Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Magic Eden
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[Anyone else get a ticket to Magic Eden?]
[Yeah]
(Photo of the ticket)
This morning I saw one of these had shown up. Checked with the Cartel, and they said if you have this, you'll automatically teleport in a week.
Anyone wanna team up for a commission before then?
[Recommend 2][Not Recommend 0]
[Comments]
-Taming Master: So it just appeared out of nowhere? You didn't order it?
ㄴYeah: Yeah, it was right in front of my house.
ㄴTaming Master: Looks like some new anomaly. Those are usually dangerous, so be careful. No ticket for me, can't join.
-Sweet Grandpa: That thing looks sooooo creepy!
ㄴYeah: Grandpa got a ticket?
ㄴSweet Grandpa: Nope!
ㄴYeah: (Wizard derp meme)
Just in case, I posted this, but no one else claiming to have a ticket yet. Ian let out a deep sigh, set his phone down, and shook the ticket.
Now that the ticket had arrived, the ship had basically sailed. Like it or not, getting dragged to the theme park was a done deal.
One week of leeway. If possible, he wanted to head there on his own beforehand.
Even knowing about the teleport in advance, going on his own two feet was way better than being pulled in. If the teleport dumped him smack in the middle of the theme park, he'd have no way to cope.
Better to go through the front gate properly.
He hated playing it passive.
Sure, there might be times when variables were needed, but no need to act erratic right from the entrance. Entering via the ticket was the most proactive option he had.
"......"
No idea what the theme park looked like. But it sure as hell wasn't some human-friendly spot. Probably packed with bizarre, outlandish rides everywhere.
And if it wasn't spawned from urban legends, dealing with it would be a real pain.
So he needed time to prepare.
'Revolver's here, so time to experiment more with alchemy.'
Ian shifted his gaze to the table.
The gun, ammo, and holster he'd ordered from the Cartel were scattered there. He shot up from the bed and grabbed the revolver.
The grip felt... good. Not too big, not too small—perfect size. Finger on the trigger pulled smoothly, no hitches. Short barrel made it easy to carry.
Click.
He opened the cylinder, loaded bullets into the empty chambers one by one, closed it, and took aim. Whole process took about 12 seconds.
"Takes a while."
Six rounds total, standard for a revolver. No full-auto waste, but emptying the cylinder meant a decent wait to reload.
In real combat, it'd take even longer. Adrenaline pumping, no way he'd reload this calmly.
Repetition was key. Couldn't do fanning like Albert, but speeding up reloads was a must.
Ian unloaded the bullets as he thought that.
He stowed the empty revolver in the holster, tucked it in the drawer. Ammo next to it, then pulled out alchemy materials and lined them on the desk.
Shhrrk!
He spread his hand, and the grimoire appeared. Ian took a sip of water and slowly read through it.
Skip anything only craftable in a workshop. Skip combat-useless or overly complex ingredient stuff. Mark only what he could make right now.
"[Sound-Eating Flame], [Reverse Targeting], and [Piercing Mirror]. About that much."
All weird-material based, but recipes weren't complicated. No workshop needed.
Sound-Eating Flame literally ate surrounding noise. Just a lighter, anomaly's blood, and ether.
This would silence gunfire.
Great for stealth ops or assassinations. Consumable, only 10 minutes per use—bummer, but worth making.
Reverse Targeting detected hostility or killing intent aimed at the owner and pinpointed the source. Needed bird-shaped artifact, anomaly flesh, owner's blood.
Finally, Piercing Mirror was more weapon than tool despite the name. Used broken glass shards to shatter stabbed spots like glass. Bonus: reflected true forms of shapeshifters.
"......True form, huh."
Ian glanced at the grimoire while reading its effects. It sensed his gaze and quivered slightly.
Like a woman scared of showing her bare face. Ian chuckled and stroked the cover.
"Wanna keep it hidden?"
[Bzzz.]
Short vibration, like a yes.
Right then, his phone buzzed on the bed.
-StrawberryYogurtSmoothie: I got one too. Stuck right on my front door.
It was a comment notification. Ian set the grimoire aside and opened the community.
ㄴYeah: For real? No cap?
ㄴStrawberryYogurtSmoothie: Why would it be fake? I'll post proof, check it.
[Title: Newbies look here.]
[StrawberryYogurtSmoothie]
(Photo of ticket with Magic Eden clearly printed)
Comment if you see it.
"......It's real."
Thought she was just another troll spamming weird comments and posts. But nope.
StrawberryYogurtSmoothie's proof pic matched his ticket exactly.
He commented right away.
-Yeah: Verified. Not stolen?
ㄴStrawberryYogurtSmoothie: Nah. What do I gain stealing this?
ㄴYeah: Attention.
ㄴStrawberryYogurtSmoothie: Don't need that crap. Anyway, what's this about teleporting in a week? Nothing like that on mine.
ㄴYeah: Check the Cartel app commissions.
ㄴStrawberryYogurtSmoothie: Got it.
Smoothie replied and dipped.
Moments later, mid-alchemy setup, another buzz. Ian paused and checked his phone.
-StrawberryYogurtSmoothie: Holy shit, why is this real? No info on the ticket means we're screwed the second it teleports.
ㄴYeah: Same thought. Taking the commission and going early. Wanna join?
ㄴStrawberryYogurtSmoothie: ......Hold up. Thinking it over.
ㄴYeah: Cool. Planned to solo if you bail anyway.
Ian replied and refocused on alchemy.
First up: [Sound-Eating Flame]. Lighter on the magic circle, squeezed anomaly flesh for thick blood.
Dark red-stained lighter glowed on the circle.
Ian held the grimoire in one hand, chanted calmly.
"Thou who knows silence is another blessing. I gift thee quiet; uphold it in stillness."
End of chant, blood flowed into the lighter, replacing fuel. Ian flicked it on, noise vanished—nodded.
Success.
Pocketed the lighter, made the other two in turn.
By then, evening. Ian pinned a bird-shaped souvenir badge from a nearby shop to his coat's hem, wrapped broken mirror shards in bandages, bagged them.
Prep done. Just one simple spell left.
He left the cut from Reverse Targeting open, drew a magic circle inside the coat with dripping blood. No art skills, but the circle came out perfectly precise somehow.
"Done."
Perfect circle etched deep in the coat. Hand over it, he murmured low.
"Mere beasts cannot pierce this veil. Gaze not upon the great ones beyond the mist."
Bzzz.
Chant done, circle flared then faded.
Spell to slip from unintelligent beings' sight—worked.
Now mindless anomalies couldn't spot him visually. Not many such things, but free from zombies or puppets under control.
Only visual evasion, but unseen was hard to find.
Ian patted the coat, hung it on the rack, checked his phone.
Community open—message icon showed 1.
Lying on bed, he clicked.
[StrawberryYogurtSmoothie: In for the commission. Send place and date.]
Ian smirked at the message.
*
[Yeah: Grab the Cartel commission first, meet at the ticket address in 3 days. You pick time. Cool?]
[Me: 3 days. Got it. Afternoon 3 then.]
[Yeah: Cool. Oh, need Grandmother to vet you? I'll ask your info anyway.]
[Me: Do you. Know you're not a creep from chatting with other anons.]
[Yeah: Lol ok. See you in 3.]
[Me: Got it. Just checking—are you a girl?]
[Yeah: ;; Guy.]
Click.
Read the reply, screen off. Black reflection showed her tense, distorted face.
"......Hehe."
Anon, StrawberryYogurtSmoothie.
She squirmed bashfully, burrowing into the bed.
Three days before heading to the theme park with Ian.