Tech Hero in Another World

A few moments later…

Velna was seen leaving the academy gates with calm steps, though her eyes gleamed with caution. She had arranged her schedule since morning, and this afternoon she had an appointment with someone outside campus. From a distance, Kiriya's suspicion rose instantly. He tapped Erick on the shoulder, who already looked exhausted after tailing Velna all day.

"On your feet, Greyson. We're following."

"What? Again? Can't we just let her be? She's only—" Erick didn't even get to finish before Kiriya grabbed his collar and dragged him down the city road.

The city they were heading toward wasn't just any town. It existed because of Starford Academy itself, the largest institution on the continent, supported by the coalition of the five western kingdoms. With thousands of students enrolling each year, the flow of people around the academy was immense. That bustling population drew merchants, craftsmen, and even small-time criminals hoping for fortune. Over time, buildings grew dense, cobblestone streets spread wide, and beyond the academy gates rose a vast settlement now known as Ford City.

Even with the sun dipping low, the liveliness hadn't waned. Merchants called out as they shut their stalls, children darted through narrow alleys, and the air was thick with the mingled scents of baked bread and horse dung. In the midst of that bustle, Velna slipped into a small shop along the main street.

"This is strange…" muttered Kiriya, eyes narrowing.

"Obviously," Erick replied dryly, his tone dripping with boredom. They finally chose to hang around near a side alley across the shop, waiting for nearly two hours.

When the sky had begun to blush red, Velna finally emerged. She bowed slightly to someone inside before closing the door, carrying a paper bag in hand.

"Hey… she's not—" Erick began suspiciously.

"Quiet. That's just your wild imagination," Kiriya cut him off.

Erick let out a heavy sigh. "Haah…"

"She's moving… let's go!" Kiriya tugged at his friend again, forcing Erick to follow. They trailed the girl at a steady distance. The paper bag in Velna's grip was held tightly against her chest, as though it carried something priceless.

But suddenly, Velna stopped. Her eyes swept the surroundings, and Kiriya froze. He instantly yanked Erick into the shadows of a brick wall in a narrow alley. Erick, too slow to react, almost had his head sticking out before Kiriya shoved him back in.

Velna turned. "Was it just my imagination?" she murmured. After a few seconds of silence, she only shrugged and kept walking.

Kiriya and Erick exchanged looks, both holding their breath before carefully stepping out of hiding. "You're way too slow," Kiriya whispered.

"Ugh, I nearly had a heart attack," Erick muttered, his face pale.

They kept following from afar, but time wasn't on their side. Night was falling, and the academy gates would only remain open for another hour. Velna's pace quickened, until she even broke into a small run.

"Thank goodness… I got it before anyone else could buy it," Velna murmured, patting the paper bag. Inside was a rare material for her research—a black crystal rumored to have come from the northern ruins. To her, it was worth more than gold.

But the atmosphere shifted in an instant.

A crow's caw echoed from the rooftops, dark wings flashing against the dim sky. The numbers were unnatural, dozens circling as if to seal off the area. Their harsh cries deepened the creeping dread. Velna froze for a moment, then quickened her steps. Unease slithered up her spine.

(Am I being followed…?)

Though confident she could fend off common thieves, her magical instincts screamed of a far greater threat. And indeed—when she set foot on a stone bridge spanning a small river, someone was already standing at its center.

A towering figure of a man, over two meters tall, cloaked in a long brown coat like some weary old detective. His face was veiled in the shadow of his hat, hiding any features. Yet the pressure he radiated was enough to freeze the air itself.

Velna stopped cold. The few paces between them felt like an unbridgeable chasm.

"… Who are you?" she asked cautiously, her voice trembling faintly.

The man gave no reply. He only stood—upright, unmoving—but somehow far more terrifying than any spoken threat.

Velna's grip tightened on her staff, raising it toward him. "Stop! Don't come closer! Or I'll hurt you!" she shouted firmly.

Yet the man didn't flinch. Slowly, he stepped forward. The sound of his boots striking the stone bridge echoed—tok… tok… tok…—each step like the beating of a death knell.

Velna retreated, her heartbeat thundering. The dark aura swelled thicker, as though every shadow of the night was converging upon him.

Elsewhere in the city, Kiriya and Erick had just exited a narrow alley. But because Erick had insisted on stopping to relieve himself, they had lost Velna's trail.

"Damn it, why did she vanish!" Erick groaned, clutching at his hair in frustration.

Kiriya slapped a hand to his forehead, nearly tempted to smack his friend's face instead. "Unbelievable… we lost her at the worst possible moment."

"It looks like she already went back. Let's just head home," Erick suggested quickly, his face full of hope.

Kiriya stared at him, then let out a heavy sigh. "Whatever."

And so, they returned to the academy—without realizing that on the darkened bridge, Velna was facing something that could change her life forever.

The mysterious man kept advancing, and Velna braced herself to unleash her first spell.

"I'm warning you…"

The man didn't stop walking—instead, he broke into a run. The heavy thunder of his footsteps made Velna reflexively launch an attack without an incantation.

She drew a sharp breath, her eyes narrowing, focus locked entirely on the towering man closing in. She had no time to think, only instinct—instinct sharpened by years of magical training.

No incantations. No complicated chant. Velna pictured the spell clearly in her mind. Flare Boom. A Tier-3 fire spell, its destructive force comparable to a modern bazooka. She felt the heat rise from her mana core, racing through her veins and surging into the tip of her staff. In the blink of an eye, a blazing sphere of fire erupted, shooting straight toward the man.

The explosion rocked the bridge. Fire burst like a bomb, smoke and roaring flames swallowing the area whole. The stench of burning stone and soot filled the air, the blast echoing all the way to the empty streets beyond. Velna herself was blown back a few steps, her hair whipping violently in the shockwave.

"Haah… haah…" She gripped her staff tight. That had to do it. Nothing could possibly survive that.

But her hope shattered instantly.

A massive silhouette emerged from the smoke, boots slamming against stone. Slowly, the man stepped out of the flames, unfallen, unbroken. The fire had only scorched away his coat, shredding the long brown fabric that had cloaked his body.

What she saw froze her blood.

His face—or what was left of it—was covered in crude stitches, as if sewn together by force. Half his skin was missing, exposing grotesque, bulging muscles and twitching veins, like something that had just crawled out of a madman's laboratory. His jaw was cracked, one eye socket hollow, while the other burned with an inhuman glow of hatred.

His left arm was no longer human. Flesh and bone had been twisted into a monstrous shape, forming a massive claw, sharp and gleaming under the pale moonlight. With his cloak gone, his full size was revealed—towering over 230 centimeters, muscles warped, black veins pulsating across his entire body.

Velna stumbled back. "What… what the hell are you!?"

The creature didn't answer. Only a guttural hiss escaped him, like the rasping breath of ruined lungs. Then, without warning, he charged.

His speed was unnatural for such a massive body. In an instant, he was already in front of Velna.

WHAM!

The claw smashed down. Velna twisted aside at the last second, pure survival instinct driving her. The strike shattered half the stone railing of the bridge, blasting shards into the air.

Velna instantly conjured another spell in her mind—Gale Push. A Tier-2 wind spell for propulsion. A powerful gust launched her backward, widening the gap between them. She raised her staff again, unleashing a barrage of Flare Arrows.

Three blazing arrows tore through the air, striking his chest. The result? Nothing. The flaming bolts left only faint scorch marks across his grotesque flesh, like trying to burn through a slab of overcooked beef. He didn't even slow down—if anything, he was moving faster.

"No way…" Velna whispered, sweat dripping down her brow. His endurance exceeds any natural limit… Fire magic doesn't work!? Is he elementally immune!?

The creature let out a low roar before sweeping his claw sideways. Velna conjured a quick Barrier. A glowing shield shimmered before her, but when the claw struck—

CRASH!

The barrier shattered like glass. The blow slammed into her body, hurling her several meters back. She smashed against the bridge wall, the impact tearing the air from her lungs. Blood spilled from her lips.

"Aaagh!!" She staggered, ribs screaming in pain. Still, she forced herself up, teeth clenched.

The monster advanced again, each heavy step rattling the bridge stones. Velna lifted her staff with trembling hands, struggling to focus even as her vision blurred.

One more shot… something stronger!

She gathered the last of her mana, forcing out a second Flare Boom. Another blazing orb erupted, radiating heat so fierce it distorted the air. With a desperate scream, she fired it directly at him.

BOOOM!

The explosion roared again, fire engulfing the bridge in an inferno. Velna nearly collapsed from the strain, her mana drained to the dregs.

But through the flames, the monster emerged once more—charred, its flesh burned in patches, yet still standing tall. And this time, he charged relentlessly, claw raised high, ready to cleave her in a single strike.

Velna's breath caught. Her mana was gone, her body weak. She tried to back away, but her legs gave out beneath her.

(No… is this… the end for me?)

The monster leaped, his massive shadow swallowing her frail figure. The gleaming claw swung down, ready to rend her apart.