Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Puppeteer (1)
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"This is X District, Black Mage."
A beggar said this as he guided Oliver along.
Oliver looked around the street. It seemed vaguely similar to W District at first glance, but it was packed with far more danger.
"Here?"
"Yes, this is X... Sorry, but if it's all right with you, I'll be going now..."
"Ah, sure. You can head back."
"Th-thank you. I wish you safety, Black Mage."
The beggar, trembling with fear, bowed excessively before retreating the way they had come.
Kant had originally planned to come along too, but due to cleanup and other matters, he'd only assigned a guide. Honestly, Oliver didn't mind.
No, to be even more honest, he preferred being alone.
This was the first black mage he'd meet since leaving Wineham.
He wanted to meet them one-on-one if possible.
If what he'd seen through the Watcher's Eye (eyeball necklace) was accurate, then there was definitely a black mage here who was the mole's backer.
He couldn't explain it precisely, but Oliver could sense it.
The gaze of the one watching him through the eyeball.
"The problem is figuring out exactly where..."
He had a rough location, but not the precise one.
But that wasn't a big issue.
Oliver focused his nerves on his eyes.
Soon, he could feel the myriad emotions all around him.
Among them, one who had come to see Oliver with a specific purpose.
"Do you need something from me, by chance?"
Someone emerged from between the unlit streetlamps.
"You noticed quickly."
The figure who leaped from the darkness was a woman—a stunning beauty in flashy attire.
"Ho..."
If he had to compare, she was like a doll?
She wore high-heeled leather shoes, a frilly skirt laden with lace, while her chest was half-exposed and her waist tightly cinched.
A ribbon adorned her neck, and a hat with vibrant feathers perched on her head.
Her skin was powdered white, her lips a burning red.
She was a type Oliver had never seen before.
The woman asked,
"Are you the black mage the beggars brought?"
"Uh... Yes. Name's Oliver."
"Oliver... My great master, the Puppeteer Glyph, saw you fighting. He was surprisingly intrigued. He wishes to see you. Consider it an honor."
Her arrogant tone evoked a theater actress.
But Oliver didn't care. He wanted to meet the man too, after all.
As Oliver nodded, she turned and began leading the way back down the path she'd come from, her heels clicking.
Click-clack. Only the sound of her shoes echoed quietly as Oliver silently surveyed his surroundings.
Randa's X District.
The place where his master Joseph had lived. This was his third visit.
Kant had said that unlike V and W Districts, which were beggar dens, X District and beyond were havens for criminals and fugitives.
More precisely, it was like the borderland to Y and Z Districts, where real monsters lurked.
In any case, it was undeniably more dangerous than W District.
As if to prove it, Oliver could sense the beings encircling them.
The woman walking with clicking heels suddenly stopped.
"Oh, by the way, Oliver. My great master said to test you once more. He doesn't deal with inferior beings."
"Ah... So, what now?"
"For starters, prove your worth."
The woman snapped her fingers like an actress on cue, and zombies hidden in the alleys between buildings burst forth.
Grrrrrr...
Kahhh...
Kururrrr...
Every zombie was armed with knives or awls.
Oliver focused his eyes to gauge their numbers.
Roughly fifty.
The fight with Joseph came to mind, so Oliver used Bind Shadow just like back then to snare the zombies before slicing them apart like cheese.
That was when it happened.
Hate Bullet Hate Bullet
Hate bullets colliding in midair and vanishing.
The woman, clutching a test tube, covered her mouth with her hand and laughed ho-ho-ho.
"Impressive. You've got the basics down... Even with manipulation as your specialty, you can handle basic firearm black magic."
"...?"
Oliver tilted his head. Manipulation black magic as his specialty?
"I saw it through the mole's necklace. Your specialty is manipulation. Probably honed shadow manipulation to death for that level of proficiency... Who's your master?"
"Hm... If I answer, will you answer my question too?"
"Ho-ho... Fun. Didn't expect you'd counter-offer. Fine, I'll answer."
"Ah, thank you. It's Joseph."
"Joseph... Never heard of him. Third-rate."
"Well... I wouldn't know. Can I ask my question now?"
"Sure. Let me guess? You're wondering why my great master is interested in you?"
"...? No. I was going to ask why a man is imitating a woman to control corpses."
"......"
"Does it make them much easier to manipulate that way? Some kind of trick?"
The woman—no, the female zombie's face twisted unpleasantly.
Ignoring it, Oliver praised her—or rather, him.
"Personally, I think it's amazing. I read in books about controlling corpses beyond mere zombies, making them like living people... But this is my first time seeing it. Do you have to mimic the subject to handle them more easily?"
"...Shut up."
He'd touched a nerve, it seemed. Her (his) emotions churned with displeasure, shame, and rage.
"I was going easy, testing you cutely, and you dare mock me?"
"Pardon? No, it's not mockery— I really think it's amazing—"
"—Shut up! Hate Bullet!"
The woman extracted emotions and fired ten hate bullets at once.
Oliver fired his own hate bullets to intercept the incoming ones.
Pabang! Pang! Pabababang—!
Hate bullets exploding in midair like fireworks.
His hair whipped from the impact, but Oliver ignored it and examined the woman before him.
It was truly mystical.
Even if Processing could make a corpse resemble a living person, for it to use black magic too?
Was the controlling sorcerer casting through the corpse?
No... That wasn't it. Which left only one conclusion.
"That corpse... You made it into a black mage, didn't you?"
"...You! How?!"
"Read about it in a book. Like a lich... but different. Corpse puppet fits better...? Bind Shadow."
Shadow tentacles coiled around the woman's arm.
He intended to bind her like a hairless rat and observe.
"Ha—! Idiot!"
The moment her arm was seized, the woman severed it herself.
More like a lizard's tail dropping off, precisely.
Clack— With that sound, the arm fell, revealing a mantis-like blade hidden inside.
She charged at blinding speed. Looking closely, spider legs protruded from under her frilly skirt.
It wasn't just makeup.
"I'll chop off your limbs and take you!"
"Minion."
Minion
Thrust toward the woman closing in on his face.
A black magic that fired shockwaves to destroy and repel targets.
"This puny thing—!"
Unlike her appearance, the corpse puppet was sturdier than expected and merely got pushed back—but that was enough for Oliver.
Targeting x9 Hate Bullet x9
Nine hate bullets: 4 to lower body, 2 each to shoulders and chest, 1 to mouth.
The hate bullets struck, half-destroying her: preserved leather and flesh, springs, tendons, and bones scattered across the ground.
Too damaged to move now. Oliver examined the corpse puppet in that state.
"Ooh... I knew it was modified, but seeing it up close is different. Spider legs on the thighs for mobility, blades and awls in arms and chest, even a gun in the mouth... No amateur work. Fits the puppeteer name."
As Oliver casually discerned its nature, the one intact eye wavered.
He was puzzled too, personally.
Why pretend to be a disciple when he could just reveal himself?
Did he think his work was crude? It was plenty impressive.
Oliver couldn't understand.
Well, he'd see soon enough.
Oliver stared into the corpse puppet's eye, focusing his nerves just like with the mole.
The puppet tried to close its eye, but Oliver forced it open, making eye contact.
Moments later, he pinpointed the location faster than before.
The warehouse at the end of this alley.
Surprisingly close.
Business done, Oliver drained all life force from the corpse puppet and stored it in a flask he'd prepared.
Then he headed straight for Puppeteer Glyph.
A bit farther off, but the man seemed quite agitated.
Why? Oliver just wanted to ask about this amazing craftsmanship.
His handling of hairless rats and corpse puppets was excellent.
Fusing mechanisms with corpses like this.
How did he come up with it? Where did he learn? Oliver wanted to know—and if possible, receive instruction.
Though the man himself seemed averse.
"Wuaaahhh—!"
As he reached the warehouse at the alley's end, a drug-enhanced muscular giant smashed through the wall.
A massive nail in its head, decaying flesh.
Another of Glyph's corpse puppets.
Unlike the woman, no preservation treatment—and soon he understood why.
Burning Life Muscle Up
Cast on the muscular corpse puppet by another puppet.
Infused with life force and rage, the rotting muscles swelled further.
Apparently, Puppeteer Glyph could deftly handle multiple corpse puppets.
Even beasts.
Karrgrrr...!
Karrgrrr...!
Two dead dogs with six legs and steel teeth charged at astonishing speed, attacking Oliver's flanks simultaneously.
So fast even hate bullets struggled to hit,
and the black mage corpse puppet provided ranged support.
Attacks pouring from all sides.
Any later, and his legs would've been bitten or he'd have taken ranged hits.
But it was too early to relax.
"Kyahahahaha—!"
As if anticipating, the muscular corpse puppet swung its hammer at Oliver, whose mobility was sealed by the defensive spell.
Its natural strength boosted by black magic made it devastating; the thin Black Marble cracked instantly.
"Kyahahahaha—!"
Thung—!
Jijik—
Thung—!
Jijijik—
Thung—!
Jjeojeok—
Oliver glanced around swiftly as the barrier shattered.
Muscular corpse puppet bulldozing straight ahead.
Black mage corpse puppet supporting from behind.
Hunting dog corpse puppets circling to cut escape.
Inferior to the woman puppet overall, but specialized traits made them far more combat-effective.
The handler seemed practiced too.
Oliver being cornered wasn't coincidence.
"Hmmm..."
Collecting his thoughts, Oliver downed the extracted life force.
Then cast black magic on himself.
Burning Life
Burn life force to boost overall physical abilities.
Probably no issue if only demon life force was burned.
With that, Oliver dispelled Black Marble himself and slipped past the muscular puppet's swing.
Impossible normally, but black magic enabled him to dodge by a hair.
Whoosh—!
The hammer grazed his head, wind pressure tousling his hair.
The circling corpse dogs pursued, but Oliver ignored them and rushed the rearmost black mage corpse puppet.
Hate Bullet x20
Twenty close-range hate bullets pummel the black mage corpse puppet.
The puppet tried to defend, but couldn't match Oliver's firepower alone.
It was thoroughly destroyed. Oliver whirled to face the hunting dog now at his nose and cast black magic.
Obedience
Basic black magic to control revived corpses.
Oliver tried implanting his control over the dogs already under another's command.
Grrruk......!
Kiiik......!
Surprisingly, the dogs shook their heads in agony.
Books said you needed vastly superior skill.
Through the muscular puppet, Oliver sensed the black mage's terror beyond.
Wrath Bullet Hate Bullet x6
Toward the halted puppets: one Wrath Bullet to the black magic-enhanced one, three Hate Bullets each to the dogs.
The puppet shattered to pieces, the dogs damaged enough to stop functioning.
But Oliver didn't stop.
He approached the building to meet Puppeteer Glyph.
And opened the door.
"Hello?"