Unlike the underdeveloped district of the 50s, which was filled with shabby slums despite numerous development plans, the 40s district, especially the early numbered areas, did not lack facilities compared to the higher-numbered districts.

District 42, where Charlotte’s manufacturing plant was located, was somewhat sparse but still maintained a clean and organized street.

“Looks like Jenny holds that side in high regard.”

“What?”

“She’s not the type to easily give up her money. She must have thought maintaining a good relationship was better than skimming off commissions.”

Dylan’s tone was light, but he accurately grasped the context of the conversation that had taken place in the bar.

“So, what are you trying to say?”

“Whoa, no particular meaning. What I’m trying to say is…”

As Dylan suddenly reached into his pocket, Lenoch took a step back and put a cigarette in his mouth.

If a gun were to pop out, he would have to immediately raise the strength of his barrier and respond.

However, what was wedged between the thick leather gloves was not hard metal but a business card.

“That doesn’t mean you have to look for a job in just one place.”

[Antares Office]

Lenoch, who was quietly looking down at the business card, let out a hollow laugh.

“Are you trying to recruit me now?”

Lenoch hadn’t even shown his magic yet, but Dylan’s proactive attitude as soon as they left the bar was surprising.

But Dylan replied nonchalantly.

“They say you can never know too many wizards. It’s the same in this field. Even if there are dozens or hundreds, the fields they handle are different, and their combat power and temperament vary greatly, so the wider your network, the more opportunities you get.”

He shrugged.

“It’s not a bad story for you either. Our office is a bit… rough, but there are many who are good at physical work, like me.”

“….”

“Having a variety of options isn’t necessarily a bad thing, right? Unless you have a specific reason to keep loyalty to that woman.”

Lenoch chuckled.

“You talk well. Let’s see if your skills are as good.”

“Look forward to it.”

Dylan said that, adjusted his mask, and started walking briskly.

Following him, Lenoch once again realized how rare a profession a wizard was.

The fact that someone would hand over their contact information to a wizard they met for the first time today, whose origin and skills were unknown, showed that being able to handle magic was a rare and deadly talent.

The two arrived near the manufacturing plant and slowly circled around the factory site to assess the situation.

The number of guards inside the factory wasn’t many, but they all had the number ‘888’ engraved on their left chest.

“Triple Eight. They’ve hired the worst of the security companies. They’re famous for picking only those with criminal records and jumping into any profitable job without hesitation…”

Dylan said indifferently while picking his teeth.

“I wouldn’t feel guilty even if I accidentally killed one or two.”

“The security isn’t that tight.”

They were well-armed with submachine guns, bulletproof vests, and various auxiliary weapons, but their security posture wasn’t strict.

It was obvious that they were just killing time while keeping a reasonable distance from each other.

“Who would be crazy enough to mess with a company like Charlotte? It’s a business involving the city government, so everyone would be cautious. I wouldn’t have even looked at it if it weren’t for the job arranged by Valitz.”

“Is it different if Valitz is involved?”

“In corporate fights, we’re just messengers. If Charlotte knows it’s Valitz’s doing, they won’t care who we are.”

Lenoch tried to remember every word Dylan mumbled.

“Shall we start then? You don’t need to cover your face? No need to expose your identity openly.”

“Hmm…”

Looking at Dylan’s outfit now, there wasn’t a single part of his skin exposed.

Was he just trying to hide his identity, or was he hiding a secret beyond that?

Dylan’s concern was valid, but Lenoch wasn’t worried about his identity being exposed.

From the start, the face and the name Van were artificially created identities for working in this area.

Moreover, after his mana pattern was detected by an unknown woman in the market, Lenoch had been slightly altering his mana pattern every time he used magic to eliminate any possibility of being detected.

Even if things went wrong and the identity of Van was tracked, Lenoch could just change the face with disguise magic and start working with a new identity.

“It doesn’t matter. Let’s start.”

“No, I can’t. If your face gets known and you’re tracked, I might get caught too.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Try using this.”

Dylan said, pulling out a mask similar to the one he was wearing from a small bag slung over his side.

It wasn’t flashy in color, but with all sorts of patterns on it, it wouldn’t be strange if he looked like a pro wrestler.

“……..”

“Hurry.”

Reluctantly, Lenoch took it and put the mask on with a displeased expression.

Fortunately, the nose and mouth parts were loosely open, so he didn’t have to endure the unpleasant feeling of his face being squeezed.

“Alright! I’ll start first. Follow me.”

Dylan said that and suddenly kicked off the ground, running towards the direction of the factory’s back gate.

Thud, thud, thud!!

Even at a glance, his footwork was unusual. Instead of maintaining a constant fast speed, it seemed as if he was accelerating while running, making it threatening.

He had clearly surpassed the physical limits of an ordinary human.

A warrior who enhanced his body with mana and wielded martial arts. They were a familiar type even in the world of WORLD.

Lenoch stood far away, holding a cigarette in his mouth and lighting it with a spark between his fingers.

“Ssshh—”

As he inhaled the smoke until his head felt light and caught his breath, a slight vitality surged, and he felt centered.

The accumulated fatigue faded into a dull sensation, and his body and mind awakened with a familiar feeling.

Feeling the effects of the disposable drug he bought for 70,000 cells, Lenoch began to run very cautiously, following Dylan.

In the meantime, Dylan had charged like lightning at the two guards guarding the back gate.

Whoosh!

Using the momentum from his run, he hooked the neck of one guard with the inside of his elbow and fell with him.

Before the guard, who couldn’t even resist, could roll his eyes back after his head hit the ground, Dylan spun his body and kicked the other guard’s chin with his heel.

Crack! Crunch!

“Two down for now.”

Rising between the two guards who fell like limp chopsticks, Dylan sprinted towards the factory’s back gate.

Infiltration

Watching that, Lenoch quickly turned his body in a completely different direction from Dylan.

‘The plan set in the bar was basically a diversion operation.’

While Dylan, who infiltrated through the relatively poorly guarded back gate of the factory, drew attention, Lenoch entered through a warehouse a bit away from the back gate.

The warehouse, which received products produced from all three floors of the manufacturing plant and loaded them onto trucks, was directly connected to every floor of the factory.

Thanks to Dylan’s rampage, even the employees waiting in the warehouse seemed to have headed that way, leaving no one inside except for three large trucks.

Lenoch took out a laser cutter from his pocket and pressed both buttons firmly.

Buzz!

As he drove the cutter, from which blue sparks flew wildly, into the locked doorknob of the management office inside the warehouse, the doorknob melted away in an instant.

Kicking the door open and stepping inside, Lenoch extended a hand towards a guard with a menacing look who was staring at him in shock.

[Nature Sleep]

“Who…!!..Ugh…”

The employee, who was about to scream with a horrified face and draw a gun from his waist, suddenly slumped over the chair and fell.

Magic that interferes with the mind or biological functions like this doesn’t work well on those with mana, but it’s extremely effective for subduing ordinary people without any mana.

He attached five strands of mana extending from his fingers to the employee’s limbs and moved them.

[Marionette]

The unconscious employee’s body wobbled like a puppet with cut strings and started walking out of the factory.

If one goes into the unique magic system and manual manipulation series, they can do much more complex things, but with [Marionette] used in common magic, making an unconscious person walk is the limit.

But this was enough. It was better than leaving something unsettling in this factory, which might explode soon.

Entering the passage inside the management office, he saw a staircase at the end of a somewhat dirty corridor.

The familiar sight made Lenoch’s face slightly darken.

The image of the shabby factory where he first woke up was still vividly etched in his memory. If he hadn’t decided to escape and moved immediately upon waking, he might have died of exhaustion.

In extreme situations, life and death are often separated by a thin line.

Although Lenoch’s situation was much better now than it was then, he couldn’t afford to rest on his laurels.

To survive in this unknown world, he had to do his best every moment he was alive.

Shaking off his thoughts, he moved.

The operations management office, which oversees all the factory’s systems, was on the third floor.

But without any hesitation, Lenoch ran down the stairs leading to the lower floors.

Thud, thud, thud!!

The sound of gunfire echoed from afar. The security forces had begun to take action to repel the intruders.

“Ahhh!!”

The screams of the production employees in the factory, fleeing in terror, were vividly audible.

It wasn’t a bad thing. Unlike the security company Triple Eight, there was no reason for the workers here to be caught up in the explosion.

He had to finish the job while Dylan was buying time.

As he descended to the factory’s basement, the hot air disappeared, and a cold breeze brushed past his entire body.

The server room stored in the basement. The air conditioning was managed to prevent the power supply room designated for system management from overheating.

And the air conditioning facilities that managed such cooling were also located in this basement.

Dozens of gas pipes climbed the walls like snakes, densely covering the basement walls.

He opened all the valves attached to each pipe.

Sssssss!!

One, two, three… When one or two valves were opened, it wasn’t noticeable, but as he fully opened dozens of valves, the sound of gas leaking began to be distinctly audible.

Normally, just opening all the valves wouldn’t cause gas to leak.

There should be double or triple gas shut-off devices installed to prevent such safety accidents.

However, the manufacturing plant was newly built, and it was in operation without proper safety inspections due to the city government’s pressure, and Charlotte Corporation wasn’t a company that invested heavily in on-site safety, making this possible.

And all this information was gathered and provided not by Jenny or Dylan but by Valitz Corporation.

‘They even specify how to proceed with the work… They’re meticulous.’

The reason Jenny brought the factory blueprint and assigned them the plan was also because Valitz wanted it.

Whether Jenny was capable because she took on a job that such a company released,

Having released the gas, all that was left was to set the spark.

Lenoch placed his palm on the cold basement floor and immediately used magic.

[Ignite]

A very basic ignition spell. It’s the magic Lenoch often used to light his cigarettes.

But now, he had to create it in a slightly different way than just lighting a flame between his fingers.

There was a time when Lenoch, out of arrogance for having used almost all the common spells, neglected his research for a while.

However, after finding a new breakthrough through his encounter with the woman at the vegetable store, he repeatedly attempted to modify and apply the magic he already knew, and he recently achieved results.

Ssssss..!!

He unraveled the magic engraved in his mind in a formulaic manner like an official.

Through dozens of experiments, Lenoch was sure of how absurd his talent was.

Beyond using and applying magic, he naturally reached out to unknown knowledge and threw himself into the sea of the unknown.

Creativity stat 30, which he had invested in when creating his character. The intelligence that reached the threshold of what could be called talent bore fruit.

Paaah!!

Lenoch’s right hand shone brightly, and a small circle was drawn around the mana he was drawing, filling it with unknown shapes.

He began to draw a new magic circle with just an incantation, surpassing the level of using magic without a magic circle or incantation.

Shapes and symbols Lenoch didn’t fully understand were arranged inside the circular magic circle, and just before the ends of the fence surrounding the world connected, Lenoch withdrew his mana.

He withdrew his hand just before completing the magic circle.

“…….”

Completing the Ignite magic circle and creating a flame right now would be meaningless.

To blow up the factory, he had to ignite it after the basement was sufficiently filled with gas.

And Lenoch already knew how to complete magic with a time delay.

No one taught him, but countless transformations and applications swirled in Lenoch’s mind.

He went beyond following and maintaining systematic order, opening new terrain and drawing another rule on it.

He bent the framework of common magic to its limits to create a new tool.

‘Of course, even doing this, it’s hard to completely match the specialization of unique magic…’

At least he could mimic it closely.

The timer was set for 5 minutes.

The moment the completed ignition magic circle activated in the middle of the basement after 5 minutes, the factory would be blown up from the basement.

He just had to get Dylan out of the factory before then, and they would split the success fee of 50 million cells.

Lenoch had another cigarette in his mouth as he emerged from the basement.

Just as he was about to step inside the factory’s first-floor manufacturing room to find Dylan,

Boom!!!

A loud explosion and shockwave swept through the area.

Caught off guard by the unexpected impact, Lenoch’s body was thrown backward.

Even as the back of his head throbbed from hitting the ground, he quickly thought.

‘Explosion? Did the basement already blow up?’

Lenoch doubted the magic circle he had engraved on the basement floor but quickly dismissed the possibility.

The magic he created was perfect, and if the server room exploded, the entire factory should have collapsed. It wouldn’t end like this.

There was only one possibility left. Something must have happened inside the factory where Dylan was.

The shock didn’t end with just one but continued to ripple with a weaker intensity.

Listening to the eerie sounds coming from inside, Lenoch slowly opened the door leading to the first floor.

Bang! Boom!!

As he peeked into the manufacturing room and cast his gaze, the first thing he saw was the gunfire filling the air.

Flashes of light accompanied by flying bullets and the rising acrid smoke covered the entire first floor of the factory.

And in the storm of ammunition, Dylan was dancing madly.

He switched between the swords, spears, and daggers hanging all over his body without hesitation, leaping and cutting down the guards.

The superhuman movements of a warrior who enhanced his body with mana were not something the employees holding guns could counter.

Even Lenoch, who had no knowledge of actual combat techniques, could tell that Dylan’s movements were graceful, often disappearing in the midst of the barrage of gunfire and appearing behind the enemy.

The mana swirling around his entire body occasionally concentrated on the weapon in his hand, glowing blue, and with the intense shockwave Lenoch felt earlier, employees were sent flying in all directions.

Instead of just buying time, he seemed to be planning to take out all the guards.

The confidence he showed before starting the job wasn’t entirely unfounded.

Ssssss…

The noise that had been ringing in his ears constantly subsided, and only the low groans of the guards cut down by Dylan lingered aimlessly.

Only then did Dylan seem somewhat calm, catching his breath and starting to walk outside the factory.

Seeing that, Lenoch also tried to leave the factory immediately.

Thud!!

A solid iron door shattered and flew straight at Dylan.

Dylan easily dodged the crumpled iron door flying at a speed that was hard to see, but his body froze.

Following his gaze, Lenoch turned his head and could somewhat understand why he reacted that way.

“Heh heh…. You’ve made quite a mess.”

A giant over two meters tall, covered in thousands of scales all over his body. An unrealistically elongated snout with sharp teeth hanging inside.

And the long tail swaying leisurely between his legs.

It wasn’t a mistake.

A giant with a crocodile head covered in blue scales was slowly walking into the factory.

He rolled his vertically slit eyes around and, upon spotting Dylan, grinned.

“A face I remember. Is that Antares brat doing well?”

“…..He’s doing fine.”

Surprisingly, Dylan and the crocodile giant seemed to recognize each other.

“Hmm, I wondered what kind of guts he had when he said he’d start his own business…. But he seems to have some skills.”

“The boss does have a bit of a temper.”

At Dylan’s polite response, the giant bared his teeth in a smirk.

“You understand the situation, right? That’s how it is.”

“How much were you paid?”

“One billion.”

“Shit…..”

Dylan hung his head helplessly as if he had given up on everything.

The giant spoke as if comforting him.

“I’ll kill you painlessly for Antares’s sake.”

“….I won’t die easily.”

Dylan replied, gripping two swords and drawing his mana tightly.

His demeanor was entirely different from before, and Lenoch, watching the situation from afar, hardened his expression.

It seemed the crocodile giant was hired to repel the intruders for a staggering sum of one billion cells, and judging by Dylan’s inability to even think of escaping and his determination, he must have been a terrifying monster.

Should he lend a hand here, or should he run away?

Even at this moment, gas was filling the basement, and the ignition magic circle with a timer was approaching its activation time.

‘2 minutes and 17 seconds….. It’s cutting it close.’

Lenoch’s internal clock had no margin for error.

Even without consciously thinking about it, gauging the remaining time accurately was not difficult.

After a brief calculation, Lenoch quietly gathered his mana, ensuring he wouldn’t be detected by the crocodile giant.

‘I’ll do what I can and then make my escape.’

While he solidified his resolve, the human and the crocodile clashed.

Battle

Dylan squeezed out all his mana and charged, while the giant stood alone and took it.

The sharp swords in both of Dylan’s hands, a spear slung over his shoulder, and two daggers stuck in his ankles tore through the factory’s dust, emitting sharp flashes.

The five blurred blades simultaneously targeted the crocodile man’s limbs, twisting their trajectories and closing the distance in an instant.

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!!

The slashes that brushed past the crocodile giant’s raised arm mockingly scraped off the blue scales, and blue sparks flew.

Without caring whether he landed a valid hit, Dylan launched his next attack.

A fierce killing intent filled and overflowed from the factory floor.

Only after seeing that did Lenoch realize that Dylan was a powerful warrior, far beyond the ordinary level.

Every time he touched the ground, he twisted his direction, and even the time he took to catch his breath was mixed within the range of wielding his weapon.

Graceful yet blurred, stealthy yet lightning-fast.

Thud, thud, thud!!

The fierce, almost desperate sword strikes poured out by Dylan made the crocodile giant take a step back.

Seizing that gap, Lenoch assembled the mana he had gathered so far into a spell.

Blue currents gathered above his slightly bent right arm, forming a sphere the size of a head.

Crackle!!

It was a spell that gathered and concentrated dozens of bolts of electricity, equivalent to [Bolt].

Naturally, the amount of mana consumed was enormous, considering Lenoch’s current mana, but he gritted his teeth and completed the spell.

[Lightning Bound]

The spell, fired at his will, pierced through the reaction speed of the two monsters and struck directly beneath the giant’s leg.

Crack, crack, crack, crack!!

The moment the sphere touched the ground, a twisted noise like pecking at the air erupted, and the dozens of currents contained inside burst out, covering the giant.

The crocodile giant, seemingly caught off guard by Lenoch’s stealthy spellcasting, twitched his tail—

Seizing the brief moment when the giant’s body froze, Dylan put all his remaining strength into pushing forward.

“Hoo…!!!”

Pouring out all his attacks with his entire body, a massive wave surged and engulfed the crocodile giant.

The cold blades struck once, twice, thrice, and countless times, finally wedging between the giant’s tough scales and touching the skin.

The crocodile moved.

He raised his hand, parrying only the blades aimed at his eyes, and used his tail to block the rest.

The tail, moving in a completely different manner from the giant’s body, darted back and forth dozens of times in the blink of an eye, erasing all of Dylan’s attacks.

In the midst of closing the distance, he grabbed Dylan’s neck and hurled him toward the factory wall.

Boom!!

With an ear-splitting sonic boom, a circular shockwave erupted from the crocodile giant.

Dylan’s body, thrown like a bullet, pierced through the wall and fell outside, and the factory wall, unable to withstand the force, collapsed.

Crash, crash, crash, crash!!

‘Damn…!’

The [Lightning Bound] Lenoch had just used was a spell with enough firepower to melt steel into molten metal.

The fact that the giant allowed such a spell directly and still moved without a scratch meant the outcome was already decided.

The moment Dylan was caught by the giant, Lenoch was already running away without looking back.

He couldn’t know Dylan’s fate, but he was sure he had been thrown outside the factory.

He had to avoid foolishly watching until he met the crocodile’s gaze.

‘23 seconds left….!’

Focusing mana on his legs and exerting force, his running speed increased dramatically.

Due to the drawbacks of the [Mana Addiction] trait, he avoided pouring mana into his body as much as possible, but now was not the time to be cautious.

Using [Blink] would have been much easier, but the mana consumption was too high for Lenoch to use at the moment.

Running so fast that the surroundings blurred, he dashed out the door and fled outside the warehouse.

Near the back gate, Dylan lay in a grotesque position, covered in blood. His entire body seemed to be shattered, with pus oozing from everywhere.

Lenoch hesitated for a moment but eventually bit into another cigarette, gritted his teeth, and hoisted Dylan onto his back, starting to run.

He poured mana into his entire body and ran with all his might, strengthened by enhanced muscles.

Even if he survived today, it was certain he wouldn’t be able to move properly for about a week, but now was not the time to worry about that.

“Huff, huff….!”

The little stamina he had left quickly ran out, and his breath hitched in his throat. A bitter smile formed on Lenoch’s lips.

He had served in the military on Earth, but here, he felt weak and frail, as if he would collapse with a light touch.

Every time he pushed himself like this, it wouldn’t be surprising if his lifespan was unknowingly shortened.

As Lenoch moved his trembling legs while swallowing bloody phlegm, Dylan, who had wriggled a few times, regained consciousness.

Seeing Lenoch wearing the mask, Dylan let out a hollow laugh.

“Cough!! Are you smoking right now…? There’s a limit to addiction…. You’re out of your mind.”

“Huff…!! I can’t live without this…!!”

‘2 seconds.’

Time was up.

Lenoch replied in a trembling voice, threw Dylan to the ground, and immediately lay on top of him, raising both hands over his head.

Right after that.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!!!!!

The flames that erupted from the basement engulfed the entire manufacturing plant, turning the sky crimson.

He clung tightly to the ground to avoid being blown away by the raging heatwave.

He heard the sound of the barrier he had placed on himself shattering bit by bit near his ears.

Lenoch, in a daze, kept casting barriers on himself, waiting for the explosion to end.

Originally, he would have just confirmed from a much farther distance that the factory was properly collapsing, but the appearance of the giant had thrown all plans into disarray.

As the seemingly endless shock subsided and the trembling of the asphalt settled, Lenoch struggled to lift his head.

The explosion that had collapsed the entire basement had engulfed Charlotte’s factory, leaving the building half-destroyed.

Watching the factory sway as if it would collapse at any moment, Lenoch slowly stood up.

“The cigarette…?”

He absentmindedly brought his hand to his mouth, but the cigarette was gone.

Had it been blown away while enduring the explosion?

“Here it is.”

“….Are you insane?”

Lenoch looked at Dylan with a gaze as if he were a madman.

A cigarette was stuck vertically on the back of Dylan’s hand, emitting faint smoke and burning through his leather glove.

“Don’t you need it?”

“Throw it away immediately.”

With a gesture, Dylan flicked the cigarette away and finally got up slowly.

“Ugh… It feels like ten bones are broken.”

His tone was so nonchalant that Lenoch knew he wasn’t lying.

The moment he was grabbed by the neck and thrown by the giant, Dylan’s body had clearly broken the sound barrier.

It wouldn’t have been surprising if his spine had been completely ripped out when the crocodile giant swung his arm.

It was clear that Dylan, who stood up despite having all his bones shattered, wasn’t an ordinary human either.

“I thought it was a battle between a human and a monster, but you’re no pushover either. Are all superhumans who use their bodies like this?”

“Well, there are various circumstances.”

Dylan, who vaguely evaded the question, grabbed Lenoch by the scruff of his neck and pulled him up.

“If you don’t want to die, get up quickly. We need to escape.”

“……?”

Lenoch was momentarily puzzled, but he soon realized the implication of those words.

“You think that monster is still alive.”

“It’s not a thought; it’s a certainty. Don’t you know who that old man is?”

“I don’t have the skill to guess age by looking at a crocodile’s face.”

In WORLD versions 1 and 2, there were non-human races, but there were no races as extremely animal-like as that.

Dylan shook his head at Lenoch’s answer and started walking quickly, pulling him along.

“Crocken Achilles. A former war mercenary who, after retiring, accepted the scout from Pandemonium and is now active as an executive.”

“Pandemonium?”

“An international criminal organization known for only handing out invitations to the most dangerous criminals and outlaws. Wizard sir, have you really been holed up in the mountains, just training?”

“…Let’s just say that’s roughly the case.”

Pandemonium… If Dylan, who seemed like an outstanding mercenary, spoke of it that way, it was likely that Jenny or Jordan also knew the name.

If it was an organization that kept such a monster not as a leader but as an executive, it seemed necessary to know about it, especially if he planned to continue working in this field.

…Of course, that was only if he survived this place.

Boom!!

A long shadow loomed over the two as they fled, cutting through the fiery storm.

The crocodile giant, Crocken, covered in the debris of the collapsed factory and brilliant flames, walked out slowly.

Except for a few singed scales, he appeared completely unscathed, and upon spotting the two running for their lives, he bent his legs slowly.

Creak..!!

As his thighs swelled and small cracks appeared on the ground, the moment came.

Boom!

Crocken’s massive body shot forward like a cannonball, closing the distance of several hundred meters in the blink of an eye.

If they were hit by that body slam, they’d die.

There was no time to exchange words.

Both Dylan and Lenoch poured mana into their thighs and leaped to the sides.

Whoosh!!

Realizing he narrowly missed the two, Crocken’s reaction was as fast as lightning.

And it was astonishing.

Crack, crack, crack, crack!!

He slammed one arm into the ground, bringing his massive body to a sudden halt in midair.

A massive skid mark, at least 10 meters long, was drawn on the asphalt surface, and acrid smoke billowed up as if the road was burning.

Lenoch’s jaw dropped at the superhuman strength that defied belief, even after witnessing it with his own eyes.

Even in a world where one could enhance their body with mana, this was a level that far exceeded the limits of a living being.

Crocken, who effortlessly flipped his body upright, walked toward Lenoch and spoke.

“So you were the wizard who fired the lightning ball earlier.”

“……..”

“Didn’t anyone teach you not to set off dangerous things between someone else’s legs?”

“Can a creature that survives such an explosion be called a person?”

At Lenoch’s sharp retort, Crocken laughed heartily.

“Bold. If you hadn’t messed with the factory, I might have spared you…. But I have to do my job since I’m being paid.”

His reptilian pupils glinted sharply.

“I’ll send you off painlessly for Antares’s sake.”

As Crocken brought his ominous right hand to Lenoch’s face, Lenoch immediately activated his magic.

[Gravity Bind]

Crack—!

“Hmm?”

The purple whip that shot out from behind Lenoch momentarily halted Crocken’s arm.

If it had been an ordinary binding spell, it might not have been very effective, but [Gravity Bind] had the power to suppress movement in proportion to the target’s mass.

The gravitational whip, which inherited Crocken’s massive weight, briefly but surely pressed down and halted the giant’s unguarded body.

Seizing that gap, Lenoch rolled backward and gathered his mana once more.

He poured all his remaining mana without holding back. In a life-or-death situation, he had no intention of conserving his strength.

Even as his entire body ached, the mana within Lenoch’s body combined precisely according to his will, projecting his mental image.

As icy energy flowed between the fingers of his outstretched hands, Lenoch brought both hands to the ground.

[Frost Horn]

Whoosh!!

A blinding flash. The tingling cold flowing over his skin.

The moment Lenoch’s spell, fired at the ground, flowed along the gravitational whip and touched the blue-scaled arms—

Crack!!

Crocken’s massive body abruptly stopped moving.

Frost formed on the turquoise scales, and white breath flowed from between the toothy maw.

Even the reptilian pupils froze, halting their gaze in midair.

Conclusion

“….Did we defeat him?”

Ignoring Dylan, who was muttering something he shouldn’t have said from afar, Lenoch continued to move his hands.

A cold-blooded animal vulnerable to rapid temperature changes. His attempt to exploit that weakness seemed to have worked, albeit by luck, but only for a moment.

If he were an opponent who could be defeated with just this, he wouldn’t have survived unscathed from that high-temperature explosion in the first place.

His remaining mana was nearly depleted, and the weapons he had left were only two.

There was no option to flee. Lenoch instinctively knew that this brief pause wouldn’t last long.

Just as he thought, it wasn’t long before Crocken’s frozen body began to tremble slightly, and cracks appeared between the frozen scales.

With durability and resilience far beyond human limits, he was quickly breaking free from the icy restraint.

Facing Crocken, who was gradually increasing his vibrations, Lenoch focused his mind.

He had to use all the time given to him before Crocken regained his senses to settle the score.

In a desperate moment, Lenoch, who was frantically thinking, drew out the pistol that had been with him since he first escaped the factory.

He scraped together the remaining mana, which was beginning to run out.

The overwhelming sense of depletion, which he hadn’t felt often since awakening his mana.

But he had to settle the score here. Even as his entire body felt hollow, Lenoch gritted his teeth and chanted his magic.

The mental image, assembled in an instant from his inner self by wishing and hoping, grasped the mana and emerged into reality.

Common magic. Among them, the auxiliary spells specialized in supporting ranged weapons were instantly crafted into mana through Lenoch’s will and thoughts.

[Aim Correction]

[Trajectory Guidance]

[Penetration Enhancement]

The shooting support spells he had used countless times while playing as a Gun Mage in WORLD ver2.0 swept over the gun barrel and vanished in an instant.

As if he had returned to the moment when he enjoyed the game without any worries, he sequentially applied the auxiliary spells that came to mind.

The old pistol, unable to withstand the inscribed mana, glowed blue, but Lenoch ignored it and pulled the trigger.

[Projectile Acceleration]

Bang!!

As light flashed from the muzzle, the gun Lenoch was holding crumbled. It couldn’t withstand the intense fluctuation of mana contained within.

To fire a single bullet, Lenoch had applied a whopping four auxiliary spells.

Speed. Accuracy. Firepower and penetration were all enhanced, targeting the trajectory that would penetrate Crocken’s eye and brain.

Lenoch knew he couldn’t defeat Crocken in this standoff, no matter what.

He was a monster who survived unscathed from an explosion that collapsed the entire factory.

To confront such a monster, there was no possibility other than a single, decisive surprise attack aimed at a vital point.

If he could forcibly amplify the power of the large-scale magic he knew and unleash it, it might be different, but with the remaining mana dwindling due to consecutive battles.

The sharpest attack he could muster with the remaining mana during the brief time he could obscure Crocken’s vision.

Ironically, what came to Lenoch’s mind was the auxiliary shooting combo magic he had used tirelessly while playing as a Gun Mage.

Auxiliary magic, while relatively weak in power and inefficient, consumed very little mana.

The most powerful and efficient move Lenoch could devise in this situation.

The contemplation was long, and the preparation felt eternal, but the result appeared in an instant.

The moment the vertical pupil twitched and revealed itself, Lenoch’s bullet, timed with magic, struck directly in the middle of the frozen eye.

Crack!

With a sound, Crocken’s face jerked backward.

Bang!!

At the same time, the effect of [Frost Horn], which had bound his entire body, shattered completely.

…….

Both Dylan, who was struggling to hold his sword, and Lenoch, who was holding the broken gun handle, watched the scene without even breathing.

An eternity of silence passed.

Crocken, who began to move again, slowly lowered his head.

“It was a very good attempt.”

“……..”

“Except for the fact that your opponent was me.”

“….Damn monster.”

Lenoch muttered in frustration, and that statement encapsulated all the results.

The bullet he had fired, imbued with four spells and aimed at a single opportunity, was stopped between Crocken’s eyelids.

That monster had caught Lenoch’s bullet with nothing but the muscles of his eyelids.

An unrealistic result that defied human understanding. But Lenoch’s rationality told him it was true.

“Ha ha ha ha!! You’re not wrong. I don’t think of myself as an ordinary human either.”

He burst into a hearty laugh, slowly opening his eyes and dropping the bullet he had caught.

Even though he couldn’t avoid injuring his eyes in the process of blocking the bullet, liquid flowed from the reptilian vertical pupil.

“Still, it hurts a bit.”

Crocken grinned.

Lenoch, with trembling hands, drew out the laser cutter he had left.

“The promise of a painless send-off….. Let’s forget about that.”

Boom!!

There was no second chance.

With those words, Crocken’s right arm swung, creating a massive shockwave that reached out and engulfed Lenoch.

A deafening roar that seemed to burst his eardrums. Transcendent strength and immense impact that mocked the laws of physics.

Lenoch’s frail body, unable to react, could have easily turned into a handful of blood.

Am I going to die?

The thought that crossed Lenoch’s mind only after his face hit the ground was that.

But he still felt the pain vividly, and his limbs moved without issue. Except for the shield he had wrapped around himself shattering, he was unharmed.

“…….?”

Only then did Lenoch realize he had survived and quickly lifted his head.

A woman clad in a black metal suit covering her entire body, with a black iron mask covering her eyes and short, bobbed black hair.

A woman with green light occasionally flowing from her eyes and suit was single-handedly blocking Crocken’s attack.

A green wave emanating from the long mechanical device in her left hand deflected Crocken’s attack heavily.

Only then did Crocken, who had taken in the sight, bare his teeth in a smirk.

“Well…. I took too long. Was it time for the city government’s hound to arrive?”

“Crocken Achilles. You’ve crossed the line.”

A cold voice flowed from behind the mask.

“Did you think you wouldn’t get caught after blowing up an entire factory?”

“…….”

“I thought the underworld wouldn’t move for a while. What’s the purpose of turning District 42 into a mess?”

“That’s a bit unfair, Evelyn. It wasn’t me who turned the factory into this mess, but those two.”

Crocken said that, pointing at Dylan and Lenoch, but all he got in return was a scoff.

“That pervert mask who was about to have his head blown off by you? You should stop making ridiculous claims.”

“……”

In fact, it’s not strange to think that way.

It’s much more plausible to assume that Crocken, an executive of a criminal organization, was destroying the factory rather than Lenoch failing to stop him and allowing the factory to be blown up.

At that response, Crocken seemed to have completely lost his motivation, shrugging his shoulders.

“Heh heh…. Think whatever you want. I can’t do this anymore.”

“Are you running away?”

“Fighting the city government’s agent wasn’t in the contract. There’s no need to do something that would cause a loss…”

He slowly withdrew his arm, which was still caught in the green wave, and turned his back without hesitation.

That belligerent monster had decided to avoid a confrontation instead of settling the score here.

It was evidence that she was a powerful superhuman, enough for Crocken to find her troublesome.

The woman, Evelyn, didn’t block Crocken but silently watched as he disappeared beyond the ruined factory.

Though she had acted tough, she felt burdened by the thought of confronting such a monster head-on.

Letting out a small sigh, Evelyn slowly turned around and walked toward Lenoch, who was lying on the ground.

“…..Thank you for saving me.”

Lenoch, lying with his limbs on the hard asphalt, offered his thanks.

Regardless of the circumstances, it was a fact that Lenoch owed his life to her.

Was it a coincidence of unexpected misfortune and fortune? There wasn’t a day without his nerves being on edge.

She brushed her hair back with a tired expression and extended a hand to Lenoch.

“Can you stand?”

Lenoch refused her hand and stood up on his shaky legs.

The swaying hair and calm eyes, the voice reminded him immediately of who she was.

The vegetable vendor he had encountered at the market. The woman wearing an aviation jumper and speaking incomprehensibly was standing right in front of him.

Though it was merely a passing encounter, Lenoch’s extraordinary memory had fully retained her presence.

He had thought she was no ordinary person, but he hadn’t expected her to be an elite working directly for the city government.

The claim that she made a lot of money wasn’t a lie, it seemed.

“Um?”

But it seemed she also recognized him, as she looked him up and down with eyes glowing green.

“I feel like I’ve seen you before.”

“…..I don’t know.”

Lenoch, sweating coldly, averted his gaze.

His face was changed with magic, and he was wearing a strange mask following Dylan. It would be strange if Evelyn recognized him.

But she stared at Lenoch’s mask as if she could see through it, then nodded.

“Well…. It must be someone else. The mana pattern is too different.”

Had changing his mana pattern slightly every time he used magic helped?

To think he would use the lesson learned from his encounter with her in their second meeting. Life was indeed unpredictable.

As soon as she concluded that Lenoch was someone she didn’t know, Evelyn lost interest and immediately turned her gaze away.

“I have to pretend to chase that old man, so take care.”

“You’re not going to catch him yourself?”

At Lenoch’s polite response, Evelyn shook her head.

“I don’t have the ability or the situation for that. Do you know how much money the underworld bribes our investigative agencies with? Even if that crocodile robbed a bank in the middle of the city, the police wouldn’t be dispatched.”

According to her explanation, delivered in a plain tone, it seemed that the investigative agencies in Balkan were quite corrupt.

It wasn’t surprising, so Lenoch nodded calmly.

“I see.”

“So be careful when dealing with them. Even if you’re pushed to the brink of death, no one will come to help.”

She left Lenoch with a calm tone of advice and disappeared in a leap in the direction Crocken had walked.

Only then did Dylan, who had walked up to Lenoch, pat him on the shoulder and speak.

“You were lucky, wizard sir.”

“……”

Instead of answering, Lenoch looked at Dylan with a cold gaze.

Ultimately, wasn’t it because Dylan didn’t escape the factory quickly that Crocken arrived, causing this mess?

It was only natural to be annoyed since it was Lenoch who bought time against Crocken, despite Dylan being beaten to the brink of death.

“You’ll have to concede a considerable portion of the reward this time.”

If he refused, Lenoch considered freezing his lower body and leaving him here, but Dylan nodded immediately.

“Alright. Since you saved my life, I’ll give you everything except ten million cells. You can take four thousand.”

“……..”

Even though he extorted money, he felt a lingering sense of loss. Dylan, on the other hand, was humming happily, making it all the more so.

“This time, it was really close. Who would have thought Charlotte would hire that old man….. He’s famous for being holed up in a room, drinking all day. I wonder what got into him.”

Lenoch didn’t respond to that and took out another cigarette from his pocket.

“Are you smoking again? You must really like it.”

“Shut up.”

He had exhausted himself both mentally and physically while facing Crocken.

Even if he survived today, he might have to suffer from side effects for about two weeks.

At least until he got home, he had to stay alert, so he had no choice but to resort to cigarettes.

“…..Watching you makes me want one too. Can you spare one?”

“…….”

Lenoch frowned at Dylan’s words, which made him feel more like a burden than a partner, but he eventually took out the last cigarette from his pocket and handed it over.

What he had accomplished today was worth more than seventy thousand cells, so it was enough.

The two sat on the battered asphalt, silently engrossed in smoking.

“…It’s good, isn’t it?”

The setting sun slowly cast its light over the ruined factory.

Second Identity

“What was that woman earlier?”

“The woman? Are you talking about Evelyn?”

Dylan replied, exhaling smoke in response to Lenoch’s question.

“Well, I don’t know much about her. All I know is that she’s one of the elite agents directly under the city government.”

“An agent?”

“She’s a combat operative directly managed by the city government, with a huge investment. That suit she was wearing earlier, it’s all public property funded by the city government. In terms of price, it would easily be worth five billion cells.”

“Five billion…..”

For Lenoch, it was an unimaginable fortune. Wearing a suit plastered with such money, it seemed she could withstand the power of a monster like Crocken head-on.

“Her skills are also exceptional, and she’s known for her ruthless methods… It’s a loss to confront her unless absolutely necessary. The old man must have felt the same.”

“Even after almost being killed by that monster, you still call him that? Interesting.”

Lenoch sneered, and Dylan chuckled.

“That’s what being a mercenary is. Especially war mercenaries, they’re the kind who kill their comrades for money. If they were sane, they wouldn’t join an office like this.”

“……..”

Dylan spoke as if mocking himself, but Lenoch couldn’t help but feel it wasn’t entirely unrelated to him, so he remained silent.

Ultimately, wasn’t he also thinking of doing whatever it took for money?

As Lenoch fell silent, Dylan patted his shoulder lightly and spoke.

“Well, anyway, the job was successful, and we saved our lives, so all that’s left is to collect the money, right? Let’s go and get the money Jenny has for us.”

“You go ahead.”

“Huh?”

“I need to rest first. I’ll collect the payment later, so just pass the message to Jenny.”

After smoking cigarettes in succession, his senses dulled, so he didn’t feel much pain yet, but he could see his fingers trembling slightly as he held the filter.

If he fainted on the way to Jenny’s bar to collect the money, it would be the worst-case scenario.

Even if he collected the money later, he needed to rest now.

Leaving Dylan, who looked slightly bewildered, Lenoch got up and started walking.

The hotel where he was staying was located in District 34. It wasn’t close enough to walk from District 42, where the factory was located.

After walking to a reasonably decent street, Lenoch hailed a cheap taxi and sank his battered body into the seat.

“Whew….”

Night fell.

As he gazed at the dazzling lights of the billboards passing by outside the window, Lenoch let out a low sigh.

This time, it was truly dangerous.

If Evelyn hadn’t appeared after the factory explosion, he would have died right there.

There was an unexpected danger he hadn’t anticipated when he accepted the request, and it was an opponent he couldn’t face in his current state.

Lenoch believed he had done his best, but his desperation and effort were entirely separate from the outcome at that moment.

“………”

This won’t do.

The will to live that he had built up over so long.

The desperate struggle for life should become his strength and asset, driving him forward.

He needed to become stronger.

He had to struggle more, beg more, and try harder.

He wanted to survive.

He needed the strength and will to endure any hardship and danger.

Lenoch knew he had the talent and determination to do so.

Lost in various thoughts, the taxi arrived in front of the hotel.

As soon as he entered his room with his battered body, Lenoch quickly showered and lay on the bed, chewing on a sleeping pill.

Instead of swallowing it with water, he chewed it…