Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 694

The central network of the massive city of Balkan’s municipal government.

The deep web exists outside the central network’s security firewall, in the back of the cybernetic space where the city’s entire data circulates.

In that place where millions of data are uploaded and disappear every second, an unknown video file was uploaded.

In this place, where electronic drugs, curse formulas, crime videos, and hacking tools are rampant, there are hardly any users who open videos with a clear mind.

However, if that video was uploaded to a bulletin board exclusively for gem-grade members, the story is different.

In this place, where even browsing the bulletin board and uploading posts are managed with different levels of authority.

It is rare to be able to upload a video, not just a simple text, to this place that is only open to a very small number of members.

Naturally, several comments began to appear below the post where the video was uploaded.

└What is it?

└How many days has it been since a video was uploaded here?

└Look at the file name. It seems like it was uploaded as soon as the encoding was finished.

In the meantime, someone who had analyzed the video file left another comment.

└3 minutes long with a capacity of 1.7 TB. It’s probably not an electronic drug or a device code.

└That capacity for that playback time?

└That means the amount of internal video information compression is enormous. Anyone want to check it out first?

└No way. I don’t want to die.

Even as they were saying that, the video playback count displayed below the post began to skyrocket.

In less than 3 minutes, those who had checked the video began to leave comments one by one.

└Dude, what the hell is this……

└This is a big problem. It doesn’t look like something we should be watching.

As if their curiosity had exploded due to the unusual reactions, the number of views and play counts increased rapidly.

└It’s a combat recording. It looks like the military. Who is the opponent?

└It’s full of noise, so it’s hard to tell.

The short 3-minute video only showed sharp lightning flashing from the other side of a blazing battlefield.

The noise and errors in the video were so severe that it was impossible to tell anything other than that someone was being killed indiscriminately.

The only sounds in the video were the occasional desperate screams and the strange resonance that sounded like magic power was echoing.

However, even in that video full of noise, there were those who recognized something and left comments.

└The parts flying around at around 1 minute 51 seconds. Those are power suit parts. Military supplies manufactured and exported from District 33.

└Military power suits. If it’s something exported from District 33, then Hedoros, Makina, and Marmadio are the main users.

└If we put the areas with the most recent casualties as candidates and run a search, we should be able to find something.

A bulletin board that can only be accessed by those with reliable performance and status even within the deep web.

Moreover, it is a place where even posting or commenting requires a certain level of authority.

Those who exchange information in such a place quickly began to track the traces of the video and find the essence of its meaning.

└Makina Mechanized Corps 3rd Ground Corps. It is estimated that all of them were wearing military power suits. And they were annihilated in some kind of incident a month ago.

└Some kind of incident? A month ago?

└If it was a month ago… that’s when Kyunroe was rampaging in Makina.

Only then did those who realized what this video was showing fall silent.

The identity of the short 3-minute video.

It was a fragment of the battle record of the very battle in which Lenox single-handedly massacred the 3rd Mechanized Corps.

└That’s why the noise was so bad. It’s hard to figure out because the appearance isn’t clear.

└But this is practically the first time such a detailed battle record has been leaked. It will be valuable data.

└Look at this. He’s using not only lightning but also various attributes. There were many rumors about Kyunroe’s magic system, but this is really…….

Once the identity of the video became clear, the number of views and plays continued to increase, and more comments began to be posted.

While traffic was concentrated on the post in an instant, hackers floating around the network also naturally paid attention to the post.

“……”

A man with hundreds of monitors in a dark room also paused his hand while watching the video.

After watching the video repeatedly several times, the man pondered for a while, then, as if he had made up his mind, he quickly tapped on the keyboard.

Unidentifiable program codes appeared on the monitor in dozens of layers, and he quickly bypassed the deep web post and accessed the internal developer tools.

He began to download the massive video recorded there at a rapid pace.

Tap, tap.

A blue download bar was reflected in the man’s pupils as he bit his lip anxiously.

In a strange silence, just as the man had almost finished downloading the video by bypassing the deep web.

[Gotcha~!]

The figure of a baby fox that popped out from next to the monitor suddenly began to devour the download bar.

Waja waja!!

“Wh, what the hell!!”

Ignoring the man who was startled and jumped up, the fox was devouring the loading screen.

At the same time, hundreds of monitors installed in the room were quickly breaking down and turning off.

The man’s face turned pale as he belatedly realized that his computer was being hacked and destroyed.

“No!!”

[You’ve been watching us for a while, haven’t you?]

The fox, having devoured the download window, turned back to look at the man from the other side of the monitor.

[Even if it was a dummy video blurred with noise, I knew that a persistent organism would definitely be interested.]

“Th, this was a trap!!”

The man, understanding the fox’s words, slumped back down into his seat.

“No way. I checked it over and over again……!!”

[The Mirror Diver hackers are too timid to catch, but you’re uniquely stupid among them?]

Wagging its five tails, the fox slowly began to inflate its size and roll over dozens of monitors.

[The data you worked so hard to collect. I’ll use it well. Thank you.]

“No, no……!!”

Chiiik……!!

Sounds of something exploding one after another were heard from below the room, and acrid smoke began to leak out.

The man’s computer, unable to withstand the overload, began to break down and melt.

Leaving the man kneeling with a blank expression, the fox chuckled and slowly jumped out of the monitor and disappeared.

* * *

[Master.]

In Lenox’s arms, who was busy cleaning up the commotion at the bar, Davi twitched his tail.

[Another one took the bait. This time it’s from the Mirror Diver side.]

‘It took longer than I thought this time.’

Lenox thought as he stroked Davi’s ears.

The reason for secretly exposing the battle record of the 3rd Mechanized Corps and checking the reaction was not for any other reason.

Before starting to build the magic tower in earnest, it was to make people aware of Lenox’s magic system and to capture those who showed particularly strong interest in it.

It would have been difficult without the help of this cybernetic spirit who was suspiciously knowledgeable about the deep web, but after starting, it was quite profitable.

In particular, the underground hacker group like Mirror Diver had been thoroughly avoiding getting involved with Lenox.

If they had achieved results by breaking through their unusually deep wariness, it meant that Davi was doing a good job.

While Lenox was thinking that, a meeting was being held at the bar regarding this matter.

“We know about Paysha Grisban’s return, but it seems that her exact location has not been identified.”

Kilian, who had finished the interrogation in the basement, explained, handing over a memo.

As a result of stubbornly extracting information from the magic tower bead, Halfman, whom Lenox had captured.

However, it was just as difficult to obtain new clues other than cross-checking the circumstances.

“She had tracked Malasia to Balkan, but she didn’t make direct contact with Paysha because she immediately clashed with Tatiana.”

“If it’s certain that Paysha has returned to Balkan, then finding her is the priority.”

Lenox nodded.

“She’s almost certainly staying around the satellite factory, watching the situation.”

“That’s highly likely. But… isn’t it a bit hot?”

Kilian said, shaking his shirt.

“It feels a bit more humid than before…….”

“…….”

At those words, the eyes of the others naturally turned to the rosary on Lenox’s left arm.

This was because the flames that were wrapped around the rosary on his arm were still flowing like a living wave.

“I’ve managed to bind it in a shape, but it seems to have a greater impact on the surrounding environment than I thought.”

Lenox said, touching Jenny’s laptop that was on the counter.

The whiskey that Tatiana had spilled on the keyboard had completely evaporated, leaving only a subtly sticky sensation.

“The whiskey has already dried up completely.”

“Huh?! W, wait a minute!!”

Jenny’s face turned into a wail as she picked up her laptop like lightning, as if she had just remembered a forgotten fact.

“No……!! If this breaks, I have to completely back up a week’s worth of data!!”

“S, sorry.”

Tatiana apologized, glancing at Jenny.

“I don’t have any money right now, but if I withdraw it from the bank in the name of the magic tower…….”

“Ah, no. That’s not the important thing right now.”

Leaving the two of them talking incoherently, Lenox silently turned his gaze upward.

It was because he realized that the air in the bar was gradually changing, not just that the whiskey had evaporated and dried up.

“My lips are getting dry.”

Jorden added, as if he had noticed Lenox’s feelings.

“If even this dull body can feel it, it means it’s a dangerous object.”

“Come to think of it, it does feel a bit drier. This is also related to that object, right?”

Jenny smacked her lips while tapping on her laptop.

Just like Lenox had shown earlier, this much impact without forcibly extracting the heat from the solar system.

Rather than being hot, it was a strange sensation that all the moisture inside the bar was gradually drying up.

Just by being there, it was sucking up the moisture in all directions and changing the environment.

Lenox looked at the Phoenix Hall symbol and asked Jorden.

“Are there many things in the bar that shouldn’t lose moisture?”

After thinking for a moment, Jorden nodded.

“Most of the alcohol is like that. Especially wine, which is extremely sensitive to storage conditions.”

“It will quickly change its taste if left for a long time.”

Lenox said, turning his gaze.

“I think we need to take action.”

Kiriik!!

Lenox, who had drawn up his magic power, began to strongly overlay his will on his left arm…….

At that moment, a thin thread covered the red sun symbol, transforming it into something like a bandage wrapped around his arm.

Chaak!!

The shape of a thin skein of thread that was intertwined and bound, drawing a regular pattern as if knitting.

At that moment, the dryness that had been felt in the bar was felt to subside.

A faint sense of déjà vu that could not be explained in words. A feeling that the precarious feeling that seemed to be gradually becoming more dangerous was disappearing.

Jorden let out a sigh of relief.

“It’s back. If the humidity is maintained at this level, we won’t have to clear the shelves every time Ban comes.”

“Did you completely trap the power inside?”

Lenox nodded at Jenny’s question.

“No matter what material I use, I won’t be able to suppress it for long. I’m planning to wrap it in magic thread with periodic replacement in mind.”

The magic thread that Lenox handles is something that can be freely adjusted in terms of tension, hardness, elasticity, and length.

For Lenox, who handles magic power in units of particles, it was not difficult to weave magic thread and adjust the flow of the contact surface.

However, Tatiana, who was looking at the bandage that Lenox had created, clicked her tongue as if she was amazed.

“Without manipulation magic, you can create such a uniform magic thread? You might as well say that one of your ancestors was a spider.”

“Well. If there really was a spider among my ancestors…….”

Lenox said with a bitter smile.

Because he knew that the skills of a spider hybrid who had learned manipulation magic were not at this level.

In Pandemonium, there is a herald who was born as a hybrid of a true ancient species and was naturally gifted with the talent of manipulation techniques.

A talent beyond human comprehension that goes beyond simply manipulating objects or magic power, but also walks a tightrope in the other side of the imaginary dimension.

However, instead of mentioning that fact, Lenox casually touched his left arm wrapped in magic thread.

He didn’t wrap a bandage around his hand just in case, but in this state, it wouldn’t be strange if he looked like he was completely wrapped in bandages.

If he put the magic thread on the arm with the bandage and wrapped it around his neck-

“…….”

Everyone was speechless at the sight of Lenox, who looked like a patient with a cane and a cast.

“You look like you shouldn’t be wandering around.”

“I feel a little sorry to ask for help all of a sudden… is this really okay?”

“Shouldn’t we be helping Ban instead?”

Lenox chuckled as he watched the three of them fall into serious contemplation.

“It’s a little inconvenient to move around, but it’s not like I can’t move.”

Lenox tapped his bandaged arm and turned the topic back.

“We can lure Paysha out by periodically replacing the magic thread and using this as bait.”

“What about the satellite factory?”

“After tracking the location, we’ll lure Paysha out to create some distance and then attack the factory to destroy the engine.”

From Dead Rise’s point of view, they would try to manufacture the satellite by any means, so if we hint at the existence of the Phoenix Hall, Paysha would naturally be drawn out.

If we attack the satellite factory and destroy the engine at that point, the plan itself would collapse.

The things that need to be done are not that complicated. However, the conditions necessary to carry out those tasks have not yet been met.

“As long as the Phoenix Hall exists on our side, there are many means we can think of. If we succeed in the operation just once at the right time…….”

At this point, where the most essential core components for satellite production have not been taken away, we can also make a choice.

At Lenox’s words, the others naturally nodded.

“I’ll lure Paysha out and buy some time. Ban, can you search for the location of Tentacion’s satellite factory?”

Tatiana said without hesitation.

“I don’t know much about the terrain of Balkan. If possible, I would like to get help from someone from the city.”

“According to rumors, Paysha is a warrior with a natural talent for killing people.”

Lenox asked.

“I’ve fought a warrior who possessed the spirits of his ancestors. Regardless of the hierarchy, he used a variety of abilities. Can you buy time against someone like that?”

“Maintaining the status quo without dying is the essence of a war mage.”

“…….”

“And it’s something I asked for. Isn’t it natural to take on the most dangerous task?”

Even though she knew it was dangerous, if she thought she had to do it, she had no intention of hesitating.

Tatiana’s attitude itself was not bad, but Lenox shook his head at those words.

“I have no intention of allocating personnel based on responsibility or emotion. As expected, efficiency and aptitude come first.”

“Ugh…….”

“But it’s definitely a problem to go into the operation with just the two of us.”

“Are you thinking of increasing the number of people in the operation? Well, it would be easier if we had a vanguard…….”

“Should we contact Antares?”

Jenny picked up her cell phone and tapped it, but Lenox shook his head.

“It would be good to have Antares when facing Paysha, but we won’t be able to reach him.”

When they met at the time of the random box, Antares was already preparing to leave Balkan.

It wouldn’t be strange if he had already left for the opposite side of the continent by now.

Jenny also tapped her cell phone a few times and turned off the screen as if she had expected it.

“The cell phone is already turned off.”

“Rather than that, there are people who will lend a hand just by mentioning the name Dead Rise. You saw it earlier, didn’t you?”

Lenox pointed towards the basement.

“Even Dyke would not welcome the return of Dead Rise, their competitor.”

“……I don’t dislike Dyke, but I don’t know if they’ll be of much help in this matter.”

Of course, the executives, including Panoa, are excellent, but that’s only in terms of their business sense and handling of affairs in both the public and private sectors.

There is not much room to ask Dyke for help in a situation that requires the power to deal with and handle superhumans.

“It’s not Dyke.”

Lenox said, picking up his coat.

Lenox nodded to Tatiana, who awkwardly stood up from her seat.

“Get ready. It’s not too late to worry after we go out and meet them.”

“Who are you going to meet?”

Lenox smiled at Jenny’s words.

“There are those who hate Dead Rise even more than them, and who will readily lend a hand in this matter.”

“Hate them?”

After thinking for a moment, Jenny suddenly raised her eyes with a slightly surprised expression.

“Could it be……?”

The three leaders who dominate the dark side of Balkan.