Drug-Eating Genius Mage (Fanfic)

The very first sound of a gunshot in this world made Asmon's already pounding heart beat even faster. As the incline of the parking lot grew steeper, his body was forced backward. Suddenly, the dazzling sunlight blinded him briefly, stinging his eyes—but he paid it no mind. For a moment, everything flashed white, and then, as the car lifted off the ground, his body snapped back into focus. Through the thick glass of the car, he saw the spacious front yard of the factory.

Without hesitation, he drove straight ahead. Between towering walls, he could see the only passage leading outside. However, the barrier meant to block the middle of the passage was still closed—clearly, that contraption had deceived him. Asmon smirked and pressed his foot down even harder.

KWA-AHNG! Using his momentum, Asmon smashed through the barrier and accelerated, quickly leaving the factory behind.

As soon as he emerged from the factory, a vast open plain stretched out before him. Through the car window, against a barren landscape, Asmon focused his mind and surveyed his surroundings. It was the first time he'd seen the world outside a shabby cell since awakening in that cramped space. He had to figure out what kind of place this was—and then run—before it was too late. As he sped along a road laid over a low hill, Asmon kept glancing frantically to either side. Judging by the number of buildings and people passing by, this wasn't an empty wilderness at all. In fact, ahead of him loomed a megacity—a vast urban jungle of skyscrapers clustered together like a gigantic forest.

Instinctively, Asmon knew that the longer he hesitated, the worse his situation would get, so he kept increasing his speed. The faster he drove, the closer the megacity came, and the landscape around him began to change in strange ways. After over an hour of driving, he finally reached the city's outskirts.

Neon signs flashed from every direction, dazzling billboards filled his vision, and lively music accompanied colorful advertisements. One sign blared, "Pioneers of Advanced Industry. Welcome to Valkan, the Megacity Leading the Future of Magi-Tech!"

"…The city's name is Valkan?" Asmon murmured. He recalled a vague idea of the Balkan Peninsula from Earth, but the name felt underwhelming now. Watching airships drift lazily through the sky and sleek bikes zip past, and reading strange symbols on the billboards, he muttered, "Even though I knew this wasn't Earth… I never imagined it'd be so different from WORLD."

'Could this really be the setting for the planned ver. 3.0 update?' 

The city seemed slightly more advanced than the civilization he knew from Earth, yet the chaos of the streets made it hard to tell if possessing magical talent was a blessing or a curse.

After driving deep into the outskirts, Asmon eased off the accelerator and slowly turned the vehicle. "If I've come this far, it should be enough," he thought. He quickly checked for any tails—but so far, nothing unusual. Perhaps the union members were too busy with their own issues. Either way, choosing today—the day the union would come for the products—had been a wise decision.

Once Asmon entered the city proper, the roads widened and traffic became congested. Only then did he really take in the vehicles around him. The two-seater he'd been driving—which he had once found oddly designed—turned out to be rather ordinary compared to the others. The extra attachments weren't some supervisor's eccentric add-ons; they were part of the standard design in this world. In fact, if he had taken the old gray van from earlier, it might have drawn unwanted attention.

As he ventured deeper into the city, the number of vehicles multiplied and traffic slowed to a crawl. When the jam nearly came to a halt, Asmon pulled a cigarette from his pocket and began observing the people around him. The sidewalks on either side were crowded with pedestrians of all kinds—some in plain clothes, others displaying unique fashions, with some even exposing parts of their bodies or sporting wild hairstyles. A few carried prosthetic arms or accompanied ghostly figures as if they were real companions, while many ordinary people strolled about shirtless. Judging by their carefree expressions, law and order clearly prevailed in downtown.

After his chaotic escape from the factory, Asmon had expected an anarchic, lawless city—but this bustling downtown was surprisingly orderly. "And now, on closer inspection…" he thought.

Details that had sped past him during his frantic escape now caught his eye. The signs and lettering on building walls, the soft glow between machines, even the color schemes of the mobile phones people held—all seemed to bear traces of magic. "There's magic in everything here."

Though it had been only two days since his awakening, Asmon could readily sense that a familiar power permeated his surroundings. It was as if magic had shaped the very fabric of this civilization. "I suppose it'll take time to learn the basics," he mused.

Even though this world looked nearly identical to Earth on the surface, if magic and mystical forces had influenced its history, then its past must be entirely different. To live normally here and plan for his future, he'd have to invest a lot of time in learning those fundamentals.

Suppressing the swirl of emotions inside him, Asmon lit another cigarette and took a deep drag. No matter what his future plans were, his time was very limited—not because he feared unseen pursuers, but because he had drained all his physical and magical energy during his desperate escape. For now, the cigarette's effect kept him going, but soon his body would hit its breaking point. Over these past few days, he had painfully realized just how feeble his body truly was. It wouldn't be surprising if he passed out right there if he wasn't careful. Before that happened, he needed to find a place to rest.

As soon as the long traffic jam finally cleared, Asmon veered into a secluded alleyway. The streets, neat further out, grew dirty as he drove deeper into the city, and even the surrounding buildings began to look dilapidated. Even in a megacity, there were slums. He eventually pulled over near an apartment complex that looked ready to collapse. Sitting in his car, he focused his mind. Fortunately, during the prolonged jam, his magical energy had recovered somewhat, leaving him just enough reserve to cast one spell.

Pressing both hands to his face, he channeled all his remaining magical energy. A burning sensation surged through him, and he felt his skin twist as the spell took effect. "Phew…" he exhaled.