Observing the man's hastened departure across the alley, Lennok straightened his fatigued expression.
Though he entertained the idea of silencing the man for good, Lennok's conscience forbade him from harming an innocent soul.
While he had no qualms executing the supervisors who had mercilessly abused him at the factory, this situation was distinct.
Lennok received a business card from the man, so he knew that if he ran into any trouble regarding the matter, he could visit him later.
And, Lennok wasn't concerned about the wrath of the bullies, who were sure to be furious when they woke up.
As he trudged through the clammy alley, Lennok withdrew the stolen money and began counting it.
"Not too shabby," he mused.
Initially, he had only intended to steal enough money to cover his hotel costs. However, to his surprise, the amount he had pilfered was a hefty sum.
Combined with the money he already had, Lennok was now in possession of about 700,000 cells. This should be enough to keep him at the hotel for at least four more days, excluding incidentals.
It was undoubtedly a profitable outcome for ripping off the back alley bullies.
Without delay, Lennok departed from the entertainment district and proceeded to a nearby clothing store to purchase a new outfit.
His current clothes didn't fit his physique well, and they were too conspicuous.
He opted for a fitting shirt and jeans that wouldn't attract any undue attention.
Upon returning to District 49, Lennok surveyed the streets and spotted a rundown pharmacy with a barely hanging sign.
He entered the establishment, where a disheveled pharmacist looked up wearily to assist him.
"Sleeping pills. How much for a week?" Lennok queried.
The pharmacist responded slowly, "150,000 cells."
Lennok's eyebrow twitched in surprise at the steep price, but he forked over the money and received seven bags of pills.
He couldn't risk a sleepless night again, not after experiencing the excruciating insomnia at the factory.
Although smoking several cigarettes provided temporary relief, it was a foolhardy risk to chain smoke to catch some shuteye.
While he wouldn't hesitate to use the cigarette as needed, he couldn't overtax his already weakened body.
With the necessary funds and sleeping aids secured, Lennok had the luxury of contemplating his next move.
He exited District 49 and headed towards the bustling downtown area where the majority of people congregated.
Lennok made his way through the bustling streets of downtown, asking strangers for directions until he arrived at a magnificent library at the end of the area.
This 10-story building was a repository for books and data, and it was where Lennok hoped to find answers about his magical abilities.
Upon entering, Lennok shook off the unpleasant scent of cigarettes that lingered in the air and settled down to focus.
The first thing to look for was not various information about this world— knowing about magic.
He was determined to develop his magical abilities to their fullest potential, as he knew that this was the key to his survival in this unfamiliar world.
Despite the challenges he had faced since waking up here, Lennok was acutely aware of the penalty that loomed over him.
He had acquired several negative traits in exchange for enhancing his magical abilities using the karma system, including the devastating ‘Life-Price Mastery' that could potentially shorten his lifespan in exchange for talent.
As he scanned the shelves for relevant books, Lennok couldn't help but reflect on the peculiar nature of this trait. It seemed strange that such an attribute was even allowed in a game setting.
Nevertheless, he had no time to dwell on regret. His focus was on finding a way to prolong his life and to do that, he needed to master his magic.
Lennok was particularly interested in the top-tier unique magic series, and he was hopeful that there might be a method related to time magic that could help him.
When playing as Magic Musketeer, there was a unique magic (Sinister) that he wanted to learn but could not learn due to the nature of his job, Magic Musketeer.
Lennok was very aware of how powerful and great his magical talent was, and he knew what process would be required to use it properly.
Fortunately, the library's eighth floor was entirely dedicated to magic, with a vast collection of books and data. Lennok quickly gathered all the introductory books he could find and began reading them at a breakneck pace.
‘How to feel the mana, how to store it in the body, the danger of mana control ability, 15 items needed to use magic…'
These were meaningless topics to Lennok, who had awakened his mana in three days and started using magic.
Despite that, he read through the books diligently, searching for any insights that could help him. As he leafed through the pages, he stumbled upon a chapter that caught his attention: ‘Magic Pattern.'
It was a concept he had heard of in passing during his previous game character but had never understood its significance.
Lennok concentrated his mind on the book and learned that magic patterns were created whenever magic was used and served as a unique identifier for wizards.
He also discovered that these patterns could not be changed once they hardened, but at the eighth level or higher, mana could be manipulated in particle units, rendering the patterns obsolete.
However, Lennok was uncertain about what level eight meant in this world as it was not defined by character level but by the ability to use the Sinister series in WORLD 2.0, where Lennok was playing the Magic Musketeer.
That was why it was hard to get a sense of exactly what level 8 means in this world.
Anyway, since Lennok had never encountered this information in the game, he needed to investigate his own magical pattern directly.
He followed the instructions outlined in the book and allowed mana to flow through his fingers, forming a consistent pattern.
As he watched, Lennok's expression contorted in an unsettling manner as three spirals intersected and swirled through his palms. However, when he gradually adjusted the flow of mana, the spiral completely transformed into several diamond-shaped patterns.
“……”
When he altered the flow of mana once again, numerous concentric circles emerged, covering his palms with moisture.
It didn't take long for Lennok to realize that he could manipulate the magic patterns to his liking with ease.
Although he couldn't determine the exact extent of his mana control, the fact that he possessed the ability of an archmage in his current state was proof of his exceptional talent. This was particularly remarkable since he had only awakened his magic three days ago.
Despite being burdened with a weak physique, Lennok's talent seemed to have reached its pinnacle. Comforted by this realization, he returned the introductory book he had borrowed from the library and tossed it into the return box.
Even though he had only read one volume, he already knew what was contained in the introduction. Thanks to his excellent memory, he had memorized most of its contents perfectly, like photographs.
Moving forward, Lennok planned to focus only on books about common and unique magic.
As closing time approached, only a handful of people, including Lennok, remained in the library.
Lost in thought, he gazed out the window at the setting sun. He couldn't recall the last time he had so much time to himself.
Though it was a stark contrast to his days of toiling away in the factory, Lennok's expression crumpled in a different sense and he did not know how to straighten it.
‘This isn't quite what I expected,’
After spending the entire day poring over magic-related books, he had come to a disappointing conclusion.
‘The concept of common magic has completely disappeared.'
The magic books he had scoured through all day only offered limited insight into the unique magic system ‘Sinister,' which each wizard could learn one by one. There was no mention of the common magic system known as "Dexter," which all wizards use in common.
Lennok wondered if the concept of common magic had been eliminated as part of the 3.0 worldview.
If that were the case, all the common magic he had used in the past would remain unexplained.
Despite his talent, Lennok couldn't draw or use a concept that didn't exist.
"Given the usefulness of common magic, it's impossible for it to simply disappear or be discarded as irrelevant," he mused.
Common magic was often considered less sophisticated and powerful than unique magic, lacking depth and expertise.
While a wizard who had mastered lightning-type magic could summon a powerful storm, they wouldn't be able to conjure a gentle breeze between their fingers using common magic.
However, common magic acted as a lubricant that prevented magic from becoming too rigid and helped to bridge the gap between different types of magic, at least in the game WORLD 2.0.
Lennok pondered why the book he was reading made no mention of common magic. There had to be a reason for it, which he would need to investigate later.
As he sifted through the bookshelves scattered around his desk, he saw that the book on unique magic systems contained information on various types of magic, including black magic, necromantic magic, shamanism, barrier magic, and attribute-type unique magic.
However, Lennok quickly lost interest in the book, realizing that he needed a real "Spellbook" or a teacher who could pass on their knowledge to learn it.
Since he didn't know anyone who could help him, the information in the book was meaningless to him.
After organizing the books, Lennok was preparing to leave when he heard a stern voice from behind.
"If you want to be a wizard, it's better to give up now."
Confused, Lennok turned around to see a woman with blonde hair, dressed in a white blouse and blue skirt, sorting through abandoned books. She spoke in a cold and firm tone, not even looking directly at him.
"Reading books all day won't make you a wizard. It's too late for you, so you should focus on studying theoretical magic engineering instead."
Perplexed, Lennok asked, "What are you trying to say?"
“You're clinging onto a futile hope.”
BAM.
She put down the book she was holding and looked at Lennok's face. Blue eyes like the sea stared at him calmly.
“If you can't enroll in a school or find a mentor, your only option is to pursue magic at university. But without a solid foundation, even if you manage to get in, you won't gain anything from the lectures.”
“……”
“Magic is a field that demands both talent and luck. And mere emotions like curiosity, passion, and inquisitiveness are not enough to succeed on your own.”
Lennok remained silent, staring at her blankly.
