Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 1078

Kundara (12)

The Poisonous Mountain, Nibecks, was home to a long-lived species that had existed since before the Outer Calamity City was built.

A dense, lush jungle with thick undergrowth.

Plants and trees were intertwined, leaving no room to step, and leaves larger than a person obscured the view.

Amidst the sounds of blue, poisonous frogs croaking, and unfamiliar purple trees and vines, Lenok walked alone through the jungle, a worn notebook in one hand.

She, a long-lived species called the Sitting Viper, was literally a viper that didn’t move from her spot for decades.

Blood-stained words were rapidly inscribed onto the pages of the Blood Letter.

Information was being relayed to Lenok by the Blood Shadow Palace’s Blood Letter Spirit, using the Blood Letter.

She had temporarily taken over the operation of the Blood Letter, a search device, judging that she could better utilize its performance.

Born with poison, she became a great sorcerer who, after transcending her rank, turned herself into a deadly poison.

“……”

The Poisonous Forest where she resided was, as the name suggested, a jungle where the entire forest was imbued with poison, the result of her transforming the forest into a toxic zone over a long period.

Reading the words that appeared on the page, he reached out towards a leaf hanging above his head.

The moment Lenok touched the seemingly unremarkable purple leaf,

The shield that had been deployed on his skin began to peel away, accompanied by a pungent smoke.

Chiiik…!!

A bizarre sight of the shield magic, which had been cast, melting away just by touching the leaf.

Lenok, who had been silently watching the scene, lightly waved his hand to disperse the rising smoke and said,

“It feels like it’s forcibly severing and collapsing the connections between magic particles. Is this the power of the poison Nibecks uses?”

The poison Nibecks uses is not just one type. She uses various poisons that paralyze nerves, stop metabolism, and even interfere with the operation of thoughts.

The Blood Letter Spirit immediately replied through the Blood Letter.

It’s impossible to know how much poison she has accumulated, having lived since before Kundara was created. Don’t expect any analysis on that part.

“Hmm, then it seems like it’s not more helpful than just the Blood Letter….”

What?

Ignoring the Blood Letter Spirit’s sharp reply, Lenok fell into thought.

It was clear that a sorcerer who handled poison was a threat to Lenok.

If the opponent directly manipulated magic or spells, it was natural for Lenok to have some kind of advantage in terms of compatibility.

But what if it was a poison that could poison Lenok’s relatively vulnerable body, rather than his magical talent?

‘There’s a high possibility that my body won’t be able to withstand it right after being poisoned.’

There are detoxification spells in common magic, but they can’t detoxify all poisons.

In WORLD 2.0, high-grade poisons often ignored detoxification magic.

It might be better to trust the elixirs and antidotes Lenok had collected from various parts of the continent.

‘I did manage to get a lot of useful medicines and herbs from the Life Domain of the Surgeon, but….’

He had raided the domain of the excellent doctor, the Surgeon, and swept up useful medicines, but it was unknown whether they could detoxify level 8 poison.

If possible, he wanted to test it directly, but considering Lenok’s physical condition, even this attempt would be life-threatening.

No matter how much Lenok didn’t mind trial and error, this was too reckless.

For now, he had no choice but to avoid being poisoned and prepare to administer the antidote immediately in case of an emergency.

The poison Nibecks uses is dangerous, but what you need to be more wary of is the means of poisoning.

As if reading Lenok’s mind, the Blood Letter Spirit sent another message.

She is said to have various ways of poisoning her opponents, not just through ingestion or contact, but through unexpected means.

“If you’re going to say that, shouldn’t you give me a specific example?”

Well, I haven’t seen it myself, so I can’t say for sure, but….

The message left by the Blood Letter Spirit trailed off as if hesitating.

I heard that she has the ability to poison her opponents just by looking at them.

“……That’s hard to believe. Does visual poison actually exist?”

So don’t give Nibecks any room to use her spells. If you get poisoned in any way, you’ll lose the initiative and be dragged around.

“It’s easy to say, but I don’t know if it’s possible not to give her any room in this jungle.”

Every time he moved, his clothes brushed against the surrounding bushes and leaves, and small insects fell off.

The suffocatingly hot air pierced his lungs and made his throat tingle.

Leaves and insects fell onto his coat, and Davi was so terrified that he trembled in his arms.

[Uweeet. Uaaah!]

“I’ll try my best to protect my body, but if the entire jungle is poisonous, it would be faster to just burn this whole forest down.”

Lenok shrugged and raised his hand.

“But I still have to do what I have to do.”

Kiiing!!

The moment he stretched his index and middle fingers forward and swung them sideways, the cutting magic was activated by Lenok’s will.

[Blade]

Swish!!

The huge leaves hanging in front of Lenok were cut down, clearing a path.

I see. You’re going to cut down all the bushes and leaves to eliminate any chance of contact?

The Blood Letter Spirit, realizing what Lenok had done a beat late, was impressed.

Good choice. I should have prepared something like that from the beginning.

“It’s not necessary.”

Lenok said as he began to move.

“No matter what equipment you bring, it won’t be as good as me doing it myself.”

At the same time, dozens of cutting spells were activated simultaneously around Lenok.

Everything within a radius of 15 meters began to be ground up like a mixer.

Whirrrrr…!!!

Invisible slashes were fired, rotating dozens of times in an instant.

They cut the branches and leaves hanging above his head, and the roots and vines hanging below his feet.

The cut leaves and wood fragments scattered wildly, but they were pushed away without touching Lenok.

Lenok was creating a path by unleashing cutting magic to create a storm of slashes, grinding up the dense jungle.

Kagagagagak!!!

……What are you doing? You’re colliding cutting magic to increase the range and speed?

The Blood Letter Spirit left a message as if dumbfounded by the bizarre, straightforward method.

It would be difficult to even attempt it without adjusting the angle and magic efficiency in advance, but you’re strangely good at handling slashes. Isn’t pure spell-based magic your specialty?

“I met a Surgeon who used slashes on the way to Kundara.”

Lenok replied.

“He was a nasty piece of trash, but his spell application skills were considerable, so I remembered the trick.”

…….

He casts a cutting spell, specifies the direction and angle, inputs the firing speed, and then fires it.

Just before reaching the maximum range, he collides it with another pre-cast cutting spell to change its direction, and increases its power with the recoil.

The slashes that collided and changed direction rotated around Lenok, grinding up the jungle and disappearing.

Since it was a simple principle of setting the angle and direction, the calculation of recoil and direction was not difficult even after colliding the magic.

Using Lenok’s magic manipulation and Davi’s calculation power, he could collide up to 50 [Blade] spells simultaneously and calculate their direction.

Kagagagagak!!!!

Cracked eggshells, blue poisonous frogs, and bright yellow flying insects were all ground up.

Everywhere Lenok passed, the oozing and bursting poison spread out as a pungent toxic fog.

“The principle is simple, but that’s why its output is stronger than spells of the same level. It’s clear that magic that handles slashes can be useful if used properly.”

It wasn’t a unique magic or spell, but a common magic, [Blade], that he was wielding by mixing in the tricks used by the Surgeon, and it had this much power.

It was limited in the battles it could be used in because it was simple, but it was a magic that showed clear effectiveness in certain situations.

“I think it’s about time to open the way.”

Lenok, who had swept through an area of several hundred meters in an instant and ground up the jungle, said leisurely.

“You’re not still going to pretend you haven’t noticed my visit, are you?”

It had been 34 minutes since he entered Nibecks’ Poisonous Forest and started walking aimlessly.

However, Lenok knew that he was not lost, but that the path had not been opened in the first place.

With Lenok’s magic detection and memory, there was no way he would lose his way, get confused, or forget a path he had already taken.

The result of the owner of this jungle intentionally twisting the path and distorting the direction to prevent him from reaching his destination.

Knowing this, Lenok had started using force after about 30 minutes of walking.

If he had wandered this much in the Poisonous Forest, he had done his minimum courtesy as a visitor.

From now on, he just had to grind up the jungle as he saw it and advance until the desired scenery appeared.

The moment Lenok thought that and tried to draw up his magic to increase the number of cutting spells.

Thud thud…!!

With the sound of tree roots breaking from all directions, a path began to open in front of Lenok.

A white palace with sparse holes, hidden among the dense bushes and vines.

A place that glowed roundly, as if carved from animal ivory, yet possessed a pure light.

Found it. She finally opened the door.

The Blood Letter Spirit’s message appeared on the Blood Letter.

Nibecks’ snake nest. The Serpent Hole Palace.

“……”

In this jungle, which was dyed in bizarre colors, only that palace was clean and neat, as if it had not been tainted by any impurity.

But that ivory-colored place was the snake’s nest, which contained the most venomous and vile poison in this jungle.

Shuung…!!

Lenok, who had canceled the cutting magic that had been rotating around him, slowly approached the door of the Serpent Hole Palace.

The palace’s main gate, which was firmly closed, shone with a faint milky color, without a single speck of dust.

Slam!

The moment Lenok approached it, the door opened naturally, revealing the space inside.

* * *

A long corridor, like the outside, made of carved white ivory.

Swish, swish, swish…!!!

As he walked along the corridor, a rustling noise echoed around him.

Small snakes with white scales were wriggling and crawling around under his feet.

They seemed to have no intelligence, and were busy licking the floor, flicking their tongues in place.

Were the snakes gathered here poisonous snakes, and the same species as Nibecks?

As Lenok thought that, he passed through the arched door at the end of the corridor and walked out into an open hall.

“You’ve come.”

A huge white snake, large enough to fill the wide hall of the Serpent Hole Palace, was coiled up and looking down at Lenok.

Kooong!!

The moment Lenok’s figure was reflected in the snake’s huge pupils, his shoulders felt heavy and his body felt sluggish.

Just by emitting her thoughts, the surrounding air became stuffy and thick, and a sense of discomfort arose as if it was turning into a harmful substance.

One of the Eight Calamity Elders who led the Outer Calamity City, Kundara.

A viper who had lived since before the city was built, and a poison sorcerer who had transcended her rank.

The Poisonous Mountain, Nibecks Orosia.

“It seems like your body has grown several times larger than when I saw you last time.”

Lenok asked as he took out a cigarette from his pocket.

“And the aura I feel. Were you deliberately hiding your presence?”

“Are you talking about my child who met you in the Fifth Calamity Manor?”

Nibecks laughed.

“That child is already dead. She would have understood her mother’s intentions when she was sent to the Fifth Calamity, so she would have committed suicide by biting her own poison gland somewhere by now.”

“……”

He didn’t feel any special presence from the snake he met last time, so it wasn’t her in the first place.

Well, otherwise, it would be difficult to accept the fact that such a huge snake existed.

“There was another being who was born as a snake and reached a transcendent rank.”

Lenok said, as if he had suddenly remembered, as he stared up at Nibecks’ huge body.

“Although the size is different, it looks quite similar to the Ascended One, Pyeonram. Are you perhaps related to her?”

Kwaaang!!

In an instant, the white snake’s tail slammed down like a harpoon right next to Lenok.

An ultrasonic strike that was invisible to the eye. Just by lightly shaking her tail, the floor of the Serpent Hole Palace was pierced and violently shook.

Only the stiff white scales that had been slammed down next to Lenok could give a hint of Nibecks’ mood.

“Be careful with your words, human.”

“……”

“Pyeonram is not a long-lived species, but became a transcendent being in the body of a lowly spirit beast. She is fundamentally different from me.”

Nibecks said, flicking her tongue as if displeased.

“I respect her achievement as a sorcerer, but that comparison is very rude. If you weren’t Oliviera’s acquaintance, I would have torn you to pieces on the spot.”

“I don’t understand why it matters that Pyeonram isn’t a long-lived species.”

Lenok tilted his head.

“Rather, isn’t it much more impressive if she was born as a lowly beast and became an Ascended One?”

“……More than that, I want to hear why the task I entrusted to you has turned out like this.”

While Lenok was lost in thought, Nibecks’ white pupils flashed.

She didn’t show her emotions much, but it was clear that she wasn’t in a comfortable situation.

“I clearly promised you that you would obtain the elixir of ascension when I recommended you to the Five Hundred Paths Tournament.”

“……”

“But instead of winning the tournament, you contacted the Silver Star and then disappeared.”

Nibecks said.

“Thanks to you, I’ve become a laughingstock for proposing the plan. How do you plan to take responsibility for this?”

“Responsibility?”

Lenok chuckled.

“When you first mentioned the elixir of ascension, didn’t you say that you came at Oliviera’s request?”

“……”

“You told me not to feel burdened, saying that participating in the Five Hundred Paths Tournament was an old man’s request, and now you’re asking me to take responsibility?”

“Isn’t it only natural that I would be your backer since I used my authority to push you into Maleon’s tournament?”

Nibecks’ eyes flashed.

“Knowing that, instead of participating in the tournament until the end and winning, you gave up halfway and tarnished my name.”

“……”

“Moreover, my intentions were exposed to Maleon before you even obtained the elixir. You have dared to give me an indelible disgrace.”

“You’re talking as if the elixir of ascension had to be in your hands.”

Lenok crossed his arms and shook his head.

“So, helping me enter the Ninth Calamity was just an excuse, and your real purpose was to secure the elixir of ascension that Maleon had?”

“It’s not the Silver Star’s. Human.”

Nibecks hissed lowly and flicked her tongue.

“It is an elixir that I made. It is the key to ascension made by melting my True Blood.”

“……”

“What is wrong with me taking back the Ascended One’s husk that was taken away under the pretext that the Silver Star was dangerous?”

Kugugugu…!!

Every time Nibecks spat out a word, the sanctuary of the Serpent Hole Palace began to shake heavily.

Around the spot where the huge white snake was coiled, the ivory-colored floor was dyed purple and emitted a strange smell.

“You made a mockery of my proposal and openly sided with the Silver Star, making a fool of me.”

Nibecks slowly rose from her seat and said as if spitting out the words.

“I must hold you accountable for that and resolve this anger here.”

“So, you want to vent your anger on me because you couldn’t take it out on Maleon.”

Lenok shook his head.

“That’s probably because even a long-lived species like you can’t openly defy Maleon.”

“……”

“The more I listen, the more it seems like I made the right choice by rejecting your proposal and joining hands with Maleon.”

“Keep talking until you become a handful of poison.”

Nibecks said as she slowly raised her tail.

At the sharp end of the snake’s tail, purple poison dripped down like a bruise.

“It was your mistake to come alone to my Poisonous Forest. Here, I can punish you without being noticed by the Silver Star.”

“I see.”

“The elixir of ascension that you gave up for a ridiculous reason. I will hold you accountable for that here-!!!”

“The elixir of ascension, are you perhaps talking about this?”

The moment Lenok took out a small purple vial from his pocket,

Nibecks changed the direction of her tail, which was about to slam down on Lenok’s head.

Squeak!!!

With the sound of the air distorting, she forcibly pulled her tail back to stop it.

The tail, unable to withstand the force, slammed into Nibecks’ own side.

Thud!!

Although the tail, full of poison, was embedded in her body, Nibecks couldn’t even pay attention to that fact.

The snake, staring at Lenok with a dumbfounded expression, stammered.

“……You, the elixir. How.”

“It’s true that I talked to Maleon, but I didn’t say a word that I couldn’t bring the elixir of ascension.”

Lenok replied.

“It was you who arbitrarily concluded that the plan had failed and tried to kill me.”

“……That.”

“Before discussing that fact, I think there’s something you need to say to me first.”

Lenok, shaking the elixir of ascension in front of the speechless Nibecks, asked.

“Don’t you think you need to give me proper compensation for all the nonsense you’ve been spouting at me so far?”