As midnight approached, Luo Yu and Ranni stepped out under the cover of night.
Unlike previous outings, Luo Yu was fully equipped this time. He wore the full Raging Wolf armor set, his helmet firmly in place. At his waist hung the Carian Knight's Sword and the Carian Glintstone Staff, while the Dark Moon Greatsword rested across his back.
Ranni, meanwhile, had donned her familiar witch's attire. Looking at Luo Yu's appearance, she remarked lightly,
"My king, you seem especially serious tonight."
Through the helmet, Luo Yu's voice sounded slightly muffled.
"After all, this is the first wraith we've encountered here that actually has some strength. It deserves proper attention. Besides, this will also give Miko Yotsuya some confidence. Let her see a bit more of what we can do."
With that, Luo Yu summoned Torrent.
The spectral steed landed lightly on the ground, shaking its head before turning its gaze toward Luo Yu.
From its eyes, Luo Yu could clearly see a trace of dissatisfaction.
So you finally remembered me?
Chuckling, Luo Yu stroked Torrent's head and produced a carrot.
"Don't be angry. We didn't go out yesterday, remember? Consider it a day of rest. Here, eat up. You'll be busy tonight."
Torrent snorted before happily devouring the carrot.
Once finished, Luo Yu mounted the steed and extended a hand.
"Come on."
Taking Ranni's hand, he lifted her onto the saddle and held her gently in front of him.
For a brief moment, he looked at her profile and smiled quietly.
Then he raised the Carian Glintstone Staff, casting a concealment spell that hid both riders and the steed from ordinary sight. With a flick of the reins, Torrent galloped forward toward Miko Yotsuya's house.
Along the way, they inevitably encountered wandering wraiths and cursed spirits.
Any that showed hostility were swiftly dealt with—not by Luo Yu, but by Ranni. With effortless motions of the Carian Regal Scepter, she unleashed spell after spell, erasing the creatures without pause.
After destroying one particularly grotesque spirit that resembled a mass of rotting sludge, Ranni commented,
"Creatures like the Misbegotten you defeated before seem rare within a city."
Luo Yu nodded.
"They're different from these spirits. Ordinary people can see them too, so they probably stay in remote mountains or forests. By the way, Ranni—how does casting magic feel with your current body? Does anything still need adjustment?"
Ranni answered calmly.
"The flow of magic is smooth. There are no issues. It seems you have fully mastered the art of constructing puppet bodies."
"Well, I had to make sure you could move freely."
After dispatching several more wraiths along the way, Torrent eventually reached the house of Miko Yotsuya.
The moment they arrived, both Luo Yu and Ranni sensed something unusual inside.
"There are two presences," Luo Yu said after a moment of analysis. "One is stable and carries no malice—that must be Miko Yotsuya's father. The other is the wraith living in the house. Its intention doesn't seem murderous. If anything, it feels like it's guarding the territory."
After considering the situation, Luo Yu retrieved a rarely used weapon from his storage.
St. Trina's Sword.
The slender straight sword shimmered with a dark golden hue, its guard adorned with intricate floral patterns.
Luo Yu had rarely used it since acquiring it—only testing its skill briefly after upgrading it to +9.
"It might not be ideal against powerful enemies," he said thoughtfully, "but for this situation, it's perfect."
Gripping the blade, he activated its weapon skill.
Sleep Mist.
Under Luo Yu's control, pale mist flowed from the sword and drifted into the house—carefully avoiding Miko Yotsuya's room.
Within seconds, the sleeping members of her household—her mother and younger brother—fell into an even deeper sleep.
Inside an empty room on the first floor, Miko's father and the mysterious wraith sensed the arrival of Luo Yu and Ranni.
The wraith was about to rush outside when the father's spirit stopped it.
"Easy, easy. They came for Miko. You can tell they mean no harm, right? Let's observe for now."
Outside the house, Luo Yu sent a message to Miko Yotsuya before turning to Ranni.
"Your turn, Ranni. Bring her down."
Moments later, the window on the second floor opened.
Miko leaned out cautiously.
When Luo Yu dispelled the concealment spell, she immediately saw the large steed waiting on the road—and the two figures mounted upon it.
"Miss Ranni… and behind you… is that Luo Yu?"
She had only ever seen armor like that in movies. Seeing someone wearing it in real life left her stunned.
Under her gaze, Ranni floated gracefully from the saddle and approached the window.
"Are you ready?" she asked. "Then let's depart."
With a gentle tap of the Carian Regal Scepter, Miko suddenly felt her body lift into the air.
"Eh?!"
She nearly cried out before hurriedly covering her mouth.
"There's no need to worry," Ranni said calmly. "Your mother and brother are asleep. They will not wake until morning."
"Is that because of—"
Ranni nodded toward the sword Luo Yu held.
"That blade releases sleep-inducing mist. It allows you to leave without concern."
When Miko landed beside Torrent, she could finally examine Luo Yu up close.
"Luo Yu… that outfit…"
After storing St. Trina's Sword, he replied casually,
"The Raging Wolf armor set. One of my usual battle outfits."
Dismounting, he patted Torrent's side.
"You two ride. The destination is a bit far."
"Then… what about you?" Miko asked.
Less than a minute later, she discovered the answer.
As Torrent galloped through the streets, Luo Yu ran beside it at astonishing speed—fully armored, yet breathing steadily.
Miko's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Luo Yu… aren't you tired?"
"This level of exertion is nothing," he replied lightly. "I've faced far worse."
Compared to the battles he had fought in The Lands Between—against ancient dragons and legendary foes—this was trivial.
Before long, they arrived at their destination: a deserted commercial street, every shop long since closed.
Even before reaching the alley, Ranni sensed a vile presence ahead.
"It's there, isn't it?"
Luo Yu nodded and looked toward Miko.
On the way here, the suppression on her spiritual sight had already been lifted. She had watched Luo Yu effortlessly destroy several wraiths along the way, which greatly reduced her fear.
Yet the monstrous spirit before them—devouring weaker wraiths—still made her nervous.
After dismissing Torrent, Luo Yu drew the Dark Moon Greatsword.
"I'll handle it."
Ranni nodded, gripping the Carian Regal Scepter in preparation.
"My king… have you forgotten? Tonight was meant to demonstrate magic."
"Ah. Right."
Luo Yu chuckled and stored the greatsword again, replacing it with the Carian Glintstone Staff as he stepped forward.
Standing beside Ranni, Miko whispered,
"Um… Lady Ranni?"
"Just call me Ranni," she replied.
"I… I think I'll stick with Miss Ranni," Miko said shyly. Then she pointed toward Luo Yu. "That greatsword he held earlier…"
"The Dark Moon Greatsword," Ranni explained. "A moonlit blade given by each Carian queen to her consort. As I represent the cold Dark Moon, the sword embodies its power. While it may not surpass every heavy weapon in raw strength, it possesses remarkable advantages of its own."
As she spoke, Luo Yu raised his staff.
Cold mist spread across the ground ahead.
From within the alley, the enormous wraith stirred and slowly crawled out.
Its grotesque face twitched as it looked toward Luo Yu.
"You… can see me?"
Luo Yu did not answer.
By then, frost magic had already crept across the ground and frozen the creature's body, drastically slowing its movements.
Realizing the danger, the wraith roared and lunged forward.
Luo Yu remained unmoving.
With a simple motion of the staff, a brilliant blue comet shot forward—nearly a meter long—slamming directly into the wraith's face and knocking it backward.
Ranni calmly explained beside Miko,
"Comet—a high-level sorcery that fires a powerful projectile resembling a falling star."
Without pause, Luo Yu cast again.
A magic circle formed at the tip of the staff, unleashing a relentless barrage of meteoric beams that tore through the wraith's body, blasting large holes into its flesh.
"Stars of Ruin," Ranni continued. "Another high-tier sorcery."
Seeing the creature weakened, Luo Yu gathered his magic for one final spell.
A massive sphere of energy formed at the staff's tip before erupting into a colossal beam of light that engulfed the wraith entirely.
"Comet Azur," Ranni said with a faint smile. "A legendary sorcery once used by the primeval sorcerer Azur. As long as the caster has sufficient magic, the beam can continue indefinitely."
Miko stood frozen, her mouth slightly open.
This… this was magic?
Magic she might one day learn?
Seconds later, the beam faded.
Only half of the wraith's massive head remained, collapsing onto the ground.
From beginning to end, the creature had never approached within three meters of Luo Yu.
"Impossible…" it rasped weakly.
Leaning casually on the staff, Luo Yu approached the creature.
"Your strength isn't bad—for a wraith," he said calmly. "But compared to the creatures of The Lands Between, you wouldn't survive two days."
Blue magic gathered once more.
A Carian Piercer shot forward, impaling the wraith's head and destroying it completely.
"Done."
Ranni and Miko approached.
Removing his helmet, Luo Yu smiled at Ranni.
"How was that demonstration? Too bad it wasn't stronger—I was hoping to try Adula's Moonblade."
Ranni smiled gently.
"This was more than sufficient. Miko now understands the power of magic."
Beside them, Miko nodded rapidly, her eyes shining with excitement.
Examining the fading remains of the wraith, Ranni added,
"This one had considerable energy—far stronger than the cursed spirit you destroyed on the first day of school."
"Still nothing compared to The Lands Between," Luo Yu replied with a shrug.
Creatures like the giant crabs there were far more troublesome.
Miko suddenly turned toward him eagerly.
"Luo Yu… can I learn magic like that someday?"
He smiled.
"The spells I used tonight are high-level and legendary sorceries. When your strength grows, you can learn them. But for now, start with the basics."
Miko nodded enthusiastically, imagining herself casting spells with a staff in hand.
Even the monstrous wraith from moments ago no longer seemed frightening.
After putting his helmet back on, Luo Yu summoned Torrent again.
"The job's done. Let's head back. We still have school tomorrow."
Ranni and Miko mounted the steed, while Luo Yu once again ran alongside them as they left the commercial street.
Two minutes after they disappeared—
A tall man with white hair, wearing a black outfit and a blindfold over his eyes, appeared as if teleporting into the alley.
He glanced at the lingering frost on the ground.
"So this was where it happened…"
The man known as the strongest sorcerer, Satoru Gojo, rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"I was planning to let Megumi handle this one. Seems someone beat us to it again."
Looking around at the traces of magic, he grinned.
"Same person as last time, perhaps? Interesting… very interesting."
He stretched lazily.
"Let's mobilize a few people and look into it."