Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Recovery (3)
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[Black Suit ver. 2]
With Oliver's incantation, the emotions and life force from each test tube were drawn out like silk threads, twisting together into a single thick strand.
Emotions and life force bound as one.
He'd only thought about it a few times before, but this was his first time actually creating it—and surprisingly, the repulsion between the emotions and life force was minimal.
No, they actually merged quite well.
Perhaps it was only natural.
According to the books, both life force and emotions were ultimately rooted in the soul.
Surprisingly, no one paid much attention to that fact—even Oliver hadn't until just now.
It was truly a joyous discovery.
Intended or not, he'd learned something new in this situation.
Lately, he was starting to think becoming a fixer had been the right call.
And with that thought came gratitude toward Holy Knight Joanna.
Thanks to her advice to step out into the world and meet people, he'd been able to do this. Look at him now—how delightful it all was.
Oliver wrapped the unified emotions and life force around his entire body.
Like donning clothes or a coat.
The emotions and life force, intertwined as intricately as silk, protected not only his body but also his quarterstaff.
Oliver stowed the empty test tubes back in his pocket and pulled out a new one.
He'd tried to conserve emotions while working as a fixer,
but for testing this new black magic, he decided to set that aside for now.
Above all, he wanted to see just how effective it would be against black magicians like Knuckle Joe.
They were from the Dominic Family, disease-affinity black magicians, but the texture felt different. He wanted to test it out.
Oliver uncapped the test tube.
And then cast black magic onto himself... no, onto the Black Suit, now enhanced with life force.
Burning Life
Burns life force to enhance the entire body
Muscle Up
Uses life force to boost muscle strength
Endurance Skin
Uses endurance emotion to toughen and harden the skin
These three.
The sensation was different from using them directly on himself.
Oliver wasn't great with words, so it was hard to explain, but if he had to put it into terms, it was like the difference between touching skin directly and touching it through clothing.
Honestly, from Oliver's perspective, this was much better.
It felt a bit awkward, but compared to casting them directly on himself, there were no side effects.
As he savored the modest joy and satisfaction of learning something new and mastering a new black magic, the gangsters appeared.
"There he is! Over there!"
"Everyone, this way!"
Amid urgent shouts, a group of gangsters rushed toward him.
Oliver suppressed the satisfaction from moments ago and steeled himself to focus for real this time.
Luck wouldn't keep coming consecutively, after all.
First, he focused his senses on his eyes to assess the approaching gangsters. At the same time, he spotted Knuckle Joe stealthily weaving through them and Big Jaw circling around from behind the walls with Nico.
"Hm, first..."
Oliver maintained his black magician's vision and cast Targeting on the gangsters coming straight at him and on Knuckle Joe.
Using the black magician's vision made it effortless, ignoring obstacles like walls. Oliver then hurled Black Darts into the air, matching their numbers.
Black blades scattered like flower petals in the air.
They soon gained momentum, drawn like iron to a magnet, and screams followed shortly after.
A few quick-footed gangsters caught up to Oliver and fired their guns, but they barely got off a few shots before being struck by Oliver's blades, collapsing in heaps while firing wildly.
"Here—argh!"
"Shoot, shoot—gah!"
"It hurts...! What the—!"
The gangsters fell one by one.
In the midst of it, muzzle flashes lit up the surroundings, leaving afterimages in the dark.
That's when Oliver saw him.
Joe, hiding in the shadows among the gangsters, waiting for an opening—then closing the distance in an instant the moment the muzzle flashed.
He'd concealed himself behind the gangsters' backs, shattered the incoming Black Darts, and used black magic-enhanced leg strikes to close in just like before.
It was a fleeting moment, but Oliver's emotion-seeing eyes caught it all.
"You should've run when you had the chance."
Joe closed in and grabbed Oliver, speaking as he did.
Then he swung his opposite fist with full force.
Boom—————!!!
A tremendous roar echoed, followed by a heavy silence—like the artificial hush after a person's death.
After seconds that felt eternal, Knuckle Joe muttered softly.
"What... are you?"
His voice was low, but trembling with agitation.
And rightly so—his black magic-enhanced fist had been blocked by a withered black magician...
Not with something like Black Shield, but with a battered quarterstaff.
"Wait... you can use disease-affinity black magic too?"
"Yes."
As he answered, Oliver shook off Joe's arm and swung his quarterstaff just as Kant had taught him.
Joe, boosting his defense with black magic, blocked Oliver's attack head-on.
Not that he couldn't dodge—it was like he wanted to confirm something.
Clang—! Craaack——! Boom——!
The clash rang out like metal on metal.
Though Oliver had strengthened it somewhat, Joe blocked the quarterstaff admirably.
Even though he couldn't withstand the impact and flew far back.
".......!!!"
Joe scrambled up from where he'd crashed and glared at Oliver.
He felt bewilderment, confusion—and soon those emotions ignited into raging fury and hostility.
"You...!"
"...Dave."
".....? What?"
"I'm Dave. You asked earlier, didn't you?"
Earlier—when his attack had been blocked and he'd been shocked. Joe made a ridiculous face, as if this were a first for him.
"...Are you joking right now?"
"Ah... did I mess up? Sorry. I was planning to ask something too, so I answered your question first."
"Question...?"
"Yes, specifically..."
As Oliver trailed off, he twisted his neck toward the nearby wall, assuming a defensive stance.
Almost immediately, the wall shattered as someone burst through.
It was Big Jaw, with Nico riding on top.
"I barely woke it with Awaken...! Big Jaw! Smash him!!"
"Roooaaarrr——!"
Boom—! Boom—!
Big Jaw pressed Oliver even more ferociously than before.
To the point where it grabbed his shoulders and slammed him through two walls with sheer power.
Thank goodness the Black Suit, reinforced with Endurance Skin, had protected him—otherwise, his bones would've shattered.
Nico, perched on Big Jaw's back, was stunned to see Oliver unscathed.
"What the hell is this guy... why's he fine?!"
A shout filled with pure bewilderment. Joe yelled back.
"He can use disease-affinity black magic too! And he's exceptional at it! Better than me!"
"What?!"
Nico's eyes widened in genuine shock as he stared at Oliver.
Oliver was still gripped by Big Jaw.
Even with Muscle Up indirectly boosting his strength, the raw power gap kept him pinned.
'Plus, my life force is almost depleted... how many minutes left?'
He needed to end this quickly.
"Fuck... Big Jaw! Bite him! Chew his whole damn head off!"
With that, Nico extracted emotions and cast black magic on Big Jaw.
Receiving the command and magic, Big Jaw gaped its jaws wide.
Wide enough to swallow Oliver's head whole in one bite.
"Graaaahh—gack!"
Just as Big Jaw lunged, Oliver desperately jammed his arm into its maw.
Caught off guard, Big Jaw gagged and panicked, but Nico quickly issued the next order.
"Damn resistant bastard... Big Jaw! Chew his arm off first!"
At his black magician rider's command, Big Jaw clamped down on Oliver's arm.
Thanks to the Black Suit enveloping his body, it didn't sever immediately, but he felt its durability waning.
If he stayed still, his arm would be gone. If he stayed still, that is.
Oliver detonated the emotions gathered in his hand.
Big Jaw's head exploded with a bang, and the body that had been pinning him went limp, collapsing instantly.
"......!"
"......!!"
Joe and Nico were stunned again.
Nico, especially, who'd been riding Big Jaw, panicked hard and tried to widen the distance—but Oliver didn't allow it, closing in immediately.
"Fast...!"
"Burning Life enhancement."
With those words, Oliver swung his quarterstaff.
Boom————!!!
Just as it was about to smash Nico's torso, Joe intervened at the last second.
He shielded Nico, becoming a human barrier.
"Joe...!"
"Fall back and support me!"
With that, Joe engaged Oliver in close combat.
Judging that a firepower battle wouldn't work, he kept the distance favorable to him, unleashing fierce punches with his knuckle-dusters and low kicks.
Tricky and sharp attacks—Oliver couldn't block them all, taking most hits.
Indeed, pure close-quarters combat favored Joe.
Each impact let out vicious crack!crack! sounds echoing through the air.
Though the Black Suit prevented lethal blows, the transmitted shock made it clear a solid hit would break bones.
The Black Suit's defense wasn't infinite, so Oliver desperately swung his quarterstaff in retaliation.
"Your black magic's good, but your punches are amateurish, huh?"
Joe easily dodged Oliver's attack and countered.
Craaack———!
It didn't hurt, but the impact made his body stagger.
Then Joe grabbed Oliver's collar again, refusing to let go.
"Nico!"
"Got it! Muscle Up!"
Nico supporting Joe with black magic.
Joe concentrated that power into his fist, staining it dark red.
"Won't that ruin your fist?"
"Shut up... you think I'd come to this game without that resolve?"
"Ah..."
"Die."
With that, Joe swung his fist with all his might.
Whoosh————!
It should have boomed with destructive force, but instead, there was only a limp whoosh through empty air.
"Huh?"
Joe blurted in confusion.
Something had yanked him backward—it was only natural.
Bewildered, he turned to see Nico flying toward him—or rather, being pulled toward him.
"...Dartboard?"
Joe muttered, spotting the black dartboard on Nico's body.
"Yes, precisely Targeting. Mixed with obsession to draw you together."
The moment Oliver explained, Joe and Nico collided mid-air,
and Oliver, hot on their heels, swung his quarterstaff with full force at the defenseless pair.
"Like this?"
Oliver asked, channeling the Black Suit's energy into his quarterstaff.
Kaboom—————!
The quarterstaff struck Joe and Nico hard.
Neither could withstand the impact, crashing into a wall—cracks spiderwebbing across it from the force.
Joe endured thanks to his black magic reinforcements, but Nico's body snapped like a doll's.
With all the Fighter Crew members down,
Oliver approached the sole survivor, Joe,
to finish the question he'd started earlier.
"Huff... huff... What are you...?"
Joe gasped, his eyes unfocused.
"...Dave."
"Ah... just kill me."
Joe steeled himself. Yet deep in his heart, turmoil stirred—similar to Kant's back then. Something he had to protect.
"Hm..."
Oliver pondered. Kill or not?
Kant's advice echoed: don't kill too easily. But also, show no mercy to strong foes—end them. Half-hearted pity and carelessness meant death.
Come to think of it, some of his teachings were quite contradictory.
In the end, the choice was Oliver's alone.
After some deliberation, Oliver extracted emotions and imbued his quarterstaff with new black magic.
Then he pressed it against Joe.
Joe fell into a deep, unconscious slumber.
Depending on his stamina, he might not wake without aid—but with his will and vitality, he could.
Thanks to this, he'd run good experiments and sated minor curiosities. For today, this seemed enough.
With that settled, Oliver moved on.
Toward his target, Professor Huberton.
Focusing his eyes revealed the professor preparing to flee.