Chapter 1265

<Episode 1265> 1265. Dark Moon

I’ve arrived at Zone Z.

Zone Z was nothing but an endless wasteland.

Larger than any other zone, Zone Z didn’t feel like a city at all. Even Zone X, filled with old buildings and dirty alleys, still had some urban vibe to it.

Zone Z was just land that happened to fall within Neo London’s territory.

Neo London has pretty much abandoned the management of Zone Z. The laws of Neo London don’t apply here. Zone Z is a lawless zone.

“They say this is where citizens without a Neo London ID live—right here in Zone Z.”

Still, since it’s technically part of their territory, Neo London tries to maintain minimal administration. There’s even some kind of government office here.

“But the problem is that the administrative office barely functions properly.”

I hopped on the bike I borrowed from Zone W. Normally, you need permission to ride anything in Neo London, but Zone Z is an exception.

I revved the engine and sped across the wasteland. In such a vast area, having wheels was essential.

And the security situation? Absolute chaos. Just 15 minutes into speeding through the wasteland, a gang of biker thugs appeared behind me. Their goal? To pick my pockets clean.

“Yeehaa!”

“How dare you wander around our zone alone without fear?!”

“Stop right there, you idiot!”

“Ho ho! You’re running like a little calf on fire. Are you really that scared of us?!”

“Run, run! Yeehaaaa!”

The bikers chased after me.

‘They’re annoying as hell.’

These biker gangs aren’t particularly organized like mobsters, but they’re full of crazy lunatics living day-to-day.

Dozens of bullets whizzed past from behind, bouncing off my barrier. The barrier rippled.

‘A grade-5 barrier reacting to just a few dozen bullets? Must be enchanted ammo.’

I layered another barrier.

“Yeehaaa!! A wizard, huh? We’ll make a tidy profit from you!”

“Think we’ll let wizards escape just because they use magic?!”

“No matter what, this is still our zone!!”

The bikers changed their formation. Instead of grouping together, they spread out to counteract my magic. Judging by their quick reflexes, these guys seemed to have plenty of combat experience.

[Air Boom]

BOOM!

I detonated the air itself, creating a powerful shockwave. It’s a grade-3 spell that’s invisible and pretty potent—one of my go-to spells.

But today, Air Boom disappointed me. Not a single biker got hit. They detected the Air Boom before it went off using mana sensors and maneuvered their bikes in time.

‘How did they dodge Air Boom before it activated? You’d need at least grade-2 mana affinity to react that fast… Does that mean every single one of them has grade-2 mana affinity?’

It’s not impossible.

But more likely, they’ve been dosed with illegal combat drugs.

“Don’t you hear us telling you to stop?! Wizards sure are disobedient bastards!”

One of the bikers reached out toward me. A circular hole formed in the center of his palm. Inside the hole, gray mechanical parts whirred ominously.


Pewwww!

The wire soared towards me and struck my barrier. I expected it to bounce off, but instead, it began coiling around the barrier without stopping. An unknown substance flowed out from the wire, starting to dissolve my barrier.

“Kek kek! This is anti-barrier acid! No matter how strong your barrier is, this’ll melt it easily!”

“Tch, thanks for the info.”

[Using Instantaneous (Stacks Remaining: 6)]

In the slowed world, I calmly calculated the runes.

[Spark]

I enchanted the dissolving barrier with lightning attributes. Current surged through the wire that was melting my barrier.

“AAAAIIIIEEEEE?!”

The biker gang member got electrocuted through the wire, letting out a strange scream as he fell over.

“The boss got hit!”

“Shit! So who’s the boss now?!”

“Obviously me, the vice-leader!”

“Hell no! There’s no way we’re following an idiot like you!”

The bikers who were chasing me started fighting among themselves.

As I prepared my next spell, I couldn’t help but chuckle at their idiocy.

‘What a bunch of morons.’

The bike continued moving forward. The biker gang had disappeared from sight. Though I’d like to deal with them later, I need to conserve mana for the Level 4 contaminated being.

Racing through the wasteland, I took out a pocket watch from my coat. Click. Opening the lid, the minute hand glowed faintly, pointing to the right. I turned right and sped off.

I arrived at the destination before sunset.

This is Weive village. It reminds me of towns from the American Western frontier era. In fact, Zone Z was created based on that time period. Most villagers wear cowboy outfits and have revolvers holstered at their waists.

Getting off my bike at the entrance, a group approached. At the center was a man wearing a shiny sheriff’s badge on his cowboy hat. The badge read “Neo London.” A Neo London-recognized sheriff, meaning a police officer with legal authority.

He was a bearded middle-aged man. On his back was a musket, and at his waist were four revolvers. He spoke.

“Who are you?”

His voice was deep.

“I came from X Labor Agency.”

“Ah, so you’re the mage sent here. I heard you’re a Grade 5 mage… Didn’t expect someone so young.”

“Everyone’s surprised.”

“How old are you?”

“What’s it to you? Checking for underage status or something?”

“Hey, no need to be difficult. Just asking, y’know?”

“I’ve lived longer than you think. Don’t judge by appearance.”

Looking around, I could see suspicion in everyone’s eyes, including the sheriff’s.

Of course, whether they trusted me or not didn’t matter to me. All I care about is completing the job and getting paid.

“Where’s the contaminated being?”

“Somewhere east.”

“Heard it was lurking around the village… Did it leave already? You’re not canceling the job after coming all this way, are you?”

“That thing has tasted human blood. Once it’s had a taste, it won’t let us go. To it, our village probably looks like a well-stocked fridge.”

“We should wait until nightfall. Hmm, at least three hours?”

“We need five hours. Let me show you to your lodgings. Follow me. Everyone else, head back home and gather at the town hall when evening comes!”

The sheriff shouted. People obeyed his commands well, showing respect for him.

He stepped closer, extending his hand for a handshake. Honestly, I didn’t want to touch him, but proper etiquette required it.

“I’m Max Maximus, sheriff of Weive village.”

“I’m Eugene Meyer, Grade 5 Mage from X Labor Agency.”

“Hmm. Up close, it’s still hard to believe you’re a Grade 5 mage.”

“If I put a Thunder Bolt through your head…”


“Are you sure about this?”

“Why are you being so sharp with me? We know we didn’t welcome you properly… but there’s no need to be so prickly, is there?”

“…Sorry. I ran into some street punks on the way here and it put me in a bad mood.”

“That you ran into those lunatics… I understand.”

The sheriff walked ahead, and I followed behind him, dragging my bike.

“As you can see, it’s a shabby house, but please understand. We don’t have anything better available.”

“It’s just a place to stay for a few hours anyway.”

I leaned my bike against the wall and sat down on an old chair, which creaked under my weight.

“By the way, isn’t that outfit uncomfortable? I’ve got some clothes I don’t use anymore. If you want, I could lend them to you.”

“This outfit suits me fine. Is there anything else to do?”

“It seems like I’m in the way. I’m working right now.”

He meant keeping an eye on me was his job. It was annoying, but understandable. From the town’s perspective, I’m still an untrustworthy outsider.

“Is your work going well?”

“Huh?”

“I mean, the work you do. You’re called a problem solver, laborer, mercenary, and whatnot, right? How much profit does it bring?”

“Are you interested in this line of work?”

“My age is already 48. In two years, I’ll have to hang up this proud badge.”

“You retire at 50? Isn’t that too early?”

“There’s nothing I can do. Sheriffs must leave when they turn 50. That’s the rule of Zone Z.”

“…The income from my work varies depending on skill. Not every job is a good one, so luck plays a part too.”

“You’re a Level 5 mage, so why do this kind of work? There must be more stable jobs available to you.”

“There aren’t many jobs where you can make as much money as in this line of work.”

“Is X Manpower Agency decent? I heard they charge higher fees than other brokers in Neo London. So it’s said to be less competitive compared to others.”

“If the fee is high, there’s usually a reason. X Manpower Agency guarantees freedom. You can walk away whenever you want. And… .”

“And?”

I hesitated. Should I tell Max this?

Since I was bored anyway, I decided to say it.

“I hear the head of X Manpower Agency has connections with Neo London’s upper echelons.”

“Ho ho, indeed, that is impressive.”

Max leaned back against the wall, bowed his head, and fell into deep thought. I took out my pocket watch to check the time.

‘Time is crawling by.’

“I’ll treat you to dinner. Mrs. Perry makes excellent beef stew.”

“No need. I brought my own dinner.”

“Surely not nutrient capsules or combat rations? You’d be better off not eating those.”

“It’s a bento box.”

He gave me a strange look.

Anyway, I took the bento out from my bike. It was a bento Yuria packed for me. Since I’ve gotten used to Yuria’s cooking, I’ve lost interest in other cuisines.

I placed the bento on the table and opened it.

When I opened it, it was filled with… umm, wait, I must’ve misseen. It wasn’t *that*. It was abalone grill. I picked up an abalone with my fork and popped it into my mouth. The savory and chewy taste of the abalone spread through my mouth. The more I chewed, the more I smiled. Now that I think about it, abalone is also supposed to boost vitality.

“Damn, you’re enjoying that. Can’t you spare me a bite?”

Not the abalone. No way. Instead, I tossed a piece of vegetable from the corner of the bento to Max. He caught it with his fingers and clicked his tongue.

“You look stingier than you appear.”

“Be grateful for what you got.”

Max put the vegetable in his mouth. His eyes suddenly lit up.

“Oh, ohhhh! One bite! Let me taste just one abalone!”

[Barrier]

While Max pounded on the barrier, I calmly picked up another abalone and ate it.