#785. Epilogue - The Retired Old Man (4)
Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap. Ting-! Clack!
Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap. Ting-! Clack!
Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap. Ting-! Clack!
After finishing lunch, Forrest returned to his designated seat and started typing on his typewriter.
Ah, of course, he hadn’t merely eaten lunch.
They had wrapped up an ...
2025-02-28 11:36:50 +0000 UTC View PostEpilogue - The Retired Old Man (3)
“Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too.”
As soon as Forrest appeared, Marie and Joanna immediately stood up to greet him.
Judging by the atmosphere, they seemed to have been sitting awkwardly, which was understandable.
Marie and Joanna.
The Chosen One's representative and the Saintess of Parter Church.
The new rising religion and the one defending its established position.
These two...
2025-02-28 11:24:40 +0000 UTC View PostEpilogue - A Retired Old Man (2)
Time is money.
Following this maxim, Al skillfully finished washing the dishes and promptly prepared to go out.
“Are you going to the restaurant again today?”
“Where else would a wealthy old man like me go?”
Forrest, who had packed his belongings, responded in kind and stepped outside with Al.
True to England's characteristic glo...
2025-02-28 11:23:30 +0000 UTC View PostEpilogue - The Retired Old Man (1)
Beep-beep-beep-beep-!
Beep-beep-beep-beep-!
Beep-beep-beep- click!
“Ughhhhh…”
Awoken by the alarm, the old man groaned as he slowly opened his eyes.
The world, like his eyelids, was shifting from pitch-black darkness to a faint bluish-gray.
“Hmmmm…”
The old man, just waking up, let out a groggy murmur and checked the clock, which re...
2025-02-28 11:21:49 +0000 UTC View PostEpilogue - Boy (7)
Thunk─!!
The warlock swung his fist, landing another blow on Puppet's face as he stared at the ceiling.
Valeri didn’t stop his disciple, allowing Puppet to slump his head lower, more shocked than before.
Intense pain spread from one side of his face, and red blood trickled from his mouth, dripping onto the floor.
“Ha-ha······.”
Puppet laughed as he looked at his own blood.
That blood w...
2025-02-28 11:15:13 +0000 UTC View PostEpilogue – Boy (6)
"Ah…"
…Right, he remembered.
Who the old man standing before him was.
It was Valeri, the head of the Valeri family.
After staring at him for a while, he finally recalled. Among the many warlocks Puppet had encountered over the centuries, Valeri was one of the most common types.
A warlock who clung to power and wealth due to a troubled upbringing but lacked the necessary skill and talent.
That’s why Puppet on...
2025-02-24 13:09:46 +0000 UTC View PostEpilogue – Boy (5)
With a chilling silence, the creaking sound of screws echoed, and Puppet’s time began to flow slowly.
In that sluggish world, Puppet saw it.
Click!
One of the armed personnel’s mouth hung wide open.
It was closer to a doll than a human—like a nutcracker, like a Corpse doll.
And that "like" was, in fact, reality.
Between the parted lips, a dark gun barrel emerged.
Thunk! Thunk!<...
2025-02-24 13:02:03 +0000 UTC View PostEpilogue – Boy (4)
The mind is influenced by the body.
The countries in the East denied this fact and claimed that everything could be achieved with willpower alone, but that was clearly nonsense.
Having conducted countless human experiments, Puppet could assert this confidently.
No matter how diligent and positive a person was, forcing them to gain weight made them lazy and depressed.
And even the most aggressive individuals could be tamed thr...
2025-02-24 12:59:44 +0000 UTC View PostEpilogue - Boy (3)
For a warlock, the most important thing was humans.
It might sound like a contradictory statement, but it was true.
In order to use black magic, human emotions and life force were essential, and for creating manipulation-type black magic and black magic items, corpses, human organs, and body parts were required.
For reference, humans, like meat, had more value when they were fresh and alive.
At this point, warlocks often found ...
2025-02-24 12:50:39 +0000 UTC View PostEpilogue - Boy(2)
"Time for food."
As the thick iron door opened, a man entered and abruptly announced.
Unlike the dark, gloomy interior of the prison, the outside was bright, and the sudden influx of light from the opened door caused people to shield their eyes in pain.
Everyone except for Puppet.
Despite the brightness, Puppet forced his eyes open to observe the newcomer.
'Mid-40s, shabby clothing, irritable demeanor. Either a menial ...
2025-02-24 12:47:07 +0000 UTC View PostEpilogue - Boy (1)
A world as blurry as if shrouded in fog. In that place, Puppet saw the children.
The children were as indistinct as the world, barely visible like shadow puppets.
As a result, it was impossible to see the expressions on the children's faces, but that did not mean they couldn't be guessed.
In fact, it was easier to guess.
"Why aren't you our friend?"
"You're not a person!"
"You're a monster..."
"That's right! Y...
2025-02-24 12:39:13 +0000 UTC View PostGardener (4)
A proposal from God to create a new gardener.
When the man shared that fact, silence descended.
However, that silence didn’t last long before it was broken.
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch…
By Oliver, who was calmly eating a chocolate cookie.
“…”
The man silently stared at Oliver, and Oliver, without turning his head, looked at the shadowed face of the man.
Even though he couldn’t see his face du...
2025-02-17 09:56:17 +0000 UTC View PostGardener (3)
Upon opening the door, a landscape both alien and familiar unfolded.
A void where there were no floors, walls, or ceilings.
In the midst of this void, there was a table and two sofas, standing alone.
Sitting on one of the sofas was a man with shadows cast across his face.
The man, not looking at Oliver, asked if he had arrived, and Oliver greeted him, saying it had been a long time.
Then, without hesitation, he walked over and ...
2025-02-17 09:33:19 +0000 UTC View PostThe Gardener (2)
Step.
Step.
Step.
Oliver continued walking through the pitch-black space.
There was nothing in this space. No walls, floors, ceilings, or sky. Not even up, down, left, or right.
All that existed was endless darkness and vastness.
Yet, Oliver kept walking silently through the endless darkness.
Step.
Step.
Step...
2025-02-17 09:29:46 +0000 UTC View PostTime keeps flowing.
No matter what happens.
Good things, bad things, tragically terrible things, even miraculous events, time keeps flowing and turns everything into the past, gradually fading their meaning and color.
This was no exception for Oliver, who had prevented the apocalypse.
One day, two days, three days, four days... As the sun rose and set, that event too gradually became the past and faded away.
But was that ...
2025-02-16 11:38:00 +0000 UTC View PostThe elders of the Anti-Development committee ran down the deep hallway, and shortly afterward, returned with some young men.
They silently passed by Oliver, leading the bewildered young men, and Oliver likewise let them go without a word.
They had already exchanged enough words, and any more would be a waste.
However, the last elder to pass by seemed to think otherwise, pausing for a moment before quietly saying one word.
“...
2025-02-16 05:12:39 +0000 UTC View Post"Of course, I’ve been waiting for a long time!"
Ewan, who had been sitting awkwardly among Eve, Pandora, and Lilith, suddenly stood up and shouted.
The people from the Anti-Development committee nearby were shocked by his outburst.
The person in question, Oliver, simply responded calmly.
"I don’t recall asking Mr. Ewan to wait for me."
"Have you always been like this?"
Ewan feigned disbelief and, with a cheeky ...
2025-02-16 04:57:21 +0000 UTC View PostIf you turn back the clock slightly, you can see that quite a lot has happened.
In the heart of the United Kingdom, the capital, the apocalypse unfolded, and salvation was achieved just in time.
Thanks to a boy with twelve wings.
It was, literally, a miracle.
However, the aftermath of the miracle caused disturbances, large and small, in the capital.
Not severe crimes like looting, arson, or murder, but in some ways even m...
2025-02-16 04:50:41 +0000 UTC View PostLanda is often called the Free City.
This was evident in the fact that people referred to it as the Free City of Landa.
However, Landa had numerous other nicknames.
Due to its immense size, comprised of 26 small cities, it was also called a Mega City.
It was also considered the center of the world, being the most economically advanced.
Given the times, places where money gathered were considered sacred.
As if to prove thi...
2025-02-16 04:44:22 +0000 UTC View PostThe pure white sky, the pure white snow, and the pure white land.
The land of ice, called the end of the world, could be summarized as such.
It was all white, with nothing else to be seen.
Due to its harsh environment, no human had ever conquered this land, and Oliver entered a hole in its midst.
It was so deep and vast that calling it an entrance seemed inadequate; it felt more like a cliff or a chasm. Yet, when Oliver stepped forwa...
2025-02-16 04:43:10 +0000 UTC View PostStep.
Step.
Step.
A boy and a man walked side by side through a dense forest, where twilight descended, plunging the surroundings into darkness.
Though the ground beneath their feet was barely visible and stumbling seemed inevitable, the two walked on without hesitation, conversing comfortably.
“What she said must be true.”
“Are you referring to Sleeping Beauty?”<...
2025-02-16 04:35:06 +0000 UTC View PostOliver (5)
Even during the age of magic and industry, hailed as the golden age of humanity, there were places untouched by its blessings.
Such places included the New Continent, the Land of Sand, and the barbaric Eastern Lands. But even among the nations deemed chosen and blessed by the gods, there were areas like this.
This place was none other than the central continent. The reason? A wicked warlock.
A monster with overwhelming power who kidnapped ch...
2025-02-08 13:24:02 +0000 UTC View PostOliver (4)
“Kyaahahahaha! Why on earth am I doing this?!”
The Child-Third, inside the Corpse doll Shamus, screamed toward the sky with a feral cry.
That scream could be likened to the wail of a laborer who had worked three days and nights on reconstruction efforts for minimum wage.
“Arghhh!! Labor laws!! We need red labor laws─!!!”
A cry filled with eerie energy. Yet, complaints were complaints, and work was work.
Third clenched h...
2025-02-08 13:15:41 +0000 UTC View PostOliver (3)
"I'm sorry."
Oliver said.
"I'm sorry."
He spoke, tears streaming from his eyes.
"I'm truly sorry."
He apologized to Unbending Knee.
"······!"
At the sight, Unbending Knee, consumed by the madness of hatred, momentarily regained sanity and loosened the grip on Oliver’s neck.
But, it was just for a brief moment. Once again, he let himself be engulfed by the madness of hatred and began strangling Oliver’s...
2025-02-08 13:06:17 +0000 UTC View PostOliver (2)
Through the pitch-black hole torn in the sky, a sea of fire descended.
The chaotic sea of flames, swirling in shades of yellow, orange, and red, shook the world as it began to infuse the fiery sword held by Burnt One.
Kwahahahahahahak────────!!!
The fiery sword, absorbing the sea of fire that had fallen from the sky, instantly expanded, growing to a size as if it could reach the heavens.
Yet, it did not...
2025-02-08 12:58:34 +0000 UTC View PostOliver (1)
A sinner, shamelessly yearning for salvation despite committing atrocious crimes, shouted:
“I know better than anyone that my sins cannot be forgiven by mere words! Stopping you is nothing but an act of our will─!!”
Surprisingly, those words were sincere. Repenting for his sins while yearning for salvation, he risked his life to stand before Burnt One, despite knowing he might not be saved.
By his own will.
Honestly, it was quite...
2025-02-08 12:49:48 +0000 UTC View PostGod’s will (10)
In the silence, as if the sound had been cut away.
A wave of humans, composed of paladins, brandished their weapons and charged toward the demon.
The ring of fire above the head of Burnt One spun rapidly and gleamed, burning the foremost paladin to ashes without leaving a trace.
Even so, the wave of paladins did not stop, filling the empty spots and rushing forward even faster.
The ring of fire gleamed once more. The foremost pa...
2025-02-08 12:40:34 +0000 UTC View PostGod’s will (9)
Oliver assumed his position.
Burnt One clenched his fist.
Whoosh.
The sound of air burning resonated.
Thud.
The sound of footsteps echoed.
Oliver walked forward and approached Burnt One.
Burnt One, standing still, swung his arm and struck Oliver hard.
──!
A loud noise rang out, and Oliver fell vertically with his neck severely twisted.
Silence d...
2025-02-08 12:27:45 +0000 UTC View PostGod’s will (8)
Burnt One spoke.
[What were you expecting?]
No answer came.
More precisely, no one dared to answer.
They despaired at the sight of Oliver, his entire body burned, his side and right shoulder pierced, his right arm severed.
And they were overwhelmed by the demon standing above such an Oliver, wielding a sword of flames.
No one could respond.
"······."
Time seemed to freeze, and a heavy sil...
2025-02-08 12:18:33 +0000 UTC View Post#756. God's Will (7)
When Burnt One spread his hands, a massive flame fell through a pitch-black hole torn in the sky.
The flame that broke through the pitch-black sky revealed itself and burned everything below to ashes.
The surrounding buildings and land that withstood the heat of the lava, and even the Hunger embedded in the lava, either crumbled into ash or shriveled up and evaporated.
"Haah...!"
Oliver was no exception.
In the intense ...
2025-02-08 11:22:30 +0000 UTC View Post