Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 683

The black coffin, completed with the fragments of the Extinction Eye [a powerful artifact] and the corpses of Glens [a race of beings].

From within the heavy, dense darkness, something turned its head.

At the same time, Ermong was heard quietly gasping beside him.

“……!!”

A presence that filled the entire space in an instant, as if it had been there from the beginning.

It was neither so vast as to be immeasurable, nor so powerful as to be immediately recognizable.

It was simply eerie.

The unknown dread that ran down Lenok’s spine just from a brief glimpse of its consciousness here.

Lenok also realized what it meant and faintly frowned.

‘He’s become more of a monster….’

He didn’t know what method he used, but Myung’s presence far exceeded what he remembered.

True to his epithet of the Underworld King, if the King of Hell were to manifest here, this would be the feeling.

The aura of his magic power, which always seemed to boil, slowly flowed out of the coffin, encroaching on the surroundings.

“Ugh… Damn it, I knew it…!”

Ermong’s face turned pale.

“Master!!”

Baegon also called out to him desperately, as if he had noticed it.

“These guys are interfering with Master’s requiem!!!”

[……]

“I couldn’t stop them with my power. Please help me!!!”

“Damn it, that’s not what I’m saying…!!”

Ermong’s protest also stopped abruptly the moment he cast his gaze from the darkness.

Without any response to Baegon and Ermong’s words, the gaze in the darkness lingered for a long time.

It was as if he was not immediately aware of the current situation, but was recognizing it very slowly.

“……Can’t he see?”

“Master, can you hear me-”

[Shut up.]

Crack!!

“Kuhak!!”

The first words that echoed from the darkness.

However, just the sound of that low voice was enough to slam Baegon’s head into the ground.

A miracle of converting pure will into real physical force.

Ignoring Baegon, who was screaming, Myung muttered.

[I’m tired of hearing unanswered echoes….]

“…….”

[Here, is this the other side of death?]

Myung’s voice, muttering blankly.

A tired tone that felt somewhat different from what Lenok had remembered.

Even though his power was felt clearly, as if it could be grasped in his hand, Myung didn’t seem to properly recognize this side.

“I told you so….”

Ermong whispered quietly to Lenok, while lying flat on the ground.

A desperate gesture as if he never wanted Myung to hear his presence.

Ermong, who was rubbing his cheek on the ground, spoke to Lenok quickly.

“That guy hasn’t been in his right mind for a while now.”

“……Not in his right mind?”

He thought it was strange, but was Myung’s condition so bad that he was said to be not in his right mind?

A level 8 black magician. Moreover, a monster who had transcended the hierarchy and reached the realm far before Lenok.

If there was a sudden problem with the mind of such an extreme-level magician, it must be because a significant variable had acted.

However, Lenok had never heard any signs or background about it.

Perhaps even the fact that Myung had taken on a disciple might be related to it.

“If we’re not careful, we’ll all die here.”

Ermong said, quietly bringing his finger to his mouth.

“I’ll draw his attention, so you close that coffin again. Can you do it?”

“…….”

“Let’s send that thing back first, and then deal with that stupid bastard.”

It seemed that Ermong had completely changed his mind from the moment Baegon opened the black coffin.

Ermong, who was quietly moving his position on all fours without waiting for an answer.

Lenok looked at Ermong, then turned his gaze back to Baegon, who was writhing in the distance.

“M, Master… Why are you doing this…!!”

Baegon, covered in blood, desperately called out to Myung.

He was also desperate, knowing that he had no way to survive without Myung.

[……]

Myung did not answer, even while listening to his desperate plea.

As if he was blankly letting all the surrounding situations flow by, he only slowly revealed his intense yet heavy presence.

“You said I had talent…!! You said you would take me as your disciple… Please…!!”

[Stop… My head hurts….]

Myung trailed off.

[You’re talking nonsense… If you know about me, you should know how much of a sin it is to impersonate my name-]

At that moment, Myung’s words stopped as he saw Ermong, who was crawling diligently on the other side of Baegon.

[……I see. So it was this side this time?]

The moment Myung smiled as if he had finally recognized and confirmed Ermong.

The darkness that had been swirling inside the coffin rose like a wave and began to cover the heads of the three people in an instant.

Kwaaaa!!

[This time it will be quick… It will end quickly.]

“Hiiik!!”

A black vortex of space-time, as if it would kill Ermong at any moment.

Ermong, terrified, stepped back, flailing his limbs like a seizure, and quickly gestured to Lenok.

Lenok, who received the signal, leaped with Blink [a teleportation skill] and moved to the front of the black coffin in an instant.

He grabbed the door of the coffin as it was.

“Quickly, quickly!!”

Ermong shouted in a shrill voice, but Lenok ignored him.

Instead of closing the coffin door, he simply threw the black droplet he held in his hand into the darkness.

Fling!

The only black magic that Lenok had stolen from Myung, gathering all the black magic power in this place and throwing it.

The shape of the droplet that solidified the space itself bounced off the darkness, creating a huge ripple, and the screams and pleas of Ermong and Baegon intersected.

“Kyonroe, what are you doing!!”

“Master!!!”

Even with the cries echoing from behind, Lenok was still thinking about something else.

‘Baegon is not that dull or stupid.’

A magician of the Saint-rank or higher who has completed his rank and obtained his own domain. Moreover, a talented sorcerer who can skillfully use black magic in direct combat.

Is it possible for such a person to be convinced that he is Myung’s disciple purely by mistake or misunderstanding?

It is reasonable to assume that there were circumstances or evidence that gave him that much confidence.

However, even so, Myung, who has only descended with his consciousness, does not even remember Baegon’s existence in the darkness.

There is a secret that Myung has hidden in the gap between those perceptions.

“I hope you’ve come to your senses now.”

The moment Lenok threw the black droplet into the darkness.

He felt as if the dark void that seemed to crush Ermong was fading away.

The gaze of the black magician, which was wavering and about to break, as if a blade was hanging over his neck.

Finally, it stopped abruptly in front of Lenok.

[……Ban?]

Unlike the tone that had been echoing blankly until just now, the answer seemed to have regained some composure.

The moment he recognized the black magic that Lenok had thrown and his presence, it was as if he had awakened from a long dream.

Baegon’s face, who had sensed that fact, was horribly distorted, and Ermong let out a sigh of relief.

“Eeeik…!!! Aaaah!!”

“You don’t look so good.”

Lenok asked.

“Are you okay?”

[…….]

Myung, who had been silent for a long time, answered slowly.

[Yes… I’m back….]

“…….”

[It’s okay. Not yet… Yes, it’s still okay….]

Myung muttered as if he was repeating it to himself.

It was as if he was finally starting to come to his senses little by little.

It was a wavering, as if he had not yet fully realized where he was.

Lenok watched Myung’s reaction and nodded his head towards Baegon, who had fallen.

“Your disciple borrowed the power of the black coffin and called you directly. There are a few things I want to ask about that.”

[……Disciple?]

“Master!!”

Baegon desperately crawled with his broken limbs and called out to Myung.

“That guy interfered with the plan, so I had no choice but to call Master… I’m sorry!!”

[…….]

Lenok looked into the silent darkness and asked.

“You’re gathering the power of the Outer Gods to make a black coffin. What is the exact purpose of this thing?”

“Kyonroe and the old black magician are interfering with Master’s plan…!! Please punish them immediately!! I will help you!!”

Baegon’s shouts echoed loudly, overlapping with Lenok’s voice.

Ermong, who had been bowing his head, sighed and muttered.

“Damn it, really….”

At that moment, a jewel that had been ejected from Ermong’s grasp turned into a huge cube and fell on Baegon’s head.

Kwaaang!!

The shape of the jewel cube changed on the spot, turning into a huge prison that confined Baegon.

Clank!!

“Uuueup!!!”

“Let’s be quiet for a moment, since it’s an important moment. Okay?”

Lenok, who neatly ignored the commotion, spoke to Myung.

“I know you’re traveling the world looking for outstanding talents. This guy must be one of those geniuses.”

[…….]

“If he’s a disciple you’ve taken in, I’m willing to let him live here. Instead, I want to hear about the purpose of this black coffin.”

The Machine City of Machina. Beyond the memories of the failed Ascension Gate [a portal to another dimension].

Through the memories of the Ascender Orokneer [a being who has ascended to a higher plane], Lenok had heard what kind of answer and salvation the Commander was ultimately hoping for.

The magic gunner who dreams of a non-existent answer.

The god-slayer of the old world who tries to shoot and kill God.

The end of the grand plan that shot Gyebaek as a bullet from the Well of the Codex [a source of knowledge].

Lenok already knew what the Commander was hoping for and why he was still trying to leave his will in this world.

However, the means and process were so distant and vast that it was difficult to even guess the direction and framework.

Nevertheless, since he had seen the destination once and returned, everything that Pandemonium [a mysterious organization] was doing looked different.

If they were trying to prepare a new plan by gathering the power of the Outer Gods in Pandemonium.

And if Myung’s existence and power were directly intertwined with this plan.

Wouldn’t that be proof that the Commander himself had stepped forward to prepare a new ‘bullet’?

A small speculation that started from the existence of Reisen Azamaha, the certainty that it had reached the main stem of Pandemonium.

Lenok’s eyes sank deeply.

“Is this black coffin also related to the ultimate goal that Pandemonium desires?”

[…….]

Instead of answering that question, Myung turned his gaze away from Lenok and silently looked around.

The heavy darkness that represented his consciousness swirled inside the coffin, slowly recognizing the surrounding scenery.

The existence of Ermong and Baegon. The broken fragments of the Extinction Eye and the shape of the huge black coffin.

And even the figure of Lenok standing in front of it again.

[……There are some misunderstandings.]

Myung said, who had been silent.

As if he had finally come to his senses, the voice coming from the darkness became clear.

[First of all, Ban, I don’t take disciples. The black magic I possess is the product of a cursed bloodline passed down through my family… There’s no reason to increase the number of innocent victims.]

“Victims?”

[The oldest family ends with me. I will declare it clearly here.]

At that moment, Ermong’s expression, who had been standing silently, subtly twitched.

As if he had guessed Ermong’s reaction, Myung spoke in a strangely smiling voice.

[Also, I have stepped away from Pandemonium’s affairs… The things that are being done in the name of Pandemonium now are not under my jurisdiction.]

“Then?”

[Do I really need to explain more?]

At that moment, the black mass of darkness on the other side of the black coffin began to writhe greatly.

Squeeeak…!!

At the same time as the illusion of space-time creaking unpleasantly, something slowly rose from the other side.

The black mass of darkness transformed into the shape of five long fingers.

On the thick arm that absorbed and did not allow even a single ray of light, hundreds of chains that shed a deep shadow were densely filled.

Myung, who had loosely raised his long, sharp fingers like a demon’s hand, slowly pointed to Baegon, who was gaping in the cube.

[It’s time to make that bug pay the price for all the nonsense he’s been spouting.]

“……!!!!”

Baegon, whose face had turned dark, desperately shouted something, but it could not be heard.

No, perhaps he thought that it had no value at all, even though he was already hearing everything.

[The work I allowed you was not just this kind of deception.]

Myung said mockingly.

[What should I talk about with a bug who is intoxicated with a paltry mission and cannot discuss impersonation while looking at the opponent?]

“……!!!!!!!”

[A tool that has reached the end of its life should have been replaced in time, but due to my lack of virtue, unnecessary commotion has occurred.]

The demon’s hand that stretched out from the coffin slowly approached the fallen Baegon.

As if the sense of distance had been distorted, the length of the hand did not increase at all, but the death sentence was slowly approaching.

“I was wrong!! I was wrong, Master!!!”

Baegon cried out like crazy in a hoarse voice, tears and snot streaming down his face.

A scream that burst out even through the soundproofing of the cube.

“Please save me!! Please save me…!!!”

[Everything you thought was grace….]

The moment the fingers that had risen from the darkness lightly tapped Baegon’s chest.

[I will take it back from this place.]

As if reacting to that light tap, a black mist began to be pulled out from the black magician’s five viscera.

“Keok!! Keogeogeogeok…!!!”

Baegon, who was twisting his whole body while making a non-human scream.

His skin withered and cracked, and rotten blood oozed out like pus.

A form of execution where his limbs were twisted, his soul dried up, and his very existence was torn to pieces.

Soon, Baegon’s figure disappeared from that spot, and only a black, rotten skull remained.

Click, click…!!

As if he had not yet died in that state, the skull was convulsing, rattling its jawbone.

Could it be that the pain of the soul, which could not be heard with the human voice, was leaking out as an unheard scream?

Myung smiled coldly.

[Yes. Now you’re making a good sound.]

“…….”

[That scream was the only word allowed when you called me.]

The black, withered Baegon could not answer.

Instead, he crumbled like ashes on the spot, becoming a handful of crumbs.

“……Hoo.”

Ermong finally let out a sigh of relief, as if his tension had eased to some extent.

He was belatedly convinced that Myung had no intention of holding him responsible.

If Myung had intended to hold Ermong responsible, he would have squeezed his existence along with Baegon when he dealt with him.

However, Lenok was more interested in the skill that Myung had just shown than in Ermong’s reaction.

“Is it a method of converting will itself into the existing concept of death?”

Just now, Myung did not use any magic power while taking everything from Baegon and squeezing it.

He simply extended his will and tapped lightly, as if telling him to leave his body.

However, with just that, Baegon’s soul and body had gone beyond their will and met an end beyond death.

Lenok, who had faced countless monsters and geniuses, and had several conversations with Ascenders, understood how great this realm was.

He even understood what it meant that Myung was showing this to Lenok now.

‘He’s not in his right mind… He might have already obtained the qualification.’

When he last saw Myung, he had already reached the realm of manipulating time as a result.

A realm where he stretched the gap of consciousness by wielding black magic to the extreme, and filled it with immeasurable meaning.

However, Myung, whom he met again after time had passed, was trying to obtain the qualification beyond even that.

That realm that was only allowed to legendary transcendents throughout the world’s time.

“No, there must be something to confirm before that.”

Lenok shook his head and slowly stepped back.

A series of monologues and reactions that Myung had mentioned. Even the attitudes that Baegon and Ermong had shown.

There was one question that naturally arose at the end of all those causes and effects.

“Myung. You… Are you not one person?”