Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 611

Click, click…!!

On the now-quiet stage of the stadium, only the sound of parts turning and rubbing against each other echoed incessantly.

As slender fingers moved around the musket, caressing it, the dozen or so judges silently watched.

Caution and suspicion. Bewilderment and fear.

Even though he clearly knew that the gazes directed at the gun were not of positive emotion, Renok continued to move his hands.

‘Its condition is much better than I thought.’

The relics placed without names in the last display case of the stadium.

The treasures of the Heart Star Hall, where only the oldest and most valuable items are kept, even in the Machine City.

Ancient artifacts of unclear origin and history, which even the Meisters [master artisans] dare not touch.

Among them, this dusty old musket looked shabby compared to the other splendid and magnificent relics.

However, Renok was certain where the true value of this musket lay.

‘It’s definitely the same appearance as in my memory. This is…’

The Magunner [a class or profession that uses magic guns] that Renok had directly played in WORLD 2.0.

It almost felt pointless to recall his memories now, as the Magunner Renok played was an ambiguous class.

In WORLD 2.0, the existence of common magic was a versatile power that fell just short of being omnipotent, and the Magunner was only allowed to imitate magic and implement it with a gun.

Therefore, in the later stages of the game, creating and crafting powerful magic guns was as important for the class as growing the Magunner’s power.

It was only natural that a powerful cannon was needed to fire powerful magic contained in bullets.

‘The End of Theremer. The highest-grade item treated as exclusive equipment for the Magunner in WORLD 2.0.’

Depending on how the Magunner class was developed, it was an exclusive equipment that could be worn until the very end of the game, a top-tier relic that even had its specs adjusted according to the wearer’s abilities.

Renok had once obtained this item while playing the Magunner in WORLD 2.0.

Through that memory, he was certain that this musket was indeed the End of Theremer.

However, even knowing that fact, and witnessing the miracle of finding the Magunner’s exclusive equipment in the Machina’s relic vault, Renok’s gaze remained coldly calm.

‘Why is a relic of the old world still in such good condition?’

In this world, a relic of the old world refers to equipment or traces that have flowed in from the memories of a world that has already been destroyed once.

Most of the relics that leaked out from the completely closed causality were not in perfect condition, and it was rare for their abilities or even their appearance to remain intact.

Even the Pandemonium, which collects and uses relics of the old world, would not have been able to successfully restore their technology or abilities without the existence of a remarkable researcher called the Doctor.

Yet, the appearance of this musket that Renok was touching was almost perfect, except for the fact that it had been left neglected for too long and had rusted.

Renok was constantly thinking about what that fact meant.

What the relic vault of the Machine City, Machina, and the Heart Star Hall signified.

“Your hands have stopped.”

One of the Meisters muttered in a nonchalant voice.

“If you’re thinking of giving up now, I won’t stop you. No one will blame you.”

“…”

“I don’t know how you chose that gun, but we’ve known for a long time that the musket is an unusual relic.”

Another Meister spoke, addressing Renok who did not answer.

“Even when I was just twenty years old and challenged the selection ceremony, this relic was in the same condition. It’s a divine artifact that has stepped out of the flow of time.”

“Even when warriors who were interested tried to take it, it always returned to its place after a day.”

“Decades ago, there were rumors that it was a haunted gun, but now even that has been forgotten and unheard.”

“I never thought I’d see that thing again…”

Click!!

Ignoring the Meisters’ soliloquies, Renok muttered.

“It’s not that it’s out of the flow of time.”

“…What?”

“It’s just that it was designed from the beginning to revert to this old form as its base.”

With those words, Renok finished adjusting the inside of the musket and slowly lifted the gun.

The shape of the old metal object rested comfortably in his hands as it was shouldered against Renok’s shoulder.

“As you may know if you’ve handled this equipment, there are a few essential parts missing inside the musket’s barrel that are needed for it to function.”

“Yes. But no matter how many new parts we made and assembled, the gun wouldn’t work…”

“It’s because it didn’t need parts that fit the musket.”

At that moment, the judges, who did not understand what that meant, quietly looked at each other.

“What… what does that mean?”

“It’s not that parts were missing, but that they were deliberately left empty.”

Renok said that and naturally took out the Pentarect [a magical artifact] from his pocket.

Click, click…!!

The Pentarect, which had been in the form of a cube that was constantly fluctuating, had already changed into an unknown black jagged shape.

“It’s difficult to properly implement the original function of this gun without deliberately creating space inside the barrel.”

“What are you even talking about…!!”

Renok did not wait for the other judges to answer.

The moment Renok opened the slide under the magazine and inserted the Pentarect into it.

Charrrrrk!!!

The barrel of the musket split and flipped over like fish scales, completely changing the shape of the barrel.

The shape of the magic gun transformed on the spot, shedding its skin and molting, into a barrel that resembled a lizard’s head.

“…!!!”

The Meisters watched the musket transforming in Renok’s hands, forgetting to breathe.

The Magunner’s exclusive equipment. The relic of the old world, the End of Theremer, does not simply exist as an old musket.

A transforming magic gun that evolves into the form the wearer desires through specific parts and actions.

This old musket was the first form, dormant before the item’s awakening.

‘There are three prerequisites needed to draw out the second form of the End of Theremer.’

One of them was already met before Renok touched it, and the second was something Renok could solve with the Pentarect.

The third condition was difficult for Renok to fully satisfy right away, but meeting the two conditions would be enough to show the second form of the magic gun.

“As you all know, no screws were used in this musket. All the joints connecting each part are assembled.”

“…”

“It is said that firearms are sometimes made this way to speed up disassembly and assembly, but it is not common.”

Renok looked around and said.

“Then, wouldn’t it be reasonable to think that the reason why some parts were missing inside the gun was that it was designed from the beginning with the change and transformation of the barrel in mind?”

“…So, you succeeded in finding out the true form of the relic by forcibly fitting parts that didn’t fit.”

“Many artisans have already tried to repair it while maintaining the form of the musket.”

Renok nodded at someone’s mutter.

“That’s why I tried to find other ideas and possibilities as much as possible.”

“…”

Everyone was speechless, quietly staring at the magic gun in Renok’s hand.

“Fi, fire the gun once.”

Bramhs, unable to hide his discomfort, twitched his shoulder and gestured, and a staff member next to him hurriedly brought a bullet.

“If you’ve truly repaired the equipment perfectly, you should be able to fire it through the relic, right?”

“Understood.”

Renok obediently accepted the bullet, pushed it into the magazine of the magic gun, and after loading it, turned the muzzle backward.

He aimed the muzzle at the built-in material on the stadium wall and looked at the judges, who nodded as if to say it was okay.

In the tense silence, Renok slowly pulled the trigger.

The moment everyone lowered their eyelids slightly, expecting the light to burst out at the end.

Tick!

At the same time as a bizarre noise like a spring breaking, gunpowder powder leaked out from inside the muzzle.

“…”

The tense atmosphere was instantly broken, and a sense of futility filled the air.

It felt as if the tension and gazes that had been heightened just a moment ago were collapsing and scattering.

However, Renok, with an awkward smile as if it was not a surprising event, put down the magic gun.

“I failed. It seems that it’s difficult to be satisfied with the first try.”

“…”

“Ha, haa…”

The Meisters’ expressions were indescribable.

The Ex Machina councilors sighed in relief.

Renok, unconcerned with the reactions around him, slowly stepped back and nodded.

“Since I failed, I won’t be able to get points in the maintenance field.”

“…No, that’s not necessarily the case.”

The old man standing at the center of the Meisters stared intently at Renok’s face for a long time before turning his head.

“The selection ceremony is over. I will announce the results soon, so all participants can go back and wait.”

* * *

The selection ceremony, which ended abruptly with Renok’s maintenance of the End of Theremer.

The results of the selection ceremony were announced smoothly a few days later, but unfortunately, Renok’s name was not among the winners.

To be precise, it should be said that Lyman’s name, the owner of this workshop, was not there.

“I still can’t understand it…”

Mauzer, who had settled down in Renok’s workshop with a few bottles of alcohol, grumbled.

“Apart from the lack of respect for the artisans, your skill in handling equipment is real. There’s no way you failed the selection ceremony because of a lack of skill!”

“I haven’t been eliminated from the selection ceremony yet.”

Renok said that and nodded lightly.

“At least they made a clear announcement like that.”

On the table lay the selection ceremony result announcement that had already been crumpled several times.

The names of the three artisans who achieved the best results in the selection ceremony were called out in order, and a signature was given to grant them the qualifications as Meisters and move their workshops.

In addition, there were evaluations of the artisans who received high scores enough to be ranked.

At the very bottom of the list of artisans who unfortunately did not become Meisters.

Right there, there was a story about Renok.

[Lyman: Showed outstanding results in the modification field, but skills in the production field did not meet the standards.]

[Creativity in design and combination skills are commendable, but other standards are not met. Evaluation of maintenance field results is pending.]

[Results will be notified later.]

Not elimination, but pending.

Not failing, but waiting.

It was an ambiguous notification, but in the end, it was the result of Renok’s choice.

“It’s extremely rare for artisans who participated in the selection ceremony to receive such ambiguous evaluations. Moreover, the maintenance field wasn’t even mentioned…!!”

Mauzer, unusually agitated, rubbed the announcement poster strongly.

“This can only be considered a result of upper management interference or some kind of political maneuver!!”

“…”

Renok did not agree or disagree with Mauzer’s words, but simply tilted his head.

In a way, Mauzer’s reckless speculation was not entirely wrong.

‘I didn’t expect them to postpone the selection ceremony result notification…’

Things didn’t go as planned, but Renok did not regret maintaining the End of Theremer itself.

He knew that it was more important to touch the magic gun directly at that place than to get high scores in the Meister selection ceremony right away.

Adding some explanation about the history and abilities of the magic gun to the judges.

Choosing the magic gun from the last display case, attempting maintenance, and stopping the maintenance at the last moment when the firing failed.

All of that was the best judgment Renok could make at that place.