Genius Warlock

As soon as his business trip was approved, Oliver traveled from the magic tower to the Outpost through a portal magic device.

The Outpost was a city located at the border of England and Northland, which once served as a military base for attacking Northland.

Of course, now that Northland had been incorporated into the kingdom, the city had changed its role, serving as a transit point for ore from Northland and a processing facility.

Thanks to this, the Outpost was the most vibrant city Oliver had seen, except for Landa.

It was even lively enough to have a branch of the magic tower.

As soon as Oliver arrived at the Outpost through the portal, he was able to hear about a way to travel to the research zone with the help of the local magic tower branch.

"To get to Mountain Pace, first, you need to take a train here to Holland. It's a somewhat urban area in the northeastern part of Northland. However, from there on, there's no transportation infrastructure, so you'll have to find your own means of transportation."

Find your own means of transportation…

Having never dealt with such matters before, Oliver found this quite challenging.

Especially, according to Kevin's words, there are many people who want to hunt down the people of the kingdom.

Fortunately, a wizard from the Outpost branch helped Oliver.

"Take this. It's an introduction letter. With this, go and seek help from the Hall family. Then, they'll provide you with a truck or something. The head of the family is not in good health, so you'll likely be greeted by his son, who has a bad temper. Be careful."

Despite not being particularly hospitable towards Oliver initially, he showed a surprising amount of thoughtfulness.

Could it be that he put his best effort into his work, regardless of personal emotions? Regardless, it was a commendable mindset.

Furthermore, he warned Oliver to stay alert for highway robbers, tricksters, criminals, and wild animals, echoing Kevin's earlier advice.

Expressing his gratitude, Oliver boarded the train, promising to keep his advice in mind.

‘…So this is how it ends up.' thought Oliver, having finished reminiscing.

He had heard that there were many robbers in Northland, but he never dreamed that he would encounter them less than an hour after boarding the train.

Using the vision of Warlock, Oliver examined the number of robbers around the train.

Approximately twenty, all riding illegally modified vehicles and motorcycles.

The engine component was excessively altered; however, the power-to-weight ratio and flow were insufficient, rendering the modifications excessive.

Such adjustments were precarious, with the potential for catastrophic failure if not handled correctly. Regardless of whether it didn't result in an explosion, the component's longevity would be compromised.

It seemed they were planning to use it just once to catch up with the train.

"Goodness…! How could such a vehicle manage to keep up with a train?"

A passenger remarked nervously, gripping his luggage as he spoke.

He was not alone in his unease.

Anxiety filled the entire compartment where Oliver was seated.

This was understandable, as the majority of passengers were ordinary people. It was natural for them to feel frightened if a group of armed individuals targeted them.

However, not everyone was gripped by fear.

A man who looked like a father comforted two boys and a girl, who appeared to be his children.

"Don't worry. There are security guards on the train to protect us. There won't be any problems. We've also sent a distress signal. It'll be alright, it'll be alright."

Not an unfounded claim.

In fact, mercenaries were on board the train to protect passengers and cargo, and they were doing their best to fend off the bandits by shooting from the train.

They had also launched a flare earlier to signal for help from nearby military forces.

However, Oliver could not be entirely hopeful.

The train guards' skills were not lacking, but the twenty bandits pursuing the train were also quite formidable.

They all had considerable Life-force, and six of them were mana users.

In particular, the double-bladed ax-wielding man riding in a modified vehicle alongside Oliver's cabin stood out the most.

Despite the vehicle speeding at a tremendous pace, he confidently stood in the back seat and kept yelling for the train to stop.

His voice was infused with mana, so it pierced through the noisy gunfire and could be heard clearly.

"This is your last warning! Stop! If you don't stop, you'll see blood!"

The train did not stop, and a mercenary on the roof of the train responded with gunfire.

Amazingly, the double-bladed ax man swung his heavy ax sideways, not only deflecting the bullets but also returning them to the shooter.

Whether he was hit or not, the mercenary fell from the roof of the train with a short scream.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

As the sound of frantic footsteps echoed on the train's roof, the mercenaries quickly shifted their focus towards the double-bladed ax man, recognizing the danger he posed and intending to concentrate their fire on him.

Yet, their response was futile.

The ax man had already begun to gather his mana, compressing it within his body and then releasing it in a powerful leap that propelled him onto the speeding train's roof.

The train and its cars were hurtling forward at great velocity, adding to the danger of the situation.

The passengers in the train cabin were left stunned by the sudden and daring display of the ax man's abilities.

Crash-!!

Under the weight and strength of the double-bladed ax man, the train's roof bowed slightly, straining under the force.

As one of the bandits made their way onto the train, the already anxious passengers huddled together in fear.

Although some hoped that the train guards would protect them, Oliver, observing the fight through the eyes of the Warlock, had a different plan in mind.

Despite not being able to see the battle in detail, Oliver could still sense the situation through the Life-force and emotions of those involved.

Unfortunately, it was clear that the double-bladed ax man had a considerable advantage over the guards on the train's roof. Burning through his overflowing mana to enhance his physical abilities, he relentlessly charged forward, pushing back nearly five guards.

Already in a psychologically defeated state, the guards were struggling to put up any meaningful resistance against their opponent.

Adding to the chaos, Oliver detected new emotions in the distance, indicating that there were more accomplices of the train bandits nearby.

The pile of wood blocking the railroad in the distance provided further evidence of their presence. Though not large enough to derail the train, the burning pile of wood emitted black smoke, posing a threat to the train's progress.

As expected, the train came to an abrupt halt due to the sudden obstacle, causing everyone to lean forward momentarily, except for Oliver.

Using Duncan's Tonfa, which he had brought for self-defense, Oliver managed to maintain his balance even as the train shuddered to a stop.

Screeeech———Crash!!!

With a deafening screech, the metal scraped against the surface, creating intense friction that shook the very foundation of the area. As a result, the ceiling collapsed, crashing down to the ground below.

In the midst of the chaos, two lifeless bodies, torn and mutilated as if ravaged by a savage beast, lay on the ground. The double-bladed ax man, who had trampled over them like a mat, also fell to the ground in a heap.

His bloodied body was evidence of the brutal fight that had just taken place. However, instead of showing any signs of pain or exhaustion, the ax man simply grinned ferociously.

"Hahaha!! You weak fools dare to…!"

Oliver's heightened senses allowed him to discern a mix of emotions in the double-bladed ax man's expression, including genuine joy as well as intense feelings of hatred, anger, and resentment.

Thankfully, the ax man didn't seem to have any interest in harming the passengers. However, when a young child, who had been conversing with his father earlier, saw the corpses and bloodstained man, he burst into tears.

Hearing the child's cries, the double-bladed ax man turned his head towards the source of the noise.

The father of the child held him close, begging for mercy, but the ax man, who had already tasted blood, paid no heed to the pleas. Instead, he gathered his mana, preparing to swing his deadly weapon once more.

"Kyahaha…!"

Amidst his raucous laughter, the man suddenly felt a sharp thud against the back of his head, causing his eyes to widen in surprise.

Unbeknownst to him, Oliver, who had crept up behind him, had struck him forcefully with the pointed end of the Tonfa handle, piercing his skull.

With a loud thud, the bandit fell to the ground, lifeless. As Oliver retrieved the Tonfa from the man's head, he turned to the father who was holding the crying child.

"Are you all right?"

⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩

BANG!

As the train stopped, twenty bandits who had been chasing it and ten more who had been waiting ahead stormed into the train.

They kicked open the doors and climbed onto the train, shooting their guns at the ceiling or swinging knives and hammers to threaten the passengers, taking jewelry, luggage, and anything valuable.

"Hand over the ring! The ring! And that necklace too!"

"Do you want to be searched?! Hand over that bag! I said hand it over!"

Gunshots were heard intermittently.

People had no choice but to submit like a terrified flock of sheep.

Naturally, the same happened in the compartment Oliver was in. However, the difference was that the bandit's face was struck by the double-bladed ax thrown by Oliver before he even got a chance to shoot.

Swish, Swish.

As soon as Oliver hit the bandit with the thrown ax, he wiped the brain matter and blood on the Tonfa handle with the double-bladed ax man's clothes.

The passengers in the same compartment as Oliver watched him without making a sound.

It was scary, but in a different way. They felt a very alien fear, different from that of a bandit or a murderer.

"Um, it's all cleaned up."

Oliver checked the Tonfa handle, got up, and walked forward.

The reason was simple.

He hadn't intended to get involved, but since he had, he thought it would be best to finish things.

Oliver opened the door to the next compartment.

Some passengers had broken the rear doors or windows to escape from the bandits, while the weaker women and children who had been pushed back were becoming the bandits' prey.

Whether hit while resisting or trampled by people, an old man was lying on the ground, bleeding.

Oliver locked eyes with a train bandit who was searching for something valuable in the old man's belongings.

"…..Heh."

The bandit, with a scraggly beard, chuckled and aimed his gun at Oliver. Then he pulled the trigger…

-Whack!!

Oliver threw the Tonfa in his hand like an ax, striking the bandit.

The steel Tonfa imbued with mana, flew faster than its weight would suggest, shattering the skull of the opponent in front of him.

To describe it similarly or metaphorically, it's like the shape of one side of the pudding being scraped with a spoon.

It all happened in an instant. As two other bandits who were searching the bodies and luggage behind were confused, Oliver quickly took action, using the seats as a stepping stone.

Wham-Woosh!

Using the mana stored in his body as a resource to enhance his physical abilities, Oliver not only closed the distance in an instant but also retrieved his Tonfa and swung it with both hands to beat the bandits to death.

With one hand, he punched a hole in the chest, and with the other, he whipped the Tonfa like a whip, shattering the jawbone.

He had learned the technique directly from Corpse doll-Duncan, and this was his first time using it in real combat, so his movements were a bit clumsy.

‘Still, it was good to learn. Quarterstaff would have been too restrictive in this tight space. And killing with bare hands is also challenging.'

Two bandits finished off in a single breath.

Just in time, a bandit from the front compartment came in. He had a body mixed with fat and muscle like a lion's.

"Hey, stop playing and come out! We're about to take off…"

The large man saw the dead bodies of his comrades and Oliver and suddenly stopped speaking.

His mind froze at the unexpected situation.

Oliver immediately threw his Tonfa and embedded it in the man's chest and shoulder.

Unable to use black magic and having to use only pure magic school magic, it was crucial to move quickly and not let his guard down.

Since his disguised identity as Zenon was known to use pure magic school magic, it wasn't good to stand out by using other magic.

Oliver kept this in mind as he looked forward.

The large man from the front compartment, unlike the bandits that Oliver had just knocked down, endured the pain and summoned his mana to prepare for battle.

"You little rat…!"

Despite the pain, he had incredible willpower. Oliver reached out, admiring him, and at the same time, pulled on the mana thread connected to the Tonfa.

Maintaining the strength of the magic chain while compressing it, the Tonfa was pulled by Oliver's strength, and the large man was dragged along.

Like a fish caught on a hook.

"Arghhhhh!!!"

As the Tonfa caught in his flesh and bone caused terrible pain, the large man screamed.

Oliver pulled the mana thread harder, forcibly removing the Tonfa, and then slammed it down on the man's head, crushing it.

There were still many opponents left to face.

"Let's see…"

Oliver muttered, examining the approaching bandits with the eyes of the warlock.

⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩

Taking down the train robbers was easier than expected.

As a current employee of the Magic Tower, he was unable to use black magic and could only use magic from the pure magic school.

However, using the warlock's eyes, he was able to predict the positions and emotions of his opponents, effectively responding to each of their psychological states.

He quickly closed the distance on unsuspecting opponents to deliver a surprise strike, and then attacked those who were shocked and frozen by throwing a Tonfa or launching nearby objects, easily subduing them.

Using the narrow and easy-to-hide train interior to his advantage doubled the effect.

As if to prove it, Oliver nonchalantly walked through the train, taking down twenty of the thirty train robbers before encountering another one.

"Where did this monster come from…?"

The mustached man, who seemed to be the leader of the train robbers, spoke from behind a hostage.

Even with a dozen henchmen around him, he was visibly terrified.

Oliver was puzzled by his emotional state, but it wasn't that strange.

His sleeves and cuffs were soaked with blood after subduing all the robbers inside the train.

The lethality of the Tonfa was too strong.

However, Oliver was unaware of this since it was his first time using the weapon.

"If you move even a little, I'll slit this woman's throat like a pig, so don't move!"

The mustached leader threatened and yelled.

Oliver hesitated unknowingly at the seemingly obvious demand.

Meanwhile, the other robbers cautiously approached Oliver.

Instead of fleeing, they intended to avenge their comrades.

Oliver remained still, complying with their demand, before suddenly voicing a question that came to his mind.

"…But, what does her being held hostage have to do with me not moving?"

A pure question without malice, which made it even more chilling.

The flustered mustached leader once again pressed the knife against the hostage's throat, threatening Oliver not to move. However, Oliver quickly assessed the opponent's psychological state in a short time and killed two approaching robbers in an instant.

Swinging the Tonfa like a whip, Oliver struck each of them in the temple and jaw.

With a gruesome sound, the two giants collapsed to the ground.

Oliver looked ahead again. As expected, the mustached man couldn't bring himself to slit the hostage's throat. He was afraid, and that fear had just intensified.

For him, the hostage was his only means of defense. She wasn't someone he could easily kill.

Of course, that might not have been the case…

‘Well, that's too bad.'

Oliver readjusted his grip on the Tonfa and prepared to throw it.

His target was the mustached man. He intended to hit the man's head to secure the hostage's safety. No matter how he thought about it, this seemed appropriate.

Just as Oliver was about to throw the Tonfa, something burst out from the mustached man's face.

Someone, who was moving among the fleeing passengers, had sneaked up behind him and pierced the back of the mustached man's head with a knife. Although it was just a 20cm-long dagger, it was perfectly suited to create a tunnel from the back of the head to the forehead.

"Aaaaaaah!"

Upon witnessing the violent scene, the woman, who had been taken hostage, let out a piercing scream, while the mustached man's body crumpled to the ground.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows, having ambushed the mustached man from behind.

Although Oliver didn't recognize the face, he knew exactly who he was – one of the commanders of the Kell Liberation Army, and the man who had orchestrated the attack on Landa's prison, Willes.

(To be Continued)

OR

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