Genius Wizard Takes Medicine Chapter 10

Even if common magic had been forgotten in this world, the spells Lenoch could use had not vanished.

Possessing a weapon no one else knew about was, in itself, a kind of privilege.

Once he realized that, Lenoch devoted almost all of his time to studying magic, leaving his room only to extend his stay or pick up meals from the lobby.

The three spells he had used in the factory—Light, Bolt, and Silence—were only a small fraction of the many forms of common magic.

Most common magic existed for convenience rather than combat. It lacked both power and depth, but its greatest strength was that it was not bound by attributes or categories.

With that in mind, Lenoch began listing every common spell he could remember and testing them one by one to see whether he could use them.

Swoosh!

A roll of toilet paper split apart with a chilling sound.

Watching it happen, Lenoch nodded.

“Cutting magic works too. Next is…”

He wrote the name of another spell in the corner of a note already covered in ink. Several similar sheets were scattered across the bed.

Through repeated testing, Lenoch gained a clear understanding of which spells he could use and where their limits lay.

As long as he was using common magic, he did not need to worry about magic circles, hand signs, or incantations.

The moment he imagined a spell, its form naturally took shape. Once he hardened his will, it manifested in reality by consuming his magic.

Of course, some spells were impossible to use with his current amount of magic, while others were far too powerful to test inside a hotel room.

Even so, Lenoch came to understand just how absurd his talent truly was.

Back when he had played as a magic gunner, even common magic had required hand signs and completed incantations, regardless of tier.

Fortunately, the game had allowed players to skip the process of drawing magic circles for convenience. Otherwise, casting a single spell might have taken several minutes.

On top of that, the more Lenoch practiced magic, the more his magic capacity grew. Compared to when he had first awakened his magic, it had nearly tripled.

His magic capacity increased simply through repeated use.

That was something Lenoch had never experienced during all his years of playing WORLD.

Thanks to this, he could now cast spells nearly ten times a day, and the speed of his magic research increased with each passing day.

He spent his days shut inside his room, practicing magic until his reserves ran dry, then collapsing into sleep once he had exhausted himself.

 

He spent his days shut in his room, practising magic until he was exhausted, then collapsing into sleep.

After a full week of immersing himself in magic, Lenoch finally reached a level where he could confidently call himself a mage.

And today was the final day he had set aside for magic research.

There was a limit to how long he could stay indoors doing nothing else. It was time to go out, find a proper source of income, and stabilize his life.

“This is the best I can do for now.”

Even though he had played as a magic gunner, Lenoch did not remember every form of common magic.

After all, he had not entered this world after deeply experiencing mage gameplay. Rather, he had created this body in order to experience it.

Because of that, most of the common spells he remembered were popular ones widely known among players.

Even so, despite the gaps in his game knowledge, Lenoch felt no anxiety.

The list of usable common spells he had organized filled more than three sheets of notes.

He might be lacking in magic, but adaptability would not be a problem.

Lenoch was confident of that.

“It’s time to head out.”

When he opened the window, the cold air of dawn seeped into the room.

Breathing in the chill wind that made his breath mist, Lenoch tore the notes he had written on magic into pieces and flushed them down the toilet.

All the information he had organized over the past week disappeared down the drain, but Lenoch remained calm as he packed his belongings and rose to his feet.

Every talent he possessed was specialized for learning and controlling magic. The countless spells he had sorted through were already perfectly engraved in his mind.

He had prepared as much as he could.

The money he had taken from the thugs was running low, and so were his cigarettes.

Without a stable source of income, even maintaining his current way of life would soon become difficult.

It was time to act.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Lenoch left the room.

***
From the moment he escaped the factory, Lenoch had continued thinking about the money he possessed.

He had luckily managed to steal the supervisors’ money on his way out, but it was impossible to keep holding out with only that.

Sooner or later, he needed to secure another source of income. But with no understanding of this world and a body that was frail by nature, Lenoch had very few choices.

In the end, he had no option but to make use of his talent for magic.

For someone like Lenoch, who lacked any proper identity, finding respectable work out in the open was impossible.

That left him with one choice: return to the ominous Zone 49, where dark mana flowed through the streets.

“This is exactly why I listened to that man.”

Remembering the directions given to him by the man he had saved from the thugs, Lenoch made his way through the alleys and descended into the basement of a shabby gambling den.

Even at dawn, a small bar was still open there, its dim lights flickering faintly.

When Lenoch stepped inside, his face had somehow changed into that of a languid-looking young man.

Perhaps because night was ending and morning was approaching, fewer than three customers remained in the bar.

At the center of the counter, an elderly bartender was slowly mixing drinks with a glass in hand.

Lenoch sat slightly away from the old man and ordered a cocktail. Without asking any further, the old man mixed something suitable and placed it before him.

Only after the glass touched the counter did Lenoch speak.

“I’m looking for work suited to a mage.”

An underground employment office.

This was the place where he could find the kind of work the man had mentioned.

If they had even arranged jobs for that elderly man, who could not defend himself against common thugs, then it should not be too dangerous for Lenoch either.

At Lenoch’s words, the old man paused briefly.

Then, without saying anything, he tapped the glass four times.

Silence followed, and from the space behind the bar, someone walked out while yawning.

“Ha… Hey. We’re closed. I was just about to get some sleep, so what’s this about?”

The speaker was a woman with sharp features and damp-looking hair, as though she had just come out of the shower.

Her shirt was loosely unbuttoned, and she wore black leather pants. The overall impression she gave off was both relaxed and dangerous.

She did not look much like an ordinary bar employee.

For the first time, the old bartender beside her opened his mouth.

“He says he’s a mage.”

“…A mage?”

From what Lenoch had seen so far, mages seemed to be treated rather well in this world.

As if her thoughts had followed the same line, the irritation on her face gave way to curiosity.

“Hmm. You look more like a sick patient than a mage… You’re not some escaped test subject from a research lab, are you?”

Even in the dim light of the bar, Lenoch’s complexion was noticeably poor.

When Lenoch gave no answer, the woman seemed to reach her own conclusion and took a seat across the counter.

“Well, whatever. That part doesn’t matter. You can never have too many capable mages. I’m Jenny. And you are?”

He could not use his real name

Lenoch intended to create a separate identity for the work he would do here, along with the face he had altered through magic.

After thinking briefly, he gave the name of the man who had first spoken to him back at the factory.

“…Van.”

“Alright, Van. I don’t know who sent you here, but it’s no great secret that this bar connects people with all kinds of jobs. So, you’re looking for work suited to a mage?”

“Yes.”

Lenoch intentionally kept his answer brief.

Until he understood what kind of person Jenny was, he decided it would be dangerous to reveal too much.

At Lenoch’s reply, Jenny’s eyes narrowed.

“Then we’ll need to know what level of mage you are. We can’t assign you suitable work unless we know what you’re capable of, right?”

“Level?”

“Well, you don’t have to tell us what unique magic system you’ve mastered… but we at least need to know your branch.”

“……”

Perhaps taking his silence the wrong way, Jenny’s expression sharpened for a moment.

“Don’t tell me you’re calling yourself a mage just because you picked up a bit of common magic. That would be disappointing.”

Without a word, Lenoch loosened his grip on the glass and spread his fingers.

He formed a clear image in his mind and drew up his mana.

As bright magical light illuminated the faces of the three people around him, Lenoch’s spell took shape.

Crackle!

“…So you’re an electric-branch mage. My apologies.”

Jenny spoke awkwardly as she watched blue currents rise between Lenoch’s palms.

Elemental magic was known for being powerful and intuitive, but despite its symbolic importance, it was also infamous for being difficult to master and apply properly.

Lenoch had just cast a spell without an incantation or hand signs.

That was something only orthodox mages who had spent more than a decade deeply studying their craft could do.

Even the old man standing beside her gave a quiet nod, but Lenoch had no intention of stopping there.

Although Lenoch had to be careful not to reveal everything, he still needed to prove that he was different from the countless workers who came through this bar.

He focused his mind and delicately controlled the mana flowing through his hands.

The moment Lenoch moved his fingers, the expressions of both Jenny and the old man changed completely.

“……!!!”

The current running between his fingers split into five separate strands, then gracefully shaped itself into a small pentagram.

It was a feat that would have been impossible without precise mana control down to the smallest detail.

The two of them seemed to understand that very well, and the way they looked at Lenoch changed at once.

Only then did Lenoch extinguish his mana and pick up his glass again.

“As you can see, I’m confident in my abilities. I’d appreciate it if you could introduce me to some worthwhile work.”

“…You’re quite the impressive customer to show up at the crack of dawn. I like you.”

Jenny answered with a smrik.

“But we can’t hand you any important work right from the start. After we’ve worked together a few times and built some trust, we’ll be able to introduce you to better clients. Until then, the jobs available to you will be limited. Is that fine?”

“I understand.”

“Good. Then let’s draw up the contract.”

Once they came to an agreement, the process moved quickly.

They prepared a simple employment contract that barely restricted either side’s freedom or responsibility. Afterward, Jenny pulled a thick file from behind the bar.

“Shall we get started? Since you came all the way here, I assume you’re not planning to be too picky.”

“As long as it doesn’t involve harming civilians.”

Lenoch wanted to avoid being hunted by the police or military for harming innocent people.

Jenny shook her head, as if telling him there was no need to worry.

“You can relax. That won’t happen. First, take a look at this.”

She opened the file and pushed the documents inside toward Lenoch.

The file contained various papers, each one recording someone’s profile.

Every sheet showed photos of people of all ages and genders, with large unfamiliar numbers stamped beside them.

Lenoch stared at the papers for a moment before realizing what those numbers meant.

“…Bounties?”

“They’re easy to access, simple to evaluate, and the payment comes quickly. That’s why bounty hunters exist.”

As Jenny spoke, she pulled out one sheet and handed it to Lenoch.

“It’s the perfect starting point for filtering out the useless ones. Interested?”

“I haven’t been in this city for long, so… I’m not exactly in a position to be picky.”

Lenoch answered while carefully studying the face in the photograph.

It showed a young man with rough skin and a nervous expression. His faded brown hair was cut unevenly and swept to one side, and a cigarette hung from his lips.

“His name is Taylor Evans. He’s a scavenger. Three days ago, he attempted to steal security equipment from Achilles Corporation at the harbor in District 31.”

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