Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 102

‘It should be within my detection range by now….’

As they ventured deeper into the sewer, the wide passage gradually narrowed into a cylindrical tunnel.

The only constants were the frozen sludge flowing down the center of the waterway and the narrow walkways on either side.

The deeper they went, the more the waterway branched, losing its main path and resembling a tree with dozens of limbs.

Sector 55 was one of the largest in the 50s, ranking among the top three in terms of width.

Even if they continued their search based on the fourth floodgate, Lennox’s mana detection range had a clear limit.

Of course, his radius was far beyond what an average mage could achieve, but if it still wasn’t within Lennox’s sensory range, then something was definitely wrong.

He didn’t think they would have moved that far from the Crimson Gull Mercenary Office.

Eventually, after some deliberation, Lennox slowly turned around and began retracing his steps.

‘There are two possible scenarios.’

Lennox’s mind raced, quickly deducing the possible conclusions from the current situation.

‘Either it’s hidden by a high-level concealment spell, or someone else has already retrieved the pillar.’

He couldn’t rule out the possibility that another mercenary or someone involved had noticed the pillar’s existence and taken action while Drey was in a coma.

Lennox had considered this possibility from the start, but he had to come this far to confirm it for himself.

However, if a security spell strong enough to curse a mercenary like Drey was in place, it meant that the item had to be something that belonged inside the waterway.

The assumption that it was still hidden within the waterway was more plausible than the possibility of it being retrieved.

‘I should check the floodgate area one more time. If I still can’t find it, I’ll have to hand the matter over to the agency.’

If the matter with the pillar was urgent, he would have to search every nearby floodgate, even if it meant turning them all upside down, but he didn’t have the time to invest.

Location tracking through dummy data mixed into the encryption key.

Based on those results, the second operation is scheduled for a week later. Considering the operation starts outside the city, there were many things to prepare. With that in mind, Lennox stared down at the massive torrent of water flowing through the fourth floodgate. Kwaaaaah! Water, gathered from countless waterways, easily numbering in the hundreds, crashes down, piercing the damp air. Despite the chilly air of the underground waterway, the water, once flowing, never freezes. Even without proper development, the underground waterways of District 55 still receive all sorts of wastewater flowing in from various parts of Balkan, endlessly discharging the filth outside the city. Considering that pollutants form in undeveloped areas and uninhabited lands, it wasn’t that strange. Problems that are not visible are always pushed to the back burner, and things that slowly worsen are easily forgotten. ‘Invisible, huh… Invisible…’ Lennox, finding a new question in the chain of thoughts, suddenly snapped awake and waved his hand. [Aqua Control] It was a common magic created to control small streams of water. However, at the moment of using the magic, it was extensively modified to greatly increase the existing magic power allowance and significantly raise the controllable amount of water. As a result. Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!!! The water flowing like a raging river through the floodgate’s sewer split apart on both sides, revealing the bottom. Even after successfully performing the miracle of splitting a river with his bare hands, Lennox’s expression remained calm. Lennox’s gaze, quickly scanning the bottom of the floodgate, fixed on a protruding edge of the sewer floor.

Lennox, spotting the gleaming silver stake amidst the debris, finally relaxed his expression and smiled.

Crack…!!

The moment Lennox noticed it, the indecipherable characters engraved on the stake’s surface vanished with a bizarre sound.

Simultaneously, the dark mana that had been contained within the stake erupted, soaking the entire sewer.

Sssshhhhhh…

‘I just poked at it on a hunch, but it wasn’t a bad result.’

Certain spells or formulas become exponentially more powerful the more stringent the conditions placed upon them. [This refers to the principle that the more specific and difficult the requirements for a spell, the stronger it becomes.]

The person who installed this stake probably used ‘invisibility’ as a condition to drastically enhance the concealment spell’s function, thus evading mana detection.

It was a shot in the dark, thinking they might have moved the stake instead of retrieving it after the Crimson Gale Mercenary Company left, but the result was conclusive.

‘There weren’t many options left… but this will do.’

Thump!!

He uses impact magic to dig up the ground and then uses magnetic control to pull the stake out and lift it into the air.

It looks more like a stake than a pillar.

However, the densely engraved characters and magic circle patterns on its surface clearly show that this object is not just a simple iron stake.

If you think about it simply, it’s dark magic. And it’s likely for some process that must be carried out in the city.

If Lennox were to sit here and analyze the stake right now, it wouldn’t be impossible for him to figure something out with his insight…

‘It’s much more efficient to quickly hand it over to Evelyn and have her look for other stakes.’

There’s no guarantee that there’s only one of these stakes.

According to the magic theories Lennox has learned so far, formulas that use objects like this often involve a wide range of targets or large-scale processes, and they require a large amount of preparation.

If this was truly a result of collaboration between a dark mage and a terrorist organization, it wouldn’t be strange if such stakes were hidden throughout the city.

‘Interesting.’

For Lennox, who possesses a transcendent resistance to designated spells, this kind of curse and spell would have no effect.

Therefore, Lennox was purely curious about what kind of plan they were concocting against the seemingly untouchable power of the city government.

If they had made such a bold declaration of war, they must have had some confidence, and they must have started because they thought they had a chance of winning, at least partially.

Personally, Lennox hoped there would be something he could learn from their methods.

After all, Lennox had never once considered the Balkan city government a reliable ally.

Now that he had found the stake, his immediate business in the underground waterway was finished.

After handing this over to Evelyn, the agents would investigate it and then explore the traces left at the scene later.

Thinking that, Lennox turned his head towards the exit of the floodgate.

At that moment, a powerful presence suddenly appeared within Lennox’s sensory range.

A sudden and unexpected appearance, like a flame bursting out of nowhere.

[Lululu~ Lalala~~ Ulululu~~]

At the same time, a leisurely hum came from the distant darkness.

Thud, thud.

With slow footsteps, someone emerged through the sound of the floodgate’s water and the dim darkness.

A sword hanging at his waist. A loosely unbuttoned suit that didn’t suit him.

Pale skin revealed between the collar.

Most noticeable of all was the android-like joint attached to his neck instead of a human head.

Only the faint red glow from behind the visor that covered his eyes hinted at the direction of his gaze.

The robot-headed figure, who had been humming as he walked, stopped abruptly upon spotting Lennox.

A natural, almost human-like mechanical voice flowed out.

[Ah, ah, I came back because I suddenly sensed a strange magical power, and it turns out there’s a new guest.]

He said this, then nodded with a satisfied look.

[I’m really grateful. I haven’t eaten anything for half a day and was just rummaging through this sewer. I never imagined it would be hidden right under the floodgate. Thanks to you, my work is easier.]

“Easier work?”

[Yeah. My client told me to bring that thing. They want trash, but they pay so much. They throw me into this damn cold place and tell me to figure it out? What a joke.]

“………”

[But providing the service the customer wants is the very essence of Manson’s professionalism. In that sense, I’ll take that pillar.]

…He’s a guy with a steel head who talks like he’s got a screw loose somewhere.

Lennox didn’t reply, lost in thought, before something occurred to him, and he asked.

“Are you perhaps the one called Mad Manson among the freelancers? I think I’ve heard your name along with Striker’s.”

[Mad? What the hell is Mad? Is there anyone who goes around with such a stupid nickname in front of their name?]

“No?”

[But my name is Madison.]

“………”

He was crazy, and not just in an ordinary way.

It was certain. The well-known freelancer, Mad Manson, that the man at the bar had mentioned, was definitely this guy.

Lennox glanced up at the pillar floating above him and said,

“I’m sorry to say, but that pillar already has an owner. I don’t think I can give it to you.”

[Oh, really? That’s the first I’m hearing of it.]

“Of course. How would someone who’s been wandering around this waterway for half a day before I found it know?”

Lennox smiled faintly and slowly began to gather his magic power.

“It’s a shame you came all this way for nothing, but I’d appreciate it if you’d clear out.”

The way he was claiming ownership of the pillar as if it were his by right made it clear.

He was called a freelancer, but in reality, he was more like a lawless thug who did as he pleased.

If things went wrong, he wouldn’t hesitate to draw his sword. Lennox was sure that a fight was unavoidable, and his words were not polite either.

[Hmm… I can’t agree with that.]

The freelancer, Mad Manson, paused for a moment before shaking his head.

He took a step forward, and his hand naturally went to the sword hilt at his waist.

[It’s only natural that the stronger one is the owner.]

Come to think of it, Ivelyn had asked him before.

She had asked if he was prepared to kill a fellow freelancer.

It was a pointless question.

What hesitation could there be in striking down thugs who, with brazen faces, try to steal the fruits of another’s labor?

“So,”

Fzzzzzt…!!

Lennox smiled, blue lightning crackling between his fingers.

“I’m the owner. Can’t you understand?”

Mad Manson.

Before the words were even finished, the two superhumans moved simultaneously.

Crunch…!!

The ground where Manson had been standing was crushed as if stomped on, and his body vanished in an instant.

Kaaaaaang!!!

A sharp tearing sound echoed, aimed at Lennox’s side.

However, it was blocked by the shield, and the blade lost its direction, cutting through the air, its momentum rendered useless.

[Oh ho.]

Towards Manson’s face, who was blankly admiring, Lennox forcefully thrust the mass of electricity he held in his hand.

Let’s start by taking away that arrogant bastard’s sight.

[Lightning Bound]

Fzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!!!

A torrent of electricity erupted, accompanied by a magical light that brightly illuminated the dark underground waterway.

An intensely condensed sphere of electricity, far more powerful than before, burst out and split into hundreds of strands. While the speed at which the magic was cast wasn’t particularly fast, the speed at which the sphere burst was much greater. That slight gap delayed Manson’s reaction for a brief moment. The hundreds of electric currents engulfed Manson’s body. Kwaaaang!! Even in the early stages of a freelancer who had just awakened to public magic, it was a spell that boasted considerable power for combat against individuals. The intense firepower, which bursts out a half-beat slower than the moment of casting, reverses the pace of superhumans who calculate and respond in units of seconds, making their reactions slower. If it hits, it has excellent cost-effectiveness, capable of briefly stunning even a monster like a Kraken [a mythical sea monster]. However, Manson didn’t just take the hit; he managed to escape the small storm of electricity without much difficulty. [You’re a hotter customer than I thought.] In his hand, he held a long, black cloak that he had somehow produced. Remnants of electricity flickered between the cloak, which emitted a cold metallic sheen, hardening it, but it seemed to have no problem protecting Manson’s body. Is it an artifact? It’s not unusual for a freelancer with that much reputation to carry various tools. Rather, a freelancer like Lennox, who is bothered by the weight of equipment and prefers to move lightly, would be the unusual one. Manson muttered, stroking his metal chin with his left hand, which wasn’t holding a sword. [For a mage, your reactions are incredibly fast. And your shield strength is considerable… Could it be that you’re much stronger than I thought?] “………”