Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 339

The moment the black arrow shaft was confirmed to have pierced the middle of the snowy field, the warriors moved faster than Lenok.

“Damn it…!! That archer!!”

“I saw him fighting a moment ago, how is he already here…!!”

“He’s targeting the dire wolves! Get out of the way!!”

Their movements were so swift, as if they knew who the master of this preemptive strike was.

However, as if anticipating all their movements, the same black flash sped from beyond the fog.

Thwack thwack thwack!!

A rapid fire that thoroughly targeted the beasts they were riding, not the humans.

It felt like a meticulous hand that wouldn’t let a single one escape from this snowy field.

Just as Lenok belatedly realized who the owner of the arrows was, Lapis said with a proud voice.

“It’s my first time introducing her to Evan. She’s the archer who most recently decided to join our Blue Eye.”

Swish!!

A figure that shot out from beyond the fog dashed through the warriors who had lost their beasts. Blood splattered everywhere, scattering hot crimson onto the snowfield.

A glimpse of green eyes could be seen through the black afterimages. It was clear who the owner of that cold gaze was.

The warriors also reacted immediately.

“Kill her!!”

“Don’t lose track of her movements!!”

“Read her breathing! Don’t lose her for even a moment!!”

Clang clang clang!!!

Even as their comrades were dying all around them, they calmly assessed the situation. They immediately launched a counterattack.

The warriors surrounding the snowy field each drew their preferred polearms and immediately raised their magical energy.

KWA-A-A-ANG!!

They didn’t stop, even knowing that their allies would be harmed by the aftereffects.

They understood that not stopping the figure dashing through the warriors now would lead to annihilation, which was a greater loss than attacking their own allies.

Whoooom!!!

The moment the warriors, who had sharpened their weapons with the change in the nature of their magical energy, tried to chase the black archer’s figure.

A pitch-black barrier of magical energy began to rise from beneath their feet.

Shhhhhhh!!

A barrier so thick and solid that it was unbelievable that it was a spell cast while freely moving among the warriors.

Below the barrier that instantly separated Lapis’s group and the warriors. The arrow shafts embedded in the snowfield resonated, extending pitch-black magical energy into the sky.

“Arrow shafts!!”

“Don’t attack the barrier, look under the corpses or the snow!”

“Send a support request, the Phantom Archer has arrived!!”

The warriors shouted at the top of their lungs, realizing that the black arrow shafts embedded throughout the snowy field were acting as a medium for the spell, but it was already too late.

The afterimage of the archer who had single-handedly ravaged the battlefield of superhumans.

The person who had lightly brushed off the arrow shaft in their hand, leaving behind the blood-stained field, stood before Lenok and Lapis.

Chik!

A unique appearance with a black suit and a dark green visor. An impressive woman with neat black hair that reached her shoulders.

“This is Ivelyn Marcia, the best archer in the Eastern Continent, known as the Phantom Archer.”

Ivelyn took off her visor and lightly shook her head, her gaze meeting Lenok’s eyes.

“Ivelyn, this is Evan.”

“……”

Instead of answering Lapis’s words, Ivelyn silently stared at Lenok’s eyes.

Lenok understood the meaning behind that sullen gaze and smiled wryly.

At the end of the battle against the White Lion of the Demon Realm at the Blaver Magic Tower, he hadn’t told her that Evan and Ban were the same person.

From Ivelyn’s perspective, it was not strange that Ban, who was still acting as Evan, looked displeased.

“Your archery is truly amazing. I’ve heard a lot about you from Lapis.”

However, Lenok, as if it were natural, put on a straight face and nonchalantly extended his hand towards her.

“Seeing that you came to help us first in this chaos, there’s no need to doubt your skills. I look forward to working with you.”

He could only hope that she would play along.

However, instead of answering Lenok’s words, Ivelyn glared at him with a slightly sullen look and blurted out a single word.

“Honorifics. How long are you going to keep using them?”

“……”

Lapis looked back and forth between the two with a slightly surprised expression at Ivelyn’s sulky retort.

Lenok cleared his throat slightly and quickly changed his tone.

“……If it felt awkward, I’ll stop. Anyway, it’s nice to meet you in a place like this.”

“……”

“But the Emerald Archer, is that what you’re called outside the city?”

At Lenok’s calm words, Ivelyn’s shoulder twitched for a moment.

Lapis grabbed Lenok’s sleeve with a puzzled expression and asked.

“Um, do you two… know each other already?”

At the same time, her ears turned red through the hair she had swept to one side.

Lenok, not noticing her reaction, continued to speak.

“It’s a more fitting title than I thought. When I heard about it from Lapis, I was a little doubtful…”

Swish!!

Lenok closed his mouth only after seeing a black arrow shaft pierce into the ground beneath his feet.

“If you call me that in front of other people, I’ll punish you.”

Ivelyn’s face was smiling brightly.

However, even if she could manage her expression, it seemed difficult to hide her complexion, which had turned red all the way to her neck.

Even Lapis glanced at them, muttering with a slightly embarrassed expression.

“You didn’t like that name very much…”

“I told you not to.”

“…I didn’t say anything.”

“Don’t.”

“……”

Lenok, realizing that no answer would work in this situation, quietly shut his mouth.

Instead, Lenok changed the subject, looking at the huge black barrier that Ivelyn had shot up in the middle of the snowy field.

“Your skills have improved since I last saw you. I didn’t know you could use spells like this?”

The barrier that Ivelyn had set up to protect the two of them was not just excellent in its strength and scale.

However, by resonating the magical energy stored in the arrow shafts, it split the ground and isolated the space.

The restriction itself, which strengthened the barrier’s strength and scale depending on the number of arrow shafts, was deeply imbued with the mysteries of barrier magic.

Due to the nature of barrier magic, which requires one to be accustomed to various restrictions and geases [magical oaths or obligations], it was impossible for Ivelyn to use this technique without having some knowledge of this area.

However, despite Lenok’s words, Ivelyn simply shook her head.

“It’s not something I originally knew how to do… I learned it here by watching.”

“You learned it by watching?”

“I don’t know why, but there are a lot of high-level barrier mages among the guys gathered here.”

Ivelyn replied with her arms crossed.

“After dealing with those guys and looking at some of the artifacts and books they had, I could roughly imitate it.”

“……”

“Resonating magical energy with arrow shafts has a lot of flaws, but it’s useful for buying time.”

Ivelyn said it casually, but the fact that she, who was not a mage by nature, could follow the principles of barrier magic simply by opening a few books was an amazing feat in itself.

That was probably possible because she had passed the stage of completing her own hierarchy and had already grasped clues to move further up in her own way.

The moment Lenok was about to continue the conversation to ask more about that part.

Lapis grabbed Lenok’s coat with a slightly uneasy face.

“Um, wouldn’t it be better to put some distance between us and them for now?”

“Why?”

“Well… neither Evan nor Ivelyn are warriors, so it would be better to retreat and buy some time… The Zakirai warriors are not easy opponents.”

Koo-oo-oong!!

As if proving that Lapis’s worries were not wrong, the thickness of the barrier that Ivelyn had set up was rapidly thinning, and a series of loud noises erupted beyond it.

The Zakirai warriors, who had removed the arrow shafts that were acting as a medium for the barrier, immediately began to project their firepower.

They knew very well that it was disadvantageous for them to drag out the time for too long.

“It’s okay.”

However, Ivelyn smiled faintly even as she watched the barrier collapse.

“I’ve already opened the way. They should be catching up by now, right?”

Crack crack crack!!

The pitch-black barrier of magical energy collapsed, and the moment the warriors beyond it were about to shoot their blades at Lenok and Lapis.

A dazzling light of magical energy appeared beside them and slammed into the warriors’ flanks.

KWA-A-A-ANG!!

“Kuaaaak!!”

“An enemy attack!!”

“Is it the Blue Eye? How did they get here so quickly…!!”

A sharp counterattack. New superhumans who appeared one after another began to push back the warriors and shatter their formation.

The other watchers who were moving behind Ivelyn had finally arrived at this battlefield.

A chaotic melee. Despite the absolute lack of numbers, the watchers focused on buying time, naturally taking on several opponents each, as if they had made a promise.

Meanwhile, the mages on the watcher’s side, who had created distance and started chanting, poured down firepower in succession.

Thud thud thud!!

A rain of magical energy bullets covering the sky and gray flashes of light flying from the shadows indiscriminately pierced through the warriors.

At the point when the numbers began to match to some extent. However, even though it was a situation where they could have gauged their chances of victory, the warriors chose to retreat.

“Retreat now!! Run away!!”

“Give up on those who can’t move!! We must preserve our strength for now!!”

“Ugh, Belter…!!”

The Zakirai warriors, accurately gauging the moment when the momentum was shifting, retreated.

Apart from simply dealing with the watchers in front of them, they did not forget the fact that Lenok and Ivelyn were waiting behind them.

As a group of warriors who had been rolling around in the northern snowy field for a long time, their judgment was quick, but the newly appeared watchers did not let them escape.

Rather than focusing on killing them with all their might, they focused on tying their feet and preventing them from escaping, and then pressed them down with firepower with the support of the rear.

Since Ivelyn had killed all the wolves they were riding beforehand, it would be difficult to escape far.

It was possible because of her judgment to eliminate their means of transportation and buy time, rather than killing all the warriors single-handedly.

The battle that ended in an instant at the same time as the balance of power collapsed.

Only then did the other watchers, who had recovered, quickly rush to Lapis.

“Lapis!!”

“I’m sorry. We were held up for too long over there…!!”

“We’ve confirmed the identity of the organization that attacked the base. It’s a criminal organization operating in the Western Continent, called Elderbane.”

“No matter how I think about it, the level of barrier mages around here is not easy. It’s still difficult to distinguish friend from foe.”

The neat attire of the spearman that Lenok remembered, the face of Sunmyung.

In addition to that, more than ten watchers were exchanging information they had acquired in the melee, talking to each other from all directions.

It was clear how fierce the battles that had taken place throughout the snowy field were, as there was not a single person who did not have blood splattered all over their body.

Unlike Ivelyn, who was the first to find the two and rush over, these people could not keep up with her speed.

They were probably basically moving with Ivelyn, but had followed her solo actions.

“……”

Lenok stepped back from the group and calmly observed the faces of the watchers surrounding Lapis.

Most of the faces were unfamiliar from the autonomous territory. When Lenok visited the Pilenom Autonomous Territory, they were either absent due to external missions or were new watchers who had joined the Blue Eye.

He realized once again how rapidly the organization called the Blue Eye was inflating its power and size.

The fact that this level of superhuman power had gathered in one place. And the fact that they were all naturally accepting Lapis as their center proved how great her ability was.

Her determination to refuse the opening of the sky and come up with her own answer was not a lie.

In fact, many talented people were gathering around Lapis according to her strong will and conviction.

“Amazing, isn’t it?”

Ivelyn, who was standing next to Lenok with her arms crossed, asked quietly.

Lenok turned his head without a word, but Ivelyn continued to speak, keeping her gaze fixed on Lapis.

“After the rumor spread that the next lighthouse keeper, who was only remembered as the granddaughter of the Sky Dog [a powerful figure or clan], had defeated the drug kingpin, many people have become interested in her.”

“……”

“Not everyone wants the same answer as Pandemonium [a chaotic or lawless place]. There are many who want to preserve it. The Blue Eye is becoming another path for those people.”

Ivelyn said that and turned her gaze towards Lenok.

“Although there is someone else who became the catalyst, as a result, there are many people who have come to believe in Lapis’s strength and will and have joined forces with her.”

“Ivelyn. Are you trying to say that you’re one of them?”

“No, if you want to be precise, it’s not Lapis, but…”

Ivelyn, who was about to answer Lenok’s words naturally, suddenly stopped talking with a hiccup.

“-Anyway, it would be better to be careful. As the organization called the Blue Eye is rapidly growing outside the autonomous territory, there may be checks from the megacities.”

“……”

“It’s noisy inside and outside the city right now, and the city council isn’t paying much attention because of the agreement that the Sky Dog made… but this situation won’t last forever.”

“That’s a problem that you should be worried about more than me, Ivelyn.”

Lenok asked, meeting Ivelyn’s green eyes.

“The Blue Eye and agent activities. Can you do both?”

“……”

Ivelyn also sighed with a slightly troubled expression.

The reason why she was throwing these words at Lenok did not require much thought.

Although she had told Lenok to be careful, Ivelyn was also in a situation where she had not yet come up with a proper answer.

“…This time, I came with the approval of the Deputy Director. Investigating the movements of the Ascended is an important issue for special agencies like us. We can only think about what will happen in the future after time passes.”

“The megacity’s ban on the law is about to be lifted. Are you aware of the related news?”

“I know… I’ve been asking the watchers who joined late according to the summons about the news from the city.”

Northern snowy region. In this vast area where the magical energy of the Ascended is rampant, communication with the outside is not smooth.

Even so, Ivelyn seemed to be gathering news from Vulcan through other watchers who had arrived later than her.

“I was wondering why Ban was so late, but I never thought you would get caught up in the defense force’s coup.”

“Deputy Director Palad was desperately looking for you. It was such a big deal that Kraken Acilus even appeared, so it would have been very helpful if you had been there.”

Ivelyn chuckled at Lenok’s indifferent reply.

“That’s right. In fact, among the field agents who have the privilege of being exempt from the ban on the law, I was the most outstanding and cooperative.”

“……”

An answer that was unlike the usual Ivelyn. The faint cynicism mixed in was not directed at Lenok, who was standing next to her.

Was there a reason mixed in with the motives for deciding to join the Blue Eye that Lenok did not know about?

The moment Lenok was about to open his mouth to ask about that fact.

Booooooo!!!

A loud trumpet sound echoing from the other side of the snowy field shut the watchers’ mouths.

At the same time, the appearance of magical beasts emerged through the blizzard.

An appearance and physique similar to a rhinoceros. At a glance, it was an appearance that emphasized melee combat rather than mobility.

Lenok sighed as he confirmed the faces of the riders on the backs of the magical beasts.

At this point, what other organization would appear riding such magical beasts?

“The Zakirai warriors… that wasn’t all of them just now.”

“Since the vanguard consisting of fast-moving wolves did not return, the main force must have stepped up.”

Only then did Lenok understand why they were called the most dangerous warrior group in the Northern Continent and nodded his head.

If the vanguard consisting of riders on wolves was made up of such elites, how rough and violent would the experts of the main force in charge of the all-out war be?

“Magical beasts that were originally known to be impossible for humans to tame… those warriors know how to handle such magical beasts and share that knowledge. They are an opponent that can never be ignored, even if it’s not this snowy field.”

“Are you thinking of fighting to the end?”

At Lapis’s words, Lenok glanced around.

The other watchers were already somewhat exhausted from the continuous melee and dealing with the reconnaissance team.

Lenok and Ivelyn were relatively unscathed, but with just the two of them, they could not avoid a prolonged battle.

And staying in one place and continuing to make noise in this snowy field was nothing short of suicide.

However, even after hearing Lenok’s words, Lapis quietly shook her head.

“It seems like it will take some time regardless of the victory or defeat.”

“Yes.”

Lapis smiled and turned her gaze back.

“It’s about time our main force arrived.”

“…Main force? The Blue Eye also had a main force…”

Lenok’s words did not continue to the end.

At that moment, an enormous presence that could not be ignored even amidst the somewhat chaotic senses began to be felt.

Something emerges from above the sky, piercing through the swirling blizzard and thick clouds.

At the same time, the snowfield full of snow on the ground transforms into a humid jungle, and wide bushes and trees sprouted everywhere.

A familiar landscape and magical energy that was even more memorable than that.

The moment Lenok recalled the image of a sorcerer who had lived for hundreds of years in his mind.

A huge floating island appeared above the snowy field, unleashing immense pressure.

Whooooom!!!

Only then did Lenok realize what Lapis had said and muttered.

“I see. When I heard that the base was being moved, I had a hunch, but…”

It was not just about changing the place where the watchers would gather.

Somehow, Lapis had summoned one of the floating islands that should have been in the floating island cluster and was using it as the Blue Eye’s base in this snowy field.

Thud thud thud!!!

A figure that fell from the edge of the floating island fell right into the middle of the Zakirai warriors’ main force.

At the same time, the scenery of the snowfield distorted in various places, and a colorless wave rose.

A sight that was hard to believe even with one’s own eyes, with magnetic fields and small universes unfolding everywhere.

The level 7 watchers who were stationed in the main force had newly joined the battlefield to face the Zakirai main force.

“There were a few mistakes at first, but I think I can say it now.”

The magnificent waves of magical energy rising from all over the snowy field. Dozens of elite warriors moving according to her will.

Lapis, with the floating island filling the sky behind her, smiled triumphantly.

“Welcome back to the Blue Eye, Evan.”