Lennok cast a fleeting look at Jenny, observing her as she took a subtle drink from her glass before his gaze swiftly darted elsewhere.
Surely, she too held a personal narrative.
After all, none who roamed these grimy alleys would be devoid of their unique predicaments.
Jenny, who had founded a reputable employment agency at a remarkably young age, serving as a liaison amongst diverse businesses and organizations, undoubtedly lived an extraordinary life.
Despite his growing curiosity about her backstory, Lennok refrained from impulsively probing.
Just as Jenny refrained from inquiring about Lennok’s life, he felt obligated to extend the same courtesy by respecting her privacy.
It was a necessary measure, he realized, if he intended to preserve their relationship over the long term.
The wait for the success fee from the pharmaceutical company was not long.
He had already confirmed that the new drug samples were registered with the patent office under the name of Amnac Pharmaceuticals.
Once the tests conducted by the patent office are finished and the new drug is officially registered, they can start selling it in earnest.
“The payment has been made. Should I send it to your account right away?”
“Go ahead.”
Within moments, the payment, with the commission deducted, was swiftly deposited, prompting Lennok to rise from his chair.
Just as he bid farewell and prepared to depart, Jenny’s face revealed a flicker of recollection, and she spoke up.
“Van, I hope you’ve found other sources of income besides this?”
“Are you talking about what you mentioned last time?”
“Yes. It’s better to diversify your sources of income to avoid suspicion. Regular banks may recommend various things when large sums of money enter your account, but the Financial Supervisory Service will be different.”
Certainly, hadn’t the very purpose behind crafting his fabricated identity been to establish a credible standing in the realm of daylight? With his low-cost persona, it proved challenging for him to fully commit to anything beyond part-time work, making it necessary for him to depend on this side venture as his primary source of income.
Jenny emphasized the significance of establishing such income streams from the outset, recognizing their pivotal role in his financial stability.
“The important thing is the pretense. There’s no way the city government can investigate tens of millions of people living in this city, so the people they audit often tend to be the ones who handle large sums of money while being unemployed.”
“I understand what you’re saying. I’ll look into it when I get back.”
Naturally, Lennok hadn’t entirely disregarded Jenny’s words. If her advice had truly been of utmost importance to him, he would have set aside all other matters and sought employment at a hamburger shop without delay. However, he had weighed the risks and determined that recruiting backup forces was a critical step to undertake.
While the intervals between fulfilling assignments had been too fleeting to dedicate time to the endeavor, now that today’s work was completed, it wouldn’t hurt to delve into it.
“I’m not urging you to find a job right away. Just trying to find one, even just job hunting, would be fine.”
With Jenny bidding him farewell, Lennok exited the bar and made his way home, his fatigued body yearning for respite. His mind was consumed by thoughts of rest, having successfully accomplished his mission and verified the payment.
Lennok devoted an entire week to thorough rest, confining himself within the confines of his one-room apartment without venturing outside. He remained seated for extended periods, save for the occasional meal preparation. His movements were limited to basic stretches aimed at preventing his body from becoming stiff, while he meticulously calculated his sleep duration to restore his disrupted biological rhythm.
Working through the night had been an unfamiliar experience for Lennok since his escape from the factory. Although he was accustomed to insomnia-induced sleep deprivation, he understood the importance of maintaining a balanced lifestyle when his daily routine was disrupted and his body’s rhythm was thrown off-kilter.
His physical form felt as delicate and fragile as glass, devoid of any tangible utility. It was frustrating, yet Lennok had gradually grown accustomed to his subpar physique. During his break, he made attempts to secure the part-time job that Jenny had recommended, but success proved elusive. Most positions required a commitment of at least three days a week, and the available working hours, particularly for adult men like Lennok, often fell late at night or in the early morning. Alternatively, the jobs involved physical labor or carried inherent risks, neither of which suited Lennok’s circumstances.
“I can’t believe it takes so much effort to find a part-time job…”
Lennok grumbled to himself and frustratingly switched off the screen of his phone. Despite registering his personal details on a job search website using the alias Evan Bylon, it appeared that finding a suitable job would take longer than anticipated. As he sensed a glimmer of energy returning to his body, he ventured outside for the first time in a while.
The sprawling city of Vulcan carried on with its slow and steady pace, indifferent to the presence or absence of any individual. People hurried about under the scorching sunlight, surrounded by the cacophony of advertisements emanating from buildings, creating a bustling ambiance. Lennok strolled leisurely along the streets, careful not to become overwhelmed by the oppressive heat.
Amidst his walk, he received a message from Jenny. After briefly responding that he required more rest, he arrived at the library. During his period of respite, Lennok had specific places he would visit, despite possessing a smartphone. The library’s extensive collection of books and data had become his preferred source of information. Particularly when it came to matters of magic, knowledge tended to be organized in an analog manner within dedicated locations rather than scattered randomly across the internet.
Today, once again, Lennok reached the section housing books related to magic and deftly began perusing the catalog with practiced hands. Until now, he had been searching for elusive clues to aid his solitary exploration of magic. However, today he had a more defined purpose in mind.
“Summoning magic, elemental rituals, homunculus… should I include necromancy too?”
Murmuring under his breath, he retrieved the books based on the numbers he remembered and delved into their contents one by one. His purpose was driven by the recent request from Amnac Pharmaceuticals and the intense encounter with a werewolf and a wizard, which had provided Lennok with valuable insights.
‘What if I could create a vanguard for use in battle?’
Despite losing all his skirmishes in an instant, Lennok couldn’t help but acknowledge the simplicity of the tactic employed by his opponents. The werewolf would take the forefront, utilizing its unparalleled strength and speed to command attention, while the wizard would provide devastating firepower from a safe distance. It was a remarkably straightforward yet highly effective strategy.
From the opponent’s perspective, there were only three viable approaches to counter this tactic. One could engage in a direct power struggle, relying on exceptional abilities and talents like Lennok. Alternatively, one could adopt the same strategy and gradually gain the upper hand. The third option involved neutralizing the long-range firepower first before launching a counteroffensive.
While Lennok had never found any flaws in his own abilities and talents, he was beginning to feel a sense of dissatisfaction with the limited options available to him. If he could delve into research on summoning magic or elemental magic, and employ it as a vanguard even for a brief period, the stability of his battles would increase significantly.
Certainly, it would be more expedient to seek out a team member capable of fulfilling the vanguard role than to research such magic, but Lennok intended to try it alone as far as his abilities could reach.
‘…No, I have no choice but to do it alone.’
Merely amassing wealth and escaping this world to live a comfortable life would not suffice for Lennok.
He must understand the deeply engraved penalties in his body and felt compelled to unearth a solution that would eradicate them at their core.
Slowing down the rapid dwindling of his lifespan and alleviating the accompanying symptoms served as crucial stepping stones towards achieving this overarching goal.
“……….”
Avoid overcomplicating matters.
Excessive fixation on distant objectives can lead to wavering and distraction of the mind.
Instead, it sufficed to concentrate on the immediate personal goal at hand.
With determination, Lennok swiftly opened a book and immersed himself in its contents.
Despite his lack of physical strength and muscularity, he possessed an exceptional speed when it came to flipping pages.
Without pause, Lennok’s eyes absorbed every word inscribed within the book, scanning the text with unwavering focus.
His initial focus lay on the realm of summoning magic.
‘As it was in the WORLD, summoning is too demanding. It’s not just about talent, but the process of specifying and summoning the desired creature is too complicated. Even if they want the same creature, the conditions can change drastically depending on the time or place…’
The more Lennok delved into summoning magic, the more he realized that luck played a significant role in the process. In a rather dispassionate manner, he observed that summoning magic and the associated rituals seemed more akin to a game of chance than a skill-based endeavor.
Furthermore, not just anyone could partake in this lottery-like process. According to the book, numerous materials were required to create a magic circle and prepare for a contract with a summoned creature. As Lennok occasionally searched through the computer, he roughly estimated the cost of these materials to be around 200 million Cells.
While the prospect of obtaining a powerful summoned creature through the ritual was appealing, the possibility of the endeavor being a mere waste of time and money loomed large. This method was undoubtedly ill-suited for Lennok, given his lack of financial resources compared to others who might pursue such endeavors.
“Another way is… sigh…”
Lennok, setting aside the Introduction to Summoning Magic, let out a deep sigh as he turned his attention to a book titled Elemental Rituals.
Unlike summoning magic, which relied heavily on luck like a lottery, elemental rituals were something that hardly resembled conventional magic. They tapped into a distinct power known as spiritual energy, aligning more closely with the practices of shamans or necromancers. It stood apart from the popular and orthodox magical rituals that held sway.
While Lennok possessed a profound confidence in his magical aptitude, he couldn’t be certain if the same applied to rituals utilizing spiritual energy. Elementalists, who focused on such rituals, were relatively passive and didn’t enjoy much popularity among players in WORLD. Consequently, Lennok had paid minimal attention to them during his solitary gameplay, with the exception of a few related NPCs.
As expected, the information didn’t prove particularly helpful. Although there were a few principles within the realm of elemental rituals that could potentially be applied to Lennok’s existing magic, they didn’t offer immediate assistance in his current situation.
‘If I naturally explore that route while researching common magic, that’s one thing, but it’s too risky to force myself to study this.’
Already overwhelmed with researching magic and increasing his mana capacity, Lennok had no time to delve into the unfamiliar realm of spiritual energy. Nevertheless, he persisted in reading books on magic and rituals that he believed might hold clues to creating a vanguard.
From homunculus creation to golem assembly, he even dared to explore necromancy books, only to recoil at the thought of handling corpses and set them aside. Yet, he found it difficult to completely abandon the idea.
Through various requests, Lennok had gradually realized the significance of stability in battle. Although his shield magic had consistently met his expectations, its conspicuousness on the battlefield had become more of a hindrance than an advantage. Lennok envisioned the potential benefits of momentarily diverting enemy attention with a controlled presence, though it remained a vague concept.
His talent had reached its limits while bearing numerous penalties. If conventional methods failed, Lennok resolved to modify common magic to achieve his goals. It was premature to determine what was possible or impossible at the moment. There was no need to rush into assessing limitations.
Lennok retrieved the Introduction to Summoning Magic once more, meticulously scrutinizing it from the beginning. He stared intently at the book, determined to commit the principles of the summoning ritual to memory and decipher ways to apply them to common magic.
Since he had planned to rest for the day, he intended to remain at the library until closing time. However, his focus was interrupted when an irritated voice emanated from behind him.
“Oh, my.”
“…?”
“I stopped by the library after a long time, and I’m really surprised.”
Lennok turned his head slowly, drawn by the chilly and composed tone that felt strangely familiar. Indeed, he had heard that voice somewhere before.
“Have you been stuck here for a month, almost dying?”
As her golden hair fluttered in the wind, the woman’s piercing blue eyes gazed down at Lennok with an icy demeanor. It was their second encounter, and yet, in that moment, there was a peculiar sense of familiarity in her gaze.
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