Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 818

“It’s over.”

A deep sea, its depths unfathomable.

A dark, treacherous place where a normal human would be crushed by the water pressure, their body compressed into nothing.

A massive underwater cave, deep beneath the sea.

In a dark, secluded spot at its end, a young man wearing glasses sat leisurely, sipping coffee.

“It seems the war mercenary of the Demon Realm has moved. If he took action, the memorial tower wouldn’t be able to maintain its form.”

[…Did Kroken Asilus take action himself?]

A gloomy telepathic voice echoed from within the cave.

At the same time, a slippery tentacle writhed in front of the young man, revealing complex emotions.

The young man chuckled at the response.

“Camrodal, why pretend you don’t know? You were the one who accompanied Seyna until the very end.”

[…]

“You knew that Seyna was heading to Yorta to fulfill her role… didn’t you?”

The young man’s voice was endlessly calm. However, the emotion beyond his tone was far from amicable.

More like a cynical certainty than pure curiosity.

Camrodal, the 8th Apostle, couldn’t refute the young man’s words, which seemed to be interrogating him, and remained silent.

The secret incident that occurred in the swamp on the way to Yorta.

The fact that the young man before him knew that Camrodal had tried to kill the priestess to eliminate any possibility.

And the fact that Camrodal could do nothing about it was also something he knew all too well.

The 2nd Apostle of the Order, considered the most perfect among the existing Apostles.

He, who was free from the madness that inevitably befalls the Apostles, had come to meet Camrodal in person.

The fact that he, who wielded influence throughout the Order and handled important matters of the Papal State on behalf of the Pontiff, had come to Camrodal himself.

“The position of the priestess, who serves as the high priest, must always be prepared to be replaced, and no one is an exception.”

The 2nd Apostle said, placing his coffee cup down.

“Just like the previous priestess, Izel, Seyna also had to give up her position as priestess when the time came. But…”

The 2nd Apostle’s aura turned sharp for a moment as he looked at the tentacle writhing in the darkness.

“That time was not now.”

[…]

“The priestess’s role is crucial in the process of seizing the first gate, the war with the alliance, and simultaneously handling the ascension of Jinwa. But Camrodal, can you truly say that you bear no responsibility for Seyna’s death?”

When they found Seyna Naderi’s body in the swamp, Camrodal refused to cooperate, claiming he couldn’t trust her because she was cursed by Jinwa, and tried to kill her.

However, regardless of Camrodal warning Seyna about Jinwa’s existence, there was a clear part where he stood by and watched, knowing that her safety could be in danger.

Did Camrodal truly try to kill Seyna because he thought she was possessed by Jinwa’s curse and couldn’t be trusted?

The 2nd Apostle, upon hearing the circumstances, immediately noticed the intention and came directly to Camrodal’s hideout to interrogate him.

[…That’s surprising.]

Camrodal slowly began to speak.

[You may have cherished Izel Naderi, but you wouldn’t have had much interest in the current priestess. Yet, are you more angry about her death than Izel’s?]

“…”

[You could say you strictly separate public and private matters, but this is quite interesting for us Apostles.]

Camrodal said to the silent 2nd Apostle.

[Even after living as an avatar for so long, the fact that you can still suppress such primal emotions-]

Crack!!

At that moment, the tip of the tentacle writhing in the darkness was crushed.

As if crushed by an invisible, formless force, it was flattened and scattered its fragments raggedly.

A chilling intent that completely tore apart one of the giant tentacle legs on the spot.

[…!!]

“Camrodal.”

The 2nd Apostle said with an expressionless face, leaving Camrodal, who was faintly trembling his tentacles.

“I know your desire to escape madness.”

[Hmm…]

“You worship the gods, but at the same time, you fear them. Imitating the Ascended, endlessly dividing and distributing your consciousness is also part of that.”

The 2nd Apostle slowly tilted his head towards Camrodal, who was staggering in pain.

“But your desire should not take precedence over the Order’s aspirations. It’s already wrong that I have to say this myself…”

The 2nd Apostle’s gaze pierced through the form of the giant cephalopod writhing in the darkness.

“I hope you can help me avoid repeating the foolish act of disposing of a fellow Apostle.”

[…Then tell me the way.]

Camrodal murmured towards the 2nd Apostle, who was turning away, leaving his half-finished cup of coffee.

[How can I escape this terrible madness? How can I wake up from the dream of the Outer Gods like you?]

“…”

[From the moment we accepted the fate of an Apostle, we can only choose how we will go mad and break down. But I did not devote myself to the Order for this kind of ending.]

In the darkness, the red glow of the 8th Apostle’s eyes flickered.

[Even if I am broken and shattered after an eternal struggle, I cannot tolerate the disgrace of self-destruction…!!]

Camrodal’s intent flared up roughly, as if about to clash at any moment.

However, the 2nd Apostle calmly let the 8th Apostle’s menacing aura flow past him and turned his gaze away.

“The Papal State has confirmed the next priestess candidate. She will soon ascend to the Hall of All Gods, receive blessings, and formally inherit the authority of the high priest.”

[…]

“It would be good if we could recover Seyna’s remains and enshrine them in the main temple before then, but even if not, you will be contacted soon.”

The 8th Apostle Camrodal uses the Apostle technique ‘Camrodal’s Puppet’ to escape the madness that inevitably befalls the Apostles, but apart from that, he is an existence with a considerably different nature from other Apostles.

He follows the doctrines and serves the Pontiff, but his faith is far from blind fanaticism.

He has a strong sense of self, is highly calculating, and possesses high intelligence, but as an independent entity, he is quite emotional.

The autocratic attitude he outwardly displays is far removed from that of a devout believer.

Ignoring Seyna Naderi’s request was also a self-righteous decision that did not follow the will of the Papal State.

As an Apostle who follows the Pontiff, ignoring the Papal State that acts on his behalf is clearly a serious crime that cannot be overlooked.

However, the 2nd Apostle knew this clearly, and even though he directly interrogated him, he did not try to punish him here.

Judging each other as fellow Apostles is only done when the madness has spread to the core, to the point where they cannot even recognize the master they serve.

Moreover, he knew that Camrodal’s nature was also a necessary kind of talent for the Order.

Among the Apostles who are mad and going mad with love and hate for the Pontiff, there needs to be an existence that can maintain balance, even in this way.

That is why the 2nd Apostle interrogated and judged Camrodal’s decision, but did not try to purge him.

“Until the day the Great Temple reopens, we must move under one doctrine.”

[…]

“Even if our paths diverge someday, according to the dreams of the gods we have chosen… we must stand on the same battlefield until the very end.”

The 2nd Apostle said quietly.

“That is what He wants from us.”

[Well… I still don’t understand.]

Camrodal murmured quietly.

[Unlike Him, we are so unstable. Can we really endure until that day comes again?]

In the darkness, the cephalopod’s eyes glowed somewhat sadly.

[Or perhaps, does He want us all to break down beyond control?]

“…”

[I cannot refuse. But I am afraid, yet I want to know.]

Srrr…

Camrodal’s presence fades as he regenerates the tentacle crushed by the 2nd Apostle’s power as if nothing had happened.

[Whether He still remembers the grace He bestowed upon us…]

Since his hideout, where he had hidden his main body, had been exposed, there was no longer any need to stay here.

Of course, the 2nd Apostle could find Camrodal’s main body whenever he wanted, but that was not a reason not to change his hideout.

In the darkness, Camrodal’s writhing form slowly blurred, and soon, it vanished completely.

The 2nd Apostle silently watched the moment Camrodal disappeared until the very end before turning away.

The 2nd Apostle, having walked out of the hidden sanctuary within the underwater cave, slowly raised his head.

As soon as he stepped outside the boundary, the heavy water pressure pressed down on the Apostle, but without hesitation, the 2nd Apostle began to walk through the middle of the deep sea.

Deep-sea fish and various demonic beasts, their eyes gleaming, hurriedly scattered to the sides, creating a massive passage beneath the water as they swam away.

Without even looking back at the demonic beasts desperately fleeing around him, the 2nd Apostle muttered.

“I thought I had finally filled the vacancy of the 10th Apostle, but now the Saintess has left.”

The master of the Order. The one who understands all of the gods.

Everything within the Order, except for the single person at the pinnacle of the divine path, must be replaced immediately at any time.

Even if it is the position of the Saintess, who possesses the most outstanding priestly talent, the Papal Authority had already prepared a candidate to replace her.

Nevertheless, perfectly replacing Seina’s absence was virtually impossible.

Seina Naderi was a talented individual who had taken over the position of Saintess, which is usually inherited through death, from Izel solely through her own abilities.

Throughout the history of the Order, there have been few Saintesses with such talent.

Moreover, Seina had a relatively moderate disposition within the Papal Authority, and she had mediated the subtle conflicts between the Apostles and the Papal Authority on several occasions.

No matter how talented the next Saintess may be, it would be difficult to ask her to play the same role as Seina.

This was nothing short of a fatal loss for the Order, which had recently resumed its activities simultaneously across the entire continent.

Especially for the 2nd Apostle, who had been deliberately reducing his influence within the Order recently.

“Where did things go so wrong…”

Yes, perhaps everything went wrong from the tragedy that occurred in the Far East Branch.

From the moment the former Saintess, Izel Naderi, sacrificed herself to become an Apostle, causing both Amrita [a divine substance or power] and herself to fall.

And from the fact that there was a strong individual in the Azure Eye [a powerful organization] capable of single-handedly subduing those two.

From the moment he had to face the sight of Izel, whom he had personally favored, lying at that person’s feet.

“…Evan Martinez.”

Where is that mage who imitated an Apostle, followed an Apostle, and ultimately subdued an Apostle, doing now?

Since that day, the 2nd Apostle had been watching Evan’s movements, but contrary to the active movements of the Azure Eye, Evan had not shown himself throughout the changing seasons.

Whether it was because Evan Martinez himself had circumstances that prevented him from moving.

Or whether the identity of Evan was just a mask created solely for the Azure Eye.

The fact that a mage with such talent and disposition was rare made the situation even more suspicious.

Thinking so, the 2nd Apostle drew his magic power to its full potential from the depths of the sea.

Kooong!!

As magic power surged and rotated around the Apostle’s body, the water, crushed thousands of meters below the sea, rotated simultaneously following his gesture.

The navy-blue currents swirling around the 2nd Apostle’s form pushed his body upward, and he ascended at an incredible speed.

Kwaaaah!!!

Each moment he shot up to the surface, the fluctuating pressure pressed down on the 2nd Apostle, and steel barriers appeared from all directions, blocking his path.

However, the 2nd Apostle did not take any action against the water pressure and the barriers blocking his path, and instead, he increased his speed and ascended straight up.

Drrrrrrr!

Crack!

Red warning lights flashed from the depths of the sea, and magic power and thoughts that did not belong to the 2nd Apostle raged from all directions.

It was as if they had only just recognized someone’s intrusion and were frantically moving to come up with countermeasures.

The 2nd Apostle slightly tilted his head, accepting the human emotions mixed with fear and confusion.

Swaaeeek!!

The Apostle’s form, which had instantly approached the surface from thousands of meters below the sea, turned at a right angle and sped across the surface as if plowing through it.

The water split to both sides, shooting up like fountains, and a roar like an exploding bomb echoed from the impact.

Kugugugu!!

[Stop, stop!!]

[Halt immediately!!]

Numerous fleets blocked the Apostle’s path, and submarines that had belatedly followed from below the surface fired torpedoes at the same time as the warnings.

However, as the Apostle’s form pierced through the keel of a warship, the seawater exploded, and all the warnings and resistance turned to dust and evaporated.

[Magic pattern unmeasurable. Confirmed as the manifestation of a supreme-level thought. 40% of the 3rd Fleet’s power destroyed!!]

[Contact the Supreme Council. We can’t stop him-!!]

[No…!!]

Kwaaaah!!!

Just by moving across the sea, he annihilated dozens of warships, hundreds of submarines, and thousands of superhumans.

He absorbed the stench of blood and steel, the acrid smell of explosives and smoke, and the despairing thoughts as he broke through the sea area.

The Apostle’s form, having wiped out the 3rd Fleet guarding the sea area, instantly ascended onto land.

Swaaaah!!

Fragments of warships washed up by the waves. Piles of corpses torn to pieces in a gruesome state.

Amidst them, the 2nd Apostle’s form, which had brought a wave of death, twisted eerily above the sea surface.

What was reflected beyond his water-soaked glasses were mechanical barriers that soared high into the sky and the concentrated fire of mechanized legions that were fiercely rotating in all directions.

The 2nd Apostle, looking at the gun barrels aimed at him from the coast, nodded.

“I’ve come to the right place.”

The 2nd Apostle’s search for Camrodal’s hideout in the depths of the sea was not solely to question his responsibility.

It was because he knew that the hideout Camrodal had prepared to conceal his main body was located beneath the sea area of the city he was heading to.

Machina, the mechanical city.

A city that had suffered greatly from the failure of the Ascension Gate [a portal or gateway to another dimension or plane] in the past and had recently experienced a major terrorist attack that had half-destroyed the entire Meister District.

The 2nd Apostle had come directly to the city from the sea area where the Mind Core [a central control or power source] was located, in Machina, where the Supreme Council and the underworld figures were working together to manage the chaos.

“If Pandemonium [a state of chaos or disorder] turned Yorta upside down, it is my role to restore the balance.”

The 2nd Apostle, having flicked away the water from his body with a single gesture, raised his hand, and the waves that had been surging behind him swelled greatly.

The water level rose instantly, and then, riding on his thoughts, it rose to become a massive tsunami that engulfed the coast.

Kugugugu…!!

“Huk…!!”

The 2nd Apostle smiled as he watched the soldiers of the mechanized legion, their faces pale, stepping back.

“The Underworld King attempted a ‘preparatory march’ across the continent… I’ll show you that I can do it better.”

* * *

Swaaaah!!

A street so quiet it was deafening.

Cold water splashed against his cheek, faintly tapping against his eyelids.

How long had it been since he had lost consciousness and collapsed?

Beyond his body, which had reached its limits, his transcendent mental strength forcibly awakened his five senses and pieced together his judgment.

Beyond Lenok’s vision, which had struggled to lift his eyelids, was the distorted scenery of the canal, wet and warped.

Thud!!

A huge hammer fell upside down in front of him.

The form of a hammer, wrapped in black, withered magic power, fiercely pounding the ground it touched.

As he stared blankly at the hammer imbued with the magic of the Doer [a powerful being or entity], a scaled hand grabbed the hammer’s handle and lifted it.

Wooong…!!

Kroken’s form slowly walked out from beyond the ruins of the collapsed memorial tower.

Even after single-handedly destroying the center of Yorta, there was no change in his momentum.

“Your durability has improved. You used to be knocked out with a single gesture.”

Kroken chuckled as he looked at the fallen Lenok.

“Or maybe it’s not you, but me who has changed.”

“…”

The crocodile giant, with the hammer resting on his shoulder, slowly tilted his head as he stared at the sky.

“It’ll take a while for the monk to finish the adjustments. If you have anything to say, speak up.”

Kroken smiled as he stared at Lenok with his bright yellow reptile pupils.

“Even if you don’t, the Captain asked me to pass on a message to you.”