Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 718

Whoosh! While sending Tatiana off on the launchpad, Lenox pulled out a cigarette from his pocket. He had been chain-smoking ever since the battle ended, a testament to how exhausted he was. Considering the conversation he was about to have, there was no need to show his true feelings in front of Feisha. Lenox, gazing in the direction Tatiana had disappeared, tapped his still unresponsive phone and spoke, “You’re awake, right? You should be able to understand basic conversation by now.” An extreme-level ability user at level 8. Moreover, if they were someone who had transcended their rank by using their physical body as a foundation, their durability and recovery would already be beyond the limits of their species. Unless their life was completely extinguished, they would somehow cling to life and recover at an unbelievable speed. Even if their whole body was broken and they fell into a vegetative state, now that their consciousness was awake, they would certainly be able to communicate. “I’ll assume you’re listening and speak.” Lenox sat down in front of Feisha, who had her head bowed low, and met her gaze. With a cigarette in his mouth, Lenox exhaled smoke and spoke, lost in thought. “As far as I know, Kaise Bajur’s son is already dead.” “……” Without waiting for a response, Lenox slowly recounted his memories. “Kaise’s innate reverse magic power. Because he inherited that nature ambiguously, he didn’t live long.” Although a considerable amount of time had passed, Lenox remembered the events he had experienced in the past illusion as vividly as if they had happened yesterday. The memories of the past that had occurred in the closed-off Area 25. The superhumans of decades ago who had lived vividly within them. Even Kaise’s last moments, when he understood his own situation and chose to disappear. The pocket watch he left behind and the image of the magnetic field were still as clear as if he could touch them. Because he remembered every word Kaise had left behind without missing a single one. Even though he couldn’t sympathize with the will he had left behind, he thought it was worth respecting. That was why Lenox couldn’t easily understand the fact that the leader of Dead Rise was Kaise’s son. “Kaise was quite late in finding out that he had a granddaughter. If he had other children, there’s no way he wouldn’t have mentioned it.” “……” “Answer me. Is the leader of your army really his son?” If there had been other children besides the son who died early, the project wouldn’t have easily collapsed with Kaise’s death. Moreover, there was no way Jenny would have been barely making a living as a broker in Area 49 with Jordan’s help. If the leader of Dead Rise was really Kaise’s son, that would mean he was Jenny’s biological father. To get an explanation for this situation, where the cause and effect seemed to be cut off like a tape, Lenox felt the need to keep Feisha alive, even if it wasn’t for the deal with Oliviera. Feisha, who had been listening to Lenox’s questions without a word, faintly twisted her lips. “……You, you were involved after all.” A voice that was completely burnt, cracked, and hoarse. Even though speaking itself must have been incredibly painful, Feisha didn’t care and let out a low laugh. “There weren’t many who understood his circumstances that deeply back then……” “……” “Yes…… Maybe I thought that might be the case. He always thought of countermeasures and told us to prepare for the next step.” Feisha muttered bitterly. “Even if he kept it a secret from us and prepared a separate alternative like you…… I can accept it.” “Well, it doesn’t seem to me like you guys accepted Kaise’s ideas.” Lenox retorted indifferently. “The Kaise I remember wasn’t a fool who would resort to human sacrifice. But what about what you guys are doing now?” “……” “In the end, after solving the immediate problem by using power that is naturally subordinate to the church, what is left?” “Is that so?” Feisha struggled to lift her head. Her eyes, a mess of burns, were shining with undisguised cynicism. “Knowing that so well, you joined hands with Oliviera again?” “……” “You’re no different. What makes you so different from us that you have his keepsake?” Feisha spat out the words with difficulty. “When the project failed and we had no alternatives left…… why didn’t you help us back then?” In her eyes, desperately spitting out each word, an undisguised hatred blazed. “It’s not needed anymore. Nothing can be undone. But even if we abandon all the other values he cherished…… we will protect at least one thing.” “Protect at least one thing?” “Lord Bajur knew that fact better than anyone. That alone is enough.” After saying that, Feisha lifted her head as if she had no more regrets. “Okay, put that damn restraint on me again. You’re planning to take me to Oliviera, right?” “……” “Hehehe, I don’t care. It’s been a while since I’ve seen that bitch’s face in person……” Feisha, who seemed to have no intention of saying anything more, closed her eyes and didn’t even breathe. From the moment she was captured, she knew that things wouldn’t end well, and that she was involved with Oliviera. Considering her reaction, it seemed clear that she had a long-standing bad relationship with Oliviera. As much as he wanted to ask more about what had happened back then, if he pushed it here, there was a high chance that Lenox would only reveal his ignorance. It would be better to leave room for Feisha to misunderstand for now. “Alright. I’ll do that.” Lenox answered, taking out the Pure Land Mantra [a type of binding spell] again. Feisha’s eyes flashed strongly for a moment as she looked at the prayer beads, but before she could say anything, he restrained her and fixed her in place. Lenox, who had moved the firmly bound Feisha to the magic engineering room, found Tatiana standing in front of the launchpad and called out to her. “Tatiana.” “Ban, is it all over?” “More or less.” Lenox said, turning his gaze. “Where are the other executives?” Tatiana shook her head with a troubled expression. “Merylda retreated, and Angel came here with me, but I don’t see him at all.” Immediately after Lenox started the battle with Feisha, Merylda subdued Stockton, who was incapacitated, and retreated with Killian. Conversely, Tatiana and Angel had entered the launchpad to stop the satellite launch. Thanks to the two executives risking their lives and playing a role in the operation, things went more smoothly than expected. He hadn’t expected to fight Feisha, so it should be said that they had helped by making a decisive contribution to the operation. Lenox, who quickly activated his magic sense, nodded. “Merylda is out of my sensory range, and Angel is unconscious under the water pipe.” “Under the water pipe? Why did he dig that far?” “To explain that, you first need to understand the hypothesis that innate ability users of the attribute type instinctively cling to their environment-” Tatiana cut off Lenox’s words, which were about to get long, with a single sentence. “You mean he stays in a place where there’s likely to be moisture?” “……That’s right. It doesn’t seem like his life is in danger, so let’s prioritize recovering the necessary items from the launchpad first.” Lenox, with a cigarette in his mouth, nodded as he inserted a painkiller ampule into his shoulder. “There are a few things I couldn’t collect while fighting Guihi. We’ll need them for the future.” Kugugu! In the distance, the launchpad and factory fragments were broken in half and burning fiercely. The debris was mixed and melting, and it was almost impossible to recover. The satellite that had been there must have also suffered fatal damage. It would never work properly again. Tatiana looked at the explosion point with a complex expression. Lenox, who was walking while pulling a cart, suddenly asked. “Are you regretting it?” “……No, not at all.” Tatiana quietly answered Lenox’s question. “We had to send them off like this. It was too late, actually.” “……” “It’s something we should have done a long time ago, but I wasn’t good enough……” Rather than letting them suffer as engine materials, it was right to give them rest by borrowing the authority of the Phoenix Hall. Tatiana had made that clear to Lenox from the beginning, and Lenox had accepted it as well. That was why Tatiana had accepted the farewell even in a situation where their opinions didn’t align. Lenox raised his gaze and spoke quietly. “……It’s a shame. This is all I could do.” “No, if you hadn’t inherited the authority of the Magic Tower, even this kind of ending wouldn’t have been possible.” There wasn’t even a hint of hesitation in Tatiana’s words. Her shoulders trembled slightly as she turned her gaze. “Thank you. Really.” “……” Lenox didn’t agree with the idea that if it was left as a good memory in the end, everything would be good. In this world, there were many things where the process was more important than the result, and many things where even good memories were unsatisfactory results. In the end, the decision of setting the standard and judging it was up to one’s own heart. Nevertheless, was Tatiana relieved by the fact that she had given rest to a death that had gone so wrong that it couldn’t be undone? It wasn’t difficult to mourn someone’s death. He could understand and sympathize with that feeling as well. But could Lenox also feel the same relief as her at the end of the conclusion that had come to him? Lenox smiled bitterly and headed towards the collapsed launchpad facility with Tatiana. “Are there any remnants of Dead Rise left?” “There are no signs of anyone within my sensory range.” The battle between Lenox and Feisha was a fierce battle that had swept through the entire theme park and destroyed everything in its path. Even if they had survived by luck, they probably wouldn’t be in good condition. He could be sure by activating his magic sense and searching the area, but there was something more important left to do. Click! Among the wreckage of the crushed satellite under the launchpad. He slowly extracts the satellite engine, which still retains its original shape. “Ban, put more strength into fixing it……!! It keeps slipping out.” “The magic manipulation is overloaded, so it’s not easy to control.” “If you can’t control it, I’ll get crushed to death……!!” Squeak……!! Tatiana struggled to pull out an engine the size of a human torso from inside the satellite debris. Lenox extended his magic thread over Tatiana’s head, who was desperately holding up the engine using even her unsuitable physical enhancement. Whirr! The magic thread was stretched taut over the smooth spherical engine, sharing the weight of the engine. Only then did Tatiana, who had barely escaped, collapse on the floor, sweating profusely. “I’ve never used physical enhancement like this even on the battlefield……!!” “You’ve done well.” The satellite’s engine was made of a powerful magic-resistant material, making it difficult to interfere with it through magic from the outside. It was so difficult to touch that it was impossible unless the engine was physically extracted like now. Of course, it wasn’t impossible if Lenox was determined, but his magic consumption was high from the battle with Feisha, making delicate manipulation difficult. That was why Tatiana, not Lenox, had gone in and carried the engine out herself. Leaving Tatiana, who was massaging her wrist, Lenox immediately reached out towards his left arm. “Let’s start right away. We need to test the performance while the engine is preheated.” The reason he returned to the launchpad and extracted the engine wasn’t simply to collect spoils of war. He knew that the true value of the satellite that Dead Rise was trying to launch was in this engine. The satellite designed to operate in the atmosphere was broken, but the shape of the engine built into its parts was intact. That meant that Dead Rise had also paid very close attention to the design and power unit of the engine. Kiiing! Lenox, who had directly poured magic into the smooth engine’s body, nodded. “As expected, they’ve borrowed a significant portion of the anti-gravity engine. And it doesn’t end there, there are traces of hundreds of adjustments to the spell.” “It was probably a preliminary preparation for using the Phoenix Hall as a power source.” Tatiana also answered, examining the inside of the engine next to Lenox. “A huge heat source would be needed to power the satellite. It must be a measure to fully operate the heat inside.” “Most of them are overlapping incantations that cover the concept. It seems to be aimed at expanding the concept of the tower to the atmosphere.” The Phoenix Hall was a powerful heat source, so it wasn’t just that they needed it as an engine part. They were planning to create a new branch of the Magic Tower in the atmosphere, centered around the Phoenix Hall, which was the authority receptor of the Magic Tower. The fundamental purpose was to expand the concept of the tower into the sky, protect the satellite, open up their field of vision, and look out over the central front. Dead Rise and the Magic Tower had joined hands and built the satellite because they needed each other’s technology and magic. “If we analyze the internal structure of the engine, we can figure out how they were trying to use the Phoenix Hall.” Tatiana nodded. “Then, when you build a new Magic Tower, you’ll be able to take the results they made.” If they were trying to expand the concept of the Magic Tower into the sky instead of keeping it bound to the ground, wouldn’t it be much more useful to take the results instead of destroying them? Lenox and Tatiana had been aware of that fact from the beginning, and had even planned to recover the engine after everything was over. “What should we do? Should we try an experiment here?” “That would be good.” Lenox said, stroking his left arm. “It seems like this side is already ready.” Krrrrr……!! The crimson spiral that wrapped around his forearm flowed out like a snake, writhing along Lenox’s touch. [Confirmed extreme-level user of flame-heat attribute unique magic.] [Constructing form in response to the summoner’s will.] Flap! The will of the Phoenix Hall, which had transformed into a small firebird on his right hand, lifted its head and flapped its wings. [Formal succession process candidate recognition complete.] [Please specify the authority.] While Tatiana smiled bitterly, Lenox held the firebird in both hands and placed it on the engine’s power unit. The top of the engine, split in half, was in the shape of a small room where something the size of a fist could fit. The firebird looked at Lenox for a moment, then jumped into the room. The small bird folded its wings and pressed its body close to the bottom of the power unit, as if making a nest. The firebird closed its eyes, rubbed its beak, and nodded. [Considering the output of this receptacle, medium-high level of suitability.] [Acknowledged.] At that answer, Lenox and Tatiana looked at each other without a word. “……That means it’s good, right?” “He’s just saying ‘not bad’ in a long-winded way.” [Output stabilization complete. Solar system proxy implementation.] Bang! At that moment, dozens of long flames shot out from all sides of the engine, lifting its body into the air. Krrrrr! At the same time as a heavy rotating sound, the output inside the engine rotated, creating the wonder of lifting the engine itself into the air. That itself was similar to the anti-gravity engine that Lenox had developed, but the engine’s true ability was in what happened next. [Preparing for the appearance of a temporary domain. Please prepare for the impact.] Kugugugu!!! The red wave that wrapped around the Phoenix Hall’s engine instantly shook the ground where the two were standing. A strange sense of floating, as if defying gravity. The land engulfed in flames shook from the ground and slowly began to rise. In an instant, the land near the launchpad floated like a small island, and Tatiana looked down and said. “It’s operating more smoothly than I thought. Maybe it’s because it’s preheated, but at this rate, it’ll work right away.” Tatiana muttered in amazement, then turned her gaze to Lenox as if she had remembered something. “If we do it right, we might really be able to build a new Magic Tower in the sky?” “That’s good.” Tatiana shook her head at Lenox’s indifferent answer. “Don’t be so nonchalant. This is an unprecedented event. What do you want to do after building the Magic Tower?” “I don’t know……” Lenox chuckled as he looked at the slowly rising ground. What was there to add to a result where the process and outcome had already been predicted? It was just meaningless speculation to talk about this and that when they hadn’t even properly built the Magic Tower yet. If there was anything he was vaguely thinking about at this point- “Why did they use the will of the 7th Magic Tower Master as a power source?” “What?” Lenox spoke without paying attention to Tatiana’s reaction. “There must have been several relics of the previous tower masters in the Blaber Magic Tower headquarters. Why did they choose the Phoenix Hall in particular?” “……” “An environment that transcends altitude. Power to withstand the atmosphere. Observation and maintenance to look down on the ground. If this was the only power source that could satisfy the difficult conditions and situations……” [Domain formation complete, establishing a will transfer section.] In front of the two, a huge firebird figure rose up, supporting the ground and lifting its head. Flap! Lenox realized that the firebird’s eyes had a clear focus that hadn’t existed before and muttered. “I think it’s because the magic of the 7th Magic Tower Master was more unique than the other tower masters.” [Playing the message of the Seventh Sun.] At that moment, a long staircase of flames began to unfold before the two of them.