Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 7

Powerful mages possess a natural resistance to magic that targets them directly. Even if someone tried to track a mage using a scent-tracking spell, it wouldn’t work well if the mage had resistance to target-designation magic. When Lenok was setting up this body’s talents, he maximized even the minor stats during character creation. If the stats he personally tweaked were implemented here as they were, then Lenok’s body should have absolute resistance to any tracking or curse magic.

‘It might be hard to resist the target designation of a mage much higher level than me, but it will be a big help in hiding my identity or escaping.’

Lenok returned to the hotel, checked out immediately, and moved to another hotel far away from that area. ‘There’s no need to leave traces.’ He didn’t think he needed to worry too much about being tracked from the factory, but it wouldn’t hurt to be careful. ‘The accommodation was too expensive too.’ It didn’t take long for Lenok to grasp the cost of living in the Balkans.

The hotel he had stayed at was very unsatisfactory for the 100,000 cell [currency unit] per night he was paying. The new hotel he moved to was a bit smaller and had a smaller bathroom than the previous one, but the accommodation cost was almost half. With this, he could prevent all the money he had managed to gather from being blown away on a week’s worth of accommodation.

Lenok, having moved all his belongings, which weren’t much, picked up the notepad and pen that were next to the bed and began to write something down. It was to organize what he needed to do and what he could do here. ‘The most important goal should be to survive.’ It’s already been almost a week since he opened his eyes in this unknown world. First, he had to survive and secure time and space to plan for the next steps. Thinking about why he came here was the next thing to do. And to do that, he first had to get this weak body into a decent state. If things continued as they were, Lenok wouldn’t have much time left.

‘The method needed to recover my body… The only things that come to mind right now are unique magic related to time, or elixirs or treasures equivalent to that.’ In the library, he had thought of time-based unique magic, but Lenok thought it was more likely that he could find elixirs or treasures. Unique magic is the most precious treasure and secret of mages, and it’s difficult to even get a chance to encounter it unless you are a master and disciple. ‘But elixirs or medicinal herbs that restore physical strength are different. Depending on the effect, it won’t be difficult to find the medicine itself.’ Of course, elixirs like the panacea would be hard to find even for a fortune, but elixirs with lesser effects would be different. At least, if they could reduce the penalty of this weak body and buy him more time, that would be enough. Of course, such elixirs had to exist in this world as they did in the game.

The conclusion was made. ‘I need to find a way to make money.’ He needed money. A lot of it. ‘……..’ Lenok, feeling a sudden throbbing in his head, couldn’t help but put a cigarette in his mouth. As he lit it and inhaled the smoke, the tired feeling vanished and his whole body began to feel invigorated. ‘Hoo….’ Lenok let out a deep sigh as he exhaled the smoke he had filled his lungs with. He had realized that, in the end, he would have to rely on such things in the long term to make money. He needed to make money to heal his body, but to make money, he had to keep wearing down his body. It was an unavoidable contradiction, but for Lenok, who had nothing, it was perhaps inevitable. He had to break through this cycle, even by force, to create an opportunity. Fortunately, unlike others, Lenok had one very special talent. It wasn’t surprising. From the beginning, the only thing he could trust was that.

After that, Lenok spent a long time thinking and worrying about what to do in the future. His long-term goal was set, but the process to reach that result was entirely up to Lenok. It wasn’t enough to just decide to make money; the preparation process also had to be carefully considered and prepared for. For that, devising various means, including magic, was not an option but a necessity. The light in the room went out long after the cigarette smoke had disappeared.

Bounty Hunting

Even if the existence of common magic had been forgotten in this world, the magic he had used had not disappeared. Having a weapon that others didn’t know about was nothing short of a privilege. Realizing this, Lenok devoted all his time to studying magic, except for the time he went down to the lobby for meals and to extend his room reservation. Besides the three types of magic he had used at the factory—Light, Bolt, and Silence—there were many other types of common magic. Most of them were magic that existed mainly for the user’s convenience, so there were no powerful or profound spells, but the fact that they didn’t discriminate against attributes or types was a huge advantage. Therefore, he organized all the common magic he could remember and began to test whether he could use them one by one.

Shhh!

Lenok nodded as he watched the roll of toilet paper being cut with a chilling sound. ‘Cutting magic is also usable. Now, let’s see….’ He wrote the name of a new magic in the corner of the memo pad, which was filled with ink. Several similar memo pads were already scattered all over the bed. Through his efforts, Lenok had a firm grasp of the magic he could use and its limits. At least as long as he was using common magic, Lenok didn’t need to worry about magic circles, hand seals, or incantations. Just by visualizing it, his magic power would automatically take shape, and by solidifying his will, it would be manifested in reality along with the consumption of magic power. Of course, there were several spells that were impossible to use with Lenok’s current magic power or were too powerful to even attempt in a hotel room, but Lenok realized just how absurd his talent was. When he played as a magic marksman, he had to perform hand seals and finish the incantation every time he used any level of common magic. Even that was only possible because the game had omitted the act of drawing magic circles for the sake of convenience; otherwise, it might have taken him several minutes to use magic. Moreover, as he continued to practice magic, his magic power steadily increased, almost tripling since he first awakened it. His magic power increasing just by using magic was something that even Lenok, who had enjoyed WORLD for a long time, was experiencing for the first time. Thanks to this, Lenok was able to use magic almost 10 times a day, and the speed at which he studied magic was also increasing day by day. He stayed cooped up in his room all day using magic, and when his magic power ran out, he would collapse and sleep like the dead. After a week of clinging to magic until his mind was exhausted, Lenok succeeded in raising his magic ability to a level where he could confidently call himself a mage. And finally, today was the last day he had decided to focus on magic research. It was the limit of not having done anything else. It was time to go out and find a proper source of income and stabilize his life. ‘This is the best I can do.’ Even though he had played as a magic marksman, Lenok didn’t remember all the common magic. He didn’t enter this world after experiencing in-depth play as a mage; he had created this body to experience that play. Therefore, most of the common magic he knew were popular ones that were well-known among players. However, despite this gap in game knowledge, Lenok didn’t feel particularly anxious. The number of usable common magic he had organized so far was enough to fill more than three memo pads. He might run out of magic power, but he wouldn’t lack the ability to cope. Lenok was sure of it. ‘I should go out soon.’ When he opened the window, the cold morning air seeped into the room. As he inhaled the cold air that made his breath visible, Lenok tore the memo pads he had organized about magic into pieces and flushed them down the toilet. All the information about magic that he had organized for a week was soaked in water and washed away, but Lenok calmly packed his things and got up from his seat. All of his talents were specialized in learning and handling magic. The numerous spells he had organized were perfectly stored in his head. He had done all the preparation he could. The funds he had taken from the thugs and his cigarettes were also running low. If he didn’t secure a steady source of income, it would become difficult to even maintain his current lifestyle. It was time to move. Lenok left the room without hesitation.

#

From the moment he escaped the factory, Lenok had been constantly thinking about the funds he had. He had been lucky enough to steal money from the supervisors, but it was impossible to keep going with just that. In the end, he had to find a place where money could be made, but Lenok, who had no knowledge of this world and a weak body, had no other choice. The only option was to use his talent for magic. It was impossible for Lenok, who had no particular identity, to find a decent job in the open. In the end, the only thing Lenok could do was to head back to the gloomy District 49, where that dark magic flowed. ‘I had listened to that man for this kind of situation.’ Remembering the way he had heard from the man he had saved from the thugs, he went around the alleyways and headed to the basement of a shabby gambling den. There was a small bar with dim lights flickering even in the early morning. As Lenok entered the bar, his face had somehow changed into that of a languid-looking young man. It was the time when the night was ending and dawn was breaking, so there were not even three customers left in the bar. In the middle of the bar, an elderly man was slowly lifting a glass and mixing drinks. Lenok sat slightly away from the old man and ordered a cocktail. The old man didn’t listen any further and mixed something appropriately and put it out. Only after he put down the glass did Lenok speak to the old man. ‘I want to find a job that a mage can do.’ The underground employment agency. The place where he could find the jobs that the man had told him about was right here. Since they said they would arrange a suitable job for that old man who couldn’t even handle the thugs, it wouldn’t be too dangerous for Lenok either. The old man, hearing Lenok’s words, paused for a moment and then tapped the bar four times without saying anything. Silence fell, and someone yawned and walked out from the back of the bar. ‘Haa…. Hey. Business hours are over. I was just about to fall asleep, what are you doing?’ A sharp-looking woman, who had slicked back her wet hair, glared at Lenok as she spoke. She was wearing a loosely unbuttoned shirt and black leather pants, and she exuded a languid yet fierce aura. Strictly speaking, she didn’t seem to fit in as a bar employee. The old man next to her opened his mouth for the first time. ‘He says he’s a mage.’ ‘…..You’re a mage?’ In Lenok’s experience, the treatment mages received in this world wasn’t too bad. Her thoughts were similar, as her annoyed expression began to fill with doubt. ‘Hmm, you look more like some kind of patient than a mage… You’re not an escapee from some research lab, are you?’ Even under this dim light, Lenok’s complexion didn’t look too good. When he didn’t say anything, she seemed to understand on her own and sat down on the other side of the bar. ‘Well, fine. That’s not important. No matter how many skilled mages there are, it’s never enough. I’m Jenny. What’s your name?’ He couldn’t give his real name. Lenok was planning to create a new identity to use here, along with this face he had created with magic. After some thought, he said the name of the man who had first spoken to him at the factory. ‘……Van.’ ‘Okay, Van. I don’t know who told you, but it’s not a big secret that our bar arranges various jobs, so let’s move on. You’re looking for a job that a mage can do, right?’ ‘Yes.’ Lenok deliberately kept his answers short. He judged that it was dangerous to give information before figuring out what kind of person Jenny was. She narrowed her eyes sharply at Lenok’s answer. ‘If so, we need to know what level of mage you are. That way, we can find a job that matches your level, right?’ ‘Level, you say?’ ‘Well, you don’t have to reveal what kind of unique magic system you’ve learned… but we need to know what type it is.’ ‘……..’ Perhaps she took his silence in a different way, as Jenny’s expression suddenly turned fierce. ‘It’s unlikely, but… if you’ve learned something like common magic and are pretending to be a mage, it won’t be fun.’ Lenok silently put down the glass he was holding and spread out all his fingers. He strongly visualized and drew up his magic power. At the same time that a bright magical light shone on the faces of the three people, Lenok’s magic was manifested. Zzzzzap!! ‘…..You’re an electric-type mage. My apologies.’ Jenny said awkwardly as she saw the blue current rising between Lenok’s palms. Attribute-type magic was powerful and intuitive, but it was known to be difficult to learn and apply, making it more challenging than its symbolic nature suggested. Lenok had just used magic without any incantation or hand seals, something that only orthodox mages who had delved into the field for more than a decade could do without incantation. Even the old man next to her was nodding quietly, but Lenok had no intention of stopping there. He had to refrain from showing all of his abilities, but he needed to prove his exceptionality among the numerous workers who frequented this bar. He focused his mind and gently moved the magic power flowing through his hands. The expressions of the old man and Jenny changed drastically the moment Lenok twitched his fingers. ‘……!!!’ The current flowing through his fingers split into five strands and began to move gracefully, drawing a small pentagram. A feat that was impossible to even attempt without the ability to control magic power at the millimeter level. The two seemed to know that well, as their gazes towards Lenok quickly changed.