Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 157

“Kuhahaha!! Where do you think you’re running off to!” A fat man wielding a massive hammer, almost the size of a car, was madly pushing Dylan down to the first floor. Even though the second-floor hallway wasn’t narrow, the marble was crushed like tofu by the sweeping hammer blows. Crack-crack-crack!! The fat man, charging with the ferocity of a bulldozer rather than a human, relentlessly pursued Dylan and quickly surged to where Lenok was. Seeing this, Lenok didn’t evade but instead erected multiple shields in front and unleashed a barrage of impact magic. Clash. KWA-A-A-ANG!! A powerful shockwave swept through the completely shattered villa lobby, clearing away the surrounding blood and dust. The man, regaining his composure amidst the shock, endured another of Dylan’s attacks and then spoke. A calm and sharp tone that was hard to believe came from a body of blubber. “I heard Brook was taken down, so I figured you weren’t just some muscle-bound idiot, but I didn’t expect you to move this fast.” “………” “Irina’s intuition was right. She said the most troublesome one would be the culprit, and indeed, your strength and judgment are quite formidable.” The fat man, readjusting his grip on the hammer, muttered. “I must kill you here.” Lenok slightly slowed the speed at which he was drawing up his magic upon seeing his serious expression. Even though he had initiated a perfect preemptive strike, the fat man’s expression, who had appeared late, showed no change. Despite the considerable number of fallen exploration team members, the composure on his face must have a reason. He was unscathed even after most of the villa had been swept by [Whirling Blades], and considering Irina’s absence, perhaps… “You were waiting for us. Or were you preparing for any possibility?” “Kuhahaha!! Too late!!” He said that while swinging the hammer he was gripping with all his might towards the wall of the villa. Crack-crack-crack!! With that, the thick wall of the villa cracked like glass shards and began to break apart instantly. A beam of light-like figure shot up straight from the collapsing wall. A woman with brown hair fluttering, wielding a long greatsword in her hand. It was Irina Pespield, the leader of the Arashak Exploration Team. “I was too lenient.” She said, closing the distance in an instant and plunging into Lenok’s space, scattering a cold glint in her eyes. “To think you’d play it so innocent and then make a move in just one day. Thanks to you, we’ve suffered considerable damage. Do you have no shame?” “Is ‘shame’ being used in a different way than I know it?” KWA-A-ANG!! Lenok, who had pressed down on the greatsword Irina swung with a shield, laughed. “It’s not something I’d expect to hear from someone who was desperately trying to kill me. It’s time to settle this.” Clash (3) “Is this the first time we’re properly seeing each other’s faces?” Her smiling face held no hint of murderous intent, yet the greatsword in her hand was swung steadily, aiming precisely for Lenok’s waist. Whooong! A powerful blow that could easily break his spine if it landed properly. Lenok’s eyebrows slightly rose as he saw the bizarre form of the wide blade with thick, dark red veins bulging out. It was a sight that was more than worthy of being called a demonic sword. It would be best to block with a shield and counterattack, but… would that be what Irina is aiming for after one exchange of blows? The thought was brief, and the conclusion was reached in an instant. He would take it head-on. The immense magic that Lenok had drawn up was layered on his right arm and began to rotate, soon turning into a swirling vortex of blue lightning. [Lightning Vortex] Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! The point-blank, zero-range attack and the greatsword swung by Irina collided. KWA-A-A-ANG!! A shockwave erupted with a deafening roar. The floor, already cracked and broken, collapsed further, and at the same time, the two people at the center of the impact each retreated in different ways and stood facing each other. “………” Even though it was the first time they were meeting face to face, it felt as if they had met someone they knew. That was probably because, over the past week, they had been deeply contemplating each other. However, before speaking to her, Lenok cast his gaze outside the villa. A vast magic detection ability spanning several kilometers. He had caught an anomaly that could not be ignored within that range. More than a dozen presences. Each one was a life sign with substantial magic, rushing towards this place in perfect unison from a distance. “It’s ironic.” Irina said, adjusting her greatsword with a calm expression. The greatsword she held in her hand was still pulsating with unpleasant veins, like a living heart. “The single solution we created to protect this villa turned out to be more helpful than the countless methods we prepared to capture and kill you. I guess that’s why you can’t be sure about anything in life.” “Even in this situation, there’s no change in the life signs felt inside the villa.” Lenok replied. “But despite that, there are at least a dozen presences rushing from outside the villa.” It wasn’t for nothing that Dylan and Mila had searched every room of the villa after their initial entry. Securing Irina Pespield’s identity was important, but it was difficult to track her location due to the numerous life signs filling the villa. But now, not only had Irina Pespield appeared, but the exploration team was also closing in from the outside, which pointed to only one fact. Irina had left ‘expendable personnel’ inside the villa solely to deceive the intruders and buy time. “The range and sharpness of a skilled mage’s senses are unmatched… but it’s not difficult to disguise existing life signs as someone else’s.” “………” No, that’s not it. Lenok’s magic detection ability wasn’t so weak that it could be fooled by such a shallow trick. Even so, the reason Lenok hadn’t noticed this method was probably because it was one of the abilities of the countless artifacts possessed by the Arashak Ruins Exploration Team. As if following that line of reasoning, the translucent insignia hanging on Irina’s shoulder shimmered. “The Insignia of Nyx. It’s a type of artifact that randomly disguises life signs within a certain range to hide identities.” Dylan said, walking next to Lenok. “I heard it was a product of the Duris Workshop that has been completely discontinued, but you managed to get your hands on such a rare item.” “Oh, you have an eye for things, not like a typical mercenary. I thought the ability to recognize treasures was no longer present in this city.” “………” “That’s why I left here a long time ago. Huhu, it’s a very unpleasant place. This city is just unnecessarily large.” Irina said with a faint smile. Thud-thud-thud-thud!! At the same time, heavy footsteps began to be heard from outside. There was no need to think about whose side those approaching were on. “I was a little surprised. I didn’t expect you to take action so quickly after our conversation that day.” “………” “Your actions up until now and your responses to the troubles with my exploration team have been quite passive, so I thought I could rest easy until our preparations were complete… I was mistaken.” “But even so, you set a trap in case I attacked first.” “Yes. It wasn’t difficult.” Irina readily answered Lenok’s words. No one in this place was unaware that it was just a ploy to buy time, but Lenok and Dylan waited patiently. Because Dylan trusted Lenok, and Lenok trusted his own judgment. “It was difficult to predict your attack, but conversely, I knew that anything could happen in this city.” She didn’t think Lenok would attack first, but she was saying that she had prepared for any eventuality based on her experiences in Vulcan. It seemed that her time in Vulcan had been a rather harsh experience. Enough to perfectly counter his attack with a trap that wasn’t just prepared for Lenok. Thud-thud-thud-thud!! KWA-A-ANG!! More than a dozen exploration team members burst through the door. In addition, presences were felt approaching from the windows and roofs of the villa, surrounding them. In their hands, each of them was holding equipment that emitted an unusual amount of magic, glaring sharply at Dylan and Lenok. “Van. Do you see it?” Dylan muttered, drawing the two daggers he had strapped to his thigh. “All of that, they’re artifacts.” “…Yeah.” Artifacts with various abilities, regardless of whether they were blades or ornaments, were shining chaotically within his vision. They weren’t just used for combat purposes; from the moment they came into view, they were suppressing Lenok’s magic and hindering the deployment of his spells. A feast of items carefully selected to deal with a single mage. It was clear at a glance how much effort Irina had put into killing Lenok. The situation was completely different from before. The path into the villa was blocked by the fat man with the massive hammer, and the path out was blocked by Irina and dozens of her team members. Even after perfectly realizing all the plans in her head, Irina continued to speak. “It was a mistake to come here with a force that wasn’t even a squad. If there hadn’t been any team members inside the villa, you would have immediately realized it was a trap and retreated, but the presence of a mediocre force hindered your judgment.” “………” “The sacrifice of the team members is painful… but it’s inevitable if there’s something that needs to be recovered. Our exploration team’s mission was determined from the beginning.” Irina, slowly drawing up her magic and stepping forward, was so powerful that even Dylan, who was standing next to her, flinched. He had sensed it from the single strike she had shown with her greatsword earlier, but she was also a very skilled warrior. “I’ll admit it. I’m no different from those dirty freelancers.” Whooong!! The greatsword was swung, and a red arc spread across the sky. “But in the end, this is how you survive in this city. I’ll take the price for the blood that Brook and my team members shed right here.” “That’s ridiculous. Where is there a set way of doing things?” Lenok couldn’t help but let out a faint sneer at Irina’s words. “It’s a world where you can’t even decide whether to live or die. Does rationalizing yourself with plausible nonsense make you feel any better?” “………” “You think you’ve succeeded in buying time and keeping me in place for this moment, but how much do you actually know about me?” Lenok, flicking off the ash from his cigarette, continued. “The need for time, the gathering of all the exploration team’s forces. You weren’t the only one waiting.” “…You’re spouting nonsense because you’re cornered. Begin!!” With those words, Irina gritted her teeth and shouted, and at the same time, the magic unleashed by the team members fell towards the center of the villa. Simultaneously, the team members behind them began to rush towards Dylan and Lenok. “Van!!” “I know.” Irina mocked Lenok’s foolishness for attacking the villa with only three people, but could it really be called a mistake? The answer would not be known until the outcome of this battle pointed in a certain direction. After all, Irina would never have shown herself to Lenok without a certainty of victory. Like a tomb raider who had wandered the continent for a long time, exploring hidden ruins, she must have been circling around Lenok, searching for a fatal opportunity. But Lenok didn’t have time to wait for that decisive moment. He had too many things to do. Following Yakseon’s words, he had to retrieve Malabes from the drug lord’s vault. And he had to meet the next lighthouse keeper to find clues about all of this. It was a task that was already overwhelming and difficult for him. “I don’t have time to hesitate here.” The reason he had hired only Dylan and Mila and headed straight to this villa. The reason he had immediately launched the operation with only Sebastian’s information. Did Irina Pespield realize that all those moments that made the opponent feel like they had a good chance of winning were precisely to bring this moment of confrontation closer? No, if she didn’t know, he would make her realize it now. “Mila.” The moment Lenok whispered the name of his third companion in a small voice.