Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 678

It was deep underground, so deep that it was impossible to guess how far down they had come.

After riding a cramped elevator and passing through hundreds of layers of security and barriers using his senator’s authority, they finally reached a dark corridor.

Senator Reisen Azamaha.

A criminal who had been arrested for embezzling funds from the Central Council, and a being consumed by the power of an outer god, imprisoned in a cell, no longer human.

The unknown tree branches that filled the corridor before them were the only proof that everything Meyer had said was true.

“…….”

Thin, withered tree branches.

An alien presence that burrowed through the corridor and greedily devoured even the faint light.

It burrowed through the alloy of the walls, where no nutrients existed, and faintly wriggled, trying to suck up even the smallest thing.

Lenok’s eyes narrowed as he silently watched the direction the tree branches had extended.

“According to the instructions I received in advance, Reisen should be waiting at the end of the corridor.”

Meyer said, slowly rubbing the back of his neck.

“Looking through the reports, the time when he can converse and the time when his intellect returns are different. So, it’s difficult to communicate unless those two time periods overlap.”

“…….”

“The chairman must know this, so I suspect he set the time and finished the meeting to send you here… He’s a very thorough person.”

A thorough person.

That was more of Meyer’s personal impression, but Lenok somewhat agreed with the statement.

The massive tree branches surrounding this corridor and the investments made to preserve them in this basement.

And even though he was directly receiving reports on all of this, he didn’t say a word until Lenok was ready.

It was clear that the chairman had somewhat intended this moment when he sent Lenok down with Meyer.

“Hoo, it’s hot….”

Meyer shook his head weakly, sweating.

“Maybe it’s because it’s underground, but it feels like the ventilation isn’t working well… It’s a place that drains your energy in many ways.”

Lenok looked at Meyer and asked.

“You look tired even without that.”

“I have too much to deal with these days.”

Meyer replied, wiping away his cold sweat.

“I thought I would be more free after entering the Senate, but it’s the complete opposite. At this rate, I’ll die from overwork without even seeing the mayor’s face….”

John Meyer was working hard even in his old age with the goal of becoming mayor and uncovering the secrets of the Black Consumer Project.

Perhaps that’s why his talk of dying from overwork didn’t sound like a joke.

“If necessary, I can send you some elixirs.”

“I appreciate the thought, but I’ll pass.”

Meyer chuckled and waved his hand.

“When you get to my age, you have to be careful about taking medicine. Your body can’t handle it.”

“…….”

Indeed, it wasn’t like Meyer lacked the money or connections to get medicine.

He must know that abusing elixirs in his old age would cause severe side effects.

Lenok thought about that for a moment and took out a small business card from his pocket.

“What’s this?”

“There’s an apothecary called Yakseon [Apothecary] living in a hidden path in Sector 55.”

“……”

“I can’t introduce you personally due to circumstances, but I don’t think it would be bad to visit her once.”

Yakseon Yanushika Greenway.

An apothecary who had reached level 7, and an old woman who had further enhanced her skills with a geas [a magical compulsion], gaining an untouchable level of pharmaceutical ability.

She was the one who dramatically cured Lenok’s chronic mana poisoning.

However, due to a geas she placed on herself that made her forget the patients she treated, she lived in seclusion in a remote place.

Lenok, who had also come to handle geas to some extent, was looking for a way to cure and recruit Yanushika Greenway.

But since the apothecary possessed such a dangerous geas, he was taking his time.

She wouldn’t remember Lenok, but it would be okay to introduce her to Meyer.

Meyer took the business card Lenok handed him with a strange expression.

“If it’s an apothecary you recommend, there’s no need to ask about her skills. I’ll go visit her as soon as it gets light tomorrow.”

“No.”

Lenok shook his head.

“It would be better to go visit her right now.”

“What? What do you mean….”

Meyer replied absentmindedly, then his face hardened as he realized Lenok’s intention.

“…I see. Did I step into a place where I shouldn’t be?”

He immediately realized that Lenok’s advice was close to telling him to leave and run away right now.

Instead of answering Meyer’s question directly, Lenok silently turned his gaze and stared at the tree roots.

The moment he brought the cigarette he was holding in his mouth to the root.

Tsutsuchup…!!

The flame and filter of the cigarette were absorbed into the tree root as if they were being sucked in and disappeared.

Lenok took his hand off the cigarette filter that had vanished in an instant and said.

“It doesn’t burn, it even absorbs the heat.”

“…….”

“With this level of absorption, there’s a risk of losing even the breath, nutrients, and magic power floating in the air, beyond the contact area.”

Lenok nodded.

“I think you have some artifacts for self-defense… but there’s no need to take unnecessary risks.”

From the moment he saw the tree branches extending throughout the corridor, Lenok had a rough idea of what Reisen had been consumed by.

The Central Council must also know this, which is why they had invested so much in security and put Reisen in this deep underground.

Meyer also had some means of protecting himself, but this kind of environment itself was something that would drain his energy.

There was no reason to endanger a senator who was currently favorable to Lenok in the Central Council.

Meyer also understood Lenok’s intention and immediately nodded.

“I understand. If you say so, it must be true.”

He immediately accepted Lenok’s advice without any further comment.

Perhaps he thought that since an expert at the peak of this field was by his side, it was right to follow his judgment completely.

In that respect, Meyer was a person with a flexibility that didn’t match his greed and ambition.

“However, even if it’s not me, it would be better to have a guide to show you around this place….”

“It’s okay.”

Lenok said, quietly observing the dark corridor that seemed to have no end.

“It seems like they’ve already recognized me over there.”

* * *

After sending Meyer up in the elevator, he walked slowly down the corridor alone.

The sound of tree branches wriggling and the sound of a cane tapping echoed throughout the corridor.

The light of the newly lit cigarette was the only light source illuminating the dark corridor.

Squeak, squeak, squeak…!!

Centered on the light of the cigarette in Lenok’s mouth, the tree branches wriggled and gathered.

The living tree branches were staggering uncontrollably at the magic power emanating from Lenok through the cigarette smoke.

They would slowly crawl towards Lenok, but then hesitate and retreat, blocked by an invisible shield.

Kigik, kigigik!!

The number of tree branches increased exponentially as he walked further into the corridor.

They densely covered the floor so much that the surface of the corridor could not be seen under his feet.

Just as all sides of the corridor turned into the shape of withered old trees, Lenok discovered a tree on the other side of an open hill.

“…….”

Considering that it had swallowed the entire corridor, which was tens of meters long, the size of the tree was not that large.

It was several meters high and about the size of two or three human torsos stacked together.

However, blood vessels throbbed on the surface of the tree trunk, and bloodshot eyes rotated incessantly between the bark.

Kigik, kigik…!!

Just standing in front of the tree made his throat feel parched, and it felt like his moisture and nutrients were being sucked out.

If Lenok were an ordinary human, he would have had all his energy completely drained and absorbed while staying here for a short time.

Even now, the ominous will to covet his magic power, piercing through the shield, was approaching clearly without hiding.

“I heard you wanted to meet me.”

Lenok asked, looking at the silently wriggling tree.

“If you have something to say, come out and say it. Or should I wait until you can speak?”

At that moment, the tree branches wriggled, and the branches hanging above his head swayed greatly.

As if squeezing out the energy stored inside, crimson fruits began to form between the twisted branches.

Kududeudeuk!!

The size of the fruit gradually increased, and the moment it grew to be slightly larger than a fist.

Lenok realized that it was not a tree fruit, but the shape of a newborn baby.

“…….”

While Lenok was speechless at the unimaginable sight, the baby born from the tree branch grew rapidly.

From a boy to a young man, from a young man to a middle-aged man, from a middle-aged man to an old man.

The tree fruit, which had turned into an old man, dropped the old man’s body on the spot as if cutting it off.

Thud!!

A naked old man, soaked in an unknown liquid, wriggled and opened his eyes.

“Ah….”

Lenok silently watched the scene, then asked as if he was dumbfounded.

“So, this is what it meant when you said that the time when you can converse and the time when you regain your mind are separate.”

“…….”

“Do you have to create a completely new human body to communicate?”

The main body was completely consumed by the power of the outer sea, and it was a being that created a human body from the fruit of the tree to express its will.

Was this the end that Senator Reisen Azamaha, once called the mouthpiece of the City Council, had met?

He had thought that he had already left the form of a human, but this was beyond imagination.

It was not just a level beyond human, but an alien form that seemed to have twisted and split from the very lineage and manifestation of the species.

Lenok immediately understood why the Central Council had not disposed of Reisen immediately and kept him alive like this.

If a being had deeply accepted the power of the outer sea to this extent and was living in a twisted state, it would be helpful in exploring the secrets of the outside in some way.

The chairman had somewhat expected that from Lenok and helped him meet Reisen.

He made eye contact with the naked old man who was slumped over with his head down.

Lenok, who was facing Reisen’s eyes shrouded in a hazy mist, asked.

“How does it feel to become a tree that has grown by taking civilization as nourishment?”

Akrotliniar, the Extinction Tree.

An outer god that had taken root and grown in countless civilizations beyond the outer sea, and had eventually become part of the end.

The black mage Craig Tillion, with the help of the cult, had succeeded in summoning a part of its incarnation.

And if Reisen, who had joined hands with Craig, had been consumed by the power of the outer sea, it would have been impossible without the power of that Extinction Tree.

From the moment he saw the tree branches extending in all directions in the corridor.

From the moment he heard about the end that Reisen had met from the chairman, Lenok had been guessing about the existence of the Extinction Tree.

“The Central Council’s abilities are beyond imagination. To think they would imprison and isolate an outer god’s possession in the city’s underground….”

Lenok laughed and shook his head.

“If you made even the slightest mistake, it wouldn’t be strange if tens of thousands of casualties occurred, did you have the confidence to handle it?”

The old man slowly raised his hazy gaze, as if responding to those words.

A dry, cracked voice leaked from his throat.

“I haven’t been able to sleep for decades….”

“…….”

“I’ve been watching the universe drift forever, with my eyes wide open… I, I… I didn’t want this….”

Although a considerable amount of time had passed since the death of the black mage Craig Tillion and the subjugation of the Extinction Tree’s incarnation.

Even if you calculate that time accurately, the time of decades does not match.

Moreover, considering that the power of the Extinction Tree that Reisen had been consumed by was discovered relatively recently, it was even more so.

However, Lenok knew that the lament Reisen had muttered was not a lie.

“The perceived time you feel while drifting through the universe with the end beyond the outer sea must be vastly different from what humans feel.”

Lenok replied.

“If it’s that much time, it wouldn’t be strange if your mind was completely worn out… It’s rather amazing that you haven’t forgotten the language yet.”

“I, I received the cult’s baptism… during a diplomatic event… I did….”

Reisen answered with difficulty, stammering.

It was not the sound of a human vocal cord vibrating, but an irregular tone as if the sound of tree fruits cracking was converted into language.

But even in the midst of that, Reisen was desperately struggling to speak to Lenok.

“While reciting the scriptures… praising, worshiping, like th-th-that….”

“You maintained your sanity by reciting the cult’s doctrines?”

Lenok asked back, but he was somewhat convinced of that fact.

Although there are those who do not acknowledge it, the cult is one of the most accurate experts in recognizing the dark sea [a term for the unknown and dangerous realm beyond the known world].

Even though they are obsessed with fanaticism in worship and praise, and abuse human sacrifice, they are able to handle and deal with that power in the realm of reason.

Or perhaps it is only possible because they use such methods.

“J-j-just kill me.”

“What?”

“I, I can’t hold on for long… I can’t do it anymore….”

Thump!!

Reisen, who had touched Lenok’s shield with both hands, muttered blankly.

It seemed that he could no longer maintain even the act of making a voice, as his pronunciation was slurred and leaking out.

“If, if not now, it won’t work. If not n-n-now when his consciousness is focused on the oldest lineage…!!!”

The old man’s body cracked on the spot, and the muscles and bones under his skin melted like jellyfish.

Reisen’s cry, desperately pleading while looking at Lenok with bloodshot eyes.

“You can do it… you d-d-did it…!!!”

“……”

“No… it’s coming back… it’s c-c-coming back!!!”

Fududeudeuk!!

Reisen’s body was crushed and exploded without a trace on the spot, and a huge black tree moved greatly as if wriggling.

Instead of Reisen’s vanished body and consciousness, something that had returned to this place seemed to be staring intently at Lenok.

[…….]

It was not a complex and fierce emotion like murderous intent or hostility.

It was an idea of gluttony, as if drooling invisibly, like looking at a very delicious prey.

Reisen, who had been consumed by the power of the Extinction Tree, could not even become human.

He was simply thinking of Lenok as nourishment to be absorbed, faithfully following the fundamental desires and instincts of the outer god.

Could this be called a tree? Lenok smiled bitterly and shook his head at that moment.

A human face popped out from between the tree trunks and smiled brightly at Lenok.

[Looks delicious.]

Kiriririk!!

Hundreds of tree branches that covered the entire huge basement simultaneously wrapped around Lenok and began to rotate violently.

* * *

The moment Lenok’s figure was covered by hundreds of tree branches.

Hundreds of people who were watching the scene on the screen stood up from their seats.

“D-damn it…!!”

“Reisen Azamaha is trying to devour the fortress!!”

“Activate the spell barrier. Prepare the drug administration!!”

“Inject the plant growth inhibitor!!”

“Construction of 86 types of conceptual curse spells complete!”

The sorcerers, who were gathered in the middle of a huge magic circle, were drawing up their magic power from all directions.

The researchers wearing gowns were running around busily, activating the drug administration devices.

Immediately after, huge arrows that had popped out from all over the basement pierced through the tree branches of the giant tree.

Pshuk!! Pshuk!!

The growth inhibitor contained within the huge arrows forcibly suppressed the tree’s energy activation.

The sorcerers who had been waiting to monitor Reisen poured out dozens of types of curse spells as if they had been waiting for this moment.

The collaboration of scholars who had been researching various plants and long-lived species while working in the green belt.

And the City Council’s direct sorcery unit, the Burdensome Union, which specialized in suppressing and restraining magic power receptors.

But even so, the tree branches that were raging madly in the basement did not stop.

They were just swinging the tree branches like waves, as if they were even more excited by the pouring curse spells and drug administration.

The barrier made of metal and insulators was absorbed and sucked out, and the space of the sealed basement was shrinking.

In an instant, red warning lights flashed everywhere, illuminating the pale-faced scholars and sorcerers.

“It’s wrong. It’s not listening at all!!”

“It’s planning to completely devour an 8-level archmage. It’s already raised its output to the maximum!!”

“There wasn’t even a sign… Was it aiming for this from the beginning!!”

The absorption power of a single thin tree branch was enough to suck out all the moisture from a living human.

If hundreds of such tree branches were manipulating one person at the same time, it would not be strange if even their magic power and soul were sucked out as nourishment.

Moreover, what would happen if the target was an 8-level archmage with tremendous magic power?

The team leader, who sensed the worst situation, immediately reached for the emergency contact network.

“Stop all work and evacuate. I’m declaring a state of emergency and requesting help from the higher-ups.”

“It’s impossible to handle unless it’s a special force that transcends the hierarchy. Unless it’s a reinforcement like a Cleave…!!”

Tudduk!!

At that moment, the movement of the tree that had been constantly moving and manipulating Lenok suddenly stopped.

It was so startled that it not only took its hands off as if it had been burned by hot fire, but also began to run wild out of control.

[……!!!]

As if an inaudible, loud scream was echoing, the ends of the tree branches that were violently thrashing were crushed and burst on the spot.

Ppajijijijik!!!

The electric magic power that had seeped out between the tree branches burst the cells and severed the tissue bonds.

Human faces, suffering, appeared and disappeared dozens of times between the surface of the black giant tree.

[It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!!!]

After each uttering a desperate scream and shout, they disappeared.

Immediately after, the tree branches surrounding Lenok were cut off on the spot and turned into a handful of ashes.

The basement, which had been filled with huge tree branches, was neatly cleaned, leaving only a small, withered tree.

In front of the small sapling that was left behind, a mage with a cane was standing with a blank face.

The scholars who were watching the scene grabbed the screen with blank faces.

“…It judged that it couldn’t eat him and cut off its own roots.”

“It judged that it had to stop here, even if it couldn’t regenerate for a while?”

“No, it must have been a reaction close to pure instinct. But….”

“It won’t happen for a while, so it’s better not to provoke it.”

Lenok, who had disappeared from the other side of the screen, was standing next to the scholars.

“It’s just that I’ve replaced the growth suppression you were originally going to do with my magic power.”

“Uwaaaak!!”

“W-when did you get here!!”

The scholars were terrified and fell back behind their chairs.

Lenok stared at them blankly, then turned away without any regrets.

“The oldest lineage….”

Reisen had only mentioned that keyword, but he had not told him what to do.

But Lenok had already obtained the means to investigate the meaning of those words.

“…….”

The sorcerers were stealing glances at the withered small piece of wood in Lenok’s hand with terrified eyes.