Limit Breaking Genius Mage Chapter 186

Episode 186 Cooperation (2)

The back of the hand was destroyed without any shape.

Only his thumb remained on Dreyfus' right hand, the other four fingers and the cane he was holding were scattered here and there.

A horrific sight.

The pain came next.

“Nooooooooooooooooooo!”

Dreyfus let out a strange scream and grabbed his wrist urgently.

Puhwaaaaak! Even though I exerted all my strength, the blood fountain showed no signs of subsiding.

Dreyfus felt his mind go blank for a moment.

'If you don't stop, you'll die… … !!'

The remaining reason is replaced by instinct.

With bloodshot eyes and clenched teeth, he moved his magical power. Through a magical calculation that was close to a mess, he froze the entire injured area.

“Ughhhhhhhh?!”

Because I didn't control my power, I suffered a large frostbite on my lower arm.

The physical bonding is already complete.

The potion alone wouldn't be enough to restore his arm to its original function. But Dreyfus didn't have the luxury of worrying about such things.

He exhaled sharply, sweat dripping down his face.

But this was just the beginning.

Thump.

When Dreyfus raised his head at the sound of footsteps, Verden was standing right in front of him.

Dreyfus took a step back after seeing the cold eyes.

“Okay, wait a minute……”

“One leg.”

leg?

───Tsk!

The swung Oculus shattered his shin.

As Dreyfus fell to the ground with a single scream, he swung his staff around and pressed hard against the bastard's neck.

How he subdued the warlock who was torturing Warrens.

At that time, no information was available because he was blown up alive due to some kind of curse, but what will happen this time?

“Yes…… you……!”

Dreyfus's face turned red.

He tried to sweep the staff away with his remaining left hand, but there was no way a normal wizard could overcome Verden's power.

Finally, as he let go of his strength, Dreyfus took a deep breath.

“Hmm.”

Verden looked into Dreyfus' eyes.

There were hints of various emotions, such as confusion and shock… …but resistance still remained.

'Is this the pride of a wizard?'

Well, that's none other than the court magician.

Verden was also from Matap, so he could understand it well.

But it pales in comparison to overwhelming power.

Kwajik!

The gray dagger that had been worn at his waist was stuck in Dreyfus' left hand.

“AAAAAHHHH!”

Unable to bear the pain, the remaining magical power of the bastard dispersed. This rendered him completely powerless.

But it was still not enough.

'I clearly told you to instill fear when interrogating them.'

Verden recalled Fernet's advice.

He put his foot on Dreyfus' knee.

Kukugugugugugu country.

[Heavy Boots] moved and temporarily gained weight. As he followed suit and applied force, a murderous sound was heard from under Verden's feet.

Despite Dreyfus yelling at him to stop, he continued.

After a while, Verden asked.

“Are you willing to cooperate now?”

“……!”

Dreyfuss flinched.

If I had refused that offer once and my limbs were shattered, what would have happened if I had refused it a second time… I couldn't imagine.

Maybe I'll just kill you.

An emotion engraved in the mind along with excruciating pain.

Dreyfus felt fear from the magician robber before his eyes.

That guy is crazy. He's a crazy wizard who uses 5th-tier magic.

It would be foolish to be proud in such a situation. Dreyfus rationalized his actions in this way.

He swallowed hard and squeezed out his voice.

“Tongue, cooperate…… I will cooperate……!”

* * *

I administered first aid using the advanced potion that was in the laboratory.

Although his frostbitten right arm and shattered leg never recovered, his pain was somewhat alleviated and he was able to maintain his senses.

Dreyfus fell to his knees, breathing heavily.

Verden was looking closely at the secret laboratory of the castle. He wondered where to start, and soon began to ask questions.

Starting with something more fundamental.

“The elf corpse from a few days ago. And the blonde elf over there. Their internal organs were all destroyed and in shambles. It looks like something has been messing around inside for a long time. What kind of experiment was they doing?”

“…….”

"answer."

When Verden threatened, Dreyfus opened his mouth.

“So… it’s to refine magical power.”

“More details.”

“Elf magic is unique to humans. It is closer to natural magic, but has the characteristic of not being easily transformed…… Unlike human magic, it does not transform into various attributes, but it is incomparably excellent for use as fuel.”

A method of extracting magical power from numerous magic stones, then gathering that magical power in one place and transferring it to a special container. The medium used between these two was the elf.

“Forcibly injecting magical power and refining it? That method would be impossible unless you eliminate magical resistance.”

That doesn't mean there is no way at all.

Just as Verden used the power source of the magic tower, it is possible to break through resistance by directly inserting the magic power itself into the heart.

'Of course I won't be able to hold out for more than a few minutes and I'll die.'

That's why it doesn't fit the case of elves.

There were no traces around the chest, and the interior was destroyed over a long period of time, not a short period of time.

Dreyfus answered him.

“The royal family has a special artifact that temporarily counteracts magical resistance. I haven’t seen it with my own eyes, but judging by the traces, there’s nothing else like it.”

“So. What are you planning to do with the elf’s magic?”

“I don’t know that either.”

Verden has taken control of the Oculus.

“No, wait! I, I really don’t know! I’m not lying!”

“You’re a member of the court magician team, and you even participated in the experiment, so you don’t even know the purpose?”

“That, that’s true. My research ability has barely been recognized, so all I have to do is figure out how to recycle the discarded test subjects. And it’s true that several people, including His Highness the First Prince, are involved… but no one knows the purpose except His Majesty and ‘that person.’”

“Him?”

Dreyfus hesitated and revealed his identity.

“Re, Leonil Bertanas. He is the leader of the court magician group I belong to.”

* * *

The strongest 6th-tier wizard in the Kingdom of Estyria, Leonil Bertanas.

He is a huge pillar supporting the royal family and a single-handed figure who holds a portion of the power. In addition, he is also the leader of some kind of experiment.

“Anyone who leaves him out of the experiment is ultimately an outsider. No one knows what the purpose of the experiment is, where the experiment is being conducted, or even whether the experiment is actually being conducted, except for him and His Majesty.”

“Are you talking about accessories?”

“Well, if you really want to say it, yes. Since you can replace them at any time. There’s no way you’d tell those people the inside story, right?”

Hmm.

Verden, his eyes narrowed, asked another question.

“What does Leonil Bertanas look like?”

“What does he look like… you mean his physical characteristics? Well, he has a gray beard that reaches down to his chest, and… he’s old. That’s all I can describe him with words.”

This is a crude explanation.

That alone was enough to make Verden confident.

'The person who kidnapped the elf is the same person as Leonil.'

Same appearance. Power that overpowers spirits and elves.

Given the circumstances, there was no room for doubt.

Verden watched Dreyfus.

Judging from his reaction, it doesn't seem like he's hiding anything or lying in what he's said so far… … After leaving some doubts, he continued the questioning.

“I remember that there was a human corpse among your test subjects, not an elf. Why was that human used in the experiment?”

“That, that…….”

“Don’t think, just say what you know.”

Phew.

A dagger flew and grazed Dreyfus' neck.

The path passed right through the cervical artery. Dreyfuss said, feeling the droplets of blood flowing down.

“That person is a wizard with special characteristics.”

It's a special trait.

Verden tilted his head.

“Why the special trait? Is the purpose the same as that of the elves?”

“No, it’s probably different. I heard that they extract the magic circuit separately and use it…… Likewise, I don’t know the details. All I know is the supply method…….”

Supply chain?

“I’m talking about His Highness the Prince and Wintert. The two of them have been kidnapping people with special traits and sending them to His Majesty for a long time. Every time they did, His Majesty would give them a reward… I don’t know what they received.”

'You came all the way to Wintert… … .'

The House of Estyria.

The ruler of the underworld, Loafra.

An experiment conducted by the two greatest forces in the kingdom.

I don't know what it is, but it's not an easy thing. The fact that the country is moving means that a huge budget and manpower will be invested.

And then a 6th-tier magician takes control of him.

'The scale is no joke.'

It's not a conspiracy carried out by an organization, but by the royal family of a country.

Perhaps Verden had stepped onto something even bigger than Gluttony.

Verden looked thoughtful with a serious expression.

Dreyfus, who had been watching closely, asked cautiously.

“Hey… have you asked all the questions?”

Verden's gaze turned to Dreyfus.

Yeah, right now, the most urgent task is to take care of things here.

“No, there’s still more. Where are the research journals you’ve written so far?”

“What? T, how do you do that…?!”

How could I not know?

Unless you have a memory that remembers every moment, it's only natural for a wizard or researcher to record their research.

Verden asked silently.

Finally, Dreyfus slowly raised his left hand and pointed to a drawer.

“……It’s over there”

<Magic Sensing>

Verden's magic searched the inside of the drawer.

A thick stack of papers and handwriting engraved on them. Judging by the word "elf" in them, it was definitely a research journal.

Now only the last question remains.

“There’s a fire golem roaming the dungeon below the spiral staircase. It looks like it’s there to incinerate corpses. Where did you hide the core?”

“The core is… hidden inside the wall at the center of the prison. It blocks magical power so the golem can’t detect it. But why is that…?”

Verden did not answer.

With this, we have roughly obtained all the information we can from Dreyfus. If we continue the interrogation, we will be able to obtain more detailed information, but there is not much time.

So the conversation ends here.

Magic power gathered in Verden's hands.

Dreyfus opened his eyes wide as he felt the cold air current.

“Wait, wait, wait! I cooperated as you said, so why……!”

“Did you think I would let you live?”

“That’s……! Wait, listen to me. If you kill me, His Majesty will come after you. No matter how strong you are, you can’t defeat the royal family, right? So I’ll help you. I’ll explain it to His Majesty……!”

Dreyfus begged for his life, but Verden did not move an inch.

That was only natural.

Not only was Verden's appearance revealed, but Dreyfus was not the type to keep his mouth shut. And most importantly, he was a wizard who had conducted human experiments.

Even if there were no other reasons, there was no reason for Verden to keep alive a being he hated so much.

A magic that completes calculations in an instant.

Dreyfus' death was imminent.

That moment.

“……!”

I felt a strong murderous intent behind my back.

Verden, who had canceled the magic, slid across the floor. His body rotated while bending down. A surgical knife pierced the air above him.

And then───Bam!

The sword that pierced Dreyfus's forehead.

"iced coffee……."

Dreyfus, who had no reaction at all, shuddered. Soon, blood flowed out, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.

Anyone could see that it was instant death.

In this laboratory, aside from Verden, there is only one person… no, only one living being who could kill Dreyfus.

Verden turned his head.

As expected, a blonde elf was standing there.

“Are you awake?”

“Human…… human……!”

Eyes filled with deep hatred stared straight at Verden.