I sat in the chair first, taking a mouthful of the coffee I had ordered.

Since what I ordered was "molecular coffee," there were no actual coffee beans in the hot liquid.

But caffeine wasn't absent, as the existence of organic compounds was essential for cyberpunk world citizens living in this cold city.

I savored the caffeine that maintained brain alertness through the central nervous system.

【Welcome! Amazing and innovative taste! This is the Center Plaza branch of 'Quantum Coffee'!】

A noisy promotional message from the cafe's unmanned kiosk cuts through the subtle background music.

That's right.

I was at a cafe right now.

Not only had I come to a cafe alone, but I was also enjoying some leisure time with a sudden tea break.

It seems the time has come for me to evolve from 'I' to 'E'.

Well, it was about time.

I savored the flavor of coffee (without coffee beans) while indulging in the typical delusion of loners.

And there was a valid reason why I was spending time thinking about such strange things.

First of all.

It was because my simplest, most basic, and most anticipated "Chaotic Gym Operation" had failed.

I should have realized earlier that in a cyberpunk world, you need a miracle (drugs) to overcome machines with human strength.

I pondered other methods.

As I've mentioned several times, having garbage physical attributes meant that "cyberware surgery" was excluded from my options for now.

I seriously considered asking the Chairman or Eve to replace my entire body with "bioware prosthetics"...

But the mental burden was too great.

Exercise wasn't working, surgery wasn't an option.

Honestly, I don't know why I'm obsessing so much over this "kiss" thing.

......

But I can't have another near-death experience either.

I've fully recovered from treatment, but maybe it's just my imagination.

My ribs still ache a little.

Anyway, I needed to find some other method.

Just then, a wheeled order robot approached me, interrupting my thoughts.

【Customer, the allocated usage time for your "Quantum Molecular Coffee" has expired. Would you like to place an additional order?】

Can't even sit comfortably in a cafe.

"Uh, yes. The same menu, please."

【Confirmed. Enjoy your time in Neon City.】

After responding to the employee who must be controlling the machine from behind the camera, the order robot disappeared with the sound of its wheels rolling away.

Had I really been sitting that long?

Checking the time, it hadn't even been 20 minutes since I entered the cafe.

The world of deranged capitalism....

Meanwhile, I noticed a notification blinking in my visual interface.

It was an incoming call alert.

Let's see who it is....

【Merlin, the Slightly Less Great Wizard】

"......"

I think it used to be just "Great Wizard."

When did he change his message name?

Come to think of it, this guy existed.

I answered the call with a sense of good timing.

32. Lessons Learned from Broken Ribs (2)

Wizard Merlin.

A person I met recently.

Because of that, instead of a friendly greeting, I asked him about his business first.

"What is it this time?"

[Haha, it hurts my feelings when you ask like that. It makes it sound like I only call when I need something.]

"......"

We're not that close, are we?

Anyway, putting that thought aside, I asked Merlin.

"Well, your timing is good anyway."

[Oh?]

"I also have something to ask you, Master."

[Haha, calling me Master is a bit embarrassing, such a grandiose title.]

"Teacher, then. Got it."

[......]

Merlin's face appears on the hologram screen with a somewhat dissatisfied expression.

Seeing the pouting old man's face was uncomfortable for me too.

I quickly changed the subject.

"Um, I wanted to ask you about magic, Teacher."

Merlin answered with a brightened face.

[Oh! You have questions, ask away! It's right that you came to me. Now, what is it? What are you curious about?]

It seems he felt bad about not being able to tell me much during the magic lecture we had at the cafe last time.

[Actually, I'm quite skilled at teaching others. I'm famous in the Neon City magician community too. Haha!]

"Magician community? There's such a thing?"

[...Were you not invited?]

"No."

[......Let's pretend you didn't hear that.]

It feels like I've just learned about a group chat everyone was invited to except me. I'm a fairly famous magician too...

Only after Merlin firmly promised, "I'll definitely invite you later!" could we continue our conversation.

I almost got depressed after a long time.

Anyway, I asked Merlin my question.

"Is there magic that can strengthen the physical body?"

[?]

Merlin makes a strange expression after hearing my question. As I thought before, this old man has remarkably expressive emotions that don't match his age.

[When you say strengthen the physical body....]

"Well."

How should I explain this?

I simply stated what I wanted.

"Magic that increases physical durability. Or transformation magic would be fine too if that's not available."

I didn't explain why I needed it.

The secrets of my housemates should be kept.

However, my question wasn't on the "list of questions" Merlin had anticipated.

Merlin, who had been full of energy until just now, suddenly maintained silence.

[...Well.]

Merlin's mouth opens slowly.

[I don't know if you're aware, but.]

"Yes?"

[My body actually has more cyberware installed than not. About 60% of it, in fact.]

"Ah."

That's right.

Come to think of it, that makes sense.

I still remember what Eve said when I first met Merlin.

I also recalled her saying, "I don't recommend engaging in close combat with this individual."

Merlin, observing my expression, clicked his tongue and scratched his head.

[If such magic existed, I wouldn't have needed cyberware surgery.]

Ah, I got my hopes up for nothing.

"So it doesn't exist?"

[...But I can't say for certain.]

When I bluntly expressed my disappointment, Merlin continued with wide eyes.

[Making the impossible possible, that's the essence of magic. It may be impossible now, but we can't say it will always be impossible.]

"No, right now you don't know—"

[You're right for now. I don't know at present. But other wizards might know, and even if they don't, we can't say nobody knows.]

"Anyway—"

[I'll contact other wizards when I have time. No, rather than that.]

"......"

[You could probably create the magic you want by yourself. After all, you're the 'Sole Mage' who has accomplished much with magic. Yes, that would be good.]

This old man.

Why is he so talkative?

Anyway.

That was the conclusion.

I manipulated my visual interface to slightly increase my voice output.

"So you don't know right now?"

[......]

Merlin makes an apologetic expression.

He could have just said he didn't know.

I don't understand why he had to make such long excuses.

Merlin, whose energy had rapidly disappeared, couldn't hide his dejected appearance.

Seeing that made me feel a bit sorry, but I think I've done my part by listening to him this much.

"Why did you call me anyway?"

If my tone became a bit impertinent, that's just your imagination.

[...Ah, well.]

Merlin gently strokes his beard.

[As I mentioned before, I said I would contact you after discovering a new magic system.]

"Oh, did you find one?"

Then you should have said that first—

[Not yet.]

"......"

He never lives up to expectations.

Merlin showed me what was behind him through the hologram screen. An old, worn-out metal door is visible.

[But I found a clue. Do you know about the city's 'underground level'?]

"The sewers?"

[Including the sewer lines.]

I know roughly.

It's full of fugitives in hiding, toxic substances, and mutants.

It's an area treated as a "dungeon concept" even in games. A place where there are more people you can't communicate with than those you can.

"Well, I know as much as anyone else."

[Then it will be easier to explain.]

Merlin watches me through the hologram.

[There are rumors that wizards have been appearing in the underground level. In other words, the new magic system might be found underground.]

"...What?"

[It might be difficult to contact you once I go underground, so I called you in advance today.]

"You're going down there just because of a rumor?"

[For the sake of exploration, of course.]

"......"

I felt like stopping him.

But the old man's eyes were serious.

In that situation, there was only one thing I could say to Merlin.

"...Take care of yourself."

[Of course, naturally.]

Honestly, I couldn't offer to go down there with him.

I ended the call with that.

......

Hmm.

Create magic myself?

It's not like I haven't thought about it.

After all, all the magic I've used so far was the result of independent research.

I was just being careful because I had to use magic from within my body.

But still.

Since Merlin suggested it, maybe I'll give it a try.

I gently circulated the mana stored in my body. And I visualize an image. Similar to casting a barrier, but slightly different.

...Ah, there's no way this would work, right?

If magic could be created just by thinking about it, all my worries and struggles until now would have been for nothing—

"......"

It's working.

I thought as I looked at my hardened skin.

* * *

My footsteps were lighter than usual.

I moved to Golden Smile Condominium and pressed the elevator button with practiced hands.

"...Huh?"

What's this? Why isn't the button working?

Is it broken?

As I was thinking that.

[Please come up one more floor.]

Eve's voice sounds in my head.

Since I stay on the 13th floor.

She probably means I should go up to the 14th floor.

......

Why the 14th floor all of a sudden?

I felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.