Chapter 223
Chapter 223
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 223
Chapter Title: Meeting (2)
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Oliver saw it.
The moment the bandaged man swung his massive greatsword.
The enormous blade, pieced together like welded steel plates, collided with the vehicle. The front end crumpled like pudding, defying gravity as it launched into the air.
Clearly, this was the realm of a superhuman, far beyond ordinary people.
But what drew his attention even more was the bizarre yet somehow familiar contradictory aura emanating from that greatsword-wielding, bandaged man.
'But that's that, and this is this.'
Oliver swiftly extracted his emotions and formed a Black Suit, equipping it over his body.
Then he tucked Forest and Al under his arms.
"Excuse me for a moment."
"What?!"
Bang!!
Oliver kicked the car door open and leaped out with Forest and Al in tow.
The instant his feet hit the ground, Forest's vehicle smashed into the pavement, reduced to literal scrap metal.
Oliver asked Forest,
"Are you alright?"
"No, not really. My priceless vintage ride just bit the dust."
"That old junker?"
"Vintage ride. Don't confuse it with junk—watch your words. Anyway, thanks for the save."
Fortunately, Forest didn't seem badly hurt, judging by how he spoke. Same for Al.
'Now, who the hell is this guy?'
Oliver cautiously set Forest and Al down in a corner and eyed the greatsword-bandaged man ahead. A stranger, yet not entirely unfamiliar.
"Uh... have we met somewhere before?"
The bandaged man aimed his thick greatsword at Oliver and rasped,
His voice cracked like it had been shredded by a blade.
"You... Dave...?"
"Yes, that's me, Dave. Fixer on 27th Street in Landa's T District... And who might you be, sir?"
Oliver politely greeted the attacker who'd just obliterated the car he'd been riding in, then asked his identity. Forest answered for him.
"Bandages wrapping his whole body, superhuman physical prowess, that eerie cracking voice... He's from the Development Opposition Committee."
Development Opposition Committee. Oliver had heard the name once.
Back when Willess of the Kell Freedom Fighters raided Landa Prison, the city had spun a web of lies to cover it up. This man was one of the innocent victims caught in that mess.
Oliver recalled and asked,
"The group that nests in Z District? The ones protesting since the Landa redevelopment?"
"Yeah, a shadowy bunch. Weird, though. They rarely venture beyond Y District..."
Forest's tone was genuinely baffled. He wore a pensive look, sniffing out conspiracy.
Oliver left the details to Forest and focused on the immediate threat.
What to do...? He decided to try talking first.
He was ready to fight if needed, but preferred a peaceful resolution.
"If it's alright, could you tell me why you attacked?"
Thankfully, he explained the reason.
"How dare you filthy sinners... invade our land... cause harm... You deserve death."
Sinner. Invasion. Harm. Cryptic words, but Oliver caught on quick.
"Ah... You mean when I worked with Pinkman... I'm truly sorry. It was my first time using the corpse cannon, so I didn't know its power. What if I sincerely apologize and compensate for the damage?"
Oliver asked earnestly, but the greatsword-bandaged man had no interest.
"We want blood... We've already taken enough money."
"You got paid...? Then how about I hand over those two?"
Oliver pointed at Forest and Al.
"They're not really involved."
"Doesn't matter... Those brokers... all sinners... Sinners must suffer."
Flawless syllogism. Oliver sighed regretfully.
"Ah... Well, nothing for it then."
With that, Oliver swung his quarterstaff sideways.
Whoosh! The sound of slicing wind rang out as the tentacle-like thing charging at him was torn apart.
"Kyahahahaha-!!!"
A scream echoed with Oliver's strike, and the ground scattered with blood and long strips of flesh.
Lumpy, slick, bright red flesh strips... Astonishingly, they were tongues.
Oliver turned to spot the owner of the severed tongue.
He clung to the wall like a lizard, mouth gushing blood in agony.
Like the greatsword-bandaged man, he was wrapped head to toe in bandages, cloaked in a massive cape to hide desperately. Yet his exposed mouth and fingertip sported sharp teeth and claws far from human.
"Kyachahahak-!!!"
The writhing tongue-bandaged man shrieked with vengeful fury, then scampered lizard-like up the building to flee.
Oliver eyed the beastly figure and asked,
"Are there a lot of mutants in Y and Z Districts originally?"
"More than other areas, yeah. Especially Z."
"But he doesn't seem like your average mutant... Huh?"
The watching greatsword-bandaged man leaped, closing the distance in a flash.
Then slammed down his massive greatsword.
Kwang-!!!
Oliver blocked the strike head-on with his Black Suit-clad quarterstaff before it connected.
The blade's weight plus the inhuman strength wielding it delivered a colossal shock.
'His raw power's almost on par with the chef.'
The greatsword-bandaged man's mouth twitched with rage as he bellowed,
"How dare you... compare us... to those vermin...!!"
His fury amplified his strength further. He meant to crush Oliver flat.
Oliver apologized hastily.
"Ah... Sorry if that offended you. They all look the same to me."
To Oliver, mutants, committee members, normals—all the same. But misunderstood, the man gnashed his teeth harder and retracted the sword, swinging it with unbelievable force.
Kwang...! Kwagwang!! Kagang! Kwang! Klang!! Kangkang-!!!
No finesse in the greatsword-bandaged man's attacks, but the giant metal slab plus monstrous power transcended technique.
Like a steel typhoon. The wind pressure shattered nearby walls, leaving crude gashes in the ground.
Yet Oliver's surroundings and behind him remained untouched.
His Black Suit-wrapped quarterstaff deflected or parried with seasoned—nay, beautiful—precision.
"Graaaah-!!"
The enraged greatsword-bandaged man raised his blade to smash Oliver, then lifted his other arm.
And smacked his own greatsword with it.
Kwang---!!!
A small shockwave boomed heavily. He aimed to pin and pulverize with brute force.
Oliver anticipated, tilting his quarterstaff to deflect. The blow glanced off harmlessly.
Oliver smoothly retracted and thrust to counter.
Until the greatsword-bandaged man screamed.
"Kyahahahahahahahahahahaha---!!!"
An Outcry shockwave slammed Oliver's face.
Producing that roar without magic or black magic was impressive.
Oliver's brain rattled, vision blurred, then a massive impact hit his body.
The greatsword-bandaged man had swatted him.
Thud-!!
With a dull thump, Oliver tumbled across the ground but rolled, regained balance, and stood.
Good thing he kept up his workouts.
"Tch..."
Five claws lunged as he steadied.
Another hidden foe attacked—also bandaged head to toe.
Beastly sharp claws marked him, and his ambush timing spoke of experience.
But Oliver's combat experience was no slouch. He ducked a half-beat early, dodged leisurely, then fired Hate Bullets at close range, riddling the claw-bandaged man's gut.
Pupupupuk-...!!
"...Kugh!"
His stomach blew open with fist-sized holes, innards shredded.
Blood and guts spilled across the ground.
Yet astonishingly, the claw-bandaged man didn't fall. Worse, his wounds began regenerating slowly.
Puppeteers, human flesh chef's disciples, now this committee... Did all these mystery folk have regen as standard?
"That level of attack... won't...!!"
The greatsword-bandaged man leaped in again, raising his steel slab to join.
Oliver pumped more Hate Bullets into the claw-bandaged man, then dodged the incoming greatsword.
A roar and the ground shattered, dust billowing. Monstrous strength indeed.
"Hmph!!"
The greatsword-bandaged man opened his maw at Oliver again. Another scream incoming.
But Oliver was faster this time.
"...!!"
Hate Bullets flew into his mouth.
Caught off-guard by the quick counter, the bandaged man halted and shielded his face with the greatsword.
Tadadadang!!!
A dozen bullets ricocheted off the blade. Meanwhile, Oliver channeled black magic into his quarterstaff and thrust.
Kang---!!!
Metal clashed, shoving the greatsword-bandaged man back with impact.
The regenerating claw-bandaged man charged to aid his ally—a poor choice.
"Graaaaaaaaaaah---!!!!"
A mouth sprouted on Oliver's Black Suit-covered face, roaring fury at the claw-bandaged man.
The physical-force scream struck inside and out, bursting his eardrums with blood. Incapacitated.
Oliver followed with five Hate Bullets to the head.
Pabababap---!!!
A wet splatter and half his head vaporized. The claw-bandaged man died without a scream.
Tough life force, great regen—but not multiple lives like the chef's crew.
"Kyaha! You ba...!"
Furious at his comrade's death, the greatsword-bandaged man beast-roared. Oliver apologized again.
"Sorry... Want to call it even now?"
"Kyahahat-!!"
The greatsword-bandaged man swung his metal slab once more. Oliver defended as before.
Each swing whipped up gales to crush him, but Oliver focused his eyes, parrying or deflecting precisely.
This time, he countered too.
Quarterstaff cracks at openings, close-range Hate Bullets shredding bit by bit, methodically dismantling the greatsword-bandaged man.
To learn what the committee was, who'd paid them.
'And why he feels subtly familiar.'
Mid-melee, shadow tentacles and stakes pierced and bound his legs; quarterstaff shattered shoulders and knees.
As damage outpaced regen, Oliver spotted something.
Other committee lurkers moving in. Not on him—on Forest and Al.
Oliver glanced at Forest.
The tongue-bandaged man—whose tongue Oliver severed—and others charged him.
Hostage grab.
Al raised a pistol as shield, but outmatched.
Oliver pulled paper from his pocket.
The battered greatsword-bandaged man lunged to interfere.
"Where do you...!!"
Oliver cast black magic a beat faster.
Target: the claw-bandaged man he'd just killed. Half-headless, he revived and slashed at the greatsword-bandaged man.
Caught off-guard, the greatsword-bandaged man's ankle grabbed.
Oliver seized the gap, Shadow Tentacles enveloping Forest and Al in shadow blades, stakes, and tendrils for protection.
Then Targeting on the hesitant bandaged men, hurling paper to embed in their bodies.
Merlin said no spatial magic if possible, but exceptions for emergencies.
Paper stuck confirmed, Oliver drew stored mana, linked to the spell inscribed on it, and activated.
Weeeeng...!!
A small, clear buzz like insect wings. Purple magic portals bloomed on the papers, slicing the bandaged men's bodies apart.
"Kyahahahat!!!"
"Didak-! Dadak-! Dadak-!"
"Kuhuhuhu..."
"........."
And from the portals, corpse dolls emerged.