The next day, Shino began training Delta in combat.
After a full morning of instruction, Shino realized one thing: he couldn’t actually *teach* Delta anything.
Delta was incapable of memorizing forms or understanding theoretical applications.
Shino eventually gave up on conventional methods; Delta fought entirely on instinct and raw talent.
Instead, he switched to live combat.
Shino suppressed his mana to match hers and sparred with her repeatedly.
He noticed that Delta’s growth rate in actual combat was staggering.
With every fight, her mana capacity and tactical intuition evolved.
During this time, Alpha remained at the base.
She had been secretly investigating ancient elven scrolls, and everything she found confirmed what Shadow and Phantom had told her: a massive organization known as the Cult of Diabolos was controlling the world from the shadows.
“Lord Phantom, I wish to learn the method for treating Demon Possession,” Alpha requested.
“You don’t have to call me ‘Lord Phantom.’ Just ‘Phantom’ is fine.” “I couldn’t possibly!
You saved my life and taught me so much about combat and mana control.
I owe you everything.” “Alpha, I intend for you to lead Shadow Garden in the future,” Shino said seriously.
“As we expand to face unknown and more powerful enemies, I need to focus on becoming even stronger myself.
Many things will rely on you.
So, just call me Phantom.” “You will always be the Lord Phantom I respect,” she insisted.
Shino draped an arm over her shoulder.
“If you keep being this formal, I’m going to get angry.” “…Phantom.” “There you go!
Now, I’ll teach you how to treat Possession.
Delta!” “Present!” “Go fetch Beta and Gamma!” “Understood!” Delta barked.
Shino was essentially training her like a loyal hound, and Delta, despite being a wolf, followed every command with dog-like obedience.
Once Beta and Gamma arrived, Shino began explaining the principles of reversing Possession.
Delta looked like she was listening to an alien language—it went in one ear and out the other.
Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, however, followed the logic perfectly.
Delta finally realized she was indeed a bit slow, but she quickly decided it didn’t matter as long as she listened to her Master.
After the theory came the practice.
“Delta, lie down here.” Delta complied.
Shino placed his hand on her, and in moments, he purposefully reverted her mana to its “Possessed” state.
“I’ve set Delta’s mana back to the cursed state.
Now, the three of you try to restore her.” After a month of trial and error, all three girls mastered the healing technique.
As she grew, Gamma began to feel increasingly useless.
She didn’t have Delta’s raw power, nor was she a versatile genius like Beta.
In combat, she was always at the bottom.
Shino sensed her distress.
“Gamma, what do you think is the most important thing for an organization?” “Is it…
overwhelming strength?” “No.
It’s capital.
With money, everything else follows.
Without it, you can’t move an inch.
First, the easiest way to make money is to be a merchant—buying low in one place and selling high in another.
But before that, we need market research.” The next day, Shino took Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta out to make some money.
Gamma’s natural business talent flourished under Shino’s guidance, and she quickly spotted a lucrative opportunity.
However, they needed a significant starting capital.
Shino thought of one person: Cid.
That guy robbed bandits every day; he had to be loaded.
On a dark and windy night, two cloaked figures met in a gazebo over a lake.
“What do you need?” Cid asked, staying in character.
“To borrow money.” Cid turned to leave immediately.
“I’ll pay you back double.” Cid sat back down.
“How much?” “One hundred million Zeny.” Cid stood up again to leave.
“I’ll pay you back *three* hundred million.” Cid sat back down.
“Is that a promise?” “Absolutely.
We’re partners in the pursuit of the Eminence in Shadow, aren’t we?
Would I lie to you?” Cid thought it over and nodded.
“Wait here.” Cid rushed home and dug through the stash under his bed—it was just over a hundred million.
*I was going to buy more artifacts…
but if I can triple it, it’s worth the investment!* The next day, Shino, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta went to purchase their goods.
Shino used mana to disguise himself and Gamma as adults.
He left all negotiations to Gamma, who didn’t disappoint—she secured the entire stock at an incredibly low price.
They formed a caravan and headed for a neighboring country.
Others saw the same opportunity, but the wilderness was far too dangerous for regular merchants.
With Shino there, however, robbery was impossible.
To save time, Shino injected mana into the horses, making them hyper-energetic so they could run 24 hours a day without rest.
As they passed a mountain, a group of bandits leaped out.
“This road was built by me—” “Delta, kill them.” “Understood!” Before the bandit could finish his first sentence, he was sliced into three pieces.
The others met the same fate.
Shino looted them, but they were penniless—barely 100,000 Zeny between the lot of them.
After encountering nine groups of bandits over the trip, they only scraped together a million Zeny.
After three days and nights of non-stop travel, Gamma successfully sold the goods for ten times their purchase price.
They now had one billion Zeny.
However, getting that much money out of the country was another story.
At the city gates, the guards began harassing them.
Gamma tried every diplomatic approach, but they refused to let them pass.
“Criminals are afoot in the city!
No one enters or leaves!” the guard captain sneered.
“Unless…
you pay a ‘security fee’ of one billion Zeny.” Gamma was flustered.
It was a blatant shakedown.
Shino realized immediately that the authorities had happily taken their trade but had no intention of letting that billion Zeny leave the country.
They planned to rob them under the cover of night.
“It’s fine.
We’ll find an inn for the night,” Shino said, patting Alpha’s shoulder.
“I’m going to the…
‘restroom’ for a bit.” Alpha didn’t quite get the term, but she nodded.
“Alright.” Moments after Shino “left,” a figure in black plummeted from the sky, smashing a massive crater into the ground near the gates.
“Who are you?!” the guard captain screamed.
“Me?
I am the Outlaw, John Doe!” [LanLi: Zhang San was used, a classic Chinese placeholder name for a generic criminal/scoundrel, which can also be said to be equivalent to John Smith or John Doe in english so…] Shino began condensing a massive sphere of mana in his hand.
“That mana…
RUN!” the soldiers shrieked, scattering in all directions.
Shino blew the city gates to smithereens.
He lunged toward Alpha and the others, waving his hand as a mass of slime enveloped the billion Zeny.
“I’ll be taking this billion Zeny!
HAHAHA!” Shino hoisted the massive slime-wrapped sack of cash onto his back and bolted.
Within seconds, a squad of elite magic swordsmen appeared, chasing after Shino’s receding figure.
Three of the girls realized exactly what was happening and prepared to move.
Delta, however, just yawned and wondered what was for dinner.
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