Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 795

The sudden appearance of the Grand Inquisitor, who should have been on the first basement level, smashing through the tower and confronting the Man-Eaters, was unexpected.

However, Lenok’s attention was more focused on the deal the Inquisitor had mentioned.

‘A deal between the Papal State and the Soul Requiem Hall…’

The two leading powers representing the Gui-do Order [a religious order] and the military city of Yorta.

This suggested that these two groups, which should have had no connection, made a deal regarding the Ascendant’s corpse within the Interstice [a space between dimensions].

Why did the cult leader keep the Ascendant’s corpse in the Interstice, and why did Yorta agree to the proposal?

Why was the Inquisitor, who should have been testing those entering Yorta, here now?

The reason for helping Lenok could also be explained if he accepted the proposal.

Meanwhile, the Man-Eater also recognized the opponent’s presence and asked in a cold voice,

“Grand Inquisitor Oris. What is the meaning of this?”

“What do you mean? You guys were the ones who came all the way down to the tower and made a ruckus,” the boy called Oris replied with a smirk.

The ghost shark, swimming along the surging river beneath, let out a loud snort.

[Phoo!]

“I can’t always tolerate the ghosts living downstairs. Sometimes, I need to let you know there are some stray ghosts sticking around here.”

“……”

While fighting the Man-Eater, Lenok was breaking through the tower’s floor and descending towards the ground.

The aftermath affected even the first basement level, and the Grand Inquisitor also noticed the commotion in the tower.

The flood of water all around the tower must also be the overflow of the Headrain River that originally existed in the Inquisitor’s court.

It was unclear why the Grand Inquisitor decided to intervene at this point, but it seemed certain that Lenok’s presence influenced that decision.

The Man-Eater seemed to sense this as well, slowly turning his body towards Oris.

“Your exile to the first basement level is the result of a just judgment for your failure in the Night March [a ritual or event].”

The white-haired youth said, glaring at the boy.

“Having chosen to judge the living who come to Yorta, do you now intend to betray that duty?”

“Betrayal? Who decided it was betrayal? I have never once accepted the Soul Requiem Hall’s decision,” Oris retorted with a loud laugh.

“It’s not betrayal, but doing what I had to do, and I just lacked the strength to do it right.”

“……”

“I was always ready to try again whenever the opportunity arose, to reclaim my place. So—”

The boy pointed directly at Lenok and said, “I’ll take that guy.”

“That one has glimpsed the flaws left in the Interstice and insulted the great spirits of the Soul Requiem Hall. That sin must be fully repaid by sacrificing the fate of the living,” the Man-Eater’s expression turned cold.

“A traitor who abandoned the Night March, are you now saying you will defy the judgment of the Soul Requiem Hall?”

“I have only one thing to say about that,” Oris scoffed, picking his nose.

“I don’t care.”

“……Then, in this place, the sins of a traitor who abandoned the Night March must be cleansed as well!!”

As the Man-Eater said this, he raised his hand, and the military spirits of the Requiem Tower were torn off and began to swirl around his hands.

The military spirits’ energy rotated at high speed, condensing into the shape of two massive halberds.

The Inquisitor also raised his hand as if he had been waiting and said, “Don’t bluff, Incarnation of the Interstice. What do you know, you who weren’t even there?”

“……”

“A false proxy, thinking that power is entirely your own. If you’re dealing with a gatekeeper modified to protect the Interstice from this far away…”

Oris chuckled and muttered, “It’s more than enough to accept it and run away.”

“A prisoner trapped in the tower’s basement, you speak very presumptuously,” the Man-Eater shouted, his face contorted in anger.

“I will correct that habit so you never crawl out onto the ground again!!”

Swaeeeeeek!!

The ghost halberds in the Man-Eater’s hands were slammed down, and Oris also raised his power as if he had been waiting.

The ghost shark flapped its fins greatly, and the river water surged and froze into a solid shield.

The two halberds of military spirits slammed directly into the ice shield, colliding.

[Kkiaaaaaak!!]

With a scream that seemed to tear the eardrums, a heavy shockwave burst out in all directions.

Paah-aah-aang!!

The river water filling the lower part of the Requiem Tower was pushed back, creating a huge wave again, filling the corridors and side rooms with water.

Swaaaah-aah-aah!!

“Hahahaha!!”

Two ghostly figures crossed paths amidst the surging waves and the storm of military spirits.

Oris laughed wildly and waved his hand, and the ghost shark swam and dashed through the storm of military spirits.

The Man-Eater also descended below the river and began to wield his halberds and storms of military spirits in succession.

The flow of souls collided violently, as if to shatter the lower part of the tower, with a majestic vibration.

Avoiding the military spirit techniques exploding right in front of him, Oris turned to Lenok and shouted quickly, “Sorcerer of the Demonic Realm, take out the ship!!”

“……”

Kwaaang!!

He received the Man-Eater’s attack head-on by freezing the river water several times.

The cold, frozen river water turned into sharp waves, piercing into the Man-Eater’s side.

Not stopping at once, he repeatedly added layers of frozen river water, sharpening it into a weapon.

He skillfully manipulated the frozen shards of cold air, riding on the swimming shark, and swung them towards the Man-Eater.

Kaga-ga-gak!!

They were dropped with such exquisite timing that even the Man-Eater, who was watching and reacting head-on, found it difficult to move easily.

A high-dimensional battle of wits, so complexly twisted that it was difficult to read the movement and patterns at once.

“……!!”

Kwaaaang!!

Oris, who had slammed the Man-Eater’s figure down into the river water flooding the lower part of the tower, shouted urgently, “We have to escape before more of the Heavenly Ghosts guarding the Requiem Tower’s levels join us. Hurry!!”

“I don’t know what you’ve been babbling about since earlier. Taking out a ship in a place like this will only hinder our movements,” Lenok replied, landing on the inner wall of the Requiem Tower and regaining his composure.

“In the first place, how can I trust you and agree to a deal?”

“Damn it, have you forgotten all the favors I’ve done for you in the first basement level!” The boy’s expression flared up for a moment, but even that reaction didn’t last long.

Just as a faint flash began to spread from under the river water.

The Man-Eater’s figure, which had risen at an incredible speed, soared up from directly below the ghost shark.

Swaeeeeeek!!

A tenacious intent to kill, trying to pierce through the boy and the shark entirely, binding himself with chains of military spirits.

The ghost shark immediately dodged by quickly turning its massive body, but it could not avoid having half of its fin torn off.

[Gueooooh!!]

“What you want is to go directly into the Interstice to confirm the Ascendant’s remains, right?” With a painful scream, Oris gritted his teeth and shouted at Lenok, as the shark’s figure twisted.

“There’s a way to enter the Interstice without going through the Requiem Tower. I’ll tell you that, so take out the ship right now!!”

“……”

Lenok shook his head at Oris’s words, who had even dropped his solemn tone and was shouting.

Although the Grand Inquisitor’s impulsive behavior was unreliable, it was a variable worth considering at this point.

Having been discovered by the Man-Eater while peeking into the Interstice, a forced breakthrough towards the Interstice through the endless army of ghosts was difficult.

It wasn’t entirely impossible if he gave it his all, but without knowing the specific circumstances, the possibility of suffering losses was too high.

At least, he needed to understand the reason and purpose for why the Ascendant’s corpse was kept in the Interstice before changing direction again.

However, even if Lenok escaped alone, it was obvious that he would have to endure the pursuit of the Requiem Tower and the Soul Requiem Hall.

Lenok was intuitively aware that it might be better to join hands with the Grand Inquisitor for a while here.

“The method you mentioned just now. You’ll have to tell me right away once we get out of here.”

“I said I would!!” Before the boy’s urgent shout could end, Lenok lightly reached into his robe and swung his hand.

The shadow that fell from under the robe expanded explosively, transforming into the shape of a massive ghost ship.

Kwaaaang!!

As the hull fell onto the surging river, the water parted to the left and right due to the impact, and the hull sank down.

“Drop the anchor and get into the cockpit!!” At the same time as Oris raised his spirit energy, the ghost shark jumped up as if in a fit and bit the chain attached to the hull.

Clang!!

The shark, having bitten the chain attached to the front of the ship, plunged its jaws below the water and twisted its body violently.

The ghost ship, filling the lower part of the Requiem Tower, began to sink straight down along the parted water.

“Wait, does ‘escape’ mean…” Lenok, realizing that the shark was trying to sink Onion’s ship, grabbed the mast at that moment.

Kugwagwagwa!!!

The ship plunged straight down below the shattered lower part of the tower, descending below the water.

The shark’s figure was pulling the ship itself down below the Headrain River of the tower’s basement level.

Just as the mast of the ship, which had dropped its anchor in advance, was about to completely disappear below the water.

“Where do you think you’re running off to!!” Thududuk!!

A pale hand of military spirits grabbed the deck of the ship, preventing the hull from sinking.

As soon as he saw the ghost shark’s actions, the Man-Eater also transformed and manipulated the military spirits, preventing the ship from hiding below the water.

“Neither of you can leave this place until you stand before the court of the Soul Requiem Hall!!”

“You’ve been nothing but an annoying hindrance since earlier…!!”

“Inquisitor, focus on guiding the ship.”

Just as the flustered Inquisitor turned the shark around and raised his power to shake off the Man-Eater.

“I’ll take care of this,” Lenok gestured to the boy and reached out his hand towards the Man-Eater.

Lenok, who was on the deck of the ship, unfolded the Papyrus Aureus [a magical artifact] wide open from his chest.

Paah-aah-aah!!

At the same time as Lenok’s will flowed into the papyrus, a vision unfolded on the golden scroll.

The Ascendant’s corpse, whose entire body was dyed black, existing beyond the Interstice.

The moment Lenok projected the scenery he had seen from beyond the Interstice.

“……!!”

The Man-Eater’s expression, which had been fine until just now, suddenly turned blank again.

An awkward and unnatural appearance, like a machine that had all its commands cut off on the spot.

In response, the hand of military spirits that had been holding the ship disappeared, and Oris began to pull the ship below the water as if he had been waiting.

“Alright, let’s escape!!”

“……”

Chwaaa-aak!!

Lenok, stepping through the river water filling the deck, looked at the Man-Eater’s stopped figure.

A variable that utilized the Man-Eater’s habit of being confused and not remembering information from within the Interstice while outside of it.

However, Lenok intuitively knew that this symptom was not simply amnesia or dementia.

It was not a symptom that occurred because the Man-Eater himself existed as an independent entity.

It was a phenomenon that occurred because he was an entity that was thoroughly subservient to the Requiem Tower and functioned as a gatekeeper, and could only exist as such.

And, among the spirits Lenok knew, if there was a power that existed by relying on a caster like that—

“Incarnation Technique,” Lenok’s gaze, looking at the distorted Man-Eater, shone strongly.

“So, it was possible to use it in that way when it reached its peak.”

Kkurururuk!!

Before his thoughts could end, Onion’s ship completely disappeared below the river.

“This…!!!” The Man-Eater, who belatedly regained his senses, swung his military spirit techniques with a distorted face, but it was already too late.

Kwaaang!!

“Damn it!!” However, the Man-Eater could not easily enter the river, and only stood there for a long time, glaring at the overflowing water.

“Ah, no… I, what am I doing here…” Centered on the Man-Eater, who was constantly muttering to himself, the shattered form of the Requiem Tower began to slowly restore itself.

Kugugugu!!

The military spirits that had newly flowed into Yorta became parts of the tower, recreating the collapsed levels and ceilings.

They rebuilt the outer and inner walls, stabilizing the shaking Requiem Tower again.

[Oooooo…]

The cries of the military spirits that had been wailing incessantly subsided, and silence returned to the tower.

“Yes, I… protect… the Interstice…” The Man-Eater, who had been blankly watching the Requiem Tower being restored, froze on the spot as if time had stopped.

The spirit of the gatekeeper, as if it had stopped functioning after fulfilling its purpose, slowly began to crumble and fade away on the spot.

Pasususu…!!

As if his hands and feet were shattered and disappeared like white powder, the Man-Eater’s spirit energy, turned into a wisp of smoke, soared above the Requiem Tower.

The spirit energy, turned into a faint smoke, quickly headed to the very top of the Requiem Tower.

Kung!!

The end of the Requiem Tower, where hundreds of military spirits were still raising its height in real-time.

A dark sky where there was not even a proper ceiling, and only the stars of the night sky could be seen.

At the top of the tower, there was only a massive throne and the figure of a man sitting on that throne with his eyes closed.

Jet-black hair as dark as night, and a pure white robe that contrasted with it.

Over the pure white robe, the Man-Eater’s spirit energy, which had surged from below, flowed and wrapped around it, turning into the hem of the robe.

A natural unification, as if it had been part of the man from the beginning.

“……” Only then did the man sitting on the throne open his eyes and gaze down at the tower.

Goooooo!!

A strong wind blew at the top of the tower.

Although the ground could not be seen due to the storm of military spirits and the clouds, his eyes were clear, as if he could see far beyond.

“My Incarnation, who was guarding the boundaries of the curse, has been defeated,” the man muttered, looking down at the lower part of the tower for a long time.

“Because I left it moving outside the Interstice for too long, it showed forbidden memories. I have ruined what should have been an easy task.”

[My Lord, Grand Inquisitor Oris has committed treason.] Whirr-r-r-r!!

Nine flames of spirit energy blazed around the throne.

The old spirits of the Soul Requiem Hall had already found their way to the top of the tower, dimly illuminating the man’s back.

They were positioned to support the throne, subtly standing aside without ever facing him directly.

One of the spirits spoke, burning a flame of spirit energy.

[He has fled to the tower’s basement level with the sorcerer of the Demonic Realm. We will be able to track their movements soon.]

“However, our plan will be delayed a little from the schedule.”

[……]

“We don’t have much time, great spirits.” Leaving the silent spirits behind, the man slowly rose from the throne.

“Once, I wandered between two cities, dreaming foolish dreams, but only oblivion remains by my side, without achieving anything properly…”

[……]

“If the Order has noticed the grand scheme, it is not the time to be picky about methods.”

He had forgotten many things, but there were still things he remembered.

Even as he forgot and continued to forget… he still remembered Ohbaekro, who had spoken about the fate of the world as if it were a joke.

The death of Kaise Bajur. The opening of the restricted area. The corruption of the Headro military and even the Grand Canal project.

The trends of the secular world he had heard from the chairman of the Balkan Senate now felt like a long time ago, but if there was anything he remembered amidst all that.

“Contact the Lost Paradise.”

At the same time, the pure white robe the man was wearing began to be dyed with an infinitely black light.

“I will speak directly with Jinwa and receive a share of her incantation.”

* * *

Kkurururuk!!

Onion’s ghost ship, which had sunk below the cold river.

As the heavy hull sank, white bubbles rose, and the parted water made a loud noise.

The ship, which was not originally designed for underwater navigation, was holding up relatively well against the water pressure pouring in from all sides.

Rather than having such a purpose built into the ship’s functions, it was probably because Onion’s ship possessed such strong preservation capabilities.

Lenok, who was looking at the increasingly dark underwater scenery through the old window, slowly took off his ring.

Paah!

The spirit of the priestess appeared silently before Lenok’s eyes, swaying as if in a trance.

“The scale and depth of the Headrain River are more than I expected. At this rate, it will take some time to move,” Lenok said quietly.

“There will be some time before the Inquisitor comes. Until then, I need to confirm the story I heard from you.”

[……]

“The cult leader and the Ascendant. And even the reason why you came to Yorta at this time,” Lenok’s gaze, looking at the priestess’s spirit, shone coldly from behind the mask.

About everything that had happened since he first encountered the corpses of Seina and Naidri in the swamp.

From the point where he realized that her purpose, which he had only vaguely questioned and postponed, overlapped with his own to some extent.

He realized that he had to clarify everything.

“If you don’t want to be annihilated along with your soul, you’ll have to explain everything here.”

[……Understood. There is nothing I need to hide from you now.] The priestess replied calmly, raising her gaze to meet Lenok’s eyes.

[The reason I came to this military city. Shall I start with the most important point?]