Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 826

The spirit, having mentioned Lenok’s obsidian mask, unleashed a dark, mana-infused thread.

Chijijik…!!

The distorted mana thread spun between his fingers, emitting an ominous aura.

A strange intent, as if trying to forcibly transfer by polluting the surrounding air itself.

However, before the black mana thread the spirit had drawn could reach Lenok, another spirit seated beside him intervened.

“Daemon. What are you doing?”

A fox-headed beast spirit with white fur fluttering, grabbed the black spirit’s arm.

A lithe physique that seemed feminine, with calm eyes that betrayed no emotion.

“We haven’t heard anything from that human yet. Please refrain from rash actions.”

“Don’t interfere, Azbel.”

The black spirit, called Daemon, retorted as if annoyed.

“As a noble of Ars Nova [a fallen civilization], I simply have something to pass on to my successor.”

“It’s not just an object. Your intent is too dangerous for an ordinary human to accept.”

“Ordinary human? Where do you see an ordinary human in him?”

Daemon looked at Lenok and smiled.

“He’s the one who infiltrated the sanctuary, shattered the remains of the Ascended [powerful beings], and collapsed the tower. If we were to measure by his achievements in life, he would have surpassed you and me long ago.”

“……”

“He seems to have joined hands with the traitor’s family, but considering his talent and achievements, it’s only natural to bestow this much favor. So…”

Kilik!!

The pitch-black mana thread, having slipped past the fox-beast Azbel’s grasp, plunged towards Lenok in an instant.

It connected with Lenok’s mana thread in mid-air, intertwining as if holding hands.

At the same time, Lenok’s mana thread began to darken and change from its roots.

The intense intent that flowed into Daemon began to cover Lenok’s mana thread, changing its color.

“…It seems my words fell on deaf ears.”

Azbel, realizing that Daemon had touched Lenok after all, raised his mana with a touch of irritation.

“Have you forgotten who took the role of guide during the Night Walk [a ritualistic journey]?”

“Azbel, that’s enough.”

The giant, who seemed ready to unleash his mana at Daemon, stopped Azbel.

“I understand your feelings, but we must avoid fighting among ourselves. Have you forgotten our current situation?”

“……”

While Azbel remained silent, Lenok watched as his mana thread was being dyed black by the intent Daemon had extended.

It wasn’t just a change in appearance, but a gradual alteration of the mana thread’s nature.

He could cut it off right away if he wanted, but Daemon’s earlier words bothered him.

Lenok looked at the blackened mana thread and asked.

“This is a nasty intent. What is it?”

“Ho, you can speak? It’s difficult to maintain consciousness during the succession.”

Daemon, looking at Lenok with interest, said.

“It’s a process to specialize the nature of the mana thread used as a medium for manipulation techniques for spatial interference.”

“Spatial interference?”

“There were many skilled manipulators in Ars Nova, and in the later years, attempts to change the nature of mana threads were common.”

Daemon explained.

“What I’m giving you now is a type of external-origin mana that functions as a key to open the ‘door’.”

“……”

A key to open the door.

As soon as Lenok heard those words, he understood what door Daemon was referring to.

If a noble of the central city was talking about a door, it must be referring to the rifts leading to the outer sea, passages like the Well of the Compendium [a place of knowledge and power].

Crack!!

The mana thread Lenok was using soon turned the same black color as Daemon’s, becoming even more taut.

As its nature changed, the binding force of the mana thread increased, and its strength grew.

Daemon looked at him and slowly extended his hand towards Lenok.

“Finally, by exchanging a bit of your spirit with mine, we will keep this fact secret and prove the authority of the noble-”

Thud!!

At that moment, Daemon’s form was crushed as if it had been pressed down, shaking violently.

“……!!”

“As a fellow manipulator, I’ll accept the achievement you’re passing on for now.”

Lenok, having withdrawn his blackened mana thread, replied as the other spirits looked at Daemon with slight surprise.

“But stories about nobles and souls have nothing to do with me.”

“You…”

Daemon, having quickly regained his senses despite the shock that shook his soul, looked down at Lenok.

“You’ve done something to your own soul.”

“What?”

“The intent I injected into you is disappearing on the spot without returning.”

Daemon’s inorganic gaze stared intently at Lenok’s eyes.

“You consider the intent that has passed through another soul as an impurity, not even allowing it to return.”

Daemon’s voice, as he shook his head creakingly, had also changed strangely, as if he was quite intrigued.

“An inviolable purity that you’re not even aware of… Are you a descendant of a Transcendent [beings of immense power]?”

“……”

“Daemon. Let’s stop there for now.”

Palunz, who had been watching the situation, immediately stepped forward and spoke, sensing the unusual atmosphere.

“If I leave things to you here, the story will drag on. Discussing this situation is the priority.”

“……”

“Given the circumstances, it’s undeniable that you are the one who visited the Abyss and destroyed the sanctuary.”

While Daemon was scattering an ominous intent that betrayed no emotion, Palunz looked at Lenok and asked.

“Could you tell us what you saw in the Abyss?”

“…The throne located at the center of the sanctuary. I thought it was unnecessarily large for the body of the Ascended.”

Lenok said to Palunz, who was looking at him in surprise.

“It was yours.”

“…Hmm. That’s not wrong. Though that’s not what I was asking.”

Palunz coughed and replied.

“I was one of the legion commanders who led the Giant Soldier Corps [an ancient military force], and after losing in the Great War, I joined the Night Walk. I had left the artifact I used at the sanctuary, and it seems it was still there.”

“Giant Soldier Corps…”

He thought it was a strangely powerful military order, but it turned out to be from the leadership of the Giant Soldier Corps.

Unlike the spirits of the Requiem [spirits bound to a memorial tower], it seemed that there were many extraordinary origins among the ancient spirits.

Or perhaps it was because the spirits of the Requiem had already lost their power and history while guarding the memorial tower.

At Lenok’s casual mutter, Palunz suddenly brightened up.

“Hmm, do you know about the corps?”

“I’ve visited the tomb of the Giant Soldier Corps. I saw the weapons and corpses they used. They were all of considerable quality.”

Palunz nodded, pleased with Lenok’s calm answer.

“Unlike the young ones these days, you know how to honor history…”

“You don’t seem to have any particular attachment to the collapse of the memorial tower or the fact that the Night Walk is over.”

Lenok, looking at the spirits, asked.

“Then, what are you curious about that made you want to meet me?”

“You’re misunderstanding something, sorcerer of the Pandemonium [a chaotic realm].”

Palunz shook his head.

Leaning his arms on the throne, he lowered his head slightly, his face looming over Lenok’s head.

“It’s unfortunate that the memorial tower collapsed. It’s also unfortunate that the Night Walk ended without blooming.”

“……”

“But we are beings who were rejected and exiled from the Night Walk… So, in a way, we think this is how it should have been from the start.”

He understood that the spirits exiled from the Night Walk had awakened and were ruling the city after the memorial tower collapsed.

However, the reason they were waiting for Lenok was not just to tell him their thoughts on this situation.

“Apart from the collapse of the memorial tower, the sanctuary of the Abyss, which observes the curse, is also of great significance to us.”

Palunz said.

“If the Abyss hasn’t disappeared but has transformed into an independent space, we intend to reclaim it. To do that, we need to know exactly what happened inside the sanctuary.”

“You are the only one who knows the current situation and results inside the sanctuary, human.”

The blue knight spirit sitting on another throne continued.

“If you tell us in detail what you experienced in the Abyss, we will free you from all responsibility for this incident.”

“……”

“The responsibility for this incident lies with the spirits of the Requiem who fled to the spirit realm, and with the monarch Hionil at their head-”

The spirits glanced around, nodding as if implying their decision.

“It would be cleaner to hand over the city’s authority if we don’t place the blame on an outsider.”

In the situation where the memorial tower had collapsed and the spirits of the Requiem had fled, it was inevitable that the exiled ancient spirits would take the position of administrators.

Apart from that, it was convenient to organize the internal system if they didn’t officially involve an outsider in this situation.

Lenok had never directly managed such a large sphere of influence, so he couldn’t fully grasp the meaning of those words, but he understood what the spirits intended with this proposal.

In short, they needed a place to match their words appropriately to handle things easily.

“…Okay. I’ll do that.”

Lenok, after a moment of thought, nodded.

There was no reason to refuse since he knew they had no intention of being coercive.

They also seemed more interested in the reconstruction of Jorta and reclaiming the Abyss than in Lenok, so there was no need to draw a line.

Lenok immediately gave the spirits a summary of what had happened with the remains of the Ascended.

He filtered out information directly related to himself, but that was enough to explain the core of the matter.

“Hionil became the curse of the Abyss and merged with the sanctuary…”

“Since the agreement with the Papal State has been broken, they might try to contact us.”

“Do we have to work on reconstruction and tracking in both the material and spirit realms? This is going to be a headache.”

“More than that, I’m more surprised that this person actually fought the Ascended and came back alive.”

Among the spirits discussing what to do next, Azbel looked down at Lenok and said.

“Given the circumstances, it’s undeniable that the dead Ascended regained their memories and awakened. Yet, he survived and returned from the sanctuary… What kind of place is Pandemonium?”

“I don’t know.”

Lenok replied.

“At least, it’s not the kind of well-organized group you guys are thinking of.”

“……”

“Sorcerer, I thank you for your cooperation in this matter.”

Among the spirits who were looking at each other in silence, Palunz wrapped up the situation.

“Although what you did may not bring entirely positive results to this city… we believe it was a necessary change at some point.”

“……”

“As promised, we pledge to help you leave this city whenever you wish, without holding you responsible in any way.”

“I’ll leave as soon as possible.”

Lenok replied, closing his eyes.

“The only reason I stayed here was because I thought I had to settle things with your leadership.”

Because he had been dealing with various things in a hurry, there were still areas and secrets in Jorta that he hadn’t had a chance to look into.

However, Lenok understood that it would be difficult to stay in Jorta for long, now that he had achieved his original goals to some extent.

Since Lenok’s own condition was quite poor, he needed to return to Balkan as soon as possible if possible.

The reason he had met with the spirits and talked was also to leave room for a return to Jorta in the future, as he was now concluding his journey.

The spirits seemed to understand Lenok’s intentions, and they nodded immediately.

“Then, I’ll assign a guide to take you across the Headrain River right away.”

“Naimel, guide this person and call Aorosiku. There’s something I need to entrust to him regarding the warlords waiting outside the city.”

“Understood.”

“Aorosiku? Is that idiot still in Jorta?”

Leaving the spirits who had started the discussion again, Naimel nodded towards Lenok.

Lenok followed Naimel and immediately left the temple.

“This way, sir.”

The wide path of the temple split to the left and right as Lenok walked, leading to the central district canal hidden among the ruins.

The back path of the Jorta central district temple. A narrow escape route connecting the highest level of the city to the outermost edge.

Naimel stood with her back to the entrance of the escape route and said to Lenok.

“If you walk straight along this path, you will meet your guide.”

“……”

“The priest’s that you obtained…”

Naimel, who was about to say something to Lenok, closed her mouth and lightly shook her head.

“No, as someone who has left the order, I have nothing to say.”

“……”

“If you ever come back to this city, I’ll see you then.”

She must also have her own thoughts about the order and the leader.

Lenok was also curious about how a heretic who had left the order now thought about and treated them.

However, he didn’t know enough about Naimel to pry into what she didn’t want to say.

Lenok left Naimel, who had bowed lightly, and walked slowly along the passage.

Splash!!

As he walked along the passage next to the narrow waterway, Oris’s voice was heard from afar.

“Human, over here.”

“……”

“If you want to cross the Headrain River today, you’d better hurry. Get on quickly.”

The boy spirit was waving his hand at Lenok, having boarded a small rowboat.

Lenok followed Oris and got on the rowboat, asking.

“So, you were the guide that was prepared.”

“Didn’t you use that as an excuse to save me from the Requiem?”

Oris retorted, grabbing the oars on the side of the rowboat with both hands.

As he lightly rowed, the boat smoothly began to move out of the canal.

Oris, facing Lenok, slowly rowed and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

“Be grateful. A spirit of my caliber is volunteering to be your guide.”

“…For someone like that.”

Lenok replied, glancing down at the bottom of the rowboat.

The sight of a ghost shark diligently flapping its fins under the surface of the rowboat, pulling the boat.

“It seems that the shark is doing all the work, not you.”

“Damn it, I was trying to show off a little. Would it hurt you to pretend you didn’t see it?”

Oris then put down the oar he had been pretending to row and lay down on the rowboat.

Turning his head away and staring at the flowing river, Oris said.

“Thank you for what you did.”

“What do you mean?”

“For destroying the remains of the Ascended. For collapsing the tower. For getting rid of the spirits of the Requiem.”

Oris replied.

“They were all things that should have been done a long time ago… It’s actually too late.”

“……”

“We tried to solve it ourselves, but in the end, it was a problem that couldn’t be solved without the existence of a variable like you.”

The boy’s gaze, fiddling with the rowboat, seemed to be passing over Lenok and heading further away.

“Perhaps the ending of this world is also that kind of problem. Don’t you think?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Even if the end is near, we’ve been given a chance to start again.”

Oris said as he guided the rowboat.

“We can stand at the starting line. Even if it’s just a vain hope…”

Not everyone prepares their own answer to the end.

It’s not yet decided that the end that will come to this world will only be a miserable end.

The important thing is to live in this moment, find meaning, and create a reason to live.

Even if he was a military spirit who only had his soul left, Oris was humbly accepting that it was necessary for Jorta.

Everyone has their own life and their own values.

What is truly valuable and precious is ultimately up to oneself to reflect on at the end of life.

Therefore, Lenok understood and accepted the value of life that Oris was talking about, and his way of existence.

“Once you leave this city, you’ll still be a heinous outlaw and a member of a vicious criminal organization… But I won’t forget.”

Oris said.

“That there is a standard and answer that transcends good and evil somewhere, and that people like you can sometimes get closer to it than anyone else.”

“……”

“That the value of the time we have left is not in success or failure, but in the process of reaching that point.”

“You…”

An answer that could never have come out without being influenced by Lenok’s journey.

Perhaps he had heard the intent that Kroken and Lenok had exchanged when they clashed.

Wooong…!!

As Oris spoke, his form seemed to be gradually increasing its power in front of Lenok’s eyes.

The answer he had reached through contemplation. Through the structure of intent, his mental image was taking shape, gradually shifting his rank.

However, instead of telling Oris about that fact, Lenok snorted and turned his head away.

There was no need to explain it to Oris, as he would know the meaning better than anyone else.

“Say whatever you want. It’s none of my business anyway.”

Squeak…!!

The rowboat crossed the Headrain River, gradually approaching the swamp that could be seen in the distance.

The pier where Lenok had first arrived near Jorta, fought the crazed apostle, and dragged his corpse to.

Thud!!

As the ghost shark swimming under the river slammed its head into the pier, the old wooden building shook violently, and the caretakers rushed out in surprise.

Leaving the commotion behind, Oris put down the oar he had been pretending to hold and took something out of his pocket.

“Here, take this.”

“I don’t take trash.”

“Trash? This is a precious item!”

Oris, flustered, forcibly handed a small pendant to Lenok.

It was old and covered in grime, and at first glance, it looked like something that could be thrown away as junk.

“Not everyone who dies in this world can become a military spirit.”

As Lenok picked it up, Oris said.

“Sometimes, with the death of the body, the soul also disappears, never leaving a trace in this world again.”

“……”

“That pendant will prevent your soul from disappearing even at the moment you die.”

“An item that prevents the disappearance of the soul?”

“Yes, you never know.”

Oris said with a mischievous expression.

“If you die due to an unavoidable event and lose your body, leaving only your soul… you might become a more powerful military spirit than anyone else.”