As soon as Lenoch created a new ID card, he opened an account at a bank near the 30th district. The commercial bank, eager to attract customers, immediately set up an account for him after verifying his identity when he mentioned he would deposit 20 million Cel soon.

Lenoch also received a cash card to access the money in his account. He deposited an additional 10 million Cel, which he had stored in his hotel room, into the account. Then, he visited a private mobile store, selected a suitable device, and activated it.

Using the number he had received in advance, he contacted Jenny, who answered immediately.

[You might be the first person in this city to activate a phone after a month, even if you only work when you feel like it.]

“Well, what about the vagrants living in the 50th district?”

[Can they even be called people?]

Lenoch shook his head at Jenny’s harsh words. The cold rationality of a wizard within him acknowledged the truth in her statement.

Jenny offered various pieces of advice to Lenoch, who had just set up his phone and account.

[You might not know this since you’ve been training in isolation, but when working here, it’s good to have a similar source of income in the open. If money keeps flowing into your account without you doing anything, it could raise unnecessary suspicions.]

“Are you suggesting I take on a simple part-time job?”

[Anyway, you’ve officially opened an account with a commercial bank, right? There’s a low chance, but you could get caught up in an unnecessary tax investigation. As you continue working with me, the amount of money you’ll handle will grow, so it’s best to be cautious in advance.]

“Hmm….”

Lenoch hadn’t yet decided whether to continue working with Jenny, but he pretended to listen to her advice. He realized from experience that it wasn’t a bad idea to have her arrange jobs for him until he learned more about the city’s workings.

At least outwardly, she maintained a considerate attitude towards Lenoch, which was quite helpful for someone like him, who still had much to learn about the world.

However, cooperation should not mean complete trust. Her increasingly friendly demeanor suggested she had expectations of Lenoch.

‘She must have heard from Dylan that I used ice magic, yet she hasn’t said anything.’

Even though she knew Lenoch as an electric-type wizard, she hadn’t asked or mentioned anything about him using ice-type magic.

[Anyway, with this incident, the word will likely spread that a wizard is looking for work in this area, so you might receive direct job requests in the future.]

“I see.”

[You might find jobs that suit your aptitude and offer much better pay. Look forward to it.]

“…….”

Lenoch quietly stared at the phone after the call ended. He wondered if she planned to betray him later or if she intended to keep his secret and continue cooperating.

Although it was impossible to know until they revealed their cards to each other, he had no intention of waiting idly.

With a crooked smile on his face, he clutched his phone and returned to the hotel.

Click—

“How was it?”

As soon as Jenny put down the receiver, Jordan, who was standing next to her, asked. She shook her head as if it was hopeless.

“There was no sign of anything even when I spoke to him directly.”

“Hmm…..”

Jenny asked Jordan, who was lost in thought with his arms crossed.

“Could it be that Dylan didn’t see it?”

“That wouldn’t be the case. Most wizards are the type to latch onto even the slightest possibility. You could say they worry unnecessarily. Yet, knowing their disguise was seen through, they said nothing…. Normally, you’d expect them to throw something to cover up their mistake.”

As Lenoch predicted, the two had heard the details from Dylan and realized that he wasn’t just an electric-type wizard.

While binding magic like [Gravity Bind] might be easy to overlook due to its ambiguous nature, it was impossible not to recognize the attribute of a spell like [Frost Horn], which he used to stop Crocken.

They knew Lenoch could use at least two attributes, but they weren’t particularly surprised by that fact alone.

The world of magic was deep and wide. Even if it wasn’t a simple attribute-specialized magic system, there could be magic systems that handled more than two attributes if you looked around.

The important thing was the intention behind a skilled and perceptive individual hiding their magic.

And whether he still intended to work with them.

“Ha, I really want to keep him.”

“Are you interested in Van’s abilities?”

He was a wizard who survived against Crocken of Pandemonium. Just the fact that he survived the clutches of that ruthless war mercenary was enough to make many inquire about Lenoch’s background.

“It’s not just his abilities…. His personality is perfect too. Have you ever seen a wizard who communicates so well while working alone?”

“…..I get what you mean.”

To be honest, there were wizards more skilled than Lenoch in this field. However, those with such outstanding or powerful abilities were mostly affiliated with organizations or groups and were considered highly valuable assets.

While there were freelance wizards like Lenoch who refused scouting or offers, they were often either unusable due to personality issues or demanded astronomical fees.

Establishing a cooperative relationship with a wizard, considered the most professional and adaptable among all professions in Balkan, wasn’t easy.

Meeting a wizard who seemed to have just come down to the city after training, like Lenoch, was even rarer.

Jordan nodded, understanding Jenny’s words without difficulty.

“In the end, all we can do is arrange jobs for Van that suit him and offer good pay. If we rashly try to overstep, it might backfire.”

“Damn, I know.”

Jenny said this as she turned on her computer and connected to the network. She began searching for requests that would suit Lenoch.

“It’d be best to recommend requests from corporations. They usually have clean endings.”

Sweet Home

Jordan clicked his tongue and poured whiskey into a glass at her words.

“Do you think Van will think that way after this incident?”

“Ah…. Right.”

It would be fortunate if he didn’t have a fit at the sight of reptiles for a while.

“For now, it’s best not to recommend requests from corporations or syndicates. With their immense financial power, anything could happen in an instant, like hiring Crocken. It’s better to look for jobs with gangs or mercenaries.”

Gangs living in the 50th district and mercenaries working as freelancers in the 40th district.

While the request prices were somewhat lower compared to corporations, they were closely tied to the workings of this field, making them quite helpful for Lenoch.

Where would be good to find requests or notices that offer decent pay without being too dangerous?

Gangs were simple but had dirty endings, while mercenaries were clean but brutal.

The decision was made quickly.

“Gangs…. are a bit much, so mercenaries would be better. They can blend in appropriately. I’ll contact relatively docile ones.”

While mercenary offices never lacked manpower, the story was entirely different if that manpower was a wizard.

The mere suggestion of hiring a wizard as external support would be positively received by all organizations.

For the organization, establishing connections with a hired wizard was a profitable venture, and if they were highly skilled, they could be offered high treatment and brought in as exclusive members.

Having worked with a skilled individual like Dylan, Lenoch would likely have less aversion to the mercenary profession.

Jordan sighed slightly as he watched Jenny pick up the receiver.

“I’m helping with your business at Kaiser’s request, but remember that I can’t always have your back. You’re smart and quick-witted, but you tend to skip other options because you’re impatient.”

“Hello? Dre, it’s me.”

Jenny winked as if she understood and immediately began conversing with the person on the other end of the line.

Jordan silently shook his head and picked up a towel to wipe down the glasses.

The bar would open soon. It was time to prepare to welcome customers.

At an unnamed franchise burger joint.

Lenoch ordered a burger set, unwrapped it, and took a bite. It had the form of a hamburger he was familiar with, with a thick meat patty between buns, but the sauce’s taste and the burger’s name were entirely different.

Even in a world where magic existed, did people’s desire for fast food still boil down to bread and meat?

Lenoch pondered this for a moment but quickly forgot about it and immersed himself in his newly activated phone.

“Hmm.”

Come to think of it, he had lived without paying attention to his phone for over two months.

When he was engrossed in games on Earth, he would usually keep his phone nearby, but he had completely forgotten about it while focusing on surviving and researching magic.

Since he had activated his phone with both call and network functions, Lenoch could browse various things with the familiarity of using a smartphone on Earth.

News, society, sports, economy, magical engineering, research…. As Lenoch’s fingers moved slowly through unfamiliar words, they suddenly stopped.

[Explosion at a manufacturing plant in the 42nd district causes delays in Charlotte Corporation’s new product launch… Although a 2km radius evacuation order was issued, there were no significant damages.]

“……..”

Lenoch immediately clicked on the news article to check the details, but it only stated that an explosion occurred due to an unknown gas leak.

There were no photos of Lenoch or Crocken, nor any mention of unidentified attackers.

Although the article didn’t reveal any facts or truths, Lenoch could easily guess the underlying interests entangled in the incident from the gaps.

An unspoken indication from those involved with the plant that they wanted to dismiss the explosion as mere coincidence.

The massive funds the city government invested in supporting the plant’s construction went up in smoke, but since the incident was covered up, no one would delve into the truth of this matter.

‘Is this how it usually is when working with corporations?’

They assigned the reckless task of blowing up the plant, yet ensured the reward and cleanup were handled properly upon success.

Lenoch didn’t know if this was typical of other corporations or just a characteristic of Baritz Corporation, which had assigned the task, but it was clean and thorough.

‘While it’s reassuring that I don’t have to worry about it, it doesn’t feel entirely comfortable knowing additional cleanup is happening without my knowledge.’

There shouldn’t be any issues when working under Van’s identity, but there’s no guarantee it will always be that way.

Encountering a monster like Crocken out of the blue…. If he were to work with corporations again, a more cautious approach would be necessary.

He discarded the finished burger and stepped out of the store.

An employee at the counter seemed to have something to say to him, but he ignored it.

Lenoch lit a cigarette and walked down the street.

Having created an identity with Jenny’s help yesterday, there were a few tasks he needed to handle.

“Welcome. What brings you here?”

“I’m here to look at rooms.”

He planned to move out of the cramped hotel room and have a space of his own.

Until now, without an identity or money, he had been content with staying in a cheap hotel, paying daily rates, but now he could afford a monthly rent.

Having studied Balkan’s real estate a bit using his phone, Lenoch was able to view several rooms without any trouble communicating with the agent.

He wasn’t expecting anything grand given his limited means. A studio with basic hygiene, water, and a kitchen would suffice for now.

Security…. would be nice to consider, but if it was burdensome, he could forgo it. That was a problem he could somewhat address with magic.

After touring several studios introduced by the agent, Lenoch chose one near the street where his current hotel was located and completed the contract.

35 million Cel per month with a 5 million Cel deposit. The monthly rent was paid to the landlord, and the deposit was directly handed to the city government.

Since the room was vacant and he didn’t have much luggage, Lenoch was able to move in with just a few clothes, food supplies, a notebook, and various medicine bottles he had stored in the hotel room.

“Phew….”

The dim light flickered on the ceiling, and the wooden floor creaked.

It was a small studio on the third floor of a shabby villa, but it was the first home he had secured for himself since arriving in this world.

Although the scenery wasn’t much different from the hotel, Lenoch was quite satisfied with just this for now.

He checked if the refrigerator was working and pushed the remaining food supplies inside.

After cleaning the dusty room, Lenoch sat down in the middle of the room and closed his eyes.

Whooosh!!

He drew in his mana strongly, focusing his mind to maximize his senses.

Through the darkness beyond his eyelids, the small space of the studio felt almost tangible.

He surrounded the small space with a sphere made of mana and inscribed security magic on the surface of the sphere.

Normally, setting up a barrier would require drawing a Magic Circle and conducting a precise ritual, but Lenoch effortlessly succeeded in imbuing the space itself with magic through mere concentration.

Realizing that he had successfully cast a simple barrier magic, which was part of common magic, in one go, Lenoch didn’t stop there and immediately added various defensive spells.

He devised a plan to set traps that would trigger a 14-round bolt spell when an intruder other than himself entered or activate Gravity Bind to bind and constrict the intruder’s limbs.

While he had only taken minimal precautions at the hotel, unsure of when he might need to check out, now that he had secured his own space, even if it was rented, he was ensuring proper defenses against intrusion.

Screech!

He tore a few pages from a notebook he had bought from a nearby stationery store and stuck them to the wall.

Lenoch picked up a pen and began writing something on the paper.

“Check out the jobs Jenny offers and cook for myself. I also need to order supplements and vitamins…. I planned to delve deeper into auxiliary magic, but there’s still a long way to go. What else was there?”

Even as he muttered to himself, his hand kept moving.

His extraordinary memory allowed him to retrieve even fleeting inspirations from the depths of his consciousness and turn them into plausible goals.

While everything he needed to do was thoroughly organized in his mind, writing it down and visually confirming it provided a different kind of satisfaction.

It was an effort to not only remember his motivations and goals but also to solidify the process and determination.

“Right. Unique magic…. It’s not enough to just research common magic.”

Lenoch, who had been scribbling with a serious expression, rested his chin on his hand and fell into contemplation.

While Lenoch didn’t doubt the talent he had created himself, he was beginning to feel some dissatisfaction with the common magic he used with that talent.

Common magic encompassed an overwhelming versatility that covered all attributes and systems, but it inevitably fell short in terms of profound specialization or power compared to unique magic.

For instance, using electric magic with common magic was limited to summoning lightning, but if one reached the pinnacle of the electric attribute with unique magic, it was possible to change the weather entirely and summon thunder dragons.

While he initially planned to delay learning unique magic as much as possible, thinking that the versatility of common magic was sufficient for a wizard, his encounter with Crocken slightly altered Lenoch’s thinking.

‘There’s no guarantee I won’t encounter such monsters again.’

Waiting until he obtained time-based unique magic left him with too few cards to play.

Even if he couldn’t defeat such monsters head-on, he needed to develop his magical abilities to a level where he could survive and escape.

And the fastest way for a wizard to grow was to learn a unique magic system and carve out a new path.

‘Learning another unique magic doesn’t mean I can’t learn time-based unique magic. However….’

To learn a new unique magic, one must first see the end of the unique magic system they initially learned.

Even if he later obtained time-based unique magic, learning time might be significantly delayed due to the unique magic he learned first.

‘It can’t be helped.’

There were ways to improve without learning unique magic.

By spending time increasing his mana capacity and consistently developing his magic control and casting abilities, there would come a moment when common magic alone wouldn’t lack in power or strategy.

If he could cast [Thunder Calling] in quadruple casting, firing four shots in succession, bind the opponent with two rounds of [Gravity Bind], and repeatedly freeze and thaw them with ice and fire magic while bombarding them with shock magic, what couldn’t he break through?

Considering Lenoch’s magical talent, it wasn’t an unattainable realm. In fact, Lenoch was confident he could elevate his magical abilities to a level where such one-sided bombardment was possible within a few years.

His talent was akin to a seed that reached the limits set by this world’s system, truly befitting a transcendent being.

However, the problem was that even those few years were an unreasonably long time for Lenoch.

Lenoch, who delved into Balkan’s underworld to earn money to maintain his health, had a low probability of not encountering monsters like Crocken for several years.

Facing the criminal organization Pandemonium just two months after starting work wasn’t a realistic optimistic assumption for him.

“…….”

To increase his chances of survival, he needed to explore various means, not just magic.

Having made up his mind, Lenoch put down his pen, dressed, and left the room.

29th district.

At the end of a bustling street filled with numerous shops. The atmosphere was lively and harmonious, distinctly different from the 40th district where Lenoch worked.

It was a place where lights brightly illuminated the evening dusk, and loud rock music pierced the ears—a large store.

Gun & Barrel. It was the most famous gun shop in this district, known for selling high-quality products.

Direct Job Request

In a spacious area that surpassed most supermarkets, all sorts of guns and bullets were densely displayed, and quite a few customers, besides Lenoch, were carefully selecting products as they browsed the store.

In a world where buying and selling guns and bullets wasn’t considered strange.

It was a somewhat unfamiliar sight for Lenoch, but it was a scene that undoubtedly existed in the world he lived in.

Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!!

Amidst the ear-piercing rock music, people were testing products on one side of the store.

“This product’s magazine is too large. It’s uncomfortable on the collarbone when shouldered.”

“The muzzle heats up too quickly. Recommend something with better durability.”

“The spray is severe. The zeroing isn’t right.”

Customers were complaining and grumbling, using all sorts of terminology.

Lenoch joined them, browsing the displayed products.

Although he had been seriously contemplating the development of his magical abilities just moments ago, he had come to a gun shop with a plan in mind.

During his fight with Crocken, he had been cornered and instinctively used a gun mage’s shooting combo magic.

In the enhanced shooting ability through auxiliary magic, Lenoch had confirmed a different direction of potential.

‘With four auxiliary spells cast on a cheap pistol, I managed to make that monster react. If I delve into this a bit, I might get some decent results.’

No matter how extraordinary Lenoch’s talent was, his mana capacity was limited, and increasing it required time.

However, auxiliary magic, being highly specialized compared to conventional common magic, consumed relatively little mana.

If he could coat a decent gun with shooting auxiliary magic, he could significantly increase the firepower he could unleash with minimal mana.

Of course, his talent was focused on magic rather than shooting, so he had to be careful not to reverse the order….

But it was undeniable that this was an attractive option for Lenoch at the moment.

As Lenoch contemplated this and picked up a submachine gun to examine it, a middle-aged man with a bushy beard approached him and spoke.

“You have a good eye. That’s a decent piece. It’s reinforced with steel from an Achilles affiliate, enhancing its durability, and it has a balance stone embedded, so there’s no need for zeroing.”

He naturally took the gun from Lenoch, skillfully loaded it, and aimed it into the air.

Click.

He pulled the trigger, but with an empty magazine, nothing came out.

The man patted his protruding belly and burst into laughter.

“If I had to go to war right now, I’d choose this Pistoque-4.”

Instead of responding, Lenoch glanced at the price tag hanging on the display. The decision didn’t take long.

“I’d like to look at other products.”

“Is that so? Well, an SMG might not suit your taste. In that case, how about something like this?”

The man rummaged through the display and pulled out a long rifle, incomparable to the submachine gun he had just held.

“Sightglass-992. Among assault rifles, it’s the most delicate and sensitive, but its accuracy and hit rate are perfectly adjusted works of art. It’s an ideal choice for use in urban environments like this.”

Lenoch silently looked at the price tag and shook his head. The assault rifle the man held was five times more expensive than the Pistoque submachine gun.

What Lenoch wanted was to test the potential of the shooting combo enhanced by auxiliary magic.

He had managed just fine with a cheap pistol until now, so there was no reason to use expensive equipment for testing.

Moreover, those weapons were too heavy for Lenoch’s frail strength to carry around.

He would need to carry the gun all day while working, and the heavy barrels of those firearms were still burdensome for him.

If only he could apply a constant weight-reduction spell to the firearms, but he hadn’t researched common magic to that extent.

When Lenoch politely declined, the man smacked his lips in disappointment but didn’t press him.

“A picky customer, huh? But that’s the attitude you need when handling guns. If you find a product you like, come to the counter. I’ll personally match the ammunition for it.”

He patted Lenoch on the back and cheerfully went off to find other customers.

Lenoch rubbed his sore back and watched the man’s retreating figure. His hands were so rough that it wouldn’t have been surprising if a barrier had activated.

Ignoring the man as he walked away, Lenoch carefully examined the guns on display.

If there was a silver lining, it was that Lenoch wasn’t entirely ignorant about guns.

Thanks to his experience playing as a gun mage, he could roughly guess the general characteristics of different guns and their pros and cons.

Before selecting a gun, Lenoch reiterated the most important features he needed to consider.

‘It should be durable enough not to break when infused with mana. If not, it should at least be made of metal with good mana conductivity.’

He vividly remembered the time when he had cast four auxiliary spells on the inspector’s pistol, only for it to completely shatter after a single shot.

He had to avoid the gun breaking in one shot when using shooting combo magic.

‘While it would be nice if it were automatic, a gun designed primarily for single shots would be better.’

Lenoch’s mana capacity had increased significantly since he first awakened his mana, but it was still insufficient for using magic freely.

Even though auxiliary magic consumed relatively less mana compared to other spells, casting multiple spells for each shot would quickly deplete his mana.

It was burdensome to cast spells on dozens of bullets fired per second, so it was wise to choose firearms that focused on single shots and apply auxiliary magic to them.

‘Considering guns that are cost-effective and portable…. there are only two options.’

Pistols and sawed-off shotguns.

Having narrowed down his choices to two, Lenoch hesitated for a moment before picking up a revolver.

While it had strong single-shot power, it took a long time to reload, but that could be somewhat covered by auxiliary magic.

He couldn’t expect much quality given the low price, but it would certainly be better than the cheap pistol he had taken from the inspector’s room.

Picking up a revolver labeled “Synox,” Lenoch headed straight to the counter.

The man, who checked the firearms Lenoch held, grinned and said.

“You picked a sturdy, affordable one. Synox is a well-known name among budget products.”

The man said this as he rummaged behind the counter and placed a handful of ammunition on the counter.

“Ammunition for the Synox costs 500 Cel per round. Including the cost of the bullets, it’ll be 300,000 Cel. How about it?”

“Let’s do it.”

“Great!”

The man laughed heartily, quickly packed the gun into a long case, and wrapped up the ammunition before handing it over.

After receiving Lenoch’s card and checking his ID, the man handed over the packaged items, and Lenoch naturally carried them on his back and returned to his room.

Upon arriving home, he checked his phone and found a message waiting for him.

There was only one place the message could be from. It was Jenny.

[A good job has come up. Duration is half a day. Pay is 20 million Cel. It’s a direct request for a wizard. If you’re interested, come by tomorrow.]

“20 million, huh?”

Considering that a giant corporation like Baritz offered a reward of 50 million, it was certainly a hefty sum for a mere mercenary office to offer.

Perhaps it was because it was a direct request for a wizard. In any case, it seemed worth going to hear more about it.

“I need to start researching auxiliary magic quickly to test it in this job.”

After sending a reply to Jenny saying he understood, Lenoch immediately opened the case and placed the revolver on the floor.

He picked up the revolver, Synox, and carefully infused it with mana.

The first task was to find the most efficient and powerful auxiliary magic combo for this revolver.

The gun barrel in his hands began to glow with a blue light as Lenoch’s mana flowed into it.

The blue mana light emanating from Lenoch’s studio only faded away after the night turned into dawn.