Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 174

“Why so glum? Didn’t you win?”

Grisha, still bound by the chains, raised her head and smiled, but Lenok’s expression remained indifferent.

“Let’s wrap it up soon. Isn’t your mana precious?”

“……Damn it, I was planning to tease you a bit more. You’re too sharp; it’s no fun.”

At that moment, Grisha’s body, which was bound by the chains, collapsed, and she walked out from behind, looking perfectly fine.

Lenok watched this and calmly took out a new cigarette.

It wasn’t surprising.

Even when he had first put the chains on her ankles, Grisha had completely broken free from gravity’s hold and walked out from a completely different place.

He was unsure the first time he saw it, but after witnessing it again, he was certain.

‘She’s using a method of completely distorting perception by slamming massive amounts of mana into space… It’s not something I can replicate.’

An unusually immense amount of mana. And a simple, brute-force method that couldn’t even be attempted without the powerful output to fully unleash that massive energy source.

It couldn’t be said that there was no technique involved, but it far exceeded the cost-effectiveness of a spell in Lenok’s mind.

“Shall we start round two? This time, let’s go at it until one of us is knocked out.”

As she spoke, drawing up her mana and taking a step forward, Lenok responded with a nonchalant tone.

“Why would I?”

“What?”

“Did you think I’d get angry or agitated if you spewed out such obvious provocations? When you’re this blatant, it doesn’t even make me mad.”

“…….”

At that moment, Grisha closed her mouth for the first time.

Lenok looked down at her and spoke calmly.

“The first time might be a coincidence, but when several signs overlap, it’s closer to being inevitable. Amon’s subtle attitude was also part of that…”

There were many clues.

In the first few days after arriving in the Autonomous Territory, the spirit Davi kept sensing someone’s gaze.

Amon, who had been following the sorcerers to find Lenok, showed an attitude of testing him even after discovering Lenok’s identity.

Lapis’s ambiguous stance of not getting to the point until he came to the Autonomous Territory himself, and…

Even Grisha’s actions, which seemed as if she was deliberately picking a fight with Lenok.

It was certain.

They had called Lenok to the Autonomous Territory, but they were wary of Lenok accepting the offer to join.

As the pieces fell into place in his mind, Lenok’s thoughts accelerated.

“The Lighthouse Keeper’s talk about Pandemonium is probably not a lie. But the fact that the shaman attacked first, and the attitude of those who were watching, is strange. It’s as if they’re constantly observing my reaction… I see.”

Lenok nodded.

“You’re worried that I might have already made contact with Pandemonium.”

“…….”

A chilling silence fell.

Grisha’s mana, which had been resonating throughout the chamber, subsided, and Lapis’s closed eyes widened.

Amon, who had been dragging Bai Ze around, also quietly got up from his seat and looked at Lenok.

“Perhaps there’s some means of detecting whether I’m in contact with Pandemonium by shaking my emotions. And that means… it must be using the Heavenly Gaze’s power.”

Were Lenok’s words, spoken so casually, just baseless bluffs?

Or were they the blade that was dissecting the truth?

Judging by the Watchers’ reactions, the answer was clear.

“Hoo…”

At that moment, the eagerness that had filled Grisha’s face vanished as if it were a lie, and she took a step back.

Grisha glanced up at Lapis and shrugged.

“It ended up like this after all. Shall we continue?”

“…No. It’s enough now. The result wouldn’t be different anyway.”

Lapis, with a calm expression, slowly rose from her seat.

Her eyes still glowed with a deep light.

Lapis came down from the altar in the chamber and walked towards Lenok.

Her small stature barely reached Lenok’s chest.

It was a detail that suggested she was not very old.

Lapis looked up at Lenok, hesitated, and then bowed her head.

“I’m sorry. I was planning to explain everything after all of this was over, but it’s not easy.”

“Keep talking.”

“Evan is right. Originally, with Grisha’s help, I was going to shake Evan and use that agitation to see the truth with my own eyes.”

“…….”

“Under the celestial sphere of this lighthouse, the Heavenly Gaze’s power becomes stronger than usual. But even so, nothing was reflected from Evan’s inner self.”

Lapis honestly admitted all the facts without making any excuses.

Grisha and Amon silently endured her decision from the side.

It was a completely different attitude from when she had rushed out on her own without listening to Lapis earlier.

At the very least, it was proof that the dark-skinned shaman recognized this Lighthouse Keeper as her superior.

While Lenok was observing the reactions around him, Lapis continued to speak.

“I don’t know if you’re aware, but recently, Pandemonium’s momentum has been unusual. There are rumors that they are secretly trying to contact talented sorcerers like Evan.”

“So, you needed to urgently verify my credibility?”

Lenok tilted his head slightly as he replied.

The smoke from his mouth spread widely through the cold air of the chamber.

“It’s hard to be convinced with just that excuse. If you want to persuade me, you’ll have to come up with a more reasonable excuse.”

“…….”

“Right now, you and Pandemonium don’t seem much different.”

“We are not different.”

Lapis calmly acknowledged that blatant fact.

This time, it was Lenok’s turn to close his mouth.

“…….”

“We are not different. In this era where even the Ascended are giving up on ascension… how can we be sure that we are doing the right thing, fulfilling a perfect mission?”

“Lapis. That’s…”

Grisha tried to stop her from the side, but Lapis ignored her and continued to speak.

“But even if we worry and suffer ourselves, we try not to leave a single doubt when we move our hands. That’s what it means to oppose Pandemonium.”

“You’re saying you won’t leave a single doubt in the minds of those under you?”

“Yes. The consequences of that choice are also my responsibility.”

Lapis said that and closed her eyes.

As if waiting for Lenok’s decision.

“…….”

Lenok crossed his arms and fell into thought without a word.

Lapis’s words were impressive, but Lenok had no intention of being swayed by unnecessary sentimentality.

After all, what Lenok wanted was not to become a member of the Watchers, but a means to achieve his goal.

However, it was also true that he had learned the reason for their rude attitude until just now and Lapis’s determination.

And that Lapis had left no room for excuses for all of these actions.

“Let’s go back to the beginning.”

Lenok said, chewing on his cigarette.

“To be honest, it’s hard to feel any attraction to an organization called the Eyes of Azure. The Pandemonium I’ve seen were all monsters… and I’m not convinced that you have the power to deal with them.”

“…….”

“But if we can make a deal and promise for the future, that’s fine. If you’re okay with it, I’d like to find the drug lord’s vault in exchange for borrowing the Heavenly Gaze’s power, like we talked about earlier.”

Let’s just cut through all the processes and look at the results.

Lapis was worried that Lenok might have gone over to Pandemonium, so she tested him before trying to persuade him, and she failed.

It wasn’t a matter of arguing here that she apologized for that without making any excuses.

There was only one thing to know.

Does the Eyes of Azure have the power to be systematic or elite enough to stand against Pandemonium?

The shaman Grisha was a stronger sorcerer than Lenok had thought, but he had no intention of making a decision based on that alone.

Whether they really had the qualifications they claimed would be something to watch over time.

Lenok also thought that it would be easier to control this side than to get involved with that group of uncontrollable monsters.

If he could handle them well, they might become a decent shield in the battle against Pandemonium.

Lapis nodded readily.

“Understood. It’s not exactly an apology for this incident, but for this matter, I will grant Evan’s request without any compensation.”

“Good. The talk is over.”

Only then did Lenok smile as he put the cigarette in his mouth.

“Then, shall we take a look at the Lighthouse Keeper’s power?”

* * *

Lenok and Lapis briefly discussed the drug lord’s vault and decided to take a day off before starting the work.

It was the result of the fatigue of her, who had overused the Heavenly Gaze’s power, and Lenok, who had come to the lighthouse right after fighting Bai Ze, coinciding with each other.

Grisha called out to Lenok, who was about to leave the chamber with Amon, who was hesitantly trying to guide him to his lodgings.

“Hey.”

“…What is it?”

Grisha glanced at Amon before answering.

He managed to understand the look and quickly slung Bai Ze over his shoulder before disappearing out of the chamber.

With Lapis also having left first, only the two sorcerers remained in the chamber.

Grisha, who had been staring intently at Lenok’s slightly tense face, spoke with a sullen expression.

“I got a feel for it when we fought earlier. You’re level 6, right?”

“…….”

“Well, it’s not something to hide. Regardless of your talent, I can tell you’re used to fighting using nature transformation.”

Lenok sighed, having nothing to say.

He hadn’t openly used nature transformation in his fight with Grisha, but Lenok knew what it felt like.

From the perspective of a sorcerer who had reached a similar level, not being flustered by such nature transformation was an indication of their mastery.

“So?”

“I’m not the type to just gloss over things with words.”

Grisha said with a grin.

“I’ll show you something that will be very helpful to you. Can we call it even with that?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You said earlier that we were lacking compared to those Pandemonium guys. I think I can give you an answer to that.”

Grisha muttered and took a step forward.

Immediately after, a massive amount of mana poured out from her entire body.

KWA-A-A-A-A!!!

Such a density of mana.

This wasn’t just the idea of using a powerful spell.

The power to occupy space entirely and reverse its nature.

It was a secret of sorcery that was now familiar to Lenok, yet was incredibly dangerous and powerful.

Could it be that Grisha was also able to use it through sorcery?

“Well, it’ll be faster to show you than to explain it.”

Crack!

For the first time, Grisha used a trigger to activate her sorcery.

Using her pinky finger to pierce her temple, blood began to trickle down her forehead.

She received the red blood flowing down her chin and sprinkled it in front of her feet as she muttered.

“Self-Domain Deployment.”

[Image Imprinting]

PA-A-A-A-A-A!!!

A colorless wave resonated strongly, instantly devouring the surrounding space and changing its nature.

Just by entering another mage’s domain, a powerful pressure that made it hard to breathe pressed down on Lenok.

But what caught Lenok’s eye before the immense mana that was pressing down on his entire body was Grisha’s domain itself, which was not only engulfing the chamber but also completely repainting it into a new landscape.

It was changing.

Lush bushes grew beneath his feet, and countless trees rose up around Grisha and Lenok.

The tightly sealed ceiling of the chamber had turned into a sky that was now heating up.

The heat that was scorching the tips of his skin and the sticky humidity that was warming his entire body instantly penetrated Lenok’s airways.

The sound of the wind that had been endless from all sides of the tower subsided, and a silent, windless zone descended.

A landscape that Lenok had never experienced even on Earth.

A jungle in the middle of nowhere was unfolding right before his eyes.

“…….”

A miracle that was so absurd that it could never be understood with a clear mind.

But Lenok pressed his lips together with a cold expression.

If he had been ignorant of domains, he would have simply believed that Grisha had really transferred Lenok to another space.

But Lenok was keenly aware that the landscape she had created was an even greater miracle than that.

‘The act of imprinting an image onto a domain to realize a landscape…’

He had heard about it in a conversation with Aris on his way back from the academy.

That very landscape that she, a genius who had reached level 6 in her twenties, was struggling with to go higher, was now unfolding before Lenok’s eyes.

The meaning of this was very simple.

A top-tier sorcerer who had reached level 7 was revealing her secret art to Lenok.

Grisha smiled confidently.

“It’s called the Southern Jungle Landscape. Isn’t it cool?”