Chapter 123: Request (1)
Next to the office for Crime Firm employees at the far end of the Black Market…
An old man, thin as a rail, was sitting at an empty desk.
He, too, was affiliated with Crime Firm, mainly handling the sales of “special goods” that the firm dealt with directly.
Corpses were, of course, one of those goods.
“So, you’re looking for the corpses of a doctor and a black magician?”
“Yes, I’d prefer the black magician to be not just any ordinary one but one from the manipulation-type necromancer branch, preferably with surgical skills as well.”
Oliver calmly explained his requirements.
The old man with gold-rimmed glasses wrote on the paperwork as he listened.
After scribbling down the details, he lifted his gold-rimmed glasses and spoke.
“The conditions are quite demanding. What grade are you thinking?”
Grade.
Jo had already explained this beforehand.
Corpses with such special conditions as Oliver requested were classified by grades.
Naturally, the higher the grade, the better the quality, and the price increased accordingly.
There were five grades in total, and from Grade 2 onwards, some of the corpses were from individuals who had made a name for themselves in their respective professions.
“Hmm... How about Grade 3?”
The old man with gold-rimmed glasses flipped through the paperwork and answered.
“The doctor will cost 1.2 billion, and the black magician 2 billion, but considering the conditions you’ve specified for the black magician, it would go up to 3 billion.”
My goodness... Oliver realized for the first time just how terrifying money could be.
He had risked his life to earn 4 billion, and it was about to be surpassed in the blink of an eye.
Honestly, he thought he could easily buy everything, but... maybe he had underestimated this side of things.
As Oliver remained silent, the old man removed his glasses and spoke politely.
“Due to the special nature of the goods and the meticulous handling required, the price is indeed on the higher side. We always strive to keep stock available, so feel free to come back after saving up more money. I’m here whenever-”
“Could I perhaps hear the price for Grade 4? Keep the same doctor, but change the black magician to just a regular manipulation-type necromancer, without any extra conditions.”
The old man with gold-rimmed glasses hesitated for a moment.
He put his glasses back on, adjusted the writing, and pulled out a fresh document to review.
The sound of pages flipping filled the room until it finally stopped.
“There happens to be a discounted Grade 4 doctor corpse. It’s priced at 900 million, but since it’s nearing its expiration date, we can offer a 10% discount, making it 810 million.”
“That sounds good.”
“Let’s see... As for the black magician, I can offer it to you for 1.7 billion.”
810 million and 1.7 billion. That totaled 2.51 billion.
It was a significant amount, but not unmanageable.
However, when he factored in the other medicines, tools, and equipment he had just purchased, it would consume a large portion of his current funds.
He hesitated.
The money itself wasn’t the problem, but he worried that if he spent all of it now, he might be in trouble later when he truly needed it.
He also questioned whether it was wise to spend so much to create a mere auxiliary corpse puppet.
After a long moment of contemplation, Oliver spoke.
“...I’d like to order both. When can I expect to receive them?”
Oliver had decided to focus on the present.
He could always earn more money later. The sooner he could start his experiments, the better.
Jo, standing behind him, seemed slightly surprised by the large amount. The old man with gold-rimmed glasses sitting in front of him also appeared taken aback.
“You’re buying them?”
“Yes. Is there a problem...?”
“No... You can expect the goods to arrive within a week at the earliest, or within ten days at the latest. The total amount is 2.51 billion.”
“Understood.”
Oliver nodded in response.
Although the delivery might be slightly delayed, he couldn’t argue with the procedures and rules of this place.
He considered using the waiting time for other matters.
The old man with gold-rimmed glasses spoke again.
“Then, may I ask you to fill out the paperwork here? And we require a deposit of half the total amount as a down payment. It’s just part of our standard procedure.”
Oliver nodded and pulled out his greedy pouch from his wallet-shaped bag.
Fortunately, he had withdrawn the money from an anonymous account in preparation for moments like this.
Oliver pried open the mouth of the greedy pouch and thrust his arm deep inside.
“Ugh—?!”
After a moment of rummaging around inside, the pouch responded.
Oliver then flipped the greedy pouch upside down.
“Bleeeergh—! Bleeeergh—! Bleeeergh—!”
With retching noises, bundles of cash began thudding onto the desk.
The money had been vomited out in neatly bound stacks, making it easier to organize, but the pouch itself seemed to be in distress, with tears streaming from its five eyes.
Oliver didn’t let up, shaking the pouch up and down as he tried to soothe it.
“Sorry, just a little more. I’ll give you a 10,000-randa bill later.”
“Bleeeergh!”
“Bleeeergh!”
Finally, the greedy pouch heaved one last time and went limp.
The old man with gold-rimmed glasses was briefly startled but quickly regained his composure and began organizing the money.
He carefully stacked the bound bills, occasionally flicking through them with his fingers to check the amount.
A short while later, he spoke.
“1.255 billion randa... Everything is in order.”
“Yes... Ah, and here’s the completed paperwork.”
Oliver handed over the document he had finished filling out.
All it really involved was writing down his name and confirming that the order matched what was written in the paperwork.
The old man with gold-rimmed glasses glanced at the document and spoke.
“Your name is Dave Light, correct?”
“Yes.”
“I see... Rest assured, you will receive your order without delay. Please take this.”
The old man handed him an iron key.
“While I’ve already confirmed your identity, it’s just an extra precaution in case something happens. If you lose it, you can still receive the goods, but bringing it along will make things easier for both of us.”
Oliver understood the purpose.
It was a security measure. After promising not to lose the key, he stood up to leave.
As he was about to depart, the old man with gold-rimmed glasses spoke again.
“It’s been an honor to do business with you, Mr. Dave.”
“...Yes, thank you.”
Oliver felt a strange sense of unease as he replied. Perhaps the old man had been a little too polite?
With his business concluded, Oliver left the Black Market with Jo.
As they emerged from the underground and stepped outside the parking lot, they were greeted by the gloomy skies typical of Landa.
“It’s time for me to keep my promise.”
Oliver turned to Jo, who had been following behind him, and asked. Jo remained silent, trying to hide his nervousness.
“But could you tell me why? Why do you want to fight me?”
...
Oliver and Jo headed to an isolated area on the outskirts of R District.
It was a deserted ruin where redevelopment had stopped due to a series of incidents, a place Jo had learned about while working for the Black Market.
“What kind of work?”
“Executions. We execute people here who cheat the Black Market or employees who steal merchandise.”
There were faint, though visible, bloodstains to prove his point.
“Ironically, even this kind of market requires trust, so they manage things strictly. They keep a close eye on vendors selling faulty products or employees swapping out goods.”
“Everyone here is quite dedicated. It’s impressive.”
Oliver said this sincerely.
Working diligently was always an admirable and important thing.
Jo squinted at Oliver as he spoke.
“...Did I say something wrong?”
“No, I just thought you were a strange guy.”
Jo responded as he took off his suit jacket and wristwatch, rolling up his sleeves.
“Alright then, let’s get started.”
“Wait a moment. I still haven’t heard the answer to my question. Why do you want to fight me?”
“I’ll answer that... after we’ve fought.”
As soon as Jo finished speaking, he kicked a brick lying on the ground.
With a sharp crack, the fist-sized stone shot toward Oliver’s face.
Oliver reflexively swung his quarterstaff and struck the brick away.
With a dull thud, Jo, who had already enhanced his body with black magic, charged forward with knuckles equipped.
He was faster and more skilled than when they had first met.
“Hm...”
With a whooshing sound, Jo’s fist came flying toward Oliver’s face.
It was razor-sharp, but Oliver narrowly dodged by stepping back.
“Huh?”
“Oh, sorry. I’ll borrow this for a moment.”
Oliver extracted some of the black magic that Jo had infused into his body.
It wasn’t something he had done intentionally but rather an instinctive reaction.
Jo seemed startled as well.
“...”
Without paying much mind, Oliver pulled life force from a vial he had tucked inside his coat, mixed it with the borrowed black magic, and wove them together.
[Black Suit ver. 2]
He spun his emotions and life force into threads, knitting them tightly together like fabric. Once complete, he wrapped it around his body as well as his quarterstaff.
The memory of their first meeting flashed through Oliver’s mind.
Judging by Jo’s expression, he seemed to be recalling the same moment.
With a serious look, Jo extracted his own emotions to reinforce his body with black magic once again, preparing himself for battle.
He appeared to be fully resolved. Dead serious.
Tap— Tap— Tap—
Jo clenched his fists and assumed a stance, hopping lightly on his feet to stabilize his breathing. His gaze sharpened.
In response, Oliver extended his quarterstaff straight ahead.
He assumed a stance that took full advantage of the long weapon’s reach.
Tapt! Tadadak!
Jo moved. He concentrated energy into his legs and closed the distance with remarkable speed.
His movements were so fluid and sharp that they were difficult to track with the naked eye.
With normal eyes, that is.
Bang—!
Swish—!
Jo suddenly increased his speed as he closed in. Oliver swung his quarterstaff along Jo’s path of movement.
Despite the perfect timing, Jo swiftly ducked, dodging the attack, and in that crouched position, gathered energy into his fist and punched forward.
Bang——!!!
His mechanically precise punch exploded toward Oliver’s chest like a bomb.
Oliver quickly pulled back his quarterstaff to block the blow.
Had it not been for his battle with Duncan, he wouldn’t have been able to anticipate where Jo was going to strike. It would have been too late.
Thunk———!!!
The knuckles collided with the quarterstaff, producing a deafening noise.
It sounded like two massive pieces of metal crashing together.
Jo didn’t falter, immediately following up with a low kick.
He channeled his black magic into his leg to boost the power, showing a clear improvement in skill since their last encounter.
Oliver chose to allow this attack, in exchange for bringing down his quarterstaff to strike.
Since his black magic was stronger, it would give him the upper hand in a direct trade of blows.
But Jo had a different plan. He dodged the strike with a nimble shoulder roll, avoiding the attack by a hair’s breadth.
It was pure physical skill, separate from black magic.
Impressed, Oliver asked.
“That’s amazing. Where did you—”
—Bang!!
Jo swung his fist mid-conversation. Oliver blocked it with his arm.
Though the black suit shielded him from the damage and pain, he could still feel the sheer force behind the punch. It was strong enough to turn an ordinary person into minced meat.
Jo had definitely grown stronger since their last meeting.
Perhaps he had undergone some special training. Impressive.
Jo’s onslaught of attacks continued, and Oliver defended against them.
With every exchange, the air was filled with the sound of wind being sliced and metal clashing like a raging storm.
Although Oliver dodged or deflected most of Jo’s attacks, roughly one out of every three landed a solid hit.
As a result, Oliver found himself gradually being pushed back.
In close-quarters combat, Jo had the advantage.
Despite this, Jo seemed to grow more anxious as he relentlessly pressed Oliver, his attacks becoming fiercer.
“Uwaaaaaah!”
Jo suddenly switched his stance mid-punch, attempting to tackle Oliver with his full body.
The unexpected move caught Oliver off guard for a moment.
He tried to brace himself, but Jo used his weight to pin Oliver against a partially demolished wall.
Thud, and Oliver’s back slammed into the wall.
It was at that moment. Jo concentrated a significant portion of his black magic into his right fist, grabbing Oliver with his left hand and swinging with all his might.
Boom—————!!!
The impact sent Oliver flying backward, the wall collapsing in the process.
It was an immensely powerful strike, evident by the cracks running through Oliver’s black suit.
Although the technique put a heavy strain on Jo’s body, the result was undeniably effective.
Swish—!
Oliver quickly rolled to his feet and swung his quarterstaff at Jo, who was charging toward him again.
Boom———!
Jo raised his guard in a panic, but the difference in black magic power caused his guard to break.
“Grrr—!”
Jo’s stance faltered under the pain and impact.
Oliver took the opportunity to press the attack, striking with his quarterstaff again. Though Jo tried to block, he couldn’t fully defend, and the blow sent him flying backward.
This time, Jo found himself pressed against the same wall he had just used to corner Oliver. His face showed a mixture of shock and confusion.
He couldn’t understand. He had definitely grown stronger than before, so why was this happening?
“Hey...”
“Yes?”
Breathing heavily, Jo spoke, looking exhausted.
“Take it seriously.”
“Pardon?”
“Stop holding back and come at me for real. I want to know my true strength. Don’t just go easy on me.”
His words were cryptic, but Jo was dead serious.
His emotions were a complex swirl of jealousy, curiosity, fear, courage, frustration, acceptance, anger, determination, sadness, and hope, all shining brightly.
It was a rather beautiful sight.
As Oliver observed the emotions, he responded.
“Alright, I understand.”