A-Rank Guild

Recently, the magic ‘Doppelganger’ obtained killing Burd’s guild member had excellent utility.

Doppelgangers receive no range restrictions. They move with the same thoughts as Pernok until the mana placed within is exhausted.

And the moment a doppelganger dies, remaining mana flows into the main body.

Though only one doppelganger maximum, it was excellent magic for confusing enemies.

As Pernok thought, Jake bit the bait eagerly.

‘The type who tries to make those he thinks weaker than himself kneel with power. Affiliated guilds brought along are simply for forming an encirclement. Jake is confident in frontal power fights.’

A moron pretending to be smart.

Jake should have been a fighting arena competitor, not a mercenary.

‘Since he diverted all main forces to the mountain, only affiliated guilds mainly for surveillance and encirclement remain here. Even those are spread wide, perfect for cutting down.’

Engraving in his head information secured when the doppelganger died, Pernok left the inn.

“Easy to disperse personnel.”

Pernok grinned and hid his body in shadows.

[Shadow Walking Lv.3]

Moves riding shadows.

Thinking Pernok might flee from the mountain range, all castle encirclement nets faced the mountain range direction.

A form extremely vulnerable to attacks penetrating from outside.

Moreover, even vigilance is loose.

Pernok hunted Flang’s dispersed affiliated guild members from outside.

“Be-Beast?”

“Why is this bastard…!?”

Divided into groups of five, but most were deployments specialized in surveillance and reporting.

To Pernok they were prey as easy as wringing chicken necks.

Utilizing level 5 mana and magic absorbed so far in the right places, he swept through streets so others wouldn’t notice.

Planning overall strategies and making momentary changes, using any means necessary to thoroughly corner enemies.

When corpses piled up, affiliated guilds widely deployed in the castle noticed the abnormality.

They gathered in one place, and Pernok transformed the artifact to glove form and walked out brazenly.

“Deploy the encirclement!”

“Where is the guild leader!”

“Block him for now! Hold him!”

The moment numerous level 4 and below magic burst out emitting colorful lights.

Pernok’s artifact exploded the power accumulated so far.

Over Impact.

Intense light swallowed all colors.

BANG!

A giant pit formed in the middle of the street.

When crowds who came hearing the commotion watched the affiliated guilds cooking inside the pit, Pernok’s body filled with mana and spiritual power.

Demon beasts hunted so far, and Sasak and Burd, and the mages absorbed here.

All those things filled Pernok completely, and.

Synchronization Rate – 19%

Finally his mana reached level 6.

No special joy at the level rising.

To Pernok, mana was merely a tool to sustain combat longer.

‘Not far from Spiritual Law’s offensive techniques.’

Roughly when reaching level 7 mage, this pathetically weak body rises to a level capable of drawing out part of Pernok’s spiritual power.

That’s when he’ll truly conquer the mountain range.

“Block him!”

“Pin him down until Flang arrives!”

Pernok tore through affiliated guilds, breaking through magic with Mana Reinforcement.

“Haaaat!”

Then a man wearing an equal rank qualification dropped from a building.

Swollen muscles with pulsing mana—a physical enhancement mage.

“Don’t try to block half-heartedly! Inflict maximum wounds! Grind him down!”

The man shouted while gathering mana in his fist.

Bestowing and amplifying mana in one part requires considerable sense and skill.

His training state looked faithful to basics too, and potential was quite decent.

‘Pass.’

Pernok clashed fists.

“Kugh!”

The man felt like his shoulder would dislocate. Even concentrating mana in one part, he couldn’t handle Pernok’s fist.

When caught in the illusion of a massive iron wall blocking him, Pernok rushed right before his nose.

“Want to know the principle?”

Seeing him immediately circulate mana to his left arm, he’s extremely skilled at mana conversion.

Hallam.

After seeing the name written on the equal rank qualification, Pernok nodded.

Fist Tiger who amplified mana in one body part to knock down even mid-grade demon beasts with one punch.

B-rank guild Bayble’s master, level 5 enhancement mage—this man.

“Some of you fight with resolve to die!”

When Hallam shouted, Bayble’s guild members scattered to form an encirclement.

Eyes resolved for death pleased him.

‘Looks like he has popular support too, will be useful in many ways.’

Pernok said while dodging Hallam’s fist strike.

“Talent is too precious to waste clinging to the likes of Flang.”

“You crazy bastard who doesn’t even know business ethics!”

“Who first tried to stamp me down in this place. If you have open ears, you heard.”

“So you killed people?”

“You who aimed blades at me are no different from demon beasts. Or should I have quietly died to Sasak and Burd in the mountain range?”

“There would have been more amicable solutions!”

“That’s why I’m saying I’ll spare Bayble now.”

Instantly Hallam’s eyes shook.

Massive mana reaching level 6 flowed from Pernok.

‘Not equal rank?’

Information transmitted to affiliated guilds was wrong.

Pernok was at minimum level 6—a butcher capable of waging war with Flang alone.

“You have value worth keeping alive.”

Pernok’s fist flying toward his abdomen was slow and clearly captured, but Hallam couldn’t dodge.

Because his body pressed down heavily as if sinking into a swamp.

Tap.

Pernok lightly pushed Hallam’s solar plexus.

“This is how you should use your mana bestowal.”

In that state, stamping one foot forward while rotating his waist, instantly all body’s mana sucked into his fist forming a spiral airflow.

“Repulsive force…”

He understood Pernok’s technique in this brief moment.

That was Hallam’s last consciousness.

Hallam fluttered like a puppet with cut strings then collapsed to the ground, coughing blood and unable to rise.

“Double!”

Then, from among crowds gathering at the commotion, an unpleasant voice disturbing Pernok’s concentration was heard.

“Goodness! Really a Double!”

Two men and women walked out.

They possessed mana no less than Jake’s.

“Two completely different natured magic can coexist in one human body!”

“So talk about Holy Kingdom’s high priests and Empire’s dukes being Doubles is true. Wow, doing accumulation enhancement and principle bestowal simultaneously? At high level too?”

Flang’s affiliated guilds flinched and shouted.

“Sallio! Enri!”

A-rank guilds dividing this city into thirds.

Flang, Clarity, Hunting Net.

The two who emerged leading affiliated guilds from Pernok’s west are Clarity and Hunting Net’s guild leaders.

The paladin-like man wearing silver armor, Clarity’s Sallio is an accumulation enhancement mage bestowing mana on weapons.

The red-haired woman wearing leather clothes like a coat, Hunting Net’s Enri is a principle bestowal mage overlaying poison.

Both are level 6 silver rank mercenaries.

Rio said they quite often shared quests and cooperated.

‘Quite hearty personalities who get along well, so they act together. Jake worried about these two allying and increased affiliated guild numbers.’

But the feeling of refined mana is below Jake’s.

When Pernok looked unflinchingly at those who appeared, Flang’s affiliated guilds were trembling.

“Wh-why are you bastards here!”

“Don’t tell me, you’re thinking to strike us…”

“Shut your mouth.”

Enri said while keeping her gaze fixed on me.

“We came all this way without rest because of your crushing sprouts.”

Sallio added.

“There was an association request to prevent damage from spreading in the city.”

Flang’s affiliated guild shouted desperately.

“We-we never requested mediation!”

Enri snorted.

“How ridiculous. Hey you stupid bastard. Is this a guild war? You strutted around trying to hunt one guy trusting your heads and became this mess! Whether there’s mediation or not because of your revenge battle! This side has an ‘obligation’ to observe!”

“When commotion grows in the city, corresponding mercenaries observe to control the scene. You know this rule too, Pernok?”

Sallio turned his gaze to Pernok.

Preventing city damage expansion is an actual regulation.

Because when mercenaries can’t settle mercenary work among themselves, the castle dispatches knight orders.

The moment nations intervene, there’s concern mercenaries’ freedom might be restricted, so city combat was generally avoided.

“Of course, I understand.”

When Pernok crossed his arms and smirked, Sallio’s brow twitched.

“Knowing that, you deliberately made this place a battlefield?”

“What can I do. This is the only method available to me alone.”

“You dragged in even innocent people.”

“I never once laid hands on unrelated people. If curious, look again slowly. Who are the people I knocked down.”

Sallio knows too, having watched from the start.

Surprisingly, Pernok didn’t injure anyone outside Flang’s affiliated guilds.

‘Could I have done it?’

Enemies keep pressing from the front, and crowds are deployed behind.

No matter what method employed, involving crowds can’t be avoided.

‘His mana manipulation exceeds mine or Enri’s. A step ahead of even Jake. I see why the branch leader directly deployed us two for firefighting.’

Sallio analyzed the situation coldly.

Newly establishing Pernok’s combat power in his head, he devised the best method for how to suppress him.

“Why is a mercenary pretending to be righteous like knights. Think blocking me now will end everything?”

“Kukukuk, Sallio definitely has old-fogey tendencies. Hey, newbie! You have excellent insight!”

“Enri! Not a situation for joking! Must finish before the castle intervenes!”

Enri clicked her tongue and shook her head.

“It was already too late when we arrived here.”

“Don’t tell me you’ll abandon observer qualifications.”

“No, you blockhead! Inserting us two at the point the incident erupted is meaningless! We should have intervened before Sasak did crushing sprouts not knowing their place!”

“We were on the mountain, what could we do?”

Enri stared at Pernok.

“Right, naturally impossible. That’s why I’m saying it’s already late. Have you seen Jake let go of prey he touched once?”

Sallio’s face hardened.

“Don’t mistake. We came to protect civilians. Not to stop that bastard!”

Enri clicked her tongue feeling massive mana rushing from the north.

Sallio’s expression also hardened.

“Anyway, that bastard Baltus. Only giving annoying obligations!”

“Jake, this crazy bastard!”

Sallio shouted to affiliated guilds.

“Never let anyone within 1km radius! Enri! You raise walls! Fulfill observer duties…”

“Too late. That bastard’s eyes rolled back.”

Mana surging explosively could be clearly felt even from afar.

“Beeeaaast!”

Roaring in anger, a beast-like man rushing violently whether roads shattered or not.

Unique-type mage Jake with bloodshot eyes holding heterogeneous mana didn’t seem to see Sallio and Enri as he directly deployed mana.

BOOM!

It seemed ready to swallow Pernok along with the whole street.

“Good.”

Not doppelganger memories but a different feeling conveyed from Jake faced directly.

Not because of his skill or the situation.

The bastard’s soul grasped through Soul Discernment was shining more brightly than Sallio and Enri.

As anger intensifies, the light also grows intense.

He can feel it without killing.

That he holds higher quality spiritual power than any mages killed so far.

“One more reason you should die has been added.”

Pernok’s mana reached its peak.