Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 312

“All data from the city expansion development plan was designated for disposal 20 years ago, and all data is stored in an archive that is physically disconnected from the network.”

Aris, who had maintained a cold demeanor, looked bewildered, and Hina adjusted her glasses beside her.

“Its location is in District 6, which is designated as the fourth closed area.”

“Unlike District 13, which is completely shrouded in mystery, this is a place where our agents’ intelligence network has some grasp of its outline.”

Pallard grinned, placed his hand on the operation table, and asked,

“Isn’t it interesting that an agent who was desperately trying to protect the closed area is now trying to steal information from it?”

“……”

There was no reply.

Seeing the somber atmosphere, Pallard quickly shifted the focus to someone else.

“Well, if things go wrong, the higher-up who graced us with their presence here will take care of everything, so don’t worry.”

[After hearing the Deputy Director’s words, I’m even more worried…]

Meyer sighed deeply and nodded.

[I can’t put any more burden on you who are going directly to the field. I will take responsibility for that part and guarantee your safety.]

“Then it’s decided.”

Pallard abruptly opened a shelf on one side of the vehicle.

He tossed the items inside to the people sitting in the vehicle.

“Let’s be vigilantes for this city, just for today.”

Masks with holes just big enough to barely reveal the eyes.

Lenok and Aris sighed almost simultaneously.

* * *

Closed Area.

It refers to areas where entry is prohibited, even in the vast city that stretches endlessly outward with numbered districts.

They are used as places to test risky policies or facilities, and there are also areas like District 13, where even the reason for their existence is unknown.

District 6 is one of the relatively more accessible areas among these closed areas.

A massive concrete wall that seemed to rise endlessly. A command vehicle stopped in front of a steel gate with the number [6] painted in black.

“Around the time the megacity was built, District 6 was the center of administrative work.”

Pallard, sitting in the passenger seat, leaned out and muttered while looking up at the gate.

“After the council and city hall moved, this place is only used as a place to store work records. High-ranking city officials would have come here at least once.”

“Is it not possible to access the archive with the authority of the Agent Deputy Director?”

Ilya asked, fidgeting with the mask she had awkwardly put on.

“If it’s just about finding the location of the facilities that were moved from the closed area to the undeveloped district, there’s no need to use such drastic methods.”

“Using my authority can only get us through the gate in front of us. To enter the internal facilities, we need to get individual access permissions separately.”

“……”

“One positive thing is that the access permissions for District 6 haven’t been updated for over 10 years. In this city, that means it has relatively outdated security.”

Pallard said, looking at the people inside the command vehicle.

Basically, it’s a storage facility for old documents and records that have been designated for disposal. It’s not strange that the security is relatively lax compared to other classified areas.

Not many people would be interested in the secrets buried in the undeveloped district now.

“So, you’re saying you’re going to tear apart the archive’s security formula by force?”

At Aris’s dumbfounded question, Pallard readily nodded.

“Not to mention half of it, Professor Richelieu is also an authority on magic array research. With the power of two Saint-level mages [mages of the highest rank], breaking through a security formula that hasn’t been updated for 10 years shouldn’t be too difficult, right?”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“I know. But Team Leader Marcia taught me that when planning operations with superhumans like you, there’s no need to go too far around.”

“……”

It was a glimpse into the kind of operations Ivelin had successfully carried out as an agent.

As Lenok shook his head, Pallard clapped his hands together.

“I’ll divide you into teams here in advance. As soon as we pass through the gate and arrive at the archive, we will divide into three teams and begin the operation.”

Pallard and Hina, who are agents and on-site personnel, will block the front of the archive and stall for time, while six freelancers, including Ilya, will break through the inside of the archive.

After subduing the security personnel, Lenok and Aris will break through the archive’s barrier and extract the data and escape.

“This is about stealing data from a closed area directly designated by the city council. If we fail, I might have to step down from my position as Deputy Director.”

“……”

“But if we succeed, we might get a crucial clue to attack the Defense Force Command. Are you ready?”

There was no reply. Everyone silently checked their equipment and magic, and took a breath.

Pallard immediately nodded.

“Then let’s go.”

Kuuuuung!!

At that moment, the gate, having confirmed the Agent Deputy Director’s access request, slowly rose upward with a heavy roar.

Hina, who was in the driver’s seat, immediately drove the vehicle towards the archive located deep inside District 6.

Eight people jumped out of the vehicle that stopped in front of an alien structure resembling a Greek temple and began to run.

Pabababat!!

Ilya and the other freelancers, wearing masks, rushed into the archive lobby, stunning the guards.

Lenok, watching this, turned around.

“Let’s go.”

Even at Lenok’s words, Aris was staring intently at his masked face.

“Now that you’re covered up, it’s definitely…”

“…Professor?”

“Ah, sorry. Let’s move quickly.”

“……”

Aris walked past Lenok and started walking quickly.

As Lenok followed behind her, she spoke first.

“Agent Deputy Director. There were many rumors that he was ruthless and iron-blooded, but he’s very different from what I’ve heard.”

“Is that so?”

Aris turned her head sharply.

Her blue eyes shone clearly through the mask.

“Conversely, someone who was said to be a bloodthirsty mage seems much more composed than I expected.”

“……”

“I guess you can’t trust rumors after all.”

She said that and stepped into the archive.

Davie peeked out from Lenok’s arms, who was left alone outside the archive.

[He’s still a terrifying human. Making Master’s heart rate fluctuate with just a few words.]

“…Be quiet.”

[Every word seems to hit the nail on the head, how long do you think Master can hold out?]

“At least not now.”

Lenok sighed, grabbing the mouth of the cheeky little fox and hiding it inside his coat.

Even if Aris had a separate reason for participating in this operation, it was impossible to resolve her questions right away.

“Let’s observe her reactions a bit more… and when I’m sure, let’s think about it then. After this operation is over.”

[Putting off solving the problem, that’s not like Master.]

“A strategic retreat is sometimes necessary.”

[Isn’t that just a cowardly excuse?]

“……”

Lenok vowed to cut off the power to the breaker box for a while when he got back and started walking.

“Because there’s still work to do.”

* * *

A wide staircase leading to the lower part of the archive’s basement.

In front of the deep underground archive passage, which was more than a dozen meters deep, at least dozens of guards were patrolling, and overlapping barriers were blocking external intrusion.

Ilya, who was leaning against the top of the stairs and hiding, spoke to Lenok and Aris, who followed her in.

“I will subdue them without killing them, but if things drag on, it might be difficult to hold back.”

“……”

“As quickly as possible. If that’s difficult, you need to judge whether it’s possible or not and get out.”

“Okay.”

At Aris’s words, who was adjusting her mask with a nervous look, Ilya nodded.

“I’ll go first.”

A small elite group consisting of only those with level 6 or higher abilities.

Moreover, they had just entered the area legally using Pallard’s authority. It wouldn’t be difficult to take advantage of a somewhat unguarded gap.

Swaeeeeeek!!

“Ugh!”

“Ugh…!!”

“An, an enemy!”

Faint death cries echoed one after another from inside the archive located in the basement.

Immediately after, the barrier surrounding the archive activated, recognizing the presence of an intruder and trying to sound an alarm.

At that moment, Lenok and Aris simultaneously unleashed their magic as if they had made a promise, suppressing the barrier’s activation itself from both sides.

Uuuuuuung!!!

The ability to accurately identify the source of magic at the point where the barrier was activated.

The skill to concentrate magic on that point and suppress it in an instant. A feat that would be impossible without the daring idea of suppressing the barrier by force.

However, the methods the two tried were almost identical, as if reflected in a mirror.

Aris turned to Lenok, and Lenok nodded.

“Let’s go down.”

Inside the archive’s underground vault, where the vanguard had swept through once.

Lenok and Aris, walking through the unconscious guards, began to explore the front of the archive door.

A massive vault door made in a perfect circle. Hundreds of complex magic circuits flowed faintly on the surface, and the cracks between the doors were tightly closed without a single gap.

It was clear that it was being continuously managed, regardless of whether the security formula was updated or not.

Aris, who had her hand on the thick archive steel door and had her eyes closed, spoke quickly.

“11-layer encrypted security. It prevents artificial intrusion through random designation variables using 6-dimensional functions. Every time you forcibly break through one encryption system, the next firewall twists, twisting the existing barrier.”

“Without a key, it’s practically the same as saying don’t come in.”

Lenok asked.

Aris nodded.

“Apart from the complex structure, it’s not impossible to solve. Masterpieces created by high-level barrier mages bind the central coordinates to the imaginary dimension, making them impossible to touch.”

Is she talking about the same method as the ruins sealed in the fortress? Lenok also nodded naturally.

“There’s a reason why Pallard said that. I’ve seen similar cases of barriers in the outer districts.”

“Then it’ll be easy to understand. The key to these heavily varied barriers is not to understand and break the entire structure, but to memorize the patterns that react when magic intrudes, and then work backward from the deepest part.”

Hoo-oong!!

The magic gathered on her slender fingers transformed like flowing water and flowed directly into the gap in the door.

“Insert magic into the keyhole, and change the form according to the changes in the barrier. Detect and memorize the 66 magic pattern linkage changes in the 11-layer 6-dimensional function, and then interpret them in reverse.”

“I understand. Is there anything I can help with?”

“Follow the magic I’ve sent and remember the places where the reaction changes and connect the patterns. Normally, you would need as many mages to memorize the magic patterns as there are encryption walls, but…”

Aris said, turning her gaze.

“It wouldn’t be too difficult for someone who knows about this method.”

Aris’s words were somewhat meaningful.

It was only after Lenok followed her and sent magic into another part of the archive door that he could understand what it meant.

Kagagagak!!

The 11-layer barrier changes dozens of times in the brief moment that the magic extends inward and moves to the opposite side.

If you let your guard down even a little, the magic flow that you had extended inward would be cut off, leaving traces inside the barrier.

A security formula that puts you at risk just by trying to release the barrier. Its meticulousness was so great that it was hard to believe that it was security that hadn’t been updated for 10 years.

The only way to unlock the lock here is to connect the magic to the other side of the barrier without a single mistake, and then release the barrier by reversing the flow in the opposite direction.

After memorizing a series of magic patterns, reproduce the design in the completely opposite direction as if reflected in a mirror, and release the magic as if inserting and turning a key.

It was exactly the same principle as what Lenok had explained when he was explaining his research results on summoning magic to Aris.

“……”

Lenok’s gaze naturally turned to Aris’s back as she knelt down and concentrated.

Did she know this from the moment she grasped the structure of the barrier?

The magic flow reflected like a mirror. It is extremely rare for a mage to be able to not only precisely manipulate magic, but also instantly reverse and unfold the flow.

If Lenok were to reverse and implement the magic flow according to Aris’s request and then pass it on.

Would one of the questions lingering in Aris’s mind turn into certainty?

‘Impressive.’

Aris’s attitude of trying to grasp fragments of the truth without showing any sign on the outside and without questioning Lenok was truly cautious.

No, at this point, it should be called a truly researcher-like idea to challenge the battle through intellect.

A very sophisticated approach, yet somewhat timid, as if she were watching.

Lenok, who had thought that far, withdrew his magic.

Chijik!!

Aris, noticing the anomaly, turned her head.

“…What’s wrong?”

“The interpretation is complete.”

“Huh?”

At the same time, the shadow that had been writhing under Lenok’s feet rose up.

Shweeek!!

A black mass of shadow took shape instead of magic and fearlessly penetrated the inside of the barrier.

The shadow, maintaining its form without hesitation even in the gaps of the constantly twisting barrier, reversed its body according to the flow chart that Lenok had interpreted.

And from within, it opened the barrier from the inside as if inserting a key in reverse.

Charrrrreureuk!!

Aris’s mouth slightly opened.

“No, wait a minute… You just did this alone…?”

“I got a feel for it as I penetrated the inside of the barrier according to the concept you taught me, Professor.”

Lenok replied.

“It seems that this is the method used when releasing barriers.”

It seemed that Aris had deliberately asked in order to find out how Lenok reversed the magic flow, but.

It was enough for Lenok to reverse the magic flow by himself and release the barrier.

The flow of water that Aris had chosen through transformation was replaced by a shadow, and since the release process was done from inside the barrier, Aris wouldn’t be able to notice it either.

After that, only the result that the archive door was opened and the data was in hand remained.

Kooong!

Thousands of hard drives revealed themselves from inside the slowly opening door.

And tens of thousands of stacks of documents, several times that number, were neatly arranged on cold shelves in thick boxes.

“I’ll call the others.”

Lenok said, getting up.

“It seems like it would be insufficient to search the inside of the archive with just the two of us.”

“…Okay. I’ll wait here.”

Lenok, leaving Aris behind, whispered quietly as he left the basement door.

“My victory.”

[…Where was the competition in what Master just did?]

Davie, who was hiding in his arms, asked as if dumbfounded.

“There was a high-level psychological warfare where we competed with each other’s intellect. A spirit that just eats electricity in the breaker box wouldn’t understand.”

[Rather, I think that performance will make you more suspicious.]

“Even so… it was the best I could do. She was that difficult of an opponent.”

Something like a sigh escaped from inside his coat.

[I don’t know whether to call this amazing or pathetic…]

Aris’s eyes, watching Lenok’s back, were strangely shining.