Chapter 54

<54. Puppeteer (1)>

"This is the X district, sir."

A beggar guided Oliver, saying this.

Oliver looked around the street, which seemed similar to the W district but was much more dangerous.

"Here?"

"Yes, this is X... I'm sorry, but if it's alright, I'll take my leave now..."

"Oh, yes. You may go."

"Thank you. I wish you a safe journey, sir."

The trembling beggar bowed deeply and returned the way he came.

Cant had originally said he would come along, but due to the need for cleanup and other issues, he only provided a guide. Honestly, Oliver didn't mind.

Actually, being alone was more convenient.

The first black magician he would meet after leaving Wainham.

He wanted to meet him alone if possible.

If what he saw through the eye of the watcher (the eyeball necklace) was correct, there should definitely be a black magician, the mole's backer, here.

Though he couldn't explain it specifically, Oliver could feel it.

The presence of someone watching him through the eye.

"The problem is, where exactly is it... I have a general idea of the location, but I don't know the exact spot."

But that wasn't a big issue.

Oliver focused on the eye.

Before long, he could sense the numerous emotions around him.

Among them, someone with a specific purpose was looking for Oliver.

"Do you have business with me?"

Someone emerged from between the extinguished streetlights.

"You're quite perceptive."

A woman appeared from the darkness, a very ornate and beautiful lady.

"Ho... If I must, I would say a doll?"

She wore high-heeled leather boots, a puffy skirt with lots of lace, and her chest was half-exposed while her waist was tightly cinched.

She had a ribbon around her neck and a fancy feather hat on her head.

Her skin was as white as if it were powdered, and her lips were as red as if they were burning.

It was a type Oliver had never seen before.

The woman asked,

"Are you the black magician the beggars brought?"

"Um, yes. My name is Oliver."

"Oliver... My great master, the puppeteer Grip, has seen you fight and was surprisingly interested. He wishes to see you. Consider it an honor."

Her arrogant attitude reminded Oliver of a stage actor.

However, Oliver didn't mind. He wanted to meet him too.

When Oliver nodded, she turned and started guiding him.

The sound of her heels clicking echoed quietly, and Oliver silently looked around.

The X district of Randa.

The place where his master Joseph lived. This was his third visit.

Cant had said that unlike the beggar dens of V and W districts, the X district was a haven for criminals and fugitives.

It was more dangerous than the W district, as evidenced by the presence Oliver could feel around them.

Suddenly, the woman walking with a clicking sound stopped.

"Oh, by the way, Oliver. My great master wants to test you again. He doesn't deal with inferior beings."

"Ah... Then?"

"First, prove your worth."

The woman snapped her fingers like an actress, and zombies hiding in the alleys sprang out.

Krrrrrr!

Kahhhhh!

Kurrrrrrr!

The zombies all had knives and spikes.

Oliver focused on the eye to gauge the number of zombies.

About fifty.

He recalled his fight with Joseph and used Bind Shadow to grab the zombies, then sliced them like cheese.

At that moment,

[Hay Bullet]

[Hay Bullet]

Hate bullets colliding and disappearing in the air.

The woman holding a test tube covered her mouth and laughed, "Impressive. You have the basics... Despite your specialty in manipulation, you can also use basic firearms black magic."

"...?"

Oliver tilted his head. Manipulation as a specialty?

"I saw it through the mole's necklace. Your specialty is manipulation. You must have focused on shadow manipulation. To achieve that level of proficiency... Who was your teacher?"

"Hmm... If I answer, will you answer my question?"

"Hehe... Interesting. You can propose a question in return. Sure, I'll answer."

"Ah, thank you. It was Joseph."

"Joseph... I've never heard of him. A third-rate magician."

"What... I don't know much, but can I ask this time?"

"Yes. Let's see if you can guess. Why is my great master interested in you?"

"...? No, I wanted to ask why the man is imitating a woman while controlling corpses."

"......"

"Is it easier to control them this way? A kind of knack?"

The woman... no, the female zombie's expression twisted in displeasure.

Regardless, Oliver complimented her.

"Personally, I think it's impressive. I've read about making corpses move like living people, but this is the first time I've seen it in action. Is it easier to control them by imitating them?"

"...... Shut up."

Did he hit a nerve? Her emotions were a mix of displeasure, shame, and anger.

"Trying to test you, but you dare mock me?"

"What? No, I really think it's impressive—"

"Shut up! Hay Bullet!"

The woman extracted emotions and fired ten hate bullets simultaneously.

Oliver fired hate bullets to deflect the incoming ones.

Pang! Bang! Pababang!

Hate bullets exploding like fireworks in the air.

Despite the shock, Oliver ignored it and examined the woman in front of him.

Truly remarkable.

Even with cosmetic processing to make them look like living people, to use black magic...

Is the puppeteer controlling the corpse using black magic?

Hmm... No, that's not it. The only conclusion is one.

"That corpse, you made it a black magician?"

"...You! How?!"

"I read it in a book. A lich... similar but different. A corpse puppet might be more appropriate...? Bind Shadow."

Shadow tendrils wrapped around the woman's arm.

He intended to tie her up like a naked mole rat and observe her.

"Ha! Fool!"

As soon as her arm was grabbed, she cut it off.

It fell like a lizard's tail.

With a click, the arm fell, and a blade like a mantis' emerged from inside.

She ran very fast, and upon closer inspection, spider legs were attached under her puffy skirt.

It wasn't just makeup.

"I'll take your limbs and bring them to my master!"

"Minion."

At his command, the minion in Oliver's arms leaped out and fired a 'Thrust' at the woman.

A black magic that fired a shockwave to destroy and repel the target.

"This is nothing—!"

Despite its appearance, the corpse puppet was surprisingly tough, only being pushed back. But that was enough for Oliver.

[Targeting] x9

[Hay Bullet] x9

Nine hate bullets hit the lower body with four, the shoulders and chest with two each, and one in the mouth.

The areas hit by the hate bullets were half-destroyed, with preserved leather, flesh, springs, tendons, and bones scattered on the ground.

Severely damaged, it couldn't move. Oliver examined the corpse puppet.

"Oh... I knew it was modified, but seeing it like this is different. The spider legs on the legs for mobility, blades and spikes on the arms and chest, and a gun in the mouth... It's not ordinary craftsmanship. It suits the name 'puppeteer.'"

Oliver's natural deduction made the only intact eye waver.

He was personally curious.

Why did she pretend to be his disciple instead of revealing herself?

Was it because she thought her skills were inferior? They were excellent.

Oliver couldn't understand.

Well, he could ask directly.

Oliver looked into the corpse puppet's eyes, focusing on the eye as he did with the mole.

The corpse puppet tried to close its eyes, but Oliver forced them open.

Soon, he could pinpoint the location more quickly than before.

It was a warehouse at the end of the alley.

Surprisingly close.

After finishing his business, Oliver extracted all the life force from the corpse puppet and put it in a test tube he had prepared earlier.

Then he headed to where the puppeteer Grip was.

Though some distance away, he seemed quite anxious.

Why? Oliver just wanted to ask about his remarkable skills.

The naked mole rats and corpse puppets, his corpse-handling skills were excellent.

Grafting mechanical devices onto corpses like this...

He wanted to know how he came up with these ideas and how he learned them. If possible, he wanted to learn from him.

The puppeteer Grip seemed to dislike it.

"Uuuuuu!"

When Oliver reached the warehouse at the end of the alley, a muscular giant with nails in his head and a decaying body broke through the wall.

It was another of Grip's corpse puppets.

Unlike the woman, it wasn't preserved, but the reason became clear soon.

[Burning Life]

[Muscle Up]

Another corpse puppet cast black magic on the muscular corpse puppet.

With the added life force and rage, the decaying muscles swelled.

It seemed the puppeteer Grip could handle even animal corpse puppets.

Krrrrrr!

Krrrrrr!

Six-legged, steel-toothed dead dogs attacked Oliver from both sides at incredible speed.

Their speed was so fast that even hate bullets were hard to hit.

The black magician corpse puppet provided long-range support.

Attacks from all directions.

[Black Marble]

Pang!

Bang! Krrr!

Bang! Krrr!

The spherical defense shield wrapped around Oliver's body saved him by a hair.

If he had been a bit slower, he would have lost his legs or been hit by a long-range attack.

But it was too early to relax.

"Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

The muscular corpse puppet, as if expecting it, swung a hammer at the immobilized Oliver.

With the added black magic, the hammer was incredibly powerful, and the thin Black Marble cracked on impact.

"Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Krr!

Squeak-

Krr!

Squeak-

Krr!

Squeak-

Oliver looked around quickly as the defense shield shattered.

The muscular corpse puppet pushing forward from the front.

The black magician corpse puppet providing support from behind.

The hunting dog corpse puppets circling to cut off his retreat.

Though not as skilled as the woman, they focused on their roles and showed superior combat ability.

It was clear they were well-handled.

Oliver being on the defensive was no coincidence.

"Hmm..."

Oliver organized his thoughts, took out the life force he had extracted earlier, and drank it.

Then he cast black magic on himself.

[Burning Life]

A black magic that burned life force to enhance physical abilities.

Burning the life force he had consumed shouldn't be a problem.

With that, Oliver dispelled the Black Marble and took advantage of the muscular corpse puppet's missed swing.

It would have been difficult under normal circumstances, but with the power of black magic, Oliver narrowly avoided it.

Swish!

The hammer whizzing past his head and the wind it created.

The dead dogs circling around him chased after him, but Oliver ignored them and charged at the black magician corpse puppet at the back.

[Hay Bullet] x20

Twenty hate bullets fired at close range hit the black magician corpse puppet.

Though it tried to defend itself, it was no match for Oliver's firepower.

It was thoroughly destroyed, and Oliver immediately turned to cast black magic on the hunting dog approaching him.

[Obedience]

A basic black magic to control reanimated corpses.

Oliver tried to implant his control over the corpse he already controlled.

Krrr...

Squeak...

Surprisingly, the dogs shook their heads in distress.

The book said you needed to be significantly more skilled than the opponent.

Through the muscular corpse puppet, Oliver could see the black magician's fear.

[Ras Bullet]

[Hay Bullet] x6

Oliver fired different types of bullets at the stunned corpse puppet.

A Ras Bullet at the black magician corpse puppet.

Three Hay Bullets at each hunting dog.

The corpse puppet shattered, and the dogs were disabled.

But Oliver didn't stop.

He approached the building to meet the puppeteer Grip.

And opened the door.

"Hello?"