Chapter 15

A week had passed.

Instead of immediately accepting the request Jenny handed him, Renock had delayed it and pursued bounty hunting a couple of times to check if there were any shooting assistance spells he hadn’t yet utilized in actual combat.

He tried to actively use only shooting assistance spells, excluding [Bloody Chase] which he used to track down bounties, and instead of offensive or binding spells, or spells with strong destructive power.

This was possible because he had become so accustomed to dealing with bounties that he could handle them without heavily relying on magic.

The results were satisfactory.

The moment he approached within range, he could simply pull the trigger and hit both thighs, leaving the bounties no choice but to crawl on the ground.

With [Aim Correction], he could easily capture other bounties and hand them over to Jordan, as long as the revolver’s range allowed it.

And if he added the [Silence] spell, subduing the target without anyone noticing was not difficult at all.

It was simple yet effective, and Renock managed to earn an additional ten million cells over ten days.

However, there were not no drawbacks.

While the combination of revolver and assistance spells had significantly upgraded the gun’s specs, the limitations of this shooting combo were clear.

Ultimately, no matter how much he used shooting assistance spells, he could only shoot the gun faster and stronger.

This was because the spells assisted the act of shooting itself, rather than adding effects to the bullets.

The number of assistance spells a gun could handle was limited, and the efficiency was a problem because it was focused on a narrow area.

To maximize the efficiency of shooting combo spells, he needed to specialize in a particular aspect rather than improving all aspects of the gun.

And that was a difficult task with an ordinary revolver.

In the end, to achieve better performance, he needed either a better gun or a more powerful assistance spell, a new avenue.

While he could solve the gun issue by investing money, to obtain a more powerful assistance spell, he would need to acquire a unique magic system.

Even if assistance spells were relatively less valuable, could he really buy a unique magic system with the money he had?

And was it worth it?

‘...I need to look for relevant cases.’

Renock was lost in thought as he walked down the street.

In the magic system of WORLD, shooting assistance spells existed only within the public magic system.

It was natural, as a gun mage couldn’t learn unique magic.

Therefore, Renock planned to modify the shooting assistance spells he knew within the public magic system after obtaining a more powerful unique assistance magic system.

But what if the unique assistance magic in this world was different from what he knew? What if there was no room to modify the shooting assistance spells?

‘I need to think about it carefully.’

Nothing was certain, so he had to be more cautious.

Understanding the power of shooting assistance spells was important, but because of that, he shouldn’t get too fixated on them.

There was much to do, and Renock was already struggling to maintain a precarious balance in his life.

If he got caught in one place, it wouldn’t be strange for him to fall without even putting up a fight.

When he entered the bar, Jenny was waiting for him, smoking a cigarette.

When he first met her, she didn’t put anything in her mouth, but lately, she’s been smoking constantly.

It seemed she had been holding back until she got to know Renock better.

Jenny met his gaze and slowly stood up from the bar.

“You’re finally here. Did you enjoy your vacation?”

As she said this, she extended her hand, as if asking for something.

“It’s Amnac Pharmaceuticals, right? I don’t have time, so give it to me quickly.”

“How did you know?”

Renock took out the documents from his pocket and handed them over, asking.

Jenny laughed.

“That’s the only request with a deadline left. And you, for some reason, seem very interested in drugs, so I thought it might be you.”

“Hmm...”

It wasn’t wrong, so Renock nodded.

“Anyway, contact them. Do we need to set up a separate meeting, or can the briefing be done here?”

As he asked, sitting on an empty chair at the bar, Jenny immediately picked up the phone.

“Wait a moment. Someone from their side will come here.”

“Is it that urgent?”

Renock muttered, but Jenny was already busy talking to someone on the phone.

Unable to do anything, Renock opened a bottle of whiskey on the counter. Then, someone sitting a few seats away spoke to him.

“So, you’re the new client Jenny mentioned.”

A gentleman in a suit with a dignified appearance. He looked younger than Jordan but had a weighty face that exuded experience.

He sat up straight and tilted his glass, and Renock stared at him.

“Do you know me?”

“Of course. You’re the lightning mage everyone’s talking about. In this line of work, your reputation has already spread. A bounty hunter who’s obsessed with chasing bounties for money.”

“......”

Indeed, he had repeatedly caught bounties for money, so it wasn’t surprising to be called that.

Among the various abilities Renock had, catching bounties was relatively easy and not too laborious, with the advantage of being able to choose his targets himself.

By avoiding large organizations and pursuing bounties with satisfactory rewards, it seemed such rumors had spread.

“It’s not meant in a bad way. After all, in this city, most bounties fall into two categories.”

“Two categories?”

“Vermin that no one cares about if they disappear, or big shots who don’t even care if someone is after their head.”

“...That’s quite extreme.”

“Indeed. The people in between try to maintain a certain line while living. It’s the same in 49th District. Murders and robberies happen almost daily, and there’s no day without gunshots, but everyone still tries to stay within the lines. Am I wrong?”

Certainly, there were a few unwritten rules in this place that one could feel through the skin, even without being told.

Complete indifference, the existence of freelancers who move for money, and various requests that go through intermediaries.

The man’s tone was light enough to be dismissed, but the content was serious enough to make one think.

“So, who are you?”

“You’re quick to ask.”

He smiled faintly and flicked a business card from his pocket.

Renock instinctively reached out to catch it but hesitated.

The business card floated slowly in the air.

Psychic

Clearly defying the laws of physics, but Renock’s sharp senses detected no magic power.

Given the intuitive and visible result, the lack of any warning signs, and the apparent lack of any special cost, it was likely a psychic ability that consumed mental energy.

The answer was clear.

“...A psychic.”

And a fairly common one, the type that uses telekinesis.

Renock’s words made the man laugh heartily.

“Hahaha!! Since I showed it right in front of you, it’s only natural, isn’t it?”

“......”

“Rumor has it you came to the city from some distant place after only training. It’s not common to be surprised by a psychic. In terms of rarity, actually, a young mage like you is far more rare than an old man like me.”

In WORLD, psychics had the advantage of being very intuitive, but realistically, they weren’t very versatile or deep abilities.

Therefore, few players chose psychics as their main ability, but here, psychics were only those born with the ability, so such common sense didn’t apply.

“Sebastian, are you here to cause trouble for my client again?”

Meanwhile, Jenny, who had finished her call, approached and raised her voice.

Her sharp eyes were menacing, but he leaned back casually and waved his hand.

“It was just a chat. Don’t get so worked up.”

“I knew you’d come back and cause trouble. I haven’t seen you for a while, and now you’re doing this. It’s not fun.”

“True, I did give the mage a business card, but I also came to deliver something to our brave young lady.”

Sebastian casually brushed off Jenny’s words and took out a file from his briefcase, handing it to her.

Jenny immediately unfolded it and started reading. It was a typical Jenny move.

It didn’t take long for her face to show confusion as she read through the documents.

“A summons? Now?”

“It’s evidence that the city government is in a tight spot. Haven’t you seen the news?”

Sebastian’s words made Jenny irritated.

“The delegation from the Filenom Autonomous Region isn’t coming for another two months. It’s too early for such an order to be issued, isn’t it?”

“It’s not a common occurrence.”

He leaned slightly into the bar and spoke in a low voice.

“Rumor has it that one of the city councilors is pushing this agenda very strongly.”

“...Is it because they’re short on money?”

“The likelihood is low. Aren’t you and the councilor close, holding each other’s weaknesses? It’s more likely that he has something else in mind.”

Renock listened to their conversation while sipping his drink.

They didn’t seem to mind his presence, continuing their talk as if he were just nearby.

From their conversation, it seemed the city government had issued a summons to private contractors due to the upcoming visit of the Filenom Autonomous Region delegation, which he had seen in the news yesterday.

Given that Sebastian, who does similar work to Jenny, brought this news, it seemed the intermediaries in this line of work were specifically summoned, and from their expressions, it wasn’t a light matter.

Though their expressions were serious, the conversation was brief.

They knew that discussing it here wouldn’t lead to any immediate conclusions.

Sebastian finished his drink, stood up, and extended his hand to Renock.

“Well, I’ll be off. If you ever want to try something different from what Jenny arranges, feel free to contact me. I can offer different rewards and methods.”

With that, he used telekinesis to pick up his briefcase and left the bar.

Watching his back, Jenny muttered with her arms crossed.

“Truly a man with a black heart.”

“Did you know him before?”

“Sebastian? He’s been in this line of work longer than me. He pretends to run a company in the 45th District, but his clients and methods are all the same. It’s quite uncomfortable.”

From her tone, they weren’t just acquaintances, but Jenny continued to grumble.

Renock pretended to drink, listening to her. She was becoming increasingly talkative.

“Well, at least he’s good at dealing with rich people and businessmen. If you want to take on personal requests, it might not be a bad idea to visit him once.”

Despite being competitors, Jenny didn’t seem to mind if Renock went to Sebastian.

When Renock asked her about it, she shrugged.

“Does a shopkeeper tell a customer not to come? I just do my job.”

“...I see.”

If Jenny said so, it might not be a bad idea to take a job from Sebastian.

The requests from companies and organizations she gave him were flawless, but personal requests were often unsatisfactory.

If Sebastian could offer conditions that would pique Renock’s interest, he might be open to finding jobs.

“Let’s move on. How about the request?”

Clearly, he had finished talking with Amnac Pharmaceuticals, but there was still no word or reaction.

The deadline was today. Had they already found another contractor?

For Renock, it was just a matter of finding another job, but for Jenny, who had spent a long time selecting this request, it would be an unpleasant outcome.

But instead of getting angry, she frowned strangely and replied.

“He’ll be here soon.”

“What?”

“He said he’d come in person after I called. So I just let him be.”

As soon as she finished speaking, someone pushed open the bar door and entered.

A shabby suit, a tired face, an old bag, and a look of discomfort in the dim lighting.

He seemed out of place in this smoky bar.

Renock, who had also looked out of place when he first came here, wasn’t a fan of such bars on Earth.

But people adapt, and he had become accustomed to visiting this place regularly to earn money.

He saw Jenny leaning against the bar and hesitantly approached, asking.

“Um, I’m supposed to meet someone here...”

Jenny lazily replied.

“Amnac?”

“Yes... that’s right.”

“I’m Jenny. This is Ban.”

He finally noticed Renock and bowed his head in surprise.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Luang Sage, the sales manager of Amnac Pharmaceuticals.”

“Ban.”

After the greeting, Sage fumbled in his bag without sitting down.

Jenny shook her head at the sight.

“I’ll get a room for you. Let’s talk there.”

It was clearly not a suitable place for a client.

Jenny led the two to a room on the second floor of the building.

“...Why didn’t you tell me about this room earlier?”

Seeing the clean and static room, reminiscent of a hotel reception, Renock complained.

Jenny snorted.

“You always just take the job and run away. What are you complaining about?”

“......”

It was true that he always went back to his hotel room to rest or study magic after taking a job, so Renock kept quiet.

Sage, who seemed more comfortable in such a room, sat down with a better expression.

“Since time is short, can we get straight to the point?”

He said this and immediately took out a piece of paper from his bag, handing it to Renock.

“I assume you’ve already read the details of this request, as you’ve accepted our offer.”

“I’ve looked through it.”

Renock recalled the content of the request from the pharmaceutical company.

Currently, Amnac Pharmaceuticals is developing a nerve-stabilizing drug through a small-scale crowdfunding campaign.

Given the visible results, despite the company’s size, there are positive forecasts that it will surpass the company’s current net profit.

The problem is that the councilor of the district where their headquarters is located, who is closely associated with a gang in the underworld, is pressuring them to hand over the patent.

Amnac has tried various methods to prevent this, one of which is to get involved in this line of work.

“So, what exactly do you want me to do?”

“Publicly, the drug is still in development, but in reality, it’s already complete.”

Sage said this in a calmer tone.

“We planned to secretly submit a sample to the patent office when the councilor thought the drug wasn’t ready, but after the information leaked, it’s become more difficult.”

It seemed that Amnac’s security was almost meaningless, but Renock understood.

For a small company with a relatively loose system, it was hard to keep employees’ mouths shut.

If they were given enough money and promised no repercussions, many would talk.

“Since the information has already leaked, there’s no point in moving the sample around anymore.”

Renock looked at the photo and flipped it over. 54th District, 8th Street. The address of the warehouse was written in a light script.

“I’ve already contacted the patent office and received approval to submit the sample the day after tomorrow. We want you to retrieve the hidden sample from this warehouse and submit it to the patent office on our behalf.”

Sage said this and looked at Renock nervously.

After staring at the photo of the warehouse, Renock suddenly spoke.

“Sage, right?”

“...Yes.”

A moment of silence.

Renock stared into his eyes and smiled.

“If you want to give me the job, you need to be straightforward.”

Deception

Sage swallowed hard at the menacing tone.

“What do you mean...”

Renock shook the request outline in his hand.

“Are you trying to play dumb? This isn’t just about retrieving and submitting the sample.”

Before taking the job, he needed to clarify any suspicious points.

He didn’t doubt the information Sage gave him, but Sage hadn’t told him everything.

Sage’s eyes darted around, but he couldn’t say anything.

He knew exactly what Renock was talking about.

Jenny chimed in.

“Gang.”

“......”

“Gang. You didn’t mention it. If the freelancers you hired are known, the councilor will hear about it. Can you guarantee there won’t be a conflict with the gang?”

The councilor might not directly intervene, but the gang he’s associated with would.

If they knew Renock was retrieving the sample, they would certainly get involved.

“I can hide and submit the sample to the patent office without anyone knowing. Do you want that?”

Renock asked, but there was no answer.

In fact, Sage’s silence was an answer.

What Amnac wanted was not just a courier but someone who could handle the councilor’s gang.

Despite the polished words, they came here hoping Renock would deal with the gang while retrieving the sample.

This pretense was enough to annoy Renock.

‘...Definitely different from Balits.’

Compared to the dinosaur company that clearly stated their goals, offered different rewards for each task, and even considered additional payments for unexpected variables, Amnac’s approach was absurd.

Renock understood that a small company might handle things loosely, but it was unreasonable to try to deceive him from the start.

Seeing their casual attitude, it might have been better to just hand over the sample to the councilor.

Sage’s shoulders slumped, and he started sweating.

Renock resisted the urge to take out a cigarette and glanced at Jenny.

Getting angry at Sage here wouldn’t help.

It would be better to discuss with her first.

Jenny smiled, catching his gaze.

“Hey, sir.”

“Yes, yes!”

Sage, who was very tense, nodded as Jenny waved her hand.

“Do you still want to give us the job?”

“Yes...”

“Then we need to negotiate the fee. You might have thought of us as just a courier, but we see the risks differently. Understand?”

Sage nodded.

Jenny smiled satisfactorily and pointed to something.

Sage’s phone on the table.

“Why don’t you call your boss and ask how much they can invest? How much money will it take to make us willing to deal with the gang while on the job?”

“......”

“We’ll step out. Take your time.”

She said this and naturally led Renock out of the office.

As soon as the door closed, Jenny spoke.

“What do you want to do?”

“What?”

“What Sebastian did was real, but in my opinion, it’s still a minor deception. If they really wanted to deceive us, they wouldn’t have mentioned the councilor or the gang in the request.”

“......”

She wasn’t wrong.

Renock could tell that Sage hadn’t told him everything because of the information in the request.

“Of course, I’ll cross-check the details if we take the job, but in this case, it’s better to...”

“Better to?”

“...Try to negotiate a better fee.”

Jenny glanced at Renock and quickly continued.

“Of course, this is just my opinion, and it’s natural for you to be upset. Being deceived is annoying. You’re free to turn down the job. If you send this guy back now, it’s not like there’s no work in this line of business. You can start taking other jobs tomorrow.”

Renock smiled at Jenny’s smooth talk.

She seemed to understand his cautious nature, despite his personality.

“What do you think about the difficulty of the job? Is there a chance the councilor will get directly involved?”

“It won’t be too difficult. I’ve