Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 913

“The rules of the AI Maze are simple.”

Bwoooom!!

Two vehicles are speeding through the heart of a massive maze.

A white car with a flag labeled ‘1p’ and a black car with a ‘2p’ flag.

They start simultaneously from the starting line, diverging in different directions.

“Basically, it’s a multi-round scoring system. Players each create an AI to navigate the maze. The first to cross the finish line wins a point, and then the maze resets.”

The administrator, leaning back in a plush armchair in the spectator area overlooking the maze, explained.

“Bonus points are added for each firewall or cipher passed within the maze. It’s possible to rack up over 10 points in a single round, but if you lose, you get zero.”

“……”

“You can modify or improve your AI at any time during the game. The fun of this game is figuring out where your AI is getting stuck in the maze and tweaking its performance.”

Beep beep beep!!

The administrator raised a hand in the air, and a screen-based keyboard and monitor appeared before him.

The moment he modified and input the algorithm and program code, the 1p vehicle surged ahead in the maze.

Screech!!!

It broke through firewalls and the maze much faster than 2p, reaching near the finish line.

He seemed accustomed to this kind of work, with no hitches in the process.

“An autonomous driving algorithm to chart the optimal path through a procedurally generated maze. A digital decryption module to dismantle firewalls and ciphers. And the design of a complex AI that can autonomously perform all these tasks from the start of the game.”

The administrator, watching the scene, casually pulled out a cylinder and put it in his mouth.

“It’s not only a test to assess aptitude and skills in various fields, but also a unique masterpiece among the Akeno Sisters’ AI spell code tests, where you sometimes have to prioritize reaching the goal over additional points, carefully adjusting your objectives while being mindful of your opponent…”

He glanced over and asked.

“Do you have any intention of playing the game?”

[1p WIN!]

A loud sound effect echoed as the white car crossed the finish line.

At the same time, the numbers on the scoreboard above the administrator’s head changed.

[1p : 15]

[2p : 0]

The administrator gained a whopping 15 points with a single victory.

It was the result of navigating every corner of the maze and earning bonuses by dismantling randomly set firewalls and ciphers.

It was a score that would normally require five consecutive wins with a winning streak bonus, but the administrator didn’t look entirely at ease.

Across from the administrator was an armchair.

Lenok, who had been sitting in the chair with his chin propped up, smiled and waved his hand.

“Don’t mind me, keep going. I do intend to participate in the game properly.”

“For someone who says that, the AI you created can’t even manage autonomous driving.”

Thud!

Screech, screech!!

As the administrator said, Lenok’s 2p vehicle, unlike the 1p vehicle, was just sputtering, unable to pass even simple ciphers.

It even crashed into the maze walls, wobbling, or just spinning around, unable to find its way.

Yet, Lenok didn’t seem to have any intention of modifying the AI’s algorithm or code, just watching.

It was a half-hearted attitude, as if he had no intention of properly engaging in the match from the start.

The administrator, watching Lenok with a worried expression, said.

“If you’re thinking of backing out of the bet or making excuses now, I have my own plans.”

Bwoooom!!

At the same time as the administrator’s words, the second game began, and again, 1p quickly took off first.

Watching the AI break through the randomly set firewalls and take a shortcut, he said.

“I’m thinking of releasing some of the information that was part of our deal to the deep web community.”

“……”

“You wouldn’t want your private information shown to others, would you?”

[1p WIN!]

In the meantime, another game ended, and the administrator’s score increased again.

The third game started without any further words.

Only then did Lenok raise his gaze and look at the administrator.

“What’s your name?”

“What?”

“Your identity, origin, age, aptitude. Tell me anything.”

Lenok smiled.

“If you have a request for me, shouldn’t it be something from the real world?”

“……”

“I need to know what you’ll ask for if you win the bet. I’m listening.”

For Felix, who had told him about the pilgrimage, Lenok had said he would grant any request.

It was the same now. The administrator must know how much influence a great mage can wield in the real world.

If that was the case, the ‘request’ the administrator wanted must be something he desired in the real world, something Lenok could intervene in.

And that must be related to the administrator’s own real identity.

“……I’m Cunningham, managing the logic operation algorithm area of the deep web.”

The administrator, Cunningham, who had been listening to Lenok’s words with a stunned expression, hesitated before speaking.

“I… I want to leave this deep web and return to reality. I’d like you to provide a body for that.”

“Return to reality?”

Lenok chuckled.

“That’s interesting. Just a moment ago, you were going on and on about the superiority of the cybernetic network, weren’t you?”

“……A superhuman like a great mage should be able to provide a spare body for a cybernetic life form, right?”

[1p WIN!]

Cunningham hesitated as he looked at the scoreboard above his head.

“I want to handle that as discreetly and secretly as possible.”

“As you said, it’s not difficult to find a cyborg or android to house a consciousness uploaded to the cybernetic space.”

Lenok tilted his head.

“But if it’s just about getting a spare body, you could ask a Cybrid Echo or a Mirror Diver [organizations specializing in cybernetic body transfers]. Why do you need my help?”

“Because I want a body with spellcasting talent. To buy such a body, money or connections alone aren’t enough. I need the backing of a figure with your reputation.”

Cunningham said with a slightly dark expression.

“The Cybrid Echo you just mentioned is the same. Most of the androids they handle are just objects with superior mechanical performance. Truly rare spare bodies never make it to the market.”

“A rare spare body with spellcasting talent…”

“……”

“Most of the deep web administrators have abandoned their bodies and uploaded their consciousness to the cybernetic space. Why do you want to return to reality now?”

“There’s no need to explain further. I’ll stop here.”

He was curious as to why Cunningham wanted to obtain such a thing and return to reality, but he didn’t seem willing to say more.

[1p WIN!]

[1p : 88]

[2p : 0]

Click!!

Another game ended, the score went up, and the fifth game began.

Cunningham, looking up at the scoreboard, said.

“Once I get 100 points, I’ll meet the victory condition, and the bet will be over. One more round should be enough.”

“……”

It was just the minimum information exchange to establish the bet. Was there no reason to reveal personal circumstances?

Bwoooom!!

Even amidst this, the fifth game was underway.

The white car with 1p was once again far ahead of the black car with 2p.

Cunningham seemed to think he had completely secured the victory, as a sense of ease was visible on his face.

“You’re lucky. I never thought I’d get a chance like this against a great mage… You wouldn’t be able to pull off this kind of coercion against a mage like you anywhere in reality.”

“……”

“It was worth waiting here before the other administrators arrived. Or was it because Vulcan’s stubbornness was more easily provoked than I thought?”

A strange smile formed on Cunningham’s face as he looked at Lenok.

“I’m glad I can handle the most troublesome task easily. I’m tired of this. With your help, I’m going back to reality now.”

“Ah, I see.”

Lenok, who had been propping his chin on his hand and looking at the fifth reset maze, muttered as if he had just remembered something.

“I had to start winning from now on, right?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s pointless to talk nonsense about a game that’s already over-”

[Bwoooom~]

At that moment, a cheerful voice echoed from behind the 2p vehicle, which was still running through the maze.

Cunningham was startled and turned his gaze at the incomprehensible transmission from the AI participating in the game.

Thud!!

The 2p vehicle, which had been far behind, suddenly swelled explosively.

The four-wheel-drive car grotesquely grew, transforming into the shape of a giant rocket.

It pierced through the complex maze walls and crossed the finish line in an instant.

Whoooosh!!

[2p WIN!!]

[1p : 88]

[2p : 1]

Click!!

The fifth game ended with Lenok’s victory.

At the same time, the two vehicles stood again at the starting line of the maze, and a newly reset sixth maze unfolded.

“……”

“One point for winning. There’s a bonus for solving firewalls or ciphers in the maze, right?”

Lenok said next to Cunningham, who was staring blankly at the maze, at a loss for words.

“I’ll have to pay attention to the route from now on.”

“This is… impossible.”

Cunningham, belatedly regaining his senses, muttered in a panic.

“This maze isn’t a real-world terrain. It’s a testbed in the cybernetic space created by the Akeno Sisters. Even if you pretend to physically break through it, getting a victory judgment is…!!”

“Wasn’t I supposed to break the maze or change the shape of the vehicle?”

The moment Lenok said that and raised his hand.

Kugugugugugu!!!!

The massive maze in front of the spectator area began to fold in half.

It was a bizarre sight, as if the ground in front of them was standing up vertically and folding like a folder.

The moment the finish line of the maze, folded exactly in half, touched the vehicle at the starting line after turning around.

Click!!

Once again, a loud sound effect echoed.

[2p WIN!!]

[1p : 88]

[2p : 2]

“Ah, the entire testbed created by the Akeno Sisters…”

“Even this takes a long time.”

Lenok lowered his hand, watching Cunningham, who was unable to speak properly with his eyes wide open.

“Shall we reset the bonus rules?”

* * *

Bwoooom!!!

Cunningham’s 1p vehicle accelerates fiercely.

The 1p, leaving the 2p vehicle far behind, takes the lead.

However, the match ended before the 1p vehicle reached the destination.

Bang!!

The 2p vehicle, blatantly leaving the maze, turned the steering wheel sideways, broke through the outer wall of the maze, and escaped.

The game ended the moment it circled around the outside of the maze and reached the destination.

[2p WIN!!]

[1p : 88]

[Master : 63]

“……!!!”

“It seems difficult to accept the result.”

Lenok raised his hand, watching Cunningham tremble all over.

“Shall we try again?”

Bwoooom!!

The race started again, with the 1p vehicle speeding at full power.

But this time, the 2p vehicle didn’t accelerate.

Instead, it slowly stepped on the accelerator and moved forward slowly.

At that moment, the finish line at the end of the maze was pulled straight in front of the 2p vehicle, and the match ended in an instant.

[Master Wins!!]

[Administrator 1 : 78]

[Master : 79]

“……”

“One more time.”

Bwoooom!!

The 1p vehicle takes the lead.

But this time, the 2p vehicle didn’t even start properly.

It only put the car in reverse and moved backward one step.

Immediately after that, the entire maze flipped over, reversing the starting and finishing lines.

Bbang-ba-ba-bam!!

A fanfare sounded, and a message appeared above the two people’s heads.

[Master Overwhelming Victory!!]

[Lousy Hacker : 18]

[Master : 96]

Lenok, who had glanced at the message above his head, said.

“0.032 seconds. It’s the shortest record since this test module was created.”

“……Damn it, enough!!”

Cunningham, who had been trembling all over, jumped up and threw the terminal he was holding.

“How much longer are you going to play with me!!”

“I have no intention of playing with you.”

“Don’t lie!! Even if you change the announcement message to mock me, you’ve been openly deducting my points since earlier!!”

“Oh, was I caught?”

Only then did Lenok smile and nod.

“Sorry. My AI has a strong sense of vengeance. It says it has to pay back what it suffered.”

“Don’t be ridiculous…!! How can a mere AI modify the [AI Maze] program itself!!”

Perhaps he had lost his mind after being humiliated throughout the game.

Cunningham glared at Lenok, forgetting the situation he was in.

“It’s impossible for an AI in the digital network to modify a dependent magic conversion tool. In reality, it’s like changing your race at will!”

“Is that what you think? It’s not that difficult to play around by adjusting the operating sequence of already standardized software.”

Bwoooom!!

As Lenok raised his hand, the maze path split like waves on both sides.

The black car sped along the wide-open road, leaving Cunningham’s AI trapped in a dead end, and easily crossed the finish line.

“You seemed confident in creating AIs and algorithms, but you didn’t even know the principles of this testbed.”

“Stop, stop…!!!”

[Master Complete Victory!!]

[Hacker Worse Than AI : 1]

[Master : 100]

[GAME SET.]

Kugugugu!!!

The maze beneath their feet collapsed, and the two returned to the cybernetic space.

Leaving Cunningham, who was frozen with the scoreboard in his hand, Lenok slowly rose from his seat.

“Then, shall we receive the victory condition you mentioned earlier?”

“Leave it to me from there, Vulcan?”

Whoosh!!

At that moment, a bronze-skinned woman, who had cut through a curtain of encrypted code, landed in front of Lenok.

“I’ll give you the information Cunningham promised. In return, I’d like you to spare Cunningham.”

“Who are you?”

“Laktasha Samir.”

The woman replied with a blank face.

“I’m one of the deep web administrators.”

“I don’t know why you think I’m going to kill him, but I don’t see any reason to transfer the terms of the deal?”

“Well, I know you completely erased the consciousness of the Gearsides researchers who were cybernetic life forms.”

“……”

Lenok narrowed his eyes at Laktasha’s unexpected answer.

Gearsides researchers. Consciousness erasure. Knowing about that clearly meant-

“During the defense force’s rebellion, do you remember?”

Laktasha asked, as if guessing Lenok’s thoughts.

“The Gearsides researchers who were helping Army Lieutenant General Edmus Trepen disappeared en masse as soon as the situation ended. They were beings who had uploaded their consciousness to the network like us, but they all vanished overnight.”

“So?”

“We realized that it happened right after your conflict, and through a process of elimination, we were able to guess what method you used.”

Laktasha’s expression turned serious.

“Designating a virus through central network interference. You probably used that method to incinerate all the cybernetic life forms of the Machine Cult that were roaming the network.”

“……”

The defense force’s rebellion.

Only then did Lenok understand why the deep web administrators had tried to contact him.

Army Lieutenant General of the Defense Force, Edmus Trepen, had borrowed the power of Gearsides to reach level 8, and researchers who had uploaded their consciousness to the cybernetic space were helping him.

Lenok had erased the researchers’ consciousness with Davi’s power and then killed Trepen, but the administrators had been searching for the cause of the incident.

They had spent a long time tracking how Davi had erased the researchers’ consciousness and finally succeeded in figuring out the method.

Through that, they naturally recognized that Lenok had the ability to interfere with the central network and then contacted him.

“The fact that you played with Cunningham like a child in the bet is also part of your cybernetic interference ability.”

Laktasha asked quietly in a flat tone.

“Wasn’t the fact that you deliberately accepted the bet and stalled for time while mocking Cunningham an attempt to show off to us?”

“Enough with the useless talk. Let’s talk about the terms of the deal first.”

Lenok’s eyes shone coldly as he looked at Laktasha.

“The fact that there is information about the Commander and the Patriarch in the deep web. Is that confirmed?”

It was clear that the administrator standing in front of Lenok was the person he had spoken to when he first contacted the deep web.

If she had acknowledged the information about the Commander and the Patriarch with her own mouth, he had to confirm it here.

But instead of answering that question, Laktasha glanced away.

“Aren’t you curious how Cunningham was able to get information about the Cult or you in the deep web?”

“That doesn’t seem to be the answer I want to hear.”

The moment Lenok turned his gaze with a cold expression, Laktasha immediately continued.

“The legacy of Ars Nova is sleeping beneath this unapproved network.”

“……”

“I won’t beat around the bush. We need your central network interference ability for that part. I’d like to show you that first and then talk, what do you think?”

Lenok understood what Laktasha was trying to say.

The legacy of the central city. And it was intangible data existing within the deep web network.

The reason why information about the Commander and the Patriarch existed in this deep web. The reason why the deep web administrators were able to find out about it.

The answer was that Lenok’s ability was needed to investigate the direct cause of those two causal relationships.

“I like that you don’t beat around the bush with trivial matters.”

Lenok nodded.

“Lead the way. I’ll decide after confirming the existence of that legacy.”