Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 465

After seeing Chen off, Lenok closed the door and walked to the grassy area where the coffin was located.

He carefully pushed open the dusty old coffin lid, and a slow creaking sound echoed out.

Kreeeak…!!

The faint crack located deep inside the worn coffin.

It wasn’t simply still; it was slightly wriggling, changing its position from the inside.

Lenok knew it wasn’t just a flaw engraved on the coffin but one of the few remaining cracks in this world.

The fundamental reason why the Eight Directions Fortress was created and exists, and a crack in the world that still remains and is protected within the fortress.

Even if it wasn’t large enough to directly connect to the Outer Sea, it was enough to observe, study, and understand the basic cross-section that made up the world.

After facing the Apostle Walter Martinez, Lenok had been engrossed in increasing his understanding of space-time and obtaining the method to manipulate it here.

‘But I couldn’t properly grasp the sensation of manipulating time.’

“……”

Could he obtain the sensation of the timeline that he had given up on back then, now?

It might not be impossible. The gap between Lenok, who had defeated the Apostle back then, and the current Lenok was at a level that was difficult for even himself to grasp.

However, even though Lenok clearly understood this, he had no intention of touching the timeline right away.

Only after reaching this point, taking a step forward and looking back, could he understand how delicate and relative time was.

He could be certain because he had taken the Archangel’s Tear, which regressed his body’s condition, once.

A power that was absurdly unproductive and unfair compared to the resources that had to be invested, and also extremely dangerous.

Considering that even the Underworld King of Pandemonium did not particularly favor manipulating the timeline, it was clear.

If he rashly touched it at this point, there was a high possibility that he would bring disaster upon himself.

Therefore, Lenok cleanly shook off his lingering attachment to time manipulation, which he had not yet obtained, and focused on what he was originally going to do.

He ran his fingers over the crack as if caressing it and deeply channeled his magic power and consciousness into it.

Kiiiing…!!

A closed world where the cycle of causality had stopped. A very faint crack located in that world.

But if even a very small crack exists, can it really be concluded that it is closed?

In that sense, the Well of the Guide, which acted as a [Gateway] directly connected to the Outer Sea, was nothing short of a very bizarre concept in Lenok’s eyes.

Even if there were several such gateways, not just one well, why would all the Ascended say that this world was closed and waiting for its end?

Could it be that the flow of causality, once stopped, does not circulate through the gateways?

‘A meaningless question.’

Unless he had clear knowledge about the flow of causality or the existence of gateways, only curiosity would continue to follow.

Lenok quickly organized his thoughts and tried to focus on his original goal.

In other words, this was a cross-section where he could observe the foundation that made up the world, and in a way, it was a passage leading to the Outer Sea.

Of course, with Lenok’s phase and physique, he couldn’t send anything out or bring anything in through this crack that wasn’t even as wide as a needle’s eye, but seeing was different.

He touched his left eye, deployed his purple magic eye, and pushed the shared vision directly into the crack.

At the same time, Lenok’s consciousness flickered instantly, and he felt as if he was moving far, far away.

Kiiiing…!!

“Ugh……”

Even the groan he unconsciously let out was swept away by the flow of time and stretched out slowly.

In the gap of the crack, which moved much slower than his consciousness, he slowly formed hand seals and drew up his magic power.

Woo woong…!!

Along with the strange sensation of boiling magic power being assembled and stacked like blocks, the sound of a key being matched echoed in succession.

And on top of the colorless wave that was prepared in that way, Lenok slowly poured in his own mental image.

[Self-Generated Domain Expansion: Observation of Branching Points]

Fwaaaat!!!

At that moment, the void that burst out from under Lenok’s feet covered the entire secret place and created a huge dark cavity.

A dark, pitch-black void where no light could be seen.

Only the golden ripples spreading out from under his feet and the coffin next to it remained on the other side of the void.

Lenok slowly rose to his feet, fully realizing the magic power that was being consumed like crazy from the moment he expanded the domain.

Since he first awakened his self-generated domain, this was practically the first time he had expanded the domain without an opponent to defeat.

The reason why he projected his mental image once more at this point, after overcoming numerous powerful enemies and obstacles, was not elsewhere.

The last geas [a magically binding oath or task] of Gae-baek, which even the clown who led the plan did not know specifically.

‘Challenge the Ascension once more.’

Why did Gae-baek throw himself out of the well without hesitation the moment the geas to challenge the Ascension was awakened?

Why did he rush out of the Outer Sea and make himself a bullet towards the end?

Why was such a grand plan carried out by activating the hidden last geas without any special prior work?

He kept repeating and thinking about it in his head, and eventually, he was certain.

The method of challenging the Ascension was not just about transcending the hierarchy and gaining qualifications.

Gae-baek had undoubtedly chosen the closest method to challenge the Ascension again at that point and acted according to the geas.

It was just that the method was to rush out of the Outer Sea and throw himself towards the incomprehensible end.

The more he pondered and realized the meaning of those words, the more Lenok was able to understand the true purpose of Pandemonium.

Not a single word that Myung had told Lenok was wrong.

The clash of the two Ascended. The opening of the passage to the Outer Sea and the witnessing of the end.

In the midst of that, Lenok had come to understand what the leaders of Pandemonium truly wanted.

The ending that comes when the sky opens is not governed by the ends of the Outer Sea.

Only those monsters with incomprehensible power and potential who swim in the Outer Sea can escape the coming destruction and move on to the next.

Pandemonium is not simply trying to save the world by opening the way to the next world.

Perhaps, what the leader desires is to go beyond the endlessly circulating world and reach the end outside the Outer Sea…….

“……”

He stopped the endless stream of thoughts.

Hadn’t he told Hairea that there was no point in worrying about a problem that had no answer?

The task Lenok was attempting now was not the kind of thing that could be successful if attempted with a complicated mind.

He closed his eyes, concentrated his mind, and projected all the mental images remaining on the board he had prepared with all his might.

A dazzling golden kaleidoscope began to emerge from the void of the dark domain.

Woo woong woong woong!!!!

A majestic roar, like dozens of airplane engines rotating simultaneously, echoed through the void.

Dozens of kaleidoscopes began to float above his head, looking down as if surrounding Lenok.

However, Lenok ignored the scenery reflected in the dazzling golden landscape and focused all his attention on the old coffin placed under his feet.

To be precise, on the crack in the world that was slightly wriggling inside the coffin. On the faint trace that wasn’t even a handful.

The kaleidoscope that projected Lenok’s mental image was not an omnipotent power that drew in all possibilities.

It was a power that manifested by observing and looking back at the possibilities and branching points that were connected to Lenok himself, the owner of the domain, from the future.

Therefore, wasn’t the domain that Lenok had used so far also implemented along the lines of the power that was connected to or possessed by Lenok himself?

It was the same.

Because he had only heard rumors about the scenery of the Outer Sea, which he had never seen directly, and had returned after confirming the whole story.

Because he truly realized what the possibilities that existed outside this world meant.

Lenok was able to attempt to expand his self-generated domain based on the possibility related to the power of the Outer Sea.

He was certain that this place was the most environmentally similar place to the Well of the Guide, which had come to the crack of the fortress.

Even if it was a crack too small to directly reflect the Outer Sea, it was certain that this place was, in a way, the most related place to the outside of the world.

If Lenok could implement a new domain through the possibility of the Outer Sea as he thought.

If he could confirm the path and branching points that Lenok himself would take in the future from that implemented future point of view.

Wouldn’t he be able to confirm the fundamental reason why Lenok himself had opened his eyes in this world?

He crossed both hands over the crack, gathered his mental image, and spread it over the crack.

Hooo woong!!

The kaleidoscope that rose from beyond Lenok’s crossed hands instantly turned black and began to burn.

The scenery inside the kaleidoscope, which had received the possibility of the Outer Sea as a catalyst through the crack, began to twist.

Jijik, jijijijik……!!!

“No way……?”

He hadn’t expected to get meaningful results with just one attempt, but the scenery beyond the kaleidoscope was changing and trying to show something.

Lenok, with a stiff face, also held his breath and stared at the kaleidoscope that had accepted the possibility of the Outer Sea.

As the scenery inside the pitch-black kaleidoscope gradually twisted and cleared, it began to show it to Lenok’s eyes.

It was letters.

Letters that were so strangely twisted that they could not be explained in the language of this continent.

The letters, made of black mud that wriggled as if they were alive, changing their shape and structure, were raging fiercely beyond the kaleidoscope.

[Where is it?]

Surprisingly, Lenok could understand what it meant.

[It cannot be seen.]

[Call me.]

The scattered letters moved and changed their meaning and will.

A call as if searching for someone invisible. It was as if they couldn’t recognize Lenok even though he was right in front of them.

At that moment, the letters reflected inside the kaleidoscope instantly increased in number, swelling to hundreds and thousands, completely covering the inside of the kaleidoscope.

[You don’t keep your promise, where is my name, you have defied the great will, I am hungry, it is so cold, I curse you, I am walking on a thorny path, why can’t I feel it, where is the beggar’s consciousness, give back what you have taken, offer what you promised]

The intense letters that filled the kaleidoscope and poured out.

With that power alone, the boundary line of the kaleidoscope, which had been twisted and rotating in black, distorted, and the letters convulsed as if they would pop out.

Eujijijik……!!!!

“Damn it……!!”

The intense and terrible will, as if trying to cover his mind and invade it to devour him in reverse.

Only then did Lenok understand the meaning of the bizarre phenomenon unfolding before his eyes, and he gritted his teeth.

What was trying to break through the power of the kaleidoscope on its own was not just simple letters.

It was just that a collection of wills that were too powerful and transcendent was projecting its will as if creating something from nothing in the space where nothing existed.

This was not the result that Lenok had expected or hoped for.

He gathered all the remaining magic power and expanded his mental image with all his might, instantly regaining control of the kaleidoscope and rewinding it to restore it.

This space was the self-generated domain implemented with Lenok’s absolute will and mental image.

If it was a possibility he had obtained, it would be strange if he couldn’t control it with his own power.

The kaleidoscope, which had been twisted into a dark black color, returned to its original state, and the scenery inside also began to return to its original state.

As if noticing that fact, the letters reflected from the inside struggled wildly and spewed out an unknown roar.

[Don’t go.]

[Why are you going?]

[I already gave it, why is it not there?]

[Something is wrong, something is……]

Kreeeak……!!

Completely closing the door of the kaleidoscope and canceling it was a task that was several times more burdensome than expanding it.

The moment Lenok barely closed the door of the branching point by consuming all of his remaining magic power, the expansion of the self-generated domain ended, and Lenok’s body was thrown onto the wide grassy field.

Thud!!

“Ugh……!!”

Lenok swallowed the nausea rising from his stomach and lost his balance, collapsing.

The fingertips that had been touching the end of the crack were pale and cold.

Lenok stared blankly at the traces of the void left on his fingertips and quietly muttered.

“It wasn’t there……”

Even though he had opened the branching point using the crack as a catalyst, Lenok himself was not visible.

Instead, what was located beyond the kaleidoscope was only an unknown will that was desperately searching for someone.

Who they were desperately searching for.

Who was the person they were calling out with resentment and hatred, affection and wonder, despair and grief.

Lenok already knew it, even though he didn’t want to know.

Lenok, who had chosen the possibility of the Outer Sea as a branching point, was no longer present in that place.

All that remained were the countless emotions and remnants created as a result.

Even though he had observed the branching point several times, this was the first time this had happened.

Was it because Lenok, who had chosen the branching point of the Outer Sea and gone outside the world, was already dead?

Or was it because that possibility already existed in reality, not in the future?

“……”

A chilling fear. A fear that was different from death but comparable to it.

An unexpected possibility that he vaguely knew but never wanted to think about.

“Damn it……”

Lenok, gritting his teeth, got up from his seat and took out his cell phone outside the secret place.

“……Jenny, it’s me. There’s someone I want to find.”

[Is that what you’re calling me for after a month?]

Lenok smiled weakly as he heard Jenny’s voice, as if she was dumbfounded.

“Can you do me a favor?”

[……Wait a minute, but first, a guest has come. Would you like to come to the bar first?]

“What?”

Jenny whispered with a slightly troubled look over the receiver.

[Alice Richelieu is looking for you. It seems she has something to say.]