Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 353

“Found it.”

Lenok, who had been quietly concentrating with his eyes closed, immediately stood up.

“I thought it was too relaxed for someone being chased by the knight order. So, he had a backup plan.”

“Did you find Jaun?”

“His position changed as if he disappeared at the end of the corridor. He must know about the hidden passages in the labyrinth.”

Lenok, who had put out the cigarette he was holding against the wall, his eyes gleaming, said,

“Let’s follow him as soon as the knight order gives up looking for traces and retreats.”

“What about the illusion you saw?”

“It’s not too late to check where Jaun is heading. At this point, heading to a secret passage is definitely a trick to quickly pass the first gate. Let’s follow him right now.”

“Well, whatever happens, passing the gate is the priority…”

Ivelin immediately agreed to Lenok’s suggestion and started moving along the corridor.

In the brief moment when Jaun was distracted by the knight order, Lenok had succeeded in attaching a mana thread, which he had installed in advance, to Jaun’s back.

It was a measure to check any late-arriving competitors, but Lenok had not expected to use it this way.

‘It was worth remembering his mana pattern…’

If it were just Lenok’s mana attached as a trace, there was no way Jaun, who had reached level 7, wouldn’t notice.

Because it was attached by imitating Jaun’s mana pattern, Lenok was able to deceive Jaun’s senses and catch his tail in this labyrinth where mana detection is disrupted.

Lenok and Ivelin secretly moved along the path the knight order had taken and reached the spot where Jaun had last disappeared.

Ivelin touched the wall and shook her head slightly.

“There’s no dust, frictional heat, or traces of wind. If you didn’t know, you wouldn’t have noticed it at all.”

“There’s almost no trace of mana left either.”

Lenok said, slowly bringing his hand to the wall.

“But that’s enough.”

Immediately after, Lenok’s left eye rotated with a purple light, visualizing countless possibilities.

Whirr!!

Others might have thought it was just mana that Jaun had scattered while moving, but Lenok, who knew the truth, saw something different.

He inferred the direction and pattern of the trace drawn on the wall through the remnants of mana left by Jaun and imitated it exactly.

The mana rotating in Lenok’s hand rotated in the same way as Jaun, opening the hidden passage.

Thump, thump!!

Ivelin’s mouth slightly opened as she discovered the endless stairs leading upwards inside the wall, and Lenok’s gaze also lowered.

“…”

“Let’s go.”

What was the purpose of Jintun creating a huge labyrinth in this northern snowfield gorge?

Why did he seclude himself inside this huge labyrinth for hundreds of years, ignoring the people who came and went?

Just to repel outsiders who would interfere with his ascension? This labyrinth is excessively vast and complex, but conversely, it is not that exclusive.

If Jintun’s purpose hasn’t changed, does that mean the existence of the Hanghasa Labyrinth itself is a tool for challenging ascension?

The answer is unknown.

The only way is to reach the end of this labyrinth and see all the truth with their own eyes.

With the current breakthrough speed, both Lenok and Ivelin knew that moment was not far away.

“Huff… Can we, can we take a break for a moment?”

“…”

Of course, that was the story when Lenok’s terrible stamina was not taken into account.

* * *

“Hoo…!!”

Lenok, who had grabbed his trembling legs and barely reached the end of the stairs, let out a deep sigh.

“I did it…”

A voice that seemed to feel a proud sense of accomplishment, even though he didn’t try to show it.

Ivelin, who followed from behind, shook her head with a dumbfounded expression.

“I told you I would carry you up.”

Even after stepping on thousands of stairs, Ivelin didn’t break a sweat.

Her complexion was completely opposite to Lenok, who was panting and dripping with cold sweat.

A level 7 Saint-level physical ability user. If it was Ivelin, who had already surpassed her limits, it would be nothing to carry Lenok up the stairs.

But Lenok knew that offer and firmly refused it.

“We’re following Jaun. We needed to hide our mana and traces as much as possible and prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.”

There was a reason why he didn’t smoke or use levitation magic.

Also, if Ivelin were carrying Lenok, she would be slower to react to any unforeseen circumstances.

If Jaun noticed they were following him and launched a surprise attack, one of them had to be able to respond immediately.

As a result of these various circumstances and thoughts, Lenok had undertaken a considerable level of adventure by walking up those endless stairs with a clear mind.

“Actually, isn’t it just because you were embarrassed?”

“…”

Lenok didn’t answer Ivelin’s mischievous smile and slightly turned his gaze.

Instead, he pointed in the direction he turned his head and drew her attention.

“Look at that. Now that we’ve come up, I can roughly understand why the stairs were so long.”

“That is…”

A narrow passage visible at the end of the stairs. A passage so narrow that only one person could barely pass through.

Several tens of meters below the passage, a wide avenue was revealed.

Among the paths they had seen in this labyrinth, it was by far the most vast and magnificent.

And at the end of the avenue, there was a huge gate that seemed large enough for ten people to pass through at once.

“Those who have broken through the labyrinth and gathered here must pass through the gate to enter inside… In comparison, this side is…”

If you go up the stairs, you can go through the passage and beyond the gate.

A shortcut to enter the inside of the labyrinth without going through the gate.

Lenok and Ivelin, who realized the meaning, quickly exchanged glances.

“Where did Jaun get this information?”

“…It doesn’t make sense that Jintun doesn’t know about this shortcut. We can only assume that he borrowed the hand of an acquaintance of the Ascendant or a person who cooperated in designing the labyrinth.”

Lenok answered, glancing down at the scenery below the gate.

“In the worst case, he may have already received Jintun’s permission.”

“In the end, we have no choice but to follow him to the end and check.”

“Look below, rather than that.”

As soon as Ivelin finished speaking, Lenok raised his finger.

“It seems that other people are starting to gather here.”

More than a dozen holes on both sides of the avenue. People appeared one by one from various passages.

In an instant, more than a dozen labyrinth entrants appeared in various parts of the avenue, confirming each other’s presence and slowly creating distance.

“…What is that?”

Naturally, people’s gazes turned to the two stone statues standing on either side of the huge gate.

Two warriors facing each other, their weapons drawn.

At their feet were ten keys, each emitting a different light.

Those who realized that the light of the keys was the same as the light emitted by the eyes of the two statues immediately moved.

Clack!!

“Is this the first gate of the labyrinth created by the best barrier master on the continent… It seems that you can enter by inserting the key into the gate.”

“Hey, put that down.”

Those who arrived late bared their teeth at the superhumans who had picked up the keys first.

“If you want, grab the keys on the other side… Oh, they’ve already been taken.”

Only then did the superhumans realize the meaning of the first gate and let out a hollow laugh.

Not only do they have to fight in place of two different statues, but they also have to avoid being robbed by those who don’t have keys.

A structure that is impossible to avoid even while clearly guessing the intention.

But among those who entered this labyrinth, no one wanted to give up at the first gate.

In addition, the space in front of this gate was like a battlefield that had been deliberately created, a vast avenue.

It didn’t take long for a battle to break out.

“The Ascendant’s legacy is ours!”

“You unqualified bastards dare…!! We’ve lived in the Northern Continent for over decades!!”

Kwaaang!!

Lenok looked down impassively at those who had instantly become entangled and started a fierce battle.

“That’s good. While those guys are wasting time here, we’ll go first…”

“Wait a minute.”

The moment Lenok said that and tried to crawl into the passage, Ivelin pulled the end of his coat.

[…!?]

Davi’s head, who was sleeping soundly inside, was rubbed this way and that, and the fox cub woke up in surprise.

While Lenok was frowning at the commotion inside his coat, Ivelin pointed to the back of the avenue.

“It’s the Watchers. It seems they arrived a little late.”

“…”

As she said, some of the faces of the Watchers they had encountered in the conference room could be seen.

Some of them quickly grasped the situation and joined the battle to steal the keys, while others kept their distance and waited for an opportunity.

“Wouldn’t it be better to help them?”

“I know what you’re thinking, but it seems difficult.”

He knew that Ivelin’s suggestion was not simply out of sympathy or baseless camaraderie.

In the end, what was important was for any of the Azure Eye Watchers to break through the labyrinth and confirm Jintun’s life or death.

If so, it would be reasonable to let the same Watchers into the labyrinth.

“It’s only because we’re thoroughly hiding our mana right now. If we supported our allies with sniping, our position would be exposed immediately. Then the merit of following Jaun would disappear.”

“If our position isn’t exposed, it doesn’t matter if we help, right?”

“What?”

Ivelin said that and lightly stroked the upper part of her left forearm.

Teing!!

The bow of a short bow popped out from the top of her suit, and she inserted an arrow shaft between them and pulled the string.

Kkirik…!!

At the same time as slightly twisting and releasing the end of the arrow pulled over her forearm, the arrow, which rotated counterclockwise, curved low and pierced the chest of the warrior who was fighting the Watcher.

“Aaaack…!!”

A different kind of curved shot that seemed to have been fired from a completely different direction than where Lenok and Ivelin were located.

But what was even more surprising was that Ivelin hadn’t used even a single bit of mana in the process.

She had succeeded in sniping a superhuman who used mana, solely with her own strength and skill.

While Lenok was slightly impressed by that fact, Ivelin turned to Lenok and smiled.

“Since we’ve been doing this for three days, just letting them know we’re here will be a big help to the Watchers.”

“…Okay.”

Click!

Lenok replied and took out a sniper rifle from his coat.

“Then let’s help them for a bit and get out of here.”

At that sight, Ivelin’s expression changed to one of bewilderment.

“W-wait a minute. If you use that kind of thing here…”

Instead of replying, Lenok pulled the trigger.

A firing sound that was perfectly concealed by sound magic. Davi, who had been sleeping soundly and was woken up by Ivelin, designated the spatial jump point of the bullet at the same time as the shot with a grumpy face.

He twisted the firing angle and pierced the enemy’s limbs from a completely different direction.

“Ugh…!!”

“Sniper!!”

“They’re hiding nearby…!!”

“Those bastards are in the labyrinth too!!”

“Search the nearby corridors, they couldn’t have gone far!!”

Unlike the other superhumans who were shouting in anger, the Watchers who recognized Lenok and Ivelin’s presence immediately moved.

Lenok nodded, confirming that some of the faces he remembered had obtained the keys.

“That’s enough. It’s impossible to help other Watchers at the gates they encounter…”

Although a considerable number of labyrinth entrants faced each other on the avenue, not all of them were gathered here.

Even Dane of the Kabine Knight Order, whom Lenok had faced, was not visible here.

Considering the area and width of the Hanghasa Labyrinth, he was probably facing another gate in another direction and fighting with competitors.

It was impossible to help those who were not here, such as the dog-headed giant Leppard or the curse caster Lance.

They could only hope that they would enter the labyrinth on their own and lend a hand.

The two of them got up from their seats and passed through the narrow passage, exiting beyond the gate.

Lenok, who had passed through an intangible barrier and stood up inside, raised his gaze and muttered.

“The density of mana is on a different level than before. We’ve only just passed through the gate… I can barely feel the mana thread I attached to Jaun.”

“We need to meet Jaun again using a deal as bait.”

Ivelin shook her head and said.

“We must find out how he knows about the existence of the secret passage that allows us to escape the gate.”

“If the distance is narrowed to some extent, we might be able to grasp the direction. We have no choice but to move forward for now.”

Just before sliding down the slope, which was much steeper than the stairs they had walked up for a long time, to the ground.

“…Wait a minute.”

Lenok, who had a thoughtful expression, grabbed Ivelin’s shoulder.

“H-huh?”

Ignoring Ivelin’s slightly flustered stutter, Lenok wrapped his arms around her neck and pressed her head down.

Immediately after, a dark flash passed by and fell on the spot where the two of them had been, causing a huge explosion.

Kwaaaang!!

“I thought so, but it was as expected.”

“I could barely feel their presence… How did you know?”

Ivelin straightened up behind Lenok’s back, who had deflected the explosion with a shield.

Five arrows were strung on the bow that had appeared in her hand.

Without waiting for an answer, she fired. The five black flashes that flew from Ivelin’s fingers now raced in the opposite direction.

The direction was the opposite of the gate, a slope that was in the same position as Lenok and Ivelin, like a mirror image.

Thud, thud, thud!!

Lenok answered from among the dirt and dust that was instantly shattered and rising.

“There were two stone statues guarding the gate. The path of the avenue was also perfectly symmetrical around the gate. Then…”

“Two secret passages. We should have guessed that there would be someone who had sneaked in from the other side in a different way.”

A relaxed voice could be heard from among the rising dust.

A middle-aged man with a slightly receding hairline. And the figure of a woman swaying behind him.

Are there only two of them on that side too? While Lenok quickly checked the surrounding presence once more, the man stroked his chin and smiled.

“I thought I had met excellent treasure hunters, but they were just lucky idiots.”

“Do grave robbers these days replace greetings with violence?”

Lenok chuckled and asked as he stood up.

“That’s a very thief-like way of greeting.”

“Isn’t that obvious? Everyone we meet in this labyrinth is a competitor.”

The man nodded without hesitation.

Seeing that he didn’t even show any particular reaction to Lenok’s provocative behavior, he seemed to be a pretty thick-skinned opponent.

“The better the opponent, the faster and more quickly they need to be eliminated. There are many hands, but the treasures are limited.”

“…”

“It’s the legacy left behind by the Ascendant. It’s definitely a treasure chest that is more than enough to risk a hunter’s life to challenge.”

Ivelin said with a slightly subdued expression after hearing those words.

“It was my mistake. I’m sorry, I have nothing to say.”

“…No. I was late to think too. There’s no need to make an issue of it now.”

As a result, Ivelin’s suggestion had exposed the fact that they were hiding to those who had used the opposite passage, but it wasn’t a big problem since they had already come down beyond the gate.

Also, the judgment to help the Watchers on the spot and increase the number of allies inside the labyrinth was not wrong in itself.

However, there was a minor problem that in order to resolve this matter smoothly, they had to silence the other side forever on the spot.

And it seemed that the other side had the same thought.

“I have a rough idea.”

Whirr!!

The man, who had taken out a long, curved jungle knife from his waist, smiled.

“That unique, subtle presence, the soundless breathing, the light footsteps. You’re the snipers who were hiding in the snowy mountains, right?”

“…”

“I’ve lived longer than you, so I know well…”

Without waiting for Lenok’s answer, he nodded as if he knew everything.

“There’s always something to lose when you gain something. If both of you have such ridiculous sniping abilities, it’s almost certain that you’ve combined the abilities of the two of you to increase your power.”

“Oh.”

Lenok let out a soft exclamation at the man’s logical tone.

It was amazing how he could make such a completely wrong judgment while using his own reasoning.

But the man seemed to have gained even more confidence from that reaction and spoke triumphantly as if he were teaching Lenok.

“In other words, if you separate the two of you, it will be difficult to exert your power.”

With those words, the woman standing next to the man stepped forward.

A scythe and hammer connected by a chain in her hands. A physical ability user specializing in close combat. She definitely seemed to be closer to the front line.

She let her long hair droop down and began to focus her mana on Ivelin.

“Especially that woman over there. Judging by the fact that she was being protected by that magician earlier, her close combat ability must be non-existent?”

The man, who had turned the jungle knife upside down, licked the blade with his tongue and whispered.

“I don’t go easy on weak opponents… I hate lucky idiots the most. You better be prepared.”

“That’s a really great insight.”

Lenok, unable to contain his admiration, nodded involuntarily.

Behind Lenok, who was clapping, Ivelin muttered with a dumbfounded expression.

“…No, everything from start to finish is wrong.”