Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 113

He shouted that, then tore apart the terrified members of the 3rd squad, and his body bounced again, disappearing into the desert below. It was absurdly anticlimactic for a traitor’s end, but there wasn’t even time to feel any satisfaction at the sight. Lennox moved the sand beneath his feet incessantly, put his hand on his earpiece, and spoke. “Hina. There was no mention that the base commander named Daron was such a crazy machine. If he’s a figure who can affect the operation to this extent, shouldn’t he have been briefed beforehand?” His innate cruelty. His physical strength. Even putting aside the mention of the steel chunks added to his whole body, it didn’t make sense that there was no mention of that tail. It had tremendous power, enough to blow Dave’s head off in one go, but more important than that was the tremendous mobility that gave him fish-like movements even on this sand dune. He was, without a doubt, the most important factor to be concerned about in this operation. […As far as we’ve identified, such equipment didn’t exist until just before he left the base.] Lennox, who immediately grasped the meaning of those words, let out a hollow laugh. “He received and equipped new modified equipment at the same time as receiving supplies?” [That’s the only possibility we can infer from the current situation.] “If we had bad luck, it had to be now…” “Is additional support possible?” Chen, who was running right next to him, asked. With the 3rd squad suffering near-total annihilation, the distinction between formations no longer held much meaning. The 1st and 2nd squads were mixed together, just busy running around and avoiding Daron’s pursuit. [There are only three of our drivers within 10km.] “Damn it.” Chen muttered a curse under his breath, but Lennox understood, knowing that Ivelin had already been disciplined for a similar incident. It wasn’t like this was the first time an operation or plan hadn’t gone as intended. They had aimed for the moment when the strongest member of the enemy was absent, but the fact that he came equipped with the most suitable equipment for a chase was not an easily predictable misfortune. While they were agonizing, Daron’s pursuit was gradually eating away at their strength. “Kuaaaaak!!” “Kuh…!!” One member of the 1st squad collapsed with his chest pierced, and the expressionless giant who belonged to the 2nd squad was already bleeding profusely without his left forearm. The other team members were also covered in wounds from Daron, having tried to protect their legs. Dududududu!! The machine gun that fired wildly every time he popped out of the sand was also a considerable pressure. The hot air made it hard to breathe. Even for superhumans with magic power, it was a harsh environment that could quickly deplete their stamina. The only ones who could afford to think were Chen and Lennox. The two, who made eye contact almost simultaneously, nodded. “I’ll give up half of my success fee. So—” “You want me to buy time?” “That’s not enough. If I had to say it…” “We need to smash that tail.” They hadn’t seen its shape properly, but the core of that absurd mobility in this desert was the metal tail fin that was 2m long. Considering the sand fountains that erupted every time it swam through the desert, even if they couldn’t guess the exact principle, it must have a function that explosively propelled that huge body forward. Ssaeak!! Chen, who had pulled out two daggers from his waist, muttered. “I’ll kill that camel and break through the encirclement. Let’s split our forces in half.” “We have to finish this before the truck’s location is exposed.” “Of course.” Their thought speeds were similar, and they shared the same direction of thought, so their words didn’t continue to the end. The two, who had quickly exchanged deals and compromises, changed the direction of their steps almost simultaneously. The sand that had been constantly carrying Lennox stopped abruptly at some point, and turned in the opposite direction. The other members of the 2nd squad, who had been listening carefully to Chen and Lennox’s conversation, and some of the 1st and 3rd squad members who were injured and had lost their mobility, stopped walking together. “Can we hold out…?” A young man with fire ability said in a trembling voice. “We’ve just made the best choice in the current situation.” The giant, clutching his left forearm that was bleeding profusely, said. In a situation where it wouldn’t be strange to pass out from excessive bleeding if they ran any further. Those who were similarly injured would only be hastening their deaths by running any further anyway. While Lennox was holding off Daron, they had no choice but to wait for Chen to drive the truck over here. “………” The woman, who had been expressionless throughout the operation, was also showing a slight tremor in her expression this time. “I think it would have been better to just die and follow Chen…” “Doesn’t this smell strongly of betrayal?” The other freelancers were laughing it off as a joke, but their gazes were uneasy. However, Lennox snorted and suppressed that unease. “If I was just going to be satisfied with buying time, I wouldn’t have accepted the offer.” “Th-then?” Click! After checking the number of rounds in his revolver and shotgun, Lennox replied as he tucked them into his waist. “I’m going to kill him.” After finishing their work at the temporary base, they had chosen to flee because they didn’t know how strong the force that had left the base was, but now that they had confirmed Daron’s appearance and the force that had been chasing them, it was different. Now that he had confirmed through magic detection that there were no more enemy soldiers within a 3km radius, conversely, if they eliminated only the enemy chasing them now, it was the same as saying that there were no more obstacles. “………” The freelancers quietly closed their mouths at Lennox’s indifferent words, but no one was foolish enough to complain about how difficult it was here. “Do you have any ammo left?” “My arm is injured, but I have no problem running. I can at least draw their attention while half of us use magic.” “If I use my fire ability to create a heat haze, I can gradually blur their vision. Let’s think of a plan that can use this.” Regardless of whether they were lightly or seriously injured, they were just checking their weapons and hoping to be of help in the upcoming battle. No one in this place wanted to simply remain as baggage. Lennox watched them, but didn’t bother to stop them. Considering the combat power that Daron had shown, it wouldn’t be of much help, but if they were that cooperative, at least they wouldn’t be a hindrance during the battle. He brushed off the sand-covered coat and fell into thought. ‘Is my remaining magic power about half?’ The sand of the desert reacted well to his magic, so he had been able to escape without losing his mobility, but even so, it was unavoidable that a considerable amount of magic power was consumed. He took out a cigarette, Feather Fall, from his pocket and lit it. At the same time, he focused his magic power and raised a sand barrier in front of him. Kwaaaang!!! A loud noise was heard as the barrier distorted greatly and Daron, who had flown in from the other side, crashed into it. Feeling the strong wind shaking his hair, he took a deep drag of his cigarette. Along with an awkward sensation as if his body was floating, he felt his feet become lighter overall. If he had been temporarily drawing out a level of physical ability comparable to that of an ordinary person through cigarettes, this time he definitely felt a different kind of vitality than before. Of course, the side effects that came with it would be Lennox’s sole responsibility. In the meantime, the sand barrier that Lennox had erected collapsed, and Daron’s hideous face was revealed beyond it. “Hey, sand mage.” “………” Looking at it up close, his face was a sight to behold. He had replaced his uneven teeth with sharp metal teeth, and his jaw was completely covered with an iron plate, making his lower jaw elongated. One eye was glowing strangely with a bright red artificial eyeball, and even the nerve fiber bundles hanging from his strangely braided hair. ‘He’s already far beyond the level of a human.’ Is that why he can breathe and move normally in the sand of the desert with that face? It would be more appropriate to call him a robot. “You were the one who covered my base with that damn sand pile.” Daron said with a smirk. “Good. If I take your head and spine as they are, the boss will turn a blind eye—!!” Kkigigigik!! Daron’s left hand, which had created a strong wind pressure by swinging his tail greatly, began to rotate the machine gun noisily, and at the same time, it spat fire. Tutututututu!!! In response, Lennox simply raised the sand beneath his feet and slid his body sideways. Ssaeak!! Normally, such rapid movements would put a strain on his body to the point of hindering combat, but it was different now that his body felt light due to the effects of the drug. If he could change his position like this, even if it was a somewhat rough method, the options Lennox could take would increase endlessly. Click…!! Along with his thoughts, he released the shrinking magic from his waist and pulled out the shotgun. At the same time, he stacked three types of shooting assist magic. [Stacked Shot] [Recoil Control] [Overheated Bullet] Ta-a-a-a-ang!!! The shooting combo, designed to maximize the firepower of a single shot, spat fire. It accurately hit Daron’s tail, which had momentarily missed Lennox’s movement. Puh-uh-uh-ung!! Hit. It was a high firepower that could injure Lennox if he didn’t pay close attention to recoil control. If it hit properly, it would probably be able to pierce even steel. Kwajik A part of the tail, which had been wrapped around Daron’s body as if to protect it, broke off. Lennox, who had cut off 1/3 of the tail’s length, although it was the thinnest part, nodded inwardly as he widened the distance. ‘The shotgun works. This is worth remembering.’ Unlike magic, whose power varies depending on the surrounding environment and conditions, the power of a shotgun stacked with shooting assist magic is fixed. Just the fact that it could serve as a reference point for the durability of Daron’s tail was enough to help in the battle. However, Lennox’s expression immediately frowned as he glanced back at Daron. “Hey, what? You bastard, did you just hit me?” The end of Daron’s tail, which had been shattered by the shotgun’s bullet, began to regenerate with a strange, squirming sound. “………” “A mere bullet like that can’t even scratch my tail, you sand pile bastard!!” Regenerative alloy. It was also a top-grade product that could regenerate even if a part of the equipment was completely detached. It wouldn’t break with any ordinary impact or firepower. In the end, the answer was to pull out the metal skeletal spine that was supporting that tail. ‘It doesn’t matter much since I was going to kill him anyway.’ Chen might have thought that it would be easier to break Daron’s metal tail than to kill him, but it was completely different from Lennox’s point of view. A mage who could unleash area-of-effect attacks as easily as breathing. Rather than accurately aiming for the tail and cutting it off, it was easier and cleaner to oxidize that huge body as a whole. Lennox, who had finished his calculations in his head, quickly moved his fingers. The first magic he would use was decided. Baekrak Dududududu!!! Daron’s huge body, which had dug into the sand at the same time as the tail was completely regenerated, disappeared in an instant. At the same time, sand fountains erupted from all around Lennox, confusing his vision and violating his senses. Tutututung!! Shhh-ee-eek!! Like a scorpion that only sticks out its tail from its burrow to target its enemies, Daron’s tail fin was shot out from the sand. Pa-a-ang!! Although he managed to block it by stacking shields, it was a fierce speed that distorted the surrounding air for a moment. ‘If magic interference works, I can hold him in place for a while, but… this is a headache.’ Thanks to having already completed a scan once, he knew it.