It seemed as though Ryan had been flying through a colorful tunnel for an eternity. Then, a bright light flashed, and he finally felt himself emerging from the tunnel. He opened his eyes to find that he was still lying in the sleeping bag in the recessed shelter.
Looking around, Ryan noticed the plants were slightly wilted. It was clear that the battle in that world had drained them of too much energy. He hurriedly took them back to Tim Hortans.
After that, Ryan began to inspect the Tim Hortans grocery store, discovering that the sunlight crystals inside were nearly depleted. It was clear that there was some connection between the world he had just visited and the real world.
Ryan took out the knight's sword once more, only to find that while its appearance was intact, all of its magical runes and even the structure of the sword had collapsed. He lightly tossed the sword onto the ground, and it shattered like glass.
It seemed that whatever happened in that world had consequences that extended into the real world. Fortunately, Ryan had managed to escape in that world, or he would have been dead for sure.
Ryan had to give credit to Tim Hortans Grocery Store— even in that strange world, it had provided a means of contact and assistance. Without it, Ryan, who was unable to use most of his abilities, would have faced great difficulty.
After checking all his belongings, Ryan pulled out his pocket watch and was surprised to see it was already four o'clock in the afternoon. He glanced one last time at the altar, which now appeared to be nothing more than a pile of ordinary stones, and quickly ran down the path to the entrance.
Switching to a broomstick, then using the Floo Network and a taxi, Ryan managed to get back to his homestay just before dinner.
After dinner, feeling exhausted, Ryan decided to head to bed early. As he lay there, he couldn't stop thinking about the source of the treasure map. After all, no one related to the altar had survived to spread the word. So, what was going on with this ancient treasure map, and how did they know about it? Ryan made up his mind to visit Saga Street the next day to find out.
Exhausted, Ryan fell asleep quickly, sinking into a dreamless slumber.
The following morning, Ryan woke up feeling refreshed. After breakfast, he bid his parents goodbye and went straight to Saga Street to track down the vampire thief and figure out what was going on with the parchment map.
Before entering Saga Street, Ryan used a quick-acting hair dye, contact lenses, and makeup to transform his appearance, creating the persona of a half-Eurasian tourist from America. He was able to speak in fluent American English, thanks to a life English class he had taken.
Instead of directly searching the street, Ryan decided to revisit some areas he hadn't carefully explored the last time. While shopping, he kept an eye on the situation around him.
There were plenty of interesting shops in the areas he had missed before. For example, one store sold specialty foods, most of which could be classified as biological weapons— canned herring from Sweden, fermented shark meat, and Kiwiak, a food that required petrels to be stuffed into the belly of seals and left to ferment for two to three years.
Though these items were unique to the north, Ryan figured they wouldn't make for good gifts. Giving them to friends would likely result in some serious misunderstandings.
Ryan bought some other items from a different store—magic potion-enhanced fish oil made from deep-sea fish caught with magical assistance. This fish oil was far superior to industrially-produced versions and could also be used by Muggles. He picked up a few jars with his pocket money and planned to give them to his parents when he returned.
Since this commercial street sat at the crossroads of Europe and the United States, many wizards were passing through. Ryan even saw a sixth-year Hufflepuff student shopping there. However, since he was pretending to be someone else, he couldn't just approach and say hello.
As Ryan was finishing his meal around noon, he saw the thief he had encountered earlier. Ryan had to admit that wizards weren't very protective of thieves— a figure wearing a hoodie with a low brim and sneaking through the street would be caught almost immediately if they were walking in a Muggle area.
Ryan finished the last bite of his black pepper roast lamb shank, then set down his knife and fork before heading out to follow the thief. His tracking skills, courtesy of his Assassin Legacy, worked wonders— the thief never noticed he was being followed.
The thief moved swiftly, and his victim didn't even realize his wallet had been taken. It seemed not every wizard used a magical wallet with anti-theft protection. When the thief reached a hidden corridor between two houses covered with a large pictorial to hide the dirt, Ryan dropped down on him from above once again.
After stripping the thief down to his underwear, Ryan tied him up, covered his eyes with a handkerchief, and poured the remaining half-bottle of whisky into the thief's mouth.
After a violent coughing fit, the thief regained consciousness and began struggling when he realized he couldn't see. However, bound and helpless, his struggles were futile. Ryan took out a crowbar and began following the techniques from his Assassin Legacy.
"Who are you? What do you want?" The thief's voice rose in alarm.
"This isn't about asking questions. Answer mine now," Ryan demanded, applying pressure as he spoke.
The vampire thief's voice became sharp with realization. "Are you the one from last time?"
Ryan didn't answer. "Don't ask questions. Just answer mine quickly," he pressed, continuing his methodical interrogation.
The thief's lips twitched as if preparing to cast a curse. Ryan swiftly struck his mouth with the crowbar, knocking out a fang along with half of the thief's teeth. Ryan saw a flash of red light in his throat— it looked like the vampire thief had tried to cast a curse but had suffered backlash from the magic. Or perhaps it was from the concussion or the effects of the alcohol. Regardless, Ryan felt that the thief's soul was becoming disoriented.
Taking advantage of the moment, Ryan used his newly learned Soul Soothing Technique, which calmed the thief's disturbed soul. Though the magic was meant to soothe, it was also effective in getting someone to tell the truth in some cases.
The spell had a better effect than Ryan had expected. With the thief already disoriented, Ryan asked again: "Where did the parchment map come from?"
"I made it myself," the thief murmured faintly.
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