Chapter 190: First Day at Work (1)
“You came looking for me?”
Inside the illegal fighting arena building, at the bar set up within, Jo ordered two drinks.
"To be exact, I asked where you were, and the manager told me you were here. He also asked if I was interested, and I said yes."
"Ha…"
Jo let out a deflated sigh.
While they were conversing, a bartender with a scar on one side of his face poured some unidentifiable liquor and spoke to Jo.
"That fight earlier was something, wasn't it?"
"Shut up."
"Got it!"
Jo, looking displeased, handed Oliver a drink.
"I didn't know you were interested in fighting."
"Pardon?"
"You said you came to watch a fight, right? Or not?"
"Ah… well, you're not wrong. But I came more to see the place itself rather than the fight."
Oliver answered while glancing around the interior of the building.
"Why?"
"Because I was curious."
Jo silently furrowed his brow, staring at Oliver as if he were looking at something incomprehensible. It wasn’t particularly strange.
Even in the underworld, where all sorts of eccentrics and villains gathered, Oliver’s behavior stood out as unique.
He lacked a certain kind of sensibility, though there was no inherent malice to it. He was ruthless, but oddly, he didn’t seem evil.
That made it difficult to gauge his intentions—or perhaps there were no intentions to gauge.
In any case, Oliver’s demeanor gave off the feeling that one was dealing with an entirely different creature.
"...So, did you satisfy your curiosity?"
"To some extent. The manager explained about the community and some other things. It was a good learning experience."
"The manager? Where is he?"
"Ah, right... It's a long story, but he said he had to talk with a black magician I know, so he went off somewhere. Should I go find him?"
"Hmm... no, this place is one of the manager’s usual spots, so there shouldn't be a problem. Besides, he can take care of himself. No need to look for him. By the way, what did you think of my fight earlier?"
Jo asked about his earlier fight, though he didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic about it. Still, he was curious to hear Oliver's evaluation.
He wanted to know whether his efforts were going in the right direction.
"It was excellent."
Oliver recalled the fight and answered honestly.
Not only had Jo applied black magic in a way that suited his current abilities, maximizing efficiency, but he also retained his signature close-combat skills and instincts.
During his first charge, even though he could have overwhelmed his opponent with brute force, Jo opted for his unique footwork to dodge and target the opponent’s legs, neutralizing their mobility before delivering a precise finishing blow.
It was a swift execution, crushing the opponent's skull before they could even register the pain. Considering the amount of black magic Jo used, it was a fitting decision.
After all, his opponent was a tenacious fighter who would have kept attacking relentlessly until his last breath.
'The other guy was already close to death anyway...'
Jo asked again after hearing Oliver’s response.
“Really?”
"Yes, the way you researched and used the most optimal method for yourself was truly impressive. I never would have thought to use it like that."
Jo, seemingly pleased with Oliver’s compliment, drank in silence.
Soon after, a burly man passed by and spoke to Jo.
"Jo! Great fight earlier. That was top-notch! Where’d you learn that?!"
"Scram."
"Sure!"
Just as Jo said, the burly man quickly left.
No sooner had he disappeared than a woman approached Jo, offering to share a drink. Without even looking at her, Jo coldly told her to leave as well.
It seemed that many people held Jo in high regard, but Jo wasn’t interested in mingling with anyone and drank alone.
Oliver, watching this, asked,
"May I ask you a question?"
"What?"
"I understand that you get something called 'fight money' when you participate in matches. How much do you receive?"
Jo narrowed his eyes.
"...Why do you want to know?"
"Because I’m curious."
After a brief silence, Jo answered.
"...It depends on the match. Usually, I get a percentage of the total wager, which isn't much, but if the stakes are high, it can be quite lucrative, especially here."
"I see. Then how much does Jo get?"
"...I make a decent amount. About the same as doing other jobs. But why? Are you planning to participate?"
"No, I'm just curious. It seems like you're treated fairly well here, and the pay isn't bad, but you don't seem to like this place."
"Again, why are you so curious? Don’t just say you're curious."
Jo, now more guarded, asked sharply.
To get a proper answer, Oliver realized he had to ease Jo's suspicion.
Oliver pondered how to explain. Could there be a reason for curiosity?
However, to get a good response, he needed to offer a somewhat convincing explanation, as sincerity was key to obtaining a satisfying answer.
Organizing his thoughts carefully, Oliver began to speak.
"Uh… I grew up in an orphanage."
"What?"
"I said I grew up in an orphanage. No matter how far back I think, that’s my first memory."
"..."
"After that, I got a job in the mines."
"A job?"
"Yes, that’s what the director of the orphanage said. That I was no longer a child and needed to earn my own living."
"..."
"So, I worked in the mines for quite a while. Looking back, it was hard work, but it led me to meet my master, the one who taught me black magic... Black magic was fascinating."
"..."
"I think that’s the first time I ever found something truly enjoyable—black magic. So I learned how to read and write numbers for the sake of learning it. I wanted to get better at it. Over time, I encountered various experiences, and eventually, I came to Landa because I wanted to learn more about the world."
"...Why are you telling me this?"
"Oh… I’m answering your question about why I’m curious. I can't explain it perfectly, but curiosity is my biggest driving force—it’s what brings me joy. Discovering or learning about something unknown is a great pleasure."
"What in the world are you so curious about?"
"At first, it was just black magic and emotions, but now, I'm curious about other things too. Why is there such a stark contrast between the front and back districts of Landa? What causes wealth and poverty? What is the fundamental difference between magic and black magic? What is faith? What are demons? What is God? I'm just curious about everything. That includes this X-District too."
"...You're an odd one. I can’t understand you at all."
"Well, people are naturally difficult to understand, I think. That’s why I talk to them. Just like I’m talking to you now."
Though Oliver’s words weren’t particularly persuasive, there was something about the way he spoke that seemed to subtly sway people.
Jo, deep in thought, quietly reflected on Oliver's words before finally responding.
"It’s because I don’t like it."
"Pardon?"
"I said, I don’t like it. Being treated like a spectacle. Fighting to make a living is one thing, but even in that, there should be a minimal level of dignity. I don’t like being in a position where I’m fighting just for show, like a monkey in a zoo. I’m only participating because I made a promise with the manager, but I’ll quit soon."
Now that Jo mentioned it, Oliver recalled that Jo had agreed to this in order to use the gym’s basement.
Jo didn’t seem to have extreme hatred for the place, but he clearly wasn’t fond of it, as his words suggested.
This made Oliver curious. For someone who spoke so negatively about the arena, there sure were a lot of fighters around.
"It's because it’s one of the most reliable ways to earn money here. A lot of people get dragged into this against their will."
"Like the person you fought earlier?"
"Exactly. The stakes are high here, so some folks use slaves brainwashed by drugs or black magic to enter the matches. The managers don’t care as long as the event is a success... That’s what I hate. I don’t mind fighting someone who voluntarily enters the ring, but it bothers me to beat up someone who doesn’t."
Oliver now understood why Jo truly disliked the place.
Jo didn’t seem to have any particular qualms about fighting or killing itself, but he clearly had his own set of rules.
It was intriguing.
Without realizing it, Oliver asked out of curiosity,
"Then, do you have any plans to leave this place?"
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, just... it seems like you've made a fair amount of money. I’ve heard stories of you catching Kel Freedom Fighters and being active during the prison break. With your skills, you could leave this place and work as a fixer without any worries about making a living. Is there a specific reason you haven’t left?"
At that moment, Jo, who had been extremely guarded, seemed to relax.
He stared at Oliver, pondering deeply before speaking.
"There are mouths I have to feed here."
"Mouths?"
"Nico, Big Jaw’s family..."
These were names Oliver recognized.
"Nico and Big Jaw… weren't they the ones who fought alongside you?"
"Yeah, and they died."
That’s right. When Oliver took on Murphy’s request to recover former professor Huberton from the Magic Tower, he had fought Jo, Nico, and Big Jaw, killing the latter two in the process.
At the time, they weren’t opponents Oliver could afford to hold back against.
Though it had been about a year, Oliver still remembered them.
"Uh… I’m sorry."
"Forget it. Everyone in this business knows they’re risking their lives. There’s no point in holding grudges. We were just doing our jobs."
Oliver nodded in agreement.
It might have seemed shameless for the killer to act this way, but Oliver held no particular malice. He had simply done his job, and in the process of trying to kill each other, he had acted first.
"But what do you mean by family? Were they brothers... Oh! You mean the community?"
"Yeah, since we’re in the same community, I have a responsibility to look after them."
"I see."
Certainly, if there were many dependents, leaving this district would be a completely different issue.
Even if Jo had saved up some money, it was clear that things were tight.
Though Oliver’s fame and income had increased significantly compared to the past, moving to a better district was still a daunting task.
It wasn’t just about money. One had to be cautious about being swindled as well.
Still, it was admirable.
Oliver knew what a community was, but to remain committed to it until the end was impressive. Just as he was about to praise Jo, Jo spoke first.
"Can I ask you a question this time?"
"Huh? Oh… yes, go ahead."
"I heard you’ve been doing a lot of fixer work lately. Was there some big job? You don’t normally work like that."
"It wasn’t a big job, just personal reasons. I had to take care of several things quickly."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, I can’t share the details due to personal circumstances... But if you have something on your mind, feel free to say it."
Jo didn’t hold back.
"Would you be interested in joining our fighter crew?"
"Huh?"
"Our boss has taken an interest in you."
...
It was an unexpected offer, but Oliver politely declined, as he always did when offered a position in an organization.
Being tied to a group didn’t suit him.
Fortunately, Jo didn’t push the matter after asking once. After exchanging a few more words, the two parted ways.
Later, Oliver consulted Coco, Angel’s House, and Forest about good real estate agents or brokers to find a new place to move to.
Meanwhile, in the basement of his current residence, he prepared the materials he had recently acquired and began crafting his next corpse puppet—Rag 2.
Rag 2 was supposed to retain the previous model’s performance while maintaining a human appearance when idle, making it a complicated project. Thus, instead of diving straight into production, Oliver began by drafting the blueprints.
Though it was a challenging task, there was a solution.
One of the books Oliver had obtained from the auction contained a method for assembling the corpse puppet’s body like a modular system, allowing the inner and outer layers to be swapped via mechanical devices. It was a complex but effective method.
In addition to that, he also had to figure out what to do with the body of the pure mana mage, which had been ripped in half.
The damage was so severe that it seemed impossible to fully restore the body into a usable corpse puppet.
"Now, where should I head from here?"
Having packed his identification card given by Merlin and the magic bag he had obtained, Oliver arrived at the Magic Tower, looking around in awe.
Magic Tower. Magic Tower. Magic Tower… Though he had expected the place to be grand based on what people had told him, seeing it in person was an entirely different experience.
After passing through the high walls without any bars, another city unfolded inside.
No, that wasn’t quite right. It wasn’t a city; it was more like a massive machine.
Each district had towers at its center, with large and small buildings arranged geometrically around them, connected by bridges like the gears of a chain.
Not only that, but the tower had its own magical power plant, with enormous gear-like structures constantly turning, providing energy to the entire tower.
The sheer scale of it all left Oliver both amazed and unsure of where to go.
If only he had asked where the Elemental School Tower was in more detail.
Everywhere he looked, people seemed too busy to bother answering his questions.
But he couldn’t just give up.
Determined, Oliver kept asking passersby for directions, only to be met with wariness and dismissive responses.
"Are you looking for directions?"
After approaching about a dozen people, someone finally responded.
A woman with silver curly hair tied back and thick glasses answered his inquiry.
"Yes, could you tell me how to get to the Elemental School Tower?"
