Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 775

Ghostly Journey (2)

Baaang!! The loud blare of a horn and acrid steam assaulted the eyes and ears. The scene was a dilapidated train station, reeking of filth and grime. Old trains twisted on the tracks with grating noises. Those sprawled out, drunk on drugs and alcohol, stirred in annoyance at the noise. “……” Lenok, with his robe pulled low, leaned against a ticket gate, observing the scene. An unofficial outer ring railway, abandoned outside the megacity. An illegal station created to smuggle in items and materials prohibited by the council. The city government doesn’t acknowledge its existence, but conversely, it’s never shut down or raided. Naturally, most of the people gathered here are smugglers bringing all sorts of dangerous goods into Balkan. It’s commonplace here to see people openly transporting corpses or carrying sacks full of bloodstained items. If you grabbed any of the homeless people sprawled on the street and asked, they would rattle off the items they handle and their prices. I know that Jenny also occasionally uses the smuggling routes here. Lenok had visited before to purchase catalysts needed for making tobacco, but today he wasn’t here for a transaction. “Heh……” In a corner of the busy station, the figure of an old woman, wearing a worn hood, sat blankly staring into space. Lenok, having confirmed the direction of the old woman’s gaze from his position at the edge of the station, slowly walked towards her. Clink! He took out a few coins from his pocket and placed them in the can in front of the old woman. The old woman stared at Lenok with hazy eyes. “……” The old woman, with her mouth agape, and Lenok, silently staring at her. There was no conversation or exchange of words, but slowly, the old woman’s eyes began to focus. “Oh my, such a generous donation to an old woman like me……” “Are you a shaman?” At Lenok’s sudden question, the old woman’s hand, which was picking up the money, stopped. It wasn’t a coincidence that Lenok had chosen the old woman among the vagrants sprawled out at the station. He had noticed that the old woman’s gaze, which aimlessly wandered in the air, was looking at something that was drifting around the station. Shaman. Or, in other words, a medium. Some treat them as being in the same category as sorcerers, but in this world, they are somewhat distinguished based on whether they are based on primitive beliefs. The powers and techniques they can use vary wildly depending on individual aptitude and talent, making it difficult to group them under a consistent standard. If there is a commonality, it’s that they can see souls and use their power to some extent. They are not quite at the level of military spirit magic, which directly controls spirits, but they have a strong connection to that system. “I don’t quite understand what you’re talking about……” “I know that the train routes to Yorta regularly change their stops.” Lenok quietly asked, ignoring the old woman who was scratching her head and pretending not to know. “If you are a spirit-sensitive ability user, you would know how the stops change. Tell me which train to take.” “……” The Headrain River must be crossed to get to Yorta. However, to cross the river, one must first pass through the swamp, which is the source of the river. The problem is that the train that passes through the swamp regularly changes its destination, even within the outer ring railway. If so, among the sorcerers sitting at the station, there must be a spirit-sensitive ability user related to the military spirit city who knows the information. Only after hearing those words did the old woman’s gaze towards Lenok change. “Heh heh, yes… I know.” The old woman grinned and nodded. “People who have business in Yorta are limited, so if you go through one person, you know everyone. Most people don’t even ask about this.” “……” “But since I received a donation after a long time, if you grant me one favor, I’ll tell you where to go.” “What is it?” “Leave this place as soon as possible.” The old woman said, pointing behind Lenok. “Your presence is shaking all the surrounding wavelengths. Just by standing here, other spirits are afraid of you.” “……” “I don’t know what kind of power you possess that makes spirits, who are free from the constraints of matter, so afraid……” The old woman took out a piece of paper from her pocket and wrote something on it with an old feather pen, handing it to Lenok. “This is the train route to the Headrain River for this quarter, so try to get a ticket from the conductor.” With those words, the old woman pulled her hood down and avoided eye contact. Lenok chuckled at her more self-preserving attitude than he had expected and got up from his seat. Anyway, he had obtained the information he wanted, so there was no need to waste time. Lenok easily found a person who seemed to be the conductor across the station. “Move it, move it!!” The man, with a black bandana tightly tied around his head, was yelling at the top of his lungs. “We’ll move all the goods and pull the train within an hour. We have to do business with the other satellite city bastards, so get your act together. Don’t you want to make money?!” Lenok, who had been staring at the man, approached him just as the transport of goods was almost finished. “Hmm?” The man was startled and turned his head the moment he saw the figure in a robe, standing right next to him like a ghost. Lenok quietly said. “I’ll take the train.” “……Destination?” Lenok handed the folded paper to the man without a word. A wad of bills was naturally tucked inside the folded paper. The man naturally picked up the bills and frowned as he checked the destination written on the paper. “Ah~ you can’t go there. It’s all booked. All tickets within a week are sold out, so look for another train.” “I’ll board here.” “……Friend.” The man patted Lenok’s shoulder with his thick palm. “I’ll explain it to you since you paid a lot, but there won’t be a next time. If you ask another guy this question, you’ll get punched first.” “I know that there is a gambling ring that puts up the remaining sold-out tickets as prizes.” “……” Lenok quietly said, looking at the silent man. “I want to join the game. What I gave you was the payment for that.” Lenok had used this black market from time to time, so he was not unaware of the rumors and information about this place. It was an open secret that they were running a gambling ring at the station, using train tickets as stakes. The man sighed and turned to Lenok. “Look, I don’t know where you heard those rumors, but it’s not up to us to keep extra tickets.” “……” “We only keep a few seats empty to prevent the worst-case scenario. And if I had to say it……” Click. The man, who had pulled out a sawed-off shotgun, turned around, aiming it at Lenok’s solar plexus. The man, with the blunt muzzle pressed against his chest, said indifferently. “We choose who gets to join the game. We hate shady robes like you.” “……” “If you understand, get on any train and get out of this city. Got it?” “Did you say you were preventing the worst-case scenario?” Lenok nodded. “Then I’ll be that case.” “……What?” Whoosh!! Something grabbed the man’s ankle and lifted him upside down. “Ugh!!” The man, unable to resist, was tossed around and then slammed headfirst into the ticket booth window. Crash!! The man’s head went through the window. His legs, sticking out of the window, twitched and then went limp. Lenok, grabbing the man’s hair from beyond the ticket window, asked. “Are you starting to think differently now?” * * * Thud!! A stuffy, smoky room where the acrid smell of tobacco lingered. As he entered the room, guided by the bruised conductor, the others immediately turned to look at Lenok. People sitting at tables playing cards or exchanging chips. There were hundreds of people with bloodshot eyes spinning slot machines or engrossed in games similar to pinball. A gambling den that is common in the back alleys of such a shady street. It’s a facility to lure customers using the station to make a profit, but it’s not just used for that purpose. The conductor, as if running away, guided Lenok to a clean table at the far end of the room. A young man, who had been sitting alone at the empty table, glanced up at Lenok and asked. “Are you going to do it? If you are, say it quickly.” The young man muttered irritably. “You won’t be able to get a ticket anyway if you don’t.” “……I will.” He didn’t know what kind of gambling it was, but if the others had gathered to get tickets, he had to participate. As Lenok said that, the young man got up from his seat and guided Lenok towards the wall. “Sit down.” Tap tap tap!! Dozens of people were sitting in a row against the wall, tapping away at something. On the wall, there was a crude ladder chart with a bracket and several spare tickets taped on. While Lenok was checking the destinations of the tickets on the wall, the young man pointed to an empty seat and said. “The entry fee is from 2 million cell [currency]. If you lose all your coins and want to try again, you have to pay double. Do you agree?” “……” “The economy isn’t so good these days, so there’s a lot of commission. Please be understanding.” Is it a system where they bet money and give the remaining tickets to the winner? Using the remaining tickets as prizes in the gambling den instead of selling them is a way to extract as much money as possible from the customers. Lenok, understanding the situation, nodded, and the young man said nonchalantly. “Of course, you play until you lose all your coins. There’s no rule that you can quit when you’ve won as much as you want.” “Damn it, I have to go to Tokerphuz this time no matter what.” “Those who aren’t in a hurry, give me your tickets to the Balnar Colony. I’ll buy them at a high price!” Someone offered money anxiously, but none of the people gathered here responded. Most of the people trying to get sold-out tickets either have desperate circumstances or are not short of money. Since they can’t kill each other at the station, gambling was the most moderate means they chose. It’s not that he can’t understand the idea itself, but……. “Let’s start right away. Who wants to go up against this shady robe?” “Me, me!!” “No, I was first. I already started the match!!” As if they had been waiting, they actively stepped forward. They must have noticed Lenok’s strangely lukewarm reaction to the gambling’s true nature. It’s a given that the more clueless a person is about the situation, the easier it is to take advantage of them. In the meantime, those who had decided their order among themselves quickly sat next to Lenok. “Hehe, buddy. Let’s start right away.” The man, looking at Lenok with greedy eyes, licked his lips. “You look like you’ve never played this game before. Don’t be too upset. It’s just that you’re not interested in trends.” “Trends?” “Recently, this game became very popular after two amazing players faced off in Zone 47. Do you know?” “……” “Rumor has it that some very dangerous big shots are involved, but I don’t know about that. The rumor is that this game is so fun that it’s killing people.” Trends, huh. Lenok thought as he stared at the game machine he was sitting at. A monochrome stage where two characters were facing each other on the screen. Every time they moved their fists and feet, a roulette wheel would spin, determining the success rate of the attack. Charrrr!! The loud sound of the roulette and the dazzling light. The shape of this bizarre game machine, which seemed to combine a slot machine and a fighting game. It was definitely a game he had seen somewhere. “Oh, and if you try to cheat after losing, we’ve agreed to tie you to the train tracks. Don’t forget that either.” “……I won’t.” Thinking that, Lenok chuckled and grabbed the console with both hands. “Shall we play a round lightly?” Would these people have better gaming skills than Peisha Greeceburn? Just confirming that until the train arrived wouldn’t be boring. * * * Bang!! The game machine’s control panel at the end of the room was shattered by the impact. The man, who had been moving the console with bloodshot eyes, smashed the game machine, unable to contain his anger. However, the word [Victory] was still displayed on Lenok’s screen next to him. “38 consecutive wins.” Lenok got up from his seat and looked around. “It seems like it’s mostly over, is there anyone who wants to play a few more rounds for fun?” “……” At those words, no one could answer and avoided eye contact. All of those who had challenged Lenok had lost in less than 30 seconds since the game started. It had been a long time since they had lost all the money they had put up as stakes, as well as the tickets they had put up as prizes. Next to Lenok’s game machine, there were already a dozen old tickets piled up haphazardly. “Y, you bastard……!!” At that moment, the man who had smashed the game machine jumped up and glared at Lenok. “You, you bastard…… what kind of trick did you use!!” “Trick?” “This thing is made so that you can never win consecutively like that……!!” The man gritted his teeth and shouted with a flushed face. “It’s gambling where the results should match the money you put in!!” “You were gambling without even knowing what this game was.” Lenok replied indifferently. “Then isn’t it natural that you would lose your money or prizes?” “You……!!” The moment the man, unable to contain his anger, raised his fist, Lenok’s figure disappeared like smoke from that spot. “It’s time.” At that moment, the man’s body was flipped upside down, headfirst, and slammed into the broken game machine screen. Wham!! In the silence of the stunned onlookers at the incomprehensible movement, Lenok, having collected the tickets, left the station and boarded the train that had just arrived. “……Ticket confirmed. Have a good trip.” The tense-faced attendant tore off the ticket and handed the remaining part to Lenok. He headed to the seat number written on the ticket, which turned out to be a second-class seat located quite a distance from the engine room. In the space where dozens of people could comfortably sit, there were only less than ten passengers already seated. Unlike the gambling den earlier, no one even paid attention to Lenok as he sat down. “……” However, Lenok felt a chill that was incomparable to before and chuckled under his robe. Faint presences hidden all over the walls and ceiling of the cabin. He could roughly guess what they were aiming for, but- Baaang!! The train started as soon as Lenok took his seat. It left the station and quickly moved away from the scenery of Balkan. The train, gaining speed, entered a dark tunnel, and the moment the space inside the seats was hidden in darkness. Click!! The sound of sturdy handcuffs being fastened on Lenok’s wrist, who was leaning against his chair, echoed. “……” Looking to the side, the other passengers, who had been ignoring Lenok until just now, were standing stiffly. They were standing in the train aisle like ghosts, looking down at Lenok with a chilling gaze, without saying a word. Only the strange glint in their eyes, in the dark tunnel, was noticeable. Lenok asked, fiddling with the handcuffs. “What is this?” “Sometimes, spirit-sensitive ability users like you get on the train to Yorta without knowing anything.” A man sitting on the opposite seat said. “They’re so naive. Once they get on the train to Yorta, they believe they’re safe without any basis.” “……” “We keep those friends from running away, and if we set up the game like this……” Thump, thump!! The train, having just emerged from the dark tunnel, shook violently, and the moment light entered the cabin again. Lenok, who discovered the blood-stained magic circle that filled the ceiling and walls of the cabin, closed his mouth. The man, lightly snapping his fingers, whistled as he looked at Lenok. “You’re left defenseless in the middle of a magic circle that suppresses spirit abilities.” Only then did Lenok realize why they had been so confident. The reason why they handcuffed him and acted so forcefully without even trying to hide their intentions as soon as they entered the tunnel. It was because they thought that Lenok was a spirit-sensitive ability user, and that his abilities were completely suppressed in this cabin. They knew that Lenok was a spirit-sensitive ability user, even though he had never shown his abilities, and they were certain that his destination was Yorta. Furthermore, if they knew that Lenok was a passenger who had obtained a ticket separately, it was obvious where they had gotten that information. “The shaman sold my information to you.” Lenok’s gaze turned cold. “Or was this a trap designed from the beginning?” “What does it matter?” As the man said that and looked around, the passengers took out something from their pockets one by one. They were in the form of artifacts or accessories, but their forms and origins were all different. The only commonality was that they all possessed a chilling aura. “If you were planning to go to Yorta, you would have a ritual item to cross the Headrain River.” The man said. “Hand it over to us.” “……A ritual item? You’re not talking about the train ticket.” “Since Yorta has a foot in both the material and spirit realms, you need a sacrifice to pass through both boundaries, right?” “……” “Give us the ritual item to pass through the spirit realm. If you hand it over to us, we’ll spare your life.” A sacrifice to pass through the spirit realm. Although they didn’t mention it directly, Lenok immediately understood what they wanted from him. The relic-level artifact that Lenok had obtained directly from Jillian’s citadel to enter Yorta. The Guide’s Ring that was in Gyro’s orbit. They wanted to hand over the power of that artifact, which was undoubtedly made in the military spirit city. “I don’t understand. If you guys conspire to steal the ritual item, what are you going to do with it?” However, Lenok pretended not to know, even though he knew the truth. “If you already have a ritual item, I don’t see what the point is in taking mine.” “After passing through the checkpoint at the Headrain River, the level of the ritual item determines which part of the city you’ll be assigned to.” “……” “We just want to be assigned to the best level possible. It’s not a strange thing, is it?” Lenok, looking at the man who answered with a smile, slowly raised his finger. The man swallowed hard as he saw the Guide’s Ring, and Lenok immediately activated the ring. Woo-oong…!! The faint figure of the Guide’s ghost immediately appeared above the ring’s gem. The other passengers, who were standing nearby, exclaimed in admiration at the ghost’s silent gaze around them. “Oh, oh……!!” “It’s definitely a high-ranking spirit with the highest rarity……!!” “Move quickly. We need to share all that power before we reach the swamp!” As the passengers infused their thoughts into the items they each possessed, the figures of different spirits began to appear above their heads. Ritual items to pass through the material realm and sacrifices in the form of spirits to pass through the spirit realm. Among them, what they wanted was not the ring, but the Guide’s soul itself that was in the ring. However, Lenok waited patiently, still handcuffed, even though he knew that fact. ‘It would be easier to take care of them all at once.’ Killing these guys here wouldn’t give him any emotion or benefit. He could wipe out their ritual items with the holy spirit system technique embedded in the archangel’s compassion, and then extract information about the Headrain River by observing their reactions. Lenok was thinking that as he waited for them to take out all their ritual items. [……Ugh.] The Guide’s ghost, who had been standing blankly in front of Lenok, raised his head. Looking at the blood-stained magic circle and the scene of the cabin suppressing spirit abilities, he seemed angry, his lips twitching and baring his teeth. [Koo…….] The ghost, who had been obeying Lenok’s thoughts without any reaction, showed his own movement for the first time. The moment Lenok realized that this anomaly was due to the magic circle that was spread out in the cabin, he fiddled with the ring. [Chomp.] The Guide’s ghost, opening his mouth wide enough to be grotesque, devoured the other passengers’ ghosts as they were. Chomp chomp chomp chomp!!! With just a turn of his head, the ghosts’ forms were torn apart, absorbed, and disappeared on the spot. The artifacts that had lost the spirits dwelling within them could not withstand the backlash and began to break apart. Crack……!! Snap!! “Wh, what?!” “It ate my ghost!” “N, no! Spit it out! Spit it out now!!” “I can’t enter Yorta without this……!!” The passengers, belatedly realizing what had happened, shouted in panic. In response, the magic circle drawn on the ceiling and walls of the cabin slowly lost its power and disappeared. Only then did the Guide’s ghost, who had been looking at them, slowly turn his gaze towards Lenok. [Burp.] The Guide’s ghost, having digested all the ghosts he had just devoured, made a satisfied sound. The moment the Guide’s ghost made a satisfied sound, several souls that he had digested appeared behind him and began to follow him. “……” A strange movement, as if he had swallowed the souls and was guiding their journey. The Guide’s soul, baring his teeth and grinning at Lenok, with several souls behind him. For some reason, it seemed to Lenok as if he was saying, ‘Please take care of me in the future too.’

Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]

Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]

The Genius Wizard who takes Medicine, 약먹는 천재마법사 약먹는 천재 마법사
Status: Ongoing Author: Native Language: Korean
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In "Genius Wizard Takes Medicine," the protagonist, an avid gamer, meticulously crafts the ultimate wizard character in the game "World" by maximizing magical abilities and accepting numerous disadvantageous traits. However, he suddenly finds himself transmigrated into this very character—a prodigious talent who cannot survive a single day without relying on drugs. Set against a cyberpunk fantasy backdrop, the story blends action, adventure, and intricate magic systems, inviting readers to explore a world where extraordinary power comes at a significant cost.

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