Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 453

By manipulating the altar’s timeline, he returned to the moment the well was opened.

Only then did Lenok understand why the clown had been chosen to lead this grand operation.

The Handbook’s well wasn’t like the ideological battlefields; it was a magical realm, a labyrinth of the unknown.

More precisely, it was a beacon of the Heavenly Gaze, a hidden place where the Ascended [beings who have transcended human limitations] who had inherited their mission resided.

Just as the beacon continued to the next keeper even after the Heavenly Gaze’s death, the well also had parts that operated by rules, regardless of the Ascended’s will.

The clown’s plan wasn’t to change the well’s rules but to manipulate the environment in which those rules were applied, forcing the well to open.

‘[Now, I’ll begin the necessary timeline adjustments.]’

He touched the circular ring on the altar with his long, bent fingers, and flames flowed from his fingers onto the altar.

At the same time, the heavily rusted altar began to vibrate slightly, shaking off the rust and moss that had accumulated in its crevices.

Creak…!!

‘[Solar calendar, lunar calendar, any calendar will do. As long as I find the baseline, it won’t take long. The real challenge is what comes after.]’

Tap, tap, tap…!!

The hunchbacked demon tapped the ring in front of the altar as if playing a piano, and in response, unknown ancient characters popped out and resonated from all directions.

The clown skillfully rearranged and fitted those characters in various places on the altar, constantly muttering incomprehensible words.

The circular ring on the altar slowly rotated counterclockwise, distorting as it went.

It was a process of forcibly manipulating the altar’s timeline and observing the reaction.

The alien scenery visible from the top of the towering altar proved that the clown was indeed manipulating the timeline itself with his illusion.

Lenok watched the scene with his arms crossed, narrowing his eyes.

‘If you reach that level with a special trait-based technique, you become unbound by hierarchy….’

Judging by the clown’s behavior, it was clear that he had entered such a state more than once or twice.

Could he have been tampering with his own hierarchy and somehow managed to stay alive by using the forbidden art of human sacrifice?

Lenok briefly speculated about the level of the clown’s illusion but realized it was pointless and stopped.

Even if he used forbidden arts, manipulating one’s own hierarchy in such a way was extremely dangerous.

However, he had to acknowledge that there were irregulars like the clown who were not bound by hierarchy.

It was unknown whether the clown possessed the same level of power as Myeong or Kraken.

But it was certain that the monster reversing the altar’s timeline possessed a unique and extraordinary talent comparable to them.

The quality of a joker who becomes more special than anyone else under limited and special conditions.

He was, in the truest sense, a being most suitable for the identity of a clown.

‘[Oh? The date calculation is wrong. Did these guys not have a Friday?]’

At that moment, the clown, who had been excitedly tapping the altar, tilted his head.

‘[Hmm, at this rate, I don’t think I can accurately match the timeline when the well opens.]’

‘Is there another way?’

The clown, who turned his gaze to Lenok at the bottom of the altar, grinned.

‘[Looks like we’re screwed?]’

‘…….’

His irresponsible remark instantly diminished the high opinion Lenok had of the clown’s abilities.

Just as Lenok was about to follow him up to the altar with a sigh, the clown chuckled and said,

‘[Just kidding. It seems they didn’t include the day of sacrifice on the calendar. If I add that as a variable and repeat the simple calculations, I should be able to match it in time.]’

‘I don’t need to hear every step of the process.’

‘[Then, would you mind checking around the altar for anything that could be a variable? Anyway, it’s difficult to start unless Leya is ready.]’

‘…….’

Lenok distanced himself from the clown, who had begun to focus on manipulating the altar’s timeline again.

Even if he said that, manipulating time through illusion couldn’t be easy. It was certain that it would take some time.

Even now, the sky was turning pitch black, and the sensory range that had been spreading throughout the jungle was closing.

Not only Lenok’s magic detection but even the communication that had been connected to the heart of the jungle was gradually being cut off.

Lenok, who had absentmindedly taken out his cell phone from inside his robe, frowned as he checked the messages that had arrived in the meantime.

‘[Mr. Evan, I apologize for not being able to inform you of the recent news from the beacon.]’

It was because the message had come from Lapis, of all people.

‘[Our Azure Eye main force is repeatedly advancing and retreating on the path from the Far East Fracture Valley to the center. It’s difficult to contact you because it’s a place where communication doesn’t reach, but there’s news we must convey, so I’m contacting you late.]’

The message that began with those words surprisingly contained more than just simple greetings.

‘[There will be a great commotion in the southernmost part of the continent. The power structure of the organizations based in the south will fluctuate greatly. Azure Eye has decided not to intervene in this matter.]’

‘…….’

‘[If you happen to be involved with the jungle, you must never go there. Please understand that it’s difficult to explain in a mere letter. I’ll tell you more later. I hope to see you soon.]’

Lenok, who immediately pressed the delete button after reading the message, smiled wryly without realizing it.

What kind of expression would the young beacon keeper make if she knew that Lenok was in the middle of the jungle?

He understood what Lapis wanted to say, but it was too late to heed her warning.

‘The transmission time is already… three days ago.’

The message was sent around the time he entered the Demon Realm wearing a mask, so he was late in checking it.

Somehow, it seemed that the observer like Gapsun wasn’t interested in the jungle, considering the scale of this incident. Had they decided to ignore it altogether?

Judging from the message Lapis sent, he would be able to hear the reason why they decided to withdraw from this matter later. That was enough.

Just as Lenok was thinking that and returned to the altar, confirming the increasingly intense reverse rotation of the ring, a flash of light flickered in the distance of the city and instantly traversed the long distance, striking the clown’s back.

Kwaaaang!!!

As a bluish pillar of light erupted from the altar, a massive storm of heat swept in all directions.

Several dozen Glen [a type of superhuman], who had fallen with their hearts exposed, melted away in the heat, their flesh burning.

The stench of the superhuman corpses burning filled the square, and at that moment, hundreds of people simultaneously began to surround the square from all directions.

‘Artren Kizad.’

And a cold female voice came from behind Lenok.

‘Your face is so distorted that I almost didn’t recognize you. I certainly didn’t expect you to be messing around in such a magical realm.’

Flaming red hair and a thick coat. And the hot flames surging from her entire body.

It was clear who the owner of the massive barrage of flames that had just been fired at the clown’s back was.

Lenok frowned slightly as he realized that the face flickering through the flames was familiar.

Tatyana Chiglet, one of the five beads of the Blaver Magic Tower and a bombardment mage known as the Witch of Fire.

A mage who had come from the central front to deal with the situation of the White Lion Turan, a member of the Demon Realm who had caused trouble in the Western Continent branch.

A skilled fighter who was familiar with Ivelin Marcia was in this jungle, of all places.

‘[That’s a familiar face.]’

The clown, who also found it difficult to simply ignore her, turned his head, one hand off the altar.

He looked at the people who had quickly surrounded the square and nodded with a small exclamation.

‘[Did you join hands with the Head Military, the Reding Revolutionary Army, and the Ability Awakening Front? It’s a wise choice for a proud magic tower. Of all times… tsk.]’

It seemed that she had achieved some progress while he hadn’t seen her, as the magic power around her had become more intense.

‘You look well. Have you been eating well and living well after playing with and killing one of our beads?’

As Tatyana lightly breathed into both of her hands, the flames that surged like waves began to rise one by one in the air.

‘It seems like you’re trying to mess with the Handbook’s well, but in that state, you won’t be able to move from the altar until you die.’

Elemental Magic of Heat

Property Change Emission Manifestation

[Red Chain Connection]

[Karmic Flower]

[Sixty-Fourfold Harmony, Great Resonance]

Whirrrrrrrrrrr!!!

The three artifacts floating around her body resonated, amplifying their power and stabilizing the magic rotation….

Several dozen long, sharp crimson flame halberds, each several meters long, floated in the air and rained down like a storm.

‘Try your best to block it.’

[Thousand Fire Rain]

Du-du-du-du-du-du!!!!

The entire square was instantly engulfed in a massive fire and began to explode like crazy.

The heat and firepower that exploded one after another like a bombardment in the middle of the jungle was so intense that even the other forces surrounding the square couldn’t come to their senses.

Lenok also hid under a nearby stone pillar, raising his shield to the maximum.

‘What kind of firepower is this…!’

There was no information that Tatyana Chiglet had made any significant progress in the meantime, so she should still be a level 7 Saint-level mage.

However, the bombardment she was unleashing was so intense and spectacular that even Lenok found it difficult to withstand.

Her magic, honed in the central front, which was close to a magical realm, had already gained power that surpassed hierarchy within the specialized field of bombardment.

A rain of bombardment that was indiscriminately poured out towards a vast area without any checks or confrontations.

The flames were so intense that the sky, darkened by Gyebaek’s appearance, flickered red for a moment.

[Victor!]

The clown, seemingly a bit rushed, turned his gaze towards the altar and shouted.

[Buy time until Leya is ready. Is that possible?!]

“…I’ll try. Don’t get your hopes up.”

The head of the warlord’s elite troops, the special forces of the Ability Awakening Corps, the interrogators of the Redding Revolutionary Army, and the bombardment mages of the Blaver Magic Tower.

There wasn’t a single organization whose name he hadn’t heard, and the superhumans belonging to them were no pushovers either.

Similar to Tatyana, who was currently unleashing a barrage of explosions, three other superhumans leading their respective organizations were glaring down fiercely at this place.

If Tatyana’s bombardment was deemed ineffective, the leaders of the warlords, the revolutionary army, and the corps would also begin to move.

He had to buy time until the clown could manipulate the timeline of the altar and forcibly open the well.

With Glen dead and Leya not ready, what could Lenok, left alone, possibly do?

Amidst the relentless barrage, Lenok carefully observed Tatyana and narrowed his eyes.

He realized that the three red artifacts rotating behind Tatyana were amplifying all of her mana.

An oval mirror with a red thread, a constantly clicking and wriggling red cube, and a blue ring circling her waist.

It was the first time he had seen them with his own eyes, but Lenok easily guessed their identities and nodded.

‘Those are all war weapons corresponding to Formula Armaments.’

Formula Armaments.

It was a term used to collectively refer to artifacts that high-level sorcerers combined in preparation for battle, all of which were composed of artifacts that amplified the user’s combat power to the extreme.

For mana users, the most important things were their own achievements and the awareness of their inner self, but equally important was the existence of diverse and powerful artifacts.

And the Formula Armaments that Tatyana, who had survived for a long time in the central front, was using were almost certainly items that amplified her bombardment abilities to their limits.

The hundreds of superhumans surrounding the plaza’s main street, which was spread out like a giant airplane runway, also held powerful artifacts in their hands, though not to the same extent as Tatyana.

His contemplation didn’t last long.

‘Dabi.’

[Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Mana Conversion Formula activation ready.]

Dabi, who had been hiding between Lenok’s thick ropes, replied as if he had been waiting for it.

At the same time, the spirit’s tail swelled into four branches, transforming into a nine-tailed fox, and Dabi’s body began to grow inside the robe.

Boo-boo-book!!

As Dabi’s body grew, Lenok’s robe swelled madly, bulging out.

The other superhumans who witnessed the scene were horrified, pointing and whispering.

“There’s unusual movement under the flames. Check it out.”

“It’s under the ruins of the plaza’s bridge…”

“Is it a shapeshifter?”

“No, judging by that size, it feels more like an ancient demi-human…”

The reaction was not surprising.

From the outside, it wouldn’t be strange to see Lenok’s body transforming into a bizarre shape.

Even though the robe looked like it would tear as Dabi swelled up, the elasticity of the robe made from shadow fabric from the Eight Directions Fortress was immense.

Dabi, who had finished his transformation inside the robe, hugged Lenok with his four tails and rotated his mana.

[Boo-boo-boo-boo…!!]

With a somewhat clumsy roar, Dabi’s mana spread out in circular waves across the plaza.

In response, Lenok unhesitatingly took out the Archangel’s Compassion from his chest.

A unique creation-type magic [Lianqing], which temporarily disrupts artifacts by combining the hacking ability of a cyber spirit and the space-time manipulation of the Archangel’s Compassion.

It was a magic that had caused devastating damage when used against the Arashak Relic Exploration Team through chain lightning.

What would it be like with the combination of Dabi, who had become a nine-tailed fox, and Lenok, who had enhanced the Compassion’s power by taking the Archangel’s Tears?

Creation-type unique magic: Alchemy application

Triple Refinement

Mana Catalyst Interference

Cyber Projection Reality Distortion

Space-Time Manipulation Wide-Area Deployment

[Great Net of Lianqing]

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!

Hundreds and thousands of mana threads spread across the entire plaza. The intense flames of the cyber spirit flowed along the thin threads.

As the intangible waves swept across the plaza along the threads, the artifacts held by the superhumans stiffened, sticking to them.

“W-what is this?!”

“Is it the power of the well…?!”

The waves of the Great Net of Lianqing that Lenok had unleashed swept through the superhuman forces surrounding the plaza and covered the three artifacts rotating behind Tatyana.

Bzzzz…!!

“…!!!”

Although the artifacts’ durability and abilities were extraordinary, their functions did not completely break down, but their efficiency was significantly reduced.

The countless rain of fire pouring down on the plaza drastically reduced its scale, and the range of the explosions shrank.

At the same time, the clown, freed from the aftermath of the bombardment, immediately began preparations to summon the well.

Seeing this, the leaders of each faction began to move, grinding their teeth.

“That crazy bastard, he actually…!!”

“Do you want to see the southern jungle collapse entirely?!”

“If the Well of the Codex appears, we will no longer be able to stop Gyebaek. We must stop it by any means necessary!!”

“The Magic Tower’s bombardment has lost its effectiveness. We will take the front line and take its place!!”

Doo-doo-doo-doo!!

As if they had made a promise, hundreds of superhumans poured out from four directions almost simultaneously.

Their target was the pyramid-like altar that rose high into the sky in the middle of the plaza.

They were aware that the moment the clown opened the Well of the Codex and summoned the Ascended, things would spiral out of control.

As the physical ability users rushed forward, speed and impact comparable to armored vehicles surged towards all directions of the plaza.

Some of them were heading towards Lenok, who had orchestrated this entire situation.

Koo-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwa!!!

“Capture the shapeshifter!!”

“He’s hiding a very powerful artifact inside his robe, find it!!”

“We need to release the artifact’s paralysis!!”

However, even as he saw the superhumans rushing towards him, Lenok didn’t teleport away. Instead, he stepped back slightly and looked down at his feet.

“It’s time.”

Immediately after, the ground beneath the feet of the superhumans rushing towards Lenok collapsed, and something huge rose up.

Kwaaang!!

[Kiheeeeek!!]

It let out a foul cry, flinging the surrounding superhumans in all directions with a light gesture.

A toad the size of a house with striking blue skin.

With its cry, it spewed out a thick, poisonous breath in all directions and went berserk.

“U-uugh…!!”

“What is this!!”

The bewildered superhumans instinctively stepped back, only to be crushed to death by thick legs that slammed down from behind.

Woo-ji-jik!!

[Poo-ooo-ooo!!]

Elephants with bloodshot eyes charged towards Lenok from outside the plaza, tearing through the jungle.

The elephants, who had lost their shaman masters and were wandering the jungle, were now flocking here at a specific time.

And it didn’t stop there. All sorts of jungle beasts appeared from all directions.

Quadrupedal creatures made of mud, anteaters flicking their long tongues, pumas covered in thorns, and four-headed moles were drooling and biting and clawing at the superhumans’ heads and feet.

They were all moving indiscriminately, attacking everything in sight, having lost their reason.

It was only natural that the superhuman forces rushing towards the altar fell into chaos.

Lenok watched the chaotic plaza and began to slip back.

‘I didn’t expect it to work this well.’

The bait that made the beasts go into heat, which he had obtained in exchange for returning the Blood Spirit Clan’s artifact.

Lenok had modified the bait using alchemy to spread its effects more powerfully.

He had thought it would only buy him a little time, but he never expected it to summon all the beasts of the jungle to this extent.

It was much more effective than he had anticipated, but this was more than enough to buy him time.

And in that brief moment that Lenok had created, Leya began to move before the clown.

Kiiiiiing…!!

A sharp vibration echoed through the sky above the jungle.

Immediately after realizing that it was the sound of a microphone coming through a speaker, someone’s singing began to echo in the sky.

Ahhhhhh…!!