Chapter 239
Chapter 239
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 239
Chapter Title: Batori Family (3)
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"Because they collaborated with us."
Oliver asked again at the female black mage's words.
"The Life School's research institute... collaborated with the Batori Family? With black mages?"
The female black mage let out a mocking cackle.
With that, the other female black mages emerging from the blood pool slowly encircled Oliver.
"What? Shocked?"
Oliver gauged the female black mages' emotional states.
They were utterly relaxed, drunk on the thrill of things going according to plan and the euphoria of victory.
Oliver kept the conversation going.
"Shocked... not quite, but it's a bit surprising. Mages and black mages working together? Aren't you all supposed to hate each other?"
"That's just how ordinary folk see it. If there's something to give and take, why not cooperate? Mages and black mages alike are just seekers striving for greatness."
Oliver glanced at the person inside the iron bars. Modified Human-C03.
"Is this one part of that pursuit of greatness too?"
"To some extent. To achieve greatness, you need reliable workers."
Workers... Oliver recalled the earlier explanation about Modified Human-C03.
Superior workers. Stronger, tougher, more obedient...
"By any chance, did you create them to replace human labor?"
"Oh, you're sharp. The Life School has dreamed of that for ages. A systematized society."
'A systematized society?'
"A perfect society made up of humans designed for specific purposes. We agreed to an extent and stood to gain from it, so we helped them out for a price."
"What price did you get?"
"This and that. Human experimentation data, body modification procedures to enhance magical abilities... The Life School may be young historically, but they've amassed quite the data in those areas. Flexible too."
"Hmm... So, you only collaborated on chimera research?"
"No, we worked together on other things too. Rejuvenation, immortality, that sort. No real breakthroughs yet, though."
It was sincere. Everything she'd said so far rang true.
"Thanks for the kind explanation."
"No problem."
"One last question, then? Why explain all this to me?"
The female black mage raised her hand. Mana gathered in her palm, and with a crackling freeze of the air, an ice spear formed.
"Paying in advance."
Click. Click. The female black mage advanced slowly.
Oliver backpedaled in perfect sync, step by step.
"What for?"
"Planning to make you useful from here on. First, we'll skin you alive and use you as bait to lure the Magic Tower bastards here in droves. If the professor's proxy causes a ruckus, they'll have to come running."
"Sorry, but I doubt a skin mask will fool them. They have reporting protocols and such."
"Pfft-haha... How cute, worrying about that? We've held this lab for over a month—how do you think we stayed undetected?"
Come to think of it, that was odd. The security Oliver had heard about was pretty stringent.
Codes assigned per school, mana flow authentication, and more.
Stuff that a skin mask or a hood couldn't bypass. They'd need access to intel...
"Ah, could it be? You get the target's info by sucking their blood?"
"Ding ding ding. Sharp one, aren't you? We can glean a person's info through their blood—their life, knowledge, everything."
"Heh... Kinda jealous. Can I learn that too?"
"Sorry, our mother hates men. But as I said, we'll put you to good use instead. Blood, skin, and all the byproducts. Like that modified human we showed you—experiment material. You're fun, so who knows? Might succeed this time. Succeed, and we'll keep you as a pet. Grateful?"
Thud. Oliver's back hit the wall.
"I'm flattered you think so highly of me, but I'm not ready to die yet. Any chance we can skip that?"
"Death always comes at the worst time. Don't worry too much. Succeed, and you'll get a second life as our pet."
"Uh... Bit late to mention, but this lab has a World Tree. Might wanna rethink it. Net Navigator could pick this up."
"...? Kyahahaha!! That's your big survival plan? This is the Life School's secret lab. Already sealed off from the World Tree. Even if it catches something, we just erase it."
"Oh... That works?"
"God, I can't tell if you're clever or stupid."
The female black mage sneered and aimed her ice spell at Oliver.
Freeze him solid first, then capture.
"It'll hurt like hell, but don't worry... Wait, what's that in your hand?"
Oliver looked at the hand she pointed to. A gossamer-thin thread clutched in his grip. It trailed from his hand all the way to her feet.
"Mana thread."
With his answer, Oliver infused the limp mana thread with mana and will. It sprang to life, swiftly coiling around the female black mages' bodies.
"Hmph! This childish trick...!"
The female black mages tried to stay cool. No one to sync with Oliver this time, after all.
One pointed it out.
"Think this little prank saves your neck?! No one's helping you!!"
"Oh, don't worry. I'll handle that."
"What?"
The female black mage faltered, questioning. Oliver answered by layering an additional incantation onto the mana thread.
The Mjolnir Subschool's lightning magic incantation, to be precise.
Using the "incantation-based property shift" Kevin had taught him, the mana thread transformed into electricity in an instant at Oliver's will, electrocuting the female black mages.
Mjolnir Subschool Lightning Incantation
Electrocution via mana thread
"Gahk...!"
"?!"
"Kyaa...!!"
"......!!!"
Their muscles seized from the shock, silencing their screams.
Oliver closed the gap precisely in that moment, swinging his tonfa at their heads with all his might, mana packed tight.
Splat-!!!
A crisp sound, and the head split in two.
Oliver stomped it like a tomato to confirm, then repeated on the next female black mage the same way.
Splat-!!!
Splat-!!!
Splat-!!!
After three more, a partially recovered female black mage lunged at Oliver.
"You damned bastard...!"
Ice blade thrusting at Oliver.
Oliver mimicked Willes, gripping the tonfa axe-style to deflect, then regripped and plunged it straight into her gut.
"Gurk...! Think this kills us?!"
"No. That's why I prepared more."
The female black mage furrowed her brow, uncomprehending, but soon understood.
Her belly warmed, smoke rising.
Oliver had channeled fire magic through the embedded tonfa.
"You...! You..."
Whoosh-!
Starting from the hole in her gut, blood, smoke, and oil poured from her mouth, nose, eyes—followed by crimson flames.
Fire Magic Channel
Ignition via tonfa conduit
"Cassandra...!"
"......!!!"
"Kyaaak!! No-!"
The gruesome sight froze the other female black mages in horror and chaos, eyes glued to their sister.
Oliver felt nothing special, hoisted the burning one, and hurled her at the others.
They caught her reflexively—and that's when Oliver triggered the linked magic.
[Firecracker]
Internal flames detonate
The pent-up fire and heat inside her reacted to the chant, exploding outright.
Flames sparkled like fireworks in the air, flesh and guts igniting and spreading to the holding black mages, slowly growing.
"Kyaaaaak!!! Fire! Fire...!!"
"It won't go out... Won't go out!"
Of course not. It was Willes-style fire magic.
Shaken by their comrade's fate, another female black mage charged Oliver—but he moved a step faster.
Ice like frost spread radially from Oliver's foot across the floor, freezing the surrounding female black mages' legs and feet in place.
"...!! What... what are you?!!"
One cried out in shock.
They'd pegged him as pure mana user, but lightning, fire, ice? Natural question.
Freely transcending properties like that took decades of training—a realm rare even among Magic Tower elites.
Oliver charged her, raising his tonfa, and answered.
"Just a Magic Tower employee."
"Kyaaaaaaaah-!!!!!"
The secret lab in the Life School's chimera research facility.
A scream that could shatter eardrums echoed through.
Laced with black magic aura, it was like a disaster siren. Moments later, a wall crumbled.
Boom! Rumble...!!
Through the debris, a woman crawled on all fours like a dog, face twisted in terror and rage.
Pathetic sight, but unavoidable. Both legs shattered by ice, she couldn't run properly.
"Wait! Just wait...! I'll call my sisters and avenge them! Blood vengeance!!"
Her voice dripped with mingled fear and fury. Oliver watched silently.
"Not bluffing, huh."
Oliver muttered curtly. Her vow of revenge was genuine.
Indeed, the scream had roused nearby female black mages, some heading this way.
'Scream as distress signal? Infused with black magic aura.'
Objectively dire. But Oliver calmly surveyed the inner secret lab.
Ruins strewn with crushed-head or burnt female black mages. Iron bars held Modified Human-C03.
Human torso on a beast head—Life School's new human...
Like a monster museum. What was the Life School thinking?
He'd thought them a profit group in medicine and military via tech. Not anymore.
Immortality aside, this "new human" veered from Randa's myriad greeds. Ideologically.
"Lucky break, anyway."
Oliver said sincerely.
Like finding money on the street.
He'd taken the job to help Kevin, but now personal curiosity overshadowed that.
Unclear how it'd end, but he wanted details on the Life School's deeds here, their Batori ties.
'To that end, meet the "mother" boss.'
Oliver set his first goal, activating Black Magic Eye to scan the lab.
Couldn't pinpoint her without knowing who, but found someone to ask.
The Batori female black mages who'd seized the lab—gathered not far, with zombies from across the facility converging via blood pools, eyes burning for dead sisters' revenge.
"...Blood pool?"
The pooled blood in the lab... A great idea flashed in Oliver's mind.
First time seeing one today, but worth trying.
Decided, he downed all his mana potions, then drew out an emotion extract from a vial in his pocket.
Prep done, he stepped onto the blood pool, using Black Magic Eye to confirm positions.
Focusing vision max, he triggered black magic and regular magic simultaneously.
Oliver plunged into the pool. Swept by swift current? No—buoyancy-like force ejected him right out.
Splash-!
Oliver opened his eyes.
Over twenty female black mages and zombie-like Life School staff filled his view. Teleport success.
The female black mages spotted him too. Faces uniformly contorted in shock.
"Impossible!"
"How from the blood pool..."
"A-attack!!"
Caught off-guard by Oliver's arrival, they hastily chanted—but prepped Oliver was faster.
He clapped his emotion-and-mana infused hands, chanting.
"[Greedy Fire]"
⟨ 탐화 ⟩
Black flames flickered small, then engulfed the space in an instant.