Chapter 411 – Bound.

‘What should I do about my friends here? I can’t confront them out in the open…’

Roland looked at the map overlay that was expanding. This was the first time he was in this city but thanks to this feature, he could see the layout of the area. Spotting an alley nearby, he decided to take a detour through it, hoping to lose his pursuers temporarily. The alley was narrow and winding, with tall buildings on either side casting shadows that provided some cover.

As Roland moved through the alley, he could hear the distant sounds of the bustling city. The irregular layout of the buildings created blind spots, giving him a strategic advantage. He quickened his pace, weaving through the labyrinthine paths of the alley, all while keeping an eye on his mini-map.

The red dots that represented the few pursuers were still following and indicated that he probably wouldn’t be able to lose them in this fashion. More than likely, they had some tracking skills that helped them push through the alleyways.

‘I bet they got my scent while we were on the Airship, we were inside that one cabin for a while, it wouldn’t be hard to do it for one of their tier 2 trackers. How should I handle them?’

Roland contemplated the dilemma, realizing he couldn’t simply confront them in the heart of an unfamiliar city. The potential for collateral damage due to his volatile runic magic was large. Moreover, he considered the possibility that they might be egging him into retaliation; after all, they were members of a mercenary group with influential connections. It occurred to him that they might have ties to the local guard captain, who could swiftly mobilize soldiers to apprehend him. Any resistance on his part could escalate the situation further, potentially involving even the local noble.

‘It will be better not to get other people involved, I need to lose this tail for good…’

Roland considered various approaches to address the situation. The risk of them employing tracking skills to tail him was a concern, but he had taken precautions to counter such effects. Having encountered similar situations before, he had extensively researched magical spells to eliminate his scent and hamper tracking skills. With this in mind, he examined the map once more, plotting a course toward one of the alleyways that appeared to be a dead end.

In front of him stood a stone building with brick walls on the side, providing an ideal location to set his trap. Roland’s hand touched the ground as he activated one of his latest skills. A series of runes emerged, glowing in a pale blue light. For a brief moment, an illusory image of himself materialized and then swiftly dissipated. It was a temporary replacement, an illusory spell designed to momentarily deceive and divert his pursuers.

This marked just the beginning of his strategy. Soon, additional runes adorned the nearby walls under Roland’s continuous touch. His Imbued Rune skill proved invaluable, allowing him to swiftly set traps without the need for pre-prepared scrolls, as he had done in the past. As long as inorganic materials, like the surrounding bricks, were present, Roland could harness some form of runic magic with ease.
‘Now that everything is set… I need to get away from here…’

He gazed upward, finding the way obstructed from three directions by steep walls. Such barriers posed no challenge for someone of his capabilities who was proficient in the use of the levitation spell. Extending his hand, Roland pointed upward, unleashing a peculiar semi-transparent beam of green light from his finger.

It wasn’t an offensive spell; instead, it connected with the roof of the building ahead, adhering to it. The substance he generated was both sticky and sturdy and was something that he could grip onto. Swiftly, he invoked the levitation spell, rendering himself as light as a feather. With a single, forceful pull, his body shot upward. Soon he found himself on the roof of the building, gently jumping around as if he was on the surface of the moon.

‘This is still a bit difficult…’

To prevent himself from being propelled uncontrollably into the air, Roland had modified the levitation spell, allowing a fraction of his weight to persist. His struggle with controlling propulsion led him to opt for simpler means of moving forward. One of these means was using a combined spell that brought his mage hand and a binding spell together. Thanks to the added adhesive properties he could pull himself towards flat surfaces.

His form moved swiftly through the buildings while being shrouded in an invisibility spell. His magic had reached the level of greater runic spells, not something regular people would be able to see through. With his weight lessened and sound canceling, no one was the wiser as he jumped through the air.

‘This should do it…’

After a while, Roland found himself in a different alleyway, devoid of any onlookers. He canceled the spells he had previously used and quietly traced his steps toward the distant sounds of chatter. His pursuers remained oblivious to his disappearance and waited for him to leave that alley. He anticipated they would linger for a moment before launching an investigation, providing him with a window of opportunity to lose them for good.

As he moved stealthily through the city, Roland couldn’t help but imagine the expressions on their faces when they walked into the trap he left behind. He chuckled to himself as he found the whole encounter rather amusing

“I wish I could see their faces after they walk into that trap. Oh well! I should head to the train station and wait. But first, I need to see this through…”

There were three dots visible on his mapping device. Although his scanning range had increased, he wouldn’t be able to keep track of events if he simply left. Another issue was the imbued runes he had left behind; if the group didn’t enter, they would dissipate. To prolong their effect, he needed to stay within a certain range. At his current skill level, they would last for around ten minutes autonomously. By remaining closer, he could infuse them with some of his mana to extend the effect to about an hour. However, this skill had its limits – eventually, the rune would corrode to such an extent that even if he stood next to it, it would vanish.

…

“Hey? Should we go in?”

“He is acting strange… Did he figure us out?”

“Shit, did he make a run for it… but I can sense that he is there…”

The three people from the Obsidian Brotherhood stood before a lone alley. Their target had vanished into it and had remained inside for almost ten minutes now. They were quickly getting suspicious but for some reason their tracking skills were telling them that he was in there.

“But I think this one should be blocked… is he talking to someone there?”

“Wait… shit!”

“What is it?”

“That bastard, I think he is gone!”

The most senior tracker in the group sensed that something was off and leaped toward the alleyway where their target was supposedly waiting. The others kept their distance, wary of this unusual behavior that seemed like a trap. However, once their most skilled tracker decided to run in, the rest followed suit.

“There’s no one here? Did he climb up the walls?”