Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 650

“I heard you refused the Commander’s offer.”

In a dark room where no light penetrated.

A man with deep shadows on his face spoke to someone with their head bowed.

An ambiguous height and build that made it impossible to guess his age. A listless attitude with his arms crossed, wearing an old, white gown.

The elderly woman at the end of the man’s gaze simply kept her head down, without answering.

“…….”

Although the woman was clearly alive, almost no signs of life, including breathing, could be detected.

Such a faint presence that even the man, who had greedily studied all kinds of technology and civilization, could not understand.

It was probably because she was a being who had been worn down and depleted after living a long and arduous life.

A great transcendent who had postponed the direct approach of destruction by observing the outer sea for hundreds of years.

An Ascended being who had been worn down while bearing a mission that ordinary humans could never fathom, and was finally running out of strength.

Thousand Eyes, Madrea Falsier, was such a being.

“You’ve become too weak. In your current state, even a cripple like me could kill you without much difficulty.”

“…….”

“The Commander doesn’t show it, but he wants to respect the will of an Ascended being who has lived as long as you. That’s probably why he backed down so easily….”

The man shrugged, leaving the silent Thousand Eyes.

“But it would be a shame for the power and qualifications you possess to disappear like this. Don’t you think so?”

At that, Thousand Eyes slowly raised her head.

Gray eyes with a blurry focus. An opaque gaze that made it impossible to tell if she was even looking at the man properly.

Two eyes that were completely unfitting for the reputation of Thousand Eyes, who was said to see the furthest of all.

“Trying to fill what cannot be filled, leads to an obsession with understanding and proof.”

But those words that Thousand Eyes tossed out as if in passing, pierced the man’s essence very accurately.

The man, who flinched as if he hadn’t expected those words at all, smiled bitterly, seemingly surprised by his own reaction.

“……I see. So you’re pointing out the lingering doubts I have? I didn’t want to find out this way.”

“…….”

“Thanks for the advice. But I want an answer to my question.”

Perhaps something else had occurred to her, at the man’s unwavering demand.

Thousand Eyes, who had been weakly bowing her head, very slowly raised her hand resting on the armrest.

“……!!”

The man’s shoulders trembled greatly at that small gesture, and he retreated nearly tens of meters.

Although she was dying, having exhausted her strength, the power of an Ascended being who had gained qualifications was nothing short of transcendent.

Moreover, if it was an Ascended being like Thousand Eyes, who had borne a mission for so long, she was extremely dangerous, even if her essence was far removed from combat.

She was a being who could overturn the very concept of ‘seeing’ from where she sat.

But Thousand Eyes, without paying attention to the man who had quickly retreated, lightly flicked her raised finger.

At that moment, the scenery reflected in the man’s eyes changed as if it had been flipped upside down.

Fwoooosh!!

A vast night sky with no end in sight.

Several dozen lighthouses gathered to illuminate the sea of darkness, becoming eyes that dispelled the gloom.

This was the mental image of a transcendent being who had inherited the mission of the lighthouse keeper.

The heart of an Ascended being who devoted themselves to the earth as the very light that illuminated the outer sea.

“……Beautiful.”

Even the man, who had no knowledge of aesthetics, involuntarily let out a gasp of admiration at the sight of that mental landscape.

The moment Thousand Eyes, who had illuminated her own light, flipped her hand.

A small model of a lighthouse rose from the void, and soon changed its form into a dazzling jewel mirror.

Fwoosh!!

The moment Thousand Eyes slowly lowered her hand onto the armrest of the chair, the jewel mirror was already in the man’s hand.

“This is…….”

Even the man’s face, who recognized its true nature, was filled with undisguised admiration.

“It is the lighthouse keeper’s calling to give a light to those who seek hope.”

Thousand Eyes murmured softly.

“Even if they have chosen the wrong path… everyone has the right to illuminate their way.”

“…….”

Even though she knew that the man was involved in human sacrifice, Thousand Eyes did not assert that his method was wrong.

She merely hinted that she herself did not prefer that method.

That was probably because Thousand Eyes’ way of treating and judging humans had already transcended the values of ordinary humans.

While being impressed by that overwhelming standard, the man picked up the jewel mirror and slipped it into his pocket.

“I thank you for the great Ascended’s mercy. But, why not the Commander?”

“Because he has already decided how he will walk on his own.”

For a moment, it seemed as if the focus in Thousand Eyes’ gaze had returned.

“For those who choose to look back and walk backward, they do not need a light to illuminate their path.”

“…….”

The man remained silent. Thousand Eyes, as if she hadn’t expected an answer, silently raised her gaze.

“If they cannot realize it on their own, they cannot exist. I hope Lapis will understand someday.”

“I see. Is that what you mean by the way you love humans?”

The man muttered that, then slightly stepped back and bowed his head.

The greatest courtesy he could show to a great Ascended.

“The ending you have chosen. The fate you have picked. Even the light you intend to leave behind.”

The man’s gaze, as he raised his head, seemed to have changed to a serious one for a very brief moment.

“I will remember it all without forgetting. So that someone can understand it someday.”

Crack!!

At that moment. Along with the illusion that the scenery inside the dark room was shattering, someone’s rough breathing could be heard.

Crash!!

“Haa, haa……!!”

It was only after a long time that Lenok realized that the sound was coming from his own mouth.

An empty city. He was leaning against the edge of a bookstore shelf, as if hanging from it, with papers fluttering in the wind.

Lenok, who was sitting dazedly and recalling his memories, smiled bitterly as he remembered what had happened.

“This is…….”

He knew without being told whose memory he had just been seeing.

And who the man who was talking to Thousand Eyes was.

Thousand Eyes’ Ideological Domain, Myriad Reflections, One Point Pupil, which Mayah had temporarily deployed through the doctor’s auxiliary calculations.

The mental image of a transcendent being who had inherited the mission of the lighthouse keeper and was qualified to challenge ascension.

The power of transcendence that changed reality itself through it.

The power of the Ideological Domain, befitting the name of the eye that sees everything, was the authority to flip and shatter reality itself, even if only for a moment.

Mayah had successfully neutralized the Execution Agency all at once through the simplified deployment of the Ideological Domain, and at the same time, had managed to escape with Lenok while avoiding pursuit.

However, not only Mayah but also Lenok could not escape the aftermath.

That was why, immediately after succeeding in escaping, Lenok was swept away by the aftereffects of the simplified deployment of the Ideological Domain and ended up seeing someone’s memories.

The memories of someone who was once the designer of the Ascension Gate, once an explorer of civilization, and now lived as a technician of the Devil’s Den.

“…….”

He had never imagined that such memories would remain in the depths of the consciousness of that eccentric man who spoke as if he was mocking and understanding everything.

Perhaps it was because his last meeting with Thousand Eyes had left such a deep impression in his memory.

If so, he could understand why the doctor had used Thousand Eyes’ thoughts to help him at this point.

“……It can’t be a coincidence.”

Not everyone in the Ideological Domain would have seen the same memories as Lenok.

Perhaps it was because Lenok had met both of the people who appeared in the memory that the afterimage had flowed into his consciousness.

Since arriving in the Machine City, he had been looking into other people’s memories for a long time.

Looking into memories wouldn’t shake Lenok’s own mind, but it was also undeniable that the backlash was severe.

Lenok stopped thinking there and struggled to get up.

The burden on Mayah must be enormous, as she had forcibly imitated someone else’s mental image, especially the power of an Ascended being, and temporarily deployed it.

But even so, she was forcing the power of the entire Machine City to focus on herself to buy time for Lenok.

The brief respite given to Lenok. There was no time to waste this gap.

Lenok, who was looking at the darkened sky, touched a falling raindrop with his finger.

“It’s raining….”

Lenok’s figure, who was looking at the pouring raindrops, completely disappeared from the street.

* * *

[The fire that broke out in the Upper Workshop District is not being easily extinguished.]

[Currently, personnel are being drawn from various agencies, including the police force….]

[The public is pointing out that the unrest is not subsiding but is spreading to various districts, suggesting the possibility of terrorism….]

The medical district, which had the best medical facilities in the Machine City and mainly treated top-tier VIPs.

In a private room on the top floor, Ibert was watching TV with a serious expression.

“I hope nothing bad happens….”

Although the media did not directly mention any possibilities other than the fire, Ibert knew what was happening in the city through various sources.

A serious problem had occurred inside the underwater barrier.

The survival of all the Meisters [Master Craftsmen] who had been cooperating with Hermes, the X Machina Committee member in charge of this quarter, was unclear.

In the midst of this, news that someone had entered and escaped the underwater barrier had spread throughout the navy, and an emergency mobilization order had been issued for the entire sea area.

Decisively, the culprit had been identified as Lyman, who had been working in the Upper Workshop District recently, and the Execution Agency was now investigating.

In Ibert’s common sense, everything was moving so fast that he could not easily judge any situation.

Ibert’s expression clouded as he looked at Nasisa’s face, who was lying as if dead with a respirator on.

“Sister….”

“So you were here.”

“……!!!”

Ibert, who jumped up as if he had been startled, quickly turned his head.

A young man, soaked to the bone as if he had come directly through the pouring rain, was standing at the door of the hospital room.

Wearing an iron mask that half-covered his face, with a neat impression as usual.

But his expressionless face looked like a completely different person from the Lyman that Ibert knew.

Lenok, without paying any attention to Ibert’s reaction, slowly walked into the hospital room and stood in front of Nasisa.

The moment Lenok reached into his pocket while looking at Nasisa’s unconscious face.

“W-wait a minute!! What are you trying to do!!”

Ibert rushed over and stood in front of Nasisa, blocking him.

“…….”

“Y-you… aren’t you being chased by the Execution Agency?”

Ibert said, glaring at Lenok with a determined expression.

“The commander of the Mechanized Corps has issued a direct wanted order, how on earth….”

“I used some bait.”

Ibert’s shoulders flinched at Lenok’s answer, which had a completely different tone.

Lenok, looking at Ibert, took out a sky-blue medicine bottle from his pocket.

“This is the antidote I got from the very person who tried to assassinate Nasisa Solmer.”

“……!!”

“Oason joined hands with Hermes to kill Nasisa, and he had the antidote himself.”

Lenok said that, shaking the medicine bottle he was holding in his wet hand.

“I’ve confirmed that the medicine is genuine. I have something I want to ask Nasisa, so move aside.”

“No, I can’t. How can I trust you…!!”

Whoosh!!

Ibert shouted angrily and raised his magic power, but the next moment, his arms and legs were tightly bound by thin magic threads.

Ibert’s mouth dropped open as he realized that both of his wrists were tied to the corner of the hospital bed in the blink of an eye, and Lenok murmured.

“I’m not asking for a favor.”

“Ugh…!! I’ll call someone!!”

“Go ahead.”

Lenok ignored Ibert and immediately poured the medicine into Nasisa’s mouth.

He poured about half of the medicine into Nasisa’s mouth and put the lid back on, placing it on the hospital table.

“There should be one more soldier who was critically injured after being shot with Nasisa. Share it with that person.”

“How do you know what that medicine is, and you’re giving it to my sister…!!”

“Umm….”

Ibert’s words were cut off at the same time as Nasisa’s eyelids began to twitch.

The old woman’s brow seemed to furrow, and her calm breathing changed to become loud and irregular.

Nasisa slowly woke up, her breathing disrupted as if she was waking from a long sleep.

Ibert tried to jump up, but he fell to the ground, still bound by the magic threads.

“S-sister!!”

“……Ibert?”

Nasisa looked at Ibert with a blurry gaze and frowned.

“What are you doing there?”

“T-this guy came to my sister’s room and then!!”

At Ibert’s words, who was struggling on the floor, Nasisa’s expression changed slightly as she turned her gaze and finally found Lenok.

“You’re that young punk from back then….”

“Nasisa Solmer. I have something I want to ask you.”

Nasisa’s eyes began to focus as she heard Lenok’s voice.

“I thought you had an unusual talent, but you weren’t an ordinary artisan. What are you?”

It was admirable that she remembered Lenok and questioned him in return, as soon as she regained consciousness after several weeks.

But Lenok didn’t have time to answer Nasisa one by one right now.

“Are the remains of the Ascension Gate hidden in the Furnace General’s workshop?”

“……!!!”

Nasisa’s face hardened.

A shocking question that even she, a Meister who had lived for a long time and a seasoned politician, could not hide her agitation.

Ibert, who was watching Lenok’s words and Nasisa’s reaction from the side, opened his mouth wide.

“W-what are you talking about!!”

“Hermes conspired with Meister Oason to assassinate you.”

Lenok took out a cigarette from his pocket and flicked his finger.

Chik!

“That was to neutralize your actions and at the same time, stop the checks on him… but my thoughts are a little different.”

Lenok said quietly, puffing out smoke.

“He is trying to manifest the existence of the old world on this land using the Ascension Gate. In the process, he borrowed power to assassinate you.”

“…….”

“Because he wanted to get his hands on the space you were managing. If you are the one who inherited the Furnace General’s workshop as it is, you would know what Hermes is aiming for.”

If the Furnace General, who created the foundation of the Ascension Gate, had kept the remains or core parts of the gate separately, it would not be unusual.

From the moment Lenok heard that Hermes had lent his hand to Oason.

He was certain that Hermes was aiming for the workshop or a specific place, or a secret that Nasisa was managing.

Nasisa, who had been silent, then raised her head and looked at Lenok with a strong gaze.

“There’s a problem with the Mind Palace [a personal mental space]. Isn’t there?”

“…….”

“Unless the gate prepared inside the Mind Palace is broken, there would be no reason to look for a new place.”

As Nasisa said that and looked at Ibert, Ibert nodded with a mournful look.

Nasisa, who understood the meaning, let out a trembling breath and closed her eyes.

“I see. Hermes, that bastard, finally….”

“Where is it?”

Lenok asked again.

“I want to pinpoint where Hermes will ultimately carry out his plan. We don’t have much time left.”

“…….”

Nasisa Solmer was the complete successor who had been taught everything, including the operation of the workshop, by the Furnace General himself.

Therefore, there was a high possibility that she knew everything about the secrets he had left behind.

That was why Lenok had planned to wake up Nasisa and approach the core immediately, instead of heading to the Furnace General’s workshop without a plan.

Nasisa, who had been pondering with her eyes closed for a while, slowly opened her mouth.

“My master… considered creating the foundation of the Ascension Gate to be the greatest achievement of his life.”

Nasisa chuckled with a hint of regret.

“So he always wanted to be with it, even after he died.”

“Are you saying that the remains of the Ascension Gate are in the Furnace General’s tomb?”

“S-sister….”

Ibert interrupted Lenok’s words with a trembling voice.

“But my master….”

“My master’s remains were not buried in a tomb, but scattered on top of your masterpiece. He wanted to become a part of the city even after death.”

“…….”

Lenok’s expression changed slightly as he finally realized what Nasisa was saying.

“The last work that the Furnace General created, and the master’s own workshop tower.”

Nasisa said calmly.

“The tallest building in this Machine City is the foundation of the failed Ascension Gate itself.”

* * *

Splish!!

A quiet street with rain falling.

Only Lenok, who was walking without an umbrella, disappeared into the dark street alone.

“…….”

The shape of a huge tower that soared high into the sky.

The last work that the Furnace General had created, and the appearance of the huge workshop tower that he had used as his own workshop.

Each floor of the tower was a workshop designed for Meister-level artisans, and a residential area in itself.

Even in the Machine City Machina, where height restrictions were imposed due to inter-district movement, it was one of the very few buildings where height restrictions were lifted.

The moment Lenok tried to open the door and enter.

Fwoosh!!

The dark street lit up brightly, and dazzling lights began to illuminate Lenok.

An intense amount of light that blinded the eyes.

Such a bright light that no shadows were cast around Lenok’s body, who was standing in front of the door leading into the tower.

Lenok chuckled as he saw dozens of laser pointers overlapping on the back of his hand, which was gripping the doorknob, turning his skin red.

If it was this much on his hand, then by now, hundreds of gun barrels would be aimed at him from his back.

From behind Lenok, a listless voice was heard.

“Slowly raise both hands and turn your back this way.”

“…….”

“I am Thermore Shin, the 3rd Corps Commander of the Mechanized Corps. I swear that if you disobey my orders, I will tear you to pieces on the spot.”

Lenok slowly raised his hands and turned his back as instructed.

A formation of armored infantry and tank units that filled the inside and outside of the huge workshop tower.

In the sky, dozens of transport planes were flying, and even the presence of snipers aiming at him from afar could be felt clearly.

And in the center of the formation, a man was sitting on a huge tank, stroking his chin with an interested look.

“I never thought that my corps would capture you, bypassing the Execution Agency. I thought there would be no chance to gain merit, but this is very lucky.”

The man who introduced himself as the commander of the Mechanized Corps, Thermore, smiled and gestured.

“I’ve heard a lot of rumors about you, Lyman. It’s said that the artisan who recently entered the Upper Workshop District is more accurate than any fortune teller.”

“…….”

“It’s a pity that your outstanding abilities were not used for our Machine City. But what can we do?”

At the same time as Thermore said that, armored infantry units that had come out from all directions surrounded Lenok.

“Stay still until we take you into custody. I know that you’re not good at combat, but we still have to do our job thoroughly.”

Did they even know that he had used the night raven as bait to lure them away and infiltrate this way?

But instead of answering that, Lenok turned his gaze towards the Furnace General’s workshop tower, which soared high into the sky.

The reason why he had deliberately walked towards the main gate of the tower, even though he knew there were ambushes and traps.

It was to confirm the scenery that could only be seen from this spot.

He poured magic power between the doorknob he had just grabbed, and expanded his senses endlessly, quickly covering the entire workshop tower.

Weeeeng……!!

His eyes could not see properly between the dark night and the bright lights, but his sixth sense, expanded by magic power, saw something beyond the five senses.

A magnificent and splendid palace-like huge throne located on the top floor of the workshop tower.

A perfect circular huge ring decorated on the wall behind the throne.

The foundation of the Ascension Gate itself, which was used in the Ascension Gate project.

That relic, which should have been completely discarded after the project failed, was hidden in the Furnace General’s workshop.

[Hoo…….]

And on the pure white throne located in the center of that huge ring of light.

The figure of a young man sitting quietly, with his eyes closed, resting his chin on his hand and bowing his head.

Thousands of wires connected to the back of the young man with white hair, wriggling as if trying to inject something that transcended humanity.

Lenok, who had confirmed the appearance of Hermes, who was deeply submerged as if asleep, from the edge of the workshop tower, turned his gaze to the tank units of the 3rd Corps that had surrounded him, and nodded his head.

“Good.”

Click!!

Lenok, who had removed the iron mask covering his face with a single gesture, slowly tilted his head back and raised his magic power.

Mayah had guessed who Lenok was, and that was why she did not stop Lenok from trying to meet Hermes alone.

Rather, she had tried to open the way to Hermes, even if it meant paying the price herself.

And it was undeniable that the plan was based on Lenok’s own abilities and actions.

Now that he had confirmed Hermes’ location and condition, there was no reason to hesitate any longer.

“There’s no reason to hide it anymore.”

Fzzzzzzzz……!!

At the same time as intense lightning flared from his fingertips, the expressions of the Mechanized Corps also slowly changed.

The moment someone gasped at the fact that the iron mask on Lenok’s face was not a trace of body modification, and that the magic power that was erupting was completely different from that of an artisan.

“Wait, you’re not Lyman…!!”

Between the dark night sky of the Machine City, a blue lightning bolt fell.

Kwaaaang!!

Lenok took a step forward amidst the thunderous radiance that dazzlingly colored the surroundings.

Crack, crack……!!

The magician, who was covered in boiling lightning all around, looked at the top of the tower and nodded his head.

“Let’s finish this quickly.”