The Elusive Sorcerer

Chapter 154

After spending the morning and afternoon accompanying Mine, who was being treated in a large ward alongside other patients at the hospital, Zavi stood beside the window. His gaze swept across everything below, where a thin mist gave the scenery a magical and exotic atmosphere.

Spending too much time in the hospital sometimes bored Zavi. He had also told Hana to take good care of their friend, while Aaron remained vigilant against demons and supernatural creatures of that sort, genuinely wanting to kill them.

At first, Zavi had wanted to retrieve the Level 4 artifact, the Hoisline Fan, from the "The World" category. However, that effort never came to pass because he was currently having a difficult time searching for demons and also investigating who exactly "Jack the Ripper" was.

Was he also from Earth? Or was it the opposite?

Zavi was truly curious about the existence of the man named Norwich, as well as the mysterious Level 5 evil spirit entity, Mastering.

At the moment, Aaron was standing guard outside the ward, having found someone his own age to chat with the previous night.

Zavi wanted to join in, but abandoned the idea because he was currently formulating an important plan for tonight's movements.

"Are you feeling better?" Zavi asked with sympathy.

Mine, lying weakly beneath a blanket that covered her from the stomach down, slowly glanced at Zavi, and her lips trembled as she spoke softly:

"I'm fine. Fortunately, that claw strike..."

A gentle pat landed on Mine's shoulder, conveying a warmth that instantly shattered those thoughts.

Hana shook her head with a troubled expression.

"It seems Lamena is quite the prankster, huh? Someone who nearly died and is lying here weak, yet you're dragging her into a conversation."

Zavi realized there was some truth in those words. However, what he had said earlier was merely an expression of concern over his mistake of entrusting the Hoisline Fan artifact to her.

"Yeah, yeah, I was wrong. I won't do it again."

After saying that, Zavi straightened his posture. His gaze swept over the sick patients lying in their beds, their caretakers, and the nurses for several seconds before he strode steadily toward the door.

He did not want to linger here any longer, and in a few more hours the sun would set, bringing back the night world filled with human conflicts and supernatural matters.

Two steps outside the door, he glanced to the left, looking at Aaron and a white-haired man. Zavi tipped his bamboo hat before moving to the right with a faint smile on his face.

Passing nurses, patients, and visitors alike, Zavi eventually left the hospital, walking along a narrow path lined with gardens and relaxation areas before blending into the flow of people on the streets.

Zavi's goal was simple. He wanted to take a short walk before heading to his main destination: YinUing Bar.

Zavi smiled faintly after realizing how far he had come to survive the bounty hunters. He had escaped death countless times and could now stroll leisurely without worrying about anything.

'Phew, 285 Pace is in my hands now. I'm not sure whether this is a dream or not. Holding this much money makes me feel like I'm walking through a world balanced on a single fragile strand of hair.'

After muttering to himself, he shook his head and refocused on enjoying life before everything came to an end.

Several hours passed as swiftly as death itself as streaks of golden-orange light illuminated the world from the western horizon.

People returning from office work and other jobs stopped to admire the beauty of the sunset, allowing themselves to forget, if only for a moment, the exhaustion of earning money and the stress of work.

One word perfectly suited that moment.

"Gem."

Not only that, but the mist and steam that had previously filled the main roads and all of Ource vanished for a while, as though they were incapable of obscuring the beauty radiated by the sun.

However, the sunset did not last long before a full moon with beautiful and magical blue light took over the sun's duty as the shining force that pushed back the ferocity of the night.

Still in Ource, specifically in Dolly Alley, Zavi entered the alley where YinUing Bar was located, and there, at exactly 6:45 PM, he encountered Luis and another man dressed in luxurious formal attire.

'Another noble?'

Zavi briefly shook his head as he strode steadily toward them. His gaze sharpened as he played the role of James Moriarty.

....

The two immediately reacted upon seeing the familiar figure approaching them.

Luis greeted James Moriarty with a friendly smile and his usual extroverted demeanor.

"Welcome, Mr. James Moriarty."

"..."

James Moriarty stared at them indifferently for several seconds.

'Ah, I forgot. Mr. James Moriarty is famous for being cold and indifferent toward lower-class people like me.'

Luis thought about that for a moment and nodded.

Still, he did not care much about class or anything like that, because Luis himself knew that there were a handful of good nobles out there, including Evelina Kalderan.

"Excuse me," said the man wearing a top hat who stood beside Luis. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Luifis, and I am the representative sent by Miss Evelina Kalderan to participate in this mission."

Luifis paused briefly. His gaze swept around cautiously, as though he did not want anyone other than the three of them to hear.

After confirming that no bar patrons were standing behind him, he quickly added:

"And Miss Evelina Kalderan will arrive a few minutes later."

'She's in the bar's secret room,' Luifis added inwardly while suppressing a groan.

Not long after they discussed it, the elegant figure of Evelina, dressed in a formal red gown and wearing her beautiful face, emerged from YinUing Bar without any bodyguards.

She did not care whether anyone might follow her or harbor ill intentions toward her. The bar's regular patrons already knew that the place thrived because of Evelina's presence, and the bartender and staff were always there to protect her in and around the alley.

Evelina slowly descended the small staircase, accompanied by the echoing clicks of her high heels.

"Sorry I'm late." Evelina spoke softly as she approached them. "Was Moriarty bored waiting for me?"

James Moriarty placed a calm smile on his cold face.

"Waiting isn't boring when there's money involved."

At first, Evelina was surprised by the unexpected remark, but after a few seconds she chuckled while covering her mouth.

"So Moriarty is good at making jokes too."

James Moriarty looked at Luis, knowing exactly what was going through his mind.

"Miss should give Luis a higher salary. He's the one who taught me how to joke."

Luis's pupils widened before the corners of his lips curled upward into a faint grin.

'Sir, you've saved my life with that joke.'

Luis knew he had never taught him anything. However, being ninety percent certain that his salary would increase, he waited for Evelina's response with a hopeful expression.

"Well, I'll consider that 'salary raise' suggestion. For now, let's focus on our objective."

Evelina fell silent for a moment to calm the thoughts flashing through her mind.

Then she looked at Luifis for two seconds and firmly asked, "Have you done what I told you to do?"

With professional composure, Luifis removed his top hat, placed it against his chest, slightly bowed, and replied in a somewhat flat tone:

"I have prepared everything according to Miss Kalderan's instructions."

Evelina smiled in relief.

"Excellent. I don't think I need to worry about it anymore."

She straightened her gaze again, looking intensely at James Moriarty standing before her.

"Let's move. We have more time than they think," Evelina said firmly and clearly.

James Moriarty immediately followed as the two men escorted Evelina, walking behind her.

'This really feels like escorting a princess.'

Traveling through Dolly Alley, they eventually arrived at the outskirts of Ource using Evelina Kalderan's private horse carriage. Naturally, they did not disembark directly at the target location, instead keeping a distance of several hundred meters to avoid arousing suspicion.

With weapons such as pistols, revolvers, and Luis's hammer, Zavi did not need to think about using supernatural abilities to defeat them after learning that all three of them would participate in the operation. Their role was simply to eliminate reinforcements and support Zavi from behind.

That was highly advantageous for Zavi, especially since he was going through difficult times. He knew danger always came at night, and he knew danger was never marked on a calendar.

....

James Moriarty, who served as the mastermind behind the operation to drive out, or more accurately slaughter, a group of extortionists, needed only ten minutes for everyone to understand the plan.

Aware that the strategy had two weaknesses, James Moriarty did not dwell on them, or rather, believed everything would be over before those concerns materialized.

The arrival of the Tenano and Vusovius Security Departments.

James Moriarty looked at them for two seconds and said in his cold, flat voice:

"More importantly, the three of you must keep an eye on one thing. If the man named Wohel is really as Mr. Luis described, then I will deal with him myself."

The moment those words were spoken, Luis's imagination ran wild as he wanted to witness James Moriarty cutting down enemies with his own eyes.

He smiled inwardly, unaware of the spectacle to come.

"But is Moriarty really confident that this plan will succeed?"

At first, Zavi wanted to answer, "Not really," because the plan was not exactly what he had envisioned. However, that would damage James Moriarty's image, so Zavi was forced to believe in his own plan.

"Are you doubting my plan?" James Moriarty asked with a sharp and intimidating gaze.

Evelina's face fell as cold sweat slowly formed on her skin.

"No, no. I believe in your plan," Evelina replied awkwardly.

James Moriarty looked at them both for two seconds and calmly said, "The two of you can move now and take Miss Evelina with you."

"Yes, Mr. James Moriarty..." they answered in unison. They stood straight and looked at Evelina, who remained motionless like a living statue.

Evelina was silent not because of some trivial reason, but because she was thinking about how insane it was to bring James Moriarty along on this operation.

'I know who Mr. James Moriarty is, the cold criminal.'

She looked at James Moriarty with a face full of doubt before finally stepping away from the terrace of the closed bookstore building.

Hundreds of meters away from Clesteal Bookstore, James Moriarty walked alone along a narrow road that led deeper into the outskirts of Ource.

The location was far from the building where James Moriarty had hunted the bandit gang. Although it was also situated on the border between two districts, the outskirts were more than just a territorial boundary.

There stood a tall bamboo fortification arranged in neat layers, separating the technological progress and prosperity of Semilir from the decline and filth of an area nearly as large as Ource itself.

And it was not only in Ource. The outskirts stretched across many regions, including Kankun, Yaakan, and Ratastusan along the Vesuvius River border.

Several minutes after walking along the sidewalk, James Moriarty arrived at the outskirts of Ource, where tall bamboo fences stretched endlessly to the left and right, overgrown with wild grass as though protecting those who wished to invade the outskirts.

'Damn it, this is far from what I imagined.'

James Moriarty stared indifferently at the bamboo fences covered in thick vegetation, realizing that Moran and this place were not so different after all.

A true dystopian intrigue.

Wandering without knowing the roads of the outskirts, James Moriarty felt the atmosphere change with every step.

Only silence, fear, and anger lingered in the air. Gathering, yet never dispersing.

After witnessing the condition of the outskirts with his own eyes, a serious expression, colder than before, became clearly visible on James Moriarty's face when he saw a middle-aged woman being beaten in the entrance of Alley Yan No. 87.

From a distance, James Moriarty calmly aimed his revolver directly at the head of a man wearing a disgusting expression, delighted by another person's suffering.

The veins bulged on his arm as James Moriarty tightened his grip on the revolver.

With a single breath, suddenly...

Bang...

The bullet shot forward at the speed of sound, slicing through the air before tearing through the man's flesh and skull.

The other man assaulting the middle-aged woman cried out in shock. The same was true of the middle-aged woman herself, who screamed hysterically after seeing thick red blood slowly pooling around her feet.

She could not say anything as her body suddenly lost its balance.

From afar, James Moriarty saw this and immediately approached while also noticing that the other man had become aware of his presence.

"Damn it... How dare you do that..."

Bang... Bang...

One shot struck James Moriarty directly in the shin, tearing through flesh and bone in an instant, yet healing within the blink of an eye.

Another bullet hit his upper thigh and produced the same result.

Realizing that the person before him was immune to gunfire, even though he had heard James Moriarty grunt in pain, the man continued backing away.

His index finger lost its strength as he held his pistol.

"W-What is happening...? W-Who are you really?"

"..."

James Moriarty stared at the man through his distorted vision for several seconds.

"What a pity. Earlier, you acted as though you were some great man with absolute power and authority. Now? You're crawling like a dog. No, even a dog has dignity, whereas you? You don't even deserve to breathe the air of this beautiful world."

Several seconds after those sharp words were spoken, the expressionless James Moriarty pulled the trigger.

Bang... Bang... Bang...

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