“What?!” Alex and Mr. Gordon blurted in shock.

Nova, “What artifact?”

Alex, “I don’t know, must be something of theirs.” Alex sided with Nova to keep him away.

Blake, “Did the barrier outside your house broke?”

“No! it’s impossible even if it did, I would know first. Then… shit! Renly must have run off with it.”

Blake, “What?! Why?”

“Troubled kid, told you before. But don’t worry I’ll find him. You guys stay here.”

“He sure is a pain in the a*s.” Nova said when Alex told him that Renly stole something of Blake’s.

Alex, “Yeah. We’ll wait here till they get back.”

Nova, “But shouldn’t we also go out and look for them? I mean the more the better right?” Alex thought about it. He wanted to go and look too but Nova won’t let him leave alone.

“I think you should stay back here, to… watch the house, right?” Alex turned around looking at Gordon to get his approval.

“Yes, that’s right, can I count on you Nova?” Gordon asked.

“Oh? Yes sure.” Nova nodded.

With that they took off to a nearby forest, to find the twins. According to Gordon that is the most likely place they’ll be.

…

“Who… are… you?” Renly said weakly as a cloaked figure lifted him by his throat. Renly and Henry were attacked by a cloaked figure when they were running in a thick grove area. They didn’t have much chance to retaliate. They were hit by one of his spells and after that they lost their ability to use magic. No matter how much they tried but they were unable to use their mana. Renly somehow managed to buy a chance for Henry to escape.

It was one of the curses who had attacked them.

…

Some half an hour after Henry and Renly had left.

The party split up with Alex taking a different route. Blake was also about to split up to expand their search area.

“I think I should cover some area towards the east.” Blake suggested as he ran with Gordon.

“You—

Gordon suddenly halted his words as he looked ahead and came to an abrupt halt. Blake followed too.

“It might be a bit difficult at the moment…” Gordon muttered as he looked at the two figures in front of him.

Blake and Gordon were currently facing two curses themselves. The curses intercepted them lying wait for them.

“Mr. Gordon, I should warn you in advance. Try not to make contact with anything sort of weird magic that bandaged bastard releases. It’s a curse magic making it unable to use your mana.” Blake warned as he recognized one of the curses standing in front of him!

It was Loren, the one whom Alex and Nina had fought before.

…

‘Miracle, are you able to trace anyone of them?’

Miracle, ‘It looks like Blake and that Gordon fellow are engaged in a battle with two persons. One of them is that bandaged curse insect.’

Alex, ‘Loren… then I need to head there right now!’

Miracle, ‘No wait, that soft twin insect is running towards you.’

‘…Henry?!’ Alex then heard footsteps and suddenly Henry came out of it. Alex quickly caught him.

“You… you need to help Renly or he’ll kill him! I can’t… we weren’t… able to use our mana!”

“Which direction?” Alex asked.

“That” Henry pointed from where he came from. Alex was about to head there when suddenly Miracle warned him of a cloaked figure who was standing on top of a tree in front of him.

‘That’s the soul vessel, that’s the other twin. Soul vessel huh? Guess I have a little time on my hands until those two are finished.’ The man thought to himself as a smirk appeared on his face.

‘Miracle is Renly alive?’

Miracle, ‘I can sense him faintly. But he won’t last long.’

‘Shit! I can’t fight and save Renly at the same time… should I run away?’ Alex thought to himself not wanting to fight another curse.

‘You sure remember to run, the first thing your life comes in danger, don’t you?’ Mircale said.

‘Yeah, so what? That guy up there doesn’t seem like a small fry. And it’s tactical retreat!’

‘Where do you plan to run? To Renly? As things are that kid won’t survive.’ Miracle stated.

Alex was taken aback. It was true, even if he goes where Renly is right now, there’ no guarantee that he could fight this cloaked guy and save Renly at the same time.

Seeing how Alex didn’t seem to be reacting even after he made his presence known, the cloaked figure decided to make the first move!

Contemplating on what to do Alex noticed flaming spears raining down on them.

Alex purely acting on instinct weaponized Miracle and countered with black mana slashes. Henry was surprised at Alex’s quick movements. He knew from the soccer match before that while Alex appeared normal on the surface with no mana whatsoever, there was something about him which enabled him to keep up Renly and himself.

Not waiting on ceremony, the man followed with a large 50-meter flaming sword right from the top of the tree branch where he stood.

Alex pushed the twin aside as he blocked it.

“Henry! Go and help Renly, he is still alive, get him help, immediately, I’ll stop him. Go!”

Henry immediately activated some speed enhancing spell and ran towards Renly’s direction. The man was about to stop him when he suddenly sensed danger and immediately stepped aside as a black -mana slash passed through his position. He then looked back towards Alex’s position on the ground. But he couldn’t find him anywhere. That’s when he realized. The boy was floating in air in front of him right now!

Alex was capable of taking flight now. Since he reached the level where he can use a much larger reserves of Miracle’s mana just like the first time, he made the contract with him, his strength has gone under a very qualitative transformation!