My Muscle System in the Mage World

He walked swiftly along the roads, eventually entering an alleyway.

In the narrow confines of the alley, he pulled out a pen and a piece of paper, his expression pensive as he wrote something down and tied it to a bird.

The bird appeared to be an ordinary wild bird, but it remained calm even as Richard secured the message to its left leg. After firmly attaching it, he gave the bird a pat on its wings.

With a whoosh, the bird took off, flying through the air at a terrifying speed.

Once the bird was out of sight, Richard stood in silence for a long while.

Then, suddenly, he roared as loudly as he could, his voice echoing through the alleyway.

With clenched fists, he began to pound the wall in front of him in frustration and anger.

Bang! Bang!

With each blow, the old, greased wall began to crumble like a spider's cobweb.

After a relentless onslaught, Richard finally ceased his assault, turning around with a cold, murderous glint in his eyes.

"Please spare me, wizard," came a meek voice from one of the corners.

But before the plea could fully register, Richard swiftly drew his sword from his waist and began hacking at the child in ragged clothes.

Swish!

With relentless fury, he struck the child again and again, releasing all the pent-up frustration and anger within him.

The child couldn't even scream before his life faded away, yet Richard continued his merciless assault.

After what felt like an eternity, Richard finally halted, his breath ragged as he took a moment to rest. He casually wiped his sword clean with a piece of cloth.

"That bastard Aur isn't simple," he muttered bitterly.

"I know you are there. Come out."

Silence answered him.

"Tch, it was worth a try. It seems like there is no one here," Richard said, heaving a sigh of relief.

Before leaving the alleyway, Richard didn't spare a glance at the mutilated corpse.

After his departure, a big fat squirrel with two large fangs protruding out emerged from a nearby garbage can, its expression tentative.

"What a cruel human," the squirrel's voice echoed before it scurried off with its fat belly swiftly manoeuvring through the crowd.

Swiftly returning to Aur's mansion, the squirrel entered the premises.

…

The first elder sat cross-legged, his long beard already aged, reaching around his shoulders. He was bald, with a medium build, his breathing calm and focused as he drew mana from the surrounding like a bottomless pit.

Suddenly, he snapped open his eyes, their glint reflecting a strange pattern.

A bird appeared in his window, fluttering.

The first elder gazed at the window, which opened as he extended his arm. Directly, the sword to the side flew towards him. This was his famous metal magic!

"Has the job been done?" a contemplative expression appeared on his face as he let the bird rest on his shoulder.

The first elder caught the papers, knotted to the bird's leg, and slowly opened it.

While reading the paper, his brows knitted together in a frown.

"I wanted to incite conflict between the third and fifth factions, led by the second elder and the third elder. However, it seems that using that weakling may not be possible for the time being. But it doesn't matter; he is a minor character after all. However, considering his luck, I should invite him to my faction instead," a fierce gaze appeared in his eyes.

"I feel like I could break through to tier three within a year at this rate. I am progressing," the first elder smiled when he felt that. "That inheritance was definitely worth it," his whole body started to emit a dark aura.

"After I eliminate Noah and William, all the resources in the village will be mine. At that time I would still need some young bloods."

…

"Master, Master," the squirrel said while panting.

Aur, at the moment, was casually sitting in the lap of one of the women whom he had just acquired from Richard.

The blond woman was blushing slightly while rubbing his temples, and the other woman was slowly feeding him grapes.

In name, they were just servants, but in actuality, their status could be said to be even lower than slaves.

"You're already enjoying your servants," the squirrel flared with anger, keeping its chubby hand on its hips and standing up in a human-like manner.

"Just tell me what you found out," Aur's deep voice fell, and the squirrel's bravado disappeared like a river washed away.

"As expected by your master, Richard just sent a note through a bird and left the place," the squirrel reported.

Aur's eyes snapped open, revealing his red pupils.

The girl who was rubbing his temples was visibly frightened when she saw Aur's abrupt action.

A frown settled on Aur's face. "Continue," he commanded.

"Yes, Master," she said in a meek voice.

As she resumed massaging his temples, Aur's mind raced with various thoughts, and he sneered inwardly.

How could such a lucrative business be left for others to handle? And why would Richard, a man of seemingly significant wealth, approach a newly appointed elder with the strength of a tier one wizard to ask for protection?

There is no free lunch in the world; it was too good to be true.

Moreover, even if it were true, once these high-ranking people lost their money, they would be angry, and their wrath would likely be directed at Aur, the name behind the protection of the establishment.

Aur refused to underestimate the power of unity. These individuals would accumulate, forming a force that could overwhelm him.

Even if Aur didn't care about the wrath he would incur, he refused to believe that there wasn't already a powerful elder involved in the gambling business.

All these thoughts led to one conclusion: Richard was sus, and even a blind person could see it.