Chapter 4

For two days, Renok's daily routine was as monotonous as ever. During the day, he would escape from the supervisor's watch to explore the factory's structure, and at night, he would immerse himself in magic practice. The talent for magic he had set for himself seemed to be genuine, as Renok quickly gathered mana and became accustomed to moving it. It wasn't that he could easily perform high-level tasks, but rather that the hurdles themselves seemed absurdly low. However, that was enough. In just three days of handling mana and practicing magic, Renok had transformed from a dimly lit worker in a shabby room into a genuine magic user. He had already successfully demonstrated a few simple spells besides the one that made light. At the same time, his efforts to explore the factory's interior and understand its structure paid off, and Renok successfully found a few routes leading out of the old factory. He did encounter other supervisors, but when they saw his pale face, which looked like it would faint at the slightest touch, they assumed he was running an errand for another colleague and ignored him. Of course, his body, which had been overworked day and night, was on the verge of collapse, but in such an environment, expecting consideration was a luxury. It was fortunate that he had not been caught by a supervisor while secretly skipping work during the day. Other supervisors were usually focused on their own areas, making it possible. If he had been caught by another supervisor, it would not have been strange for him to be beaten to death and never wake up again. Finally, the day the union members were scheduled to come to the factory arrived. Renok, who had stayed up all night, slowly gathered his mana as the other workers began to wake up. It was a sensation he had never experienced before coming to this world, but the small amount of mana in his body now moved smoothly at his will. Renok gathered the slight amount of mana and focused it neatly on his forehead, then immediately used magic. A very simple spell that raised the temperature of the skin's surface. It was so simple that it didn't even require a chant or hand signs, just a spell that could prevent the body temperature from dropping in cold weather. But in the current situation, it would undoubtedly be an effective spell. Soon, the effects began to show. The heat concentrated on Renok's face, and his skin turned red, and he started to sweat profusely. The workers, who were naturally waking up and waiting for work to start, began to murmur when they saw Renok. "Hey, that guy..." "It looks like his time has come." "Still, he lasted a long time. A weakling like him can't work here for long." "It's his fate." The workers murmured but did not approach Renok. Renok deliberately groaned to make it clear that he was in severe pain. "Why aren't you getting up on time?!" Bang! The supervisor, who had kicked open the door with a loud thud, frowned when he saw the workers' gazes directed at Renok, who was lying on the bed. He approached Renok, checked his pale face, and confirmed that his forehead was burning hot before shaking his head. "Huff... I'll give you three minutes, so get to the parts room immediately!" The supervisor left the room without touching Renok, knowing he was already unconscious. He had judged that Renok was no longer fit for labor. Moreover, today was the day the union members were visiting the factory to collect products. It was unnecessary to cause a commotion and attract unnecessary attention on such a day. The workers, while putting on their work clothes, glanced at Renok. "What should we do with him?" "He looks like he'll be dead when he comes back. Wouldn't it be easier to clean up after he's gone?" "Ugh... That's a bit creepy." "But it's cleaner to clean up after he's dead. If you bury him while he's still alive, he might struggle and you'd have to bury him again." They began to talk as if Renok was already dead, leaving only a pile of bones. In this old factory, how many workers had left without a trace? The death of a weak worker from exhaustion was nothing to be moved by. At that moment, one of the workers in the group walked up to Renok. Lying down, Renok tensed his body, unprepared for the unexpected situation. "Ban, what are you doing?" "I don't have time. We'll clean up later!" The other workers scolded him, and he waved his hand irritably in response. "Shut up. It's not bad to let him have one last cigarette before he dies." He then pulled out a rolled cigarette from his pocket. "If you were hiding this, you should have told us." "Yeah, buddy. How much I miss a smoke right now..." "I stole a few while cleaning the supervisor's bed. I'm not giving any to you." Called Ban, the man took a match from under his bed, lit the cigarette, and handed it to Renok. When Renok inhaled the cigarette smoke, his eyes widened, and Ban chuckled. "Isn't it great?" "..." "It's famous for being made by mixing hallucinogenic leaves and cheap drugs. After one smoke, your pain will disappear. It won't be a bad guide on your way." Ban patted Renok's shoulder and disappeared with the other workers. A breeze entered through a slightly open window, causing a dirty curtain to flutter. Left alone in the empty room, Renok slowly got up with the cigarette in his mouth. He should have moved immediately, but he sat on the bed without a word, focusing on smoking. The single cigarette Ban had given him had completely upended all of Renok's plans. The pungent smoke filling his lungs was inexplicably invigorating. To be precise, the harmful substances mixed in the cigarette were forcing his body to forget the fatigue and dull the pain nerves. But just being insensitive to the fatigue that had been weighing him down was enough for Renok to feel a freshness he had never experienced since coming to this world. It was as if he had returned to the days when he could play games without any worries. Standing up and swinging his arms a few times, Renok was convinced. Whether it was made with drugs or strange plants, it didn't matter. No matter what side effects it might bring, this kind of doping was desperately needed for Renok now. "The supervisor's bed, right?" Renok muttered, changed into his work clothes, and immediately left the bedroom. Confusion. He already knew where the supervisors lived, having explored the factory to understand its structure. Confirming the many trucks busily entering through the window, he lowered his head and moved quickly. His steps were much lighter and faster than before. He encountered other supervisors in the hallway, but they quickly ignored him upon seeing that he was not one of their workers. Normally, they would have found some excuse to torment the workers, but on such a busy day, they had no time for that. The supervisors were already struggling just to inspect and collect the products the factory had produced. Union members in bright yellow vests were already bustling around, pushing the supervisors in various areas. "The product count doesn't match. Did I expect too much?" "No, sir." "Who do you think is making it possible for you to run this factory?" "I'm sorry!" "The workers here could have been sued by the Human Rights Committee long ago, but we understand your difficult situation. You need to show some sincerity." The conversations were making the back of the neck stiff, and the supervisors, who were like ghosts in front of the workers, were now bowing like reeds. One of the union members, who looked particularly old, threw the documents the supervisor had given him and shouted. "That's it! From the ledger, it looks like you've been embezzling a lot. I'll check the warehouse myself and confirm the missing materials. If the shortage isn't made up by the time we leave today, you'd better be prepared." The surrounding supervisors reluctantly nodded, but their faces were filled with relief. Targeting the warehouse meant that the first punching bag had been decided. While the union member would vent his anger, he would eventually offer a more reasonable compromise. Of course, the supervisor in charge of the warehouse would have a rough time, but there was no camaraderie among the supervisors to cover such minor issues. Renok picked up a box lying around and fumbled with it. Soon, one of the supervisors standing nearby noticed him and approached. He looked at Renok's work clothes openly and asked, "Why is a worker here?" "I... I was sent on an errand. I have some business at the supervisors' quarters..." "What kind of errand?" "W-Well... It's cigarettes." Renok said, pretending to exhale smoke. If a worker had stolen cigarettes from a supervisor's bed, it was likely that other supervisors also openly enjoyed similar items. Sure enough, the supervisor, understanding immediately, glanced around and then grabbed Renok by the collar, starting to move him. He walked familiarly down the hallway, muttering irritably. "I told you that you'd get caught if you sent them by courier, but these guys still had them delivered on such a day. Damn..." After a few turns, a cleaner hallway appeared, unlike the shabby workshop where the workers stayed. At the door painted white, the supervisor rummaged through his pocket and soon found a ring with a few keys. The lock clicked, and the door opened to reveal a small bedroom. Compared to Renok's memory, it was still extremely cramped, but it was a much better room than the old, shabby room where he had been eating and sleeping for the past week. With nothing more to do with the supervisor, Renok gathered his mana and touched his thumb and index finger together. The image in his mind was of a strong electric current. He focused on the effect of a stun gun, strongly repeating it in his mind, and moved his mana. "Bolt." Zap!! As he whispered the incantation, a small electric current burst between his fingers. The supervisor, who had not noticed Renok using magic right behind him, turned to look down at him. Renok immediately thrust his fingers under the supervisor's chin. "Now, quickly give me the goods... Ggggggg!!" The supervisor's eyes, which had been gleaming with greed, rolled back instantly, and a strange scream escaped his lips. His massive body convulsed and fell forward, opening the door wide. Renok grabbed the supervisor's shoulders and struggled to move the large body inside the room. If he left it like this and someone else found the supervisor, it would cause problems. Ideally, he should have placed the unconscious body on the bed, but Renok gave up after a few attempts. It was impossible to lift and move this body with his weakened strength. After moving the supervisor inside and closing the door, Renok finally let out a sigh of relief and sat on the bed. "Phew..." Thanks to the effect of the cigarette, he was somewhat tired but not overwhelmed by the usual fatigue or lethargy. However, he shouldn't be mistaken. The unknown energy coursing through his body was not eliminating pain or fatigue but merely making him temporarily forget them. The backlash after the effect wore off would be far more intense than the fatigue he usually felt. He didn't have much time to rest. He needed to escape the factory quickly. Since he had unexpectedly entered the supervisor's bedroom, it was important to get the desired items and leave as soon as possible. Renok first took the key ring from the unconscious supervisor's hand and began searching the bedroom. If the supervisor had any contraband, it was likely stored somewhere carefully. After flipping the mattress, Renok finally found the answer. "You've hidden a lot." Renok whistled at the pile of cigarettes neatly arranged in a hidden space under the mattress. Even a conservative estimate would put the quantity at more than a carton. Renok took the cigarette case from the supervisor's pocket and filled it with as many cigarettes as he could from under the mattress. Once the case was full, he let go without hesitation. It was impossible to carry all of them. The supervisor's case was the perfect size to fit in his pocket and even had a function to create a spark, making it very convenient to carry. Although he wanted to light one and relive the feeling, Renok forced himself to stop and began searching for other useful items. While rummaging through an old drawer, he felt a hard metal object. "..." Although it was the first time he had touched one, he couldn't mistake its shape. Renok pulled out an old pistol from the drawer and looked at it with a complicated expression. The details were slightly different, but the overall silhouette was very familiar. The magazine below the pistol was fully loaded with 8 bullets, but no additional magazines were found in the drawer. It seemed to be designed to fire by simply pulling back the slide without any safety mechanism. Renok stared at the pistol, hesitating for a moment, but soon realized that hesitation was a luxury. To survive, he had to act without hesitation. He tucked the pistol into his pocket and immediately left the supervisor's bedroom. Since he had obtained the cigarettes, he needed to move quickly, but Renok stopped to examine the key ring he had taken from the supervisor. There were only three keys, each with a sticker indicating where they were used. Although the writing was unfamiliar, he could understand the meaning. It seemed that the old Renok was not completely illiterate. One key was for the bedroom, another for the assembly room—this supervisor was likely in charge of the assembly room. The last key, labeled "break room," caught Renok's attention, and he immediately headed in that direction. "It's a bit different from the original plan, but this might be more effective." Renok's original plan was to escape the factory through the underground parking lot. Although he had explored various passages while moving around the factory, he was confident that using the parking lot was the safest. While exploring the factory, Renok had no way of knowing what defenses were in place outside. If he had chosen a land escape route without proper reconnaissance, he might have encountered unexpected security or defenses, leaving him helpless. The parking lot, primarily used by vehicles, was likely to have fewer defenses. However, moving through the parking lot on foot was a risk he was willing to take. If he could use the supervisor's break room, the situation would be different. The break room was located in a hallway between the supervisors' quarters and the workshop. Renok paused at the door, listening for any sounds inside, but hearing nothing, he quickly unlocked it with the key. As expected, the busy supervisors dealing with the union members were not in the break room. The empty break room was filled with leftover snacks, empty bottles, and clothes. It was clear that they enjoyed drinking during their shifts, but in such a rundown factory, it was unlikely that anyone would maintain a diligent work attitude. It was also likely that they would leave important items among their clothes without any concern. "Found it." After thoroughly searching the pockets of the clothes scattered in the break room, Renok successfully found an old pair of sunglasses, an empty wallet, and two key rings. Most of the keys were for various rooms or locked doors, but one key had a code that looked like a vehicle's serial number. Although he didn't know the license plate system in this world, having an additional key was an advantage. Thump, thump! A faint vibration echoed from the other side of the break room wall. It sounded like something being hammered from a distance. The union members were clearly causing a commotion as they inspected the factory. Renok, still seated, took out a cigarette and immediately lit it. Although he had never smoked in his previous life, Renok quickly became accustomed to it. The smoke filled his body, making him forget the fatigue and pain. At the same time, his tense mind began to relax. While forgetting physical fatigue was good, relaxing his mind was not ideal in the current situation. Renok took a few puffs of smoke and then consciously removed the cigarette from his mouth. 'He said it was mixed with hallucinogenic plants. If I take too much, it might slow down my thinking.' Escape. Such mixtures, when inhaled through combustion, often have strong effects and severe side effects. If not careful, they could leave a person as limp as a rag. Before escaping the factory, he needed to stay focused. Renok threw the cigarette on the ground and stomped it out with his shoe, then changed into a set of clothes that fit him from the pile in the break room. Wearing a worker's uniform or a supervisor's work clothes would be too noticeable. The casual clothes in the break room, which the supervisors wore during their off-duty hours, would attract less attention after escaping the factory. "Ugh... The smell is too strong." The mix of cigarette and sweat odors was overwhelming, but Renok forced himself to change. He stuffed the work clothes he was wearing under the sofa and was about to leave when he heard footsteps approaching from the end of the hallway. Renok let go of the doorknob and quickly hid under the sofa. His ominous feeling was not wrong; the footsteps stopped abruptly in front of the break room door. Creak! "Hmm? Who left the break room door open? Do you want to get scolded by the chief again?" "It's a busy day today." The door opened, and two supervisors, looking exhausted, entered. They were unfamiliar faces, suggesting they were not in charge of the parts room where Renok had been. The supervisor on the right sniffed and chuckled, turning to his colleague. "The smell suggests that a few others have been sneaking in here too." Renok's cigarette smoke had been detected, and it seemed they often smoked in the break room. The other supervisor also chuckled and sat on the sofa. "Well, we snuck out too. It's not like others can't do the same." "Let's have a smoke and talk." The sound of them lighting up and exhaling smoke filled the room. Renok held his breath, hiding behind the sofa to avoid making any noise. "Ah... I feel better. Those guys won't leave until the product count is met, right?" "Can't you tell from their attitude? We'll probably have to run the factory to meet the quota today." "Damn... I'm going crazy." They continued their conversation, focusing on smoking. They seemed to be under a lot of stress from the current situation. "I've made a decision." "What?" The supervisor, with a determined look, looked at his colleague across from him