Chapter 428
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Hansel, a chef specializing in human meat, was born into a family that could be described as anything but ordinary. In fact, they were exceptionally impoverished. To illustrate the extent of their destitution, Hansel's own parents took the drastic step of abandoning him in the forest.
As the years went by, many memories faded into the recesses of time, but one moment remained etched in Hansel's mind—the moment his parents cast him aside. Perhaps the enduring impact of this memory stemmed from the overwhelming sense of powerlessness and humiliation he experienced.
The powerlessness manifested in the necessity to follow his father into the forest, fully aware that he was being forsaken. The humiliation compounded when he had to return to the very parents who had abandoned him, all in the name of survival.
Despite his youth, Hansel comprehended true powerlessness and humiliation, etched deep into his bones.
His misfortune, however, didn't conclude there; reality consistently surpassed imagination.
On the subsequent day, relying on the pebbles he had scattered to find his way home, his father shamelessly led him back into the forest, venturing into even deeper and more perilous realms.
Hansel, unable to gather stones this time, reluctantly resorted to dropping pieces of tough, stale bread as substitutes, one by one.
As anticipated, his father abandoned him again. Twice. Two times.
However, this instance, he couldn't retrace his steps because the bread crumbs he had dropped were consumed by birds and wild animals, leaving him lost.
Lost, Hansel meandered through the forest.
For that was all he could do.
His legs swelled, tears dried up, and his body became filthy.
Yet, the most arduous trial was hunger. It sapped his strength, twisted his guts, and ultimately jeopardized his life.
Cruelly, hunger intensified like a spreading poison, and just as it neared extinguishing his life, Hansel caught a whiff of food.
The heavenly aroma of roasted meat, comforting soup, freshly baked bread, and cookies.
As if enchanted, Hansel followed the scent and stumbled upon a cabin hidden deep in the forest.
A young woman resided there, beautiful and seemingly kind.
Her kindness extended to allowing a stranger like him inside, personally serving him food, including sweet cookies.
But all this kindness was a facade.
She was a witch, a dark sorceress who consumed children to sustain her life and youth.
Her kindness was nothing more than a trap to ensnare the unsuspecting prey that had entered her web.
Perhaps, for the first time, Hansel relinquished his will to live.
Why bother? What reason was there to endure? His own parents had forsaken him, and the miraculous aid he received was merely a prelude to a greater tragedy.
Life was a hellish landscape where everyone plundered and devoured one another.
Hansel, too feeble for such a hell, refused any more suffering.
Thus, he chose to allow himself to be devoured, seeking a painless end...
But at that moment, a second miracle unfolded—an authentic miracle.
It was his sister, whom he had overlooked, who vanquished the witch.
Noticing the witch's aging as the effects of her consumption waned, his sister outsmarted the witch, cast her into a furnace, and immolated her.
The proof lay in the soot-blackened face and the burned hands she acquired while preventing the witch from escaping.
His sister, driven by wit and courage, had slain the witch to save Hansel, a brother she had not cared much for.
In that moment, Hansel had an epiphany. Just as his parents had shown no interest in him, he, too, had felt detached from his sister.
The only thing that held value was his own life. Hansel recognized he wasn't so different from his parents.
Despite this realization, his sister had risked everything to rescue him, simply because he was her brother.
From that day forward, Hansel made a solemn decision. Regardless of the perils the world presented, he would safeguard his sister Gretel at any cost, using any means necessary.
Thus, Hansel transformed into Human-meat Chef. He acquired knowledge through self-teaching, stealing from the witch, consuming her flesh, and resorting to consuming other humans to gain strength, even betraying the woman he loved, all in pursuit of his current position.
All these sacrifices were made with one goal in mind—to protect his sister.
He was prepared to do whatever it took, even if it meant sacrificing his own life.
'Certainly, that was the plan...'
After a desperate struggle, Human-meat Chef, now fully awakened as a dragon, recollected his past memories and determination while shedding tears.
Despite his sister Gretel having her heart pierced by a quarterstaff, he found himself unable to act, ensnared by shadow vines and impaled.
All he could do was weep.
Sob...
Oliver, who restrained Human-meat Chef turned dragon with only shadows, silently applied more pressure, driving the quarterstaff deeper into Gretel's heart, agonizingly slow.
"...!!"
Gretel silently screamed in pain from the live impalement, and Human-meat Chef desperately struggled to break free.
It was incomprehensible. A dragon, a legendary being capable of toppling mountains with its bare body, unable to shake off the shadows.
His futile struggles continued as he helplessly watched his sister's life slipping away.
Terribly, Oliver observed Human-meat Chef with an emotionless, mask-like face.
Creak...
Filled with worry, anger, and sorrow, Human-meat Chef clenched his teeth so hard they nearly broke. His sole focus was on saving his sister.
Having been saved once, it was now his turn to reciprocate. Wasn't that the duty of a brother?
He attempted to tear the shadows from the ground.
Swoosh━! Swoosh━! Swoosh━!
Despite his determination, Oliver slightly tilted his head, and additional vines and stakes pierced Human-meat Chef's body.
The dragon's scales, as sturdy as layers of iron plates, yielded as if they were nothing, inflicting fatal wounds upon Human-meat Chef, robbing him of his freedom.
With additional stakes in his throat, he couldn't utter a sound, unable to cry out, console, or express concern for his sister.
All he could do was weep silently.
"Oh, br...brother."
"Kuh... Ah... Aaah!!"
Gretel's life force dwindled with the quarterstaff lodged in her heart, and Oliver, without sparing her a glance, approached Human-meat Chef.
Silently, he stood there for a prolonged moment.
Meanwhile, Gretel's body continued to lose blood and life force, and Human-meat Chef, drained by the shadows, reverted to his original form.
Despite the impending doom, Human-meat Chef didn't exhibit fear. Instead, he silently roared at Oliver.
Threats to kill him! Demands to be released! Vows of revenge! Swearing to grind him from head to toe without leaving a trace! Pleading to be let go. To save at least his sister. Admitting his wrongdoing.
However, Oliver, unresponsive, simply leaned forward, aligning his eye level with Human-meat Chef, staring intently with his mask-like face, not uttering a single word.
"..."
Even though Oliver perceived a beautiful light emanating from Human-meat Chef, he displayed no reaction.
He just impassively watched as Human-meat Chef suffered and met his demise.
Time passed, and Gretel, with the quarterstaff in her heart, reached out to her powerless brother and breathed her last.
For someone who had lived for centuries, consuming numerous wizards, including the Wizard King, infiltrating the Rokuri College, and eventually even absorbing the power of hell, it was an anticlimactic end.
"Ah... Ahh... Ahhh!!"
Human-meat Chef, witnessing his sister's death, could only silently cry with his pierced vocal cords.
Emitting a beautiful yet terrible light.
Enough to make three, maybe even four Pilgarets.
Such was the depth of Human-meat Chef's emotions for his sister.
Yet, Oliver, with the same expression as before, simply looked at him, eye to eye.
Human-meat Chef, glaring at Oliver in front of him, resenting his own powerlessness and the world, slowly and painfully breathed his last.
"..."
Oliver, silently observing the slumped Human-meat Chef.
After a few minutes, Oliver straightened up, meeting Merlin's eyes in the ruins of nothingness.
Merlin looked at him silently, and Oliver, discerning something in his gaze, seemed perplexed, lifting his hand to the air and then lowering it, before finally speaking.
"...I'm hungry."
***
In Ravel, turned to ruins by Human-meat Chef's terror.
On the outskirts of Ravel, where the damage was least, there was a dimly lit basement with electricity still running.
At first glance, it looked ordinary, but it was actually one of Millieu's safe houses, provided to Oliver by Lucian Millieu of the Mura family.
As per Oliver's request, the basement was highly concealed and spacious, with a table set up on one side.
But the table wasn't what was important. It was the newspapers piled on top of it that mattered.
The newspapers published in the last four days, during the massive disaster in Ravel, carried striking headlines on their front pages, fitting the chaotic situation of the city.
[The World's Enemy, the Black Hand's Human-meat Chef, Dies!]
[The Royal Army and the Great Archmage Archiver Join Hands to Eradicate Evil!]
[The Black Hand's Finger Dies!]
[Conspiring with a Commoner Faction Warlock?!]
[Rokuri University Protects City Residents.]
[Is the Threat of the Evil Warlock Gone?!]
[Commoner Faction Leader Captured. Police Department Vows to Uncover the Truth.]
[The Parter Church Decides to Dispatch More Paladins.]
[Galos Central Police Department Cleans Up Remnants of Warlocks.]
[The Royal Family Defeats the World's Enemy.]
Eye-catching headlines that drew attention. However, most of the content inside was similar.
The narrative unfolded the tale of Human-meat Chef colluding with the Commoner Faction to incite a riot and the subsequent defeat of their forces by the Great Archmage Archiver, Rokuri College, and the Galos Royal Army...
Certainly, the story deviated somewhat from the truth, but it was the public's perception, and each newspaper crafted its articles based on this narrative, adding unique perspectives.
Despite the recurring theme for four consecutive days, potentially becoming monotonous, the sheer scale and shock of the event only heightened interest with each new article.
It was like fueling a fire.
However, Oliver perused these newspapers just once, leaving them on the table. His focus shifted to the meticulous task of processing newly acquired corpses.
For example, Dejiehe Durans, the Dean of the Department of Life Alchemy who betrayed Rokuri University, her subordinate wizards, or the followers of Human-meat Chef gathered from the streets.
Handling bodies consumed and torn apart by Bigmouth demanded meticulous effort, but undeterred, Oliver worked solo to restore and process these fragmented remains, placing them in a blood tank.
It was akin to someone attempting to escape an unpleasant task by immersing themselves in another.
Thanks to this approach, the progress of the work was remarkably swift. Almost excessively so.
"That's bonza, mate! You've done heaps already... Do you ever catch some kip?"
The voice unexpectedly emerged from thin air. It was Merlin.
(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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