"I still feel like it was too expensive…"
Adam sat in an open field, chewing on a beef leg as he mulled over the situation. He couldn't shake the feeling that Ladin might have ripped him off.
After all, once money gets involved, friendship goes out the window. And Ladin wasn't just any friend — he was originally his rival.
"Oh right… I haven't sent any money to the church this month. Guess I'll have to borrow some from Noelle," Adam muttered.
Light snow began to fall. He stretched out his hand, and the snowflakes melted instantly in his palm.
"Snow in June… that's never a good sign."
Boom!
The ground suddenly trembled. In the distance, a massive silver-white creature was lumbering toward him.
"A demon bear?"
"Dragon Blast!"
Without hesitation, Adam unleashed a blazing beam of light at the monster.
Bang!
Snow and dirt exploded into the air. But when the dust cleared, the huge figure was gone.
"Where the hell did it go?"
Adam rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
"It got smaller!"
The three-meter-tall "demon bear" had shrunk into a rabbit the size of his palm.
If it hadn't moved, Adam would've missed it entirely.
"Don't run!"
His eyes lit up with excitement. He quickly packed up the leftover beef, tossed aside the bones, and dashed after the "demon bear."
Change of shape… Could it be… Monkey Talisman power!?
Meanwhile, in Naian City, at Rebecca's home—
"Asta, go to hell!"
A purple flash shot past as Gauche fired a Mirror Magic beam. Asta narrowly flipped out of the way.
"Senior Nosebleed, what the hell?!"
"Go to hell!"
A huge hole blew through the attic. Asta was sent flying.
"Stop it, the children are gone!"
Rebecca rushed out, panic written all over her face. Her younger siblings had disappeared.
"I don't care! Asta must die!" Gauche shouted, completely ignoring everything except his sister.
"The kids from the church are missing too."
The nun with a scar on her left eye, Theresa, appeared — a former member of the Crimson Lions.
"Where's Marie?"
Theresa shook her head grimly. Gauche fired another mirror beam, only for Asta's Demon-Slayer Sword to deflect it.
"Senior Nosebleed, what are you doing?!" Asta yelled.
"Old woman, if Marie has even a scratch—"
"I saw the kids heading that way earlier." Noelle pointed toward the outskirts of town. She hadn't slept all night and had seen it clearly.
Where the hell is Adam?!
Asta took command. "Senior Gauche and I will go after them. Noelle, stay here, hold the line, and call for backup."
"I'm going too, old lady!" Asta snapped, jumping on a broom.
"Stop whining. I'm saving Marie," Gauche growled.
"I can't fly!"
Asta grabbed onto the front of Gauche's broom, and the three of them took off into the night.
"I got you!"
Adam tackled the "rabbit" to the ground. His Golden Magic Book flipped open, absorbing the creature's power.
"Haha, what a monkey… the circle is full."
The Monkey Talisman on page nine now glowed completely, and even the Ox Talisman on page two was partially lit.
Monkey Talisman — the ability to transform into animals.
Stage two allows turning inanimate objects into animals.
Final stage — transform everything.
"At least now I've got a proper way to protect myself," Adam grinned.
Though he carried half the magic power of the Dungeon, Adam was essentially someone without magic power.
If he didn't release mana, no one could sense him. Combined with Monkey Talisman shapeshifting, escaping would be a breeze.
"Hey! Isn't that Asta?"
Up ahead, Asta and the others were speeding away on brooms. None of them heard him.
"Did you hear something?" Asta shouted.
"Shut up. Marie's in danger!" Gauche yelled back as he accelerated. Theresa followed close behind.
"Seriously? They're just gonna ditch me?!" Adam muttered, confused.
"Monkey Talisman—grant me the ability to transform into seventy-two forms!"
With a flash, Adam turned into an eagle and shot off in pursuit.
Underground cave.
"I finished draining this one!"
A scruffy-looking man tossed a child aside and barked at a blue-haired boy. "Neige, grab that high-magic brat!"
"Yes, brother."
Neige dragged Marie toward a magic absorption device.
"Marie!"
"Onii-chan!"
Gauche's eyes widened in rage as he saw the scratches on Marie's face.
"What did you bastards do to my Marie?!"
"Mirror Secret Technique: Repeated Reflection!"
Blinding purple light burst from countless mirrors. The snowmen Neige had summoned crumbled instantly. He was knocked down in seconds.
Baro lunged to grab Marie—
Boom!
A buzzing mosquito flashed white. A moment later, Baro was flying backward from a brutal Ox Talisman–powered kick.
Crunch!
Two ribs snapped. Barlow fell unconscious from the pain.
"The eagle is much faster than the chicken," Adam said coolly, hugging Marie. "Don't worry, little sister. Big brother's here to save you."
"Brother…" Marie blushed softly, her voice sweet and innocent.
Gauche froze on the spot.
She… she just called another man "brother."
"Adam!"
"Senior Gauche!"
Adam waved at him cheerfully — and was immediately blasted with a mirror beam.
"Oh come on! Nosebleed senior, what is your problem?!"
"Adam, put my sister down or I'll kill you!" Gauche shouted.
Asta landed between them and blocked the attack with his sword. "Nosebleed Senior, enough!"
Marie ran to Gauche and began to scold him. "Brother, how could you do this…"
Meanwhile, Adam stomped over to Baro and kicked him a few more times.
"Adam! What the hell are you doing?!" Asta yelled.
"Finishing him off so he doesn't get up later," Adam said matter-of-factly.
He turned to the trembling blue-haired boy. "You. Hand over the magic book, or I'll beat it out of you."
The terrified Neige quickly surrendered his grimoire.
"That's a good boy," Adam smirked.
"Who the hell is this guy?" Theresa muttered, twitching.
"Adam! One of my rivals!" Asta declared proudly.
"It's so lively down there,"
The Eye of the Midnight Sun and Sally with black-framed glasses appeared above the cave, grinning.
"Anti-magic brat, you're not escaping this time!"
Adam looked up at the crazy woman and sighed helplessly. "Why… no matter how I avoid them, these flies keep showing up."
He stretched out his right hand, his eyes cold.
"These bastards… hit the small ones, then the big ones. It's so annoying."
Adam had already embraced his role.
The embodiment of justice.
Licht and Lotus (somewhere else): Shameless bastard. How does he consider himself righteous?