The Greatest Sinner

Malespera thought Evan was underestimating her, and it made her mad. She decided that the books Evan gave her were so detailed because they weren't meant for the smartest people.

In just a few minutes, Malespera learned Magic Missile and successfully cast the spell three times in a row. White beams of condensed mana slammed into the boulder, and there was a deafening explosion.

"See! It's too easy, one drawing is enough for me, no need to waste time." Said the girl grudgingly.

Evan sighed and shook his head. He wasn't ready to become a babysitter, much less a babysitter for such an unusual girl. But, he decided he would help her, at least for a while. She was an interesting specimen, and more importantly, she would become incredibly strong in the future. Evan would need people like that later on, which is why he considered Malespera an investment.

"Okay, you got me figured out, I didn't expect you to be so smart. When we get home, I'll give you all the spells I have, but you only took the first step, no need to be arrogant." Calmly Evan said and cast Magic Missile, along with Foundation.

Two beams flew out toward the rock, and a powerful explosion destroyed part of it. It was many times more powerful than the one Malespera had been able to make. It was obvious, but the girl was thrilled by what she saw.

"Why were there two beams?" The girl asked, puzzled.

"Back in town, then you'll find out," Evan replied and headed on his way.

"Do you live in this place?" Malespera asked, pointing to Inlas. The town was visible in the distance.

"Not yet, but it can be fixed."

Malespera didn't understand what Evan meant, but she didn't bother him with questions. She wanted to know about something more important.

"Hey, Evan..." Malespera said shyly. She didn't have the confidence in her now that she had after the tragedy in the village.

"What?"

"You said you could use magic to change fate..."

Evan nodded.

"Then, is there such a spell that can bring my brother back to life?" The girl said timidly.

"Good question, but I can't give you an exact answer. I don't know such a spell myself, and I don't know anyone who would. But, like you, I'm a long way from climbing to the top of this world. I'm sure that if you become stronger, resurrecting a mere human won't be a problem for you."

Evan's words encouraged Malespera. For her, it was the last ray of hope in this world. She had changed her mind about this world, but her love for her little brother was going nowhere.

"Evan, do you travel alone?"

Evan hesitated, and after a few seconds, replied, "Not really, I have another companion besides you, it's just not human. Reykar."

Whoooosh.

As soon as Evan called out to the raven, it immediately appeared on his shoulder. Reykar was not part of the battle against the fire monster. But it was thanks to him that Evan was able to kill the crocodile so quickly.

"Is that a monster...?" Malespera was frightened. The scene of the monster killing her brother was still before her eyes.

Evan just nodded: "He's my mate, but don't you dare tell anyone about it. Let's just say it might get me in extra trouble, which I don't want."

"Understood."

...

After a while, they reached Inlas. Evan realized that some organization was after him, he had killed their informant who was bringing them huge profits. But, it didn't bother Evan, he knew that that group of five was an elite unit of an organization called - "Hell Bulls."

This organization was one of the five strongest in all Inlas. Each head of these organizations was at the "Two-Pointed Star" stage and had broken through three "Barriers." They had one last step to take to move to the next level, but it wasn't that simple.

When the mage made a breakthrough and passed to the stages - "One-Pointed Star" and "Two-Pointed Star," he didn't encounter any barriers. But, breaking through to the next stage was many times more difficult. Evan didn't know the reasons for the increased difficulty, the informant didn't have that information.

Nevertheless, he knew that breaking through to the "Three-Pointed Star" stage was several times more difficult than all the previous breakthroughs combined. This stage held some secrets Evan knew nothing about yet.

When they entered the slums, Malespera asked: "Evan, which way is our house?"

"Just go straight ahead, it might be too dangerous to live here. We need a quiet and peaceful place."

Evan thought about settling in another town, but he decided to stay in Inlas. Another similar crime town was too far away. Moreover, Evan wanted to conduct illegal experiments, and only here could he find everything he needed.

Evan wasn't going to live in the slums, he had enough money to buy his own place in the central area. Evan had 50,000 gold coins with him at the moment, and that was really a lot of money. People living in the slums hardly ever received a single gold coin in ten years of work. In Inlas, there was an incredible gap in the population in terms of wealth.

Some worked all their lives for a few gold coins, while others ate dinner for the same amount every day.

As Evan and Malespera walked toward the central area, some of the residents grinned at them. Evan sighed and thought, <I'll have to buy clothes for Malespera, I'm used to being looked at, but in this town, it's especially frustrating to feel the stares of others>.

Malespera came from a village isolated from the world, so her clothes were more like some rags. The poor people around here wore about the same, but the problem was that she was walking next to Evan. His cloak looked very expensive, and so did the ring on his finger.

Evan wasn't worried about the head of the "Hell Bulls" or the members of that organization killing him. They weren't supposed to know about his arrival in town yet, and his power was supposed to scare them. No one but Evan knew what had happened in The Hills of Bloody Falls.

Moreover, the central area was divided into five sectors. Each one was run by one of the five organizations. Evan simply needed to settle in the territory of an organization hostile to the "Hell Bulls," and Evan had already made his choice.

He would rent a place on the organization's property, "Paper Hydrangea." They and the "Hell Bulls" weren't on the best of terms. Their heads had diametrically opposed opinions on how Inlas should be developed.

But, besides the five organizations, there were quite a few strong loners like Evan. They didn't belong to any organization, but they were a force to be reckoned with. The usual organizations were very loyal to anyone who was powerful and rich enough to get into the central zone. Such a person could join them in the future.

...

"Stop!" A guard at the gate leading to the central zone said loudly.

"We need to go further, how much further?" Evan asked calmly.

The guard gave Evan and Malespera a stern look and said: "Ten gold pieces for you and twenty gold pieces for the girl."

"Hmm? Why does it cost twice as much to get in for a girl?" Evan asked, puzzled.

"Boy, don't talk back to me. You want to go with a slave girl into the central area, you pay. If not, get the hell out of here."

Evan sighed and threw a small pouch of gold coins at the guard.. He wasn't going to waste his time on proceedings for the sake of a few coins.