Drug-Eating Genius Mage
Chapter 799

A Genius Mage Taking Medicine Episode 799

Divine Manifestation (1)

“The Ghost Fangs’ vessel of divine manifestation…”

The ethereal statement of the ghost dragon Yao Xin, which is the divine manifestation that constructs the environment of the Ghost Citadel.

As soon as Lenok heard those words, he understood a series of explanations and situations that came to mind and nodded his head.

If Oris is correct, could it mean that the reason the ghost dragon became a military commander is based on the divine manifestation?

Moreover, the divine manifestation is one of the three goals that Lenok had considered in Yorta.

Due to the Symphony Court’s affairs, he had hesitated because he did not expect it to be connected in this manner.

“I had a feeling, but it seems I was right.”

The ethereal being understood Lenok’s reaction halfway and spoke with a mocking tone.

“Not only did you have an understanding of the Symphony Court’s secrets to an unimaginable extent, but you were in cahoots with Yao Xin, weren’t you?”

“…”

The image of the ethereal beings who assumed Lenok was an ally against the ghost dragon, drawing their weapons.

Their pale, translucent flesh poured over their shoulders, quickly filling the surroundings with an oppressive aura.

Tsst, tsst, tsst, tsst!

“If you were to exert force in the Citadel, your relationship with the ghost dragon would become uncomfortable… But if I were to let you go in this situation, it would result in irreparable damage.”

They already knew what Lenok had done at the Spirit Tower.

If they knew that Lenok had joined forces with the Chief Arbiter Oris and partially overturned the Spirit Tower, they would not let him go.

“It’s not an incorrect statement, but there is one drawback.”

However, even after hearing those words, Lenok smiled wryly and reached out his hand towards the ethereal being.

“Isn’t that something you should consider when you are capable of facing me?”

Slash!

In that moment, the pale-skinned ethereal being hanging from the canopy was split in half.

A gruesome cutting force that cleanly bisected from the head to the abdomen, dividing it into two.

The string that extended from Lenok’s hand, like a sharp blade, instantly killed the ethereal being.

Pshh!

The hazy ethereal form exploded into misty energy and disappeared in an instant.

Upon seeing this, the other surrounding ethereal beings that had been surrounding Lenok immediately started moving without hesitation.

“Debon has fallen. Commence!”

“He’s a specialist in manipulation magic. Stay at a distance as we discussed!”

“Maintain a strict formation and move!”

Whoosh!

In that moment, dozens of fruit boxes piled in the night market exploded, and fruits flew through the air from all directions.

Hundreds of piles of fruit fell and scattered, oozing with juice and pulp.

“Is obstructing my vision their purpose? It’s a cheap trick.”

In the meantime, Lenok wrapped his fingers around the mage’s staff.

The determination that pierced through the gaps between the fruits became a tangible force, intending to pierce through the ethereal beings.

Lenok swiftly turned his gaze and clenched one of the fruits in mid-air.

A bomb concealed among the fruits exploded, igniting a towering pillar of flames in the heart of the night market.

Boom!

With a deafening sound, the shockwave of the azure ethereal energy engulfed the surrounding objects, burning them.

Lenok realized that the shockwave was destabilizing the nearby magical energies, furrowing his brow.

A manipulative device that compresses and distorts the surrounding magical energies, causing artificial turbulence.

It was an ethereal distortion targeting the surroundings and environment rather than Lenok himself.

Knowing that such disruption is deadly for a manipulator who requires precise control, Lenok responded.

Kagagak!

“As expected, I have no plans to manipulate ethereal energy. When you disrupt my senses, it validates my defensive and offensive abilities!”

“He’s a manipulator with an extreme sensitivity to condition. Kill him before he can adapt!”

With a yellow talisman in his mouth, the ethereal beings rushed toward the storm of ethereal energy in the distance.

They continued to detonate the bombs hidden among the piles of fruit, relentlessly tormenting Lenok’s concentration.

Thud!

Crash!

As the shops and boxes collapsed, a cacophony of noise erupted, along with bomb-like shapes soaring from all directions.

Blending in with the piles of fruit, it was difficult to discern their true forms as they rained down.

In the midst of consecutively unleashing storms of ethereal energy, Lenok evaded the ethereal beings’ blurry pursuit and swiftly disappeared through the canopy.

Kagagak!

Lenok’s thick robe fluttered, casting a dark shadow over the courtyard of the bright daytime night market.

While relying on his mage skills and accelerating, he faced intermittent attacks from the ethereal beings flashing from all directions.

The scythes and sickles wrapped in mist clashed with Lenok’s magical staff, creating poignant sparks.

Thud, thud, thud!

Lenok’s movements seemed hurried as he tried to escape, but the ethereal lines always deflected the strikes from the scythes and sickles.

Whenever he extended his hand like beating the air, the swirling bundles of magical energy skillfully avoided the trajectory of the strikes.

“What kind of precision manipulation is this?!”

“Is it completely unaffected by the surrounding environment?!”

The ethereal beings running through the night market walls and canopies growled at this nonsensical manipulation.

“It’s obvious that you’re thinking on a predictable level. But it’s not like that.”

Kiiik!

With a flick of his wrist, Lenok bound the mage with his magical staff and twisted the ethereal being’s neck with the other end.

The ethereal being, who made a mistake in distance control, was killed on the spot, and Lenok used his magical power to disintegrate its ethereal form while laughing.

“The ever-changing environment is taken into account when deploying the manifestation ritual.”

“…!!!”

“The disruption of the magical patterns seems quite alien due to the explosion utilizing the military essence. It distorts the stability of the surrounding magical energy.”

Amidst the cascading piles of fruit, Lenok descended and raised his hand towards the approaching ethereal beings.

“I can’t tolerate your nuisance any longer. I think it’s time to put an end to this… Hm?”

Just then, as Lenok looked around, he noticed something peculiar.

In that moment, Lenok lifted his gaze, which was covered by a mask, upward.

“What on earth is this mischief!!”

Immediately after, with a booming voice, someone fell down and released a bright yellow light.

Paaaang!!

The storm of spiritual energy that was exploding from all directions subsided, and the spiritual beings took a step back.

Blocking Lenok’s path was the figure of a monk wearing a blindfold, with both hands gathered in a prayer-like gesture.

Gathering the spiritual energy in his hands, he unleashed a protective barrier to shield Lenok and himself and shouted out in protest.

“To think that the spirits of Jin-Hon-Jeong would dare to persecute a mortal, such shamelessness!”

“…”

“Engaging in such absurd acts in Yaosin Fortress is a violation of the rituals! Withdraw immediately!”

After shouting at the spiritual beings, the monk turned his gaze towards Lenok and nodded his head.

“It has been a while since the inspection. Now that I have arrived, you can rest assured.”

“Why are you talking nonsense? You…”

Lenok rummaged through his memories and immediately recalled the monk’s face, nodding his head.

“You’re the monk I spoke to at the pier. What are you doing here?”

When they were making a boat out of the Sage’s corpse to cross the Headrain River, it was the blindfolded monk who spoke to Lenok first.

He had come forward to help Lenok in the bustling night market streets.

The spiritual beings also quickly exchanged information in the presence of the monk.

“…Who is he?”

“He is a monk from Stania. He came to Yorta for the Yeongbyeon Ritual.”

“An outsider? Well, we can take him along if we want.”

“If you wish, you may try.”

The monk stood before Lenok with a determined expression, raising his main spiritual power to the fullest.

“Though my skills are not abundant, I will not show mercy to spirits who defy the laws of life and death!”

Kkigik!!

At that moment, the monk discovered a looming shadow above his head and swallowed his words.

Not only the monk but also the other spiritual beings in the night market were covered by the immense shadow.

Because of the eerie mask he wore, the elderly man with grotesque features peered down at them with a wicked smile.

A hunched back. Eight bony arms and dozens of elongated fingers.

Bundles of magical power, like veils, hung from the withered fingers, swaying slowly.

Beyond the gently stroking fingers, an enigmatic magical power flowed incessantly, impossible to trace its origin.

“What on earth…”

“I understand your intentions, but it seems it won’t be of much help.”

As the monk mumbled absentmindedly, Lenok spoke up from behind.

Without realizing it, Lenok had summoned his familiar with both hands clasped together and tilted his head slowly.

“Step aside, as you are hindering me.”

“F-Familiar!!”

Keiiing…!!

A brilliant light shone through the obsidian mask, and the spiritual beings realized its true identity and scrambled in fear.

The monk began to slowly strike the air with his fingertips.

Art of Manipulation Magic:

Resonance Dispersal of Spiritual Projection

[Intellectual Rite (意念解隷)]

With a sudden exclamation, a tremor rippled through the extended aura of the sorcerer, causing time to slow down as if frozen in place.

It was not time itself but rather a phenomenon of the expanded space entwined within the sorcerer’s aura, filling the gap with an illusion.

In the perception of the eternalizing time, everyone gazed mesmerized at the slender trajectory before them.

At the rotating edges of the sorcerer in all directions, fragments of fruit that had been falling above their heads were suspended in mid-air.

A crackling sound echoed!

In the disoriented cognition, the previously slow contraction of the sorcerer suddenly escalated into a explosive rotation.

A resounding thud!

The fruit hanging at the end of the sorcerer shattered its pulp in that very spot, yet its core twisted and transformed into sharp projectiles.

The transformed fruit cores swiftly pierced through the heads of the specters, simultaneously and unerringly.

A muffled crash!

Enveloped in an azure-hued flame, the ethereal forms of the specters collapsed and crumbled in their places.

As Lehnoc emerged from amidst the dissipating specters’ corpses, the monk gazed upon him with a bewildered expression.

“Is there anything as regrettable as perishing in a split second misjudgment? It is a lamentable occurrence indeed.”

“…As is meddling unnecessarily in affairs beyond the dock.”

Lehnoc, passing by the monk, let out a faint chuckle.

“For someone who seems to be well-versed in such matters, you have quite a lengthy existence and remarkable skill, don’t you?”

“Hehe, that is an understatement coming from a novice.”

The monk looked at Lehnoc and offered a faint smile.

“Compared to the display you just showed, the skills I possess as a novice are utterly inconsequential.”

“…”

As Lehnoc remained silent, the smile beneath the monk’s blindfold grew even more profound.

“Even while standing in that place, you are already beyond that moment in time. Where are you looking at now?”

A vague yet piercing question that penetrated to the core.

The delicate maneuvers and acute confrontations inherent in the manipulation technique.

However, when combined with the potential of foresight and the abilities of divination, one can ascertain hidden advantages and act upon them.

The monk recognized that the current battle Lehnoc waged against the specters was a result based on a power close to precognition.

“When you combine the left ma’an that confirms the realm of possibilities with the overlapping strategies, one can predict the offense and defense to a much greater extent.”

As Lehnoc gazed at the monk, lost in thought, he pondered.

“If I can use divination without the aid of the priestess, it would be a great help in assisting manipulation techniques as well.”

The abilities of divination are not exclusive to the priestess but rather rooted in the existence of the leader and the commandments of the martial order.

Therefore, if one were to sufficiently master those techniques, Lehnoc too could potentially emulate them.

Lehnoc had come to realize this fact while in prison and had been practicing the use of divination without the assistance of the priestess.

“So, you are one of Stania’s monks, I presume. I have heard your name before.”

Despite not revealing such an impression, Lehnoc looked beyond the monk’s mask and inquired.

“Devoting yourself to seclusion on Mount Seolsan and actively engaging in worldly affairs. What brings you here?”

Stania Monastery.

Lehnoc had heard of it occasionally in passing, but he knew what kind of organization they were.

A religious sect focused more on internal cultivation than faith or belief.

They were renowned for their production of elixirs, even entering into partnerships and operating pharmaceutical companies under that name.

Lehnoc himself had tried their elixir, ‘Stemonia,’ during his days as a freelancer.

But if there was one thing Lehnoc knew best about the monastery, it was that it had been the whereabouts of Parden MacQueen, the former first chairman of the cartel.

A skillful practitioner who wielded the Liberation Technique and the Supreme Vital Force, he brandished an area named “Baeknachal Posha,” which depicted the scenery of the monastery.

Although he had achieved a complete hierarchy while concealing his true identity, Lehnoc still vividly remembered his unique technique.

Little did the monk expect to hear such a specific account from Lehnoc’s lips as he respectfully bowed his head.

“Ah, you have a more profound insight than I anticipated. My apologies for the intrusion. I didn’t think a battle would hold any interest for someone like you.”

“I have no interest in the monastery itself, but I am intrigued by the derived techniques and arts.”

Lehnoc replied in a deep, contemplative tone.

“I am aware that there are unique techniques transmitted within the monastery, including the Liberation Technique.”

“… ”

Pargyeseung, Parden MacQueen, combined the Liberation Technique and the Supreme Vital Force to manipulate a unique summon called Arjumarta.

The existence of an artificial summon that greatly amplifies and assists the output of the technique served as considerable inspiration for Lehnoc in creating the otherworldly Foundation Stone.

The perplexed monk, unable to utter a word, looked at Lehnoc with a sinking expression.

“It’s good to know that you are aware of the circumstances at the monastery. I suppose there’s no need for lengthy explanations.”

The monk, with hands folded quietly, began introducing himself.

“I am called Kraya Nirjuma. I came to Yorta in search of knowledge, bearing the name of the monastery.”

“Knowledge, you say?”

“If it’s alright with you, would you not participate in the Spirit Barrier Ritual held at the Ghost Dragon Fortress?”

The monk, introducing himself as Kraya, asked Lehnoc.

“The ritual, known as a test held periodically by the Ghost Dragon Yao Xin, allows those who pass to receive the transmission of the Divine Incarnation Technique.”

“…”

“The ritual takes place at the fortress, and excluding the minimal qualification verification, participants can receive rewards based on their capabilities.”

Kraya continued explaining, facing Lehnoc, who remained unresponsive.

“According to hearsay, Yao Xin, who presides over the ritual, is a strict authority even within Yorta and is extremely mindful of procedures and formalities.”

As if expecting such words to emerge, Kraya promptly spoke.

“On the other hand, there is also a rumor that during each ritual, Yao Xin designates one of the participants as an insider and bypasses the procedures to directly transmit the technique.”

“…”

Could this be the same insider mentioned by the members of the Harmonious Chorus Assassination Unit?

If the specters themselves were aware of it, the rumor Kraya mentioned was likely not baseless falsehood.

With hands respectfully folded, Kraya spoke to Lehnoc.

“And in my view, you seem to have the highest likelihood of being that rumored insider.”

“In other words, you imply that I don’t have the confidence to pass the ritual alone.”

Lehnoc scoffed.

“Though the Liberation Technique holds a longstanding history and lingering remnants within the monastery, it is on the verge of losing its transmission after the deaths of the senior monks.”

The monk sighed as if lamenting.

“I went so far as to search for the whereabouts of the betraying Pargyeseung in order to restore it. How can I explain such earnestness?”

“…”

“The Divine Incarnation Technique, even though it is of little help, holds the power to restore the monastery’s Liberation Technique.”

With his blindfolded gaze seemingly piercing through Lehnoc’s mask, Kraya spoke.

“If you possess the qualifications and aptitude, merely participating in the ritual beside Yao Xin would be a way to learn.”

“…”

Lehnoc understood that Kraya believed he had both the qualifications and aptitude of an insider, thus wishing to participate in the ritual together.

Observing Lehnoc’s lack of response, Kraya made various suggestions, wanting to accompany him by any means necessary.

“In return, I can handle the complex spellings of the Spirit Barrier Ritual on your behalf. And if you need any elixirs made at the monastery-”

“Since you’ve been babbling about qualifications and aptitude, shouldn’t you tell me what they are?”

Lehnoc interrupted, looking at the chaotic scenery of the now-ruined night market.

“Can that become a condition that can withstand the chaos we are currently facing?”

“Hmm. As the monk tells me, the more a sorcerer deals with intermediaries, the easier it is to pass the ritual.”

Kraya explained, recollecting memories.

“There were also claims that the rarer and more unique the lineage, the more it caught Yao Xin’s attention.”

“…”

Lehnoc immediately understood why Kraya wanted to assist him in participating in the ritual.

Dealing with intermediaries while possessing a rare lineage. It couldn’t be a more suitable modifier for a technique like the Technique of Manipulation.

Of course, there are several rare lineage techniques that require intermediaries, such as the Technique of Vocalization or the Technique of Musical Scales. However, among them, the Technique of Manipulation possesses a more exceptional status and position.

“Hmm…”

[Sir, are you considering participating in Yao Xin’s Spirit Barrier Ritual?]

“It could possibly be the fastest way to directly contact Yao Xin.”

While contemplating whether to throw the priestess’s ethereal body under the river at this moment, Lehnoc responded quietly, with his arms crossed, making sure the monk couldn’t see.

“If the aptitude for the Divine Incarnation Technique mentioned by the author is considered in selecting an insider, it could make things easier.”

[But…]

“Ah, and there’s one more thing. This is something even the priestess mentioned, but…”

Kraya, glancing at Lehnoc, began speaking.

“There is a rumor that those with a twisted spirit replace it easier to learn the technique.”

“Why are you babbling about that to me?”

[Hmm.]

Contrary to Lehnoc’s displeased retort, the priestess suddenly nodded as if understanding.

[Upon further reflection, it seems it might be acceptable. It could be an unparalleled opportunity for you.]

“…”

While Lehnoc pondered whether to throw the priestess’s ethereal body under the river right now, Kraya immediately changed his direction.

“The ritual is about to begin now. If you have any thoughts, how about joining me right now?”