Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 578

Following the cracks that shattered beyond Lenox’s gaze, the void split apart as if being sliced, a bizarre sight. The fragments of the cracks, cutting through space itself, severed the sense of distance between them. The severed space, following the shattered cracks, spread throughout the underground cavern, indiscriminately tearing apart the walls and the ground. Crackling!!! The spatial cracks, spreading from the mage’s fingertips, tore in all directions, severing everything and greatly shaking the space itself, causing it to collapse. Agents, unable to even form a proper formation, were pushed back in all directions, trying to avoid the cracks that branched out from their roots. [Don’t defend!! Evasion is the priority!!] [If you can’t avoid it, limit the damage to your limbs, protect yourself with magic as much as possible, or you won’t survive…!!] Kugugugu!!! The entire underground cavern shook and fractured in sync with the engine’s roar, disrupting the battle. Even with the aid of equipment, was it even possible for a human to manipulate space itself to this extent, spreading cracks like this with their bare hands? The old man, O’Neil, who was closest to the cracks, could not escape their influence either. Crash!! With a sound like shattering glass, the spatial cracks extended to the blade O’Neil was holding. However, instead of retreating from Lenox’s spatial severing, O’Neil took another step forward, thrusting the blade into the wing. Clang!! The blade, unable to withstand the power of the cracks, shattered instantly, losing its original shape, but even the shattered fragments were held together by magic. The sharp blade slipped through the split wings in an instant, rushing towards Lenox’s face. As if waiting for it, the wing fragments joined together, gripping the blade that had entered. Chiiik!! Despite that, the strike did not lose its power, accurately aiming for Lenox’s temple. The moment O’Neil tried to pierce the hidden mage by forcefully pushing the remaining blade into the tightly closed wings. The armored wings surrounding Lenox unfolded wide, throwing O’Neil’s body backward and slamming him away. Kwaaaang!! The old man’s figure crashed into the distance, smashing through several thick pillars erected throughout the underground cavern. Lenox, having shaken off his opponent as if swatting a fly, bent his armored wings while seated, wrapping them around his body. Clunk, clunk, clunk!!! From between the split wings, dozens of pre-prepared Predator machine gun barrels emerged, heated and ready. […….] The moment one of the agents imagined what was about to happen and swallowed hard. Dudududududu!!! Hundreds of bullets erupted from the armored wings, covering the underground cavern and creating a massive barrage. Amidst the pouring rain of bullets, the agents gritted their teeth, drawing up their magic and began to retreat. [Everyone, fall back!!] [All the bullets are imbued with magic, it’s hard to withstand for long!!!] [The other team leaders will arrive soon!! Until then, just hold the line while maintaining formation…!!] “That hideous wing, I remember it.” Saaak!! At that moment, a massive shadow descended in front of the agents, rotating and transforming into a barrier that blocked all the incoming bullets. The shadow barrier transformed into a black beast, swallowing the bullets whole, and from within it, Chain appeared, walking out with a massive scythe. “Decades ago, there was a handsome friend who flew around with such a bizarre monstrosity.” Chain muttered, tilting her head with a puzzled look, as if recalling a memory. “I’m sure he was one of Kaise’s close aides.” “I believe you are referring to the Gray Ghost of Deadrise.” At that moment, a hazy smoke rose from right next to Lenox, quickly taking on a human form. Clunk!! Kade, who appeared with his gun aimed from close range on the opposite side that Lenox’s wings didn’t cover, spoke. Kade nodded, his expressionless face with the gun barrel pointed at Lenox’s temple. “I also remember him. It’s definitely Gilleon Mylos’s personal equipment.” “Ah, that’s right!! That was his name!” Chain exclaimed, clapping her hands. “I’ve been away from the field for too long, my memory is hazy, you know. I’ve worked for so long, but now I can’t even remember well.” “Since Gilleon Mylos left Kaise, he has rarely been on the front lines himself.” Kade replied in a calm tone. “I’ve only heard news of him a couple of times while I was away from Vulcan. So… I didn’t expect that the equipment would be in the possession of Kyunroe.” The words of this man, who appeared out of nowhere and aimed at Lenox’s vital point, were not wrong. The wings attached to Lenox’s waist were indeed equipment left behind by Gilleon himself. Replacing the internal parts that had melted due to the exposure phenomenon, and reorganizing the circuits to restore the wings’ functions to normal. A new piece of equipment with carapace fragments attached to the wing’s outer shell to increase durability, and with firearms stored inside for automatic firing. Lenox had been continuously testing the capabilities of the armored wings against the agent operatives. Thud!! “Was it called ‘Ban’? I remember hearing that name a few times while I was away from the organization.” O’Neil said, getting up from the rubble of the collapsed pillar. “He’s known as a monster who survived in this city in the most un-mage-like way. I’ve heard he’s full of malice and enjoys bloodbaths.” “Although he is not very active, his past actions are significant, and he is a unique individual with a flawless record. He has clashed with various organizations and has a record of cooperating with our organization.” Kade said, looking at Lenox with an expressionless face. “It is also known that he has recently suffered a major injury and is refraining from activities.” “You know quite a lot. Have you ever investigated him separately?” “I tend to periodically check the profiles and activities of talented superhumans.” Even at Lenox’s words, Kade did not waver and readjusted his pistol. “Because it’s not good to clash unnecessarily with skilled powerhouses.” “Kade… are you still continuing with your mercenary work?” Chain sighed and shook her head. “I used to turn a blind eye to it under my authority, but it’s not okay in Vulcan. I’ll be stepping down from my position as administrator soon, so I don’t have any power anymore.” “It’s alright, Chain. I plan to focus on agent work with Greta for the time being.” Kade replied, not taking his eyes off Lenox. “However, we need to decide how to deal with this man here today.” “I was wondering how the director of the agents managed to reorganize the organization so powerfully in such a short time…” Lenox muttered, inhaling the smoke of his cigarette with his eyes closed. “Did you call back retired agents who worked for the agents decades ago? You’re quite resourceful.” An assassin who worked as a hitman. An old man with extraordinary swordsmanship, and a middle-aged woman who skillfully manipulates shadows. Their actions of mentioning Kaise and Deadrise as if they were familiar, and their words and actions as if they had lived in this city for a long time. Even their skillful ability to surround Lenox and try to neutralize him in an instant. These veteran agents could not have suddenly fallen from the sky. Each of them had unique behaviors that seemed to reflect the passage of time. They were high-ranking superhumans who had worked for the agents decades ago and had retired from the field. “Oh my, so you didn’t know anything about us until now?” Chain chuckled, as if surprised, and flicked her shadow scythe. She brought the blade of the scythe to Lenox’s neck and said. “I thought you were a treacherous junior who sided with the cartel while knowing everything. If you didn’t know the situation, maybe we could just give you a warning and let you go?” Chain’s black eyes shone indifferently. “I want to keep talented mages alive as long as possible, even if they are not skilled. Who knows, maybe this friend will become the second Evan Bailon?” “…….” Silence fell around them at Chain’s sudden words. O’Neil muttered as if he was dumbfounded. “You can’t even remember what you did at the agents before, but you remember news like that so well.” “Isn’t it obvious, old man? What’s a hotter topic in this city than the commercialization of the anti-gravity engine?” Chain shrugged and said. “The department I’m in is all talking about it, so there’s no way I wouldn’t know. When will personal airships be available, when will the experience center open so I can fly in the sky, and when will those hideous wings that this friend has be sold on the market…” “…….” “My daughter also heard some strange rumors and asked me to buy her a levitating kickboard… Haa, I told her I’d think about it if she does well on the next transfer exam.” “I understand your difficulties, mother, but it would be better to quickly finish the operation before it drags on any longer.” Kade said, glancing around. “I heard from Director Greta that it will also take time to find the ledger in the vault. I’ll keep an eye on Kyunroe, so please take care of things quickly.” “Kade, I don’t really know what an accounting ledger is.” O’Neil said, stroking his beard with an awkward look, and sheathed his sword. “I know. If you just open the vault door, I’ll bring it out from inside.” “Do you know exactly what ledger Greta wants?” “Old man, I’m a civil servant who has worked as an administrator for over a decade.” Chain scoffed lightly and shook her head. “The most characteristic and fatal flaw of these illegal corporate alliances is obvious. They can create multiple ledgers and manipulate the numbers. If we start from there, we can use the Financial Supervisory Service to conduct search and seizures on the cartel’s subsidiaries.” “I don’t understand anything you’re saying.” O’Neil shook his head as if he had a headache and waved his hand. “You take care of everything. You’re not the one checking the ledger anyway, are you?” At that moment, Lenox, who had been listening to their conversation quietly, muttered. “You’re not the ones checking the ledger…” Clunk!! Before Lenox could finish his sentence, Kade forcefully pushed the gun barrel against his temple. “Shut your mouth. I won’t let you say unnecessary things.” “So that’s why you were strangely delaying the decision.” Lenox glanced at Kade, his head slightly pushed by the gun barrel. “The decision-maker is not far away. Or, were they directly participating in the operation?” “…….” The three agents surrounding Lenox were veterans who had been in the battlefield for decades. Of course, there was no superhuman so naive as to react to Lenox’s sudden pinpointing of the core issue at this point. However, Lenox had already made a conclusion regardless of their reactions. “Director Greta. That person was here.” In the darkness, the mage faintly raised the corners of his mouth. “Then I have no more business with you.” Kade did not hesitate. As soon as he heard those words, he immediately lowered the gun barrel and pulled the trigger towards Lenox’s abdomen. Taang!! A violent shot to neutralize him on the spot instead of killing him. However, Lenox’s figure was no longer there. Lenox, who had instantly stepped back using blink, pulled his armored wings close and flicked his fingers. At the same time, an intangible wave spread out from Lenox, sweeping through the surrounding space. Woong!! “What is it…?” “It’s clear he did something… Wait, could it be!!” Chain felt an unusual magical backlash from her shadow and quickly turned her head. The bullets that she had swallowed in large quantities when she first appeared in the cavern. The bullets that had been buried in the shadows were resonating all at once, exploding one after another from within Chain’s shadows. Fzzzt…!! The electrical wave, using hundreds of bullets as a medium, vibrated and quickly amplified its power. The electrical wave, bursting out uncontrollably, tore through Chain’s shadow barrier, breaking down her spell. The armored wing, crumpled into a fist shape, struck her defenseless back with a flash. Kwaaaang!! “Kuh…!!” Chain, who was thrown and slid down the cavern, let out a sharp scream. O’Neil and Kade moved simultaneously, realizing that the tide of the battle had turned in an instant. A flash of sword light appeared from O’Neil’s waist, and Kade twisted his body, scattering a dozen grenades and flashbangs mixed together at his feet. Fububububung!! Dozens of magical powers that rose from the explosions clashed on the spot, scattering fragments in all directions. As O’Neil’s sword slashed through the air, the blade moved along with his gestures, repeatedly drawing dazzling trajectories. However, Lenox shot the grenades rolling at his feet with his revolver, deflecting the explosion, and blocked all of O’Neil’s sword strikes with his armored wings. Clang clang clang!!! “I learned some tips about close combat recently.” Lenox muttered quietly, raising a pure white revolver from inside his armored wings. “It seems like I can see it now.” Taang!! The revolver’s bullet, rushing out from between the wide-open wings, pierced O’Neil’s shoulder. A sniper shot that was easily allowed, almost anticlimactic for a swordsman who wielded his sword at subsonic speeds. However, with this single counterattack, O’Neil realized how skillfully his opponent was handling spatial jump shots, and his expression hardened. “Space…!!” “Did you see it? You have good senses.” It was not possible to take advantage of the momentary gap of blocking and defending a sword strike. At the very moment the blade and bullet collided, the revolver bullet that Lenox fired had jumped through space immediately after firing and landed on O’Neil’s skin. If it was just a simple spatial jump, it could be blocked somehow the moment it was recognized. It was an impossible feat without calculating O’Neil’s reaction speed and the trajectory of his sword, and striking the gap in his mind one step ahead. It was practically proof that the mage was overwhelming him in the mind game. Clang clang clang!! Lenox, splitting his armored wings into five sections to deflect the sword strikes, fired his weapon at the same time as he blinked. The figure of O’Neil, scattering blood as he danced while emitting sword light, was somewhat eerie. “The rumors of his injury were not false. His overall physical abilities are very low.” Kade, who had slipped past O’Neil and quickly entered the inside of the wings, whispered quietly. “His attitude of hardly moving since the start of the operation, his way of focusing on personal equipment in combat, and even his way of hardly using his own magic.” By now, his hands were holding two daggers with black blades that seemed to be a pair. “Have you not rested properly since the Madrich Onion incident?” At the same time as Kade turned his body, his figure turned into a hazy smoke and disappeared from the spot. Clang clang clang!! A chilling cutting sound that ignored Lenox’s wings and hammered at the inner shield, cutting it. The sword energy, resembling a mist running through the air, spread like flames along the outer shell of the shield, leaving deep scratches. Chwaak!! Shoulder, knee, neck, and side. He skillfully penetrated the areas that were relatively vulnerable, scraping and cutting the shield. A hitman. A stealth operative closer to an assassin among them. The speed was so fast that it could not be perceived by the five senses. Rather, it seemed as if he was thoroughly circling the space inside the wings that Lenox had deployed, and was being protected by the power of the wings. Was he using the fact that it was difficult to break through the armored wings’ barrier head-on to his advantage, using it to continue the battle? Clang clang clang!! The outer wall of the shield collapsed, unable to withstand the incessant cutting sounds echoing in the air. Lenox’s shield was originally a barrier that focused more on recovery and compression power than the durability of the shield itself. Due to the overloaded magic that had not yet fully recovered from the incident in the closed area, the shield’s recovery power was not keeping up. Chwaak!! The collar of his shirt began to quickly turn red as blood seeped through the fabric. However, Lenox shook his head, unconcerned by the chilling sensation of his limbs being cut. “Artifact? Small universe? Either way, it’s a method of amplifying power by pushing force into cutting power.” Chwaak!! Lenox, openly ignoring the sensation of the blade slightly cutting his chest, took a step forward and muttered. “Then, what about stability?” Clunk!! Woooong!! At that moment, the armored wings transformed into the shape of a giant palm, and cut off the cross-section as if peeling off a layer of space. The spatial stripping ability that Gilleon used as a power by borrowing the power of the armored wings. Decades ago, Gilleon Mylos was controlling his innate power by borrowing the artifact called the armored wings, but for Lenox, who had begun to directly manipulate the concept of space with real theories and laws, it was not difficult to follow the principle. Like now, if he spread it like a shock throughout the area without worrying about direction and power…!! Kuuung!! Due to the shock of the space layer being peeled off and distorted, Kade’s figure, who had been running quickly near Lenox and looking for an opening, was thrown out. “…!!!” Kade’s face, who had not expected that he would be able to manipulate space to this extent, showed an undisguised agitation. Just as Kade was about to disappear again in the form of smoke, a bullet was perfectly lodged in his leg. [Marker attached. Synchronization starting.] Davie wagged his tail in Lenox’s arms. [Preparing spatial conversion calculation based on marker installation coordinates.] As soon as he heard Davie’s words, Lenox took out a revolver bullet from his arms and tossed it up above his head. Immediately after Kade realized from his long experience that the action was close to a trigger. “Wait, could it be…!!” [Execute.] Paat!! Kade and the bullet’s positions were switched, and Kade fell from above Lenox’s head. Clunk!! Lenox, extending his armored wings like a hand and grabbing his body, wiped the blood flowing down his cheek and smiled. “Got you.” Kwaaaang!! Kade’s body was slammed headfirst into the floor of the underground cavern, turning him into a human stake. Only those with good eyes among the agents who had been watching the scene from beginning to end were horrified. [Did he switch spatial coordinates using a medium…!! He’s not human anymore!!] “It takes time to attach a marker separately and synchronize, but if the conditions are met, I can set the composition as I want.” Lenox said, turning his gaze towards the agents. “And, now the preparations are roughly complete.” [Visibility patch complete. Stealth magic resistance released.] Pat, pat, pat!!! At that moment, faint blue magic began to shine from various parts of the agent’s bodies. The agents, realizing that it was a magical source similar to the marker that had just been inserted into Kade’s body, forgot to even breathe and looked up at Lenox. A darkened underground cavern. A chilling scene where the markers that Lenox had attached to the agents’ bodies glowed like fireflies. [Marker activation complete. Preparing parallel execution of spatial conversion.] At the end of the gaze mixed with fear and awe, Lenox looked down at them and raised his hand. “How much do I have to play with you to get Greta Witherhill to come here?”