Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 1075

“There aren’t even ten officially recognized Ascended Beings who have reached Level 9 in the history of the continent.”

The two men sat facing each other in the Hall of Eight Calamities, playing Go. [A strategic board game of East Asian origin.]

Black and white stones rapidly alternated, flipping over without a moment’s rest.

However, the words coming from Maleon, who was facing Lenok, were not so light.

“That’s why Ascended Beings who have lived for a long time have influenced various civilizations on the continent just by their existence.”

“……”

“Jindun is the same. His achievements in barrier magic and spell formations reached a unique level that even other Ascended Beings could not match.”

Maleon, who had been looking at the black stone Lenok placed with a calm expression, spoke while resting his chin on his hand.

“Unlike his reclusive personality, his works remain all over the continent. I’m sure you can guess some of them.”

It wasn’t just a guess; Lenok had even entered and exited the cradle of the Hanghasa Labyrinth built by Jindun himself.

Instead of mentioning that, Lenok stared at the dragon-headed giant in front of him with a cold expression.

Receiving Jindun’s barrier magic in the Hanghasa Labyrinth was something he did as Chunbun, not as Kyunroe. [Chunbun and Kyunroe are likely different identities or roles of Lenok.]

Regardless of Maleon’s true intentions, he had no intention of directly telling anyone about that fact.

However, what Lenok needed to confirm wasn’t how transcendent the status of the Ascended Beings was.

Maleon’s plan to become a Level 9 Ascended Being himself and break through the trials of the Nine Calamities. [The Nine Calamities are likely a series of trials or challenges.]

The proposal that Lenok’s help was needed to handle the ascension magic circle left by Jindun in the process.

If Maleon’s plan and the major event scheduled in Kundara meant the same thing-

“I understand what Jindun’s status feels like. And the fact that he helped design the trials of the Nine Calamities.”

Lenok tilted his head.

“It’s not something I can’t understand. The fact that Go is helpful in passing the trials of the Calamities itself is proof that this city is related to Jindun.”

“Hmm.”

“What I want to ask is the explanation itself that you are trying to become an Ascended Being to pass the Nine Calamities.”

Lenok asked.

“Are you trying to become an Ascended Being to pass the Nine Calamities, or are you trying to pass the Nine Calamities to become an Ascended Being?”

“……”

“These two are the same yet clearly different, and depending on how you interpret them, they could have completely opposite meanings.”

Looking at the silent Maleon, Lenok spoke coldly.

“If you want my cooperation, I think I need to know which direction your purpose and means are leaning towards first.”

A Level 9 Ascended Being newly born in the city of long-lived species created to avoid destruction.

If Maleon was a candidate for that great undertaking, it was natural for the entire Outer Calamity City to be watching.

The fact that Maleon was being treated with the utmost respect by other long-lived species in this Outer Calamity City,

That he could freely enter and leave the Elders’ Council and hand over the elixir of ascension to Lenok.

That he had such authority but didn’t cling to the elixir could all be understood.

“The question you asked is like an answer to me.”

Maleon stated calmly.

“Entering the Nine Calamities. Becoming an Ascended Being. Both of these aspirations function as both means and purpose, which is why I am challenging this great undertaking.”

“……”

“It’s not that one is more important. Both are great undertakings where failure is not an option, which is why I am asking for your cooperation.”

Maleon, looking at Lenok with a strong gaze, said,

“I ask you. Help me become an Ascended Being and pass the trials of the Nine Calamities. You, and no one else, can help me with this.”

“You want my help to become an Ascended Being and enter the Nine Calamities.”

Lenok, who quietly repeated Maleon’s proposal, looked at the dragon-headed giant in front of him as if he was dumbfounded.

“Knowing how important that is, you’re going to reach Level 9 in front of other people?”

“……”

“You’re even trying to use that fact as a deal to borrow my power, you must have gone crazy from living too long.”

Maleon was preparing to become an Ascended Being himself, yet he was trying to use the preparation process itself as a deal.

Knowing that Lenok had business in the Nine Calamities, he was using that purpose as a price to get him to cooperate with his ascension.

He couldn’t possibly not know that obtaining the qualification and reaching Level 9 was a great undertaking to rebuild himself.

Is he paying attention to outside matters even when facing a major event that determines his own existence and survival?

It was a level of madness that even Lenok, who had walked the path of cultivation for a long time, could not understand.

However, Maleon shrugged his shoulders even after hearing Lenok’s words.

“It seems difficult to understand. But for me, I just chose the most rational option.”

“Not a baseless blind faith?”

“You may not know, but I have been preparing for decades to become an Ascended Being.”

Maleon’s expression turned serious.

“Now, before the ascension ceremony, it’s no exaggeration to say that I’ve done almost all the preparations I can do myself. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be leisurely playing Go with you, would I?”

“……”

Certainly, that wasn’t wrong.

Considering Maleon’s relaxed behavior and, conversely, the attitude of the high-ranking long-lived species who treated him very carefully.

It was because many people in Kundara knew that he was about to undertake the great task.

“You’ve finished the preparations you can do yourself, so now you’re trying to get more outside help?”

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime gamble, where I’m gathering all the achievements and fate I’ve accumulated throughout my life.”

Maleon said calmly.

“It’s a great undertaking that I must succeed in, not by leaving the results to the heavens and waiting, but by grabbing even the devil’s hand.”

“……”

“Of course, I don’t really intend to make a deal with the devil, but I believe you understand what I mean.”

Maleon’s expression changed to serious as he slightly tilted his head over the Go board.

“A great mage who has reached a level equal to mine. A transcendent being who is praised as the closest to ascension outside the central front is right before my eyes.”

“……”

“Unlike the other elders of Kundara, you are a sorcerer who has no vested interests with me. This kind of opportunity will not come again.”

Maleon spoke seriously in a voice that had sunk infinitely low.

“I need the help of a fellow challenger who is trying to transcend the hierarchy and gain qualifications, not anyone else. Do you understand my heart?”

“That’s……”

Lenok was about to answer those words unintentionally, but he frowned and closed his mouth.

It was because Lenok also knew the feeling of wanting to grab at straws when facing a great undertaking that risked his fate.

It wasn’t because he didn’t trust himself. It wasn’t because his preparations were insufficient before the task.

It was because the path of cultivation was so precarious that even if he made the best effort and did his best, he couldn’t be sure of success.

How could Lenok say he didn’t know the feeling of wanting to rely on even the slightest bit of luck and chance?

“Even if you activate the ascension ceremony through the magic circle left by Jindun, there will be more than one or two problems.”

Lenok, who had calmed his emotions, looked at Maleon with a blank face and asked.

“You will also become very unstable while challenging Level 9. How can we trust each other in that regard?”

“Even if something goes wrong, it’s just the result of my choice. It’s not something that anyone should be blamed for.”

Maleon shook his head.

“But I trust not you, but the purpose for which you came to this city.”

“……”

“A desperate wish to come to the closed Kundara, even by twisting the veil. You are also a human who would do anything for that wish.”

Looking at Lenok’s thoughtful expression, Maleon immediately rose from the platform.

“Well, if you’re still a bit hesitant, shall we talk while walking?”

Maleon, who had thrown back his broad shoulders and straightened his back, stretched, casting a large shadow over the platform.

Maleon, who had yawned, opening his dragon head wide, smiled at Lenok.

“Let’s move. There’s a place I want to show you.”

“I haven’t said a word about cooperating with this matter yet.”

“But, you, didn’t you want something in the Sanctuary of Eight Calamities?”

“……”

At Maleon’s seemingly casual question, Lenok momentarily stopped the hand holding the stone.

“The Sanctuary of Eight Calamities that converts the life force contained in the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl into lifespan.”

Maleon, who seemed to know Lenok’s thoughts, said with a smile.

“You came in here without even going through the trials of the Eight Calamities, so you should visit when you have the chance.”

“That’s……”

“Well, don’t feel pressured and follow me. It’s not like you have to grant my request.”

Maleon said that and quickly moved his feet.

“It’s a reward for bringing you here without permission. I’ll give you this much as a gift.”

“……”

For a short-lived species, time is more precious than gold, but Maleon could give it as a gift as if he was doing a favor.

Lenok, who was looking at the back of the dragonkin emitting a silver glow, shook his head and followed him.

Koo-ooo-ooo…!!

A silence so quiet it felt like his breath had stopped.

The ceiling of the hall was made of transparent glass, so the hazy fog swirling outside could be seen clearly.

The fog overflowing from the sky glowed like a hazy universe, forming a vast Milky Way and rotating.

An artificial star floating above the universe of fog. The Outer Calamity City, Kundara.

A refuge built with the structure of the Nine Calamities to avoid destruction.

“Even if we use the magic circle left by Jindun, the area where others can intervene will be extremely limited. In what part do you want my cooperation?”

Lenok, who was looking up at the universe of fog reflected above the hall, asked.

“In the first place, aren’t the ways humans and long-lived species accumulate hierarchy different?”

“Even long-lived species with true blood are not completely beyond the category of living things.”

Maleon replied nonchalantly.

“If you break their heads and pierce their hearts, they die. They live for hundreds of years and die of old age. When the end comes, we will also be tossed outside the outer sea like trash.”

“……”

“It’s the same. The ceremony itself required for ascension is not much different from that of humans, so you will be able to understand it without difficulty.”

Maleon, glancing back at Lenok, said,

“I want you to take charge of adjusting the ascension magic circle left by Jindun.”

“Adjusting the magic circle?”

“Most Go players are also very skilled in spell formations.”

Maleon said, gesturing with his eyes to the Go board they had left behind.

“Moreover, weren’t you such a skilled player that you even taught Go to the elders of the Seven Calamities?”

“……”

“I heard that you taught Angron Go and made him reach the point just before passing the trials of the Eight Calamities.”

Maleon, stroking his chin, burst into laughter with a deep voice.

“If you can give teachings to that fiery friend, it means that your skills and insight have reached a high level.”

Was the reason Maleon chose Lenok as an assistant for his ascension because Lenok was a Level 8 great mage and an excellent Go player?

He was confident that Lenok’s existence could be a significant help because he was as skilled in creating spell formations as he was in magic.

“You seem to have a lot of faith in the fact that Go skills are related to the ability to create spell formations.”

Lenok asked.

“Even if Jindun designed the trials of the Calamities, do you think you can use Go as a basis for handling the magic circle?”

“Of course.”

Maleon replied.

“It was I who spread the fact that Go is helpful in passing the trials of the Calamities in Kundara.”

“……What?”

“Kundara is a city influenced by Ars Nova, but only a very few people understood the true value of Go, which was consumed as a game.”

Maleon turned his gaze as he walked down the quiet corridor.

“I directly announced that trick that only a few long-lived species had realized and enjoyed, and made it available for everyone to use throughout Kundara.”

“……”

“I thought that avoiding destruction was something that required the enlightenment of the entire city, not just individuals.”

Maleon raised his head and looked at the universe of fog spread out in the distance.

“Not just the transcendence of individuals, but the entire city passing through the Nine Calamities and reaching the Outer Calamity.”

Maleon’s voice, which had turned his gaze so that his expression could not be seen, seemed to darken for a moment.

“That is the reason why I want to become an Ascended Being.”

“……”

“If someone doesn’t fill the empty Nine Calamities, Kundara will not be able to reach the Outer Calamity normally.”

He was explaining, but he wasn’t explaining.

He was answering, but Maleon wasn’t answering Lenok right now.

He was just giving a monologue on the stage of the Eight Calamities’ space-time, with Lenok as his audience.

The fundamental reason why Maleon wanted to become an Ascended Being and take his place in the Nine Calamities.

The meaning of his words that someone had to fill the Nine Calamities to complete the Outer Calamity.

The moment Lenok was about to think about that and speak about the conclusion he had reached.

“We’ve arrived. It’s this way.”

Maleon stopped abruptly in his place.

Somewhere in the vast corridor of the hall, the end of which could not be seen. One side of an empty corridor where nothing could be seen.

The moment Lenok tilted his head in confusion as he looked at Maleon, who had stopped in front of it.

“Hup!”

Maleon, with his arms crossed, lightly shook his tail wrapped in silver scales.

The moment he casually swung his tail, as if doing a light warm-up, and stirred the air.

Pa-a-ang!!

A shockwave that tore through the eardrums erupted, creating ripples in the empty air.

A powerful force that was hard to believe was the result of lightly swinging his tail, as if he had swung a whip.

The moment Lenok raised his hand unintentionally, the scenery in front of him shattered and something began to appear.

“……A fountain?”

A red liquid pouring from the mouth of a turtle statue erected in the center of the fountain.

The circular basin installed at the bottom of the fountain was full of red spring water, which was surging.

Shwa-a-a-a!!

A splendid yet bizarre sight, as if blood had been melted to create a spring.

Maleon, who was standing next to the fountain with his arms crossed, raised his tail and pointed at the turtle statue.

“The Spring of Aitalon. It’s a sanctuary made from the molted shell of the Eternal Turtle, said to have lived the longest in the world.”

“……”

“Like the molted shell of a long-lived species with the longest natural lifespan, this sanctuary has the power to convert life force, which is its power source, into lifespan.”

Maleon shrugged his shoulders and turned towards Lenok.

“I know that you were looking for this sanctuary. That must be why you took away lifespans through Go matches with Allogan.”

“……”

“As I said, this is just my favor, so you don’t need to feel pressured.”

Maleon, smiling and reaching out his hand towards Lenok, said,

“If you want, try using it once. I’ll watch from here.”

“……”

Lenok silently looked at Maleon before taking out the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl from his chest.

Pa-a-at!!

The Wish-Fulfilling Pearl, emitting a brilliant glow as it was completed after being taken from Allogan, shone brightly.

Originally, it should have been used to purchase equipment from Olber’s workshop,

But thanks to teaching Go to the long-lived species, the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl itself was not damaged at all.

Click.

He approached the turtle statue that was pouring out blood-colored spring water and inserted the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl into its open mouth.

The moment the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl was stuck in the turtle’s mouth with a friction sound, the spring water flowing from the statue stopped abruptly.

Crack!

The turtle statue, which had been stiff, shook wildly and slowly turned its head towards Lenok.

The turtle, which was moving like a living creature using the power of the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl as its power source, looked at Lenok.

The moment the statue’s unfocused eyes clearly looked at Lenok.

Chwa-a-a-ak!

“……!”

The red spring water that had been surging below the fountain began to be absorbed into the statue as if time was reversing.

The moment the bottom of the fountain was revealed after drinking all the red spring water that had filled the wide basin.

Click!!

The turtle statue dropped the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl it had been holding right in front of Lenok’s feet.

The Wish-Fulfilling Pearl, which had absorbed all the blood-colored spring water, emitted a brilliant red glow.

Lenok, who had grabbed the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl that had rolled to his feet, picked it up with a sullen expression.

It was because the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl, which had been in the form of a transparent bead, had changed its shape from before.

The Wish-Fulfilling Pearl, which had been dented along the turtle’s teeth and had turned into a container for holding something.

“This is……”

“Although it is said to contain the life force of the Water God Dragon King, it seems that all the remaining spring water was used in one exchange.”

However, Maleon, who was watching from the side, seemed to be much more interested in that sight.

“It’s not a common occurrence. You’ll have to wait at least a few years to use the sanctuary next time.”

“What is this?”

Lenok said, raising the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl he was holding in his hand.

“The shape of the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl itself has changed. Can this be called lifespan?”

The result was far from the image of converting the life force contained in the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl into lifespan.

In the first place, how could the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl, which had changed into the form of a container, replace lifespan for Lenok?

However, Maleon shook his head as soon as he heard those words.

“That’s not lifespan, Ban.”

“What?”

“When the Spring of Aitalon converts lifespan, it works in a form that is directly delivered to the user.”

Maleon said with his arms crossed.

“In this case, it seems that the sanctuary worked on this Wish-Fulfilling Pearl you possess, not you.”

“Hmm……”

Was it because he didn’t turn off the target designation resistance ability, or was Lenok’s penalty itself that special?

He didn’t expect the sanctuary to work normally in the first place, so he could understand that an unexpected result had occurred.

Maleon, on the other hand, seemed even more interested in the appearance of the small container-like Wish-Fulfilling Pearl in Lenok’s hand.

“A long time ago, I saw something similar in the literature of the old world.”

“……”

“I heard that the masters of evil arts, who enjoyed infinite time, used it to divide and store their lifespans to avoid death.”

“That’s……”

Only then did Lenok, who understood what Maleon was saying, close his mouth.

Could it be that, as he said, what the Spring of Aitalon had given to Lenok was not lifespan, but…….

“Extra Life Vessel.”

Maleon said with interest.

“It seems that the Spring of Aitalon has given you an extra life within your remaining lifespan instead of increasing your maximum lifespan.”