Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 727

The Magic Tower and the Mage (5)

“We’ve completely lost contact with Commander Feisha Grisban.”

“…”

Damerus paused at those words.

The adjutant, not noticing Damerus’s reaction, continued.

“Presumed dead in action, or a defeat equivalent to it. Command seems to have already made a determination.”

“Is that so?”

Krrrrrrrumble…!!

Beneath the wide deck where Damerus stood, the heavy treads writhed and moved as if alive.

A steel warship speeding across steep mountain ranges.

A mobile warship with hundreds of gun ports, moving ceaselessly and cutting through the front lines.

The elite corps of Deadrise, and among them, the Special Mobile 7th Corps, known for its fastest mobility.

True to its reputation of never stopping once an operation begins, the corps headquarters and the adjutant’s office are integrated with the fleet.

More than a dozen warships, each capable of accommodating hundreds of soldiers, move in a V-formation, as if going against the flow of the winding mountain range.

Kugwagwagwa!!!

The mere movement of the dozen warships shook the earth and crushed everything beneath them.

Wildly tangled trees and rocks were reduced to dust.

Soldiers and superhumans hiding in the mountains were also crushed into pieces by the advance of the warships.

Damerus stood at the very front of this formation, staring at the hellscape unfolding below the deck with an expressionless face.

Damerus, who had been quietly watching the warships pounding the mountain range, asked,

“What happened to Commander Grisban’s subordinate officers?”

“Major Milo Stockton and Lieutenant Colonel Benze Solsier are also not confirmed to be alive. Considering Major Stockton’s personality, he’s probably…”

“…”

He could understand the meaning even without the end of the sentence. Damerus smiled bitterly and closed his eyes.

“I knew it would be meaningless advice.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s nothing. Command has already made a determination?”

“Yes. The directive was first sent through the classified channels shared with the field staff.”

The adjutant nodded in response to the question.

“Focus on the central front for the time being. Prioritize the acquisition of the Head warlord as planned. Until then, individual actions by generals are prohibited…”

“…”

Feisha and the other commanders were granted the authority to make their own judgments and act in operations.

However, Feisha, who possessed the most outstanding combat power among the commanders, had met such an end.

Now, it was only natural to prohibit individual operations by higher-ranking officers.

“Collaboration with the Blaver Magic Tower, a single directive won’t be enough. How about that?”

“Ah, that’s…”

The adjutant hesitated for a moment before answering.

“It has been entrusted to General Songha.”

Damerus frowned as if he had heard an unexpected answer.

“That can’t be… Did General Songha have the leeway to move right now?”

“Judging by Command’s reaction, it seems the Marshal personally designated him.”

“…”

Damerus fell silent.

In this corps that claimed to be a private military company, there was only one person who could be referred to as Marshal.

“I see. Then there’s no helping it.”

Damerus muttered.

He didn’t dislike the work of a military company that had one foot in Pandemonium but operated under the name of Deadrise.

He was just curious about a life other than that of a soldier bound by rules and regulations, rather than the endless repetition of war.

He commanded the Special Mobile Corps, which was said to be the most free within the corps, but that only made the thirst he felt even stronger.

The Marshal had accurately read his desires.

Even how to control the direction of that deviation in a way that would be helpful.

That was why Damerus could understand what kind of future the Marshal’s order, which had come down after a long time, implied.

“It seems that he wants to have the first gate.”

* * *

[Playing 37th message.]

[We wish you infinite progress. The Bonaparte Research Institute, directly under the city government, would like to congratulate you on the establishment of the first magic tower in Balkan-]

Beep.

[Artifact Manufacturing Industrial Complex in Sector 44. We are attaching a sample to wish for the smooth supply of materials and success of the magic tower. If you are interested, please reply-]

Beep.

[It’s Sebastian. I heard you’ve become the new tower master. Congratulations. If you’re interested, would you like to meet some investors among my clients? Of course, I’m not talking about doing it for free. I’ve sent a gift through Jenny, so please check my sincerity and decide.]

Beep.

[Kyonroe. If there was such a joyous occasion, you should have contacted me in advance. I’ve sent a few sets of artifacts to express my congratulations. I’ll contact you again soon.]

The moment Madam’s message ended, Lenox, who had been deeply bent over under the workbench, asked,

“How many are left?”

[There are 36 messages recorded in the contacts. 87 official documents sent. And 423 other messages from unknown sources.]

“…”

The fact that Lenox was the owner of the first magic tower built in Balkan spread with terrifying speed.

Almost everyone who knew Kyonroe was sending congratulatory messages and gifts.

That meant that the significance of the magic tower established in this city was also felt to be important to others.

If those who knew Ban’s identity and personality were like this, there was no need to mention the research institutes directly under the city government or the businesses that could collaborate with the magic tower.

[The seaweed-head organism is complaining that there’s no more space to store gifts in the company’s underground vault.]

Dabi, who had nested on Lenox’s head, grumbled.

[He says he’s already made the ledger, so please take them away and get rid of them before they increase?]

“…I think I’ve said this before, but when you reply to Jenny, never call her that. I think she’s subtly sensitive about it.”

Leaving Dabi, who seemed to remember other people in strange ways, Lenox straightened up.

“Okay. The component analysis adjustment is roughly finished. Now, all that’s left is to receive the result values.”

Lenox, who was rubbing his eyes as if tired, had a monocle gifted by Mila on his left eye.

Immediately after the workbench lights disappeared, the object Lenox had been fiddling with for a while revealed itself.

A long metal object with a green gem at the end.

It didn’t seem to have any particular features on the outside, but this was the necklace that Jordan had given him, saying it was Kaise’s keepsake.

When Jordan first gave him this necklace, he thought it was an object with a different purpose, but if it was Kaise’s keepsake, it would be something else.

If it was the only thing Ethan Bajur wanted among Kaise’s belongings, there must be a reason for it.

That was why Lenox had been focusing on analyzing the components of the necklace after returning to the lab.

[As expected, nothing comes up in the biological analysis data.]

Dabi, who had finished sorting the messages in an instant, quickly shared the analysis data.

Lenox’s newly prepared lab. Dozens of research equipment filled the white and spacious open space.

He had bought them bit by bit while busy, but there were still many pieces of equipment that were still dusty without even being unpacked.

With Dabi’s help, he updated the internal systems of the equipment and checked their status by connecting the power.

Only after cleaning up the dusty lab could Lenox finally analyze the necklace that Jordan had given him.

[The metal and quartz that make up the necklace are quite old. Considering the concentration of preserved magic, it seems to be at least 500 years old.]

“Is there no way to know the specific year?”

[It’s difficult with the equipment here. If there’s anything else that’s unique, it’s that it’s very heat-resistant?]

Dabi tilted his head.

[It seems to be intentionally designed that way. I don’t know the specific intention, though.]

“Hmm…”

To accurately measure the preserved magic, a much larger observation device was needed than the equipment prepared in this lab.

To be precise, it was a matter of scale rather than performance or output.

Even just finding out the origin of the necklace required this much procedure, so how many resources would be needed to investigate further?

“I thought it would be difficult to find out something right away, but…”

Lenox thought so, and then looked at the huge box that was writhing and emitting smoke from the innermost part of the lab.

Woo-oong, chee-ik!!

“…”

A box with only one thick lever, without any decorations or parts.

It was the biggest gain Lenox had obtained from Machina, and a box of chaos whose essence he could not properly deduce.

A random box created by combining the foundations of a makeshift ascension gate [a device used to achieve a higher state of being]. An object that randomly pulls out traces of the old world when the lever is pulled.

This object was so significant that the Seer Antares had visited Lenox’s mansion once to check it himself.

Lenox, who had been staring blankly at the random box, glanced at the necklace he was holding in his hand.

[Master?]

“You said it was Kaise’s keepsake, right?”

[…Yes?]

Click.

Before Dabi could ask anything, Lenox suddenly pulled the lever of the random box.

At the same time as the box door clicked open, Lenox threw the necklace into it.

Whoosh!!

The necklace disappeared into the other side of the light that seemed to have no end.

Dabi, as if dumbfounded, was silent for a moment before asking,

[What are you going to tell the bartender?]

“The makeshift ascension gate was something Kaise had worked on for the project’s testbed.”

Lenox said.

“If this necklace is one of Kaise’s keepsakes, it might react to it.”

[Isn’t it too reckless a gamble to expect results based on such a guess…?]

“I attached a magic thread to the end of the necklace. If I act before the door closes, I can retrieve it right away-”

Swaaeeek!!

Something that had been ejected from inside the box brushed past Lenox at an incredible speed and disappeared.

Thud thud!!

The shield was immediately shaved off, and the impact shook the lab greatly from all sides.

Something that had bounced off the walls and ceiling of the lab bounced irregularly in all directions, hitting everything.

If he hadn’t cast protective magic in advance to prepare for equipment damage, the expensive equipment would have become scrap metal in an instant.

Chee-ik!!!

The necklace, glowing red-hot, was embedded in the lab floor’s interior material.

Dabi, who was watching the scene from above Lenox’s head, asked,

[It looks like a reaction to eating something you shouldn’t have.]

“…It does.”

Lenox, unable to deny it, used his magic thread to pick up the necklace and place it on the workbench.

The necklace was heated up as if it had been exposed to tremendous heat in a short period of time.

Even though it was heated up so much, there was no damage to the metal and quartz that made up the necklace.

It was something he had done believing Dabi’s words that it was very heat-resistant, but it was a noteworthy result.

Chee-ik!!

“Hmm…”

After pondering for a moment, Lenox nodded.

“Shall we deal with other research first?”

[…]

Dabi was flapping his tail as if he was dumbfounded, but Lenox didn’t care and cleaned the workbench.

There were already more than one or two researches that had been started and stopped midway.

“The Extreme 5 Laws of the Fate Weaver’s Scale and the Mass Formula of Orokneer. Just delving into these two could keep me in the lab for months.”

The Extreme 5 Laws, which completely change the nature of magic in a different way, and the Mass Formula that the Ascended Orokneer used as his main technique.

Among the magic and formulas that Lenox had recently obtained, these two were by far the most unique in origin and value.

It had been quite a while since he started researching both, and he had made some progress, but Lenox had stopped his research at the point where he had made progress.

As he grasped the direction and subtleties of the formulas and delved deeper, he knew that it would take a considerable amount of time.

It would take a lot of time and effort to properly master both magics.

Even considering Lenox’s talent and learning speed, considerable investment and study would have to come first.

That was why Lenox was preparing to forcibly learn the two magic systems using the shortcuts available to him.

“I’ll run the Ouroboros [a symbol of a snake eating its own tail, representing infinity and cyclicality] and absorb both magic systems into the perpetual engine.”

Lenox said, tapping the workbench.

“If I melt it into the magic system and keep running it, it’ll work out somehow.”

[That’s the extreme of trying to get something for nothing.]

“…”

Dabi tapped Lenox’s back of the head with his tail and yawned, then his eyes lit up as if he had found something on the workbench.

[Oh, there’s something left over there?]

“Haven’t I finished cleaning the workbench yet? I haven’t used the cleaning equipment for a while, so it must be very rusty-”

Lenox was saying that, but he stopped talking when he saw the trace Dabi had found.

The trace where the workbench had melted after removing the heated necklace.

Because that trace was left like a flowing script, like a graceful letter.

“…”

[There was a reason why it was so heat-resistant. Wasn’t it made to be heated up like this from the beginning to leave a mark?]

“…I guess so. It looks more like a letter than a picture.”

[It’s a strangely scrawled script. It doesn’t look like the common language.]

Lenox pondered for a moment at Dabi’s words, then took out his cell phone from his pocket.

Because he remembered where he had seen a similar script not long ago.

The message sent from the Outer City to mourn the death of Cheon-Gyeon.

The strange script that Dabi had searched for and shown to Lenox was very similar to the letters written here.

Dabi also noticed it and tilted his head.

[Did the same person write it? But the characters they use are so different…]

“It’s almost certain. Look at this.”

Lenox said, handing the monocle he was wearing to Dabi.

Dabi, who received the monocle with his thick forepaws, put his snout on it and brought his eyes closer.

Looking at the message and the letters alternately through the monocle, Dabi made a strange exclamation.

[Oh ho. Oh ho.]

The monocle that Mila had gifted was an object that showed the area beyond the visible light by reflecting the magic projection rate differently.

By comparing the two scripts through it, it could be seen that there was a strange magical presence left under the message from the Outer City and the letters engraved on the workbench.

It was clear evidence that the two messages were written in the same way, even though the characters used were different.

“It may not be the same person, but they used the same writing method. I guess it’s probably a technique required when writing a grimoire [a book of magic spells and knowledge].”

Lenox said, taking out a small notebook from his pocket.

After witnessing Kaise’s disappearance in the closed area, Lenox had asked Madam for advice about Kaise’s death.

Madam had replied that the vampires had decided to keep Kaise’s body and had hidden it in a place no one knew about.

Lenox had obtained a notebook that Madam had as a contact through a deal.

“The Blood Writing Jaible. Maybe this thing will be helpful.”

A notebook that worked by using the user’s blood as ink, and a recording device that had its own ego and answered questions.

He had used it once before heading to the machine city Machina, but he had postponed it because he was in a hurry to go to Machina.

Now, if there was anyone to ask for advice about this scrawled script, it would be this notebook.

Dabi, who was riding on his head, grumbled as if he didn’t like it.

[Come to think of it, there was this arrogant piece of paper, wasn’t there?]

“I had asked about Kaise’s body. It needed to warm up, so I couldn’t talk for long.”

Lenox immediately opened the Blood Writing and dipped his blood into the notebook.

“It’s still the same that I can’t use it for long. Let’s quickly check the necessary parts and move on.”

As expected, the Blood Writing immediately responded to Lenox’s call.

[I greet the great Transcendent and the qualified Ascended.]

The Blood Writing was an object that judged the user’s level through their blood and changed its attitude.

That was why this notebook was mistaking Lenox for an Ascended and was showing a very submissive attitude.

Although the disadvantage was that it could not be used for long, he had confirmed that it gave plausible answers when asked questions.

All that was needed was for Lenox to accurately select and write down the questions that this notebook could answer.

“The Blood Writing is a recording device that organizes and stores themes related to life and blood.”

Lenox, holding a pen with a drop of blood, shone his eyes.

“It’s important to relate it to that theme. Then…”

Lenox thought so, and copied the letters engraved on the workbench onto the notebook.

Even verifying by writing a question in his own blood again below the letters.

=If there is any record of the bloodline or life form that uses this letter, answer it.

Letters are the essence of language and culture.

If it was a letter that was far from the common language, it must have been a concept derived from a force with a scale and history to match.

If he asked the Blood Writing Jaible a question like this, it was certain that at least one would be caught in the filtering.

While Lenox was thinking that, the Blood Writing drank Lenox’s blood and spat out an answer.

[Great Ascended. I cannot understand that question.]

“…”

Dabi, who had put his snout on Lenox’s head, closed his mouth and said, as if he knew it would happen.

[A shabby piece of pulp is no good. The trend is a digital spirit that can also search the network.]

However, the Blood Writing spat out another answer before Lenox could ask another question.

[However, if you are asking about the owner of this name, there is one search result. Would you like to view it?]