Both of Nelson's legs were ensnared and immobilized by the blood-thorn vines. His hunting blade, too, was sent flying by a single shot, luck seemingly not on his side. Despite being reduced to a captive, Nelson's defiance was unyielding.
"If... if only he had missed by the slightest margin..."
"...I could have turned the tables!"
"Damn this luck!"
Nelson muttered through his bloodied, dust-covered lips.
"Who sent you?"
In contrast to the veteran's battle-hardened demeanor, the voice that answered him was youthful, almost naïve.
Nelson grinned wryly.
He might be strong, but ultimately, he was just a child.
"I only thought you were young, so... I wanted to make a quick score."
"This kind of thing happens all the time in Lamore City."
"Now that I've lost, take whatever you want from me."
"Kid, you're still young. Don't stray down the wrong path!"
Nelson, part self-pity, part advice, continued.
Tack sighed, rubbing his forehead in exasperation.
"I don't think you quite understand the gravity of this situation."
He raised his right hand, and the spell of "Bullet Tentacle" was activated.
"Bang!"
One of Nelson's ears exploded with the force of the shot.
The pain made his face streaked with tears and blood, his body trembling in agony.
Unlike his earlier feigned suffering, this time, it was real.
After a minute of agonized wails, the sound gradually ebbed.
Tack's voice rang out, calm and composed.
"Though the blood-thorn vines don't drain as quickly or as much as the blood-sucking vines..."
"...slow has its own advantages."
"You get to witness the gradual draining of your thigh."
"If your life force is strong enough..."
"You might even watch as your very vitality is siphoned away."
"Feel free to waste more time—I won't mind."
"Also..."
"Your hidden wrist darts are impressive, but they will soon be mine."
Tack's deliberate and methodical speech sent a chill down Nelson's spine.
"He found my hidden wrist darts!"
"How did he figure it out?"
"And all this time, he's kept his distance, never getting too close."
"He's been wary of me this whole time..."
"Is he... a demon?"
Nelson's throat ran dry as true fear began to sink in.
"I'll tell you everything... just spare me!"
As Nelson began to speak,
"Bang!"
A second shot rang out, and Nelson's other ear exploded.
"You have no right to negotiate with me."
"You can keep silent if you'd like."
"I'll just waste more time gathering information... but you will linger on the edge of death for a long while."
Tack's tone was as steady and unflinching as ever.
Nelson, his two ears now shattered and deafened, could no longer hear the words.
But he felt the full terror and cruelty of the young sorcerer.
The true horror came when, as his second ear exploded, Tack used a third vine to ensnare his arm, the one with the wrist darts.
Now, suicide was no longer an option.
It wasn't the resilient Nelson who spoke up next, but a man who, feeling his legs turn to skin and bone, confessed everything he knew.
...
A quarter of an hour later,
Tack surveyed the hunter's now empty, looted corpse and the "Sheriff" who had only just arrived.
Tack casually cast an oil bomb.
The flames consumed the body in a ferocious blaze.
With the light of the fire as their guide, two officers, dressed in official duchy uniforms, appeared at the entrance to the alley.
The younger officer, new to the job, saw the body burning and immediately rushed to put out the flames.
"Someone's trying to destroy the evidence."
The young officer, eager to uphold some semblance of justice in Lamore High Tower, was stopped by his older counterpart.
"It's just a small fire, nothing to worry about."
The older officer said with a weighty tone.
"But..."
The young officer wanted to argue, but was at a loss for words, helplessly watching as the body was burned.
"This damn weather!"
The older officer grumbled, drawing closer to the burning corpse, his eyes scanning the flames and remains.
"The flames are strong. They've even ignited the supernatural traits of a level-nine hunter. At least a first-tier caster."
"These flames will burn for a long time."
Casting a glance at the younger officer, who was hesitant to approach, the older officer smiled wryly.
"This is the Ashen Land, Lamore High Tower. The more you understand, the longer you'll survive."
...
In the subterranean district, within a cramped, narrow passage,
A pungent, decaying stench filled the air, with only the occasional hurried figure passing through the tunnel.
Inside a small underground room,
Tack removed his gray sorcerer's robe, revealing the chainmail underneath.
This was one of the few safehouses in the district, and the only inheritance left to him by his parents.
Gazing through the small surface window, he pondered the information he had extracted from Nelson.
Things seemed even more complicated than he had anticipated.
"I wonder which dark god's cult is using Lamore City as a cash cow this time."
"The last time something like this happened was only six months ago."
"Do they not understand sustainability?"
"And this time, they don't even spare a weak, level-nine apprentice sorcerer like me."
"Wouldn't it be better to let me develop steadily to level 100, then come hunt me down... oh, I mean, come for me later?"
A mysterious organization had struck a deal with the local hunter's guild led by Nelson.
Hunting sorcerers and obtaining their sequence crystals, whether they were apprentices or first-tier sorcerers, was the goal.
This was the information Tack had gleaned from Nelson.
As repayment,
Tack had shot him in the head without hesitation.
A painless shot.
"Dark god cults... local gangs!"
These were powers too formidable for Tack to confront at present.
"Normal sorcerer advancement doesn't require additional crystals to bolster one's sorcerer framework."
"But if they need them..."
"Then it's clear this isn't just a simple promotion."
"Most likely... a Steam Ascension!"
Tack's gaze sharpened.
From an ordinary [Sorcerer] to a [Steam Sorcerer], a transformation that would greatly enhance one's overall strength and potential.
This was the dream of every sorcerer in this steam-powered age.
It was also one of Tack's aspirations.
In this age of steam-powered progress,
The [Steam Sequence] had already begun to fundamentally alter, even reshape the world.
It could be said that the [Steam Sequence] was the answer to the new era.
"From what Nelson said, this mysterious organization is wealthy, powerful, and coming on strong."
"It seems I'll have to be extra cautious for the time being."
"Even with my S-rank supernatural talent, I'm still just an apprentice sorcerer."
"I'll follow the original plan and advance to the first tier, improving my strength in all areas."
"Only with sufficient power will I be able to face these dark god cults and local gangs."
"Only then will I have a chance to survive in this turbulent and bizarre Ashen Land!"