Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 222

Negotiation (2)

“What?”

“We’re going to reveal that there’s a traitor among them. The information Girard gave us is sufficient. If we hand over that information, along with Girard, their attention will shift to the traitor.”

“……”

“It’s best if the chairman’s anger is directed at an internal traitor, not us. Even if that doesn’t happen, causing internal strife within the cartel is beneficial. The main goal is to buy time to grow our business to a point where the cartel can’t easily touch us.”

Originally, Lenok had planned to speak with the traitor while keeping the information about them secret. However, as the conflict subsided, Lenok’s strategy changed.

Being controlled by the cartel’s whims was inefficient.

It was better to take the initiative and indirectly influence the organization’s actions.

“The idea itself isn’t bad, but…”

Jenny said, looking flustered.

“After such a reckless war of attrition, do you think they’ll agree to negotiate?”

Instead of answering, Lenok pulled something from his pocket and placed it on the table.

It was the business card of Virgil O’Rayden, the executive-level manager they had encountered during Jorden’s kidnapping.

* * *

Two days later.

Rumors spread quickly through the underworld that the magician of District 49 had resumed his activities.

“That crazy bastard… he never gets tired.”

“Is he really planning to go all-out against the cartel?”

“They rarely back down first, so this won’t end until someone dies.”

It was hard to forget the image of the magician riding his motorcycle and spraying shotgun fire. Now, almost everyone in the area recognized the sound of his engine.

The fact that the prototype, ambitiously prepared by Otterble, was having such a great advertising effect was a minor issue.

Those who had witnessed the destruction Lenok caused were worried that the conflict would escalate further.

However, many were also looking forward to a full-scale war in the shadows for the first time in a long time.

“Maybe we’ll see an executive make a move for the first time in ten years.”

“If they really want to suppress the situation, it’s not impossible.”

“Which executives aren’t currently wanted?”

“It’s definitely not Merilda. I still remember that crazy woman destroying a military unit ten years ago and getting arrested.”

“Now that I think about it, those were all memories. It wasn’t this frustrating back then…”

“Are you out of your mind?”

They were outlaws accustomed to the smell of blood, gunpowder, and filth.

While many wanted things to calm down, there were also many who longed for the city to become lively again.

However, the news of a major conflict that some were expecting didn’t come.

Instead, there was a rumor that Ban had visited a small business in the 30s district, not even officially a cartel branch, handed over a business card, and disappeared.

Most people lost interest in the unexpectedly dull news, and only the most perceptive paid attention, but no information leaked out.

Only the red-eyed man understood Lenok’s intention and began preparing a response.

* * *

“Is this really safe to eat?”

“How many times do I have to tell you?”

Wayan, holding a small glass bottle, made an indescribable face at Lenok’s indifferent words.

It had been some time since they rescued Jorden, but Wayan still had a cast on his arm.

It was due to the magical stiffness caused by Iola’s magic eye. The aftereffects of the one-time use he allowed while his sensitivity was paralyzed still lingered.

Jorden seemed bothered by it and constantly checked Wayan’s injury, but it seemed recovery would take time.

Of course, Lenok didn’t want to see such a valuable asset idle, so he bought him various potions, but there was no improvement.

However, everything changed after Lenok started taking Yakseon’s elixir.

Due to a major awakening within Lenok, the magical energy that had gathered within him without order began to organize and coexist properly.

This also applied to alchemy, the technology of the First World that Lenok had recently acquired.

Until now, he had only focused on making medicine for his own use, but with a slight change in perspective, he could use it on others.

Lenok focused on low side effects that wouldn’t burden the body and immediate effects that could be used even during combat.

If he could combine the basic potion effects while maintaining these two advantages,

He could further expand the business he had started under his name.

Once he had the idea, nothing could hold him back.

It wasn’t difficult to conceal the alchemy, and there were plenty of technologies to create new medicines, so he could easily introduce them.

The key was to pursue overwhelming cost-effectiveness and above-average efficiency compared to other medicines.

It didn’t need to attract too much attention in the market, but it would be enough to threaten existing products, which would greatly help Jenny.

“Hurry up and drink it. A potion made by the magician himself… aren’t you curious about how far his talent has reached?”

Dre, grinning beside him, urged him on.

“Why do I have to be the one to test it…”

Wayan grumbled, but no one paid attention to his words.

Since it was something Lenok was offering, no one thought he would disregard Wayan’s safety.

“It’s made with a focus on individual recovery and cell activation. It’s been diluted twice, so the effect might be a bit strong, but once its effectiveness is proven, we can start mass production.”

By using Davi to create an algorithm and imbuing the medicine tools with Lenok’s magic, it would be possible to make potions even when Lenok wasn’t around.

In fact, it was the same thing the drug lord had been doing, except that instead of drugs, he was making and selling potions.

“It would be more effective if injected directly into the blood vessels, but should we try that first? I made it for oral consumption for combat use, but if we have ampoules, injection is also possible.”

“Ah, no… it’s better to just drink it and see. If I feel sick, I can at least throw up.”

Wayan muttered with a sullen face, closed his eyes tightly, and poured the entire contents of the glass bottle into his mouth.

Everyone watched as the bright blue liquid flowed down Wayan’s throat.

Even Mad Manson, who was usually drawn to strange things like a madman, was focused on this.

“Uh, um… surprisingly, the taste… isn’t bad?”

It didn’t take long for Wayan’s face to brighten as he smacked his lips, savoring the taste.

“Oh, oh…!! My arm…!!”

“Your arm?”

“It’s so itchy!!”

Wayan said, throwing off the bandage on his arm and scratching it vigorously.

“……”

“No, my whole body is so itchy, what’s going on!!”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Lenok.

Lenok pointed at Wayan again with a blank expression.

The first to notice the abnormality was Kidel, an executive of the Creamgal Office.

“Wayan. How… how are you scratching your body?”

“Huh? Oh?”

Wayan, already moving his broken arm freely, was surprised and widened his eyes.

“The itch all over your body is probably because your cell regeneration is activated and your skin is rapidly regenerating from the inside. In other words…”

Lenok said, subtly stepping back.

“You’re basically scratching off dead skin cells in the middle of our bar right now.”

“What!!!”

Jenny, who had been watching the noisy group with a sleepy expression, jumped up from her seat.

With a furious expression, she ran over the bar and hit Wayan’s back with a broom she was holding.

“Get out of here, you bastard!!”

Wayan cried out with the most wronged expression in the world.

“No, wait a minute!!! It’s not my fault!!”

It was only natural that the people watching the comical scene burst into laughter.

Belver, who was watching with a satisfied look, approached Lenok and said,

“You never fail to live up to expectations. It was a great effect.”

“No, well, I didn’t exactly try to make it funny…”

Lenok scratched his cheek, embarrassed.

“It’s a bit stronger than I thought. It’s good that the effect spreads evenly throughout the body, but usually, it’s more noticeable at the extremities. I definitely need to adjust this.”

It was good that cell regeneration was activated and the effect was stronger than existing potions, but it should only be used for injury or health improvement.

If Wayan’s skin was rapidly regenerating and shedding dead skin cells, it was likely that his nails and toenails would also grow rapidly.

These side effects were mostly useless, so Lenok might have to adjust them himself.

“Also, even though it was diluted twice, there were signs of paralysis immediately after ingestion. With these side effects, it would be difficult to use it fully in a tense battle.”

Lenok didn’t miss the fact that Wayan’s limbs, who was being hit by Jenny, had become somewhat stiff.

A common side effect that mainly occurs when taking strong potions. Lenok hadn’t completely eliminated it during the manufacturing process.

However, Belver shook his head at Lenok’s words.

“That’s not what I want to talk about.”

“What?”

“Certainly, if you dilute the potion concentrate you made and put it into Jenny’s business plan, you’ll be able to seize the underground distribution network much faster than now. But its true value doesn’t end there. I felt endless possibilities in the potion you made.”

What kind of nonsense is this money-crazed bastard going to say now, taking his time like this?

Belver, unaware that Lenok was looking at him with a sullen expression, muttered, engrossed in his own words.

“I definitely saw it. Wayan’s hair was a little bit longer than usual…!! Your potion definitely affects not only the extremities of the body but also hair growth!”

“……”

“Let’s quit being a mercenary right now and start a hair growth business together!! With your potion, we can rule this world…!!”

Thwack!!

Belver’s head, who was ranting with a somewhat crazy look in his eyes, suddenly plunged under the bar.

Jenny, holding a sack behind him, looked down at Belver with cold eyes.

“You get out too.”

“……Okay.”

Belver disappeared from the bar, leaving behind the contemptuous gaze of his twin sister, Belita, and Dre laughed lightly.

“It’s funny, but the performance is definitely not something to take lightly. I didn’t think Wayan would be able to move his arm so quickly without any particular side effects…”

“That kid’s bones were completely shattered, right? So, with one potion, he not only regenerated his muscles but also put his bones back together?”

Kilian clicked his tongue, and only then did everyone understand the value of what Lenok had created.

Potions used to treat injuries are quite expensive to produce and buy, and crucially, it’s forbidden to take them multiple times in a short period.

If you take potions too often, you’re likely to develop a tolerance to their effects, and you may even have an adverse reaction or become addicted.

Therefore, you have to be careful when using potions, and there are people who constantly visit those who handle healing techniques to prevent tolerance.

The medical technology of Balkan is quite advanced along with the development of magic, but it’s so expensive that even freelancers can’t afford it.

If the potion Lenok created really had the effect of not only treating simple injuries but also directly reattaching bones, it wouldn’t just be a new competing product on the market.

Lenok, feeling the attention turn to him, frowned slightly.

“…It still needs some adjustments, so it’s hard to give an accurate assessment. Let’s talk after we’ve tested how much effect remains when diluted.”

It was a potion using the alchemy of the drug lord, who didn’t develop a tolerance no matter how many drugs he took.

Lenok decided not to mention that he might not develop a tolerance to the potion he made.

He was planning to solve Wayan’s injury and improve the performance based on the prototype, but because of the side effects, he had to reduce it even more.

It would be one thing to completely change the performance of the medicine, but adjusting the output as desired while maintaining the performance required a lot of time and effort to test the dosage and concentration.

As Lenok sighed softly at the fact that he might have to invest a considerable amount of time, Manson was seen deep in thought in the distance.

The mechanical mass, which usually flickered, was calmly subdued, and even the excited magic was quiet.

It wasn’t known why, but it seemed certain that the potion Lenok had shown had stimulated his inner self.

“……”

Lenok wasn’t stupid enough to dismiss this sense of déjà vu as just a feeling.

Manson wasn’t a difficult opponent, and if something was bothering him, it was better to check it right away.

Just as he was about to walk past the people and move towards Manson, Wayan, who had been chased out by Jenny, reappeared.

“Um, um… Ban?”

An expression so ambiguous it was hard to describe.

Lenok stopped walking at the sight of his face, as if he didn’t know what kind of face to make in the current situation.

“What’s wrong?”

“A guest has come… someone you know.”

“Let them in.”

“No, but…”

Wayan, who had stretched his body out near the stairs, stuck out his tongue, unable to say anything.

“Why are you standing there like you have to take a dump? Who came that made you like that?”

When the bald giant, Ike, scolded him, Wayan reluctantly stepped aside, and Belver, who had been chased out in the same way, slipped into the bar.

Absurdly, Belver’s expression was similar to Wayan’s.

“Is this person really a guest that Ban called?”

“……”

As Wayan reluctantly opened the way, a person walked down the stairs of the bar.

A familiar suit. A woman with fierce eyes and neat hair.

Iola, the cartel executive who had kidnapped Jorden, was standing there.

“It’s been a while.”