Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 201

“I have traveled the world for a very long time.”

Antares said.

His eyes, reflecting the dim starlight, glowed faintly.

“After meeting countless people and witnessing countless deaths, I finally realized that all the things I had passed by indifferently were, in fact, the struggles of those who had grasped the truth before me.”

“……”

“The moment an individual’s consciousness transcends its constraints and awakens, a person inevitably constructs their own world in some way. But at the same time… they begin to compare the world they’ve created with this world.”

It doesn’t matter whether they are mages who manipulate magic, superhumans who focus solely on physical enhancement, or shamans who use spiritual power.

Self-domains, described as inner worlds or microcosms, are ultimately the act of projecting one’s own mental image onto the world.

To project is, in essence, to compare.

Having elevated their insight and level to the point where they can weigh the world, those who reach a certain level eventually realize.

“Whose mind is the origin of this world’s scenery?”

Antares asked.

“Could it be that this land, which I have seen, felt, and cherished countless times during my travels, is not the beginning?”

Renok couldn’t answer.

Antares, who had lived as a member of this world, was piecing together the fragments of truth more sharply than Renok himself.

However, Antares smiled faintly at Renok’s expression.

“I can guess what you’re pondering. You haven’t yet decided on the landscape of your mind, have you? A vessel capable of choosing the direction of your talent… truly overwhelming. That’s why it’s an exceptionally wise choice.”

“…I don’t understand what you mean.”

At Renok’s words, Antares slowly lowered his head and met his gaze.

“That is a qualification.”

“……”

“Unlike us, who naturally project the landscapes we’ve held in our hearts since birth, you have the qualification to create the world you desire. Don’t you understand what that means?”

He nodded, watching Renok’s wavering eyes, and rose from his seat.

“It’s a distant story. But you will be able to understand it. The moment of choice comes to everyone, and a world will arrive where each person’s answer is all that matters.”

Renok, sensing something from his infinitely calm answer, raised his head.

An attitude that seemed detached at first glance. Ambiguous actions that made it impossible to discern his intentions. Yet, a resolute determination that could not be hidden.

It wasn’t the lament of someone who had given up, but that of a warrior facing war.

“Antares. You… you’ve already made your decision.”

“I understand what those like Pandemonium are trying to do. I can even sympathize with their ideology to some extent. But the monsters that come down from the outer sea after the sky opens… they are beyond the realm that humans can measure. How can people discuss order in a moment when the laws of the world are completely changing?”

Antares raised his head and looked up at the distant night sky.

“I don’t think the current world is entirely right. Especially the ‘immortality’ that the old men of Balkan desire is truly sickening… The Ascended [beings who have transcended human limitations] are failing and breaking down, and I feel that everyone is slowly heading towards the end…”

“But even so, I believe it is right to accept the ending that one has chosen for oneself.”

He said that and remained silent for a long time.

Renok also kept his mouth shut, unsure of what to answer.

It was a difficult story, but what Antares had just told him was undoubtedly his own answer.

It was just that a terrifying truth that he didn’t want to understand was mixed in those words.

That was why Renok couldn’t speak easily.

After a long while, Renok spoke.

“A closed world… that’s what it meant.”

“The fact that you understand those words means that you are also someone who must answer.”

Antares said, slowly rising from his seat.

“It seems we both came to ask each other the same thing.”

“……”

“I won’t stop my unit from cooperating with you. It seems quite a few of them like you… I don’t need to stop them. If you want, hire them as you see fit.”

As far as Renok knew, there were quite a few mercenaries among Antares’s men who wanted to work with him.

People like Felix, who viewed this matter favorably, could easily be drawn into this if the compensation was agreed upon.

Antares allowing this was, in effect, a declaration of cooperation. He seemed to think of lending his strength to Renok as something insignificant.

“Does that mean the Cartel isn’t that important in this matter?”

“Well… I wonder?”

Antares said, looking down at Renok.

“There are more people who have realized the truth than you might think… But have you ever wondered why the high-ranking sorcerers and superhumans who have settled in this megacity haven’t moved until now?”

“……”

“Once the balance starts to crumble, it will be impossible to stop. The moment you start digging into the secrets that have been hidden under tacit agreement, you can’t expect the same peace as before. The Cartel was the first to act, so they are responsible… but you should prepare yourself.”

A clear glint of light flowed from Antares’s eyes as he said that.

“To overturn the existing order and system, you must ultimately accept sacrifices. To return everything to its place, you must ultimately reach the top.”

“……”

“Watching whether you are prepared for that, and whether you have the qualifications, will be quite interesting.”

“I have made my decision. I am waiting for the day you will tell me your answer.”

With just one step as he turned his back, Antares’s figure disappeared completely.

A bizarre disappearance that couldn’t even be detected by Renok’s magic sense.

In the middle of the empty junkyard, Renok silently looked up at the night sky.

The stars, obscured by the city’s hazy smog, were now only faintly illuminating the ground.

What conclusion had Antares reached as he looked up at that sky?

It was a brief meeting, but each of the words he had left with Renok was clearly etched in his mind.

In a way, he had directly confirmed the cruel truth that Renok had been speculating about.

That was probably because Antares, too, had gained his own conviction through his conversation with Renok.

It was a complex problem.

He had thought that he only needed to run to break free from his own constraints.

But the more power and qualifications he gained, the more he had to face truths he didn’t want to know.

And the fact that all life on this land could not escape that truth.

Was there more than just a simple coincidence in Renok opening his eyes in this world?

If he had to be forced to choose as someone’s tool, or under the guise of fate…

Even so, is there something he must do for the sake of unchanging values?

He sighed and rose from his seat.

As always, a mage’s reason refused to dwell on unsolvable problems for long.

For now, he had no choice but to solve the problems right in front of him.

As he stepped out of the junkyard and was about to return home, his cell phone vibrated loudly.

It was a call from Jenny.

The moment he pressed the call button, her urgent voice burst out.

-Ban, can you come to the bar right now?

“What’s wrong?”

Her voice was trembling, unlike her usual self.

-Jordan has been kidnapped.

* * *

When he arrived at the bar, everyone else was already gathered.

Jenny, her face pale, was pacing anxiously in the bar’s lobby.

It had been a long time since he had seen her so agitated.

“Things have become serious,” Dray said with a grave expression.

“I want to hear the details. Is it certain that the Cartel is behind this?”

“It’s probably certain.”

Killian, who was naturally mixed among the mercenaries, answered.

“We had selected mercenaries as guards for that old man and assigned them as escorts, but more than ten of them were found with their limbs severed.”

“……”

“Two pairs of uniform knife marks on the wounds… it’s the work of someone using a double-edged blade.”

Dray continued.

“It seems there’s a maniac in the Cartel who uses similar weapons.”

There was no need to hear more.

“There’s a more serious problem,” Jenny said anxiously.

“We gave him various artifacts to prepare for such an event, but to be defeated so easily means…”

“Either they have a way to neutralize the artifacts, or…”

It meant that the opponent was so skilled that they didn’t even give him a chance to use the artifacts.

Either way, it wasn’t a good situation for Renok.

“Let’s divide the personnel,” Renok quickly concluded.

“Dray, you stay here with the mercenaries and protect the bar. If too many forces are concentrated on rescuing Jordan, there’s a chance this place will be targeted again.”

“That makes sense.”

“Killian, Wayan, and I will each split up and look for Jordan’s trail. Fortunately, no one here can’t remember Jordan’s magic.”

Renok said, pointing to the map of District 49 on the table.

“Our goal is to move while expanding the range centered on District 49, searching for the lingering magic of Jordan.”

“Will three people be enough?” Killian asked.

“Ban, your senses are beyond question, but that kid and I don’t have such a wide sensory range. Even if we spread out to avoid overlapping ranges, it won’t cover a very large radius.”

“We’ll solve that with the guys who just arrived.”

“What?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the bar door opened, and a calm voice was heard.

“Antares Office. We’ve come in place of Dylan and Mila, who are away. Where’s Janice? I’d like to get the advance payment first.”

“Brother, calm down. Shouldn’t you greet the client first?”

A pair of men and women with identical faces came down into the bar through the door.

The twins, a man with a stern expression and a woman with a gentle smile, waved their hands leisurely.

“Nice to meet you~ Jenny? If you’ve seduced our boss, how about showing your face quickly?”

Their behavior, which felt crazy at first glance, was unusual.

Killian chuckled at the sight.

“I don’t really trust idiots, but they’re better than nothing.”

* * *

The reinforcements sent first from the Antares Office were identical twins, mercenaries who worked as a pair.

The man’s name was Belver. The woman’s name was Belita.

They both seemed to have quite unique personalities, but there was no time to do anything other than introduce themselves.

Renok and the other five individual forces began to move simultaneously.

Dray was disappointed that he couldn’t move directly, but he understood.

In fact, he was the only one who could command the Creamgal Mercenary Corps here, and it was better to be organized to protect the bar as a base.

They divided the direction into five, starting from the alley where the guards were killed, where Jordan was presumed to have been kidnapped, and began the pursuit.

The lingering magic had disappeared from the point where he had fainted, but if he regained consciousness even at the place where he was kidnapped, his traces would surely appear.

‘If they try to hide Jordan’s presence, it will be easier for me…’

He remembered all the magic flows near District 49.

The moment they tried to hide their presence, it would be easy for Renok to spot the discrepancies in his memory.

The question was whether the Cartel had the ability to think that far.

And if they had such capabilities, how should he deal with them?

By killing the guards and kidnapping Jordan, the agreement with the Cartel was already out of the question.

The moment they took direct action instead of just a warning, even Jordan’s life could not be guaranteed.

‘They’ll keep him alive to use as a hostage, but he’ll have to be prepared for torture.’

Jordan was a very old man.

He had been taking care of his body as a member of this district, but if they started torturing him, he might not be able to endure it for long.

It wasn’t a matter of mental strength, but rather that his aging body couldn’t withstand continuous pain.

The only comforting fact was that Jordan had considerable knowledge of medicine.

It was highly unlikely that things would go wrong due to a rash hemorrhage or minor injury.

Once he had confirmed that, the rest was up to Renok.

A trace of magic that had manifested at the place where Jordan was presumed to have been kidnapped.

It seemed that others hadn’t noticed it, but Renok, with his extremely sensitive magic perception, could tell.

No matter how hard they tried not to leave a trace, it was difficult to erase the magic that a living person emitted while breathing.

Especially if they were being kidnapped against their will.

Unless they used something like a sealing device to completely prevent the magic from leaking out, it seemed that the Cartel didn’t have the resources to prepare such equipment.

Having confirmed that, Renok’s eyes turned cold.

“…Not far.”

It was certain that they hadn’t left this area yet.

Since Renok and his companions had decided to pursue them, if they moved rashly, their trail would be easily revealed.

They were still hiding inside District 49.