Anti-Development Committee.
Oliver had little knowledge about them, to be honest. All he knew was that they were the indigenous people of Landa who had survived even during the great catastrophe. They predated the city of Landa itself and possessed enough power to compel the city to abandon its subjugation efforts.
And it was undeniably true.
Though unintentional, Oliver had crossed paths with the Anti-Development Committee twice, granting him first hand insight.
Clad in bandages from head to toe, they wielded chunks of metal with superhuman prowess, moving as swiftly as the wind. Even their rudimentary and unskilled attacks proved lethal, one after another.
The man bearing a large sword, swathed in bandages, served as their representative. He exhibited brute strength, swinging a car at Forrest, prompting Oliver to retaliate.
The threat they posed was unimaginable had they received formal combat training. Fortunately or unfortunately, Oliver now knew firsthand.
The bandaged man with a quarterstaff demonstrated this aptitude in combat.
‘He’s on another level…’ Oliver thought as he observed the bandaged man’s skillful quarterstaff techniques.
He approached Oliver, uttering incomprehensible phrases like “you’re too kind.”
Oliver attempted to control the dispersed emotional particles in the air, as he had done with other bandaged individuals, but the bandaged man thwarted his efforts with precise, skillful movements. In an instant, he closed the distance and launched an assault.
‘I’m limited in movement.’ Oliver thought as he barely defended against the bandaged man’s attack.
The bandaged man not only skillfully swung his quarterstaff, targeting Oliver directly, but also restricted Oliver’s surroundings, constraining his movements—pure combat skills, not magic.
Even then, the bandaged man would strike swiftly and sharply whenever an opening presented itself.
As he did now.
Gwaaang—!!
Oliver attempted to block the bandaged man’s attack with his quarterstaff, but it twisted like a serpent and penetrated his defenses.
A heavy yet sharp clash of metal ensued. Oliver was thrown into District Z, tumbling on the ground. The impact was substantial, though fortunately, not as severe as previous injuries he had witnessed.
Swinging his weapon had generated shockwaves, pierced through the mouths of creatures, broken both ankles, and even torn beings in half. He could have instantly shredded Oliver’s half-baked black suit, but he chose restraint.
It was peculiar.
He had lured Oliver here, launched an attack, yet still held back. Oliver could not fathom his intentions.
“Um… Sir, may I ask why you’re doing this?” Oliver rose from the ground and politely addressed the approaching bandaged man wielding a quarterstaff.
Why the attack without causing harm?
These two actions seemed contradictory and couldn’t coexist.
Oliver was genuinely curious about the man’s intentions.
It appeared as if he wanted to verify something.
Snap!
In response to Oliver’s question, the bandaged man slowly drew closer and then seemingly vanished.
Or it seemed like he vanished.
“If you beat me, I will answer. Supreme Being.”
He, who appeared to disappear due to his incredible speed, suddenly reappeared in close proximity to Oliver, raising his quarterstaff high, clearly intending to strike down.
Sensing the impending danger, Oliver promptly activated his black magic.
[Targeting]
Oliver utilized a portion of the black suit enveloping his body as material, creating dartboards on his hand and the bandaged man’s body to increase the repulsive force. Originally designed as a supplementary black magic, it was being used in this manner to push the opponent and subdue them.
Most individuals couldn’t react swiftly to such a surprise attack.
However, this time, things did not go as planned.
Despite significantly increasing the repulsive force between the dartboards, the bandaged man did not yield but resisted solely with his sheer strength. His legs seemed rooted in the ground, and the cracked earth beneath him bore witness to his immense power.
Assessing the situation, Oliver swiftly altered his plan, propelling himself backward instead of attempting to push back the bandaged man, narrowly evading the incoming strike.
KWAAAAANG!!!
As the bandaged man struck the ground with tremendous force, the earth trembled, producing clouds of dirt and powerful gusts of wind.
It was a terrifying sight.
Had Oliver reacted even slightly slower, he could have been crushed into mincemeat.
‘Firstly, enhance the Black Suit,’ Oliver thought, retrieving a test tube.
Engaging the bandaged man in his current state was an impossibility.
Even a single blow could prove fatal, potentially resulting in instant death.
Just as Oliver was about to extract emotions from the test tube to create a Black Suit, someone rapidly approached through the thick dust.
It was the bandaged man, who closed the distance before Oliver could react, smashing the test tube in Oliver’s hand with his quarterstaff.
CRASH!
The specially processed test tube shattered into pieces.
The bandaged man stated, “Do it properly, O Supreme Being.”
“You’ve got the wrong person, Sir,” Oliver replied, activating his black magic.
[Black Suit]
[Black Armor]
Upon invoking black magic, Oliver harnessed the dispersing emotions, reshaping them into fabric and iron that enveloped his body.
In accordance with his muscular structure.
During this process, the bandaged man continued his assault, but Oliver’s black magic was equally swift, allowing him to don the black magic gloves just in the nick of time.
CLANG!
The bandaged man’s quarterstaff was deflected; Oliver’s defense surpassed the attack.
Without hesitation, Oliver compressed his thickened gloves back to their usual thickness, optimizing the armor’s efficiency and maintaining his mobility. He then swung his quarterstaff with all his might.
KWAANG!!
A deafening noise accompanied a shockwave that inflicted considerable damage.
“……!”
Simultaneously, the bandaged man evaded Oliver’s attack by bending at the waist and launched a counterattack. Despite wearing the combined gloves of the Black Suit and Black Armor, Oliver took a substantial blow.
His insides felt contorted.
Oliver had clearly miscalculated.
Even though the Black Suit had narrowed the physical disparity, it didn’t matter; the bandaged man’s inherent close-combat skills were too formidable.
So, perhaps he should maintain distance and engage from afar—
“Distance is set by the stronger one,” the bandaged man remarked, closely following Oliver. It wasn’t mockery but genuine advice.
As he had suggested, Oliver found it impossible to shake off the bandaged man and instead was pushed backward.
He attempted to resist by wielding his quarterstaff and unleashing bursts of hostile energy, but the bandaged man effortlessly deflected them and counterattacked.
Even when Oliver tried to employ shadows for defense, he couldn’t thwart the serpent-like movements of the bandaged man’s quarterstaff, forcing him to endure most of the attacks.
The truth became apparent.
In terms of close-combat prowess, the bandaged man surpassed Oliver by a significant margin. He was on par with a Paladin.
‘No, is he even stronger? But, it feels similar.’
BANG! CLANG! THUD!
The escalating sounds of impacts. Each reverberation accumulated more damage.
Thanks to the bandaged man’s measured strikes, none of the hits proved fatal, but they were undeniably perilous.
Oliver contemplated his next move.
‘I can’t win in close combat, nor can I keep distance and attack with firepower… Then, overpower him with firepower in close combat.’
Having clarified his strategy, Oliver promptly tapped into the mana stored within his body, merging it with the black suit he wore, and cast a spell.
[Greed Fire]
Oliver ignited a black flame by employing his black suit as kindling.
It was an undoubtedly risky maneuver.
Utilizing Greed Fire, a spell designed to consume all in its path, extend life, and increase size, while having it encircle his body, posed a grave danger.
There existed a real possibility that Oliver’s body could become the prey of the insatiable Greed Fire.
This demonstrated the formidable power possessed by the man with the quarterstaff and bandages.
Fortunately, due to Oliver’s repeated use of Greed Fire, the black flames did not harm him. Instead, they acted as a protective armor, delivering a powerful assault to the bandaged man.
This assault took the form of fiery jaws.
Roar──!!
Just as Greed Fire attempted to engulf the bandaged man with its enormous maw, the man forcefully swung his quarterstaff, tearing the fiery onslaught asunder.
‘Greed Fire is effective.’
Though no visible damage was apparent, judging by the bandaged man’s emotions and actions, Oliver made a bold decision and charged forward, thrusting his quarterstaff at the man.
His quarterstaff, encased in Greed Fire, created a swirling vortex of flames as it impaled the bandaged figure.
Greed Fire, as if seeking retribution, assailed the man from all directions with numerous fiery claws and teeth.
But just as it seemed Oliver might subdue him through incineration, the bandaged man kicked the ground and vanished once more, retreating to the rooftop of a distant building.
However, the ordeal was far from over.
He kicked the ground once again and rapidly circled around Oliver, trapping him.
This technique was made possible by his extraordinary speed. Even with Oliver’s black magic that allowed him to sense emotions, keeping up with this pace was a formidable challenge.
Oliver felt as if he were surrounded by a multitude of adversaries.
Snap! Crack! Snap!
The bandaged man, who had encircled Oliver solo, intermittently launched attacks, chipping away at the Greed Fire that enveloped Oliver as if it were solid rock.
To Oliver’s surprise, the Greed Fire struggled to respond to the blistering pace and gradually eroded, revealing him.
Ratatatat!
The approaching bandaged man prompted Oliver to alter the nature of Greed Fire.
[Violent Thunder]
[Thunder Fusion]
Oliver transformed the black flames into black lightning, wrapping it around his body. Unlike Greed Fire, this spell partially fused with his flesh.
Normally, he avoided using it as it was a physically demanding spell from the Mjölnir School of Magic, but he saw no alternative against the bandaged man.
Fortunately, for its first use in actual combat, it performed reasonably well. Although it brought some discomfort, it allowed Oliver to perceive the bandaged man’s rapid movements more effectively than before.
Oliver charged forward.
━━━━━!!!
His quarterstaff, enveloped in Violent Thunder, clashed with the bandaged man’s quarterstaff made of flesh. Brilliant flashes, deafening noise, and a shockwave darkened the surroundings.
Yet the battle continued.
━━━━━!!!
━━━━━!!!
━━━━━!!!
━━━━━!!!
━━━━━!!!
Both Oliver and the bandaged man moved at incredible speeds, engaging in a frenzied skirmish not only on the ground but also on walls and in mid-air.
Experiencing such speed for the first time, Oliver struggled to keep pace with the bandaged man’s movements. Trusting his body to this abnormal velocity, he maintained a certain distance and, whenever an opportunity arose, charged at the bandaged man, adding momentum to his quarterstaff strikes.
Of course, the bandaged man responded, making it impossible for Oliver to gain the upper hand.
‘This is bad,’ Oliver thought.
Although the physically demanding spell briefly allowed him to match the bandaged man’s strength, it was just that—a brief moment.
It felt like he hadn’t used it for even a minute, yet Oliver’s body was already protesting its limits. The spell consumed materials at an escalating rate, gradually diminishing his speed and power.
While the latter problem could be compensated for by infusing emotions and mana, even that didn’t hold much promise.
Contrastingly, the bandaged man facing Oliver displayed no signs of fatigue. On the contrary, he appeared to be assessing Oliver’s abilities and was still holding back to some extent.
It became abundantly clear why the Anti-Development Committee in Landa had been left alone.
The bandaged man was genuinely formidable, with physical abilities that might even rival those of a paladin.
Recognizing this, Oliver changed his course without hesitation, charging toward a nearby building. He scaled the wall and made his escape onto the rooftop.
The bewildered bandaged man quickly halted and used his quarterstaff like a whip to strike at Oliver. Yet, aided by the power of lightning, Oliver managed to evade every blow.
The bandaged man, who only managed to graze the building’s wall, followed Oliver by scaling the wall as well.
Kwaaaaang!!
As the bandaged man climbed halfway up the building, he was caught in an explosion.
The Grudge Trap that Oliver had set while ascending the wall had been triggered.
Though the black magic didn’t inflict significant damage on the bandaged man, the explosion’s shockwave and the crumbling wall left him suspended mid-air.
All that speed was rendered meaningless without a solid foothold.
Timed with the explosion, Oliver descended and briefly tossed his quarterstaff into the air before retrieving an object from his pocket and hurling it.
The first item he threw was a piece of paper infused with portal magic. Sensing its unusual energy, the bandaged man swiftly swung his quarterstaff and tore the paper apart.
Indeed, it was not an error.
The flesh-made quarterstaff extended in length.
Whether it was crafted by Ewan remained unknown, but each weapon formed from flesh appeared to possess unique abilities. In this case, the staff’s inherent power allowed it to elongate.
‘Well, thanks to that, my second attack landed.’
Thwack!
While the bandaged man was occupied tearing the paper, a trimmed tree branch became lodged in his body.
Oliver’s second projectile was this ordinary branch he had picked up from the street, albeit pre-imbued with the power of nature and emotions.
[Parasite]
[Rapid Growth]
With the incantation, the inherent power of nature and emotions within the tree branch reacted, activating the spell.
The branch, embedded in the bandaged man, sprouted roots and shoots, forming mouths that voraciously drained his emotions and life force.
Chug-chug-chug-chug-chug!
Oliver was momentarily taken aback by the intense energy and volume being absorbed.
The branch assimilated the siphoned emotions and life force as nourishment, undergoing astonishingly rapid growth.
“Oh…”
A towering tree amidst the abandoned cityscape. For a moment, Oliver marveled at it, momentarily forgetting the ongoing battle.
Oliver, who created all sorts of bizarre items using dark magic—such as mice that ate each other, beanstalks with mouths, eyeball and tooth-covered wooden armor—was different when it came to the tree standing before him.
Honestly, its form was ordinary. It was a straight, upright roadside tree.
The only peculiarities were its size, large enough to fill a road, and its deep crimson color.
Every part of the tree, from the trunk to the leaves, was included.
However, its aura was as extraordinary as the items Oliver had created.
Originally, Oliver had intended to burn it with fire magic, but the thought seemed too wasteful. It was almost…
“Well, ain’t that a sight to behold. Never laid eyes on a tree like that before.”
In the midst of the fiercely fought battle on the street, a familiar voice was heard.
Messy beard, dark circles under the eyes, a traveler’s thick cloak, and beneath that, expensive yet simultaneously shabby clothes.
It was Ewan Bremner.
He was the ingenious craftsman responsible for crafting a wide array of miraculous items, a shrewd negotiator who traded beans for cows, a notorious debtor, and an extraordinary wanderer who had traversed lands far and wide, including the Far East where dragons soared and even a bizarre world where rats brandished firearms.
And he was the individual who had invited Oliver to District Z in the first place.
Oliver greeted the man who trapped him.
“Hello, Mr. Ewan.”
“Sure as shootin’, I’m doin’ just fine. How ’bout yourself?”
“Um… I think I’m doing fine too.”
“Mighty good news.”
One had deceived, and the other had been deceived. Yet, they conversed casually, as if the past transgressions held little significance.
The reason for this ease was that it mattered little to either of them.
Ewan made a request.
“Think you could let him loose? He’s a well-respected old-timer ’round these parts, a key player in the Anti-Development committee.”
“Yes, understood.”
Without hesitation, Oliver agreed and approached the tree.
It was a scene that could be deemed a rare spectacle, even in District Z.
