Chapter 117

-You seem a bit off.

"What...?"

-Did something during the mission bother you?

Startled by Hina's sudden observation, Lennok was about to dismiss it, but he caught himself and acknowledged that he was indeed feeling slightly irritated.

The adrenaline from the battle hadn't completely worn off, but the discomfort in his mind was of a different nature altogether.

Soon, Lennok identified the cause and managed a bitter smile.

"I see."

He was displeased.

It irked him to discover that these beings, who fed on human existence from the lowest corners of society, were capable of love and mourning for their comrades, just like humans.

The fact that the man who had tried to terrorize the city possessed emotions that even Lennok couldn't easily grasp deeply bothered him.

Perhaps Lennok himself was less emotionally endowed than these terrorists.

Unconsciously, he found himself pondering such meaningless questions.

A talent defying the natural order, ever-increasing fame and value, and partners who kept changing.

Yet, amidst all of this, Lennok stood alone, without anyone to rely on.

He tried to suppress these feelings, but after each battle, as he treaded the line between life and death, self-deprecation couldn't help but seep in.

The coldness and composure that he currently exhibited might merely be a tool crafted for Lennok, the human, to wield the blade of his talent.

Although his concerns were long-standing, he had not arrived at a definitive conclusion.

For now, he set aside thoughts of his identity and self-realization.

The answer did not lie in futile contemplation and torment, but perhaps resided within the enigmas of this world.

And so, he pursued those elusive traces, uncertain if they even existed in the mainstream.

As he spotted a truck's silhouette advancing from beyond the horizon, raising a cloud of dust, Lennok slowly got to his feet.

The scorching desert heat had subsided, and the sun was setting.

Thus, another day came to a close.

******

-It will take approximately two days to interpret the data we hacked.

"I understand."

Strolling down the street, Lennok listened to Jenny's voice emanating from the other end of the phone.

His head still throbbed from the aftereffects of inhaling Feather Fall, but his body felt invigorated, likely thanks to the aftercare pill he had taken.

-They said we should wait until then. Unlike other freelancers, we will probably receive a separate briefing, so just relax for now.

"A separate briefing?"

-Even the agents acknowledge that the operation can't proceed without you. Look at how things turned out. While fighting against dark wizards might be manageable with freelancers alone, when Falcon got involved, it was evident that the operation had its limits.

Lennok remained silent.

He partially agreed with Jenny's assessment.

Though powerful as individuals, there could be a lack of synergy when it came to group operations.

They couldn't match the seamless coordination found in organization-trained mercenary units or gangs.

To overcome this, one needed to either dominate the team with overwhelming skill, like Lennok, or naturally lead based on cooperative abilities, like Chen.

How many freelancers possessed such extraordinary talents?

It was obvious that the more exceptional their skills, the more scout offers they received from various sources. By the time they considered joining an organization, they might have already taken that path.

There weren't many individuals like Lennok who chose to work alone due to unique circumstances, but their numbers paled in comparison to the vast organizations spread throughout the city.

What surprised Lennok was that Jenny, who acted as an intermediary between freelancers and organizations, directly brought up the topic.

"Anyway, got it. So I have about two days of free time."

-Do you have anything else to take care of? The moment we get Falcon's updated location information, the next operation will kick off. It's best to use this time for personal maintenance.

"When did you start caring about my well-being?"

-Who wouldn't worry about someone like you? The same applies to Dyke. Just look at the amount credited to your account through collaboration with the agents. Anyone would think the same. Have you checked your bank account recently?

Despite Jenny's cheerful tone, the fact remained that the compensation set by the agents for the ongoing operations was indeed quite satisfactory.

So far, Lennok had only been involved a couple of times as an accomplice, maybe around three times. But even so, the money flowing into his account had already exceeded 200 million cells, making Jenny's commission substantial.

-After this job, the price will rise again. If we play our cards right, we might even aim for amounts in the hundreds of millions for each case, right?

"Is that so?"

"The more famous you get, the more attention you attract. That means the assessments of you become more accurate and sharper. Can a level 5 wizard who acts alone even exist in this field?

After ending the call with Jenny, Lennok discreetly checked his bank account on his cell phone.

He saw a familiar nine-digit number.

'It has exceeded 500 million cells. Have they started sending money from the vault?'

It was an amount that excited just by looking at it, but it was not unusual for him to spend it on buying potions or relics anytime.

He remembered the underground auction house, the subject of his conversation with Jenny earlier.

If he could get an entry ticket through Evelyn's connections, he planned to invest all the money in the account to find a new item that could help with the current situation.

'But let's not worry about that for now.'

If Jenny directly called to halt his activities, it would indicate that the affairs within the agent were busy. However, Lennok hadn't come here only for entertainment.

He needed to find someone who could provide clues about the two types of books discovered at the temporary base.

How should he approach these two completely different fields to find the answers he sought? There was no point in struggling with a problem that couldn't be solved through solitary thinking alone.

Lennok trusted his own thinking and intuition, but he never shied away from seeking different perspectives from others.

There was no reason to hesitate in seeking advice, especially if someone was willing to help resolve the issues that Vulcan encountered to some extent.

******

"So that's what happened," Raul said, giving a weak chuckle. "I think the problem has become too big to be handled with just the ring I gave you."

Lennok had a fair idea about the ring; it was one type of artifact that emitted an alien magic. He suspected it was closely related to an old wizard family due to the shape of a giant tree root discovered during property changes. There was a high possibility that it could be a key to unlock something hidden.

However, Lennok chose not to reveal these thoughts to Raul and simply nodded quietly.

"That's not wrong."

"I'll look for something that can aid a wizard from the items my kids made. I hope they can work a little harder."

While their combat ability might be relatively low, Raul's subordinates specialized in training black magic of the enchantment type. Given that they ran businesses and maintained the market in District 44, Lennok believed they wouldn't hand over an item that fell below expectations.

Lennok had no intention of boasting about his past achievements, but he saw no reason to turn down Raul's gift.

As they continued talking, Raul spoke with a pensive expression.

"Necromancy, huh... It's not a practice our faction delves into, but I've come across some information about it."

"Please, tell me more."

The core of necromancy essentially involves transferring the risks that the sorcerer should bear onto another entity. The practitioner must prepare the required flesh or equivalent material for the resurrection and chant the soul invocation to complete the ritual.

It involves complex rituals and a variety of ingredients. Unlike summoning rituals that rely on sheer luck, necromancy can be used if the entity one wishes to summon willingly agrees to it.

However, once the entity is resurrected and given a body, it gains complete autonomy and becomes untouchable by the caster until its mana is completely depleted. In the past, there were instances where necromantically summoned beings turned against the sorcerer and killed them.

The modern academic community has attempted to mitigate the grave risks associated with necromancy by researching various methods to restrict and control the behavior of the summoned entity. However, these methods still carry the same strengths and weaknesses as summoning rituals and are ultimately inferior to them.

As a result, necromancy, once pushed out from mainstream magical theory, was adopted by dark wizards and continues to be practiced within the Practical faction.

The conversation had veered into the history of the dark mage faction.

"The Practical faction seems different from the past dark wizards who focused solely on a single lineage."

"In essence, it's more accurate to see it as a single organization led by the strong will and personality of its de facto elder, Craig Tillian. I've always respected Craig's ability to gather those who were disillusioned with their own magic and bring them this far..."

Raul's shoulders slumped as he chuckled weakly.

"So that's how it is."

"What do you think is their reason for being interested in artificial intelligence?"

"I have a few guesses, but... I'd like to hear what you think first." Raul said, his wrinkled eyes furrowing intensely. "You're the most intuitive wizard I've ever encountered, with a talent for delving into the heart of the matter with ease, and your words are imbued with the wisdom of a seasoned scholar who has studied magic for decades, despite your young age."

"......"

"Perhaps Lord Croken recognized this aspect of you, which is why he allowed you to make contact with us. Frankly, I suspected you were concealing your true age."

Lennok found this somewhat surprising.

He had only interacted with Raul face-to-face on a few occasions, and their discussions about magic had been even fewer.

Yet, Raul claimed to have sensed a strong talent in Lennok's perspective.

He had assumed Raul to be a frail old man caught up in his circumstances, but it appeared that Raul's experience and age had not gone to waste.

Feeling compelled to reciprocate Raul's honesty, Lennok openly shared his thoughts.

"Necromancy and artificial intelligence might seem like completely different fields, but surprisingly, there's a powerful commonality between the two."

"And what is that?"

Raul asked, extinguishing the cigarette he had been smoking. Lennok replied,

"The desire to have someone else do what you can't..."

"......"

"A root that sits at the very foundation, separate from the principles of rituals or the understanding of engineering."

'The root of a giant tree.'

Lennok was momentarily taken aback by the vision that flashed in his mind, but Raul quickly grasped the meaning behind his words.

"A desire, indeed... That's true. You have the talent to see beyond the surface of simple rituals."

(To be Continued)

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