Genius Wizard who sees Rainbows- Chapter 32

#032. The Undying Ember (2)

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Ray and Philip strode briskly toward the hotel entrance.

“They didn’t completely retreat but left people stationed in various spots. Their movements to the hotel must’ve reached Zephyr and Rotson’s ears immediately.”

Contrasting Philip’s excitement, Ray remained calm.

“Yeah. I saw them on the way here. They were hiding among the piles of scrap metal.”

“Huh? Then why didn’t you catch them…?”

“On purpose. We’re bound to clash with those two gangs eventually. It saves time to let them come to us rather than the other way around.”

Even carrying the money bag on his shoulder so conspicuously during their move to the hotel had been a deliberate act to lure the enemy.

“Ray, you’re not wrong. But wouldn’t it be better to face them after regrouping a bit?”

Philip’s concerns were logical.

The sudden turn of events at the dueling arena had likely left Zephyr and Rotson seething with anger.

They had nearly died in the fire.

They had lost all their money.

They might even demand that the duel be declared void and insist on getting their money back.

…No, they would definitely do that, given Zephyr and Rotson’s usual behavior.

They wouldn’t hesitate to resort to violence.

A full-blown war could break out.

‘…Kedrick’s subordinates still don’t fully recognize Ray as their leader.’

The timing was bad.

If a war broke out, could they exhibit proper unity?

There was a chance they might abandon Ray immediately and side with Zephyr and Rotson instead.

‘Ray must be exhausted, too.’

Even though Philip believed Ray had some kind of plan…

“Philip.”

“Huh? Yeah?”

“That word earlier, what was it again? About getting returns on investments.”

“Oh… Dividends?”

“Yeah, that. You’ll get your dividends today.”

As they passed through the hotel’s wide-open entrance, they spotted Zephyr and Rotson’s gang gathered outside.

“So, you finally crawl out, huh?”

The bulky Zephyr spat on the ground and sneered.

“So the rumors about you being alive were true. I thought for sure you’d been burned to death.”

The tall and lanky Rotson chimed in to support Zephyr’s remark.

Behind the two leaders, boys wielding pipes and clubs exuded a threatening aura.

Their numbers seemed to be around 80 to 90—almost the entirety of both gangs’ combatants.

Meanwhile, Kedrick’s gang of about 40 to 50 stood some distance away, fidgeting nervously.

Zephyr cracked his neck with a loud pop and muttered, “I still don’t get it. Our dear hotelier bets everything on a hunter, Kedrick burns down his own hideout, and yet the people trapped inside are standing here, completely unharmed.”

*Crack!*

Zephyr straightened his neck and stared directly at Ray.

“So, Hunter. What’s your take on this?”

“What’s there to think? It’s exactly as it looks.”

Despite being outnumbered, Ray showed no sign of intimidation, which made Zephyr’s lips twitch.

“I have this feeling, you know. Like we’ve been played. Like the outcome was decided from the start. Your sprained ankle story was a lie, and Philip here looks just fine.”

Rotson added to Zephyr’s words, “I agree. It feels like you burned something like drugs to throw us off during the duel.”

Philip stifled a chuckle.

How could they be so predictable?

“Philip, I’m hurt. I thought we were better than this. We weren’t supposed to con each other, were we?”

Still, the hostile air from the other side was so intense that Philip found himself stepping back instinctively.

“I’ll keep this short. Just hand over our money. Don’t even think about making excuses about it burning in the fire—we know someone saw you carrying the bag.”

“There’s money to give,” Ray replied. “Philip, can you bring the bag? Put everything back in.”

“Uh, yeah, right. Be right back!” Philip said, darting into the hotel.

“What’s this? He’s surprisingly cooperative.”

“Yeah, seems like we might avoid any unnecessary hostility.”

Zephyr and Rotson chuckled, feeling confident they had made the right call to bring every single fighter.

“With numbers like these, it’s a no-brainer.”

“Look at those Kedrick guys—they’re clearly cowed. Turns out Kedrick was the strong one, not the rest of them.”

Despite the blatant mockery, Kedrick’s gang said nothing.

Zephyr and Rotson assumed that even Ray must be feeling the pressure, despite his composed exterior.

“Got it!” Philip called out, returning with the bag.

As Ray unzipped it, the gangsters around couldn’t help but gasp.

“Whoa, that’s a lot of money.”

“We really did bet quite a bit.”

Zephyr and Rotson silenced the murmurs with a wave of their hands.

“All together, we put in 1.63 million shillings,” Zephyr said.

“That’s about right,” Rotson agreed, licking his lips.

Their eyes gleamed with greed, their desires pushing their oversized frames forward.

“But… we’ve had a change of heart. Some of our boys got hurt in the fire, so we’ll need compensation.”

Rotson quickly followed up, “Yeah. We’ve got about 20 boys laid up. How about 50,000 shillings each?”

Of course, it was a lie.

They had all evacuated before the fire got serious—no one was seriously injured.

Ray ignored their words and began counting money into a leather pouch.

“Huh? Why bother transferring it?”

“Yeah, just hand over the whole bag—”

*Whoosh!*

The pouch sailed through the air and landed in Zephyr’s hands.

Zephyr opened it instinctively, and his face twisted in rage.

“What the hell? This is nowhere near enough!”

“That’s all you get for your dividends,” Ray replied calmly.

“What?!”

“Don’t you get it? I won the duel. Your bets on me were smaller, so your payout is smaller.”

“You bastard—!”

Zephyr and Rotson’s faces flushed red with anger. It was clear now that Ray never intended to give them what they wanted.

“If you want the rest, try taking it by force,” Ray said, zipping up the bag.

“That’s how things are settled on the streets, isn’t it?”

“You little—!” Zephyr roared.

As the enemies charged, Ray tossed the bag to Philip.

“Catch!”

Philip snatched the bag midair and sprinted back to the hotel.

The children, who had been anxiously waiting, slammed the door shut the moment Philip entered.

*Craaaack─!! Thud─!!*

The sound of impact was far louder than usual.

After confirming the door was securely locked, Ray turned his gaze forward again.

“What are you doing? Move! Kill them all!”

“Screw contracts! Wipe out those hotel bastards too!”

Zephyr and Rotson, who had closed in, swung a club and a pipe at him.

*Swoosh──!*

In that moment, time seemed to slow down for the boy.

A body and mind utterly fatigued.

The club and pipe inching closer.

From the battle arena to this moment, the day had been indescribably chaotic.

He had also used magic countless times.

He was so exhausted that collapsing to the ground and passing out would be entirely reasonable.

“…….”

But he felt no sense of crisis.

Nor did he think he would lose.

Because tucked in his chest was the ring he had taken from Cedric’s finger.

*Woooong──*

The ring, responding to his will, injected crimson mana into its new master.

The mana coursed through his veins, spreading rapidly through his body.

When he caressed the anger etched deep in his heart, the speed of its flow surged explosively.

His pupils dilated.

His blood raced, and his muscles throbbed.

It was an unprecedented, superior quality of mana.

Enhancement magic crafted from such power was on a completely different level.

Twice the usual strength. No, three times.

At the very least, even more than that.

Feeling a thrill, he observed the incoming attacks with his greatly enhanced vision.

Under normal circumstances, he would have dodged.

But now, he felt no need to.

*Clang!*

Ray shifted slightly, stepping aside, and took the blows from the pipe and club on his shoulder.

*Bang──! Crack──!*

“What the hell!?”

“No way! What is this!?”

The pipe was bent, and the club splintered.

The two leaders were stunned by the sensation, as if they’d struck solid rock.

Before they could even process their shock, Ray’s counterattack began.

*Swoosh──!*

Sensing danger, the two leaders immediately assumed defensive stances.

But Ray’s fists, moving at a bizarre angle, found gaps in their guard with ease.

“Urgh!”

“Gah!”

*Thud! Thump!*

Zephyr and Rotson collapsed clutching their solar plexuses, their eyes rolling back as foam spilled from their mouths.

“This… can’t… be…” Zephyr’s consciousness faded amid immense shock.

His strength came from his massive frame and the tough muscles hidden beneath his flesh.

Even when taking heavy hits, even a blow to the solar plexus, he could endure it without issue.

But this attack was different.

It hurt. Too much. He couldn’t breathe at all.

“How… how can a single punch do this…?”

Though he’d sensed the hunter’s strength in the arena, he’d never thought he would lose.

That was a colossal miscalculation.

The hunter’s true power went far beyond what he had seen there.

“Die, you bastard──!!”

“He’s exhausted! Keep attacking! Swarm him!”

Even though their two leaders had fallen, the remaining fighters showed no sign of retreating.

Eighty-seven against one.

Defeat seemed unthinkable.

Pipes and clubs flew relentlessly at Ray.

*Clang──!*

*Crack──!*

But none of it worked.

Every attack either broke, bent, or was deflected.

With his skin fortified to be as hard as steel, Ray felt no impact at all.

“Get him! Pin him down!”

“Do something! He’s just one guy!”

Ray weaved through the panicked enemies with a chilling gleam in his eyes.

He paid no mind to defense, focusing solely on offense.

Under Ray’s fierce movements, the number of standing foes rapidly dwindled.

“Ugh… gah…”

“Argh… cough…”

What occupied Ray’s mind was the memory of that night.

The deaths of Niles and the children.

The thick scent of blood and the pouring rain.

And the overwhelming rage and murderous intent he felt toward the golem that caused it all.

“I’ll kill them all.”

If he didn’t unleash this fury,

He felt like his body would explode into pieces.

*Woooong──!*

Even the crimson mana in the air resonated with the boy’s rage, surging toward him.

Yet, Ray never stopped moving.

The mana followed him, weaving through the air like crimson threads, seeking to settle in its vessel.

Once it reached the vessel, it was immediately used to sustain his enhancements and increase his output, the cycle repeating as the empty vessel refilled.

Ray never grew tired.

With each passing moment, his movements became swifter, his strikes more ferocious and brutal.

*Crack! Thud!*

Sounds of blows and groans echoed,

Followed by the thuds of bodies hitting the ground.

“Break the door!”

Ray, who had been rampaging with bloodshot eyes, turned his head.

Some enemies had latched onto the hotel door, desperately trying to force it open.

Ray took a deep breath.

“STOOOOP─────!!”

His mana-infused shout resonated across the battlefield.

The sheer volume caused even some of the children to cover their ears and crouch down.