The Price of Power

I didn't experience it directly, but I already knew it in my head. 

The overwhelming versatility of public magic and the diversity that doesn't discriminate between attributes. The strong mentality that allows you to pull out the most cool-headed and efficient number at any given moment. 

The ability to ignore the odds that arise in battle and always gain the upper hand was an extremely powerful weapon in battles between magicians that had to proceed through a battle of wits by understanding each other's cards. 

"Ugh, Hehe… Please…." 

Leo looked down at the muttered wizard with eyes that seemed to have given up everything. 

After this long struggle for survival, 

Will Leo meet that kind of ending someday? 

Will we lose all the will to live that we are so fervently and earnestly desired, and end up only hoping for endless mercy from our enemies? 

At that moment, would Leo be able to focus on surviving until the end? 

It was something that was unknown now. 

And I don't want to know anymore, so I have to get stronger. 

He covered the wizard's eyes with his left hand, once again engraving in his heart the pledge he had repeated hundreds of times. 

"Calm down." 

"Hee, heek…!" 

Grime shivered at the feeling of the cold muzzle on his forehead while his vision was obscured. 

Leo whispers. 

"If you just answer the questions I ask from now on, I might let you live." 

"What, what…." 

"Councilman. Are this all the people you can mobilize? It looks like you brought the entire gang. I wonder if you have any other connections." 

If they realize you've pushed the gang back from the front, they have two options. 

Will you come out stronger than you are now, or will you just give up and back down? 

Leo wanted to resolve everything here and there if possible and wrap up the request neatly. 

It's too tiring to deal with all the people who bother you on your way to the patent office. 

Fortunately, the wizard himself confirmed that there would most likely be no further use of force. 

The fear he felt while his senses were restricted was so intense that he began to tremble and say things that Leo had not asked about. 

"If you spare my life, I will be of great help to you in many matters. Now, as a level 3 junior magic user, I can assist you as a single wizard…!! Oh, it will be very useful!" 

"Level 3? It looks like you were a level 3 wizard." 

"Yes, that's right. You could say it's the rank where you start to be recognized as a proper wizard…." 

Even in the midst of all this, Leo shook his head as he watched Grime begin to mutter about what qualifications a legitimate wizard should have. 

I'm not sure exactly what level that hierarchy refers to, but battles between magicians aren't decided that way. 

According to what he said, wouldn't it be normal for Leo, who doesn't even know his own rank, to be rolling around on the dirt? 

This is enough. 

Leo once again recalled the promise he made when he first killed a man. 

Leaves no regrets. 

A lot has happened since I escaped from the factory, but my thoughts remain the same. 

As he squeezes the trigger, the muzzle of the gun digs deep into his forehead. 

At that moment, Grime also sensed his end and began to cry like crazy. 

"Ah, no! No!! Please save me!!" 

"Sorry." 

bang! 

Could a hollow apology have been of any small comfort to him at the end? 

Leo stood up without bothering to answer the question. 

"… … " 

Ironically, Gail, who I thought was completely finished, was stirring again. 

Was it because there was a lack of follow-up work? That can't be the case. 

Thunder Calling has some foreshadowing right before use and even considering the disadvantages of not being able to change the casting point once it has been designated, it is still a magic spell with the highest level of power among lightning-type common magic spells. 

If you want to find magic with more firepower than this, you really have to look through the Lightning series' unique magic system. 

If he had the ability to accept that with his mind set on it, he wouldn't have even tried to get involved with a gang like this in the first place. 

After thinking about it for a while, I quickly found the answer. 

Leo raised his head and looked at the sky without saying a word. 

The moonlight shining through the gaping hole in the roof of the warehouse where lightning struck was gradually concentrating on his body. 

Werewolf. A beast of the moon that takes the power of madness from the night sky. 

The longing to find that source has become a driving force that is forcing the already dying body back to life. 

"Tsk." 

Leo clicked his tongue and grabbed Guile's head as he tried to stand up unsteadily, then pinned him to the ground again. 

Although he had weak muscles, Gail, who had not yet properly regained his balance, was unable to resist the force and just slammed his head back into the ground. 

Leo shook his head as he looked at the wolf's head with its eyes half rolled back. 

If a half-blood werewolf can show this level of regenerative power under the light of the moon, then just how close to a monster are pure-blood werewolves? 

'You can't expect this kind of result against a proper werewolf.' 

They are a race that is more strongly influenced by bloodline than anything else. 

The more turbid the blood becomes, the weaker it becomes, but on the other hand, many of the beasts of the moon that are truly pure-blooded are truly terrifying. 

'I don't know if pure-blooded werewolves will still exist in WORLD 3.0, but….' 

Should I look for it later? I pushed the thoughts that came to mind to a corner of my mind and raised my magic power. 

I have no interest in dealing with these thug wolves. 

[bolt] 

Crackle!! 

Leo stood up straight after neatly sending a lightning bolt to Gail's head, finishing him off without even being able to regenerate. 

It took him about 5 minutes to find the two guys and sort them out. 

Judging by the noise outside, it seemed like the decision hadn't been made yet. 

Now that Leo is no longer in great danger, there is no reason for him to step forward, but it is also true that it is awkward to simply ignore those who fought for him, saying that they are on the same side. 

As I was about to leave the warehouse premises, lightly rotating my magic, I saw a staff lying next to Grime's corpse. 

"… … " 

It was a bit difficult to see because his wrist had been cut off entirely with shadow magic, but Leo was curious, so he cleaned it up roughly and picked up his staff. 

Grime wasn't a very strong wizard, but if he was willing to carry it around despite the inconvenience, wouldn't it have some unique advantages? 

It's not that Leo didn't consider the existence of tools, accessories, and relics that could aid his magical casting ability, but he was spending a lot of money here and there for it to be spent on them. 

There was also a somewhat realistic calculation that his talent wouldn't be that noticeable with just a minor assisting ability. 

But there was no reason to refuse the spoils of war. 

I slowly raised my cane with a slightly pounding sense of anticipation. 

meeting 

"… … .." 

Has something changed? 

Leo waited for quite some time, but surprisingly, he felt nothing. 

Enough to make me question my own magical talents, which I had never doubted for a single moment. 

Leo, who had been tilting his head, quickly walked out of the premises and threw the magical power he had drawn into the air. 

[Lightning Bound] 

Kwajijijijik!!! 

"Kuaaaah!!" 

"Bah, lightning…!!" 

A powerful blow that instantly focuses the attention of the remaining gang members who were still fighting fiercely. 

And the quick-witted ones noticed one very important fact as soon as they saw Leo. 

The boss and the wizard were hit. 

Not only was the circumstantial evidence irrefutable, but the fact that the wizard's beloved staff was in his hand was also proof that he had been cheating. 

"… … ." 

No more screams, no more gunshots. 

The members who realized that the fight was overturned around and started running away like crazy. 

A dozen cheap jeeps that had been dragged here. They threw away all their equipment, including countless guns and ammunition, and were running around trying to save their own lives. 

The people who had been watching the scene that was hard to believe even after seeing it with their own eyes finally collapsed as if their legs had given out. 

"Ugh…." 

"Uh, is it over?" 

Although Leo took on the two most powerful heads on his own, it is clear that others outside also struggled with their relative numerical disadvantage. 

Looking back at the battle that unfolded, it seems that they fought tenaciously, using the wreckage of the exploded car as cover. 

If it weren't for the flame user who was at the forefront throwing himself at the risk of death, annihilation wouldn't have been a far-off thing. 

"Haaak, haaak…!!" 

Because he was not a superpowered person with a high level of power to begin with, he was on the verge of death as he pushed himself too hard. 

But he continued to watch Leo's face, even as he lay on the floor, tears streaming down his face. 

She desperately wanted him to know how hard she had fought and persevered. 

'That's interesting.' 

Leo looked down at the still, panting pyrotechnician. 

A simple superpower that allowed him to breathe fire from both arms would have absolutely no chance of surviving the fight he just had. 

Even the superpowered one fought at the forefront, drawing attention by burning flames in order to faithfully carry out Leo's words. 

The fact that he fought so hard, risking his life, and survived to enjoy the joy of victory is proof that he is beginning to acquire the qualifications to do so. 

Judging from this landscape of soot all around, it was clear that the superpowered person had developed his pyrotechnic powers beyond their limits. 

Is it only after being pushed to extreme situations that you begin to realize how to fully utilize your talents? 

It may not be a bad thing for him, whether it was Leo's threats or the tension of an imminent battle. 

"Thank you for your hard work." 

He passes by the superpowered person, who is quickly overcome by a feeling of relief at those words. He has done his job well enough. There is no need to push him any further. 

And more than that, I was more curious about what abilities the spoils of war I just got had. 

If it was something that a wizard with no real skills but extremely arrogant words could carry around, it would definitely have a meaning beyond just decoration. 

However, I was concerned that the identity of that ability had not yet been discovered. 

'It doesn't increase casting speed, nor does it increase magic power rotation rate. I thought it was something that increased the power of magic itself, but it doesn't seem to be that either....' 

"…...ah." 

And after about 30 seconds, Leo realized the answer. 

This is because the amount of magical power he consumed has increased very slightly. 

It was a very subtle increase, not even a handful of sand, but Leo's extremely sensitive mana sensitivity sensed it right away. 

"… … ." 

It was something that didn't even need to be worried about. 

Leo carelessly threw away the cane he was holding and straightened his clothes. 

I had no intention of carrying around that long staff just to increase my magical power recovery by a fraction of a penny. 

There is a limit to how much help it is. At that level, I guess I'm just advertising myself as a wizard in the middle of a fight. 

'Come to think of it, when choosing equipment, it might be a good idea to consider whether or not you want to show off that you're a wizard.' 

Leo didn't want to go around bragging that he was a wizard in every battle. 

The most effective attack is the first strike. And the most powerful attack is the counterattack that follows immediately. 

The brief moment when his opponent did not notice Leo's true identity was the key to victory for Leo. 

'If I polish this part a little more, I might be able to establish a combat pattern and use it.' 

Leo thought as he looked around at the people gradually gathering around him. 

Through one battle and three spells splitting the sky, Leo was treated as the undisputed leader of this group. 

They fought against over a hundred men with only about fifteen men and finished the battle without suffering any major casualties. 

There is no need to explain in detail how valuable and precious the awakened superpowers and excellent magicians are in large-scale battles. 

Although they didn't even know each other's names, the eyes of those who fought together all night long showed a strong trust as if they were willing to risk their lives. 

Of course, Leo had no intention of enjoying this one-night stand for long. 

Even though we act like blood brothers now, it is not strange that in a day we will face each other with guns at anytime, anywhere. 

Good feelings last for a short time, but bad memories last a long time. This is the only way to survive in this world for a long time. 

But Leo smiled without showing any sign of it on the outside. 

"Everyone worked hard." 

"Hahahaha!!" 

"You've worked hard too, wizard!" 

The people were as excited as warriors who had won a war and were promised enormous spoils. 

"The healthy ones will take the seriously injured to the hospital. The lightly injured ones will stay here with me for the rest of the time. After questioning the wizard, it seems that there will be no more fighting, but let's fulfil the contract by the agreed time."