Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 959

Forbidden Arts (15)

Time.

Among the concepts symbolizing all changes, it is the most relative and independent force.

It was a power he had strived to possess since opening his eyes in this world, yet he still hadn’t touched its essence.

The innate ability of the Later Heaven Eight Trigrams [a concept in Taoism representing the eight fundamental elements of the universe], symbolizing all changes in the universe.

Lenok had received one of the Eight Trigrams’ innate abilities from Anathema, and through it, he was indirectly realizing how to manipulate time.

Even if it wasn’t a magic that fully understood and manipulated the concept of time, it was definitely an ability that grasped its fragments.

Weeeeeeeng…!!!

The rapidly rotating magic circle turned into a glowing halo, emitting a sharp light.

In the scenery where time around him began to slow down, Lenok thought.

‘Manipulating time through innate ability is closer to a practical manipulation of perceived time.’

The front legs of the spider falling from above slowly bent, and even the water droplets brushing his cheek seemed to stop in mid-air.

In the time where everything flowed slowly, Lenok’s body was also slowing down at the same pace.

Only Lenok’s consciousness, which had activated the innate ability, was flowing normally in an extremely short period of time.

‘Is it a power where only the speed of consciousness is unaffected when the ability is activated?’

Did his consciousness accelerate ahead of time? Or did everything except Lenok’s consciousness slow down?

The reason why the ability to manipulate time is difficult and complex is that even the caster himself cannot properly perceive the change.

Since the person is also standing on the changing timeline, they cannot objectively perceive the change in time.

That’s why Ascendants [beings who have transcended normal limitations] have been manipulating perceived time by infinitely dividing their consciousness.

The innate ability of the Eight Trigrams is no different in its essence.

This ability, which manipulates the caster’s perceived time to expand cognitive abilities to the limit, was, in a way, closer to a degraded version of the skills used by Ascendants.

Perhaps it was because this ability, passed down under the name of Anathema, was an artificial imitation of the Ascendants’ skills.

As Lenok thought this, he moved his will toward the spiderweb passing before his eyes.

Kkkkkkkk…!!

It wasn’t about manipulating the body to benefit from the ability.

In the time of reality, Lenok’s body was moving very slowly.

The important thing was will.

He awakened the ability to interfere with the material world through his will, manipulating causality even in the infinitely slowed time.

If one understood that will was the standard and unit in the changing time, one could maintain their center no matter how time changed.

The direction of the hundreds of spiderwebs spread by the giant spider slowly reversed in the slowed time.

Lenok’s time, which had been changing the direction and position of the spiderwebs one by one with his will, soon ended.

The moment the power of the innate ability ran out and the speed of time returned to normal.

The spiderwebs spread under the spider’s feet were all misaligned, piercing the spider’s torso from all directions.

Pa-ba-ba-bat!!

[Kweeek!!!]

The unrealistic result of having its own body pierced by the spiderwebs it had created.

The spider, with its legs and torso pierced in mid-air, screamed and thrashed wildly.

Squeak, squeak!!

Each time it thrashed its body pierced by the spiderwebs, the spider’s body began to be torn apart as if it were being sliced.

Limbs and torso fell apart, spilling body fluids and pieces of internal organs on the spot.

Felix, seeing the spider being torn apart in an instant, wore a sullen expression.

“Ban, what is this…?”

“What this spider produces is closer to magical threads than ordinary spiderwebs.”

Lenok said, dangling the spiderweb stuck to his hand.

“It’s not difficult to take away the control by injecting my will or magic.”

“……”

Lenok’s eyes, looking coldly at the spider’s head convulsing with its body torn apart, shone coldly.

“Once you slip on a spiderweb, even the spider can’t escape its own web.”

[Kwee-eeeek!!!]

At that moment, the spider’s head, the only part remaining, jumped up as if in a fit and lunged at Lenok.

With a terrifying movement as if trying to devour Lenok at all costs, spewing body fluids and spiderweb fragments.

[Chanting Thunder]

Pa-ji-jik!!!

The moment the lightning that burst from his fingertips struck down on the spider’s head lunging at Lenok.

Hundreds of fragments of lightning exploded inside the spider’s body, tearing its massive form to shreds.

Bbeo-eo-eo-eong!!!

The spider’s body, which had burst like a balloon, was torn apart, scattering body fluids, legs, antennae, and internal organs.

“Ugh…”

“Damn it, kill it cleanly!!!”

Felix covered his beak, feeling nauseous at the sight, and Phaisha yelled, but.

Lenok calmly reached out his hand amidst the falling spider corpses and grabbed something.

“Found it.”

“That guy, so his being weak to gore was just bullshit.”

“I blocked my senses, so I can’t hear well. Look at this.”

Lenok, turning his back to avoid the rain of falling body fluids, held out something he had grabbed to the two of them.

A five-colored bead that shone brilliantly even in the middle of the dark power room.

A clean and beautiful jewel that seemed out of place hidden inside the hideous spider’s body.

Felix and Phaisha’s expressions changed strangely as they confirmed it.

“This is…”

“Is that the treasure that spider bastard hid?”

“It’s a Core.”

Lenok said, tapping the bead.

“It’s something that a long-lived spirit condenses and materializes by containing a specific energy.”

“……”

“Usually, it’s a very powerful magic condensate, used as a spiritual medicine or catalyst, and traded at high prices.”

Lenok was a VIP member who bought large quantities of all sorts of catalysts and spiritual medicines at auctions whenever he had the chance.

As he was well-versed in the materials for medicines and spiritual medicines, Lenok knew that a Core was hidden inside the spider’s body as soon as he saw it.

At the same time, he had a hunch that this item would be very effective in the manufacture of new spiritual medicines or drugs.

However, the reason Lenok showed this Core to the two of them was not to boast about its uses.

“A spirit… That’s strange.”

Felix tilted his head.

“Even if we put aside whether a spirit can be born in this environment, it didn’t seem intelligent enough to be a spirit with a Core.”

A spirit is a being that has gained power and intelligence by being exposed to a specific energy for a long time.

Normally, they can easily speak human languages.

However, the spider that Lenok had just defeated did not seem to have any intelligence.

“If it could talk, it would have already thrown a fit at us for destroying its nest.”

Phaisha retorted with a nonchalant look.

“To die without a single curse when its belly is torn apart, what kind of patience does a bug have?”

“I don’t know about that, but it’s true that the spider wasn’t a spirit. But it’s also true that it had a Core despite not being a spirit.”

Lenok nodded.

“The reason that was possible is because this spider built its nest in the power room.”

“Because it built its nest in the power room?”

“Because a very powerful energy was rising through the power room, enough for a non-spirit spider to create a Core.”

“……”

“If such energy is gathering in the underground waterway, there’s only one reason, isn’t there?”

Only then did Felix, understanding Lenok’s words, mutter.

“I see. The place we were looking for is right…”

“Anathema’s residence is hidden below here.”

Lenok nodded.

“From now on, we’ll dig under the floor of the power room. Get ready.”

* * *

A pile of dirt collapsed, and earth and sand poured down with a crash.

Through the dust that slid down, the shadows of three people fell at a rapid speed.

Koo-oong!!

Felix, who had quickly regained his balance and landed on his feet, looked around with a curious expression.

“To think that such a space was hidden under the underground waterway…”

The appearance of an underground cavity located below the sewer that the three had passed through so far.

But what was even more surprising was that there were no signs of any stench or pollution in this underground cavity.

They had only dug down about ten meters from the floor of the power room, but it felt as if the environment itself had changed.

On one side of the cavity, a splendid gate was buried at an angle.

“……”

A bizarre sight as if a huge mansion gate had been torn off and buried in the dirt floor.

However, the intense magic emanating from beyond the gate proved that they had not come to the wrong address.

Above all, someone’s name was clearly engraved in an antique cursive script on the gate.

“Armas von Anathema…”

Felix, who had read the name, nodded.

“To think that Anathema’s residence was buried in such a remote outer area underground.”

“When this residence was built, it was probably before the districts of Balkan were clearly defined as they are now.”

Lenok, who had approached from behind Felix, explained.

Lenok’s gaze, which had been staring intently at the gate, turned cold.

“It’s a coincidence that the facility created when the residence was buried was the sewer… but in a way, it suits his death quite well.”

“……I don’t know much about the Forbidden Weapon, but I know that it’s a forbidden artifact made using humans as materials.”

Felix, who had been silent, asked.

“I don’t know what kind of human was used as a material that Anathema cherished and treasured it so much.”

“I don’t know much about the Forbidden Weapon either.”

Lenok replied, reaching out his hand toward the gate.

“However, I’ve heard rumors that the higher the level of the transcendent used as a material, the more of their abilities from their lifetime can be used.”

“……”

The human body is weak, fragile, and easily broken.

Even if it is processed using it as a material, it is difficult to become an excellent weapon.

However, the Forbidden Weapon, created by overcoming the depravity of breaking taboos and the difficulty of various conditions.

It was known that it could literally use the abilities or functions that the transcendent had used in their lifetime.

Then, what kind of transcendent with what abilities should be used as a material to obtain the power worthy of the name Forbidden Weapon?

“The story about the weapon’s abilities or origins is not something we can confirm right now.”

Lenok’s eyes, which had grabbed the doorknob, shone calmly.

“First, we need to prevent the Forbidden Weapon from falling into the hands of the city government or the council of elders.”

In the first place, Lenok does not rely heavily on specific artifacts in battle.

It was still doubtful whether the Forbidden Weapon sealed by Anathema was a necessary weapon for Lenok.

He was only trying to recover it in case the Forbidden Weapon fell into the hands of the city government or the council of elders.

That’s why Lenok was moving like this only a few days after the end of the conference, instead of dealing with the matter of the Forbidden Weapon urgently.

“I knew it. You always give such boring reasons.”

Phaisha said, chuckling.

“If you’re just going to leave such a thing as a burden, give it to me. It might be a weapon that suits me better than a blessed mage like you, right?”

Lenok neatly ignored Phaisha’s words and immediately pulled the doorknob.

The moment he lifted the doorknob and lightly struck it against the door, a heavy reverberation spread through the underground cavity.

Thud!!

“……”

Silence followed.

As Felix was about to say something, looking at the door that had no reaction.

Someone’s face appeared as if it was rising from beyond the door.

The grotesque face of a man with his eyes closed and crying tears of blood.

The man, screaming as if in agony, moved his mouth and uttered a voice.

=The Great Exile. The Proud Traitor. The Bloom of Ars Nova. The Gold of the Center.

“……”

=Six Thousand Calamities, the House of Armas von Anathema.

“Why are there so many ridiculous modifiers?”

While Phaisha was grumbling, the door asked in a cracking voice.

=Are you a guest invited by a proud noble to visit their mansion?”

“No.”

Lenok, who had been watching the door with his arms crossed, replied.

“Neither.”

=Then, you must pass a proper question and answer to enter his house.

The door slowly adjusted its voice and asked.

=When did Anathema become a fallen star from Ars Nova [a prestigious magical academy]?

“I don’t know.”

=…….

The door fell silent at Lenok’s nonchalant answer, and Felix asked with a bewildered expression.

“Hey? Is it okay to answer like that?”

=Then, let’s move on to another question.

The door asked as if singing.

=When Anathema made his exploits into a song, who was the adversary most praised as his greatest achievement?

“I don’t know.”

=Among the many lives Anathema saved, who was the one who most loudly proclaimed his gratitude?

“I don’t know.”

=How many statues were erected to commemorate Anathema during his six incarnations?

“I have no idea.”

=…….

The door closed its mouth and remained firmly silent.

“What a self-absorbed, almost exploding Q&A session.”

Phaisha, who had been snickering and listening to Lenok’s answers from behind, scoffed.

“I thought it was some kind of ridiculous test, but it’s all about his own achievements and praise. It’s disgusting.”

“……”

“So, what are we going to do now-”

The moment Phaisha was grumbling irritably towards the silent Lenok, the door, with its eyes closed, asked.

=Is Anathema dead?

“……”

=From the point of not answering, the curse of self-loathing should have broken your will. The fact that the curse that should have been placed in the mansion is not working. Isn’t that because the caster himself, who should have cast the curse, no longer exists in this world?

“Yes.”

Lenok said.

“I killed him.”

=That’s, right…….

The door, stammering, spoke slowly.

=Is there no one left to pass this role on to, no one who will come anymore?

“……”

=Enter…….

Screech!!

At that moment, the door swung open, and the scenery of the mansion unfolded before the group’s eyes.

A wooden corridor filled with old documents and ornaments.

The moment the door opened, a thick smell of perfume wafted out.

“……”

Lenok slowly moved his steps beyond the door, followed by Felix and Phaisha.

“Hey, mage.”

Phaisha called out to Lenok, pointing to the stairs.

“I’m going to go upstairs and look around first, so if you find anything on the first floor, let me know.”

“You’re being unusually proactive.”

Lenok asked with a smile.

“Are you now interested in Anathema’s weapon?”

“Haha, as if that’s the case?”

Phaisha retorted with a crooked smile.

“It’s not like you can deal with me just by holding one of those weapons.”

“……”

“This house has been buried for decades, but the smell of perfume is damn strong.”

Phaisha whispered, glancing away.

“It’s obvious that it’s been sprayed to hide something. Just looking at the talking door that was on the mansion earlier, it’s clear that something’s fishy.”

“Hmm…….”

Leaving Lenok pondering, Phaisha immediately turned around.

“I’m curious about what that hypocrite Anathema hid. I’ll be wandering around first, so keep that in mind.”

Without waiting for a reply, Phaisha quickly disappeared to the second floor.

Felix, looking at her retreating figure with a thoughtful expression, muttered.

“In horror movies, they always disappear one by one like this.”

“……Did you have to start with that kind of analogy?”

“Ahem, ahem, I didn’t mean to say that I wanted the noble lady to end up like that.”

As Phaisha said, the smell of perfume lingers throughout the mansion, but there are no particular anomalies.

It’s a normal mansion scene, considering it’s buried tens of meters underground.

“I don’t feel anything particularly strange.”

Felix said, looking around with a troubled expression.

“If there’s anything noticeable… it’s that there are quite a few intricately assembled items among the decorations in the house.”

“It’s not just the decorations.”

Lenok said, stroking the door of the reception room with one hand.

“The hinges of the door. The screw parts of the window frames. They’re all made with extremely delicate processes.”

“Are you trying to say it’s Armas von Anathema’s hobby?”

“Well…….”

Lenok muttered, looking around the mansion.

“Rather than that, I’m thinking that even these characteristics might be the influence of the forbidden weapon sealed in the mansion.”

“Influence…?”

“It seems like we’ve looked around the first floor, so let’s go upstairs and talk.”

Lenok said, shaking his head.

“I think I have a rough idea of where to look.”

“……”

The moment Felix, who didn’t understand Lenok’s words, tilted his head.

Crash!!

A loud sound of glass breaking echoed from above the two people’s heads.

At the same time, Lenok and Felix, who made eye contact, immediately moved to the second floor.

“Grisban?”

“Mage, over here.”

Unlike the first floor, which looked like a normal mansion, the second floor had ornate jewelry displayed in showcases.

Phaisha was in the middle of one of those showcases, breaking the glass and holding something in her hand.

As soon as Lenok saw her, he shook his head.

“Is it stealing from the start? You’re hopeless.”

“Damn it, what stealing!”

Phaisha shouted, turning her body around.

She kicked the showcase, smashing it, and pointed to the pouring jewelry.

“Why is it stealing to loot the house of a dead guy? This is spoils of war!”

“That’s because all of Anathema’s assets have been transferred to my name.”

Lenok retorted with his arms crossed.

“It seems like you’ve already forgotten why we came to recover the forbidden weapon.”

“……”

“You’re stealing property in front of the owner right now.”

“……Anyway!! Look at this first!!”

Phaisha changed the subject and snatched something from the showcase.

It wasn’t jewelry, but a thin, slender thread-like object that had been hanging among them. It was a thread used to connect and hang the jewelry in the showcase.

Phaisha pulled the unbroken thread and held it in a bunch in front of Lenok’s eyes.

“This isn’t an ordinary thread. It’s a mana thread [a thread made of magical energy].”

“……”

“Indeed.”

Felix, who belatedly realized the fact, let out a groan.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s been decades since the mansion was buried, but how can mana threads still be here…….”

Mana threads are literally thin threads made of mana.

Naturally, because they are made of mana, once the mana is depleted, they scatter and disappear on the spot.

Yet, the fact that mana threads remain intact in this house, which has been abandoned for decades.

Whether it’s a person or an item, isn’t it possible because the cause that maintains the mana threads remains in the mansion?

“The tension is normal. There are no outstanding features in the composition of the mana thread either.”

Lenok, who received the mana thread from Phaisha, said, pulling it with both hands.

Lenok, who had been staring at the mana thread, nodded.

“However, this mana belongs to Anathema himself, not someone else.”

“……Anathema’s mana thread?”

Felix made a strange expression upon hearing those words.

“I thought Anathema was definitely an 8-level dragon mage…….”

“That hypocrite was extremely proud of his lost spell from the Central [referring to a specific region or organization].”

Phaisha spat and laughed.

“If a fool who was intoxicated with himself had talent in manipulation spells, he would never have been able to hide it.”

“It’s not like only manipulation mages can handle mana threads. As long as it’s limited to the medium of mana threads, other mages can also implement it.”

It is famous for being used as a medium for manipulation spells because the conduction and movement of mana are fast in the form of threads.

However, it is not that other mages who are not manipulation mages cannot use mana threads.

Simply, if you draw mana long and thin like a thread, it is no different from a mana thread.

It is difficult to manipulate mana threads delicately without the aid of manipulation spells, so other mages do not bother to use them.

“It takes the form of a thread by weaving particles, but if you look at the entanglement of mana, there are clumsy parts. As I said, the composition of the thread is not outstanding.”

Lenok said, putting strength into the hand holding the mana thread.

Crack……!!

Just by pulling it with a little force, the mana thread easily broke and crumbled.

Lenok, who lightly brushed off the remaining threads in his hand, said.

“It’s strange that the mana thread has been maintained intact for decades, even though its completion is not high.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“The power that keeps even the mana thread of a dead mage intact exists in this mansion.”

“……”

“That’s why the spider that nested above the mansion had an inner core and used mana threads even though it wasn’t a spirit.”

Lenok said, raising his gaze.

“It’s possible because something with very powerful force is assisting the system spells, including mana threads.”

“Hey, mage.”

Phaisha’s complexion changed completely as she belatedly understood Lenok’s words.

“Could it be that the ability of the forbidden weapon is…….”

“A special type of spell that has been treated most specially in Ars Nova.”

Lenok nodded and held the mana thread, drawing mana.

Whoosh!!

At the same time as raising the Bagua formation [a symbolic diagram used in magic], he held Kaise’s pocket watch and infused the mana of reverse heaven into the mana thread.

Simultaneously projecting the innate ability to manipulate time and the mana of reverse heaven that goes against time.

The moment he found the most intense remaining trace in this mansion, using Anathema’s mana thread as a medium.

Kiriirik……!!

The mana thread twisted in Lenok’s hand and began to take a specific shape.

A strange appearance that seemed to imitate the shape of some equipment that existed in this place a long time ago.

Felix gasped as he realized that it was in the form of a glove worn on one hand.

Lenok, who slowly clenched his hand, said.

“The forbidden weapon that Anathema hid is an artifact that manipulates manipulation spells.”