Back to Town

Chris stood before Magnus Arcanum's skeletal remains, his gaze shifting to the wardrobe beside them. His current clothes—stained, ill-fitting rags he had stolen from a drunkard—were an insult to his new status. He wasn't some nobody anymore. He was the successor to the greatest magician in history.

Opening the wardrobe, he found luxurious garments fit for nobility. Deep blues, blood reds, and regal blacks, all embroidered with golden thread. The fabric felt finer than anything he had ever touched. After some thought, he picked a black and gold ensemble—elegant yet commanding. As he changed, he caught his reflection in a cracked mirror. His messy black hair and deep brown eyes remained the same, but the noble attire transformed his entire presence. He smirked. 'Now this is more like it.'

His gaze then fell upon the crimson cape draped over the skeleton's shoulders. Unlike the other clothing, this cape had something… different about it. He reached for it, and the moment his fingers brushed against the fabric, an unfamiliar yet clear knowledge entered his mind.

Flight. Invisibility.

It wasn't intuition, nor a guess. The information flowed into his head the instant he touched it, as if the cape itself whispered its abilities to him. 'So, this is how enchanted items work…?'

Magnus had likely worn this cape for decades, imprinting his mana upon it. Now, as the new master of the dungeon, Chris could sense its power. He fastened it around his shoulders and willed himself to vanish. Just like that, his body blurred into nothingness.

A slow grin spread across his face. He had spent his whole life wishing for power to rule the world and create his own harem and now? He was getting there.

---

With his new outfit and cape, Chris left the dungeon, emerging into the morning light. The moment he stepped out, he noticed something odd—the place where he had originally fallen into the cave seemed… cracked. But only to him.

He stepped closer. From an outsider's view, the ground appeared solid. But when he reached out, his hand passed through it effortlessly, revealing the hidden entrance.

"An illusion?"

He chuckled. Magnus had hidden his dungeon well. If anyone else had tried to enter, they'd have seen nothing but solid rock. "But I can go in and out whenever I want."

Satisfied with this discovery, Chris activated his cape's invisibility and took off into the sky. The sensation of flight was strange at first—weightlessness mixed with total control—but he adjusted quickly.

Flying was far more efficient than walking, and with invisibility, he didn't have to worry about attracting unwanted attention. As the town came into view, he deactivated his flight mid-air and landed outside the gates, his feet touching the dirt road without a sound.

This time, unlike before, he wouldn't need to hide in a wagon. He could walk straight in without being seen.

However, as he approached the entrance, he hesitated.

'Should I try using my command spell on the guards?'

It was tempting. If he could simply order them to let him in, it would confirm that his power worked even against trained knights. But there was a risk.

What if it doesn't work?

Unlike a commoner, these were town guards—likely resistant to some forms of magic. If they resisted his spell, they'd become instantly suspicious. And suspicion was the last thing he needed right now.

Chris shook his head. "Not worth it."

Instead, he walked right past them, invisible and unnoticed.

---

Once inside, he considered his next move. Buying a slave was still high on his list, but right now, there was something more important—understanding this world.

'Information first. Then action.'

The library was his best bet. Not only could he learn about history and the economy, but he could also test his command spell on someone harmless.

The building was easy to find, a large stone structure lined with tall windows. Inside, the scent of old parchment filled the air. Towering bookshelves stretched from floor to ceiling, and a few scholars quietly studied at wooden tables.

At the front desk sat a young female librarian, her attention focused on sorting books. She had soft brown hair and wore simple but neat robes.

Chris approached the counter.

"Let me in."

Her hands stopped moving. A blank look crossed her face, her mind registering the command. A second later, she nodded.

"Of course, sir. Please go ahead."

Chris smirked. The spell worked. It wasn't like he had tried it on a knight, but a commoner following his orders so naturally proved his power wasn't useless.

Inside, he grabbed a few books on history, economy, and geography, quickly scanning through them. As expected, humans were the weakest race, their mana reserves significantly lower than other species. Dragons were at the top, their mana alone making them walking disasters.

But then there was Magnus Arcanum. A human who had surpassed even the strongest dragons.

Chris couldn't help but grin. 'And now, his power belongs to me.'

As he absorbed the information, a soft voice interrupted him.

"Are you new here?"

Chris turned to see a girl standing beside him. She had light brown hair and sharp blue eyes, her expression curious but friendly. She wasn't top-tier like the receptionist or the dungeon hero, but she was definitely attractive.

Chris activated Favorability shift. "You could say that."

She tilted her head. "I don't recognize you, and you seem… different from most adventurers."

"Different how?"

She smiled slightly. "You're reading about history and economics instead of weapons and combat techniques."

Chris chuckled. "Knowledge is power."

The slight shift in her expression told him his spell was working. "That's… actually true."

"By the way, what's your name?"

"Alice," she said.

He leaned forward slightly. "Alice, you seem pretty knowledgeable. Mind helping me out?"

She nodded. "Sure. What do you need?"

Chris casually flipped a page. "I'm from a far-off land, so I don't know much about how things work here. Like… the currency, for example. I know gold is more valuable than copper, but what are the exact exchange rates?"

Alice gave him a curious look. "You don't know?"

He said with a clumsy expression. "Yeah, seems like it."

That was enough for her. "Well, it's simple. One gold coin is worth a hundred silver coins. One silver is worth a hundred copper coins."

Chris nodded, storing the information. 'So, one gold equals ten thousand copper. Good to know.'

He asked a few more indirect questions, avoiding anything too suspicious. Alice answered without hesitation, her initial wariness fading as the Favorability shift took effect.

She wasn't bad. Attractive, intelligent, and easy to talk to. But he knew better than to collect girls randomly. Magnus's letter had warned him—neglecting harem members could lead to betrayal or worse.

Alice wasn't top-tier like the receptionist or the dungeon girl. If he found more women on their level, he might forget about her entirely.

For now, he kept her as a backup option. He had already used Affection manipulation and Favorability shift on her. If he wanted her later, she'd be there.

With that, Chris closed the book and stood up. He had learned everything he needed for now.

It was time to go where he wanna visit for quite sometime

To the guild and meet that goddess like receptionist again with a clear intention of making her his