The Hidden Path

For the next two days, Leo's daily routine was exactly the same. 

During the day, he escaped from the eyes of the supervisor and explored the structure of the factory. At night, he devoted himself to practicing magic. 

The magical talent he had set out to possess was not a lie; Leo quickly became adept at gathering and moving his magical power. 

Rather than feeling like he was easily accomplishing some high-level task, it felt as though the hurdle itself was ridiculously low. But that was enough. 

After just three days of practicing magic and handling magical powers, Leo went from being a laborer in a gloomy attic to a full-fledged magic user. 

Several simple magic spells had already been successfully demonstrated, in addition to magic that emitted light. 

At the same time, by wandering around the factory and trying to figure out its layout, Leo managed to find several routes leading out of the old factory. 

It wasn't that he didn't run into other supervisors along the way, but seeing Leo's pale face, which looked like he might collapse or faint if struck, they ignored him, probably thinking he was running an errand for another colleague. 

Of course, Leo's body, which had been worked to death day and night, was on the verge of collapse, but in this kind of environment, expecting consideration was nothing more than a luxury. 

Rather, it would be more correct to say that he was lucky that the supervisor didn't catch him sneaking around during the day. This was possible because other supervisors were also in their respective areas during work hours. 

If he had been caught by another supervisor, it wouldn't have been strange if he had been beaten so badly that he never opened his eyes again. 

And finally, the day arrived when the union members were scheduled to come to the factory. 

Leo, who had stayed up all night, slowly increased his magical power to match the time when the other workers woke up. 

It was a sensation he had never experienced before coming to this world, but the small amount of magical power that existed within his body now moved easily according to Leo's will. 

Leo gathered some of that magical power and concentrated it neatly around his forehead, and immediately used his magic. 

A very simple spell that raises the temperature of the skin's surface. It's simple enough that it doesn't require any special spells or incantations, and it's a spell that could probably prevent your body temperature from dropping in cold weather. 

But in the current situation, it was clear that it would be an extremely effective magic. 

The abnormality appeared immediately afterward. Leo's skin turned red with heat concentrated on his face, and he began to sweat profusely. 

The workers, who had been waiting for their shift to begin, naturally noticed Leo and started gossiping. 

"Hey, that…" "I guess it's about time." "Still, I guess he's lasted this long. It's not a place where a weakling like that can work for long." "It's his fate." 

The workers, despite all their murmuring, never came near Leo. 

Leo tried to make it clear that he was in pain by making a deliberate groaning noise. 

"If you were so angry, why don't you just jump out!" 

Bang! 

The supervisor, who had kicked the door open with a loud kick, frowned when he saw the workers' gazes turned towards Leo lying on the bed. 

He approached Leo, examined his complexion, saw that his forehead was blushing, and then shook his head. 

"Whew… I'll give you three minutes, so run to the parts room right now!" 

Even though he knew that Leo hadn't opened his eyes, the supervisor left the room without bothering to touch him. He had decided that Leo was no longer a useful human resource. 

Besides, today was the day when the union members visited the factory to collect their products. On a day like today, there was no reason to make a fuss and get caught with useless workers. 

The workers looked back at Leo furtively even while wearing their overalls. 

"What should we do with that guy?" "Looking at the way he's laying, it looks like he'll be dead by the time we get back. Wouldn't it be easier to just clean it up when we return?" "Ugh… that's a bit awkward." "But it's cleaner to clean up after someone is dead. If you bury them while they're alive, they might get upset and have to be buried again." 

They started talking as if Leo was already dead and only his corpse remained. 

In this old factory, there were more than a few workers who had not even a single bone left behind. The sight of a weak worker dying from exhaustion did not inspire any emotion. 

At that moment, one of the workers strode quickly toward Leo. 

Leo, who was lying down in an unexpected situation, also put a lot of strength into his body. "Ban, what are you doing?" 

"There's no time. Let's clean it up later!" 

In response to the other workers' scolding, he waved his hands with an annoyed expression. 

"It's noisy, so shut up. It would be okay if I could just have a smoke before I die." 

As he said that, he actually took out a rolled-up cigarette from his bosom. 

"If you were hiding something like that, you should've told us." "Yeah, you little punk. How much I miss a pack of cigarettes right now…" "I also stole a few while cleaning the supervisor's bed. I don't have any for you." 

The man called Ban took a match from under his bed, lit a cigarette, and put it in Leo's mouth. 

When Leo's eyes opened wide as he inhaled a large amount of cigarette smoke without meaning to, Ban chuckled. 

"It's over, isn't it?" 

"… … ." 

"It's a famous drug that mixes psychotropic plant leaves with cheap drugs. After smoking one, all the pain will disappear. It's not a bad signpost for the road." 

As he spoke, Ban tapped Leo on the shoulder and disappeared, following the other workers. 

The wind blew through the slightly open window, causing the dirty curtains to flutter. 

Leo, who was left in the empty room, slowly sat up while smoking a cigarette. 

Normally, he would have moved right away, but he sat on the bed without saying anything and focused on smoking a cigarette. 

Ironically, a single cigarette passed down by Ban turned all of Leo's plans upside down. 

The acrid smoke that filled his lungs strangely energized Leo's body. 

To be precise, the cigarette mixed with all sorts of harmful substances would only force Leo to forget the fatigue that had built up in his body and dull his nerves that sensed pain. 

But just by becoming insensitive to the fatigue that had been covering his body, Leo felt a sense of refreshment he had never felt since coming to this world. 

His physical abilities were as if he had returned to the days when he could just play games without any worries. 

Leo, who had jumped up from his spot and waved his arms once or twice, was convinced. 

It doesn't matter if it's made with drugs or some strange plant. 

Whatever side effects it might bring, Leo desperately needed this doping drug at the moment. 

"…. You said it was the supervisor's bed?" 

Leo muttered as he changed into his work clothes and left the bedroom. 

I've already been around to figure out the structure of the factory and have a rough idea of where the supervisors are staying. 

He checked the numerous trucks busily coming in outside the window, lowered his head slightly, and moved his body quickly. 

A light and quick step, much different from before. 

As they walked down the hallway, they encountered other supervisors, but they quickly turned their attention to Leo as soon as they saw his face and realized that he was not one of their workers. 

Normally, they would have harassed the workers by finding fault with them for no reason, but on a busy day like today, they didn't have time for that. 

The supervisors were struggling just dealing with the union members who had been inspecting and collecting the products manufactured at the factory. 

Already, people wearing blue vests were milling around the factory, pushing supervisors around here and there. 

"The quantity of the product is not correct. Am I expecting too much?" "….no." "Hey, who do you think is facilitating your operation of this factory?" "sorry!" "The workers who are working here, it wouldn't be strange if they were indicted by the Human Rights Commission a long time ago. We understand their difficult situation. Then, they should show sincerity as well." 

Just hearing these conversations makes the back of your neck tingle, and the supervisors who were like ghosts in front of the workers are busy lowering their heads like reeds. 

Among them, a union member who looked particularly old shouted and threw down the documents the supervisor had brought him in a nervous manner. 

"Okay! Looking at the ledger, it looks like you've done quite a bit of damage. I'll check the warehouse myself and see if there are any missing materials. If the missing quantity isn't filled by the time we get back today, you'd better be prepared." 

As the union members shouted, the supervisors around them reluctantly nodded. However, their expressions were filled with relief, as a sense of relief had been relieved. 

Targeting the warehouse is like saying that the sandbag that will be hit first has been decided. The union members who have been pouring out their anger while supporting them from the side will come up with a much more reasonable compromise than what they have now. 

Of course, the supervisor in charge of the warehouse would have been in trouble, but there was no sense of loyalty among the supervisors to cover up such trivial matters. 

Leo picked up a box that was strewn about among them and fumbled around. 

Soon, one of the supervisors standing nearby noticed him and came over. 

He asked, blatantly looking down at the overalls Leo was wearing. 

"Why are the workers here?" "Excuse me… I sent you here on an errand. I have some business to attend to at the quarters used by the supervisors…" 

"Tell me what the errand is." 

"What is that… It's bleeding." 

As he spoke, Leo made a motion by gathering smoke in his mouth and exhaling it. 

If a worker stole cigarettes from a supervisor's bed, it was likely that other supervisors were openly enjoying similar indulgences. 

As expected, the supervisor, who immediately understood, glanced around, grabbed Leo by the collar, and began to move to one side. 

He grumbled irritably as he walked down the hallway with his familiar gait. 

"I told you outright that if you sent it by courier, it would get caught, but those crazy guys still ordered it to be delivered on a day like this. Anyway, fucking…" 

As they walked briskly and turned a few corridors, a hallway appeared that was much cleaner than the shabby workrooms where the workers stayed. 

The supervisor, who had been searching through his pockets in front of the door painted in pure white, soon found a ring containing two or three keys and held them in his hand. 

As he picked the lock and opened the locked door, a small bedroom came into view inside. 

It was still a cramped space compared to Leo's memories, but it was still a much better bedroom than the old attic where he had been sleeping and eating for the past week. 

If you've come this far, you have no more business with the supervisor. 

Leo brought his right thumb and index finger together as he drew up his magical power. 

The image that comes to 

mind is simple enough. 

A single snap of a finger. 

The door slammed shut instantly. 

A cool breeze seemed to pass through the room from some strange direction, and the locks had already completely stopped working.