Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 866

Saturation Armament No. 666: Contagious Incineration, Revolutionary Ammunition.

Numerous flame ports that had erupted above the lake simultaneously unleashed fire, engulfing the incoming missiles.

As a scorching gust of wind swept across the water’s surface like a breath, the malfunctioning projectiles all exploded in mid-air.

The flames, stretching out and evaporating the mist rising from the lake, drew a tail of light.

Kuhwaaaak!

A pillar of fire, rotating in a semicircle, rose above like a bubble, scorching both the water’s surface and the ground indiscriminately.

A wave of fire bridged the lake, connecting the small boat to the distant shore.

The armored vehicles at the edge of the lake melted in an instant, and people tumbled out of them.

Watching Lenok’s magic, which ignited the water and melted the ground, Patisha muttered in disbelief.

“Isn’t that a bit excessive for intercepting projectiles…?”

“Adjusting.”

Lenok, exhaling thick smoke from his cigar, slowly retracted his magic power as he replied.

“It’s harder to reduce the power right now, so don’t expect me to hold back.”

“That’s not a very mage-like thing to say…”

Coming from Kundara, and having some knowledge of spellcasting, she seemed to find Lenok’s words hard to believe.

“Isn’t the combination of magic power and intent what determines the range and power of a spell? At this rate, not only us but you will also be caught in the aftermath of the magic.”

“It’s hard to explain… it’s a complicated issue.”

[Fire Spirit Follower]

Kwaaaang!

With a small sigh, he lowered his hand, and the flames that rose like a barrier split the melted armored vehicles in the distance vertically.

“Hah…!!”

Lapis gasped at the surreal power and range, while Patisha’s expression only grew more bizarre.

“Lapis, is this human really the strongest Watcher you spoke of…?”

“…”

“He’s not a Watcher.”

However, Lenok’s statement to Patisha that adjusting was difficult was not a lie.

Since the power of the Black Sea Goddess’s Fall had grown stronger, the power of his flame magic had increased significantly, making fine control difficult.

If he had used it as frequently as lightning magic, it might have been different, but it was difficult to control the power of flame magic, which was already specialized in diffusion and amplification, after not using it for so long.

“I’ll try to get a feel for it as quickly as possible, but I can’t guarantee anything, so try to avoid it on your own.”

“No, you keep saying things that don’t make sense… Were you even here to escort Lapis in the first place-?!”

The moment the crane, with its neck held high, shouted in a fit of pique, sharp arrows shot up from under the water, aiming for Lapis.

Sweeek!

Dozens of purple-tinged arrowheads were launched from under the water, targeting Lapis.

They cut through the water at near-supersonic speed, spinning violently from the depths of the lake.

Pa-ba-ba-bat!

Thin wires attached to the arrowheads simultaneously spread out over the boat, tightly binding it as if trying to ensnare the hull.

A swift encirclement and all-out attack, as if they had prepared for this exact situation.

However, instead of panicking, Lapis crossed her hands and pulled her wrists together as if brushing them.

“Vision Binding Territory. Vision Seeking Fortress. Vision Array.”

The moment she formed hand seals with three incantations and raised her hands.

“Principle Distortion. Break!”

The arrows fired at the boat all bent in bizarre directions, then bounced off and plunged into the lake.

Per-beo-beong!!!

More than a dozen projectiles failed to even graze the boat and sank into the lake, creating small splashes.

Meanwhile, Lenok, having amplified the power of the Revolutionary Ammunition and completely destroyed the launch platforms, turned his gaze.

Uji-ji-jik!!!

“The ability of the Heavenly Eye. Is it a method of distorting the vision of inanimate objects to forcibly alter their trajectory?”

Having faced the consciousness of an Ascendant [a being who has transcended mortal limitations], Lenok immediately understood how close Lapis had come to obtaining that power.

Since he had forcibly twisted and bent the gaze of the arrows, which were not alive, it must be a power he had gained in the process of adjusting the ability into a spell.

However, before Lapis could answer, dozens of black figures surged from under the lake, climbing onto the boat.

Thud!

Wearing sleek suits like diving suits, with masks resembling gas masks on their faces.

They held personal crossbows in one hand and firearms or polearms in the other, quickly surrounding them.

The shooters, dripping the lake’s clear, polluted water from their bodies, stared intently at Lapis from all sides of the boat.

[Eyes of Azure.]

[Lighthouse Keeper.]

Faintly distorted voices leaked from behind the gas masks.

[Granddaughter of the Heavenly Eye.]

[You really came alone.]

[Don’t you value your life?]

“If you have something to say, shouldn’t you first reveal who you are?”

Even as the boat tilted and swayed from the weight of dozens of attackers, Lapis remained unfazed.

Rather, she calmly looked around with a smile, slightly lowering her posture as if showing courtesy.

“If you don’t like me meeting with the Balkan City Council, I’d like to hear your reasons.”

[Reasons?]

[What explanation is needed?]

Click!

The shooters, loading new arrows into their crossbows and pulling back the strings, aimed at Lapis and Lenok from all sides and fired immediately.

Swee-ae-aek!

However, a wall of flames rose from under Lapis’s feet, burning all the incoming arrows.

The shooters immediately threw away their crossbows and closed the distance, splitting into two groups.

One group stuck close, as if trying to block Lenok’s view, while the other group broke through the wall of fire and violently smashed the boat’s floor and hull, as if trying to kidnap Lapis.

Paat! Ka-ga-gak!

With a sound like scraping the hull roughly, they plunged strangely twisted daggers into Lenok’s limbs.

The moment the unpleasant purple blades tried to pierce his clothes and flesh and inject a lethal poison under his blood vessels.

The poison droplets at the tips of the blades burst into flames, melting the suits they were wearing.

Flame-Type Unique Magic

Property Change Resonance Transfer

[Six Colors of Brilliance]

[Contagious Flame Guidance]

Whirrr!

The flames that clung to one attacker’s body jumped through the air and attached to another attacker’s body.

As if connected by a dazzling thread of fire, the flames that had spread to dozens of attackers on the boat instantly burned through the wires attached to the boat.

Unable to withstand the heat, some of the attackers fell back into the lake from the boat.

Chiiik!

[Kkyaaaaaak!!]

The melted suits failed to protect them from the lake’s polluted water, and a terrible scream echoed as their flesh melted.

Bulge, bulge!

The bodies of the attackers who had fallen into the lake swelled up on the spot, beginning to expand as if they were about to explode.

[I-igik… G-geugeuk!!]

The attackers on all sides of the boat were attempting to self-destruct, while at the edge of the lake, the military was preparing to fire, trying to prevent the boat from reaching its destination.

As soon as Lapis saw this, she began to form hand seals again.

“Evan, when I give the signal, immediately-”

“No.”

Lenok walked in front of Lapis and gently nudged her shoulder.

With just a light touch, Lapis’s body gently sank down as if supported by an invisible hand.

“Don’t waste your intent in a place like this. You need to save your strength until you meet with the City Council, right?”

“But…”

“If it’s not absolutely necessary, there’s no need to help.”

Lenok replied slowly, raising his magic power.

“I came here to do this from the start.”

Whack!

The flames that erupted from under the mage’s feet instantly formed a circular ring, floating in the air.

Standing in the center of the burning magic circle, his elegant hand gestures quickly formed seals and crammed incantations into the circle.

“Radiant, Shatter, Project, Release, Open. Designated Declaration.”

A complex resonance spell, casting five different property changes under one incantation.

The jade flames of destruction, which the Witch of Saturation, Tatiana, had once shown, fell like tears from the center of the magic circle.

Flame-Type Unique Magic

Five-Fold Incantation Complex Resonance

[Arrival of Flames: Spiral of Heat]

[Five Metal Chains]

[Super Melting]

Thud!

The lake evaporated, and the earth melted.

As the incantation ended, an intangible heat covered the entire area, engulfing and burning everything that had form.

Kwaooooh!!!

“Keok…!!”

“Gulp…!!”

The superhumans who had been hiding under the lake in diving suits floated to the surface, clutching their necks with both hands.

Even the screams of the soldiers who were convulsing, grabbing their own legs as they melted under the melting ground, ceased.

The tires of the armored vehicles melted, and soon even the metal bodies of the vehicles flowed like liquid.

Centered on the surface of the lake where Lenok was standing, a huge crater was formed, emitting steam and frictional heat.

Shhh-ee-it!

The water and soil of the lake burned and evaporated, and the heat distorted the view, creating a mirage.

The moment the boat arrived at the edge of the lake amidst the thick, spreading hot mist.

No more screams or shouts could be heard around the lake.

Chiiik!

Lenok scattered his magic power over the ground, which was so hot that it was melting in real-time.

A large-scale area spell that crushed and melted the attackers who were about to explode on the boat and the military who were trying to launch additional attacks from the edge of the lake.

As a result, about half of the vast lake dried up completely, then violently surged as it refilled with water.

A bizarre outcome that was essentially the result of suppressing additional damage with force.

“…Your instantaneous output is among the best I’ve seen among mages. Is this how you always fought?”

“I don’t think it was this much before…”

“Let’s go. I left one armored vehicle behind.”

Lenok moved first, leaving Lapis and Patisha, who were speechless as they stared at the carnage on the ground.

Sarak!

A pure white ice path extended from the boat, creating a thin bridge to the ground where the heat had not reached.

“…I don’t know what you mean.”

Patisha said as she helped Lapis move.

“How can a vehicle of the human race maintain its shape after turning the surroundings into such a desolate hell-”

Buaaang!

Patisha stopped talking when she saw the armored vehicle, which had been started and was parked in front of the ice bridge.

Lenok replied as he watched Lapis, who had retrieved the boat, carefully walk along the ice bridge.

“If you prepare before the incantation, it’s not difficult to save one car. More than that…”

Thump!

“Ugh!!”

When he opened the driver’s side door, the driver who had been hiding inside, trembling, screamed and tumbled out.

Lenok, grabbing the driver’s collar with one hand as he tried to run away without looking back, said.

“There are things we need to ask the survivor.”

Whirr!

“Kyak, Uwaaaht!! It’s hot!!”

The moment Lenok grabbed him, the driver’s collar burst into flames, instantly engulfing his body.

The driver, forgetting about trying to escape, screamed and rolled around, writhing in the heat.

Lenok kicked the man’s head, who was convulsing and smearing dirt on his body.

Peok!

“Cough…!! Eyes of Azure… you had something to rely on…”

The driver, coughing weakly, looked at Lenok with blurry eyes.

“There was no mention of a mage who could unleash such firepower being by your side…”

“It seems the higher-ups gave you the wrong information.”

Lenok replied with a smile.

“I’m about to die because of it, so shouldn’t I get revenge on those friends?”

“Hehe… Cough, cough!! I acknowledge the power that burned the assault force…”

It was difficult to even breathe with the heat flowing through his respiratory system. The driver desperately gasped for air and barely opened his mouth.

“But there’s a crazy mage living in this city…”

“…What?”

“Killing a mage who is controlled by his own power is nothing compared to that guy…”

He smiled faintly as he looked up at Lenok with blurry eyes.

“You won’t last long… Let’s see…”

“…”

Lenok stood up, leaving the driver who had stiffened with a smile and died.

Lapis, who had been listening to the conversation from behind, muttered with a puzzled expression.

“A way to deal with mages… Did they know that I asked Evan for help?”

“No, rather…”

Lenok was about to say something, but he just changed the subject.

“There was no pursuit until we arrived at the lake with Ivelin. That means they knew the coordinates in advance and came looking for us.”

“…”

Looking at Lapis’s serious expression, it seemed he didn’t need to hear an answer.

“These guys aren’t just a third party who dislikes you meeting with the Balkan City Council.”

Lenok said, dragging the body of the fallen driver with magic power.

“Someone within the City Council who doesn’t like this situation leaked this information to the outside.”

Apart from the City Council inviting Lapis, it meant that there were many within who were not happy with her.

Looking at Lapis, who was lost in thought, Lenok gestured towards the armored vehicle.

“Let’s move for now.”

With Davi’s hacking, he started the engine in the driver’s seat and immediately stepped on the accelerator.

He quickly increased the speed of the armored vehicle, leaving the lakeside and turning in various directions.

Screech!

Lenok, checking the side mirror to see if there were any pursuers, turned around while holding the steering wheel and said.

“When we reach the nearby city, we’ll abandon the car and change vehicles. What time did you say the appointment with the City Council was?”

Patisha, who was standing in an uncomfortable position in the back seat with her wings folded, replied.

“Noon the day after tomorrow. An official agreement will be made at the City Hall, and an announcement will be made immediately.”

“City Hall?”

“After the negotiations are over, we have to move to District 19 immediately to perform the ritual.”

Patisha answered again in place of Lapis.

“It’s the minimum procedure to obtain the authority to enter the restricted area.”

“Assuming we successfully enter District 19, how long will the ritual take? Even a prediction is fine.”

After thinking for a moment, Lapis replied.

“The ritual itself doesn’t take long. What’s needed is the preparation process for the ritual… at least two hours.”

“That’s too long.”

“Mage, some large-scale rituals can take months or even years. This is definitely not long-”

Thump!

The armored vehicle shook violently, and Patisha’s long head bumped against the ceiling as she tried to retort.

“~~!!!”

She flapped her wings wildly, making an indescribable cry. She didn’t seem very reliable for a spirit beast.

As they entered the paved road, the shaking of the armored vehicle finally decreased significantly.

Lenok slowly turned the steering wheel, merging into the traffic entering the city center, and said.

“These attempts will become more frequent when we enter the city center. There might even be interference during the ritual. So, I want to ask you here.”

Lenok, turning his gaze completely towards Lapis, tilted his head slightly and asked.

“What are you trying to gain in this city that you’re willing to break the inviolability treaty of the autonomous territory?”

Although he asked Lapis this, Lenok didn’t expect an answer.

He had heard the details from the consciousness of the Heavenly Eye, but he couldn’t be sure that Lapis was properly aware of it.

Perhaps Lapis discovering it herself was closer to her true purpose.

If Lenok’s job was to watch over that journey, he should at least leave her room to think for herself.

However, Lapis, who had been sitting in the back seat looking at the passing city of Balkan, turned her head as soon as she heard Lenok’s question.

“Ah, I haven’t properly explained it to Evan yet. I’m on my way to meet my grandmother.”

“What?”

“Lapis…!!”

Patisha flinched for a moment and touched Lapis’s shoulder with her crane wing, but Lapis turned her head with a stern expression.

“Patisha. Evan took a risk to come and help us. I have to tell him.”

“That’s not the problem. If you reveal related information, he will notice it too.”

Patisha whispered quickly, carefully looking around as she tapped her long beak.

“Maybe he’s already listening…!!”

“Are you saying we should keep the details of the deal a secret from Evan because of that concern?”

Lapis firmly denied it.

“If I fail because I didn’t leave any doubts, then I will. This whole thing wouldn’t have meant anything more than that.”

“…”

Patisha, looking at Lapis in surprise, said.

“It’s different. How can you be so trusting of someone who isn’t even a Watcher-”

“Doubts? Was there something else that needed to be kept secret during the negotiations with the City Council?”

Lenok asked, glancing back at Lapis.

It was unexpected that Lapis was properly aware of the purpose of meeting the Heavenly Eye, but it seemed there was more to it than that.

“Ah, if you don’t want to say it, you don’t have to explain. As long as what I have to do doesn’t change, there’s no need to-”

“…No.”

Lapis, who had been hesitating, quietly shook her head.

“The reason the City Council finished discussing my visit wasn’t just because of the inviolability treaty.”

“Then?”

“…”

Lapis answered.

“They asked me to use my ability to see the fate of one of the senators.”

“…See fate?”

Screech!

Lenok parked the car in a dark alley, took out a small timer, attached it to the steering wheel, and got out.

As Lapis and Patisha followed, he activated the timer and immediately closed the car door.

Buaaang!

The armored vehicle, moving on its own even though no one was sitting in it, disappeared into the alley.

Lenok watched the disappearing vehicle until the end and turned his gaze.

“I’ll patrol the nearby area until the time comes to draw attention. If there are any who followed the armored vehicle, most of them will fall off.”

“O-oh, I see. Even those armored vehicles have self-driving technology…”

“Let’s move on foot from here. I’ve booked a place to stay. It’s less than 5 minutes away.”

Lenok pulled up his hood and looked down at Lapis.

“We’ll talk about seeing fate with the Lighthouse Keeper’s ability there.”