<Chapter 1257> 1257. Dark Moon
“Drink up! Drink up!”
“Bring more booze!”
“I want more meat.”
“Are there no women?”
I clenched my fist.
I had gone through so much trouble to get a first-class train seat, yet the seat behind me was unbearably noisy. How could this be when first-class is supposed to have private cabins with no soundproofing?
Having had enough, I called the train attendant.
“Did you need something, sir?”
The neatly uniformed attendant bowed politely.
I pointed over my shoulder with my thumb.
“Hoohoohoo! What kind of dance is that?”
“It’s a trendy new dance from Divine France! They say it’s used in their harvest festivals!”
“What the hell? A dance like some kind of prostitute routine? Is this comedy for the gods? Hilarious!”
The attendant’s face stiffened at the voices coming from the back seat.
“Can’t you hear that? It’s been noisy since we started. Go tell them to quiet down.”
“…Sir, if you close the window, the noise will lessen.”
“Why should I close the window for those guys? It’s not me who lacks manners but them.”
Despite my words, the attendant took no action. Instead, he sighed deeply and bowed his head to me.
“I apologize, sir. The passengers in the rear seats are members of the Pluto Gang. Please bear with the noise. You know as well as I do that it’s best not to provoke a gang.”
“I see. If you can’t handle it, I’ll take care of it.”
I extended my hand toward the wall. A magic circle appeared on it.
[Air Boom]
KA-BOOM!
I shattered the wall and entered the rear cabin. Seven rough men drinking alcohol turned their heads to look at me.
“What does this brat want?”
“Looks like an attack, boss.”
“Nah. What can a kid like him do? He doesn’t even have a weapon.”
“That… we could just ask, right? This is my specialty. Give me three minutes. Hehehe.”
The thug next to the leader grabbed the pistol resting on the table, aimed it at me, and pulled the trigger. The bullet flew toward my thigh but bounced off.
“Eh? A barrier…?”
“Shit! What are you doing! He’s a mage! Kill him instantly!!”
The gangsters jumped up from their seats and fired their guns.
Ting ting ting ting ting!
The bullets couldn’t penetrate the barrier and ricocheted off. It’s a Level 5 barrier. Ordinary bullets can’t scratch it. There seems to be some magic-enhanced ammo, but it lacks the power to break through.
Click click.
As the gangsters’ ammunition ran out, their faces turned pale.
“Is the welcome party over? Now it’s my turn.”
[Air Boom]
I continuously activated the Air Boom with its power drastically reduced.
Boom! Boom boom boom boom boom!
The gangsters’ limbs exploded. Their arms and legs flew through the air like fireworks, spraying blood everywhere like sprinklers.
“Aaaaaaah!”
Screams filled the air.
I walked forward. Thanks to the barrier, not a single drop of blood touched my body.
Thud.
I stepped on one of the fallen corpses.
“You—cremate.”
The gangster’s torso burst into flames. The gangster let out a terrible scream.
“You—drown.”
A large water droplet enveloped another gangster’s head. The limbless gangster couldn’t put up any resistance.
“You—freeze to death.”
I killed the gangsters in various ways. Finally, the one who looked highest in rank remained. The guy buried in the chair reeked of urine.
“Mr., Mr. Mage. Wh-why are you doing this? Did you receive a commission from another gang?”
“Shut up. You were just too damn noisy. Haha.”
And I…
Unknowingly, a smile slipped out.
Heh. I know.
Claiming it was noisy is just an excuse. I was irritated, and these gangsters just happened to be the ones who took the brunt of my anger for being loud.
“Thanks. Thanks to you guys, I’m feeling a little better.”
“You… YOU INSANE SON OF A BITCH…!!”
His voice was filled with sheer terror. I wiggled my fingers and used telekinesis. His body floated into the air. I spun him around like a top in mid-air. I didn’t do anything else—just kept spinning him.
“AHHHHHHHHHHH!”
The guy flung bodily fluids everywhere as he spun like a top. It was a disgusting scene. After about 15 seconds, the screams stopped.
I kept spinning him.
CRASH!
Just as the corridor got noisy and armed troops burst in through the door.
“HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIIIIIT!”
“It’s the London Guard! Drop your weapon and surrender immediately!”
“Headquarters! The target is estimated to be at least a Tier 3 mage or higher! Backup needed!”
I threw the dead gangster’s body to the ground and cast a spell on the train window.
[AIR BOOM]
KABOOOOM!
I jumped out of the train through the shattered window.
“SHIIIIIIT!”
The London Guards fired their guns—but of course, they couldn’t pierce my barrier.
Using telekinesis to surround my body, I landed effortlessly on the ground. A wasteland greeted me. Hard rocks were my only welcome party.
‘Messing with the London Guard will bring trouble. Guess I’ll walk to Neo-London. Should take about four hours.’
The train disappeared into the distance in an instant. Following the railway would lead me straight to Neo-London.
“Hmph.”
Laughter escaped me.
“Hahahaha…”
I was perplexed. I didn’t think it was that funny, but laughter kept bubbling out.
“Hahahaha… hohoho… HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”
Like a lunatic, I laughed as I walked along the railway.
Why the laughter? Still no idea. But I laughed anyway.
How long had I been laughing?
In the distance, 12 motorcycles approached. On them were guys dressed in post-apocalyptic fashion, gripping the handlebars. They looked like bandits active in this area.
“Hahahahahahahahahaha!”
Whether they came or not, I soaked in laughter.
The bikes screeched to a halt in front of me.
“Crazy bastard, or pretending to be crazy? Either way, now that we’ve caught you, you’re done for. We’ll strip you clean, then sell you off as a slave at the end.”
Said the Mohawk-wearing dude with green sunglasses. He had charisma. Definitely the leader of these bandits.
WHOOSH.
My mana circuit activated.
The sensation of the air crackling is always satisfying.
“Holy… holy FUCKING SHIT! W-what is this…?!”
The leader panicked, sensing the prelude. Probably a minimum Tier 3 awakened mana user.
“The hair on my entire body is standing up from this goddamn feeling… This guy’s at least a Tier 5 lightning mage! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!”
The leader screamed.
Too late.
No matter how hard they revved their engines, there was no escaping my sight in this wasteland.
“Hahahahahahahahahahaha!”
[THUNDERBOLT]
A massive bolt of lightning struck down from the clear sky. Several bandits, including the leader, were caught in the attack. A giant crater marked the ground where lightning residue lingered.
[THUNDERBOLT]
KABOOOOOOOOM!
Another bolt of lightning crashed onto the wasteland. Its power was greater than a bomb missile hitting the earth.
[THUNDERBOLT]
“HAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”
Laughing maniacally, I continuously activated Thunderbolt, striking the heads of fleeing bandits. I felt an exhilarating rush of clarity.
After using Thunderbolt six times in a row, I collapsed on the ground. My mana was completely drained; I could barely move.
My overworked mana circuit burned hot in protest.
“Shit. My body feels like it’s dying, but damn, this feels great!”
That constant void I’d felt since that day dissipated. Of course, once tomorrow comes, the emptiness will return.
“Aaaah, I need some sex!!”
One week ago, when I entered Neo-London, the first thing I did was find a place to live.
Neo-London is divided into zones: A~Z Zones. There are a total of 26 zones. The closer you get to Zone A, the wealthier the area; the closer to Zone Z, the poorer.
I bought a house in Zone S.
Zone S is where the middle class and lower class coexist. It’s the lowest tier of the middle-class areas and the highest tier of the lower-class areas.
It’s a two-story, slightly old house with a basement. The previous landlord said the building was only 20 years old…
“Going to set up a workshop underground. At least there’s some level of guaranteed security here, so it’s good. Plus, no nearby gangs, so it’ll be peaceful.
One of the reasons I pushed myself to buy a house in the S district was because I wanted to focus on the workshop.
The problem is, after repairing the house and buying appliances and furniture, I only have 700 thousand credits left.
Of course, a wizard’s workshop needs magical materials and tools, which are disgustingly expensive.
“Shit. I’m short on cash. Money. I spent too much on the house repairs that I could only furnish the bedroom. I need money for magic research, and if I want to start a business, I need money too. Money, money. Should I rob a bank?”
I immediately shook my head.
This is Neo-London.
There are plenty of people stronger than me. Even if I cover my face with an Infiniti Mask, someone could expose my identity with magic or superpowers.
Robbing a bank is insane.
But working a normal job like everyone else won’t make me rich either.
“A few ideas are coming to mind… Need to think about it.”
I stepped outside.
To get familiar with Neo-London’s geography and clear my head, I went for a daily walk.
Neo-London’s cityscape was bizarre. Once you leave the residential area and enter the commercial zone, flashy neon signs dazzle you. In the gloomy sky float airships, and wall-mounted displays endlessly play cryptic ads.
What’s absurd is the sight of carriages running through London’s roads.
In Neo-London, supposedly the most technologically advanced city in this world, they still ride horse-drawn carriages instead of cars! Of course, these carriages look futuristic.
To drive a car in Neo-London, you need special permission from City Hall.
The citizens’ fashion resembles early 19th-century styles. Men dress like gentlemen in suits, while women wear dresses. That’s the basic attire.
“…I already knew this from my knowledge of the original work, but seeing it in real life makes it feel overwhelming.”
And on the streets, you can easily spot butlers and maids.
Cat-eared butlers and elf-eared maids casually stroll around. Most butlers and maids are armed. You see butlers carrying cannons on their backs and maids with swords strapped to their waists.
In Neo-London, butlers and maids are high-level workers. Their basic salary exceeds 300 thousand credits, and there’s even a certification system. Elite butlers and maids earn at least one million credits as a base salary.
“Newspapers! Buy the latest edition just published today!”
A little boy with a bread hat runs around the streets. Newspapers. In this age of the internet, they seem out of place. Yet, newspapers sell like hotcakes. It seems Neo-London citizens consider reading paper newspapers classy.
“Hey handsome, don’t you need a newspaper?”
“I don’t.”
At my firm refusal, the newspaper-selling boy looked flustered and ran away.
After the newspaper boy came a flower-selling maiden. A cute girl in a pretty dress was offering flowers to passersby.
“Big brother, wouldn’t you like a rose?”
I nodded.
“Perfect timing—I was just craving the scent of roses. Give me one.”
“Thank you, handsome big brother!”
Payment was done via smartwatch.
Neo-London, where cutting-edge technology coexists with old-fashioned culture, is quite entertaining to observe. Especially striking is Big Ben far away in central London. Made of steel, it sparkles with holograms and neon lights. The words “Neo-London” are clearly displayed on its surface.
While strolling around Neo-London, I suddenly paused when I noticed a woman.
A maid caught my attention.
She was pulling a black suitcase with one hand while holding a black umbrella in the other. Her silver hair and extraordinary beauty drew everyone’s gaze. She had a knife equipped on her apron.
As soon as I saw her, I felt a sense of familiarity. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
Our gazes met. She smiled gently and approached me. I, too, moved toward her as if under a spell.
“Hello, Master. Would you happen to need a maid?”
