Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 902

Rumbling…!!

From the distorted sky, red petals fluttered aimlessly.

The aftershocks of lightning seeped beneath the cracked clouds, and fragments of fire flowers lost their shape, emitting faint heat.

Lapis raised her hand amidst the lingering haze still hovering above the ground.

“……”

Without a word, she touched her lips with an expressionless face.

It was as if she was only now becoming aware of her changed appearance, confirming and acknowledging it.

Long, flowing ultramarine hair. Sharper features than before.

Even the way she calmly looked around felt alien, as if it were not human.

The thought entity of the Celestial Eye that she had encountered at the boundary of the world.

Renok narrowed his eyes at her appearance, which seemed to resemble Madrea Falchier in her youth, and the others’ expressions hardened.

Dudududu…!!!

Just watching her, everyone’s gaze seemed to be forcibly drawn towards her, creating an intense sense of unease.

It was as if she wouldn’t let go of the gaze she had drawn in, forcibly holding and binding everyone to her every action.

‘I can’t sense her presence…’

The high-ranking mages of the Tower, feeling a sense of alienation as if she were completely detached from the existing hierarchy, retreated with cold sweat.

Just standing there, she seemed to be suppressing the thoughts and minds of those around her with a heavy pressure.

In that instant, everyone simultaneously understood that Lapis Falchier’s power had undergone a massive change beyond the fortress.

Lapis’s cold gaze met Renok’s eyes precisely.

“……”

Everyone watching the two’s confrontation held their breath, tense.

A crazy archmage who had fought a battle that had devastated Evan Martinez and the city, yet stood unharmed, waiting for what was next.

The confrontation with Lapis Falchier, who had appeared in a completely different form from beyond the sanctuary of the Hexagonal Fortress, having leaped through time and space in an instant.

No one in this city was unaware of how strangely intertwined the causal relationships between the two were.

It wouldn’t be strange if either of them tried to finish the unfinished fight.

“……”

However, neither Renok nor Lapis raised their magic power towards each other, nor did they utter sharp words.

As if by agreement, they simply looked into each other’s eyes without a word.

The Lighthouse Keeper seemed to be looking into Renok’s inner self, and the mage did not bother to avoid Lapis’s gaze.

After staring at Renok for a while, she turned away without a word.

Thud!

Grisha, who had descended under the giant tree, stood behind Lapis, supporting Evan.

The other high-ranking Watchers who had surrounded the area also quietly followed Lapis.

Thud!

Following the Lighthouse Keeper who had begun to walk slowly, hundreds of Watchers moved behind her.

The army of Watchers marched through the heart of the ruined city, supporting a fallen mage.

“Wait a minute, leaving like this without any cleanup-”

“Matif.”

Just as one of the city councilors tried to stop her, Meyer tapped his staff.

“Let them go. Open the front lines we’ve established on the outskirts of the undeveloped area as well.”

“Councilor Meyer. But…”

“Don’t you understand yet?”

Meyer smiled wryly and glanced to the side.

Renok’s figure showed no reaction to Lapis’s actions.

Meyer understood that there was no choice when the Adamantine Fortress was condoning this moment.

“The shaman was right. We’ve lost here. They’re the ones who are achieving their goals and leaving.”

“……”

“It’s best to let them go when they say they’ll leave quietly.”

Meyer nodded calmly.

“I’ll take responsibility, so withdraw the troops-”

“Senator John Meyer.”

Lapis, who had approached him, looked down at Meyer without a word.

Meyer, momentarily speechless at her sublime figure that seemed to have transcended humanity, opened his mouth with a wry smile.

“…Falchier.”

“……”

“You’ve changed a lot since I last saw you.”

Lapis, looking down at him with a clear gaze, nodded lightly.

“I can see you.”

“…See me?”

“So, I’ll make it clear here.”

Without paying attention to Meyer’s hesitation at her sudden words, Lapis spoke.

Looking around at the people who had stopped around her with a cold gaze, she opened her mouth.

“The ritual is over. I have made my decision.”

“……”

The reason for Lapis Falchier’s sudden growth in appearance.

The reason why hundreds of Watchers who had no presence could suddenly appear.

And decisively, even the fragments of terrifying magic power flowing from Lapis Falchier’s entire body.

As Meyer’s expression hardened, Lapis spoke softly.

“A lot has happened, but I am still me.”

“……”

“As promised, I decided to keep that one fact until the very end.”

Lapis murmured as she gently closed her eyes.

Mages and investigators who did not understand her words exchanged glances silently.

However, Renok understood that Lapis’s words were an answer given to only one person.

Because she had met the Celestial Eye at the boundary of the world and made a decision. Because she had seen what Renok desired and returned.

She was trying to express her feelings here.

“So, everything that happened today…”

Lapis was about to say something, but then smiled wryly and shook her head.

As if trying to shake off all the lingering attachments that remained within her.

Her eyes, which slowly opened, shone more clearly than ever.

Lapis, repeating the words she had whispered to herself once more, said,

“I will bury everything that happened today here.”

“……”

At her firm words that did not allow for refusal, everyone inadvertently turned their gaze towards her.

“…I see.”

At that cold declaration, Meyer stroked his chin and nodded calmly.

“I’ve heard it clearly. I’ll make sure to convey it to the Central Council myself.”

“……”

“However, after everything is over, could you promise to send an envoy to the main council once?”

Meyer asked calmly.

“Leaving aside the responsibility, the non-aggression treaty of the autonomous territory will need to be adjusted. Wasn’t that the reason you were going to visit Balkan?”

“The tenth lighthouse will be completed soon.”

Lapis said with an expressionless face.

“When the lighthouse is completed and new functions are opened, there will be no need to make promises like this.”

“……”

As if she had said all she needed to say, Lapis turned away without any lingering feelings.

Whoosh!

Lapis, who had grown taller, nodded and passed by Renok.

She no longer seemed to show any lingering feelings about that fact.

“…Ren?”

Meyer called out to Renok with a slightly flustered look, but Renok did not answer.

To whom was the nod that Lapis had just given directed?

Either way, it was clear that Lapis was trying to bring some kind of closure at this moment.

Then Renok should also respect Lapis’s decision.

That was the only thing Renok could do for Lapis, who had sworn to remain in the world until the end.

Swish…!!

The reaction of the subordinate high-ranking Watchers, who glared sharply at his face as they passed by Renok.

Renok, who had brushed off their intense gaze, looked up at the sky, leaving behind the departing Blue Eye main force.

“It’s raining.”

“……”

Thud, thud…!!

Dark clouds gathered again over the sky where the heat had subsided, and rain began to fall.

Only after a long time had passed since the end of the two mages’ battle did the aftermath appear.

The rain that cooled the ground as the weather anomalies caused by the clash of monsters who had exceeded their limits returned to normal.

Watching his attendants hurriedly bring umbrellas, Meyer sighed with a troubled look.

“The media must be in an uproar. How should the council announce this situation…”

Renok, getting soaked by the rain falling from the darkened sky, slowly turned around.

Leaving behind Meyer, who seemed at a loss for words, Renok moved away from Lapis without any lingering feelings.

Restricted Area 19. City Government’s Direct Order. The conflict that took place at the sanctuary of the fortress.

The great commotion that the entire metropolis had watched had come to an end, and only the aftermath remained, echoing like a reverberation in the ruins.

And for Renok, there was one last thing left to do.

* * *

Rumbling!!

The Blue Eye main force, with hundreds of Watchers lined up on either side, crossed the undeveloped area.

A ship made by intertwining tree roots was speeding along the rough unpaved road.

A landing fleet created by Grisha’s magic, made to sail on land rather than the sea.

A Watcher approached Lapis, who was leaning against the side of the deck, and opened his mouth.

“Lapis-nim. We have summoned a mid-dimensional engine at the outermost edge of the undeveloped area.”

“……”

“If we use the accumulated power, we can return within two days-”

“Senju.”

Grisha shook her head.

“Later. I’ll take care of the secondary matters separately.”

“…Understood.”

The Watcher, who was about to say something, quietly nodded.

Most of the Watchers were aware that Lapis was trying to carry out a very important mission in this city.

However, what that mission was had not been properly revealed.

“Lapis, how are you feeling?”

Grisha, who had her arms crossed and was looking back at the receding metropolis, asked.

“Are you okay? Can you talk?”

Grisha knew that Lapis had visited Balkan to meet the Celestial Eye’s thought entity.

She also knew that she was looking for the gate to the outer sea to recover all of the Lighthouse Keeper’s functions.

However, Grisha did not forget that she had to confirm the most important fact with Lapis.

Grisha’s eyes, looking at Lapis, sank deeply.

“Are you… still the same person I know?”

“Grisha-nim.”

At those words, Lapis slowly opened her eyes.

Lapis, who had been staring at Grisha, smiled expressionlessly.

“I’m just a little tired. I’m fine.”

“……”

“I was thinking about the meaning of what I saw last.”

“Meaning, you mean…”

Grisha’s expression changed slightly.

Because Grisha was also aware of the ‘something’ that had appeared when the sky opened during the process of entering the satellite city on the outskirts of Balkan.

The high-ranking Watchers who had been listening to Lapis’s words began to speak one by one.

“You were talking about the ability that the Adamantine Fortress used at the end.”

“The sky opened and closed, did everyone see it?”

Lyza and Sunmyung, who were closer to physical ability users, and Leppard, who was a sorcerer but specialized in hand-to-hand combat.

In addition, the high-ranking Watchers who had been newly recruited from the center recalled what had just happened.

“I’ve seen many abilities, but it’s the first time I’ve seen the sky open with just the deployment of thought.”

“It was a very clear and powerful image. In terms of construction rate, it was denser than the old man Jebyeok’s microcosm [a self-contained world or universe].”

“The archmage is on a different level. Has he reached a perfect level in the manipulation of images?”

“The speed of domain deployment was on a different level compared to any sorcerer I’ve ever seen.”

Grisha nodded with a hardened expression.

“He showed us the process of domain deployment with such a concentration of power… It was the first time I didn’t understand its true value.”

“……”

A miracle that had disappeared in an instant, so much so that all the Watchers in this place could not even guess its identity, even after perceiving it with all five senses.

“Evan-nim’s magnetic field is not inferior either.”

Sunmyung, who was holding his spear tightly, hurriedly opened his mouth.

“I heard on the way that an unexpected variable occurred during the battle, so he had no choice but to-”

“What?”

At those words, the other Watchers looked at Sunmyung with a somewhat curious look.

“Sunmyung, I didn’t know you could say such things.”

“Have you grown attached to him because you’ve known him for a long time?”

“…That’s not it.”

When Sunmyung angrily brushed off the teasing Watchers, Grisha smiled wryly and shook her head.

“Let’s ask Evan about that after he wakes up. We’ll have to check it before we arrive at the center anyway.”

Since he had only appeared in Balkan for a short time to help Lapis, they shouldn’t force Evan to go to the center now.

As Grisha thought that and tried to manipulate the direction of the ship with her magic power, Lapis, who had been closing her eyes, suddenly opened her mouth.

“Grisha-nim.”

“There’s someone waiting for me.”

“…What?”

Lapis, who slowly opened her eyes, said,

“I don’t think I can just pass by.”

“Someone waiting, that’s…”

Cooong!!

As Grisha said that, her face hardened at the force of the thought that pressed down on her shoulders.

As soon as Lapis’s words fell, it pressed down on the entire area as if it had no intention of hiding it.

A ferocity that felt almost arrogant, manipulating the space as it pleased.

At the end of the fork in the road leading out of the city, there was a lavishly decorated palanquin.

Whooooosh!!

“That’s…”

Red giants were kneeling on either side of the palanquin, which was covered with a transparent veil.

People in suits stood behind the palanquin, their mouths tightly shut.

The force emanating from the palanquin was not inferior to Lapis’s.

No, if you were to consider the strength of the force, it was more powerful than anyone here-

[So, you were the Lighthouse Keeper who inherited the next position of the Celestial Eye.]

“…!!”

A majestic voice that immediately hardened the expressions of the Watchers.

A powerful message conveyed purely by resonating magic power, not by voice.

Click.

The door of the palanquin opened, and a tall woman slowly walked out.

A long robe and a veil covering her face. Beyond that, the glittering rainbow-colored light.

A heavy and intense magic power flowing out like a thick fog.

Kugugugu!!

Just standing in place and casting her gaze this way, the pressure was so great that the surrounding air seemed to become heavy.

Just as the Watchers, who had sensed that she was a strong person beyond common sense, quickly jumped down and formed a line, Oliviera said leisurely,

[I’ve heard the rumors, but you’re much younger than I thought.]

[That old man wouldn’t have abandoned his mission because of his attachment to blood ties, so he must have prioritized talent over experience.]

“Oliviera Ron Maze…!!”

“What business does the head of the Cartel have here?”

Ignoring the Watchers who were reacting sharply, Oliviera gestured lightly.

Thud!

A girl with fluorescent hair appeared, carrying a large chair, and quietly placed it down and stepped back.

She leaned back naturally in the chair, and said, tilting her head behind the veil,

[Before everything is over, I wanted to see the face of the new Lighthouse Keeper in person.]

“……”

[Perhaps if not now, we wouldn’t be able to gauge the time when our causality would meet.]

The moment when Lapis Falchier recovers all her functions and is reborn as the new Lighthouse Keeper.

Oliviera had come to see Lapis with her own eyes at this moment, when she had sworn to fulfill her mission.

And Lapis already knew that Oliviera’s words were not wrong.

If she hadn’t come to see Lapis, the two of them would not have had their time overlap.

And it was clear that Lapis was feeling the same way as Oliviera-

[The functions you inherited and my two eyes have something in common. Can’t you feel it too?]

Oliviera smiled strangely behind the veil.

[We look into the future that hasn’t come, and see the knots of causality that haven’t been decided. We are a curse born in the cycle of failure, not success.]

“……”

[We imitate the best alternatives for everything, so we seek miracles beyond our capacity, but we can’t reach our wishes… Isn’t it ironic?]

“We don’t have much time.”

Lapis replied with an expressionless face.

“If you have anything to say, please do so right here and now.”

[Yes, you must have seen it with those eyes… How was it?]

Oliviera, staring at Lapis’s face, smiled.

[Was there a state of non-being beyond the cycle of birth and death under that sky?]

“……”

Only then did Lapis raise her gaze and look directly at Oliviera’s veil.

Because she realized what Oliviera’s question to Lapis was for, after coming all this way.

A state of non-being beyond the cycle of birth and death. The world of absolute truth that exists absolutely.

What does it mean to ask Lapis about it at this moment?

Oliviera already knew that Lapis was the only person who had returned after seeing the Adamantine Fortress’s image.

Was she trying to confirm with Lapis whether there was a concept beyond human reason or something more beyond that?

[If the truth of the constant absolute has descended into the human world, we must address it here.]

Oliviera said leisurely.

[If you calculate the future without considering the immutable point of causality, even a small mistake can become an uncontrollable miscalculation.]

“…No.”

Lapis quietly shook her head.

“I saw it, but I did not see it. As the one who inherited the function of the first encounter, I shouldn’t say that I saw its true nature.”

[Then?]

“However, if there is still an undecided answer for me, I just thought that would be enough for now.”

Lapis glanced at the fallen Evan and said,

“If the unreached ending is still on our side, we will surely be able to stand before the truth someday.”

“……”

Oliviera tilted her head with a displeased look.

[You are so pure. Is it enough if the world is given one more chance?]

“……”

[Well, fine. Such purity is also a virtue that those who protect their mission must possess.]

As she slowly stood up and gestured, the chair she had been sitting on disappeared as if it had been erased.

Turning her body without hesitation and stepping into the wide-open palanquin, Oliviera smiled.

[But I am already certain. It will be meaningful for us just by knowing that what you and I saw was not an illusion.]

“Are you still looking for meaning?”

[The fact that it exists is important. Thinking about anything more than that is too boring.]

Oliviera snapped her fingers.

[I’ve tried setting the conclusion and matching the process countless times, even when I failed once.]

“……”

[Originally, I would have checked the qualifications of the new Lighthouse Keeper myself at this spot…]

Oliviera’s voice, as she turned towards the palanquin, was mixed with a faint smile.

[It’s not tasteful to ruin the show before the curtain call.]

Click!!

At the same time as the door of the palanquin closed, the red-skinned giants picked up the palanquin and stood up.

Immediately, they led the crowd of people in suits and disappeared into the distance like a fog.

Lapis stared blankly at the place where they had disappeared, then slowly turned her gaze.

The giant wooden ship created by the magic power that Grisha had left behind.

At the end of the deck, Evan, who had woken up at some point, was looking down at the ground.

“……”

His face was pale and faintly trembling, as if he were exhausted from the arduous battle.

His expression was stiff and awkward, as if his complexion had hardened.

The other Watchers belatedly realized that Evan had woken up and their expressions brightened.

“Evan-nim, are you alright!”

“How can a guy who fainted wake up already?!”

“You almost died. It’s best to rest.”

The voices of the Watchers chattering loudly on the deck.

However, even while watching them, Lapis did not laugh along with them, nor did she call out to him loudly.

“Evan-nim.”

She simply stared intently at Evan’s eyes, who had just woken up, with an expressionless face.

“Could we talk for a moment, just the two of us?”

“…Lapis?”

Ignoring the hesitant words of the other Watchers, Lapis nodded lightly towards Evan.

The curtain call that Oliviera had jokingly mentioned.

It was an ironic statement, but Lapis also knew that there was no other way to describe this moment.

Although she had decided to bury everything that had happened today in those ruins, there was still something left to exchange.

“I have something to tell you about Evan-nim’s fate.”

Lapis smiled wryly for the first time.

“Perhaps, about the ending that might be our last.”