Chapter 609: Contaminated Zone (2)
Oliver entered Zone F of the Contaminated Zone and, as per his initial plan, began surveying the surroundings.
The search wasn’t difficult. With a map of the contaminated area prepared by Eve, he methodically inspected each part, gradually filling in any blank spaces.
First, Oliver chose a location close to the entrance. It was a midpoint between the areas marked on Eve’s map and those uncharted. Here, he set up a temporary camp and, using the advantage of thirty people at his disposal, began searching the surrounding areas.
They noted down unmarked building locations, road layouts, illegal settlements, contaminated creature habitats, and potential hiding spots or secret passages.
Fortunately, their work progressed smoothly, thanks to some members of The Chosen Ones led by Marie and Fighter Crew, who had a knack for this kind of task.
“Hm, this should be enough for now.”
Oliver spoke as he reviewed the collected data.
Once they finished examining the vicinity, they moved to a new area and repeated the same search method, gradually filling in the map’s empty sections.
Of course, there were occasional issues.
As expected of a contaminated zone, some illegally disposed bodies had reanimated as zombies and attacked them. Additionally, contaminated creatures, tainted by drugs, disease, or black magic, would spring up from beneath the concrete floor to launch ambushes.
“Grrrr...”
“Screeee! Screeeee!”
Still, these disturbances were not particularly troublesome.
“Oh, how annoying.”
“Wow, that one’s big.”
Members of The Chosen Ones and Fighter Crew reacted with the same casual remarks whenever zombies or contaminated creatures appeared sporadically, repelling them without difficulty.
For instance, Double-Gun Sam formed a hand seal as if holding a gun and cast fire-type black magic, single-handedly clearing out waves of zombies. Starting with basic spells like Bullet of Wrath, he unleashed a range of projectiles, from submachine guns and Gatling guns to shotguns and even mortars, displaying an impressive firepower.
Although Sam’s expertise was limited to fire-type black magic, he handled it so well that he practically filled the role of a seasoned gunner.
Oliver observed Sam’s unexpected progress, and while impressive, Sam wasn’t the only one worth admiring.
Iron-Club Owen combined disease-type black magic with a Black Suit, showing remarkable close-combat prowess, resembling a tiny giant in stature.
Using his formidable physical strength, Owen packed five different disease-type black magic spells into his body and surrounded himself with a Black Suit as armor, launching a relentless offensive. He demonstrated his power by overpowering a contaminated creature the size of a house, smashing its head with his iron club.
“Gather the corpses. Those contaminated creatures can fetch a high price at the Tower of Magic.”
Yet, the most substantial progress was achieved by Joe.
Joe, the de facto leader of Fighter Crew and recently promoted to New Class in Landa, had indeed surprised Oliver. Initially, Oliver had been somewhat skeptical about Joe attaining the same level as Seamus, but now he could see why.
Having studied black magic directly from Oliver, Joe had mastered the use of both Black Suit and Black Armor, showcasing a completely different level of combat.
“Chk-! Chk-! We encountered a group of zombies during the search. Requesting backup. There’s also a corpse golem here.”
“I’ll handle this.”
Inside the temporary camp, a sudden transmission came over the communicator, shattering the quiet. Without waiting for Oliver’s approval, Joe immediately covered his legs in Black Suit and pushed off the ground.
Boom!
Joe vanished with a thunderous sound, leaving a small crack in the ground where he had stood. The powerful kick-off allowed him to move instantaneously.
“Incredible,” Oliver commented, admiring Joe’s progress, to which Mari agreed.
“Ever since Dave left for the New World, he’s been training diligently, and it seems his efforts are finally paying off.”
Though Mari usually addressed him formally as “Representative,” now that they were alone, she called him “Dave.”
Observing this, Oliver reassured Mari, sensing a hint of impatience in her.
“You’ll also achieve as much as Joe soon enough, Mari, so don’t rush.”
Currently, Mari was exceptionally powerful, but that strength came only when borrowing power from a demon.
‘That black hand over Mari’s head... It resembles the powers wielded by the White Swan Sect’s prince candidate.’
Mari’s unique black magic, which turned her entire body pitch black, granting her immense regenerative ability and strength, remained a mystery. However, one thing was clear—the demon had lent Mari its power.
Aware of this, Oliver had forbidden her from using that specific black magic, significantly reducing her combat abilities.
At this stage, Mari’s fighting capabilities were barely different from when Oliver first left the Joseph Family.
‘Still, managing The Chosen Ones so well without relying on sheer strength... Maybe it’s just her innate talent.’
Oliver recalled Mari’s ability to manage people without brute force. Just then, Mari spoke again.
“I have full faith, especially with Mr. Dave’s guidance.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Chk-! Chk-! This is Joe. I’ve provided the requested backup and eliminated the zombies and corpse golem. I’ll inspect the area and return shortly.”
Joe’s voice crackled over the communicator as he reported his progress. Mari marked the map accordingly.
“I’ll clear this area as a zombie encounter spot... Things are going smoother than expected. At this rate, we might complete the search ahead of schedule.”
“Seems so,” Oliver replied nonchalantly. However, Mari, with her keen senses, noticed a subtle change in his mood—a sign of her faith in Oliver rather than her black magic senses.
“Is something troubling you?”
Oliver didn’t hide his thoughts.
“There’s one thing. We’ve scouted the area fairly well, but there’s no sign of any people.”
“Oh...”
“From what I’ve heard, there are usually quite a few people here besides the zombies and contaminated creatures, although the city officially denies it. But several fixers and brokers who have worked here reported their presence.”
“That is strange. I also heard there are many refugees and criminals here.”
“While there have been cases where no one was found in the Contaminated Zone, those were never good scenarios.”
Oliver remembered his first assignment to clear a Contaminated Zone. Back then, he encountered Puppet, who had reportedly killed all illegal settlers and criminals in the contaminated area, merely because they were an inconvenience. In such areas, with no protection, they were left to fend for themselves.
‘Though Puppet wouldn’t be here, it still makes sense that another powerful external force could be involved.’
Oliver wondered whether to conduct a solo search in the Contaminated Zone to determine if this external force would hinder or help his mission.
Just then, Joe returned with the search party, bringing with them a group of subdued black magicians.
“Mmmph...”
One of the black magicians groaned, gagged. Oliver gestured at him, asking who he was, and Joe removed his gag before responding.
“We captured these black magicians while surveying the zombie-infested area. They mentioned something interesting, so we brought them... Go on, speak.”
Under Joe’s command, a demoralized black magician spoke up.
“Down below... Outsiders are killing everyone they come across. We barely managed to escape.”
...
The black magician Joe had captured was named Venter—a common enough black magician in the Contaminated Zone. Hidden in the lawless zone, he survived by scavenging discarded corpses from illegal dumping sites, dismembering and processing them for income—just another common black magic practitioner in Landa. However, what he had to say was far from ordinary.
“So, armed intruders stormed through the sewers, invading Venter’s underground hideout and killing everyone they encountered?”
“That’s right!” Venter nodded, his expression conveying genuine indignation.
It was understandable; after all, the sudden attack by outsiders had cost him his hard-earned territory.
Joe added more context.
“Just a theory, but it seems like one of the unaffiliated gangs from a neighboring town, perhaps the Shield Brotherhood.”
“Why do you think so?”
“Well, they were all in military uniforms, and the types of weapons match. The Crime Firm keeps an eye on them, so I’ve seen similar reports.”
Oliver considered this explanation, understanding that the Crime Firm had plenty of reasons to monitor them.
The gangs in the towns around Landa had repeatedly stolen Landa’s resources, creating hostility across various layers of society, including the Crime Firm.
However, Oliver had another question.
“If they’re based in neighboring towns, why would they come back to Landa? And especially to the Contaminated Zone?”
“I can’t be sure. Maybe they’re trying to re-enter Landa, but I doubt it. The Contaminated Zone doesn’t offer much for regular gangs,” Joe responded, and several other Fighter Crew members nodded in agreement.
While the Contaminated Zone did have pockets of social structure—mainly refugees, fugitives, and black magicians—it wasn’t exactly ideal territory for typical gangs. Surrounded by walls, it was hard to expand, and its contents, primarily junk and corpses, held little value unless one was a black magician. To top it off, zombies and contaminated creatures roamed freely, adding considerable risk.
“So, it’s more reasonable to assume that the intruders aren’t here to establish a base but to obtain something specific,” Oliver concluded, to which Joe nodded.
“Agreed. Although I have no idea what they could want. From what I know, anything valuable here was looted years ago, especially research equipment. Do you know of anything worth taking?”
Joe turned to Venter, who simply shook his head.
“If there was anything left, we’d have sold it off ourselves.”
Everyone seemed stumped—except for Oliver, who knew what lay hidden beneath the Contaminated Zone. However, he kept his suspicions to himself; it wasn’t the right time to confirm them, nor was it immediately relevant.
Tap.
Having gathered his thoughts, Oliver tapped the ground lightly with his quarterstaff to draw attention and turned back to business.
“Mr. Venter, you claim that while fleeing from the intruders, you encountered our group and attacked us, correct?”
“No, I didn’t attack! It was—well, you see, my guard zombie attacked without warning. The fight started so quickly I had no time to react, and I ended up using my corpse golem in self-defense. I was desperate and starving, so please, try to understand.”
Oliver nodded sympathetically. Though there were ways in and out, the Contaminated Zone was ultimately a sealed environment, and supplies of food and water were far scarcer than one might expect. Naturally, those who lost their hideouts and resources during the attacks had little choice but to resort to desperate measures.
“Do you think other black magicians living underground also suffered attacks?”
“Most likely. If anyone had managed to repel them, I’d have heard about it.”
“If that’s the case, would they come above ground to find refuge?”
“Possibly?”
“And what would they do if they did?”
Venter couldn’t answer, but Joe filled the silence.
“They’d attack whoever’s up here. They need new shelters, food, and supplies. It’s almost a given. People in this line of work usually think alike.”
“I agree. I’ve heard that those occupying the surface are mainly refugees, correct?”
Venter, sensing the weight of the conversation, nodded.
“And you know where these refugees are located, don’t you?”
...
Fortunately, Venter knew the exact location of the refugee camps. As someone who made a living by scavenging corpses, he often traded with the refugees, so he was familiar with the area.
Following Oliver’s request, Venter led the way, and, as they had anticipated, the refugee settlements within the Contaminated Zone had been ransacked by black magicians who had fled from below. Already a ruin, the camp now looked even more devastated.
Corpses littered the area, bloodstains were splattered around, and women and children had been taken away somewhere.
“Well, let’s sell these folks off to raise some funds...”
One of the brutish black magicians halted mid-sentence as he noticed a group approaching from the other side. Having just seized control of the refugee camp, the black magicians quickly realized these newcomers were no ordinary people. Their clothes were clean, and, more importantly, an intense aura radiated from the gaunt man at the front, making it hard to breathe.
The black magicians who had just been boasting about their victory instinctively made way, allowing Oliver to proceed unchallenged toward the leader of the black magicians gathered in the center of the camp.
Seeing the man’s face, Joe spoke up.
“This is Gwilim, a wanted criminal. His crimes include—”
[Targeting]
Before Joe could finish, Oliver activated a black magic spell. The targeted criminal, Gwilim, was pulled forward as Oliver seized him by the neck.
Despite Gwilim’s robust build, it was striking to see him held in the grip of the frail-looking Oliver.
“W-wait—”
Crack!
With a sudden squeeze, Oliver snapped Gwilim’s neck and laid him on the ground.
Thud.
Everyone looked on in silence as Oliver approached an elderly man who was bleeding from his head, the village elder of the refugee camp. He bowed courteously to the elder.
“Greetings, sir. My name is Zenon Bright, from the Tower of Magic. I’d like to propose a deal.”