Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 1187

“Ethan Bajur was resurrected in the Four Heavenly Demon Realm?”

The Four Heavenly Demon Realm. A demonic realm located at the deepest part of the central front, and one of the biggest obstacles blocking the path to Ars Nova. [Ars Nova is likely a significant location or goal in this world.]

A treacherous place where the Special Ability Advancement Unit had failed in a previous attempt, and a vile demonic realm that uses humans as its primary source of life.

Is the ‘Organization’ planning to attack that demonic realm where Ethan Bajur succeeded in resurrecting?

“Before I answer, I need to explain what the Organization is.”

The young man cleared his throat.

“As you know, the central front is currently dominated by massive forces led by the Church, the Alliance, the Legions, and the Special Ability Advancement Units. Behind them are various organizations such as the Azure Eye, the Druid Dawn Society, the Exiles, and the Warlords with their demonized heads.”

“……”

“These groups are frantically gathering talent and resources from all over the continent to expand their power, but among them are also superhumans who do not agree with the direction of these large forces.”

Lenok crossed his arms.

“It’s true that there are more than a few high-ranking superhumans with twisted personalities.”

“…That’s not wrong, but more importantly, many of the large forces are hesitant to attack the central front.”

The young man smiled wryly and continued naturally.

“They gathered in the center to reclaim the destroyed Ars Nova, yet they are not in a hurry to attack the demonic realms. Instead, they are busy checking and clashing with each other, preoccupied with war.”

“That doesn’t seem so unreasonable.”

Lenok replied indifferently.

“Breaking through the central front and heading to Ars Nova is difficult, but the benefits that can be gained in the process are also enormous. Didn’t you just say that they are constantly gathering talent from the continent?”

“……”

“The large forces gathered in the center have different goals, methods, and abilities. If they were to suddenly dream of harmony and join hands to attack the demonic realms, that would be more surprising.”

“Yes. That might be true.”

The young man agreed.

“But even so, there are those who believe that attacking the central front should take precedence over all those circumstances and wishes.”

“……”

“Not grand goals like the Alliance’s Great Connection or the Church’s salvation, or the Special Ability Advancement Unit’s collective consciousness network, but reclaiming Ars Nova. Whether it’s for personal desire or for the greater good, there are people who believe that is the right answer.”

A small elite group that does not join the large forces in the center, but focuses on attacking the demonic realms in the deepest part of the central front.

The ‘Organization’ was a term referring to one of those attack-focused groups.

“You would understand, Evan Martinez.”

The young man met Lenok’s gaze.

“As a Watcher of the Azure Eye [Azure Eye is likely a powerful organization], who worked to postpone the end of the world, and who even clashed with the Church to defeat the Ten Apostles, you would know.”

“……”

“Perhaps they don’t want to reclaim Ars Nova until the moment the end arrives. They might be using the fear of the approaching destruction as motivation to achieve their wishes until the very end.”

The young man’s voice grew stronger.

“We don’t know if the large forces in the center truly desire what comes next. But it is certain that Ars Nova pursued it. That’s why the Organization is looking for talent to join us.”

“Was that what you wanted to say from the beginning?”

“Indeed. You are currently one of the top priority recruitment targets among the central front’s deepest attack groups.”

The young man, fiddling with the handle of his mechanical straight sword, looked at Lenok and said,

“The strongest flame magic user in the Eastern Front and a slayer of Apostles. A Watcher who worked with the Azure Eye, and a hero who defeated the Alliance’s Great Sorcerer.”

“……”

“We want your strong character, as strong as your magic. We need someone who doesn’t bend even against the Unbreakable, someone with a will strong enough to change the direction of the Gravitational Flight.”

From the moment the young man revealed his affiliation, Lenok had guessed what was coming.

Top priority recruitment target for the central front’s deepest attack groups.

That was exactly what was written in Lenok’s power ranking evaluation.

Of course, he didn’t expect to be approached with this kind of offer on his way to the parade—

“That’s not the explanation or answer I wanted to hear.”

Lenok tilted his head with a blank expression.

“I understand that the Organization is chasing Baitan to attack the demonic realms. Then why did you bring up Ethan Bajur? Were you just trying to test me?”

“What I want to say is, if you plan to attend the parade, you should be mindful of the Legion’s Warlord.”

The young man said.

“The Four Heavenly Demon Realm is not a place where humans can stay sane. No one knows what state Ethan Bajur will be in after being reborn there.”

“……”

“The Legion’s command is hiding something important before the parade. At the very least, it’s clear that the purpose of this parade is related to their Warlord.”

Ethan Bajur, resurrected in the demonic realm, might not be in his right mind.

The young man was trying to remind Lenok that this fact itself might be the purpose of this parade.

Seeing Lenok’s thoughtful expression, the young man finally let out a small sigh of relief.

“I apologize if I made you uncomfortable. But among the central supernovas, you were the only one whose whereabouts were so hard to track, so I couldn’t miss this chance encounter today.”

“……”

“Especially since you left the Azure Eye, your movements have been almost impossible to track even with the central intelligence. Of course, it’s also because of the Lighthouse Keeper’s protection, who still favors you—”

“Enough.”

Lenok’s voice turned cold.

“Since leaving the Azure Eye, I’ve received countless recruitment offers. The Joint Sorcerer even spouted nonsense about joining the Alliance while fighting me.”

“……”

“I have no intention of belonging to any organization. Especially now that I’ve left the Azure Eye to avoid being bound by the Lighthouse Keeper’s mission.”

Krrrrrr…!!!

Lenok shook his head, leaving behind the crumbling fortress ruins.

“If you’re looking for a trustworthy comrade to watch your back, look for someone else. I’m not the person who can do what you want.”

“You misunderstand. It’s not necessary for you to join the Organization to attack the demonic realms.”

The young man said, reaching into his pocket.

“We are just moving towards the same goal. We are a very mechanical organization, as our name suggests. We are far from having any sense of camaraderie.”

“……”

“What we want is a ‘flame’ that can take on a part of the Four Heavenly Demon Realm’s attack. For that, you don’t necessarily have to formally belong to the Organization.”

The young man, walking towards Lenok through the half-destroyed corridor, slipped something out.

A small business card that fit in one hand.

What was unusual was that the paper card was constantly burning in the young man’s hand.

A paper card engulfed in faint flames, maintaining its shape without being incinerated.

The young man, holding up the burning piece of paper, raised his gaze towards Lenok.

“This is a pass link made with Ars Nova’s technology, and it contains access rights to the Four Heavenly Demon Realm. It can also temporarily block the demonic realm’s fire.”

“……”

“The Organization has been attacking the deepest part of the central front, so we possess a lot of Ars Nova’s technology and legacy. Among them, there are also ability users who can access the [Archive].”

The young man, looking at Lenok’s expressionless face, said falteringly,

“If it becomes known that you have arrived in the Eastern Continent to attend the parade, other attack groups will come to meet you. If you keep this, it will be helpful—”

Whoosh!

Before he knew it, Lenok was holding the card that had been in the young man’s hand.

A hand that pierced the gaps in perception so effortlessly that the young man, a former executor of the mechanical city, couldn’t even react.

The young man, feeling a chill run down his spine, looked up at Lenok, who silently put it in his pocket.

The young man, belatedly regaining his senses, bowed his head on the spot.

“…Thank you.”

“I didn’t take this to say I’ll work with you.”

Lenok ignored the young man and turned away.

“I’m interested in the Four Heavenly Demon Realm. If it’s a demonic realm that will be opened someday, it might be better to get an entrance ticket in advance.”

From the beginning, Lenok had no intention of accepting the young man’s offer or chasing after Conqueror Baitan.

The fact that Ethan Bajur had been resurrected in the demonic realm and that Baitan was a being from there was interesting, but—

Lenok had returned to the Eastern Continent under the identity of Chun-beon not to solve such problems right away.

He had no intention of missing the Dead Rise Legion’s parade that was starting in the Eastern Continent.

He had accepted the pass link from the young man simply to prepare for the time when he might go to the demonic realm.

If the Four Heavenly Demon Realm was where the executor Maiya Renslit had disappeared, he thought he might visit it someday.

The young man seemed to sense the meaning of Lenok’s answer, nodding with a smile.

“Yes. That’s fine. Just the fact that you’re interested in the demonic realm means you’re definitely someone close to our side.”

The young man stepped back, leaving Lenok, who had turned away, behind.

“Then, I’ll be going back. Actually, I had a lot of things to do, like calling in an investigation team to uncover Baitan’s movements and abilities…”

The young man looked down at his disheveled body and smiled bitterly.

“I won’t be able to move for a few days in this state. I think I should rest quietly.”

“Executor.”

Lenok called out to the young man with an expressionless face.

“What’s your name?”

“Ah, my name is…”

The young man scratched his head and said with a smile,

“Atermeyer. Rakia Atermeyer.”

* * *

“I heard you had a strong and stubborn personality, and it seems the rumors were true.”

Lenok, having parted ways with the Organization’s executor, rejoined Yufria, who had been waiting outside the mansion.

In that short time, she had neatly organized the acquired Suwahonilcho [Suwahonilcho is likely a valuable resource or item] and was ready to process it.

Yufria, looking at Lenok with an expressionless face, spoke in a calm voice.

“I didn’t know you would be so persistent in dealing with a short-lived species.”

“You didn’t hear the rumors, you got the information from the power rankings.”

Lenok retorted, brushing past Yufria.

“The engagement time was barely three minutes. You’ve been talking for over five minutes since then, trying to mislead me.”

“You’re meticulous. Were you calculating all that time?”

“That executor didn’t intend to go all out in the first place.”

Lenok’s eyes turned cold.

“He was trying to check my skills and see if I was the person from the rumors. That’s why he deliberately held back more.”

“You admit that you prefer violent solutions.”

“Can it compare to the Elder Council members who scare other long-lived species with just their names?”

“……”

Ignoring the sulking Yufria, Lenok snapped his fingers and summoned his bike.

Lenok, starting the engine and getting on the bike seat, nodded to the long-lived species.

“Enough, let’s go to the Legion’s 2nd Command. Get on.”

“Do we really have to ride this noisy contraption?”

“On a normal road, it can go three times faster than your slow-moving tree roots.”

Lenok sneered.

“You knew the way to this city, so I cooperated, but from here to the command, I’ll move myself.”

Because they had been delayed here longer than necessary, their schedule had become a bit tight. They had to move quickly from now on to make it on time.

Yufria seemed to be aware of this as well, as she closed her mouth and slowly approached the bike.

She looked at the bike, which was emitting a rough engine sound, with a look of incomprehension, and slowly got into the sidecar.

Yufria, sitting with her knees together in the sidecar, looked up at Lenok and said quietly,

“…To have to look up at a short-lived species sitting in the superior seat, it’s a very humiliating position.”

“That’s a ridiculous observation. Then would you like to drive to the command yourself?”

Lenok, cleanly ignoring Yufria’s words, pulled the throttle.

Bwaaaang!!!!

He moved away, avoiding the signs of the Watchers approaching, having recognized the signal flare Lenok had fired from afar.

He passed through the city that Baitan had massacred and headed to the location coordinates of the 2nd Command that the Legion had provided.

How much time had passed since he had been driving, ignoring Yufria’s occasional complaints?

Lenok, who had been changing his route while checking the map with Davi’s help, applied the brakes.

Screech!!

The bike tires skidded on the old road, kicking up thick dust.

“Cough.”

“We’ve arrived. The coordinates marked on the map are around here.”

Lenok, leaving behind Yufria, who was coughing slightly with an expressionless face, raised his magic power.

Lenok, who had immediately started searching, turned his gaze to the left of the path he had taken so far.

“The direction where the search is blocked, based on our current location. The Legion’s command is probably over there.”

“Is that so.”

“Do you have any complaints?”

“No. It’s not that, but…”

Yufria replied.

“I don’t feel any signs of life. It’s a different feeling from when I tried to search near the Sea of Understanding.”

“…You mean it’s not that the search is impossible, but that nothing is being detected?”

The location coordinates that Lenok had were information he had received from Mirva Neosoto, the 4th Legion Commander of Dead Rise.

It was the coordinates that she had given to Lenok when she recommended that he attend the parade after the first gate’s work was finished.

Since it was information that the 4th Legion Commander herself had given, there was no reason to doubt its authenticity.

Bwaaaang!!!

A winding mountain path with large rocks scattered around. The deeper they went, the stronger the humidity and heat became.

The deeper they went into the mountain, the more lush the vegetation became, and the surrounding plants seemed to grow denser.

A landscape so close to the wilderness that there was no trace of human presence, let alone a Legion command.

But Lenok was actually increasing his speed while looking at it.

“It seems like this is the right area.”

“Yes.”

Lenok agreed with Yufria’s unprompted words.

“The spacing between the trees and bushes is unnaturally dense. They’ve created a forest around the area to hide the scenery. The purpose is probably…”

Whoosh!!

He increased his speed and crashed the bike straight into the cliff hidden between the leaves and trees.

Without any collision, the bike passed through the bushes and entered a cave hidden between the cliffs.

Fwoosh!!

Lights were regularly installed on the cave ceiling. A clean paved road, unlike the old road they had passed, was laid out.

As soon as the bike tires landed on the paved road, the vehicle stabilized and smoothly entered the cave.

“Did they modify an entire mountain and fortify the interior?”

Yufria looked around and tilted her head as if she didn’t like it.

“As expected of a short-lived species, you are eager to destroy nature and disrupt the ecosystem. It’s not surprising, though.”

“We’re still far from catching up to the long-lived species who fell in the Western Front and changed the surrounding terrain and environment.”

“…I’ve been thinking this since earlier, but you know suspiciously well about Kundara’s situation.”

They entered the interior, following the smoothly paved road that wound through the cave.

The cave’s path widened, expanding their field of vision, and soon the appearance of a military base began to appear.

“We’ve arrived.”

Screech!!

Lenok stopped on a bridge where the military base could be seen faintly in the distance.

Lenok, who had applied the brakes and tilted the bike to stop, glanced sideways.

“The location coordinates I received from the 4th Legion Commander are here. To enter from here, we’ll probably have to go through a checkpoint.”

“……”

“After meeting with the Legion’s command and hearing about the parade schedule, I’ll talk to you again about the deal we made… What are you doing?”

“I can see the scenery below the bridge.”

Yufria, sticking her head out of the sidecar, said with an expressionless face.

“They’re coming.”

“…Coming?”

As Yufria said, the scenery inside the military base below the bridge where the bike had stopped was visible.

Numerous soldiers were moving busily inside the base even at this moment.

Staggering, spitting blood, crawling up the bridge, and screaming—

“Kieeeeeeek!!!!”

“Krrrk!!!”

Dududududu!!!!!

“…Wait.”

Lenok looked at the ‘monsters’ that were densely covering the bridge and crawling towards them.

Ragged military uniforms, bleeding and torn flesh. Eyes without focus and mouths drooling….

“Undead.”

Yufria said calmly.

“Ghouls or zombies. Or perhaps they are a type of corpse demon that the Alliance’s sorcerers create.”

“Keeeeeeee!!!!”

The ghouls instantly covered the bridge like insects and rushed towards them.

Congested eyes and blackened body fluids. The sight of monsters whose bodies were rotting and emitting a foul odor.

Bang!!!

Lenok, who had blasted away the ghouls with a shockwave, immediately accelerated by pulling the bike’s throttle.

He moved with hundreds of ghouls, screaming fiercely, clinging precariously behind him.

Bwaaaang!!!!

The sight of ghouls and zombies filling the area as soon as they arrived in front of the Legion’s military base.

The forms of monsters wandering around the base, devouring and biting each other.

Yufria, who was holding the sidecar with both hands, asked with an expressionless face,

“I didn’t know the Legion was raising ghouls.”

“…Where are your eyes if that’s how you see the situation?”

No matter how crazy Dead Rise was, they wouldn’t turn their own soldiers into ghouls to use them.

What did it mean that they had encountered soldiers turned into ghouls in front of the coordinates that the Legion had provided?

“The Legion’s command was attacked by someone before the parade.”

Lenok, having quickly made a judgment, raised his gaze with a cold expression.

“It seems like there’s a problem. I’ll have to enter the command directly. I’m breaking through right now.”