Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 868

Lenok ignored Mayer’s reaction and continued his explanation.

“The way they’ve subtly overlapped the coordinates to minimize the backlash while maintaining a physical form is quite familiar. Usually, such cases are inspired by some terrain or natural feature… Yes. If I had to pinpoint it-”

Lenok stopped mid-sentence, realizing what example had come to mind.

This method of distinguishing spatial coordinates for each floor was similar to the Yorta Memorial Tower.

Lenok quickly and naturally changed the subject.

“Maintaining multiple overlapping spatial coordinates in reality like this must cost a fortune. It seems the general hospital in this megacity has enough budget to throw in such technology and still keep the business afloat.”

The fact that they could imitate the way the Yorta Memorial Tower’s floors were separated, a key sanctuary, was proof of the immense capital and technology invested in this space.

Only then did Mayer, who had been looking at Lenok with a surprised expression, nod with a sullen face.

“That’s right… You’ve pointed it out accurately. That’s why the coordinate overlapping technology currently applied to the VIP ward hasn’t been used in other wards or facilities yet. This space cannot be properly maintained even in Vulcan without the investment of the VIP patients admitted to this ward.”

“…”

Lenok noticed that Patisha’s reaction had subtly changed, but Mayer’s explanation didn’t end there.

“However, even considering that, the effectiveness of the spatial coordinate overlapping technology applied to this ward is truly immense. Just by using this elevator to change altitude and descend to a new floor-”

*Ding!*

With that sound, the door opened, and Mayer, stepping out of the elevator, turned to the group and said,

“You can temporarily entrust yourself to a completely different space.”

“…”

The space beyond the elevator was not the clean, dazzling white ivory tower they had been in just moments before.

*Whoosh!*

A dark corridor lit only by dim lights.

A chilling sight of thousands of strange talismans plastered all over the ceiling and walls.

Something that looked like hair writhed like snakes under their feet, and an eerie wail seemed to echo from the far end of the corridor.

“This is…”

“This way.”

Despite the drastically changed atmosphere, Mayer started walking ahead without a care.

“You don’t have to worry about getting lost. There’s only one patient room on this floor anyway.”

“…”

“And there’s only one patient sleeping in this room.”

Opening the old wooden door at the end of the corridor revealed a wide patient room.

At the center was a bed with thick curtains drawn around it, and more than a dozen medical staff were busily moving around the room.

The medical staff all wore thick respirators covering their faces and outfits that completely concealed their skin.

“Ah, Councilor Mayer. You’re a bit late.”

“Gaisle.”

An elderly man in a worn suit standing right next to the bed nodded to Mayer.

He looked a bit younger than Mayer, but he was also quite old with his gray hair.

Unlike the other medical staff, he was standing near the bed without any protective gear, which was unusual.

“I am Lapis Falchier.”

Lapis bowed slightly, and Gaisle’s eyes gleamed with a strange light.

“Oh, so you’re the one from Madrea…”

“Are you acquainted with my grandmother?”

“…Yes, once. We traveled together for a while.”

Gaisle shook his head with a subtle smile.

“It was a long time ago, so I don’t remember it well now. Don’t mind it.”

“…”

He spoke informally to Lapis as if it were second nature.

He was likely either of extraordinary origin or a superhuman who had reached that level of power.

But before Lapis could ask more about it, Mayer put on a respirator he received from a medical staff and approached the bed.

“Falchier, you asked me earlier why I transferred the access rights to District 19. The reason is here.”

*Swish!*

The moment the curtains around the bed were pulled back, a terribly twisted energy began to emanate like a fog.

“…!!”

Lapis unconsciously stiffened her expression and gasped at the terrible energy, and Patisha stirred with a wary look.

But Mayer, unconcerned by their reactions, pointed to the patient lying on the bed.

His whole body was withered and soaked in black energy, barely maintaining a human form.

It was hard to tell if it was a man or a woman, a child or an old person.

“Ramonte Clifton. A founding contributor who had served as a senator since the establishment of Vulcan, and once the key keeper who was in charge of managing all the city’s gates.”

Mayer glanced down at the patient and said.

“He suffered from a chronic illness for a long time and began to rely on strange folk remedies in his later years. In the process, he was repeatedly cursed by ancient curses and ended up like this. The last time he was conscious was ten years ago, and now most of his life functions have stopped, and we’re forcibly keeping him alive.”

“…”

“Most of the authority that Clifton, the former key keeper, had has been recovered, but the only thing that hasn’t been recovered is-”

“The access rights to District 19, you mean.”

Lenok interrupted Mayer, immediately understanding the situation.

The reason why Mayer had suddenly guided Lapis to the VIP ward without any explanation.

It was because the series of conditions the city council had presented to Lapis were a series of preparations to make this moment understandable.

“Evan?”

Lapis turned her gaze, slightly surprised by Lenok’s sudden intervention, but Lenok ignored her.

He understood why they were explaining this situation to Lapis in such detail and why the city council’s reaction had been lukewarm.

Lenok looked down at the corpse-like figure on the bed with a cold gaze and said.

“Are you saying that I should directly recover the authority of District 19 that remains in this patient’s body?”

“That’s right. You’re quick to understand.”

Gaisle nodded at Lenok’s words.

“In the first place, access rights to closed districts do not remain in tangible or intangible forms unless they are old rights created a long time ago, so they cannot be transferred or passed on. Especially District 19, the first closed district ever created, is different from other districts.”

“…”

“But the reason why we could accept the lighthouse keeper’s request for this matter is because the city council judged that she might be able to recover the ‘old rights’ remaining in Clifton.”

Gaisle’s gaze naturally turned to Lapis.

“If you are a lighthouse keeper who can look into the past and future with your initial ability, you might be able to pick out the access rights to District 19 from Clifton’s cursed past. Isn’t that right?”

“…”

When Lenok heard that Lapis had to see the fate of a senator, he thought the target would be Senator Reisen.

He thought she would look at his fate, who had become a host for the Maelstrom Acrotreenier, and investigate what the end of implanting the byproducts of the outer sea into one’s body would be like.

He never imagined that such a procedure would be necessary to obtain access rights to a closed district.

“As we initially agreed, the city council wants two things. A renegotiation of the inviolability treaty of the autonomous territory left by the Heavenly Eye, and for you to look at Clifton’s remaining fate.”

“…”

Gaisle said to the silent Lapis.

“I’ll give you time to think if you want. It might take you some time to consider, especially since you’re not being asked to look at the fate of an ordinary person.”

“…No.”

Lapis, who had been listening to Hayden and Mayer’s explanations with her eyes closed, slowly shook her head.

She rolled up her sleeves and slowly walked forward, standing in front of the bed where the energy was flowing out.

“I knew it wouldn’t be easy to look into someone else’s fate with my ability. There’s no reason to hesitate.”

“…”

Lapis, her clear sky-blue eyes shining, turned to the two senators and asked.

“Looking into this person’s fate and receiving the access rights to District 19. Can you two certify that this concludes the deal?”

Hayden and Mayer nodded quietly at Lapis’s calm question.

“Yes, we can.”

“We will do so.”

“Good. Then I’ll start right away. Patisha?”

“Lady Lapis.”

Patisha, who had taken off her white cloak and stood behind Lapis, wrapped one wing around Lapis’s shoulder.

“I’m ready. Start whenever you’re ready.”

“…Okay. I’m counting on you.”

Lapis turned around with a determined expression and carefully grabbed the wrist of the withered patient.

She felt the pain of her skin burning just by touching the black energy, but Lapis didn’t even flinch and immediately activated her ability.

*Whoooom!*

The initial ability that Lapis had obtained by inheriting the mission of the Heavenly Eye.

The power of the lighthouse keeper, who observes the present while traversing the past and future, was focused entirely on one person.

The view around Lapis converged as if rotating, and then her gaze began to twist toward a single point.

*Whoooosh!*

A cold wind blew in the isolated patient room at the end of the remote corridor, without a single window.

The moment a huge concept awakened within Lapis swept through the patient on the bed.

*Thump!*

“…!!”

The patient’s body heaved greatly, and he began to convulse faintly as if having a seizure.

[Administer a sedative!!]

[His heart rate is too high. We need to lower his blood pressure!]

[Get a cardiac stimulant. If necessary, we’ll have to forcibly suppress his metabolism!!]

The medical staff quickly administered and attached all sorts of drugs and equipment from all directions, and Lapis focused her mind at the center of the flow.

*Hiss!*

The energy that had transferred from the patient’s wrist quickly traveled up Lapis’s arm, beginning to gnaw at her as if trying to invade her body.

Even Gaisle frowned unpleasantly at the ominous sound, as if flesh was burning.

But Lenok, while watching Lapis, simply folded his arms and observed, not intervening.

“You seem to be in charge of guarding the lighthouse keeper, but you’re not stopping her.”

Mayer, who had been silently watching Lenok, approached him and asked.

“Do you respect your employer’s will, even though you know it’s dangerous?”

“Of course not.”

“Then?”

Lenok replied nonchalantly.

“It’s because I can handle any problem that arises.”

The barrier art of Jintun is very powerful in isolating, preserving, and maintaining the original state of a specific concept.

The protective barrier Lenok had placed on Lapis’s body would prevent curses from invading Lapis’s mind and body.

Even if the barrier were breached, Lenok could immediately deal with any abnormality as long as he was nearby.

But Mayer, who didn’t know that, paused as if he felt a sense of déjà vu at Lenok’s answer.

“…That’s quite a confidence. For a moment, I thought I had heard that somewhere before.”

“The Vulcan City Council must also have something to rely on to do this.”

Lenok looked down at Mayer with a calm gaze and asked.

“You must have judged that a lighthouse keeper could handle such a curse and entrusted this task to her, right?”

“…I don’t know.”

Mayer, with a subtle expression, shrugged his shoulders weakly.

“I don’t know much about Councilor Clifton, but I’ve heard stories about how he committed some truly absurd atrocities in his later years.”

“…”

“The reason why he’s still in this ward isn’t just because of one authority. In the first place, that transformed being is so twisted that it can’t be handled unless it’s a descendant of an ascendant-”

*Whoosh!*

At that moment, a strong wind burst out from Lapis’s body, and the energy began to overflow like a wave.

It was a violent flow that not only tormented and hindered Lapis but also caused the entire energy covering the patient’s body to fluctuate wildly as if it were going berserk.

“Ugh…!!”

Sweat dripped down Lapis’s brow as she closed her eyes, and the moment she was about to take a step back.

*Clasp!*

Lenok, who had moved closer, grabbed Lapis’s hand instead.

“Focus.”

“Evan…?”

“This guy wasn’t an ordinary human in the first place.”

Lenok said, looking at the convulsing body of the patient with a cold gaze.

“He’s an apostle of the Order. If you let your guard down even a little, he’ll try to kill you, so don’t let go of your ability.”

“…!!!”

“H-How can an apostle be here…!!”

Lapis and Patisha were shocked, and even the medical staff, who had been busy moving as if they hadn’t heard, trembled greatly for a moment.

“I don’t know what method he used, but he tried to prolong his life by making himself an apostle without believing in the doctrine. And he almost succeeded.”

But Lenok carefully pulled up his magic power while holding Lapis’s wrist from the side.

“I’ll help you.”

The barrier art of Jintun. The authority of the high priest transferred from the goddess.

There were many ways to help Lapis by suppressing the energy and forcibly suppressing the apostle’s will.

All that was needed was for Lenok to subtly guide it in a way that would help Lapis, without revealing it to anyone around him.

“Evan, this is…!!”

The moment Lapis’s complexion lit up with a clear blue light at the concept of Lenok flowing through her wrist.

*Crack!*

The terribly twisted black energy was washed away from the patient’s wrist that Lapis was holding, revealing bare skin.

A thin wrist with broken, dried, and peeled skin.

But beneath that wrist, an unknown, strange pattern like a barcode was engraved, emitting a bright yellow light.

The moment everyone in the room realized that it was the access right to the closed District 19 that they had been talking about for a while.

The light of the barcode that had been glowing on the wrist swelled in size and instantly filled the patient room.

*Flash!*

“…?”

Everyone briefly averted their gaze or blinked, unable to properly face the light.

The light that had filled the patient room slowly faded and began to be sucked in as if converging into a single point.

Everyone quietly turned their gaze along the path of the light.

It circled around the bed, passed over the chest of the patient who had completely lost his strength and was slumped over, passed over the medical staff and senators who were watching.

It lingered around Patisha, then landed on Lapis’s hand, who was leaning tiredly, as if wrapping around it.

Then, it settled too naturally on the lower part of Lenok’s wrist, who was standing right next to her.

“…Huh?”

*Kiiing!*

Even though he had reflexively shaken it off with target designation resistance, it naturally floated on his skin, blocked by the end of his sleeve.

Lenok unconsciously raised his gaze at the sight of the bright yellow barcode clearly glowing on his wrist.

“…”

Everyone in the ward was staring at him as if possessed by a ghost.

Mayer muttered, unable to hide his bewilderment.

“No, if you take it away from there…”