Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 593

A cerebral spirit shifted its elemental affinity from electricity to ice.

Following the fox, now entirely encased in ice, the foxfire that had orbited Davi like a satellite also transformed.

Jjeojeojeok…!!

The foxfire, which had been crackling with intense lightning, froze solid, becoming ice spheres that radiated a chilling cold.

The gorilla spirit, veins bulging, lashed out at the spot where the destructive energy had abruptly halted.

[Gwoooaaah!!]

Kwaang!!

Shards of the shattered train and screws from the seats became a whirling storm, pulverizing everything in its path.

However, the two foxfires that had been protecting Lenox and Priscilla solidified into ice shields, safeguarding them.

Taat!!

One of the remaining foxfires stretched out, forming a smooth ice path. Davi leaped from Lenox’s shoulder and began to run.

Doddododok!!

The sight of the baby fox, its cute paws carrying it swiftly across the frozen ground.

Davi, gliding rapidly along the ice path, instantly reached the gorilla spirit’s feet and soared upwards.

Chwaaaak!!

[Hoooot…!!]

The gorilla spirit, startled by the cold that enveloped and froze its toes, recoiled.

Priscilla watched with an indescribable expression, while Lenox continued to speak.

“I mentioned that it’s best to use the imprinting association method, linking mana conversion to specific objects or memories, right? But once you’re used to mana conversion, you can easily change the nature of mana without relying on internal images.”

The gorilla, clutching a mangled train car, snorted and swung its arm, attempting to crush the small Davi.

Kwaaang!!

The ground buckled from the impact, and the broken railroad tracks rose and fell like waves.

However, Davi, unfazed, melted into the ice path, becoming one with the cold, and sped across the ground.

It was as if he had become the essence of ice itself, hidden within the cold.

Lenox, observing Davi’s movements, explained to Priscilla.

“Elemental mana assimilation.”

[Kkeueok?!]

The startled gorilla slammed down on the ice path to stop Davi, but Davi had already reached the end and soared behind the gorilla in an instant.

Poljjak!!

The ice fox floated in the air above the library courtyard, now behind the gorilla’s head.

“Stealth.”

The moment the gorilla tried to whip around and crush Davi, Davi’s body melted and vanished like ice water.

Shwaaak!!

“Acceleration.”

Davi reappeared as if blinking, landing lightly on the gorilla’s body and running across its flesh.

Everywhere the fox spirit ran, cold frost permeated, covering the gorilla spirit in white and freezing it.

“Slow, suppress, stack, repel.”

[Kkuuhhhheok!!]

A pale breath of cold swirled around the gorilla’s entire body, freezing and binding it completely.

The gorilla, unable to catch Davi, who was darting across its massive form, was flustered.

Priscilla, listening to Lenox’s explanation, watched in awe as Davi freely transformed and manipulated ice-type mana.

Lenox, with an impassive face, watched the spirit falter and said,

“That spirit wouldn’t have been this big originally. Its combat power increased with its size, but it doesn’t know how to control its enlarged body. The fact that it tried to swing a train car like a club proves that.”

The gorilla spirit, upon confirming Davi’s presence, had gone to the trouble of tearing off a train car and using it as a club.

For a being of that size and bulk, using the weight and size of a train car as a weapon was inefficient.

If it had the overwhelming strength it showed when it first blocked the train, it wouldn’t need a weapon in the first place.

But the fact that it sought a weapon at that point was proof that the gorilla spirit was not accustomed to using its own body.

It was proof that the spirit’s power and size had been forcibly increased through the spirit growth promotion ritual.

“The rituals that the sorcerers speak of do not enhance all of the spirit’s advantages. They are focused on forcibly growing only one of the spirit’s essence or specialized advantages. Considering that…”

At that moment, the foxfire surrounding Lenox’s body rotated and formed a huge circular shield.

Kwaaang!!

The sorcerer, wielding a bright red blade, stopped in front of the foxfire shield.

The moment the sorcerer, gripping the blade with both hands, twisted his body to stab Lenox’s neck.

Spirit Rank Common Magic

Property Change Attribute Conversion

[Frost Horn]

A sharp ice spear shot out from the ice shield, piercing the sorcerer’s stomach.

Pook!!

At the same time, the gorilla spirit, engulfed by the wave of cold that Davi emitted from behind, froze solid.

[Freeze Order]

“Cough!!”

Lenox nodded as he watched the sorcerer cough up black blood from the impact.

“The abilities and characteristics of a spirit tend to resemble the caster’s mental image and spell. Considering that, this sorcerer is likely a superhuman specialized in close combat.”

Even while convulsing from the excruciating pain of his intestines twisting, he was still trying to reach out and kill Lenox.

“In the process of applying elemental mana conversion in actual combat, it is very important to quickly recognize and predict the abilities and tendencies of the enemy you are facing. Most mages have a certain range of mana systems that they can convert.”

Lenox, standing nonchalantly next to the gorilla spirit, patted its shoulder and said.

“You need to understand whether the mana you can convert is suitable for the situation and consider the means necessary for victory. And you need to process all of this thinking within 10 seconds of facing the enemy to determine whether combat is possible.”

“Let go, you X-bal…!!”

“…”

Priscilla could only stare blankly at Lenox, speechless.

“Shall I give you one more example? The sorcerers we’ve met so far had their voices echo when they wore animal masks, and they had to take off their animal masks to summon spirits.”

Lenox, looking at Priscilla, grabbed the gorilla mask that the sorcerer was wearing.

“But this sorcerer is still wearing his animal mask even after summoning his spirit, and there is almost no modulation of his voice. The conclusion we can draw from that is…”

Even though he was just holding the gorilla mask without taking it off, the mask’s appearance gradually faded, and the face of a man with a bushy beard appeared from within.

Lenox, looking at the sorcerer’s bare face, with his eyes bloodshot and glaring at the two of them, said,

“The animal mask he was wearing was a kind of illusion, close to a hallucination.”

“I see…”

“Do you know why I’m telling you all this right now?”

Lenox said that, and turned to look at Priscilla, placing Davi, who had returned after destroying the gorilla spirit, on his shoulder.

“The abilities I’ve mentioned so far are the basic qualities that a mage must have in order to go out into the field.”

“…”

“Even if you have the necessary abilities and are thoroughly prepared for battle, it’s difficult to guarantee a survival rate of more than half in the mercenary industry.”

Only then did she realize that Lenox was pointing out her rash actions, and she lowered her head.

“Mila is not wrong. It’s not enough to just understand your aptitude and system, and to master magic of the related attributes. The curriculum that Lavatenon Magic University aims for is also far from that.”

“I know.”

Priscilla bit her lip slightly and replied.

“But, I didn’t become a mage for the sake of magical research or technological advancement. I…”

“…”

He knew what she wanted to say.

Priscilla’s university tuition was paid for by the money Mila earned in the mercenary industry.

It was not unusual for her to feel a sense of obligation because of that fact.

It was natural for Priscilla to want a future where she could work with Mila in the field someday.

But conversely, it was also necessary to let her know that it was still too early for that.

“Cough!! You guys are having fun…”

The sorcerer, listening to Lenox’s words, sneered with a blood-stained mouth.

“Right. It wasn’t the spirit mage I should have been aiming for, but that one over there, keh…!! I was blinded by the smell… I made a mistake…”

Priscilla’s shoulders flinched at the sight of the sorcerer glaring at them with a glistening gaze.

But instead of losing her composure and backing down, she quickly calmed her agitation and stared at the sorcerer.

Being able to maintain reason in the face of an opponent who threatens you. For now, that alone was enough.

Lenox, thinking that, asked the sorcerer, who was bleeding profusely from his stomach.

“You said you smelled my spirit.”

[The one who smells is this gorilla, you know?]

Davi, who had returned to Lenox’s head, quietly protested and tapped his hair with his tail.

But the sorcerer, seeing Davi exchanging words with Lenox, widened his eyes even as he was dying.

“Th-that’s right… The form we desire from spirits… is…”

“Smelling a spirit means pursuing the synesthesia of inspiration. It’s impossible without breaking the taboo against the materialization of the soul.”

Lenox said, looking at the sorcerer.

“Offering humans in the growth promotion ritual isn’t just to grow the spirit, is it? It’s to achieve a higher level of transcendence, to touch the spirit’s soul and flesh, and ultimately make it similar to humans, isn’t it?”

“Y-yes…”

The sorcerer, struggling to keep his closing eyes open, smiled crookedly with his bloodied face.

“I stopped halfway… but even now, my other comrades… are probably moving forward.”

“…”

“Our answer is not in this world… but out there…”

His breath was fading as if it would break at any moment.

But even though the sorcerer knew he was dying, he was not afraid to move beyond that.

What existed in his eyes was only a strong conviction in his answer.

“Not in the material realm, but in the garden of the spirit realm where souls reside… my daughter is…”

He couldn’t finish his words, and his eyes lost focus.

If he had saved his breath and chosen his words, he could have lived a little longer. But he didn’t choose that path.

Lenox quietly muttered, watching the sorcerer who had died after speaking only of his own wish until the end.

“The spirit realm…”

[…]

It was the name of a dimension that all spirit-wielding sorcerers had heard of at least once, but whose existence had not been officially confirmed.

Where do spirits come from, what is the talent to wield spirits and coexist with them?

Where is the qualification and origin of beings that do not exist as matter, yet can engage in activities similar to life and possess intelligence?

Because no one has yet properly identified and theorized it, the study of spirit magic remains a power that relies entirely on talent.

Is the goal that the Guishin Palace wants to achieve through this incident something beyond simply growing spirits?

Priscilla, looking at the dead sorcerer’s corpse with a complex expression, asked.

“Is everyone like this?”

“What do you mean?”

“To become a high-ranking mage, do you have to believe in your own answer this much?”

“…”

“I don’t know. Does a truth exist that you can believe in and blindly follow to that extent…”

Priscilla seemed somewhat confused.

Perhaps it was not just because she felt something through this sorcerer.

It was probably because she had also heard that someday everyone would have to come up with their own answers.

That’s why Lenox decided to choose a different answer instead of telling her whether her words were right or wrong.

“Wouldn’t it be called an answer only if it can lead even those who haven’t decided on an answer?”

“…Yes?”

“I don’t know the details either, but that’s probably what the truth that high-ranking sorcerers are searching for means.”

Lenox got up from his seat without waiting for Priscilla’s answer and turned his gaze.

“We don’t have much time. First, we should check the central library.”

The huge lobby leading into the central library, which was blocked by the sorcerer who controlled the gorilla spirit.

“Mila will be waiting.”

* * *

The Lavatenon University Central Library.

In terms of scale alone, it was one of the top three buildings in the university, and a repository of knowledge said to hold ten million books.

It was a place that was said to have existed longer than the history of Lavatenon University itself,

And it also played an important role in selecting the location of the university campus when the educational institution was established under the authority of the Balkan City Government.

In fact, it could be said that Lavatenon University was built in this location because of the existence of this library.

As it had undergone countless reconstructions and constructions over its long history, there were many rumors that hidden rooms or reading rooms had disappeared in the process.

The rumor that hidden rooms were filled with magical books and artifacts, and that the vengeful spirits released from the magical books wandered around every night, was one of the famous ghost stories that Lenox also knew.

‘That’s why if the dean is being held captive, it’s more likely that the library, not the university’s main building, will be the stage.’

Lenox thought as he carefully opened the glass door of the library and entered.

‘If there is someone who helped the Guishin Palace and plotted all of this from within, they must have known about the existence of the library’s hidden rooms or reading rooms.’

In this world where magic and mystery are alive, there are surprisingly few false rumors or ghost stories.

Even if it’s a far-fetched urban legend or rumor, most of them are derived from a real entity or truth that has been exaggerated.

Lenox thought that the dean was likely trapped in a space like a hidden reading room.

Squeak!!

The smell of books that wafted in as soon as he opened the door and entered.

The unique, calm scent created by the collection and accumulation of paper that had been stored for a long time felt like it was calming his mind.

“Priscilla. Do you know the structure of the central library well?”

“I often come here to study during exam periods. To some extent…”

Priscilla said with a nervous look.

“Should I guide you, Assistant Professor?”

“No, it’s okay. I was just asking in case you didn’t know the structure.”

Lenox had also visited the central library several times in the process of finding and reading various papers and conducting research.

It was enough to know that this huge library boasted more than 10 floors, and that there were even warehouses storing books in the underground interior.

“Since we don’t have much time, I’ll explain it simply. The books in the central library are protected by powerful preservation spells that are placed inside the building.”

Lenox said, picking up a book from a nearby bookshelf and opening it.

“It’s a type of ancient magic for protecting books that has existed since very long ago. Through this, if damage or loss occurs to a book, most of the damage is restored on the spot.”

He slightly folded one page of the opened book in half, then closed the book and opened it again, and the folded mark had completely disappeared.

“Minor damage like this is restored immediately, but it’s different in cases of severe damage that would destroy a book. It’s designed to reproduce the damaged book by implementing the book information backed up in the library’s underground interior.”

Since he couldn’t tear the book apart here, Lenox quietly put it back on the bookshelf and said.

“The time it takes for a damaged book to be restored is about 5 hours. It’s a time that can be said to be short if it’s short, and long if it’s long. Do you understand what this means?”

Priscilla immediately understood the meaning of his words and nodded.

“If the dean is trapped here, it means that there might be a large number of books that haven’t been restored yet nearby.”

“It’s just a hypothesis, but the dean tried to send his spirit to me to let me know that something had happened to him.”

Lenox’s eyes shone sharply.

“If so, wouldn’t he have tried to leave as many traces as possible about the place where he was trapped?”

If the dean himself had resisted as much as possible during the process of being detained, there would be enough time for the traces to remain.

“I understand. Then, perhaps…”

[…]

Priscilla looked at Davi with expectant eyes, but when Davi tilted his head, she quickly turned her gaze away.

Only then did Davi realize what she was thinking, and he quietly whispered to Lenox in a dumbfounded tone.

[Master, this young organism seems to think of me as some kind of convenient all-purpose tool.]

“…”