Limit Breaking Genius Mage Chapter 68

Episode 68: Unsettling Movement (2)

Theon of Gluttony.

As one of the doctor's subordinates, he had a history of trying to kill Verden in the city of Martes. However, he failed miserably.

He didn't just miss his chance; he was deeply hurt and barely managed to escape.

That was the beginning.

I wonder when on earth I engraved the magic circle on my clothes, but the doctor's base was discovered in an absurd way.

The Doctor ordered Theon to stop the wizards and knights. It was impossible.

I almost died fighting one wizard from the ark, so fighting two at the same time, and killing them both, was out of the question.

So Theon sent a wizard named Asher to deal with the knights.

The battle was one-sided.

Although Theon specialized in assassination, he was not so weak that he could not deal with even a second knight of a small city.

The knight was increasingly on the defensive due to his skilled dagger fighting skills, and eventually the opportunity to take his life came.

But things didn't go as Theon had hoped.

While trying to stab the dagger into the knight's neck, the wound that had barely healed with a potion tore apart due to the excessive movement.

In that tiny gap, the knight took his chance.

Choaack!

Theon's dagger sank into the knight's shoulder, and the knight's sword cut into Theon's torso. It was obvious who would suffer the more fatal wound.

“Ugh…….”

Theon fell to the ground, bleeding profusely.

But he didn't die. He held on with superhuman mental strength and made a decision. How could he survive?

Theon swallowed the pain and turned away from the fallen knight.

The knight behind him hurled curses at Theon, but he did not stop.

I crossed the hallway of the doctor's lab and went outside through the passage. I kept moving without looking back.

Theon, who had gone too far, rested his weary body by the stream.

After wiping the blood with clean water and stitching up the wound himself, he drank all the remaining potion and barely managed to recover from the wound.

Theon lay on the ground and looked up at the sky.

“……This is f*cked up.”

He abandoned the doctor and ran away.

Even if we go back like this, the fact remains the same.

'No, wait a minute… … Is this any better?'

If I had stayed in the lab.

There was no future for Theon, whether the Doctor lived or was killed by that wizard named Asher.

If the Doctor lived, he would be used as a test subject or sacrificed to the test subject, and if the Doctor died, he would be killed by the wizard.

Thinking about it that way, it might have been much better now that I was free, even if only for a little while.

If you were very lucky, you might have escaped Gluttony's gaze and survived.

Theon pondered.

How should I live from now on, how should I avoid Gluttony's pursuit? If I were caught and held responsible for not protecting the doctor, I would experience a fear worse than death.

Theon knew that better than anyone.

“First, I leave the duchy.”

That's the best.

The doctor's whereabouts are unknown even within Gluttony, but they will probably assume he is in the duchy, so if they are late, their escape will be impossible.

Theon moved.

To leave the principality and find a place where human eyes cannot reach.

But they were caught before they even got near the border.

Those who stand in Theon's way.

Among them, the man with the scar on his neck, the transplanter, asked.

“Theon, where is the doctor?”

“…….”

Theon thought quickly, but there was no way.

The opponent was a transplant who had undergone surgery at Gluttony. It was impossible to escape because it was a monster beyond his abilities. Theon had no choice but to answer mechanically.

“I am very busy with an important experiment.”

“The situation has changed. ‘Fang’ has commanded, so answer.”

“This is not a simple experiment. The completion of the ‘new human race’ is just around the corner.”

“New human race……?”

Everyone's eyes widened at that word.

After a moment of silence, the transplanter spoke.

“Understood. I will ask Fang for time. In return, Theon, you will move with us.”

"……All right."

Although he barely managed to buy time, Theon's escape plan was foiled.

He had no choice but to travel with the transplanter and move around as a member of Gluttony within the duchy. He tracked down the missing heart of the salamander, kidnapped people, etc.

Now that so much time has passed, Theon's time-wasting has reached its limit.

Hoppun Town.

On the top floor of the inn, the transplanter bared his teeth at Theon.

“Theon, when on earth do you plan on sending a message to the Doctor? The Fang’s patience is at its limit. Tell me where the Doctor is, now.”

A sense of life permeated the room.

It was a foregone conclusion that I would die if I stayed like this. Theon swallowed once and spoke softly.

“Doctor……”

Phew!

At the same time, he quickly took out a smoke grenade from his bosom and threw it. In the cloud of smoke, Theon broke through the floor and fell down to the lower floor.

After killing the two men who followed him, he took out a small bomb and threw it. A chain of explosions occurred, shaking the entire inn.

Theon, who had fallen to the first floor like that, threw himself outside.

“Theon! What the hell are you doing!”

He threw the dagger at the transplanter and ran away.

Only by shaking off the pursuit here would there be any chance of survival.

But the opponent was Gluttony. He moved around the alleys, but soon they caught up with Theon and threw chains at him.

He swung his dagger and struck back, but the chain moved cleverly and entangled his arm.

"this……!"

Theon with both arms bound.

The transplanter ran up and struck him hard in the face. Theon fell to his knees, gasping for breath.

The transplanter said.

“Not only did you kill a member of Gluttony, but you even ran away… Theon, where is the doctor?”

“…….”

“Okay, just keep quiet. I’ll get the answer you want out of that head soon.”

Theon squeezed his eyes shut.

A situation where I would die one way or another. Whatever it was, it was clear that it was a terrible ending. All the struggles I had made to survive in the past had become meaningless.

But Theon's fate was not yet decided.

A shadow blocked the Gluttony members, including the transplanter.

The ash-colored wizard, Verden, looked at them with cold eyes, holding his staff.

The transplanter asked.

“Who are you?”

“I tried to ignore it as much as possible, but it keeps bothering me and keeps appearing in front of my eyes.”

“……?”

“Now I need to know what the purpose is.”

A conversation that doesn't connect.

Verden turned his staff toward them without even listening to the transplanter's words.

* * *

<Rock Fatal>

A piece of rock burst out from the end of the staff and instantly pierced the center of the chest. Then the head of the guy behind him.

The transplanter, who had noticed Verden's magical hierarchy, gave the order.

“Scatter and kill them.”

Immediately, the members of Gluttony, who had been spaced out from each other, rushed at Verden from all sides. They all controlled the air and moved quickly.

Chains flying from both sides, and blades aiming for Verden's neck and heart from the rear and front. In the midst of this danger, Verden thought.

Oh, he's a good opponent to test your magic on.

<Ice Filler>

The ice pillars that rose up around them struck their bodies. There was the sound of bones cracking and breaking.

At the same time, the cold air spreading around them made them hold their breath. If even a little bit of it seeped into their lungs, it would cause serious damage to their heart and lungs.

Verden swung his staff lightly.

Kkwaduk!

Cracked pillars of ice shattered, sending jagged shards flying in all directions.

The ice shards dug into their bodies, the cold chilling their muscles and joints. There, Verden snapped his fingers.

<crack>

The ice shards embedded in his body burst all at once.

The cold air from inside and outside froze their bodies and soon they were torn apart. The death made the Gluttony members even more vigilant and made an attempt on Verden's life.

But it wasn't even a match.

The transplanter, who saw his subordinates dying moment by moment, took off his robe and threw it away.

A hideous scar on his neck and an expression devoid of any emotion.

He immediately bared his teeth and swung his beast-like claws at Verden. The subordinate blocking his way was torn in half.

Wow!

Sparks flew as the nails and staff clashed.

Verden, whose physical abilities had been enhanced with magic, swung his staff dazzlingly.

Four close encounters.

Verden took three steps back before his staff, filled with concentrated magical power, could even graze the bastard.

'Your reaction speed is fast. It's like I'm dealing with a beast in human form.'

For some reason, it feels similar to the giant from Gluttony who had many faces.

Anyway, this is a remote alley, but if this commotion continues, people might come flocking. It would be better to end this quickly.

Magic power gathered in Verden's right eye and the magic eye was activated.

<Swamp>

"what……?!"

The floor began to sag, and in an instant the transplanter's feet dug into the ground.

The more I moved, the more I was sucked into a stronger force. The only way to escape was to give up my legs.

But Verden's magic was faster than that judgment.

Thorns sprouting from the terrain pierced the transplanter's torso from four directions.

The transplanter was unable to move. The Earth Javelin was fired at its upper body, and the transplanter's upper body was torn off. The remaining lower body disappeared into the swamp.

Verden gently caressed the corner of his eyes.

'It's definitely useful. It can be used in any situation. It's also hard to detect, so there's no risk of being caught.'

Anyway, this annihilated Gluttony.

Verden approached Theon, who was looking astonished, and pulled back the robes he had pulled over his head in front of him.

“Did you say Theon? It’s been quite some time.”

“You, you are not from Martes……!”

“The wizard you were trying to assassinate.”

I know.

And if he's alive, that means the doctor is dead too. I had vaguely expected it, but it became reality.

But that wasn't what surprised Theon.

It was because Verden had grown so significantly stronger in just half a year.

“How on earth…….”

“It’s different now than it was then. I thought you were acting all over the place, but I guess I haven’t heard of you. Have you been busy? It seems to have something to do with your hostility toward Gluttony.”

“…….”

“Let’s continue the conversation later.”

Verden approached Theon.

Theon decided that now, with Gluttony's eyes gone, was the time to escape.

'Even though he's strong, a wizard is a wizard… … . You just have to aim for one.'

So Theon waited for Verden to come near.

Soon, he took out the dagger hidden in his wrist and stabbed Verden in the heart. Verden slightly turned his body and dodged the attack.

This much was expected.

The opponent was a wizard, but he knew long ago that his movements were not ordinary. Theon immediately turned his body.

A small blade sprouted from the heel of his shoe and was pointed at Verden's neck.

If you get hit, it's instant death, and even if you just graze, it's a fatal wound.

Theon put everything he had into this one room.

But that thought was off the mark. Verden, who had lowered his head slightly as if he had known, struck Theon in the chest with his staff.

“Ugh?!”

Theon rolled on the floor.

Then the terrain shifted and a huge rock hand rose up and grabbed Theon's body, moving towards Verden.

Berden, holding the staff with both hands, swung it at Theon, whose entire body was bound.

“Okay, sleep───!”

Kwaaaaang!

Theon was thrown to the ground with a shock and lost consciousness. He seemed to be broken here and there, but it didn't seem to be a big problem for his life, so it didn't matter.

“This might give us a clue.”

All traces of the magical battle were hidden underground.

Verden, carrying Theon on his shoulder, flew into the sky.

* * *

Choaaaak.

Theon came to his senses as cold water was suddenly poured on his face. He pretended to be unconscious in order to calmly assess the situation, and opened his eyes and looked around.

But I couldn't see anything. There was just darkness.

“I see you’ve come to your senses.”

“…….”

“Isn’t that right? Then I should just blow off an arm or a leg…….”

Theon's eyes widened.

As if I've finally come to my senses.

Verden, who had been hiding his body in the darkness, looked at Theon, writing a hint.

'You take care of yourself. That's natural for a human, but… … You're different from other Gluttonys.'

Every Gluttony I've encountered since Martes has been a madman.

They attached a human face to the body, or grafted something like an animal's claws. They also had eyes filled with madness, so I was sure that I wouldn't be able to get any information from a ridiculous interrogation.

But this assassin named Theon is different.

He knows how to save his life. If necessary, he can threaten me with his life, so I figured it would be relatively easy to get information out of him.

Even for Verden, who had never learned proper interrogation or torture.

Verden said to Theon.

“If I ask you a question, you just have to answer. Of course, it would be best if you didn’t show any signs of hiding information.”

“……If I tell you, will you spare my life?”

“At least the probability of that happening increases.”

Theon weighed his life.

Blow it all up and beg for your life, or keep your mouth shut and act like a member of Gluttony. Theon's choice was already made.

“This story might be a bit long.”

“Then I guess I can just tell you quickly.”

Something sharp touched Theon's neck.

“Are you ready to talk?”

Theon swallowed softly.

“……Ask me anytime.”