Chapter 524: Dense Forest

“A brawl?”

Oliver asked.

Ewan responded with a wide grin, showing his yellowed teeth.

“Yeah! Did I ever mention exactly where we’re going? Gallos is disgustingly huge, you know?”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Exactly! Of course, I didn’t say anything! Because I don’t even know where we’re supposed to go.”

Oliver tilted his head in confusion at Ewan’s unexpected response.

It was Ewan who suggested they raid the Flesh Cook’s inheritance. But now Ewan didn’t know where to go, it didn’t make sense.

“What doesn’t make sense? Isn’t it weirder if I knew exactly where to go?”

Ewan shouted shamelessly, and Oliver ended up understanding.

After all, Ewan was a warlock craftsman who processed human bodies to create items using black magic.

The problem was that while Ewan was indeed a skilled craftsman, he wasn’t exactly a great businessman.

Businessmen require diligence and credibility, but so far, Ewan seemed more like a loafer, a conman, a gambling addict, a braggart, or even a debtor.

“Damn, that’s harsh.”

Anyway, for someone like Ewan, gathering detailed information beyond rumors was asking too much. And he didn’t have an organization to do it for him either, since he was a lone wanderer.

“So, I used my brains. I’m smart, after all. If I don’t know where Flesh Cook’s inheritance is, I’ll just follow the people who are after it.”

Oliver understood what Ewan meant. Ewan wasn’t following a place; he was following people who would lead them to the right place.

However, another question arose.

“But how will you know where those people looking for the Flesh Cook’s inheritance are?”

To this reasonable question, Ewan tapped the Skull Crusher in his hand. The crushed head twitched like a clam.

“Thanks to this guy. I think up the conditions I want, and it creates a rift in a corresponding spot. Like, for instance, in Gallos, among people fighting with greed. Of course, it misses occasionally, but it works well enough.”

Hearing this, Oliver looked at the Skull Crusher with admiration.

It was shocking that it could do more than just create spatial rifts.

In some ways, it was even more impressive than magical items with fixed functions that depended on precise conditions and values.

But Ewan’s bragging wasn’t over yet.

“And, it can even do this.”

Ewan replaced the head of the Skull Crusher and looked off into the distance where people were running through the trees.

They were wearing fur cloaks and leather armor, each armed with a crossbow, spear, sword, or mace.

No matter how you looked at them, they were people who made a living through violence.

‘Millieu?’

Oliver speculated based on their mana and life force as they approached.

They were potent mana users with strong life forces. Plus, they seemed well-versed with their weapons.

Given that they were likely the descendants of fallen nobles and warriors, it was reasonable to assume they were Millieu.

‘Well, since we heard that Millieu is also after Flesh Cook’s inheritance, it’s not surprising they’re here… But what’s Ewan planning now?’

Ewan, after swapping the Skull Crusher’s head, adjusted his stance and then thrust it forward.

Zing!

When the Skull Crusher struck the air, a nearly indescribable blast echoed through the forest, just like before.

However, there was one difference this time. Instead of a sideways rift, the rift extended forward and engulfed the approaching members of Millieu.

“Gah…!”

“Wh-what is this?!”

“Grrgh–!!”

The rift that extended into the air caused the bodies of the Millieu to fracture.

In disbelief at what they were seeing, the expressions of the Millieu members turned pale, and even those watching from way off in the distance stopped fighting and focused their attention on what was happening here.

Not even Oliver could take his eyes off the scene.

‘It’s rougher than the Elder’s spatial magic, but it’s similar.’

Oliver recalled his duel with Merlin right after he returned from the New Continent.

At that time, Merlin had torn a rift in space, nullifying the flames on Oliver’s right arm.

To succeed in such a technique with a black magic item…

The Millieu who had charged at them were now trapped in the fractured space, unable to do anything. Ewan swung the Skull Crusher again.

Zing!

With the second roar, space shattered, and so did the Millieu trapped within it, splintering like glass.

“…!!!”

The terrifying sight left everyone watching in shock. Their wariness of Oliver and Ewan spiked.

It was understandable. They had appeared out of nowhere and literally destroyed people in front of their eyes. Even considering the situation with the Flesh Cook’s inheritance, the reaction was only natural.

Oliver, observing the emotions of the people whose gazes had now fully turned toward them, asked Ewan a question.

“Ewan… What are you planning to do now?”

“That’s for you to figure out.”

“What?”

Oliver looked at Ewan again.

As if it were the most natural thing, Ewan stepped through the fractured space, alone.

“I’m scared, so I’ll be stepping out for a bit.”

“What?”

“Everything that happens from now on is your responsibility, so handle it well.”

“What?”

“I’ll be back.”

“What?”

Ignoring Oliver’s repeated questions, Ewan gave a thumbs up and disappeared beyond the slowly mending space.

Whistle…

A chilly wind blew through the forest.

And with that, Oliver was completely abandoned. Alone in the middle of a forest in some foreign land.

The situation was so unexpected that Oliver was left frozen, unsure of how to react.

The same was true for the many others who were watching the whole scene.

“Damn it, what just happened?”

“He ran away.”

“Yeah, no kidding. But why did he run away?”

“I don’t know… What should we do?”

“First, let’s secure that guy. We need to find out who the hell they are.”

“Agreed. The item he used earlier wasn’t ordinary. Maybe he really did come from Bean City as the rumors said.”

Because of Ewan’s sudden appearance and actions, it seemed no one intended to just let Oliver go.

A truly unfortunate misunderstanding.

Oliver raised his hands and opened his mouth to clear up the misunderstanding.

“I’m very sorry for surprising you all. I have no intention of being hostile toward you. I just—”

—Thud-thud-thud!

Before he could even finish speaking, the sound of a thick, taut bowstring snapping echoed, and a crossbow bolt infused with mana flew at Oliver.

Because it was infused with mana, the bolt was faster than ordinary crossbow bolts. However, Oliver’s enhanced reflexes, thanks to the Flesh Cook, allowed him to react. He quickly invoked black magic.

[Black Shield]

Without so much as a breath, Oliver extracted emotions from a vial and created a thin, square barrier to block the incoming bolt.

Considering the speed of the bolt, it was an incredible casting speed.

However, whether by chance or by design, a few of the bolts had exploding spells embedded in them, causing the Black Shield to detonate as they struck.

Boom!

A series of explosions erupted.

Immediately after, black magic users wearing ragged cloaks charged forward.

‘Are they disease-type black mages?’

Oliver calmly analyzed the situation amidst the smoke and blasts.

The cloaked black mages were oddly barefoot, and their feet resembled those of dogs or wolves more than human feet.

Moreover, their feet, hands, and even their cheeks were covered in hair, and most importantly, they ran on all fours, more like beasts than people.

It appeared they had twisted their bodies with disease-type black magic, drastically enhancing their physical abilities.

“Grrrrr!”

Like wolves on a hunt, the cloaked black mages charged at Oliver as a pack.

It seemed clear that resolving this by talking wasn’t possible.

Having come to a decision, Oliver opened his hand and extracted the hatred from the black mages charging toward him from all sides.

Shwhhhh——!

While extracting emotions during battle is generally best avoided, Oliver did it anyway.

That’s because extracting without consent could cause resistance, leaving gaps that might lead to fatal mistakes.

Nevertheless, Oliver extracted the emotions of dozens of approaching black mages all at once.

He had decided to use only black magic for this mission, and moreover, he wanted to respond more efficiently.

[Repulsion Shock]

Oliver compressed the extracted hatred into one hand and then squeezed it to make it explode.

The erupting hatred spread in a shockwave-like burst, directly impacting the black mages who approached with animosity toward Oliver, dealing not just physical but also psychological and emotional shock.

“Ugh…!”

“Ack…!!”

“…Gah…?!”

Proof of this was the fact that all of the black mages that had approached Oliver with ill intent were now reeling with severe headaches, dizziness, and nausea.

Even those who had been hiding among the dense trees to observe the fight shared the same fate.

This caused the attack to halt momentarily, and after confirming that dialogue wasn’t an option, Oliver released his grip on the Quarterstaff held in his left hand, extended a finger like a gun barrel, and fired bullets of hatred.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sound was short, concise, and heavy.

Each time the gunshots rang out, the heads and chests of the black mages were pierced, then shattered like a watermelon.

This was due to Oliver aiming each bullet of hatred, a fundamental and quintessential part of firearm-type black magic, with precision and focus.

The black mages who had gotten close to Oliver tried to resist, but they were still too disoriented from the earlier shock and stumbled, unable to properly react. And one after another, they fell, spraying blood.

This was the advantage of firearm-type black magic.

It was easy to learn, easy to use, and its effects were undeniable.

As proof, by simply mixing low-killing but wide-stunning Repulsion Shock with bullets of hatred, Oliver was able to subdue dozens of black mages in one fell swoop.

“Grr… Kef!”

The last black mage who had been growling at Oliver with bared teeth let out a final agonized cry before collapsing to the ground.

Though Oliver had hardly moved from his spot, there were suddenly dozens of corpses strewn around him, staining the ground red.

It was thanks to his accurate attack on the unguarded black mages.

By turning the opponent’s emotions against them, rendering them helpless, then systematically shooting bullets of hatred one by one with precision.

Because of his self-imposed limitation of using only black magic, this battle of Oliver’s lacked flamboyance or an overwhelming sense of power. However, its efficiency and deadliness were chillingly apparent.

Perhaps because of this, the other black mages who exuded a similar aura to those just defeated didn’t charge in. Instead, they howled as they began to retreat.

Awooo━!!

Although their flesh had been twisted by disease-type black magic, making them seem aggressive, they gave up surprisingly cleanly.

It was a sign of their cunning and flexibility, as they adapted to the opponent.

Seeing this, others also took the hint and slowly began to back off, except for one.

‘Zombie Puppet and… Glutton Sack?’

Oliver thought as he focused the Warlock’s Eye deeper into the dense forest.

Unlike the others who had stopped attacking after witnessing Oliver’s prowess, a Zombie Puppet was busy taking out two human-sized Glutton Sacks and preparing something.

Although Oliver could have intercepted the attack as a precaution, he was curious to see what would happen, so instead, he pulled out Big Mouth and set it to devour the dozens of defeated black mages.

“Gurururuk.”

Big Mouth, suddenly summoned, looked around the unfamiliar environment but soon realized the gravity of the situation. It began devouring two or three black mage corpses at a time.

Meanwhile, the Zombie Puppet commanded its two Glutton Sacks to release about a hundred zombies.

Judging by the abnormal speed, these weren’t ordinary Glutton Sacks, and the zombies didn’t seem like regular corpses animated by life force.

‘Not quite on the level of a Zombie Puppet, but some modification has been made.’

Oliver observed and judged with the Warlock’s Eye. He had crafted several Zombie Puppets himself.

Of course, they weren’t exceptionally threatening. If they weren’t of high quality, even at this distance, he could easily subdue them with firearm-type black magic.

But instead, Oliver looked in the opposite direction.

Toward the familiar emotion he had detected earlier when focusing the Warlock’s Eye.

“First, we need to figure out where we are, right?”

Oliver asked for Big Mouth’s opinion. Big Mouth raised both hands and wiggled its body.

“Guruk.”

“I knew you’d agree. Can you bring that out for me?”

At Oliver’s request, Big Mouth immediately vomited a lump out.

It was none other than a new Zombie Puppet created by Oliver. A rather unusual item.

It was unique because it was crafted from a werewolf instead of a human.

‘The werewolf I took along with the ogre’s corpse in Gallos… Good thing I kept it.’

Oliver thought as he looked at the massive three-meter tall werewolf with black fur.

Having taken it during the Flesh Cook incident, Oliver had decided to modify the werewolf into a mount, given its astonishing strength, agility, and fluidity.

The saddle and bridle fastened with rebar, screws, and nails were proof of this.

Even though it was his first time doing such work, the form was somewhat crude, but Oliver didn’t mind. The corpse was already dead, after all, and he planned to ride it in secret.

After confirming the swarm of zombies approaching, Oliver infused life force into the Zombie Puppet-werewolf, and used black magic to seize control.

Grrrr…

Having been given life, the werewolf exhaled hot breath as it crouched down. Oliver climbed onto its back and gave the command to move.

“For now, don’t rush, just take it slow━”

━Booom!!!

The moment the command was issued, the Zombie Puppet-werewolf instinctively dashed forward, cutting through the wind and racing through the forest.

It was so fast that Oliver almost fell off the saddle for a moment.

“Making it a mount was a brilliant idea.”