Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 215

Leak

Jenny’s three-story bar building.

On the surface, it appears to have no hidden spaces except for the bar on the first basement floor, but the reality is quite different.

On the opposite side of the passage leading from the bar to the office.

Behind an old mirror hanging on the wall, an emergency exit opens to an underground waterway.

“With Dyke’s help, we scouted their factory site several times. We finally cornered him in Sector 49, but… there’s no way to find his location through conventional means.”

Jenny nodded, stopping in front of the control room where a faint emergency light flickered, after walking down a long corridor in the waterway.

Ike, a bald giant leaning against the door, yawned and grinned at her.

“You’re finally here.”

“How is it inside?”

“Kilian went in first. That guy’s pretty wild. I’m a little jealous.”

“……”

Well, his personality is as rough as his appearance; he’s practically a gangster.

Renok sent Jenny upstairs first and stepped into the abandoned control room.

Inside was a control room for the waterway management facilities and a warehouse with discarded pipes behind a glass window.

Girard was sitting on a chair inside the warehouse, his limbs tightly bound, his head bowed.

His limbs were secured with restraints specifically designed for mana users. These restraints penetrate the blood vessels and constrict the limbs, disrupting the flow of mana. [Mana is a form of energy used by magic users.]

If worn for too long, the limbs could become necrotic and unusable, but it was necessary to keep a powerful individual alive while restraining him.

Kilian, who had been watching the scene with a bored expression, nodded at Renok.

Renok stood next to him and asked.

“Any unusual signs so far?”

“None. He seems conscious, but he doesn’t seem to be resisting. But is this really the right approach?”

Kilian said, pointing to the syringe stuck in Girard’s shoulder.

“Like you said, I gave him a regeneration-enhancing ampoule for mana users, but there’s no reason to treat a guy who’s about to die.”

“It’s believed that his mana makes him stronger as he gets injured. Rather than creating unnecessary problems, it’s easier to heal him and make him talk.”

“Huh, hard to believe. Such a bizarre form of mana property exists…”

Kilian shook his head, dumbfounded, but Renok sensed something else in his words and turned his head.

“You seem aware of the changes in mana properties. Have you been training on your own?”

Kilian was clearly ignorant of such things when he was dealing with the Cigar Bang gang with Renok.

If he could understand Renok’s conversation without difficulty, he must have gained considerable experience.

“Well, yeah. When you work in this field, you naturally pick up information… and some of it is similar to techniques I learned back home.”

“Are you saying there’s a separate enhancement technique used by werewolves?”

“It’s hard to explain in detail, but it’s similar. Of course, I’m not saying I’ve reached that level… but I understand the fundamental principle of overcoming limitations by setting conditions.”

Kilian answered casually.

“I don’t want to pursue self-destruction like that… but will I have to become a monster like that someday?”

“You don’t have to. I think Girard’s case is very unique.”

Renok answered, opening the glass door to the warehouse.

“Basically, the change in mana properties is just a starting point for reaching level 6, and it’s a natural process that should be passed through.”

“……”

“If you can’t overcome that limit and reproduce the change in mana properties in a distorted way by imposing restrictions or conditions on yourself, you’ll get a similar result.”

“Only a monster like you can say that so easily…”

Kilian grumbled, but Renok ignored him and squatted down in front of Girard, who had his head bowed.

“Even so, the way he amplifies his strength based on the degree of injury is unusual. Most people use mana for their own advancement or self-development, and their manifestations are generally similar. Yet, he achieved this distorted property change solely with mana, not with other energy sources like stamina or mental strength…”

At that moment, Girard, who had been bowing his head as if dead, lunged at Renok’s neck like lightning.

Clack!!

“…It’s impossible unless the basic mental image that makes up one’s inner self is distorted.”

Girard’s biting force, amplified by mana, was considerable, but even that was blocked by Renok’s shield, and his front teeth shattered in vain.

Girard spat out his broken teeth and laughed.

“I was wondering what you were saying when you came in, but you’re quite the philosopher. Should I join you in a serious contemplation of the meaning of human existence?”

Kilian looked disgusted at his face, which didn’t seem to feel any pain even though his mouth was covered in blood.

“It wouldn’t be bad.”

Renok answered with a faint smile.

“To overcome oneself, one must first face oneself. Facing a twisted person like you can help me look at myself objectively… as long as I don’t get swept away by it.”

“……”

Girard closed his mouth for the first time at the calm reply.

Renok didn’t care and retrieved the rosary that was loosely hanging around Girard’s neck and put it on his wrist.

Girard, who was staring at the rosary shrinking to fit Renok’s wrist with a disgusted expression, burst into a sinister laugh.

“…Kihihit!!! That’s why you shouldn’t deal with a magician for too long. I made a stupid mistake again. I never imagined you would have such an absurd magical artifact.”

His words were valid.

Girard was a level 6 powerhouse who had achieved a change in mana properties in an unusual way.

He was captured without resistance because he never imagined Renok would have a powerful binding artifact like the Pure Land Mantra. [A magical artifact that binds mana users.]

It was Renok’s achievement to meticulously plan the process and succeed in one attempt, but without such a powerful artifact, Girard wouldn’t have ended up like this.

“If such an item had appeared on the market, there would have been an uproar, but there was no sign of it… It’s not something that was moving inside Vulcan. It’s a rare item brought from outside the city.”

Girard’s guess was accurate, but Renok ignored it and waved his finger in front of him.

“There aren’t many things I want to hear from you. If you give us the information we want, we might let you go alive.”

“AHAHAHAHAHAH!!!”

Girard burst into laughter at Renok’s words, tears streaming down his face.

His thick eye makeup was smudged, making him look strange, but it was more grotesque than ridiculous.

“That was the funniest joke I’ve ever heard from you.”

“First. The list of board members who are treated as equals to you, Girard, and their residential information.”

“You can take care of a couple of guys you don’t like.”

Girard replied casually.

Renok unfolded his second finger.

“Second. The four presidents who reign at the top of the cartel. Personal information of the four, including Virgil.”

“Are you crazy?”

Girard couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Seriously, did you really believe you could beat the cartel?”

“……”

“The presidents are all founding members who have been following the chairman for decades. They are all monsters who have transcended time, and they are the only ones who have succeeded in facing themselves. It’s been at least 10 years since a president-level executive was last deployed in combat… do you really think it’s possible?”

Girard’s long, curved pupils glowed strangely.

“Let’s be honest and move on. All you can do is use your asymmetric power to negotiate a business structure with us. Isn’t that why you’ve been running around so hard?”

He wasn’t wrong.

No matter how much Renok had grown using his talent and insight, he wasn’t yet at the level to face monsters that transcended standards.

If Virgil, a president-level executive, was someone Renok couldn’t easily guarantee victory against, what level would the chairman at the top of the cartel be?

Realistically, it was impossible for Renok to achieve a complete victory against the cartel.

However, he knew that such a monster couldn’t move directly without being checked by other organizations or agents, so he could use that gap to gain an advantage in negotiations.

Instead of refuting Girard’s words, Renok grabbed his hair and pulled up his mana.

Woo woo woo woo!!

“That’s a very magician-like way.”

Girard laughed.

“Are you going to try to suppress me with your power? Unfortunately, it’s not that easy…”

The smile disappeared from Girard’s face instantly.

Renok’s mana penetrated Girard’s body, taking control of the mana at the particle level, and finally extended that mana to his bone marrow.

“Kuh, ugh…!!!”

Unlike before, when he was calmly responding, Girard struggled with veins popping out all over his body, but Renok reversed the flow of mana in his body.

Crack!!

“!!!!!”

Black blood flowed from Girard’s orifices, who couldn’t even scream properly and stiffened.

Normally, just changing the flow of mana doesn’t cause internal injuries.

However, Renok used his mana to stop the flow of Girard’s mana and forcibly caused a small explosion by colliding the mana inside.

The operating principle of the standstill magic eye acquired from Iola. [A magical ability that stops the flow of mana.]

Even without manifesting the magic eye, it wasn’t difficult for Renok to do similar things with his mana manipulation ability.

Renok knew how to inflict pain that transcended limits on a mana user.

The enormous pressure generated inside his body crushed and burst his internal organs, instantly squeezing all the blood vessels in his body like a rag.

As his bodily functions broke down, the fuel that made up his body flowed out like fluid.

“Kya, haaa…!!”

At the moment he was injured to this extent, the dramatic increase in physical ability due to the change in mana properties should have occurred in Girard’s body.

Even though it wouldn’t be strange if he broke the restraints and rushed at Renok, he could only tremble weakly and couldn’t move at all.

As if he could see through Girard’s feelings, Renok muttered.

“You can’t, can you?”

“……”

“Since I blew up the mana itself inside your body, nothing can happen, whether it’s a change in properties or anything else. No matter how twisted your will is, if you don’t have fuel, you’re nothing.”

Renok grabbed his head, which was bowed, and lifted it up, making eye contact with Girard.

“You don’t discuss victory when you enter negotiations. You really don’t know anything.”

“Cough!”

“You have to struggle and try to win somehow to even be able to negotiate. The reason I’m killing you here right now is similar.”

While destroying the cartel’s cooperative businesses one after another, Renok was keenly aware of how deeply the cartel had penetrated this area.

Even with just one magician and one broker starting a business together, it was very difficult to achieve a complete victory.

But no matter how difficult the opponent is, you must aim accurately.

Only then will you be able to seize the fruits that are located below it.

Only then did Girard realize that Renok was really going to kill him, and he laughed like crazy.

“Kuhahahahahah!!!!”

Snap!! Crack!! Crack crack crack!!

He frantically snapped his fingers, struggling as if he was about to break free from the restraints.

He was trying to push himself to amplify his physical abilities, and at the same time, he was trying to get out of this place by crushing his hands.

Kilian, who had been watching the intense movement, jumped up from his seat, but Renok watched the last struggle with a cold face.

Girard’s movements, who was trying to break free from the restraints by breaking all five fingers, wrists, and joints of his arms and legs, slowly subsided.

Renok nodded, confirming that the little mana left that was burning his body had run out and that he had completely lost his will to resist.

Whisk!!

He turned his back without any regrets and stepped out of the warehouse.

“…….?”

Kilian, flustered, quickly called someone else to watch Girard and followed Renok.

Kilian, catching up with Renok, who was striding back to the bar, asked.

“Ban, is it okay not to kill him?”

“He talked, so why would I?”

“He talked…? When?”

Renok replied calmly to Kilian’s bewildered question.

“If he’s a high-ranking executive of an organization like the cartel, he’ll almost certainly have measures in place to maintain confidentiality. Considering the unusual mana I felt when I was rummaging through his body with mana and the tattoo on his tongue, there’s probably a specific ‘measure’ in his body for location tracking and preventing leaks.”

Even if the location tracking could be blocked by the Pure Land Mantra and the barrier installed in this area, leaking secrets was different.

“Knowing that, you interrogated him like this?”

“If he’s skilled like Girard, there are plenty of ways to do it without having to say it with his mouth. Also, judging from Girard’s behavior, he tends to think of the organization and himself as separate. The probability of this kind of threat working was quite high.”

Despite being an executive on the board of directors, he appeared alone to face Renok.

The bold statement that the chairman might not even know his face and the detached attitude that he didn’t seem to care about it made them guess his nature.

Consistent with his bizarre taste, he had a very personal and independent personality.

He didn’t have much affection for the organization and judged mutual benefits based on a purely business relationship.

For these people, if you hide your true intentions and put appropriate pressure on them, there’s a high possibility they’ll leak information about the organization without much difficulty.

And Girard had just opened his mouth in a way that Renok could understand after hearing Renok’s last words.

“The last struggle he made was out of sync with my words, and it was quite clumsy and long compared to the mana left in his body. Considering that there was a certain pattern in the sounds he made while breaking all his joints…”

Only then did Kilian understand Renok’s words and opened his mouth wide.

“So, are you saying he secretly transmitted information using the Harrington code?” [A type of cipher system.]

“……”

Is that what they call a cipher system like Morse code here?

Anyway, as Kilian said, it was highly likely that Girard chose a cipher using sound.

The reason for transmitting information and engaging in negotiations this way was that he could deny revealing the information with his own mouth, and the show of struggling while breaking his joints took precedence.

Even Kilian, who had much sharper senses than Renok, was distracted by the fierce momentum and couldn’t pay attention to the sounds Girard was making.

However, Girard made this bold leak of information, judging that Renok would capture the pattern of the sounds he was making, memorize them, and decode them.

“A cipher made of sound. Or, if you know the pattern, it’s not that difficult to apply it to a cipher that exists on the network.”

Renok immediately took Jenny with him and recorded the memorized sound pattern through the computer in the office, then decoded it into the Harrington code that Kilian had mentioned.

“It’s over.”

“A meeting between businesses on the 14th. A shareholders’ meeting on the 16th, and a new building demonstration for 89 businesses on the 17th…”

Jenny, who was muttering the decoded cipher, said.

“Oh my god, this is the schedule and location of events in which the cartel’s businesses participate as a group. You crazy bastard…”

* * *

“You couldn’t find any trace of Girard?”

The bald man, listening to the voice echoing from the other side of the communication, quietly bowed his head.

Brown skin tanned by the sun.

As he clasped his hands together, the ornate rings and bracelets on his thick, rough fingers clinked.

[The life signs completely disappeared at the scene of the battle. A binding artifact. It’s something that can’t be done unless it’s a high-level item. It seems impossible to track using spells.]

The man didn’t answer but turned his gaze to the report on the hologram.

“With Dyke’s help, he went through the outer districts several times… then the task is simple.”

As he snapped his fingers, the hologram flashed in front of the man’s eyes.

“We need to move the execution unit. Give the order to Avid.”

[…Executive Director Yonsen is currently in charge of other tasks, isn’t he?]

“If I give my name, he’ll understand. It’s an urgent matter.”

The man said that and suddenly looked down at his forearm.

His body, adorned with all sorts of tattoos and ornaments, showed the splendid past that was stained with glory and disgrace.

But the skin with tattoos, unable to overcome the passage of time, was wrinkled, and his precious treasures were gradually fading.

How much time was needed to betray the loyalty he had devoted his whole life to?

He had no intention of clinging to the vain hope of immortality, but if there was one thing he wanted…

The man closed his eyes.

“This is approved directly by Parden McQueen, the CEO of the cartel. Track down and secure Girard Ozet, who was captured by the magician Ban, and if that is not possible…”

[…It’s okay to kill him…]

It was okay to shut his mouth forever.

He brought him into this matter to borrow Girard’s authority to manage the cooperative businesses, but the man didn’t trust him in the first place.

He always smiled with a look that he found interesting, but when the balance of the board collapsed, he was the first to change sides.

He thought the geas he had put in his body would buy him time for this moment, but he couldn’t let his guard down. [A magical compulsion or oath.]

He must not let the chairman know of his betrayal yet.

He needed time.