As dusk settled, the clamor of Laines Street welled up from its very foundations. Pale yellow streetlights, like spilled stardust, scattered across the cobblestones. Neon signs flickered on and off, slicing the human tide into fragmented, multicolored silhouettes.
On the way back, beside Renith, who had now dispelled her “Light Refraction” spell, Luo Jiani chattered incessantly. Even someone with as much tolerance as Renith was finding it almost unbearable.
“It seems you have quite a fondness for magic.”
Luo Jiani nodded vigorously. What Renith had just revealed was something she had never seen before, and Luo Jiani was intensely curious about anything “new.”
“Really?!”
Luo Jiani’s eyes widened, her face alight with barely contained excitement.
Come on, this was magic!
The kind that could let people soar through the skies or delve into the earth with ease—a wondrous power that even the technology and trends the “God-Chosen” took such pride in had yet to match.
“However, you must truly learn to be independent first, before you can come find me. Later, I’ll give you something. If you achieve independence, you can use it to contact me.”
By the time the pair returned to the law firm, Antina and Vesda had already aligned their stories. They planned to present a united front, publicly stating they were investigating Buriyet.
Tomorrow, all three would stay indoors to organize materials—though, in truth, only Luo Jiani would be toiling away. Antina and Renith had other plans; they were to attend a meeting.
“Alright, that’s enough for today. Everyone has a busy day tomorrow,” Antina announced, stretching and signaling the end of the day’s work.
Luo Jiani shot off like an arrow from a bow, racing to the washroom first. Vesda remained on the sofa, holding a newspaper casually in one hand, but his gaze was distant, lost in thought.
Antina retreated to her room, closing the door. The faint sounds of paper rustling suggested she was making detailed plans for tomorrow’s outing.
Renith called Philof over, quietly asking if anything had happened in her absence. Philof replied respectfully that all was calm and nothing was amiss.
“You’ve worked hard today, with everything and the magical transcription,” Renith said with a smile.
“It was no trouble at all, Lady Renith. Being able to assist you is my honor,” Philof replied softly, giving a slight bow.
Compared to before, Philof had grown even more graceful, her features bearing an increasing resemblance to Alegria’s. Renith couldn’t resist pinching Philof’s cheek, clearly feeling how much she had matured. After transcribing the Light Magic adapted from the Holy Light divine arts, Philof seemed to have gained new insights, her demeanor becoming more composed.
“Lady Renith… did you use… demonic magic?” Catching a scent on Renith’s fingers, Philof involuntarily took two steps back.
Renith withdrew her hand, carefully inspecting it with “Mage Sight,” but she couldn’t detect even a trace of lingering dark magic particles. She saw nothing.
“Huh, that’s strange. There shouldn’t be anything left. How did you know?” Renith was intrigued. Previously, after using demonic magic, Philof hadn’t shown such clear aversion. Now, after her growth, she was displaying this reaction.
Could it be that as the Holy Light within Philof grew purer, her rejection of demonic magic intensified?
“I… I don’t know. I just suddenly… really disliked that smell,” Philof murmured, her head lowered and voice trembling.
So it was true.
“It’s fine, isn’t it? I’m the one using the magic, not those demons who only bring slaughter. This feeling should fade soon enough,” Renith said dismissively.
Yet, Philof still dared not approach, her eyes filled with wariness.
“Alright, alright… I swear, unless absolutely necessary, I will not use demonic arts. I originally transcribed those spells for research, not for use…” Hearing Renith’s vow, Philof relaxed slightly. After all, in the century she had accompanied her, Philof had personally witnessed that Renith never lied to her own people.
Suppressing her physical discomfort, Philof nuzzled Renith’s cheek briefly, then, like a startled fawn, darted back into the Codex.
Renith lay back on the bed and extinguished the oil lamp. Darkness enveloped the room. Just as she was about to begin meditating, a metallic clatter sounded from near the window.
Clang—
Renith instantly grew alert. Her “Mage Sight” pierced through the wall, scanning the area outside.
“Shh! Keep it down! We just shook off those police. Can’t afford to be found now…” a somewhat burly man whispered urgently, reaching to cover his companion’s mouth.
“S-sorry. My leg hurts…” a thinner man’s voice replied, laced with pain.
Hearing this, the burly man pulled up the thin man’s pant leg. The skin was torn and flesh exposed, the knee swollen to the size of a head.
“Damn those inhumane bastards in the prison. What do we do now? A doctor? The black-market ones are exorbitantly expensive. Go back to the hideout? But the northern one’s too far… I don’t know anyone at the southern one.” The burly man frowned, his face etched with anxiety.
Renith walked over, drew a short wand from the Codex, and let a faint wisp of Holy Light fall upon the thin man’s leg.
Under the astonished gazes of the two men, the wound began to visibly heal. A warm current spread through the thin man’s body; not only did his hidden injuries seem to mend, but he even felt rejuvenated.
Snapping out of their shock, the burly man helped his companion settle, then swiftly stood up, scanning the surroundings. Confirming no enemies were in sight, he lowered his voice and demanded warily, “Who’s there?!”
Renith pushed the window open, leaning her elbows on the sill, one hand propping her chin, and said nonchalantly, “Just a tenant here. Heard a noise and thought I’d take a look.”
“You’re no ordinary person,” the burly man stated, his eyes fixed intently and warily on Renith.
“Of course I’m not ordinary.” I’m not even human anymore, Renith added silently in her mind.
“You seem nervous, and injured. Let me guess… you were involved in a shootout?” Renith eyed their grey hemp clothing, raised an eyebrow, seemingly already deducing the answer. “Or perhaps… escapees from prison?”
“You?!” The burly man’s hand flew to his lower back, pulling out a sleek, new-looking black pistol aimed at Renith’s forehead. He opened his mouth to bark an order but froze as he noticed Renith now held a small, loaded revolver, aimed at the thin man not far away.
“Seeing your state puts my mind somewhat at ease. Those executioners are still ‘a dog can’t change its habit of eating filth,’ unchanged for a century. Tomorrow’s plan might proceed more smoothly now.” A faint smile played on Renith’s lips. With a deft flick of her wrist, she began unloading the revolver’s chambers, the bullets dropping out in a smooth, practiced motion.
“What do you mean by what you just said?” the man asked, his tone a mix of caution and confusion.
“Never mind that. But prison breaks aren’t exactly good deeds. As a law-abiding citizen, shouldn’t I inform the police to have you sent back?”
“You dare?!” He moved to pull the trigger, but his pistol flew uncontrollably from his hand towards Renith.
“Why be so impulsive? Why don’t we sit down and have a proper chat?” Renith suggested lightly, as if everything were under her control.
She caught the flying firearm, examining it closely. Its craftsmanship was clearly superior to the small revolver she had confiscated before, lighter in weight and with an excellent feel.
What kind of world do these transmigrators come from, to create such fine artifacts without relying on magic or Qi, and each generation surpassing the last? Renith marveled inwardly.
“I don’t want to fight you. See, I’ve even healed his injury,” Renith said, giving the thin man beside her a gentle pat on the shoulder, prompting him to check his leg.
The burly man glanced at his brother’s leg. The once-gruesome wound was now completely healed. The hostility in his eyes dissipated significantly.
“My name is Manville. This is my brother, Limpton,” Manville introduced, pointing to the man behind him.
“I was just a low-ranking member of the Aida Gang, but my brother here isn’t. He’s just a drifter. I barely scraped by supporting the family with the gang’s help. A few days ago, my brother got caught by the police for theft and thrown in jail.”
“Those greedy police demanded an astronomical bail fee, far beyond what we could ever pay.” Renith already had a rough picture of the situation.
Undoubtedly, Manville had risked everything to break his brother out.
“So, under cover of night, I infiltrated the southern police station’s prison, managed to rescue my brother. We ran all the way, planning to rest here briefly, but never expected to run into you.” Manville smiled wryly.
Just as she thought.
“Actually, you don’t need to be so frantic.” Renith gazed in the direction of Brand University. “Last night, there was a fierce shootout between a certain gang and the city guard. The nearby police stations were probably all dispatched to deal with it…”
“You mean, a gang and the city guard had a gunfight?” Manville’s eyes widened in disbelief. In his experience, relations between gangs and the guard had never been that tense.
“No wonder the prison security was so lax…” Manville suddenly understood. He hadn’t planned extensively; he just barged in, found few guards, easily subdued two, and freed his brother along with some other prisoners. He thought the commotion would surely bring pursuit, but surprisingly, none came.
“The gunfire last night… So that’s it! Something that big happened!” Manville was inwardly shocked.
“Don’t interrupt!” Renith chided softly, and Manville immediately fell silent.
The young girl before him was unfathomably powerful. Though he knew nothing of magic or Qi, the intensely dangerous aura she emitted convinced him—a mere flick of her finger, and he might meet his end.
“In a place like that, who’d notice a few missing people? Even if they did, with Mobius City in such chaos, the police’s priority is probably hunting down that gang, not two small fry like you.”
“What do you plan to do next?” Manville and Limpton exchanged helpless glances. They were lost. If Renith spoke the truth and the guard was suppressing gangs, then a small group like the Aida Gang, with under a hundred members, would struggle to survive.
The Aida Gang’s southern hideout in Mobius was likely already gone.
“Never mind. Let’s make a deal… We’ll take you to a gang’s hideout, keep you safe. In return, you help me with something. How about it?”
