Chapter 64

< 64. Recovery (3) >

[Black Suit ver. 2]

With Oliver's spirit cell, the emotions and life force contained in each test tube began to be drawn out like threads, entangling to form a single thick thread.

The emotions and life force, now bound together.

Although he had only thought about it a few times, this was the first time he was actually creating it, and the resistance from the emotions and life force was less than expected.

Or rather, they combined well.

Perhaps it was only natural.

According to what he had read in books, emotions and life force ultimately stemmed from the soul.

Surprisingly, few people had noticed this fact, and Oliver was no exception just a moment ago.

It was truly a joy to learn something new in this situation, whether intentional or not.

Gradually, he felt that becoming a problem solver was a good decision.

And with that, he felt grateful to the paladin Joanna.

Thanks to her advice to go out into the world and meet people, he was able to come out and experience this joy.

Oliver enveloped his body with the combined emotions and life force.

As if putting on clothes or a coat.

The emotions and life force, intertwined like fabric, not only protected his entire body but also his Quarters Staff.

Oliver put the empty test tube back into his pocket and took out a new one.

He tried to conserve his emotions while doing problem-solving work, but he decided to set that aside for a moment to test a new black magic.

Most importantly, he wanted to see how effective this new black magic would be against a black magician like Knuckle Joe.

Although he was a disease-type black magician like the Dominic Family, there was a different quality to his magic, and he wanted to test it.

Oliver opened the test tube.

He then cast black magic on the Black Suit, which he had improved by adding life force to enhance its functions.

Burning Life, which burns life force to strengthen the entire body,

Muscle Up, which uses life force to increase strength,

Endurance Skin, which uses the emotion of endurance to make the skin tough and hard.

These three.

He felt a different sensation when using them directly.

It was hard for Oliver, who lacked expressive skills, to describe, but if he had to, it was like the difference between touching skin directly and touching it through clothes.

Honestly, Oliver preferred this.

Although it felt a bit awkward, there were no side effects compared to when he cast them on himself.

Feeling a small sense of joy and satisfaction from learning something new and successfully casting a new black magic, he noticed the gang members appearing.

"There he is! He's over there!"

"Everyone, this way!"

He could feel a large number of gang members approaching in a hurry.

Oliver suppressed the satisfaction he felt earlier and decided to focus this time.

Luck wouldn't keep coming, after all.

First, he focused his eyes to confirm the approaching gang members. Among them, he could also see Knuckle Joe carefully approaching, and Big Jaw and Nico, who were circling around the wall.

"Hmm, first..."

While maintaining the black magician's vision, Oliver cast targeting magic on the gang members coming from the front and Knuckle Joe.

Using the black magician's vision, he was not hindered by obstacles like walls, making it much easier. Oliver then threw Black Darts into the air, matching the number of people.

Black blades scattered in the air like flower petals.

They soon flew with the force of a magnet, and soon screams were heard.

Some quick gang members caught up to Oliver and fired their guns, but they couldn't fire many shots before being hit by the blades Oliver threw, causing them to fall while firing.

"Here— Ow!"

"Shoot, shoot— Gah!"

"It hurts…! What is this—!"

One by one, the gang members fell.

The muzzle flashes illuminated the surroundings, leaving an afterimage.

At that moment, Oliver saw Knuckle Joe, who had been hiding among the gang members, looking for an opportunity and quickly closing the distance when the muzzle flashes aligned.

He had hidden behind the gang members, breaking the Black Dart that flew towards him and using his black magic-enhanced leg knife to close the distance in one swift move.

For a brief moment, but to Oliver, who could see emotions, everything was clear.

"You should have run when you had the chance."

Knuckle Joe, who had closed the distance in an instant, grabbed Oliver and said.

Then he swung his other fist.

Bang—————!!!

A loud noise accompanied by a heavy silence. It was like the artificial silence that follows a death.

After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, Knuckle Joe spoke softly.

"You… What are you?"

His voice was low but shaken.

It was understandable, as his black magic-enhanced fist had been blocked by the emaciated black magician...

And not by a Black Shield, but by an old Quarters Staff.

"Can you... use disease-type black magic too?"

"Yes."

Oliver answered and pushed Joe's arm away, swinging his Quarters Staff as he had learned from Cant.

Joe, who had increased his defense with black magic, blocked Oliver's attack head-on.

It seemed more like he was trying to confirm something rather than avoid it.

Clang—! Clang—! Bang—!

The sound of metal clashing with metal.

Although he had enhanced it, Joe excellently blocked Oliver's Quarters Staff.

Despite this, he was thrown back by the impact.

".......!!!"

Joe, who had flown back and fallen, immediately got up and glared at Oliver.

He felt confusion and bewilderment, which soon turned into intense emotions like anger and hatred.

"You…!"

"... Dave."

"...? What?"

"Dave. Didn't you ask me earlier?"

Earlier, when his attack was blocked and he was surprised, Joe had a look of disbelief, as if this was the first time he had ever seen such a thing.

"... Are you joking?"

"Ah... Did I make a mistake? I'm sorry. I answered your question first because I thought I might ask something too."

"Question...?"

"Yes, but... oh."

He stopped his question and turned his head towards a nearby wall, taking a defensive stance.

Almost immediately, the wall broke, and someone leaped out.

It was Big Jaw, with Nico on his back.

"Finally woke up with Awaken...! Big Jaw! Destroy it!!"

"Roar——!"

Big Jaw pushed Oliver with even more ferocity than before.

He grabbed Oliver by the shoulders and pushed him into the wall, breaking two walls with his strength.

Thanks to the Endurance Skin-enhanced Black Suit, Oliver's bones were saved from breaking.

Nico, on Big Jaw's back, was surprised to see Oliver still intact.

"What the hell... Why are you still fine!"

A voice full of genuine confusion. Joe shouted in response.

"He can use disease-type black magic! And he's even better at it! Better than me!"

"What?!"

Nico, unable to believe it, opened his eyes wide and looked at Oliver.

Oliver was still being held by Big Jaw.

Despite the indirect strength enhancement from Muscle Up, the basic strength difference was too great, and he couldn't break free.

'And my life force is almost depleted... a few more minutes?'

He needed to end this quickly.

"Damn... Big Jaw! Bite his head off, chew it whole!"

Nico cast black magic on Big Jaw, extracting his emotions.

Big Jaw, receiving the command and black magic, opened his mouth wide.

Wide enough to swallow Oliver's head in one bite.

"Roar— Choke!"

Just as Big Jaw was about to bite Oliver, Oliver resisted desperately and thrust his arm into Big Jaw's mouth.

Caught off guard, Big Jaw choked and coughed, and Nico quickly gave the next command.

"The bastard is resisting... Big Jaw! Start by biting his arm off!"

Following the black magician's command on his back, Big Jaw bit down on Oliver's arm.

Thanks to the Black Suit covering his entire body, it didn't get cut off immediately, but he could feel the durability decreasing.

If he stayed still, his arm would be cut off. If he stayed still, that is.

[Ras Boom]

Oliver exploded the emotions in his hand.

With that, Big Jaw's head burst, and the body that had been pushing Oliver lost its strength and collapsed.

"......!"

"......!!"

Joe and Nico were surprised again.

Especially Nico, who had been on Big Jaw's back, seemed to be in shock, panicking and trying to create distance. Oliver, however, did not allow it and immediately closed the gap.

"Fast...!"

"Because I enhanced it with Burning Life."

Oliver swung his Quarters Staff as he spoke.

Bang————!!!

Just as he was about to hit Nico's body, Joe intervened at the last moment.

He became a shield to protect Nico.

“Joe....!”

"Create distance and support me!"

With that, Joe engaged Oliver in close combat.

Judging that a firepower battle wouldn't work, he maintained a distance favorable to himself, swinging his knuckle-wrapped fist and delivering low attacks with kicks, launching a fierce assault.

It was quite unconventional and fierce, and Oliver couldn't block all the attacks, allowing most of them to hit.

Indeed, in close combat, Joe was superior.

Each time an attack hit, a terrifying sound echoed in the air.

Although the Black Suit prevented effective hits, the impact was still felt, and it was easy to sense that a single hit would break bones.

Since the Black Suit's defense was not infinite, Oliver urgently swung his Quarters Staff to counterattack.

"You're good at black magic, but you're a beginner at fist fighting, aren't you?"

Joe easily dodged Oliver's attack and delivered a counter.

Clang———!

It didn't hurt, but the impact made his body stagger.

At that moment, Joe grabbed Oliver's collar again, as if determined not to let him go.

"Nico!"

"Got it! Muscle Up!"

Nico supporting Joe with black magic.

Joe focused the strength on his fist, which turned a dark red.

"Then, your fist will be destroyed, won't it?"

"Shut up... Do you think I came to this place without such resolve?"

"Ah... "

"Die."

With that, Joe swung his fist with all his might.

Bang————!

It should have been a tremendous sound that shattered everything, but it only made a disappointing sound as it cut through the air.

"Huh?"

Joe, confused, let out a sound.

Naturally, he turned to look behind him, seeing Nico flying towards him.

Well, not flying, but being pulled by something.

"... Dartboard?"

Joe said, looking at the black dartboard that had appeared on Nico's body.

"Yes, more accurately, targeting. It uses obsession to pull each other."

As soon as Oliver answered, Joe and Nico collided in mid-air,

and Oliver, who had followed closely, swung his Quarters Staff with all his might at the now defenseless pair.

"Is this how you do it?"

Oliver asked, gathering the Black Suit's energy into the Quarters Staff.

Bang—————!

Oliver's swing hit Joe and Nico.

Both were unable to withstand the impact and flew into a wall, leaving cracks in it.

Joe, with his body enhanced by black magic, managed to hold on, but Nico's body bent like a doll.

Thus, all the Fighter Crew members fell.

Oliver approached Joe, the only one who had survived.

To finish the question he had started earlier.

"Huff... Huff... What are you...?"

Joe, panting, asked. His eyes were unfocused.

"... Dave."

"Ah... Kill me."

Joe, determined, said. However, deep down, he seemed troubled, similar to Cant in the past. There was something he needed to protect.

"Hmm......"

Oliver pondered. Whether to kill or not.

Cant's advice to not kill too easily came to mind, along with the advice to not show mercy to strong enemies, as it could lead to death.

Some of his teachings were quite contradictory.

Ultimately, the decision was Oliver's alone.

After a moment of contemplation, Oliver extracted emotions and cast black magic on his Quarters Staff again.

He then pointed it at Joe.

[Deep Sleep]

Joe fell into a deep sleep.

He might not be able to get up if his strength was drained, but if his will and stamina held, he could recover.

Thanks to this, Oliver could conduct a good experiment and ask some minor questions. Today was enough.

With that, Oliver began to move again.

Towards his target, Professor Hurberton.

Focusing his eyes, he saw that the professor was preparing to run.