The Times Have Changed

For the first time, Mo Shuying looked forward to the appearance of monsters.

The Daily Quest refreshed. It was still about killing monsters and daily training. The moment he accepted the quests, an unusual presence appeared somewhere within this space. Mo Shuying froze when he sensed it, because this newly emerged presence did not seem to belong to a monster.

At the entrance to Fuyuki Bridge within the Singularity, a man in a black robe looked around in surprise. Feeling the Geomantic Power drifting through the very air, Charles realized that he seemed to have entered somewhere extraordinary.

Charles was a mage affiliated with the Clock Tower. The severe fluctuations in the Geomantic Power of Fuyuki City over the past few days had been detected by the Clock Tower, so they had dispatched several mages to investigate what was going on.

Charles was one of them. There were five of them in total, originally working separately on their own investigations. However, their captain had notified them an hour ago that he had made a major discovery and wanted them to gather for discussion.

Suspecting nothing, Charles drove toward the meeting point. But just moments ago, while passing Fuyuki Bridge, he had been ambushed!

He had not seen his attacker's face. He only knew that it was a powerful figure wielding a red spear! The other party had pierced his shoulder blade with a single strike. If he had not activated his Mystic Eye ability in time, he might already have been killed.

Mystic Eyes were eyes with special abilities. They were not uncommon in this world and came with all kinds of effects.

Some Mystic Eyes were innate, while others were acquired later. Charles's Mystic Eye had awakened naturally at birth, a powerful Mystic Eye capable of Spatial Flash.

However, Charles did not possess much mana, and his body was not particularly strong either. Under normal circumstances, he could not handle the burden of using his Mystic Eye's ability. Forcing its use would cause his vision to deteriorate rapidly for a short time, requiring a long period to recover.

But at a life-or-death moment, losing his vision was better than dying. So Charles decisively used Spatial Flash, and his entire body slipped out of the real world and into this Singularity!

It was hard to say whether Charles was lucky or unlucky. He was lucky because he had Blinked into the Singularity, making it incredibly difficult for the assassin outside to find him again.

He was unlucky because Mo Shuying had arrived!

"Human."

Mo Shuying rode over on his bike and spotted Charles half-reclining at the entrance to the bridge.

Charles's vision had deteriorated so severely that he was practically blind even with his eyes open. He did not dare run around in this state. He could only sit there, feeling around as he bandaged his wound, ears pricked as he constantly listened for movement nearby.

However, due to Presence Concealment, Charles had not sensed Mo Shuying's arrival. Even when Mo Shuying stood directly in front of him, Charles remained unaware.

As Mo Shuying looked at Charles, he noticed that Charles's eyes seemed unable to see anything, utterly vacant.

After thinking for a moment, he pulled a Molotov cocktail from the small bag behind him and canceled Presence Concealment.

"You. Who are you?"

Mo Shuying asked in as cold a tone as possible. Already on edge, Charles was startled by the sudden voice.

"Ah!! Who? Who is it?!"

Charles abruptly scrambled to his feet, crossing his fists before him. A pale blue shield instantly appeared in front of him, and he looked as though he were facing a formidable enemy.

"I ask. You answer. Otherwise, die!"

Mo Shuying spoke just as coldly, pulling out his entrenching tool and pressing it hard against the shield.

"Y-you! Don't! Don't kill me! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"

Charles could feel his shield being touched by something sharp, probably some kind of weapon. Knowing the newcomer was armed, he did not dare disobey.

"Who are you, where are you from, why did you come, and how did you get in?"

"M-my name is Charles. I'm a mage from the Clock Tower, my rank is Count. I came here to investigate the Geomantic Power disturbances. I was ambushed on the bridge just now, and I-I used a Spatial Flash ability and accidentally came in."

Charles did not directly say that he possessed a Mystic Eye. After all, there was a profession in the outside world known as Mystic Eye Hunters. He could not be sure that the other party would not become greedy upon learning he had a Mystic Eye.

"The Clock Tower? A mage? Spatial Flash?"

Mo Shuying frowned. He had not expected to attract the Clock Tower's attention after appearing for only a few days.

The Clock Tower was one of the more famous factions in the Type-Moon world. It was a gathering place for countless mages, drawing in mages from all over the world. It was the highest institution of magecraft and the core of the Mage's Association.

It could be said that if a force like that set its sights on him, there would be no point in running. He would not be able to escape even to the ends of the earth.

"So you entered by accident?"

"Y-yes! Please forgive me, sir! I truly meant no offense!"

"..."

Mo Shuying looked at the panicked mage and hesitated, wondering whether he should kill this fellow.

The other party was from the Clock Tower. If he let him leave, the chance of exposing himself would become extremely high. This person before him was only a Count, merely a second-rank mage in the Clock Tower, and not particularly strong. But if powerful fourth-rank, fifth-rank, or even sixth-rank mages came, Mo Shuying might not even have a chance to resist.

For his own safety, this person could not be allowed to live.

"Sorry."

Mo Shuying sighed and spoke softly.

Charles's expression changed drastically upon hearing those words! It went from pitiful pleading to terror, then instantly twisted into savagery!

"You all want me dead! Damn it! You all want me dead!!"

Charles suddenly let out a hysterical scream. His tightly clenched fists abruptly opened, revealing a strange eye-shaped pattern in the palm of each hand!

"Eye of Weakness! Eye of Paralysis!"

Charles specialized in the Curse Department. Given enough time, he could even curse a target to death. But there was clearly not enough time now, so he could only unleash the cursed power inscribed on his hands!

"Buzz!"

One green and one gray light bloomed from Charles's hands, covering the area ahead. Mo Shuying failed to dodge in time and was enveloped by the light. He immediately felt intense weakness and paralysis, his fingers going numb until he could not even hold the entrenching tool.

"Die!!"

Charles sensed that his curses had succeeded. Without the slightest hesitation, he drew a Cursed Dagger from his waist and lunged at Mo Shuying!

"Hmph! Blue Scale Carapace! Madman's Pride!"

Mo Shuying, whose body had gone limp and could not move for the moment, directly summoned Madman's Pride and covered himself with a layer of blue-scale protection.

"Clang!"

The sharp cursed blade stabbed viciously into Mo Shuying's chest, but it was blocked by Blue Scale Carapace and Madman's Pride, unable to penetrate even an inch.

At that moment, Mo Shuying endured the tingling throughout his body, drew his revolver, and aimed it at Charles's chest.

"Bang bang bang bang bang!"

All five consecutive shots hit. Charles staggered backward, reaching out to touch the five bloody holes in his chest. He spat out a mouthful of blood, then collapsed to the ground.