Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 481

The surveillance equipment scattered throughout the dark corridors was rendered useless by the armored ship’s talisman, which also cast an illusion. With Lenok completely blocking any nearby signs and sounds, Laperd and Pio moved swiftly.

‘Intrusion, ugh…!!’

‘They’re stronger than we anticipated…!!’

‘Run away…!!’

It took less than a minute to deal with the dozens of priests who had filled the sewer.

Every Watcher gathered here was a superhuman of Saint-level [a very high level of power].

They were powerful individuals who had built up an absurdly high level of power, making it impossible to simply overwhelm them with numbers.

Thud!!

‘Damn it, why were we discovered so soon?’

Pio grumbled, a look of annoyance on his face, as he sent the last fallen priest down the sewer hole.

The armored ship also seemed lost in thought, its expression one of carefully retracing its steps.

‘Did I perhaps get too cocky while gathering information about the transformation technique…?’

‘I don’t think that’s it.’

Lenok shook his head at Pio’s somewhat subdued words.

Lenok also thought there was no way to avoid being discovered, so he chose to subdue the priests as quickly as possible.

But now that the situation was resolved and he looked back at the circumstances, there were clearly parts that didn’t add up.

‘There are too many people just to guard the sewer… but they’re too weak to have known about our presence in advance.’

‘Hmm…’

‘That’s not wrong.’

The difference in power was such that Lenok and the Watchers could handle them in under a minute.

Even though nearly 100 seconds had passed since the commotion began, there was still no sign of additional reinforcements.

If they had clearly recognized their presence, they would not have been satisfied with such weak security.

From that fact, Lenok was quickly deducing the Order’s principles of action by tracing back the origins.

[They were wary of someone else, not us.]

Lenok immediately nodded at the armored ship’s words.

He continued, walking quickly along the outer edge of the sewer.

‘It’s not a certainty, but a suspicion. If they thought the possibility of intrusion was only here, then this measure is understandable.’

If it was just a suspicion, and they hadn’t deployed particularly strong forces, then the current situation could be explained.

‘We need to go inside the island and check…’

Lenok thought as he stared at the iron door that appeared at the end of the passage.

Whirring…!!

It looked like an old door with no visible markings, but when he touched it, a faint magical wave pulsed, rejecting the intrusion.

In between, the shape of a complex barrier formation emerged from beyond the shadows.

After confirming the appearance of the barrier formation, Lenok turned his gaze to the armored ship.

‘Is this the same pattern as the great barrier that’s built on the outskirts of the island?’

[There are some differences, but if you consider the details adjusted according to altitude and direction, then it’s definitely the same.]

The armored ship replied.

‘I see…’

‘Can you undo it?’

Lenok frowned at Pio’s words.

‘It’s much more elaborate and complex than I thought.’

He had guessed it from the moment he saw it through binoculars on the coast, but seeing it directly confirmed it.

The barrier formation blocking Lenok’s path was the barrier technique that Jintun had used perfectly.

It was the pattern of barrier magic used by the Ascended [a being who has reached a higher plane of existence] in his lifetime, even after reaching the realm of Ascension.

‘So it was like that after all…’

‘Well, things never go as expected. Let’s think of another way from now on.’

Laperd and Pio sighed and shook their heads, but neither of them looked particularly disappointed.

They understood that things rarely went smoothly when dealing with an organization like the Order.

However, Lenok quietly shook his head at their words.

‘I said it was difficult, not impossible.’

He reached inside his coat and took out a small piece of paper, no bigger than his palm, and held it tightly.

On the piece of paper, an unknown pattern was drawn in such a complex way that even Lenok couldn’t recognize it.

‘If I didn’t have a plan, I wouldn’t have started.’

The moment Lenok carefully put a drop of blood on it, tore it to shreds, and scattered it over the intangible barrier.

Tsutsutsutsu…!!

The barrier formation that had been blocking his path melted like flowing snow, revealing the scenery beyond.

[…]

Even the armored ship was slightly surprised by the sudden dissolution of the barrier and looked at Lenok.

‘What, what is that…?’

‘Evan, what did you do?’

‘I’ll explain later. Let’s go in for now.’

Lenok said, nodding his head.

What Lenok had obtained from Jintun’s Infinite Labyrinth was not just the artifacts used by the Ascended.

It was the formulaic weapon. The incredibly complex formulaic pattern written on the back of the Papyrus Argenteus [a magical artifact].

It was not just a simple decoration, but a control code that acted as a ‘key’ that could forcibly seize control of all the artifacts in Jintun’s vault.

Lenok hadn’t forgotten it, and he had made a copy of it and stored it separately so that he could use it at any time, just like now.

‘As expected.’

But even as he glossed over his words, Lenok’s eyes were fixed on the barrier formation.

He was well aware of what it meant for Jintun’s control code to work.

The control code was just a code to control Jintun’s artifacts, not something that could interfere with the barrier technique itself.

If the great barrier surrounding the Far East Branch was a barrier created by Jintun, the code would not have worked.

The fact that the control code worked was proof that the great barrier was a result of Jintun’s legacy.

In other words, it was proof that Jintun’s artifact was hidden somewhere on this huge island.

That was exactly what Lenok had decided to participate in this operation to confirm and obtain.

If he could steal the barrier formation surrounding the Order’s Far East Branch, he could at least save his life in the worst-case scenario.

It would be enough to find out what was hidden inside this island and confirm its purpose.

While Lenok was lost in thought, the other Watchers seemed to have finished their preparations and began to move in front of the entrance leading out of the sewer.

‘Evan, take this.’

Pio threw him a priest’s robe that wasn’t too bloody, having somehow managed to take it off.

Pio and the armored ship were already dressed in priest’s robes and were focusing on concealing their magic.

The sight of an extreme-level sorcerer wearing a priest’s robe with a talisman mask was truly bizarre, but a sorcerer like the armored ship could take care of himself.

Instead, Lenok quietly turned his gaze to a dog standing next to the two of them.

‘……’

‘What is it?’

Human language came from the mouth of a large, black dog standing on all fours.

‘I’ve never heard of a beast-kin [a person with animalistic features] having such an ability.’

‘It’s the power of the primitive faith I serve. It’s a technique that’s been realized according to the tradition that they sometimes appear on earth in the form of beasts.’

Was this why Lapis said Laperd was good at handling situations?

Well, the form of a stray dog would be much less noticeable than the appearance of a dog-headed giant.

‘We should hope there are a few more stray dogs on this island.’

‘Okay, okay, let’s stop with the useless talk and get going.’

Pio, who already knew how Laperd was disguising himself, grabbed the doorknob with a determined expression.

‘If we open this door, we’ll be inside the Far East Branch. You all know that, right?’

‘……’

‘We’re infiltrating the Order’s secret base. A very cruel and terrible scene will be waiting for us… don’t let your guard down.’

That wasn’t wrong.

If they had built a great barrier using Jintun’s legacy, it wasn’t hard for Lenok to imagine how cruel the secrets hidden inside the island would be.

The atmosphere in the room calmed down, and even the armored ship nodded its head with its hands behind its back. At that moment,

Pio, who had a stiff face, nodded and threw the door wide open.

Bang!!

‘……!!’

Pio, who was at the front, rolled forward without hesitation as soon as he opened the door.

It was a move to momentarily draw attention and disrupt the aiming point in case Order combatants were waiting at the door.

It was a flawless decision, but no one cared about Pio, who had chosen such a bold move.

The people walking outside the door simply glanced at Pio rolling on the floor and passed by without a second thought.

‘……’

Lenok silently watched the scene from behind before slowly walking out the door.

Pio, who had been lying flat on the floor and watching the situation, widened his eyes as he saw Lenok passing by.

‘……Huh?’

Only then did Pio realize that something was different from what he had expected, and he awkwardly got up from his dusty spot.

Lenok walked out the door and muttered as he looked at the other Watchers who had naturally blended into the crowd.

‘It’s very different from what I expected…’

A street with various buildings made of white bedrock.

And the procession of people passing through the streets and the scene of a noisy band.

Even the sight of countless balloons and confetti decorating the sky.

The Order’s Far East Branch. A secret area that was also called a moving island and a warehouse in charge of supplying the Guidos [a group or faction].

Instead of a solemn ritual, a huge festival was taking place in this place where Lenok and the other Watchers had infiltrated.

* * *

Toot toot toot~!

The Order’s hymns echoed from all directions along with the sound of trumpets.

The procession of believers filling the streets and the sight of splendid sculptures displayed everywhere.

A lavish festival was being held as if there was no intention of hiding what was happening on this island.

It looked more like an event to commemorate the Order’s anniversary than a ritual to select an Apostle.

Lenok and the other Watchers dispersed and investigated various parts of the street before gathering again near a secluded alley.

‘Most of the people on the island are members of the Order. There seemed to be hardly any outsiders.’

[Most of the flat land except for the downtown area is being used as farmland. It seems they are producing and supplying their own food.]

They quickly exchanged information about the scenes they had each confirmed.

‘It seems certain that there is a ritual planned to select an Apostle. Some of the believers are aware of that fact.’

‘It seems that the proxies selected as Apostle candidates from various branches of the Order have gathered. It seems they have all arrived already?’

‘We don’t have much time…’

It seemed that those who were qualified to become Apostles within the Order were called proxies.

The fact that all of those proxies had arrived was proof that the ritual was imminent.

Considering that the Watchers had not discovered the existence of this island very quickly, they might not have much time left.

‘However, there were no signs of human sacrifice or massacres on the surface.’

‘They might not have been making large sacrifices except when building the altar.’

‘No, that’s not likely.’

Lenok said, turning his gaze slightly.

He opened a trash can that had been carelessly thrown away near the alley and unhesitatingly put his arm inside.

When he pulled out a clump of hair soaked in blood from inside the trash can, the other Watchers fell silent.

‘It’s not an ordinary festival. Something is already happening behind the scenes that involves sacrificing humans.’

The scale of the island was considerably larger than Lenok had expected.

Not only the downtown area where they were currently located, but also the Order’s shrine located in the center of the island could be seen from outside the streets.

In addition, there was even a granary for autonomous supply outside the city.

It was unnatural that they had moved to the Sea of Understanding to hold a festival in this place where they had the ability to solve their own basic needs.

It was certain that something was happening.

‘We can’t rule out the possibility that the festival itself is a ritual…’

‘Should we investigate further?’

[It’s not a problem that will be solved by all of us thinking about it together.]

At the same time as the armored ship muttered, his body began to blur slightly.

[I have something else to investigate, so let’s move separately from here.]

Pio looked back at him with a bewildered expression.

‘Dreyfus-nim…?’

[I’ve got a grasp of things after looking around the island. I’ll see you again when I’m sure.]

With those words, the armored ship disappeared without a trace.

His actions didn’t seem to indicate a desire to cooperate. But Lenok didn’t bother to hold him back.

If a sorcerer of that level had something to investigate on his own, it meant that he already had some certainty about something.

Perhaps he had been planning to move separately from the moment he arrived on the island.

‘Evan, should we also move separately for now?’

Lenok shook his head at Pio’s words, who seemed to be watching him carefully.

‘No, let’s go to the plaza.’

‘……The plaza?’

‘I heard the believers talking as I walked around the streets. The Archbishop is said to be calling the believers to a general assembly for worship in the plaza before sunset.’

Even in the Order, which boasted an enormous scale across the continent, the position of Archbishop had a special meaning.

It was highly likely that he was the highest-ranking leader of the Far East Branch, or the branch manager leading the branch.

If the Watchers gathered here had to attack the Far East Branch on their own, it would be good to see the face of the leader in advance.

Lenok immediately led the other Watchers to the plaza.

He bought a hood to wear over his priest’s robe from a nearby store to cover his face, and quietly blended into the procession of believers.

A huge altar was located in the middle of the wide plaza.

Hundreds of people were gathered, looking up at the people on the altar’s platform, with the altar’s shape soaring high into the sky.

Laperd called Lenok in a low voice as he checked the faces of those on the platform.

‘……Evan.’

‘I’m watching.’

More than ten ornate chairs were placed on the platform. The sight of superhumans sitting on them without exception.

Considering that they were all exuding powerful magic, those were probably the proxies selected from each branch of the Order to become Apostles.

There were many skilled individuals who seemed to be in the late 6th level or early 7th level.

Just in terms of numbers, there was a gap that made it impossible for the Watchers to estimate their chances of winning in this place.

But what bewildered Laperd and Pio was not just the presence of those proxies.

As an elderly woman in the center of the platform rose from her chair and walked forward, a gloomy-looking knight followed her as if to protect her.

At the same time as the woman appeared, the surrounding believers bowed their heads and began to pray.

‘Archbishop Naidri-nim…’

‘Oh, Holy Maiden…’

‘Please watch over us…’

Archbishop Naidri. Was she the noble who held the highest position on this island?

If so, it was highly likely that she was a key member of the core leadership, even taking on the role of the Far East Branch’s manager.

But what came to Lenok’s mind was not the name Naidri, but the title she was called.

‘A Holy Maiden…?’

The Holy Maiden of the Order he had encountered at the end of the jungle.

A completely different appearance and name from the Holy Maiden who had released the restraints of the 6 Apostles and allowed his death.

Unlike the Holy Maiden who had the name Seyna, the appearance of Archbishop Naidri, whom the believers were now calling the Holy Maiden, was completely different from Lenok’s memory.

And the figure of a middle-aged man standing diagonally to the side of the platform, looking down at the crowd with his arms crossed.

The bizarre presence that emanated from his body, as if he were not human.

Lenok intuitively knew what that alien presence meant and faintly hardened his face.

An Apostle, treated as a special force even within the Order.

At the Apostle selection ritual, a being who had already been completed as an Apostle had arrived and was looking down at the believers.

‘Damn it…’

The moment Pio muttered a faint curse,

The man, presumed to be an Apostle, turned his head sharply as if he had discovered something.

Immediately after, the man’s body disappeared from the platform as if it had blurred, and he landed directly in front of Lenok.

‘…….!!’

‘You, there’s something a little strange about your feeling.’

The Apostle gestured with his chin, looking at Lenok with a sharp gaze.

‘Take off your hood.’

‘……’

A frozen silence filled the crowd in an instant.

The Apostle’s reaction was so quick that even Lenok hadn’t expected it.

Pio, who was standing a few steps away, gritted his teeth, and Laperd, who had been circling through the crowd in the form of a dog, quietly bared his teeth.

The moment Lenok quietly raised his hand to calm them down.

Kiiing…!!

The Pentarect [a magical artifact] hidden inside his coat slowly began to vibrate.