#019. What Lies in the Basement (2)
*Crack! Crash!*
The lightbulb shattered with a sharp noise as sparks struck it.
In an instant, the light was extinguished.
Yet, the scene remained vividly visible—the raging flames illuminated the basement like daylight.
**“Kahahaha!”**
The man’s laughter echoed, and the shadow of his convulsing figure danced across the walls.
Ray clenched mana in his hand, carefully observing the situation.
**“The boss will regret this! He’ll regret abandoning me! Kahaha!”**
The flames engulfed the man from head to toe, making him appear as if his entire being was made of fire. His mana revolved furiously, forming fiery rings that devoured all other colors, running rampant through his veins.
**“Assassin ! You’ve come to kill me and reclaim the Bloodstone, haven’t you? Go ahead—try! If you think you can, that is!”**
The flames covering the man’s hands split into two streams, weaving up his arms before forming long, fiery whips.
*Whoosh!*
The whips lashed out with deadly speed, slithering like crimson tongues toward the boy’s head.
Ray reacted instantly, projecting the mana he had gathered.
A shimmering, translucent shield of multi-colored mana formed in front of him.
*Boom!*
The sound of a chilling collision rang out.
The whip left embers and cracks on the barrier before rebounding backward.
**“A barrier, too! Of course! An assassin must be able to use such magic. Hahaha!”**
The man continued to utter the word “Assassin.”
It seemed he had misunderstood Ray’s identity, but Ray saw no reason to correct him—it wasn’t important in this moment. The man’s mental state was far too unstable for rational thought anyway.
**“Die! Perish and become a sacrifice to restore my shattered honor!”**
**Sacrifice.** Ray felt he understood the meaning of that word in this context.
*Bang! Bang!*
The man swung his fiery whip wildly at the barrier, attacking like a madman.
Each strike shook the shield violently, causing cracks to form and spread.
Ray focused, pulling additional mana from the air and channeling it into the barrier to mend the fractures.
*Bang! Bang!*
**“Do you plan to keep defending? For how long? Can you sustain it forever?”**
The man’s booming voice was deafening, and Rsy could feel the heat intensify against his skin.
Engulfed in flames, the man wielded an unimaginable type of magic. A knife would be useless—it was impossible to get close without being consumed by the inferno. If not for the mana protecting his skin, Ray’s flesh would have burned red hot long ago.
Could he subdue this man?
Or should he retreat now and wait for a better opportunity?
There was little time to deliberate. The stray embers scattered around the basement were already turning it into a sea of fire.
‘I need to extinguish the flames first.’
That would create enough space to maneuver.
His instincts warned that he hadn’t yet reached his limit, and his desire to extract information from the man still burned strong.
*Bang! Bang!*
The whip attacks were relentless. Ray split his concentration in two—one part maintaining the barrier, the other casting a new spell.
*Hum…*
Mana from the air gathered at points around the man, swirling under Ray’s control.
A deep blue color appeared, like the ocean, as cold droplets began to materialize in the air.
*Pop! Pop!*
The droplets multiplied rapidly, and with the aid of a rising wind, began to rotate around the man.
**“What is this…? You’re using two core spells simultaneously? And water magic at that. Could it be—you’re not an Assassin?”**
The man’s words were cut short.
The whirlpool of water accelerated, completely engulfing him.
*Rumble!*
The vortex spun with ferocious force, tearing apart everything it touched. Water droplets splattered in every direction, and the flames covering the man were obscured, darkening the room significantly.
*Drip.*
Blood trickled from Ray’s nose, running down his lips and chin before dripping onto the floor—a backlash from pushing his mental strength to the limit.
*Rumble!*
The whirlpool gradually slowed, the water losing its momentum and pooling onto the floor. Finally, the vortex disappeared, revealing its captive.
The flames were gone.
The man stood with his head bowed, his body a battered mess. Water dripped from his soaked hair and limbs.
“…”
Ray remained vigilant, unsure if the spell had been too powerful or if something else was at play.
The water spell had been instinctive, not something he’d practiced before.
**“Quite an… amusing magic, I must say. Hehehe… Hah!”**
The man raised his head slowly, his unfocused eyes trembling with madness.
A fiery breath escaped his soaked lips, proving his mana reserves weren’t yet depleted.
‘He’s stronger than me. I can’t win this fight right now.’
Ray made a swift decision. His instincts screamed that he was approaching his limit. Staying any longer would be too dangerous.
*Whoosh!*
In one fluid motion, Ray flung a knife toward the man’s face and spun around, dashing toward the door.
He ignited an untouched notebook on the desk to create a diversion.
*Fwoosh!*
Ray reached the door amidst the roaring flames.
**“Hahaha… Hooo…”**
The man didn’t move, nor did he spare a glance at his burning notebook.
Ray yanked the door handle.
*Cre-eak…*
The door, swollen from the heat, resisted but eventually gave way.
At that moment, the man unleashed a colossal wave of fire.
*Roar!*
The inferno surged toward Ray like a sandstorm.
The door opened fully just in time.
Ray poured the last of his mana into enhancing his speed and strength, bolting up the stairs.
*Thud-thud-thud!*
The heat pressed against his back, but he didn’t stop—he couldn’t.
‘I’m still safe… for now.’
Finally, he reached the light at the top of the stairs and flung himself to the side.
*Boom!*
The flames burst out of the stairwell, consuming the spot where Rei had been moments earlier.
Though the fire scorched the night air, the empty streets ensured no one was hurt.
“…”
Ray silenced his presence and focused his senses on the basement beneath the staircase.
All he could hear was the chilling laughter. The sound of the man’s footsteps was absent.
**”Doesn’t seem like he’s planning to pursue me.”**
Rising to his feet, Ray shifted his position slightly.
Sitting on the stairs leading upward, he split his attention between regaining his stamina and monitoring the basement.
He planned to leave this place after observing the man’s movements a little longer.
**”The power of that magic was on a completely different level. The mana in the ring moved so smoothly. The colors blended faster, too.”**
Heat glimmered in the boy’s eyes.
It was a desire—to create a ring of his own.
Only then could he grow far stronger, much faster, and draw one step closer to revenge.
**”Revenge…”**
The man with the monocle surfaced in his thoughts.
He couldn’t gauge how strong an opponent the man truly was.
After all, that person had far more rings than this.
Revenge was impossible.
The difference in power was overwhelming.
But Ray did not think that way.
He had confidence that one day, he would surpass the monocled mage.
The journey to strength and vengeance would not stop; it was only a matter of time.
**Clink.**
From his pocket, he pulled out a red gemstone.
It seemed highly likely to be the “Bloodstone” mentioned in the letter.
**”Should’ve grabbed all of them while I had the chance.”**
He had a total of four.
One was already used in the basement to ignite the flames. That one contained much less mana than the others.
Upon closer inspection, Rei noticed that mana from the atmosphere was flowing into the stone.
He tilted his head.
**”It’s recharging mana on its own. This makes it almost no different from a ring, except for the restriction on the color it can store.”**
Though he wasn’t entirely sure, the gemstone seemed to function similarly to an artificial ring.
If he couldn’t create his own ring, relying on these stones didn’t seem like a bad alternative.
Of course, he’d decide after meeting the mage at the bookstore tomorrow.
There were still many questions to answer.
Magic and mana.
Rainbows and the City of Mages.
Mana-infused gemstones and rings.
Lost in thought, Ray finally rose from his spot and left the building.
He glanced back once as he stepped outside.
The chilling laughter continued to echo from the basement.
He’d have Johnny from the restaurant observe the basement for a few days.
**”Not that it’ll be long before we meet again, anyway.”**
According to Kedrick, the man periodically visited the abandoned factory.
Ray turned back and strode away from the area with steady steps.
—
—
**Ssshhhhh──**
Rain poured relentlessly that dawn, battering the world for hours before retreating reluctantly as the sun began to rise.
A clear sky briefly emerged, allowing the sun to gasp for breath and scatter golden light across the land.
But the moment did not last.
Dark clouds soon gathered again, consuming the sky.
The sun, gradually obscured, made one last desperate effort to shine.
Fragments of its light scattered across the world.
One of those fragments fell to the outskirts of Sector 49, landing in a junkyard.
From the sky to the earth.
Through a car’s window and onto the eyelids of a boy.
“…”
Ray slowly opened his eyes.
Turning his head, he checked the clock inside the car—a worn pocket watch he had picked up at the junkyard.
**[AM 6:28]**
About 30 minutes later than usual.
It must have been because of the strain from overusing magic yesterday.
Thanks to that, his head felt remarkably clear.
He stepped out of the car and stretched, breathing in the crisp morning air.
**”Looks like a fresh rain fell this dawn. Not the black rain.”**
A rare, clean rain.
The puddles on the ground made it evident.
Rei immediately headed somewhere with brisk steps.
He arrived at a tributary of the Elton River.
Kneeling by the water, he washed away the blood and grime from his face and limbs.
**Splash. Splash.**
With the river temporarily clean, it was the perfect chance to bathe.
Before long, upstream trash and sewage would pollute it again.
Using bottled water from the car was an option, but he didn’t want to waste money.
Water was more expensive than food or alcohol in the lower sectors, where proper water sources were scarce.
Though he’d confirmed yesterday that magic could create water, it felt wasteful to spend mental energy that way.
After finishing his wash, he returned to the car.
He completed a bodyweight workout, ate breakfast, and checked the time.
**[AM 7:12]**
Heading deeper into the sector, Ray eventually reached Street 8.
Dragging a crate, he positioned himself in front of a shop and sat down.
He glanced at his watch.
The appointed time was drawing near.
**Tick. Tick.**
The ticking of the clock hands matched the boy’s growing anticipation.
Finally, the shop lights flicked on.
Small footsteps sounded from within, and soon, the door opened.
A girl appeared and said, **”Come on in. Grandpa’s been waiting for you.”**
