Dark Magus Returns

It didn't take long for Raze to study the texts that he had received from Harvey in Alterian.

Most of them were low star level spells that didn't take much to grasp, at least for Raze, who had a high level of knowledge.

Principles in the other attributes could be shared among others, and it wasn't as if Raze was a complete beginner when it came to Dark Magic in the first place; there just wasn't a large amount of resources.

Regardless, Raze was still able to learn a few new things that could be useful, and the time he had spent in the dimension wouldn't go to waste either.

Placing all the texts away, Raze stood up, still surrounded by the greenery in the jungle.

'I guess it's time for me to leave. I have gained quite a lot staying in this dimension; it has been helpful in my progress.

'It also has given me some time to figure a few things out as well. This break is just what I needed.'

Raze hadn't just been studying texts but also thinking a lot about everything connected—Alter, the Bonum Society, the Pagna warriors, Alterian, and all of it, including the Dark Faction founder that had a deep connection to it all.

'Killing the beasts in this place slowly after some time doesn't seem to summon the dimension boss, so I've been in here for a few days.'

'That Martial Arts Tournament that Alba kept talking about, it should be starting soon… I should be ready.'

Thinking this, Raze was walking through the dense jungle, looking for the area he had entered from to also exit from as well.

Many beasts in the jungle had seen him, large and small in size, and each one of them had decided to scurry deeper into the jungle, avoiding him.

Nearly all of them had seen what he had done; they could feel the presence of death on him and wouldn't dare get closer.

Eventually reaching the portal, Raze took a step forward and had left the dimension. In the dimension itself, it was as if signs of life had begun again.

The beasts, the animals, and even the bugs all scurried out, doing as they usually would. It was as if they were holding their breath, and a sigh of relief had overcome them.

If Raze was to take a guess, he would assume that he had been gone a week. It was hard to tell when one was in other dimensions, different worlds that had different cycles.

Sometimes one would never even see the sun, or the complete opposite, and never see the sky.

Regardless, when returning to the town, a complete transformation had taken place.

'Am I in the right place?' Raze asked himself.

Stood at the edge of the town, the buildings were made out of fresh timber with a nice coat of paint on the outside.

The structures stood straight, and there was even cobblestone on the ground, flattened to make it easier for carts to travel.

The city's layout was improved with a stable for horses, a docking station for carts, even though it was practically empty right now.

The town looked better than even Repton, the place known as the capital city of the Demonic Faction. This was because the world of Pagna had discovered new ways and techniques to build.

There was next to no cost of labor as the townsfolk and the Crimson Crane had been working on their own just to improve the place.

On top of that, a lot of materials had been given to them as gifts from the clans nearby and far.

All of this transformation had occurred while Raze was away, and Pagna warriors could do physical labor ten times as fast as a normal man and for ten times as long as well.

It was almost as if Raze had gone through a portal and was now in a new age, just like the first time when he had come to Pagna.

The reason why he knew he was in the right place was because of the townsfolk. They waved and said hello as they recognized him, and Raze himself recognized the river that was still empty.

Not seeing anyone, he had decided to head to the town hall, assuming everyone would be there, and he was in for another surprise.

The town hall was already a large building; it was now twice the size with a big clock in the center telling the time of day.

'Did they spend everything?' Raze asked himself, already feeling quite tired. Perhaps as soon as he was back, he would have to start making more pills just so they had some sort of finances.

"I might need to have a word with Fixteen," Raze mumbled to himself as he walked through the doors.

Thankfully, the inside wasn't as lavish as the outside, but he could tell they were in the middle of decorations.

The thought that they might have just run out of money and were waiting for him wanted Raze to turn around.

'I have no use for my funds anyway...I guess it's good that other people are going to get to use it.'

Going through several of the rooms, Raze had finally arrived at a large meeting room with a giant square table and several seats stationed around it.

Rayna, Fixteen, the mayor, and the entirety of the Crimson Crane were inside. Their heads turned, and upon looking at Raze, they were all pleasantly surprised.

"You're finally back and just in time!" Alba said, gesturing him over.

"Just in time for what?" Raze asked, cautious that they were going to ask him for more pills.

"We're talking about the Martial Arts Tournament; it's in two days' time, that's when everyone will be in the mood for the big day," Fixteen explained.

"We're assuming you still wanted to take part."

Raze gave a firm nod in response.

"I've been preparing myself for anything that could possibly happen; I even stopped by in the city at the lake."

Fixteen was curious what Raze meant; why would he stop by the lake? Regardless, he felt like his matter was more pressing.

"Right, so I don't think any of the Demonic Faction will have a problem with you taking part in the tournament; you are the right age after all, and we have established ourselves as part of the Demonic Faction now," Fixteen explained.

"However, the issue at hand is that all of the participants for the Demonic Faction have already been selected. The only way we can participate is if one of the participants is unable to turn up. Which was why I was considering challenging the participants to a duel."

Things like this also occurred in Alterian from time to time among students, and he had heard of duels taking place.

"You know the Behemoth Clan have someone participating; you could go against them," Reno suggested.

"I don't think they would accept a duel and might just start a war just from us asking. If you want to throw the whole Demonic Faction into chaos, then go ahead," Alba stated.

"Actually, we have someone who will be best for us, even if they try to resist: someone from the Necroshade Clan."

Raze was scratching his head because he was sure he had heard that clan name from somewhere before, but from where, and why would he know one of the Demonic Clan's names?