Chapter 444: Ruthless

444. Ruthless (2)

“Urgh… Urgh…”

Crunch. Crunch.

Gigantic trees grew among the broken gray buildings, with weeds and wildflowers sprouting from the cracks in the concrete.

Walking amidst this eerie mix of city and forest was Oliver.

Oliver held a quarterstaff in one hand and a calorie bar in the other. Beside him, the corpse puppet Seamus, controlled by Third, walked alongside.

Third was also holding something in one hand.

It was none other than Russell, whose golem prosthetic arm and leg had been shattered.

Russell, gravely injured, was wheezing with blood pooling in his throat, dying in real-time.

Well, if he was about to die for real, Oliver would administer first aid and save him, so he wasn’t truly in danger.

Thanks to Grandmaster Theodore of the School of Life’s medical knowledge, it wasn’t difficult.

“Where do we go from here?”

Oliver politely asked Russell.

Russell replied.

“Rrrgh… Right…”

Sincere.

Oliver immediately followed his direction and walked to the right.

This street, too, had an eerie blend of gray and green. At the same time, red slaughter was unfolding.

Under First’s control, the wizard corpse puppets were hunting down the Unaffiliated Gangs and Enjoyment, spreading across the entire fortress as Oliver had requested.

“Aaaaah!”

“H-Hot! It’s burning!”

“…!!”

Inside one of the buildings, two wizard corpse puppets combined their power to create a fiery explosion, roasting the Unaffiliated Gangs who had been monitoring the situation.

Elsewhere, another wizard corpse puppet crafted a sword from ice and slammed it down like a butcher’s cleaver upon the neck of the crushed druid.

Throughout the fortress, massive lightning bolts surged, and sporadic explosions erupted.

Screams echoed continuously, one following the other.

Some attempted to regroup, but they were spotted by First in the puppet Seamus and crushed before they could become a threat.

As Oliver had requested.

“Ah, found it.”

Oliver spoke as he stood before Enjoyment’s temporary headquarters.

As Russell had said, it wasn’t located in the fortress’s center but rather on the outskirts, ready for a quick escape.

Using his Warlock’s Eye, Oliver observed the temporary headquarters and spotted about a dozen members of Enjoyment.

One of them stood out. He had as much natural power as Seamus during the ABC incident.

“This is the place?”

Oliver asked Russell, who had guided him here.

Russell, held tightly by the strong hands of the puppet Seamus, nodded while coughing blood, and Oliver expressed his gratitude.

“Thank you for your help.”

“Th-Then━”

━Crack!

Just as Oliver thanked him, Third twisted Russell’s head like a bottle cap, snapping it off with a mighty hand.

Oliver didn’t bother to look and simply moved forward.

His attention was now on the leader of Enjoyment inside the building, not on the now-useless Russell.

‘The leader must know about the druid disguised as a singer, right?’

Oliver pondered how to lure him out.

As he was deciding whether to manipulate the trees again, a giant spear crafted from a shaved wood trunk burst through the building walls, flying toward Oliver.

“Meeeeh!”

The sound of the building collapsing was followed by Third’s goat cry. He rushed forward, blocking the flying tree with a gauntlet-clad arm and smashing it like a battering ram.

The sight of the natural force-imbued wood being crushed to pieces by overwhelming physical strength was indeed impressive, but Oliver was not particularly interested.

His focus remained on the singer disguised as a female druid,

And the approaching druids charging toward him and Seamus.

[Nature’s Restraint]

As splinters from the shattered wood scattered, a druid pushed through, imbuing a seed with natural force before slamming it into the ground.

With a crash, the earth split, and the seed, infused with natural power, sprouted rapidly, rising above the ground.

Forming a wave of thorny vines.

It looked different from the beanstalks the usual Enjoyment members used, but before Oliver could make a judgment, the vines moved like snakes and attempted to entangle Third.

In response, Third swung his gauntlet-covered fists, tearing the vines apart as they came.

Even so, the endlessly regenerating vines eventually ensnared his body.

Fortunately, the druid didn’t have the capacity to target Oliver while controlling the vines, or perhaps he had anticipated this and opened the vines slightly, letting two other druids through.

These druids had transformed their arms and legs into those of beasts, clearly suited for close combat.

It wasn’t a bad strategy.

Hiding druids behind a wave of thorny vines charged with natural force for a surprise close-quarters attack.

However, they had overlooked two things. One, the body Third was using belonged to Seamus.

“Meeeeeeeh!”

Third let out a cry, releasing natural force and initiating a battle for control over the thorny vines that ensnared him.

“…!!”

The surprise move caught the druid controlling the vines and the two emerging druids off guard.

But that was understandable. As previously mentioned, the current body Third was using was none other than Seamus.

Though Third had focused more on close combat, neglecting the natural force aspects, the original capabilities of the puppet couldn’t be ignored.

Unless dozens of druids aligned in unison, as before, Third could overpower and seize control of their spells.

To prove this, Third quickly took control of the vines and used them to subdue the three druids.

“That earlier tree distortion! Was it that puppet?!!”

Someone rushed in from behind Oliver, creating a whirlwind, and immediately swung a fist to pierce through Oliver’s back.

Whooshing!

As the druid threw a punch, the air tore with a sharp sound, followed by a crisp thud.

Oliver had effortlessly dodged the attack and landed atop the druid’s shoulder, which was the second oversight.

After the fight with the Flesh Cook, Oliver’s physical abilities had skyrocketed.

[Heavily]

Standing on the druid’s shoulder, Oliver channeled the spell into the quarterstaff on his shoulder.

The quarterstaff he received from Kent responded to the spell, exponentially increasing in weight as it came crashing down like a hydraulic press.

Thud!

A wet, crushing sound echoed as the druid’s shoulder was pulverized, leaving his arm and torso barely attached.

“Ugh… Aaaaargh!!!”

The druid, who had earned the nickname of superhuman due to endless training, screamed like a child, unbefitting his reputation.

Whining endlessly.

It was not unlike a child who lost a hand in a factory accident. Painfully similar, indeed.

“…Druid.”

Oliver addressed the druid who was writhing in pain, clutching his shattered shoulder.

The other three druids had already been killed by Third, their necks snapped or mutilated by the thorny vines.

“Greetings. I’m Dave, the solver of T-District, Street 30. I have a question, would you kindly answer it?”

“Aaaaargh… Ugh!”

The druid didn’t answer, only letting out screams.

However, Oliver didn’t mind. The mix of fear and bewilderment in the druid’s emotions told him he was listening.

So, Oliver continued the conversation.

“I’m looking for someone. Could you tell me if you know where she is? I heard there’s a female druid who infiltrated T-District as a singer… Do you know who she is?”

Oliver asked calmly, with unusual politeness, but the druid responded with shock, fear, and disgust.

More than just being afraid…

Usually, Oliver would’ve asked why, but not this time.

He was worried the singer druid might escape.

It was frustrating. Not having seen her, he couldn’t tell if she had already fled or not… It was irritating.

So, Oliver mechanically repeated his question, determined to relieve his frustration.

“Druid? Do you know who the female druid disguising as a singer in T-District is?”

“Why do you ask?”

An unexpected response came from above.

On top of the half-collapsed druid headquarters stood a druid draped in green wolf hide.

Third let out a goat cry and was about to attack, but Oliver raised a hand to stop him.

“…Do you know, Druid?”

“I asked you why you’re so interested.”

The druid asked confidently, preparing something inside the building. Despite that, he seemed genuinely curious.

“…I have something to ask.”

“To ask?”

“Yes, could you tell me the location if you know?”

Oliver asked, almost peering into the druid’s mind. The druid looked at Oliver with utter rejection, disgust, and hostility.

More than just dislike… Something more primal, almost biological rejection.

“Why would I tell a bastard who slaughtered my comrades like pigs?”

Oliver looked around. The life forces of Enjoyment members were fading one by one, even at that very moment.

“Hmm… Sure, there’s no reason for you to tell me. But, I really do want to know. How about this then?”

“…?”

“If you tell me, I’ll make sure you die painlessly. Honestly, with no pain at all.”

Oliver sincerely promised. He was planning on killing everyone in the fortress anyway, so he just felt like offering.

However, the druid didn’t seem interested in the offer.

“You arrogant bastard.”

The druid in the wolf hide gathered an enormous amount of natural force and channeled it into the building.

Then, in response to a pre-arranged ritual by the druids inside, a massive wooden giant formed as the concrete building fused with it.

The earth trembled as if bones were shattering, followed by the deafening sound of wood and stone tearing apart as the massive figure came into view.

This was the second time Oliver had seen one since ABC.

Even Seamus had only used it after awakening, so its power was clear.

“Arrogant words should be spoken only after you’ve won.”

“Understood… Fourth.”

As Oliver spoke, zombie puppet Duncan appeared atop the wooden giant.

After the wooden giant stood up, Oliver used magic to hurl Fourth into the giant, and in an instant, Fourth seized control of Duncan and began to control the massive body.

The puppet gripped the giant’s head.

Despite being startled, the druid in wolf hide didn’t retreat.

“Just one puppet!”

He wasn’t wrong; there was only one puppet. But he was also wrong; it wasn’t just any puppet.

Because it was the one that had the most cells from Grandmaster Theodore.

“Raaaagh!!”

Fourth unleashed a monstrous roar as the magic and emotions concentrated in one of Duncan’s arms.

In response, Theodore’s cells reacted, splitting the hardened arm and sprouting countless new arms from the cracks.

Countless arms from countless people Theodore had grafted.

These proliferating arms merged, knitting together like muscle fibers to form a gigantic arm.

A massive arm made from hundreds of individual arms.

In that moment, the druid realized something had gone terribly wrong, but it was too late.

Fourth channeled magic from the Flesh Tonfa into the massive arm and swung it down in a crushing blow.

Though clumsy compared to Theodore, Duncan’s punch unleashed a horrendous noise as it smashed downward, shattering the wooden giant.

Taking this opportunity, Third, in the puppet Seamus, charged at the druid wearing the wolf hide.

As per Oliver’s request.

“Please don’t damage the head, and bring him back alive. I’m counting on you.”

***

Fortunately, things went well.

Duncan’s surprise attack was powerful enough to take down the formidable wooden giant, and Seamus’s puppet joined in at the right moment to subdue the shocked druids.

The druid in the wolf hide tried to resist briefly, but Oliver subdued him with a swing of his shadow.

After subduing the druid, Oliver asked once more where the female druid was, adding a bit more persuasion.

It took some time, but Oliver finally learned where she had fled, disguised as a singer.

She had secretly infiltrated Randa and was also the contact for other Enjoyment members. Seeing the situation turn, she was the first to retreat.

It was something Oliver had noticed since Seamus. Enjoyment was peculiar.

Though they claimed to hate the druidic life, seeking freedom and pleasure, and seemed individualistic, they were remarkably loyal to being druids and to each other.

Even Seamus had risked himself to protect his comrades.

Oliver found their resolve impressive but also irritating like an itch.

Feeling hunger, Oliver ate a calorie bar and headed in the direction the female druid had fled.

He worried she might have already fled the fortress.

Thankfully, that hadn’t happened.

Just in case, Joe and Marie, as per Oliver’s request, had been guarding key routes around the fortress and captured several druids.

“Dave.”

“Dave.”

Joe and Marie, who had been looking worried, spotted Oliver and greeted him. As requested, they both called him ‘Dave.’

‘Why are they together? That’s a waste of manpower. Were they discussing something?’

Oliver observed Joe and Marie, pondering. Well, it wasn’t that important.

Oliver asked them.

“Did anyone escape the fortress?”

Joe stepped forward to answer.

“No. Some tried to escape, but we caught them all.”

Sincere.

Joe pointed at the captured members of Enjoyment.

“We caught the one who bewitched Nora too.”

Joe, showing concern, pointed to where a woman was bound in restraints.

It seemed to be true, but just to be sure, Oliver had Third fetch the druid in the wolf hide. To confirm it directly.

“…Mmph!”

Several conscious druids gasped when they saw the druid in the wolf hide. Even Joe and Marie were stunned.

Not that it was surprising.

In the process of persuasion, Oliver had taken the druid’s teeth, skin, one eye, fingers, and toes… Just a little.

Oliver thought it might have been a tad excessive, but he didn’t mind and asked the druid if the woman before them was the druid disguised as the singer.

No matter what, it was necessary for the process of persuasion.

“Is this the woman disguised as the singer?”

The druid, bruised in red and pink splotches, nodded, and Oliver thanked him as soon as he confirmed.

“Meeeeeh.”

As soon as Oliver expressed his thanks, Third stomped on the druid’s chest with his hooved foot, crushing the life out of him.

Everyone froze in shock, but Oliver oddly calmly approached the female druid and started speaking again.

“Hello there, Druid. I’m Dave, the solver of T-District, Street 30. May I ask you a question?”