Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 1057

Central Front Border Zone, Western Continent.

The Overmind convulsed, its eyes rolling back, as the pale Corpse Demon Sorcerer perched precariously on its head.

Beneath the veil of the [Barrier], Lenok surveyed the battlefield, clutching a leaf from the World Tree.

The grim face of the deer giant, Elder Druid Azelan, glared in his direction.

In this chaotic battlefield where friend and foe were indistinguishable, it was clear which side held the advantage.

Grrrrk!!!

The monsters, their flesh torn and mangled, turned their bloodshot eyes towards the druids.

Vein-popping tanks moved, rotating their turrets, and fighter jets streaked through the blood-red clouds.

Minds in military uniforms, their eyes glazed over, drooled as they loaded their weapons, marching across the battlefield littered with gore.

[Kuweeeeeeck…!!]

[Kahahahaak!!]

The remnants of the monster horde, having survived the War Towers’ rampage, howled, craving the flesh of the druids.

“No, no…!!”

“Filthy things…!! Don’t come any closer!!”

The druids hastily chanted spells, transforming into bears and deer, and made trees grow, but it was all futile.

Monster fighters flying low over the battlefield rained down bombs on the rapidly growing trees,

and monsters formed from fused flesh clung to the bear-transformed druids, biting and tearing at their flesh.

Tudududuk!!

Puhbuhbuhbung!!!

The thick fur of the bears was instantly stained with blood.

The druids’ hair, made of plant stems, was ripped out by the monsters’ claws.

A contaminated bullet lodged between the brows of a sheep-headed archer, who staggered as if dancing from the barrage of fire.

“Ah, ah, ah…!!”

The reason the druids had suffered little damage while breaking through the front lines was because they were focused on supporting Lenok from behind as he broke through the center.

But now, having turned against Lenok, who had been at the forefront, they were essentially thrown into the heart of the monster horde.

The moment one side of the druids’ resistance crumbled, the cracks rapidly widened.

Skilled users of nature magic and druids with strong vitality were dragged away by the monsters one by one.

Soon, the sounds of flesh being chewed and bones breaking echoed in succession.

Kadedeuk!!

Ujijik!!

Unable to resist the endless wave of monsters, the surviving druids were swept away.

Trapped within the mutated monster legion, withering away—the worst-case scenario they had tried to avoid during the operation.

Lenok fiddled with the World Tree leaf, looking down at the chaotic battlefield.

“They’re holding out better than I thought. I was sure the outcome was decided at this point.”

“….”

“Even considering the spell amplification from the World Tree leaf, the potential of nature magic is quite significant.”

The reason a vast forest existed near the [Barrier] on the western front was because the World Tree leaf was hidden beneath the barrier.

Because it was a forest formed by the power of the World Tree, the druids were also enjoying the amplification effect of nature magic.

That must have been why they were able to bring Lenok to the [Barrier] in an instant, covering tens of kilometers.

Lenok thought so, glancing at the World Tree leaf he was holding.

‘Just holding it gives me this much vitality, it’s definitely not an ordinary item.’

Just holding it filled his body with vitality and energy that easily surpassed any stimulant.

A sensation that felt slightly stronger than when he had received the Archangel’s Tear that Myung had given him long ago.

He knew it was a special offering, but it had this much effect even without being properly used.

He could immediately understand why the druids were so obsessed with this leaf and tried to hide it.

‘If it’s this good, there must be a better way to process it than simple consumption. It’s difficult to make it into an artifact right now, but…’

“N-now is not the time to be saying such things…”

While Lenok was indulging in the extravagant fantasy of making the World Tree leaf into a tobacco leaf and burning it, the Corpse Demon Sorcerer on the Overmind’s head stammered.

“I-if the druids hold out for too long, it won’t be good… S-since they betrayed us, we have to get r-revenge…”

“Revenge?”

Lenok smiled.

“The moment things turned out like this, the victory or defeat was decided. It was a battle I couldn’t lose from the moment I summoned the War Towers.”

“T-that’s…”

“That’s why the druids felt impatient and tried to kill me first.”

From the moment the druids hid the World Tree leaf, Lenok had guessed that it was not a legitimate possession of Larabelle.

And that the druids might try to silence Lenok the moment that secret was exposed.

It wouldn’t have been impossible. Elder Druid Azelan wouldn’t have tried to kill Lenok without any insurance.

What Azelan had asked Lenok to do on the battlefield was to single-handedly stop a monster legion.

He must have thought that Lenok’s magic would be greatly depleted after performing such a task.

That would prevent Lenok from approaching the Overmind, and they would be able to obtain the leaf relatively easily.

But the calculations went awry when Lenok broke through the central legion alone and summoned the War Towers.

Once the War Towers opened the way, there would be no way to stop Lenok from approaching the Overmind.

Now, with the Thorben War Tower having created some distance, they must have thought that this moment, when Lenok was focused on the leaf, was their only chance.

He knew.

When the druids would betray Lenok, what words they would react to, and how they would attack.

Even while slaughtering monsters and breaking through the front lines. Even when the druids who followed were more concerned with Lenok’s actions than the monsters.

Lenok had been constantly thinking about how to resolve this battle.

“How dare you, filthy monsters!!”

The deer giant, Elder Druid Azelan, who had enlarged his own body, roared and swung his green spear.

Thin branches wrapped around the spear blade, spinning and sweeping away the surrounding monsters.

Jjeojeok!!

[Kkeueee…!!]

The moment they were pierced by the branches, the monsters’ blood and fluids were absorbed directly into the spear blade.

The monsters pierced by the spear blade withered and died, shriveling like mummies.

“Silon, get up!!”

Azelan, kicking and bursting a charging Mind, said as he raised a fallen druid.

“There’s still a way. If we can just get the World Tree leaf, we can resolve this situation…!!”

“Azelan-nim…!!”

“Kill Kyunryeo and retrieve the leaf. With that power, we can escape beyond the forest and the front lines!”

Even in this desperate situation, surrounded by the monster horde, there was not a hint of agitation in Azelan’s voice.

The confident declaration of a commander who had never wavered, except for the moment when Lenok took the leaf.

The moment the druids, who had been wavering, were about to regain their focus.

Kugwagwagwagwa!!!!

From the blood-red clouds in the sky, mutated fighter planes fell at supersonic speed.

They detonated the explosives they were carrying and finally crashed their own planes, self-destructing.

Puhbuhbuhbung!!!

“Aaaahhh…!!”

[Kkweeeeeeck!!]

A crimson pillar of fire erupted in the middle of the battlefield, killing druids and monsters alike.

In the storm of fire pillars erupting from all directions, Azelan gripped the spear shaft until it broke.

“Oooooooo!!!”

Kooong!!

At the same time as he fixed his body by stamping his hooves on the ground, Azelan’s shoulder rotated at an incredible speed.

At the same time as he drew the trajectory of the spear dozens of times towards the sky, he began to intercept the falling monster fighters.

Dududududu!!!!

Tearing and smashing the wings of the falling fighters, pushing them away. He inhaled and exhaled the flames exploding before his eyes.

Each time he swung his spear, covered in blood, a menacing green light flickered in the deer giant’s eyes.

Kwaaang!!

Centered on where Azelan stood, the fragments of the fighters and the flames distorted in a circle, pushing to the left and right.

The deer giant single-handedly withstood dozens of falling bombs, protecting the fallen druids.

“Hoo, hoo…!!”

“Impressive.”

Lenok, who had been watching the spectacle from afar, nodded.

“It would have been nice if you had shown that much skill before trying to stab me in the back. Don’t you think?”

“No outsider who knows about the leaf can be left alive. It was something that couldn’t be changed from the beginning.”

Azelan, breathing roughly, raised his head, glaring at Lenok with bloodshot eyes, and readjusted his spear.

“Now it’s your turn.”

“Well.”

Lenok smiled and pointed to the sky.

“It doesn’t seem like the other monsters think so yet.”

“…What?”

Uuuuuuung!!!

At that moment, the aircraft carrier floating in the blood-red clouds revealed itself to the ground.

The massive ship, spanning hundreds of meters in radius, activated its propulsion devices at full power and moved vertically.

With the ship’s head facing the ground, it began to accelerate at subsonic speed.

Kwaaaaaaaa!!!!

“This is…!!!”

“I showed it to you once when we first met.”

Lenok asked, crossing his arms, leaving the shocked Azelan behind.

“Now it’s your turn.”

Azelan, with a pale face, looked at the falling ship and shouted to the surrounding druids.

At his words, the druids quickly began chanting spells and preparing, but it was already too late.

The massive aircraft carrier crashed down on the druids’ heads, detonating its engine and self-destructing.

It became a massive pillar of fire connecting the sky and the ground, sweeping across the land.

Kugwagwagwagwagwa!!!!

The trees summoned by nature magic burned and crumbled.

The ground shook incessantly as if an earthquake had occurred, the earth cracking and waves rising.

The aftereffects of the swirling flames were so intense that even the barrier on the western front shook and rippled.

“W-waaaah…!!!”

The Corpse Demon Sorcerer, who had been holding on above the Overmind’s head, lost his balance and tumbled.

While the Corpse Demon Sorcerer, who had fallen headfirst, was dazed with spinning eyes, Lenok watched the battlefield that had turned into a sea of fire.

The flames that had been burning endlessly began to subside little by little, following the blowing wind.

[Kereuk, kereuk….]

[Heeek, heek!!]

The surviving monsters, panting, gathered at the epicenter of the ship’s crash.

The sight of the corrupted monsters, drooling and searching for flesh, with only pure instinct remaining.

“Larabelle’s druids. I’ll give them credit for their vitality.”

Lenok, following those monsters, moved his steps and smiled as he saw the deer giant collapsed among the burning wreckage of the ship.

“It seems like they easily surpass most physical ability users in both recovery and durability?”

“Hoo, hoo…!!!”

The demi-human, half deer and half human, was lying face down, breathing roughly.

His green hair and skin were burned and shriveled, and the hand holding the green spear was missing fingers.

His limbs were spasming weakly, as if all the muscles had melted away, unable to even stand up.

Azelan, with his face burned and distorted, struggled to lift his head.

“To control the monsters by manipulating the Overmind…”

“I borrowed the monster manipulation ability that general-level entities commonly possess.”

Lenok replied.

“Originally, it shouldn’t have worked on the Overmind, which is a higher entity, but I thought there was a high chance it would work if I took the leaf that it used as nourishment.”

“….”

“Because the monsters have low intelligence and no reason, I could only use a simple command.”

Lenok tapped the wreckage of the ship that was crushing Azelan and asked.

“Wasn’t this enough to deal with the traitor?”

“A human sorcerer can’t control mindless monsters for long…”

Azelan opened his mouth with difficulty.

“The monsters will soon break free from your control… You and the War Towers will end up in the same state as us…”

Azelan’s gaze, looking at Lenok while crushed under the wreckage, shone eerily.

If the Headrow Warlords’ war machines continue to self-destruct like this, disregarding their lives, they won’t be able to hold out.

“You chose to commit suicide with us on this battlefield…”

“That’s not the order I gave to the Headrow Warlords through the Corpse Demon Sorcerer.”

However, Lenok shook his head, smiling even after hearing Azelan’s words.

“I didn’t tell them to only kill you druids either. The targets I ordered to kill included-”

Click!!

At that moment, the tanks with bulging veins aimed their cannons at each other.

“From the beginning, the same monsters were included.”

Kwagwagwagwang!!!!

The fighters in the sky collided with each other and exploded, bursting like fireworks.

The tanks fired, smashing each other, and the flesh contained in the cockpits dripped out.

The surviving Minds rushed to the flesh dripping from the cockpits and devoured it greedily.

[Khaaaaaak!!!]

[Kueeek!! Waeek!!]

The monsters surrounding Azelan simultaneously began to devour each other.

The monsters screamed in agony as they killed each other, quickly reducing their numbers.

The monster horde self-destructed, repeating the cycle of killing and being killed, as if cutting their own flesh.

Azelan, crushed under the wreckage, stared blankly at the gruesome scene.

“Even before giving the order to the Overmind, I was planning to reduce their numbers by having the monsters destroy each other.”

Lenok looked down at Azelan with indifferent eyes.

“I just included you druids in that process.”

From the summoning of the War Towers to the intrusion of the Corpse Demon Sorcerer, all the plans were set from the beginning.

The process of resolving and cleaning up the druids’ betrayal was just added in between.

The fact that he used the elixir to make the magic consumption required to summon the War Towers zero was also to prepare for the druids’ betrayal.

Kooong!!

He used gravity magic on the wreckage of the deck that was crushing Azelan, adding more weight.

“It’s time to choose, druid.”

“Kuek!!”

“If you want to keep that tenacious life of yours going even a little longer, you’d better answer my questions well from now on.”

Lenok looked down at the groaning deer giant with cold eyes.

“The abilities of the World Tree leaf and the reason you tried to retrieve the leaf from Larabelle.”

“….”

“Considering Larabelle’s World Tree, there shouldn’t be a reason for the druids to be so obsessed with that leaf.”

Lenok, holding up the leaf that emitted a brilliant glow, fiddled with it as he spoke.

“Or is there a problem with the World Tree that makes this leaf so necessary?”

The reason why the druids of Larabelle, who possessed the World Tree itself, were so obsessed with its byproduct, the leaf.

It was a different kind of desperation than the determination not to leak Larabelle’s treasures to the outside.

If they tried to take the leaf offered as a tribute to Ars Nova from the Overmind.

If the druids couldn’t touch the leaf until the Overmind used it as nourishment.

At least, that much of a situation must exist in Larabelle’s World Tree.

“…Our mother tree was a being born with the most powerful vitality in this star.”

At that moment, Azelan, who had been silent, spoke quietly.

“But that blessing, born from the navel of the star, is now being transformed into a key that hastens its end.”

“What do you mean?”

“The World Tree is proof that this star was born in a legitimate way. Therefore-”

The deer giant, making eye contact with Lenok, made a sinister expression.

“It is a being that shares its vitality with everyone, without discrimination…!!”

Kwajik!!

The wreckage of the deck that was crushing Azelan split in half, and the deer giant stood up from that spot.

The skin that had been burned and shriveled was already halfway regenerated, and magic flowed from his entire body.

The green spear in his hand rotated violently, extending dry branches in all directions.

The sight of Azelan, having instantly recovered from the injuries he had just sustained and entering combat stance.

Lenok, immediately realizing the cause, frowned.

“Just being near the leaf shares its vitality. Is it a characteristic of nature magic users?”

Was it because his body recovered and finished regenerating just by shortening the distance to the World Tree leaf?

The moment Lenok realized the reason for Azelan’s recovery and was about to draw out his lightning magic, raising his magic power.

“That’s why I told you.”

A young man with black ink-like characters engraved all over his body opened his mouth from behind Azelan.

“You have to be careful when working with druids.”

“…!!!”

Azelan, noticing the young man’s presence a beat too late, gritted his teeth and turned his body around with all his might.

“Human!!!”

“They’re unnecessarily sensitive friends, so they overreact to minor things.”

The green spear in Azelan’s hand cracked open, shooting out dry branches.

The moment the Elder Druid gathered his remaining strength and swung, launching the spear blade like a cannon.

The young man with tattoos all over his body had already landed behind Azelan’s back.

Tuk.

The moment the young man lightly tapped Azelan’s back without even turning his head.

Seogeok!!

Along with a chilling cutting sound, Azelan’s head floated into the air.

Beyond Azelan’s decapitated corpse, the Yeha Sorcerer, who had peeked his head out, smiled.

“This, I helped you with.”

“It’s way too late for the reward the leader mentioned.”

Lenok stared at the Sorcerer with a nonchalant expression.

“You said you would guide me to Kundara, but you’ve only just arrived at the [Barrier]?”

“….”

“Since I’ve lost time, I think I should get more compensation from you instead.”

The Yeha Sorcerer scratched his head, looking bewildered.

“Don’t you often hear that you’re shameless?”