Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 925

The Meeting (9)

Kyolbaek’s sudden declaration of participation caused the other attendees to turn their heads in surprise.

“Claude Azlan…!!”

“Was the Turyeon Gate guardian acquainted with Kyun-ryoi?”

“There were stories that they moved together during the mana particle exposure incident. But I didn’t know they were this close…”

“If you plan to challenge the Tower Lord over the ownership of the magic circle, come at any time,” Kyolbaek stated, ignoring the rapid exchange of words around him.

“I intend to assist the Tower Lord to the best of my ability in this meeting.”

With those words, he raised his hand, and the spear floating behind Kyolbaek slowly ascended above his head.

*Whoong!!*

The realm of martial arts where one can grasp and move objects in the air purely with mental power.

Immediately after the other attendees recognized him, the fighting spirit that had enveloped the ritual site gradually subsided.

Claude Azlan is the guardian of the Turyeon Gate, who wields considerable influence even in the light. Moreover, although he has a mental disorder, his skill is undoubtedly that of a transcendent-level spear master who surpasses the hierarchy.

At the point where a vanguard of this class openly takes Kyun-ryoi’s side, a direct clash is practically a guaranteed loss.

[They say birds of a feather flock together. Looking at it, the words of the old sages are not wrong at all,]

Ollinic, who had been observing the rapidly changing situation, chuckled.

[Even after surpassing the seven levels and standing at the threshold of transcendence, people don’t change so easily.]

The direction of the metal sphere seemed to be heading towards Lenok, who was surrounded by the two spear masters.

[Otherwise, Kyun-ryoi, how could you openly have two madmen like you by your side?]

“…”

Lenok frowned, unable to refute Ollinic’s mocking words.

Standing next to Lenok now were Peisha Greeceburn and Claude Azlan.

Ironically, both of them were notorious killers, each known for their madness in the light and the dark.

An 8th-level transcendent is an existence that breaks the hierarchy and erodes humanity, and among them, there are those whose madness is particularly prominent.

Madmen who have used their madness itself as a stepping stone to reach the 8th level.

“It is said that spears are inherently long and narrow, making it easier for madness to dwell in them compared to other polearms.”

The red-eyed man, who had been explaining the ritual until just now, also spoke with his arms crossed, as if he found it quite interesting.

“But it doesn’t seem like a coincidence that you’re bringing around two spear demons.”

“Is there something that connects transcendents who are famous for being crazy?”

At Rage’s curious remark, Peisha glared at Lenok with an annoyed expression.

“Is it because of you that I have to listen to such stupid nonsense?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s a limit to how much you can turn the tables.”

Lenok scoffed.

“Anyone can see that I’m being harmed because of your notoriety.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Why are you suddenly shifting the blame onto me!”

“Then, shall we fight again here to determine whose words are correct?”

“You, you son of a…!!!”

Peisha, unable to say that they should fight again, trembled. It seemed that not being able to win in the last battle, even after sacrificing her hierarchy, had left a considerable grudge.

The other transcendents also seemed to sense this from their conversation, and their expressions changed subtly.

“I didn’t know Greeceburn was a human who could endure such words.”

“It seems the rumors that she overwhelmed the Ghost Princess were not false.”

“There seems to be one important explanation missing.”

At that moment, the giant, who had been engrossed in snacking without saying a word, suddenly opened his mouth.

While licking the seasoning powder on his hand, he spoke with a blank face.

“Apart from innate abilities, what is the purpose you are trying to achieve through the manifestation of Anathema?”

“…”

“I’m not interested in what blessings the nobles of the Central City were born with. If the only purpose of this meeting is to share abilities, I’ll leave now.”

The man’s body, which felt thick and bulky, wriggled. He seemed to have no attachment to this place, as if he would leave the ritual site immediately.

However, Lenok quickly understood why the giant was not interested in Anathema’s innate abilities.

‘A psychic.’

It was because the giant himself was a transcendent-level ability user who had developed another type of innate ability to the extreme.

The giant’s words themselves were reasonable, but there was a sense of blind hunger in his movements. Perhaps he was an 8th-level psychic who had awakened an innate ability related to eating.

“Of course, the manifestation of Anathema is closely related to the purpose of the meeting.”

The red-eyed man also nodded immediately, as if he felt that the giant’s words were valid.

“To explain that, I need to mention the reason why the meeting was held in the first place. You must have heard about the incidents that occurred in Yorta and Machina, right?”

“…”

At that moment, the atmosphere of the huge ritual site changed subtly.

It was because they also knew what the man was about to say.

“Kroken Acilius, who destroyed the memorial tower of Yorta. The second apostle of the Order who massacred the Supreme Council of Machina. The foundations of the military city and the machine city have collapsed, and at the center of it were the Devil’s Den and the Order.”

The man’s red eyes, looking around the ritual site, shone eerily.

“Such signs are by no means a coincidence, and they warn that this city cannot escape that flow either. No matter who the opponent is, it is something that will happen sooner or later.”

“Wait a minute, Slane. There’s an error in that explanation.”

At that moment, the woman who introduced herself as Rage raised her hand.

“Right here, there’s a magician who destroyed the machine city before the second apostle and came out alive and well.”

“…”

Even without that, as soon as those words came out, it was felt that some of the attendees were watching Lenok.

Since there was no one who didn’t know about the commotion Lenok had caused by turning Machina upside down alone, they were rather curious about the reaction.

However, the red-eyed man called Slane did not even raise an eyebrow at Rage’s rebuttal.

“In Kyun-ryoi’s case, his actions and motives are relatively clear, so it is not difficult to guess that he was aiming for the legacy of the Ascension Gate. It is also clear that he achieved some kind of result when he was released after negotiations with the Supreme Council and returned to Vulcan.”

“…”

Slane’s explanation, which relatively accurately read what Lenok had done in Machina.

Judging by the fact that the other attendees were not surprised, it was right to assume that they already knew what Lenok was aiming for in Machina.

Even if they didn’t know that Lenok had faced an ascendant of the old world, the other 8th levels were also guessing that his purpose was in the Ascension Gate.

“But the case of the second apostle is completely different. He shook the city by striking the depths of Machina from thousands of meters below the surface, and massacred half of the Supreme Council for no reason. There is no one who knows his motive properly.”

Slane explained in a cold voice.

“The point is one. There is a need to protect the giant cities from a series of acts of destruction sweeping the continent. The manifestation of Anathema and the Postnatal Eight Trigrams Formation [a magic circle based on ancient Chinese philosophy] are all preliminary work for that.”

“So, are you saying that the 8th-level transcendents should join forces to protect Vulcan?”

Peisha scoffed.

“Don’t talk nonsense. Do you think the transcendents of this city will be moved by such grand causes and cooperate?”

“…”

“If that were possible, Vulcan wouldn’t have ended up in this state in the first place. Our legion wouldn’t have left for the center after the civil war.”

Peisha, with her eyes gleaming, spoke to the silent audience.

“Seeing the traitors who were satisfied with covering up the problems now dreaming of harmony makes me laugh. I guess that’s all the plans you guys, who were wearing the gold-prohibition laws that became scraps of paper with the rebellion of the defense forces, think about.”

[Your words are too harsh from the beginning. Isn’t it a foul to only stab at the bones?]

“Someday, I will kill you all.”

Peisha, neatly ignoring Ollinic’s banter, gave a chilling smile.

“I will definitely return to Vulcan and avenge Bajur. I will tear apart the limbs of the traitors who betrayed us, hang them up, and peel off their skin to hang in the city square.”

“…”

“I will build a tower with the necks of your precious disciples, and spread the corpses of your masters on top of it so that they cannot find their owners-!!!!!”

Just as Peisha’s chilling words echoed loudly in the ritual site, Lenok gestured with an annoyed expression.

The magic circle that had been glowing behind him rotated and pressed down on Peisha’s body, slamming her into the floor.

*Kooong!!*

“Guh…!!”

“Even if we put aside the Ghost Princess’s rant, I have to agree with the unreality of the plan.”

Lenok said, ignoring the surprised gazes of the others.

“I wondered what you were going to say by gathering the 8th-level transcendents, but you’re discussing the need to protect Vulcan?”

“Kyun-ryoi.”

“Even if we don’t know about the Devil’s Den, the premise of being wary of the apostles’ attacks is wrong. The top apostles, who are in the single digits, do not cooperate with each other. Even if the Order puts Vulcan within their sights, there is no reason for us to respond in an organized manner.”

Through his many clashes with the Order, Lenok knew that the high-ranking apostles were half-hostile to each other.

In the first place, they are called and classified under the same name of apostle, but from their very roots, they are monsters born into the world as the incarnations of different outer gods.

The reality of the Order is that the incarnations of the end, who were born unable to understand each other, are coexisting while bound by the leash of doctrine.

If they were not bound by a single center of gravity called the leader, it would not be strange for them to try to kill and devour each other.

“Tsk tsk… You speak fluently even though you have never faced an apostle. Don’t you think your words lack valid persuasiveness?”

At that moment, the baby black magician sitting on the stone statue let out a strange laugh.

“There can be no logic that takes precedence over experience when dealing with the Order. It is even more so because they are armed with the logic of religious fanaticism.”

He looked down at Lenok with narrowed eyes and said.

“That’s why I wanted Chun-beon to attend this meeting, but it’s a pity. His experience in dealing with apostles would have been the most valuable asset here.”

“It seems you’ve forgotten why Chun-beon couldn’t attend here.”

Lenok chuckled and raised his magic power.

“Shall I teach you again in this place?”

“Tillian. Don’t unnecessarily pick a fight with Kyun-ryoi.”

Kiriya glared at the black magician with an icy cold gaze.

“He attended the meeting at our request. What kind of rudeness is this from the beginning?”

“Kiriya, then are you saying that you are not curious about how the 10th apostle, Amrita, met her annihilation?”

The black magician, called Tillian, retorted.

“Although the specific circumstances are unknown, it is clear that Chun-beon possesses a flame that can even annihilate apostles. As a member of Nox Biblio [a secret organization focused on knowledge], I have a duty to investigate that fact.”

“…”

“I wanted to hear the insights of the apostle slayer on that part, but it has become a mess because of a crazy magician running wild.”

The black magician looked at Lenok provocatively, but Lenok stopped responding after hearing Kiriya’s words.

The black magician Craig Tillian, who tried to invoke the fragment of the Eye of Destruction.

Wasn’t his surname also Tillian, the same as that baby black magician?

There is room to investigate that part later. Thinking that far, Lenok ignored Tillian and changed the subject.

“Enough, let’s hear the reason why the manifestation of Anathema is necessary. It must be directly related to the protection of Vulcan that you’re talking about, right?”

“That’s right. From the beginning, I had no intention of proposing cooperation between 8th levels. As Kyun-ryoi said, that is an act of trusting each other too much…”

Slane’s red eyes curved as if in self-mockery.

“The real purpose is to complete the manifestation of Anathema through the Postnatal Eight Trigrams Formation, and in return, to use the Eight Trigrams Formation in a different way.”

“To use the Eight Trigrams Formation in a different way.”

The frail old man asked, as if surprised.

“Can there be other uses for that magic circle besides the manifestation of Anathema?”

“The Postnatal Eight Trigrams symbolizes all the changes that exist between heaven and earth, and it is the power that explains the principles of the universe where all things are located.”

Slane, slowly walking past the side of the altar, said.

“Since it is a concept created to imitate the changes of all things in the universe, there are infinite applications, but only the nobles of Ars Nova [a powerful city] can properly handle it.”

“Imitating the changes of all things in the universe…”

Lenok, who muttered along with Slane’s words, fell into thought.

“Could it be that the imitation is-”

The contradiction of wanting the Postnatal Eight Trigrams Formation to protect Vulcan, while ending the cooperation with other transcendent-level ability users with this one time.

Isn’t that because the result they are trying to obtain through the Eight Trigrams Formation can fundamentally block the danger that Slane is mentioning?

The imitation of a concept that can protect a giant city like Vulcan through the changes of all things in the universe. A power that only the nobles of the Central City can handle.

Lenok, recalling his conversation with Oliviera, instinctively sensed the words that would follow and suddenly raised his head.

“It seems that some people have already realized it.”

Slane, standing in front of the altar, looked at Lenok and nodded.

“We plan to imitate the [Barrier] surrounding Ars Nova using the Postnatal Eight Trigrams Formation, and surround the entire giant city.”

* * *

“You’re going to protect Vulcan by imitating the barrier of Ars Nova?”

At Slane’s words, the other attendees, who finally understood the purpose of this meeting, frowned.

“You’re talking nonsense.”

“Do you think that barrier is a concept that can be imitated in the first place?”

They had not only gained enlightenment that transcended the hierarchy in their respective fields, but also possessed unparalleled expertise.

They also knew how absurd the goal he had just explained was.

“It’s a barrier that even the leaders of the central front lines cannot easily touch. You’re going to imitate a concept that cannot even be interpreted?”

“Even the Order Alliance and the Ability Awakening Front are only focusing on passing through the gate right now, and they are not even thinking about breaking through the barrier.”

“There are some nobles of Ars Nova left in the center. There’s no way the Order Alliance leader wouldn’t know about that.”

However, Slane calmly answered the rebuttals coming from around him.

“We are not trying to completely identify the structure and imitate the barrier.”

He said, looking down at the magic circle rotating behind Lenok.

“What we are imitating through the Postnatal Eight Trigrams Formation is only the infinite ‘change’ of the barrier itself. In other words, what we are putting around Vulcan is a degraded version of the barrier that exists in the center.”

“…”

“The Eight Trigrams Formation installed in Etanok is a test run to verify the feasibility of the plan. After the manifestation of Anathema is completed at this meeting, the second Eight Trigrams Formation to be installed in Vulcan is scheduled to be handled directly by Anathema himself.”

The red eyes shone intensely in the darkness of the ritual site.

“As Kyun-ryoi pointed out, any further cooperation would be inefficient and just a worthless promise that we cannot trust each other.”

“…”

When Slane’s explanation ended, the ritual site fell into a silence that seemed to stop breathing.

Those who already knew the purpose of the meeting, and those who heard the explanation late, all closed their mouths and fell into thought.

[I have a question,]

At that moment, the man who had been listening to the explanation without saying a word asked.

His face was covered by a visor, so his expression was not visible, and even his voice was a blurry mechanical sound.

“What is it?”

[If the only purpose is to reproduce the barrier, you could have just gathered those who would cooperate with the ritual, so why did you bother to summon all the 8th levels and hold a meeting?]

The man with the visor crossed his arms and tilted his head.

[Were you not confident in gathering supporters for the ritual?]

It was quite a sharp question, considering he hadn’t said anything until now.

“Marcus Tranquiller. The leader of the Mirror Diver. A transcendent who first crossed the event horizon in Vulcan.”

As Lenok watched the man, Claude Azlan, who was standing next to him, explained as if he had been waiting for it.

“There were rumors that he had transcended the physical body, and there were many rumors that he had disappeared beyond the deep web. It seems they were all false rumors.”

“…”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You’ve become talkative since I last saw you.”

Krode gave a wry smile at Lenok’s casual remark.

“Please understand. While I was imprisoned, the only stories I overheard were all like this.”

“Did you make a plea bargain with the City Council?”

Kyolbaek, Claude Azlan, was handed over to a military tribunal at the same time as the mana particle exposure incident in District 25 ended, and was imprisoned on charges of treason.

This was because he had used the operation for his own purposes to improve his condition of losing his memory and going mad, and in the process, he had almost killed Lenok and his party.

If such a Kyolbaek was now released and attended the meeting, it would be the result of an agreement with the City Council.

However, Kyolbaek only gave a lukewarm smile at Lenok’s question, neither affirming nor denying it.

“Hmm… I don’t know how to say it. It’s a rather complicated story.”

“…”

“I’ll explain it to you if there’s a chance later.”

While Lenok narrowed his eyes at the suspicious words, Slane opened his mouth.

“If a degraded version of the barrier is spread over Vulcan, everyone will be under its influence.”

[……]

“The reason for holding the meeting is that I thought this matter itself was something that needed to be notified and understood by both the light and the dark.”

Slane said, staring at the ritual site spread out below the altar with his red eyes.

“Let me tell you, you don’t have to participate in the ritual. You can wait for the siege barrier to disappear and leave Etanok. It doesn’t matter if you leak information about the barrier or oppose it.”

Slane’s answer that he doesn’t care whether they oppose the manifestation of Anathema and the reproduction of the barrier, or leak it to the outside.

Is it confidence that it is impossible to stop what is happening now, at the point where the meeting has progressed this far?

Immediately after Slane raised his hand without waiting for the others’ answers.

*Kugugugung!!*

The ceiling of the vast underground ritual site opened wide, revealing the night sky that had passed midnight.

“Those who will participate in the ritual should decide their respective positions within 15 minutes and prepare.”

Slane, who had already descended among Lenok, who had obtained the magic circle, and the giants of the light, including Ollinic, nodded.

“I will start the manifestation of Anathema ritual right now.”