The next day, Leo was in the middle of his push-ups when Ryan suddenly opened the door. He got up and started wiping himself down with a wet towel.
"You know, there's a reason rooms have doors," Leo muttered.
Ryan ignored him. "Get ready. We're leaving in half an hour."
"What about breakfast?"
"Of course, we eat first. See you downstairs." He closed the door behind him and left.
Leo finished cleaning up and dressed quickly. He had already packed everything the night before and left his book in his domain just to see what would happen to it.
When he went downstairs, it hadn't been half an hour yet, but Ryan was already there. He gestured for Leo to sit next to him.
After a simple breakfast of eggs and vegetables, they left the inn.
"Is there a magic shop around here?" Leo asked as they navigated the city's streets.
"Why?"
"I need to buy weight bracelets."
"What happened to your previous ones?"
"They weren't in my bag."
"There's one not too far from here."
Five minutes later, they arrived at a small shop. Leo spent one gold coin to buy two sixty-pound weight bracelets.
As soon as they stepped outside, he strapped them to his wrists and activated them. His body tensed, his arms trembled slightly, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Every step suddenly felt heavier.
"Isn't that a bit too much?" Ryan asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't have any other way to train my body right now," Leo replied, forcing himself to keep walking.
After fifteen minutes of walking, they had left the city behind, heading toward the Kingdom of Magic. The journey to the border took an entire day.
A tall watchtower stood at the border, its stone structure weathered yet sturdy. Near its base, two men stood guard, wearing robes unlike anything Leo had seen before. The dark fabric was lined with red and trimmed with gold, simple yet well-made. Faint embroidery decorated the shoulders and chest—traditional patterns that seemed more for aesthetics than enchantment. A wide belt secured the robe, and a loose hood hung down their backs, ready to be pulled up against the elements.
Not far from the tower, an inn stood by the road, likely serving travelers crossing between the two territories.
As Leo and Ryan approached, the two robed men stepped forward, blocking their path.
"State your business," one of them said, his tone firm but not aggressive.
Ryan calmly reached into his coat and retrieved a different card from the one Leo had seen before. He handed it to the guard.
"I'm Ryan Alston Law, traveling with my partner. We're headed to the capital to see my master, Archmage Iva Howell."
The man's eyes widened slightly as he examined the card. Then, without hesitation, he bowed.
"Apologies, sir." Both guards stepped aside immediately.
"Don't worry about it," Ryan said casually, striding past them toward the inn.
"Your master is in the Kingdom of Magic?" Leo asked as he walked alongside Ryan.
"Yes. After spending some time learning in the kingdom of light with Edgarth, we eventually parted ways. I traveled to the Kingdom of Magic to study under a woman said to be one of the greatest illusionists."
"Iva Howell," Leo murmured, glancing at him again. "By the way, how many of those cards do you have?"
"Enough to get us wherever we want." As he spoke, Ryan pushed open the door to the inn. "We're staying here for the night."
Leo gave a nod and followed him inside. Once they had settled into their rooms, he immediately shifted into his domain.
The first thing he checked was the book he had left on the handle of his chair. It was still there.
"So, I can bring items here. Good to know."
Before returning to his book, he decided to practice his spells. He had more time in his domain, making it the ideal place to train. After nearly an hour of refining his techniques, he set his magic aside and turned his attention back to reading.
Flipping to the third chapter, he read the title at the top of the page: "Vampires."
The chapter detailed everything about vampires—their abilities, weaknesses, and nature. He spent the next hour flipping through the pages, absorbing the information. When he finally put the book down, he leaned back in his chair, going over what he had learned in his head.
Deciding to organize his thoughts, he pulled out a pen and a sheet of paper and began writing a summary:
'A person who becomes a vampire gains a slight increase in physical strength and a significant boost in mana. Vampires have access to abilities such as shadow form, blood magic, and summoning spells, including the ability to summon bats.
Vampires must feed on blood. If they go too long without it, they will turn into bloodfiends—mindless creatures driven only by hunger. Vampires are immortal, and their power increases with age.'
Leo paused, tapping his pen against the paper.
"If they grow stronger over time… just how powerful are the original vampires now?"
Continuing his notes, he categorized vampire ranks:
'Vampires are divided into different groups. The weakest are simply called Vampires. Above them are Vampire Lords, and at the top are the Vampire Nobles—the strongest of their kind.'
He drew a line beneath the section and moved on to their weaknesses:
'They are vulnerable to fire and light magic, but they have high resistance to ice and shadow spells. Because of their reliance on blood, they are also highly susceptible to poisons and similar substances.'
Satisfied with his notes, Leo leaned back again.
"I'm an illusionist. I'm completely useless against them."
Then, his gaze shifted to his broken sword.
"Maybe I should find a sword with flame-based abilities?"
He sat there for a while, lost in thought, before finally leaving.
…
The next morning, Leo went downstairs to have breakfast with Ryan. The inn's dining hall was already bustling with travelers and merchants, their conversations blending into a low murmur. The scent of freshly baked bread and roasted meat filled the air as the two found a table near the window.
As they sat down, Leo's gaze wandered across the room and landed on a couple at another table. The man was gently holding the woman's hand, speaking to her with a soft smile. A tight knot formed in Leo's chest, and his expression darkened.
Ryan, noticing the sudden shift in his demeanor, leaned forward. "Why do you look sad all of a sudden?"
Leo hesitated, his fingers idly tapping against the wooden surface of the table. "It's nothing. I just remembered Mr. Frank… He had a date the day before he died."
Ryan raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were going to bring up that girl you liked. What was her name? Elena?"
Leo let out a quiet breath. "Elna," he corrected. "And yeah, I'm sad about that too. But she's alive—I'll see her again someday. Mr. Frank won't. He died saving me."
Ryan didn't push the conversation further, sensing it wasn't something Leo wanted to dwell on. Instead, he turned his attention back to his meal.
After finishing their breakfast, Ryan paid for their food and the rooms, and the two gathered their belongings before stepping outside. The crisp morning air greeted them, carrying the scent of damp earth and wood smoke from the nearby chimneys.
They had barely taken two steps down the cobbled street when Leo suddenly stopped, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.
"Where are the Kingdom of Light's border guards?"
Ryan adjusted the strap of his bag and started walking. "They have a small checkpoint in the woods, but most of the security of these borders falls under Eklashire's jurisdiction."
"Where's our next destination?"
"The city of Raiwood. It's a small city near Mount Oromond, the largest mountain in the Three Kingdoms. Get ready—it's a long journey."
Leo glanced at him. "How long?"
As if on cue, a carriage pulled up beside them, the horses snorting as their breath curled into the cold air of the morning.
Ryan smirked. "Four weeks by carriage."
Leo's eyes widened. "Four?"
Ryan chuckled, patting Leo's shoulder. "Relax. We're heading to a teleportation tower a day from here. From there, we'll teleport to another tower near Raiwood. That way, the trip will only take three days at most."
Leo folded his arms. "A teleportation tower? What is that?"
"A transportation system used in the Kingdom of Magic," Ryan explained as he climbed into the carriage. "It's incredibly useful."
Leo followed him inside, settling onto the worn leather seat.
Ryan leaned back, stretching his arms. "By the way, the people of Raiwood are very welcoming."
Leo raised an eyebrow at his tone. "Welcoming how?"
Ryan grinned. "You'll see when we get there."
As the carriage began moving, Leo turned his attention to the passing scenery, trying to picture what kind of hospitality Ryan was referring to.
During the journey, he spent most of his time working on his spells. He would have preferred to train in his domain, where time flowed differently, but doing so in front of Ryan was too risky. Instead, he practiced subtle spell formations, using his fingers to trace patterns in the air while keeping his movements inconspicuous.
By the time they reached the teleportation tower, the sky had begun to darken, streaked with deep hues of orange and violet. As soon as the carriage came to a stop, Leo hopped out, stretching his stiff limbs before heading straight for the nearest restroom.
When he returned, Ryan was waiting for him with an amused smile.
Leo frowned. "Don't you need to go?"
Ryan kept smiling but didn't answer right away. After a moment, he simply pointed toward the tower. "Let's go."
Leo sighed and started following him.
As they approached the massive stone structure, its surface humming with faint magical energy, Ryan suddenly asked, "Did you pick a new name?"
Leo nodded. "Victor Black."
Ryan raised an eyebrow. "First time hearing a name like that. Don't get me wrong—it's a cool name."
Leo smirked. "Glad you approve."
"Is the person handling my new identity in Raiwood?"
"Yeah."
With that, they stepped toward the entrance of the teleportation tower.
After Ryan paid a woman dressed in a long black and red robe, they stepped into a chamber with a large magic circle etched into the floor. The intricate symbols pulsed faintly, humming with latent energy.
Positioning themselves at the center of the circle, they waited. Minutes passed in silence before the runes began to glow. A soft hum filled the air, growing into a low vibration that Leo could feel beneath his feet.
Suddenly, his vision blurred. For a split second, everything felt distorted—like the world itself had shifted. Then, just as quickly as it began, the sensation vanished, and his surroundings snapped back into focus.
Leo blinked. "What happened? Did it fail?"
Ryan smirked. "No. The rooms just look the same."
Stepping outside, Leo immediately noticed the differences. Though the teleportation chamber resembled the last one, the building's interior beyond it had a different design—less grand, with fewer people moving about.
When they exited the tower, the change became even more apparent. The surroundings were no longer bustling with travelers. Instead, they found themselves on the edge of a vast forest, towering trees stretching in every direction. A crisp, earthy scent filled the cool air, and the distant calls of wildlife echoed through the woods.
They spent the night in an inn near the tower, resting before their journey toward Raiwood.
Leo didn't enter his domain that night. Instead, he decided to give his body a rest and get some sleep.
The next day, after a quick meal, they secured another carriage and set off toward Raiwood. It took them another day to reach the city, and in the meantime, Leo almost learned the Hallucination Trap.