The Cursed Wizard: A Game Made Real

Does it make sense to treat something like this so carelessly, let alone a check? 

Jenny answered with a mocking laugh. 

"We are also using works that were created so that high-ranking people could comfortably exchange 'sincerity' with each other." 

"… … .." 

"Anyway, this was a tough job. You said you almost got killed by Crocodile Man?" 

Leo nodded. He felt a little better after downing the glass of whiskey she handed him. 

"If it weren't for the agent named Evelyn, I would really be dead." 

"I never thought Charlotte would reach out to Pandemonium. I guess they really valued that factory." 

Jenny's explanation after finding out the whole story was as follows. 

Charlotte, who had originally planned to hire Triple Eight to guard the factory, paid a large sum of money to Croken and asked him to kill the intruders as soon as she heard the news that the factory had been attacked. 

It was such an impulsive and emotional response from the Charlotte leadership that neither the Balitse information security team nor the brokers noticed it in advance. 

"The contract deposit alone was 1 billion won. The success fee was more than double that. That crocodile was capable of moving on its own. Even if it meant dragging in Bokmajeon, it must have been intended to completely shake off the restraints of Balitz." 

"It was a complete failure, but," said Leo, looking at Jenny who was giggling. 

"What exactly is Pandemonium?" 

Even though it had been almost a week since he had met Croken, his incredible power was still vivid in Leo's memory. 

Supernatural physical abilities that are hard to believe even when seen with your own two eyes, durability and reaction speed that far surpass the laws of physics. 

Even though we have intelligence, speak the same language, and walk on the same ground with our own two feet, it doesn't feel real that we are the same creature. 

If Pandemonium was a place where such monsters gathered, it seemed clear that they were pursuing something much more bizarre than mere socializing. 

"Well… . Even in this world where all sorts of gangs, dealers, criminals, and murderers gather, they are treated like nobles. They only send invitations to those they like, so not much information leaks out, and even then, the only people known are those whose actions have been well-known for a long time, like Croken, or those who don't bother to hide themselves." 

"… … ." 

"They very occasionally move together for purposes such as raising funds or stealing relics, but unless you have a dinosaur corporation like Balitz or a city government-level military agent, it's common sense to avoid a direct confrontation." 

Jenny continued to speak comfortingly. 

"It's easier to think of it as just a natural disaster. If you get caught up in something like this, you're unlucky, but if you're lucky, you'll survive like them. That's just how it is." 

"I see…." 

Only then did Leo begin to understand to some extent why Dylan seemed so calm even though he had been driven to the brink of death. 

Although he did his best against Croken, he did not think that he could decide whether to live or die on his own. 

Jenny slowly shook the glass in her hand as she looked down at Leo with a complicated expression. 

"Don't overthink it. No one here has a proper grasp of the number of organizations or companies that are intertwined. The important thing is not how far you can see, but how far you can perceive what others are seeing." 

"That's a good question." 

"Or maybe I should just become a monster like Crocodile Guinea, who can push forward with just his body." 

Even though corporate profits and losses, people's resentment and hatred are intricately intertwined, in the end, everything comes down to the logic of power. 

The huge amount of money that goes back and forth in the process is only a criterion for distinguishing winners and losers. 

Although he felt like he was facing an insurmountable wall, Leo did not feel frustrated or despair. 

His magical talents are limitless and he still has a lot of room for growth. For Leo, who had only been learning and using magic for less than two months, the possibilities were wide open. 

It would be entirely up to him to decide the direction, but Leo knew that he was unlikely to make a wrong decision. 

Of course, to achieve a higher level than now and to take care of your body, you will need a lot more money, but isn't that why you are doing this now? 

The important thing is to strike a balance. 

You have to earn money by taking drugs and ruining your body, and use the money you earn to take care of your health to prevent it from reaching an irreversible state. 

For now, he only cooks and eats healthy food, but after he earns a little more money, Leo plans to try his hand at various medicinal herbs that can help the body recover. 

After drinking like that for a while, Jenny suddenly spoke as if she had remembered something. 

"By the way, you, Ban. Last time, you asked me about creating a fake identity." 

"… That's what it was." 

"I guess you've just received the money. Why don't you go now? The guy there is quite busy, but if I contact him, I can avoid having to wait." 

Changed treatment 

Leo snickered at Jenny's seemingly urging words. 

"You seem more anxious than me. What are your intentions?" 

"Huh, that's your intention." 

Jenny scratched her cheek as she asked back with a frown. 

"To be honest, since you don't have proper identification, there are a lot of inconveniences for me. Every time you come to visit, I have to prepare cash for you, and it's not like I can contact you properly. If you don't plan on using a fake phone and bankbook, why don't you quickly establish your identification and acquire the essential virtues of a member of society?" 

"… ..That's not wrong." 

Of course, you can't just keep piling up cash in the corner of a hotel room forever. For Leo, who needs to earn more money in the future, opening an account was not an option but a necessity. 

Besides, up until now, he didn't know many people, so he didn't feel the need to contact them, but if Jenny had to contact him for something similar, it would be a different story. 

Leo nodded obediently and stood up. 

"Let's leave now. Where should we go?" 

"Area 47. It's not that far." 

Jenny gave him the address as she spoke, and Leo quickly left the bar to look for the engineer. 

"You're the guy Jenny was talking about." 

A narrow, dark room even in broad daylight. The only light in the room comes from the monitors of dozens of computers. 

A fat middle-aged man smoking a strong cigarette looked up at Leo and said. 

"You've probably heard the story, right?" 

As the man spoke, he extended his hand toward Leo. 

Without saying a word, Leo wrote down twenty bills he had in his pocket and handed them to the man. 

The man took the money, hesitated, and then smiled strangely. 

"A million cell volumes… You brought us quite a valuable item." 

"what?" 

"It is an object that is worshipped as a god by perverts who believe in cash. It was originally created only for the use of high-ranking officials, so it is not a currency that can be easily handled even at commercial banks." 

"… … .." 

I thought Jenny was being playful, but it seemed like there was a hidden meaning behind it. It seemed like she too was trying hard to win Leo's favor. 

It was no surprise. Leo could easily have guessed that a great wizard would be treated well. 

The man smiled darkly at Leo, then turned his gaze towards the monitor. 

"Just wait a moment… I have to bypass the Balkans' resident registration network. It'll take ten minutes." 

"Are you rewriting the entire network information?" 

"No. Just the most basic personal information. Name, age, photo, and address. And that doesn't change the actual data. It just changes the signal that is output to the outside. It's literally forging your identity. It might work as a normal ID, but the security is crap. If someone were to deliberately search the network, they'd be caught right away." 

"It doesn't look safe." 

"It's not impossible to do a more perfect job. There's also a way to pay off engineers who manage the resident registration network and have them edit the information themselves. The price is around 400 million cells." 

"… … " 

Leo remained silent at the astronomical sum. 

Paying 20 million cells was painful enough, but there was no way to get dozens of times that amount. 

Meanwhile, the man who had been tapping the keyboard a few times continued speaking. 

"I've connected to the network. I'll reactivate the ID of the missing person who has been out of date for a long time, and change the external output value. You can just make up the address and age, and take the photo here. Is there a specific name you want?" 

The name… Leo thought for a moment and then said. 

"Ban… Evan. The last name doesn't matter. And the face… This is it." 

As he spoke, Leo touched his magic and changed his face once more. 

I was thinking of creating another identity for external use in case I had to abandon my identity as Ban. 

The man twitched his lips for a moment as he watched her change her face with a single gesture. 

"… ..A wizard? Well, there's no need to show your bare face when creating a fake identity." 

The man took a picture of Leo with a disposable camera, then immediately pulled up the data and tapped away at his keyboard. 

"All right. You are now Evan Bylan, a resident of District 49. If you want to get a separate ID, just give the clerk in charge of District 49 a 500,000-count coin and it will be taken care of without difficulty." 

"Thank you." 

"Come back next time with a different face." 

Leo chuckled at the man's lame joke and got up from his seat. 

The man also understands that the customers who create fake identities are not the most sound types of people. 

Leo then went to the 49th District office. 

Perhaps because it was a district in the 50s that was almost abandoned even in the Balkans, the district office that managed the district was shabby and the staff there were all incredibly indifferent. 

As the man said, I gave the employee who issued the ID a reasonable amount of money and in less than an hour I received a brand new ID card. 

"… … .." 

After leaving the city hall, Leo stared down at his ID card for a long time, the ink still wet. 

Fake name and fake face. Nothing is correct, including where you live and your age. 

Here is the evidence that he was first to put down proper roots in this world. 

Even though he was just floating around like a floating snail, Leo was still alive here and there. 

It only feels like today that I've had that acknowledged. 

# 

As soon as I got my new ID, I opened an account at a bank near the 30s area. 

The commercial bank, which was desperate to attract customers, opened an account for Leo immediately after verifying his identity when he said he would deposit 20 million cells immediately. 

Leo, who was also issued a cash card to use the money in his bankbook, immediately deposited 10 million cells that he had piled up in his hotel room into his account, and then went to a private cell phone store and chose a suitable product to open an account. 

I contacted Jenny using the number I had received in advance, and she answered right away. 

[Even if you only work when you want to, you're probably the first person in this city to open a cell phone account in a month.] 

"Well, what about the homeless people living in the 50s district?" 

[Can you call that a human?] 

Leo shook his head at Jenny's cruel, if cruel, words. 

The wizard's cool-headed reason already acknowledged that what he said was true. 

Jenny now offered some advice to Leo, who had just opened a currency and account. 

[I don't know about magicians who have been stuck in a remote area and just training like you, but when working here, it's a good idea to have a similar source of income in a sunny place. If money keeps coming into your account without you doing anything, it can arouse unnecessary suspicion.] 

"Are you telling me to do even a simple part-time job?" 

[Anyway, you've officially opened an account at a commercial bank, right? Even though the odds are low, you could end up getting caught up in a needless tax investigation. If you continue to work with me, the amount of money you'll be handling will increase, so it's better to be careful in advance.] 

"hmm…." 

Leo hadn't decided yet whether he would continue working with Jenny, but he pretended to listen to her obediently. 

Because I had learned from experience that it wasn't a bad idea to ask her for work until I learned more about the city's physiology. 

She had maintained a considerate attitude towards Leo, at least on the outside, and that was of great help to Leo, who still had a lot to learn about the world. 

However, cooperation is necessary but complete trust must not be given. 

The fact that her attitude continues to change from the beginning to being more friendly means that she has high expectations of Leo. 

'I'm sure Dylan heard that I used ice magic, but he hasn't said anything yet.' 

Even though Leo is known as an electric magician, there is no question or mention of him using ice magic. 

[Anyway, the rumor that a wizard is looking for work has probably spread widely in this area, so we might get more requests from you in the future.] 

"I see." 

[If it suits your aptitude, the salary could be much higher. Stay tuned.] 

"… … ." 

Leo stared down at the disconnected phone. 

Are you planning to keep your true intentions a secret and hit him in the back of the head, or are you planning to keep his secret a secret and continue to cooperate? 

It's impossible to know unless we play to the end, but I have no intention of just waiting around. 

He had a crooked smile on his face as he walked back to the hotel, clutching the phone. 

# 

Stop 

"How was it?" 

As soon as Jenny hung up the phone, Jordan, who was standing next to her, asked. 

She shook her head as if it was impossible. 

"Even when we talked face to face, there was no sign of anything." 

"hmm….." 

Jenny asked, looking at Jordan, who was lost in thought with his arms crossed. 

"Maybe he thought Dylan hadn't seen it?" 

"That's not possible. Most wizards are the kind of people who cling to even the slightest possibility. You could say they worry a lot about nothing. But even though he knew his cover had been revealed, he didn't say anything… I thought he would usually throw something to cover up his mistake." 

As Leo had expected, the two heard the whole story from Dylan and realized that he was not just a simple lightning magician. 

Even if we skip over binding magic like [Gravity Bind], which is difficult to distinguish by its attributes, it is impossible not to recognize the attributes of magic like [Frost Horn], which he used to stop Croken. 

Although they knew that Leo used at least two attributes, the two were not particularly surprised by that fact alone. 

The world of magic is deep and wide. Even if it is not a simple attribute-specific magic system, if you look for it, you can find a magic system that deals with two or more attributes somewhere. 

What's important is that the outstanding and quick-witted person hid his own magic. 

And whether he is still willing to work with them is the question. 

"Ha, I definitely want to hold on to it."