Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 1257

It wasn’t a modification of the existing power ranking, but a new version posted as a fresh thread.

It had only been a few minutes since it was uploaded, yet it already had over 4,000 comments.

“Did they upload the ranking as soon as the deep web network lines became stable?” Lenox tilted his head, looking at the post.

“Judging by the unusually intense reaction, it seems like it’s him…”

Lenox remembered the author because he thought the explanation the ranking creator had written at the time was excessively detailed.

Since he knew the details of what Lenox had done, Lenox had suspected that he was either a Kundara affiliate or someone with recording abilities.

Regardless, he had been excluded because there was no suitable way to find out his identity, but it seemed he had updated the ranking after the subjugation battle ended.

If he asked Davi now, he could roughly figure out how to distinguish the authenticity of the ranking, but-

[Poo-poo.]

“…”

Davi returned in an instant, looking extremely excited, and was snorting wildly.

His front paws had already escaped Lenox’s arms and were struggling to press the post somehow.

Lenox looked down at Davi, who was desperately squirming in his arms, with a dumbfounded expression and said,

“Davi, it’s almost time for you to go out again.”

[Master…!!]

Davi looked up at Lenox with pleading eyes, his front paws stretched out.

[Just that. Just that one last time…!!]

“It’s not a problem that can be handled flexibly just because you’re begging like that.”

Lenox said, glancing at his watch.

“As you know, it’s an unavoidable schedule. There might not be another chance after today.”

[…Ugh.]

“It’s important among the things that need to be handled after the subjugation battle. Especially in a situation like this.”

[Master… Master, do you really have no heart!!]

Davi trembled in shock.

[How can you stand to ignore a power ranking that clearly has your name on it? This is absurd!!]

“You know, the more you say that, the more I want to look at it later, right?”

[I’m sorry!]

“Hoo… Alright.”

Lenox sighed, looking at Davi, who was quickly apologizing, and grabbed Davi’s front paw, pressing the power ranking.

“I saw it all last time, so this time I’ll just look at the top rankings and close it.”

[Master, you’re the best!]

He had told Davi that there was no time, but checking the updated rankings wouldn’t take that long.

After navigating through the stuttering deep web server and accessing the power ranking site, a familiar phrase caught his eye.

※ Caution: This power ranking is based solely on the author’s personal opinion.

※ Warning: The author is not responsible for any consequences arising from the misuse of this information.

※ Notes

1) List of transcendents who have been active or recorded in the Eastern Continent within the last 5 years.

2) When updating transcendents currently active in other continents or the central front, specify the reason.

3) Ascended beings are not included in the ranking list.

※ Please note that the previous power rankings were hacked too often, so new posts will be created continuously from now on.

…

The unique warning message that was also written at the beginning of the power ranking he had first seen on the deep web.

Lenox, now familiar with the disclaimer, scrolled down the ranking table below.

As a ranking updated to 2.0, there were new names and changes in the rankings throughout the table.

However, Lenox did not check all of the rankings and went straight to the very last ranking table.

The explanations became more detailed and the text became denser as he scrolled down the ranking.

The moment he stopped scrolling in front of the ranking list from 10th to 1st place.

Lenox was able to find a name he had seen before, starting from 10th place.

[10th. Satellite (Pseudo-Star) Betagron. Level 8 Magitech Engineer. Affiliated with the Designers.]

=The best military engineering expert on the continent.

=After becoming a Saint Slayer and entering the ranking, he has attempted numerous large-scale military experiments.

=Succeeded in creating a pseudo-forbidden weapon ‘Ferocious’ using the remains of a Saint as material, resulting in a rise in ranking.

=Currently on a forbidden exploration within the Eastern Continent.

A familiar tone and familiar sentences.

However, the explanations written within were things that Lenox could not easily ignore.

“He succeeded in creating a pseudo-forbidden weapon…”

The creation of forbidden weapons was a forbidden art attempted by the lord of Kabahim, Aronbaiger, by sacrificing thousands of his own people.

Was he saying that Betagron had succeeded in imitating something similar on his own, using the remains of a Saint as material?

Judging by the fact that he gained the alias ‘Satellite’ in the process, it seemed that what Betagron had accomplished was no ordinary feat.

However, there was a profile below that caught his eye even more.

[7th. Conqueror Baitan. Level 7 Special Trait Ability User. Lord of Wargear.]

=A warlord who is conquering cities near the coast of the Eastern Continent.

=Conquered 9 city-states. Beheaded all six level 8 transcendents who ruled those cities.

=Recorded and specified his detailed rank at the point of destroying the maritime trade city of Mashta.

=Possesses a growth-type special trait ability that uses beheading as a trigger.

=Confirmed to be from the Four Heavenly Demon Realms.

“…”

Conqueror Baitan.

He knew that he was a being from the Four Heavenly Demon Realms and a slaughterer who specialized in beheading.

He had even witnessed the massacre committed by Baitan in a city he had stopped by on his way to the legion parade with a thousand identities.

He had remembered the name at the place where he had encountered the executor who was tracking Baitan’s movements at the time, but-

What caught Lenox’s attention was not Baitan’s ability or origin, but something else.

Baitan’s rank, which was not clearly specified in the previous power ranking.

A bitter smile naturally formed on Lenox’s lips as he saw his level, which had been unknown until now.

“Level 7…”

In this world, the power of a transcendent does not directly correlate with rank or level.

There are level 8s who are not particularly skilled in combat, and level 7s who are extremely skilled in fighting.

The difference in rank is not always a critical variable that determines victory or defeat in battles between transcendents.

There are definitely those who say that the difference between level 7 and level 8 is not that important in a life-or-death battle.

However, it is true that when monsters skilled in combat clash, the one with the higher rank has a slight advantage.

Nevertheless, the fact that Baitan was ranked 7th in the power ranking with a level 7 rank had a lot of meaning.

“Is it possible that the rank of an ability user who beheaded five level 8 transcendents was still only at the Saint level?”

Perhaps the most alien power among all the transcendents Lenox had encountered so far.

Is it a coincidence that such a being emerged from the Four Heavenly Demon Realms at this time and is rampaging through the Eastern Continent?

Above all, knowing that he was related to the resurrection of Ethan Bajur in some way-

“…”

Lenox stopped his thoughts and forcibly scrolled down.

In fact, this was why he wanted to postpone checking the power ranking.

Even if he tried to ignore it, the transcendents in the rankings always gave Lenox something to think about.

Now that Lenox was closer to the secrets of the world than ever before, their actions would inevitably affect Lenox’s judgment in some way.

With little time left until his appointment, there was no time to look at the ranking table for long.

It would be okay to quickly check the most important parts and move on.

With that decision, Lenox skipped the mid-rankings and went to the very end.

The top list located on the last page of the power ranking.

Lenox took a light breath and scrolled all the way to the end in one go.

The names of the newly ranked individuals entered Lenox’s vision in succession.

[4th. Victor. Level 8 Manipulationist. Pandemonium.]

[3rd. 3rd Saint Huge. Level 8 Martyr. Guido Order.]

[2nd. Ezekiel Ron Maze. ? Level ????. Affiliation Deleted.]

The existence of names that Lenox could not ignore even for a moment, names that he knew but did not expect.

However, before any thought could cross his mind, the scroll reached the end, revealing all the rankings.

The first ranking of the Eastern Continent at the very end of the power ranking.

Lenox’s hand stopped abruptly as he checked the name written there.

[1st. Gyonroe Ban.]

“…”

[Hoo… This is it.]

Davi, who had been holding his breath and watching from inside Lenox’s arms, let out a satisfied sigh.

The digital spirit, lying on his back and leaning against Lenox, shook his seven tails wildly and spoke in a boastful tone.

[Considering Master’s skills, it should have been like this from the start. Now it feels like the world is finally turning properly. Right, Master?]

“Why are you being so smug?”

[Pueeeeb.]

While Davi, with his cheeks grabbed and stretched out, was struggling, Lenox looked down at the screen.

“It ended up like this after all. I thought there was no way the ranking would go down in the first place, but…”

He had been thinking about it.

Now that Myung was gone, if the ranking was updated after the subjugation battle, there would be a change in the rankings in some way.

He also thought that others might be expecting that and waiting for the moment the ranking was updated.

Who was the most powerful being among the mortals in the Eastern Continent?

He knew that they might be wanting the moment that name was engraved on Vulcan.

Davi, who was very excited, rolled around on Lenox’s lap and puffed out his chest.

[I’ve already taken a screenshot of the updated ranking, Master. I’ll make sure to preserve it all over the deep web so I don’t forget!]

“…I don’t need it. If we’re going to be picky, it seems like the rankings below are more important than the 1st place.”

Lenox turned his gaze, pondering.

He had prioritized checking the 1st place, but he felt more interested in the rankings below.

“There have never been Saints in the power ranking before, but this time there’s one ranked as high as 3rd. This is already quite unusual.”

[U, um…]

“Besides, I thought Victor’s identity might be in the ranking, but his rank is too high. And above all, the name above that is…”

[No, no!! First, we need to see the evaluation of the 1st place as a celebration!!]

Davi, horrified, hurriedly grabbed the scroll and stirred it.

The moment the ranking table moved and the phrase written in the evaluation section was revealed.

[…Huh?]

At the same time that Davi’s expression, which had been full of anticipation, changed strangely, Lenox also tilted his head.

[1st. Gyonroe Ban. ? Level Electro-Mage. Master of the Vulcan Magic Tower.]

=Ranking updated after the end of the subjugation battle.

=Spell analysis impossible. Presumed to have gained transcendence.

=Exclusion from the ranking was seriously discussed, but judgment is impossible.

=Evaluation will be updated sequentially after confirming whether ranking is possible.

“…”

[No, what is this?]

Davi, who had been looking at the ranking with a satisfied expression, instantly puffed up his cheeks.

The spirit, raising his front paws, waved his hands as if trying to scratch the screen with his claws.

[Why didn’t they write it properly? Aren’t they doing their job right?!]

“Davi.”

Lenox lifted Davi with a dumbfounded voice, and the digital spirit flapped his tail wildly as if in anger.

[No, they’re saying they were going to exclude Master instead of putting him in 1st place! This is unfair!! I’m going to protest to the ranking management bureau right now!!]

“I’m sorry, but there’s no organization that manages the power ranking table in Vulcan.”

Lenox shook his head, holding the spirit who was spouting nonsense in his arms.

“And the exclusion from the ranking that the ranking creator mentioned is not for another reason. He’s just strictly adhering to the criteria he set when creating the ranking.”

[What do you mean… Ah?]

Upon hearing those words, Davi hurriedly scrolled to the top and looked at the content again.

A kind of warning message that the ranking creator had written before posting the rankings.

※ Notes

1) List of transcendents who have been active or recorded in the Eastern Continent within the last 5 years.

2) When updating transcendents currently active in other continents or the central front, specify the reason.

3) Ascended beings are not included in the ranking list.

“Ascended beings are not included in the ranking list.”

Lenox said calmly, pointing to the third sentence in the notes.

“The author knows that I gained transcendence during the subjugation battle. So he thought I had become an ascended being and considered excluding me from the ranking.”

[…Ah.]

“But it’s right to see that he has postponed judgment on that part since my name is written in 1st place. He’s not an ordinary person after all…”

Lenox’s gaze, looking at the ranking, sank deeply.

“He wasn’t even supposed to have participated in the subjugation battle, but he’s guessing what kind of power I’ve gained. The fact that such a thing is possible means he’s not an ordinary recorder or observer.”

“…”

“Above all, look at the explanation he wrote while ranking me… He said he would update the evaluation after confirming whether ranking is possible. The ranking creator himself was not sure whether this power ranking could be uploaded to the deep web normally.”

Lenox’s gaze sank low as he tapped the screen.

A series of inferences, quickly finding connections while thinking about the other party’s intentions and motives.

“The author tried to confirm whether I had become an ascended being or not by uploading the power ranking. That’s because the ‘record’ posted by the author can act as a basis for judgment.”

[That’s…]

“He was trying to keep checking something through whether the power ranking was posted or not. Just this fact alone gives us some idea of what kind of being the author is. But…”

Rather, that’s why he couldn’t understand why he did this.

He knew he wasn’t an ordinary being, but why was he showing such an active interest in the world?

Davi also knew who Lenox was talking about, so he hesitated and asked.

[Was the purpose of creating the power ranking itself to send a message to Master?]

“…Well.”

Lenox, raising his gaze, slowly closed the screen and got up from his seat.

“It seems like I can’t find out anything more with just this right now.”

“…”

“It seems like it’s time to visit the Library of Darkness again soon.”

From the post that analyzed Lenox through the subjugation battle to the power ranking.

Even though he had a vague idea of who the other party was, there were still parts that were not explained.

In the end, there were things that could not be known without asking the person directly. There was no reason to dwell on unsolved questions for long.

[Ah! Comments!]

Davi, who had been looking at the closed deep web site, belatedly came to his senses and jumped up.

[Master, we need to see the comments. Comments…!!!! Huh??]

The deep web bulletin board that he had opened and accessed was continuously stuttering and stopping in real time.

At the same time as the ranking was uploaded, the number of comments exploded, and even the central network, which had barely stabilized, was fluctuating.

“Perhaps this was also part of the reason why the power ranking was uploaded so late.”

Lenox said calmly, looking at the screen of the site that had stopped with the loading window.

“It seems like he was aiming for the timing when the network would stabilize, but even considering that, the reaction was quite intense. Let’s check the other parts later.”

[Noooo!!]

“No. There’s really no time now.”

Lenox said, getting up from his seat and picking up his coat.

“In the first place, they said they would update the ranking evaluation later, so what’s the point of checking it right now? It’s not too late to check it after all the related information comes out.”

[But… But it’s fun! Master enjoyed it too!]

“They’re probably fighting again over who’s stronger between Chunbun and Gyonroe. There’s no need to see more.”

Lenox, raising his magic power, grabbed his coat, put it on his shoulders, and raised his head.

He spoke to Davi, who was sitting on the floor with his eyes closed and concentrating his mind.

“If you want, you can look at it alone during the interim settlement. You can collect the reactions separately, right?”

[…No. It’s not fun anymore unless I watch it with Master. I’ll just go with you.]

Davi stretched out his front paws as if asking to be hugged, sitting on the ground.

The moment Lenox hugged Davi and strongly grabbed his coat.

A dark shadow exploded out and transformed into the shape of a shadow robe.

Whoosh!!!

The robe wrapped around him, turning as black as darkness, and in an instant, Lenox’s presence and magic pattern changed.

In Lenox’s hand, shaking from the murky shadows, was an opaque obsidian mask.

Lenox, putting on the mask and turning his gaze, took a step forward, his voice distorted.

“It’s been quite a while since I’ve participated in an interim settlement.”

The aftermath that Lenox had to deal with in the post-processing was not just Gyonroe’s identity.

As he had been luring the board until the end with Victor’s identity to control the avatar.

There were still things that had to be dealt with in Victor’s name, not Gyonroe’s.

He needed to meet with Pandemonium and sort out everything about the subjugation battle once.

“Then, shall we go right away?”

One of the important schedules that had to be prioritized after the end of the Gyonroe subjugation battle.

The various spoils and rewards that Pandemonium had obtained through the subjugation battle.

It was time to go and receive the compensation for everything he had done in Victor’s name.