As the library's closing time approached, only a handful of people remained, including Lenok and two or three others.
He gazed out the window at the fading sunset streaming in, lost in thought.
How long had it been since he'd last had a moment alone like this?
Compared to the days when he was worked to the brink of death in a factory, this was a world apart, yet Lenok's expression remained crumpled, refusing to ease.
'This isn't quite what I expected.'
After spending the entire day holed up in the library devouring magic-related books, he'd come to one conclusion.
Surprisingly, aside from the concept of mana patterns he'd grasped from introductory texts, there was almost no knowledge that proved useful to him.
'The concept of common magic has completely vanished.'
The classification of magic consisted solely of the unique magical systems called "Sinister," which each wizard could master individually.
There was no mention anywhere of the common magical system "Dexter," which all wizards were supposed to share.
Had common magic been removed entirely after transitioning to the worldview of 3.0?
That explanation didn't hold up, as it wouldn't account for all the common magic Lenok had used so far.
No matter how exceptional Lenok's talent was, it shouldn't have been possible for him to wield a concept that didn't exist.
'Considering the convenience of common magic, it's illogical for it to have been forgotten or phased out.'
Compared to unique magic, it lacked specialization, depth, and raw power, but the strength of common magic lay in its overwhelming versatility—applicable regardless of attribute or target.
A wizard who mastered lightning-based unique magic might summon a thunderstorm thousands of times stronger than a bolt spell, but they couldn't conjure a cool breeze between their fingers.
Common magic served as a lubricant, preventing magic from becoming overly rigid and smoothing the gaps between different magical disciplines.
At least, that was the case up to WORLD 2.0.
'There's got to be a reason it's not mentioned at all… I'll have to look into it separately later.'
Lenok absentmindedly flipped through the scattered pages on the desk, deep in thought.
Books classifying unique magical systems detailed various attribute-based unique magics, as well as dark magic, necromancy, shamanism, and barrier techniques—covering a wide range of information—but Lenok no longer bothered looking at them.
To acquire a unique magical system, one didn't just browse catalog-like books in the library; they needed to find a true "grimoire" or a master to pass down a Sinister system.
For Lenok, who had neither a grimoire, a master, nor even a single acquaintance, this information was meaningless.
Finally giving up, Lenok began gathering his books and was about to stand when someone unexpectedly spoke to him from behind.
"If you want to become a wizard, you'd be better off giving up."
"…?"
The voice was clear yet cold, and Lenok instinctively turned his head.
A woman in a white blouse and blue skirt was organizing books left behind by others.
Her voluminous blonde hair was swept to one side, giving her a refined impression. Her cool expression and sharp, composed eyes complemented her elegant features.
Without even properly looking at Lenok, she continued speaking.
"You've been sitting here all day reading books, but that's not how you become a wizard. At your age, you're already far too late, so you'd be better off studying theoretical magical engineering instead."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I just don't want to see someone clinging to pointless hope."
*Thud.*
Only then did she set down the book she was holding and look at Lenok's face.
Her ocean-blue eyes gazed at him calmly.
"If you can't join a school or find a master, your only option is to learn magic at a university. But without a solid foundation, you won't even get in, and even if you luck your way into admission, you won't gain anything from the lectures."
"…"
"You can't do anything on your own. Talent and luck determine so much in this field. Emotions like curiosity, passion, or a thirst for knowledge? Those come second."
Lenok didn't respond, simply staring at her face.
*Contemplation*
Bathed in the slanting glow of the sunset, her shadowed face was undeniably beautiful, even to Lenok.
Noticing his gaze, she seemed to regret her words, her expression shifting.
"Sigh… Sorry. I don't know why I'm saying all this to someone I've never even met."
Brushing back her fallen blonde hair, she gestured with her hand.
"Closing time's passed. I need to tidy up the books, so I'd appreciate it if you'd leave."
As she turned away, Lenok finally spoke.
"Is that from personal experience?"
"…"
"If you're a student, isn't it too early to give up? Instead of pushing yourself so hard already, wouldn't it be better to start with what you *can* do?"
"Ha…"
She hadn't imagined she'd be the one receiving advice, and her face took on a dumbfounded expression.
But that was the only response Lenok could give her.
Given that he couldn't possibly lack talent in magic, wasn't it *she* who needed to put in the effort?
She might have wanted to offer advice based on her own situation, but she'd picked the wrong person entirely.
He didn't know what kind of disillusionment she'd faced at the university, but as he started down the stairs, hoping her future would be bright, she called out to him.
"Hey!"
When Lenok turned around, the woman pulled something from inside her blouse and tossed it to him.
It was a luxurious business card with her name written in gold lettering.
She stared at Lenok with a bewildered expression for a while before letting out a deep sigh and speaking.
"It seems you mistook me for a student, but you've got it completely wrong."
"…Excuse me?"
"From your behavior to the way you talk, you're absolutely ridiculous. I never imagined you'd take my advice *that* way…"
She rubbed her head as if she had a headache but eventually shook it off.
"Forget it. If you come find me later, I'll at least take a look at your magic, so do whatever you want. You can go now."
"…"
'Is she out of her mind?'
Lenok stared oddly at the blonde beauty, who seemed to have reached a state of talking to herself and answering her own questions. Eventually, he left the library, pulled out the card, and realized what she meant.
Her title was boldly engraved at the bottom of the card.
[Lavatenon University. Chair Professor of Elemental Magic Studies.]
[Aris Richellen.]
"…She's a professor?"
From her demeanor and the way she spoke, she seemed every bit like a university freshman, not a professor.
Why would someone like that be organizing books in the library in the first place?
Lenok was momentarily thrown into confusion but quickly gathered his thoughts and started walking.
According to his plans, he wouldn't have any reason to cross paths with her again anyway.
There was no need to keep dwelling on someone he'd met by chance.
As he left the bustling downtown area and approached the street where his hotel was located, someone suddenly called out to him.
"Excuse me, sorry to bother you."
The one who stopped him was a young man in a police uniform.
He gave a friendly smile and showed Lenok a device he was holding.
"Could you cooperate with a quick inspection?"
"…An inspection, you say?"
The moment he heard the officer's words, Lenok's mind began racing.
Had they somehow figured out he was an undocumented factory worker? He thought he'd kept any signs of it hidden, but had he already been found out?
No, that wasn't it. If they knew he had no identity, they wouldn't have sent just one officer to approach him.
The policeman walking toward him with a device in one hand seemed far too unguarded.
In that split second, Lenok deliberated fiercely but ultimately turned to face the officer calmly.
'Running away here would only raise unnecessary suspicion.'
"I don't understand what kind of inspection this is."
"Oh, it's nothing major… There's been a robbery reported nearby."
He said this with a faint smile.
"We're investigating wizards based on the mana patterns left at the crime scene."
"…I see."
Lenok realized the case the police were chasing had nothing to do with him, but he kept his expression perfectly neutral.
This was definitely a clear difference from his time on Earth.
No matter what he was thinking internally, his face rarely betrayed him anymore.
He obediently extended his hand toward the device, letting the officer place it against him as he slowly channeled mana into the bottom of the gadget.
While doing so, he subtly adjusted the mana flow, altering its pattern.
The teardrop-shaped pattern scattered and shifted as it was absorbed into the device, displaying on the screen.
The officer compared the mana pattern on the display with a photo he kept in his pocket, then nodded with a smile.
"The patterns are definitely different. Thank you for your cooperation."
It seemed he couldn't see mana movements with the naked eye and relied on the device for that.
Lenok pointed at the gadget and asked,
"Does this detector also determine the presence of mana?"
Though the absolute amount of mana Lenok possessed wasn't vast, every bit of it was perfectly controlled thanks to his overwhelming talent.
Naturally, not a trace of mana should have leaked out, so if the officer had detected it, it was likely due to the equipment.
The officer nodded awkwardly in response to Lenok's question.
"Yes, well… It's made with materials sensitive to mana, but you'd probably know more about it than I do, being a wizard."
"I've only been in this city for a short while, actually. So this is how crime investigations are conducted these days?"
"It's been a long time since investigative processes stopped favoring physical evidence that isn't magically protected. You must be older than you look."
With criminals using all sorts of spells to conceal their identities and escape, it had long been standard to dismiss things like CCTV, surveillance cameras, or eyewitness testimonies in major crime investigations.
Since Lenok had cooperated so willingly, the officer seemed to take a liking to him and spoke freely.
Shamans summoning victims' spirits, blood mages tracking bloodstains, druids following faint traces through the streets.
While it wasn't impossible to build surveillance equipment with magical countermeasures, the cost was so prohibitive that, aside from key city facilities, officers had no choice but to carry investigation tools and pound the pavement themselves.
Lenok nodded along as he listened to the officer's almost whining complaints. After chatting for a bit, the officer heard a call from his pager and excused himself.
Lenok sighed in relief as he watched the officer walk away after a polite farewell.
'So it wasn't someone from the factory.'
Had his efforts to cover his tracks paid off? He'd expected them to at least pretend to look for him, but there were no signs of pursuit yet.
Then again, from their perspective, Lenok was just a half-dead factory worker—not someone worth chasing, which made sense.
He'd stolen a supervisor's car, but since that man had already been shot by Lenok and crossed the river Styx, no one would likely care.
It was too early to relax completely, but perhaps there was no need to heighten his guard just yet.
Though Lenok thought this, he also considered it a good thing that Vulcan's police relied on magic and spells for investigations.
Powerful wizards often had some resistance to magic that targeted them specifically.
Even if someone used a spell to track a wizard by scent, it wouldn't work well if the wizard had resistance to targeted magic.
And when Lenok had designed this body's talents, he'd maxed out even the smallest stats, creating a character with perfect attributes.
If those stats had carried over to this world, Lenok's body would possess absolute resistance to any tracking or curse magic.
'Resisting targeted spells from a much higher-level wizard might be tough, but it'll be a huge help for hiding my identity or escaping.'
Lenok returned to his hotel, immediately checked out, and moved to another hotel far from that district.
'No need to leave traces.'
He didn't think the factory would bother tracking him too seriously, but it never hurt to be cautious.
'The lodging costs were too high anyway.'
It didn't take Lenok long to figure out Vulcan's cost of living.
The hotel he'd stayed at charged 100,000 cells per night but was far from satisfactory.
The new hotel he moved to had a slightly smaller room and a cramped bathroom, but the cost was nearly half.
This way, he could avoid blowing all his hard-earned money on a week's lodging.
After moving his scant belongings, Lenok picked up a notepad and pen from beside the bed and began writing.
It was time to organize what he needed to do and what he *could* do in this place.
'The top priority is survival.'
It's already been nearly a week since I opened my eyes in this unknown world.
To plan for the next step, I first need to survive and secure time and resources. Figuring out why I ended up here comes after that.
And to do so, I need to restore this frail body to a decent state. If things stay as they are, I doubt Lenok has much time left.
'Methods to recover my body… The first thing that comes to mind is time-related unique magic. Or perhaps an elixir or treasure of equivalent power.'
In the library, I thought of time-based unique magic, but to Lenok, finding an elixir or treasure seemed more feasible.
Unique magic is a wizard's most precious treasure and secret, and unless you're a disciple, even getting a chance to encounter it is nearly impossible.
'But elixirs or herbs that restore stamina are different. Depending on their effects, finding such remedies shouldn't be too difficult.'
Of course, an elixir known as a panacea would be worth a fortune and nearly impossible to obtain, but lesser elixirs with inferior effects might be another story.
As long as they could alleviate the penalties of this weak body and buy him more time, that would be enough. Assuming, of course, that such elixirs exist in this world as they did in the game.
The conclusion was clear.
"I need to find a way to make money."
Money was necessary. A lot of it.
"…"
Feeling a sudden headache, Lenok couldn't hold back and put a cigarette to his lips.
Lighting it and inhaling the smoke, the exhaustion faded, and vitality surged through his body.
"Phew…"
Exhaling a lungful of smoke, Lenok let out a deep sigh.
He realized the harsh reality: to earn money, he'd have to keep relying on things like this long-term.
To heal his body, he needed money, but to make money, he'd have to keep wearing himself down.
It was an inescapable contradiction, but for Lenok, who had nothing, it was almost inevitable. He had to break through this cycle by force to create an opportunity.
Fortunately, unlike others, Lenok had been granted a very special talent.
It wasn't surprising. From the start, that was the only thing he could rely on.
For a long time afterward, Lenok pondered and deliberated his next steps.
Though his long-term goal was set, the process of reaching it was entirely up to him.
Deciding to earn money wasn't the end; he also had to meticulously plan and prepare.
For that, seeking out magic and various other means wasn't optional—it was essential.
The lights in his room didn't go out until long after the cigarette smoke had dissipated.
*Bounty Hunting*
Even if the existence of common magic had been forgotten in this world, the magic he'd used hadn't disappeared.
Holding a weapon unknown to others was a privilege in itself.
Realizing this, Lenok poured all his time—aside from meals and extending his room reservation—into researching magic.
Beyond the three spells he'd used at the factory—Light, Bolt, and Silence—there were many other types of common magic.
Most existed for the user's convenience and lacked power or depth, but their ability to be applied regardless of attribute or type was a tremendous advantage.
So, he began recalling every common magic he could remember, listing them, and testing their usability one by one.
*Slice!*
Watching a roll of tissue paper get cleanly cut with an eerie sound, Lenok nodded.
"The cutting spell works too. Let's see…"
He scribbled the name of the new spell in the corner of an ink-filled notepad. Several similar notes were already scattered across the bed.
Through his efforts, Lenok had gained a solid grasp of the magic he could use and its limits.
As long as he stuck to common magic, he didn't need to worry about magic circles, hand signs, or incantations.
Simply imagining it caused the mana to take shape, and with a firm will, it manifested in reality at the cost of mana.
Of course, with his current mana reserves, some spells were unusable, and others were too powerful to even consider testing in a hotel room. Still, Lenok was beginning to realize just how absurd his talent was.
Back when he played as a magic gunslinger, casting any level of common magic required completing hand signs and incantations.
Even then, the game skipped drawing magic circles for convenience. Without that, casting a spell might've taken minutes.
Moreover, as he kept practicing, his mana pool grew steadily—now nearly triple what it was when he first awakened it.
The idea that simply using magic could increase his mana was something even Lenok, a long-time WORLD player, had never encountered.
Thanks to this, he could cast over ten spells in half a day, and his research pace quickened with each passing day.
He'd hole up in his room casting spells all day, collapsing like the dead when his mana ran out.
After a week of clinging to magic until his mind frayed, Lenok had raised his magical ability to a level where he could confidently call himself a wizard.
And today was the final day he'd resolved to dedicate to magic research.
He'd hit the limit of doing nothing else. It was time to go out, find a proper income source, and stabilize his life.
"This is the best I can do."
Though he'd played as a magic gunslinger, Lenok didn't remember every single common magic.
He hadn't come to this world after deeply experiencing it as a wizard—he'd created this body to experience that playstyle.
Thus, most of the common magic he knew was the popular stuff well-known among players.
But despite the gaps in his game knowledge, Lenok wasn't shaken.
The number of usable common spells he'd compiled filled three pages of notes and then some.
He might run out of mana, but he'd never lack the ability to adapt. Lenok was certain.
"Time to head out."
Opening the window, the cold dawn air seeped into the room.
Breathing in the chilly breeze that fogged his breath, Lenok tore up all the magic notes he'd organized over the week and flushed them down the toilet.
All the information he'd compiled soaked and washed away, but Lenok calmly packed his things and stood.
His talent was specialized in learning and wielding magic. Every spell he'd documented was perfectly stored in his mind.
He'd completed all the preparations he could.
The money he'd taken from thugs and his cigarettes were running low.
Without a steady income, even maintaining his current lifestyle would become difficult.
It was time to move.
Without hesitation, Lenok left the room.
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