Chapter 712: Wooden Block

“Puhahahat!!”

The corpse pile of prisoners and guards inside the prison, which had heard Oliver’s reply, burst into raucous laughter.

The vocal cords formed from the mixed flesh produced a sound so powerful that it shook the floor and ceiling, a sound no living creature could make.

It wasn’t clear whether the laughter came from amusement or displeasure, but soon, the truth became apparent.

“Puhihik, Puhihihih!!”

The boisterous laughter shifted into something lighter, more frivolous, as though a mask was peeling away.

In that genuine laughter revealed a more honest emotion within Puppet—the strongest of which were discomfort and anger.

It seemed Oliver had struck Puppet’s most sensitive nerve.

“Haaa… Seems like your sense of wit has improved.”

“Did I offend you?”

Oliver’s tone carried more of a ‘so what’ nuance than genuine curiosity. Puppet shook his head.

“Honestly, it’s more startling than offensive. It’s not exactly a secret, but most people don’t openly say that kind of thing in front of me. Only crazy people do.”

As he said ‘crazy people,’ someone came to mind.

“But more than that, I’m surprised. Both Davidel and I, being able to see through a person’s nature at a glance… actually experiencing it, it’s astonishing. It’s no different from the eyes of a god, is it?”

A fitting description. Oliver’s eyes, at this moment, were like the eyes of a god.

With just one look, he could discern a person’s identity, background, and sins. These eyes were truly suited for a god who uncovers the sins of humanity.

“That’s why it’s such a pity.”

Puppet made his assessment.

These eyes that saw through everything, granting one an almost omnipotent influence—it seemed like a gift.

But Puppet’s judgment wasn’t like the old fable of the fox and the grapes.

He genuinely pitied Oliver’s abilities.

Even the best tool could become a burden if it didn’t fit its owner.

Unfortunately, Oliver’s nature fundamentally didn’t align with those omnipotent eyes.

“If only you were a pervert who enjoyed prying into others’ secrets or a tyrant who loved using others’ weaknesses against them, it would have been a blessing. Well, blessings and curses tend to be a fine line, anyway.”

“You speak as if you know something.”

“Oh, I know plenty. I’ve lived for hundreds of years and experienced much. I know too well how painful unnecessary truths can be, especially when it comes to recognizing the ugly sides of those close to you.”

Puppet smiled. From that smile, Oliver could tell he was speaking the truth. Simultaneously, Oliver instinctively turned his gaze toward the three people within the prison bars.

Forest, the underworld broker, Joe, of the Fighter Crew, and Captain Hook, the pirate of Bean City.

All three were people Oliver had connections with and personally liked.

Forest had initially welcomed Oliver, even though they’d only met through a recommendation letter. He had helped Oliver adjust to life in Randa and as a Contractor, and continued to support him afterward with trust and efficient dealings.

Though Joe’s initial encounter with Oliver wasn’t entirely friendly, through a series of events, their relationship had developed into a good one. Oliver also admired Joe for helping his friend’s younger siblings.

And then there was Captain Hook. When Oliver needed help the most, Hook offered him a great deal of assistance, and for years, he had searched for Neverland for the sake of the children. It was something Oliver found deeply admirable—something he couldn’t have imagined doing himself.

However, at the same time, they were all criminals.

In his younger days, Forest had taken advantage of the real estate boom, deceiving, threatening, and indirectly killing the desperate in order to accumulate wealth. He excused it by reasoning that someone would have done it anyway.

Through Oliver’s eyes, he could see every detail of Forest’s actions, including the emotions of those who had been left homeless or died freezing in the streets as a result of his deeds.

Though he had lost a dear colleague and friend during that period, Forest never gave up the fortune he had earned. Instead, he bought a fine restaurant and employed Red Ones, justifying his actions as if he were doing a good deed.

Joe had committed countless acts of violence under the excuse of survival in the harsh X-District and for the sake of his community.

Robbery, extortion, debt collection, human trafficking, intimidation, contract violence, and murder. Occasionally, when the thought of whether it was too much crossed his mind, he shielded himself by thinking of the siblings in his care.

‘I had no choice for the sake of my family,’ he told himself.

And Hook was no different. Under the guise of searching for the children of Neverland, he had turned to piracy, raiding countless merchant ships.

Many on those ships were people trying to escape their harsh lives honestly, but they never got the chance. Their families and lovers waited for them in tears, but they would never reunite.

They were worse than Marie, who had killed people not even trying to resist in the name of a true god.

And then, Puppet spoke again.

“I’ve thought about it.”

Oliver turned his head to look at Puppet.

“Why did you confine yourself to that underground prison when your shell cracked? What was it that pained you so much that you imprisoned yourself down there? At first, I thought it was the shock of realizing you were Hell’s Prince.”

A silent shock rippled through the room.

Forest, Joe, and Hook, who had been like lifeless furniture, were speechless upon hearing Puppet’s words, especially the part about Oliver being Hell’s Prince—a rumor that had been circulating recently.

What shocked them even more was how easily they accepted it. Anything seemed plausible when it came to Oliver.

“But when I met your gaze in the Holy Capital, I realized that’s not the only reason. Those eyes. They’re uncontrollable, aren’t they? The eyes that see through all the sins of humanity.”

Oliver didn’t respond. His silence was enough of an answer.

“I knew it. So that’s why you locked yourself away. You didn’t want to meet people anymore, especially those close to you. After all, it must be truly unbearable to see the dark sides of the people you love.”

As Puppet spoke, Forest, Joe, and Hook flinched within their cells.

The conversation was incomprehensible to most, but those who knew Oliver instinctively understood.

Puppet’s words implied that Oliver could see through everyone’s sins, including their own.

This filled them, especially Forest and Joe, with immense fear.

No matter how vile or heartless one might be, it’s common not to want one’s sins known to friends and family.

Seeing through sins… an idea that defied common sense, yet they believed it. It explained why Oliver’s expression carried a faint hue of disappointment when he looked at them.

“Knowing is terrifying and painful in its own way. Facing your own nature, or seeing the hidden sides of those you care about.”

“Is that why you killed your grandfather?”

For the first time, Puppet stopped his incessant, mocking chatter. It didn’t end there. His morbid form, made of blood, flesh, and bones, visibly trembled.

That was to be expected—as Oliver’s words pierced Puppet’s core secret, his ultimate goal.

“You are just like your apprentice. Complex. Puppet, you look down on humans, yet you want to become one. And you’re trying to resurrect the grandfather you killed? How ironic—”

“—And you’re any different?”

Puppet interrupted Oliver’s words.

“You and I are no different. I may be nothing but a wooden block that people wouldn’t spare a glance at, but ultimately, just like me, you’ve also tried to mimic what you aren’t: a real human.”

This time, Oliver fell silent and simply stared at Puppet.

Puppet grinned triumphantly.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Ah, are you glaring, hoping to scare me?”

“No… I know you wouldn’t be scared of someone like me. The only thing you fear is failing your goal. That’s why you’re trying to summon the Devil and bring about the Apocalypse by creating a fake Hell’s Prince—so that you can become human even for a moment.”

“Only the grace of a god allows the Apocalypse. So, if I can use god’s power, even a wooden puppet can become human, and even the dead can be resurrected.”

Puppet revealed his simple but strong desire.

As Oliver had said, it was ironic. A being that had lived for centuries as a great Dark Sorcerer who created the Black Hand and was now attempting to bring about the world’s end, desired nothing more than to become human and resurrect his dead grandfather.

“But you keep getting in my way.”

“Well, it’s not like I’ve been deliberately getting in your way, but I understand why you’d think that. I dislike this whole situation as much as you do, frankly.”

“If you had just kept your promise, none of this would’ve happened. I don’t get it. Your goal was to just mimic being human, wasn’t it? You could have just done nothing and stayed out of this. Why interfere?”

“I don’t know either. I want to stay still, but situations keep arising where I can’t.”

“It’s not too late. Just step back and stay out of it. I’ll clean up everything that happened here, and I’ll release those people by today.”

Puppet’s offer was genuine.

“All I ask is that you don’t interfere.”

“So, you’re asking me to sit back quietly while Puppet brings about the Apocalypse and kills everyone?”

“Exactly. Isn’t that what you wanted all along?”

Oliver couldn’t refute that.

While he didn’t have a death wish, the idea of passively accepting inevitable death seemed appealing compared to being involved in such a dangerous and grandiose event.

It seemed… less exhausting that way. But still…

“Can you give Kent back? I heard you took him.”

“Meeting him with your eyes now will be more painful than seeing these three.”

Kent. Indeed, Oliver feared what he would see in Kent.

Though Kent had cared for vagrants and now ran a welfare center, he, too, had once been part of the dirty real estate schemes alongside Forest, turning the blood and tears of others into money.

“That’s none of your concern, Puppet.”

“No, it is. At this point, I need some kind of safeguard.”

“I’m not asking for your permission. I said I want to see him, and I will.”

Oliver spoke his intent clearly, leaving no room for misunderstanding.

“You think it’ll be that easy?”

“Why do you think it will be difficult?”

“Power alone isn’t necessary to achieve your objective. The world is complex, influenced by many forces. That’s why the Archive couldn’t prevent the Apocalypse and why they couldn’t get rid of me. I haven’t just taken Kent hostage; I have this entire city as my hostage.”

“So, what?”

“You can’t ignore that. Just as you can’t fully let go of those whose ugly sides you’ve seen, you also won’t want to see this city drenched in blood and destroyed. As for me, I wouldn’t hesitate to send soldiers, who know nothing of the situation, to die at your hands, or I could set this city ablaze—”

SLAP!

Before Puppet could finish his menacing words, there was a loud slap.

Oliver’s shadow had swiftly bit into the corpse pile that served as Puppet’s medium, tearing off a significant chunk.

The piece he bit into held Puppet’s mouth, forcing him into silence.

Fortunately, Puppet’s ears remained intact, so he could still hear. Of course, Oliver had done that deliberately.

Oliver, having left Puppet’s ears purposefully intact, conveyed his intentions clearly.

“Do your best.”