Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 248

Ibelin’s body vanished as if it had been snuffed out on the spot.

*Whoosh!*

A green flash instantly pierced through the furnace’s flames, swirling like a living thing.

It wasn’t about escaping to a space devoid of flames, but rather a graceful movement that seemed to carve a path forward.

It was the trajectory of a benefactor who had reminded Lenox what a true battle between superhuman beings was like.

Ibelin, reaching the front of the wide-open furnace door, placed her left hand on the ground, twisted her body sideways, and using the gathered momentum, kicked the left iron door straight in.

*KWA-AAANG!!*

A triple-layered circular shockwave erupted, and the left iron door was smashed inward, crumpling into the furnace.

Even with her body enhanced by magic and the full force of her running speed transferred, the impact was unbelievable.

It must be related to the power of her inner world, the microcosm, that Ibelin wielded.

But the problem was the right iron door.

No matter how skilled Ibelin was, it would be difficult to unleash the same level of impact consecutively.

However, as the heat concentrated at the half-closed furnace entrance, the left iron door began to melt first.

At this rate, one of the doors would be destroyed before both sides of the furnace could be closed.

Ibelin’s solution was simple.

She temporarily detached a part of her suit, attached it to her right arm, grabbed the other door, and pushed it shut.

*CHIIIIIIIIIIK!!!*

Unfathomable heat instantly engulfed Ibelin’s right arm, turning into a massive flame that quickly burned through the suit and the arm inside.

There was no need to describe the level of pain one would experience from flesh burning while fully conscious.

However, Ibelin only slightly frowned and, instead, focused even more intently, suppressing the flames spewing from the furnace and closing the iron door.

*KUU-WOOONG!!*

She even held the door shut, preventing it from opening again.

“……!!”

Truly superhuman endurance. She wasn’t immune to pain, yet enduring that agony while fully conscious proved just how strong the archer’s willpower was.

Her ability to clearly understand what needed to be done and her decisiveness to act without hesitation were admirable, even to Lenox.

Since she had trusted Lenox and taken the first step, Lenox had no choice but to reciprocate, at least to some extent.

Lenox took out four talismans from inside his coat and forcefully channeled his mana into them.

They were part of the spell-enhancing catalyst set he had received in exchange for fulfilling Ibelin’s request.

It pained him to use one here, but he could always get it back from her later.

*TADADADADAK!!*

The four talismans that left Lenox’s hand stuck haphazardly around the iron door.

The mana emanating from the seemingly randomly placed talismans surprisingly began to suppress the furnace’s mana for a moment.

The purple mana eye spun fiercely, instantly piercing through the heat flow inside the furnace.

Lenox hadn’t just been looking at books in the library all day.

Understanding the specific workings and conditions for the manifestation of the mana eye, which had newly awakened during his duel with Zionis, was also an important issue.

As a result, Lenox was able to conclude what the mana eye rotating in his left pupil meant.

A kaleidoscope that looked at the countless branching points within Lenox’s mind.

A part of the ability to gauge the endless possibilities was reduced and implemented as a kind of sense.

The purple mana eye was a type of domain projection that brought a part of the mind into visualization on a local level.

Now, he felt he could understand the power of the mana eye that Oliviera possessed to some extent.

Her seven-colored treasure eye was probably also a type of ‘work’ created in a similar way to Lenox’s, but much more refined.

He predicted and confirmed how the heat flow inside the furnace would spread, coloring the results that would change depending on Lenox’s choices in red and blue.

Intuition that had reached its limit and a mind that had found its answer.

A mutation created by overflowing talent that exceeded its limits and flowed into the mana path connected to his left pupil.

It was impossible to use it for long or to observe a wide range.

But if it was about observing the range of the furnace and drawing a predictable flow chart in his head-

*PA-BA-BA-BAK!!*

Lenox’s hands moved intricately, simultaneously manipulating the mana contained in the four talismans.

Each time he manipulated the mana, he observed, predicted, and controlled the chaotic heat of the furnace from a point ahead of time.

Each time the mana emanating from the talismans pierced into the furnace, the red and blue areas flashed wildly, but Lenox did not hesitate.

Visualization of prediction using his unique, powerful intuition. Even the delusions that would end in a clumsy guess for an ordinary mage turned into observations close to foresight within Lenox’s mind.

Ice-type Creation Magic

Catalyst Enhancement: Space Designation

[Gyulraegyulsak (結來闋塞) – A technique to bind and seal]

The mana contained in the four talismans pierced into the furnace like awls, cutting off the flow of heat swirling inside.

The heat that had been constantly flowing out between the iron doors was hardened and blocked by Lenox’s mana, which had been stirred without hesitation.

“Close the door.”

*JJE-JJE-JJE-JJE-JJEK!!!*

The moment the entrance of the furnace was completely sealed with mana crystals, the heat of the furnace, having lost its way, began to reverberate inside, emitting a terrifying sound.

*KU-GU-GU-GU-GU-GU-GU!!!!*

A massive vibration that seemed as if the closed iron door would be shattered immediately shook the entire control room, but even so, no more heat leaked out.

The mana that Lenox had stirred inside the furnace controlled the heat to a precarious point, circulating the exploded heat itself within.

The other mages, who had only been able to withstand the heat of the furnace from the back of the control room, watched the scene without even blinking.

“……What am I looking at? Is this an area that can be calculated?”

“It can only be seen as a gamble with one’s life… Even so, it’s an unbelievable miracle.”

“The heat is circulating inside. Are you saying that he aimed for this from the beginning…?”

The amount of heat that could be controlled by a single human’s mana was not possible.

It was, in fact, a miracle comparable to single-handedly blocking the crater of a volcano.

Here was the ideal of suppressing power with the precision of technology, a far-fetched ideal that had been directly realized in reality for a moment.

The other mages widened their eyes to not miss a single moment of the flow.

The moment the mages of the management team, realizing that the furnace had calmed down to some extent, rushed in and pulled out all the countless wires connected to the furnace.

*FUSSSSSS!*

The trembling heat of the furnace rotated and extended to the outlet, slowly beginning to subside.

Only when the power source of the furnace was completely cut off and even the remaining heat began to be safely discharged did the surrounding scenery become visible.

Injured people clutching their burned areas and groaning. The medical team, who had arrived late, were moving people to the emergency room.

And the management team, who had begun to repair the furnace while being severely reprimanded by the other mages.

All of them were looking down at this place with admiration.

The two of them had just prevented an accident that could have destroyed the entire magic tower with their skills and will alone.

The explosion of a core facility responsible for a part of the steel industry was not just an accident, but a natural disaster.

If a furnace that used the heat of a volcano exploded, it would not be strange for the entire volcanic area to be swept away by the disaster.

“Everyone, please move aside…!!”

“Sir Zionis!”

When Zionis belatedly appeared and threw the staff he was holding into the outlet, the slowly subsiding vibration completely disappeared, and the surroundings became quiet.

Lenox looked at Zionis, who had appeared late and was staggering, with an indifferent expression.

In the end, he had managed to calm the furnace without his help, but was it a coincidence that he had only appeared after the situation had begun to calm down?

But there was something more important than thinking about that right now.

“Ibelin, your arm?”

She had completely taken the heat of the rampaging furnace with one arm and closed the remaining door.

Without any special measures, it wouldn’t be strange if her entire body had been burned away.

“……I’m fine.”

Ibelin, who had been sitting behind Lenox, smiled with a tired expression.

“I used up all my mana, but I managed to divert the heat.”

“…….”

“But I can’t help but suffer from exhaustion.”

As she said, the suit parts that had been wrapped around Ibelin’s arm had completely turned to ashes, but on the contrary, her arm didn’t look seriously injured, except for the skin being cracked.

She probably rotated the power of her microcosm to the limit at the same time as she grabbed the furnace door, diverting the heat.

The power of Ibelin’s microcosm was not known in detail, but it was a type of method that controlled the direction of a specific power.

Perhaps the moment she grabbed the iron door of the furnace, she used her own power to disperse the heat pouring into her arm to the outside, minimizing the damage.

As if to support that guess, a long, melted trace, like a rocket had been launched, remained and hardened behind her feet.

A level of interference ability that directly touched the heat flow, not just mana manipulation.

It was a heat manipulation that Lenox couldn’t guarantee he could do, but without that level of skill, it was impossible to explain how she had preserved her arm in the furnace’s inferno.

It was proof that she had also achieved mastery in the field of handling the body.

“The problem isn’t my arm, but that the accident might not have been a coincidence.”

Ibelin whispered to Lenox, moving her lips.

“I don’t know if you saw it, Ban, but the expression on Zionis’s face right before the furnace went berserk was…”

“He was smiling.”

“…….”

His face was so expressionless that it seemed like not a single drop of blood would come out even if you pricked it with a needle, but that was why Lenox didn’t miss even the faint emotions he emitted.

If the corners of his mouth had been faintly twisted when he turned his gaze towards the furnace right before the accident happened.

Could this accident really be considered a coincidence?

The moment Ibelin was about to say something more.

“You were here.”

Zionis, supported by other mages, approached Ibelin.

He, who had been staggering as if he couldn’t even walk properly, bowed his head with a pale face.

“I have no words to say to you two. I never thought that I would have to entrust the handling of such a dangerous accident to the guests of the magic tower…”

“……It can’t be helped. The tower must have suffered considerable damage from this incident, so I hope things will be resolved smoothly.”

Ibelin replied, and Zionis immediately continued.

“In the case of injuries or aftereffects you suffered from this incident, our magic tower will take responsibility and pay all the costs. In addition, we will greatly extend the tower’s stay time that was set in advance until you two recover.”

“That means…”

“We are truly grateful for what happened today.”

At the same time as Zionis said that, other mages began to support the two of them and move them to the infirmary.

Lenox and Ibelin were only released after undergoing a thorough examination for almost half a day to see if there were any abnormalities in their bodies.

Yesterday, they were just simple guests, but now they were heroes who had prevented an accident that could have caused the entire magic tower to explode.

It was only natural that the treatment from the other mages had become more courteous.

The two were also able to hear the circumstances of how things were naturally progressing in the medical ward.

In the process of investigating the attempted furnace explosion, traces of external intrusion were discovered, and there were even rumors that the traces led to a cave near the volcanic area.

Ibelin, holding the fruit basket that the mages of the medical ward had given as a gift, turned her gaze with a transparent expression.

“Ban, what do you think?”

“It’s obvious.”

Lenox, who had bandages plastered all over his face even though he wasn’t injured, smiled.

“He’s definitely a suspicious guy in many ways. Until now, it was difficult to even know his purpose, but today’s incident made it clear.”

“……What?”

“He’s trying to test our capabilities. He’s been doing it since yesterday… And very blatantly.”

Lenox’s eyes shone coldly through the bandages.

Ibelin chuckled.

“I don’t care. I can roughly guess what he’s hiding now. All I have to do is make him spill it himself.”

“…….”

“The missing people inside the tower, the ignition line that completely covered the crater, the testimonies of the mages who said that the day felt long… If you put them together, the answer is probably on top of this.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Ibelin tilted her head.

“Are you saying that there’s a way to find out what Zionis is hiding at this point?”

At her words, Lenox smiled, placing his hand on Ibelin’s shoulder.

“I have a plan.”

* * *

The very next day after the furnace explosion accident.

Ibelin led the agents she had brought and immediately left the magic tower.

She had accepted the proposal that Zionis had made right before the accident and began to investigate the caves near the volcanic area.

As such a large explosion had occurred, it was a pretext to look around the outside, recognizing the importance of looking around the nearby caves.

Zionis initially pretended to be worried about her health, but soon accepted her proposal.

The only guests left in this vast tower were Mauzer, who was helping to handle the situation in the furnace control room, and Lenox, who was pretending to be injured and going in and out of the infirmary.

Lenox was lost in thought as he walked through the chaotic corridors of the magic tower.

‘The mage I met in the practice area said that the day felt too long. It’s quite… a very suspicious phenomenon to just pass by.’

Considering that the sun seems to set quickly between mountains and valleys, it was not normal for the day to feel long in the environment of the magic tower.

Moreover, if a mage whose body clock was quite accurate felt that way, it was even more so.

In addition, the sense of déjà vu that Lenox had felt when projecting the structure of the barrier that covered the entire crater, the ignition line.

‘The upper part of the hemispherical barrier was wide open. At first, I thought it was simply a measure to mix in outside air, but now that I think about it, that was…’

Wasn’t it a measure to avoid ‘something’ located at the top of the barrier from the interception of the ignition line?

If his thoughts reached that point, the conclusion was immediate.

Above the five-pronged magic tower.

Something was hidden in the sky of the crater, where ash, dust, and updrafts caused by hot air were generated.