Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 661

Swoosh!!

Under Davi’s control, the night raven’s new form, skillfully navigating the air currents, broke the sound barrier in an instant.

It quickly passed through the air defense network, which was being restored and returning to normal, and soared into the dark sky above the mechanical city.

He could feel a barrage of missiles and all sorts of artillery fire pouring from behind, but even that was a step too late.

It was only a moment before he skipped through the sections of the mechanical barrier and arrived back at the ruins of the half-collapsed workshop tower.

Whoosh!!

The dark form of the night raven, having quickly decelerated with a few flaps of its wings, landed on the ruined workshop tower.

Lenok, stepping off its end and onto the ground, glanced down at the scene unfolding below the tower.

“There are more people than I thought.”

Yellow caution tape and countless police cars were parked, forming a line and blocking the road.

Below, police officers and scholars were busily moving about, collecting evidence, preserving the scene, and conducting investigations.

Even those who appeared to be ability users were mobilized, desperately trying to figure out the circumstances of the battle.

Lenok’s eyes sharpened as he identified psychics, who were closing their eyes and feeling around the ruins.

“…Psychometry?”

Psychometry, a mental ability. [The ability to gain information about an object or person by touching or being near them.]

Among innate abilities, the mental system was a very rare area, and it was the first time Lenok had seen so many at once.

Even among psychic abilities that rely on mental power, abilities that directly manipulate the mind are very contradictory in their principles and systems.

There were hardly any who could use it enough to apply it usefully in actual combat.

The fact that such psychics were gathered in one place was proof of how seriously they were taking this Hermes incident.

After briefly observing the ability users, Lenok turned his gaze.

“I might get caught soon. I need to move quickly.”

Although he had approached the workshop tower using stealth, they would soon realize where Lenok had escaped and come after him.

Moreover, if there were several people staying inside the workshop tower, it would be difficult not to leave any traces.

It would be better to quickly take care of business and disappear.

Lenok sent the night raven flying far away from the workshop tower, then put on a work jacket that was lying nearby and began to walk.

He even picked up a construction helmet nearby and put it on, creating a plausible appearance.

“Good work.”

“You’re working hard.”

He even naturally accepted the greetings from the workers he encountered nearby as he passed by.

Seeing Lenok walking in the opposite direction from the workers going down the tower, someone asked as if they had remembered something.

“The Metropolitan Police Agency issued an emergency call-up order, are you sure it’s okay not to go?”

“…It was just a simple roster check.”

Lenok paused for a moment before answering.

“I’ve already taken care of it and am on my way back.”

“Ah, is that so?”

Of course, the reason the Metropolitan Police Agency issued an emergency call-up order was not for a roster check, but because of Lenok’s escape.

There was no reason to inform the workers of that fact and incite anxiety.

Just as Lenok was about to pass them by nonchalantly after telling a pleasant lie.

[If you’re going to make excuses like that, shouldn’t you at least properly hide the handcuffs on your wrist before speaking?]

A transmission was heard, with several voices overlapping at the same time.

“…”

Lenok glanced over and saw the dozen or so workers he had just passed staring at him with blank expressions.

[Valkan’s Ironclad. I’ve heard a lot of rumors, but I didn’t know you were such a free spirit.]

The workers’ mouths opened simultaneously, and they all spoke the same words in different voices.

Their gazes had become somewhat vacant. Their eyes were unfocused, and their breathing and heart rates had dropped rapidly.

It was a strange sight, as if the workers were being controlled by someone at the same time.

“I see.”

Lenok smiled, finally vaguely guessing the identity of his opponent.

“I thought it was strange that there were so many psychometry users on the scene, but it was all the work of one person from the start?”

Beyond the unconsciousness that was manipulating the workers’ minds. The size of that will was so immense that even Lenok could immediately recognize it.

The psychometry users who had been investigating this scene were not different people.

A psychic who was not even present at the scene was directly investigating the scene by manipulating those he controlled.

“But the abilities of the psychics I saw weren’t fake… He was arbitrarily dividing his abilities and using them like puppets.”

A sharp smile formed on Lenok’s lips as he looked at the workers.

“A self and output capable of forcibly sharing abilities with others… He was someone who had already transcended the hierarchy and specialized in that system.”

[Oh ho.]

No matter how powerful a psychic ability was, it was impossible to share one’s ability with others and arbitrarily divide it.

At least, it was a miracle not allowed under the concept and definition of psychic abilities.

If so, wasn’t the being wielding this psychic ability a monster who had transcended the hierarchy of such psychic abilities and was pioneering a new path?

An 8th-level psychic. Moreover, a psychometry user who directly interfered with the mental system.

Among those Lenok had encountered in the mechanical city, he was a monster who could easily be ranked in the top five, watching him from beyond the unconscious.

“If you push the type of psychic ability that reads sensations from matter to the extreme, manipulating the minds of civilians wouldn’t be difficult.”

Lenok, looking into the workers’ eyes as if he was intrigued, added.

“If you only revealed your existence after the situation was over, you’re probably not under X-Makina’s command, right? It’s safe to assume you’re a big shot from Makina’s underworld.”

[Hehehe… That’s right. It’s been a while since I broke free from X-Makina’s control.]

The workers laughed in different voices, affirming Lenok’s guess.

[Shall I reintroduce myself, Ban? I am Aoshu Spero. A humble psychometry user, and a coward who wouldn’t be able to talk to you if not for this method.]

“What are you doing here?”

[I’m working with the Metropolitan Police Agency, investigating the scene in exchange for a deal with X-Makina.]

Aoshu answered readily.

[I’m out of the organization now, but I used to be part of the executive branch. I’ve kept a minimum communication network.]

Was this powerful psychometry user once an executive?

He knew that the mechanical city had declined from its heyday, but he didn’t know that its power had been so fragmented.

That was proof that the big shots of Makina’s underworld had been half-observing the situation even during this incident.

And one of those big shots was standing right in front of Lenok, calmly asking for a conversation.

“What’s your business?”

[While investigating the scene using my power, I vaguely realized what you did in this workshop tower.]

Aoshu asked in a strange voice, borrowing the workers’ mouths.

[Perhaps it’s because of your ability, but I can’t see specific memories… but I can see where the aftermath is spreading. I can also see at what point this farce should end.]

“…”

[I’ll buy you some time. But it won’t be long.]

The workers winked and made a cheerful expression.

[Do what you need to do in the meantime.]

It was an indescribably bizarre sight, with a group of rough men winking at Lenok.

Lenok, who had been silent, unable to answer, asked.

“Why are you helping me at this point?”

[Well… I don’t know how you’ll think of it, but I’m grateful to you.]

The workers turned around slowly and answered in unison.

[Thanks to you, I was able to see the faces of my beloved colleagues, including Sister Maiya, after a long time.]

Aoshu smiled quietly.

[Although we’ve gone our separate ways, the memories of working together for the city don’t change. Don’t you think we become more sentimental as we move away from being human?]

“This isn’t the time for this kind of talk.”

[Oh, that’s a shame. I thought a mage like Ironclad would understand.]

The workers waved their hands as they walked down the stairs without hesitation.

[Goodbye. I hope we never see each other again. Actually, even now…]

At that moment, sticky blood dripped from below the noses of the dozen or so workers.

[I’m dying to suck out your memories and brain fluid.]

“…”

Lenok silently watched the psychic’s presence disappear like the wind, leaving behind a chilling wish.

Aoshu Spero, a mental psychic who had left the executive branch and become a big shot in the underworld.

He thought that a monster who had transcended the hierarchy and reached level 8 was capable of normal conversation, but it seemed he was even more insane than that.

Well, there was no way someone who dealt with mental psychic abilities could live a sane life.

Moreover, if he had built up that psychic ability to a level that transcended the hierarchy, it was not strange that his way of thinking itself was completely twisted.

‘Are there people like that hiding in Makina’s underworld, watching over the city…’

Their power and danger were proof of the history of the mechanical city’s heyday. And now, it was evidence that it had lost its status and honor and had fallen.

Were they also manipulating the remaining time in their own ways?

There might be a time when he would encounter the monsters living in Makina’s underworld, but at least it wasn’t now.

He had no choice but to believe in the favor Aoshu Spero had left behind and proceed with the plan.

At the same time as the workers’ presence completely disappeared, Lenok also approached the wall of the workshop tower.

The passage where the elevator was located, which was made to access the floors of the workshop tower.

Without hesitation, he called the elevator and got on it.

Whirr!!

Lenok had taken this elevator to the top floor to meet Hermes.

In the process, he had fought fiercely with the Side Squad agents, destroying all sides of the passage and reaching the end of the throne.

But Lenok still remembered the faint sense of incongruity he had felt at that time.

“The elevator floor and the altitude I perceived with magic detection are different. At the time, I thought it was a design error and just brushed it off…”

Could there be such a basic mistake or error in the workshop tower that the Furnace General had designed himself?

If there was a hidden floor in the workshop tower, a space that could never be reached by ordinary means…

“He must have designed it so that only the Furnace General himself could reach it.”

Lenok muttered to himself and took out a small hammer from his pocket.

A pendant-shaped artifact that Nasisa Solmer had entrusted to Lyman for maintenance.

Lenok had repaired this artifact and confirmed that it was a transformation maintenance tool used by the Furnace General.

Someone among the Side Squad agents had assassinated Nasisa to steal this relic,

And they had tried to find out the information about the Dragon Heart by offering this hammer to the statue of Idupalbi.

A hammer that the Furnace General had used himself. If it was an item with the function of transforming into a suitable form each time it was swung-

It could easily be used as a key.

Clang!!

Lenok took the hammer and slammed it directly into the control panel where the elevator buttons were.

The impact caused the control panel of the elevator, which had just been repaired, to be completely crushed and dented.

“…”

[Master, is this right?]

Even Davi asked Lenok with a slightly bewildered expression.

Lenok coughed awkwardly, looking slightly embarrassed, and restored the control panel to its original state.

“I thought it could be the key to reaching the hidden floor… Did I think too simply?”

[The elevator will collapse before we even find the hidden floor.]