Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 1275

In the endless darkness, tens of thousands of books stretched to the horizon.

On all sides, vast bookshelves of immeasurable height and width held parchments and grimoires that exuded a strange aura.

Lenok followed the library employee, who was guiding him, through the seemingly infinite archive.

Creak, creak…

Around the archive, emaciated skeletons creaked as they carried books and organized the shelves.

The skeletons, devoid of reason and ego, performed their tasks with empty eyes, slowly bowing their heads each time the two passed by.

The end of beings eternally subjugated to the darkness of the archive, used like slaves.

“It didn’t look like this when I came here last time,” Lenok said, looking around at the scenery of Nox Biblio, the archive of darkness he was visiting for the second time.

“How long are you going to keep imitating that human form?”

“You have a bad habit of asking again even after getting the quiz answer right,” Naoise Penn replied without turning to look at Lenok.

Each time he leisurely walked with his hands behind his back, the darkness around him swirled and fell.

The way he moved through space as if sliding without taking a step only proved that he was a being who had transcended limits.

“As you said, this one is one of the vessel-possessing bodies I chose to watch the world. He is an ordinary human who doesn’t know who I am or what is inside him.”

“……”

“Except for the moment when he is connected and synchronized with my will, he has no talent or curse. He hasn’t committed any particular sin, so don’t think about harming him.”

“I don’t know who’s talking to whom,” Lenok’s gaze turned cold.

“I don’t play tricks on humans. Nor do I choose troublesome means to intervene in the world like you do.”

“……”

“Is the lich who trampled on his own world and ascended now pretending to worry about humans?”

“Well… I wonder why,” Naoise Penn said casually.

“Perhaps it’s because I belatedly realized its preciousness after having crushed it once.”

“……”

While Lenok was speechless at the answer he had never imagined, the lich chuckled and turned his gaze.

“Maybe I just wanted to see how you would react. Or maybe it was just a perfunctory remark without any thought.”

“It seems like you want to play word games with me.”

“That’s right. I stopped attaching reasons to everything I did a long time ago.”

The lich, borrowing the employee’s body, tilted his head as he walked between the bookshelves.

“Instead… I’ve become more deeply engrossed in being honest with my emotions.”

“……”

“I keep throwing stones on the calm surface of the water and watching the shape of the ripples. While remembering how they once existed within me.”

The lich let out a slow laugh, bursting with gloomy splendor.

“Perhaps it’s out of such lingering attachment that I don’t let go of my ties with the world in this way. Isn’t it ironic?”

Whoosh…!!!

In the endless darkness, a huge bookshelf brushed past and disappeared.

He walked without direction or path, beyond the void where there was no sense of speed or distance.

Each time, all sorts of grimoires, parchments, and papyri emitted eerie wails and then disappeared.

“You still seem to be interested in the formulas stored in my archive,” the lich said without looking back.

“Come to think of it, this is your second time visiting the archive. It wouldn’t be surprising if a formula that ‘catches’ your eye were to appear.”

“……”

“If you want, you can borrow a few more books from here. A diligent user who keeps the return date should be rewarded accordingly.”

Naoise Penn, who had laughed in a low voice, lightly gestured, and the huge bookshelf that had disappeared far away was instantly pulled back in front of Lenok.

Whoosh!

A huge bookshelf with the shape of a ghost lingering, along with a damp, eerie wail.

A gruesome sight of a pile of skeletons rattling and making dull sounds while hanging all over the bookshelf.

However, Lenok, unperturbed by the encroaching eerie chill, stared at the grimoires and papyri on the bookshelf.

The books Lenok had borrowed when he first visited the archive of darkness were three: [Celestial Formula: Miniature Garden], [Black God Demonic Art], and [Hellfire Illusion Palace].

At the time, he had carefully selected the grimoires, looking for particularly powerful and unique formulas within the archive.

However, there were dozens of grimoires that he had not seen in the archive at that time, now placed on the bookshelf that had just passed by.

[Soul-Forgetting Formula]

[Ten Demon Sealing]

[Slaughtering Evil False Gate]

[Private Compilation Curse]

……

The highest-level dark magic grimoires, so saturated with an evil aura that just reading the titles made one’s spine tingle.

[Vista Ryu Swordsmanship]

[Automaton Automatic Calculation Formula]

[Taphon Artificial Intelligence Creation Method]

[Forbidden Art: Longevity Species Offering Ritual]

…….

Even though they were just a list of simple knowledge, all sorts of creation methods and blueprints whose ominousness or distortion could be guessed at a glance.

Powerful grimoires that Lenok had not seen when he had looked around the archive of darkness for a long time were piled up like mountains.

Whether it was knowledge that had newly entered this dark magic archive since he had not visited, or whether there was another reason.

“You seem to have a lot of questions,” As if noticing Lenok’s thoughts, Naoise Penn spoke solemnly in a deep voice.

“Then you have to solve the skeleton quiz, right?”

“……”

Was it a delusion that the lich, spouting nonsense in an unnecessarily serious tone, seemed somehow strangely excited?

“This bookshelf you are looking at now is a part of my collection that existed even when you first visited my archive.”

The lich, with his hands behind his back, grinned and asked, not caring that Lenok was frowning.

“But why didn’t you see this bookshelf when you first came to the archive? Did I hide it away because I didn’t want to show it to you?”

“……”

“The answer exists within this archive. Why don’t you try to guess the reason and entertain this old man?”

It is not strange for those who pursue the path to prefer the form of questions and answers.

Asking a question and receiving an answer. Because those who pursue the path know that this simple act is actually the most difficult and greatest procedure.

Giving an answer to the question to move forward as the end of the world approaches.

That is why the transcendent being in front of him might also be obsessed with the ridiculous meaning of the skeleton quiz-

“It’s because the existence of Nox Biblio… operates on a principle similar to the [Archive] of the Ars Nova Empire’s Imperial Palace,” Lenok had no intention of indulging in such a transcendent’s game for long.

“If this archive is also a ritual space designed by imitating and calculating the operating principle of the Akashic Records [a compendium of all universal events, thoughts, and emotions] existing in the outer universe… then there must be some rules it shares with the Imperial Palace Archive.”

“……”

“The most immediate possibility I can guess is that the information available for viewing is sequentially revealed according to the spirituality and cognitive ability of the subject who entered Nox Biblio.”

Lenok, slowly reaching out his hand towards the bookshelf that was emitting eerie wails in front of him, said.

“If I can view this bookshelf because my spirituality and cognitive ability have increased significantly compared to before, then either way, it wouldn’t be strange.”

“……Hoo.”

At that moment, a smile, so dry it was eerie, appeared on the expressionless employee’s face.

Naoise Penn, who had tilted his head forward to a bizarre degree, looked at Lenok and slowly smiled.

“Hehehehe… As expected, you were the most excellent skeleton quiz enthusiast among the guests who visited the archive.”

“Since when did you give me such a strange title?”

“Even if the clue already exists within oneself, it is difficult to assemble it into a meaningful form.”

The lich, neatly ignoring Lenok’s rebuttal, said slowly.

“It was an exceptionally excellent answer. I’ll give you the skeleton answer title as a reward.”

“……”

In the Imperial Palace Archive, which he had entered with the help of a fisherman in Kabahim, Lenok was able to confirm his origins and resolve several questions within the Golden Record existing in the outer universe.

The archive of darkness managed by Naoise Penn, Nox Biblio, is an archive that collects and manages all dark magic existing in the old and current worlds.

The reason Lenok felt a sense of déjà vu when looking at the archive was because the Answerer of Heaven had designed Nox Biblio in the same way as the Imperial Palace Archive.

He had only easily solved the quiz given by the lich through the truth he had learned in Kabahim, but the person who had given the quiz seemed very satisfied.

That was probably because Lenok perfectly understood the reason why the archive of darkness could exist.

“A child who has solved the quiz so well should have a gift,” Naoise Penn said, turning his body.

“As promised, if there are any grimoires you want, take a few more. I’ll extend the return date for you.”

“…Okay,” Lenok said, hearing those words, and obediently turned towards the bookshelf and began to examine the grimoires and parchments.

Just like when he had first visited the archive and chosen three books, he was going through the procedure of borrowing three more in his second visit.

From the beginning, that was close to a kind of privilege given only to those who had solved this skeleton quiz.

Lenok was also aware of that, so he was not surprised by the Answerer of Heaven’s words and focused on choosing books.

The employee, looking at Lenok’s hand as he quickly chose his books and turned around, stroked his chin.

“Hoo… You’ve picked out unusual books, one after another.”

[Slaughtering Evil False Gate]

[Automaton Automatic Calculation Formula]

And a worn leather notebook with its title covered by a band.

“You still only want formulas and knowledge that are difficult to handle. Is there a reason why you picked these?”

“Now is the time when I need new formulas, and at the same time, I need to fill in what I lack,” Lenok said calmly.

“Slaughtering Evil False Gate is necessary for the great achievement of Black God Demonic Art, and its nature alone is a formula that corresponds to the Hellfire Illusion Palace. I picked up the Automaton Automatic Calculation Formula because it might be able to supplement the calculation ability I need.”

“What about the last one?”

“The third one… I’ll talk about it again after I’ve finished returning the Celestial Formula,” Lenok chuckled as he rolled the notebook in his hand.

“I think I need time to confirm if this is what I wanted.”

“…Is that so?” Naoise Penn did not ask any further.

Instead, in the body of a human who felt nothing special, he walked through the darkness of the archive towards his destination.

A huge hill where all sorts of grimoires, parchments, and books were piled up, forming a mountain of information.

The lich, who had arrived at the place where he had first lent the Celestial Formula, turned his body and reached out his hand.

“Give me the book. I’ll have to rewrite its ownership again.”

“……” Lenok silently handed him the grimoire of the Celestial Formula he was holding.

The library employee, with an expressionless face, approached the pile of books and picked up a quill pen that was stuck in between.

Scribble, scribble.

He opened the page of the book and slowly rewrote the language that was written there.

The employee, who had slowly put down the quill pen, turned his body with a smile.

“The return of the Celestial Formula grimoire. I have received it within the deadline. Thank you for keeping the promise you made when you first entered the archive.”

“……”

“Then, now show me the third book you chose last. If you want to borrow three more books, you’ll eventually have to show it to me.”

“I will,” Lenok slowly placed the grimoire, parchment, and notebook he was holding in front of the lich.

The moment he removed the band that was covering the title and gently stroked the surface with one hand.

At the same time, the title of the notebook, written in a scrawling manner, appeared in front of the two.

[Record of the Demonic Realm (Author: Ethan Bajur)]

“Hoo…”

“At the point when Kaise Bajur disappeared, the karma of Ethan, whom he used as a vessel, would have been completely severed as well,” Lenok said calmly.

“But that’s why I thought there might be records related to Ethan left in this archive. Especially if that record is knowledge related to dark magic.”

“……”

“Ethan Bajur’s record of his travels across the continent. Among them, a travelogue of his journey through the demonic realm of the central front.”

Lenok, staring at the expressionless employee’s face, asked.

“I’ll borrow this journal from the archive. Is that okay?”

Through the ghost journal he had found in the military city, Lenok had learned that Ethan Bajur had traveled the continent and left records.

The last journey Ethan had taken before handing over his body to Kaise. The travel journal he had left behind while traveling all over the continent.

Lenok had succeeded in confirming in the archive of darkness that there might be a travelogue of his journey through the demonic realm among them.

The Ars Nova Empire’s Imperial Palace.

The last secret of this world is sleeping beyond the already destroyed city.

In order to obtain it, one must cross the central front and go beyond the demonic realm that has turned into hell.

The corpse of the dead general of the Imperial Palace. The ability to interpret causality that Lenok needs to freely manipulate extreme lightning.

All of those things are beyond the demonic realm.

This journal was the reason why Lenok had come to the archive, and it was the preparation itself for leaving for the demonic realm.

“I see. A journal, huh…” Naoise Penn stroked his chin as if he was interested.

“I didn’t know that you, of all people, would want this book. Or rather, I didn’t know you would find its existence in the archive.”

“……”

“Okay. I’ll allow the loan. When I think about it, it’s a record that no one but you would have the right to borrow.”

The lich, slowly raising the quill pen, chuckled.

“Wait a moment… I’ll change the ownership of the knowledge you chose to your name…”

“The ownership of knowledge…” Naoise Penn did not answer.

Instead, he moved the body of the employee he had taken over, and began to slowly move his hand while holding the quill pen.

The sound of knowledge and information being newly inscribed on the paper, scribble, scribble, quietly echoed in the endless darkness.

Lenok, looking at the lich’s back, was thinking about the time when he had come here once before.

Come to think of it, it had been like that here the first time as well.

He had only guided him through the process of borrowing and returning books, and had tried to finish without saying anything to Lenok.

If Lenok had not directly called out the Answerer of Heaven’s name and asked a question at that time, this second meeting today would not have existed either.

The task at hand had not changed from that time.

If the Answerer of Heaven himself had no intention of speaking first, then Lenok would simply ask first.

In the strange silence, Lenok’s mouth naturally opened.

“I know that the borrowing and returning of books in the archive is not like a library system.”

“……”

“It’s an act close to a trick of switching the ownership of records… That’s why there is a deadline for borrowing books, and those who have failed to keep it are subjugated within the archive and used like slaves.”

Lenok, looking at the silent lich’s back, glanced away.

The spirituality and cognitive ability that had been expanded even more than before after gaining transcendence, removed the darkness and cast something more onto Lenok’s eyes.

Even at this moment, several travelers were wandering through the far side of the archive without a guide.

The seekers of knowledge who were still alive and walking through the far side of the endless bookshelves, not yet turned into skeletons.

“Not satisfied with the records you leave in the archive yourself, you repeat the act of borrowing the karma of the world to inscribe records in the present world again…” Lenok, looking at that scene, said in a light tone as if passing by.

“I think I deserve to hear your thoughts on putting my name first in the sensational topic of power rankings. What do you think?”

“……”