Chapter 525: Dense Forest

Turning a werewolf into a Zombie Puppet was truly a great idea.

Just as Oliver predicted, the werewolf’s agility made the treacherous path irrelevant.

In fact, it was even better than that.

Using its strong legs, long arms, and sharp claws, the werewolf used the rough obstacles as stepping stones to increase its speed.

Movement that was unimaginable for a car.

‘Interesting. Originally, I planned to use it in a city full of buildings, but instead, I’m seeing its true value in a forest, the complete opposite… Well, there have been plenty of other surprises too.’

Oliver thought this while observing the horde of zombies still following the werewolf.

A mysterious Zombie Puppet in the distance took out a greedy bag.

Zombies suddenly popped out of the greedy bag, and even though it was unexpected, they still continued to chase Oliver.

Although they couldn’t keep up with the werewolf’s mobility, they were still persistently following Oliver. This was the important thing.

Because━

━Bang!!

Those zombies were self-destructing zombies.

‘Looks like another unlucky person got caught and blown up by a zombie.’

Oliver thought as he noticed the explosion far behind. That made three times now.

Who would have thought that the massive life force inside the zombie would be used as fuel instead of gunpowder?

However, that wasn’t the biggest problem. The zombies following Oliver weren’t just walking bombs. They also carried disease-based black magic within their bodies.

The green and yellow smoke rising up far in the distance was proof of that.

‘They combined several diseases to make it harder to detoxify. They’re skilled.’

Oliver assessed the black magician behind this.

Though he couldn’t tell if they were male or female or even estimate their age, Oliver could conclude that the black magician who created these zombies had a strong understanding of manipulation-type black magic and considerable resources.

The reason was simple: they turned ordinary corpses into self-destructing bombs. It was the most effective method.

Normally, even if a corpse is processed, there are limits to its firepower. But by completely converting the corpse into a bomb, the firepower could be exponentially increased.

Adding disease-type black magic to that made it unimaginably deadly.

Even if someone survived the explosion, the chances of death or severe weakness due to the diseases were still high.

Yet, Oliver had rarely encountered manipulation-type black magicians who used this method.

The reason being, most black magicians didn’t have the resources for such feats.

While manipulation-type black magic had great potential for growth, it required many resources like corpses, life force, emotions, and other items—which many lacked. Therefore, they couldn’t use corpses in such ways.

In other words, it meant those who were after the Flesh Cook’s legacy were of a higher caliber than the usual back-alley black magicians Oliver had seen.

They had enough wealth to use hundreds of corpses and vast amounts of life force in a single attack.

Actually, it wasn’t too surprising.

After all, even the Gallos royal family was currently struggling to control black magicians.

Oliver suddenly felt curious.

If he went to see Lucien Murat, the boss of the Murat Family, accompanied by this zombie horde, would Lucien choose to ally with him?

Well, either way, it didn’t matter too much.

If Lucien agreed to cooperate, Oliver would gain a trustworthy partner, and if not, then he’d know that finding allies here would be difficult. For someone like Oliver, who knew nothing about the situation, either outcome wasn’t bad.

‘Of course, Lucien needs to be safe first.’

Oliver activated the Warlock’s Eye skill and thought this as he stared at Lucien, who was still quite far away.

Lucien Murat, a fallen noble and one of the bosses of Millieu whom Oliver became acquainted with through the Flesh Cook incident, was now being threatened by a bizarre beast with an abnormal amount of life force.

***

“Ha—! This is maddening!”

Lucien Murat, one of the bosses of Millieu who had split control over Gallos’ underworld with the deceased Flesh Cook, shouted in frustration.

His angry roar echoed through the dense, untouched forest.

Birds fluttered into the sky with the sound of flapping wings.

Losing half of his men to an unknown enemy wasn’t a wise move, but he couldn’t help it.

No matter how rational humans seem, emotions often take control.

Lucien, known in Millieu as a rational and moderate ‘merchant,’ was no exception.

“How many do we have left?”

Lucien, clad in silver armor crafted with magic, asked this. One of his armored subordinates replied.

“We have 23 men left, boss.”

“…We brought 50 men. More than half are gone. Huge loss.”

Lucien calculated the losses in his head and spoke. As he said, it was indeed a tremendous loss.

The force he brought to seize the legacy of the Flesh Cook was the cream of the crop, even within his Murat Family.

It had taken years to train each and every one of them.

And considering the special weapons, armor, and numerous other items tailored to them, the losses were even harder to measure.

Which made him even more furious.

Not just because he had lost more than half of his elite soldiers and expensive gear, but because he had no idea who was behind it.

It stung Lucien’s pride, someone who identified more as a merchant than a noble warrior.

“Seems I let my guard down more than usual.”

“Boss…”

“My judgment got clouded. Flesh Cook died. I got a piece of the capital redevelopment project… I got cocky, not like me at all.”

Despite the anger from being powerless and the fear of an unseen enemy, along with the unexpected events, Lucien still evaluated the situation objectively.

He had been blinded, even if only for a moment, by the shadow of the Flesh Cook.

Although black magicians were threatening enough as it was, even under the king’s mighty reputation.

No wonder even the Royal Family sought Millieu’s help, finding it too hard to deal with them on their own.

In such circumstances, chasing a key into this forest on his own was the height of folly. A grave misstep.

‘I had a bad feeling before making that decision.’

Lucien recalled the distinct sense he had before deciding.

The gut feeling of success—the very thing that had built him into what he was today.

But whether due to age or some other factor, this time, he had missed the mark.

‘But I can’t dwell on the past forever.’

Lucien spoke while looking at his anxious subordinates.

“Prepare to retreat.”

“Retreat…? You mean it?”

“Yeah, I misjudged the situation. It’s impossible for just us to chase this cunning black magician. The Holy Knight sent by the Royal Family should arrive soon. We’ll retreat and regroup.”

Lucien made a decision that a typical Millieu boss wouldn’t.

He admitted his mistake, his shortcomings, and even his weakness.

After all, unlike the Crime Firm which had aligned around business, Millieu’s roots lay in nobility, warriors, and thieves.

For Millieu to retreat from a single black magician, not even one on par with the Flesh Cook, was not an easy choice.

There was the risk of appearing weak, potentially losing his subordinates’ respect.

But ironically, none of Lucien’s men seemed disappointed and instead followed his orders without hesitation.

Lucien’s focus on business and the fact that all of his men here were aware of his skills as a warrior assured them that he was no coward but a reasonable strategist—so without hesitation━

━There was a rustling sound.

Just as the Murat Family began to retreat from their frustrating, unseen enemy, a sound came from the bushes.

In the tense atmosphere, everyone pointed their weapons towards the bushes.

“Who’s there?!”

“W-W-Wait!”

An innocent voice of a young girl rang out from the bushes.

It made no sense.

This dense forest, claimed by the Flesh Cook under another name, was a place filled with nothing but danger. And now, that danger had multiplied several times over.

With numerous factions vying for the Flesh Cook’s legacy, the danger was at its peak here.

So the sudden appearance of a young girl in this forest was beyond suspicious.

However, as mentioned earlier, humans are not always rational and often swayed by emotions.

As soon as the girl emerged from the bushes, everyone hesitated.

Her appearance, small and doll-like, dressed in a red cloak with an utterly adorable face, enthralled them.

“Help me, sirs.”

The bright blonde-haired girl with pale skin limped forward, asking for help. Her face looked on the verge of tears, instinctively tugging at their paternal instincts.

The human eye and brain, terribly flawed as they are, became captivated by her, and in a moment of folly, they lowered their guards.

Slash!!

Two members of Millieu, entranced by the girl’s innocent demeanor, were suddenly torn apart at the waist, their upper halves ripped away.

“······!!”

The one who tore apart the armed men clad in armor was none other than the girl, whose arm was now a monstrous limb.

The delicate arm had transformed into that of a massive beast, covered in thick fur.

Though it may seem cliché, the massive arm, resembling a thick log, with claws sharper than any blade, radiated an undeniable sense of dread.

It seemed as though it could tear through even specially-forged steel, let alone human flesh… and it did.

Even now, the beastly girl swung her arm wildly, shredding the armored soldiers of Millieu with ease.

Swoosh!!

The girl with beastly arms had now shed her angelic face. With a fierce expression resembling that of a beast, she started moving rapidly with legs now transformed to match the beast’s speed.

She began a massacre, slaughtering the remaining 21 members of Millieu.

Lucien instinctively realized that this monster posing as a little girl was the black magician who had lured and hunted them.

The monster had changed its appearance, launching a surprise attack just as Lucien decided to abandon his reckless pursuit. It was the right call, though unfortunate for Lucien.

Disguised as a girl, the beast had lured them into a moment of carelessness to seize control. Then, using its beastly arms and legs, it tore through them, gaining the advantage.

Though Lucien’s men were elite fighters, over half had already fallen.

The reason was clear.

The combination of overwhelming speed and power that could even tear through armor like paper.

These simple yet devastating attributes created a disaster.

But that wasn’t the only problem.

This black magician, whether man or woman, human or beast, not only possessed immense physical strength but also had sharp senses, allowing them to evade Lucien’s surprise attack swiftly.

Clang!!

Lucien’s power-infused sword narrowly missed its mark, slashing through the air and felling dozens of giant trees.

A display of highly advanced swordsmanship and mana control.

The beast disguised as a girl took a swipe at Lucien in mid-air, matching his strikes.

Clang-clang!!

In that brief moment, the beastly girl gauged Lucien’s strength and chose not to continue fighting. She hid herself in the dust and fallen trees stirred up by the slicing tree trunks, erasing her presence completely.

Despite her overwhelming strength and speed, she also had caution and a high level of stealth.

She was like a true beast.

“Form a defensive formation!”

Lucien commanded to his disorganized men, ordering them to reassemble in formation to counter the now-hidden enemy.

His men with mana shields created a wall, while those armed with spears, halberds, and crossbows took position behind them, ready to strike back if necessary.

As soon as the formation was rebuilt, Lucien activated a holy item he wore around his neck, unleashing holy light across the area.

[Holy Light]

The holy light, shining a yellow glow, washed away the black energy like dirt being wiped away by water. It exposed a wolf dressed in a red cloak that had been hiding underneath.

“A werewolf?”

Lucien was shocked. A werewolf in front of him.

He instinctively sensed that the red cloak allowed for the transformation.

But that wasn’t the priority right now, so Lucien ordered an attack. He could confirm the details after killing the werewolf.

“Attack formation!!”

Following Lucien’s order, his men poured their mana into their shields.

Using their shields as conduits, they formed a massive magical barrier to trap the werewolf within. Soldiers armed with crossbows and spears moved with surprising agility despite their armor, ready to strike.

Although the giant frame was intimidating, it also presented more vulnerable spots.

Confirming that the werewolf was cornered, Lucien prepared for a final strike. But just then, the werewolf extracted emotions from a vial hidden within its cloak and infused its arms with disease-type black magic.

[Hypertrophic]

[Compression]

[Nail Keratin]

The werewolf’s already large arms swelled even further before compressing, releasing steam. At the same time, keratin formed on its claws, making them tougher and longer.

As soon as the black magic was triggered, the werewolf swung its massive arms, shredding the mana shields formed by the soldiers’ shields in an instant.

Clang━!!

With a dull sound, the shattered shield splintered like glass, spreading blood from the soldiers through the air.

However, Lucien’s men were veterans.

Despite the shield and comrades falling before their eyes, there was no hesitation as they moved in to stab at the openings.

[Tainted Blood]

Using the momentum from its previous swings, the werewolf spun in mid-air with nimble movements that didn’t match its size.

With acrobatic precision, it dodged all incoming attacks, then cut a small wound on itself, sprinkling its blood everywhere.

The blood, full of various diseases and parasites, splattered onto Lucien’s men, causing them to break out in rashes, boils, and other symptoms before collapsing.

It wasn’t just raw emotion; by using its blood and parasites, the werewolf induced immediate effects.

But Lucien deflected all the blood with his blade and approached, swinging his sword, sharpened with mana, aiming for the werewolf’s neck.

It was an attack that couldn’t be dodged or blocked timing-wise.

Clang!!

But the werewolf bit down on the blade with teeth harder than steel, stopping the attack.

Crunch-crunch······snap!!

Not only did the werewolf stop the attack; it broke the specially-forged blade with its jaw strength and then swung its hand.

In the split second between life and death, Lucien discarded his weapon to avoid the attack and grabbed a weapon dropped by one of his fallen men to continue fighting.

Attacks exchanged in wild flurries as both fought to take the other’s life, filling the air with sharp streaks that painted the air with dozens of marks.

Though the sounds of weapons slashing through the air, metal clashing, and sparks flying filled the battlefield multiple times, neither side could gain the upper hand easily.

The werewolf clearly had superior physical abilities, but Lucien, using his experience and skill as a seasoned warrior, narrowly dodged each attack by a hair’s breadth.

‘Is the Holy Knight still not here?’

As this thought flickered through Lucien’s mind, the werewolf seemed to catch onto something. It pretended to swing its arms, then suddenly raised both arms and slammed them down.

Boom!

Slight tremors and a cloud of dust rose from the ground.

The werewolf opened its massive maw, ready to swallow a person whole, and unleashed a shockwave that struck Lucien directly.

The roar, carrying physical force, hit Lucien’s body inside and out, knocking him down. The werewolf pounced on top of him, lifting its horrifyingly clawed arm.

Just as the armor began to tear and his entrails threatened to spill out, a howl echoed from the distance.

Awooooo━!!

The werewolf’s ears perked up. It quickly turned its head towards the direction of the howl and, moments later, after bristling its fur slightly, left Lucien behind and disappeared.

Lucien had no idea what had just happened, but he had survived.

Moments later, Oliver appeared in front of the exhausted Lucien, riding a ferociously modified werewolf.

“Hello, Mr. Lucien. It’s been a while. I’m glad to see you’re safe.”