Chapter 86

< 86. Puppet (2) >

"Is there anyone who wants to go fight the Puppet with me?"

At this question, everyone wore a look of shock.

It was as if they had seen a puppy challenge a tiger.

Ah, perhaps that was an apt description.

After all, Oliver, who was merely a lone problem solver, was no more than a puppy compared to the Puppet.

This reminded him of what Kant had once explained about the Puppet.

The immortal Puppet.

A renowned black magician and one of the top-ranking officers of the Black Hand.

It was said that no one could even estimate how long he had lived, with his lifespan surpassing that of a nation.

Because of this, it was said that there was no field he had not touched, from drugs, weapons, and mercenaries to illegal medical practices, and that he had connections with the upper echelons of various countries.

Of course, these were all rumors without any substance, and many were dismissed as mere gossip. Nevertheless, Oliver had ended up challenging such an entity to a duel.

"Are you in your right mind...?"

One of the problem solvers said. He was both terrified and despairing.

"Huh? What...?"

"Who in their right mind would make such a bet...! The opponent is the Puppet? You're going to get killed, you know?!"

Oliver stared at the man and said,

"...You didn't hear me, but I was planning to kill the Puppet anyway. He was just trying to create chaos and disperse us, then pick us off one by one."

"...But, that's not certain, is it?"

"No, it is. He had no intention of letting us go."

Oliver's calm and composed words left the frightened man and the other problem solvers speechless.

Oliver checked the flask he had tucked away and continued,

"I apologize if my actions have upset you. However, if I had done nothing, the Puppet would have certainly incited us to fight each other, leading to a meaningless conflict. I acted first, so please understand... I don't want to fight or kill any of you."

It seemed his persuasion worked, as no one complained further.

Of course, not in their hearts.

It seemed no one was willing to fight alongside him, but Oliver didn't mind. He had intended to act alone anyway.

Just as he was about to move, Knuckle Joe spoke up.

"Hey..."

"...? Yes, Joe."

"Stop calling me 'Mr. Joe,' just call me Joe. It feels awkward."

"Ah... I see. So that's why you called me?"

Sam grabbed Joe's shoulder, but Joe shrugged him off and continued,

"You... You're not seriously thinking of going to fight the Puppet, are you?"

"Yes, I promised to do so. ...If I don't, he'll probably send the zombies this way."

"...Is it true that he'll release us if you win?"

"Yes, he meant it. At least, when he said it. Didn't you see?"

"No, I couldn't. I only saw you. Do you think you can win?"

Oliver thought about it.

"Hmm... I'm not sure. I've never faced someone with his disposition, so I can't give a definite answer."

"Disposition?"

"Yes, most people are interested in winning or losing, but the Puppet seems to be different. He seems to be interested in something else. I'm not sure what, though."

At that moment, someone muttered,

"Come to think of it, the Puppet is said to be interested in immortality. According to rumors."

"Immortality?"

Oliver asked, and the person who had muttered replied cautiously,

"J-Just rumors... that's all."

Immortality... It wasn't an impossible concept.

According to Joseph's books, there were quite a few people deeply interested in this area.

Even non-black magicians had been known to research or invest in it, as mentioned in old books.

Of course, there had never been a successful case.

However, it seemed too simplistic to say the Puppet was just interested in immortality.

It was like the pieces of a puzzle didn't fit together.

Joe spoke again,

"Hey, I'm sorry to interrupt, but answer my question first. Can you win, or not? ...If you can't, we could try to subdue you and negotiate with the Puppet."

Joe's words made his fellow problem solvers and mercenaries take a stance.

They were prepared to act if necessary.

To some extent, they were sincere.

"I'm not sure if I can win, but I'll fight with the intention of winning. Obviously, I don't want to die."

"...Is that so? Alright, then I'll go with you."

"Really?"

"I'll go with you."

Joe said confidently.

***

Oliver entered the basement tunnel that the exploration team had entered (or had already entered) to keep his promise to the Puppet.

In addition to Oliver, Knuckle Joe from the Fighter Crew, dual-pistol Sam, and problem solver Stone Fist Arthur joined him.

Joe had volunteered to go, and Sam couldn't leave Joe alone, so he followed. Arthur's reason for joining was unclear.

When asked, he replied,

"Reason? What reason? I'd rather fight a real man who's willing to fight than be with a bunch of people who want to sell me out."

"Ah..."

Oliver let out a sigh. Indeed, it must have been unsettling to be with them.

After all, he had momentarily fallen for the Puppet's manipulation.

Of course, it wasn't entirely their fault.

What can I say? Each word from the Puppet had a way of shaking people.

It was something that delved into people's weaknesses.

"Hey... I have a question. Can I ask one?"

Sam, holding pistols in both hands, interjected.

"Yes, go ahead."

Sam stared at Oliver and asked,

"Ha... I have a lot of questions, but I'll start with the most pressing. How did you figure it out?"

"Figure out what?"

"The Puppet. The corpse puppet... I couldn't tell. I have good eyes, but I couldn't see it."

"..."

Oliver was at a loss for words.

The Puppet's corpse puppet was indeed well-made.

It looked like a living person at first glance and moved naturally.

However, Oliver could distinguish it with a bit of focus.

It was just a matter of how much he focused.

He couldn't say this, though, as Sam wouldn't understand.

So, he added some details to his answer.

"I once met someone who claimed to be the Puppet's disciple."

"A disciple?"

"Yes, a puppeteer named Glimpse. He used a corpse puppet to pretend to be a person, which is how I recognized it."

"...How did you meet him?"

"I was staying somewhere, and unfortunately, we had a disagreement and fought."

"...Did you win?"

"Uh, yes."

"I'll ask again. You defeated the Puppet's disciple?"

"Yes... I was lucky."

Sam, Joe, and Arthur looked surprised.

Oliver didn't understand why they were surprised.

"Then... Do you have any concrete plan to defeat the Puppet? Since you've come this far, it would be good to know."

"I don't have a specific plan. I just intend to meet the Puppet and defeat him. Once he's down, the zombies outside will be neutralized."

This answer didn't seem to satisfy Joe, Sam, and Arthur, as their expressions were far from pleased.

However, they couldn't criticize him.

After all, they had no better plan.

Arthur, who had been silent, spoke up.

"...It's not impossible. This type of black magician is likely weak in direct combat."

Everyone turned to Arthur.

"Do you know something?"

"No, I don't know much, but I've encountered black magicians a few times on the battlefield."

"Black magicians? Are you a mercenary?"

"Both. Some were just there to collect corpses, but others tried to kidnap living people."

"Have you fought them?"

"Yes... They kidnapped one of our squad members. It wasn't a pleasant experience. I expect there will be many traps this time... Why did you come along?"

Arthur suddenly asked Joe and Sam.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I was called out, but why did you come along? Especially you, Knuckle Joe."

Sam, looking annoyed, spoke up.

"What are you implying? That we have some hidden agenda?"

"Well... I only know rumors, but there are rumors that the Puppet has many disciples, right?"

Sam laughed, looking annoyed, and tightened his grip on his pistols. Joe grabbed his hand to calm him down and said,

"Don't worry. That's not the case."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, unfortunately, I couldn't find a good teacher like the Puppet. I'm just taking risks to survive. From experience, staying still is the most dangerous, so I came along."

It was partly true.

Sam added,

"Well, if we survive the fight with the Puppet, our reputation will rise."

This calmed the tension.

Upon reflection, it wasn't a pointless fight.

Everyone was uneasy, though they didn't show it.

After all, they had been in the basement for a while, but nothing had happened.

They expected the Puppet to appear soon since he had accepted Oliver's proposal, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Oliver wondered if the Puppet had changed his mind, but there was nothing he could do about it, so he brought up another topic.

Silence made everyone more anxious.

"Hmm... By the way, this basement is surprisingly well-maintained."

Oliver said, looking around.

Indeed, the basement was neatly finished with cement and bricks.

Someone said,

"Originally, this basement was built by the owners of this street. Magicians. They spent a lot of money on it."

An unfamiliar voice.

Everyone was startled and turned to the direction of the voice.

There stood a man with a saber at his waist.

'Puppet... But how?'

Oliver thought.

He had been focused on his surroundings but hadn't noticed the man.

While Oliver was still surprised, Arthur, Joe, and Sam moved first.

Arthur gathered mana in his golem prosthetic and punched the suddenly appearing Puppet.

The golem prosthetic, made of stone and mana, flew like a cannon, threateningly like a giant rock.

However, the Puppet swung his saber once and cut the golem prosthetic in two.

Arthur, seeing the severed arm, exclaimed,

"He can even break a corpse golem with his bare hands...!!"

"Ah... It's a bit sad to compare my B-rank creation to a corpse golem. But, how about we calm down? I came here to talk-"

"Joe."

Sam, holding pistols in both hands, said.

He fired, and bullets imbued with black magic flew, threatening the Puppet.

They were imbued with various black magics, and Oliver was amazed by the unfamiliar yet creative attack.

However, what was more astonishing was how the Puppet effortlessly dodged and deflected the bullets.

Compared to Shevi, his movements were completely different.

It seemed that changing the corpse puppet not only altered his combat power but also his combat style.

Click. Click.

Sam's bullets ran out.

The Puppet lowered his body and quickly closed in.

"Will you listen to me if I kill one of you?"

"Not a chance. If you kill me, you'll have to deal with me."

Knuckle Joe stepped between his comrade and the Puppet.

He had enhanced his body with black magic, and his movements were sharper than when he fought Oliver before.

The problem was that the Puppet was even sharper.

He not only dodged Joe's punches with acrobatic movements but also avoided a surprise low kick and swung his saber again.

Swoosh———Snap!

Just before Joe's neck was cut, Oliver, in his black suit, blocked the blade with his quarterstaff.

The blade was imbued with emotion and would have cut through the quarterstaff if not blocked.

"I... I don't want to kill you yet."

"I don't want to die either."

Oliver swung his quarterstaff with force.

The Puppet skillfully retreated.

Indeed, his movements were completely different from Shevi.

Oliver, putting aside his questions for now, used a Haite Bullet to target the Puppet.

The Puppet deflected the Haite Bullet with his sword and analyzed,

"You not only mix manipulation and disease magic but also use fire magic skillfully... What are you?"

Snap———!

Oliver closed the distance in one move and swung his quarterstaff.

"Interesting. I have many questions for you, Puppet. How do you hide your presence, how can you move in such a different style, and where is your main body?"

"Main body?"

The Puppet laughed.

"We have many questions for each other. How about we talk for a bit?"

"Sure, that sounds good."

Oliver said, struck the Puppet's saber, and thrust his quarterstaff.

The Puppet skillfully blocked with his saber, but that was enough.

[Laser Boom]

The Laser Boom at the end of the quarterstaff exploded, destroying one side of the Puppet's corpse puppet.

The processed skin, flesh, bones, and gears scattered on the floor, but the Puppet remained as calm as he had been during Shevi.

"Ah, I've lost two corpse puppets in a day before, but it's been a long time since I lost one to the same person."

Oliver, extending his quarterstaff toward the Puppet, asked,

"Shall we talk now?"

"Hmm, it's a bit cramped here. How about we go deeper and talk?"

The Puppet placed his hand on the floor.

The emotion in his hand quickly moved along the cracks, and a floating sensation was felt underfoot.

The floor was collapsing.

"You're an interesting guy. It's been a while since I've met someone like you."

With that, Oliver fell to the floor with the Puppet.