Genius Warlock

Chapter 341

"I never had any expectations for you. Not even once," Theodore stated in his usual manner as he thrust a knife into Carl's back, a move that carried an authentic air.

Oliver, suspended upside down from the ceiling, silently observed the unfolding scene.

Despite the perfect moment for an attack, the suddenness of the situation led him to desire further observation.

Additionally, other concerns occupied his mind, such as the absence of a puncture wound resulting from Theodore's strike.

Certainly, when one pierces another's torso with a knife, a wound should manifest, and blood should flow. However, the spectacle before his eyes defied this expectation.

Rather than creating a wound, Theodore's arm and the knife appeared to meld together, to fuse.

Bubbles effervesced at the point of flesh meeting, veins and blood vessels intertwined, and even their life forces became entangled.

It was fusion. Although Oliver lacked scholarly knowledge on the subject, he sensed it instinctively.

Equally intriguing was Carl's emotional state.

Carl, who had overseen human experiments at Mattel, ironically descended into a chasm of terror, fear, confusion, betrayal, and sorrow, mirroring the children he had once experimented on.

It felt as if his entire world had crumbled.

From Oliver's perspective, it didn't quite add up. In all honesty, it baffled him.

While Theodore's actions were somewhat unexpected, they weren't fundamentally different from what Carl himself had done in the past. So why such a reaction?

Even though the roles had switched, he was essentially continuing the same practices he had always engaged in.

What added to the incomprehensibility of the situation was that Oliver, despite his detached observation, felt a slight twinge of pity. Just a faint one, akin to what he had felt for Colin.

Thud.

Oliver, who had been hanging from the ceiling, landed on the ground, and in the meantime, Theodore deftly absorbed his prey.

With the eyes of a warlock, Oliver witnessed it.

The life force and emotions of Carl were devoured by Theodore's life force and emotions.

It was akin to a snake devouring a mouse.

"Ah... Thank you for waiting," Theodore spoke after completely assimilating Carl's body, looking remarkably refreshed.

"No, I was curious to watch, so you don't have to thank me."

"Ah, is that so?"

"Yes."

Oliver nodded.

This was his first encounter with someone consuming another person in such a manner.

While Puppet had displayed something similar in the contaminated zone, and the disciples of the Human-meat Chef had demonstrated a similar process, there was a clear distinction.

Puppet and Human-meat Chef's disciples engaged in ‘consumption,' whereas Theodore executed ‘fusion,' literally absorbing his subject and only assuming their will.

At first glance, Theodore's technique appeared to be more advanced.

‘There appear to be weaknesses, though...'

Oliver inquired, "May I ask a few questions?"

"Go ahead," Theodore granted permission.

"Was that technique developed internally within the School of Life Magic? Or did you adapt it from Mr. Puppet or Mr. Human-meat Chef?"

"Have you met either of them?" Theodore asked in response.

"I've met Mr. Puppet, but not Mr. Chef. However, I have met his disciples and know that they consume human flesh to absorb power."

"Hmm... and you're still alive? Quite impressive. Or should that be expected?"

"......?" Confused by Theodore's enigmatic response, Oliver tilted his head.

Theodore elucidated, "I did adapt the technique based on theirs but refined it in the School of Life Magic's way. Their methods are inefficient."

Oliver nodded in agreement.

As mentioned earlier, Puppet and Human-meat Chef focused on ‘consumption,' whereas Theodore practiced ‘fusion.'

In terms of efficiency, Theodore's approach seemed superior.

He had not only rejuvenated himself by absorbing Carl's life force and youth but also acquired Carl's mana and energy flow as his own.

"Is that the end of your questions?"

"Yes."

"You said you happened to use the technique, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"You didn't learn blood magic; you simply mimicked and used it?"

"Yes."

"Your magic isn't something someone taught you, but something you could just use?"

"It's similar. Although I did learn, I used it before I learned."

Having received these responses, Theodore's previously cheerful demeanor gave way to intense jealousy and anger.

Jealousy toward Oliver and anger at the unfairness of his own reality.

It was a series of perplexing events.

Among all the people Oliver had encountered thus far, none seemed as blessed as Theodore. Yet, he harbored jealousy towards him, who hailed from an orphanage and resentment towards the injustices of the world.

It was an inexplicable reaction.

"Do you have any idea how much I had to pay to fully absorb your blood?"

"...? Are you referring to the wizards upstairs earlier?"

"Yes, there was a tremendous backlash just for implanting a small drop of blood. Even excellent wizards twisted in agony, their blood corrupting, leading to death."

"......"

"So I had to pay with the mana and life force of over a hundred wizards to barely implant a few drops of blood into Carl. I swallowed such Carl! ...Tell me! Who are you? What being are you to possess such blood?!”

Theodore already held a degree of certainty, but he sought confirmation from Oliver.

Contrary to Theodore's heightened emotional state, Oliver could only muster confusion and bewilderment.

It was like encountering a drunken individual rambling on the street.

Nevertheless, Oliver responded courteously, "...I am merely a private staff member of a Magic Tower Professor, Zenon Bright, and a solver for District T."

Evidently, this response did not satisfy Theodore, as he appeared displeased, as if he had been disregarded.

"As I suspected, it's too much for you. It's excessive!" Theodore exclaimed, releasing his emotions onto the ground.

Astoundingly, it was [Bless], the original black magic of Marie and the one that Oliver had recently employed.

Theodore's emotions took on a form between mist and light, sweeping across the entire building and overlaying Oliver's previously established control.

Oliver made a belated attempt to defend his control, but it was too late.

Woosh... Screech... Crack! Crack!

Theodore expertly manipulated black magic to distort the upper portion of the building, as if he had wielded it from the beginning.

It took on the form of a wire-made globe, rendering the ground beneath exceedingly precarious.

At the impressive skills, Oliver realized that what Theodore had gained extended beyond absorbing Carl; it involved honing fundamental skills.

This only deepened the mystery.

Why would someone of Theodore's caliber betray Magic Tower, sacrifice numerous wizards, and even his own grandson, all for the sake of absorbing a few drops of his blood?

However, Theodore, suspended upside down from the apex of the globe, soon revealed his own reasoning.

"I will swallow you whole to overcome the curse of aging and death granted by Gods to humans! To beat the Doom that's coming! To close the gap between Merlin and myself, to prove that I am the greatest wizard! The chosen one!"

Theodore shouted these intriguing words as he unleashed a torrent of electricity over the grotesque landscape he had manipulated using Bless.

The blue electricity crackled vividly, dense and coarse as it enveloped the entire structure.

Recognizing that conventional defenses would not suffice, Oliver leaped to evade the surge of electricity.

"Where do you think you're going!"

As if he had been waiting, Theodore manipulated the electricity spread across the surface, which he had controlled using Bless, to attack Oliver.

Dozens of lightning bolts streaked toward him from all directions.

A technique that, though straightforward, demanded exceptional magical control.

Just before the lightning struck, Oliver conjured a blood balloon using a small reserve of blood he had stored in a test tube, harnessed a significant amount of blood, and narrowly dodged the attack by shaping the blood like wings around him.

In this state, covered in Black suit, Oliver approached Theodore and asked, "Do you know about the Doomsday clock of Judgement?"