For the next two days, Lenoch’s routine was monotonously the same.

During the day, he evaded the overseer’s watchful eyes to explore the factory’s layout, and at night, he devoted himself to practicing magic.

The magical talent he had set for himself seemed not to be a lie, as Lenoch quickly became adept at gathering and manipulating mana.

It wasn’t so much that he accomplished high-level tasks easily, but rather that the hurdles seemed absurdly low. But that was enough.

In just three days of handling mana and practicing magic, Lenoch had transformed from a mere worker in a dim room to a legitimate magic user.

He had already successfully demonstrated several simple spells beyond just the light-emitting magic.

Simultaneously, thanks to his efforts to understand the factory’s structure by wandering around, Lenoch managed to find several routes leading out of the old factory.

He did encounter other overseers occasionally, but seeing Lenoch’s pale complexion, as if he would faint at a mere touch, they ignored him, assuming he was running errands for another colleague.

Of course, Lenoch’s body, having been overworked day and night, was on the verge of collapse, but expecting any consideration in such an environment was a luxury.

In fact, it was more accurate to say he was lucky not to get caught by the overseer for subtly skipping work during the day. It was possible because the other overseers were also tied to their respective jurisdictions during work hours.

If he had been caught by another overseer, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he was beaten to the point of never opening his eyes again.

Finally, the day arrived when the union members were scheduled to visit the factory.

Having stayed up all night, Lenoch slowly gathered his mana in time for when the other workers would wake up.

Although he had never handled it before coming to this world, the small amount of mana within him now moved easily according to his will.

Gathering that slight mana and focusing it neatly near his forehead, Lenoch immediately used magic.

A simple spell that raised the skin’s surface temperature. It was so simple that it required no incantation or hand signs, just enough to prevent body temperature from dropping in cold weather.

But in the current situation, it was bound to be an extremely effective spell.

The effect appeared almost immediately. Lenoch’s skin, with heat concentrated on his face, turned red, and he began to sweat profusely.

Naturally, the workers who were waking up and waiting for work time noticed Lenoch’s condition and started murmuring.

“Hey, that guy….”

“It seems the time has come.”

“Still, he lasted quite a while. This isn’t a place for someone that weak to work for long.”

“It’s his fate.”

The workers murmured but didn’t approach Lenoch.

Lenoch deliberately groaned, trying to make it clear that he was obviously sick.

“What are you doing not jumping out of bed as soon as you wake up!”

Bang!

The overseer, who kicked the door open roughly, frowned deeply upon seeing the workers’ gazes fixed on Lenoch lying in bed.

He approached Lenoch, checked his complexion, and after confirming that his forehead was burning, shook his head.

“Sigh…. I’ll give you three minutes, so run to the parts room immediately!”

Knowing that Lenoch hadn’t opened his eyes, the overseer left the room without touching him. He had judged that Lenoch was no longer useful for labor.

Moreover, today was the day the union members visited the factory to collect products. There was no reason to cause unnecessary trouble on such a day.

The workers glanced at Lenoch while putting on their work clothes.

“What should we do with that guy?”

“Judging by his condition, he might be dead when we return. Wouldn’t it be easier to deal with him after we come back?”

“Ugh…. That’s a bit unsettling.”

“Still, it’s cleaner to deal with him after he’s dead. If we bury him alive, he might struggle, and we’d have to bury him again.”

They began talking as if Lenoch was already dead, leaving only a corpse.

In this old factory, it wasn’t uncommon for workers to die without leaving a trace of bone dust. The death of a weak worker from exhaustion didn’t stir any emotions.

At that moment, one of the workers stepped forward toward Lenoch.

Lenoch, lying down, tensed up in the unexpected situation.

“Van, what are you doing?”

“We don’t have time. Let’s deal with it later!”

At the other workers’ rebuke, he waved his hand in annoyance and replied.

“Shut up. Let him have a cigarette before he dies.”

Saying that, he pulled out a rolled cigarette from his pocket.

“If you were hiding that, you should have told us.”

“Yeah, you bastard. You know how much we crave a smoke right now…”

“I stole a few while cleaning the overseer’s bed. I don’t have any to give you.”

The man called Van lit the cigarette with a match he took from under his bed and put it in Lenoch’s mouth.

As Lenoch involuntarily inhaled the cigarette smoke, his eyes widened, and Van chuckled.

“Isn’t it great?”

“…….”

“It’s famous for being mixed with psychoactive plant leaves and cheap drugs. After smoking one, the pain will disappear. It’s not a bad guide for the journey.”

Van said, patting Lenoch’s shoulder before disappearing with the other workers.

A breeze blew through the slightly open window, rustling the stained curtains.

Left alone in the empty room, Lenoch slowly sat up, still holding the cigarette.

Normally, he would have moved immediately, but he focused on smoking without saying a word.

Ironically, the single cigarette Van had given him was turning Lenoch’s entire plan upside down.

The acrid smoke filling his lungs was, absurdly, revitalizing Lenoch’s body.

To be precise, the smoke, mixed with all sorts of harmful substances, was forcibly making Lenoch forget the accumulated fatigue in his body and dulling his nerves to pain.

But just being desensitized to the fatigue covering his body made Lenoch feel a refreshing sensation he hadn’t experienced since coming to this world.

It was as if he had returned to the days when he played games without any worries.

Lenoch stood up and swung his arms a couple of times, convinced.

Whether it was made with drugs or strange plants, it didn’t matter.

No matter what side effects it brought, Lenoch desperately needed such a doping agent right now.

“….Did he say the overseer’s bed?”

Muttering to himself, Lenoch changed into his work clothes and immediately left the dormitory.

Confusion

Having already wandered around to understand the factory’s layout, Lenoch roughly knew where the overseers stayed.

After confirming the numerous trucks busily entering through the window, he lowered his head slightly and moved quickly.

His steps were much lighter and faster than before.

He encountered other overseers in the hallway, but they stopped paying attention after confirming that Lenoch wasn’t one of their workers.

On a normal day, they would have taken the opportunity to harass the workers with unnecessary nitpicking, but today was too busy for that.

The overseers were already struggling to deal with the union members inspecting and collecting the products made in the factory.

All over the factory, people in blue vests were pushing the overseers around.

“The product quantity doesn’t match. Was I expecting too much?”

“….No.”

“Who do you think is providing you the convenience to run this factory?”

“I’m sorry!”

“The workers here could have been reported to the Human Rights Committee long ago, but we’re understanding your situation. You should show some sincerity too.”

The conversations were enough to make one’s neck stiff, and the overseers, who were like ghosts in front of the workers, were busy bowing like reeds.

Among them, a particularly older union member threw the documents brought by an overseer and shouted irritably.

“Enough! Judging by the ledger, you’ve been embezzling quite a bit. I’ll personally check the warehouse and verify the missing materials. If the shortage isn’t filled by the time we leave today, you’d better be prepared.”

As the union member threatened, the surrounding overseers reluctantly nodded. However, their expressions were filled with relief.

Targeting the materials warehouse meant that the first punching bag had been decided. The union member, after venting his anger, would propose a more reasonable compromise.

Of course, the overseer in charge of the materials warehouse would have a hard time, but there was no camaraderie among the overseers to cover such trivial matters.

Lenoch picked up a randomly lying box and loitered around.

Before long, one of the nearby overseers noticed him and approached.

The overseer looked down at Lenoch’s work clothes with disdain and asked.

“Why is a worker here?”

“Well…. I was sent on an errand. I have business in the overseers’ quarters…”

“What’s the errand?”

“Uh, it’s… smoking.”

Lenoch mimed inhaling smoke as he spoke.

If a worker had stolen cigarettes from the overseer’s bed, it was likely that other overseers openly enjoyed similar indulgences.

As expected, the overseer, who immediately understood, glanced around and started moving Lenoch by the collar.

He grumbled irritably as he headed down the corridor with familiar steps.

“I told them not to send it openly by courier, but those crazy bastards had it delivered even on a day like this. Damn it…”

After a few turns down the corridor, a much cleaner hallway appeared compared to the shabby workroom where the workers stayed.

The overseer rummaged through his pocket in front of a door painted white and soon found a ring of two or three keys.

Unlocking the padlock and opening the locked door revealed a small bedroom inside.

Compared to Lenoch’s memory, it was still a cramped space, but it was much better than the old room where he had been eating and sleeping for the past week.

Now that he had come this far, there was no longer any need for the overseer.

Lenoch gathered his mana and brought his thumb and index finger of his right hand together.

He visualized a strong electric current, strongly recalling the effect of a stun gun in his mind as he moved his mana.

“…Volt.”

Crackle..!!

As he softly chanted the incantation, a small stream of electricity sparked between Lenoch’s fingers.

Even though he was using magic right behind him, the overseer, unaware, turned around to look down at Lenoch.

At that moment, Lenoch immediately jabbed his two fingers under the overseer’s chin.

“Now, hand over the goods…. Ggggg!!”

The overseer’s eyes, which had been gleaming with greed, rolled back, and a bizarre scream escaped his lips.

His massive body, convulsing violently, collapsed in front of the slightly open door, fully opening the bedroom.

Lenoch grabbed the overseer’s shoulders and struggled to drag the massive body inside the room.

Leaving him there could lead to trouble if someone else discovered the overseer.

To be thorough, it would be best to lift his unconscious body onto the bed, but Lenoch gave up after a few attempts.

With his weakened strength, it was impossible to lift and move the body.

After moving the overseer inside and closing the door, Lenoch let out a sigh of relief and sat on the bed.

“Phew….”

Thanks to the cigarette’s effect, he felt somewhat tired, but there was no overwhelming sense of powerlessness or fatigue.

However, he couldn’t be mistaken. The unknown vitality coursing through his body wasn’t eliminating pain or fatigue; it was merely making him temporarily forget.

The rebound that would come after the drug’s effect wore off would be far more intense than the fatigue he usually felt.

He didn’t have much time to rest. He had to hurry to escape the factory.

Having deviated from the original plan by visiting the overseer’s room, it was crucial to leave as soon as he obtained the desired items.

Lenoch took the keyring from the unconscious overseer’s hand and immediately began searching the room.

If it was an indulgence commonly used among the overseers, it was likely to be carefully stored somewhere.

After lifting the mattress entirely, Lenoch finally found the answer.

“You hid a lot.”

Lenoch clicked his tongue as he saw the neatly arranged pile of cigarettes hidden under the mattress.

Even at a low estimate, it was more than a carton.

Taking the cigarette case from the overseer’s pocket, Lenoch swept up as many cigarettes as he could from under the mattress. Once the case was full, he didn’t hesitate to stop.

There was no space to carry them all anyway.

The case used by the overseer was just the right size to fit in his pocket and even had an ignition function, making it very convenient to carry around.

Though he wanted to relive the feeling he had earlier by smoking immediately, Lenoch forced himself to resist and continued searching for other useful items.

While rummaging through an old drawer, Lenoch paused as he felt something hard and metallic at his fingertips.

“…….”

Though it was his first time touching one, it was impossible not to recognize the shape.

Lenoch pulled out an old pistol from the drawer and looked at it with a complex expression.

While the details were different, the overall silhouette was all too familiar.

The magazine below the pistol was fully loaded with eight bullets, but there were no additional magazines in the drawer.

It seemed to be a weapon designed to fire with just a pull of the slide, without considering safety features.

Lenoch stared at the pistol, pondering for a moment, but soon realized that even the act of pondering was a luxury.

To survive, he had to act without hesitation in any way possible. Tucking the pistol into his pocket, Lenoch immediately left the overseer’s room.

Having obtained the cigarettes, he needed to move quickly, but Lenoch paused to examine the keyring he had taken from the overseer’s hand.

There were only three keys, but each had a sticker indicating its use.

Though the characters were unfamiliar, he could surprisingly understand their meaning. It seemed Lenoch wasn’t entirely illiterate in his previous life.

One was for the bedroom, another for the assembly room… It appeared this overseer was in charge of the assembly room.

Upon confirming the word “break room” on the last key, Lenoch immediately headed in that direction.

“Though it’s a bit different from the original plan… this might be more effective.”

Lenoch’s original plan was to escape the factory through the underground parking lot.

Though he had identified several routes while exploring the factory, he was confident that using the parking lot was the safest option.

There was no way for Lenoch, who had to avoid the overseers’ eyes while moving inside the factory, to know what kind of security was set up outside.

If he recklessly chose a land route leading out of the factory as his escape route, he would be helpless if he encountered unexpected security or defenses.

The parking lot, primarily used by vehicles instead of people, was likely to have less security.

He had resigned himself to the risk of moving through the parking lot on foot, but if he could use the overseer’s break room, the situation changed.

The break room was located in the corridor between the overseers’ quarters and the workshop.

Lenoch pressed his ear against the door and listened for any sounds inside. Hearing nothing, he immediately unlocked the door with the key.

As expected, the overseers, busy dealing with the union members, had left the break room empty.

The empty break room was littered with snacks, liquor bottles, and clothes left behind by the overseers.

It was evident that they enjoyed drinking on duty, but in such a shabby factory, anyone maintaining a diligent work attitude wouldn’t have ended up here in the first place.

And such people wouldn’t find it strange to leave important items among these clothes.

“….Found it.”

After thoroughly searching the pockets of the clothes strewn around the break room, Lenoch successfully found an old pair of sunglasses, an empty wallet, and two keyrings.

Most were keys used to open various rooms or locked doors, like the ones he had taken from the unconscious overseer, but one key had a code that appeared to be a vehicle serial number.

Though he had no way of knowing what kind of license plates vehicles used in this world, just acquiring an additional key was a gain.

Thud Thud!!

A faint vibration echoed from beyond the break room wall. A loud noise, as if something was being pounded far away.

It seemed the union members were causing a commotion as they roamed around the factory.

Taking advantage of the situation, Lenoch sat down and immediately lit another cigarette, holding it in his mouth.

Though he had never smoked while in the other world, Lenoch quickly became accustomed to it.

The smoke, just like before, soaked his body, making him forget fatigue and pain. Simultaneously, his sharpened mind began to relax, easing his tension.

While it was good to forget physical fatigue, the mental relaxation was not beneficial in the current situation.

Lenoch consciously removed the cigarette from his mouth after inhaling a moderate amount of smoke.

‘They said it was mixed with psychoactive plants. If I consume too much, even my thinking speed might slow down.’

Escape

Indeed, such indulgences, combined and inhaled through combustion, often had intense effects and severe side effects.

If mishandled, it could leave a person limp like a wet rag. He had to keep his mind sharp until he escaped the factory.

Lenoch tossed the cigarette to the ground, stomped it out with his shoe, and changed into clothes of an appropriate size from the ones scattered in the break room.

The worker’s uniform or the overseer’s work clothes would stand out too much in any way.

The clothes thrown in the break room were casual clothes worn by the overseers during their off-duty hours, reducing the risk of drawing unnecessary attention after escaping the factory.

“Ugh… The smell is terrible.”

The stench of cigarettes and sweat mixed into a foul odor that stung his nose, but Lenoch forced himself to change clothes out of necessity.

He stuffed the work clothes he had been wearing under the break room sofa and was about to leave when footsteps echoed from the end of the corridor.

Lenoch released the doorknob he was holding and quickly hid under the sofa.

His ominous premonition was correct, as the footsteps rapidly approached and stopped right in front of the break room door.

Bang!

“Hmm? Who left the break room door open? Trying to get scolded by the chief again?”

“On a day like today, it’s understandable to be distracted.”

Two overseers, looking utterly exhausted, entered the room.

Judging by their unfamiliar faces, they didn’t seem to be the overseers in charge of the parts room near where Lenoch had been.

The overseer on the right sniffed the air, then smiled and spoke to his colleague.

“Judging by the smell, it looks like a few others sneaked in before us.”

It seemed they misunderstood the cigarette smell Lenoch had left in the break room. From their tone, it appeared they often smoked in the break room.

Understanding the remark, the other overseer chuckled and sat on the sofa.

“Well, we sneaked out too, so there’s no rule saying others can’t.”

“Let’s have a smoke first and talk.”

The sound of lighting up and exhaling smoke echoed without further conversation.

Lenoch held his breath, hiding behind the sofa, trying not to make a sound.

“Ah…. I feel alive. Those bastards won’t come back until the product quantity is filled, right?”

“Can’t you tell by the way they talk? It seems we have to run the factory today to meet the quantity.”

“Damn it…. This is driving me crazy.”

They exchanged a few words and then focused on smoking in silence. They seemed to be under considerable stress from the current situation.

“I’ve made up my mind.”

“About what?”

The overseer looked at his colleague sitting across from him with a determined expression.

“Let’s finish this and head to the parking lot.”

“…..Should we?”

“You just got a new car, right? If we hide in there, no one will know.”

Even if they got caught by the chief later and got beaten up, it didn’t matter. If they could avoid the current troublesome situation, nothing else mattered.

The overseers exchanged knowing smiles.

“Where’s the car key?”

“Oh, it should be here. I think I tossed it somewhere while drinking yesterday.”

“Let’s look for it first.”

As the two burly men rummaged through the clothes on the floor, Lenoch quietly prepared himself.

“……..”

With insufficient mana to use effective attack magic against humans, there were still plenty of things he could do with just that level of magic.

Lenoch pulled out the pistol from his pocket and brought his mana-infused hand slowly near the muzzle.

‘Silence’

An invisible barrier enveloped the muzzle, glowing blue before disappearing.

Lenoch pulled the slide to load the gun and held it with both hands, waiting for the right moment.

As the overseers searched the clothes on the floor for the car key, they exchanged serious glances and stood up abruptly.

“….It’s not here.”

“Come to think of it, the door was open earlier…”

“Damn it, could it be?”

If it were just the car key missing, it might be one thing, but with Lenoch having taken all the keys in the area, it would be strange not to notice something was amiss.

They weren’t so foolish as to not realize the seriousness of the situation, and they immediately began to act.

“You go straight to the parking lot.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll report it to the chief first. At least if I say someone took our keys and ran, I won’t be blamed later.”

Finding the logic in the statement, one of the overseers immediately moved toward the break room door.

Lenoch instinctively knew he couldn’t hesitate any longer and immediately raised the gun.

Despite a brief tremor, Lenoch’s finger naturally pulled the trigger.

Thud!

The sound was too light to be called a gunshot, and the overseer, who had just grabbed the doorknob, fell, spraying blood.

A moment later, the other overseer screamed.

“Ed!!”

“Shut up!”

Lenoch shouted as he jumped out from behind the sofa, aiming the gun at him.

The overseer, recognizing Lenoch’s face, glared at him murderously, but upon seeing the gun he was holding, he clamped his mouth shut.

Lenoch slowly closed the distance, glancing at the overseer who had been shot and fallen.

He lay face down, twitching slightly, but otherwise motionless. He was dead.

Realizing he had killed someone for the first time, Lenoch was sweating profusely but wasn’t overly disturbed.

His strong mental fortitude, composure, and rationality, which he had set for himself, were helping him suppress guilt, fear, and disgust, allowing him to maintain his sanity.

In a situation pushed to the extreme, his calmness was even more pronounced. It was undoubtedly a talent for a wizard.

Lenoch kept a distance close enough not to miss but far enough to avoid being ambushed.

With his frail physique, allowing an ambush would surely result in losing the gun and getting killed.

The overseer, seeing Lenoch’s face, spoke in a trembling voice.

“…S-spare me.”

“…….”

“I won’t tell anyone about this. Please…”

For the first time, Lenoch properly looked at the overseer’s face, trembling in fear.

Bloodshot eyes from exhaustion, unkempt and patchy beard, trembling lips and chin.

Though they spent all day exploiting and abusing the workers, the overseers weren’t particularly impressive people.

They, too, were part of the factory, unable to escape the tedious work, and felt fear in the face of death like ordinary people.

Perhaps even if he let them go, they wouldn’t pose much of a threat. They might live their lives pretending not to know Lenoch forever.

Leaving a small mercy before escaping the factory might not be a bad thing…. Lenoch thought as he slowly pulled the trigger.

Thud!

As the silence magic dissipated, the trembling overseer slowly fell backward.

Lenoch captured the astonished expression on his face, unable to comprehend his end even in his final moments.

There was no regret.

Despite his heart, the cold rationality of a wizard had already made all the decisions.

No matter what, he couldn’t leave any loose ends here.

Unlike the overseer he had knocked out in the bedroom, he couldn’t let the ones he encountered here go.

These individuals knew the car key was missing and suspected there might be a problem in the parking lot.

If they woke up and started searching the parking lot before Lenoch escaped the factory, it would be troublesome.

Lenoch retrieved the wallets from the pockets of the two fallen bodies and checked their contents.

There were bills, coins, a few unknown cards, and identification cards, but none of the shapes were familiar to Lenoch.

“……..”

He wasn’t surprised, having already guessed that this wasn’t Earth.

But if it wasn’t the world inside the game or Earth, then where was this place? It was confusing, but there was no time to ponder.

He hastily pocketed what seemed to be money from the wallets and threw the rest under the sofa.

He considered moving the bodies but gave up. The floor was already soaked with blood. Cleaning up the bodies and the floor to erase traces would take too long.

There was only one thing left to do.

Lenoch immediately left the break room, locked the door securely, and headed straight to the underground parking lot via the nearby stairs.

The dimly lit parking lot, filled with dust, was cluttered with several trucks parked by the union members and vehicles used by the factory staff.

Lenoch crouched and moved stealthily between the cars, searching for the vehicle matching the serial number on the key.

There were two vehicles sharing the same serial number: an old gray van and a sleek, shiny two-seater car.

The two-seater car was so heavily modified with unknown mechanical devices that it was hard to guess its original form.

Hoping that the inconspicuous gray van would open, he tried both cars, but unfortunately, the key fit the two-seater car.

There was no choice.

Inserting the key and opening the door, he settled into the leather-scented seat.

The interior was even more astonishing than the exterior. The dashboard was filled with all sorts of mechanical devices and buttons, and the steering wheel was a complete rectangle.

Inserting the key under the steering wheel and starting the engine, the dashboard lights came on, and the car began to hum softly.

Pressing the left pedal and applying force to the gear, the handle started to turn. It seemed that the brake was also on the left pedal here.

Switching gears and releasing the pedal, the car slowly moved forward.

Even though Lenoch had acquired a calm and composed mental state, he couldn’t stop his heart from pounding wildly at this moment.

He was finally escaping the factory. For the first time since arriving in this world, he was leaving the old room.

Curiosity and anticipation about the unknown world, fear, and excitement swirled in Lenoch’s mind, making his whole body tremble.

As he slowly exited the underground parking lot and ascended to the ground, Lenoch noticed a figure standing in front of the parking lot entrance.

A familiar uniform and a limp in his step. Recognizing the overseer in charge of the parking lot, Lenoch’s eyes naturally calmed.

The overseer, noticing the approaching vehicle, began to approach.

Having already killed two people, what difference would a third make? Lenoch immediately grabbed the pistol he had tossed onto the passenger seat but soon realized a serious problem.

Lenoch no longer had enough mana to use the silence magic.

Once for feigning illness in the morning. Once for knocking out the overseer with the electric shock. Twice for silencing the gunshots.

Considering that a newly awakened magician would struggle to use even one spell a day, it was an enormous amount, but it was meaningless in the current situation.

Lenoch quickly realized where the problem had arisen.

‘It’s because I took the cigarettes.’

Considering what he could do with magic, escaping this old factory with four spells a day shouldn’t have been difficult.

If he hadn’t used the electric shock spell ‘Volt’ to knock out the overseer, he wouldn’t have run out of mana like this.

It was too late for regrets now.

After some time, his mana would recover enough to use one spell, but…. he didn’t have the luxury of waiting for that time.

The overseer, knowing who owned the car, approached with a sly expression and spoke.

“Ed, have you lost your mind? Where are you going in this situation? No matter how much you want to escape, you should restrain yourself on the day the union visits.”

He tapped the car’s bonnet and approached the driver’s side.

“Show off your new car this weekend. If you’re going to the club, take me with….. Who are you?”

The overseer’s expression changed completely upon seeing Lenoch’s face in the car.

Before he could pull out whatever he was reaching for at his waist, Lenoch pointed the gun at his chest.

“Gasp….!”

“Drop the gun.”

The terrified overseer quickly dropped the gun handle he had been holding behind his back. Lenoch glanced at the discarded gun and chuckled.

No wonder he surrendered so easily; the gun wasn’t even loaded. He wouldn’t have been able to fire a single shot even if he resisted.

Watching the overseer, who was staring at him with a frightened face, Lenoch spoke.

“Is there a parking barrier up ahead?”

“Y-yes…”

“Remove it.”

The overseer, trembling, turned around and entered the guard post near the parking lot entrance to manipulate something.

The sweating overseer nodded at Lenoch, his face filled with a desperate plea. Lenoch easily understood what it meant.

Everyone desires life strongly.

Lenoch, too, was desperately clinging to life, though he kept it hidden under strong mental fortitude and cold rationality.

And because of that, he couldn’t leave any room for doubt.

Bang!!

The gunshot, harshly shaking the eardrums, echoed fiercely through the parking lot.

As if the sound was a signal, Lenoch released the brake he had been holding.

Passing by the overseer, who collapsed with an incredulous expression, Lenoch stepped hard on the accelerator.

Vroom!!

Hearing the gunshot for the first time in this world, Lenoch’s heart, already pounding, began to beat even more violently.

The slope of the parking lot steepened upward, causing his body to lean back.

As his vision brightened, the dazzling sunlight began to sting his eyes, but he didn’t care.

For a moment, the surroundings flashed white, and then the car lifted, returning his body to its original position.

Through the thick car windows, the wide-open factory yard came into view.

Without hesitation, he drove straight ahead. The only path leading outside between the thick walls was visible.

The barrier that should have been blocking the center of the passage was still closed. That guy had deceived Lenoch.

But Lenoch grinned and pressed down hard with his foot.

Crash!!

Using the speed he had gained, Lenoch smashed through the barrier in one go and quickly sped out of the factory.

Mega City

As soon as he exited the factory, a vast plain spread out before him.

Lenoch focused his mind and quickly surveyed the surroundings through the car window in the barren landscape.

It was his first time stepping into the world outside the factory since waking up in the old room.

He needed to quickly assess what kind of place this area was and escape.

Driving along the road laid out along the low hills, Lenoch moved his head frantically from side to side.

Judging by the numerous buildings and people, it didn’t seem to be an uncivilized wilderness.

Instead, a mega city with towering skyscrapers forming a giant forest was visible in the direction Lenoch was driving.

Sensing that the longer he hesitated, the worse the outcome would be, Lenoch continued to increase his driving speed.

The faster he drove, the closer the mega city came, and the surrounding scenery changed dramatically. It took Lenoch over an hour of driving before he finally approached the outskirts of the city.

Neon signs flashing from all directions, colorful billboards, and advertisements playing cheerful music filled his view.

[Welcome to Balkan, the leading city in advanced industries and the future of magical engineering.]

“…..The city’s name is Balkan?”

To Lenoch, who had a rough idea of what the Balkan Peninsula was on Earth, it was undoubtedly a peculiar name.

Seeing airships leisurely floating in the sky, streamlined bikes passing by, and unfamiliar characters on the signs, Lenoch clicked his tongue and muttered.

“I knew it wasn’t Earth….”

He hadn’t expected it to be so different from WORLD. Could this be the world planned for the ver 3.0 update?

The scenery, seemingly more advanced yet chaotic than the civilization he knew on Earth, left him with mixed feelings.

In a world with a civilization close to the near future, he couldn’t tell if having magical talent was a good or bad thing.

After driving for a while and entering the city’s outskirts, Lenoch finally eased off the accelerator and slowly turned.

‘If I’ve come this far, it should be enough.’

He had been checking for any pursuit along the way but hadn’t noticed anything unusual yet. Could it be that they hadn’t had the time to pursue him due to dealing with the union members?

Choosing the day of the union members’ visit to escape was a wise decision, even in hindsight.

As he entered the city, the roads widened, and traffic began to congest.

Lenoch, having calmed down somewhat, took out a cigarette from his pocket and observed the people passing by as the car almost came to a halt.

There were many people walking along the sidewalks on either side of the road, and their attire varied greatly.

While the clothing itself wasn’t particularly special, some people openly displayed parts of their bodies or chose unique hairstyles.

Some had replaced an arm with a prosthetic, carried spirit-like entities, or were simply ordinary humans walking alone.

Judging by the relaxed expressions of the people, it seemed that public order was somewhat maintained in the bustling area.

Having vaguely imagined a chaotic, anarchic city due to his factory experience, Lenoch found it unexpected.

‘And upon closer inspection….’

As he began to notice things he had previously overlooked during his hurried drive, Lenoch was able to observe his surroundings with a more analytical eye.

The signs and characters on the building walls, the faint lights between passing machines, and the colors on people’s phones all shared a common element.

‘There’s a bit of mana mixed in.’

Though it had only been two days since he realized it, the power was all too familiar to Lenoch, and he could sense it throughout the streets.

It was easy to notice that mana was contributing to the civilization built on this land.

‘It’ll take some time to learn the basic common sense.’

Even if it appeared similar to Earth on the surface, if magic and mana were used in the development of civilization, the process and history would be entirely different.

To live without issues in this world and plan for the future, Lenoch realized he would need considerable time.

Suppressing his complex emotions, Lenoch lit another cigarette and inhaled deeply.

While planning for the future was one thing, Lenoch didn’t have much time left at the moment.

It wasn’t because he was worried about an unseen pursuit. Hadn’t he squeezed out all his stamina and mana to escape the factory?

Though he was still holding on thanks to the cigarette’s effect, it wouldn’t be long before his body reached its limit.

Lenoch had keenly felt how weak and lacking in stamina his body was over the past few days.

If he dawdled, it wouldn’t be surprising if he collapsed right there. He needed to find a place to rest before that happened.

As soon as the long traffic jam in the city ended and the traffic began to clear, Lenoch immediately turned and headed for a secluded alley.

As he moved away from the main road, the clean streets became dirty, and the surrounding buildings looked shabby. Even in such a massive city, there was a slum.

Stopping the car near an apartment complex that seemed ready to collapse, Lenoch focused his mind while still seated.

Fortunately, during the traffic congestion on the way into the city, his mana had recovered enough to use magic once.

Bringing both hands to his face, he used all his remaining mana.

With a burning sensation, his facial skin twisted, causing Lenoch’s body to twitch.

“Phew….”

As Lenoch stepped out of the car, his face had transformed into that of a rugged middle-aged man.

After putting on the sunglasses he had taken from the break room, he got out of the car, tossed the key inside, and closed the door.

He couldn’t continue using a vehicle with an intact serial number at will.

Not underestimating the risk of pursuit, he had no intention of coming near this area again after today.

As he moved away from the slum, the bright sunlight poured down from the clear blue sky.

Experiencing sunlight for the first time since arriving in this world, Lenoch blinked, unable to adjust.

His eyes stung, and his head throbbed. His hands trembled, and his neck pulled tightly. His unsteady steps, unable to find direction, constantly wavered. His entire body was drenched in sweat.

Time was running out.

Inhaling the scent of the cigarette on his hand, he walked quickly and soon found a small hotel on the outskirts of the bustling area.

Clean and discreetly located. A quiet lobby and a relaxed-looking staff. The hygiene and safety seemed decent.

Without hesitation, Lenoch entered the hotel. In the lobby restroom, he released the magic, and dizziness washed over him.

Wiping the sweat streaming down his forehead, he approached the counter.

“….I’d like to book a room.”

“It’s 100,000 Sel per night.”

The receptionist didn’t say anything about his attire but instead quoted a price of 100,000 Sel.

Even to Lenoch, who knew nothing, it didn’t seem like a small amount, but he wasn’t in a position to question whether the price was reasonable.

After roughly placing the cash he had taken from the overseer’s wallet, he received the key and took the elevator, collapsing weakly as soon as he entered.

Crawling across the hallway, he opened the door to the designated room and entered, his vision quickly turning dark.

The accumulated fatigue and tension, along with the effects of the drug that had forcibly suppressed them, overwhelmed Lenoch all at once.

He fell asleep at the entrance without even taking off his shoes.

It was the first peaceful sleep he had experienced since suffering from insomnia in this world.