C585
Usually, after aiming a gun at someone, if you ask who they are, you expect an answer.
Pew-!
However, the man in front of them belonged to the category of individuals who renounced that stereotypical form of intimidation, and instead, he was seen firing a pre-loaded hand cannon.
Yet, what was even more shocking to Jin than being attacked by a cannon, and it showing much greater power than his expectations, was the target the man had aimed at.
It wasn't just Jin and Siris, but the cabin that housed the lingering memories of that remote place, where he had been cooking and eating for over 30 years.
Pew-pew!
Siris reacted faster than Jin and stepped forward to deflect the bullets.
A wall of ice extending from her grip covered the front of the cabin, blocking the bullets.
Siris gritted her teeth at the powerful blast hitting the transparent ice wall.Her eyes quickly darkened with murderous intent.
"You trash of a man."
"Um, Lady Siris? You can't kill him. I believe he's Qwaul Ganesto. Or at least has something to do with him. I haven't heard of a portable hand cannon of this level before."
Bang, bang, bang!
The hand cannon continued firing as Jin spoke.
In a matter of seconds, the entire scene was obscured by black smoke.
"Then let me cut off both his arms."
"That sounds more fitting for Elder Sister Yona than for you, Lady Siris. Let's make him surrender and decide what to do with him afterward."
Jin leaped out of the ice wall.
Creating a sword wind as he swept through the nearby smoke, Jin encountered an unexpected sight.
'Have these weapons been installed already?'
Unidentified blue rods protruded among the strangely bent trees.
In between, there were objects resembling muzzles and cannons.
The ground, once covered in weeds, had turned into a flat metal surface.
The intricate lines on the ground emitted a vibration implying it could transform into traps similar to the defensive equipment of the fortress.
All of this had changed in less than 10 seconds.
'As surprising as when I met Lady Amela.'
Back then, Amela's murky Chaos Energy amplified, but the changes brought about by the man were solely the result of pure magical engineering.
As expected, the trap was activated as soon as Jin stepped onto the metal ground.
Lines extended, and sharp hooks protruded from within, latching onto his ankles.
Of course, the engineering was impressive. Probably not for an ordinary martial artist, though.
Not even a 7-star Warrior or above would have been able to withstand some of the traps from that man.
But the opponents were Jin and Siris.
The hooks broke without leaving a scratch on Jin's Shadow Energy Armor.
It wasn't to the point where he couldn't avoid it, but he deliberately opened the armor to test the power.
Not bad to feel my ankles weighing me down.
It would be quite effective if installed in Tikan.
For Jin, who had activated his Shadow Energy Armor, it was of a considerable level, and it had a cutting force that could easily sever even the ankles of well-trained Knights as if cutting through butter.
Next, a cannonball grazed Jin's back.
Similarly, Jin felt satisfied by the slight sensation of pain in his lower back.
The bright net that attacked him next was also inevitable.
The net is so tough that it's hard to cut even with an 8-star strike...
This would be useful too.
Rip!
Jin smiled as he tore the net with his hands.
In a way, Jin had already decided to recruit that man.
Whether he was Qwaul or not, regardless of his personality or intentions.
There was no need to worry about those things because he had the ability.
It was unacceptable for such a person to belong to the enemy.
Especially in times like these.
If the man was human trash, he would force him to work; if he was a man he could communicate with, he would be generous, and if he was loyal to Zipple, he would break his spirit.
He was by no means a person to be in Zipple.
And suddenly, a thought crossed Jin's mind:
What if that man could mass-produce such objects?
If so, wouldn't the era of Knights come to an end?
The next moment, Jin felt even more of that bittersweet sensation.
Something is obstructing aura concentration...
It wasn't at a critical level.
Originally, a hundred auras would gather even if he used his energy as naturally as breathing, but now, it condensed to about ninety-five.
However, this was only when relying on the general standard of a martial artist.
Because Jin's aura affinity far exceeded the general standard.
Even this would be fatal for an ordinary martial artist, and assuming Jin was also dealing with a person equivalent to a superhuman, it was a dangerously close phenomenon.
Siris also had a stiff expression, as if she sensed the same thing.
There would be no problem in subduing the man, but as a warrior, it was inevitable to feel surprised.
She quickly rolled her eyes to find the presumed causative element.
The rods emerging through the gaps in the trees were the cause.
The strange energy emanating from the rods was disrupting the flow of aura.
The rods only affected aura.
The mana and Shadow Energy that Jin tested were not hindered by this flow.
For a moment, a chill ran down his spine.
If that man was Qwaul Ganesto, then the reason he was crafting that rod artifact would be to aid Zipple in facing Runcandel.
Like the blueprints of the production ship and the teleportation device.
Verification of the man's magical engineering artifacts was complete.
Jin burst his aura in an instant, diverting the traps and projectiles that were about to envelop him.
As he rushed forward, the ground he stepped on exploded, sending debris flying.
It wasn't the traps that exploded, but rather the explosion occurred due to the discharge of his aura.
Sigmund's blue lightning energy fiercely rebounded against the man's artifacts.
Most of the artifacts were instantly disabled or destroyed, but the rod remained steadfast, apparently on a completely different level among his creations.
Nevertheless, Jin had no intention of breaking the rods. It would be foolish to damage something so precious.
"Tingen Bauer."
Before Tingen could even blink, Jin's voice, which had been in front of him, resonated from behind.
Of course, being a person capable of fortifying the entire space in an instant, the man also wore a plethora of defensive artifacts to protect himself.
But Jin's figure was visible from the front, his voice heard from behind, and even before he finished uttering his words, a sword pierced through the man's left side.
Moreover, as soon as the shield on the left side broke, the same happened on the right.
The blue lightning energy spreading like light struck all around before he could realize.
"Who are you! How do you know me and found this place?"
As the man admitted he was Tingen, Jin smiled inwardly again.
The distressing feeling that things were going too well had completely disappeared.
Only the thought remained that he had struck gold in the middle of a jackpot, and he shouldn't waste it.
"Some kind of headhunter?"
When the shields all exploded at once, Tingen's body was thrown backward.
Normally, with such a jolt, the impact would reach the human inside the shield.
'He told me not to kill him, yet he's treating him more violently... Wait, did he completely eliminate only the shields?'
However, Jin's attacks surprisingly only completely destroyed the shield, and only thanks to the wind spell did Tingen's body float and avoid damage.
Jin gently held Tingen before he could slam against the hard metal floor.
Siris watched him and inwardly clicked her tongue because she felt the gap again.
Jin Runcandel always goes far ahead every time we meet...
Siris no longer resented Jin's achievements being much faster than hers.
She genuinely cared for him and, above all, knew how he had gained that power and what paths he had walked.
Somehow, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
"I can't afford to harm your precious body. Tingen Bauer. No, Qwaul Ganesto."
This time, Tingen felt a shiver down his spine at the mention of his name.
As far as Tingen knew, there wasn't a single person in the world, except himself, who knew that name.
Not even the Patriarch of Zipple, where he had worked until recently.
"What did you just say...?"
"Qwaul Ganesto, descendant of Lokia Ganesto, one of the ten great knights of ancient Runcandel. Judging by the reaction, I'm pretty sure it's you."
Pee-!
A flash of light burst from Qwaul's handle.
It was an artifact similar to Tzenmi's flash cannon that obscured the opponent's vision.
Jin raised a handful of Shadow Energy and completely swallowed the light from the artifact.
Long ago, he had surpassed the level where such a trick worked against him.
"I am Jin Runcandel, the current Twelfth Flagbearer of Runcandel and the rightful heir of the ancient Runcandel."
"What the hell are you suddenly talking about?"
"That's what I want to ask. Why is the descendant of the Ten Great Knights working for Zipple?"
Jin sincerely didn't believe it.
To be honest, if the family they originally dedicated themselves to didn't protect them or remember them after a thousand years, they would have no choice but to betray to survive.
"Hey, do you think it makes sense? Even a passing dog or blade of grass would laugh at that claim."
"Without delving into events from a thousand years ago, you have made numerous contributions to Zipple. That alone should be reason enough for you to die by Runcandel's sword. As you said, I am a headhunter. Whether that turns into a recruitment or a true beheading depends on you."
"Hah, in that case, it's a refusal. Kill me if you can."
"You surrender too easily."
"You just attacked me a moment ago. How many skills do you think you need to confirm from me? How interested do you think I am? You'll never be able to kill me. Didn't you just say a moment ago that you wouldn't harm my precious body?"
"That's right. So I'm thinking about how we can work together a little better. Forced labor is always painful, isn't it? Judging by the way you live, it seems there's something wrong between Zipple and you. As the saying goes, all that glitters is not gold."
"Do you want to have a conversation with me?"
Jin nodded.
"Not like you, who attacked me suddenly with a mana cannon."
"Let me burn a few cigarettes and we'll talk again."
"Whatever you want."
After smoking five cigarettes in a row, Tingen said:
"I'll consider leaving this cabin if you answer some questions and meet the conditions I propose."
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KO-FI
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