Lennok chuckled in amusement at Jenny's urgent tone. "You seem to be in more of a rush than me. What's your hidden agenda?"
"Please, as if I have any hidden agenda."
Jenny winced and rubbed her cheek before replying, "To be honest, there are several inconveniences on this side when you don't have a proper status. It's bothersome to have to carry cash every time you come over, and it's not easy to stay in touch. If you want to use a phone or a bank account, why not establish your status quickly and gain the necessary privileges of being a member of society?"
"…You have a point."
Continuously accumulating cash in a hotel room was clearly not a viable long-term solution. For Lennok, creating a bank account was no longer a matter of choice, but a necessity if he wanted to earn more money in the future.
Additionally, up until now, Lennok had not felt the need to maintain close connections with many people. However, if he ever needed to exchange information with someone like Jenny in the future, he realized that staying in touch would be important.
Accepting Jenny's advice, Lennok rose to his feet.
"Alright, I’ll go now. Where do I need to go?"
"Oh, it's just District 47. Not too far from here."
Jenny provided Lennok with the engineer's address, prompting him to leave the bar immediately in search of him.
Upon arriving at the destination, Lennok found himself in a dim and cramped room, despite the daytime hours. The sole source of illumination emanated from dozens of computer monitors arranged in the room.
A portly, middle-aged man, who was smoking a strong cigarette, glanced up at Lennok and spoke. "You probably got the gist of the story, right?" he said, while extending his hand toward Lennok.
Without hesitation, Lennok retrieved twenty bills from his pocket and handed them over to the man without uttering a word.
The man briefly hesitated before accepting the money, then gave Lennok a peculiar smile.
"These are 1 million bills… You've brought something quite valuable,"
"What?"
"To those who worship money like a god, this is like divine currency. It's made just for big shot execs and it's not something you can get at your average bank."
Lennok fell silent, contemplating Jenny's earlier words. Though she had expressed disapproval, perhaps there was a hidden message behind them. It appeared that she was also trying to win Lennok's favor.
It was not unexpected. Lennok could surmise that an extraordinary wizard like him would be highly sought after.
The man chuckled and turned to face the monitor.
"Just give me a moment… I need to bypass the Vulcan resident registration network. It should take roughly 10 minutes,"
"Are you using the network information as is?"
"Nah, we're only taking the basics – like name, age, picture, and address. We're not messing with the actual real info, just tweaking the outer signals. Basically, we're making fake identities. They'll probably pass for a normal ID, but security is seriously lacking. If someone takes a close look at the network, they'll definitely bust us."
"That doesn't sound safe,"
"Making it totally foolproof is out of the question. You could also try bribing the engineer in charge of the resident registration network to change the info directly. But that's gonna set you back around 400 million cells."
Lennok fell silent upon hearing the exorbitant amount.
Paying 20 million cells had already been a painful experience, and the thought of obtaining several times that amount seemed impossible.
Meanwhile, the man continued to type on the keyboard before speaking up. "Yo, I got into the network. I'm gonna bring back the ID of someone who's been MIA and tweak the outer info. You can pick an address and age, and we'll snap your pic right here. Got any name you wanna use?"
Lennok hesitated for a moment before answering, "Van… Evan. I don't care about the last name. And for the photo… I'll use this one." As he spoke, Lennok utilized his magic to alter his face once again.
He intended to create another fake identity to use externally in case he needed to abandon the Van identity.
The man squirmed briefly upon witnessing Lennok's face transformation. "Are you a wizard? Well, there's no need to use your real face when creating a fake identity," he remarked.
The man captured Lennok's image with a disposable camera and quickly extracted the data by typing on his keyboard.
"Done. You're now Evan Vylun, residing in District 49. If you want a separate ID card, you can obtain one easily by paying around 500,000 cells to the municipal official in charge of District 49."
"Thank you," Lennok replied.
"Next time, come back with a different face, man," the man quipped, causing Lennok to chuckle.
As planned, Lennok proceeded toward the municipal office of District 49. The precinct was evidently neglected, and the administrative building in charge of the area was equally drab, with apathetic employees.
True to the man's word, Lennok was able to procure a brand new ID, in exchange for a reasonable sum, from the official who seemed least interested in his presence. The entire process took less than an hour.
As Lennok emerged from the office, he gazed intently at the newly acquired ID card, still damp with fresh ink. It bore a fictitious name and countenance. The address and age, too, were mere fabrications, but the card signified that he had finally established a tangible connection to this world.
Hitherto, Lennok had existed like a nomad, drifting aimlessly, but now he had an identity. This day marked the first time he felt validated.
⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Once Lennok acquired his new ID, he swiftly headed to a bank situated near the 30s district to open an account. The commercial bank, keen on acquiring new customers, expedited the account opening process for Lennok, verifying his identity and setting up his account as soon as he revealed his intention of depositing 20 million cells.
In no time, Lennok received a cash card that enabled him to access his account, and without wasting any time, he deposited the 10 million cells he had amassed in his hotel room.
Next, he sought out a private mobile phone store and purchased a device. Using a pre-assigned phone number, he activated the phone and dialed Jenny's number. She picked up on the first ring.
"Even though you only work when you want to, you're gonna be the first human in this backwater district to get a mobile phone up and running in just one month."
"What about those rich folks who live in the District 50s?"
"Do they even qualify as human?" retorted Jenny, her words sharp and callous.
Lennok found himself nodding in agreement, his objective rationale not strong enough to counter Jenny's stinging observation.
Jenny proceeded to offer Lennok some advice on managing his account and navigating the workings of the area.
"I don't know about those wizards who stay cooped up in one place and hone their skills, but it's always good to have a steady income source, especially if you're planning to work here. If a bunch of cash suddenly appears in your account without any explanation, people are bound to get suspicious."
"Are you suggesting I take up a simple part-time job?" queried Lennok.
"So, you did open up an account with a regular bank, yeah? Even though it's unlikely, you could still get hit with an unexpected tax audit. If you're gonna keep working with me and making more dough, it's better to be safe than sorry and get everything squared away in advance," advised Jenny.
"Hmm…"
Lennok remained undecided about his future association with Jenny but appeared to listen dutifully to her counsel.
Drawing from his prior experiences, Lennok realized that it would be beneficial to continue working with Jenny until he could grasp a better understanding of the city's workings. Jenny's considerate attitude towards him proved immensely helpful, especially since he was still discovering the nuances of this unfamiliar world.
However, Lennok was mindful that their collaboration required a degree of caution and wariness. Although Jenny's demeanor towards him had transformed into one of consistent warmth, it indicated that she held certain expectations from him.
‘I bet she's heard about me using Ice magic from Dylan, but she hasn't said a peep about it yet’
Despite knowing that Lennok was a wizard of the lightning element, Jenny made no inquiries about his use of ice magic.
"Either way, the word's probably gotten out that a wizard's looking for work in this area, so you might get some job offers coming your way soon," remarked Jenny.
"I understand."
"Depending on how skilled you are, you could be looking at some seriously sweet pay. Keep your expectations high."
As Lennok gazed at the silent phone, he couldn't discern whether Jenny intended to betray him or continue to conceal his secret while working alongside him. Ultimately, they would never know each other's true intentions until the very end, but Lennok had no intention of merely sitting back and observing.
A wicked grin spread across his face as he clutched the phone tightly and made his way back to the hotel.
⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Thunk-
How did it go?" Jordan inquired as soon as Jenny terminated the call.
Jenny shook her head despondently, her expression devoid of hope.
"Even when we met in person, there wasn't even a whiff of anything suspicious going on," she lamented.
"Hmm…" Jordan folded his arms across his chest and fell deep into thought. Jenny, sensing his contemplative mood, posed a query.
"I'm starting to think that maybe Dylan just got the whole situation wrong."
"I doubt that's the case. Most wizards tend to freak out over the tiniest things and worry way too much. It's kind of their thing. But even when his disguise was blown, he didn't seem to make a move. I thought he would have been scrambling to hide the evidence," reasoned Jordan.
As Lennok had anticipated, both Jordan and Jenny had learned about the incident from Dylan and were aware that he was not merely a run-of-the-mill lightning-type wizard.
Although it could be challenging to differentiate between binding magic, such as "Gravity Bind," it was impossible not to identify the magical attribute of "Frost Soul," which Lennok employed to thwart Croken.
Jordan and Jenny acknowledged that Lennok wielded at least two magical attributes, but this revelation did not surprise them greatly. The world of magic is vast and intricate, and even if it is not a rudimentary attribute-based specialized magic system, one could discover a magical system that incorporates two or more attributes.
What mattered more was that such a competent wizard, who displayed exceptional intellect and resourcefulness, was concealing his magical abilities, and whether he possessed the desire to continue working with them.
"Ha, I want to get him on our side no matter what."
"Are you intrigued by Van's ability?"
Lennok is a wizard who survived a fierce encounter with the notorious Croken of Pandemonium. His heroic feat had piqued the curiosity of many, and individuals were now inquiring about his identity through Jenny.
"This dude's skills are off the charts, but his personality's on point too. You ever seen a wizard who can work solo and still communicate like a pro?" Jenny commented.
"I understand what you mean," Jordan concurred.
To be candid, Lennok was not the only wizard operating on this level. However, wizards with remarkable or dominant skills typically affiliate themselves with organizations or groups, receiving valuable treatment in return. Freelance wizards who refuse to be scouted or solicited tend to be unstable or charge exorbitant prices.
Forming a cooperative relationship with the most professional and responsive wizards in Vulcan was no easy feat. Encountering someone like Lennok, who appeared to have just descended to the city after rigorous training, was a rare occurrence.
Jordan grasped Jenny's sentiments with ease and nodded in agreement. "At the end of the day, all we can do is recommend jobs that fit Van's skills and pay well. If we try to push it any further, we might end up making things worse," he cautioned.
"I know, damn it."
Jenny acknowledged his point and powered up the computer, connecting to the network. She began scouring for a suitable job for Lennok.
"It would be best to recommend requests that originate from companies, right? Typically, the aftermath is neat and orderly."
(TO BE CONTINUED)
