The Genius Wizard Who Takes Medicine - Episode 2
By the fourth day, insomnia and physical fatigue had compounded, causing Lenoch’s face to take on a sallow hue.
Now, even the other workers were reluctant to approach Lenoch.
The supervisor deliberately placed Lenoch in an inconspicuous corner of the parts room and completely ignored him.
It seemed they intended to prevent his frail body from collapsing and disrupting work hours, as it wouldn’t be surprising if he died at any moment.
For Lenoch, who had been planning to cause a commotion to escape, this was actually a golden opportunity.
He fiddled with some parts, then quietly stood up and moved towards the hallway.
In the process, he made eye contact with a worker who was working with a haggard face, but the worker merely turned his head as if he hadn’t seen anything, without saying a word.
While the supervisor was busy brandishing a whip with a flushed face, Lenoch swiftly slipped out of the parts room.
As the stifling air cleared and a refreshing breeze blew in, he felt it was much easier to breathe.
If he stayed in one place, it would only be a matter of time before he was discovered.
Lenoch guided his staggering body along the hallway wall, walking discreetly.
The hallway was lined with old frames and broken window sills. The dirty wooden floor and the noisy fan spinning in one corner… It seemed to have no particular features, but that was what made it even more strange.
The game WORLD that Lenoch had been playing had a typical medieval fantasy setting up to version 2.0.
If this world was different from the WORLD setting Lenoch knew, the situation would become even more complicated.
If he couldn’t utilize his game knowledge, it would be as if one of Lenoch’s hopes had vanished.
Just thinking about it made him uneasy, but there was no point in dwelling on it now.
Lenoch shook his head to clear his thoughts and continued walking down the dirty hallway, trying to memorize the path.
Fortunately, Lenoch’s memory far exceeded the average, so retracing his steps was not difficult.
Beyond just remembering, he could accurately gauge the turns in the hallway and adjust his distance, easily constructing a three-dimensional space in his mind.
By observing the branching of the hallway, he could predict directions and estimate the factory’s size.
Though he hadn’t walked far, just wandering the hallway outside the parts room allowed Lenoch to complete a mental map of the factory.
As he continued walking, a pungent smell suddenly assaulted his nose.
It wasn’t just a foul odor; it was a scent that strongly stimulated his sense of smell and brain.
It was the scent of a highly addictive cigarette or a similar indulgence.
As Lenoch moved quietly, the hallway opened up, revealing a small side door leading outside the factory.
Through the slightly ajar door, wisps of smoke and faint voices drifted out.
Lenoch positioned himself at an angle where he wouldn’t be immediately visible if the door swung open and listened intently to the conversation.
“The new guys are too slow. I wonder if we can make the delivery on time.”
“We’re using the ones abandoned in the city, so what can we do? We have to beat them to make them faster. If we don’t meet the deadline, the chief might burn your forehead with a cigarette.”
“Shit… I can’t stand that. It hurt so much last time I almost cried.”
Laughter erupted at the man’s coarse swearing.
Judging by the conversation, the people talking beyond the door seemed to be supervisors similar to the burly one.
“Why are the union members so picky about time? Every time they come and make a fuss, the chief takes it out on us more.”
“Haven’t you heard? The stuff we make here is sold by the union to dark wizards.”
“What? Why would wizards need grinders?”
So they were making grinders here. Having been stuck in the parts room all day, Lenoch hadn’t even known what he was making.
‘At least magic seems to exist in this world. That’s a relief.’
In this unfamiliar world, if magic didn’t exist, Lenoch’s talent would have been meaningless.
Lenoch sighed in relief and continued to listen to the supervisors’ conversation.
In response to the man’s incredulous voice, another voice answered in a hushed tone.
“If dark wizards are buying grinders, it’s obvious, isn’t it? They must be using them on corpses.”
“Damn… I suddenly feel sick. I need another smoke.”
“Put it in your mouth. I’ll light it for you.”
Through the crack in the door, a thick hand holding a lighter appeared.
“Nice lighter. How much was it?”
“I got it from Calvin & Cups recently. It runs on magic.”
With those words, he flicked his thumb, and a blue flame ignited at the tip of the lighter.
And witnessing this sequence of events, a massive upheaval occurred within Lenoch.
It was as if someone had pulled a trigger in his mind. This was a new sensation he had never known before, stimulating his body and mind in an instant.
It was a sixth sense beyond the five senses, a third eye, and a second self.
The moment Lenoch realized this, he understood that it was the fundamental force that constituted this world and the driving force that defined existence.
It had always been flowing throughout the world; he just hadn’t been aware of it until now.
Previously, Lenoch had never even considered that he might possess such talent, and his spirit, crushed by despair and suffering from his time in the factory, had suppressed his awakening.
But the current Lenoch was a completely different person, fully aware of the magic and mental talent contained within his body.
All he needed was a small trigger, like the flame of that lighter.
In the shock of awakening to magic, Lenoch stopped all thought and savored the moment of awakening in a daze.
The power flowing through his fragile body was his most important asset and weapon, and his hope.
Lenoch brought his thumb and forefinger together and whispered softly.
“Light.”
Fwoosh-!
The magic, infused with the incantation, overlapped with the flame that had appeared in Lenoch’s mind, piercing through the realm of ideals and concepts to manifest in reality.
It was magic.
Whoosh!
Seeing the blue flame flickering in his hand, Lenoch trembled slightly.
The flame dancing on his fingertips was identical to the flame of the lighter visible through the door crack.
Everything around him had changed, but the magic of WORLD that he knew had not changed.
For some reason, just knowing that fact provided Lenoch with a small sense of comfort.
Lenoch discreetly eavesdropped on the supervisors' conversation before slipping away unnoticed, returning to the parts room. The supervisor there noticed his absence and was furious, but fortunately, Lenoch only received a few blows as punishment.
Listening to the chatter among the workers, it seemed that ominous rumors were spreading about him searching for his own grave.
He quickly finished his thin porridge and lay down, lost in thought.
'Three days left until the union comes to collect the products.'
The supervisors continued their chatter long after lighting each other's cigarettes, and Lenoch managed to glean some useful information from their conversation.
'When the union members visit the factory, the supervisors' vigilance will naturally weaken... That's my only chance.'
If he delayed any longer, Lenoch's frail body wouldn't be able to endure. Despite the harsh conditions, he managed to maintain his sanity solely thanks to the mental attributes he had invested in.
However, no one could predict if he could maintain the same level of judgment and rationality once his body was completely broken.
Time wasn't on his side, but he wasn't entirely without options.
Lenoch carefully pulled the blanket over his head, turned towards the wall, and curled up. Just like before, he brought his two fingers together, and as he envisioned a blue flame, a small light began to softly illuminate the inside of the blanket.
"".........""
Perhaps because he had tried it once before, he no longer needed an incantation to use magic.
Lenoch quietly observed the magical light, striving to bridge the gap between the magical knowledge he possessed and reality.
In truth, Lenoch knew nothing about the sensation of manipulating mana or the knack for using magic. The Gun Mage character he played merely chanted spells and formed seals as he commanded from beyond the monitor, using a gun to designate impact points and cast magic.
The magic Lenoch now conjured without incantations or seals was unlike anything he had experienced before.
There was only one possibility that came to mind: it might be due to the magical attributes he had maximized when creating his character.
If his guess was correct, Lenoch was manifesting magic in reality solely through talent, based on the vague remnants of magic in his mind.
A talent that allowed him to use magic without knowing incantations or seals.
Lenoch realized just how incredible and absurd this was.
If he could combine this talent with the various gaming knowledge he possessed, rapid growth in a short period might not be impossible.
However, there was one problem: even if the magic system of this world matched that of WORLD, Lenoch's magical knowledge was only partial.
The character he played in version 2.0 was limited by the Gun Mage profession, allowing him to use only the common magic system known as 'Dexter.'
As for the unique magic system 'Sinister' used by real wizards, he had only heard rumors similar to other players.
But for now, that was enough. There were plenty of useful spells within the common magic 'Dexter.'
'The true value of magic isn't in its grandeur or destructive power.'
If he hadn't awakened his mana, he would have needed to think more strategically, but the moment he could use even the smallest magic, the difference was clear.
All that remained was to diligently carry out the preparations he had thought of, starting tomorrow.
Clenching his fist to extinguish the flame, Lenoch straightened his body and closed his eyes.
The severe insomnia continued to torment him, and he had been drifting in and out of light sleep for four days.
He had already given up on achieving restful sleep without escaping this room, filled with low snores and foul odors.
Lenoch, who spent the night almost entirely awake, continued to practice moving his mana and using magic until it was time for the other workers to wake up.
If he didn't become accustomed to this sensation, Lenoch had no future.
He had only one runway available to him, and he couldn't even consider other possibilities.
And it was Lenoch himself who had brought him to this point.
"
