From a distance of approximately 600 meters away, Lennok felt a presence, proving his hunch accurate – the sniper was indeed evading detection through some means other than distancing himself.
As soon as he had located the position, he summoned his mana and swirled it around his right hand as the focal point.
Woooo!!
A peculiar sensation coursed through him as he felt the mana begin to invert, propelling it upwards and beyond the limits of space.
Despite his theoretical knowledge of the spell, this was the first time he had ever cast it.
Among the common spells, it was classified as an applied magic with the potential to harness great power with just one hand, a signature of the lightning magic series.
[Thunder Calling]
In an instant, the air crackled with blue energy, and a bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, crashing to the ground with a deafening roar.
THUDUDUDUDUDD.
Kwaaaaang!!
Lennok was taken aback by the sheer power of the spell. In his mind, he had always thought of lightning magic as a symbol of strength, but seeing it manifest in reality left him with a newfound appreciation for its destructive potential.
Had the sniper not reacted quickly and evaded the strike, the sniper would have surely perished.
Lennok rushed towards the point of impact, but all that remained was a gaping hole in the ground, devoid of any trace of the assailant.
‘Did the sniper flee the moment I cast the spell?’
Lennok weighed his options – he could try and track the sniper, but the chance of success was slim.
Instead, he decided that the show of force would be enough to deter any further attempts on his life, at least for the time being, although it was unlikely to spread his name as ‘Van', the lightning-type wizard.
Lennok didn't hold high expectations, but he prayed that he wouldn't encounter any pointless hindrances or constraints while performing his tasks.
However, he was aware that by behaving in such a way, he may draw unwanted attention from those who sought to pry into his affairs. This was precisely why he had assumed a new identity, complete with a new face, to avoid detection and scrutiny.
Lennok placed complete faith in his magical aptitude, a wondrous gift forged by exchanging his lifespan.
While he was uncertain of the extent of other wizards' abilities in this world, he knew that his own talent would never falter.
For Lennok, belief in his own power was paramount; without it, he would be powerless.
With his unyielding rationale, Lennok suppressed the faint stirrings of unease and collected Taylor's lifeless body, carefully placing it in a bag he had prepared for this purpose.
Despite the physical exertion, he did not lack much strength, perhaps owing to the cigarette he had smoked in anticipation of a potential hand-to-hand confrontation.
While he may suffer from muscle pain after the drug's effects had worn off, he did not strengthen his muscles with mana, aware that it was his strongest weapon and last resort.
He understood the need to conserve and utilize his mana sparingly unless faced with an adversary.
Following the same path he had taken earlier, Lennok made his way toward District 49. The bag he carried dripped with blood, but there was no one in the vicinity observant enough to take notice of the gruesome sight.
Upon reaching the location of Jenny's bar, Lennok was dismayed to find the shutter closed.
After a moment's hesitation, he knocked on the shutter, hoping that someone was still inside.
A hoarse voice belonging to an elderly man emanated from within, "The business hours start from 8 pm."
"I caught Taylor Evans."
A moment of silence hung in the air as the old man struggled to comprehend the implications of Lennok's words.
He let out a resigned sigh before, saying, "There's a back door behind the building. Come on in from there."
Following the old man's directions, Lennok made his way inside and was met with a sight that was both familiar and different from the previous bar. The counter was separated by a glass window, and the old man gazed at him with a guarded expression.
Noticing the sack that Lennok carried, the old man cautiously suggested, "When discussing business in the future, please use this entrance. I should have informed you earlier, but both Jenny and I seem to have forgotten."
Lennok simply nodded in agreement and placed the sack on the table.
"Check this first,"
Thud!
“Taylor Evans himself.”
“Wait a minute.”
After slipping on a pair of gloves from under the counter, the old man let out a resigned sigh and began examining the contents of the bag.
Despite being faced with the lifeless body, he remained unfazed and calm, indicating that he was no ordinary person.
“The cause of death was a gunshot wound. Based on the time of death and other factors, it appears that he had been deceased for less than an hour. Prior to the fatal injury, there are indications of an ear injury, and he seems to have been malnourished for some time. Furthermore, there are no signs of mana modification, and all of the organs are intact, indicating that it was indeed the individual himself.”
Lennok was astonished at the old man's ability to deduce everything simply by observing the crumpled form in the sack.
“Are you a former coroner?”
"I've done something similar before. Would you like to collect the bounty now?"
Lennok nodded in acknowledgment, and the old man promptly retrieved the appropriate amount of cash and placed it on the counter.
"Your payout will be 270,000 cells after deducting the 10% commission. If you prefer to receive it through means other than cash, additional fees will be required."
"What other ways?"
"There are a few options. We can deposit the funds into an account under a pseudonym, or in more complex situations, we may need to utilize money laundering services. There is also the possibility of exchanging the funds for bonds or stocks."
Lennok pondered whether the financial sector operated in a similar fashion on Vulcan as it did on Earth, as he stored the various pieces of information the old man had shared with him in his mind.
As he did so, a figure emerged from behind the black curtains situated behind the old man.
"Hey, have you already arrived?"
It was Jenny, looking tired and disheveled, as she pushed back her unkempt hair and let out a yawn.
"Whoa, what customer shows up at this hour? You must really need the cash, huh?"
Lennok nodded obediently at Jenny's sarcastic smile.
"I did it because I can."
"Dang, you're a talented wizard."
Jenny pulled up a chair next to the old man and sat down, resting her chin on her hand as she asked, "Normally it takes way longer to track down a bounty than to take them out. How did you manage to catch that rat bastard so quickly?"
“I got lucky.”
Jenny let out a soft chuckle at Lennok's predictable response, perhaps not expecting a thorough answer from him. Sensing that the topic had reached its natural conclusion, she swiftly changed the subject, "If you can get results this fast, you're definitely skilled. Let's work together again in the future."
"I wouldn't mind another job right now."
Lennok realized that in order to receive more work from this establishment, he would have to return to District 49. However, he was reluctant to make any unnecessary moves at this time, but Jenny immediately shook her head, "No can do. First, give Achilles' rep the results, check out Scavenger's movement, and then we'll talk about the next job."
"One job isn't enough?"
"You're good at communicating. We'll see how good you are at the job, and then we'll talk about more work." Jenny said with a smile.
"Hmm…"
‘It's probably not just because of that.'
Despite Jenny's smooth and convincing words, Lennok harbored some doubts regarding her true intentions. He had learned that her words often held more ambiguity than meaning. Despite this, he decided not to push her for more information and instead collected the cash offered by the old man.
"Alright, see you later."
"Wait, I have a question."
"What is it?"
Lennok had been searching for a suitable place to purchase something similar to what he needed. He thought maybe Jenny could offer a solution.
Swiveling around, Lennok retrieved a cigarette from his pocket and placed it in front of Jenny.
"I'm looking for a place that sells something like this. It doesn't have to be cigarettes, but I want to check out a variety of products if possible."
Jenny remained silent, but Lennok noticed a brief exchange of glances between her and the old man.
Taking the cigarette from Lennok's outstretched hand, Jenny handled it with caution, almost as if it were a ticking time bomb. She scrutinized the exterior, bringing it close to her nose to take in its scent.
For a moment, her head twitched, but she swiftly regained her composure. Finally, she placed the cigarette down and let out a sigh of relief.
"Haa… I thought it was some new electronic drug or something."
"Do you know what it is?"
"It's just a common grass. I don't know the name of the product, but I have an idea of the ingredients. They mix melodi and alpinyah leaves, and then add vegetable oil."
Jenny handed him the cigarette and said, "But aren't you a wizard? You shouldn't be smoking cheap stuff like this. Your brain will turn to mush."
"My brain?"
"Yeah. The mix is simple, the taste is rough, and it's just plain garbage. I don’t get why a wizard would like it, but if you're going to smoke, you should buy something expensive with fewer side effects."
"… "
“Anyway, if you're into that stuff, check out Plumbur's orchard. They have a huge variety of products and cater to enthusiasts like you. You might find something you like there."
As she provided him with a rough description of the orchard's location, Lennok nodded his head in understanding.
"Thanks for the tip. I'll come back next time."
"Sure thing, see you later."
As Lennok walked away from Jenny, bidding her farewell with a wave of his hand, he suddenly came to a halt.
"Wait, can I ask one more question?"
"What?"
"Can you tell me about health food?"
After Lennok had vanished from sight, the old man proceeded to dispose of the body of Taylor Evans that he had left behind. He took a photograph and collected genetic information, which he sealed and delivered separately to Achilles' intermediary.
Although an additional commission fee was incurred during the process, it was par for the course in this line of work, and costs could not be discussed without deducting the commission fee.
Jenny, who had been observing the old man's actions while resting her chin on her hand, remarked, "Isn't it weird to have a customer looking for both dope and health food?"
"Is this regarding that wizard from earlier?"
"Yeah, if I were a merchant, I'd be wondering if he was crazy. I don't get what goes through wizards' minds. All geniuses are like that."
Although Jenny tried to dismiss the comment with a smirk, the old man, Jordan, seemed to think differently. As he cleared the counter, he spoke slowly, "I discovered something interesting by circumventing Scavenger's network."
Jenny's expression immediately soured at Jordan's words. "Why are you still wasting resources on that filth? Paying Mirror Diver to spy on their network is a complete waste."
Mirror Diver was a notorious group of Vulcan hackers who controlled a significant portion of the city's network and sold off its byproducts. They boasted a team of skilled engineers and programmers, making it easy for anyone to gain access to any network within the city, even if it belonged to another organization.
However, Jordan remained composed as he responded, "It appears that they managed to capture an image of Taylor Evans at the time of his death, and Van’s unique magic signature was also recorded. Shouldn't we investigate it further? He may be a more valuable client than we initially thought."
"What?"
Despite its enormous size, Scavenger, a criminal organization, lacked true power and influence beyond its core leadership due to the low level of its members.
They were little more than a collection of street thugs. However, there was one area where such individuals could prove useful to the organization.
"Got it. Here they are. These guys are everywhere."
Being scattered throughout the city like litter, they had eyes and ears on everything that transpired in the city.
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