a thunk.

‘Aldeon?’

It was a familiar name to me, even though I felt a generation gap of 100 years.

Aldeon is one of the top five magic academies in Demon Fantasy, after all.

I couldn’t possibly not know about it.

“Is that really true?”

“Uh, what? What are you asking about?”

“I mean the news about the Aldeon Academy opening its magic tower.”

“Ah… Yes, indeed. They already put up an announcement on the plaza bulletin board.”

My heart dropped!

As soon as I heard that, I jumped up and rushed out of my seat.

I had to see it with my own eyes.

Fortunately, the plaza was close enough that even my lousy stamina could get me there quickly.

I headed straight to the bulletin board, and just as the drunkard said, there was an announcement posted.

[Aldeon Academy announces: The magic tower will officially open in one week. This decision has been made after over a century… We hope that only those confident in their abilities will apply.

Peace.]

So it was true.

‘That’ Aldeon Academy… was taking in apprentices.

I found myself smiling without realizing it.

‘One week.’

In one week, the first step of my build would begin.

And maybe…

I could finally find a way to resolve the death sentence hanging over me, which I had tried so hard to ignore.