Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 409

Kugwagwagwagwa!!!!

A heavy subway train approaches, illuminating the dim tunnel with its faint light.

Its form is blurry in the dark tunnel, but no one can deny its immense size and speed.

There’s hardly time to wonder how a train, buried and forgotten inside a closed station, is moving so fast.

Everyone understood that even a slight graze by a train of that weight would make survival unlikely.

“Uwaaaaaaaah!!”

Thud!!

There isn’t even a proper sound.

The moment a participant, driving a four-wheel-drive car at the very back, lightly brushed against the front of the train.

The car, tossed into the air like a toy, crashed into the tunnel ceiling and exploded.

Kwaaaang!!

It was only natural that the other racers watching this turned pale.

“Ueeeek…!!”

“Shit, shit…!!”

There’s no room to conserve energy.

They could only pray to outpace the signal of death approaching from behind, using whatever engine power, horsepower, or artifacts they had left.

“This is completely insane…!!”

The spirit mage, who was running right next to Lenok, also started to speed up with a horrified expression.

“If you start something like that in a place like this, you won’t be safe either!!”

There’s nowhere to escape in this unfinished tunnel.

To avoid the subway train rushing from behind with terrifying momentum, they had no choice but to accelerate forward.

However, Lenok chuckled at the spirit mage and drastically slowed down his bike.

The monster bike quickly sent the spirit mage ahead and began to fall behind.

In the dark tunnel where it was difficult to predict the scenery even an inch ahead, the sudden departure of the bike from the lead group caused the formation of racers to scatter.

Kugugugung!!

“It’s coming from the front!!”

“Don’t push, don’t push!!”

“No, if the balance is disrupted…!!!”

Ujijijijik!!!

The monster bike completely turns its body sideways, blocking the racers coming from behind.

Just by twisting the throttle of the bike in the middle of the rail, the entire race formation was disrupted, and countless collisions and explosions erupted between the train and the racers.

Kwaaaang!!

Even the leading participants, who were ahead, were dumbfounded by Lenok’s actions, as he charged towards the train coming from behind.

“That crazy bastard…!! Is he planning to self-destruct with the train!!”

“He’s out of his mind, keep as much distance as possible!!”

Lenok, who had swept away the relatively lagging participants with just one maneuver, brought his bike close to the oncoming train.

The train, already at full speed and gaining momentum, was accelerating more and more fiercely, not slowing down.

However, Lenok, unfazed by the immense pressure crushing the air, lifted the rear wheel of his bike.

At the same time, the front wheel of the bike rotated wildly, instantly adjusting the bike’s speed.

[Railway vehicle speed observed. Acceleration pattern and friction coefficient measurement complete. Preparing to synchronize bike body speed.]

Kagagagak!!

[Docking!]

The moment the lifted rear wheel of the bike touched the front of the train, a loud tearing sound was heard.

Pshuuu!!

However, unlike the other participants who were helplessly flung away, Lenok remained docked on the front of the train, maintaining its speed.

An unbelievable feat of riding backward on the front of the train, precisely matching the speed at which the train was running.

While others were staring blankly behind, forgetting to look ahead, due to his transcendent speed maintenance and balance, which were questionable even for human senses.

Lenok, who had quickly climbed to the top of the train’s front window, took something out of his pocket.

Click!!

A sniper rifle with a long barrel that protruded out in front of the bike, the Sightglass-992.

By using the carapace of an apostle [a powerful, often monstrous being], to adjust the recoil and enhance the firepower, it had become a weapon with power close to that of an anti-tank sniper rifle.

He quickly loaded the bullets and finished preparing the rifle, resting the barrel on the bike and taking a comfortable stance.

Only then did the participants realize what Lenok was aiming for when he boarded the train and started targeting their backs, and they gritted their teeth and pulled up their magic power.

[I’ve dealt with the rear guard, so now only the vanguard remains.]

Lenok, his finger on the trigger, quietly muttered behind his visor.

[Let’s see how well you can dodge?]

“Uwaaaaaaak!!”

* * *

A quiet construction site in the early hours of the morning, well past midnight.

The rails laid on the lower part of the half-built tunnel are covered in rust, as if no vehicle has ever passed over them.

A silence so quiet that even a breath seems to echo.

That’s why the ear-splitting roar is so loud that it feels unreal, like a lie.

Puhbuhbuhbuk!!

More than a dozen figures are thrown out through the broken asbestos walls.

They have only one thing in common: they are riding on vehicles, beasts, or unknown floating objects. They are all different, and they are all scrambling to escape without even getting their posture right.

Kwaaangaang!!

Like chasing after them, the heavy subway train, protruding like a stone pillar from the collapsed tunnel wall, is speeding.

Even though it has long since left the rails, its speed does not decrease.

From the bike on top of the train’s head, sharp bursts of light are constantly erupting.

Bang! Bang! Bang!!

Those who failed to escape are pushed away by the train, and those who lose their balance and stagger are shot in the head with the rifle.

Even those who desperately try to avoid Lenok’s snipes are unable to resist the large-caliber bullets that pierce through their thick helmets, scattering blood as they fall.

“Surrender, surrender!! I’ll give up!! Spare me!!”

“Just give up, just give up!!”

Some beg for their lives to survive, even if it means facing the gang’s retaliation.

“It’s not over yet, you bastard!!!”

“What the hell kind of race is this…!!”

Tatatatang!!

Meanwhile, some are still trying to escape the train’s rampage and counterattack Lenok.

In the narrow tunnel where there was nowhere to go, they could only helplessly suffer from Lenok’s snipes and the train’s pursuit, but now that they are out in the open construction site, things are different.

Lenok quickly counted their numbers and then sharply twisted the bike’s handle upwards.

Squeak!!

The train, which had lost its rails and was running wild, landed on the ground just before it was about to deviate from the race route.

The front wheel of the heavy monster bike was lifted and then slammed down, crushing the head of the beast that was blocking the way.

Something sticky oozed out from the bike tire with an indescribable sound.

Lenok frowned at the fishy smell rising through his visor.

[Get lost.]

He accelerated forward with the front wheel still lifted. He climbed over an armored vehicle that was blocking the road and went over the obstacle.

At the same time, he threw a few small bombs he had taken out of his pocket into the seat.

Puhbuhbung!!

Lenok, leaving behind the car bodies and racers engulfed in flames, quickly regained the lead, breaking through the falling steel bars.

Buaaang!!

Leaving behind the sound of steel bars collapsing and the screams of the competitors crushed beneath them, he quickly left the construction site and onto a wide road.

‘If I get out of the outer ring road and go around the abandoned port, it’s over. If I get rid of all the other competitors before that, the gang’s leaders will come out themselves.’

Just as Lenok was thinking that and trying to check the engine’s heat to increase his speed even more.

Tadadadak!!!

He began to hear the sound of thick asphalt being trampled right behind him.

“I knew you’d be left.”

The figure of a bronze-skinned warrior riding on a majestic leopard.

With a wild appearance, he was looking back at Lenok from right next to him, with a long spear slung over his shoulder.

[You are…]

Is he the warrior on the leopard who asked the old man the question at the beginning?

Considering that he mentioned the previous rounds, this probably wasn’t his first time participating in the race.

Puhwaak!!

At the same time, a third competitor rose up, scattering sand as if sweeping the asphalt floor.

“Are we the only three left?”

The figure of a man with the lower half of a snake.

The snake’s tail, which was constantly swimming on the ground, was made of solid steel and magic circuits.

A cyborg. Is he a case where he completely modified his lower body to increase his mobility?

The cyborg, flicking his long tongue between his lips, grinned.

“It was the right answer to focus on keeping pace without unnecessarily speeding up. I never imagined you’d get rid of all the guys competing with you.”

[…]

Instead of answering, Lenok silently put away his rifle and took out a rechargeable shotgun.

If they had made it this far, overcoming the mobile bridge, narrow stairs, underground tunnel, the pursuit of railway cars, and Lenok’s snipes, they were definitely not ordinary people.

And all three of them were definitely not stupid enough to compromise on the rankings after coming this far.

The three people, glaring at each other in the middle of the open ring road, simultaneously swung their hands.

Bang!!

The moment the cyborg’s mechanical tail collided with the bike’s body.

The spearman, riding on the running leopard, twisted his shoulder, and sharp flashes of light embroidered the air.

Kagagagak!!

More than a dozen scars were carved into the asphalt above the leopard, cutting everything around it.

Streetlights, sidewalks, fire hydrants, and signs, as well as abandoned cars that were lying around like trash, were neatly cut and flung around the leopard.

A unique spear technique that rotates as if turning a circle while holding the bottom of the spear.

The sharp blade, matching the strong centrifugal force, was rushing to destroy Lenok’s bike, grinding everything around it.

And on the opposite side, the half-human, half-beast was quickly closing the distance, flashing a laser blade.

The cyborg, combined with a snake’s lower body, was relentlessly targeting the tires, closing the distance with a bizarre trajectory that humans could not imagine.

Lenok, realizing that the two had set their goals as one, let out a hollow laugh.

[Useless effort…!!]

He gritted his teeth and slammed on the brakes.

Squeeeak!!

A sudden stop that belied the speed he had built up so far.

The heavy body lurched forward, and at the same time, the rear wheel lifted, narrowly avoiding the fierce attacks coming from both sides.

Davy, who was watching the situation from inside the bike’s system, also moved immediately.

[Front-wheel drive conversion, 270-degree multi-angle rotation. Maintaining vehicle balance.]

The bike, with its rear wheel lifted, rotated to the left on the spot, and at the same time, the thrusters that popped out from the side of the vehicle activated, emitting a bluish flame.

The heavy bike’s tire, accelerated by the rotational force, slammed into the half-human, half-beast man who was rushing in from the side.

Kwaang!!

The bike’s rear wheel, raised high in the air, hit the man’s temple and slammed down, crushing his shaking tail.

The bike tilted to one side, stepping on the snake’s tail, and slid across the asphalt at an incredible speed.

At the same time, the boosters that popped out from all over the vehicle worked in reverse, adding to its weight.

Kwaaa!!

Tires and steel were ground away on the asphalt at the same time, scattering countless sparks and raising the heat.

Kagagagak!!

The mechanical tail joint was torn off, revealing the wires, and the man, who had instantly lost his entire lower body, let out a desperate scream.

“Kkuaaaak!!”

The upper body, which had fallen helplessly in the middle of the asphalt, rolled and crashed into a nearby fire hydrant as the tail, tangled in the bike, was shattered.

The moment Lenok looked back at the scene and pulled up his magic power to somehow maintain the bike’s balance.

“It’s not over yet…!!”

The spearman on the right also twisted his shoulder without hesitation, holding his spear.

As he rotated the spear while hanging precariously on the back of the leopard, which was running wildly on all fours, as if performing a stunt.

More than a dozen slashes began to pour around the bike with a chilling tearing sound.

Dodododo!!

‘The shield…!!’

Since the weight of the carapace shield itself is considerable, it is difficult to take it out easily while riding the bike.

In the meantime, the spear was accurately piercing Lenok’s vitals, shattering the relatively weak shield like glass.

The spearman’s hand movements, wielding the spear through the shield fragments that were shattering and scattering like glass, were so fast that his two arms holding the spear were not even visible.

Shhhik!!

He gave up trying to visually confirm the attack and checked the direction of the spear with magic power detection, lowering his head until he was about to fall off the bike.

Even so, the spear blade, which stubbornly followed him, grazed the side of the visor that Lenok was wearing.

Deudeudeuk!!

[Master!!]

The visor, which was supposed to safely protect the wearer’s head, was crushed like a feather, slightly revealing Lenok’s side hair.

The spearman, who did not miss the sight, sharpened his eyes.

“Black hair. Judging by the head shape and physique, he’s a man maintaining a body in his twenties. That alone can narrow down his personal information to some extent.”

[…]

“The fact that you want to hide your identity while having that level of skill is proof that you have something to hide. Your wit is good, but this is the end. Give up.”

Even while constantly swinging his spear at Lenok, there was not a hint of trembling in his voice.

“If you voluntarily give up the race, you will be hunted down by the gang. But if you stop here for about 30 seconds and then cross the finish line, there will be no problem according to the rules.”

[How about you worry about what’s in front of you instead of talking?]

Lenok replied, lying down so close to the ground that he looked like he was about to be ground into it.

Sswaaaaaek!!

Immediately after, the race route that the two were running on changed from the middle of the city to a container district that looked like ruins.

Abandoned streets, piles of rusty containers that were broken and slumped in various places.

A common ruin in the outer area that may have once been actively involved in cargo transportation.

The moment the spearman recognized it, the magic threads extending from Lenok’s hands stretched out between the surrounding containers.

[Let’s both do our best.]

The bike, held by the magic threads, finally lost its balance and fell over, sliding along the ground with its side.

Squeeeak!!

It did not lose its speed while scattering sparks on the asphalt.

A method of relying on magic threads rather than the bike’s body for balance and center of gravity, and maintaining acceleration and inertia.

How delicately would you have to handle the weight of a heavy bike weighing hundreds of kilograms to make such magic thread manipulation possible?

“He was a manipulation-type mage…!! Then he was the one who made the railway car go out of control!!”

Kagagagak!!!

It is natural that movement becomes much easier when the center of gravity itself can be turned outward at will, relying on magic threads rather than the bike.

The spearman’s thrusts were fired like a machine gun every time he took a breath.

Lenok was evading all of the spearman’s attacks by manipulating the magic threads and the automatic driving algorithm to the limit.

Kkiririk!!

The bike tilted, rose, rotated, and twisted between the ground and the building walls, constantly changing direction.

The bike’s body, which had gracefully rotated following the constantly flashing thruster flames, avoided the radius of the spear blade without being damaged.

At the same time, it slid through the containers without losing any speed.

A miracle that could not be achieved unless he perfectly read and predicted all the attacks that the spearman was launching.

Only then did the spearman’s face harden as he realized that his opponent was not an ordinary rider, but a powerful sorcerer with transcendent reading abilities.

Click!!

In that short time, Lenok, who had taken out a rechargeable shotgun, quickly finished loading and aimed the gun.

[We’ve arrived.]

He pulled the trigger and fired.

Taang!!

A burst of magic power spread widely from the muzzle.

Lenok’s sharp magic fragments, which had seeped between the bullets, were aimed at the leopard’s panting body.

“That won’t work…!!”

The spearman, spinning his spear like a windmill with one hand, immediately blocked the shots in succession.

Kagagak!!

A monstrous reaction speed that reacted and deflected the shotgun fragments fired at the speed of sound right in front of him.

A leopard with physical abilities, a high level of spear skills, and comparable riding skills and excellent intelligence.

Perfect aptitude and ability, as if born for such intense mobile combat.

It was impossible without having undergone thorough combat-related training and education somewhere, even if it wasn’t a race.

It was clear that it would be difficult to shake off the spearman in a chase that tested the limits of reaction speed while riding a bike like this, rather than a one-on-one battle where Lenok could exert his full power.

“Just give up!!”

The spearman also sensed this and, with a determined expression that was convinced of victory, raised his spear once more.

[Stop talking nonsense and look behind you.]

“What?”

Lenok also smiled as he adjusted his visor.

[The Grimoire gang is quite vicious. The last stop they chose was…]

Swaaaaaaa!!!

Before he could finish speaking, countless piles of powder were pouring down on the heads of the two.

Unknown white powders were seeping out from the heavy containers with holes all over the streets.

Lenok’s shotgun shots had not simply been aimed at the spearman, but had also shattered the containers located beyond him, scattering their contents.

The moment he smelled the powder, even the spearman, who had long since surpassed the realm of the military, felt dizzy.

The spearman, who instantly realized what it was, covered his nose in shock and muttered.

“Artificial drugs… a cocktail!! They put such dangerous things in the containers on the outskirts!!”

[You’re not the only one who needs to cover your nose.]

“Oh no, Garum!!”

Even if it was not difficult for a high-level superhuman like the spearman to continue fighting by forcibly controlling his breathing, it was a completely different story for the leopard he was riding.

In fact, the leopard’s eyes were gradually starting to go crazy after inhaling a lot of the drug powder while running.

Even if it was a beast, it would be fatal if it was exposed to drugs that directly stimulated and damaged the brain for a long time.

If it became addicted, the aftermath would be unbearable.

Only then did the spearman, horrified, quickly swing his spear in all directions, creating a strong wind to blow away the drug powder.

“Don’t inhale it!! Just hold on a little longer!”

Huuuung!!

Cocktail. A broad term for combination drugs that combine various drugs to enhance their effects.

The spearman was not very knowledgeable about drugs, but he understood how dangerous and strong the side effects were.

The fact that such drugs were hidden on a large scale at the last stop was the same as the Grimoire gang playing tricks.

The number of containers piled up in this plaza alone was dozens. If there were drugs hidden in all of those containers, the amount would be enough for millions of people to take at the same time.

What was the reason why the gang had hidden so many drugs at the last stop?

The spearman’s face instantly turned cold as he grasped the intention.

“Are they planning to blame us for the drug trafficking if things go wrong!! Is all of this just to create a forced alibi…!!”

[Keep thinking about it.]

The magic threads that had been placed on the containers all around were released as if they had been cut, and the bike’s body, which had been abnormally tilted, stood upright again.

At the same time, a fierce flame erupted from the exhaust pipe at the rear of the vehicle.

Lenok, who had narrowly overtaken the staggering leopard, looked back and said.

[I’ll go ahead.]

Click!!

At the same time, the shotgun in Lenok’s left hand automatically reloaded and fired after rotating once.

The tower of containers piled high on the left side collapsed due to the impact.

An unprecedented amount of drugs burst out from the shattered containers, covering the area.

The flames thrown into the powder caused a chain reaction, turning into a huge dust explosion.

Kwaaaaaaaang!!!

The explosion that engulfed the entire ruined container area swept away not only the leopard that had fallen behind, but also the latecomers who had arrived a step late.

The dark night sky was illuminated as brightly as day for a moment by the heat and light, and light entered the streets.

Immediately after, it turned into a flame so hot that even the explosion could not be recognized, sweeping everything away.

* * *

“All twelve pacemakers are out of contact. 88 participants have retired.”

“…”

He tried to maintain a calm demeanor, but he couldn’t stop his voice from shaking as he reported.

The voice waved his hand, rubbing his temple with one hand.

“Continue.”

“Severe damage to five outer areas that were set as the race route… Complaints are pouring in from our partner companies that leased the route to us.”

“What about the surviving participants?”

“Eight out of the twelve survivors are in a severe state of intoxication. Considering the addictive nature of the cocktail, I think the aftereffects will be considerable…”

“And that means the remaining one is coming here now.”

Out of 112 participants, 12 pacemakers were recruited by the gang and 100 participants.

Among them, there were nearly twenty backers who had agreed to share supplies with the gang in advance.

As much as this chaos had occurred during the race, it was natural for other organizations and gangs to pay attention.

“The explosion caused by the drug powder is a mess everywhere. We won’t be able to avoid a police investigation.”

“Have you forgotten who our backers are? Let’s put that kind of talk aside for now.”

For the Grimoire gang, the supplies offered as a reward for the race were not important.

What was more important to them was to thoroughly observe and maintain the form and rules of this race.

That was because the big shot who was backing the gang was strongly demanding and desiring this.

The fundamental power that allowed the gang to show off to others with the city’s public supplies and to have a voice while occupying two outer areas came from this.

Therefore, what the rider on that bike had just done was something that the gang could not tolerate.

Thud!!

The voice, who had risen from his seat with a heavy body, said.

“Victor. And the wine company behind him. Find their backers and bring them to me right now.”

The red eyes, faintly glowing in the darkness, turned to the camera hanging on one side of the wall.

“Before that guy crawls to me.”

The finish line of the race is shown on the camera screen.

In front of the Grimoire gang’s headquarters.

A heavy bike was slowly appearing in front of the iron gate, which was roughly wrapped in all sorts of barbed wire.