Chapter 155
Chapter 155
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: Abandoned Incinerator (2)
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[Black Dart]
With the incantation, dozens of black blades rained down from the sky like a swarm of mosquitoes.
Sharp sounds slicing through the air accompanied the blades pouring over the enemies' heads.
Amid the foes panicking from the onslaught of magic, one figure stood out particularly.
He gathered mana incomparable to an ordinary person, unflinching as he channeled power to his fingertips and ignited flames in midair.
"Don't panic! Keep the machine running!!"
With those words, he infused the flames with mana, raising six massive pillars of fire.
The fiery pillars writhed like living serpents, devouring the incoming Black Darts.
Including the Wrath Booms within them.
Boom-!! Boom! Boom!! Explosions一!!
'Oh?'
The powerful explosions erupted from within, causing the serpent-like flames to lose their strength and gradually dissipate in the air.
He didn't know the principle, but the flames seemed vulnerable to explosions.
It was a little intriguing.
In the meantime, some of the enemies connected massive wires emitting intense crackling electricity to an old hunk of metal, breathing life into it.
The rusted machine let out a creepy grinding screech as its turbine spun, and scorching heat began to emanate.
"Huh?!"
"What......!"
Oliver, who had descended to the ground unnoticed, fired a Hate Bullet to forcibly halt the machine.
The moment everyone's attention scattered as the machine activated, he had triggered Irregular Exit to suppress his presence and slip down—and it seemed to have worked.
No one noticed him until he fired the Hate Bullet.
Useful. He might employ this tactic again later.
'分散 of consciousness. Irregular Exit... Simple, but effective.'
As if to prove it, the panicked enemies belatedly aimed at Oliver, but the already-holed machine was permanently stopped.
Oliver activated another black magic spell.
The emotions cradled in Oliver's hand swiftly transformed into black smoke, etching agonized expressions into the air.
And then, screams erupted simultaneously.
Kyaaaaaaaah—————!!
The chilling wail that scraped at eardrums and minds reverberated through the center of the incinerator, forcing everyone without resistance to clutch their ears.
All except one—the flame mage.
Bald with a red beard, he looked no different from a tavern drunkard, yet clearly battle-hardened, he opted for a potion instead of covering his ears, gulping it down.
Gulp.
Gulp.
Gulp.
With each swallow sliding down his throat, the mage's heart pounded wildly, his mana surging explosively.
Oliver wondered if he'd attack with that mana, but suddenly the man yanked a bomb from his belt and hurled it at Oliver.
It would ensnare allies too—was he unconcerned?
Thud-! Crunch! Thwack!
Apparently, a misjudgment.
Not unconcerned, but resolved. The enemies who had been covering their ears now discarded weapons, swarming Oliver to pin his legs.
"At this rate, you won't escape unharmed either, you know?"
"Did you think we lacked that resolve?!"
They were sincere. Prepared to die, fueled by intense hatred and rage.
"O...... Understood."
With that, Oliver lifted the clinging enemies en masse and flung them aside.
Impossible with his raw strength alone, but the Black Suit made it feasible.
The bomb detonated fiercely, dyeing the surroundings in an eerie crimson.
Mana swirled within—not an ordinary explosive. Upon closer inspection, it prioritized flames over raw blast power.
"Huh?"
The flames, burning brighter with infused mana, writhed serpentine once more, lunging toward Oliver.
Being swallowed would put even Oliver in grave danger. He immediately ramped up the Black Suit's output and dodged swiftly.
"There! Fire!"
As Oliver evaded the flames, the enemies fired in unison, as if awaiting the moment.
Individual shots were manageable, but concentrated fire began wearing down the Black Suit.
No matter. The flames posed the greater threat.
The mana-infused blaze boasted absurd firepower, incinerating anything it engulfed.
Flame mage. Limited to flame manipulation, but masterful at it.
'If we'd let the incinerator run, it would've been no joke. Lucky we stopped it? We might hold out until reinforcements arrive.'
Aware of this, the enemies split the massive fireball in two, sending one toward Arthur and the others' approach.
The flung mass churned violently, erecting a flame wall to block Arthur, Joseph, and the allies' entry.
"That guy's the biggest threat! Take him out first, then sweep the rest!!"
"Yeah!!"
The flame mage, cloaked in fire, barked orders, and his subordinates roared in response.
Focused entirely on Oliver, the mage wrapped himself in protective flames and unleashed a barrage alongside his men.
Savage roars of burning air, blistering heat, and gunfire assailed Oliver. He dodged and blocked with the Black Suit's power, gathering emotions in one hand before hurling Black Darts.
Shrrrrrrk——!!
Dozens of blades spiraled, slicing the wind sharply toward the enemies.
The flame mage manipulated the flames into a massive serpent, devouring the Black Darts.
'Skilled. Limited, but proficient.'
The Black Darts ignited, and the Wrath Booms within exploded once more.
Falling for the same trick twice. Seemed that was his only proper spell.
Not bad, but it gave Oliver an opening.
The flame serpent crumbled from the blast's aftershock. The mage strained to revive it, drawing on mana.
Borrowing bomb power, reigniting that firepower wouldn't be easy.
His focus slipped from Oliver. Seizing the moment, Oliver fired a Hate Bullet.
The flame mage, assuming it targeted him, gathered flames for a barrier—but Oliver aimed elsewhere.
At the unguarded foes beside him.
Pierced by Hate Bullets, they collapsed pathetically. Oliver swiftly extracted life force to cast black magic.
Life force poured into the corpses like a vortex, resurrecting them.
Oliver layered more black magic.
[Obedience]
[Object Hate]
He commanded the revived corpses to attack the flame mage—right beside them.
Panicking, the mage amped his enveloping flames to incinerate the zombies.
The power was immense, reducing the bodies to ash in moments.
As the corpses neared total incineration, Oliver compressed the emotions and life force within, detonating them.
Using life force, emotions, and corpses amplified the blast beyond standard black magic explosions. It didn't hurl the mage away, but neutralized his powerful flame barrier—for a brief instant. Oliver didn't miss it, tossing a prepared paper talisman.
Not as potent as Merlin's, but mana-infused, it sliced sharply, embedding right before the mage.
Oliver activated the magic circle drawn on it.
Ink-embedded mana responded, forming a small purple portal the size of a fist-hole—but sufficient.
"Kyahahahahaha—!!!"
A corpse doll burst through, assaulting the flame mage.
Not a black mage, sniper, or rag doll—this one wielded tonfa in both hands, an entirely new type.
Duncan, no less.
Sync with Child incomplete, the corpse doll-Duncan clumsily looped around the mage's neck, pummeling relentlessly with tonfa-gripped fists.
Far clumsier than living Duncan, but the base strength manifested properly, surpassing the scrapped swordsman doll.
Quality materials mattered.
The mage gathered mana desperately to create distance, but doll-Duncan clung like a bulldog, attacking furiously.
Trapped, the mage couldn't break free. His supporting foes hesitated, unsure how to react.
Oliver struck again with Black Darts.
Failed twice before, but with the mage occupied by Duncan, this time they hit true.
Enemies crumpled. The tide turned in an instant.
The blocking flames noticeably weakened.
The mage's emotions flashed anxious. Desperate, he shifted defensive mana to summon flames anew.
Oliver wasn't idle.
Extracted mana from a vial to cast it.
Not a humid sewer, so less potent, but enough to disrupt flame summoning.
And that sufficed.
"Kyahahahaha—!!"
Doll-Duncan hammered the frost-coated mage with full force.
Mana buildup disrupted, he slumped from the blow.
Not unconscious, but resistance ended.
'Yet his emotional state is odd.'
Oliver pondered, eyeing the limp mage.
Frustration and defeat surfaced, but not utter despair. Faint relief and satisfaction instead.
Incomprehensible.
"Hey, Dave, you okay?!"
As flames cleared, Arthur's group emerged.
All showed battle wear, but no major injuries or deaths.
"Yes, I'm fine. And you all?"
"We're alright... But did you take down Willis alone?"
Arthur asked incredulously.
Willis was notorious across the Allied Kingdoms.
Oliver was brought in to counter his high-output magic, not solo it.
Capturing him alone? Shocking.
"No. I didn't catch Willis."
Oliver shook his head. Arthur blinked.
"He got away?"
"No, not that. He wasn't here from the start."
As Oliver replied, he focused his eyes, scanning surroundings.
No Kell Freedom Army visible. Never been here.
"Only that one over there."
Oliver pointed to Willis's deputy, gripped by Duncan.
Arthur recognized him.
"Hammersh, Willis's deputy. Flame manipulation mage. A real pain. Master of flame control... Hey, where's your boss?!"
Hammersh spat blood-mixed phlegm at Arthur's face instead of answering.
Teeth loosened from Duncan's beating. Arthur dodged and pummeled with his golem prosthetic repeatedly.
Splat-! Splat-! Splat-!
Flesh bursting amid Arthur's fury.
Missing Willis irked him deeply.
'He must've earned plenty from this. Not just about money?'
Arthur demanded again.
"I'll ask once more. Where's your boss?!"
Hammersh grinned through his swollen face.
Genuine joy, not bravado.
"Too late already......"
His mana roiled inward, spewing scorching heat from within.
Too swift to intervene—
Arthur panicked, attempting emergency aid, but far too late.
Smoke and sparks from eyes, foul burnt stench from mouth—he perished.
Resolved, trusting someone utterly.
Oliver watched silently. Amid the chaos of Arthur's group trying to save him, both Oliver and Arthur's comms buzzed urgently.
Beeeep-!! Beeeeep-!!
Beep- Beep- Beep- Beep-
Ominous.
Pressing the device, a frantic broker's voice emerged.
Different voices, same message.