Lencar rematerialized in the shadowed alcove of the black market, deep beneath the city's substructure. The smell of "The Weeping Cellar" hit him again—stale beer and desperation.
He walked straight to Jareth's booth. The informant was counting a stack of silver, likely from another illicit deal.
"Well, well. If it isn't the cleaner," Jareth chuckled. "You made quick work of Garrick. The Knights are still scratching their heads over where he vanished to. I assume you're here to spend your earnings?"
Lencar sat down, the wood creaking under his weight. "I'm investing, Jareth. Not spending."
He slid two gold coins across the table. Jareth's hand snapped out like a viper, snatching them up.
"I need targets," Lencar said, keeping his voice low and level. "Garrick was a start, but he was a loner. I need something substantial. I want information on bandit groups or rogue mage circles operating within the buffer zone of Nairn and the Capital."
Jareth raised an eyebrow. "You're getting ambitious. Groups are dangerous. They cover each other's backs."
"I can handle dangerous," Lencar replied. "What I can't handle is attention. I need targets that won't be missed. Scum that even the Magic Knights have written off as too tedious to hunt. People who, if they disappear overnight, the world just shrugs."
Jareth leaned back, tapping his chin. "Efficiency over glory. I like that. Alright, let me see what the rats have whispered lately."
He pulled a thick, stained ledger from beneath the table. It smelled of mildew. Jareth licked his thumb and flipped through the pages, muttering names and locations.
"Let's see... The 'Black Bog' gang? No, the Silver Eagles wiped them out yesterday... The 'Iron Tooth' mercenaries? Too far north... Ah. Here."
Jareth tapped a page covered in scribbled notes and crude drawings.
"The Red Clay Bandits," Jareth said. "Nasty piece of work. They've been hitting merchant caravans coming from the Diamond Kingdom border. They don't just rob; they hurt people for fun. They've been hiding out in the abandoned copper mines of the Gray Peak, about twenty kilometers north."
"Why haven't the Knights crushed them?" Lencar asked.
"They tried," Jareth snorted. "A squad of commoner knights went in last month. They came back humiliated. These bandits... they have a trick. Whenever they get cornered, they vanish. Poof. Gone."
Lencar's eyes narrowed beneath his hood. Vanishing? That implies high-level camouflage or...
"Spatial Magic," Lencar murmured.
"Bingo," Jareth grinned. "Rare for a bandit, right? Usually, spatial mages get snapped up by noble houses or the transport corps. But this guy is rough. Can't move far, can't fight well, but he gets them out of tight spots."
Lencar felt a surge of genuine excitement. His current Spatial Magic—copied from Finral—was functional but crude. It was like trying to do calligraphy with a crayon. He needed more data. He needed another sample to refine his understanding of coordinates and stability. A rogue spatial mage was a walking goldmine.
"Give me the roster," Lencar commanded. "I need to know everything. Numbers, attributes, hierarchy."
Jareth pushed the ledger toward him. "Read it and weep. It's a full platoon."
Lencar scanned the page. The information was surprisingly detailed, likely bought from a traitor within the group or a survivor.
1. The Leader: Boran
Attribute: Earth Magic.
Assessment: Described as a mountain of a man. Former Diamond Kingdom deserter. Jareth's notes claimed he once fought a 1st Class Junior Magic Knight to a standstill. He specializes in defensive armor and heavy crushing attacks.
Lencar's Thought: He's the anchor. High mana density. If I consume him, my base durability and Earth magic capacity will skyrocket. He's the main course.
2. The Second-in-Command: Kael
Attribute: Steel Magic.
Assessment: Offensive specialist. Can forge weapons on the fly. Steel is a Tier 2 attribute—harder and heavier than basic Earth.
Lencar's Thought: Steel Magic is excellent for defense penetration. A valuable acquisition.
3. The Escape Artist: Silas
Attribute: Spatial Magic.
Assessment: The high-value target. Notes indicated his combat ability was near zero—he mostly just opened portals to run away or move stolen goods.
Lencar's Thought: He is the priority. I cannot kill him until I have placed my grimoire on his. If he escapes, the whole group escapes. I have to neutralize him first, silently.
The Grunts (Male):
4. Bim: Water Magic. Uses high-pressure whips. Annoying, but manageable.
5. Rorg: Fire Magic. A brute force caster. Likely low control, high collateral damage.
6. Jinto: Plant Magic (Weak). Uses vines to bind victims. Support role.
7. Vix: Lightning Magic.
Lencar's Thought: I already have Lightning from Garrick. Vix is redundant, but his speed makes him a flank threat. He needs to be eliminated quickly to prevent chaos.
The Backline (Female):
8. Mira: Ice Magic (Weak). Can freeze ground to slip up enemies.
9. Tess: Wind Magic. Uses gusts to accelerate Rorg's fire. Combo attacker.
10. Sola: Fire Magic. Another fire user, likely specialized in long-range potshots.
Bounty: 200,000 Yuls (Total for the group).
Lencar sat back, the image of the battlefield forming in his mind. Ten mages. In a straight fight, even a Magic Knight would struggle against that kind of elemental variety. They had defense (Earth/Steel), offense (Fire/Lightning), control (Ice/Plant/Water), and mobility (Spatial).
"It's a balanced party," Lencar muttered. "They could raid a small town and raze it to the ground."
"Exactly," Jareth said, snatching the ledger back. "That's why the bounty is 200,000 Yuls for the set. But nobody takes it because nobody wants to fight ten mages in a cave. It's suicide."
Lencar stood up, adjusting his cloak. To anyone else, it was suicide. To him, it was a buffet.
If he could pull this off... if he could successfully use [Absolute Replication] on the key targets (Earth, Steel, Spatial) and simply siphon the mana reserves of the others...
He did the mental math. His current mana capacity was sitting firmly at Stage 6 (Mid). It was respectable for a commoner, but trash compared to a royal.
Consuming ten active mages—especially a leader like Boran who rivaled a Junior Knight—would push him. It would flood his channels. It would force his body to adapt.
"It will push me to Stage 5," Lencar realized, his heart beating faster. "Maybe even Mid-Stage 5. I would finally have the reserves to cast high-tier spells without exhausting myself in three minutes."
He looked at Jareth. "I'll take the contract."
Jareth blinked. "You serious? You're going solo against ten?"
"I work better alone," Lencar said coldly. "Does the bounty require them alive?"
"Dead or alive," Jareth shrugged. "Just bring proof. Boran's necklace. Kael's steel dagger. Silas's ring. You know the drill."
"Expect me back in two days," Lencar said.
He turned and walked away, disappearing into the shadows of the tunnel.
As he walked, his mind was already dissecting the upcoming engagement. He couldn't just kick in the front door. Ten spells flying at once would overwhelm even his Mana-Forged body. He needed to be surgical. He needed to separate them.
Strategy:
Infiltration: Use concealment to enter the mines.
Silence the Alarm: Take out the sensory types first.
Neutralize the Exit: Silas (Spatial) must be incapacitated immediately, but kept alive for harvesting. A paralytic poison or a precise blow to the throat.
Divide and Conquer: Use the mine's tunnels to funnel the combat types (Steel, Fire, Lightning) into kill zones where their numbers don't matter.
The Boss Fight: Face Boran last, when I have fully focused my attention.
Lencar emerged from the black market into the cool night air. He looked toward the north, where the jagged silhouette of the Gray Peak mountains blocked out the stars.
He felt a hunger deep in his chest—the Soul Crystals resonating with his ambition. This wasn't just about protecting Nairn or getting money for Rebecca. This was about evolution.
"Ten bandits," Lencar whispered to the moon. "Ten steps up the ladder."
He checked his equipment. His boots were laced tight. His grimoire was secure.
He didn't go back to the house to sleep. The children were safe; Rebecca was sleeping. He had told her he might be working late at the "other job" (a lie about night-shift loading at the docks).
There was no time to waste.
[Spatial Magic]: [Coordinate Jump]
Lencar warped, not to his room, but to the northern gate of the town. He began to run, his body moving with the relentless, terrifying stamina of a machine, heading toward the mountains.
The Red Clay Bandits were celebrating their recent haul, drunk on victory and cheap wine. They didn't know that the auditor was coming. And he was coming to balance the books.