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After his conversation with Yareli, Oliver left the entertainment district, hailed a night taxi, and headed straight home.
Back at his place, he went about his routine as if nothing had happened. He unpacked, took off his clothes, had a shower, and ate a light meal.
But that was just the beginning. After his meal, Oliver deviated from his original plan.
He quickly did the dishes, made some discreet preparations, and dressed up not as Zenon Bright, the private staff to a Magic Tower professor, but as Dave Wright, the solver.
As Dave Wright, he activated the Stalker he had discreetly attached to the woman's abdomen during their earlier encounter. It allowed him to track her location, and he followed her signal, leading him to the sewer where the woman was conversing with five other women, presumably Bathory's disciples.
As he joined their conversation, Oliver's appearance seemed natural, but the sudden arrival surprised and alarmed the women. They immediately assumed defensive stances, prompting Oliver to apologize politely.
"Ah, I'm sorry if I startled you. I didn't mean to."
He used all the manners he had learned from his tumultuous life, trying to reassure Bathory's disciples. But despite his efforts, they remained on guard.
"Who… are you?" the woman he had met in the Magic Tower's entertainment district asked, her expression filled with caution, fear, and a hint of anger.
Oliver noticed that all eyes were on her, indicating she was the leader of the group.
"Ah, excuse me. I am Dave, the solver from Street 30, District T. Nice to meet you."
"I've heard of you, Dave. One of the most famous solvers in this city right now," she replied, her suspicion growing.
"Thank you for the compliment, but I'm not that great. If it's okay with you, may I ask your names?"
"You don't know our names?"
"Yes."
"…So, you came here by chance?"
The woman surveyed her surroundings using warlock's eyes like a seasoned warlock, assessing for any threats.
Once she confirmed they were alone, her guard slightly relaxed.
"No, that's not it. I came here to meet you ladies."
"…Us? Why?"
"Um… I was curious why the disciples of Bathory came all the way across the sea to Landa?"
Oliver's question seemed to strike a nerve, as the women's caution heightened, and they immediately took action, combining their mana to unleash an ice spell.
The combined power of multiple casters made the ice spell highly threatening, covering not only the ground but also freezing the walls and ceiling.
A display of unity and synchronization that was truly impressive, showing they were genuinely close.
[Shadow Tendacle]
Despite being in awe, Oliver responded with his own power, summoning shadow tentacles to shatter the incoming ice, breaking it into pieces that scattered all around them.
Crack!!
Oliver's furious shadows tore through the encroaching ice that surrounded him. It was an unusual situation where black magic proved more potent than regular magic in a firepower clash, showcasing Oliver's improved skill at exploiting spell weaknesses.
Equally surprising were Bathory's disciples, who remained composed despite their combined attack being easily thwarted. They entrusted control to a female warlock who confronted Oliver on the street.
"Heh!"
With calmness and determination, she manipulated the mana with various emotions, including her animosity towards her enemy. She impressively wielded her mana to influence the shattered ice, wrapping Oliver's shadow in reverse and freezing it.
Such a maneuver required precise control over vast amounts of mana, a tricky technique that few could master.
Oliver was genuinely impressed, and the woman warlock seized the momentum, attempting to freeze Oliver as well.
"Did that woman send you to capture us?!"
A chill ran down Oliver's spine as the ice rapidly climbed up his legs, accompanied by an eerie sound. If left unchecked, his entire body would be consumed by ice.
He reacted swiftly, releasing the mana stored within his body to interfere with the ice magic, and successfully thwarted the attack.
"This, this is…!"
The female warlocks were shocked as Oliver managed to gain control of the ice magic they had cooperated on, turning it against them and freezing them instead.
Oliver had been fortunate. The collaboration had simplified the spell's structure, making it easier for him to reverse and consume it.
As he thawed the ice covering his body, he questioned the frozen woman, "Did that woman send you… What are you talking about?"
"She didn't?" The woman responded without losing her nerve, her emotions seemingly unaffected by defeat, fear, or oppression.
Her actions soon revealed why.
"In that case… I have many questions for you!"
The woman shouted, shattering the high-density ice. The ice, infused with mana, was as resilient as steel, making it difficult to break with physical strength alone. However, she utilized a blood magic technique, a specialty of the Bathory family, using her bracelet's contained blood to break the ice.
[Bloodfire]
She employed her blood both as a weapon and fuel, igniting it to aid her comrades and attack Oliver.
Faced with the powerful attack, Oliver stepped back. Even his black suit struggled to resist the scorching flames.
Recalling a previous encounter, Oliver took immediate action.
[Voracity]
He activated Voracity, using the black suit wrapped around the end of his quarterstaff to absorb the viscous crimson flames of Bloodfire. Considering the penetrating nature of Bloodfire, he deemed absorbing it more effective than merely blocking it.
His judgment proved accurate. Voracity effectively blocked the Bloodfire, surpassing ordinary defenses.
However, Oliver overlooked one crucial aspect.
Bathory's blood magic was a form of black magic in its own right. Her technique, blending emotions and mana through blood, transcended mere magic or conventional black magic. Voracity, capable of swallowing any kind of magic or black magic, was no exception.
The voracious, multiple-mouthed black suit screamed like someone who had swallowed hot water, trying to expel the Bloodfire.
Cough…cough…!
In that fleeting moment, as Oliver considered how to handle the Bloodfire, four other disciples of Bathory, now freed with their comrades' assistance, charged at him, baring their sharp claws and fangs. Each tooth and nail were imbued with black magic that robbed flesh of its freedom.
Oliver swung his quarterstaff forward, commanding Voracity to "vomit it out." The voracious black suit screamed and expelled the sticky flames, engulfing the women rushing towards Oliver.
"Aargh…! Aaaaah!!!"
"……!!"
"Ah-aaaaah!!!"
"Ho, hot!! Hot……!"
Though Oliver remembered the disciples of Bathory being half-zombies, they screamed as if they were still alive. Left unattended, they would likely be reduced to ashes by the malevolent flames.
"Fall back!!" The female leader ordered her comrades, extinguishing the Bloodfire.
The burnt and charred women retreated, crying out in pain, anger, and humiliation.
In tandem with their retreat, the female leader activated blood magic using a small amount of blood, summoning a giant, boil-like blood balloon from thin air. Oliver recalled this construct as a blood balloon, a Bathory creation used to store large amounts of blood.
Confirming Oliver's prediction, the blood balloon quivered violently before bursting with a bang, spilling several liters of blood onto the floor.
But that wasn't the end of it.
Using the spilled blood as a medium, the woman summoned more blood balloons, increasing the volume of blood. Then, in a blink of an eye, she used the blood as a medium again, summoning a considerable amount of blood, though not as much as Bathory.
"Try taking this too!" The woman shouted, manipulating the blood in an attempt to ensnare Oliver. It appeared to be her last resort, judging by her dialogue and emotional state.
It was an impressive skill, matching her reputation.
With a measure of respect, Oliver took a test tube from his pocket.
A test tube filled with blood, not emotion, as a ‘little preparation' before arriving.
Oliver threw the test tube, smashed it with a bullet of hatred, and mixed his own blood with the blood the female warlock controlled, and took control of it all.
Just as he had done when facing Bathory in the past.
If Oliver's memory served him right, the blood that was previously impossible to control became subject to his will as soon as a few drops of his own blood were mixed in.
"……!!!"
The disciples of Bathory were equally stunned, unable to utter a word.
By the time someone realized the situation before them and attempted to react, it was already too late.
Employing the same method as the woman, Oliver controlled a substantial amount of blood like a snake, surrounding the women and immediately activating a blood spell on the spot.
[Blood Web]
The elongated blood, akin to a snake, responded to Oliver's will and soul, forming a massive bloody spider web that ensnared the women.
In a single breath, the woman caught in her own magic was overwhelmed by shock and fear, soon coming to a terrifying realization.
"You, is it you…?"
"What… are you talking about?"
"The solver who went to Mountain Pace with Zenon Bright of Magic Tower… He said he was a North… Is it a disguise?"
It seemed like a joke, but her emotional state was genuine, indicating she might have mistaken something.
Well, it wasn't entirely strange.
Or perhaps, it could be used.
"Well… I can't divulge any information about my work to a third party."
The statement seemed to bolster their conviction, and the women entangled in the spider web of blood looked at Oliver with strong hostility and suspicion. Nevertheless, they retained their sanity.
"…what did you do to Mother?"
"By ‘Mother,' are you referring to Lady Bathory?"
"Yes… Tell me."
She appeared sincere, primarily inquiring about her concerns regarding Bathory.
It surprised Oliver to witness this. Bathory didn't display much affection for her disciples; at most, she viewed them as useful tools.
Yet, they regarded her as a true mother.
A rare sight in a warlock family.
Observing this, Oliver felt inclined to cooperate as much as possible, both to satisfy his curiosity and to learn more about their unique relationship.
After some contemplation, Oliver spoke up.
"If you make peace with me and answer the questions I'm curious about, I'll tell you. How about it?"
Oliver made an offer, and to his relief, the woman glanced around and agreed.
Upon receiving her consent, Oliver released the blood magic.
"…What are you curious about?"
The female warlock inquired cautiously, maintaining her guard.
"Well… First of all, can you tell me your names? Knowing your names will allow us to have a more natural conversation."
(To be Continued)
OR
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