studiobondurri Chapter 3
Chapter 3
For the next two days, Lennok’s daily life was routinely the same.
During the day, he runs away from the supervisor’s eyes, explores the structure of the factory, and devotes himself to practicing magic at night.
As if the magical talent he had set was not a lie, Lennok quickly got used to gathering mana and moving.
Rather than easily accomplishing something high-level, the hurdle itself feels absurdly low. But that’s enough.
After only three days of mana handling and magic practice, Lennok went from being a worker in a gloomy closet to an outright magic user.
In addition to the magic that emits light, he has successfully demonstrated some simple magic.
At the same time, by wandering around the factory and trying to figure out its structure, Lennok managed to find several routes out of the old factory.
It wasn’t unheard of to run into other supervisors along the way, but when they saw Lennok’s pale complexion, which looked like he would faint from fainting, they ignored him, as if they thought he was running errands for another colleague.
Of course, Lennok’s body, which was abused day and night like this, was on the verge of completely dying, but in such an environment, it was just a luxury to ask for consideration.
Rather, it was right to say that I was lucky because I did not get caught by the supervisor for sneaking out of labor during the day. This was possible because other supervisors were also attached to their respective jurisdictions during work hours.
It wouldn’t have been strange if he had been caught by another supervisor and beaten so badly that he couldn’t open his eyes again.
And finally the day the union members were scheduled to come to the factory dawned.
Lennok, who stayed awake all night, slowly raised his horsepower just in time for the other workers to wake up.
It was a sense that he had never dealt with before coming to this world, but a handful of mana that did not exist in the body moved easily according to Lennok’s will.
After collecting that little mana and concentrating it neatly around his forehead, Lennok immediately used his magic.
A magic with a very simple effect that raises the temperature of the skin surface. It was a simple magic that could prevent the body temperature from dropping in cold weather, so simple that it did not require any special chanting or handcuffs.
However, in the current situation, it was clear that it would be an extremely effective magic.
The ideal appeared immediately after a while. Lennok’s skin, with the heat concentrated on his face, turned red and began to sweat profusely.
The workers who naturally got up and waited for their working hours also found Lennok and started whispering.
“Hey, that...”
“Looks like it’s about time.”
“Anyway, this will last a long time. It’s not a place where a weakling like that can work for a long time.”
“It’s my seller.”
Even though the workers were talking so much, they would never come to Lennok’s side.
Lennok grunted deliberately, trying to show that he was obviously sick.
“If you wake up, what are you doing without jumping out!”
bang!
Opening the door with a strong kick, the supervisor frowned when he saw the workers’ eyes on Lennok, who was lying on the bed.
He walked up to Lennok, examined his complexion, noticed that his forehead was boiling, and shook his head.
“Whoa... I’ll give you three minutes, so run to the parts room right away!”
Even though he knew he hadn’t opened his eyes, the supervisor left the room without bothering to touch Lennok. It was judged that they could no longer be useful manpower for labor.
Besides, today is the day when union members visit the factory to collect products. There was no reason to make a fuss and get a useless book on a day like today.
The workers secretly looked back at Lenok even while wearing work clothes.
“What does he do?”
“Looking at the tail, I think it will be dead when it comes back. Wouldn’t it be convenient to come and clean it up?”
“Wow... that’s a bit embarrassing.”
“Still, cleaning up after death is neat. If you bury it while you’re alive, you might have to bury it again.”
They started talking as if Lennok had already died and only a corpse remained.
In this old factory, where are the workers who have not left even a handful of bone meal? The death of a weak worker from exhaustion gave no inspiration.
Then one of the workers strode towards Lennok.
Lennok, who was lying in an unexpected situation, gave his body a lot of strength.
“What are you half doing?”
“I don’t have time. Let’s clean it up later!”
At the criticism of the other workers, he responded by waving his hand with an annoyed expression.
“It’s noisy, so shut up. It’s okay to let me smoke a cigarette before I die.”
After saying that, he actually took out a rolled cigarette from his bosom.
“If you were hiding that, you should have told us.”
“Yeah, kid. How much I miss a cigarette right now...”
“I also stole a few while cleaning the supervisor’s bed. I have nothing to give you.”
The man called Ban took a match from under his bed, lit a cigarette, and placed it in Lennok’s mouth.
Unexpectedly, Lenok inhaled the cigarette smoke to the fullest, and Ban chuckled when his eyes widened.
“Wouldn’t it be awesome?”
“.......”
“He’s famous for mixing antipsychotic plant leaves with cheap drugs. After one smoke, the pain will go away. Not bad for a milestone along the way.”
As Van said, he patted Lennok on the shoulder and disappeared along with the other workers.
A breeze comes in through the slightly open window and the stained curtains shake.
Lennok, who remained in the empty room, slowly stood up with a cigarette in his mouth.
Originally, he should have moved right now, but he sat on the bed without saying anything and focused on smoking.
Ironically, the cigarette Van had given him had completely changed Lennok’s plans.
The acrid smoke filling his lungs was energizing Lennok’s body.
To be precise, the tobacco mixed with all sorts of harmful substances would force Lennok to forget all the fatigue accumulated in his body and dull the nerves that felt pain.
However, just by being insensitive to the fatigue that covered his body, Lennok felt a refreshing feeling he had never felt since he came to this world.
Physical ability as if he went back to the days when he just played games without any worries.
Lennok, who jumped up from his seat and waved his arm once or twice, was convinced.
It doesn’t matter if it’s made of drugs or a strange plant.
No matter what side effects it brings, Lennok desperately needed a doping agent like this.
“...Did you say the director’s bed?”
Lennok muttered that, changed into work clothes and immediately left the bedroom.
Confusion
He has already traveled around to figure out the structure of the factory and knows roughly where the supervisors are staying.
After checking the numerous trucks busily coming in through the window, he moved quickly with his head slightly lowered.
Light and fast steps that are completely different from before.
On their way up and down the halls, they ran into other supervisors, but immediately cut their nerves when they saw Lennok’s face and confirmed that he was not a worker under their control.
Normally, he would have harassed the workers even by catching useless faults, but on a busy day like today, he doesn’t even have the time to do that.
In the meantime, the supervisors were struggling just to deal with union members who were going to inspect and collect the products made in the factory.
Already, people wearing blue vests were walking around the factory, pushing supervisors everywhere.
“The product quantity is not right. Did I expect too much?”
“....no.”
“Hey. Who do you think is facilitating you guys to run this plant?”
“sorry!”
“It wouldn’t be strange if the workers working here were prosecuted before the Human Rights Commission, but we understand their pity. Then you should show sincerity.”
There are conversations that make the back of your neck sore just by listening to them, and the supervisors, who were like ghosts in front of the workers, are busy bowing their heads like reeds.
Among them, a union member who seemed to be exceptionally old shouted nervously as he threw away the documents the supervisor had brought him.
“That’s Okay! Looking at the ledger, I’ve been through quite a bit of damage. I will check the warehouse myself and check for missing materials. It would be better to be prepared if the shortfall is not filled by the time we return today.”
Along with the union members threatening, the supervisors around them reluctantly nodded. But rather, their expressions were full of relief that they had let go.
Targeting the material warehouse is tantamount to saying that the punching bag to be hit first has been decided. Members who poured out their ardor while helping moderately will come up with a more reasonable compromise than now.
Of course, the supervisor in charge of the material warehouse would have to pay a bout of measles, but there was no loyalty among the supervisors to cover even such trivial matters.
Lennok picked up a box that had been randomly scattered among them and hesitated.
It wasn’t long before one of the overseers standing nearby spotted him and approached him.
he asked as he blatantly laid out Lennok’s overalls.
“Why is the worker here?”
“Hey... I sent an errand. There are errands in the dorms used by the supervisors...”
“Tell me what errand it is.”
“What is that... It’s blood.”
As Lennok said that, he gathered smoke into his mouth and pretended to exhale.
If a worker had stolen cigarettes from a supervisor’s bed, there was a high probability that other supervisors were openly enjoying similar items.
Sure enough, the supervisor with an understanding expression on his face glanced around, grabbed Lennok by the collar, and started moving to one side.
He muttered annoyedly as he headed down the hallway with his familiar steps.
“I openly said that it would take to send it by courier, but crazy people made delivery even on a day like this. Damn anyway...” After
walking briskly and turning down the hallway a few times, a much cleaner hallway appeared than the shabby workroom where the workers stayed.
After rummaging through his pockets in front of the white-painted door, the supervisor found a ring that held two or three keys together and held it in his hand.
After picking the lock and opening the locked door, I began to see a small bedroom inside.
Compared to Lennok’s memories, it’s still a very cramped space, but it’s still a much better bedroom than the old alcove he’s been eating and sleeping in for the past week.
If you’ve come this far, there’s nothing more to do with the supervisor.
Lennok raised his mana and put the thumb and forefinger of his right hand together.
What comes to mind is an image of an intense electric current. Accurately replaying the effect of the stun gun in my head, I move my magic power.
“...volt.”
Pajijik..!!
As he chanted the incantation softly, a small current burst out from between Lennok’s fingers.
The moment the Overseer turned around and looked down at Lennok, completely unaware that he was using magic right behind him.
Lennok immediately planted two fingers under the overseer’s chin.
“Okay then, give me the goods quickly... gggggg!!”
A grotesque scream flowed from his mouth as the supervisor’s eyes, which had been shining with greed, turned over in an instant.
The large body of the overseer, who was shaking and convulsing all over, collapsed in front of the slightly open door, and the bedroom opened wide.
Lennok grabbed the overseer by the shoulders and laboriously carried the huge body into the room.
If we leave it like this and someone else finds the supervisor, it will be a hassle.
It would have been better to have his stunned body firmly propped up on the bed to be sure, but Lennok gave up after a try or two.
It was impossible to lift and move this body with his weakened muscular strength.
Anyway, after moving the supervisor into the room and closing the door, Lennok let out a sigh of relief and sat down on the bed.
“Whoa....”
Maybe thanks to the effect of the beginning of the year, it is a bit difficult, but there is no sense of helplessness or drowsy fatigue that covers the whole body.
But don’t be mistaken. The unknown vitality circulating in his body right now doesn’t get rid of pain or fatigue, it just makes him forget for a moment.
The recoil that would come after the end of the medicinal effect would be so intense that it could not be compared to the tiredness that Lennok was feeling.
There is not much time to rest. We had to hurry to escape the factory.
As I ended up in the supervisor’s bedroom unexpectedly, it’s important to get out of here as soon as I get the things I want.
Lennok took the keychain from the fallen overseer’s hand and immediately started searching around the bedroom.
If it was a favorite item used among supervisors, there was a high possibility that it was treasured and stored somewhere.
After digging through the entire mattress, Lennok finally found an answer.
“I hid a lot.”
Lennok clicked his tongue at the piles of cigarettes arranged neatly along the hidden space under the mattress.
No matter how low you set it, one boru is a quantity that seems to exceed.
Lennok snatched the cigarette case from the supervisor’s arms and swept the cigarettes under the mattress as he could get his hands on them.
Even if you want to take it all anyway, there is no space to move it.
The case used by the supervisor was just the right size to fit in a pocket, and even had an ignition function to make a spark, so it was very suitable to carry it alone.
He wanted to put it in his mouth right away and recall the feeling he had felt earlier, but Lennok held it back and began to look for other useful items.
Lennok paused when he felt hard metal on his fingertips as he rummaged through an old chest of drawers.
“.......”
It’s the first time I’ve touched it myself, but it doesn’t make sense that I don’t know what it looks like.
In the dark, dusty parking lot, several trucks parked by union members and vehicles used by factory employees were parked in a disorderly manner.
Lennok crouched and surreptitiously moved among the cars, looking for the one that matched the serial number on the key.
There were two vehicles sharing one serial number, an old gray van and the other a polished two-seater.
The two-seater car was tuned with all kinds of unknown mechanical devices, so it was difficult to guess the prototype.
I tried both cars, praying that the inconspicuous gray van would open, but unfortunately it was the two-seater car that got the keys.
I had no choice.
I unlocked the key, opened the door, and sat down on a seat that smelled like leather.
The exterior is the exterior, but the interior is even more spectacle. All kinds of mechanical devices and buttons are full of the front of the vehicle, and the steering wheel is completely rectangular.
As soon as I put the key under the steering wheel and started the engine, the instrument panel light came on and the car started vibrating subtly.
When you step on the left pedal and apply power to the gear, the handle starts to turn. Here, too, the brake seems to depend on the left pedal.
When I shifted gears and let go of the pedal, the car began to slowly move forward.
No matter how much Lennok had a cool and calm mind, he couldn’t stop his heart from beating like crazy at this moment.
We finally escaped this factory. For the first time since coming into this world, it is going out of that old closet.
Curious and curious about the unknown world, fear and anticipation stirred Lennok’s mind and made his whole body tremble.
As Lennok lazily exited the underground parking lot and climbed to the ground, he saw the figure of a person standing in front of the entrance to the parking lot.
A clumsy figure with one leg limping and familiar work clothes. His eyes calmed down when he saw the supervisor in charge of the parking lot.
The superintendent notices an approaching vehicle and starts approaching it.
I’ve already killed two, so what’s the difference between three? Lennok immediately picked up the handgun he had thrown in the passenger seat, but soon realized there was a serious problem.
There was no more magic left in Lennok’s body to use the noise magic.
One time in the morning to malinger. Once to stun the Superintendent with lightning. Twice to reduce the noise of gunfire.
Considering that a wizard who has just awakened his magical power cannot use even one magic a day, this is a huge capacity, but it means nothing in the current situation.
Lennok immediately realized where the problem was.
‘It must have happened because I took care of the beginning of the year.’
Considering what magic could do, it shouldn’t have been that difficult to escape this old factory with magic four times a day.
If he hadn’t used the lightning magic ‘bolt’ to stun the supervisor, he wouldn’t have lacked magic like he does now.
It was too late to regret it now.
After a certain amount of time, magic power will be restored enough to use magic once... but there was no time to wait.
The supervisor said as he approached with a smirk that he knew who the owner of this car was.
“Are you out of your mind? Where are you going to go in this situation? No matter how much you want to cut it, you have to refrain from it on the day the union members come.”
He approached the driver’s side, banging on the bonnet of the car.
“Show off your new car this weekend. If you want to go to the club, me too... Who are you?”
Seeing Lennok’s face in the car, the supervisor’s complexion changed dramatically.
Before he could pull something out as he hurriedly groped around, Lennok thrust the muzzle of his gun into his chest.
“Huh...!”
“Drop the gun.”
The frightened supervisor quickly dropped the pistol grip he was holding behind his back to the floor. Lennok glanced down at the gun he had discarded and grinned.
Somehow, I wanted to give up, but the gun was not properly loaded. Even if I resisted, I wouldn’t have fired a single shot.
said Lennok, looking at the overseer staring at him with a frightened look on his face.
“Is there a parking barrier in front of this?”
“There is...”
“Take it away.”
The supervisor trembled and turned around to enter the guard post near the entrance to the parking lot and manipulate something.
The supervisor, who was dripping with sweat, looked at Lennok and nodded. A face that seems to be longing for something. Lennok didn’t have a hard time figuring out what that meant.
Everyone has a strong longing for life.
Lennok, too, was covering it up with strong mental strength and cold reason, but he wanted to live more desperately than anyone else.
And that’s why it shouldn’t be left out.
Taang!!
The sound of gunfire that shakes the eardrums resonates powerfully through the parking lot.
As if the sound was a signal flare, Lennok let go of the brake.
I grabbed the steering wheel and pressed hard on the accelerator as I passed the supervisor who collapsed with a look of disbelief.
Boaaaang!!
Lennok’s heart, which had been pounding for the first time in this world, began to beat more violently.
As the slope in the parking lot steepens upward, the body leans backwards.
As my vision brightened, the dazzling sunlight began to sting my eyes, but I didn’t care.
For a moment, the surroundings seemed to flash white, and then the car body floated up and the body returned to its original state.
Through the thick glass of the body, the wide front yard of the factory began to come into view.
Move forward without hesitation. The only passage to the outside was visible between the thick walls.
The breaker that should be blocking the middle of the aisle is still closed. He cheated on Lennok.
However, Lennok grinned and put his strength on his feet.
Kwaaaang!!
Lenok, who used his running speed to break the circuit breaker at once, picked up his speed and quickly left the factory.
An open plain that you can see as soon as you come out of the
megalopolis factory.
In the barren landscape seen through the car window, Lennok focused his mind and quickly surveyed his surroundings.
It is the first time I have come out to the world outside the factory since waking up in an old alcove.
I had to figure out what kind of place this area was and run away as soon as possible.
Lennok frantically moved his head from side to side as he sped down the road along the low hill.
Considering that there are not a few buildings and people coming and going around, it seems that it is not an uncivilized rough area.
Rather, in the direction Lennok turned to the steering wheel, he could see a large city with tall buildings that seemed to pierce the sky, forming a huge forest.
Sensing that the longer he hesitated, the more likely it was to end badly, Lennok continued to increase his driving speed.
The faster you run, the closer you get to the big city, and the surrounding scenery changes. It was only after driving for more than an hour that Lennok was able to get close to the city.
Neon signs flashing everywhere and billboards filling up the sight of flashy signboards play advertisements along with cheerful music.
[Leader of high-tech industry. Welcome to Vulcan, a mega city leading the future of magic engineering.]
“.....The name of the city is Vulcan?”
The name must have been very off-putting to Lennok, who knew roughly what the Balkans were like on Earth.
Lennok muttered, sticking out his tongue as he saw the strange letters written on the signboard of the airship slowly swimming in the sky and the streamlined bike passing by.
“I knew it wasn’t Earth, but...”
I never thought it would be a world that was so different from WORLD. Could this be the world view of ver 3.0 that was planned to be updated?
Seeing the landscape that seemed to be a little more advanced than the civilization of the Earth he knew, but much more chaotic, he naturally felt complicated.
In a world built with a near-future civilization like this, having magical talents was a good thing or a bad thing, he had no idea.
It wasn’t until after driving for a long time that he entered the city, Lennok slowed down the accelerator and turned slowly.
‘It would have been enough if I had escaped this far.’
I checked to see if there was any tracking while coming, but so far I haven’t found any abnormalities. Have you not been able to make time yet because you are suffering from union members?
It was a wise decision to think about again to escape by choosing the date when the union members came.
As we entered the city, the roads gradually widened and at the same time the traffic began to become tight.
It was only then that Lennok looked around at the vehicles standing around him and realized that this two-seater car, which he thought was an esoteric design, was quite passable compared to the others.
It seems that the various devices that were attached to this vehicle belonged to the universal design of this world, not the supervisor’s esoteric taste.
It was unintentional, but it might have been noticed had he been here with the old gray van from earlier.
The deeper you go into the city, the more vehicles there are and the more sluggish the operation becomes.
Lennok, somewhat calmed down, took a cigarette out of his pocket as the car nearly stopped and began observing the people passing by.
There were a lot of people walking on the sidewalk on either side of the car, and their clothes were different.
The clothes themselves were not special, but there were also quite a few who were revealing parts of their bodies or chose unusual hairstyles.
There were people who had one arm replaced with a prosthetic arm, some who carried ghosts that looked like spirits, and some ordinary people who walked alone without anything at all.
Judging from the carefree expressions of the people, it seemed that security was being kept to some extent in the downtown area.
It was unexpected for Lennok, who had vaguely imagined an anarchic city full of chaos because of his experience at the factory.
‘And when I looked closely...’
As things that were easily overlooked when running in a hurry began to come into my eyes little by little, Lennok was able to look around with a more analytical gaze than before.
Signs and letters hung on the walls of buildings. A faint light shines through the moving machines. One thing in common was found in the colors of the phones people were holding.
‘There’s a bit of magic mixed in.’
It’s been less than two days since I realized it, but I can feel the power all too familiar to Lennok all over the street.
It was enough to quickly notice that magic power was also contributing to the civilization built on this land.
‘It will take some time to learn basic common sense.’
Even if there is not much difference from the earth on the outside, if mana and other magic are being used in the development of civilization, the process and history will be completely different.
It seemed that there was not a small amount of time needed to live without problems in this world and promise the future.
Suppressing his complicated feelings, Lennok took out a cigarette in succession and took in the smoke.
Aside from planning for the future, there is not much time left for Lennok right now.
It’s not because I’m worried about the tracking that I can’t even see right now. Didn’t he squeeze out all his strength and magic to escape the factory?
I’m still holding on to the effect of the beginning of the year, but soon there will be a limit where my body can’t stand it.
Over the past few days, Lennok has been acutely aware of how weak and lacking in stamina his body is.
It wouldn’t be strange if he fainted in this place right away. Before that happens, I had to quickly find a place to lie down.
As soon as the city’s long congestion ends and traffic begins to clear, Lennok immediately turns and heads for an isolated alley.
The more you go around the main street, the neater the street becomes messier and the surrounding buildings also become laggy. Even in such a huge city, slums existed.
I stop the car near an apartment complex that is about to collapse at any moment and concentrate my mind while sitting on the seat.
Fortunately, during the congestion while entering the city, my mana recovered a little, so I was able to use magic at least once.
Place your hands on your face and use up all your remaining magic power.
The burning sensation and the twisting of the skin on his face made Lennoc’s body tremble.
“Whoa...”
Lennok’s face changed to a middle-aged man with a stern expression, completely different from before.
After getting out of the car wearing the sunglasses I had brought from the break room, I threw the keys inside and closed the door.
You cannot continue to use a vehicle that has been attached to the serial number as you wish.
Not overlooking the danger of the chase, he had no intention of going anywhere near this place after today.
As soon as you get out of the dark slums, the sunlight pours through the deep blue sky.
Lennok couldn’t come to his senses and blinked his eyes at the sunlight that greeted him for the first time since he came to this world.
My eyes are burning and my head hurts. My hands trembled and the back of my neck began to pull strongly. A sleepless gait loses its direction and stumbles incessantly. My whole body was covered with sweat.
There is not much time.
Walking quickly while inhaling the scent of tobacco on my hands, I found a small hotel located on the outskirts of the downtown area.
A neat yet discreet location. Quiet lobby and laid-back employees. Both hygiene and safety don’t seem bad.
Lennok entered the hotel without hesitation. When he released the magic in the bathroom in the lobby, he felt dizzy.
Wiping the sweat dripping down my forehead, I headed towards the counter.
“....I would like to reserve a room.”
“100,000 cells per night.”
The receptionist didn’t say anything when he saw how he was dressed, but instead called for a price of 100,000 cells.
It didn’t sound like a small amount to Lennok, who didn’t know anything about it, but Lennok wasn’t in a situation where he was arguing whether the price was reasonable or not.
I put down the cash I took out of the supervisor’s wallet, get the key, and as soon as I get into the elevator, I sit down helplessly.
It went dark in an instant before Lennok crouched across the hallway, opened the door to the designated room, and went inside.
As the fatigue and tension that had piled up until the moment of death and the drug that had been forcibly suppressing them ended, the side effects hit Lennok all at once.
Lennok couldn’t even take off his shoes properly and collapsed in front of the porch and fell asleep as if he were dead.
It was the first comfortable sleep I had since suffering from insomnia in this world.