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Thump! Thump! Thump!
“Kyahaha!!”
Carlin and the Corpse doll-Rag2, collided mid-air, their bodies entwined.
Just before the collision, Carlin swung his arm, shattering five of Rag2’s arms simultaneously. However, Rag2’s relentless energy ignored the damage and seized Carlin with its remaining seven arms.
Head, face, neck, shoulders, arms, waist, legs—wherever it could grab, it did.
With a forceful movement, Rag2 exposed the awls and razors concealed within its arms, causing agonizing pain. Carlin struggled to escape Rag2’s grasp, enduring the malicious assault throughout his entire body.
But the more Carlin resisted, the tighter Rag2’s grip became, stretching him further and worsening his wounds.
Head, face, neck, shoulders, arms, waist, legs—everywhere.
Drenched in his own blood, Carlin lifted one leg and pushed against Rag2’s chest with all his might.
However, it proved to be a fatal mistake.
As Carlin assumed an unstable stance, Rag2 activated a newly installed weapon in its torso—a four-barreled handgun.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The handgun fired relentlessly, inflicting fatal wounds on Carlin’s weakened legs, chest, and abdomen without the need for reloading.
Oliver had made a calculated choice, selecting a powerful weapon that could only be used once. And it appeared to be an excellent decision.
Carlin’s lifeless body crumpled to the ground, confirming the effectiveness of Oliver’s strategy.
‘Hmm… quite impressive.’ Oliver thought, gazing down at Carlin’s corpse.
Despite its distinct appearance, Rag2, unlike other Corpse dolls such as Warlock, Bathory, and Duncan, was ironically made from common materials. It was evident when compared to its counterparts.
While Rag2 might overpower ordinary gangsters, it faced difficulties against superhumans.
But now, the truth was clear.
By hurling a miniaturized Corpse doll at an approaching enemy, undoing the minimization magic, and launching a surprise attack, one could achieve remarkable results.
‘Depending on the quality of the Corpse doll, it could even reverse the situation in an instant…’
Oliver reminisced about the previous battle, pleased with its outcome, while seeking areas for improvement.
He assumed his opponents would either be multiple individuals or possess quick reflexes to counter his assault.
“But it seems I forgot something…” Oliver mumbled, scanning his surroundings. As he looked down at his feet, he realized his oversight.
There, swallowed by the irregularly shaped corpse golem, lay Albert.
Urgh! Urgh! Urgh!
Albert had been out of the corpse golem for some time, but he couldn’t stop vomiting.
Even a brief moment in the pile of corpses had been a harrowing experience.
Originally, it was meant to be a safe way to transport Albert to the control room where the World Tree was located, but it turned out to be an unintended mistake.
Oliver apologized once again.
“I’m really sorry.”
“It’s… it’s fine,” Albert forced out a lie, though he was far from being okay.
When he first emerged from the corpse golem, he couldn’t contain his anger and vomited, hurling curses. However, upon seeing the shattered head, the pierced chest, and the torn-apart body of the druid, alongside the unharmed Oliver, he quickly swallowed his anger. He was a man of great patience, indeed.
Supported by Oliver, he stumbled forward, making his way to the control room of the World Tree at the center of the McClusky Security Company.
“Is… is the World Tree control room supposed to look like this?” Oliver asked, eyeing the large circular space where the World Tree was situated.
It was completely empty, which seemed odd.
It didn’t appear to have been empty from the beginning. There were traces of machinery that had been installed on the walls, indicating some abandoned work.
‘But, there are so many traces. So many…’
The traces filled the huge circular space.
Albert sighed and opened his mouth, “Huh… it’s certainly a bit strange.”
“Pardon?”
“Druids don’t use machines unlike wizards.”
Having no real knowledge about Druids, Oliver asked why they didn’t use machines, and Albert kindly explained.
“There’s a difference in how they interact with the World Tree. While wizards use machines for efficiency, paying with mana to temporarily access the World Tree, Druids don’t… They commune directly with the World Tree. I hate to admit it, but it’s a superior method compared to wizards. Hence, machines are rather cumbersome for them. It’s strange from that perspective.”
Listening to the explanation, Oliver nodded in agreement.
It did seem odd that traces of machinery were visible everywhere if the place was operated in the Druids’ way. Yet, if they had departed from the traditional approach, it was strange that no machinery remained.
It appeared more like they had abruptly halted some experiment.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but we should find out through further investigation,” Albert remarked.
As a member of the Moirai School of Magic, Albert pulled out a thick wooden stake from his pocket. It had lumpy knots protruding from it, seemingly a device for transferring hacked information.
“I’m going to connect to the World Tree now and transfer the internal information to this stake. I’ll be vulnerable during this process, so please protect me.”
“Yes, I understand,” Oliver replied, spreading his mana around to monitor their surroundings. Meanwhile, Albert infused his own mana into the stake and plunged it directly into the World Tree.
Pak!
The mana-dense tip of the stake pierced through the sturdy-looking World Tree in one swift motion, connecting Albert to the World Tree through the stake.
Oliver focused his energy, his gaze fixed on the scene before him.
He had never witnessed someone using the World Tree up close like this.
“Have you established the connection?”
While observing Albert interacting with the World Tree using the stake, Oliver spotted Arthur’s group arriving at the entrance to the control room.
They appeared considerably disheveled compared to before.
“…Looks like you made it out safely,” Arthur commented, bluntly assessing Oliver’s condition. It was no surprise since Oliver was not only unharmed but his clothes weren’t particularly dirty either. At most, a few wrinkles adorned his attire.
“Yes.”
“That’s fortunate then… Did you by any chance encounter the druids?”
“I did. Mr. Jeffrey, Ms. Catal, Mr. Finley, and Mr. Carlin. These four. How did you know?”
“The druid outside informed us… Where are they?”
“One of them exploded into pieces, and the other three are here.”
Oliver pointed to the Bigmouth hanging from his waist.
Their bodies were slightly damaged, but he had managed to secure them.
Though Oliver responded calmly, Arthur’s expression revealed a subtle surprise.
How should one put it? Even though he had anticipated it, witnessing it actually happen was still astonishing.
Even with their full equipment and skills, it had proven challenging for them to subdue a single druid in the forest. Yet, the young warlock before them had single-handedly subdued four.
It was impossible not to be taken aback.
Sensing Arthur’s emotions, Oliver spoke up to dispel any misconceptions.
“I was just lucky.”
“If you can face four druids in the forest without a scratch and attribute it to luck, then that luck itself is a skill.”
“Oh, interesting. Mr. Forrest mentioned something similar… But it truly was luck. There were many corpses inside the building, which worked in my favor. If there were no bodies and we had to fight near the tree in a cleared area, it would have been difficult for me to escape unscathed.”
Oliver’s words were not an act of false modesty but an honest expression of his thoughts.
Indeed, the fight that took place inside the building had provided a slight disadvantage to the druids.
After all, they couldn’t make use of the soil or trees.
Of course, even considering these factors, Oliver’s accomplishment was undeniably impressive. However, the person involved didn’t seem to attach much importance to it.
Ironically, this fact only heightened Arthur’s admiration.
If this mission ended successfully, and if he ended up leading the security agency, he would need to maintain a good relationship with Oliver…
“…Whether it’s luck or whatever, thanks. If Albert had been injured, this whole situation could have gone south.”
“It’s part of my job.”
“Everyone should learn from this. Humility is a virtue that seems to have become rare these days… It’s a shame we don’t have any funds to offer as a success fee.”
Arthur jestingly remarked in his unique jovial tone.
However, his words also carried sincerity. He truly regretted not being able to provide Oliver with a success fee.
Sensing his emotions, Oliver made a suggestion.
“Then, can I ask for something else instead of money? As a success fee?”
It was an unexpected proposition, but Arthur didn’t show any signs of being upset or offended. Instead, he seemed open to the idea.
“Something else instead of money… As long as it’s not too demanding, what is it? I’ll do my best to fulfill your request.”
Oliver pointed towards Albert, or more precisely, the stake Albert had plunged into the World Tree.
“Can I also receive the information that Mr. Albert has obtained? I’m interested in knowing everything, without any omissions.”
Oliver inquired, casting his gaze upon the remnants of the various machines on the walls. Naturally, he was curious about what had transpired in this place.
Six o’clock in the morning.
A time when most people would still be in bed, except for factory workers and grocery store owners.
A man rose from his bed and proceeded to take a shower.
Sssshhhh!
Despite staying in an exorbitantly expensive hotel, a luxury even in Landa, his day began early. His name was Shamus.
He was an Enjoyment Druid, formerly the top solver in Landa, and the brilliant entrepreneur who founded the remarkable investment company known as ABC.
In contrast to his usual flamboyant and indulgent appearance, his mornings started earlier than anyone else’s.
After his shower, he dried his toned, muscular body with a towel, applied cosmetic lotions for his face and body, and generously slicked back his green hair with hair wax.
Finally, dressed in a flashy green suit, he left his suite.
“Good morning.”
Shamus’s subordinate, Dugan, greeted him.
Having been waiting for him since earlier, Shamus engaged in work discussions with Dugan as they walked along the corridor.
“Right, who raided our operation?”
“The Special Security Bureau of the City.”
“If I recall correctly, some of them were also on my payroll, weren’t they? Has justice turned a blind eye?”
The security bureau had been established amidst numerous controversies, and their exact role remained unclear. However, Shamus had paid a substantial amount to them in anticipation of potential emergencies.
Yet, they had been infiltrated.
“Yes… but there were those who refused the money.”
“So, one of the non-compliant individuals targeted us. Who?”
“A man named Arthur. He’s one of the team leaders in the security bureau. He acted on his own before his superiors could intervene.”
“The excuses for incompetence are always the same… What’s their objective?”
“On the surface, it’s to dismantle the illegal operations run through McClusky Security Company, but I suspect there’s more to it.”
“ABC?”
Instantly, Shamus grasped the situation.
His ability to make such judgments showcased why he had not only thrived as a solver in this city but also managed to retire safely and lead a successful business career.
“Yes, we haven’t found concrete evidence yet, but we’ve confirmed that Arthur had several meetings with government officials from the Ministry of Interior who are not favorable towards us. Moreover, this guy named Arthur—”
“—Enough, stop. He’s targeting ABC.”
Shamus swiftly reached the conclusion. With ABC’s stock value currently soaring and no previous operational issues, there could only be one answer.
“And what about our people?”
“…It appears they have all been defeated.”
By ‘our people,’ Shamus referred to Jeffrey, Catal, and the others—his druids, his true subordinates.
Feeling a mix of anger and frustration, Shamus clenched his teeth before speaking again.
“It’s surprising… I didn’t expect anyone from the security bureau, who primarily focus on average combat prowess and organizational ability, to stand against our people. Did they come at us with significant force?”
“No, only a small number of teams under the team leader’s command were involved.”
“That’s peculiar then.”
“They hired a solver. Dave.”
Shamus halted in his tracks.
“…That guy never seems to fade away, does he? Is he my enemy?”
“And the Moirai School is also involved. Traces of World Tree hacking have been discovered. Is that alright?”
“It’s fine. Although I do own stocks there, I’ve never been involved in management, so it’s not my concern. I’ve only provided loans and invested in other companies, so there’s no direct connection. Ignore it.”
“No, I’m referring to traces of Eve.”
Dugan glanced around before speaking again.
“…We deleted all the crucial information, but as you know, complete erasure from the World Tree is impossible, right? We intentionally left behind the information that led to the discovery of Eve, just in case. Would that pose a problem?”
“Uh… It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. It’s already happened, and they can’t do much with just that. We druids couldn’t gain any significant advantage, so what can the impostors achieve?”
Shamus spoke nonchalantly, but his judgment was sharp. For someone juggling extensive business ventures and projects, this particular case didn’t warrant much concern.
He didn’t even believe that the likes of Moirai could unearth anything substantial.
“Let’s focus on the pressing matter at hand. Whether they target ABC or McClusky Security Company, all the illicit businesses operating there will be exposed… Inform our contacts in the paper company to stay silent and comply with the agreement. If they fail to understand, show them their share of money and their family addresses.”
“Yes, understood. That won’t be a problem.”
“Good… How is Eve faring? What’s the return rate?”
“It remains the same. Eve itself is growing, but controlling it is becoming more challenging, so we can’t fully utilize its potential.”
Dugan appeared troubled, but Shamus didn’t pay much attention.
Isn’t there a saying that those who seek power must bear its weight? The same principle applied.
“It’s okay. It doesn’t matter. I wasn’t planning to use it immediately anyway. Just keep a close watch on it… It’s something we stumbled upon miraculously, and we can’t afford to lose it.”
“We understand, don’t worry.”
“Good… Now, get in touch with Craig.”
“Craig? Why all of a sudden?”
“We need more bait.”
“Bait? Haven’t we already achieved our target?”
By “target,” Dugan referred to the investment funds flowing into ABC.
Surprisingly, the current influx of investment funds had surpassed 1 trillion and was on track to reach 2 trillion.
An astronomical figure that was hard to comprehend.
But Shamus didn’t seem satisfied with it.
“Indeed, we’ve reached our target. Every day, numerous individuals bring their money directly to me… Honestly, destroying a few companies is no longer a big deal. Even if we skim off a portion of the investment funds flowing into ABC and distribute the profits, we can sustain ABC for a while.”
“Then why call Craig? I’m unsure if we should distribute the profits.”
“We need to maximize our gains while we can. I don’t plan to settle for just 2 trillion in the world’s wealthiest city. We should aim for at least three or four times that amount. And to do that, we need an equivalent amount of bait… So call Craig. Let’s plunder the world’s richest city together.”