Chapter 78: Unfinished Business
Reyn leaned against a broken pillar, arms crossed, staring at the bound assassins. The leader, Greedy Fang, was still unconscious, while his men squirmed under the weight of silence. The dim glow of the dungeon core cast eerie shadows on their anxious faces.
"So," Reyn said, rolling his shoulders, "who sent you?"
The assassins avoided his gaze. The ones still conscious looked anywhere but at him, their lips tightly sealed. Reyn sighed.
"Alright, let's try an easier one. Who paid you?"
Silence.
Reyn rubbed his temple. This is going to be annoying.
His fingers twitched, and mana pulsed through his veins. The giant armord golem responded to his intent, letting out a low hum. The assassins flinched as the pressure in the room spiked.
"You do realize," Reyn continued, his tone flat, "I could let the golem handle you, right? It's newly repaired and probably looking to test its strength again."
The golem, standing beside them like an unmovable statue, suddenly shifted. Its eyes glowed with an ominous light. The assassins paled.
"I—I don't know the exact name," one of them stammered. "We were just given orders to grab you!"
"And bring me where?"
"To the boss!"
Reyn narrowed his eyes. "Which is…?"
Before the assassin could respond, a rough chuckle interrupted them.
Greedy Fang groaned as he shifted, slowly regaining consciousness. His body ached from the beating Reyn had given him, but his pride remained intact. He glanced at his men and scoffed.
"Cowards." His voice was hoarse but filled with disdain. He spat blood onto the ground and lifted his gaze to Reyn. "You really think you scared them into talking? Pathetic."
Reyn raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And you're the fearless one?"
Fang smirked. "Damn right." He stretched his neck and sighed. "Not like it matters now. You're already dead—just don't know it yet."
Reyn crossed his arms. "Enlighten me."
Fang's smirk widened. "We were just a small group. Sent to grab you. The real force? Fifty others, along with the boss, are out hunting your teacher." His eyes glinted with amusement. "And when they find out we failed? They'll come for you next."
Reyn let out a slow breath. His expression didn't change.
Fang leaned forward, his bindings tightening against his wrists. "You think this is over just because you won a little skirmish? No. They'll make you suffer until you beg to tell them where your teacher is."
Reyn remained silent for a moment, absorbing the information. Then, to Fang's surprise, he let out a small chuckle.
"That so?" Reyn muttered.
He paced in front of them, his eyes sharp. "You know… given the era we live in and the type of people you guys work for, I'm gonna guess they don't actually care about you. Not even a little."
Fang's smirk faltered.
"In fact," Reyn continued, "I'd bet they'll kill you the second they find out you spilled information." He stopped and crouched in front of Fang. "Am I wrong?"
The silence spoke volumes. Fang's jaw clenched.
One of the assassins, sweating, blurted out, "Wait! We don't know exactly who, but our employer is from the northern dukedom—one of the nobles there!"
Reyn's eyes sharpened. "A noble?"
The assassin swallowed hard. "That's all we know. We're just mercenaries. The boss handled the real negotiations."
Another assassin, fear evident in his eyes, hesitated before speaking. "It's not just them… We've heard rumors that nobles from the eastern and northeastern dukedoms have also sent people after you and your master."
Reyn frowned. "Why?"
The assassin hesitated. "Because of the weapons… his weapons. The Blacksmith of a Thousand Tales." He gulped. "They want him and his creations under their control. Some want to buy him… others want to force him into servitude."
Reyn's expression darkened.
So it's not just some isolated attack. There are multiple nobles from different regions after us…
He turned to the armored golem, placing a hand on its chest plate. Mana pulsed from his fingers, activating the runes embedded in its core.
"Don't let them escape," he instructed. "If they try anything, reinforce the bindings. Oh, and feel free to rough them up if they get any funny ideas."
The golem's eyes flared.
The assassins collectively tensed.
Reyn gave them a lazy wave. "See ya."
And with that, he walked out, leaving them under the golem's unwavering watch.
As he stepped out of the dungeon, he was met with the sight of the academy's professors waiting for him. They had no idea what had just happened underground. Instead, they greeted him with warm smiles, holding out a formal-looking document.
"Congratulations, Reyn," one of them said, handing him the certificate. "You are now a full-fledged mage and graduate."
Reyn took the parchment, his fingers brushing over the embossed seal. A full-fledged mage, huh? He smirked slightly. His father would've laughed, saying he was always meant to wield a hammer, not magic. But now? He was both. And with this, he could finally put his real plans in motion.
Before he could dwell on it further, the ground trembled. A strange pulse ran through the air—like a heartbeat beneath stone.
Then, a deafening explosion shattered the sky.
Smoke and fire erupted from the academy grounds, sending a shockwave that rattled the very foundation beneath their feet. The professors spun around, eyes wide with alarm.
"No…" one of them whispered.
The teachers immediately rushed toward the chaos, but Reyn didn't follow right away. Instead, he calmly tucked the certificate away and began walking toward the school, unfazed by the explosion. His mind wasn't on whatever had just happened—it was on the path ahead.
Now that I'm officially recognized as a mage, things can finally start moving forward.
When he arrived at the academy, signs of battle were everywhere. Ice slicked the hallways, making the floor dangerously slippery. He stepped carefully, noting how the frozen trails seemed to weave chaotically through the corridors, as if someone had been moving at high speed.
Further ahead, deep scorch marks marred the stone walls—cracks and burns that made it look as though lightning had struck inside the building. Ice and lightning magic? he mused. Looks like someone went all out.
Continuing his search, Reyn rounded a corner and nearly bumped into Alistor. His friend's clothes were slightly singed, and his hair looked a bit frizzed—signs that he had been caught in whatever chaos had unfolded.
Reyn raised an eyebrow. "What happened here?"
Alistor exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his head. "You're not gonna believe this…"
Alistor scanned the hallway before leaning in close to Reyn, lowering his voice.
"Darius passed the Ice Trial yesterday. The Shiva Sisters accepted him."
Reyn smirked, nodding in approval. "Figured he would. He's been working toward that for a while."
Alistor exhaled before continuing, eyes darting around. "Then he announced to everyone that he's been in a secret relationship with Elena."
Reyn raised an eyebrow, then chuckled. "Ahh, young love. It always leads to chaos."
Alistor gave him a look. "Yeah, well, today that chaos came in the form of Celeste trying to kill him."
Reyn's expression didn't change. "She's mad?"
Then, as if he couldn't hold it in, he laughed. "You should've seen Celeste, though. She was furious. Well, she did catch her precious little sister making out with him in secret."
"Mad?!" Alistor nearly choked. "She summoned Odin the second she saw him!"
Reyn still wasn't fazed. "That tracks. She passed the trial and has the strength to call him, and she takes family stuff seriously."
Alistor threw his hands up. "That's all you have to say?! She was riding Odin—in full horse form—through the academy hurling lightning at Darius!"
Reyn sighed. "Yeah, yeah, but what about Darius?"
"That's the crazy part," Alistor said, eyes lighting up. "He summoned the Shiva Sisters, and they turned into some motorcycle form—similar to the one in that book you gave me."
Alistor practically bounced with excitement. "Reyn, it was so cool!"
Darius's new mount was a masterpiece of ice and steel—a sleek, futuristic motorcycle that gleamed under the academy lights. The frame was a deep blue, almost crystalline in its transparency, with frozen veins of mana pulsing through its structure. Twin front wheels, crafted from solid ice, moved in perfect synchronization, glowing softly as they cut across the ground. The back half split into two jagged yet elegant frost-bladed constructs, resembling the forms of the Shiva Sisters in their humanoid state. Their ice-forged bodies wrapped around the core like living sculptures, their piercing blue eyes flickering like spirits bound to the machine.
As the bike roared to life, icy mist billowed from the wheels, leaving behind a frozen trail on the academy floor. It wasn't just for show—the ice was a natural counter to Celeste's relentless lightning strikes, creating barriers of frost to absorb and deflect the scorching blasts. The moment Darius hit full speed, the bike became a blur of ice and wind, tearing through the halls with unnatural grace.
Alistor practically shouted, "Dude, he was weaving through lightning bolts like it was nothing! He even jumped off the second-floor balcony, landed on one of the courtyard statues, and kept going! It was insane!"
Reyn raised an eyebrow. "And you were just standing there watching?"
"Well, yeah," Alistor said, as if that were obvious. "How could I not? It was awesome!"
Reyn shook his head in amusement. "Alright, so Darius is on an ice-bike, Celeste is chasing him on a lightning horse, and the school is just letting this happen?"
"The professors tried to step in," Alistor said, still grinning. "But Celeste told them it was 'family business.' And honestly? She's way above their level. If they get between her and Darius, they'll get fried."
Reyn chuckled again. "And all because of young love… You'd think the world was ending."
"Reyn," Alistor said flatly. "She just blasted a hole through the east courtyard."
Reyn stopped laughing. "Okay, maybe it is ending."
As Darius and Celeste tore through the academy, the chaos left students and faculty in a state of shock.
A group of first-years screamed and dove out of the way as Odin's hooves sparked against the marble floor, leaving black scorch marks in his wake. "What is happening?!" one of them shrieked.
A pair of upperclassmen, sipping tea at an outdoor café near the courtyard, simply watched as Darius ramped his bike off a statue and flipped midair over an archway. One of them raised an eyebrow. "Huh. I didn't know he could do that."
A noble student in pristine robes huffed in outrage as an ice wave shot past him, covering the hem of his garments in frost. "Unacceptable! Who do I report this to?!" His friend, barely dodging a stray lightning bolt, grabbed him by the arm. "Uh, dude? Maybe now isn't the time."
Even the academy staff were losing their patience. One professor, standing frozen in place, muttered, "I don't get paid enough for this."
Alistor smirked. "And just when Celeste almost caught Darius—like she was inches away from zapping him into oblivion—guess who showed up?"
Reyn tilted his head. "Elena?"
"Elena!" Alistor said, throwing his arms in the air. "She stepped right in front of Celeste's attack! I swear, for a second, I thought we were about to see a sisterly murder happen on school grounds."
Reyn let out a low whistle. "And?"
"Celeste stopped at the last second," Alistor said, shaking his head. "She was furious, but she didn't fry Elena. Instead, she just screamed at her for a full minute about how she's ruining her life or whatever. And then—just as things were about to get really messy—the teachers finally showed up."
Reyn raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess. Elena saved the day?"
Alistor laughed, shaking his head. "Not quite. Celeste might be furious, but she's wildly protective of Elena. When she saw Elena standing in the way, she snapped back for a moment—about to strike. But then she saw her little sister standing there, her sweet little angel of a sister who had no idea what was happening, and it was like a switch flipped."
Reyn gave him a curious look. "Celeste would never hurt her sister, huh?"
"Not a chance," Alistor confirmed. "Elena's the one thing that can ground Celeste. Elena's innocent, pure—totally different from Celeste's stormy, fiery personality. She's always been the one thing Celeste would protect at all costs, even if she has to destroy everything around her to do it."
Reyn smiled slightly. "Sounds like the sisterly bond runs deep."
"It's more than deep," Alistor said. "It's unbreakable. Celeste's crazy, but when it comes to Elena, she'd burn the world down to keep her safe."
Reyn nodded, a bit of admiration for the older sister sneaking into his expression. "And then the teachers?"
"Oh yeah, they were livid," Alistor confirmed. "They told Celeste and Darius they have to fix all the damage. And I mean all of it. Every broken wall, every cracked floor, every piece of ice and lightning residue."
Reyn smirked. "Well, that's fair."
Alistor snorted. "Fair? Dude, the east courtyard looks like a battlefield. They'll be fixing it for days."
Reyn shrugged. "That's what they get for causing such a scene."
Alistor sighed. "Still… it was really cool to watch."
After a brief pause, Reyn smirked. "So, how've you been holding up?"
Alistor stretched his arms, groaning. "Well, aside from nearly slipping and cracking my skull on the ice this morning, I'm doing fine." He grinned. "What about you? You're officially a full-fledged mage now, right?"
Reyn shrugged. "Yeah. Not much has changed, though.
Alistor rolled his eyes. "Come on, that's gotta feel at least a little good."
Reyn chuckled. "Maybe a little. But now I can finally start moving forward with my real plans."
Alistor gave him a curious look but decided not to press. Instead, he nodded. "Well, congrats anyway. You're one step closer to whatever grand scheme you're cooking up."
The two chatted for a few more minutes before Reyn casually said, "Oh, by the way, meet me at my forge in two days."
Alistor raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Reyn smirked. "Because I'm leaving soon."
Alistor's expression shifted, eyes narrowing slightly. "Leaving? Where to?"
Reyn simply shrugged. "You'll find out when the time comes."
Alistor sighed. "You're always so cryptic." But then he grinned. "Fine, I'll be there."
Once Alistor was gone, Reyn reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small, metal bird golem. He ran a finger over the rune-etched surface, activating its recording function.
With a knowing smirk, he spoke into it.
"Hey, Garret. Remember what I mentioned earlier? I'm done with my test now. Meet me at the Adventurers' Guild… and just go with it. I'm about to put on a show."
He tapped the bird's head, and with a soft hum of magic, it took flight, zipping through the halls and out into the city.
Reyn exhaled, rolling his shoulders. Time to make things interesting.