Lennok inquired, "Who was that woman earlier?"
"Which woman?" Dylan exhaled smoke as he responded.
"Evelyn," Lennok clarified.
Dylan explained, "I don't know much, but I do know she's one of the top agents working for the government."
"An agent?"
"Yup, funded and managed by the government's army. Even that slick suit she was wearing earlier costs around 5 billion in taxpayer money."
Lennok couldn't fathom such a sum of money. He imagined wearing a suit that could withstand the power of monsters like Croken.
"Her abilities are exceptional, but I heard she's pretty brutal too. Better not piss her off. The old man must have felt the same way."
"We almost died at the hands of that monster, and you still call him the old man? You're something else." Lennok smirked, and Dylan chuckled.
"That's just how it is with mercenaries, especially the war type. They'll turn on their own for the right price. You gotta be careful around 'em."
Lennok remained silent as Dylan spoke in a mocking tone, feeling uneasy for some reason. He couldn't help but wonder if he, too, was willing to do anything for money.
Dylan patted Lennok's shoulder and said, "Well, we got the job done and we're still alive. Let's just grab our cash from Jenny and hit the road. You coming?"
"You go ahead."
"What?"
"I think I need to rest for now. I will get my payment later, just let Jenny know."
Lennok's fingers trembled faintly as he held the filter of his cigarette. Though he had yet to feel any significant pain, the numbness in his senses was a testament to the gravity of his exhaustion. He couldn't risk collapsing on the way to collect his payment at Jenny's bar, even if it meant delaying his receipt of the money.
Thus, leaving Dylan with a slightly bewildered expression, Lennok rose from his seat and departed, determined to rest and recover. His hotel, located in District 34, was far from the factory in District 42. After trekking a fair distance on foot, Lennok hailed a taxi, collapsing into the back seat with a deep sigh of fatigue.
"Phew…"
The world outside the taxi window was dark, save for the colorful lights of the billboards that passed by in a blur. Lennok let out a sigh as he gazed at the flashing s, his mind weighed down by the danger he had just narrowly escaped. If not for the timely intervention of Evelyn after the factory explosion, Lennok knew he would have perished on the spot.
The risks he had taken on when he accepted the request were greater than anything he had ever faced before, and his opponent had been an unstoppable behemoth. Lennok had done all he could, but the outcome had hinged on factors beyond his control.
He knew he couldn't continue down this path, where his will to survive and the desperation that had driven him thus far were separate from the results he had achieved. He needed to become stronger, struggle harder, and work more diligently than ever before. The talent and determination he possessed were only a starting point; he would need to harness them to their full potential if he hoped to endure the hardship and danger that lay ahead.
Lost in thought, the taxi eventually arrived at his hotel. Lennok wasted no time in taking a quick shower and collapsing onto the bed, exhaustion taking hold. Chewing on a sleeping pill – a habit he had formed to expedite the effects – he gazed up at the old ceiling with a slight frown etched on his features.
"I took the pill but I still can't sleep… Did I build up a resistance already?"
Over the course of a month, Lennok had turned to sleep pills to combat his insomnia. However, he was surprised to find that his tolerance to the medication seemed to be increasing, despite his belief that he had not been consuming an excessive amount. It occurred to him that perhaps he had been relying on a low-quality product, as the inexpensive pills sold near District 49 had been adequate up to this point. Regardless, he resolved to search for a more potent remedy.
Despite his weariness, Lennok's mind was still preoccupied with the enormity of the task he had just completed. Even after receiving the forty million cells promised as payment, there was still much left to be done. He strove to calm his exhausted body and mind, contemplating his options and formulating a plan for the future. Eventually, his thoughts drifted and he fell into a deep sleep.
? ? ? ? ? ?
"Ugh……!"
With a practiced sense of resignation, Lennok rose from his position bent over the toilet, his face contorted with nausea as he flushed away the contents of his stomach. Having completed his morning routine, he returned to the bed, lying there in anticipation of his body's response.
Though he had augmented his physical capabilities with magic, he had done so without proper physical training. Coupled with the lingering effects of [Mana Addict], there were times when even the simple act of breathing felt like a struggle.
"Phew……"
Lennok sat motionless for a time, his head bowed and his thoughts scattered. Slowly, he lifted his dazed gaze, squinting against the bright sunlight that streamed in through the window blinds.
Eleven days had passed since he had destroyed Charlotte's factory, and during that time, Lennok had been pushing his body to the limit, relying on medication to manage the fallout. Even the relatively mild side effects of the orchard's drugs were taking their toll on him, exerting a constant strain on his already weakened body.
Lennok had pushed himself to the brink despite the risks, wielding his magical and physical strength with reckless abandon. And after a week of agony and three days of enforced rest, he finally began to see signs of recovery.
Mulling over his ordeal, Lennok reflected on the fact that he had somehow managed to survive his escape from the factory. Perhaps it was the result of relying on even more potent drugs, or perhaps he had simply pushed himself too hard at the time, unaware of the true cost of his actions.
"I have to make some food."
With the exception of the day he first brought them home from the market, Lennok's ingredients had remained untouched and had slowly accumulated in the fridge. For the past ten days, he had subsisted solely on preserved foods that he had stockpiled earlier.
Despite his intentions to experiment with various methods of nourishing his weakened body, none of his attempts seemed to yield any tangible results.
"I need to at least earn some money."
Lennok quickly changed into fresh clothes and made his way to District 49, his legs unsteady but gradually growing more accustomed to the weakness that plagued him.
With a deep breath, he summoned his magical abilities to alter his appearance, masking his true identity as he descended into the bar where Jenny waited, smoking a cigarette with a smile on her lips.
"Yo, our VIP's here. What you been up to for the past ten days?"
"Just had some work to take care of."
"Haha, damn. I was hoping to collect that success fee if you had kicked the bucket, but I guess not."
It was evident that Jenny was well-informed regarding the individuals he had encountered on the job.
"Ain't nobody gonna take me out that easily."
Lennok's expertly crafted disguise had prevented Jenny from detecting his unnaturally pallid complexion, allowing him to convincingly deceive her with a well-crafted lie.
Although Lennok relied on cigarettes to support his weakened body, he saw no reason to disclose this vulnerability to Jenny or anyone else, knowing that it could be exploited against him.
As he sat across from her, she handed him a glass of whiskey and he inquired, "And what about Dylan?"
"He came by earlier and said he's giving you over 40 mil for the job."
Lennok offered a silent nod in response, and Jenny retrieved a stack of bills, placing them carefully on the table before him.
"They even threw in a bonus from the Baritz side, so check it out. Don't sweat the commission, Dylan's got that covered."
Lennok accepted the thick bundle of bills, his fingers deftly counting through the notes. There were sixty 1 million cell notes in total, a staggering sum equivalent to 60 million cells. Though it was more than he had expected, it still felt insufficient compared to the value of his own life.
It was not uncommon for conglomerates like Baritz to offer such allowances, considering their immense wealth and influence. As a freelancer struggling to survive on the streets, Lennok was acutely aware of his own negligible worth.
Suppressing his emotions, he glanced up at Jenny, his attention drawn to the denomination of the notes. "1 million cell notes?" he queried, his mind boggled by the astronomical sum.
Jenny's smirk betrayed her amusement at Lennok's reaction. "It's like a fancy-ass currency for rich people to give each other ‘gifts' without anyone knowing."
“……”
"Anyway, you went through some crazy stuff this time around. That gator omen almost did you in, huh?" Lennok nodded his head. He felt a little relieved after he downed the whiskey she had given him.
"I would've been a goner if it weren't for this agent named Evelyn."
"I had no idea Charlotte would go after Pandemonium like that. Somebody must've really wanted to protect that factory."
Jenny proceeded to share her account of the incident.
Apparently, Charlotte had initially intended to engage Triple-8 to provide security for the factory. However, upon receiving word of the impending attack, they had opted to pay a hefty sum to Croken instead, with the express goal of eliminating the intruders.
The decision had been rash and driven by emotion, catching even the Baritz's intelligence team and brokers off guard.
"They forked over 10 billion up front and the success fee was double that. That alligator thing was moving on its own. Charlotte wanted to cut Baritz out of the picture completely."
Jenny seemed to find the chaos it had caused rather entertaining. Lennok regarded her with a curious expression. "What is Pandemonium?" he inquired.
It had been a week since Lennok's encounter with Croken, yet the memory of the formidable creature remained vivid in his mind. The transcendent physical abilities, along with unmatched durability and reaction speed that defied the laws of physics, all while standing upright and displaying a high level of intelligence, made it difficult to believe that Croken belonged to the same species as humans.
With such monsters rumored to congregate in Pandemonium, it was clear that they were after something far more dangerous than just mere socialization.
"Ah, they're like royalty up here on this floor. They only invite people they like, so there ain't much info out there. And whatever does get out is only from folks like Croken who have a rep already, or from people who can't keep their mouths shut."
“……”
"They team up sometimes to steal shit or make some cash, but everyone knows to steer clear unless you got a company like Baritz or a government agency backing you up."
Jenny spoke as if to comfort him, "Think of 'em like a natural disaster. Sucks if you get caught up, but if you come out on top, you're golden. This is just how things are up here."
"Hmm, I see…"
Lennok found himself somewhat understanding Dylan's seemingly calm attitude in the face of death after his encounter with Croken.
As Lennok looked down with a complicated expression, Jenny slowly shook the glass in her hand.
"Don't overthink it. There's like a billion organizations and companies tangled up here. What matters is being able to catch on to what's going on around you."
"….."
"Or maybe, like that old gator, you just gotta be a straight-up monster and push through with your strength."
The complex web of corporate profit and loss, personal grudges, and power dynamics all ultimately boil down to the same logic: the rule of the strong.
Though initially daunting, Lennok refused to succumb to despair. His magical aptitude was boundless, with plenty of room for growth. It was up to him to chart his path, and he felt confident in his ability to make sound decisions.
Of course, acquiring the funds necessary to maintain his health and progress in his magical training would require a significant amount of money. But that was precisely what he was working towards.
Lennok recognized the need for balance; he couldn't afford to compromise his physical well-being by recklessly consuming drugs to earn money, only to spend that money trying to restore his health.
Currently, he is taking steps to cook healthy meals for himself. But with more money at his disposal, he envisioned experimenting with medicinal herbs to further rejuvenate his body.
As they exchanged glasses, Jenny suddenly spoke as if she remembered something.
"Hey, Van. You asked me about making a fake identity last time, right?" she inquired.
Lennok nodded. "Yeah, I did."
"Since you got your money now, why not head over there? It might be busy, but I can make a call and get you in faster."
(TO BE CONTINUED)
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