Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 747

Lenok infused magic into the ring again, summoning a hazy ghost as before.

The ghost, seemingly remembering its previous explosion, stood quietly before Lenok this time.

Sabrina tilted her head, looking troubled.

“But if it just stays like that, we can’t really figure anything out. It doesn’t have any distinguishing features…”

“I was about to mention that earlier,” Hairea said, glancing at Lenok.

“Considering the mirror’s meaning, doesn’t that ghost look a bit like Victor?”

“…This?”

A hazy spirit with no distinguishing features or appearance. Had she somehow peered into the ghost’s other side with her duality talent? [Duality talent likely refers to a unique ability to perceive different aspects of something simultaneously.]

But before that thought could form, Hairea spoke again.

“No, I’m not talking about its nature or presence. I mean its physique.”

Hairea glanced back at Lenok as she spoke.

“At first, I thought our eye levels were the same, but looking at it now, its build and height seem roughly similar.”

“…”

Sabrina narrowed her eyes, looking at Lenok, then tilted her head.

“Height aside, I can’t tell anything about his build because of the robe.”

“It’s just an estimate based on his usual movements and gait, so I’m not sure either,” Hairea said hesitantly, and Sabrina stared at Lenok.

“…”

“Victor, can you take off your robe?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Lenok immediately cut off Sabrina’s absurd suggestion and turned away.

Indeed, Lenok also thought that the comments about his height and build were not wrong.

It was such a simple approach that he hadn’t considered it, but if he had to find some distinguishing feature of this ghost, that might be it.

If this ghost was mimicking Lenok’s physique, what could be the reason?

And why could it only roughly imitate that appearance, and no other features?

Having thought that far, Lenok realized the answer and immediately took off the ring, throwing it to Sabrina.

“Sabrina, try using the ring.”

“Huh? Huh?”

“It seems the ring’s power isn’t manifesting properly because of my personal background,” Lenok said.

“It might be different with someone else. We should test it.”

“Ugh, that sounds really ominous… Shouldn’t we hear about what that personal background is first?”

“Victor, if the ring’s power is tied to you, it could be claimed by another wearer. Are you sure about this?”

Despite Hairea’s words, Lenok readily nodded.

“I have a way to deal with that.”

“…”

A strangely ominous reply.

“…I really don’t know. It’s not my fault!”

The moment Sabrina put the ring on her finger with a reluctant expression, the gem shone, and the ghost’s form appeared.

Fwoooosh!!

But the ghost that appeared was not the same hazy, featureless form as before.

It had the same height and build as Sabrina, who was wearing the ring. It looked so much like her that one might suspect it was her.

However, its appearance and atmosphere were worlds apart from the spirit speaker standing before them.

[……]

With gloomy eyes that had lost all hope, it silently stared at Sabrina, another version of herself.

Covered in wounds and blood, with tattered clothes and heavy shackles on its arms and legs.

And the moment they saw the [Death Row Inmate] tag hanging around its neck.

“…!!”

Sabrina yanked the ring off her hand.

Clink!!

Right after the gem ring fell to the floor and rolled, Lenok lightly caught it with his magic.

“…”

Sabrina remained silent, her mouth shut.

The back of her clenched fist had turned so white that her veins were invisible.

“Ah, seriously…”

Sabrina cursed roughly, then sighed deeply and ran a hand through her hair.

Having finally regained her composure, she glanced back at Lenok and said,

“It’s definitely the guide’s ghost. Just by the name, it’s obviously malicious, so it must be it.”

“So, it wasn’t just an item that summons a ghost and shows it to the user,” Lenok said, examining the ring closely, having finally understood its power.

“It’s an item that projects memories of one’s past in the form of a ghost.”

Lenok understood why Sabrina had reacted that way as soon as he heard those words.

A figure being dragged away, bound like a prisoner or slave. The death row tag and the eyes that had lost all hope.

It was the unpleasantness of forcibly showing her the memory she was most tormented by.

What did it mean that the guide’s ghost transformed into a past version that the wearer didn’t want to remember?

That contradictory and malicious power was a sign of the ominousness befitting the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. [Night Parade of One Hundred Demons is a reference to a Japanese folklore concept of a procession of supernatural creatures.]

Through it, Sabrina had confirmed that this ring was the guide’s remains itself.

“Hairea, do you want to try it?”

“…I don’t know.”

Hairea said with a stiff expression.

“I don’t particularly want to see what I looked like when I was insane.”

“…”

Like all the members of Pandemonium, they had many with extraordinary pasts. [Pandemonium is likely the name of a group or organization.]

Instead of urging her further, Lenok put on the ring, and a featureless ghost appeared as before.

“But it’s strange. According to the ring’s power, Victor, your past is…”

Sabrina, who was calming her breathing, glanced at Lenok.

Hairea also stared at Lenok, looking intrigued.

“…”

It was not strange that others had various thoughts upon seeing Lenok’s ghost.

Was it that he had no past he didn’t want to remember, or that his past didn’t exist at all?

Or was it that the guide’s power simply didn’t allow one to look into his inner self?

If so, it must be because something overwhelmingly powerful, beyond any ordinary law, flowed through his blood.

The words about the Ascendant that Agnetta had thrown out and run away with had been coming to mind repeatedly since earlier, and that couldn’t be a coincidence. [Ascendant likely refers to a powerful being or entity.]

“I told you that you didn’t need to know.”

Thinking that unnecessary rumors might spread if this continued, Lenok cut off the conversation.

At a point where he couldn’t explain Lenok’s talent or resistance, adding any more words would only sound like an excuse.

Sabrina also turned away, as if she hadn’t expected an answer anyway.

“Well, fine. Anyway, this is enough, right? Honestly, I’ve helped as much as I can.”

“…”

Lenok also knew that Sabrina had directly become the test subject for the ring, so he didn’t argue.

While Sabrina was retrieving the ark, Hairea began to clean up the traces left in the hangar.

“Can you store the ark without Agnetta?”

“Once the ark is opened, its function disappears. It only works after you put something back in and lock it, so it’s fine.”

“Sabrina.”

Hairea called out to her with a serious expression.

“Be careful. I know I don’t need to tell you, but Jinwa is already…”

“It’s not something I can do anything about,” Sabrina said with a wry smile.

“But thanks to Victor’s help, I’ve completed at least the minimum precautions. I’ll have to try to hold out with this.”

“…”

At this point, with Jinwa’s corruption imminent, the impact on Sabrina, who was also a spirit speaker, would be significant. [Spirit speaker likely refers to someone with the ability to communicate with spirits.]

Hairea must have sensed it to some extent as well.

But even knowing that, Lenok didn’t bother to offer Sabrina any words of comfort or concern.

As she said, it was something that no one could do anything about.

All the events unfolding under the corruption and recklessness of a great Ascendant were like unavoidable natural disasters for mortals.

Only those who had made the same resolve as an Ascendant could avoid or withstand such a fate.

Hairea, having cleaned up the surroundings, left first, and Sabrina, with a complex expression, fiddled with the ark before turning her gaze.

“I’m going back to the delegation to prepare to leave. What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to investigate the ring’s power further,” Lenok replied.

“Since I’ve obtained it, I should reserve its value until I determine its usefulness.”

“…Okay. I don’t know what your past was like, but if you’re really close to ‘that side,’ then I don’t need to worry about you.”

Sabrina said, quietly turning her back.

“Well, we’re not exactly in a position to ask about each other’s well-being now… There might not be a next time. Not for you, but for me.”

“…”

Sabrina, leaving Lenok without a reply, walked out of the hangar and raised her gaze.

“But I still have to believe. The leader said he would, so that’s why I joined Pandemonium.”

Sabrina’s monologue felt somewhat vague.

Lenok inadvertently questioned her words.

“Do you believe the leader will save this world?”

“Hmm… no.”

Sabrina smiled.

“I don’t know much about the leader either, but he’s not the kind of person who would readily accept salvation from someone else.”

“…”

“If that’s the case, he wouldn’t easily give salvation to others, would he?”

She said, looking at the horizon far beyond the undeveloped area.

“But the leader must be looking for something more important than that. I just believe in that.”

“…I see.”

“Why, does it sound too far-fetched? Too optimistic?”

“No.”

Lenok smiled.

“I was just a little surprised that you seem to understand him better than I thought.”

“…”

Perhaps she hadn’t expected to hear such an answer from Victor.

Leaving Sabrina, who looked slightly surprised as she turned to him, Lenok walked ahead of her.

“But I understand why this organization, like a grain of sand, is still maintained. There must be value in the hope that exists in that way…”

“…Victor?”

He had only faced the leader directly for a fleeting moment at the end of the Infinite Labyrinth. [Infinite Labyrinth is likely a location or event of significance.]

But Lenok felt like he understood a little of what the leader was thinking, what he was looking for, and what he was planning.

Was it because Lenok had seen memories related to the leader beyond the Ascension Gate, or was it-

“…”

Did they also start out desperately trying to survive each day, pushed and chased like Lenok?

Did they have the same thoughts as Lenok, and were they there with the same feelings as Lenok?

But instead of dwelling on that fact for long, Lenok shook his head and raised his magic power.

Either way, what he had to do wouldn’t change. The answer Lenok was looking for wouldn’t change.

A fear that surpassed curiosity. An earnestness that suppressed fear.

Gathering the complex emotions swirling within him, Lenok used blink to disappear from Sabrina’s sight.

On the outskirts of the undeveloped area, he silently looked down at her from a place where she couldn’t see him.

After watching the spirit speaker, who was looking around, smile bitterly and return to Vulcan, Lenok turned away.

[Phew.]

Only then did Davi peek his head out from Lenok’s arms, as if relieved.

[Haa… haa…]

“Yes, breathe.”

This digital spirit, who was strangely becoming more and more human-like, now felt more comfortable breathing outside of Lenok’s arms.

Davi, who was pouting and shaking his head, asked Lenok as if he had been waiting for it.

[Haa… So, what’s the way to use the ring’s power?]

“Is that why you came out right away?” Lenok chuckled as he fiddled with the ring.

“It’s nothing much. But if I adjust my resistance, I think I can use the ring’s power in a pretty interesting way.”

[An interesting way?]

“It was said that it transforms into the past version of yourself that you least want to remember.”

Lenok said, beginning to slightly adjust his resistance to the ring.

“But what if we only left one past version that it could transform into?”

Targeted resistance was a talent that Lenok had since the moment he opened his eyes in this world, but it was possible to adjust its degree autonomously.

It was impossible before, but after transcending the hierarchy and reaching level 8, Lenok was able to adjust his own talents to some extent.

He hadn’t explained it in front of Sabrina and Hairea, but there was a way for Lenok to use the ring’s power on himself.

“If I leave only specific memories and limit the choices that the guide’s ghost can transform into…”

At that moment, as he fiddled with the guide’s ring, adjusted his resistance, and carved out the memories that the ring could look into.

Fwoosh!

The ghost’s form completely changed before Lenok’s eyes and faced him.

An impression that was slightly different from Lenok’s or Ban’s identity.

Wearing a research gown, the figure looked at him with an undeniable intelligence.

Davi, who immediately recognized the face, looked up at Lenok with his mouth agape.

[Master, this is…]

Lenok smiled as he looked at the ghost before him.

“We can use the ring’s power in a completely different way than we’ve discussed so far.”

An assistant professor in the Department of Elemental Studies at Lavatenon Magic University, and a spirit speaker belonging to Aris Richelene’s laboratory. [Lavatenon Magic University is likely a fictional institution.]

A renowned researcher who caused a stir in the academic world by presenting a paper on anti-gravity engines at the expo.

Lenok’s second identity, Evan Bailen, stood before Lenok.