Genius Wizard who sees Rainbows- Chapter 26

**#026. Hatred and Rage (3)**

 

 

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Inside the hotel, a small container door was pushed open.

*Screeeech──*

The sharp scent of alcohol and medicine hit as soon as they stepped inside.

Shelves lined the walls, filled with medications and medical tools.

“Over here.”

Following the voice, Ray turned his gaze inward and saw Philip rising from a bed.

*Tap. Tap.*

As Ray approached and sat on a chair, his eyes scanned Philip from head to toe.

“You look better than I expected.”

Bandages and gauze wrapped around his arms and legs.
Bruises painted his skin a deep purple, while ointment glistened on red wounds.

Though his swollen face bore the signs of being repeatedly struck, his eyes had regained a measure of focus.

“Thanks to you. I heard from the kids that you carried me back.”

Philip’s weak voice added that he had been close to losing consciousness in the container.

“I’m still groggy. I probably won’t be able to move without a wheelchair for a while.”

“Being alive is enough.”

Ray’s typically dry tone made Philip chuckle faintly.

“You’re right. Being alive is all that matters.”

It wasn’t wrong.
Street orphans with relentless determination could bounce back like weeds no matter how beaten down they were, as long as they clung to life.

Ray continued, “I didn’t expect to find you getting beaten by Kedrick.”

“It was an unexpected situation. Kedrick never comes out on days when the *Black Rain* falls. He’d usually just send his subordinates.”

Philip’s face was one of genuine surprise as he spoke.

“I was scouting ahead. I wanted to deploy the hotel kids to the shopping district once you took over as the new leader.”

“Bold. I thought you were more of a coward.”

“You’re not wrong. Normally, I’m quite timid and cautious. But I try to overcome my fear when it’s necessary.”

Overcoming fear.
The concept piqued Ray’s interest.

“When does that happen?”

“When there’s an opportunity to make money. Like when I first met you, and again today. Also…”

Ray glanced down at Philip’s *vessel*.

‘Normally, when people talk about money, their vessel glows with golden mana.’

Golden mana reflected desires for wealth and material possessions.
However, whenever Philip mentioned money, the golden mana in his vessel was minimal.
Instead, a prominent pink mana appeared, filling a larger space.

It wasn’t a color Ray had seen often.

But he knew it appeared when someone thought about a person they longed to meet but couldn’t.

‘Even last time, pink mana overshadowed the golden glow when he talked about money.’

On the surface, Philip seemed like a perfect money-grubber, but his greed for wealth itself wasn’t particularly strong.

This suggested that his relentless pursuit of money had a deeper purpose.

“…”

Ray raised his gaze again.
Though curious, he set the thought aside—it wasn’t an urgent matter for now.

There were other priorities to address.

“So, from what I see…”

“You seem to know Kedrick quite well,” Ray interjected.

Philip paused, his expression briefly guarded.

After organizing his thoughts, he spoke again.

“You’re sharp. He probably didn’t tell you that himself.”

“…”

“I wasn’t trying to hide it out of bad intent. I just thought you might hesitate in the duel if you knew he was once my friend.”

Ray nodded in understanding.
“Tell me what you can. Even small details could be useful in the duel.”

Initially, Ray thought defeating Kedrick would be easy.

However, after witnessing the growth in the ring’s mana today, he revised his assessment.

It was better to be prepared—every possible advantage counted.

“I’m not sure where to start. For one, Kedrick used to live at the hotel.”

“He was a resident?”

“Yeah. We’ve known each other since we were very young.”

Philip explained how he and Kedrick had always been at the bottom of the food chain before the hotel was built—beaten, robbed, exploited, and surviving death daily.

“It wasn’t until the hotel was established that we could live somewhat stable lives.”

No more beatings.
No more starving.
No more freezing in the cold.

But Kedrick was never satisfied.

“To be precise, he was always angry. After finishing work, he’d obsessively train his body.”

Recalling Kedrick’s physique, Ray nodded.

Though small, his body was undeniably packed with solid muscle.

“Then, half a year ago, Kedrick left the hotel of his own accord. He started picking fights on the streets.”

“I doubt his training alone made him win fights so suddenly.”

Philip agreed.
“You’re right. As you know, street fights favor size over skill—well, in your case, you’re an exception. But Kedrick isn’t particularly large. Even with rigorous training, there were limits to how well he could fight.”

Kedrick had never been especially skilled at fighting.

Ray’s impression was that his attacks were wild punches, bolstered only by the ring’s power.

Philip continued in a bitter tone.
“Kedrick lost most of his fights. He simply didn’t have the physique to dominate the street gangs.”

“Then something must have changed,” Ray said.

“Hmm?”

Philip’s eyes widened, surprised by Ray’s insight.

“Exactly. Kedrick suddenly became strong—unreasonably strong. Lifting opponents with one hand. Knocking them out with a single punch.”

It had happened two months ago.
After rising through the ranks, Kedrick challenged and defeated the leader of his current gang, taking over.

“People couldn’t make sense of it, but they had no choice but to accept it. They assumed he’d been hiding his strength all along.”

The puzzle in Ray’s mind was beginning to come together.

“Did Kedrick have a ring back when he lived at the hotel?” Ray asked.

“A ring? Oh, you mean the one he wears now? No, he never cared about such things. He probably got it after becoming a gang leader, as a showpiece. He’s always been a bit flashy.”

Ray nodded, piecing together his theory.
‘If the man in the basement gave Kedrick the ring while he was wandering the streets…’

That would explain everything.
But why?

Why had the man given Kedrick the ring?

The man had said he’d make Kedrick an official member of the organization if he could gather a gang.

Was it simply to grant him power for that purpose?

‘But he was expelled from the organization. He’ll never become an official member.’

Then why instruct him to gather a gang?

For what purpose?

And for whose benefit?

Ray, trapped in a quagmire of questions, furrowed his brows slightly and asked, “Kedrick’s personality wasn’t always this violent, was it?”

“…You’re sharp, aren’t you? That’s right. He’s changed since leaving the hotel, especially recently.”

Philip paused as if sorting out his thoughts before speaking again.

“After Kedrick went out on the streets, he started avoiding me. He ignored me even when I called his name from afar. Sometimes, he’d glare at me with contempt. And today, he tried to kill me…”

As Philip spoke, his expression darkened rapidly.

He was finally beginning to process the events he’d gone through.

Though his eyes reddened, he managed to suppress his emotions and didn’t shed a tear.

“You’ve kept your distance from him, so I’m guessing he rejected your business proposal too.”

“Yes, he did. And honestly, Kedrick doesn’t just hate me—he resents everyone from the hotel. There’s probably a reason for that too.”

Ray paused briefly before continuing, “I have a proposal for you.”

A proposal? Philip’s eyes widened.

Then, when Ray spoke his next words, Philip couldn’t help but be surprised again.

“Would you consider talking to Kedrick?”

“Talk to… Kedrick?”

Ray observed the colors of emotion in Philip’s aura as he continued, “You’ve been friends for a long time. Don’t you want to fix your broken relationship?”

“Well… Yes. If it’s possible.”

“Come to the duel location with me. Once the fight is over, I’ll create an opportunity for you to talk to Kedrick.”

Ray’s plan was simple.

He intended to win the duel and take the leader’s position but planned to delegate the gang’s management to someone else.

Preferably Kedrick.

Given his reign of fear, Kedrick was someone who could effectively control the kids.

‘But first, I need to take the ring from him.’

Cutting off the flow of red mana would make winning the duel easier.

Without the red mana fueling his emotions, Kedrick’s violent tendencies wouldn’t resurface either.

Still, Ray wanted Philip as insurance, just in case.

Philip had a knack for observing people and changing their minds through conversation, even in a short time. With a long-time friend, it would be even more effective.

“I’d like to see you and Kedrick reconcile.”

“……”

“And if Kedrick refuses to manage the gang, I hope you can convince him.”

While Ray was contemplating, Philip, deep in thought, finally spoke.

“I’m not sure if simply arranging a meeting will lead to reconciliation between Kedrick and me. But before that, I won’t even be able to get into the duel location.”

“Why not?”

“From what I understand, only kids from the three major gangs are allowed entry into the duel location.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ve already told Kedrick I’m bringing you. If he beats me, he’ll have the chance to execute you in front of everyone at the arena.”

“Wait, so I’ll be able to get in…?”

Philip’s words trailed off.

He felt like he’d just heard something strange in Ray’s explanation.

“Execute me?”

“Yep. If Kedrick wins, you’ll be executed.”

“Uh… By ‘execute,’ you mean… as in, taking someone’s life? Or does Sector 50 have a different interpretation?”

“Exactly that. You’re spot on.”

“……”

Philip blinked.

His mind raced to process what was happening, finally reaching the only logical conclusion.

Philip smirked slightly. “What, Ray, you’re joking now?”

“I don’t joke. If I lose the duel, you’ll be executed. In a very brutal way.”

“You’re joking…”

“I’m not.”

“You’re…”

“I’m not.”

Philip fell silent.

It felt as though the person who had saved him from a predator was, in fact, another predator.

He adjusted his cracked glasses, pressing them against the bridge of his nose in a nervous gesture. His gaze was a mix of timid protest and resignation.

“……”

Deep down, he had already known.

The person in front of him had a sense of humor about as distant as the gap between sectors.

“What? Are you scared?”

Not exactly. But he was certain the person before him could drag him to his execution.

“You won’t die. The execution only happens if Kedrick beats me.”

“……”

“I think I’ll win. You said so yourself.”

“Hmm…”

Despite the headache forming, Philip had to admit that was true.

He still believed Ray would win against Kedrick.

And if—

If Ray could control Kedrick and arrange a meeting, there was no reason to refuse.

‘It’s what I’ve always hoped for.’

However, did the conversation need to happen immediately after the duel? Couldn’t it happen later, in a different setting?

“……”

After some thought, Philip shook his head internally.

He wanted to witness Ray and Kedrick’s duel firsthand.

“Fine. I’ll go to the duel location with you.”

A short but sincere response.

Before Philip could say more, Ray continued, “Good decision. But there’s one more thing I need you to do at the arena. My second proposal.”

Without giving Philip a chance to recover, Ray dropped another surprise.

Philip, stunned, asked, “A second proposal?”

“Yeah. Bet all the money you’ve saved so far on me.”

It took a moment for the words to sink in.

“Bet… all my money? Everything I’ve saved?”

“You heard me right.”

Philip was at a loss for words.

Ah, so this is a Sector 50-style joke! Ray’s sense of humor is sharper than I thought! Ha-ha-ha!

“You once said you’d overcome fear when given the chance to make money.”

Philip flinched as if struck.

“……”

“Philip, I’ll say it again. I’m offering you a business opportunity. This is a chance to make a lot of money.”

Making money requires courage.

It was something Philip had said himself.

It felt like he’d been struck with a hammer.

He’d always been the one proposing business deals. Now, here he was, on the receiving end—for the first time, from someone his age.

‘A chance to make a lot of money.’

It wasn’t wrong.

The upcoming duel wasn’t some casual street brawl. Kedrick had gone all out in setting the stage.

A large crowd of kids from the three major gangs would attend.

‘The other gang leaders, Zephyr and Rotson, will surely be there too.’

This meant an unprecedented amount of money would change hands.

If Ray won, the payout would be enormous.

Philip’s confusion quickly gave way to calculation. His dormant entrepreneurial instincts woke up, analyzing the situation coldly.

‘I still believe Ray will win.’

The problem was different.

Could they safely take the winnings and leave?

There was a real chance they might be mobbed and killed by angry kids.

Then—

“All you need to worry about is Kedrick. Even if a hundred others come at me, they won’t win.”

Ray’s voice snapped Philip out of his thoughts, almost as if reading his mind.

Philip slowly raised his head, meeting Ray’s unwavering gaze.

“……”

“……”

Philip knew.

He knew what his answer would be.

After several minutes of contemplation, Philip stood and extended a hand to Ray.

“It’s an honor to work with you, President Ray. Let’s start by drafting a contract.”

—
—
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*Two days later.*

A bright afternoon with the sun blazing overhead.

The junkyard at the southern outskirts of Sector 49.

*Step. Step.*

A group of boys approached a car amid the piles of scrap metal, spreading out in a wide formation as if to surround it.

*Knock, knock.*

When one of them knocked on the front door, the window rolled down, revealing a single face. It was Ray.

“Looks like you came to greet me.”

“We came to catch you. Who knows? You might try to run away. Maybe you’re scared of the actual fight.”

It was meant as a provocation, but Ray showed no reaction.

There wasn’t the slightest hint of distress or nervousness.

“If I decided to run now, do you really think you could stop me?”

A counter-provocation thrown back at them.

The faces of Kedrick’s gang momentarily stiffened.

Their chests tightened.

Irritation and anger flared.

They had expected him to show at least some unease at their sudden appearance. But why was this guy so calm?

However, the boys had no way of knowing.

They had no idea that Ray had been aware of their surveillance for quite some time now.

Suppressing their boiling emotions, one of the gang members spoke up.

“Don’t act so full of yourself. Word is, you sprained your ankle yesterday. A lot of people saw it. No matter how good you are at fighting, it’s over if your body can’t keep up. Today’s the day you die—at our boss’s hands. Got it?”

“…….”

Seeing Ray remain unresponsive, the gang must have thought they had hit a nerve. They began chuckling and snickering amongst themselves.

But once again, they didn’t know.

That rumors like “The Hunter is limping” or “He hurt his ankle badly in a fight” were deliberately spread by Ray using the hotel kids.

After putting away the red gemstones he had been fiddling with, Ray opened the door and stepped out.

*Creeeeak──*

He didn’t forget to limp on purpose, feeding into the expectations of his audience.

“What the? He’s actually limping?”

“Ha! I don’t get where all his confidence came from.”

Ray paid no attention to their mockery.

Straightening his posture, he glanced once at the guides before speaking.

“Let’s go. To the arena.”