Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 686

“I told you, it was an accident.”

“An accident?”

Lancia shook her head, looking dumbfounded.

“How can a person accidentally blow up a studio building?”

“……”

After Lenox accidentally blew up the studio building while trying to follow the Eight Forms of the Ninefold Return Self-Defense Technique [a martial art focused on deflecting attacks].

Even after the commotion had subsided, the two were still trying to reproduce the strange phenomenon from earlier.

“It’s a good thing we had disaster insurance, or we’d all be at the police station together.”

If it weren’t for the one-time restoration magic built into the studio building, the debris would have spilled out.

Lenox coughed and subtly averted his gaze.

“I’ll pay for the insurance claim separately later. Or I could cast the restoration magic again-”

“No, I don’t need the money, so let’s try to reproduce that again.”

Lancia’s eyes were sparkling with an unusual excitement.

“I’m so curious about which part of the Ninefold Return brought out your potential, aren’t you?”

“Well……”

Lenox was also surprised, but it wasn’t like he had no idea what was going on.

The Twin Arts [a unique magic style] he learned from Gyeolbaek, or the residual dark magic power left over from using Myeong’s dark magic.

Besides that, if he checked the artifacts or relics that didn’t follow Lenox’s control, he could guess the cause.

However, it was something he could only find out by investigating in the lab alone, not by discussing it with Lancia.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t interested in the martial arts of the Ninefold Return, but he just thought it would be meaningless this way.

“Hmm……”

Lancia, who had been observing Lenox’s stiff movements as he was lost in thought, muttered.

“Surprisingly, the accuracy of each movement is quite high. Considering your flexibility, that’s quite a willpower.”

“……”

“However, the coordination between each body part is a mess. It looks accurate at first glance, but it lacks rhythm.”

“I don’t understand why rhythm is needed to move the body.”

“The human body is not a machine, but a living being.”

Lancia said, taking a light stance.

Even though she seemed to be moving casually, there was a level of stability that was completely different from the stances Lenox had taken so far.

The moment Lancia exhaled lightly and her waist rotated as if bouncing, extending her arm.

As if a soft wave was crashing, an intangible vibration rippled from her dantian [a point below the navel, considered the center of energy], spreading through her fingers.

A clear shockwave traveled along her forearm and turned into a breeze.

PAANG!!

The wind flipped over several mats on the studio floor.

Without using any magic power, just by aligning the flow within her body, she could create this much recoil.

Lancia straightened her posture as if it was nothing and said.

“Biological rhythms, breathing, and the flow of magic power are close to the realm of sensation. You stabilize your mind and body by designating specific movements, and train to achieve balanced results.”

“……”

“Coordination is also important as part of that. In order to entrust your body to a great flow, each of your body’s tissues must move organically.”

It wasn’t wrong. He knew it wasn’t wrong, but……

“……Like this?”

“That’s informal, customer?”

“……”

Lenox’s movements as he struggled to get into position, sweating profusely, were awkward compared to Lancia’s.

“The direction of your limbs and the timing of shifting your balance are accurate…… but they don’t match up at all.”

Lancia tilted her head.

“Considering there’s almost no error, it’s definitely not that you don’t understand or are deliberately getting it wrong……”

Lancia, who had been pondering, asked with a slightly surprised expression, as if she had realized something.

“Are you perhaps moving your body by calculating each movement individually?”

“……”

The timing and direction of the movements of his limbs were as precise as if they were measured with a ruler, but the speed and destination did not match, which was a contradiction.

Because of that, his body didn’t move organically, and even though he was accurately implementing the movements, it didn’t feel natural.

Through that, Lancia realized that Lenox was not entrusting his body to a great flow, but rather performing each movement separately.

“Wow……”

A rare admiration appeared on Lancia’s face, who had never lost her composure.

“I knew you were someone who spent money on strange things, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone with such a unique talent.”

“I’m a bit unusual.”

“It’s not a compliment, though.”

“……”

She was a picky person.

However, Lenox inwardly thought so, but he released his stance and took a light breath.

“Let’s stop here for today.”

“Huh?”

“I know the cause of the problem, and I also know that it can’t be easily fixed.”

“……”

Seeing the problem on the surface and accurately pinpointing its cause in an instant.

The conclusion she reached was so sharp that it touched on Lenox’s essence to some extent.

She wouldn’t have been an ordinary instructor. She must have been an outstanding martial artist and warrior beyond what she showed.

However, whether that could solve Lenox’s problem was a completely different matter.

If his coordination itself was the problem, making it difficult to learn more martial arts, then from Lenox’s point of view, there was no need to invest a lot of time.

It would be better to refine the mental projection device, the Twin Arts, that Gyeolbaek had gifted him, and train to use it perfectly.

However, the moment Lenox said that and was about to turn around to wipe his sweat with a towel.

Lancia grabbed his shoulder.

“Instructor?”

“What are you talking about? We haven’t even started yet.”

Lancia, who naturally turned Lenox back towards the studio, said.

“I personally don’t want to give up the opportunity to teach such an interesting…… no, special student.”

“……”

It felt like I just heard something I shouldn’t have.

Lenox sighed, but checked the remaining time and turned around.

He had an appointment at Jenny’s bar in the evening. Until then, it wouldn’t be bad to fill the scheduled class time.

“Alright. Do you have any solutions in mind?”

“It’s simple.”

Lancia smiled.

“If your coordination is poor because you keep calculating your movements in your head, then wouldn’t it be okay to make it so you can’t calculate?”

“……Huh?”

At that moment, Lenox felt Lancia’s hand on his shoulder tighten.

“Let’s try again after we’ve worked our bodies hard enough to not be able to think.”

* * *

District 49. Jenny’s Bar.

The usual noisy bar table.

A room behind the counter, subtly hidden from the gaze of the customers who came to the bar.

Lenox was sitting there, sleeves rolled up, carefully applying a patch.

It was an item made by Corsil Pharmaceuticals with a built-in vitality-enhancing formula, especially effective for muscle pain and arthritis.

Now that the pharmaceutical company had gone bankrupt and disappeared, it was a rare item that was hard to find even in the shadows, and its price was whatever the seller asked for.

Lenox’s expression as he concentrated on applying the patch was like that of an artist carving a delicate sculpture.

Precisely analyzing the area where he felt muscle pain, and calculating how to minimize the pain with a limited amount.

THWACK!!

A sigh escaped from Lenox’s mouth as he adjusted the position of the patch to the end of his wrist with magic power, millimeter by millimeter.

“Hoo……”

“What did you do to come back with bandages all over your body?”

Jenny, who was leaning back on the counter, asked without turning to look at Lenox.

“It’s been a long time since you’ve come back like this.”

“……A lot has happened.”

In the end, Lenox participated in the physical training with Lancia until the end of the class, in order to not think at all.

He had gone along with her suggestion that it could improve his body coordination, but he had paid a harsh price for it.

He could already feel the dull muscle pain slowly creeping in all over his body.

If he didn’t take painkillers and go to sleep tonight, he might not be able to get out of bed tomorrow.

He had to take comfort in the fact that it wasn’t completely ineffective, as Lancia had said.

Lenox, who had been touching his finger joints and confirming that the pain had lessened, finally turned his gaze to Jenny.

“More than that, it would be better to concentrate a little more.”

Jenny was frowning, as if trying to concentrate on something, while putting her hands together, even while talking to Lenox.

“It wouldn’t be easy enough to succeed while talking, would it?”

“……Like this?”

“You don’t have to answer.”

“……”

Jenny, who had her mouth shut and her eyes closed, was trembling her hands.

A circle of blue magic power was floating between her thumb and index finger, slowly rotating.

KIIIIING……!!

The Uroboros, a perpetual motion machine that Lenox had built with an actual magic system.

Lenox was restarting a class that he had tried and stopped a long time ago, through Jenny.

Of course, it was impossible for Jenny, who was not a proper mage, to perfectly master the Uroboros magic system.

In the first place, without transcendental intuition like Lenox, it was impossible to handle the magic system, no matter how talented a genius was.

However, the reason why Lenox took the time to teach Jenny this technique.

If she could use it properly even once, it could become a shield that could save her life in a desperate moment.

FIZZ……!!

“Puhah……!!”

The moment the ring of light that was circling at her fingertips disappeared, Jenny, who had opened her eyes wide, gasped for breath.

“This, this seems harder than I thought. Is this the right training method?”

“I didn’t say don’t breathe, I said don’t answer.”

Lenox smiled and replied.

“It seems like you need to build up your stamina first, not your concentration.”

“……”

Jenny glared at Lenox, then snorted and crossed her arms.

“Well, fine. Anyway, I’ve got the general idea. Even if it’s me, I can do it on my own if I practice a few times.”

“Yes. That’s why you’re practicing……”

Lenox said, turning his gaze to the side.

“But Jorden doesn’t seem to need much practice no matter what he does.”

Next to Jenny, who was practicing magic between the counter and the room, Jorden raised a scalpel with a serious face.

A huge tuna chunk, as big as an adult man, was placed in front of him.

“……”

The moment Jorden closed his eyes and lightly placed the blade of the scalpel on the tuna’s belly.

CRACK CRACK CRACK!!

The tuna’s belly was neatly sliced along the flesh and lined up on the cutting board in an instant.

The other customers who were watching the scene whistled loudly and applauded.

“Oooooh!!”

“That’s the best tuna dissection show I’ve ever seen!!”

“Old man, when did you learn this skill?!”

Jorden said calmly, wiping his scalpel.

“I’ll charge 100,000 cels per piece. Everyone, get in line.”

“Expensive!!”

“Isn’t that crazy gouging?!”

“Think of it as the price for showing you the dissection show.”

Even considering that the price of items sold in the shadows was higher, it was a jaw-dropping price.

While grumbling in a shocked voice, the customers diligently lined up to buy the tuna belly.

People who had reluctantly put a piece of the fatty tuna in their mouths nodded reluctantly.

“……It’s worth the money.”

“Yeah. Sometimes it’s worth trying this kind of snack.”

Lenox, who was watching the scene from the side, said in disbelief.

“Has the concept of the bar suddenly changed a bit?”

“I saw the new possibilities of this business at the last party.”

Jenny nodded with a confident expression.

“Cheap labor costs, outrageous profit margins, a market outside the law, and inexperienced professionals…… the future is in the sea. We will be the rulers of the Balkan fishing industry!!”

“……”

It seemed like someone who corresponded to that cheap labor cost was still suffering on a tuna fishing boat, but Lenox didn’t think deeply and nodded.

Jenny, regardless of Lenox’s reaction, smiled greedily.

“Once we completely control the distribution network in the shadows, we’ll create a maritime distribution network to supply fish…… all the preparations are complete. It’ll be perfect if we just lobby the Central Council in advance through an agent.”

“Just hearing it makes it sound like a bunch of shady things.”

“The VIPs are also responding. If we can attract the attention of the rich, securing a premium is a piece of cake. We’ll completely rebrand-”

Leaving Jenny, who had started talking excitedly on her own, Lenox was also lost in thought.

‘Premium, huh……’

He had contacted Hairea through a secret line, but he had not yet received a reply.

In the meantime, he had to organize the gains he had made in the Machine City and the Senate as much as possible.

He had received approval for the establishment of the Magic Tower, but he also needed to find out what conditions and assets it actually required.

‘I need to start tracking down Kaise’s traces again……’

Although it had been settled for the time being by obtaining information about the Ascension Gate, he had not yet found Kaise’s tomb.

He had not yet identified either the Outer City or the Military City.

As Lenox had witnessed Armand’s clone ability, he also wanted to refine the manifestation ability of the Avatar in the Military City, but.

He couldn’t afford to add more work when he hadn’t even properly finished the research on the mass formula of Orokneer that he had just obtained.

Furthermore, there were several more things he had to do according to the message left by Myeong.

As Lenox was aware of Pandemonium’s purpose to some extent, he wanted to collect information about the Central Front in advance.

However, all the information about the Central Front that Lenox had seen and heard so far was only obtained with the help of the Blue Eye.

‘It would be nice if there was someone who knew more about the Central Front……’

“Ban?”

“……Wait a moment.”

Lenox’s expression, who had been listening to Jenny’s ambitious plan with a smile, hardened slightly.

The moment Lenox, who had put down his glass, turned his gaze towards the closed door of the bar.

SQUEAK!!

The door opened and the sound of someone walking in from the other side could be heard.

Tap, tap.

Unlike her tired movements from a long journey, her footsteps were sharp.

Contrary to her dusty coat and somewhat languid movements, her bright red hair shone clearly.

Her expressionless face had a strange impression that seemed somewhat menacing at first glance.

Even though she wasn’t trying to show it, a thick killing intent naturally emanated from her.

It was close to the déjà vu that could sometimes be felt from soldiers who had served in the war for a very long time.

“……”

Even as she found a seat and settled down, the bar was still noisy, but Lenox could feel it.

All the freelancers and mercenaries in this place, who were pretending to be nonchalant, drinking and talking, were quietly watching her.

Jenny, who had also noticed this, quietly tilted her head and whispered.

“Ban, that woman……”

“Yeah.”

The hot magic power itself that flowed out of her whole body as if it was burning.

The aura of a master who had surpassed level 7, gained experience in countless battles, and trained herself.

Lenox knew who the owner of that aura was from the moment she entered the bar.

One of the five strands of the Blaver Magic Tower, a veteran who had survived fighting on the Central Front for a long time.

A talented pyromancer of the Saint level, and a firepower mage of the battlefield specializing in artillery formulas.

The Witch of Firepower. Tatiana Chiglet had come to Jenny’s bar.

“I’ll go talk to her myself.”

The moment Lenox nodded and was about to get up from his seat.

[Master.]

Quietly, Davi sent a signal to Lenox from inside his pocket. It meant that Hairea’s reply had arrived.

After thinking for a moment, Lenox quietly took out his cell phone from his pocket.

A secret line that had encrypted the cell phone network itself with Davi’s help. Hairea also only recognized this line as Victor’s.

[I heard the story. But not right now. They’re not ready yet over there.]

The reply was surprisingly short.

[Instead, there’s something I want to entrust to you in the meantime, would you like to hear it? Something interesting has come up from the Central Front.]

The moment Lenox passed the message, his finger paused for a moment.

[The Witch of Firepower has run away with the Phoenix Hall of the previous Magic Tower Lord. We received information that she was sighted near the Balkans recently.]

“……”

[Currently, the war mages and mercenaries of the Central Front are tracking her. Kill or capture. Contact me if you’re interested.]

The moment Lenox read that phrase, he raised his gaze to the other side of the bar.

At almost the same time, other mercenaries who had stood up from their seats were seen approaching Tatiana.