Chapter 32

"......."

As the sounds of the engine and the sight of flashing lights spilled beyond the wall, it was likely that everyone had taken notice of the complete encirclement of the warehouse vicinity.

With fearful looks directed at Lennok, everyone observed as he deliberately stiffened his expression before responding.

"Just guard the entrance. I'll take care of the rest."

Lennok stood out as the strongest person present, capable of exerting some control over the others in this location.

It was crucial to maintain composure and instill a sense of calmness among them.

Fortunately, the pyrokinetic who had allied with Lennok was positioned at the front. However, if the situation grew too perilous, they might abandon Lennok regardless.

As they contemplated their next move, the distant blare of horns grew louder.

They gripped their weapons tightly and waited.

Though hazy silhouettes were visible in the headlights, they never actually approached the warehouse. Perhaps they were waiting to assess the situation from a safe distance.

A long period of silence followed, broken not by the arrival of any vehicles at the entrance, but by movement along the warehouse wall.

Kwoong!!

The ground shook slightly as a loud noise erupted.

"Eeek...!!"

Amidst a horrified scream from someone, no one could deny the validity of their fear.

It didn't take long for them to discern the situation at hand.

The gang's vehicles encircling the warehouse were now colliding with the wall.

'They plan to completely surround us by bringing down the entire wall.'

The malicious intent to leave no survivors in this place was palpable, yet Lennok couldn't help but smirk.

How could the gang be so reckless as to crash into the wall in such a short time, thinking they had the upper hand?

Their move had made it abundantly clear.

The fate of those who would not survive in this place had already been sealed.

As soon as this thought crossed Lennok's mind, a sudden internal explosion illuminated the area.

Kwaahaaang!!

An earsplitting explosion emanated from behind, accompanied by a searing wave of heat that lightly moistened their backs.

The once-dark sky transformed into a fiery red hue as an intense wave of heat washed over them.

At that moment, everyone shared the same feeling and gazed upwards at the sky.

An old jeep, now ablaze, spun and tumbled through the air.

Kooowooong!!

The fiery red ball hurtled through the sky before finally crashing right in front of the warehouse, sending sparks flying in every direction.

While others were taken aback and dodged to avoid the sparks, Lennok remained unfazed and lost in thought.

'Even if it was swept away by the explosion, it shouldn't have flown this far... What's the reason?'

Lennok was intimately familiar with the formidable power of the [Claymore] magic he had set up.

The amount of mana invested and the modified effect's range had already been perfectly calibrated within his senses.

Despite the intensity of the explosion resulting from the collision with the vehicle's fuel, it was odd for such a massive explosion to send the car hurtling through the air.

As Lennok pondered, his gaze suddenly fell upon the oil flowing from the burning car, and his eyes lit up.

Although it was hard to discern amidst the flames, the oil emitted a deep fluorescent hue, quite distinct from ordinary oil.

Upon contact with heat, this special oil leaked from the vehicle and ignited in a violent blaze.

It appeared that the gang had been using an unconventional fuel for their vehicles, rather than standard gasoline.

This fortuitous discovery, coupled with Lennok's anticipation, resulted in a spectacular display in the night sky in mere moments.

Kwaang! Kwaahang!! Kwaahaang!!!

The explosions continued unabated, one after another.

Loud blasts echoed through the night sky, and fireballs rose like fireworks, illuminating the darkness.

The gang was now paying the price for their reckless charge, having entered the fray without any proper preparation.

As the ground trembled and the surroundings were illuminated like daylight, Lennok caught sight of the gang leader's face.

With a closely shaved head and a younger-looking visage than expected, the leader sported a long scar near the mouth and wore loose-fitting training clothes that failed to befit their dignity.

Standing next to the leader was another man, who held a slim and sly-looking staff and sported an eerie smile.

Lennok's eyes glimmered with recognition as he detected the faint mana emanating from the staff-wielding man.

'A wizard.'

This was the third time he had encountered a wizard.

Professor Aris Richellen, the tracer-type wizard who had been helping the scavengers, and this man.

And facing one head-on was practically his first time.

What kind of magic would he use? How should he respond? What is his primary magic type? What sinister system does he have?

Should he launch a preemptive strike, or should he focus on defense and wait for an opportunity to counterattack?

'I want to know.'

Seeing the wizard, Lennok quickly came up with dozens of thoughts and was slightly surprised to find himself consumed by his own thoughts.

"......."

Losing focus in front of hundreds of gang members was a perilous situation.

But Lennok found himself consumed by curiosity.

What sort of magic did the wizards of this world truly employ? What offensive tactics would they use to try and force certain outcomes? How would they attempt to block the magic that he wielded?

His reasoning and judgment, honed to perfection for a wizard's talents, were completely indulging in the moment, going beyond mere enjoyment.

Indeed, facing the tracer-type wizard he had met last time had felt too hollow.

He had been unable to prevent interference, and his magic had been detected in reverse, causing him to be momentarily overwhelmed by the overload.

But this wizard was different.

He was one of the two leaders commanding the gang at the forefront, and thus, he might be able to engage in a much higher level of combat.

".....Phew."

'...Calm down.'

Inhaling deeply, Lennok felt the smoke penetrate deep into his lungs.

As the drug's components swiftly circulated throughout his body, he experienced a dull sensation hitting the back of his head and a slight surge in strength.

Quickly regaining his composure, Lennok scanned his surroundings once more.

The impact of [Claymore] had been so explosive that it had punched a hole in the encirclement around the area.

It was absurd to think that around a hundred people could effectively block off an escape route, but at least now, there were gaps in their already limited forces.

Those standing before Lennok had come to the same realization, their faces now bearing a mix of emotions.

He extended his mana, swiftly scanning the surroundings once more.

'The remaining number of people is almost exactly a hundred.'

Furthermore, nearly all of the gang members had gathered in front of the warehouse site.

There was no justification for carelessness, but there was also no need to remain overly tense.

Lennok raised his right hand to his neck and invoked his mana.

Wooong!!

With the intense vibrations of his magic, his words resounded like thunder, echoing loudly through the area.

[How long are you just going to wait?]

"......!!!"

[Come in. You must have something to say.]

The cacophonous sound of the engines abruptly ceased.

Amidst the somewhat agitated murmurs of the bystanders, the sound of people exiting the vehicles could be heard.

The flames that had engulfed the completely wrecked vehicles vanished, and darkness once again enveloped the area.

In the dim darkness, the sound of people gradually approaching, step by step, became audible.

It was truly unusual for them to be entering the warehouse from the gang's side, especially under normal circumstances where they would have simply aimed to wipe out everyone present and secure the drug samples.

However, the destructive force of Lennok's pre-set [Claymore] magic was so great that the gang couldn't ignore it, causing them to hesitate and refrain from acting recklessly.

But Lennok, the architect of this situation, quietly pulled the person next to him closer and whispered in their ear.

"Tell the people in front that if they come in, close their eyes and shoot immediately."

"Yes... Yes?"

Seeing the man's strange expression, Lennok spoke once more.

"Close your eyes tightly and pull the trigger as soon as they come in. We need to reduce the number of people as much as possible to increase the chances of all of us surviving."

Thankfully, the man didn't utter any foolish remarks about cowardice or inappropriate behavior. Instead, he seemed to immediately grasp the situation and swiftly made his way towards the front.

After all, the approaching gang members were merely enemies who intended to encircle and slaughter them all.

It was nonsensical to speak of cowardice or impropriety when dealing with a gang no different from street criminals.

In the darkness, people quietly loaded their guns and placed their fingers on the triggers, intuitively aware that everything hinged on this crucial moment, as directed by Lennok.

Did they notice?

Right before the entrance of the warehouse, the man at the forefront appeared to slow his steps slightly.

It was a moment that went unnoticed by the other gang members as they proceeded to walk into the warehouse.

[Flux Light]

Lennok unleashed a dazzling light source that was bright enough to light up the entire world.

Pa-a-a-at!!

The radiant light, more akin to a flashbang than a mere light, wreaked havoc on the gang members' optic nerves in the darkness.

In tandem with this, the other people, whose eyes were tightly shut, simultaneously pulled their triggers.

Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta!!!

"Aaargh!!"

"It's a trap! Everybody, dodge!"

"Those bastards! No, don't!"

Merely moments ago, the gang members, who had been cautiously advancing, were now screaming madly as they faced a deluge of gunfire, causing the situation to descend into chaos.

However, it wasn't as though the gang hadn't prepared for such a scenario. Except for the front group caught off guard, the others swiftly began to retreat.

Although the damage inflicted was less than anticipated, Lennok felt a sense of satisfaction from landing the first blow.

They couldn't have foreseen the existence of [Flux Light] on the other side. Within such a brief span of time, unless they were superhuman, a significant number of people would undoubtedly be rendered incapacitated.

And the other people were also cognizant of this fact, hence they actively stepped forward and opened fire.

Du-du-du-du-du-du!!!

"My eyes, my eyes...!!!"

"It hurts too much! I can't open my eyes!!"

Gunfire, explosions, and flames erupted brilliantly beyond the wall, mingled with the desperate screams of individuals struggling to breathe.

The pyrokinetic, who had been duped by Lennok earlier, seized the opportunity to launch himself into the midst of the gang, setting himself ablaze.

Lennok, too, refused to stand idly by, immediately channeling his mana and directing it into his left hand.

By casting another spell, he would inevitably reveal his identity as a wizard, but for now, the primary objective was to maintain the offensive.

With effortless ease, he drew a familiar image from his subconscious and etched it onto his palm.

Pzzzzzzzzz!!!

[Chain Lightning]

Paaaaaaa!!

In an instant, the blue current emanating from Lennok's ten fingers divided into dozens of strands, extending outwards in all directions.

The blue flowers, blossoming in the frigid night air, dispersed their petals over the barriers, reaching the tumultuous battlefield that lay beyond.

Although Lennok's allies had yet to be impacted, the area where the bulk of the retreating gang members had congregated was the most effective location to direct the firepower.

Lennok seized the opportunity, selecting a moment that was both efficient and didn't readily expose his position.

"Arghh!!"

"Aaaaa...!!"

As the lightning-based magic, specialized in area attacks, relentlessly bombarded the surrounding area, the formation crumbled instantaneously, and a path opened up.

Observing the onslaught begin as a dozen individuals infiltrated the gap, Lennok hastily gathered his mana.

This was as much assistance as he could provide from this vantage point.

Now, it was time to confront the leaders.

With deliberate slowness, he turned his gaze in the direction of the intense, murderous intent.

One was a wizard who had entered the warehouse grounds and was staring intently at him. The other was a buzz-cut man, perched atop the wall, seemingly savoring the spectacle.

As Lennok locked eyes with the two most formidable and hazardous adversaries in the gang - the leaders - he once again leisurely extracted his mana.

(TO BE CONTINUED)