Chapter 373

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Oliver reiterated, just as he had done previously when he first encountered Celine, that he was not God but simply Oliver.

Those who heard the tale responded in a manner consistent with Celine’s reaction, yet due to the circumstances, they complied with Oliver’s request.

Despite their unease, they moved unsteadily, obtained keys from the fallen servants, and liberated their incarcerated comrades.

Approximately twenty individuals emerged, taken aback by the unexpected assistance, and inquired about the situation.

“What on earth happened...?”

“I heard something about Druids... Did the leader send mercenaries?”

Confronted with a barrage of inquiries from their freed associates, those who had assisted Oliver appeared bewildered, exchanging helpless glances with Oliver.

Even in this dire situation, Oliver introduced himself to them.

He believed that, no matter how urgent the situation, it was right to correct any misunderstandings.

“My name is Oliver. It’s nice to meet all of you.”

Oliver greeted them courteously, placing one hand on his chest.

The sight left the twenty or so people staring at him in stunned silence, their eyes wide.

What should he say...? It was a bit awkward. Even though he had neither participated nor intended to, he felt a bit guilty as if he had deceived them.

What on earth did Marie do to elicit such a reaction...?

As everyone was struggling to come to terms with the situation, a man hesitantly spoke up.

“Are you... God?”

“No, I’m sorry, but I am not God. I am just Oliver.”

“But-“

Oliver raised his hand, cutting the man off.

Honestly, he would have liked to correct the misconception right then and there, but time was short.

“I apologize, but I’ll explain that to you all later. Right now, we have more pressing matters.”

Oliver, seeking their understanding, pointed to the hallway blocked by a wooden barrier.

The sound of wood breaking grew louder.

Bang! Bang! Creak! Creak...!

That noise lent weight to Oliver’s words.

The atmosphere settled.

Oliver then asked, “Does anyone know where Mr. Lawrence is? I have something to ask him.”

A man cautiously raised his hand.

“Uh... he’s probably in the interrogation room. After Lawrence was brought here, he didn’t say a word, but instead provoked the paladins and got restrained.”

“Ah, I see. Where is the interrogation room?”

At Oliver’s inquiry, the man gestured for him to follow and led the way.

Oliver took another branch from his pouch, enlarged it to further block the hallway, and followed the man.

As Oliver moved, people cleared a path for him, their faces a mix of admiration, faith, skepticism, reverence, and determination.

They seemed to have resolved themselves for something.

“Uh... aren’t you all coming?”

“We, we will wait for the God to━”

“━I apologize, but I am not God. Just call me Oliver.”

“Oh, Ol... we will guard this place while you take care of things.”Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com

“Ah... thank you for the offer, but if it’s alright, would you come with me? I came here to help all of you after all.”

With a modest gesture, Oliver addressed the crowd.

Although they were all trapped and it was unclear how he planned to escape, an inexplicable faith had sprouted within them, and they followed Oliver.

***

“Here, here it is.”

In the deepest part of the shelter, Oliver stopped in front of an iron door.

With force, he pushed open the locked door. Accompanied by a grating sound, the doorknob shattered, and the door screeched open.

The inside was dark, but as light seeped in through the gap, Oliver could see a man lying on the floor.

“Is this Mr. Lawrence?”

“Yes, that’s him.”

“Ah... so this is Mr. Lawrence.”

Oliver recalled the subordinates who were with Marie when he first met her in Landa.

Among Marie’s many subordinates, he was the most loyal and handsome man.

“Who... Who are you?”

Marie’s subordinate, no, Lawrence, with blood on his head and lying on the floor, asked Oliver with fading consciousness.

Oliver approached him, supported him, and removed the disguise spell from the School of Pure Magic on his face.

As the fake face woven with magic disappeared, Oliver’s true face was revealed underneath.

The results exceeded his expectations.

The combined power of human life force and nature proved much more efficient than the original power, causing each shattered tree fragment to spring to life, transforming into massive trees.

The paladins and servants, who had rushed in, found themselves unexpectedly encircled by these rapidly growing trees, pinned underneath.

“What, what is this?!”

“He had this level of ability?!”

“Hold on! Resist!”

In a flash, Oliver employed the swiftly growing tree fragments to subdue the paladins and servants, confirming the synergy between the power of nature and the other energy.

This appeared to be a promising avenue to explore further.

***

Vrooooom━!

Having subdued the paladins and servants by blending the power of nature and life force, Oliver immediately scoured the temporary hideout for pertinent reports, various records, evidence, and documents.

Just as the pharmacist had mentioned, the records were meticulously organized. Oliver transferred all the data to Bigmouth, then promptly exited the location.

Upon exiting, Oliver checked the surroundings to ensure no one was nearby, then retrieved the customized vehicle from Company B that Philip had given him as a gift. He returned it to its original size and sped toward the abandoned temple at North Street 582R, where Marie was hiding.

Philip’s vehicle, true to its name as a specially custom-made vehicle, emitted a powerful engine roar and accelerated rapidly, soon entering a main road.

Consulting the map, he needed to continue on the main road and exit at the northern area of Wineham.

The concern was whether he could arrive in time.

According to Lawrence, the paladins had already gone after Marie.

One saving grace was that the vicinity of North Street 582R, where Marie was hiding, was a run-down slum area with plenty of hiding places. Also, since it was nighttime, Oliver’s car could utilize its full capabilities at maximum speed.

“Still, it seems tough.”

As Oliver drove at the highest speed he could muster and approached the vicinity of the address Lawrence had provided, he muttered to himself.

Explosions, typical of a fierce battle, and the soft glow distinctive of holy spells emanated from the abandoned temple visible in the distance.

Also, the sound of gunfire and shouts.

The battle had already begun.

Focusing his gaze, Oliver tried to discern from a distance what was happening.

The distance was substantial, so he had to concentrate more than usual, and soon, his regular vision faded, activating the warlock’s vision.

Everything turned dark, and Oliver could perceive a multitude of emotions.

In the neglected city of Wineham, the oppressed populace.

Marie and her group were engaged in combat with the paladins right in the heart of where these people lived.

They fought desperately around the closed temple, but things weren’t looking good for Marie.

They were cornered, trapped in the center.

No surprises there.

Their adversaries were the paladins – the natural enemies of warlocks, along with their subordinate servants. The numbers, formations, and positions were all against them.

Through the eyes of the warlock, Oliver confirmed that Marie was completely encircled and contemplated how to intervene.

Entering directly would likely result in chaos.

That would be problematic.

After all, he hadn’t come to battle the paladins but to aid Marie.

He wished to avoid unnecessary conflicts and preferably achieve a favorable outcome.

‘I need to divert their attention for a moment to secure Marie... But first, I need to gather everyone’s attention.’

With that thought, Oliver pondered his next move and retrieved two pieces of paper from his pocket.

Utilizing the paper imbued with portal magic, Oliver tossed one into the sky above, manipulated it with his power, and sent it above the temple where the battle raged. He then threw the other in front of his car.

When Oliver activated the spell on the paper, a purple portal materialized in front of his car and above the temple.

He sped his car into the portal, and the surroundings shifted.

He found himself in the sky.

Above the closed temple.

As he began to descend, Oliver donned his newly-made wooden mask and pressed a button on his car’s dashboard, revealing a mounted Gatling gun.

Click. Click.

With mechanical sounds, the impressive Gatling gun emerged.

Guiding the handle, Oliver aimed the Gatling gun at the sky and squeezed the trigger.

Intense beams of light shot forth, and a thunderous roar echoed.

Dudududududududududu━━!!!

“Hmm... I like it.”

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