Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 1093

9 Level (12)

In the cold, transparent corridor, a giant mantis was wandering.

Its discolored forelegs drooped as it stared blankly into the air, moving its limbs.

The way it walked, swaying its insect-like abdomen from side to side, showed not a trace of life.

It simply wandered back and forth in a fixed pattern, like a machine operating on an algorithm.

Swish, swish…!

A hollow gust of air escaped from between the mantis’s slowly moving mandibles.

Its respiratory organs were broken, so it was only mimicking the act of breathing.

[Invasion Rate 35%]

Thud!!

Suddenly, with a heavy impact, the barrier isolating the sector slowly began to open.

Lenox stood outside the barrier with a blank face, staring at the mantis.

In his hand, he held a radiant, intensely glowing Dragon Orb.

……!

The light of the Dragon Orb flickered at the edge of the barrier.

However, the mantis did not miss the movement of the photons scattered at the particle level.

Kweeek!!

It stopped walking and turned around, its tattered wings spreading wide.

Inorganic magic was sprayed from under the torn wing membranes, adding to its propulsion.

Spot!!

The mantis’s massive body, spanning over ten meters, accelerated at an invisible speed.

It reached the end of the long, distant glass corridor with a single flap of its wings.

It twisted its body to brake, and the moment it raised its forelegs, magic imbued with sharpness rose like a blade.

The slanting slash, soaring through the ceiling and floor, cut everything in half.

Slice!!

The scattered shelves, unknown ores, and old, dusty relics were cleanly severed.

However, there was no trace of the light that the mantis had perceived within.

“It’s this way.”

……!!!

A clear voice came from behind the mantis.

Lenox was already standing in front of the barrier leading to the next sector, holding the Dragon Orb.

Bwaaaang…!

At the same time, an immense presence of energy was felt in the opposite direction of the voice.

The mantis, sensing it, momentarily became confused and stopped in its tracks.

[Natal Star]

Kwawoooong!!!

Inside the mantis’s head, a strange resonance and an intense silver light began to emanate.

A heat source, boiling up from the nervous system inside its skull that controlled its thoughts, rapidly intensified.

The mantis, feeling it, screamed and swung its forelegs wildly, as if having a seizure.

Boom!!

The mantis’s head exploded on the spot, scattering into pieces.

The mantis’s forelegs, having lost its head, continued to unleash dozens of slashes in all directions.

Kaga-ga-gak!!!

The slashes, madly scraping the glass corridor and flashing as if they would cut through the outer wall, were relentless.

Lenox, who was standing in front of the barrier leading to the next sector, reached out his hand towards the slashes falling above him.

The moment Lenox’s hand touched the slashes, the slashes left by the mantis changed direction and speed.

Sweeaeaeak!!

With a strange tearing sound, they curved behind Lenox, struck the firmly closed barrier, and disappeared.

[You’ve learned some strange new skills while I wasn’t looking.]

Oliviera, who had walked out from behind, sweeping back her veil, asked.

[Is this some trick you learned from that drunkard?]

“I’ve gotten a feel for using the severing technique. I used it in Nivek’s Nest before, but you wouldn’t have seen it.”

Only then did Lenox let out a soft sigh and withdraw his hand.

“We’ve only just started entering the Nine Calamities, and it’s already this difficult. Do we have to keep facing things like this?”

After taking the remains and the Dragon Orb given to him by Maleon from the outpost located on the outskirts of the Nine Calamities.

The group, led by Maleon, began to enter the interior of the Nine Calamities in earnest.

Lenox, holding the Dragon Orb, opened the barriers and facility doors, while Maleon dealt with the wandering Founders.

In this space-time of the Nine Calamities, filled with all sorts of variables and singularities, complex strategies were a luxury.

So far, simple agreements had been sufficient, but the problem was the increasingly dangerous remains of the Founders themselves.

Even this mantis they had just faced was on a different level of strength compared to the other Long-Lived beings they had encountered in the outer regions.

“This mantis. It coats its forelegs with magic and swings them, creating slashes that surpass most spells.”

Lenox said, looking down at the fallen mantis.

“It’s just using its physical characteristics, but it’s becoming a technique comparable to a spell.”

“Mandros. It seems that was its name when it was alive.”

Thud!!

Maleon, who had walked out with a heavy thud, replied.

“One of the Founders of Kundara, and one of the Long-Lived beings called the Mantis Slash.”

Even after blowing up the mantis’s head, the starlight in his hand was still spinning fiercely.

Maleon, who clenched his fist and extinguished the starlight, silently looked down at the mantis.

“He was the most prideful warrior among those who founded Kundara. I heard that a shrine commemorating him still remains on the outskirts of the Eight Calamities.”

“……”

“It is a regrettable thing, but this is the only rest that can be given to them.”

Maleon slowly bowed his head, clasping his hands together.

“This too must be a burden I must carry.”

“You seem to know more about the Founders who died in the Nine Calamities than I thought.”

Lenox asked, glancing at him.

“Is that because of the unidentified spirit that is being absorbed into your body right now?”

Shuuuuu…!!!

The spirit that flowed out from the mantis’s corpse was being absorbed into Maleon’s body.

Maleon was calmly accepting it without pushing it away or rejecting it.

“You’re also here in the Nine Calamities for the first time, yet you know the environment and secrets of the Nine Calamities unusually well.”

“……”

“It wasn’t just information you acquired through documents. Are you reading the memories of the Long-Lived beings you’ve annihilated?”

“I absorb their thoughts, read their names and memories, and collect the meaning of their deaths.”

Maleon calmly admitted.

“It is the only rest that I, who have gained the qualifications and entered the Nine Calamities, can give them.”

“……”

“The Long-Lived beings wandering the outer regions were easy to deal with, but as we go deeper, even stronger beings than this will appear.”

Maleon, who slowly rose from his spot, had a grave look in his eyes.

“Those who guard the deepest part of the Nine Calamities may have preserved their power and appearance from when they were alive, even after death.”

“Didn’t the Long-Lived being we just met also preserve its appearance from when it was alive?”

Lenox said with a calm gaze.

“Considering the extent of the wear on its wing membranes, it must have been more than a few decades since its life activities ceased. Yet, it was still moving and ‘wandering’ around here.”

“……”

“Is this what you meant by the wandering beings, Maleon? The corpses of the Founders, who are neither dead nor alive, wandering the Nine Calamities?”

Immediately after entering the Nine Calamities, Lenox and Maleon were moving together to find their way.

The Ten Tubes where Kaise’s corpse was stored.

Considering its importance, they would surely have to go to the deepest part of the Nine Calamities to find it.

However, the problem was that the space-time of the Nine Calamities, which resembled a transparent space station, was more vast than they had expected.

The entire Nine Calamities was under spatial distortion, making it difficult to gauge its size and direction through magic detection.

They had no choice but to find their way and check their direction with their own eyes.

The problem was the corpses of the Founder Long-Lived beings they encountered in the process, moving even in death.

“It’s been a long time since they died, but they haven’t decayed.”

Lenox’s gaze deepened as he brushed his hand over the crumbling corpse of the mantis.

“They were essentially preserved in a low-temperature, moisture-free environment.”

“……”

“This is practically a mummy made from the corpse of a Long-Lived being.”

Not only were they each powerful, high-ranking Long-Lived beings, but they also retained their combat abilities from when they were alive.

They boasted monstrous power with pure physical abilities, and some even used spells even in death.

They didn’t even take damage from most physical attacks, and they moved tenaciously even when their entire bodies were crushed and shattered.

The easiest way to deal with them right now was for Maleon to blow their heads off in one shot with his primal magic, without giving them a chance to react.

“The invasion rate continues to rise as we go deeper.”

[Invasion Rate 47%]

Lenox said, pointing to the invasion rate written in front of the barrier.

“Perhaps the invasion rate will reach 100% by the time we reach the end of the Nine Calamities.”

“……”

“Is this rate itself related to the phenomenon that turned the Founders of Kundara into mummies?”

“Someone had to complete the Nine Calamities and remain inside to close the door.”

Maleon’s eyes sank deeply.

“It’s not that they didn’t yearn for life. But they weren’t Ascenders, so they couldn’t find a way to open the Nine Calamities or a way out…”

“……”

“They simply withered away here.”

A chilling silence.

Oliviera scoffed.

[In short, this is what we will become if we can’t get out of the Nine Calamities.]

Chiiik…!!

His breath was gradually becoming constricted, and his throat was parched.

He could feel the moisture in his body rapidly escaping, and his magic and thoughts being consumed.

The eerie feeling that all of Lenox’s resources were being rapidly depleted just by standing there.

It wasn’t that target resistance or spell immunity weren’t working properly.

The environment of the Nine Calamities was so harsh that even Long-Lived beings couldn’t withstand it, so it was only a matter of time before Lenox couldn’t endure it either.

‘If I hadn’t practiced in the deep sea area of Alogon beforehand, I would have had a hard time maintaining my balance.’

A sense of pressure that was like doubling the water pressure and oxygen depletion that pressed down in the middle of the deep sea.

Every atmospheric particle in the Nine Calamities was a deadly toxin that was eating away at Lenox.

He was currently enduring by surrounding himself with magic and creating oxygen with breathing magic, but this wouldn’t be the end of it.

It was highly likely that it would become more difficult to endure as they went deeper into the Nine Calamities.

They were exchanging information quickly because they knew that they might not even have the luxury of having a conversation like this soon.

“Oliviera?”

[……]

In fact, Oliviera’s presence had been noticeably fading since earlier.

She had also been assisting Lenox by using her magic eye to help with the ascension ritual.

The burden Oliviera was feeling was also not something to be ignored.

“I’ll cast an augmentation spell, so withdraw your magic.”

Lenox raised his hand and drew up his magic.

“It won’t improve your condition, but it will help you move more freely.”

[That’s enough. Don’t waste your magic in useless places.]

At that moment, Oliviera retorted with a cold voice.

[We can’t even fathom the end of this journey. We should save as much of our strength as possible.]

“……”

[Focus on taking care of your own body. I’ll take care of myself.]

“You’re right. Focus on protecting yourself and enduring.”

Maleon, who had absorbed all the thoughts from the mantis’s corpse, opened his eyes and turned around.

“I’ll handle all the battles from now on. Follow me carefully.”

“……You’re going to fight alone and clear the path?”

He had reached level 9, but that didn’t mean Maleon was in normal condition.

He had already exhausted all his strength to the bottom to pass the ritual.

Normally, he should be resting and focusing on absolute stability after the ritual.

Moreover, the Long-Lived beings they would have to face from now on were the Founders who established Kundara, and high-ranking Long-Lived beings.

There would surely be some extreme ability users who had reached level 8 among them.

However, Maleon stated calmly, as if he had decided from the beginning.

“As we go further, it will become difficult for you to even stay conscious. Even if you wanted to help, you wouldn’t have the time.”

“……”

“As I said, I am with you to be of help in this very situation-”

At that moment, a chilling scream that made their hearts sink echoed from the other side of the corridor.

Krrreung…!!!

The darkness of the outer sea reflected in the transparent glass corridor.

The moment four eyes sharply rotated and glowed in the shadows.

Jjeooooong!!!

A giant black panther with four eyes collided with Maleon, their bodies crashing into each other.

A powerful circular shockwave erupted, pushing away all the objects piled up around them.

The mantis’s corpse scattered like ashes, turning into a dust storm and disappearing.

“……!!”

Maleon’s figure, which had taken the impact of the black panther like a dump truck head-on, didn’t budge an inch.

However, Lenox didn’t miss the fact that Maleon’s body had momentarily swayed slightly.

Seeing that, Lenox gritted his teeth and immediately retreated.

“Distance…!”

It wasn’t that Maleon was being pushed back in the power struggle with the black panther mummy.

He was simply refraining from using spells because he was worried that Lenox and Oliviera would get caught up in it.

The Primal Magic Saint Lotus Eight Extremes was a bombardment closer to a tactical weapon that literally exploded stars.

Because of that, Maleon had been extremely restrained in using spells since entering the Nine Calamities.

“It’s okay. Just stay still.”

Immediately after Lenox had quickly created some distance, Maleon’s hand plunged into the black panther’s jaw at an incredible speed.

Thud!!

He pierced through the tattered skin, tongue, and palate at supersonic speed.

Maleon, who had pushed his muscular arm all the way to the black panther’s brow, chanted a spell.

[Heavenly Star]

Boom!!!

The moment a silver starlight flashed in Maleon’s fist, the black panther’s head exploded and disappeared.

At the same time as the mummy, having lost its head, slumped down, Maleon turned around.

“That was a great decision. But from now on, don’t stray from my side.”

“……”

“The deeper we go into the Nine Calamities, the less time you, who have not gained the qualifications, will be able to endure.”

Maleon said, composing his expression.

“I must protect you with my thoughts to reach the end.”

“It’s not like either of us can afford to be relaxed.”

Lenox said with a cold expression.

“To say that, you’ve given up too much to get here, haven’t you?”

Not only had he taken on the physical burden of entering the Nine Calamities with Lenox and Oliviera,

but he had also greatly depleted his own life force by creating the Dragon Orb.

“It’s something I was prepared for from the beginning. Even if you weren’t here, I would have come to the Nine Calamities alone.”

Maleon shook his head.

“Rather, it’s nice to have companions on this difficult journey. Don’t you think so too?”

“You still want to joke around even after coming this far.”

“Hmm, did it sound like a joke?”

Maleon, who stroked his chin, laughed heartily and turned around.

“I’ll go scout ahead and come back. Rest here for a bit.”

“……”

Lenox also thought that the path where the black panther had appeared was likely the direction towards the deepest part of the Nine Calamities.

They had never encountered Long-Lived being mummies in such quick succession while passing through the Nine Calamities until now.

In this space-time where there were no changes, a meaningful change in the environment was a signal.

Perhaps Maleon was thinking the same thing.

Lenox thought as he leaned against the cold glass outer wall.

“Hoo…”

Once Maleon returned, they might not even have this much time to relax.

He had to rest and finish his preparations as much as possible here.

Lenox took out an ampule from his pocket and began injecting it into his forearm and collarbone.

“Oliviera.”

Lenox took out a few elixirs and threw them towards Oliviera, who was standing quietly with her arms crossed.

“These are from the War Magic Tower’s elixir storage. You know when to use them, right?”

[I don’t know who is being considerate of whom.]

Oliviera scoffed.

[Did you think that I, who leads the Cartel, wouldn’t have even these consumables?]

“You used quite a bit while bathing in poison and preparing your body in Nivek’s Nest, didn’t you?”

[……]

“Take them in advance. As Maleon said, we might not even have the time to do so from now on.”

Lenox said, rubbing his neck with a tired look.

“I think I know why Kaise’s corpse was enshrined here. This place is like a giant cemetery filled with mummies.”

[……]

“It would have been a very suitable environment for hiding and preserving a corpse without it decaying. Of course-”

There was also the possibility that Kaise’s corpse would have changed in the same way, Lenox thought, but he swallowed the words he was about to say.

Oliviera was highly unlikely to react favorably to that statement.

However, Oliviera looked at Lenox quietly, even though she guessed what he was about to say.

[How long do you think you can trust Maleon Gnosis?]

“What?”

[It’s clear that he has gained power and status befitting his grand title of Silver Star.]

In the silent universe, Oliviera whispered with a cold voice.

[But if he has truly become a complete Ascender, there is a fact that we should be suspicious of.]

“……What are you trying to say?”

[Why didn’t Maleon Gnosis shed his disguise even when he was reborn as an Ascender?]

Oliviera’s magic eye flickered behind her veil.

[It is certain that his true form as a Dragonkin would be much larger. But he maintained a clumsy disguise that was neither human nor dragon until he reached level 9.]

“……”

That was something she had mentioned to him once before, right after the trial of the Eight Calamities.

She had questioned his appearance while highly evaluating Maleon’s birth, blessing, and talent.

The sense of incongruity about Maleon’s appearance, who had taken on a human disguise but left his dragon head.

Oliviera was pointing that out again now.

[The disguise of a Long-Lived being is to imitate the appearance of a human. But he chose a clumsy appearance of a human with a dragon’s head.]

“There are beastmen with animal heads. If he disguised himself as a beastman instead of a human, it wouldn’t be impossible.”

[Among the beastmen you’ve seen, have you ever seen a beastman with a dragon’s head?]

“……”

[Maleon is definitely disguised as a human, yet he maintains a dragon’s head. And he maintained that appearance even after becoming an Ascender.]

Oliviera’s gaze became even sharper.

[Even in that moment when he was dismantling and reconstructing everything about himself, he tried to maintain that clumsy disguise until the very end.]

“……That’s.”

[If that strange obsession, the cause of which is unknown, is the origin that the Silver Star left behind until the moment he became an Ascender.]

Oliviera said coldly, leaving Lenox speechless.

[I don’t think I can fully trust Maleon Gnosis on this journey.]