Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 1063

Kwarururuk…!!

The dragon palace in the deep sea churned with violent currents.

Two figures faced each other across a Go board in the middle of the vast audience chamber.

The gill-bearing fish-men, who had been kneeling throughout the dragon palace, stared intently, their expressions hardened. They, too, must understand the significance of the game about to unfold.

“So, you know how to play Ohbaekro as well.”

Whoosh!

The Eight Great Dragon King, Alogon, who had landed on the opposite side of the Go board, looked down at Lenok and sneered. “Well, if you’re a sorcerer who has transcended the hierarchy, there’s no way you wouldn’t know about this game created by Jintun.”

“……”

“But you, too, have never bet on a game with the short lifespan of a short-lived species. Yet, you act like a fearless child.”

=Excuse me for interrupting, but are you sure about this?=

A starfish, swimming through the water, landed on Lenok’s shoulder and asked. =I did ask about other methods first, but Ohbaekro is not an ordinary Go game.=

The starfish said, sounding worried. =I’ve heard that among the long-lived species of Kundara, there are many who are frighteningly engrossed in this game. If you’re not at a certain level, you might not even be able to put up a fight.=

“Didn’t you say that Ohbaekro was the only exception, given that all paths to the Outer City are blocked?” Lenok retorted with a calm expression. “If that Pohyeol Gong [a powerful figure or position] has such a position in Kundara, there’s no other choice.”

=……=

“Judging by your tone, you seem quite confident,” Alogon grinned fiercely. “Good. If you’re ready, let’s start right away.”

Clatter!

Alogon, standing in front of the Go board, grabbed a white stone and threw a black stone at Lenok. The black stone, thrown in the turbulent water, slowly floated in front of Lenok’s eyes.

Alogon, holding a white stone and beckoning Lenok with his hand, said boastfully, “I will personally teach you about the game of the long-lived species, where you bet your limited time.”

“I don’t mind, but I’d like to hear a little more about the rules of the game,” Lenok said, catching the black stone swimming in the water. “Betting life spans on the outcome of Ohbaekro. Exactly how should we proceed?”

The Ohbaekro match that Alogon, the Eight Great Dragon King who protects the seas of Kundara, had proposed. But the stakes for that game were the life spans of each other.

As Alogon said, is ‘lifespan’ itself used as currency in the Outer City of Kundara? A concept befitting the long-lived species, who live for an immeasurable amount of time and consider even their own lifespan as part of their wealth.

But the reason Lenok stopped fighting and accepted Alogon’s proposal was precisely because of that. For Lenok, it was necessary to hear an explanation of how exactly this bet was to be exchanged.

“I will explain.”

Kuururung!!

At the same time as Alogon raised his hand, the surrounding water compressed in his hand and turned into a blue sphere. The form of a bead, emitting a beautiful glow like a blue sapphire.

“What is that?”

“It’s called a Ruyi Pearl [a wish-fulfilling pearl]. It’s a type of treasure bead used by long-lived species to complete their hierarchy,” Alogon, who threw the blue bead called the Ruyi Pearl at Lenok, said. “The owner of this can contain any power the owner possesses in its complete form. Magic, will, mental image…”

Alogon’s gaze towards Lenok turned cold. “Even the life force granted to you. Anything is possible.”

“……”

“Before playing Ohbaekro, decide on the lifespan to bet and put it into the Ruyi Pearl. When the outcome of the game is decided, one side will take all the stakes.”

“If you’re a level 8 great sorcerer who has built the deep sea domain, a human’s lifespan wouldn’t even be a handful,” Lenok asked with a smile. “Is it unlike a long-lived species to covet even the short time of a human?”

“How could that be, you mayfly-like creature,” Alogon’s mouth tore open like a beast. His pupils narrowed vertically like a reptile’s for a moment, emitting a chilling murderous intent. “The charm of a bet is to make the opponent wager what is most valuable to them.”

“……”

“The most valuable concept to a short-lived species. The moment when their lifespan is taken away is the most fitting appearance for you mayflies. There is no other value in your lifespans.”

Was this the reason why they used lifespans, which are usually bet among long-lived species, as the stakes for Ohbaekro?

But Lenok ignored Alogon’s menacing threats and examined the Ruyi Pearl in his hand. ‘The Ruyi Pearl itself has no power. It’s just a treasure bead made to contain something inside it.’

Lenok had guessed from the moment Alogon readily created the Ruyi Pearl, but there was nothing inside Lenok’s Ruyi Pearl. It only shone like a transparent glass bead, slightly reflecting Lenok’s face.

There is nothing inside the Ruyi Pearl, and it has no power of its own. But that is why it is a treasure bead that can contain anything as a concept. What to put inside and build up is entirely up to the owner. Depending on what is contained, it could become a powerful treasure or a very miraculous elixir.

‘It can be seen as an item that refines the inner core of spiritual creatures into a more refined form.’

“There’s no need to save each other’s time from the start,” Alogon said, folding his arms. “Ten years of lifespan. Extract it from your body and infuse it into the Ruyi Pearl.”

“Ten years?”

“Hold the Ruyi Pearl and directly infuse your life force into it,” Alogon grinned fiercely. “You can tell just by looking at the cold energy in the Ruyi Pearl, so don’t even think about doing anything foolish. Start.”

“……”

Instead of answering, Lenok quietly looked down at the Ruyi Pearl in his hand. ‘Ten years, huh.’

For Lenok, who bears the penalty of [Beauty’s Early Demise], how much time is left? Is it even possible to measure and quantify it into a clear number?

If Lenok has less than 10 years left, will Lenok die after pouring all his life force into this Ruyi Pearl? The dragon king in front of him might even be greatly pleased and enjoy Lenok’s death.

‘I have no choice but to check my condition while infusing life force little by little.’ Since it is impossible to quantify the remaining time, it is impossible to estimate how much life force Lenok can pour into the Ruyi Pearl. First, he has no choice but to experiment to see if his life force is actually contained within the Ruyi Pearl.

At that moment, as Lenok closed his eyes and focused his mind on the Ruyi Pearl.

‘……Wait.’

Rustle…!!

The leaf of the World Tree hanging around his neck slowly began to stir. From the leaf of the World Tree, made into a pendant, a massive amount of life force flowed out instantaneously and poured into the Ruyi Pearl.

Faaaat!!

At that moment, a clear green energy rapidly filled the Ruyi Pearl, which had been glowing blue, and began to rotate.

“……!!”

“Ho, you’ve already filled the Ruyi Pearl with that much life force,” Lenok was startled with a hardened expression, and Alogon’s eyes lit up with interest. “Even if you’re a short-lived species, you’re a great sorcerer who has reached level 8. You seem to have a considerable lifespan, unlike a human.”

“……”

“It’s even better. I’ll be able to enjoy your reactions for a longer time while enjoying the game,” Alogon seemed to be mistaken that Lenok had filled the Ruyi Pearl with his own life force, but Lenok couldn’t even react to that fact. He had never even imagined that the leaf of the World Tree would fill the Ruyi Pearl on his behalf at this point.

‘Although it has the same form of life force, I didn’t know it could be used in this way.’ The life force contained in the leaf of the World Tree is not a concept that can be converted into a human lifespan in the first place. If that were possible, Lenok would have tried to increase his lifespan by taking the leaf of the World Tree long ago. That’s why Lenok was satisfied with using it to boost his vitality or enhance his condition.

But if he used the medium of the Ruyi Pearl, it was possible to use the life force of the leaf of the World Tree as a substitute for lifespan. That’s probably because the life force that fills the Ruyi Pearl doesn’t really care whose it is.

Lenok, who had been staring at the Ruyi Pearl with a hardened expression, slowly placed it on the shelf next to the Go board. In any case, as a result, he succeeded in securing the stakes without gambling with Lenok’s lifespan. All that remains is to compete in Ohbaekro with the Eight Great Dragon King who rules this deep sea domain and determine the outcome.

“From now on, I will gradually take away your time and watch your face,” Alogon looked at Lenok and smiled with a ferocious face. “After your remaining lifespan runs out and I see you begging for your life, I think I’ll be able to relieve this boredom-”

“You seem to be mistaken.”

Thud!!

At that moment, Lenok placed a black stone on the Go board without hesitation. In the instant that Alogon frowned at the sudden start of the game, Lenok opened his mouth. “That’s something you can say after you’ve won against me even once in this game.”

“……”

The game of the long-lived species, where they bet their lifespans to compete. But from the moment Lenok sat down at the Go board according to Alogon’s proposal, he had no intention of losing even a single game.

“Let’s begin,” Lenok nodded, looking at Alogon holding the white stone. “I’ll teach you that just because you’ve played this game for a long time doesn’t mean you’re good at it.”

***

Thud!!

Every time black and white stones alternated on the Go board, the water rippled and created whirlpools. At the same time as the opponent placed a stone, the other side would grab a stone and respond. A match progressing at such a fast pace that it was doubtful whether there was even time to think.

“From B04 to B24, reverse diagonal.”

“From W42 to W42, vertical flat sky.”

The two attendants standing next to the Go board only recited the coordinates on behalf of Lenok and Alogon in tense voices.

“You said that playing Ohbaekro for a long time has nothing to do with skill?” Thud! Alogon, who slammed the white stone onto the Go board, asked. “That’s just a pathetic idea of a short-lived species that can’t even focus on one thing for a few decades.”

“……”

“The other side of the veil is a spacetime that flows along a completely different timeline from the outside of the veil,” Alogon hissed. “Here, you can forget the flow of time and immerse yourself in the game as long as your lifespan allows.”

The moment he removed his hand from the Go board, one corner of the Go board was covered in white by Alogon’s white stones. Alogon’s skill, which had already made one side of the board his territory while continuing the match with Lenok, was impressive.

Looking down at Lenok, Alogon declared, “You still haven’t realized that this place is not an ideal place for short-lived species like you to set foot in.”

“Shut up,” Lenok retorted. “Does a long-lived species not move their hands unless they’re talking?”

“Ha!! What nonsense are you spouting in a match of this level-” Ignoring Alogon, who was shouting in front of the Go board, Lenok focused on reading the match.

‘He’s definitely different from the opponents I’ve played against so far.’ Alogon doesn’t calculate each move like the opponents Lenok has played Ohbaekro against so far, or like an AI. He simply moves the stones as he pleases, ignoring losses and damages. But even though Lenok has never been pushed back in individual situations, the match was gradually heading towards Alogon’s advantage.

The moves Lenok made were being swallowed up by the huge flow that Alogon had created using white stones, gradually encroaching on the Go board.

‘He’s strong even though he draws a picture that is incomprehensibly slow and immeasurably large. This is…’

Lenok’s eyes narrowed for a moment. ‘He mixed in the mysteries of water manipulation. He literally made the enlightenment of his own technique into the style of Ohbaekro.’

Ohbaekro, created by the Ascendant Jintun, Zygis Ithernoer, is a board game created for the purpose of learning spell formations. The complex arrangement of black and white stones moving on the Go board, the diverse environment that changes the arrangement in real time. Concentrating on the points where black and white stones collide, while also paying attention to the overall balance of the board. It is an indicator that can meaningfully judge a sorcerer’s spell proficiency and aptitude in the most diverse forms.

The meaning of the saying that the better a sorcerer is, the better they are at Ohbaekro, is that they can freely express the individuality of their spells on the Go board. A domineering tendency to unilaterally attack and defend without paying attention to the opponent. Macroscopically, the culmination of water manipulation, which occupies the entire board and pushes forward with overwhelming force to achieve victory. Lenok was now directly facing the essence of the water manipulation that Alogon was showing.

“The Ascendant Jintun created Ohbaekro to spread his barrier techniques more widely,” Alogon also smiled, as if he had sensed something from Lenok’s reaction. “But as the value of this game was highlighted in the center, Ohbaekro was sublimated into a means of judging a sorcerer’s spell proficiency and aptitude.”

“……”

“In a match between high-level sorcerers, what’s important is not to dwell on each stone, but to focus on the essence of Ohbaekro itself,” Alogon said, placing a white stone without hesitation. “Because it is a game where the mysteries of spells can be unfolded on the Go board, competing in the essence of each other’s spells is the closest path to victory.”

Alogon said, looking at Lenok with piercing eyes. “A sorcerer who hasn’t played many matches with great sorcerers wouldn’t have known this fact.”

“……”

“This is the greatness of time that short-lived species can’t even feel.”

By now, the Go board was densely covered with Alogon’s white stones, taking the form of devouring black stones. It was a situation where the outcome was about to be decided at a glance. Because the two people’s match progressed so quickly, the result came out just as quickly.

“Clear the stones and clean up the Go board,” Alogon sneered, looking at Lenok, who had closed his mouth. “That is the role that the loser must take in this game.”

“Loser?” The moment Lenok retorted and placed a black stone, the white stones that Alogon had occupied flipped over and reversed. As a result, some of the white stones that Alogon had built turned into black stones, but it was not enough to reverse the tilted game.

Alogon, who had been looking at the Go board with a snort, suddenly froze. “……!!!”

There is no place to put a stone. With just one move that Lenok had just made, the stones of each other were blocking each other, and neither side was scoring. If this continues, they will have to stop the match and forcibly start counting the scores. It was impossible unless Lenok himself stopped the match and induced the counting with this one move.

Only then did Alogon realize that fact, and he glared at Lenok with a chilling expression. “……You.”

“Your water manipulation is smooth and solid in the big picture, but in the end, you tend to neglect the detailed manipulations themselves,” Lenok folded his arms next to the attendant who had belatedly started counting the scores. “It’s easy to be overwhelmed because you use a large amount of force, but if you poke at those subtle gaps, you can get something in return.”

“……”

Lenok smiled, looking at Alogon, who was glaring at him. “That’s why it took me a little time to grasp the knack of water manipulation.”

The attendant standing next to Lenok finished counting the scores on the Go board and said in a trembling voice, “B, by half a point, black wins…!!”

“……”

Did he endure being pushed back in the big picture, and then forcibly end the match at the moment when he narrowly gained an advantage by collecting points in the detailed situations?

Goooo!!!

At the same time as Lenok’s victory was confirmed, the will that erupted from Alogon’s body explosively pushed away the surroundings. As the stones on the Go board were swept away by the pressure, Lenok slowly raised his hand.

Kiiing…!!!

At the same time as the sharp noise of magic rotating, the white and black stones that had been pushed away in the water stopped in their place. The moment he understood that it was the knack of water manipulation that Alogon himself used, manipulating the currents to stop the falling stones.

Alogon’s face, who had realized how Lenok had won this match, twisted fiercely like a beast. “How dare a short-lived species touch water manipulation…!!!!”

Lenok smiled, pointing to the Ruyi Pearl on the shelf. “If you add the 10 years of lifespan you’re going to put out, there will be a total of 20 years of lifespan accumulated in this Ruyi Pearl.”

“……”

“What are you doing? Let’s continue,” Lenok gave a cold smile, looking at the silent Alogon. “Shall we see how many matches it will take to turn a long-lived species into a short-lived one?”