037. Skyscraper (2)
Laxen, the original protagonist of the work.
Information about him, such as age, physical characteristics, place of residence, and behavioral habits, was packed full of information.
“… … .”
[…] While working as a baron’s servant, he visited the mansion and served as the chief professor and elder of Matap, Aitar. Mid-year admission as a freshman with special exceptions. I am currently studying in the dormitory… … .]
I skimmed through the contents and closed the file.
‘It’s just what I know.’
I returned the file to the branch manager, took out an amount more than the price, and put it on the table.
“You will receive the next information in a week. And I will add a quest.”
“Tell me.”
“I want you to investigate the actions of the characters. Trends in the last two months, every little movement.”
“Not one, but many. You have to give us some general information about the person.”
“Leica, Vama, Parter.”
The branch manager’s hand, which was wiping the glass, stopped.
“These are people who cannot be known without knowing. First of all, I know that Leica has disappeared after a train accident outside the city.”
“Is it impossible?”
The branch manager laughed.
“no. Nothing is impossible for us. It just adds to the cost.”
“It doesn’t matter how much money it costs.”
The branch manager nodded as he pulled out more bundles of bills.
“This is a high-risk job, so it may take some time. There are some pieces of information that we independently researched, but you seem to want more than that.”
“How long will it take?”
“You have to give it three weeks. It may take longer than that. Rather, I know a total of five executives. A seat is vacant right now, but… .”
The branch manager was speechless.
I understood the meaning between the lines and said it.
“I don’t need information about Cain and Dana.”
Dana. Boss’s closest ally.
He rarely appears externally, and his main role was to deliver the boss’s orders to each executive and manage the organization’s money flow.
The branch manager nodded his head.
“sorry. It is the virtue of the branch manager to not have any doubts about the customer’s request, but I was rude.”
“Does not matter. And one more thing, I want to want a doctor.”
“Are there any conditions you want?”
“A person capable of body transformation. Needless to say, you have to be good at it.”
“Doctors are full of shit, but body remodeling is tricky.”
“Is it impossible?”
“I will try. It is a place where all kinds of people gather to touch big money, so there must be at least one person who meets the conditions. Instead, I think you should give it a little more time.”
“How long do you think it will take?”
“3 days. If we can’t find it in there, you can assume that there is no doctor in this area with the conditions you mentioned.”
As I was about to take out the bill and pay, the branch manager said.
“As an apology for my previous rudeness, I will not accept the commission for this case.”
“… … .”
I nodded and retrieved the money. The branch manager made a cocktail and handed it to me.
“what?”
“The tears of the goddess. It’s a cocktail made with a special product that can only be found in the 90’s area. You’ve come all the way here, so let’s have a drink.”
As a result of looking at it with magic, there seemed to be no abnormality.
“Drink well.”
As soon as I took one bite, the strong smell of alcohol wafted up my esophagus.
I got up and walked over to the glass wall.
“If you had come a year earlier, you would have seen a pretty nice night view. It’s not the soot covering the area.”
“It looked like an area where tourism was active.”
He said, recalling the casinos that stood out on the street.
“Yes. you’re right. The middle and upper classes from far away were the main customers. It has gone down a lot since the factory was built.”
I looked down at the hazy landscape without saying a word.
* * *
Three days later, the branch manager handed me a note with the name and location of a bar.
“He has been staying in this area since a week ago with great timing. If you go there, I’ll be able to meet you right away.”
He said he had only found it on the last day.
He was born in Clarkfield, the holy land of magic engineering.
He added that one skill could be guaranteed.
quiver-
I stopped my bike in front of a shabby bar.
When I opened the door, I could see the gloomy interior with the sound of iron.
“… I’m going to take my share and enter the inner area. And join the Red Skull!”
“Illness. I’ll give you a lot of back alley gangsters.”
Loud shouts and snarky jokes were going back and forth between the main guests.
I looked inside once.
In the corner, it was not difficult to find the man in the impression that the branch manager said.
He sat down on the other side of the table and said.
“Freud. I heard that he is a doctor who can modify the body.”
He was a man in his late 40’s.
The table was already full of empty wine bottles, and a black briefcase was lying next to it.
His head, which had been bent over from drunkenness, was raised.
“what. Where did you hear the rumors again? go away. I’m not in the mood to work right now.”
“It doesn’t have to be right now. Pick a suitable date… .”
“go away!”
He grabbed the glass and threw it.
The glass, which was directed towards my face, solidified in the air, and fell to the bottom as soon as the magic was released.
“Eh. what, what Am I giving my hand the wrong strength… .”
“Tell me again. I want to order They give you as much money as you want.”
He was bewildered for a moment, but then he came to his senses and began to react.
“under! I think money is the problem now! his money! because of money!”
“Let’s hear the story.”
“go away! Turn it off! please leave me alone… !”
bang!
That was then.
The table in the back fell and there was a commotion.
“This bastard! Don’t you know that I just hid a card from you?”
“Did you see it? It’s going to be a disadvantage, so I’m just going to overthrow the board.”
It was a poker table.
There was a pile of money on top, and the group was split on both sides.
Arguments intensified and voices were raised. All the guests were watching this table.
“Give back all your money. If you don’t want your wrists to fly off.”
“It’s nonsense. How can you drive people like this without any proof?”
The tension continued to rise.
It felt like it was going to explode at any moment.
bang!
One side pulled out a gun and fired, and a gunfight broke out in an instant.
“Kill them all!”
Items on display were shattered and screams rang out.
Those who were near the door hurriedly ran outside, while those who did not hid under the table.
Tou-doo-!
A blind bullet flew in this direction. The trajectory was straight towards Freud’s face.
“… … .”
“… … !”
Neither of us was hiding.
I don’t have to.
He is not quick to judge the situation.
‘I can’t help it.’
that fleeting moment.
I raised my mana.
“Hib!”
Freud started hiccups.
In front of his ever-larger pupil, the bullet stopped.
Tung!
The magic bullet fell straight into the glass, splashing drops of alcohol in his face.
After that, all the bullets that flew in were blocked by the protection I deployed and all fell down.
‘I’ll have to wait forever like this.’
Freud was still puzzled, and the gunfight showed no sign of coming to an end.
Woong-
He raised the mana in his body and set the magic coordinates.
“Uh, huh?”
A dark red energy rose around the guns the rioters were holding. And floated into the void.
Woodduck.
and it shriveled up.
As if a black hole exists at a point inside.
“Disabled”
It was a magic that twisted between atoms and changed the shape of the metal itself.
It’s not just the speed of mana recovery that’s improved with the level of the circuit.
Increases the quality of mana stored in the circuit.
Even with the same magic, the power itself is amplified, and the available types are also greatly increased.
The mana consumed is also not formidable, but in order to kick them out, it was necessary to show a tangible performance.
After that, Mana flew towards them.
“Seconds, seconds, guns!”
“Run away! A wizard!”
I did not intentionally increase the speed of mana that much. The guys ran out of the Honbi Baeksan bar.
In an instant, silence came again.
“Stop talking.”
“Just how what… . Now, were you a wizard?”
Freud was still stunned. Conversation had become more mundane.
“Do, help! A man here was shot!”
Then a call was heard.
A young man grabbed his shoulders and fell.
The person who seemed to be in the party looked around and was restless.
“… … .”
But no one came forward.
They were just busy looking at each other and taking care of themselves.
Freud’s eyes were on the young man.
He bit his lip and quarreled for a while, then kicked off his seat and got up.
“Move! I’ll see you! There you bring clean water from the kitchen!”
“Ah, yes, yes!”
Freud’s movements were quick and agile. Using his outer garment as a rug, he laid the patient down and examined the affected area.
“Uh-huh!”
Blood flowed nonstop from his shoulder. My body continued to tremble and I was sweating profusely.
“Here, I brought water here.”
“Put it aside!”
“Is my friend okay?”
“If it’s been pierced cleanly, it’s not like this. The warhead exploded from the inside.”
“Hey, what does that mean?”
“It hurts to come! Damn it, cheap guns are like that. Its performance deteriorates, causing people to struggle and die. Even if you are lucky, you will be disabled for the rest of your life.”
chin!
His bag was opened.
Surgical tools such as scalpels and scissors and several metal parts the size of a fingernail appeared.
Freud took out some of the tools and handed them along with the disinfectant to the patient’s party.
“Go to the kitchen and wash it with disinfectant! I don’t have time to dry naturally, so I just wipe it with gauze!”
“Yes, yes!”
Freud picked up the scalpel.
“Even if it hurts, be patient. It’s a bar floor, so there’s no anesthetic.”
I watched the situation carefully and sent mana to the patient.
“Bar, just something?”
“It is a magic that has an effect similar to anesthesia. Keep doing what you are doing.”
He looked at me blankly, came to his senses, and started the operation.
Meanwhile, cleaned surgical instruments arrived.
The scalpel made an incision in the skin.
A thread and a needle fixed the skin, revealing a red muscle inside.
The tweezers moved smoothly.
lift the tendon.
pinch between them.
Very fine warhead fragments piled up on top of the bowl.
‘He must have been drunk. Even if I woke up with a commotion a while ago.’
I admired myself.
There was no error or extravagance in his movements.
“The muscle tissue was completely damaged. Life has no limits. At this rate, you will be unable to use one arm completely. Hey, would it be okay if I tried to put something in your arm?”
The patient was clenching his teeth to control the pain. Instead of him, the group accepted.
Freud made two or three metal parts with specific numbers to form a straight line.
Then, using tweezers, it was carefully fixed along the outside of the bone.
“… … .”
All of a sudden, everyone in the bar had gathered and surrounded them.
Everyone held their breath and watched the master.
The attachment of the parts was completed, the incised skin was covered again, and the operation was finally finished.
“The sutures are complete and the hemostasis is over. move your arm It feels a little strange at first and it doesn’t move well, but once you get used to it, it won’t interfere with your daily life.”
The patient’s body was drenched in cold sweat. Slowly and laboriously, he raised his arms as instructed.
“Wow!”
At that moment, thunderous shouts and applause erupted.
Freud raised his head in astonishment as if he had just realized the situation.
“go away! What a spectacle!”
Then he grabbed his bag and ran out of the bar through the crowd.
I quickly followed.
I didn’t know where he was going. They kept a certain distance and kept talking.
“Didn’t you even say thank you?”
“Turn it off. I didn’t mean to receive such a greeting.”
“Like I said, I’m going to ask that person.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to see anyone right now. at least a few months. No, maybe for the rest of my life.”
His demeanor was still tough.
‘I think something is wrong.’
I roused the wind and floated his body.
Then he slowly walked forward and turned around.
“No, magic! Magic!”
Rather than anger at the situation, it was a fight with a stronger surprise.
“Could you tell me a story, if there is any? I might be able to help.”
He floundered in the air and stopped when he heard me.
* * *
“If you’re from Clackfield, magic shouldn’t surprise you.”
“The wizards I’ve been through aren’t like you. To say that it was magic, it was only to the extent that it was a little useful in our daily lives, and it was to the extent that it played a supporting role in making mechanical devices.”
Not many wizards have ever experienced it in the first place.
Even though it is a holy land for magic engineering, it is an area that is overwhelmingly biased towards machines.
“It was said that true wizards have god-like powers, and that seems to be true. It stopped the bullets from flying. He even helped with the surgery.”
He took a sip of his coffee and spoke in a softer tone.
“If you’re like a god, you’d be closer to a doctor than a wizard. It can save people.”
He scratched his head sarcastically.
“No. thank you first The first thing I should have said, I’m sorry. When I get emotional, I can’t control myself well.”
“Does not matter. I didn’t mean to say thank you.”
This is what Freud had said earlier.
He grinned for a moment, then chuckled.
“Your skill in accepting is pretty good. Oh yeah. He said he wanted to ask me for an operation.”
“I’ll give you both the pay and the time for the house.”
He shook his head.
“I’m sorry. It’s true that I can’t see the doctor. I said that earlier because the situation was so urgent, but I really can’t afford it right now… .”
“… … .”
‘I might want another doctor, though.’
I already had strong confidence in him.
Body remodeling is not an easy task for anyone, and you never know how long it will take to find a new one.
I looked at him with quiet eyes.
Human suffering usually falls into one of three categories.
Money, health and relationships.
Money doesn’t seem to be an issue.
So is health.
All that’s left is human relationships.
Human relationships in this crime city.
I put the tea in my mouth and swallowed it.
Then he put down the glass and said.
“That leeway, I’ll take it back. If it was stolen from someone else.”