Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 376

[Kkioooooo!!!]The storm unleashed by the monstrous bird’s feathers cleaved the massive bridge in two.Swoosh!!The bridge’s collapse was so abrupt, it was hard to believe it had withstood so many impacts until now. The bridge, severed in the middle and tilting downwards, sent dozens of superhumans clinging to it plummeting. “Uwaaaaah!!””I’m, I’m gonna die…!!””Huh? Huh? The ground…!!”The superhumans’ eyes widened as they realized the ground, previously hidden below the bridge, was now visible. On the bridge, where competitors had been swiftly eliminated, a clash between a violet wave and the monstrous bird began. “How dare a summoner…!!” Balak’s roar echoed through the storm. In response, the elongated, curved gravity field seized the monstrous bird’s neck and twisted it, cutting off its breath. But as if waiting for that moment, a giant centipede rose from below the bridge where Balak stood, its dozens of legs bending to target the superhuman’s back. The centipede’s legs, coated in sharp poison, weren’t aimed at Balak himself, but at the two corpses hanging behind him. Shwaaak! In an instant, the centipede tore apart the corpses Balak possessed, causing the gravity waves emanating from Balak’s body to intensify. Only then did Balak realize what his opponent was aiming for, and he frowned, but it was already too late. “As you get older, you realize that being a step behind isn’t always a bad thing.” A kind-looking old woman with a hunched back. Her appearance was so ordinary that she could be seen anywhere, but it was a different story if she was standing unharmed on the head of a giant centipede that was swaying back and forth. Balak’s brow furrowed as he confirmed the intense magical power flowing from the old woman, who was standing on the centipede’s head with a staff. A summoner. Moreover, a great sorcerer of level 8 who had already transcended the hierarchy [referring to a power level system]. Powerful individuals who had been lying in wait, anticipating Jintun’s death, were now beginning to appear one after another. “Less is more. Slow is better than fast. It’s a saying that holds true everywhere.” The old woman tapped her staff lightly and smiled. “You’re violating both of those principles. You’re already overflowing, yet you’re also in a hurry. How long do you think you can hold out?” A sharp, direct statement that seemed to see through Balak’s essence. But instead of responding, Balak twisted his lips into a grimace. “…Considering how old you are, let’s not be too greedy with each other.” Balak knew better than anyone that even with this much power, he was still precariously balanced. The tragedy of a superhuman. What awaited at the end of a path leading to self-destruction. He had no intention of engaging in philosophical debates here. Balak was not so naive as to react to the old woman’s rhetoric. She spoke as if she were wise, but her goal was also clear. “It’s not a pretty sight to see the Grand Matriarch of the Enolas Magic Tower coveting the legacy of a senior.” “It seems you don’t realize who’s in the position to be considerate right now.” The Grand Matriarch retorted calmly to the sarcastic remark. “What do you mean?” “You forcibly bent your homicidal urges to control your power. Without those corpses you carry around like trophies, wouldn’t you self-destruct before even fighting me?” “…” Balak didn’t answer the Grand Matriarch; instead, he stared blankly at his left hand. The manipulation of the constantly rotating gravity field seemed perfect at first glance, but three of his left fingernails were already flipped over, dripping blood. The more he lost control of his superhuman power, the less he could prevent the damage to his own body. If he were to fight the Grand Matriarch for the relics of this labyrinth and make a mistake, it wouldn’t be strange if he self-destructed. The Grand Matriarch knew this, so she deliberately revealed herself to provoke Balak. “If Jintun is dead, it means that someone who entered the gate had their final conversation with him. Maiya Renslit might return here soon as well.” The monstrous bird, which had been killed with its neck twisted, stood up as if nothing had happened and glared at Balak, and a wriggling mass of scales on the giant centipede’s head began to emit a green mist. In the midst of all this, the Grand Matriarch gave Balak a kind smile. “Can you guarantee that that pitiful executor won’t kill you?” The Grand Matriarch, who seemed unharmed even after summoning three massive summons that could easily fill this space, was a testament to her talent. She was considered a veteran at the pinnacle of the Enolas Magic Tower, which studied summoning techniques, and there was no need to elaborate on her abilities. Kugugugugu!!! Three summons surrounded the vast gravity field. Balak, standing in the middle of the collapsed bridge, looked around with a blank expression before letting out a deep sigh. “Hoo… Enough with the useless intimidation. It’s too early for the two of us to fight each other.” “…” Surprisingly, the Grand Matriarch didn’t refute his words. Balak chuckled as if he understood her feelings. “There’s one more person down there, right? It seems like we can only have a proper conversation after that friend shows up.” Silence. But Balak continued to speak, unfazed. “If you think we’ll fight and self-destruct, then hide until this entire labyrinth collapses. But if you want to gain something worthwhile before that, it would be better to show yourself.” […Fine.] At that moment, someone appeared right next to Balak with a sound like space being washed away. A bizarre figure wrapped head to toe in bandages. Black mist was dripping from the eyes of the figure, whose head was bowed low. The magical power emanating from his body was a collection of cold, gloomy, and negative emotions. Only then did Balak realize who his opponent was, and his expression faintly darkened. “To have this much power without transcending the hierarchy… I thought you were definitely another extreme power user.” [There’s no order to going. Just because your level is high doesn’t mean you can’t be killed.] The bandaged man replied in a voice that sounded like it was about to fade away. [Even the Ascendant, who seemed eternal, met their death. Why would you be any different?] “…” A statement that was arrogant for a level 7 Saint-level power user. But the man’s unique power was so different that he was qualified to say such things. Even Balak and the Grand Matriarch, who had transcended the hierarchy, had recognized the man’s presence, but they hadn’t been able to pinpoint his location. “Well, fine… You young friend over there, stop hiding and come out and talk. Now is not the time to try and seize an opportunity alone.” “…” Balak frowned and spoke towards the area behind the bridge where the corpses were scattered. The corpses stirred, and a blood-soaked knight stood up. A silver-haired young man with a haggard face. Dane of the Cavahim Knights had also reached the end of this labyrinth and was waiting for his chance. The two who had reached the late stages of level 7, and the two who had already reached level 8, began to stare at each other in silence. As four monsters, who had no reason to gather, came together, Balak crossed his arms and nodded. “It seems like there are still some rats eavesdropping, but this is enough. I won’t make it long.” Woo woo woong!! He carefully uttered each word, struggling to control the gravity field that was circling nearby. Balak spoke. “Jintun’s death has been confirmed. The collapse of the Hanghasa Labyrinth is inevitable. Before that, we will search the cradle [a central area or objective] and recover Jintun’s assets. Do you understand?” [Divide into four.] The bandaged man said. [If you don’t guarantee an equal share, I won’t participate.] “…Let’s talk about that later. The important thing is that if we want to enter the gate and somehow retrieve the remaining items, we need to deal with that archer.” Balak said, looking at Ivelin, who was still hanging on the other side, looking down at them. The Grand Matriarch scoffed at Balak’s words. “I know the reputation of Ivelin Marcia, the Mystic Archer. But it’s quite quick of you to admit that you’ve been struggling to deal with just one woman.” “…” “Isn’t this basically an offer to cooperate because it’s difficult to break through that woman?” “You’ve been hiding until now, knowing that, and yet you have so much to say.” Balak retorted without losing. “In this complex terrain, that archery is not a skill to be underestimated. You should know that the Mystic Archer may have reached a stage where hierarchy is meaningless.” “…” It wasn’t that the others didn’t want to enter the gate; they had been watching Ivelin’s every move until now. Her skill in gracefully receiving all the attacks pouring down from the bridge, while easily shooting down everyone who approached. It was because of the possibility that she might have already reached level 8 that even Balak had been hesitant to act rashly. Her ability to freely move between the ceiling and pillars while sniping everyone who rushed towards the gate was worthy of being called a divine archer. Until now, Balak had been restraining himself, fearing that he would be harmed if he used his power rashly, but he couldn’t postpone things any longer, now that Jintun had died. He had decided to gather all the nearby threats in one place and break through head-on. “We’ll divide the area, intercept the Mystic Archer, and capture her. After entering the cradle, we’ll each take care of ourselves. Do you agree?” “I don’t care.” Swoosh!! Dane, who had drawn his sword from his waist, said with a haggard expression. There was no longer a single knight left by his side. “Zaun Odis. If you let me chase that bastard, I’ll cooperate with anything.” “…Fine. Then let’s get rid of that impudent junior here.” Balak’s gravity field, which had ignited a strong murderous intent in his eyes, distorted greatly and then surged towards the gate. Thud thud thud!!! The three summons summoned by the Grand Matriarch rushed down the bridge, and Dane stepped on the remains of the broken evil statue and leaped towards Ivelin. The bandaged man disappeared silently and then pulled out a long scythe from behind Ivelin. Balak, who had gathered his violet superhuman power to the fullest, roared. “Ivelin Marcia. Collapse with the Hanghasa Labyrinth!!” Kagagagagak!! Ivelin desperately resisted to buy more time for Lenok, but she couldn’t escape for long against four monsters comparable to her. “Haa…!!” Ivelin, who was surrounded by four superhumans in an instant, let alone protecting the gate, looked up at the overlapping layers of immense power pouring down from above. Poison dripped from between the centipede’s legs, and the bandages that had been loosened at her feet vibrated as if trying to curse her, wrapping around her legs. Sharp sword lights slashed and rushed from all directions. And even the form of a giant gravity cannon that was gathered and shot down from the distant sky. “…” There was no way out. Ivelin, realizing that she could no longer escape, lowered her head. A drop of blood that had flowed down her temple fell back down below her feet. Even though Ivelin had excellent archery and skills and had bought time for a long time, it would be a lie to say that she hadn’t put her life on the line in every moment. Her mind and body, which had concentrated all her energy with every shot and scraped the last of her remaining magical power, were already exhausted and signaling their end. There wasn’t much time left. She knew that Lenok might not appear here again, but she had no regrets. However, if there was one last thing she wanted to be greedy about. ‘Ban…!’ The wave of magical light poured down. At the moment when Ivelin closed her eyes tightly, taking all the attacks head-on. Something that had descended like lightning roughly grabbed her shoulder. Kwaaaaaaaa!!!! Immediately after, a wave of mixed magical power and the rush of summons swept through the area and crashed straight into the gate. The pure white gate that connected the shared sky and earth collapsed and shattered, revealing the scenery beyond. Everyone hesitated at the sight of the empty void that did not resemble the cradle at all. “Wait, could it be… already?” Less than five minutes had passed since Jintun’s death was recognized. The exchange of opinions and decisions of high-ranking superhumans were that swift, and the death sentence for Ivelin was certain. Yet, what did it mean that the cradle had already almost completely collapsed, and that there was nothing inside? Didn’t it mean that the three entrants who had entered the gate had already finished everything and escaped outside? Feeling an ominous premonition, the others all turned their heads towards where Ivelin had been. No matter how agile and nimble an archer was, there was no way to escape the fatal attacks that had been fired without any gaps. On the remains of the melted evil statue, where the aftermath of the attack remained. A man stood with his back turned.