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Chapter Six: Magic Unveiled

Gaige pondered a perplexing question as he stood in this unfamiliar world: Where had Earth's magic gone? While many believed magic was confined to fiction, it had always existed on Earth, lurking in the shadows, unseen and unexplored.

Although humans had established their dominance on this planet due to their intelligence, adaptability, and resourcefulness, they lacked extraordinary powers or supernatural abilities. Magic remained an untapped resource for most people, as their technological advancements rendered it unnecessary.

Furthermore, their understanding of life and death as single-life beings with finite souls discouraged them from engaging in perilous activities. Despite their ignorance about what lay beyond death, only a few were risk-takers. Most humans embraced peaceful, uneventful lives.

Gaige felt relatively safe, believing no one in this world could match his strength. However, his sense of security crumbled when a potential adversary approached. He mumbled, "Do Ninjas exist here?" as he leaped back, startled by the sudden appearance of a man.

Gaige's assumption that this world had skilled individuals who could use stealth techniques, such as ninjas or assassins, was quickly dispelled when he saw the person's imposing size.

"Sumo wrestler?" he wondered aloud, studying the man in front of him. In his previous life as Kim Nery, Gaige had seldom encountered individuals larger than himself. However, this man stood at an astonishing eight feet tall and six feet wide, a formidable combination of bulk and muscle. With a traditional chonmage hairstyle like that of samurai and sumo wrestlers, this unknown figure exuded an intimidating presence.

The giant man casually stood before Gaige, eyeing him as if sizing him up. Swallowing his fear, Gaige adjusted his posture, projecting an air of confidence to match the sumo wrestler's intimidating aura.

"Sorry for startling you, but why are you standing in front of our turf, mister?" the colossal man asked in a timid tone that starkly contrasted with his imposing physique. Gaige was reminded of himself—large but awkward in speech.

"Turf?" Gaige questioned.

"Yes, sir. You can't linger in this place. It's not safe if the leader sees you here. He's a fearsome man."

Gaige furrowed his brow as he continued conversing with the giant man, and the more they spoke, the less intimidating the man appeared. Gaige realized that the man's imposing presence disappeared when he spoke.

"Leader?" Gaige inquired.

"Yes, there's a small gang here."

"You?" Gaige pressed.

Unlike the giant man, who immediately revealed his timid nature, Gaige maintained a calm demeanor as he carefully selected his words to avoid revealing his linguistic limitations.

"Me? I'm just an errand boy, mister," the giant man named Andy replied.

Gaige's eyebrow twitched at Andy's response. Though he maintained his stoic expression, Gaige couldn't help but feel confused and shocked. "An errand boy? Of that size? Has Earth changed while I was away?" he wondered.

Gaige couldn't recall any gang leaders named Axel from his time as Kim Nery. "Hey, Andy! Hurry up, we're hungry!" a slender man called out to Andy from the rooftop, completely ignoring Gaige.

This disregard irritated Gaige and left him wondering why someone weaker like the skinny man could act superior to Andy. Curiosity piqued, Gaige wanted to inquire further but refrained, not wanting to shatter Andy's impression of him as a composed individual.

"Mr. Mister, I'm going up. Please leave," Andy requested before hastily ascending the building's stairs. Gaige observed Andy's struggle through a broken window and couldn't help but question whether the giant man's imposing size was merely for show.

With his curiosity growing, Gaige momentarily forgot his goals of staying low-profile and leading a peaceful life. He closed his eyes and focused on his sense of hearing to eavesdrop on the rooftop conversation. Even though he was on the ground, he could clearly hear their dialogue.

"Huhu, I apologize for being late!"

"You useless idiot! The noodles are soggy now because of your tardiness!"

"I'm sorry! I'll get new ones."

"How long do we have to wait again? Moron! Teach him a lesson!"

As Gaige counted the gang members—twelve in total—he couldn't help but notice how pathetic they appeared while ganging up on Andy. "One... two... three..." he counted aloud. It was annoying to witness a weakling behaving arrogantly, so Gaige decided to intervene. He approached the group and effortlessly lifted Andy away from the mob.

Jaws dropped all around, including Andy's, as everyone was stunned by Gaige's display of strength. Andy, a massive man weighing around 480 pounds and towering above the rest, couldn't believe the power Gaige possessed. However, once the shock wore off, the gang members swiftly drew their guns and aimed them at Gaige.

"Ah, so carrying a gun makes these people feel bold and arrogant," Gaige mused, unimpressed by their weapons.