Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 97

Reload, fire. Reload, fire.

Although its functionality and efficiency had been greatly enhanced, the shooting support magic, which still consumed less mana than common magic, was no burden to Lennox.

Shoot, eject, replace the magazine when the bullets run out, and pick up another gun when the barrel gets too hot.

One or two snipes from a long distance could be dealt with somehow, but how many people could withstand a series of such powerful attacks?

Usually, ability users specialized in sniping have to bear various penalties in exchange for the power of a single shot, but for Lennox, who had overcome all those disadvantages with his overflowing talent, it was a non-issue.

‘Especially in this situation.’

Knowing that this kind of situation was not common in battles against superhumans, Lennox pulled the trigger without hesitation.

A somewhat unusual combat environment between two buildings.

The presence of the three freelancers he had been fighting earlier.

Regardless of his sniping ability, such a favorable situation was rare to begin with.

So, he had no choice but to enjoy it while he could.

Ta-ta-ta-ta-tang!!!

He emptied the magazines.

The bullets that couldn’t even graze Lennox’s coat in the hands of riflemen flew through the night sky with a blue light, crashing down on the terrorists.

The freelancers, not missing the opportunity, were also convinced that the long-range support was from their side and gritted their teeth.

It was inevitable that the battle would drag on.

And finally, Hina’s voice reached the four people through their earpieces.

[Get ready.]

A slightly excited voice, unlike the one they had heard from her so far.

However, Lennox did not miss the faint fear mixed in between.

[In 10 seconds, just once. Support will arrive at this location. Finish the fight then.]

“What the hell is that supposed to mean…!!”

Five seconds passed while he was speaking, and three seconds passed while the flustered pyrokinesis user shouted.

And before the remaining two seconds passed, something appeared from the distant sky.

Whoosh…!!

A graceful sound piercing through the wind.

Floating with a solemn yet elegant appearance, looking down at the ground with dignity, it was a streak of jet-black light.

Lennox silently raised his head to confirm the identity of the ‘support’.

The widely spread sense of mana sharply pinpointed the target.

Its length was easily around 8 meters. Its diameter was 10 cm.

It was covered in jet-black mana. However, unlike black mages, it was not sticky at all, but infinitely pure and dry.

A single spear as if finely grinding and molding shadows.

‘No… Considering it was shot from that far, is it an arrow?’

Hyeon-gung [Mysterious Bow].

Before he could fully understand the two words that flashed through his mind.

The black spear that had flown for several kilometers pierced through the Trade Center.

Kwa-ji-ji-ji-jik!!!

It pried, twisted, and pulled out.

The moment it pierced the building, the black flash unraveled like a thread, instantly covering and binding the upper part of the building.

The Trade Center had been transformed into a shape that looked like a stick inserted into a round sphere, like a matchstick.

At the same time as Lennox shook his head after confirming the sight, Hina’s voice echoed from the earpiece.

[Support from Agent Evelyn Marcia has arrived.]

[Enemy capture successful. Operation complete.]

Thud!

Lennox, who had casually thrown the rifle he was holding onto the floor, got up from his spot.

He stubbed out the nearly burnt cigarette and took out a new one.

His gaze was still fixed on the Trade Center.

His expression was indifferent, but the thoughts swirling within him were extremely complex.

‘Evelyn Marcia… I thought she was a monster, but she’s beyond my imagination.’

He had somewhat guessed when she had the alias of the Black Bow, but he never imagined it would be to this extent.

It was already amazing that she had succeeded in a single attempt at a snipe from a distance of several kilometers, but the fact that the target was not a single point but occupied an entire space was unbelievable.

It was a technique that was hard to believe even after seeing it directly.

Her innate superpower, the incredibly precise mana manipulation ability she possessed, and the vast mental image that encompassed all of that were necessary to even attempt such an application.

He couldn’t even feel her presence, but he was certain.

Evelyn Marcia was indeed a superhuman who deserved to be treated on par with that crocodile giant.

‘I need to improve quickly.’

Even after seeing the monstrous skill that was still far beyond his reach, what Lennox felt was not fear or awe, but thorough analysis and evaluation.

And a small admiration.

Although they were in a temporary cooperative relationship, it was meaningless to clearly distinguish between friend and foe in this world.

If he had witnessed a high level of power, it was right to prepare and strive for the moment when that arrow would be aimed at him.

He lightly exhaled the smoke that filled his lungs and moved towards the stairs.

In any case, all the work he had to do today was finished.

All that remained was the calculation of performance and compensation.

And to listen to and prepare for what he had to do in the next operation.

#

“It failed.”

Whoosh!!

Sand dust blew across the wasteland.

In the middle of the desert, where the stinging sand made it difficult for ordinary people to even open their eyes.

Two people were sitting and talking as if nothing was wrong.

A middle-aged man with a tree root tattoo below his eyes.

A young man with a lean physique and snake-like eyes, with a suspicious expression.

The heads of the black magic radical faction and the terrorist organization Falchion.

The leaders of the two organizations were talking alone without any subordinates.

“Strictly speaking, it’s not a failure.”

The young man retorted.

Even in the middle of this harsh desert, he was shaking a glass of wine in his short sleeves and shorts, looking as relaxed as someone on vacation rather than on a job.

On the other hand, the middle-aged man, wearing a heavy jacket and worn-out jeans and sitting on a small wooden plank, seemed to fit this place perfectly.

“Craig. Either way, we succeeded in recovering the encryption key. We’ve gathered all the necessary cards before the investors’ meeting. Aren’t you worrying too much?”

“You know that it’s not a situation where we can just let it slide, Jaun.”

“………”

“You don’t know that woman well. If Evelyn Marcia gets seriously involved in this, it’s over. We need to finish this quickly before the City Council releases her access rights.”

The young man, Jaun, closed his mouth quietly after hearing Craig’s words.

Jaun, who was staring into the distance with a thoughtful face, muttered.

“Certainly, if we want to find someone skilled enough to face her at this point, we’d have to look in the Demon Market…”

“That’s the worst option.”

Craig stated in a rough voice.

“There’s never been a single good thing that came from bringing those crazy bastards in. If we bring uncontrollable monsters into this game, the plan will fall apart.”

“…..Don’t worry.”

Jaun slowly stood up.

“I have no intention of handing over Leisen’s slush fund to those guys.”

“……..”

“If there’s something to be had, we should take it all. Wasn’t that the premise of our cooperation from the beginning?”

A strange smile, as if mocking, was directed at Craig.

“We can’t stop now that we’ve started. If you’re hoping for a dramatic compromise with the city government, wake up. At least until this matter is resolved, we’ll have to grab each other by the collar and drag each other to the finish line.”

“If you’re obsessed with material things, you’ll end up ruining things.”

Craig replied without looking at Jaun.

“Money is just a means, it can’t be the goal.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Jaun said with a laugh.

“That’s just an excuse that poor people who don’t have enough money make.”

The final exchange of questions and answers that clearly revealed their values.

Saaah…!!

With that word, Jaun’s body turned into tiny crystal fragments and disappeared.

Craig stared intently at Jaun’s figure melting into the hot air of the desert.

After a brief moment, he took out his cell phone from his pocket, and at the same time, his figure also vanished.

After the hot wind swept through the place where they had been, there was no trace left.

#

“Leisen’s downfall, you say?”

Evelyn’s office.

Despite the rather luxurious environment, it seemed that it was not properly managed, as there were odds and ends piled up here and there.

Among them, what particularly caught the eye were the vegetable gardens sparsely planted throughout the office.

It seemed that Evelyn did not particularly refrain from her hobbies even in public.

“Yes.”

Evelyn replied to Lennox’s words, naturally reaching out to the desk.

She picked up a carrot from among the scattered vegetables and began to munch on it raw.

Lennox tried not to look in that direction, but he couldn’t help but be bothered by the smell of onions that lingered at the tip of his nose.

“Want one? I grew them myself. It’s a personal hobby.”

“…No, thanks. I’d like to hear the details first.”

“I grew them organically myself. It’s so difficult in this low-quality city air. Try one, I’ll give it to you.”

“………”

It was the second time they had met face-to-face, but she was as stubbornly eccentric and self-centered as ever.

Only after handing Lennox a long cucumber did Evelyn open her mouth again.

“The slush funds that Leisen has accumulated so far are money made through collusion with large corporations. I’m going to use this opportunity to bring down the City Council’s mouthpiece.”

“…That’s not a story I particularly want to hear.”

He thought she was an extraordinary person, but he never imagined she would have such thoughts.

No, he never thought she would tell Lennox about this plan so openly.

Lennox still knew too little to get involved in the power struggles surrounding this city.

“What, I don’t intend to give you any difficult tasks anyway.”

Evelyn said, as if trying to reassure Lennox.

Even while talking about such a serious matter, her expression was still calm.

Lennox managed to control his expression, but he couldn’t help but feel that the cucumber in his mouth tasted particularly bitter.

The day after the operation surrounding the Trade Center ended.

A meeting between the two of them, after finishing the cleanup of all the events that occurred in the operation area and the three freelancers who were hired for this job in just 24 hours.

On the surface, it was a call to confirm and pay the success fee that Lennox would exclusively receive this time, but in fact, everyone knew who had completed this operation from beginning to end.

From Lennox’s point of view, it was not a day or two that he felt the capabilities of his teammates were lacking, but it would be different for those who were working with him for the first time.

It was natural that the amount deposited into his account would increase, but the fact that Evelyn was present was a bit unexpected.

When she first went to the trouble of recruiting him, he thought it was understandable, but it was unusual for someone as skilled as her to be involved in such a trivial compensation process.

That meant that Evelyn Marcia highly valued the abilities of the mage Ban… but frankly, it wasn’t a very welcome thing.

The fact that he had cooperated with the city government’s agents, including her, this time was only because it was in line with Lennox’s original purpose, and it was also to repay a debt from before.

Originally, it was right not to associate with such dangerous groups at all.

However, Lennox was unintentionally being drawn into the center of the events happening in this city.

“The reason I’m telling you this is because the enemy you have to face in this operation may not be just terrorists.”

“What do you mean?”

“A disciplinary committee was convened by the higher-ups as a price for my involvement in this operation. Since I disobeyed orders, our authority will be greatly reduced, and Leisen will start making moves accordingly.”

Evelyn’s green eyes turned to Lennox.

A clear gaze that made him unconsciously tense up, even though he knew that the altered mana pattern was perfect.

“Ban, are you prepared to kill fellow freelancers?”