I Am A Wizard Who Can Travel Between Earth And The Other World

Gin's usual source of contracts had always been Jay.

Now, however, he had two additional avenues: James Pridden and the mage-exclusive web network.

Owen had hinted at future expeditions involving ancient ruins, though nothing concrete had materialized yet. Still, Gin knew it was only a matter of time. Pridden was juggling negotiations over several key sites.

Then there was the mage's web—an online board where mages could find work. Most postings were vague at best, riddled with cryptic instructions or lacking detail entirely.

However, there were occasional gems—rare opportunities that caught Gin's eye.

Initially, Gin had planned to take one of these smaller contracts to gain more experience. But with his new financial situation, he decided to pivot. He needed something more lucrative, fast. Jay, as always, was already sniffing around for high-paying opportunities.

Gin wandered through the estate, inspecting its vast halls and spacious rooms. The more he saw, the more satisfied he felt. The house was a perfect fit for his needs. Still, one question nagged at him—how had Jay found such a gem? Estate hunting wasn't exactly his expertise.

When Jay had pleaded for one of the guesthouses, Gin had reluctantly agreed. Looking back on the exchange, Gin wondered if that had been Jay's motive all along.

"Maybe I should've refused him just to see his reaction," Gin mused aloud, half-smiling at the thought.

His musings were interrupted by Jay's return. "I'm back! And guess what? I've got not one but two incredible contracts lined up!"

Jay strode forward with a triumphant grin plastered across his face.

Gin raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what are they?"

Jay leaned in conspiratorially. "How do you feel about hunting a magical beast?"

"A magical beast?" Gin repeated, unimpressed.

"Not just any beast," Jay added quickly, his voice dropping for emphasis. "A giant magical beast."

That caught Gin's attention. He tilted his head slightly. "A giant one, huh? Now that's… interesting."

Between cities, vast expanses stretched for hundreds, sometimes thousands of kilometers. In those unclaimed lands lay all manner of terrain—mountains, rivers, plains, deserts—and danger.

Chief among these dangers were the magical beasts known simply as marsu.

The variety of marsu was staggering, many species still undiscovered. Among them, wolf-type marsu were the most common, roaming in packs of over a hundred and sometimes even in the thousands. Though lacking in magical powers, they compensated with agility, razor-sharp claws, and crushing jaws.

Individually, they posed little threat to an experienced mage or warrior. Yet, in packs, they became a nightmare—coordinating flawlessly, attacking with synchronized strikes that left little room for error.

Because of their frequent appearances near cities, the military routinely conducted marsu purges. These operations, while framed as all-purpose beast hunts, often boiled down to little more than large-scale wolf eradication efforts.

But not all threats could be neutralized by such expeditions. One category of danger loomed far larger—literally. The giant marsu.

Giant marsu were divided into ranks based on their magical power.

Their immense size, often over 10 meters in height or length, was matched by bones and muscles fortified to withstand both their massive weight and combat stress. Their magic-enhanced bodies moved with an unnatural fluidity, defying their bulk.

Some giants surpassed 30 meters, while others remained relatively smaller but concentrated immense amounts of magic within their cores.

These latter creatures were especially lethal, far surpassing their size-based peers in power.

The military could handle first-level giant marsu, but anything beyond that—second and third levels—required the intervention of the Five Great Houses.

Occasionally, independent teams of mages and warriors might attempt to hunt a second-level giant marsu, but these groups were almost always backed by factions related to the noble houses.

The new contract that Jay had brought to Gin was one such hunt: a second-level giant marsu.

"There's a second-level giant marsu about 50 kilometers from West Ham," Jay explained.

"Fifty kilometers?" Gin repeated, raising an eyebrow. "That's quite far. Is there any reason to deal with it now?"

Jay nodded as if he had anticipated the question. "It's slowly moving toward West Ham. If it keeps its current pace, it'll reach the outskirts in four days.

The goal is to take it down before it gets within a day's travel of the city."

"So it's heading straight here," Gin murmured. "Do marsu have the ability to sense cities from that far away?"

"No one knows for sure," Jay replied. "There are theories—some say it's instinctual, others think it's tied to the city's magical field. But whatever the case, it's too precise to be a coincidence."

Gin's brow furrowed. "Do all giant marsu behave like this?"

"Not usually. They wander aimlessly for the most part. But once they enter a certain range of a city, they start moving directly toward it."

It sounded like the creatures had some mechanism to detect cities within a defined radius.

Gin nodded slowly, absorbing the information. "So, we're dealing with a two-hundred-man operation for this hunt?"

"Yeah," Jay confirmed. "And even that's not excessive. Giant marsu are absurdly tough. No matter how strong you are, you have to combine forces to make a dent. Mages synchronize elemental spells, while warriors form specialized attack teams."

"So, it's all about teamwork," Gin mused. "It's likely their durability is through the roof. I'll have to prepare some debuffs to weaken it. Still, I wonder how many layers of defense I'll have to break through..."

His mind raced with strategies, already planning contingencies for resistance.

"We leave in two days, right?" Gin asked.

"Exactly," Jay answered. "We head out at noon after lunch—transportation's all arranged."

"Got it," Gin replied. "Now, what's the other contract?"

A mischievous grin spread across Jay's face. "Ah, this one's... special."

Gin narrowed his eyes. "Special how? Care to elaborate?"

Jay's grin widened. "You ever heard of the Willex family?"

"Willex?" Gin shook his head. "No, should I have?"

"They're one of the prominent families in this city, just under the Pridden family."

Gin's gaze sharpened. Jay was full of surprises lately. For someone who had known so little about noble politics not long ago, he seemed remarkably well-informed now.

"There are a few other families under Pridden's control," Jay continued. "Willex is one of them. And Pridden doesn't just govern here; their influence stretches across multiple cities."

"Where did you learn all this?" Gin asked, his tone half-amused.

Jay shrugged with a smug look. "I'm your agent now, remember? Staying on top of upper-class affairs is part of the job."

Gin chuckled softly but conceded the point. Given their recent entanglements with the Pridden family, it wasn't a bad idea to stay informed. They would likely face more high-profile clients—and enemies—moving forward.

"Anyway," Jay said, leaning closer, "there's someone you should know in the Willex family.

The youngest daughter of the patriarch. She's one of West Ham's top influencers."

Gin frowned. "And that has what to do with the contract?"

Jay smirked and pulled out his phone. "Here. Take a look at her profile."

Gin glanced at the screen. The woman's striking beauty stood out even by the standards of the hidden magical world.

Her feed was filled with snapshots of her daily life—exercising, traveling, dining in lavish places.

"And she does... what, exactly?" Gin asked, still skeptical.

Jay tapped the screen and grinned. "That's what you're about to find out."