Chapter 424

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Oliver, in a half-conscious state, gnawed on something.

Unaware of its identity, driven solely by his hunger, he instinctively chomped on whatever came into his mouth.

It was meat, but not the familiar pork, beef, or lamb; rather, it was a novel type of meat brimming with an extraordinary life force.

An almost unnatural life force.

Under usual circumstances, Oliver might have been curious about the nature of this meat. However, overwhelmed by hunger, his sole focus remained on the act of chewing.

His hunger was insatiable.

The meat was tough, with a metallic, bloody flavor, yet its life force was unparalleled.

As he continued to chew, Oliver felt the life-threatening hunger slowly receding.

He also perceived his depleted body replenishing its nutrients, coursing through his veins and revitalizing his muscles.

This provided him with just enough strength to move, though it was a feeble effort.

"I'm so hungry..."

Muttered Oliver, his eyes half-opened.

Indeed, his hunger was genuine.

He sensed that consuming more of the meat would alleviate his condition.

"...Mr. Human-meat Chef?"

As his vision sharpened, Oliver involuntarily spoke the words.

Addressing Human-meat Chef who stood before him in an uneasy posture.

Even though he had lost consciousness and couldn't precisely determine why, there was something unsettling about Human-meat Chef.

The man held his right hand with his left, as if nursing an injury, and maintained a cautious distance from Oliver, his expression a medley of bewilderment, shock, astonishment, skepticism, fear, and above all, dread.

A fear rooted in ignorance and the sheer unfamiliarity of encountering a being so entirely different.

Oliver didn't know why, but soon enough, he discovered the reason.

After wiping the fluid from his lips.

It was blood. Crimson blood.

Observing the red stain on his forearm, Oliver made the connection between Human-meat Chef's injured hand and the meat he had ingested.

"Oh, no..."

Taken aback, Oliver covered his mouth with his emaciated hand.

It was indeed a startling realization. Consuming human flesh, regardless of one's hunger.

Though a professional cannibal stood before him, the situation was undeniably unsettling.

He was at a loss for how to react.

He was shocked, but only to a certain extent.

Consuming human flesh was unquestionably disturbing, yet on the other hand, it had sated his hunger.

It was a complicated and perplexing predicament.

So, Oliver initiated an apology.

"Uh... sorry?"

With his stomach still growling, Oliver offered his apologies to Human-meat Chef.

They were already in a life-threatening confrontation, but the act of tearing and consuming flesh triggered a profound unease on many levels.

Human-meat Chef remained unresponsive, and an uncomfortable silence lingered.

Just as Oliver contemplated his next move, Human-meat Chef thankfully broke the silence.

However, his words were incomprehensible.

"...Can't accept this."

"Excuse me?"

"Whatever you are... To make me feel these emotions again, I can't accept it!!"

With the reflexes of a seasoned warlock, Oliver focused his attention on the emotions emanating from Human-meat Chef.

He sensed humiliation and powerlessness, mingled with terror, yet also a fervent refusal to acknowledge these emotions, burning with obstinacy, determination, and anger.

It appeared to be connected to Oliver, but he couldn't discern the precise cause.

Meanwhile, Human-meat Chef extended his fingernails, imbuing them with intense emotions, and launched a slashing assault.

Ten fingers, ten nails, ten slashes traced intricate patterns across the walls, ceiling, and floor, all converging toward Oliver.

The space was ample, but still confined. Dodging was scarcely an option.

'Then, a counterattack...'

Oliver pondered, clutching a dagger tightly in his hand. But he quickly realized the folly of his initial thought.

When he had invoked the Black Sun, he had incinerated everything, leaving nothing behind to defend against Human-meat Chef's impending attack.

Growl~.

In that very moment, as if in perfect timing, Oliver's stomach emitted a growl.

It struck him then that he still possessed one valuable asset: his hunger.

Without hesitation, he harnessed his hunger, infused it into the dagger, and activated a black magic spell.

[Voracity]

Originally a black magic fueled by greed and obsession, Oliver, on a whim, employed his hunger to cast Voracity, and to his astonishment, it worked.

The dagger, charged with black magic, unhinged its maw, sweeping through the entire sewer and devouring Human-meat Chef's slashing assault in one gulp.

"...!!"

Human-meat Chef's eyes widened in disbelief, mirroring Oliver's own astonishment.

Even with Voracity, the absorption ability depended on the quantity and quality of the magic or black magic; it couldn't devour everything.

Bathory's blood magic served as a prime example.

Yet here it was, swallowing the spiraling slashes that had inundated the vast underground chamber, all with just a trace of hunger.

'Luck is on my side.'

Oliver concluded as he swung the dagger, now imbued with Voracity.

"Throw up."

Obeying Oliver's command, the dagger imbued with Voracity regurgitated the ten slashes it had consumed, converging them into one colossal strike.

In Oliver's perception, it appeared at least ten times larger.

Caught off guard, Human-meat Chef attempted to defend himself with his dragon wings and arms, both infused with black magic. However, the colossal slash not only tore through his wings but also severed one of his arms.

Once again, Oliver found himself taken aback.

Human-meat Chef, who had endured blows from Duncan's puppet fists, Shamus's wooden pillars, and Bathory's iron stakes, had now lost an arm in such a manner.

It was profoundly perplexing.

'Is it because of his own emotions? Has he lost his strength?'

The reasons remained obscure.

Nevertheless, one thing was clear to Oliver: this was his opportunity. Dagger in hand, he advanced toward Human-meat Chef.

Still dazed by the previous assault, Human-meat Chef retreated in alarm as Oliver approached.

It was almost a panicked reaction.

Finally making a decision, Human-meat Chef invoked a black magic spell.

[Disease Parade]

It was a black magic Oliver had never witnessed before, and he instinctively recognized it as Human-meat Chef's unique black magic.

Utilizing the freshly severed arm and the blood scattered on the floor as a catalyst, Human-meat Chef unleashed an array of diseases and weaknesses through his black magic.

The arm of Human-meat Chef, who had accumulated centuries of life force through cannibalism, contained an abundance of nutrients for its size, giving rise to a multitude of disease- and weakness-inducing black magics.

Rot, breeding grounds for disease, immune system deterioration, skin frailty, coughing ailments, phlegm disorders, ocular diseases, skin inflammations, ear infections, respiratory inflammations, vivid yellow suppurative inflammations, crimson blisters, petrified skin, fungal growth, parasitic fungi, host fungi, crimson tears, ebony chickenpox, blood chills, vascular atrophy, acute myocardial infarctions, cerebral atrophy, metastasizing cancer, and more.

A multitude of diseases, ranging from minor to deadly, proliferated throughout the sewer, thriving on Human-meat Chef's blood and flesh. They intermingled and gave rise to new diseases in real-time, a basic yet intricate and extensive technique that even impressed Oliver. But one question nagged at him.

"......?"

Oliver gazed upon his own unchanged body, despite being surrounded by diseases, and then at Human-meat Chef, silently questioning him.

Human-meat Chef, too, appeared taken aback by Oliver's unscathed state but soon seemed to grasp something. His emotions fluctuated, wavering between doubt, denial, acceptance, and a mix of humiliation and inferiority.

Such a tumultuous array of feelings.

Oliver was curious about what Human-meat Chef had deduced. Just as he was about to inquire, Human-meat Chef, with his partially healed wings, soared through a massive hole in the ceiling and made his escape.

This was an entirely unexpected turn of events, given Human-meat Chef's prior confidence.

Perplexed, Oliver instinctively reached out to extract Human-meat Chef's emotions, mana, and life force. However, Human-meat Chef was swift, and Oliver couldn't harvest much before losing him.

'What to do? This is tricky... With this little amount, I can escape, but it will be hard to follow Mr. Human-meat Chef.'

As Oliver contemplated, gazing at the emotions he had extracted in his hand, a tremendous surge of emotions filled his vision.

The entire sewer was saturated with putrid flesh, moss, mushrooms, and a medley of bubbling diseases.

Taking up a quarterstaff that had fallen nearby, Oliver mused,

"Will this work?"

He extended his hand toward the pit of diseases that had infested the sewer and commanded,

"Extract."

***

Whiiiiing!!

A faint yet distinct sound, akin to the fluttering of insect wings, resonated, and a purple portal manifested on the rooftop of a building near the Mechanical Tower.

Emerging from the portal, Oliver, who had scattered papers around the Mechanical Tower before his approach, was draped in an emotional robe.

Upon stepping out of the portal, Oliver's eyes fell upon the scene.

The colossal breach near the Mechanical Tower and the 600-meter-tall tower itself, slightly tilted due to the aftermath.

Human-meat Chef was soaring toward the pinnacle of the Mechanical Tower.

Upon sighting Human-meat Chef, Oliver swiftly extended the emotions to control a long-range support corpse doll he had concealed near the Mechanical Tower, readying it for an assault.

Targeting the Mechanical Tower itself.

Recognizing Oliver's deliberate buildup of mana, Human-meat Chef halted his flight and reacted promptly.

Indeed, directing the attack toward the tower was the right choice.

Given the nature of the corpse doll, it couldn't effectively target the swiftly moving Human-meat Chef. Hence, Oliver decided it was wiser to compel Human-meat Chef to adjust his own position.

Oliver commanded the corpse doll to unleash its bombardment on the Mechanical Tower.

The corpse doll, equipped with six legs, six arms, three bodies, and a formidable cannon, launched a colossal magical projectile at the tower upon Oliver's directive. Despite his injured wings, Human-meat Chef swiftly ascended to intercept the impending assault.

Oliver couldn't help but wonder about the driving force behind Human-meat Chef's relentless protection of the Mechanical Tower. Was it because of the ritual atop the tower, or did it have something to do with his sister?

'Let's find out myself.'

While Human-meat Chef was preoccupied with defending against the bombardment, Oliver retrieved a piece of paper from his pocket and hurled it toward the tilted Mechanical Tower, intending to create a portal for swift relocation.

However, having already been deceived by Oliver's portal once, Human-meat Chef instantly detected it. As he thwarted the attack, he extended his emotions within the tower, signaling something.

Oliver was uncertain about what was unfolding, but it soon became apparent.

An immense horde of creatures streamed forth from the Mechanical Tower.

These creatures possessed a peculiar amalgamation of features: women's heads atop bird-like bodies, insects' wings, a Pegasus with an oddly human-like visage, winged pigs, dinosaur-like figurines, and more.

These bizarre entities swarmed out like bees from a hive, intent on knocking down Oliver's paper and assaulting him.

Caught in a difficult situation, Oliver was under assault whether he remained stationary or activated the portal for relocation.

Unless he reacted swiftly and appropriately, he wouldn't be able to thwart Human-meat Chef.

Making a swift decision, Oliver tossed the paper into the air, opening the portal, and then swiftly entered it, emerging near the apex of the Mechanical Tower.

Upon arrival, he was instantly beset by the onslaught of the strange creatures.

At that critical moment, Oliver employed his emotional robe to invoke a black magic spell.

[Disease Parade]

He imitated and adapted Human-meat Chef's distinctive black magic, Disease Parade. As he incanted, his robe billowed wildly, dispersing emotion-infused particles of various diseases around him, casting an eerie darkness over his surroundings.

Rot, breeding grounds for diseases, weakened immunity, frail skin, cough-inducing ailments, phlegm disorders, ocular infections, skin inflammations, ear maladies, respiratory inflammations, vivid yellow pus-filled inflammations, crimson blisters, petrifying skin conditions, flesh-eating moss, parasitic fungi, host fungi, crimson weeping diseases, ebony chickenpox, blood chills, vascular atrophy, acute heart attacks, cerebral shrinkage, rampant cancers, and many more... Over a hundred diseases.

This feat would typically be impossible without a catalyst, but Oliver was fortunate.

Lacking emotions, he had reversed the diseases propagated by Human-meat Chef in the sewer, converting them back into emotions. This allowed him to utilize them once more.

The creatures, comprised of human souls by the hands of a fanatical creator, fell victim to the onslaught of over a hundred diseases.

Having repelled the creatures, Oliver reshaped his robe into wings and employed targeting to ascend to the summit of the Mechanical Tower.

Thud.

Upon reaching the apex, Oliver beheld it.

The intricate and elaborate inner workings of the colossal Mechanical Tower, its myriad gears interlocking seamlessly.

The tower's floor was riddled with apertures, seemingly designed to draw in emotions. At the very apex of the ceiling, a massive, contorted pattern resembling a crown was etched into the surface.

Within that colossal pattern, a small fracture was discernible.

A fissure no larger than a vanity mirror.

Familiar yet comforting black energy seeped through the cracks, and Human-meat Chef's sister, Gretel, was avidly devouring this nightmarish energy, much like a ravenous beast.

Though somewhat scaled down compared to the consumption of the entire city of Galos, something else seized Oliver's attention.

Standing beside Gretel, wispy like mist, was a distorted silhouette riding an aberrant camel.

The moment Oliver laid eyes on it, he recognized it as a demon.

It exuded a similar aura to the old man on horseback he had encountered in the past.

This demon, too, had not directly descended into the material world but instead harnessed surrounding objects to manifest indirectly. Nevertheless, Oliver instinctively comprehended that this was a being he could not confront.

Despite its ethereal form, Oliver dared not launch an attack against it.

Fortunately, the gender-indiscernible demon appeared to harbor no animosity toward Oliver. It turned its smoky form toward him and, akin to the old man on the horseback, raised its hand to its chest, offering a polite bow.

The difference lay in the demon's demeanor—it was smiling.

Oliver reciprocated the courtesy and promptly extended his hand toward the fissure through which the emotional energy was being severed and slowly sealing shut.

Softly, Oliver began, "Extrac━"

━Boom!!

Before Oliver could complete his sentence, a high-speed projectile hurtled toward him, striking him from below.

It was Human-meat Chef.

Having defended the Mechanical Tower from the bombardment and demolished the long-range support corpse puppet, he had employed his tattered wings to ascend and launch an attack on Oliver.

The timing was impeccable.

Fortunately, while Oliver was interrupted, he wasn't gravely injured.

It raised a perplexing question. After all, he had collided with Human-meat Chef, who seemingly shrugged off any assault.

Even though he wore the emotional robe, Oliver's body should have been shattered. Yet, he remained unscathed.

'Has Mr. Human-meat Chef's power weakened?'

Oliver contemplated, but soon he shook his head.

Despite feeling physically drained and bearing minor injuries, something didn't add up.

It was an enigma left unanswered.

Amidst the faint whoosh of the wind, Oliver posed a question, "Doesn't this seem strange to you?"

Human-meat Chef's countenance soured at the inquiry.

For inexplicable reasons, his emotions brimmed with a sense of injustice and anger toward Oliver. Holding Oliver, he erupted in emotion, endeavoring to unleash a slashing attack.

In response, Oliver activated his robe to generate a slash, meeting Human-meat Chef head-on.

The collision produced a sharp shockwave, dislodging Human-meat Chef's grasp on Oliver.

From a height of over 600 meters.

[Targeting]

While descending, Oliver employed targeting on both his hand and Human-meat Chef's form, intensifying the gravitational pull.

The goal was to either adhere to Human-meat Chef, prevent their fall, or descend together.

Fortunately, Oliver's strategy succeeded, halting their plummet.

Just as relief began to wash over him, an entity rapidly approached from behind.

It was Gretel, who had absorbed a fraction of the hellish energy.

She hurtled toward Oliver with a tremendous force, her elongated nails outstretched.

Her intent was to pierce Oliver's vulnerable back in midair.

Oliver extended his hand in an attempt to extract her power, but the combination of distance and speed worked against him.

He would be impaled before he could draw anything forth.

At that critical moment, a piece of paper infused with mana emerged from somewhere, striking Gretel, who had absorbed the infernal energy. The impact propelled her far away.

Oliver turned his gaze in the direction from which the paper had originated.

There stood Merlin, Archiver Merlin.

"A bit late, ain't I, mate?"

(To be Continued)

CH 424-433 (Vs Human-meat Chef Part4) $3CH 434-443 (Dave Vs 100 Druids) $3CH 444-453 (Adventure in New Continent) $3CH 454-463 (Meeting with Joanna) $3454~ $1/chapter

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