Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 349

An avalanche cascading down a slope might be avoidable for skilled transcendents, even by running. However, no one can escape the snow mass of a mountain pouring down from above in a canyon. Even if they don’t lose their lives, a temporary restriction of movement is unavoidable. Amidst the people struggling and being pushed around from all directions, Lenox and Ivelyn quickly slid on the carapace like a snowboard. Whoosh!!! The speed at which they slid down from a height of several hundred meters far exceeded that of an average car. Lenox could no longer properly see the surrounding scenery with his naked eye. The massive carapace carrying the two slid rapidly, crushing the enemies buried in all directions. The immense weight of the Apostle Walter’s outer shell, combined with the rapid acceleration, created a massive impact. Even transcendents who had protected their entire bodies with mana were crushed like paper, spewing blood. Every time Lenox and Ivelyn passed through the snow pouring around the labyrinth, bright red flowers bloomed and faded. Seeing this, the others were horrified and yelled. “If you don’t want to die, get out of the way!!” “Just open a path for those crazy bastards!!” “Let them go first!! I won’t let it go if I die to those kinds of guys!!” Thud!! Even as they yelled, the carapace, having trampled over at least dozens of transcendents, slid with a red shadow. “Lapis should have given the other watchers a heads-up in time.” Lenox muttered, slightly shrugging his shoulders. From the moment he thought of this plan, he had told the other watchers not to rush into the labyrinth and to step back for a moment, but he didn’t know if everyone had followed his words. However, Ivelyn, who was hanging on Lenox’s back, nodded with a much calmer voice. “It’ll be okay. None of the ones we just killed were among them.” “……Can you see all of that?” “I’m an archer.” As Ivelyn smiled and pointed at herself, the carapace, having broken through the pouring snow, accelerated once more. Whoosh!! The excessive speed was such that even the sound of the wind was muffled and could not be heard properly. There was no one visible in front of or beside the two anymore. Confirming the rapidly closing distance to the labyrinth, Lenox lowered his head, and Ivelyn raised her mana. “Timing. We have to get it exactly right. Can you do it?” “Half, what do you take me for?” Ivelyn smiled and slammed the mana she had raised into the ground without any hesitation. “The basics of archery are breathing and timing.” Towards the carapace where the two were firmly bound. Whoooosh!! Inner World Small Universe: Inertia Bias. [A technique that manipulates the existing forces of motion.] Inertia control that maintains the strength and direction of existing forces. The carapace, which had been struck by the power of the small universe that Ivelyn had manifested, bent surprisingly smoothly and rotated precisely. The carapace, which had risen into the air to match the width and length of the labyrinth, changed its trajectory gracefully like an arrow curving in the air. Screech…!! The edge of the Hanghasa Labyrinth. It was exquisitely sucked into the crack of the largest open entrance. Immediately after, the structure of the labyrinth twisted once more, and the entrance where the two had entered disappeared in an instant. Only then did the others, who had finally come to their senses, desperately break through the snow and start running. “Damn it…!! The crack is already starting to close!!” “We have to get inside before the labyrinth completely changes!!” “If you don’t want to fight the stragglers to the death, run, you bastards!!” Following the two who had entered the labyrinth first, the others, a step late, squeezed their bodies through the cracks and began to enter the labyrinth. * * * “I understand now what Evan was thinking.” At the outermost edge of the snowy field. Lapis, who had retreated to the edge of the floating island to avoid the pursuit of others, muttered as she raised her gaze to the sky. Her two pupils were dyed as black as the night sky, reflecting the movement of the stars. Beyond the distant reaches, she looked down at the ground, using the sky as a mirror, at a distance that human vision could not reach. Thousands of transcendents existed in the canyon where the Hanghasa Labyrinth was located. However, Lapis was the one who most accurately grasped what Lenox had done and its cause and effect. “To gather the snow from the snowy mountains and push it straight down into the canyon… From the point when they were creating distance and focusing on sniping with Ivelyn, was he already anticipating this possibility?” “Considering his personality, it’s certain.” Grisha, who appeared from behind Lapis, answered her words. To maintain the shape and structure of the floating island, she had been focusing on maintaining the base, separated from those heading inside the canyon. At the same time as she looked up at the sky, a dozen other watchers began to return to the floating island. Those who had not entered the labyrinth had safely retreated to the outside of the snowy field to recover. “He might not have been planning to collapse the snowy mountains from the beginning, but he must have had a similar idea.” Grisha said, loosening her stiff shoulders. “I don’t think he would like to be bickering in such a battlefield… Ah, my neck feels a bit stiff.” Having spent the last three days cooperating in the chaotic battles near the labyrinth while helping the other watchers, she was exhausted. Although her vast main force had not been damaged despite participating in continuous battles for three days, the mental fatigue was unavoidable. Lapis looked around at the other watchers who had gathered following Grisha and quickly nodded. “Let’s put some distance between us and the labyrinth and retreat to reorganize our ranks. After taking some rest, we will move immediately.” “Where to?” “Until the watchers who have entered the labyrinth come out, we need to clean up this area.” She smiled with a rare sharpness and turned her gaze. “Since almost all of the organization’s main forces that were spread out in this snowy field have entered the labyrinth, we can now rearrange the outside board as we wish.” She had no intention of just playing around while leaving the labyrinth to skilled watchers like Evan or Ivelyn. Lapis was planning to move in her own way to make the situation outside the labyrinth advantageous. “Even in the worst-case scenario where all plans fail, the watcher forces must remain intact… I have no intention of just standing by and doing nothing.” “Y-yes.” “Then, should we focus on moving the floating island back for now?” Lapis smiled as she looked back at the watchers, whose expressions had changed slightly awkwardly. The atmosphere of the snowy field was about to change once again in a different direction. * * * Whoooosh!! As soon as he confirmed that they had entered the labyrinth, Lenox cut off the mana threads that connected the carapace and the two of them. The heavy carapace fell straight down first, and the two bodies flew through the long corridor of the labyrinth for dozens of meters, following the inertia. Clang!! As Lenox and Ivelyn’s bodies were shot forward at high speed, the traps inside the labyrinth, which had recognized their presence a step late, activated. Arrows and spears shot from between the walls and ceiling pierced the empty air and disappeared. Only after confirming this did Lenox extend mana threads with his fingertips, attach them to all sides of the labyrinth corridor, and stop the two bodies in their tracks. Screech…!!! The mana threads, stretched out like spiderwebs, minimized the impact and stopped Lenox’s body upside down in mid-air. Lenox, whose face had turned pale, cut the mana threads and fell to the ground, burying his face in the floor. “Ugh…” He had anticipated this result and had taken a lot of motion sickness medicine in advance, but the nausea of the moment when his sense of balance was completely overturned was unavoidable. Ivelyn, who had regained her composure and landed without any trouble, patted Lenox’s back. “Are you okay? Should we take a break?” “Hoo… No, I’ll be fine soon. Just wait a little.” After saying that, Lenox sat down on the floor and put a cigarette in his mouth. He knew from experience that when his stomach was churning, inhaling the smoke was more effective than doing anything else. Ivelyn looked at Lenox with a slightly worried expression before turning her gaze to her surroundings. “We’ve finally entered the Hanghasa Labyrinth. But it’s truly amazing. This entire labyrinth is the manifestation of one Ascendant’s mind…” She said, lightly brushing the dusty stone wall with her finger. “If I had entered without knowing, I would have thought it was an ancient ruin that was thousands of years old.” “That means the mind of a transcendent challenging ascension is solidified and complete.” Lenox, who had wiped his mouth with his shirt sleeve and stood up, replied. His face had turned slightly pale from how much smoke he had inhaled in a short time. “Beyond the level of temporarily elevating the mind and projecting it into reality, it’s a manifestation of existence that has taken its place by breaking through physical laws…” Lenox also said, looking at the wall that Ivelyn had touched. “It would be impossible unless the mind within the Jintun [A term referring to the core of a transcendent’s power] has achieved a level comparable to the laws of the world.” “Yeah… It’s my first time seeing it in person too.” Ivelyn’s face was also faintly hardened with tension. “From now on, everything is practically up to Jintun’s will. Or rather, should we say it depends on his life or death?” “That’s why we came all the way here to confirm it.” Lenox took out a potion and drank it to cool his head, which had heated up during the labyrinth entry process. “From now on, we have to go inside and check it out.” “…Yeah.” Lenox and Ivelyn’s gazes simultaneously turned towards the other side of the labyrinth corridor. A corridor buried in the pitch-black darkness. It was difficult to even guess how long it was, even with the mana sensing of a Saint-level ability user. Only the quiet sound of the wind coming from inside the labyrinth was the only noise in the area. * * * “I see. So that guy is the one who made the drug lord look like that?” Snow was pouring down from all directions. However, Maiya, rather than worrying about her own safety in the midst of the turbulent environment, nodded as she confirmed the figures of the two who had disappeared inside the labyrinth in an instant. “His mana manipulation is high-level, and his skills are clean. Above all, he has guts. Is it not a problem to draw attention like this?” [Dominic was a pretty smart guy.] The tattered fur ball behind her said. [If that merchant, who is endlessly sensitive to profit and loss, was held captive in the autonomous territory and had his consciousness killed, he must be hiding something more than what is visible on the surface.] Maiya laughed. “Eyes of Azure. I’m evaluating them much higher than I thought. Weren’t they not even on the minds of the higher-ups?” [How could that be? The growth rate that the bloodline of the Heavenly Eye has shown in a short time while leading the organization is not something to be ignored.] The doctor retorted in a nonchalant voice. [The organization’s discipline itself has become much looser than before, but they have been focused on increasing their size through trade and compromise. Now that they have both justification and power, they are one of the most powerful militant organizations in the Eastern Continent.] “Hmm…” [The trends near the megacities need to be constantly reviewed, according to the commander’s orders. Perhaps we will be seeing that face quite often.] Maiya, instead of focusing on the doctor’s words, looked around at her surroundings. The riffraff had been swept away by the avalanche that the mage had just unleashed and had become prey, but those who could take care of themselves were different. Even though the mage had taken the lead with a move that exceeded expectations, there were those who could advance towards the labyrinth without difficulty amidst the pouring snow. Those who had not yet entered the labyrinth were watching those who had adjusted their attitudes, like herself, from all directions. They were trying to remember those who were likely to become strong competitors before entering the labyrinth. “I still don’t like the selection of personnel…” As Maiya muttered with an indifferent expression and slowly loosened her body, the fur ball sighed again. [Is it that again?] “Doctor, look carefully. Even to my eyes, who have been refraining from external activities for a while, I can see familiar phrases and organizations, but I’m the only one here.” [……] “Besides, if what you said is true, the Eyes of Azure watchers will definitely be difficult opponents, so what are we going to do about that?” Maiya said, frowning as she identified a red-eyed young man who was openly staring at her. There was no way that he would be so openly targeting her unless he had noticed the injury she had sustained in the clash with that annoying gem craftsman, Jaun Odis. She sighed, sensing that a troublesome opponent would be sticking to her, but the fur ball floating behind her did not lose its composure. [Maiya, didn’t I tell you? The selection of personnel for this mission is perfect. Pushing with numbers is meaningless. Isn’t it natural that the Ascendant’s labyrinth is selective about who it accepts?] “……” [The reason I called you for this mission is because I thought that you, a former executor from the Machine City, were the most suitable for breaking through these obstacles.] The fur ball floating behind Maiya suddenly seemed to smile. [Stealing hearts by breaking through the bases that others have carefully created… Isn’t that what you’re best at?] “I told you not to say useless things.” Maiya slowly raised her mana, rubbing her throbbing lower back. “Okay. Let’s follow those two for now.” With a familiar sensation, she took a step forward, grabbed the fur ball with one hand, and started running from that spot. Maiya’s leap towards the labyrinth was so smooth and graceful that no recoil was felt. The fur ball in her hand trembled and let out a subtle laugh as if it were broken. Before the cracks in the labyrinth closed, those who had the power and skill to enter were disappearing inside one after another. Inside the labyrinth, where the desires and wishes to meet the Ascendant and to explore his relics and remains were swirling. Only the massive labyrinth, which had swallowed all those aspirations, was quietly writhing.