55. Puppeteer (2)
The blue moonlight seeped through the open door, revealing the inside of the warehouse.
A body hanging from the ceiling and an operating table on one side.
Surgical tools and tools next to them.
Rather than a warehouse, it was a sight that seemed suitable for a kind of laboratory or workroom.
All I can hear is the sound of heavy breathing.
“you·····. Who the hell are you?”
Oliver looked at him.
A man surrounded by zombies stitched here and there like rags.
Oliver instinctively noticed that he was a puppeteer Glyph and greeted him politely.
“hello?”
“········.”
Perhaps the greeting was wrong, he looked at Oliver with a sense of alienation and embarrassment.
Oliver also observed him, and he could see why he was talking through the doll.
He was deformedly fat, and like bread dough, he was so fat that he couldn’t help but fall off.
It was definitely an unsuitable body type for a dangerous battlefield. Well, skinny Oliver was similar.
Oliver stood still and looked at him until the puppeteer Glip opened his mouth first, and fortunately he opened it.
“you···. What the hell are you?”
“…? Oliver. Didn’t I explain it to you before?”
“Who is the teacher?”
“Yes? That too-”
“-Do not lie!”
The puppeteer shouted so much that his droopy cheeks shook.
“I never heard the name Joseph in Landa. Even if I pretend to be young, I think I’m young, but my doll… Who is the owner?!”
Oliver was silent.
He told the truth, but the other person didn’t believe him, so he didn’t know how to convince him.
However, as to whether the silence itself had any effect, Glyph muttered in confusion.
“Hey, isn’t that a lie?”
“Yes···. My master was outside Randa. I just got up.”
Glip sweated and tightened his eyes.
He’s probably trying to check Oliver’s feelings. I knew it because I used to do it too often.
“You, what are you?”
Glyph looked intently at Oliver, then staggered backwards and asked.
Oliver seemed to know what he was talking about.
“Ah, the master said that I am very weak. therefore····.”
“No, not at that level.”
“Yes?”
Oliver asked, but the puppeteer did not answer.
His emotions were clouded with confusion, fear and horror.
It’s like seeing something unbelievable. But for a while.
In the midst of the chaos, calm crept out, fear and terror also overshadowed courage and cunning.
“·····why? Are you against me?”
he asked
To observe Oliver’s reaction rather than being genuinely curious.
Oliver replied. Because I also had a question.
“Well, how did it happen? May I ask a question too?”
“···Tell me.”
“The doll you saw on the way, how did you do it?”
“Are you talking about the invoice doll?”
“Yes. It was great. From the outside, he looked like a real living person.”
Although he sincerely praised it, Glyph was rather appalled rather than delighted.
It was as if he was facing a wild beast, but strangely, amidst such tension and fear, his will to seize the opportunity was evident.
What the hell do you want?
“I learned it from my master.”
Sincerity.
“Did you learn it?”
“Yes, to my great master, the puppet.”
Glip seemed to be expecting something, but Oliver’s reaction was boring.
“Puppet…? puppet? Isn’t that a unique name?”
Glip’s emotions shone with absurdity and absurdity.
“…do you not know who the puppet is?”
“ah····. Do I need to know?”
“Of course. If you’re a warlock, of course you should! You are a legend in the world of black magic that has lived for hundreds of years.”
“ah····. sorry. I recently learned black magic. I don’t know. Even my master… was at work, so he couldn’t teach me properly.”
“…? How long have you been learning black magic?”
“Well····. How many months?”
Counting with his fingers, Oliver answered.
I can’t remember when it was sold to Joseph, so it was a rough guess.
Glip, however, seemed unsatisfied with this answer.
“lie····. Do not lie! No matter how genius, an invoice doll that consolidates the knowledge I have acquired throughout my life…! A novice who only learned a few months-!”
He was genuinely angry.
It was as if he had seen something he couldn’t face… no, he couldn’t face it.
He was very angry and denied it.
However, that was the truth.
“you···. Are you a contractor?”
contractor.
It was a word Oliver knew. A being who gains power through a contract with the devil.
According to what I saw in Joseph’s library, he said that he can acquire talent and strength that goes beyond a lifetime of hard work.
By analogy, it is like evolution that transcends species…
Although he had to bear the cost, he said that many warlocks fell into temptation because of their sweet fruit.
That’s why warlocks are rejected.
“Sorry, but no.”
“No?”
“Yes, I have seen contractors, but not contractors.”
gulp.
Glip swallowed his saliva, glancing at the opportunity. He decided on something.
“Do you want to become a contractor?”
“Well···. I’m not interested in contractors, but I do want to meet the devil. There is something I want to ask you.”
Oliver answered, remembering the old man on the horse that was greeting him.
Why did he say hello to him? And why is it so foreign and familiar?
Oliver wanted to know.
“Is there something you want to ask the devil?”
“Yes···.”
“Are you interested in my . . . invoice doll?”
Oliver turned around and replied.
“Yes···. It was interesting.”
“You are really… Do you have a lot of questions?”
“How did you know? I have a lot of questions.”
Suddenly, Glip’s expression turned into a faint smile. It was as if he had picked up a way to live, or even a nugget of gold.
“Then I will help you.”
“Are you going to help?”
“Yes, I help. to satisfy your curiosity. As you can see, you have excellent skills, but you lack common sense… how is it? If you help me, I help you.”
Oliver looked at Glyph. He was speaking the truth. Although there was a hidden intention in it, the intention of helping was sincere.
“Well····. Maybe it has something to do with the Black Hand?”
“okay···. Did the mole tell you?”
“Yes···. From what I’ve heard, it’s an organization made up of powerful warlocks, is that correct?”
“okay···. It’s a lot bigger than that, but roughly right. A powerful organization that takes charge of an axis in the afterlife. An organization to which warlocks like living legends belong. Numerous resources and forbidden knowledge are covered here. If you only officially join-”
“Does Mr. Puppet, the owner of Mr. Glip, also belong there?”
“okay! Now it makes some sense! But when referring to him, use Nimja.”
“Oh, yes…. But there is something I do not understand.”
“What?”
“The owner belongs there, so why are you trying to join?”
At that moment, Glyph shook.
He was stabbed in a sore spot, and he exclaimed in embarrassment.
“Well, that’s the Master’s teaching…. Yes, because of his teaching. Prove your own abilities… It’s like a test!”
lie. Oliver thought through Glip’s heart.
But I didn’t bother asking.
It didn’t seem like it was something to be concerned about. Instead, I asked something else.
“That black hand is a great place.”
“okay.”
“Then, it wouldn’t be easy to join, would it?”
“What the hell are you trying to say?”
“Oh, nothing else, did you ask the mole for beggars to join it? Like the people down here?”
said Oliver, pointing to the warehouse floor.
Beneath the warehouse were many emotions filled with fear and fear.
At that question, Glip’s expression turned harsh.
“Yeah, what is that? I wonder if the warlock cares about that?”
don’t you care… Oliver rubbed his forehead in thought.
Well, do you care?
Oliver thought about why he had left Weinham.
I forgot for a moment while wondering about cant.
Why did Oliver leave Weinham?
It was none other than to clear his doubts.
To quench your curiosity about beautiful emotions, black magic, and demons.
Because it seemed difficult to answer those questions while running the organization.
“Nope····.”
Oliver murmured.
Obviously that was the main reason, but there was another reason that became a small spark.
small passing words. However, the decisive word that led Oliver to leave Weinham.
At that moment, a woman’s voice rang in my ear.
‘Don’t stay in this darkness, come out into the world. There you meet people and learn to live as people.’
“ah····.”
Oliver groaned as if he had scratched the itchy spot.
And in the process, I met Cant.
He helped him without any intentions.
He helped without any intentions just because he saw it. Because he had received such help in the past.
Besides that, he protected the beggars and even risked his life.
Although his emotions were not without temptation or frustration, he nevertheless carried through his will to the end.
It wasn’t as dazzling as a beautiful light, but nonetheless, what was that soft light?
“-Answer my question!”
Oliver was awakened by the sudden loud noise.
The puppeteer in front of him had an angry expression on his face.
“Answer my question . . . Does a warlock only care about garbage like that?”
“Well····. About a minute?”
“···What?”
“What can I say…. I can’t express it well, but it’s great anyway. To keep one’s will while enduring something… Pretty pretty.”
“Are you pretty?”
“Yeah, emotions…. If you’re a black magician, you know, right?”
“…No, I don’t know. What are you talking about?”
“Ah, that’s a pity.”
“. . . say it again. If you cooperate, I will help you get the knowledge you want. Only by entering the Black Hand can you gain knowledge and teachings within the organization, and you can also use your personal connections to access the black market.”
“Well····. Black hands, it’s a black market. Excuse me, but do I have to hand over beggars like moles to do that?”
“Yeah, because that’s what you sign up for. remaining burial. You can get a lot of power and knowledge by going over the garbage on the street.”
“Well····.”
Oliver was in trouble again.
Demons and black magic, beautiful light. There was so much he wanted to know, and Oliver didn’t know how to get it.
Obviously, the man in front of him was speaking the truth.
If he could get Oliver’s help, he would certainly help him gain knowledge.
The first step you should take is to hand over the beggars.
It was a cheap price. That could not be denied.
They were numerous, but not strong enough that Oliver could grab whatever he wanted. But, what is that…?
“It’s okay.”
“What?”
“It’s kind of like that. Well···. They definitely want knowledge, but they do.”
“Do you know how stupid you are right now?”
“Yes. Still, I don’t like it very much. I got some help, and I don’t really hate those beggars.”
“Are you going to miss out on this great opportunity for such a trivial reason? It’s a black hand… This is the opportunity every warlock dreams of!”
“Well, I’m sorry, but I can’t help it. However····.”
“…?”
“I met you for that insignificant reason, so isn’t this just fun? . . . It’s such a joy to go out and socialize with people.”
“Is that so…? Then, look-!”
Enraged with anger, the puppeteer ordered the remaining zombies to attack.
Oliver targeted the zombies in the head and then fired a hat bullet.
Unlike the previous corpse doll, the zombies were just helplessly destroyed because they couldn’t add any other functions.
[Meat Shield]
[Bone Spear]
A puppeteer who spreads shields from broken zombies and creates spears made of bones.
However, when Oliver poured a hat bullet, his counterattack was thoroughly shattered to the point of meaningless.
“·······································“
Then the shield made of the corpse pierced and he was hit in the stomach and fell, he said urgently.
“Hey, what a dog…! Joe, okay… leave like this I’m leaving…”
“I know it’s a lie.”
said Oliver as he approached.
“Ouch…. When I die, the one who took the goods from me will retaliate—”
“I know that is also a lie. Are you not sure of yourself?”
Glip’s expression distorted in shock.
He was full of shame, as if he had been stripped naked.
Oliver approached him and knelt down on one knee and asked politely.
“It goes into the black hands. I know it’s a lie to say that it was a test given by your owner, Puppet. Why did you lie?”
Glip’s expression was distorted to the point that it could not be distorted any more.
His emotions were only fear, shame, and despair, and so he gasped and died.
tinged with fear and shame.
“Well·····.”
Oliver groaned as he looked at the corpse.
I thought maybe I could see a beautiful light.
For some reason, fear played a bigger role than will at the last minute. Why the hell?
With a slight disappointment behind him, Oliver focused his attention on his eyes.
Then he saw the secret passage device he had seen in Joseph’s factory before.
Oliver went over there and, with emotion in his hand, put his hand against the wall.
The black light moved slowly several times, and then a secret passage opened.
As I made my way down the stairs, I saw a bed and a table, some books, a safe, other black magic tools, and people trapped inside the iron cage.
Oliver looked at them and asked.
“Do you need any help?”