Lenoch had completely disappeared, leaving the old man to handle the body of Taylor Evans that he had left behind.

The old man took photos, extracted genetic information, sealed it, and then delivered it separately to an intermediary of Achilles.

Although this process incurred additional fees, there was no other choice.

In this line of work, discussing costs without including fees was impossible.

Jenny, who had been observing the old man’s actions with her chin resting on her hand, spoke up.

“A customer looking for both narcotic cigarettes and health supplements at the same time, isn’t that fascinating?”

“Are you talking about that wizard from earlier?”

“Yes. If I were a merchant, I would have thought he was crazy. I can never understand what wizards are thinking. But that’s how geniuses are.”

Jenny seemed to laugh it off, but the old man, Jordan, had a different perspective.

He silently tidied up the counter and spoke slowly.

“I found out something interesting by bypassing the Scavenger’s network.”

Upon hearing Jordan’s words, Jenny frowned immediately.

“Grandpa, are you still observing that cesspool? It’s a waste of money to pay the Mirror Diver to peek into their network.”

Mirror Diver was one of the criminal organizations based in Balkan, a group of hackers who controlled part of the city’s network and sold the by-products from it.

They possessed numerous magic engineering engineers and programmers, and their technology was substantial, making it relatively convenient to use the network in the area through them.

Even if that network belonged to another organization.

However, Jordan responded to her words without losing his composure.

“It seems they have secured photos from the time of Taylor Evans’ death. Would you like to check the magic he used? He might be a much better customer than you think.”

“What?”

She immediately turned on the computer under the counter and accessed the data Jordan mentioned.

The criminal organization Scavenger, although overwhelming in size compared to other organizations or clans, had a significantly lower level of members, resulting in a relatively low actual power.

Excluding the core leadership, the rest could be considered a gang of street thugs, but if there was one thing they were useful for to the organization—

“I found it. Here it is. These guys are everywhere.”

Because they were scattered like trash throughout the city, they could report almost any incident occurring in the area.

New Drug

Of course, the level of these eyewitness accounts was no different from that of ordinary people, but sometimes they were quite helpful, so Jordan occasionally created backdoors in the network used by the Scavengers.

“……Wow.”

It was a short three-second video, but the content was extraordinary.

The sight of a blue lightning bolt tearing through the dry sky and scorching the ground was not something one could easily witness.

Jenny, who was at a loss for words and replaying the video, chuckled.

“So, this is what that guy did earlier?”

“Didn’t he say himself that he was a lightning-type wizard? It’s almost certain.”

Even if they couldn’t wield magic themselves, having knowledge about magic was a given in this field.

Both of them knew very well how difficult it was to strike lightning from a clear sky.

Elemental magic, which involves using pure will and mana without relying on specific mediums, was known for its high difficulty.

Unlike modern magic, which was improved for user convenience, it was closer to traditional magic used long ago, requiring a long time to become practical.

Implementing a specific element centered around oneself also took a long time, and deploying mana and drawing in will to manifest phenomena in empty space required an immense amount of time and talent.

Jenny continued to replay the video, muttering to herself.

“No matter how low I estimate, it seems to be at least level 4.”

Level 4 standard magic users referred to wizards who had reached a level of mastery through complete understanding beyond just learning and using magic.

Wizards of this level could hold their own in modern firepower battles and were recognized as researchers beyond just performing their duties as wizards.

It was the minimum hierarchy that allowed them to research and grow their self-learned magic systems.

Level 4 or higher wizards under the management of Balkan City Hall could receive city pensions whenever they wanted and receive bonuses just by submitting their research results.

“It might even be level 5 or higher.”

“That’s ridiculous. Why would such a genius work here to earn bounties? They could just show their magic anywhere and get a position immediately.”

Jordan shook his head at Jenny’s words.

“If it were another school, maybe not, but I have a guess for the lightning-type school.”

“……Are you saying that nerd is part of the ‘Thorburn’ school?”

Despite her denial, she recalled Lenoch’s muttered words. Didn’t he say he hadn’t been in the city for long?

“You never know. But if he really is part of those war entrepreneurs…. he could be a very good partner.”

Jordan said, placing Taylor Evans’ body back into a bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

His eyes faintly glowed as he headed towards the incinerator in the basement.

Lenoch left Jenny’s bar immediately and headed to the orchard she had mentioned.

The story she told him during the process piqued Lenoch’s interest.

The massive city of Balkan had over dozens of areas, but the atmosphere was distinctly different depending on the order in which the districts were created as the city expanded.

The 0-9 districts, where the administrative district responsible for the core operation and economy of the city was located.

The 10 districts, forming a forest of buildings with the headquarters of various businesses, including dinosaur companies.

The 20 districts, where most of the bustling areas where Balkan citizens lived and worked were located.

The 30 districts, where city facilities requiring large areas, such as amusement parks or ports, were gathered.

The 40 districts, where unauthorized organizations took advantage of the chaotic development, and the 50 districts, filled with undeveloped areas where vagrants and all sorts of criminals roamed.

Among them, the orchard Jenny mentioned was located in the 31st district.

Plumber’s botanical garden, operated on the largest scale in Balkan.

Facilities frequently visited by families were located in areas with lower numbers among the 30 districts, and the botanical garden was one of those facilities placed in the 31st district.

He bought a ticket at the ticket office of the botanical garden, built like a giant stadium, and entered inside.

Although 10,000 Cel were spent on the ticket, he had just received a bounty, so his pockets were full, and it wasn’t a burden.

Inside the botanical garden, under the artificial sun, a vast jungle made solely of plants was formed.

Plants with massive peaks capable of accommodating several people or flowers holding hundreds of colors simultaneously were so unique and beautiful that even Lenoch paused to admire them.

Trees walking across the fields like living animals or flower seeds resembling umbrellas floating in the air caught his attention.

However, Lenoch quickly regained his focus and started walking in the direction Jenny had indicated.

Having walked for quite a while, a deep fatigue was already weighing heavily on his entire body.

A souvenir shop located on the way out after circling the large botanical garden.

A huge shop selling dolls or keychains for children, glass crystals preserving petals symbolizing luck.

Opening a small side door marked “No Entry Except for Authorized Personnel” behind a display case filled with various plant models and crossing a long staircase to the lower floor, a different stimulating smell began to prick his nose.

As he descended the stairs and turned his head, he saw faint purple smoke filling the surroundings.

Instead of walking through the smoke, Lenoch stood right in front of the stairs and opened his mouth.

“I came on Jenny’s recommendation.”

“Jenny?”

A voice responded, and the smoke quickly cleared, revealing the scene beyond.

A wall of wooden drawers densely packed on one side of the large room. The number of drawers seemed to exceed thousands.

An old man, with a pipe in his mouth, was staring at him intently, standing with his back against the massive drawers.

“Are you talking about the girl running a bar in the 49th district?”

When Lenoch nodded, the old man frowned deeply.

“I don’t recall giving that young girl the qualification to recommend customers.”

“…….”

While Lenoch hesitated at the difficult response, the old man grinned and shook his head.

“Well, never mind. I’m not rich enough to be picky about customers. I just take money from those who want goods. So, what are you looking for in my orchard?”

For a moment, Lenoch hesitated about whether to be formal or not, but he decided to push forward as he was.

“…..Why is there an orchard inside the botanical garden?”

Despite selling items close to all kinds of narcotics, the shop’s name was “Orchard,” and it was located inside the city’s largest botanical garden, which was ironic.

The old man laughed, revealing his yellow teeth, at Lenoch’s words.

“The fruits that ripen from cooking those plants are right here. They’re the fruits that will send us to heaven.”

It was a question that didn’t really matter, and the answer matched it.

Lenoch immediately took out all the remaining cigarettes from his pocket and placed them in front of the old man.

“I’m looking for items with similar effects to these. Can I find them here?”

“Let’s see….”

“I’d prefer something with fewer side effects, even if it’s a bit expensive.”

The old man took out a magnifying glass and began examining the cigarettes Lenoch had laid out.

“The method of inhaling smoke. It’s faster than taking pills, but the effect comes slower than injections. But it’s the most moderate, and it has that taste, making it hard to quit.”

He muttered to himself while taking out a knife and slicing the cigarette lengthwise.

The packaging peeled away, revealing the contents inside.

The old man used tweezers to inspect it with the naked eye and nodded.

“Hmm…. I don’t know who made it, but it’s a complete piece of trash.”

“……”

“From the ingredients inside, to refining, drying, and packaging, there’s nothing I like. Why were you smoking this stuff?”

Lenoch, who had heard the same words from both Jenny and the old man, replied sullenly.

“…I had unavoidable circumstances.”

“It’s a defective product deliberately mixed with impurities to lower costs and increase addiction. The psychoactive effect seems decent, but that’s just to create the illusion that the drug is working well. It’s definitely not a product I’d recommend for long-term use.”

The old man said this and immediately threw the disassembled cigarette into the trash can beside him.

“You said you wanted something with fewer side effects, even if it costs a bit more. How much are you thinking of spending?”

Lenoch pondered for a moment.

The drugs he was purchasing now were like the minimum investment cost for his future plans.

To move his weak body like a normal person, he needed drugs that would allow him to forget pain and fatigue while working.

However, reducing side effects while using such items was crucial for Lenoch.

If severe side effects accompanied each use, his body wouldn’t last long.

It wasn’t the time to save money.

“….2 million cells.”

The 2.7 million cells he received as a bounty. He would invest everything except the amount needed for living expenses here.

“Hmm.”

The old man nodded and got up from his seat, rummaging through the shelves behind him.

After a while, he returned with several sealed packs in his hands, and when he opened them, something long spilled out.

It was a cigarette form, slightly thicker and longer than what Lenoch had been smoking.

He hung each one on a scale and spoke.

“If you just wanted drugs, that kind of small change wouldn’t be enough.”

“……”

“But it seems like what you want is more of a medical product pumped with drugs. If that’s the case, you can barely find it within the category of consumer goods.”

The old man placed about thirty cigarettes, which he had hung on the scale, in front of Lenoch.

“Cashburn-C107. It provides about six hours of strong pain relief, doping, and awakening effects. Slight mental elevation. Immediate pain numbness and dizziness after consumption. Headaches, convulsions, vomiting, and a low probability of hemoptysis as side effects after the effects wear off. It’s a very clean product.”

The side effects didn’t seem clean to Lenoch, but the old man continued his explanation.

“It’s not low in toxicity, but it has low addiction and doesn’t accumulate much in the body over the long term. It’s possible because it’s a product moderately modified from pharmaceuticals.”

“Is that a small side effect?”

“It’s the minimum side effect you can buy with your money.”

The old man asserted.

“The price skyrockets every time you reduce the rebound of the drug. To get something better than this, you wouldn’t be able to buy twenty sticks with that money, and one thing to know is that I never sell less than ten sticks.”

In other words, there were products that cost tens to hundreds of thousands per stick.

With a complicated mind, Lenoch picked up the cigarette called Cashburn that the old man handed over.

A product costing just under 70,000 Cel per stick. In terms of price, it wasn’t cheap either.

For Lenoch, who had never bought a pack of cigarettes himself even on Earth, the price made his hands tremble.

But there was no choice.

This was ultimately an investment he had to make to continue earning money in the future.

In the end, Lenoch paid the money and took the cigarettes handed over by the old man.

“Come again. Though everyone who uses my orchard ends up like that.”

The old man, nodding crookedly, quickly disappeared into the smoke.

Lenoch immediately left the botanical garden and headed to the hotel where he was staying.

Thirty cigarettes obtained for 2 million cells.

He couldn’t use them in practice without testing their effects first.

Rest

“Hmm…..”

Back at the hotel, Lenoch sat in the middle of the bed, silently focusing on smoking the cigarette.

As the old man had said, the method of inhaling smoke naturally had a weaker effect than injections.

There was no more efficient method than directly injecting drugs into the bloodstream.

However, it was difficult to carry disposable syringes every time he went out for work, and cigarettes were not very conspicuous even if held in the mouth.

Moreover, the sensation of inhaling smoke didn’t feel bad either.

“Indeed….. it’s different.”

If the previous cigarettes stolen from the factory had awakened his body by pounding the back of his head, the new product had a strong effect of invigorating his entire body without fatigue.

It was a much-needed effect for Lenoch, who needed to relieve the fatigue of his weak body rather than mental pleasure.

His body felt much more energetic and strong than before.

Although it was merely a forced elevation of his body, it seemed that there would be no significant issues moving while the drug was effective.

Lenoch knew he had already reached a fairly decent level as a wizard, but engaging in actual combat was a completely different matter.

He couldn’t afford to have his weak body and stamina become a hindrance when suddenly facing gunfire, like when he caught Taylor Evans.

Satisfied with the drug’s effects to some extent, Lenoch lay back on the bed, exhaling smoke, and began thinking about what he needed to do next.

‘Come to think of it, I need to replenish bullets.’

He had no complaints about the gun stolen from the supervisor, but there were only four bullets left.

Since awakening his magic, Lenoch had never doubted his magical abilities, but he also believed that he shouldn’t neglect physical armament.

Despite his immense talent, his body was fragile and precarious.

Starting work in the 49th district to earn money was inevitable, but it was only natural to prepare for all kinds of potential dangers.

‘Once I’ve earned enough money, I should consider making a forged ID. I can’t live as a person without an identity forever….’

Lenoch, looking at the cigarette in his hand with regretful eyes, reluctantly stubbed it out in the ashtray.

At 70,000 Cel per stick, the price made this cigarette more expensive than the hotel room he was staying in.

He felt like chewing up the entire filter, but for now, he needed to get some sleep.

With a familiar motion, Lenoch took sleeping pills from the bedside and lay down.

Come to think of it, having taken sleeping pills continuously for a week while researching common magic, his stock was running low.

It seemed the remaining 700,000 Cel had already been decided on where to be spent.

Not long after, Lenoch fell into a deep sleep.

Unresolved insomnia. A physically exhausting body every day.

The sleeping pills and cigarettes he took daily would eventually lead to tolerance, and Lenoch would continue to search for stronger drugs.

But at least at this moment, his expression looked utterly peaceful.

Another day passed like this.

It was the day Lenoch first started earning money in the massive city of Balkan.