Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 480

Pio, wearing Evan’s face, looked utterly dumbfounded.

‘No, why isn’t my body moving…?’

He struggled to get up from the sand, flailing as if held back by invisible restraints.

Lenok couldn’t bear to watch and subtly averted his gaze.

‘Is the disguise malfunctioning?’

‘That can’t be; the spell wouldn’t have activated in the first place… Ugh!!’

He inhaled a mouthful of dust and coughed it out.

It was hard to believe this pathetic figure was the same Saint-level [a high rank in magic or combat] ability user who had been fiercely battling Lenok with his sophisticated transformation ability just moments ago. He looked utterly helpless.

However, Pio didn’t seem to realize that this very disgrace was the risk Lenok always had to endure.

‘In a way, it’s only natural…’

The penalty on Lenok’s body wasn’t just a simple restriction but a shackle on all the abilities required to move his body.

Unlike Lenok, who had grown accustomed to enduring the penalty, Pio was suddenly trapped in a body that felt like trash.

Of course, Evan’s physical information was strictly virtual data that Lenok had arbitrarily created, so he didn’t share all of Lenok’s penalties.

But even so, the fact that he was struggling so much and couldn’t even properly diagnose his condition was certainly very interesting.

‘Damn it, let’s try one more time!!’

Pio, having released the disguise of Evan’s face, charged in, transformed into a giant rhinoceros.

‘Go ahead.’

Perhaps he judged that the information gathered from the battle was insufficient.

Lenok didn’t say anything in particular and accepted Pio’s preemptive attack.

Kwaaaang!!!

The charge of the rhinoceros-like beast and the fragments of the sand barrier intertwined, scattering magical energy in all directions.

The sand on the coast rose like a wave, exploding the space itself.

Pa-ba-ba-ba-bak…!!

Dozens of sand-made thorns, spears, and stakes rotated, piercing in all directions, and the gently scattered sand particles turned into sharp blades.

Pio, who fearlessly penetrated through them, countered by changing into various beasts, blades, firearms, and metal forms.

‘Here I come…!!’

Amidst the rapid exchange of blows, Pio pushed his magic power to its limit and flipped his body.

The body, which had been transformed into a half-tank-like shape, rapidly contracted, eventually compressing into a human form.

It was the appearance of a middle-aged man, somewhat older, completely different from Pio or Gio’s faces.

If he had taken on a human form at this point, rather than other weapons or beasts, it was almost certainly the transformation form that Pio was most confident in.

Perhaps it was the form of the person most precious to the transformation mage, or the image of an acquaintance he remembered most vividly.

Kuooh…!!

The magic power compressed between the fists of Pio, who had transformed into a middle-aged man, rotated and was unleashed as a long flash of light.

Lenok’s sand wave countered the impact that had overturned the entire field.

In the brief moment of inhaling, dozens of slashes and impacts intersected and diverged, exploding chaotically in all directions.

Amidst the aftermath, Pio, who had once again reached Lenok’s face, rotated his elbow, creating a large mental image.

Lenok, having confirmed the true nature of Pio’s microcosm [a small world or system that reflects a larger one] before his eyes, moved immediately.

He evaded the first attack, which was backed by immense rotational force, by taking a step to the side.

He took a step back to create a brief opening to receive the storm erupting from his grasp.

And then, as if the fierce exchange of blows that had continued until now had been meaningless, he took a step forward, piercing Pio’s gap head-on.

The moment Lenok’s hand, like a ghost, brushed past Pio’s forearm and lightly pushed his chest,

His body was thrown backward, as if flung away, and slammed headfirst into the sandy beach.

Kooong!!!

‘Kuhak…!!’

Before Pio could even get up, Lenok stepped on his back and cast gravity magic on him.

Pio’s death rattle, mixed with coughs.

At the same time, the sand that had been scattering in the sky above the coast fell to the ground all at once, creating a gentle rain of sand.

Fassss…!!

‘Three steps.’

In the sandy beach that had become quiet in an instant, Lenok, having removed his foot from Pio’s back, said with a smile.

‘It’s definitely difficult without moving.’

‘……’

‘A disguise of the nemesis of transformation spells. This should be enough, right?’

Instead of answering, Pio looked up at Lenok with a dumbfounded expression.

Lafford and Gapson also remained silent, their mouths shut.

‘Hoo, damn it… It’s the first time I’ve been so crushed even after borrowing the form of a senior.’

Pio, letting out a deep sigh, staggered to his feet.

‘Okay. I don’t know why the spell isn’t working properly, but I guess I’ll have to be satisfied with this much.’

At the same time, Pio’s appearance flipped in place and changed to that of Evan.

Although not completely identical, he seemed to have succeeded in somehow mimicking the appearance, atmosphere, and even the subtle signs.

Lenok was still not satisfied, but Lafford and Gapson seemed to feel differently, watching Pio with quite curious expressions.

[Was that a transformation spell? It’s quite amazing that you can imitate it to this extent.]

‘Indeed. Somehow, that subtly empty atmosphere is similar… It was a much better ability than I thought.’

‘That’s true, but honestly, it’s not at a level that I can call a success.’

Pio, grumbling with Evan’s face, waved his arms and legs as if embarrassed.

‘I don’t know if it’s because the transformation isn’t working properly or if the physical synchronization rate is low, but my physical abilities are completely trash-like.’

‘……’

‘There’s no way Evan’s strength or stamina is at this level, so this just means that the disguise of the nemesis didn’t work at all… I didn’t know that there were such terrible side effects to the failure of a transformation spell.’

‘……’

‘Ugh, even breathing is stuffy… I feel like I’m getting tired… Damn it… I can’t stand it for long. I should only use it when I’m acting as bait instead of the real Evan.’

Pio, without even realizing it, was openly revealing Lenok’s inferior physical abilities.

Perhaps because he couldn’t endure it for long, he hastily released the transformation and returned to his original form, grumbling.

He didn’t even suspect that this strength and stamina belonged to Lenok and was busy disparaging the side effects of the transformation spell with all sorts of modifiers.

Was it just a matter of mood that Lenok’s heart ached more each time he heard Pio cursing the side effects of the transformation spell?

However, instead of telling Pio that fact, Lenok quietly raised his gaze.

‘…Then let’s start right away. We don’t have much time.’

Lenok’s voice, quietly muttering, felt as if it were soaked in water.

* * *

Goooh…

‘…I never imagined such a thing was possible.’

‘I can somewhat imagine Lyza’s feelings.’

Lafford muttered, staring blankly out the window.

‘If you could see such a view, it would be worth swimming below the sea level.’

A small submersible made by hollowing out a log, enough for four people to ride. Outside, instead of an island, the scenery of the seabed was visible.

They created the exterior with logs that Lafford and Pio had procured and then covered it with Lenok’s magic to make it a moving submersible.

If they overlaid the declaration of the sanctuary, realized through Lafford’s primitive faith, inside it, those who received the blessing could breathe even in a sealed space.

Pio, who was looking at the schools of fish swimming in the deep sea and the cephalopods fluttering and disappearing with a curious expression, muttered.

‘High-level mages really have unique ideas. I guess that’s why they’re so sought after…’

‘There wouldn’t be any mage anywhere who would do such a thing without borrowing the power of magical engineering.’

Lenok quietly turned his gaze, watching the two people who were intently looking at the outside of the submersible.

It was true that the various creatures living under the sea were also unfamiliar, but what caught Lenok’s eye was a little different.

The rising current of magic power, fiercely surging from the deepest part of the Sea of Understanding.

Constantly shooting natural magic power above the sea, drawing a huge waterspout below the sea level.

The seawater that had risen above the surface created a magnificent sea mist, making the surroundings so hazy that one could not see an inch ahead.

The considerable sea mist and the rising currents of magic power rising from various parts of the vast Sea of Understanding created an isolated environment where even magic detection did not work properly.

It could not be said that such environmental factors were not the reason why the Self-Governing Territory’s navy had not noticed the existence of the Far East Branch.

The existence of an overwhelming rising current that pushed the magic power of the entire sea onto the ground just by being present.

Lenok was also curious about what exactly existed under the sea that caused this to happen, but now was not the time to worry about it.

‘After arriving below the island, we’ll abandon the submersible and dig in from the underground. It won’t be long now, so prepare yourselves.’

It wasn’t for nothing that they chose the form of a submersible, leaving other methods aside.

As Gapson said, if the Far East Branch was a moving island, there would be facilities in place to maintain basic living on the island.

Among them, the existence of a sewage system for treating domestic wastewater was inevitable.

No matter how powerful a high-level superhuman was, the existence of facilities for basic living was indispensable.

And in the case of such sewers, they would certainly be located at the lower part of the island. Moreover, they would be composed of underground facilities that were not easily visible.

Lenok was planning to use the submersible to locate the underground sewer of the island and infiltrate the Far East Branch by going against the flow.

Lenok spoke to Gapson, who was leaning against one side of the submersible, silently looking out the window.

‘If it’s difficult to move in the water, it would be good if you told me in advance. It would be advisable to move you with the help of Lafford or Pio.’

[You are definitely different from that man.]

‘…What?’

Despite Lenok’s question, Gapson did not answer.

He only turned the red one-eyed pattern drawn on his talisman towards Lenok.

[The neat aura and attitude, the excellent barrier magic and logical ideas… They don’t match the unconventional manipulator I saw in Kaius at all.]

‘……’

[The only commonality is that you have achieved unbelievable accomplishments at a young age… I don’t know how the world is going to turn out.]

‘I’m not the only young mage in this vast world.’

Lenok answered nonchalantly, instead turning his gaze towards Gapson.

‘If you came from the Western Continent, you would know that fact better than I do.’

[Do you really think so?]

Surprisingly, instead of remaining silent at those words, Gapson asked Lenok in return.

[Even if there are mages who have achieved as much as you, you must know that mages who have achieved the same results as you are rare.]

‘……’

[It’s close to a fantasy to pursue both research and practice and satisfy both directions. Most of the countless geniuses have difficulty achieving even one properly.]

It felt as if Gapson’s gaze, unseen beyond the talisman, was shining sharply.

[Solid fundamentals and flexible ideas, sharp senses and deceptive judgment. It’s impossible for a talented mage to hone all of these. At least, not at your age.]

Only then did Lenok realize how Gapson had been thinking of him, and he felt a chill run down his spine.

Even though there was no evidence, no circumstances, and no matching personality or talent.

Gapson had been overlapping Victor and Evan simply based on the fact that he had achieved this level of skill.

That was probably because Gapson could use his talisman magic to confirm whether the other person had gone through a 45-year cycle or not.

While he thought that Victor and Evan were different people in his head, he was quietly probing Lenok like this because he couldn’t accept it.

He was indirectly asking, in a low voice, if it was possible to achieve this level of accomplishment at your age.

‘……’

It was true that he was a famous eccentric from the Western Continent.

Lenok, too, would have dismissed Gapson’s words as nonsense if it weren’t for his memories as Victor.

But knowing that, he had to give a convincing answer to his question now.

If Gapson did not think of Lenok as a fellow Watcher and ally, it was impossible to predict how this talisman mage would act at the end of this operation.

And the answer Lenok chose was very different from what Gapson had expected.

‘It seems you’re overlapping me with someone.’

[……]

He fearlessly pierced and dug into the core of what Dreyfus was thinking.

Rather, he slowly rose from his seat as if he was tired of such comparisons.

‘It’s not uncommon. It doesn’t matter. However, let’s make sure that we don’t fail to do what we have to do because we’re lost in sentimentality.’

Right now, Lenok was leading the Watchers to approach the Order’s branch, but the core of this operation was Gapson.

If Gapson hadn’t directly requested it, Lenok wouldn’t have joined this operation either.

At the very least, they shouldn’t get lost in unnecessary thoughts and abandon their responsibilities.

Gapson, as if he had remembered that again, nodded with a slightly changed aura.

[Yes, that’s right… I’ve decided to stop clinging to irresponsible anguish and great achievements.]

‘……’

Lenok did not know what circumstances had led Gapson to accept Lapis’s proposal and become a Watcher.

However, it was certain that his wanderings across the Western Continent were closely related to the inner workings of that.

Lenok thought so and immediately began to form elaborate hand seals with both hands.

‘Lafford. Prepare to release the sanctuary.’

‘…Already? No, more than that, have you already found the location of the sewer?’

‘We’re going up. Prepare for the increase in air pressure.’

At that moment, the head of the submersible shot up from the sea, rapidly ascending.

Shuuuung…!!

The rapid change in air pressure was so severe that the other Watchers, who had been accustomed to the strong pressure under the sea, staggered.

It was an impact that would have caused a normal human’s heart to stop on the spot.

If it hadn’t been for Lenok’s protective magic and Lafford’s declaration of the sanctuary, the submersible wouldn’t have lasted until now.

‘Now!’

‘I shall reap the seeds…!’

With Lafford’s incantation, the sanctuary that had been protecting the submersible disappeared, and the blessing was shattered.

At the same time, the log pieces that had been composing the submersible split in two in the middle of the sea, and water began to rush inside in an instant.

The scenery visible through the split log pieces was the lower part of a majestic island floating on the sea.

It was floating and moving slowly, with countless piles of earth floating on the territorial waters of the Sea of Understanding, and its trajectory was similar to that of the countless floating islands located in the floating island cluster.

Among such piles of earth, the shape of a long cylinder, faintly glowing white.

The dark red liquid pouring out between them was spreading a hazy mist as it mixed with the sea.

Lafford and Pio simultaneously took a deep breath and immediately threw themselves into the mist without hesitation.

Thud!!

Lenok and Dreyfus also protected their bodies with shields and talismans and immediately went against the flow of the huge cylindrical sewer.

It required considerable stamina to rise against the flowing water, but the water flowing from inside the sewer was not so strong.

It didn’t take long to reach a passage where they could set foot, going against the flow of waste.

‘Phew!! I thought I could hold my breath longer than I expected-‘

‘Ugh, what’s that smell…!!’

Lafford and Pio, who had risen, wrinkled their noses and shook their heads, retching.

‘There are strangely no traces here. Let’s move right away.’

At Lenok’s words, who had finally risen from the water, Pio glanced at his appearance and grumbled.

‘Damn it, only Lafford and I are covered in strange liquid… You two don’t have a speck of dust on you.’

As Pio said, Lafford and his body were covered with evidence of having gone against the sewer head-on.

The dark red liquid of unknown origin was sticking to their bodies, not easily falling off.

Only Gapson and Lenok, who had surrounded themselves with shields and talismans, were maintaining a clean appearance.

Lenok glanced at the two of them and replied as he passed by.

‘It’s not waste, it’s blood. It’s proof that they killed hundreds of people like rats.’

‘Huh? This is blood?’

Pio said, touching the dark red liquid with a bewildered expression.

It was a shocking explanation, but there was no one here who was inexperienced enough to be terrified or surprised by blood.

Lenok passed by Pio and muttered as he walked ahead.

‘I’ve heard that blood used as a catalyst for spells often deteriorates. Considering the Order’s behavior, it’s probably the result of that.’

Most likely, they were just processing the blood shed through human sacrifices.

If the Far East Branch had arrived at the Sea of Understanding and was engrossed in human sacrifices, what would be the reason?

If it was to confirm the hidden secrets of the Order, then Lenok’s arrival here today would not be a futile step.

‘Let’s move quickly. Magic detection doesn’t work well under the surface due to the rising currents. We need to get to the surface as soon as possible.’

‘……’

‘Why aren’t you answering…’

Lenok turned his gaze to the Watchers who weren’t answering and then closed his mouth at the sight that unfolded behind him.

Priests, easily numbering in the dozens, were surrounding the three of them, aiming sharp spears at them.

‘We’ve been waiting.’

The Order’s soldiers, looking down at the sewer with cold murderous intent.

‘I wondered if it was possible, but there really were guys crawling up through the sewer.’

‘Slowly come up to the railing and put both hands above your head.’

‘…Evan?’

Pio obediently raised both hands above his head and asked Lenok.

‘What should we do?’

There was no answer.