Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 993

“This way, Evan.”

Thump.

Turning through the back alleys of the gate city, they headed towards the back door of an old tavern.

As soon as they entered the tavern, boisterous laughter echoed from all directions.

At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary scene, no different from any other bustling tavern.

However, Lenok didn’t miss the fact that some of the tavern’s patrons were quickly exchanging glances with Angel.

“They’re ability users.”

“……”

Most of the patrons in the tavern possessed unique and distinct mental waves.

A unique wavelength that could only be felt from ability users with a certain level of skill.

“Is this tavern itself the gate branch of the Ability Awakening Squad?”

“I’ll explain that part later. Let’s talk about the most important issue first.”

Angel nodded and immediately led Lenok to a private room in a corner of the tavern.

“As you heard from the commander, the Grafting Artificer has left the management of the gate to the search team and the chimeras.”

“……”

“The chimeras he created are monsters that have shed their organic forms, and they are at a level where they not only assimilate with inorganic matter but also deceive perception.”

Angel said as he entered the hallway behind the tavern.

“Unlike you or Mr. Ban, most superhumans find it difficult to even know that such things exist nearby.”

“Deceiving perception……”

Considering the existence of the flesh giant that had become one with the gate, it wasn’t an unbelievable explanation.

“The problem is that even those chimeras are of little significance to the Grafting Artificer. They are all just byproducts of the process of researching the Grafting Art.”

“Researching the Grafting Art? That’s a strange thing to say.”

Lenok questioned.

“Would someone of the Alliance’s Grand Artificer level deliberately leave such byproducts while researching their own art?”

At the point of reaching level 8, most artificers are not bound by physical limitations in researching their core magic.

Becoming a Grand Artificer means breaking the seven stages of self-transformation and forging one’s own path.

The important thing is to solidify the concept so that the artificer’s own mental image, intention, and mental balance are not disrupted.

Even Lenok, after reaching level 8, had not physically ‘researched’ lightning or fire much.

At most, he had only used them experimentally when learning new techniques or mental imagery.

However, Angel shook his head at Lenok’s words.

“That’s because the Grafting Artificer’s unique Grafting Art has exceptionally powerful and special properties.”

“……”

“It’s also the decisive reason why the Grafting Artificer is still researching his own art.”

Creak…!!

Angel, having found and opened a hidden door beyond the private room, spoke.

“To gather information about that, it was necessary to contact someone related to the squad.”

As the iron door opened, an intense mental wave engulfed Lenok from within.

Paang!!

It wasn’t a hostile wave like animosity or murderous intent, but a sharp psychic wave akin to vigilance.

The psychic image was so intense that it felt as if a physical force was slightly pushing Lenok back.

“……”

Lenok, having deflected the mental wave pouring from the doorway, raised his gaze and looked into the room.

A particularly large man was in the room, turned away, fiddling with something.

Scrape, scrape.

Each time he carefully moved his arm, a sound of something slowly being ground down could be heard.

Was that large man the one who had just sent the mental wave at Lenok?

Just as Lenok was about to raise his mental intention, the man opened his mouth.

“So, you’re the rumored Flame Heat Magician who gave Lieutenant General Roberaide a hard time.”

“……”

“Thank you. I’d like to express my gratitude instead. That stuffy soldier made Uelert’s Eight Seats bedridden for a while.”

While Lenok paused at the unexpected topic, the man slowly raised his arms and spoke.

“If O’Edon’s Sixth Seat hadn’t intervened, we would have lost a valuable great ability user.”

“……Where is Balak O’Edon?”

“Right, you met O’Edon’s Sixth Seat once in the Infinite Labyrinth, didn’t you?”

The man said, slowly turning around.

“Then you’d know. He’s adjusting his abilities. He had a rough time a few days before meeting you, so it’ll take a little time for him to show his face.”

“……”

“His ability is the most prone to going berserk among ability users of the same level. The squad is managing him intensively.”

A muscular man with a mustache. He looked to be around forty years old.

He was wearing a shirt and suspender pants, and his rolled-up sleeves made him look active.

Holding a horn, the man stood up and strode over, extending his hand.

“I’m Bernard, an explorer. It’s an honor to meet the legendary Thousand.”

“An executive of an ability user group is working as an explorer?”

Lenok asked, looking at the hand he had extended.

“That’s not a very fitting job.”

“……Hmm.”

“That mental wave you shot at me. It was a type of intention that you had changed to be stimulating for exploration.”

Lenok, having stared intently at Bernard’s face, nodded as if he finally understood.

“You have an innate ability specialized for information gathering and searching. Otherwise, there’s no reason why you’d be cooperating with Angel.”

“……”

Bernard, having had his ability and system analyzed as soon as they met, was speechless and turned his gaze towards Angel.

“Is, is he always like this?”

“Bernard. What are you talking about when you just said it yourself?”

Angel shrugged.

“He’s the magician who survived the Infinite Labyrinth. In terms of ability alone, he should be in the squad’s Ten Seats. It’s only natural that he has a keen eye.”

“No, there haven’t been many magicians who could analyze my mental wave to this extent.”

Bernard looked at Lenok with a suspicious glint in his eyes.

“This isn’t possible with just a high level of sensitivity. Are you perhaps an innate ability user, Thousand?”

“……”

“There are hardly any cases of high-level magicians awakening innate abilities, except for the chairman.”

Lenok remained silent, and Angel sighed as if he was dumbfounded.

“Do you think such a thing would be common, no matter how vast the central front is?”

“Here we go again. That Eye Magician who’s holed up alone in a research lab in a megacity?”

Bernard grumbled and turned away.

“Fine. What more can I say? Let’s just say I was mistaken.”

“No, it’s not wrong.”

“What?”

“When you handle barrier magic, you also become accustomed to sensing various types of power that aren’t magic.”

Whooong!!

As a complex barrier formation overlapped and rotated on Lenok’s hand, Bernard’s mouth slightly opened.

“It’s not an ability, but it’s a realm of talent that can’t be completely called magic. You have a good sense.”

“……I can’t believe it. To miniaturize a barrier formation and carry it around directly.”

Bernard muttered in disbelief.

“So, the story that you met Jintun directly in the Infinite Labyrinth wasn’t a lie after all?”

“If your questions are resolved, can we get to the main point?”

Lenok said, nodding his head.

“This ice cube has been holding back, saying he can only explain properly when he meets you.”

“……Alright. Let’s go inside and talk.”

Bernard, who had been hesitating, nodded.

“I’ll explain what’s happening at the gate right now.”

“……”

Lenok silently watched Bernard’s back as he turned around, holding the carved horn.

‘His innate senses aren’t that bad. For the squad’s reputation, his emotions are intact.’

Having met Balak O’Edon, the level 8 gravity-type superhuman, Lenok knew to some extent what kind of organization the Ability Awakening Squad was.

A union of ability users that doesn’t hesitate to use any means to awaken and control super abilities that operate purely on innate talent.

A massive force that had changed so much that even Angel, who had been a part of the squad in its early days, had abandoned the organization.

He had thought that a friend in such a squad would be a superhuman who had abandoned their humanity, but Bernard’s reaction was surprisingly normal.

Even when he had deliberately provoked him by taking out his barrier magic to see his reaction, there was nothing particularly unusual.

‘It’s okay to watch his progress for now.’

Lenok followed Angel and Bernard into the basement.

A wide workbench where Bernard had been carving the horn, and a long table next to it.

On the table, all sorts of liquor bottles were neatly lined up in a row.

Lenok, having checked the brands of the liquor bottles classified by label, asked.

“There’s whiskey that’s only sold in the Northern Continent. Is collecting liquor your hobby?”

“Well, you could say that. It’s a side job I do while working.”

Bernard said, cleaning the table and chairs and picking up a liquor bottle.

He opened the lid with one hand and casually offered the whiskey bottle to Lenok.

“It’s going to be a bit of a long story, would you like a drink too?”

“No, let’s keep it short.”

Lenok, having cut him off sharply, sat back in his chair with his arms crossed.

“I don’t have much time. I plan to listen to the main points as briefly as possible and leave.”

“I see. You don’t have much time.”

Bernard, having gulped down the liquor bottle, wiped his mouth with his sleeve and asked.

“That’s because the Grafting Artificer gave you a 48-hour grace period, right?”

“……”

A question that hit the core from the start.

However, instead of being shaken, Lenok looked at Bernard with a cold gaze.

As expected, the Ability Awakening Squad knew what Lenok had experienced outside the gate.

Even if they didn’t know all the details, they were aware of the overall flow of events.

Otherwise, there was no way they would know about the conversation between the Grafting Artificer and Lenok at the gate.

Lenok nodded instead of answering, and Bernard nodded in response.

“As you might have guessed, I’m in charge of gathering information around the gate. The reason Angel contacted me is because he knows what kind of work I do in the squad.”

“Bernard is an ability user who has been granted the most freedom and authority to act independently within the squad.”

Angel added, as if to supplement his words.

“His ability is complete, and he’s from the ‘Pioneer’ group, so the squad respects his status.”

“Pioneer?”

Lenok frowned at the unfamiliar word, and Angel replied.

“It’s an explorer organization that made a name for itself on the continent. It’s made up of five superhumans, and Bernard was one of them.”

“Haha, it’s a bit embarrassing since it was a long time ago.”

“……”

While Lenok was looking at Bernard scratching his head, Angel asked, surprised.

“They’re the organization that made several achievements, such as discovering the hideout of the Ascended and the outer cemetery of Ars Nova. You don’t know them at all?”

“I haven’t had much interaction with explorers.”

Lenok shook his head.

“The famous superhumans I’ve met were all targets I had to kill. Do I need to explain more?”

“……I see. If I were to tell you one story that you might know…”

Angel cleared his throat and spoke.

“During the Holy War, they were the ones who found the entrance to the Valley of Grief, where the Order’s headquarters was located, and stopped the war.”

“……They found the entrance to the Order’s headquarters?”

“The Order’s advance stopped at the point when the Valley of Grief was discovered, and the Holy War ended six months later, so you could say they provided the opportunity for the end of the war.”

Angel replied.

“They’ve disbanded now, and all the members have scattered, but their achievements are highly regarded in the central region.”

“……”

It was surprising that an explorer organization had made achievements in the Holy War, but it was also interesting that they had fully utilized their specialties.

Above all, the fact that such a thing was possible even though the Order’s leader was clearly in the headquarters at the time.

“I understand that you’re a capable explorer. What’s the reason for appealing that fact to me?”

“It’s not so much an appeal as…”

Angel shrugged.

“Even Bernard is having trouble investigating the Grafting Artificer.”

“……”

“Let’s start talking after you see this.”

Bernard, having taken out a large file from a thick box under the table, opened it.

The first thing that caught the eye as soon as the file was opened was a photo. The image of a huge structure covered in a strange membrane.

The way it stood tall in the middle of the city gave off a strong sense of vitality, as if it would break through the photo.

Lenok’s expression hardened for a moment at the sense of incongruity that could be felt just by looking at the printed photo.

“……This is.”

“The unique installation-type life zone that the Grafting Artificer built in the depths of the gate city. Commonly known as the ‘Operating Room’.”

Bernard said, presenting the photo to Lenok.

“As soon as the Artificer settled in the gate, he built the zone and has been holed up inside ever since. He only comes out of the operating room once a day.”

Bernard said, extending his finger towards Lenok.

“It’s to greet the customers who come to his operating room.”

“Customers, you say…”

“He’s a powerful unique artificer, but more than that, he’s an excellent surgeon. Especially his surgical skills for high-level superhumans are well-regarded within the Alliance.”

Bernard nodded.

“However, since he’s the Alliance’s Grand Artificer and has an extremely picky nature, he doesn’t take on patients unless it’s something that interests him. But for some reason, he’s been steadily taking patients since he came to the gate.”

“……”

He knew.

The reason why the Grafting Artificer had postponed the time while mentioning surgery.

The fact that he had an operating room might not be just for himself.

However, the fact that a level 8 unique artificer was also an excellent doctor felt strange to Lenok.

Did he use his talent and ability to delve into medicine? Or did he gain his unique magic based on his talent for medicine?

Either way, he could understand how unique the Grafting Artificer’s reputation was among the Alliance’s Grand Artificers.

“I think you can guess what I’m trying to say at this point.”

Bernard, having extended two fingers towards Lenok, nodded.

“The reason why the Grafting Artificer gave you a 48-hour grace period isn’t because he’s considerate or cares about you. It’s because he only has time to care about you after he finishes two surgeries, one every 24 hours.”

“……”

“So, if you want to get your hands on the shard of the veil, you must move while the Grafting Artificer is performing surgery. After 48 hours, the Grafting Artificer will never give you an opening.”

“Wait a minute. There’s a part that’s lacking in the explanation.”

Lenok raised his hand and asked.

“What you’re saying now sounds like I have to enter the operating room secretly while the Grafting Artificer is there. Why do I have to enter the operating room to get the shard of the veil?”

“Because the Grafting Artificer’s operating room is structured to surround the entrance of the gate.”

Bernard said.

“The shard of the veil can only be obtained at the entrance of the gate, and the area nearby is already covered by the operating room. There’s practically no other choice.”

“……”

“The operating room is the zone itself that the Artificer built… Considering that he’s a unique artificer, fighting inside would be suicidal.”

“You’re saying that to avoid fighting the Artificer, I have to move while he’s performing surgery. Well, there’s no need to clash with the Artificer before obtaining the shard of the veil.”

Since he had come to the gate under the identity of Thousand to avoid the Artificer’s suspicion, it was natural to avoid clashing with the Artificer.

However, while Lenok understood that fact, he tilted his head in the opposite direction.

“But even if he’s doing something that requires a high level of concentration like surgery, it’s difficult not to be detected inside the zone. It seems impossible to even enter the operating room in the first place.”

“That’s a reasonable question. I’ve also gathered some related information about that.”

Bernard said, opening a new liquor bottle and gulping it down.

“There are easy and difficult ways to enter the Grafting Artificer’s operating room. Which one do you want to hear first?”

“Tell me both. Are you playing around right now?”

“……I’ll explain the easy way first.”

Bernard’s shoulders momentarily shrank at Lenok’s cold gaze.

He put down the liquor bottle and took out a thick stack of papers from the boxes piled under the table, flipping through them quickly.

“Keep in mind that this is just a possibility. It’s one of the plans that came up while the squad was gathering information and coming up with countermeasures.”

“Why are you so long-winded?”

“You’ll understand when you hear what I’m about to say? Alright. I found it.”

He took out a thin file from the pile of boxes and opened it.

Bernard, having narrowed his eyes and looked at the documents in the file for a long time, slowly opened his mouth.

“There’s a rumor that among the customers who have booked surgery with the Grafting Artificer, there’s a high-ranking executive of the Azure Eye.”

“……What did you say?”