Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 1019

Signpost (7)

The makeshift fortress on the outermost edge of the gate city was almost completely rebuilt.

Except for the collapsed ramparts from the battle, the scenery was no different than before.

The majestic sight of the burning curtain in the sky illuminated the entire scene with an otherworldly light.

Crack, crack!!

Safe petals of flame fell, burning through the curtain.

The sparks, like fireflies, scattered and glowed over the gate city sky.

A new scene of the first gate, scattering like countless small shooting stars.

“Beautiful.”

Eredis, walking ahead, admired the sight without realizing it.

“I’ve met many sorcerers who can change the environment, but I’ve rarely seen anything on this scale.”

“……”

“Not just a part of the battlefield, but the power to change the form of the gate and alter the environment… truly, there seems to be no limit to the power of magic.”

“Enough with the flattery.”

Lenok retorted with a nonchalant expression.

“It seems like you’ve already far surpassed the level of envying magic.”

“……”

He hadn’t felt it in the reception room, but as soon as he stepped outside, Lenok could feel it too.

The tremendous fighting spirit emanating from Eredis’s entire body as she walked ahead.

An overwhelming presence felt even though she wasn’t wearing any artifacts to meet Lenok.

Apart from her innate abilities, her own martial prowess was that of a monster.

Angel’s explanation that she had the greatest killing power in the Ability Awakening Corps was not a lie.

It was hard to believe that someone with such a ferocious aura could have such a gentle personality.

Eredis, understanding Lenok’s words, smiled.

“I apologize if it bothered you. I used a somewhat rough method to ward off prying eyes.”

“Ward off eyes?”

“Although I had to make time due to the urgency of the situation, I am not supposed to be here right now.”

Eredis said casually.

“My presence alone violates the central unspoken rules and disrupts the balance between factions. It’s necessary to handle this as quietly as possible.”

“……”

The mere fact that Eredis Javelin was in the gate city could cause problems in the Ability Awakening Corps’ diplomatic relations.

After hearing that, he was even more curious about what kind of powerhouse this woman was in the Central.

“We’ve arrived. It seems the preparations are complete.”

Thud!

An empty lot behind the makeshift fortress of the gate city.

On top of a dressing table made of stacked wooden blocks, the corpses of dead psychics were laid out.

The figures of Loebeid and his subordinate extermination squad members, who had tried to take Lenok into custody and drag him to Aphelia.

They looked fine on the outside, but their internal organs had already been completely replaced with black magic, leaving them dead.

However, it wasn’t those corpses that caught Lenok’s attention.

“It hasn’t even been ten minutes since we decided how to dispose of the extermination squad’s bodies, and a crematorium is already prepared.”

“……”

“Is there someone else from the Corps here besides you?”

It had been about ten minutes since Lenok and Eredis decided to cremate the dead psychics.

In that time, someone had perfectly prepared this place and the cremation and disappeared.

Eredis nodded readily.

“Yes. My colleagues helped. I didn’t think there was a need to spend a long time preparing.”

“…Wait, is the Annihilation Squad here right now?”

Bernard muttered with a bewildered expression, and Lenok turned his gaze with a blank face.

“What’s the Annihilation Squad?”

“It’s the elite guard unit of the Ability Awakening Corps, led by Javelin.”

Angel explained.

“They are the vanguard of the Corps, but due to their power, they are usually stationed deep in the front lines and rarely come out.”

“……”

“I didn’t think the Annihilation Squad would leave their posts, especially because of the Four Heavenly Demon Realm raid, but the fact that they’re here means…”

Angel’s expression, who had been explaining to Lenok, gradually changed.

He must have belatedly realized the meaning of his own explanation.

“I ask that you refrain from speaking about the information I am about to give you for the time being.”

Eredis turned her body.

“The Demon Realm raid has failed. Currently, the main force of the Corps is retreating to headquarters.”

“…Did Aphelia fail?”

“No. However, inside the Four Heavenly Demon Realm…”

Eredis, who answered with a calm expression, said.

“There was a creature that used humans as its placenta.”

“……”

“That’s all I can tell you right now. I apologize.”

A preposterous explanation that even Lenok couldn’t immediately understand.

But that alone was enough to understand how dangerous the Four Heavenly Demon Realm was.

Was something beyond human ethics and morality building an ecosystem inside?

While Bernard and Angel remained silent, Eredis, who had turned around, asked.

“How would you like to handle the cremation? I think it would be best if Evan-nim lit the fire himself.”

“You’re efficient. Is it to avoid any lingering issues?”

“No. My abilities are a bit far from ignition.”

“……”

He had felt it since earlier, but the second-in-command of the Ability Awakening Corps was definitely a unique person in many ways.

Lenok sighed and stepped forward, rolling up his sleeves.

Whoosh!

Lenok, who had created a flame at his fingertip, stood in front of the cremation table and looked back at Eredis.

“We talked about the succession of the Ritual Weapon, what’s going to happen with that?”

“The Ritual Weapon is an independent spiritual power auxiliary device created by ‘extracting’ the collective mental network built by Aphelia.”

Eredis replied.

“It is meant to manifest by consuming the user’s consciousness in a special form, so the explosive augmentation of innate abilities-”

“Just the conclusion. Tell me the succession method.”

“…If a gap occurs in the collective mental network, the holder of the Ritual Weapon can pass it on to another person.”

Eredis said with a slightly deflated look.

“Once the bodies of the psychics belonging to the mental network are cremated, the Lord will also recognize the gap in the mental network.”

Was this what Michal Zellich meant when he said that the death of all Corps members was necessary for the succession of the Ritual Weapon?

Whoosh!

Lenok dropped the flame in his hand onto the cremation table and stepped back.

At the same time, flames spread over the cremation table where the corpses were placed, instantly burning the wood and flesh together.

Whirr…!!

The blazing flames soared over the collapsed fortress, scattering as a handful of ashes.

“It was harsh for the non-ability users, but they were people who dedicated themselves to their comrades in the Corps.”

While Angel’s expression changed complexly, Eredis placed her hand on her heart.

“Although our intentions were different under the Lord, I hope that our departed comrades will find peace.”

“Hmm.”

While Bernard coughed uncomfortably, Eredis lightly flicked her fingers.

Thud!

At the same time, a tank containing half a brain fell at her feet.

Eredis spoke to Zellich’s left brain in the tank.

“Michal Zellich. It’s your turn to fulfill the promise you made to Evan-nim. Are you ready?”

[Javelin…? Was it you?]

Zellich, who belatedly regained consciousness, sent out a mental wave with a rare look of surprise.

[I can’t believe it. There will definitely be problems if you come near the gate city.]

“I hope you understand that this situation was serious enough.”

Eredis replied calmly.

“Although it doesn’t seem to be well known due to the current chaos in the gate city, the reputation of Cheonbeon [Lenok’s alias] is currently abnormally positive even on the central front.”

[…….]

“The headquarters has concluded that they cannot immediately confront the magician who killed the Grafting Sorcerer and stopped the Gabihaeng [a type of monster]. I hope you will keep your promise with Evan-nim.”

Even though she knew Lenok was listening right next to her, she had no qualms about embellishing his reputation.

Was she being overly honest by openly mentioning Cheonbeon’s reputation and saying that there was no need to confront him ‘for now’?

Or was it because she didn’t care much about Lenok even after coming this far?

[I see. You, Bernard, and Angelio too…]

“…Zellich-nim.”

Zellich, who sensed the mental waves of Bernard, who was looking at the tank with a stiff face, and Angel, let out a groan.

[Everyone, I’m sorry. Lord Aphelia will not forgive me…]

“……”

[It’s not that I didn’t trust the Lord. But-]

“Zellich Third Seat.”

Eredis said.

“We’ll talk about the details after we return to headquarters.”

[…….]

“We need to complete the succession while there is a gap in the collective mental network, so please cooperate for now.”

Even though she knew that Zellich had betrayed the Corps and sided with the Alliance, Eredis’s voice was calm.

It wasn’t that she was forcibly maintaining her composure, but rather that she didn’t seem to feel much anger in the first place.

Was she not an emotionless machine, but rather someone whose emotional range itself was not large?

While Lenok was watching Eredis’s unique reaction, Zellich’s mental wave began to head towards Lenok.

Crack, crackle…!!

Along with a noise like static, he felt ‘something’ being transferred through the mental wave.

“This is…”

A formless yet tangible power. It could only be recognized and possessed through spirituality.

The Ritual Weapon, the Phantom Star, which existed and was inherited in the form of consciousness and possessed through spirituality.

The inflammation, which was feeding on Lenok’s thoughts, rapidly swelled and tried to burst out.

“Step back.”

“…Step back?”

The moment Angel tilted his head in bewilderment, Bernard quickly grabbed his collar and pulled him back.

At the same time, the moment Lenok stretched his hand forward and pretended to grab something in the air.

A huge spear made of blazing flames rose from Lenok’s hand and plunged down.

Whoosh!

“Uwaaaah!!”

Only then did Angel scream in terror and quickly turn his whole body into frost and run away.

Whoosh…!!

A tremendous size that easily exceeded ten meters in length.

It was larger than Lenok’s height, making it difficult to even carry.

Lenok narrowed his eyes as he realized that the flames wrapped around the end of the rod were taking shape.

“A spear…? No, is it a flag?”

The flames wrapped around the long rod took shape, fluttering like a flag.

Was it meant to be planted in the ground and used as a symbol, rather than being held and swung?

Eredis, looking at the flame flag that had appeared before Lenok, said.

“The Ritual Weapon is a spiritual power auxiliary device that manifests by consuming the user’s consciousness. Once you reach a certain level, it’s natural to go through materialization through thought.”

“……”

“However, this is the first time I’ve seen the materialization of a Ritual Weapon completed on such a large scale. I wonder how vast one’s consciousness must be to make this possible.”

Eredis, who looked at Lenok with interest, asked.

“Even in a state where you’ve just received the succession and your control is still immature, it’s already at this level… Just like the flames that burned the gate, everything is on a massive scale, befitting a grandmaster of the pyrogenic arts.”

“…So, how exactly do I use this?”

Lenok gripped the flag with a sullen look.

The flag had no weight, so even though it was several meters long, Lenok could easily lift it with his strength.

“I haven’t seen or heard much about abilities, so it’s difficult to control. I heard it’s something that can forcibly awaken the phase domain.”

“I wonder?”

“What?”

Lenok turned his gaze with a bewildered look at the irresponsible answer, and Eredis rested her chin on her hand.

“I only fulfilled the promise of the Third Seat Zellich. I don’t know why the Third Seat passed the Phantom Star to you.”

“……”

“In the first place, the Phantom Star is a mystical artifact that seeks to augment abilities by burning the user’s consciousness. It’s difficult to understand why it has transformed into such a form in Evan-nim’s hands-”

Kiiiiing…!!!

A sharp, piercing sound that dug into his ears. A strange sense of incongruity as if time was slowing down endlessly.

At the same time, Lenok and Eredis’s expressions changed on the spot.

“…!!!”

Eredis twitched her hand, and Lenok, who suppressed the halo that was trying to emerge, immediately let go of the flag.

The moment the huge, burning flag was suppressed within Lenok’s powerful consciousness and its materialization was undone.

With a light shockwave, the sense of speed around them returned to normal as if it were a lie.

Bang!

Almost simultaneously, Eredis and Lenok turned to face each other.

The thoughts trembled tensely in the sharply rising air around them.

“……”

“W-what’s going on?”

Bernard, who didn’t understand the situation and was bewildered, and Eredis, who was looking at Lenok with a stiff expression, had contrasting reactions.

However, Lenok knew what was about to happen in this place.

‘The Anathema’s Eight Trigrams Formation [a type of magic formation] was about to activate forcibly. Eredis read it and reacted.’

Currently, Lenok has two innate abilities that he practically possesses and uses.

The Eye of Possibility, which imitates Oliviera’s magic eye, and the Eight Trigrams Formation inherited from Anathema.

Among the Eight Trigrams Formation, which deals with the changes of all things, it is an innate ability that deals with the changes of time.

The innate ability that Evan does not use was about to activate at an incredible speed at the same time as the materialization of the Ritual Weapon.

It was not just about increasing Lenok’s own perceived time, but also about trying to affect the surrounding area even slightly.

That was why Eredis also did not miss the sense of incongruity and was about to react.

If Lenok had not forcibly suppressed the activation of the Eight Trigrams Formation on the spot, Eredis might have attacked Lenok.

‘Could it be that the ability of the Ritual Weapon, the Phantom Star… also affects the expansion of the target of innate ability application?’

If the Eight Trigrams Formation, which could only be used to increase the perceived time, could also affect others, it would be beyond the level of saying it was an augmentation of ability.

While Lenok was lost in thought about the unexpected ability, Eredis, who had belatedly released her vigilance, coughed.

“Ahem, excuse me. I was just being cautious, it seems I reacted too sensitively.”

“……”

The innate ability of the Eight Trigrams Formation had affected the surroundings for only a fleeting moment.

However, Eredis had perceived that very subtle change in the timeline and was about to react.

That was because Eredis herself possessed such transcendent senses.

“As an apology, I will teach you some medicinal herbs and catalysts that may be helpful in controlling the Ritual Weapon.”

Was she embarrassed by the fact that she almost started a battle on the spot?

Eredis nodded and began to walk away from the crematorium.

“There will probably be some good items in the black market. Let’s go together.”

“Black market?”

The gate city had just been half-restored, but the black market was still intact?

“Oh, you didn’t know yet?”

Eredis smiled and shook her head at Lenok.

“It’s natural that the areas where the most money flows are the first to be restored.”

* * *

Bright lights hanging over the half-destroyed ore mine. People bustling as usual.

It was as if the battle that Lenok and the Blaber Magic Tower Master, the Grafting Sorcerer, and Balak Oedon had fought in the black market had never happened.

The scenery of the black market was completely restored, no different from when Lenok first visited this place.

“The money flowing through the black market’s entertainment district is so much that it was one of the first areas to be restored…”

“It’s inconvenient, but it’s something that happens everywhere.”

Eredis smiled and put on a robe that covered her face.

“I was thinking of getting you some catalysts and medicinal herbs that would help with the control of the Ritual Weapon, would you like to come with me?”

“…No, I’ll just take what I need from you and plan to leave the gate city today.”

Lenok glanced at the time and raised his gaze towards the sky.

“If I’m going to leave the city today, I need to prepare the necessary items in advance.”

Eredis nodded readily at Lenok’s answer.

“I understand. I also had some business in this black market.”

Lenok was lost in thought, leaving Eredis who had left first.

He had spent two days resting and watching the recovery and reconstruction of the gate city. There was nothing more to see here.

If he left as soon as Angel and Bernard, who were left in the ward, finished their preparations, the timing would be right.

He would leave the gate city today and return to Balkan.

As Lenok thought that and was about to slowly step into the black market’s entertainment district.

“Well, well, who do we have here.”

A raspy female voice echoed from behind Lenok.

A bar balcony decorated with fancy ornaments. A middle-aged woman in military uniform was looking down at Lenok.

“……”

She had a thick fur coat draped over her shoulders like a cape and a thick cigar in her mouth.

The woman, who was occupying one side of the large bar balcony alone, was alternately savoring her cigar and wine glass.

On the epaulets of her military uniform, three stars were shining conspicuously.

“Aren’t you the great magician who gave our main army a very refreshing humiliation?”

“…Who are you?”

A general of Dead Rise. A rank equal to that of Roberide, whom Lenok had faced before.

No, Lenok had seen this woman’s face once before.

The 4th Corps of Dead Rise, which had rushed to the city immediately after the end of the Yorta incident.

The commander who had claimed to be the head of that corps and had asserted the occupation of Yorta.

The commander of the 4th Corps of Dead Rise. Lieutenant General Mirva Neosoto.

The commander of Dead Rise was sitting and drinking in the entertainment district of the rebuilt gate city black market after all the anomalies had ended.

“What are you doing? Come up.”

Lieutenant General Mirva tilted her head towards Lenok with a wine glass in one hand.

“It’s fate that we met like this, so let’s have a drink together while remembering Lieutenant General Roberide.”

“……”

“There’s a schedule that has been moved up quite quickly due to the overlap of the Ming King’s Gabihaeng and the Corps Commander’s work.”

Mirva’s smile turned cold as she looked at the silent Lenok.

“I can let you meet your enemy. Don’t you want to hear about it?”