THROB. THROB.
Oliver covered his eyes as his headache worsened and his vision became blurry.
While sucking Life-force healed the wounds and restored normal body temperature, fatigue persisted.
He wanted to rest.
After leaving the mine, he had never considered such a thing, but now he was desperate to rest.
"…I should hurry a little more?"
Oliver opened his eyes and murmured.
Fortunately, the throbbing headache subsided, and the blurred vision recovered to some extent.
Soon two people reflected on the recovered vision, the bald wizard whose limbs had turned to steel horribly shattered, and the red-haired wizard who had been pinned against a wall with ice crystals stuck to his shoulders and knees.
Oliver had no idea how things had turned out like this.
‘I think I did, but….’
"Haaaa…! Haaa..".! You basta*d! You trash basta*d.! You fu*king low life basta*d.!!”
Oliver turned his head in the direction of the sound.
On the ground, there was the blonde wizard lying face down.
The loss of Life-force caused his golden hair to turn gray, and his well-balanced face and body to become thin as if he had starved.
While he seemed tired, he did not let it stop him from showing his hostility and anger toward Oliver.
No, it burned his will even more.
"You trash bi*ch…! You’re done. Even though we lost, you’ll be fu*ked for touching Mattel….. Do you understand FU*KED? This is not the end… It's the start!"
Eventually, Oliver lost interest in the blonde wizard and went to the vault-like door.
It still looked big and strong.
"Um…"
He tapped it with his finger, grabbed it, and pulled it, but it didn't move an inch.
Just in case, he tried to touch it with mana, but there was no response.
‘Mana gets absorbed, but it’s not the key. Um….'
While Oliver was organizing his thoughts in confusion, he heard a giggle.
It was the blonde wizard.
He mocked Oliver.
"What… did you think you could just open it, you stupid trash? It's specially ordered from Gallos. You can't open it unless you bring the key. It’s no use even if you use magic or force. Hahahaha…. It’s useless…"
Oliver looked down at the blonde wizard.
While he was filled with humiliation and anger from losing, he was also filled with joy when he looked at Oliver who did not get what he wanted.
There was more than one strange thing about the people here.
Despite their strange form and body, they seemed to enjoy other people's misfortunes and downfalls more than their own interests.
It felt like a way of thinking that was far from being productive.
"Other researchers will be here soon. .. You're done…You’re fu*ked! You’re fu*ked!"
"Is that so?"
"Yes! If you want to kill me, kill me trash. I'm not afraid of fu*king trash like you…”
"I guess I'll have to hurry then."
"What?"
A little confused by the inconsistent conversation, the blonde wizard asked back, but he soon understood the meaning.
Oliver raised his hand in the air, extracted Life-force and mana from the bald wizard with broken limbs and the red-haired wizard with a frozen body.
Extracted just enough so that they won’t die.
SHUUUUUU
The blonde wizard shouted in anger at the sight.
"You bi*ch…! You fu*king bi*ch…! Did you think you could get away with this? Do you think it'll end with just you? Everyone who is close to you will be…"
—PAJIK!!
Oliver did his job, no matter what the blonde wizard said.
After putting the extracted emotions and Life-force in an empty test tube, only a part of it was extracted again and mixed.
Emotions, Life-force, and mana as big as a grain of wheat.
A small lightning storm fluctuated in his hand and caused a reaction, but fortunately, he was able to press it with force.
PACHIK—!
After a while, the three energies that were being mixed regained stability.
What was just a grain of wheat a while ago, grew a little more.
Oliver, however, did not show the excitement he used to have.
Perhaps because he was tired, all he thought about was getting it done as soon as possible.
Oliver made a black suit with his other hand and then overlaid the artificial soul over the black suit.
As a result of the addition of an artificial soul, the suit's quality was greatly increased.
Oliver concentrated the energy on his legs, waist, shoulders, arms, and quarterstaff as much as possible, and soon after…….
——BANG!
He hit the metal door as hard as he could.
Thanks to that, the huge iron door shook with a loud noise.
There was no apparent change, but Oliver felt something from the first strike.
"You piece of sh*t… Such an ignorant way would never…"
——BANG!
Ignoring the blonde wizard's words, Oliver swung the quarterstaff again.
The spot he hit was dented, and the joint between the steel wall and the steel door cracked as well.
"……."
Oliver thought of Joe, stretched his legs wide, and twisted his waist to its full extent.
Then putting his whole body weight on it…
———————BANG!
The steel door eventually got separated from the wall and broke with a loud roar.
It was quite physically exhausting, but somehow it went well.
After opening the door, Oliver turned his head toward the blonde wizard.
The blonde wizard was startled when his eyes met Oliver's.
Tak. Tak. Tak.
Oliver approached him and then knelt down on one knee to meet his eyes as close as possible.
This allowed Oliver to feel his breathing, which was rough with fear.
"Everyone who is close to me….. What did you say?"
"……."
"…Try it."
Oliver looked at the blonde wizard's face and emotions, then got up and went into the door.
The blonde wizard froze and couldn't say a word.
Nothing ever after.
⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Oliver went into the broken door.
Despite being deep underground, it was quite wide inside.
When he focused the energy on his eyes, he could see around 10 people.
Oliver tried to find Rosbane's emotions among them.
"….!"
Oliver, who found Rosbane's emotions, walked and stopped in front of the small room.
Number 4 was engraved on the locked door along with a note that said [Project B-4 test specimen].
Oliver grabbed the handle and raised the output of the black suit on the arm and pulled.
BANG—
The door opened with a loud noise, and light entered the dark space.
Oliver saw Rosbane sitting inside.
He wore a bandage all over his body like a patient who had undergone surgery and was in a state of great fear and confusion.
Not knowing what to say, he said the first thing that came to his mind.
"I’m sorry. I’m a little late, Rosbane."
"……."
Rosbane looked at Oliver, sticking to the wall in fear.
The fact that Rosbane didn't recognize him made Oliver realize that his leather mask had been changed.
As Oliver tried to change the leather mask in a hurry, Rosbane jumped up and fell into Oliver's arms.
"Um…"
Oliver saw Rosbane's emotions.
He didn't know what happened inside, but Rosbane’s emotions were in a mess– as if someone tried to tear them apart.
But the emotions remained in that state only for a while.
Soon, in Oliver's arms, it regained stability and shone with emotions such as gratitude, hope, and guilt.
Oliver patted him on the back while his head went blank at the unknown happening.
"I'm sorry I was late."
"…Ugh…Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.”
Eventually, Rosbane burst into tears.
It was as if he was releasing every emotion he had buried all his life.
Oliver couldn't relate, but he just looked at it silently and left it alone for a while– until the emotions settled down themselves.
After a while, Rosbane soon returned to his original state.
The confusion he had for a while now disappeared as if it had been washed away.
Oliver, who confirmed it, said.
"If you don't mind, can we move now? There will be more people coming soon, then we'll be in trouble."
Rosbane nodded as if he understood.
"Ah…! Teacher, but please help them too."
"Them?"
“Yes, Others here. Help them too. Please, Teacher."
Oliver was silent.
It seemed like Rosbane was talking about the kids who were trapped here.
Reasonably speaking, it was right to run away with only Rosbane right away.
The blonde wizard's words that Mattel wizards would soon come did not feel like a bluff.
It felt annoying and dangerous to run into them.
It felt right to run away.
But Rosbane’s emotions bothered him.
It was not like he did not know the seriousness of the situation, nor was he fearless.
He understood the seriousness of the situation and was afraid.
Despite wanting to live more than anyone else, he felt guilty and worried about others, and even amidst those fears, he sought Oliver's help.
……It was interesting.
It seemed silly and unreasonable, but it was interesting.
Although Oliver remembered the Wizards were coming, he opened the door as Rosbane asked and got the others out, thinking it would all work out somehow.
BANG—
BANG—
BANG—
BANG—
The doors opened and kids came out. Most of them were in their early to mid-teens.
Some were fine, while others underwent surgery like Rosbane.
Everyone was afraid as soon as they saw Oliver, but fortunately, Rosbane calmed them down.
"Do I have to save the person in the back?"
Oliver asked, pointing to the innermost door.
There was someone alone over the other side of that door.
Rosbane said after counting the kids.
"Yes, There’s one short. It’s Colin."
Upon hearing the answer, Oliver approached and opened the door.
BANG—
As soon as the door opened, a musty smell rushed out, and Oliver sensed that something was wrong.
But the children ran inside in a hurry because they didn't recognize it.
"Colin, Colin, Colin,.… Aaaaaaaaaa!”
Rosbane looked up with anxious eyes at the sudden scream and soon jumped in.
Oliver also calmly followed behind and looked inside.
Inside was a laboratory.
A lab that looked more organized and expensive than Oliver's underground lab.
The children were all frightened and glued to the wall, but all eyes were turned to one place– the experiment table.
On the experiment table was something that looked like a child.
Oliver wondered how to express the unknown existence.
It was like someone tried to ferment a child, like bread dough.
It was more like a swollen lump of flesh than a human being.
….Mana and Life-fore were running wild trying to escape from the swollen lump.
It was as if a large screw was inserted into a hole in which it wouldn’t fit.
Oliver, who saw through the Warlock's eyes, thought so.
It looked like they tried to transplant something into the child’s body, but seemed to have failed.
"Co.., Colin, are you okay?"
Rosbane approached the swollen child, trembling with fear, and spoke.
His emotions were mixed with disgust and fear from the hideous appearance, but he desperately suppressed it and talked, glowing with emotions such as sadness, sympathy, and guilt.
Then the swollen flesh opened its mouth– desperately holding onto the faint consciousness
"Br… Brother Ros..bane, who… is that…?”
"He's here to save us… He’s the teacher I told you about. He came to save us!"
"Re…really. . .? Did he really teach you…read and write?"
"Yes, Really."
Rosbane looked at Oliver while answering– as if asking for help
Oliver was at a loss.
He did not know what to do, but felt there was no point in staying still, so Oliver approached the swollen child while tapping the ground with his quarterstaff.
Upon seeing Oliver, the child on the experiment table stretched out his disgusting hand, which was swollen and muddy, toward him.
Oliver looked at the hand for a moment and held it without realizing it.
…..He couldn't figure out why, but just thought he should do this.
The swollen lump of flesh, which was once a child, said with a beam of joy as Oliver held its hands.
"rea.. really… diii, did…you.., you come here to save… us? Us….?”
Oliver's hand was held tightly as if it was begging.
Oliver looked at Rosbane and the other children and answered.
"…Yes."
With a glow of gratitude, the swollen lump of flesh asked again.
"…Are you God’s messenger?"
God’s messenger.
Oliver has learned the meaning of this word.
It was a core of Parterism– a word that kept coming in the scripture of the Pater Church.
It was about sacred beings who dedicate their lives to helping humans and those in need.
Unfortunately, Oliver wasn't one of them.
His head began to throb again.
For some reason, he hesitated a little to lie.
When Oliver was wondering if he should tell the truth or not, the boy said again.
"Tha.., thank you for coming…..Thank you, God’s messenger."
"……."
The boy clasped Oliver's hand.
"Hel.., Help me. Help me… Please…Ugh… It’s so painful, please help me."
At those words, the ten children inside the lab looked at Oliver in unison.
As if Oliver could save him.
But it was impossible.
Oliver did not acquire any skill for saving people, and even if he did, it seemed too late for the boy.
This was out of Oliver's domain of expertise.
The boy begged again.
"Please… save me. I… don’t want to die. Please… I'm so scared… to go to hell.”
The boy burst into tears.
The boy was genuinely afraid– afraid of going to hell rather than death.
Oliver couldn't relate, but he could understand.
He used to be scolded at the orphanage saying he would go to hell.
They always warned that it was a very scary place and that if you don't listen to the elders, you'll go there and suffer for the rest of your life.
Oliver asked, holding the boy's hand.
"…what's your name?"
The boy, who was trembling with fear, replied after remaining silent for a while.
"…Colin.”
"….Colin. I can't save you. It's something I can't do. Instead, I can help you in a different way."
"… different way?"
"Tell me your sins. If you sincerely ask for forgiveness…. you’ll be forgiven and can go to heaven."
"…really?"
"Yes, I read it in the scripture… Someone I know was also an orphan but still, she became a Paladin. So it will be possible."
Oliver talked as if he was sure even though he didn't know.
Ironically, the boy gained hope from those words.
Hope to be saved.
"Go ahead."
The boy hesitated and said.
"…I broke the orphanage director's vase and put the blame on another child at the orphanage. I was scared… I'm sorry."
"… Holy Father, through the grace and mercies of your love for humankind, please forgive the sins of your children."
"….I secretly ate another bread from the distributed bread, so a child who couldn't eat it starved… I'm sorry."
"… Holy Father, through the grace and mercies of your love for humankind, please forgive the sins of your children.."
"There was a time when I took the money an old woman dropped on the ground but I never returned it… I'm sorry."
"… Holy Father, through the grace and mercies of your love for humankind, please forgive the sins of your children.."
The boy listed his sins one by one– small and big.
Oliver begged the Holy father to forgive him every time.
At that moment, footsteps were heard from beyond the door.
Soon, Mattel Wizards entered the lab.
"Crazysh*t…. Look at this trash. It did not run…."
"… SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”
Oliver said, turning his head toward the strangers who entered the room.
"Be quiet."
Silence filled the room.
(To be Continued)
OR
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