I Am A Wizard Who Can Travel Between Earth And The Other World-Chapter 24 - Suspicious Figures

Across from him, Wayn gazed at Gin's smile, her eyes shimmering with curiosity and admiration.

Four Days Later

Four days had passed since the attack.

As always, Gin sat in his usual corner of the café, engrossed in his studies. The time had not been wasted—his progress was remarkable.

At last, he had succeeded in refining his durability enhancement into a passive ability. Not only that, but he had also discovered a new method to infuse magic into his bones, muscles, and nervous system. The innovation allowed him to achieve feats beyond what his original magic had enabled, all while using an almost imperceptible amount of energy.

The result was astounding. His senses had sharpened to an unprecedented degree, granting him an awareness that bordered on supernatural. Even now, his perception was heightened to its limits, every detail of the world around him captured with crystal clarity.

Focus, he had learned, amplified the effect dramatically.

The moment he allowed his concentration to wane, however, an overwhelming rush of sensory data flooded his mind.

But Gin remained unfazed. This was a phenomenon he had experienced often since his magical enhancements had taken effect. He merely took a moment to gather and categorize the incoming information.

"Hmm?"

His eyes narrowed slightly as he processed a particular sensation.

Lifting his gaze, he scanned the café.

Among the patrons, he could now clearly distinguish those who possessed magic. They were clustered in groups, sipping their coffee with expressions of genuine wonder and admiration.

So, the rumors have spread among the gifted.

It was no coincidence. Word had clearly gotten out about this place.

Yet, among them, Alberta was absent.

Since that night, she had not returned to Wizard Café. Occasionally, she would call or send a message, but never once had she stepped through its doors again.

Gin took his time observing the magic-wielders. The energy signatures they emitted were similar, suggesting they were of comparable strength.

None of them belonged to Team young.

That, at least, confirmed one thing—these weren't government operatives. If anything, it was likely that individuals like these had begun traveling in groups, wary of another ambush. Moving alone only increased their chances of being targeted.

Stroking his chin thoughtfully, Gin considered his next move.

The portals used by Team young are compromised.

The security around them would be impenetrable after the last incident.

But what about the portals these people used?

One day, he would create his own. But for now, theirs would suffice.

The five clusters of magic-wielders in the café appeared to belong to different factions. Their unfamiliarity with each other was evident.

"You'd think they'd be a little more cautious if only the gifted are reacting this strongly to the coffee."

Or perhaps the flavor had robbed them of any ability to question the peculiarity of the situation.

Today, it's them.

Gin locked onto one of the groups.

Soon, he would follow them.

It was time to revisit the hidden world and assess its current state. If the opportunity presented itself, he wouldn't mind a good fight, either.

Feigning disinterest, he skimmed through the research paper in front of him while discreetly keeping track of his chosen targets.

Before long, the group rose from their seats.

Just like Alberta had done before, they purchased another round of coffee to-go before exiting.

Gin's fingers twitched slightly. With a subtle shift in his magic, he marked them.

It was one of the new spells he had developed—a tracking enchantment.

Until now, he had never needed magic for such a purpose. What use was tracking magic in his old life?

But things were different now.

Durability enhancement had been the first adaptation to match his new reality. This tracking spell was the next.

Distortion magic was still under refinement, but it wouldn't be long before it was perfected.

Ten minutes after the group had departed, Gin stood.

"I'm heading out early today. I might not be back for a few days."

Wayn and Leslie blinked in surprise.

Then, almost in unison, they smiled.

"Got it! Leave everything to us!"

Seoyoung's enthusiastic reply earned her a brief smirk from Gin.

Beside her, Seohyun's expression shifted subtly. Her eyes lingered on him, a trace of something different in her gaze.

As she bit her lower lip, Gin made a mental note—he should probably have a meal with her soon, too.

The Hunt Begins

The one drawback of his tracking spell was its demand—it required an entire partition of his consciousness to sustain.

But the results were worth it.

Unlike before, there was no need for reckless pursuits. He now knew exactly where they were, where they were headed, and even had a general sense of their physical condition.

He couldn't yet see through their eyes or hear their conversations, but that was only a matter of time. The enchantment would evolve, as all his magic did.

"I acted on impulse again."

He sighed, amused.

Preparation would have been wise.

Still, he had everything he needed. The currency from the hidden world was on him at all times—one could never predict when it would be necessary.

"Maybe I should craft a few enchanted artifacts."

So far, the only magic-infused objects he had created were the ones embedded in the café—spells for cleanliness, a mild charm effect for ambiance.

But if he wanted to prepare for battle, he could imbue his accessories with something more potent.

A freezing enchantment, perhaps? The kind he had used against the monstrous entities before?

No.

He could cast that spell easily enough himself.

What he needed was something for immediate activation—magic that could be triggered at a moment's notice, without preparation.

Or perhaps, magic that could activate on its own when the conditions were met.

Lost in thought, he barely noticed how much ground he had covered.

The markers were moving quickly.

A vehicle.

His targets had taken a car.

But Gin felt no urgency.

At a leisurely pace, he made his way to the nearest bus stop and boarded a vehicle headed in the same general direction.

When the paths diverged, he disembarked, walked for a bit, then hailed a taxi.

The chase was a slow one, but that was fine.

They were headed somewhere far. Somewhere secluded.

And Gin was more than willing to follow.

....

The tracking mark had stopped moving.

Riding in the back of a taxi, Gin leaned forward and spoke to the driver. "I'll get out here."

The driver glanced back, his face a mix of confusion and concern. "Here? There's nothing around here, you know. You'll have a hard time getting a ride later. This area's too far from the city—most taxis won't come this way."

"I'll be fine," Gin replied with a calm smile.

"You're going to regret it," the driver muttered. "If you're unlucky, you might end up walking all the way back to the city. That's at least 20 minutes by car—on foot, we're talking hours."

Gin chuckled, paid the fare, and stepped out. The taxi's engine hummed as it drove away, leaving him in silence.

The road stretched out before him, a narrow single lane.

Around him was nothing but empty fields, devoid of buildings or signs of life.

His map confirmed the tracking mark's location: a cluster of warehouses sitting isolated in the middle of nowhere, even lacking a proper road to reach them.

Gin adjusted his backpack, glancing at the horizon. I'll wait until nightfall to make my move, he thought. The cover of darkness would make it easier to stay undetected.

The walk was longer than he had anticipated.

Without cars or people around, traveling directly to his destination would risk exposing him. He'd need to apply a distortion spell—his imperfect cloaking magic—but even that required careful timing.

As the paved road ended, Gin looked up at the sky. The sun had dipped below the horizon, but the dim light lingered. It wasn't dark enough for complete concealment, but he had no choice.

After confirming there were no cameras or other onlookers—a precaution he repeated several times—he cast the distortion spell. Invisible threads of mana shimmered briefly, bending the light around him before vanishing into a seamless veil.

The terrain shifted into rough, barren land. Sparse patches of low hills provided shade, making it easier to mask the subtle distortions caused by his spell.

Staying close to the hills, Gin walked for about thirty minutes, the daylight fading into the shadows of night. The darkness made his cloaking more effective, rendering him almost imperceptible.

Finally, he reached his destination: three large, solitary warehouses surrounded by open space. Over ten cars were parked out front, their arrangement haphazard.

He crouched in the shadows, studying the area.

The lack of visible security was surprising—no cameras, no guards patrolling the perimeter. Compared to the heavily fortified portal facilities managed by Y1 Corporation, this place felt sloppy and exposed.

Something's off, Gin thought.

Reaching into his mana core, he began to draw energy. His hands moved fluidly, weaving intricate patterns in the air.

Threads of mana unraveled, forming a complex magic circle that disintegrated into fine particles as it activated.

This was a new spell he'd developed—a refined version of his mana mist technique.

Previously, he had relied on brute force to scatter mana and glean basic information, but encounters with ability users in the Shadow Realm had revealed the need for more sophisticated reconnaissance magic.

The result was this spell: Domain Expansion.

As the spell unfolded, threads of mana extended outward, forming simple patterns that replicated and advanced, blanketing the warehouses. The patterns propagated quickly at first, then slowed as they neared completion, eventually covering the entire area.

With a final touch, Gin linked his mana core to the network of patterns.

The flow of information began immediately, pouring into his mind—details about the structures, the people inside, even their conversations.

The warehouses housed about ten individuals each, all of them ability users. The sheer number surprised him.

Gin frowned slightly.

"There are more of them than I expected."

Ability users were supposed to be rare. And yet, lately, they seemed to be everywhere.

Had he simply not noticed them before?

Or had something changed?

He sharpened his focus, listening in on their conversations.

Most of it was idle chatter—complaints about stock prices, drinking plans, how inconvenient the location was, and how Wizard Café's coffee was the best they'd ever had.

Then, something caught his attention.

A familiar name.

"What's the situation with Team Young? Did you find anything?"

"Someone attacked Alberta."

"...Attacked? Who?"

"No idea. The only one who might've known died, and the cars they used were all untraceable. The whole thing's a dead end."

"Why Alberta, though?"

"What do you mean?"

"Was there a specific reason for targeting her?"

"She wasn't the only one."

"What?"

"It's being kept quiet, but one of the team leaders from Jinsung was hit, too. And RW Group took a hit as well."

A brief silence.

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Then, a hushed, wary voice.

"...This is bad, isn't it?"

Gin's expression remained unreadable, but a spark of intrigue lit in his eyes.

This wasn't an isolated attack.

Someone—or something—was moving in the shadows.

And whatever it was, it had already begun shaking the foundations of the ability-user world.

he hushed conversation continued among the group inside the warehouse.

"Why would we be in danger? Hardly anyone even knows we exist."

"Yeah, but if someone does find out, we'll be the easiest targets."

"That's true... but for now, no one knows."

"We should still prepare for the future. Once we start using the auction house, we'll be exposed."

"Damn it. Just getting this many people together was hard enough, and it's only going to get more complicated."

"Still, at least we managed to form an organization that's independent from the corporations."

"Yeah, that alone is worth it. We just have to deal with the risks. Unlike the guys stuck working for those companies, we'll be making way more money. And no one will be pulling our strings."

"Which is exactly why you need to stop making reckless moves. Seriously, going all that way just for a cup of coffee? Are you insane?"

"You drank it too, so don't pretend you don't understand. That wasn't just any coffee."

"...Fine, I'll admit that much. But still, be more careful."

"Obviously. I'm not planning on leaving this place again anytime soon. Today was just a one-time thing."

Their conversation continued in the same vein, a mix of minor concerns and casual chatter.

Gin listened from his concealed position, debating his next move.

And then—something shifted.

A prickling sensation ran through his heightened senses.

His eyes sharpened.

From the distance behind him, the faint rumble of vehicles approached.

It was subtle—no headlights, engines running at their lowest hum.

Multiple vans, creeping toward the warehouse, then halting midway.

Silhouettes moved swiftly.

Masked figures poured out, each one armed with loaded crossbows.

There were thirty of them.

That alone made their intentions crystal clear.

Gin remained pressed against the shadowed hillside, watching intently.

Something stirred in his awareness—an unfamiliar sensation, tugging at his senses.

His gaze flicked back to the approaching group.

Silently, he dissolved his domain expansion from the warehouse and redirected it toward the incoming assailants.

Invisible threads of magic surged forth, expanding in rapid succession, weaving unseen patterns around the intruders.

They didn't even notice.

Gin 's magic had already engulfed their surroundings, yet they remained oblivious.

And then—he found it.

A magic artifact.

One of them carried an object laced with powerful enchantments.

Gin focused, refining his spell to extract more detailed information.

Yet, even with his enhanced analysis, its nature remained elusive.

It was nothing like the cheap silver bracelet Odys had given Alberta before.

This was a true magic artifact—one layered with tightly-woven security spells, making it impossible to decipher its exact function.

There was only one way to truly understand it.

He had to get his hands on it.

As Gin analyzed the artifact, the masked men advanced, passing by his hidden position.

The leader—moving at the front—suddenly raised a hand.

The group stopped.

Reaching into his cloak, he pulled out the artifact.

A crystal sphere, smooth and transparent, resting between his hands.

With a firm twist, he split it apart.

Click.

A precise mechanical sound resonated in the still night.

Magic flared outward.

Gin instinctively reinforced his defenses.

It was merely a detection spell, a dispersed mist of magic meant to scan the surroundings. A simple flow-reversal countered it easily.

As expected—this was a portal-detection artifact.

Inside the open crystal, a faint shape flickered.

Gin couldn't see it from his angle, but the man holding the artifact clearly could.

The leader extended a finger, pointing toward the leftmost warehouse.

"The portal is inside."

Tension spiked among the group.

They gripped their crossbows tighter, their eyes locking onto the warehouse.

"Formation A. Move in."

The thirty men split into three units.

Two teams of five took position near the middle and right warehouse doors, spacing out for tactical coverage. Their weapons were ready—prepared to eliminate anyone who stepped out.The remaining twenty converged on the left warehouse—their primary target.

"Securing the portal takes priority. Once that's done, eliminate the rest. Move."

At the command, they launched into action—fast, coordinated, and silent.

Watching them, Gin's eyes gleamed.

"A portal-detection artifact. No doubt about it."

The crystal sphere had scanned the area and pinpointed the portal.

From what he could tell, it wasn't particularly advanced—its range seemed to be about a hundred meters at best.

Still, it was useful.

Gin rechecked his distortion magic before silently following them.

At the same time, he subtly shifted his domain expansion, ensuring it now encompassed both the warehouse and the attackers.

Instantly, new information streamed into his mind.

And there it was—the confirmation.

The portal did exist inside the warehouse.

Gin didn't rush.

Before making a move, he needed to see who these people were and what they wanted.

Something told him they were connected to the group that ambushed Alberta.

The right and center teams positioned themselves at the warehouse entrances, spacing out in an ambush-ready formation.

Meanwhile, the left team moved in.

Their leader checked the door—locked.

With a sharp gesture, he signaled to break in.

The heavy metal doors creaked open, and they rushed inside.

Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!

Crossbow bolts rained down the moment they entered.

"Argh! What the—?!"

"We've got hostiles!"

Shouts erupted.

The noise triggered both remaining warehouse doors to burst open.

A flood of people rushed out—the ability users who had been inside all along.

Whizz! Whizz!

Bolts found their targets.

The first men to emerge collapsed immediately—arrows buried deep in their foreheads.

Instant kills.

From the beginning, the attackers had no intention of leaving survivors.

Gin's expression darkened slightly.

So they came here to slaughter everyone.

The battle was swift.

One-sided.

Within moments, it was over.

The masked attackers had suffered zero casualties.

The warehouse occupants? Wiped out.

Gin stood silently, watching the scene unfold.

The last bit of information fed into his domain expansion, confirming what he already knew.

It was time to move.