Chapter 50…
‘Damn it…’
The only consolation was that I’d managed to collect a good number of paint cans.
Because of that, the damage was limited to this extent.
But still—
that didn’t bring back the dead.
“……”
“……”
From a distance, Smile and I stared at each other.
Then he lifted a megaphone to his mouth and shouted loudly.
“This, this! The most important Garden of All Things is still intact, hmm? Then I suppose I should only take half the payment.
Who would’ve thought there’d be such rude guests interrupting my show! You there, your face… I’ll remember it, alright?”
In response, I activated Sung-sik’s Metal Manipulation.
Swish—!
Scattered steel bars on the ground shot toward Smile.
But he dodged easily, bending at the waist like he’d been waiting for it.
His clown mask twisted to the side, revealing a glimpse of his smirking lips, while broken metal shards scattered behind him.
As expected, this guy wasn’t just anyone.
“Hahaha! Thanks for the gift! Then I suppose I shouldn’t go home empty-handed, should I?”
He laughed heartily and spun his paintbrush, dropping something onto the ground with a clack.
I tensed up and gathered mana.
‘…What now?’
A small paint can hit the floor—
and from it burst colorful confetti and ribbons.
Just like before, it looked like nothing more than a festive prop…
“But I’m a generous man, so—
I’ll give everyone a gift!”
Vrrrrrrr—!
Hundreds—no, thousands—of confetti pieces began to vibrate violently.
A chill ran down my spine.
‘He mixed mana pulses into each piece of confetti? If that spreads—!’
Clap!
I clasped my hands together.
At once, every piece of metal in the area wove itself into a dense net that wrapped around the confetti.
Smile swung his large brush quickly, but the metal sphere was already complete.
Grrrrrk—!!
The confetti spun like saw blades, trying to cut through the metal, but it was futile.
The energy wasn’t concentrated enough to pierce solid steel.
“You’re quick to catch on, aren’t you?”
“You’re taking this seriously.”
“I’m always serious!”
“Yeah, I can tell. Now get down here.”
“…What?”
“I said get down here. Let’s finish this properly. Or do I have to come up there?”
“Hmmm, let’s see. My client’s orders come first, but still…”
Drawing out his words, Smile kept that infuriating grin on his mask.
“Perhaps next performance, I should prepare a one-on-one stage with you?”
“Next time?”
“Sadly, today’s show ends here!”
He said it cheerfully, almost carelessly, as he swung his brush.
Then he gestured sharply.
“Hiyaaaaa!”
“Time for our grand finale—homeward bound!”
“Floor it, boys! Curtain call!”
KWA-AAAAANG!
With a thunderous roar of engines,
dozens of monstrous trucks smashed through walls and sculptures as they appeared.
Each was painted in vivid colors, shaped like beasts, with the word [FESTIVAL] scrawled beside a grinning clown face.
The scattered terrorists regrouped like trained performers, leaping onto the trucks.
Even their retreat was a show.
“Huh? Who said you could leave?
You came on your own—
but you’re not leaving on your own.”
I immediately summoned Geri and Freki from their den.
Sensing my fury, the two wolves charged straight at the trucks.
“Grrrrr—!”
“Whoa?!”
“Step on it—step on the—argh!”
BOOM! BANG!
Two trucks overturned and exploded.
Only then did the rest skid away, tires screeching.
“Geri! Freki!”
“Woof-woof!”
I leapt onto Geri’s back and chased after them.
The Gate Authority’s district was a total mess.
Collapsed sculptures, scattered debris, and colorful powder blanketing the ground—
no music, no laughter,
yet this was clearly their stage.
“Freki! Block the truck on the left!”
“Woof!”
As one truck tried to swerve, Freki lunged at its side.
CRASH!
“Gaaah?!”
The masked driver was thrown out of the seat.
The truck, now driverless, slammed into a building and exploded.
But that was just the beginning.
At the front of the convoy, Smile still stared at me through that bizarre mask.
He tilted his head slightly and spoke again through his megaphone.
“Well then, shall we say our final farewell?
Dear audience, please watch out for the shrapnel!”
Objects were thrown into the air from atop the trucks—
the same Smile Paint Cans from before.
They burst open, raining multicolored paint pellets like hail.
It looked almost like confetti again.
But I knew better.
‘He said shrapnel. Those are bombs.’
I urged Geri and Freki away from the falling projectiles.
Then—
KWA-KA-KA-KANG!
“Explosion! Strengthen the barrier!”
“Clerics! We’ve got casualties!”
Just as I thought—paint bombs.
The Gate Authority fell into chaos again.
“You bastard…”
I clenched my teeth.
A massive explosion, followed by illusionary tricks, and then another wave of bombs—
it was orchestrated perfectly.
A madman, yes—but one who knew how to turn chaos into performance.
“You’re not getting away today.”
I buried myself in Geri’s fur.
We tore through the smoke like a gust of wind.
‘Time to test this thing properly.’
I rubbed the ring on my finger.
Once dull and worn, it now shone with a crimson ruby.
‘Thanks to this, my stats skyrocketed… no wonder that damned Arch-Mage went berserk.’
[Talent of Found Light]
-
Grade: Legendary
-
Info: The owner of this ring has learned that talent must be sought.
Each stat increases by 3× the number of talents the user possesses.-
Skill: Talent Devour (MAX, B-rank)
-
Skill: Talent Theft (MAX, B-rank)
-
[Talent Devour]
-
Rank: B
-
Level: MAX
-
Info: Each time you consume a talent, the ring’s grade rises. (6/500)
I currently had four talents.
That meant +12 points per stat—
and since every stat increased, including the new “Luck” stat, that was a total of +60 points.
‘That’s like leveling up thirty times in one go… insane. No wonder the Arch-Mage lost his mind.’
Plus, with the upgrade came a new skill:
[Talent Theft]
-
Rank: B
-
Level: MAX
-
Info: When you kill a living being, you can absorb one of their talents (C-rank or lower).
However, you will gradually be consumed by the status ailment Madness.
Even if limited to C-rank, it was a broken ability—
stealing talents meant guaranteed stat growth.
‘Only downside… is going insane. No wonder that guy became a demon.’
Just as I feared—this ring devours its master.
But I wasn’t worried.
I had the non-human talent Deathless Body (S), from Joo Geon-ryul.
‘It doesn’t make me invincible, but it buys time—and that’s enough. I’ll find a way.’
You can’t make progress without taking risks.
To fight monsters in the Tower, you can’t afford innocence—
not even against maniacs like the one right in front of me.
“You’re persistent, aren’t you?”
Good.
That made me curious—
what kind of talent did he have?
If it was useful, I’d take it.
KR-KR-KRRR!
Monster trucks crushed asphalt as they sped ahead.
‘Have to stop them before they leave the district…’
Before more civilians get caught up.
That meant I had to push harder.
“My client warned me about you… now I see why! But this is where it ends!”
Smile’s voice blared through the megaphone.
I ignored his taunts and focused on closing the distance.
“It’s been a while…”
I activated one of my oldest, weakest, yet most suitable talents.
[Talent Activated: Empathy (D)]
[Geri’s latent ability ‘Riding (D)’ temporarily rises to C+ for 5 seconds!]
FWOOSH!
Geri’s speed skyrocketed,
bringing us right up to the tail of the convoy.
“Grrr—”
Then, from behind, Freki appeared alongside us.
Skill Two Are One Lv.10 (S–).
The wolves exchanged a glance.
Silent understanding passed between them.
Geri leapt—
and Freki lowered his back to give him a foothold.
“Woof-woof!”
A double jump.
Geri kicked off Freki’s back and soared high.
Their coordination looked like a trained circus act.
“Th-th-that’s—!”
“They’re flying! Shoot them down!”
Fwooosh—!
Through the rushing wind, Geri and I soared above the trucks.
It’s over.
“Geri.”
“Growl—”
At my call, Geri unleashed Niflheim’s Frost (S).
Smile shouted belatedly—
“Don’t fight back, just dodge!”
Too late.
You’re not getting away.
“Turn the wheel!”
“Brake—hurry—”
CRR-CRR-SKREEECH—BOOM! BOOM!
Those hit by the frost became ice statues.
The road turned to ice, and trucks slammed into each other in a massive pile-up.
Smile’s subordinates were wiped out in seconds.
“Phew… good work.”
“Grrr—”
I landed safely and patted Geri and Freki’s snouts.
They wagged their tails, rubbing against me.
‘Now there’s only one left.’
I could sense it—
the small fry were all dead.
System messages of kills and talent stacks confirmed it.
Only one presence remained.
“Hahaha! That was a magnificent show! I’ve learned a lot today!”
Smile, bleeding through his mask, staggered toward me.
The air shifted—
the playfulness was gone.
Only one clear, menacing presence remained.
Unpleasant.
“If you’d come down when I told you, none of this would’ve happened.”
“Heh heh heh… you really are fun.”
And with that, Smile began to draw out his true power—
as though the real performance was just about to begin.
