Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 1060

To reach Kundara, they needed to twist the barrier using a celestial spell.

However, the Yeha Sorcerer had ‘cut’ the barrier directly, creating a path to the space-time on the other side.

“This is…”

Crack…!!

A sharp cut was etched across the barrier that stretched to the horizon.

It was as if, by cutting the transparent curtain that revealed what was inside, a completely different landscape had sprung forth.

It was literally cutting through the other side of the barrier, revealing the hidden space-time within.

If a non-existent imaginary dimension were forcibly pulled into reality, would it feel like this?

Whoosh!!!

A majestic mountain range unfolded, shrouded in thick fog. Rugged mountains curved and stretched out.

The sound of waterfalls echoed from the valleys. The rustling of lotus leaves brushing against each other near the ponds.

The sounds of birds and wind overlapped, quietly tapping against the serene mountain range.

The identity of the landscape beyond the crack was completely different from the inside of the barrier.

“This way, Mr. Ban.”

The Yeha Sorcerer, who had already stepped into the crack, stood at the end of the misty path, looking back at Lenok.

“Let’s hurry. We have things to do to reach Kundara beyond this space-time.”

“Instead of twisting the barrier, you cut it directly to open a path to the other side.”

Whoosh!!

Lenok, following the Yeha Sorcerer down the foggy path, asked,

“Is it possible to reach Kundara using this method?”

If they wanted to check if Lenok possessed a celestial spell, there was no reason to open the other side of the barrier like this first.

However, it was also clear that the leader’s side suspected Lenok.

Was there another intention from the Yeha Sorcerer’s side, or did they have a different view on celestial spells than the leader?

As Lenok pondered various possibilities, he remained cautious.

“It’s more like using a slight trick to avoid a troublesome problem.”

The Yeha Sorcerer smiled and shook his head.

“What trick are you talking about?”

“The long-lived species of the Outer City have hidden their city in a very secretive way.”

The Yeha Sorcerer replied to Lenok’s words.

“Because it’s hidden behind the shadow of a star, you can’t reach Kundara through normal means unless you match a specific orbital period.”

“……”

“But if it’s just entering the other side of the barrier where Kundara is located, it’s possible using my spell.”

The Yeha Sorcerer said with a smile.

“That’s why I stepped forward to help Mr. Ban in this matter.”

“In short, we’ve arrived on the other side of the barrier, lost and without a clear path.”

Whoosh!!

Oliviera, who had followed Lenok into the majestic Taoist paradise, spoke.

“You prioritized arriving at the ‘space’ on the other side of the barrier where the city is hidden, rather than Kundara itself.”

“Indeed, you understand quickly.”

The Yeha Sorcerer smiled and nodded.

“Kundara is hidden somewhere in this space-time, and I know the way. My role as a guide is precisely for that part.”

“……”

“Please follow me from now on.”

As the sorcerer turned his back, the pale-faced Shigi Sorcerer fell to the spot where he had been standing.

Seeing the crack in the barrier close, had the Shigi Sorcerer also hurriedly entered the space-time on the other side?

Thud!

“Oh, uh…”

The Shigi Sorcerer, staggering as he landed, looked up at Lenok with a dazed expression.

“Come to think of it, I could have just, uh, run away alone…”

“……”

“You’re saying funny things for a half-dead corpse.”

Unlike Lenok, who ignored the Shigi Sorcerer, Oliviera looked at her with interest.

Her mana eyes gleamed from behind her veil.

“Neither alive nor dead, you’re toying with your own life on the boundary between life and death.”

“Y-yes…?”

“Even if we consider the Origin Imprint [a magical mark that binds a sorcerer to their source of power], it’s rare to find a sorcerer who can handle a unique spell like that…”

Oliviera let out a strange smile.

“The observer of the Glass Garden [a mysterious organization or place] has obtained an interesting tool.”

“N-no… I, I’m not that kind of person…”

The Shigi Sorcerer, looking frightened, passed by Oliviera and headed towards the Yeha Sorcerer.

However, Oliviera, seemingly uninterested in the Shigi Sorcerer’s reaction, turned her body away.

“Let’s move. If we get lost here, it will be difficult to find our way.”

“……”

With so many individuals who were not only unique but also acted as they pleased, it was impossible to predict where they would go next.

Lenok sighed and followed Oliviera, who was walking ahead in the fog.

Whoosh!!!

The more they walked, the thicker the fog became, making it difficult to see even an inch ahead.

The Yeha Sorcerer, who had disappeared into the fog first, was nowhere to be seen.

Even using Lenok’s mana detection, the surrounding terrain was not clearly visible.

It was as if the surrounding environment itself was scattering and reforming like fog.

The only thing visible was Oliviera walking beside him.

The Shigi Sorcerer and everything else were blurred and disappearing.

It wasn’t that Lenok’s mind was being invaded, but that the surrounding environment itself was actually blurring and collapsing.

“The fog is too thick, making it difficult to see ahead.”

Oliviera, who was walking beside him, asked Lenok in a strange voice.

“It’s also difficult to follow the direction he went. Isn’t that so?”

“…No.”

In that moment, Lenok, sensing a strangeness in Oliviera’s words, raised his gaze.

“This isn’t just about the fog being thick…”

[Kyonroe. Don’t answer, just listen.]

Oliviera vibrated her mana to send a telepathic message.

[The Yeha Sorcerer just disappeared. Even the occasional glimpses we had of him have completely vanished.]

“……”

[He’s probably watching us secretly from somewhere.]

While watching the Yeha Sorcerer in the fog through her mana eyes, she had lied as if she hadn’t seen him.

Lenok, realizing that Oliviera had used him to induce the Yeha Sorcerer’s actions, lowered his gaze deeply.

Oliviera, with her arms crossed, spoke with a playful telepathic message.

[He’s using the fog spread out in this space-time. It seems he never intended to take us to the Outer City from the beginning.]

“……”

Indeed, the Yeha Sorcerer was prioritizing confirming the celestial spell over guiding Lenok.

The fact that they had cut through the barrier to enter the other side might have been to create a situation convenient for the sorcerer himself.

Was the reason why even the Shigi Sorcerer’s presence couldn’t be detected because the Yeha Sorcerer had dragged her along to create distance?

[To find our way in this space and find a path, we’ll have to twist the barrier once again using a celestial spell.]

Oliviera glanced at Lenok from behind her veil.

[And that’s likely what the sorcerer is aiming for.]

“……”

[If I had my way, I’d grab him right here and tear him limb from limb…]

Oliviera’s telepathic message, whispering to Lenok, turned infinitely cold.

[But since you are the one who should be leading this journey, you must make the decision yourself.]

Oliviera’s explanation, that she had immediately noticed the Yeha Sorcerer’s intentions but was leaving the decision to him, was striking.

Was it a delusion to think that Oliviera’s competence was more impressive than the trick the sorcerer had played using the space-time on the other side?

However, instead of responding to Oliviera’s words, Lenok took out a small brooch from his pocket.

The moment Nyx’s emblem, with a dark gem embedded in it, activated, an intangible barrier spread out around the two of them.

“There are a few ways we can try.”

Lenok turned his gaze towards Oliviera and opened his mouth.

“However, both of us will have to take some risks.”

[…You.]

Oliviera, as if dumbfounded, looked at Nyx’s emblem and said,

[An artifact that conceals the wearer’s presence. Why are you taking out such a thing now?]

“If what you said is true, the Yeha Sorcerer is watching us from somewhere in this fog.”

Lenok said, putting his hands in his coat pockets.

“But that also means that the Yeha Sorcerer isn’t the only one who can see us right now, isn’t it?”

[That’s…]

“If we draw attention, some of the long-lived species might notice our presence.”

[You intend to summon the long-lived species of Kundara directly, instead of the Yeha Sorcerer?]

Oliviera, understanding Lenok’s words, retorted as if she was dumbfounded.

[It’s not something you can just brush off as taking a risk. They might label us as intruders and try to eliminate us.]

“We are currently in a tug-of-war not only with the Yeha Sorcerer but also with the leader of the Order Alliance.”

Lenok said, staring at the other side of the fog with a cold gaze.

“As you said, the important thing is not to move according to the Yeha Sorcerer’s intentions.”

“……”

“Even if we end up using the celestial spell in front of the Yeha Sorcerer, it must be done under a situation that we control.”

The Yeha Sorcerer was trying to confirm Lenok’s celestial spell while guiding him to Kundara.

What Lenok had to do was to avoid the leader’s suspicion while safely entering Kundara with the sorcerer’s guidance.

He hadn’t expected them to start playing tricks from the beginning, but that was precisely why he couldn’t take out the celestial spell at this point.

[If that’s what you intend, then there’s nothing I can do.]

Oliviera clicked her tongue and asked,

[So, how do you intend to summon the long-lived species of Kundara from this place?]

“I can think of about five ways…”

[…Five ways?]

“First, I’m thinking of trying the method that relies the most on luck.”

Leaving behind the horrified Oliviera, Lenok reached into his pocket.

“There’s one method that the Yeha Sorcerer is least likely to expect, and that could yield meaningful results.”

It was no coincidence that he had checked all the artifacts he had before starting this journey.

On the journey to the city of the long-lived species, Lenok also thought that he needed to establish methods to deal with various situations.

And if there were no obstacles like now, there was a method he could try, relying on luck.

Click!

A fist-sized, jet-black cube in Lenok’s hand.

Cubes composed of various facets continued to rise from inside the cube as if flowers were blooming.

A strange shape that seemed to be constantly seeking change on its own in a 3D space where nothing existed.

[I thought it was a type of illusion, but it’s a substance whose shape and structure aren’t fixed from the start.]

Oliviera, staring at the cube, asked,

[What is that?]

“It’s called a Penteract.”

Lenok, gripping the cube, replied,

“It’s an artifact that embodies a 5D shape in reality. When mana is injected, it has the ability to randomly reproduce results from other spatial axes.”

A relic from the old world that Myung had given to Lenok a long time ago, the Penteract.

The moment mana was injected, it randomly transformed and reproduced matter from other spatial axes.

[An artifact that randomly projects and reproduces matter unrelated to this space-time. Interesting.]

Oliviera, easily understanding Lenok’s explanation, shone her eyes with interest.

[Based on my experience, artifacts with such abilities usually didn’t operate ‘randomly’. Is that what you’re aiming for as well?]

Oliviera’s words were correct.

As a result of Lenok using the Penteract several times, it was rare for something completely unrelated to the current situation to appear.

When Lenok used the Penteract at the Far East Branch of the Guido Order, he had obtained an alibi necessary to disguise himself as an apostle of the Order.

Thanks to that, he was able to infiltrate the Far East Branch relatively easily until he faced the apostle selection ceremony.

If he was lucky, wouldn’t the existence of the Penteract become a variable that the Yeha Sorcerer hadn’t anticipated?

[It’s interesting, but it’s not an artifact that suits you very well.]

Oliviera, as if feeling a similar sentiment, shook her head, her robe fluttering.

[You’re good at creating variables, but you’re not the type to deliberately bring in uncontrollable variables.]

“You’re not wrong.”

Lenok replied, raising the Penteract.

“But the person who gave me this artifact might have thought that even such uncertainty was necessary for me.”

“……”

Lenok, gripping the Penteract tightly, said as he drew up his mana.

“Then I’m willing to check it myself, even if it takes several times.”

[You…]

Was she surprised that Lenok had someone he trusted so much?

The moment Oliviera called out to Lenok in a strange tone, Lenok poured mana into the Penteract he was holding.

Crrrrrrk!!!

In an instant, the cube in his hand began to rotate violently, transforming into a completely different shape.

It shifted rapidly between shapes unrelated to the cube, such as scales, name tags, pens, and flagpoles, as if it would jump out of his hand.

The moment Lenok didn’t resist the movement and threw the Penteract down at his feet.

Whoosh!!!

Smoke thicker than the fog rose, beginning to surge in front of Lenok’s eyes.

Growing in size within the smoke, the shape of a large altar rose in front of Lenok.

“This is…?”

“……”

The appearance of a wide altar that seemed to embody the extremely elaborate seven-pointed star itself.

Inside the seven-pointed star, black energy was intertwined like blood vessels, wriggling like insects.

Lenok’s face hardened at the sight of the ominous altar.

“What is this?”

The shape of a disgusting altar that felt ominous and eerie just by looking at it.

He knew he had to rely on luck from the moment he used the Penteract, but he hadn’t expected such a monstrosity.

Oliviera let out a chuckle and turned her gaze towards Lenok.

[It’s not an incomprehensible result. You weren’t a mage who was born with great fortune in the first place.]

“……”

[If you think of it as the retribution that came to a mage who only tries to rely on luck when necessary, isn’t it fitting?]

“…I can’t argue with that.”

Lenok gave a wry smile at Oliviera’s scathing words.

If he was unlucky to the point of being extremely unlucky, was it possible for such a cursed object to appear?

Or perhaps the assumption that an object related to the current situation would appear was wrong in the first place.

“…Let’s put it away and think of another way.”

Lenok, slightly dejected, raised his hand and tried to destroy the altar by drawing up his mana, but at that moment.

=Oh my.

A greasy voice echoed from inside the huge seven-pointed star.

=It seems my appearance has unintentionally disappointed you.

“…!!”

Thwack!!

A crimson hand popped out from inside the seven-pointed star, rising in front of Lenok’s eyes.

The hand that popped out from the altar slowly waved in the air and began to speak to Lenok.

=But please understand. While watching, I couldn’t help but lose my patience.

Crack, crack…!!!

A hand covered in crimson skin slowly shook on the altar.

With seven fingers, it didn’t look like a human hand but rather a small starfish.

=Nice to meet you. Is this the first time we’ve met face to face?

“…Who are you?”

Lenok asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Is it a being that the Penteract transformed into? No, if the artifact had intelligence, it wouldn’t have reacted until now-”

=That’s not it. This artifact merely transformed into an altar for a moment to summon me.

The ‘something’ that skillfully rubbed its hands smiled.

=You have a very interesting object. Thanks to it, I was able to seize this opportunity to talk to you.

“……”

A monster that had only revealed one crimson hand, and was talking with its eyes and mouth, was on the altar.

It was absurd that it had appeared through the Penteract, but it was a being with a strange aura that made that fact pale in comparison.

The aura itself was somewhat familiar, but it was something so unfamiliar that even Lenok couldn’t guess its lineage or origin.

=Let’s make a deal.

The starfish raised its finger.

=There’s a long-lived species I know nearby. That person could get you into the Outer City.

“……”

=I’ll guide you to that person. How about it?

“You suddenly appeared and are spouting suspicious words.”

Lenok narrowed his eyes.

“What do you want?”

=I understand. You may be seeing me for the first time, but I’m not seeing you for the first time.

The monster said with a smile.

=But this is the first time my contractors have died in such large numbers in such a short period, so I had no choice but to find out.

“…Contract?”

Contractors who had died in large numbers in a short period. Someone who was deeply intertwined with Lenok.

The moment that thought reached him, Lenok realized who the other party was and hardened his expression.

The ominous and disgusting feeling that he had felt from the altar was a strong presence.

It was only now that he understood that it was like condensing the monsters he had faced on the Western Front tens of thousands of times.

[Could it be…]

Oliviera also seemed to have sensed the identity with just that one word, and frowned her mana eyes.

Lenok, looking at the altar with a dumbfounded expression, muttered,

“The mastermind who corrupted the Hedro military was here in person?”

The owner of the forbidden ritual that had transformed the entire Hedro military into monsters.

The moment he realized that the other party was the mastermind behind the corruption of the entire Hedro military, and the head itself.

The crimson monster gracefully extended its hand towards Lenok.

=I’m interested in your incredibly outstanding killing skills. Would you like to start a business with me?