Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 1203

The Price (5)

Near the Second Dead Rise Operations Command, in an industrial area.

After the tanks surrounding the production facilities unleashed a deafening roar, thousands of shells rained down with a blinding flash.

KWA-AAAAAH!!!

Multiple rocket launchers and self-propelled artillery spat fire, and missiles arcing through the sky accelerated as they burned their propellant.

The artillery of the legion, gathered to confront the mage who had turned the command headquarters upside down, roared incessantly.

And then, in the moment when they dyed the cloudy sky crimson with a fiery barrage.

Lenok reached out his hand towards the red sky and began to chant.

Unique Flame-Type Magic

Nature Transformation Amplification Zenith

Red Star Realm: Solar Zenith

Eighth Star: Geopcheon

WOOOOOOOOOONG!!!!!

The moment he covered the sky with one hand, the sky slowly darkened in response to Lenok’s gesture.

It was as if something enormous was blocking the sun, forcibly initiating a total solar eclipse that should not have occurred at this time.

A strong yet eerie sense of déjà vu, similar to what Lenok had felt during his evaluation match with the 8th Corps Commander Townsend.

“That’s!!”

“No way, the sky…!!”

The soldiers, who had suddenly raised their gaze, widened their eyes in disbelief as they identified what was blocking the sun.

KURRRRRRRR…!!!!

A massive fire dragon’s head, with its mouth wide open, was swallowing the sun that had risen in the sky.

A huge shadow, so heavy and massive that it looked like a turtle’s head.

It emerged from behind the sun, consuming the light with its body and swelling in size.

WHAAAAAAAK!!!!

The fire dragon, blocking the sun, devoured the light and heat that should have fallen to the ground.

Each time, the fire dragon’s shadow swelled madly, eventually becoming larger than any tactical weapon on the battlefield.

Awakening by consuming the sun’s light, casting light on the ground in place of the sun, and ultimately using the sun itself as a power source.

“Summoning complete.”

Lenok said quietly.

“Solar Ship operation initiated. Field effect deployed.”

KUGUGUGUGU!!!

At that moment, the countless flames of artillery fire that had been pouring down on Lenok changed direction all at once and soared into the sky.

The gun barrels mounted on tanks and armored vehicles. The machine guns and missiles of the fighters that had seized air superiority.

All that heat, which had been fired towards the ground, rose in reverse and began to distort towards the fire dragon that was blocking the sun.

The commanders of each corps, watching the scene from the situation room, stared with pale faces and wide eyes.

“Unbelievable. The corps’ artillery…!!!”

“Is it forcibly manipulating the direction of the artillery fire!!!”

“Megiddo operates using the sun as its power source, and it is a summoned entity that temporarily replaces the role of the sun.”

Lenok muttered, looking up at the sky.

“Therefore, only immediately after the Solar Ship is summoned, it is possible to interfere with the flow of heat existing on the ground.”

KWAGWAGWAGWAGWA!!!!

In the midst of a hell where flames mixed with flames, and explosions amplified explosions, increasing the heat.

All that heat and fire, as if bent by an invisible hand, were forcibly distorted and absorbed into Megiddo.

A miracle that steals the control of the firepower unleashed by the corps’ tactical weapons with a single summoning.

The commanders hurriedly grabbed their communication devices and shouted at the top of their lungs.

“Fire!! Fire now!!!”

“Re-establish the fire net!! Commence concentrated fire!!!”

PEO-BEO-BEO-BEO-BUNG!!!!

Thousands of flames soared towards the shadow of the Solar Ship that had risen into the sky, an overwhelming sight.

The soldiers and tanks on the ground, watching the scene, hurriedly moved and turned their gun barrels.

The thousands of bombardments fired sequentially by the tanks that had formed the encirclement exploded in the air, creating a fiery barrage that dyed the sky crimson.

KWAGWAGWAGWAGWANG!!!!!

The blazing fire barrage scattered all at once above the deactivated production facilities, flashing brightly.

With a tremendous shockwave, mushroom clouds rose in the middle of the street where the factories were gathered.

But even in the midst of the chaotic battlefield, the spot where Lenok and Euphria stood remained unscathed.

“This is…”

“Move.”

The moment Euphria murmured in surprise, noticing the fact, Lenok staggered and moved his feet.

“The ability of the Solar Ship to guide the corps’ artillery fire is only temporary. We need to break out of the encirclement now.”

“Manipulating the heat itself… and using it as power to operate the ship.”

Euphria murmured.

“With this much power, it wouldn’t be difficult to balance the firepower against the corps.”

“The Solar Ship’s power is not something I can fully control yet.”

Lenok’s complexion, walking through the burning factory facility’s interior passage, was paler than before.

“It’s closer to borrowing that power through its inherent summoning effect.”

“…Are you saying that you’re wielding this kind of power just from the aftereffects of the summoning?”

The Solar Ship Megiddo, summoned using the eighth core of the Red Star Realm.

The overwhelming power that recreates a total solar eclipse just by summoning it. The tremendous ability to forcibly distort the flow of heat on the ground.

But Megiddo’s power was not something Lenok had obtained through normal training or research.

The origin of the Solar Ship was the core of Megiddo, a level 9 outer beast and a bio-warship. The very spark that the leader had given him in the Six Paths Demonic Realm [a realm of immense power and chaos].

The engine of the warship, which was evaluated to be comparable to a large city. Lenok had recognized its potential and had been working to make it the eighth core of the Red Star Realm, but.

Perhaps because it was a spark that Lenok could not obtain at his current level, he could not properly control it even after constructing it in the form of the eighth star.

Even at this moment, he was not able to handle Megiddo’s power or abilities, but only borrowing a little of its power while maintaining the summoning.

But even so, Lenok was showing the reason why he had summoned the Solar Ship, which he could not properly control, at this place.

Using the existence of the Solar Ship, which recreates a total solar eclipse, to divert the corps’ attention and distort the pouring artillery fire.

At the same time, forcibly granting the blessings and enhancement techniques that are activated simultaneously with the operation of the Solar Ship to the entire command headquarters.

That alone had loosened the airtight encirclement, and the corps’ forces had begun to disperse in all directions.

The commanders of each unit must also be intuitively aware of how unrealistic a collection of power that Solar Ship is.

That’s why Lenok was planning to use the existence of the Solar Ship as an asymmetrical force and a bait to deal with the corps.

“Now that the corps’ attention is focused on the Solar Ship, we must escape the command headquarters-”

“Where do you think you’re going in such a hurry?”

One side of the collapsing factory wall exploded and crumbled, and someone walked out from beyond it.

KWAAAAAAANG!!!!

Rebar melted and dripped molten metal. Conveyor belts were mixed in with the molten metal, emitting a foul odor.

Every visible scene was burning and melting, exploding repeatedly, and shaking the ground.

A tall woman wearing gauntlets that wrapped around her forearms looked down at Lenok.

“When I first saw you here, I never thought things would turn out like this.”

“…Lieutenant General Atiyah.”

“It’s a shame, Evan Martinez.”

Lieutenant General Atiyah, who leads the 6th Corps of the Dead Rise.

Has a martial artist of profound skill personally stepped forward to capture Lenok?

“Come to think of it, the parade was in full swing.”

Lenok slowly turned his body and stood facing Atiyah.

“Among the corps commanders who can move immediately, you were the first to step forward.”

“The parade is already over, you bastard.”

Atiyah retorted with a nonchalant expression.

“The command headquarters exploded, and the Supreme Commander was injured, so there’s no way the event could continue. Are you really asking because you don’t know?”

“…”

“The other corps commanders have already taken action. They’re forming an encirclement to prevent you from escaping anywhere in the command headquarters.”

“I see.”

“The reason I came first isn’t because of that, but because there’s something I want to ask you.”

Atiyah lightly pulled on her gauntlet with a click and asked.

“Thousand. Why the hell did you do that?”

“…”

“Even if you had stayed still, the entire corps would have supported you as the new commander. With just one word from you, they would have rushed to any battlefield and given their lives.”

Atiyah tilted her head with a stern expression.

“The Supreme Commander gave you one of the most powerful and prestigious positions on the entire continent, so why did you refuse it?”

“Because from the beginning, what I wanted wasn’t such a position or honor.”

Lenok struggled to stand up and replied.

“I didn’t attend the parade to become a corps commander. I was just waiting to meet Edan Bajur and get an answer.”

“So, is this the result of the conversation you had with the Supreme Commander?”

“…”

Lenok did not answer.

Atiyah stared at Lenok for a moment before letting out a cold sigh.

“I see… I was seriously mistaken.”

She murmured as she walked out through the flowing lava.

“I thought you weren’t interested in the position of corps commander in a different sense. I thought it was just a formality that an internal appointee who was assigned to the position of corps commander would say.”

“…Is that so.”

“But you never lied, not even for a single moment.”

Atiyah stared at Lenok with a chilling gaze.

“You have no intention of becoming a corps commander. You’re willing to give up the position of commander you received without a second thought and try to antagonize the corps. You never had any interest or curiosity in us from the start.”

“…”

“If you only attended the parade to use the corps from the beginning. If you were a transcendent who truly serves no one but the Lighthouse Keeper…”

CLICK!!

The moment she clenched her gauntlet into a fist, a cold murderous intent flickered in Atiyah’s eyes.

“As someone who has also served in the military, I must do what I have to do.”

There were no more words.

Atiyah took a step forward, and the moment Lenok instinctively lowered his stance while looking at her.

Atiyah’s figure, which had accelerated explosively, slammed into Lenok head-on, unleashing a powerful shockwave.

KWAAAAAAANG!!!!

Amidst the scattering rain of artillery fire, Lenok and Atiyah’s figures tumbled and rolled simultaneously.

Lenok, suppressing the rampage of his Incarnate Body and chanting flame magic, and Atiyah, crushing her gauntlets and grinding flames.

DUDUDUDUDU!!!

With a sound like a machine gun firing, fists and flames crossed behind Lenok and Atiyah.

Each time magic exploded behind Atiyah, her body broke through the atmosphere and accelerated.

Forcibly adding acceleration to the heavy weight of the gauntlets on both arms to increase their power,

And the moment the fist, which contained both weight and speed, rotated half a turn in the air and struck Lenok head-on.

The outer wall of the burning factory facility exploded diagonally, creating a dust column tens of meters in size.

BEOOOOOOOOOONG!!!!

“Kuh…!!”

“You must have consumed a considerable amount of mental energy since you burned down the command headquarters on that scale.”

Atiyah said coldly, looking at Lenok, who had been pushed back with wings of flame.

She looked down at Lenok, who had knelt down on one knee, and her eyes shone sharply.

“But you seem to be in much worse condition than I thought. Did a mage like you have to push yourself that hard to face the Supreme Commander?”

“…”

Even without that, he was suppressing the rampage of his Incarnate Body and pouring his mental energy into maintaining the summoning of Megiddo. But Lenok did not answer the question and lowered his head.

The reason Lenok summoned Megiddo was not simply to draw the corps’ attention and loosen the encirclement.

One authority given to Lenok by the existence of the Solar Ship in the sky. He could not yet gauge whether he should use it against Atiyah.

Perhaps Atiyah was not expecting a clear answer either, as she immediately raised her hand.

“If you don’t plan to answer, fine. No, just don’t answer until the very end.”

*Whoosh!*

As Atiyah snapped her fingers, the endless factory walls crumbled.

Beyond the sky filled with artillery fire, a massive water phoenix, its entire body made of water, was flying with its wings spread.

Seeing the 8th Corps Commander, Townsend, merged with a phantom beast, Atiyah clenched her fist, drawing up her magic power again.

“I don’t like this situation where I have to fight alongside that annoying summoner either…!!!”

*KWA-AAANG!!!!*

Atiyah swung her fist, detonating the magic power condensed behind her gauntlet.

Accelerating the rotation of her shoulder, elbow, and shoulder blade, she struck the space with her gauntlet.

A technique that manipulates space, a result only granted to level 8 martial artists.

The moment Lenok’s face hardened as he grasped the Flame Core, at the pinnacle of strikes that transcended distance.

A barrier made of interwoven tree roots surged in front of Lenok, blocking Atiyah’s fist.

*Clang! CRACKLE CRACKLE CRACKLE!!*

The natural barrier made of interwoven plants shook violently, absorbing and dispersing the impact.

The tree roots and stems writhed and broke, but ultimately failed to reach Lenok and withered away.

The long-lived species, walking out from behind Lenok, spoke with an outstretched hand.

“Martinez. I will block them here.”

“…Euphria.”

“I don’t intend to face everyone alone, but I can buy some time.”

“Aosel Elder Council’s highest member.”

*CRUNCH!!!*

Tearing through the barrier of interwoven tree roots, a thick gauntlet widened the gap.

Atiyah, revealing herself through the gap, looked at Euphria with a stern expression and said,

“This action was not discussed with the command beforehand. Do you intend to ruin the deal the Elder Council made with the corps?”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

Euphria replied with a blank face.

“The deal with the corps command did not include a situation like this. To mediate the situation, shouldn’t we stop the conflict first?”

“Ha! You’re making up ridiculous reasons to side with them a thousand times.”

Atiyah scoffed, and as she exerted force, the plant barrier Euphria had erected split apart.

*KWA-AANG!!!*

“Whatever, but you’ll have to pay the price for choosing the wrong side!!”

“I never intended to side with the short-lived species’ forces from the start.”

Watching Atiyah tear through the barrier of interwoven tree roots and advance, Euphria clasped her hands together.

“From now on, I will show you a little of my skill.”

*FWOOSH!!!*

A green light, blooming from Euphria’s hands, expanded and spread at an incredible speed.

An illusion that seemed to extend beyond the munitions factory’s production facilities to the horizon in the blink of an eye.

The moment Atiyah turned her gaze to that primal and overwhelming will, Euphria murmured.

“External Law Deployment. Entanglement of All Things.”

*Primal Magic: Creation Manipulation*

*Eight Forms – External Law*

*[Restraint of All Forms]*

*CRRRRRRRRRR!!!*

As Euphria’s incantation ended, vines sprouted from all the visible ground.

The factory burning amidst the artillery fire. Atiyah advancing through the flames. And of course, Euphria herself, preparing the incantation.

The tanks and armored vehicles surrounding the factory were entangled by the vines that sprouted from the ground, immobilizing them.

Deploying a life-manipulation technique with the same power across the entire coordinate area centered on Euphria. Copying and expanding the range and power with primal magic.

Manipulating living things with the principles of life-manipulation, and through the manipulated living things, even including other living things that are not the target of the technique within the range.

An overwhelming scale and range of techniques only granted to those who manipulate nature itself.

*CRRRRRRRRRR!!!*

*WHIRRRRRRR!!!*

The tank’s caterpillar tracks became entangled in the vines, derailing and losing balance, falling over on the spot.

Vines wrapped around the chassis, wheels, launchers, and supports, pulling them down with a force dozens of times greater than gravity.

The barrels of the tanks and self-propelled guns aimed at the factory facilities were all entangled in vines and pulled out.

[Cease fire! Cease fire!]

[Stop loading shells!!]

Shouts echoed through the communication devices, and the barrage of artillery fire that had been falling incessantly diminished slightly.

The moment the explosions that seemed to incinerate the entire factory area weakened.

Lenok was moving, leaving behind everything entangled in Euphria’s life-manipulation technique.

“Cough…!!”

Amidst the ruins of the burnt-down factory site, where vines and tree roots were intertwined.

Lenok, who had quickly moved by using flames as a makeshift propellant, raised his gaze.

‘I succeeded in drawing the corps’ attention and escaping the factory area. But…’

Having summoned Megiddo to draw the corps’ attention, loosen the encirclement, and then escaped the factory area with Euphria’s help.

From here on, it was no longer the plains where the corps’ forces were stationed, but rather facilities such as power plants and supply depots were scattered.

Once he escaped this area, he wouldn’t be detected even if he summoned a bike to move.

Since the encirclement had to cover the entire escape route, it was likely that it wouldn’t be very tight, even if it was deployed.

So, from here on-

*BANG!!*

The moment he smashed through the melted iron door and entered the power plant on the other side, he ducked forward to avoid the falling blade.

Sliding along the surface of the power plant facility, which was heated to a high temperature, he chanted a spell.

Extending both hands sideways, he enveloped his entire body in a curtain of flames and detonated it.

The soldiers who had been rushing in from all directions were pushed back by the explosive force and slammed into the power plant facilities.

*BOOM!!!*

“Ugh!!”

“Like a monster… He hasn’t lost his focus yet.”

“I thought he would have been worn out by now, after using a summoning technique of that scale.”

The soldiers, clad in heavy armor, walked out from all directions, their eyes gleaming sharply.

With laser gauntlets on one hand and axes or toothed greatswords in the other, they had a sinister appearance.

Lenok had seen their appearance once before on the central front.

“The elite of the 3rd Corps assault unit.”

Lenok, rising from his spot, looked around with a pale face.

“It seems it wasn’t a lie that the entire garrison area was surrounded.”

“What you did today was an unprecedented incident in the history of the corps.”

*TAP!!*

A white-haired old man, walking out from among the soldiers, bared his teeth at Lenok.

Deadrise 9th Corps Commander, Lenore. He remembered his face from the operational meeting where the corps commanders had gathered, as he had shown hostility towards Chun-beon.

“I had a feeling of unease ever since Daymus highly praised you.”

*KOOONG…!!*

Lenore, gripping an axe larger than himself, growled.

“The 7th Corps Commander has a good eye for people, despite his age, but that’s mostly about talent or aptitude.”

“…”

“He only sees people in a standardized way. He thinks everyone is like him.”

Lenore’s wrinkled face held a faint sneer.

“But I thought from the start that a wild man like you would never join the military. Now it seems my thoughts were correct.”

“It’s easy to add a word saying ‘I knew it’ after something happens.”

Lenok, stepping forward, retorted.

“If we could judge right and wrong based on hindsight, Deadrise wouldn’t have been created in the first place.”

“You’re quite skilled at wagging your tongue like a mage, but that’s where it ends.”

Lenore chuckled.

“You seem to have quite a bit of talent and skill, but just looking at you trying to escape, I can tell you’re not in good condition.”

“…”

“It seems the Supreme Commander faced you directly. No matter how much you talk with that pale face, you just look like a hunted beast.”

*CLANK!!*

Lenore, shouldering his axe, drew up his magic power and stepped forward.

The 3rd Corps assault unit and the elites of the 9th Corps following Lieutenant General Lenore aimed their weapons at Lenok from all over the power plant facility.

“After dragging you and making you kneel before the Supreme Commander, if we explain how dangerous and reckless this was, even in future subjugation battles-”

“You talk too much.”

Lenok smiled coldly and spread his hand.

A veteran soldier who had been rolling around on the front lines of the Western Front for a long time.

The warriors following him were also seasoned veterans who had survived all sorts of battle lines.

Just suppressing the rampage of his Incarnate Body and maintaining the summoning of Megiddo was already using up all the magic power of the Red Star System.

If he was delayed here against them, the situation would likely become unfavorable for Lenok.

So, what he needed was literally the power to wipe out an entire corps.

*KOO-OONG!!!!!*

The moment Lenok spread his hand, the massive ship floating in the sky, burning, began to tilt.

The moment he drew up his will towards the Solar Ship, which was scattering meteorites on the ground while wielding flames.

The heat and flames exploding at the end of the sky began to converge into Lenok’s hand as if being drawn in.

“Compression Manifestation.”

*KOO-OOO-OOO!!!!!*

In the midst of the raging flames swirling around Lenok, a stem was caught, and it began to rotate and compress with directionality.

Hundreds of flames that had smashed through the hangar ceiling descended onto Lenok’s hand and rotated violently.

It was as if the flames were sinking into Lenok’s hand, creating a black sun sphere.

“This can’t be.”

Lenore, with a hardened expression, gripped his weapon at the convergence of that overwhelming heat.

“Mage, how can you draw this much magic power through a summon…!!!”

“Megiddo’s power isn’t only specialized in the abilities of the summon itself.”

Lenok replied.

“This is a power that is granted an equal status to the Self-Generated Domain [a personal reality-warping field] by its very existence… a miracle created to literally replace the domain.”

The Solar Ship Megiddo uses the sun as its power source, carries the sun, and is itself a power that replaces the sun.

Therefore, while Megiddo is operating, its surroundings are forcibly granted all field effects related to the sun.

It’s not just about changing properties or attributes, but it grants the image of the sun and gives a massive buff to all related system techniques.

And, the meaning of being able to forcibly grant a specific image to space-time is that-

“The real meaning of being able to use the power of the Self-Generated Domain, which projects the root image into reality, without deploying the domain.”

Lenok muttered, exhaling a cold breath.

“I’ll show you directly from now on.”

“All members of the 9th Corps Special Forces, charge!!!”

The moment Lenore felt a sinister sense of unease, he shouted roughly and drew up his small universe [a personal power source].

“He’s trying to use a Flame System Image Device!!!! Cut off his breath before he completes the technique!!!!”

*KWA-AAANG!!!*

Before he could even finish speaking, soldiers armed with chainsaws rushed towards Lenok with all their might from all directions.

Sinister strikes that tried to tear Lenok’s body apart by swinging the fiercely rotating blades at subsonic speeds.

But Lenok didn’t even look at the blades of the special forces members pouring in from all directions and lowered his head.

One authority that Lenok gained the moment he summoned the Solar Ship Megiddo and floated it in the sky above the headquarters.

The preheating of the image that forcibly grants the same judgment as using a domain to the ground around the Solar Ship, without directly deploying the domain.

Through that, he realizes a special technique that can only be used within the domain of the Black Sea Goddess’s Fall in reality.

“An-”

“Heavenly Chain Fall Activation.”

In the midst of a total solar eclipse that darkens even the sky, this time, the black flames manifest in Lenok’s hand.

The black sun, devouring Lenore’s horrified body, fell to the ground, unleashing tremendous heat.

*KWA-AA-AA-AA-AA!!!!*