Upon completing their meal, Oliver rose from his seat alongside Joe. Al, sensing that something was amiss, approached Oliver and requested that he remain until Forrest arrived before leaving. However, Oliver kindly declined, indicating that he needed to attend a pressing appointment with Joe.

"I will come back once I finish my business," he reassured Al.

Despite Al's persistence, Oliver remained resolute, meeting his gaze and indicating that he should not interfere. With a courteous farewell to Al, Oliver made his departure, turning to Joe.

Joe, who typically exuded an air of confidence, appeared uneasy and avoided eye contact.

Shall we go now?

With quick strides, Oliver trailed after Joe as he walked faster than usual, seemingly in a state of heightened nervousness. Oliver trailed behind him, only able to read Joe's emotional state from his back.

Joe's emotions were tumultuous, swinging between guilt and self-justification with each step he took. Despite his hesitations, he was filled with a sense of dread and fear of being caught in a predicament with no way out.

Oliver could sense the storm of emotions that raged within Joe, biting and tearing at him relentlessly.

The intensity of the emotions was so great that they overflowed out of Joe's body, and Oliver could feel how much he was suffering, albeit indirectly.

Despite his curiosity, Oliver restrained himself from asking what was tormenting Joe so much, knowing that it wasn't the right time. He silently followed Joe as they walked in silence for a while, until they finally arrived at the outermost part of District T.

The area resembled any other residential district for workers, with sparsely populated streets and alleys. But Oliver could sense the emotions of dozens of people lurking in the shadows, hiding in the corners of the streets.

Oliver looked around at the emotions of the dozens of people hidden in the alleys and street corners and asked, "Is this the place?"

Um,

Joe halted abruptly in his tracks, causing Oliver to turn around and face him. Yet, before he could utter a word, a cold metal object was pressed against his back, forcing him to freeze.

A quick glance over his shoulder revealed a stranger wielding a gun, his face contorted with a mix of emotions akin to Joe's.

A mix of guilt, hesitation, regret, self-justification, fear, restlessness, terror, despair, and more was all evident in the gunman's emotional state.

Soon after, more people began to appear one by one. All of them were Warlocks, each displaying a different emotional state.

Some were bewildered, some confused, and others were filled with fear and restlessness.

But amidst the crowd, there was one who stood out a man with an X-shaped scar on his face who brimmed with enthusiasm.

"Ha How did you bring him here? I guess the rumors aren't entirely accurate about him being able to read emotions in detail if he followed Joe so effortlessly."

A man bearing an X-shaped scar on his face emerged, sharpening a cleaver with an abrasive rod, as a group of individuals armed with kitchen knives stood in line behind him, their blades infused with black magic.

"You're part of the Fighter Crew, aren't you?"

Instinctively, Oliver recognized who they were, and discreetly extracted the mana stored in his body, allowing it to spread out in all directions from his fingertips and sink into the ground without anyone noticing.

"Oh You catch on quickly, or maybe you're not so bright. The rumors have already spread, yet you still followed Joe,"

"What rumors?"

When Oliver asked a question, he heard laughter coming from all around. The group exuded confidence in their ability to win and displayed a composure that only comes with superiority.

Even though Oliver didn't ask him, Joe spoke up, "Do you really not know?"

No, could you please tell me?

"Are you in charge of retrieving the Crime Firms stolen auction items?" asked Joe, pulling out a test tube filled with emotions.

Yes, how did you know?

"Rumors are easy to come by Do you happen to know who worked with the District Y gangs to steal the auction items?"

"I believe it was the Black Hand's Human-meat Chef faction."

"It's our Captain, the leader of the Fighter Crew," Joe spoke up, his outward calm betraying his inner turmoil.

It was as though he struggled to cope with the situation at hand.

"I see. When did you discover this?"

"A while ago."

"I see. However"

"You bastard! Do you not comprehend the gravity of the situation?" interjected the scar-faced man.

For some reason, Oliver felt a tremendous sense of hate from him.

"I apologize if I have offended you. What do you mean by comprehend the situation'?"

"Wow, You seem far too at ease, considering you're about to kick the bucket. Do Solvers lose their vigilance once they gain notoriety? Or are you just a fucking bastard who likes to make fun of poor people in the slums?"

Um

Oliver finally understood the meaning behind his words.

"I'm sorry Can I know your name?"

"Why do you need to know my name?"

"I need to know your name to have a proper conversation,"

"Victor."

"Mr. Victor, first and foremost, I apologize for any offense I may have caused. I have no intention of disregarding you or the people of District X. In fact, I come from an orphanage myself,"

"Pfft, do you really think flattery is gonna save you?"

"No, I'm not trying to flatter you. I genuinely mean it. District X has many admirable people. Some diligently teach exercise, others bravely fight for their younger siblings, and some even care for the siblings of their deceased friends,"

Oliver glanced at Joe, who flinched.

"I don't ignore any of you. I just don't understand" said Oliver.

What?

"I understand that your leader is involved with the Human-meat Chef But why do you want to kill me?"

Although the inquiry may have seemed absurd, Oliver's sincerity was palpable. He couldn't fathom why the horde of over fifty warlocks assembled before him sought his demise.

As the cacophony of their collective roars echoed through the air, Victor bellowed in an attempt to quiet their restless spirits. Finally, he turned his ire towards Oliver, his voice seething with anger.

"You fucker! You're our Captain's enemy, which means you're our enemy too Are you fucking retard?"

"That's not what I know," Oliver replied.

What?

Surveying the sea of faces before him, Oliver pressed on with his words.

"As far as I know, you guys didn't join the fighter crew to have fun fighting or to be loyal to someone. You joined to learn black magic and survive, right?"

Memories flooded his mind, harkening back to the conversation he had shared with Joe in the past.

"But why are you risking your lives now? Is there a reason for it?"

Some of the people who were initially skeptical of Oliver's words wavered.

"Hey, Joe. You're gonna let this guy keep talking like that?" Victor urged Joe.

Just as Joe opened his mouth to speak, Oliver interjected, "Joe, you can attack me if you want. I'm prepared for it since I've been on this floor. So don't feel guilty, but please answer my question. This is my second condition, which I changed my restaurant schedule for.

Joe's eyes twitched.

Keep talking.

"Hey!"

Oliver ignored Victor and asked Joe and the others.

"Fighter Crew is a place you chose to live, but why put yourselves in danger by getting involved in your leader's reckless actions? You could even end up fighting the Crime Firm if you're not careful."

"We're already in a situation where we have no choice but to fight the Crime Firm. They've been targeting us all along, and they'll see this as an opportunity," shouted Victor.

I might be able to help with that. I know one or two people at the Crime Firm, and I'll tell them it was a misunderstanding.

At Olivers words, few muttered. It seemed like not everyone wanted to fight the Crime Firm.

What the hell are you idiots hesitating about?! That's a load of crap! shouted Victor, once again.

"I'm serious. I'm not saying it'll work, but we can give it a try."

Once again, the fighter crew members were buzzing.

"Listen up, you crazy shitheads! The Captain said he would accept us as Black Hand members. That means we're leaving behind our crappy lives! The opportunity we've been waiting for has finally arrived!

"Mr. Victor, do you know anything about the Human-meat Chef?"

"What?!"

I know a thing or two about him. I heard about him through the Crime Firm, brokers, and Pinkman Office.

Oliver recited the information he received from Murphy, Forrest, and Jonathan.

"Human-meat Chef is a high-risk criminal based on Galos, one of the fingers of the Black Hand. He stands alongside Mr. Puppet, Mr. Eternal-child Fan, and Mr. Pied Piper. He's particularly dangerous because he's interested in otherworldly things. He's estimated to have the second largest organization after Mr. Puppet and has the highest organizational power. Even governments can't handle him.

"Yeah fucker, our shitty life is finally turning around."

"And they supposedly eat human flesh."

WOOSH.

Silence reigned, yet an inexplicable tension hung in the air, causing the assembled group to hesitate as though a pair of sharp scissors had sliced through the atmosphere.

"It's just speculation, but the followers of the Human-meat Chef are rumored to gain immense strength by consuming human flesh."

"."

"I personally believe it's true. It could explain their incredible regenerative abilities and strange physical features, fueled by Life-force, mana, and emotions. But, can you guys eat people?"

"You, who makes corpse dolls out of dead bodies, are you lecturing us? Rumors about you using corpse dolls have already spread."

"Oh no, I'm not preaching. Sorry if it came across that way. I don't condemn Human-meat Chef or anyone else for eating humans. I don't think I have the right to judge anyone, and I'm trying to keep myself in check because I can be presumptuous at times," Oliver said, thinking of Marie. He still didn't like what Marie was doing, but he couldn't deny its value either.

"I'm just curious if you guys can eat people. I've always been taught that everyone has some good in them, no matter how hard life gets. Like, don't fight someone who doesn't want to fight."

Oliver asked, looking back at Joe, "Joe, I'm really curious. Even if things go well, you'll still have to follow Mr. Cook. So what's the plan for Nico and the Bigjaw family you're taking care of?"

Joe's response was marked by a tense silence, his visible agitation belying the fact that he had not considered the situation deeply enough.

"Hey, Joe! Snap out of it! It's too late to think about that. Your little ones will be okay if I use my connections. There's no time to hesitate! The weak have to follow the strong, that's the rule of this world!"

"The weak have to follow the strong?"

"Yes! That's how it works!"

"Oh yeah?"

Without missing a beat, Oliver issued his response while simultaneously activating and condensing the mana that he had covertly spread throughout the vicinity.

As he willed it, the chain of magic that had been divided into dozens of branching paths shimmered and seized hold of the nearby warlocks, ensnaring them like a snake made of iron.

The feat was so fleeting and swift that no one but Joe could react in time.

Eh, what is this?!

"It's a magic chain. It's a basic spell of the Pure Magic School with excellent versatility. Its power varies based on the amount of mana used."

Victor, however, remained resolute in his resistance and attempted to escape. To his chagrin, the unyielding grip of the magic chain proved Oliver's words to be true, leaving him trapped and helpless.

Reflecting on the situation, Oliver realized the immense benefit of heeding Kevin's advice and storing mana within his body. The fact that it remained readily accessible and did not dissipate like fleeting emotions proved to be a great relief.

"I'm sorry for grabbing you suddenly. You seemed to be preparing something earlier, and I was scared, so I acted first."

True to Oliver's words, a magic scroll and a test tube containing black magic tumbled from Victor's grasp, revealing his intention to capture and harm Oliver.

However, before these items could be employed, they were swiftly neutralized by a basic spell.

Now, only Joe remained to confront Oliver, and the situation was fraught with awkwardness, underscoring the chasm that existed between Oliver and his opponent.

"Joe, attack now! With this many people captured, his movements will be restricted. It's too late to hesitate!" shouted Victor, and Oliver silently grabbed the quarterstaff with one arm.

Joe asked Oliver as he extracted the emotions from the test tube and wrapped black magic around his body.

"What if I fight you?"

"Then I'll have to fight back."

"Are you gonna kill me?"

"I don't plan on it, but I might have to."

Upon hearing Oliver's answer, Joe emitted a soft chuckle before proceeding to ask another question.

What if I ask for help?

I will help.

After receiving the response, Joe appeared to have reached a decision and turned to address Victor.

Hey, Im going to get help from this person. I don't wanna risk my life in someone else's mess.

You? What bullshi

-Puck!!

Before Victor could respond, Joe leaped forward, unleashing a powerful blow that obliterated Victor's head.

Like a collision with a lump of iron, the impact scattered fragments of red matter in every direction, leaving Victor's men visibly stunned.

Amidst the chaotic atmosphere, Joe spoke up, What about you guys?

(To be Continued on Apr 17(MON))

OR

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