Genius Warlock

Chapter 287

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"Kyakyakyahyahyahyahyahyahya!!"

"Kyakyahyahyahya!!"

"Kyakyakyakyakyakyakyakyakyahyahyahyahyahyahya!!"

"Kyakyakyakyahyahyahyahya!!"

A massive swarm of giant zombies and Hunger creatures surged forward, shaking the ground as they charged.

Despite their colossal size, they moved with surprising speed, resembling a fleet of massive trucks.

"It's weakening," Oliver remarked, observing the diminishing power of nature stirring within the forest.

Although significantly weakened, it hadn't completely vanished and continued to put up resistance.

Terrifyingly, enormous tree roots burst forth from the ground, hurtling toward Oliver.

"Kyakyakyakyakyakyakyahahahat!!"

A heavily-armored giant zombie, its body hardened with keratin, burned its life force and leaped towards the tree root, splitting it in two with a powerful swing of its arm.

Its strength defied the limits of an ordinary corpse.

However, far from being intimidated, the druids concealed within the forest gathered their strength and summoned even larger tree roots. Meanwhile, the gangsters who had established a stronghold opened fire with their machine guns.

Tududududududududududududududududududududong!!!

Amidst the hail of gunfire, their intention was to crush Oliver under the weight of the tree roots.

Oliver made his move.

[Minced Meat]

Breaking down the flesh of the zombie he rode, Oliver collected it in his hand and launched it like a projectile.

[Finger Gun]

The emotion-infused flesh struck the resilient tree root infused with the power of nature, prompting Oliver to swiftly link and activate his black magic.

[Biobomb]

The flesh served as a fuse, combining with the natural energy within the tree root and the power of black magic. It swelled up before finally detonating.

A thunderous explosion shattered the tree roots, sending shockwaves rippling in all directions.

Witnessing the spectacular display, both the gangsters firing their machine guns and the druids stood dumbfounded. The forest and Oliver were left exposed.

"Kyakyakyakyahyahyahyahyahyahyahyahyahya!!"

A grotesque Hunger creature charged forward, engulfing the gangsters who had fortified themselves in front of the forest. In an instant, about six gangsters were devoured by the Hunger, their screams silenced.

"How dare you, you monster…!!"

The druids behind the gangsters conjured a colossal column made of earth and wood, striking out at the Hunger.

The flames comprising the Hunger's form writhed, and it emitted a strange cry before collapsing.

Meanwhile, the zombie, having grown to immense proportions with muscles honed to the extreme, reached the druids.

"Wooooooooooooo!!!"

With a thunderous roar, the keratin-armored zombie swung its fists with furious force, overwhelming the gathered druids.

Kwaack?!!

A massive cloud of dust billowed, as if struck by a cannon, causing the earth to tremble.

Most of the druids managed to dodge the impact, but those who couldn't were sent flying. Even the agile druids who evaded the attack were not safe.

Following their master's command, the zombies seized the defenseless druids floating in the air, biting them with their teeth, pummeling them with their fists, and tearing them apart.

"Aaaaack-!"

"Ugh…!"

"Uh… ugh!!"

Like bacteria infiltrating through a wound in the skin, hordes of zombies began to infiltrate the forest, stirring up chaos within its depths.

The relentless charge of the zombies continued, as they trampled over trees and attacked both the gangsters and druids indiscriminately.

The Hunger creatures, with their elongated arms, swiped at their targets, devouring them to fuel their own growth and prolong their lifespan.

Within moments, the once serene forest transformed into a chaotic battleground.

The gangsters, despite their numerical advantage, fired their guns aimlessly at the zombies, but their efforts proved futile. The bullets were unable to penetrate the enhanced zombies' tough keratin armor. Instead, their gunfire merely served to draw attention to themselves, leading to their swift defeat at the hands of the enraged zombies.

The situation differed for the druids, however.

Although they suffered initial casualties during the onslaught, they quickly regrouped, showcasing their renowned druidic prowess. With agility reminiscent of wild beasts, they spread out among the trees, narrowing the attack range and working together to block the advancing zombies.

They erected towering pillars of trees to halt the zombies' charge, ensnared their bodies with roots to impede their movement, and hurled massive wooden spears to pierce through the zombies' tough armor. They also immobilized the zombies by burying them under mounds of soil, crushed their heads with nature-infused punches, and tore them apart with animalistic claws.

Oliver's zombies found themselves unable to suppress the druids, much like bears contending with swarms of bees.

While the zombies could deliver devastating blows upon making contact, the druids proved to be far swifter than both the Hunger creatures and the zombies themselves, evading their attacks with ease.

Reinforcements were necessary.

Amidst the mounting pressure, Oliver made a decision and retrieved a scroll from his pocket.

It was a low-grade teleportation scroll that he had obtained from the black market and modified slightly.

Although the process was cumbersome and unnecessary, it served as a precaution to conceal his use of spatial magic.

Oliver tossed the scroll into the air, activating its magic by infusing it with his mana. Space distorted and tore apart, creating a rift through which Corpse Doll-Bathory wearing a mask, and her eight headless disciples emerged.

The druids, who had been pressuring Oliver while scattered among the trees, were taken aback by the sudden appearance of the swarm of corpse dolls. They attempted to mount an immediate counterattack, but Oliver's side acted faster this time.

Bathory directed her disciples to form a circular magic circle, channeling lightning magic among themselves to create an electrically charged magic formation. Bathory contributed her own mana, causing the condensed lightning magic to surge and unleash a powerful current in all directions.

Zha-zha-zha-zha-zha-zha-zha-Zhang-!

The collaborative magic of the nine wizards displayed astonishing destructive power, even with the limited preparation time. The surrounding druids sustained considerable damage as their restraints weakened.

As their restraint and pressure weakened, Oliver released control of the giant zombies and used black magic.

[Target of Hate]

He implanted a deep-seated hatred on the enemies spread throughout the forest, including the druids.

As a result, the zombies, which had been following Oliver's systematic commands but lacked freedom, began to run rampant like untamed horses released from their reins.

The druids, who had withstood the onslaught of lightning magic, attempted to evade the zombies' attacks by maneuvering through the trees and launching counterattacks as before.

However, Bathory's headless disciples and Bathory herself closed in, applying relentless pressure and sealing off any openings.

With the druids losing their rhythm, they found themselves caught between evading the attacks of the corpse dolls while simultaneously fending off the giant zombies.

"I will go ahead. First," Oliver declared to First, who controlled the Corpse Doll-Bathory, as he pressed forward.

First, controlling the Corpse Doll-Bathory, nodded in agreement and commanded the headless Corpse Doll-female warlocks to push the druids back.

With a flurry of flames, ice, lightning, and various elemental magic, they unleashed their powers.

Additionally, the direct forces of the Crime Firm, including the Fighter Crew that had been following Oliver from behind, as well as the Security Bureau and Pink Men, joined the battle, steadily advancing into the heart of the forest.

‘If I make a mistake, it will be difficult to have a conversation with Mr. Shamus.'

——STRRRRR!

Suddenly, the zombie crawling on all fours came to a sudden halt.

Its feet and body were entangled in tree roots that sprouted from the ground in an instant.

Due to the abrupt stop, Oliver, who was riding atop the zombie, was sent flying forward due to the inertia. Fortunately, the Emotional Robe enveloping his body released mana particles, allowing Oliver to land softly.

It had a picky requirement of needing a large amount of emotion, but it proved to be quite convenient.

‘It's almost too convenient…'

Ping————Kwa-Gwa-Gwa-Gwak!!!

As soon as he landed, around ten wooden spears hurtled toward Oliver.

These were the same wooden spears infused with the power of nature that he had witnessed at McClusky Security Company.

Reacting instinctively, Oliver dispersed his mana particles widely and densely, creating a barrier that halted the wooden spears in mid-air before they could reach him.

The group of druids surrounding Oliver didn't cease their assault.

"The boss said to buy time! Crush him!"

Jijik… … ! Woojijikjik…!!

In response to the druid's command, tree roots began to sprout and grow around Oliver, attempting to ensnare and crush him.

Yet, they failed.

Despite not employing any special black magic, the particles of emotion surrounding Oliver's body repelled the encroaching tree roots. Furthermore, they even shattered the roots with their sheer strength.

It was a display of pure power.

The druids watched in astonishment, clearly taken aback by the unexpected force they encountered within the forest.

Meanwhile, Oliver swiftly layered a Black Javelin onto the wooden spear caught within the emotion particles and flicked his finger forward.

The ten wooden spears returned to their original owners, infused with emotions.

The air split with a sharp crack, and the grotesque sound of flesh and wood exploding filled the air.

"Kya-Hahaha! Die…!"

As Oliver launched his counterattack, a figure rapidly closed the distance and approached him.

Wrapped in bandages and wielding a colossal greatsword akin to a steel plate.

It was a familiar face—the man from the Anti-Development Committee who had previously attacked the car carrying Oliver, Forrest, and Al.

‘So, the Anti-Development Committee is indeed connected to Mr. Shamus?'

Oliver pondered, observing members of the Anti-Development Committee spreading out within the forest, obstructing his allies.

Meanwhile, the steel-plated greatsword descended toward Oliver's head.

It wasn't just an attempt to split his skull, but rather to turn his entire body into mincemeat.

The Emotional Robe worn by Oliver seemed to possess a will of its own, releasing a surge of emotion particles to halt the steel-plated greatsword.

The attack wasn't entirely blocked—it simply came to a sudden stop.

"You…!"

"It's been a while. Good to see you… But I'm a bit busy at the moment."

With a polite request for understanding, Oliver utilized [Targeting] to push the Sword-bandaged man away slightly.

Dartboard-like symbols materialized on both of Oliver's hands and the Sword-bandaged man's body, generating a powerful repulsive force between them. The impact sent the Sword-bandaged man hurtling through the air, crashing into a massive old tree.

With a creaking sound, one side of the ancient tree splintered, causing it to tilt and descend, posing a threat to the pinned Sword-bandaged man.

As the towering tree descended, a cloud of dust rose, accompanied by the sudden emergence of three additional bandaged men rushing toward Oliver.

These men had contorted forms resembling spiders, dogs, or reptilian beasts rather than human beings, moving with grotesque motions that matched their eerie appearances. Each one attacked Oliver with the tentacles, teeth, or claws adorning their bodies.

Slap!

In the face of the three Anti-Development Committee members charging at him, Oliver slapped his hand together.

In response to Oliver's gesture, the dispersed emotion particles converged, forming a hand-shaped entity that ruthlessly crushed the three Anti-Development Committee members as if they were mere mosquitos.

Their flesh burst, their bones crumbled, and the three members mixed together like minced meat. Meanwhile, the Sword-bandaged man, who had been pinned beneath the fallen tree, forcefully pushed it aside and rose once more, consumed by anger over the deaths of his comrades.

Thud… thud… bang!!

[Nail]

Confronting the Sword-bandaged man, who effortlessly cast aside a tree several times his own size and charged at Oliver, he snapped his fingers in the air, conjuring a barrier.

Simultaneously, emotion particles concentrated on the Sword-bandaged man's shoulder, shaping themselves into a nail as thick as an arm, which was then hammered into his flesh.

The nail seemed to have always been there, without any indication of its sudden appearance.

"……!!"

The Sword-bandaged man collapsed in excruciating agony far beyond the ordinary.

At that moment a sound reached Oliver's ears from behind.

"Now!"

Oliver turned his head.

Six reorganized druids summoned an elemental spirit, utilizing the surrounding flames as a conduit.

This marked the second time Oliver witnessed the summoning of an elemental spirit.

The first had been Kevin, a war wizard, summoning a salamander—a fiery dragon that fed on flames.

The second elemental spirit he witnessed could be described as a woman.

She embodied enormous, vivid red flames.

Gracefully dancing within the inferno, the fiery woman manifested, heeding the pleas of the druids.

"Lady of the Flame! Burn our enemies. Reduce their existence to ashes, leaving nothing behind!"

Their plea was not in vain.

With a power distinct from mana, the elemental spirit absorbed the raging fires engulfing the forest, radiating heat and light akin to that of the sun.

Ordinary pyromancers paled in comparison.

Merely being in proximity to the spirit caused trees to wither, and ordinary individuals would have succumbed to the scorching heat.

However, in an instant, the elemental spirit, fully prepared, caught sight of Oliver, the summoners' foe, and vanished without a trace.

"……."

"……."

"……."

(To be Continued)

OR

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