Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 668

Antares’ appearance drew reactions of unease, but Lenok sensed the danger.

Antares stood before the giant machine box, his expression unreadable.

“Captain…”

“Did you come because Ban contacted you?”

The mercenaries and freelancers gathered at the mansion looked at the mercenary captain with some surprise.

Especially the mercenaries belonging to his office seemed even more surprised.

It was as if they hadn’t expected Antares to show up in person at such a place.

“It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other in a place like this.”

“Captain, want a beer?”

“Today, I’m definitely getting a recommendation for a stock that’s going to skyrocket…!!”

Antares, unconcerned with their gazes, raised his eyes and looked around.

“Nice house. Is it your taste?”

He didn’t seem surprised at all by the cracks and flashes of light that flickered throughout Lenok’s mansion.

Rather, he simply tilted his head slightly, as if reading the lingering echoes of the lightning that had passed by.

Crackle!!

A fragment of lightning that naturally brushed past his ear struck the machine box, fiercely burning its magic.

Lenok watched this and smiled.

“You were closer than I thought. I didn’t expect to be able to reach you in the first place.”

“I was lucky.”

Antares calmly agreed.

“I had some business to take care of in the East Continent.”

“Business to take care of?”

“There are people who haven’t put down the burdens they carried, even after a long journey.”

“…”

Antares closed his eyes.

“I intend to reclaim the roles they once held. It’s too late, but it was something that had to be done someday.”

It was said that a long time ago, Antares had gone on a long journey with those who shared his ideals.

Could the story of the journey and the burdens he spoke of mean the lingering attachments he still held from that time?

As always, Antares’ words were quite metaphorical, so Lenok didn’t intend to ask for further explanation.

“So, you’re saying that all your business is done, and that’s why you came here, even if it’s late.”

“No. It was an unplanned event, so I had to change my schedule in a hurry.”

Antares replied.

“On joyful days, anticipation takes precedence over understanding. I plan to go back after confirming just one thing.”

“…”

He came because of the message Lenok sent and the existence of the random box, but was he saying that the gift from the random box itself wasn’t the goal?

Lenok’s eyes sank deeply as he somewhat understood Antares’ words.

Antares was a precognitive who had obtained limited power as a price for seeing the ending in advance.

If such a person changed his plans and moved at this particular time.

“Is it because this place is an area that is not foreseen in your precognition?”

“It’s the opposite. I came to find you because precognition has begun.”

Antares smiled and shook his head.

“An area that shouldn’t have been visible has begun to appear. I came here because I wanted to confirm the whole story.”

“…”

“Is it okay?”

Antares was a precognitive more powerful than anyone Lenok knew, and a fragment of a past self who had returned after seeing a non-existent ending by giving up all his possibilities.

But the reason why such an Antares showed favor to Lenok was because Lenok’s existence was something that was difficult to grasp in his precognition.

Nevertheless, if this party that Lenok was holding now began to be caught in Antares’ precognition,

wouldn’t it be because of the existence of the giant machine box that was shaking in front of Antares right now?

Antares was aware of that fact and came here, asking if it was okay for him to check the Ascension Gate.

“As I said, I don’t mind, but…”

A random box operated by a precognitive who can see the future.

At least, he was definitely the only person in this place who could freely manipulate the element of ‘luck’.

If he could foresee and control luck itself, it wouldn’t be entirely wrong to say that Antares was the luckiest person.

It would be a lie to say that he wasn’t curious about what Antares would see and pick out from inside-

“It’s not just you who came late.”

“…”

With those words, a black-haired woman landed silently behind Lenok.

She had her hands tucked into a thick jumper and wore a hat that slightly covered her face.

She was dressed as if she had come out for a light stroll. But her movements were so agile that no one in this place could match them.

Only the green eyes that shone slightly from under her hat indirectly revealed who she was.

People who recognized her identity at a glance began to subtly be wary of her.

“Ivelin Marcia…”

“Why is the Master Archer here?”

“The rumor that she was acquainted with Ban was true.”

Some had met Ivelin at Jenny’s bar, and some were seeing her for the first time in this place.

An ace agent and a genius archer.

At least, there was no one in the shadows of Vulcan who hadn’t heard her name and reputation.

It was only natural that the mercenaries would be wary of her, especially since she had been active against all sorts of criminal organizations and mercenary groups.

Ivelin neatly ignored their gazes and walked past Lenok to stand in front of the giant machine box.

Thump, thump…!!

Antares and Ivelin stared at each other silently, with the makeshift Ascension Gate between them.

Everyone quietly closed their mouths at the confrontation between the two monsters who had surpassed the seven stages of self-modification and reached an uncharted realm with their human bodies.

“…Is this really okay?”

“I don’t know if we’ll be able to go back in one piece today…”

“Ban is here, so maybe he’ll save a few of us?”

[That’s such a convenient thing to say, it’s unpleasant to hear. Do you guys also have backup bodies?]

Ignoring the pointless conversations coming from all over, Ivelin spoke, looking at Antares.

“It’s been a while, Antares.”

“Marcia.”

Antares smiled.

“Your agility in staying one step ahead of reason is still the same. Whether intentional or not, the scenery I see from you is no different.”

“I was just going to watch, but seeing you show interest made me want to check it out.”

Her light attire and stealthy presence, was it because she was just planning to watch from the start?

Ivelin’s green eyes scanned the mercenaries of Antares’ office.

“Your office’s activities have decreased, and strange guys are running rampant in the shadows. You haven’t forgotten your deal with the Central Council, have you?”

“I’ve left the office operations entirely to Stella. I can connect you if necessary.”

“Stella?”

Ivelin, muttering the name of the office’s deputy director, frowned slightly and tilted her head.

“Are you talking about the Stella I know? She was working at your office?”

“The wind doesn’t remember those who have passed by.”

Antares shook his head lightly.

“You are the same at any point in time.”

“…I don’t know why you keep putting people into strange metaphors.”

The moment Ivelin, with her arms crossed, lightly flicked her finger, it felt like a sharp edge was swirling through the space.

The manifestation of will in a fleeting moment.

With just that, the air in all directions rose sharply, responding to the archer’s will.

“I’m not forgetful, and I’m not someone who is clean-cut in my dealings. Does it make you feel a little better when you make such assumptions?”

“…”

Antares didn’t answer, but his silence was rather his answer.

Was it because he thought that explaining the fact or trying to convince her was meaningless?

A torrent of sharp thoughts, so intense that it wouldn’t be strange if they clashed at any moment.

But it was Ivelin who withdrew her magic first.

Ivelin, who had pulled her hat down low, hid her green eyes under the brim.

“Haa… let’s stop. I don’t want to fight even in a place like this.”

“…There might be something in an unseen realm that is changing you.”

Antares felt like he nodded slightly.

“I won’t make excuses. What I saw and heard is not everything. I am also just a blind man trapped in prejudice.”

“…”

“Was the place where the wind should stay beyond that?”

His gaze seemed to momentarily glance at Lenok, but Ivelin was no longer swayed by Antares’ words.

She just shrugged her shoulders with a languid gesture, her hands back in her jumper, as if she was annoyed.

“Okay, let’s decide the order. Are you going first?”

“If you want.”

“I don’t care.”

Strictly speaking, Ivelin had arrived a little earlier than Antares, but was she saying that the order of pulling the lever didn’t matter?

Lenok had called her to come, but even after confirming the power of the random box, she didn’t seem that interested.

Antares stared at Ivelin for a while, then slowly nodded and stepped forward.

“Then, I won’t refuse.”

Antares, who had been quietly gazing at the lever made of Pentarect, grabbed it with one hand.

The mercenary captain pulled the lever naturally without much force.

Ticking, ticking, ticking…

Unlike the others, there were no loud sound effects, nor the whispers of the spirits jumping around above his head.

Only a mechanical noise like a timer going off.

Along with the regular vibration, only the feeling of something catching echoed.

“…”

Thud!

A timer sound that felt ominous. In a moment, he was engulfed in the feeling of listening to the ticking of a second hand alone in a dark room.

Slam!!

The door of the random box swung open, but nothing popped out from inside.

Instead, only a cold, frozen breath began to flow out of the box.

Whoosh…!!

“…!!”

At that moment, Felix and Ivelin’s expressions changed drastically.

“What? Nothing’s coming out?”

[Something… is strange.]

Most of them, like Jenny or Jordan, were just confused about the current situation.

Others with good senses, like Mila and Wayan, were sweating with slightly pale faces.

“Hey, what the hell is this…”

“I, it feels like it’s… looking at us?”

“…”

Lenok also quickly understood why Felix and Ivelin were reacting like that.

Crackling, crackling…!!

What was stopped on the other side of the void of the Ascension Gate was not just an artifact or memory of the old world.

A manifestation of bizarrely twisted thoughts, so much that it was hard to believe it belonged to a sentient being.

Just by that presence descending into this place, it felt like the space was dying and sinking into a gloomy state.

A desperate sensation as if the whole body was instinctively accepting death and sinking.

And in front of the Ascension Gate from which those thoughts were flowing, Antares was silently looking into the box.

“Antares.”

Lenok called him with a blank face.

Without any magic, he simply called his name.

But with just that, Antares took his eyes off the other side of the door and turned his head towards Lenok.

“…Yes.”

With a wry smile, he slowly took his hand off the lever, and the door of the box immediately closed with a roar.

Kuuuuung!!

At the same time, the wave of thoughts disappeared from that spot as if it were a lie.

“Haa, haa…!!”

“If we were just a little late…”

While Mila and Wayan were panting and collapsing, Antares raised his head.

“I had a hunch, but it’s more than I expected. I never thought I’d confirm it here.”

“What was trying to come out?”

“The last of a sinner who committed a taboo.”

Antares smiled.

“I knew it would be there. And that’s why precognition suddenly worked at this time.”

“…”

“You’ve made a really amazing thing, Ban.”

Antares, who had slowly put down the lever and stepped back, approached Lenok and said.

“But it’s just as dangerous. You know that, right?”

“…”

“Those like us see something different from our desires beyond the door.”

Antares took out a small piece of paper from his pocket and tapped his fingers to write on it.

A miracle of engraving letters on paper with just a gesture, without a pen.

Antares handed Lenok the piece of paper with complex numbers like a serial number written on it.

“Sorry for ruining the fun atmosphere. But this might be necessary.”

“…Is this a location coordinate?”

“The divine punishment given to those who have committed a taboo.”

Antares nodded with a wry smile.

“The story of their end is there. If you want, you can go visit it sometime.”

“…”

Was it worth telling Lenok, even at the risk of something popping out of the makeshift Ascension Gate right now?

Antares turned his back without waiting for an answer.

“Captain…”

“Even if you’re leaving, at least have a beer…”

Antares, who was smiling at the mercenaries who were trying to get him to drink even in this situation, patted them on the shoulder and turned around.

The mercenary captain disappeared without a trace at the same time as he took a few steps towards the main gate.

Ivelin, who had been frowning with a displeased expression, shrugged her shoulders.

“That’s why precognitives are annoying. They always act like that, even though they know what they’re doing.”

“You knew what kind of person Antares was.”

“Well, yeah.”

Ivelin nodded slightly at Lenok’s words.

“From some point on, I started to understand the meaning even if I couldn’t understand it.”

“…”

“You know that his word choices and tense expressions are a mess, but you don’t even try to fix them. There must be a reason for a superhuman who has reached that level.”

Because Ivelin had reached a similar level as Antares, she was able to grasp the essence from the same perspective, even if she didn’t understand everything he said.

She seemed to be accepting the meaning in a somewhat different way than Lenok understood Antares’ words.

“Well, then it’s my turn next. But seeing what that guy did, I’m curious too.”

While Ivelin, with her sleeves rolled up, was looking at the lever and licking her lips.

Lenok patted her on the shoulder and turned his gaze towards Dylan.

“I’m sorry, but can you wait a moment before pulling the lever?”

“What?”

“There’s no time. Perhaps something that needs to be dealt with immediately has come up.”

“O, okay…”

“I’ll be right back.”

Perhaps because of the presence beyond the box that Antares had opened, Dylan’s presence suddenly began to feel strange.

He hadn’t said a word since earlier, and he was leaning against the tent, looking tired and exhausted.

Although he was hiding his hands behind his back, Lenok’s magic eyes could see his heart gradually melting into Dylan’s hands.

A faint throbbing of the heart.

Thump, thump…!!

A bizarre illusion where the blue heart he was holding and Dylan’s presence overlapped.

If it was any later, it might be irreversible.

“…Ban?”

“Dylan, this way.”

Lenok led Dylan straight to the underground laboratory of the mansion.

Click!

Whirring!!

As the lights turned on all around and the splendid research equipment revealed itself, Dylan struggled to raise his gaze.

Dylan, who was staring blankly around, pretended to be impressed.

“That’s cool… Did you call me here to show me this?”

“Of course not. There’s obviously another reason.”

Lenok replied, pointing to the blue heart stuck to Dylan’s hand.

“It’s best not to use that. You know that, right?”

“…”

“Although the specific origin is a little different, it’s an item of the Order [referring to a specific organization].”

Lenok’s eyes shone coldly as he looked at the heart.

“To be precise, it’s a sacrifice imbued with the power of the failed god they worship.”