Limit Breaking Genius Mage Chapter 13

Episode 13: Forbidden Experiment (2)

A lifespan that is slowly being cut down and a feeling of helplessness that leaves one unable to even put up a fight.

Life on the Bohemian Tower was despair itself.

But that doesn't mean I'm denying the footsteps I've walked.

'I am a wizard.'

A tribe that explores the mystery of magic.

And he was also a researcher who pursued the veiled unknown, not limited to magic. That was the nature that Verden was born with and honed.

An orc with previously unreported characteristics appeared before him.

The reward was important, but as a researcher, I was curious. Of course, if it was dangerous, I would have erased it without hesitation, but as you can see, the result was the same.

The body was recovered cleanly.

Squeak.

The rusty door opened and Verden stepped inside.

The Adventurer's Guild's by-product storage warehouse.

Originally, a guild member had to accompany him, but since Verden had his status guaranteed by Lord Pythe, he was able to enter alone.

'It doesn't smell very good.'

Verden frowned and looked around.

In one corner, there was something wrapped in a large cloth. There were stains all over it, but it was too uncomfortable to touch, so I used magic to close the cloth.

A clown orc with one wrist cut off.

The frozen body had thawed, but the temperature remained cold.

'Was the sky itself a magical item?'

It was so dirty that I didn't know how long it had been used.

Anyway, as the guild leader had said, there were no signs of decay. He immediately lifted the corpse of the clown orc into the air and examined it closely.

“There’s nothing particularly special about the color of your eyes or your appearance itself… but the difference is your mouth and your large physique.”

Orc warriors, orc lords, etc.

The characteristics of the clown orc were far from those of a superior species. Its intelligence itself was also rather low.

It would be correct to view it as a mutant that deviates from the normal evolutionary process.

“Hmm…….”

But something didn't seem right to me to conclude that.

These cases are usually classified as special entities, because they all possess powers that go far beyond the individual. They are powerful enough to destroy a small territory like this in an instant.

Compared to that, the abilities of the clown orc were insignificant.

'It was an ability that came from eating… … Will we know if we dissect it?'

That thought occurred to me, but I quickly shook my head.

From the beginning, that wasn't Verden's specialty. He had no intention or opportunity to learn it. And above all, it was a matter of taste.

Verden continued his observations.

I remembered their features, such as their overly developed teeth and flexible esophagus. The more I knew about the subhumans, the better, since I was out in the world.

Meanwhile.

"……scar?"

The crown of the oak.

It was a very small scar, almost too small to miss. I squinted my eyes and examined it closely. It was a straight line, as if cut with a knife, and it was precise and uncluttered.

'Why didn't this recover?'

Verden recalled the essence of regeneration.

Regenerative power is the power to restore a previous state. It is incomprehensible that such a small scar remains when even a severed body can be restored.

for a moment.

That means… … .

'After getting this scar, you gained regenerative powers?'

Is that possible?

But it's right in front of you.

Verden thought flexibly.

I hypothesized several possibilities and associated them with the areas where the scars were. I asked myself questions and answered them about the thoughts that came to mind.

Why is there a scar here? It's because the regenerative power was developed after the scar was formed.

Why Jeongsu-ri?

I don't know. But judging by the scar, it's a sign of an incision.

Can a non-evolved race acquire abilities postnatally?

As far as has been confirmed, this is impossible.

After summarizing the answers in this way, only one strong hypothesis remained.

“Someone artificially created a mutant…….”

This was Verden's conclusion.

It was nothing special. It was probably a type of experiment that anyone who worked on the magic tower or studied past history would have encountered as knowledge.

The only problem is that it killed thousands of people and became taboo forever.

'This is an experiment that wasn't even done at the Bohemian Tower… … Who on earth did this?'

Verden, who had been lost in thought, moved the clown orc back to its place.

There was no clue as to what to say, so thinking about it any further would be a waste of time. And even if Verden's thoughts were credible, they could not be considered as the absolute correct answer.

It's entirely possible that by coincidence, you've had a scar like a knife mark since birth.

'There's no need to tell the guild.'

You can't just say something you're not sure about.

If it really is a problem, it's the job of someone dispatched from the Adventurer's Guild to figure it out. There's no way an expert would overlook what Verden was thinking. That is, a decent person.

Verden returned to the lord's castle.

Several days passed and the guild remained quiet.

* * *

During his short break, Verden focused on his magic.

As the hierarchy rose, new tactics were needed to match. It was an essential procedure.

And on the day of leaving the territory.

◇ Ring of Circulation

⦁ Increased horsepower (minimal)

⦁ Increased magic power recovery speed (small)

“……I received too much.”

Verden looked at the various equipment placed on the bed.

Magical items such as rings and staffs, as well as robes made from the skin of demons, were all in the possession of a thief named Vilchen.

The robe was badly damaged, but Lord Pythe had it repaired to fit Verden's body. It was quite valuable, but he had no desire for it.

'And he said he would give me a reward of 3 million elk, a bounty of 2 million elk from the clown orc, and the bounty on the thief.'

When those two were left alone, the expected damage to the territory was less than expected, but I thought it was too much to focus on one person.

There may be a reward for saving the knights and soldiers, but that's not all.

'Is it to make connections?'

Because nobles were originally beings who were sensitive to profit and loss calculations, even the favors they bestowed were carefully calculated.

Verden did not refuse and decided to accept the favor.

I got ready and looked in the mirror.

He looked quite the wizard, wearing the clothes and thief's robe that Conrad had given him, and even had a staff tucked into his waistband.

Berden left his room early in the morning and headed toward the castle gate.

The knights Enoch and Conrad were there to greet him.

“You didn’t have to come all the way here.”

“No, you are my savior, so I should do this much.”

“I came to pick you up and check. Did you take good care of it?”

What Enoch meant was a certificate of thieves' subjugation.

If you have this, you can receive the bounty even without a supply. Since it has the seal of Lord Pythe on it, it would be dangerous if you lost it.

It's not easy to forge, but it's not impossible. If it were to happen, the lord's prestige would be in jeopardy.

“Of course. As long as I don’t die, there’s no risk of losing it.”

“……You don’t have to risk your life. Anyway, I’m glad you said that.”

The three of them exchanged brief chats and reiterated their greetings from yesterday.

Conrad shouted at the back of Verden, who was slowly moving away.

“Mr. Asher! If you ever visit the Corn Company again, be sure to mention my name! You won’t be at a loss!”

Verden answered by waving his hand behind him.

* * *

<Flight>

Verden, who had risen to the sky, went straight ahead. He had reached the third level, so there was no need for words.

'I'm not used to it yet, though.'

Even though it is difficult to operate for long periods of time, it can move efficiently if it moves only in a straight line. Of course, thanks to its vast horsepower, it can move longer than others without having to save energy.

What I liked most was that I could move freely on my own.

'It was said that it would take about five days to get to the city by carriage.'

At the current rate, I think 3 days would be enough.

Verden mostly moved during the day and slept on trees at night. Thanks to the magic circle he placed around him, he didn't need to keep watch.

So, after two nights, we arrived at the only village between the city and the barony.

We'll stay here for one night and head into the city the next day.

Since there was no place to wash up on the way, I felt quite uneasy, so I went into the town and found an inn. There were many travelers, so no one gave Berden a strange look.

‘… … I can’t eat this.’

I don't know how they cooked it, but the chicken was so dry that it felt like I was chewing on tree bark. I spat it into a bowl and washed it down with ale.

I looked around while eating the jerky I received from Yeongju Castle for dinner.

Some people's faces were noticeably dark.

'What's going on?'

It was not the expression of people living in a quiet village. Among them, there were two men talking with serious faces.

<Whispering Wind>

Sound is transmitted through a medium called air. If you use it, you can hear a conversation that is taking place far away as if you were right next to them.

Verden listened quietly.

“……Damn it, what kind of trouble is this because of those goblin brats? Not only did they steal our livestock, but we even hired adventurers to hire them at a high price. Even though we said we could easily catch them if we worked together.”

“If you get hurt, you’ll lose, you’ll lose. Didn’t the village chief always say that everyone has their own specialty. Slaying goblins isn’t something for people like us, it’s something for adventurers. It’ll all be over by tomorrow morning, so stop complaining.”

“Huh. It’s a shame, it’s a shame.”

Goblins are pests.

It starts with theft, and can go on to attack people, steal their belongings, and eat them. If there are one or two, it is not a problem at all, but if there are dozens, it becomes dangerous.

Moreover, if you steal a weapon like a dagger from somewhere, several people will be hacked to pieces in an instant.

As soon as damage is discovered, the most accurate way to deal with it is to have an adventurer handle it.

'That's a common occurrence.'

I lost interest.

But just before Verden could release the spell, strange words were heard from the two men's mouths.

“……By the way, is that rumor true? That hunter saw a monster in the forest.”

“Shh, shh! Didn’t the village chief tell you not to reveal anything…!”

“Oh, who would listen? It’s too far away to hear anyway. I’m just curious, so why don’t you just give me a little tip? You’re close to the hunter, after all.”

The man sighed, covered his mouth with his hand, and spoke in a small voice.

“So… a hunter was hunting a rabbit when he happened to see a monster bigger than a person. He was scared, so he hid behind a tree and peeked, and the long, torn mouth of the monster was incredibly creepy.”

“Hey, your mouth is torn? What is that… Did you mistake the orc for one?”

“I asked that too, but they said absolutely not. They were as big as orcs, but their faces looked like goblins. Fortunately, they managed to escape safely, but it looks like they won’t be able to go into the forest for a while. Anyway, this is a secret, so be careful what you say. The village chief said that if you do something wrong, you’ll have to pay extra fees to the adventurers.”

'Your mouth is torn?'

I remembered the clown orc I killed a while ago.

Since there wasn't any news from the Adventurer's Guild, I was wondering if I was overthinking it.

If something similar is discovered here again… … .

‘… … You said it was tomorrow morning, right?’

Proof of the hypothesis.

That was the researcher's instinct.