Oliver got up after hearing the explanations about the cleaning job.
Five days.
This time felt enough for Oliver to prepare for everything he needed.
When Oliver was about to leave the office, Forrest pulled a small communication device out of the drawer and gave it to him.
“What is this?”
“It’s a secret communication device that I bought through a dealer. You can use it to communicate directly with me.”
Oliver spoke while looking at the communication device that looked like a beetle.
“A communication device?”
“Yeah, it’s something that I bought from a friend who has excellent performance among the solvers I’ve contracted with….. Originally, I was supposed to give it to you sooner, but there are also some procedures.”
"That's all right. I'm glad to receive it now."
"Good to hear that. Call me if anything happens."
“Yes…… Can this be used in the contaminated area?”
“Well, no, that’s going to be hard. I don't know the cause, but the contaminated area is sometimes subject to communication restrictions, so it won't work…. Regarding the job, the place that’s going to be cleaned will be decided after two or three days. At that time, I will call you.”
“Yes, I understand. Then, excuse me.”
“Wait, just one more word.”
“Yes? What.”
Forrest didn't answer right away, instead, he took a sip before opening his mouth.
"…maybe, there will be a meeting with the Solvers before you start the cleaning. They will explain about the job before sending in Solvers."
“Um, okay…!?”
"Some Solvers will approach you. Some might even use my name."
“Mr. Forrest’s name?”
"Yes, you have to make your own decision and don't trust anyone too easily. You get what I’m trying to say, right?
Of course, he remembered because this was something Kent also mentioned before.
"In addition to zombies and pollutants in the contaminated area, I should also be careful against mercenaries and solvers."
"Yes. I'll call you once everything is decided."
⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Soon after, Oliver left the Forrest restaurant and headed straight to the gray market.
There were still five days left before going to the contaminated area, but Oliver decided to prepare sooner than later.
Oliver decided to visit the gray market introduced by Forrest and the underground gray market introduced by Murphy to buy the necessary items.
The necessary items were emotions, Life-force, and black magic tools such as glutton bags.
In Forrest's words, the contaminated area was not just a place for corrupted creatures to run rampant, it was also a lawless zone where wanted Looters and warlocks took shelter.
Oliver was planning to visit such a contaminated area, so he wanted to purchase some useful stuff.
If there was a warlock family, there was a good chance that there would be books on black magic or books about demons.
That was why Oliver readily accepted the cleaning job.
“Do you have a bigger glutton bag?”
“Huh? Bigger one?”
"Yes."
Oliver asked the warlock who was selling items on one side of the gray market.
He looked old, to the point where it seemed difficult for him to even walk.
“This is big enough. How much bigger do you need?!”
The old man said in an angry tone, but what he said wasn't wrong.
Gangsters, pickpockets, and thieves are the main customers who come looking for black magic items in these places.
For them, a wallet-sized glutton bag should be more than enough.
At best, they'll just put in stolen goods like watches, rings, and bills.
However, What Oliver wanted was more than that.
He needed a glutton bag that can store Books, surgical tools, work tools, etc. easily…….
So, he was in need of a large glutton bag.
Oliver explained his situation and asked the old man if he had anything else, but the old man told him to go away as if he had nothing to sell.
Oliver then went looking for a glutton bag in other shops in hope of finding one, but everyone shook their heads just like the old man.
It felt more like the people here….weren’t much enthusiastic about a bigger glutton bag.
It might be a misunderstanding because Oliver had only been there once or twice.
When Oliver was thinking like that, a man suddenly interrupted him.
“Hey, bro!”
Oliver turned his head in the direction of the sound.
The sound came from the corner, the worst area to set up a stall.
A chubby man came out of the stall and looked at Oliver cautiously. When his eyes met with Oliver’s, he said excitedly.
"Yeah, you!…this way!"
Oliver walked over to the man, not because he called him but because he was curious about him.
The chubby man was smiling happily with his plump cheek on the outside, but his insides were trembling violently.
Even at this very moment, he was constantly questioning himself, but nevertheless, he desperately mustered up his courage and smiled while pertaining to be calm.
“I…have been watching you, m..man, it seems like… you are loo…looking for a big glutton bag, right? Huh…is it right?”
The man's voice was shaking, and his face was sweating profusely.
Oliver didn't pay attention to such things, and just explained what he wanted as before.
After listening for a while, the chubby man took out his notebook.
“Please explain again, bro. What specifically do you want, huh?”
“I want a bag that can hold books and work tools. It would be nice if it could hold a lot, and it would be nice if it could be folded for easy carrying.”
The chubby man wrote down Oliver's requirements one by one, like a professional, in fine handwriting.
“What is the specific size?”
“Size…How about the size of a person?”
Oliver said thoughtlessly, but the chubby man looked up at him in amazement.
"…are you serious?"
“I think it can hold a lot if it is about the size of a person… Why? Is there any problem?”
“No, I think you’re missing something.”
"Pardon?"
“Did you think of the Glutton bag as something…tha…that can be used to carry around whatever you want like a magic bag?”
The chubby man gave up on the man-made attitude and spoke in a more natural manner.
"…is it not?"
"Of course not! That's why amateurs are… Bro, it's not dangerous if the glutton bag is the size of a wallet. The glutton bag’s danger level increases as its size increases."
“Um…”
Oliver was interested. He wanted to hear more, as none of the books he read had dealt with such a subject.
“Why?”
"The glutton bag is close to an artificial organism with an ego. That's why it moves on its own… When it's small, the size of a wallet, it's weak, so it'll follow whatever orders you give, but when it's as big as a human, it won’t listen to what you say, got it?"
Oliver recalled what had happened in the past, the time he met Forrest and became a Solver, his first stay at the inn.
At the time, when he ordered the glutton bag to vomit money, it resisted.
He didn’t think it was something special, but it turned out to be something more interesting than he thought.
"…you know quite well. That's great."
Oliver said sincerely.
“Of course, bro! I live on this, and this is basic.”
The chubby man said as if it was nothing, but it didn't seem like he hated it.
The artificial attitude he had created earlier disappeared without a hitch.
"Then, let's talk again. I'll try my best to match your requirements. You know what, bro, I have a knack for making magic tools… I’m not lying, bro! I have been making this since I was a kid. What size do you want, bro?”
“The size of an adult.”
Oliver spoke in a more confident voice than before.
“Are you serious, bro?”
“Yes, can’t you?
"Of course, I can, bro…but it's really dangerous. There are quite a few cases where rebellious glutton bags that had eaten its Master."
Remembering the greedy figure of the glutton bag swallowing banknotes, the story seemed plausible.
Glutton bag.
Oliver thought it was just human skin and teeth processed with emotions, but maybe it was something more interesting than that.
“Yes, it doesn’t matter.”
The chubby man sighed at Oliver's unwavering attitude. Now he seemed to have given up trying to convince him.
“Okay….but it takes a lot of time and money to make something like this. How much money do you have?”
“How much do you need?”
"Let's see… Including the cost of materials, labor, and risk allowance… you have to pay 3,000, no, at least 40 million. Don’t even think about cutting it, bro.”
The chubby man was very adamant at that moment, showing a glimpse of his pride in his abilities.
40 million… It was an amount that Oliver could earn only after doing 3 to 4 jobs as a Solver. But he decided it was well worth the money, given that it was a necessary item and could satisfy his curiosity.
Having made his decision, Oliver took out a glutton bag from his arms, then forcibly put his hand into its mouth and pulled out 10 Million.
While taking it out, the glutton bag shed tears with a strange sound.
CUCKUKOOOO
“How about I give an advance payment now, and give the rest after the product is finished?”
“Really?! Oh, no. I’m fine, bro.”
“By the way, when can I receive the product?”
“If you include the time to get the ingredients and make it….. a week?”
Oliver needed it in 5 days, so for him, it had to be done in 3 or 4 days?
“No, bro. I have another livelihood, I can’t.”
“How about if I give you an additional 10 million?”
As soon as he heard Oliver’s words, the chubby man jumped up from his seat and suddenly began to close his stall.
Looking at it, Oliver asked.
“What are you doing?”
“Isn’t it a given, bro? If you say you need something quickly. Then I should make it quickly!”
⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Time passed.
The chubby man kept his promise. When Oliver went on the third day, he received Oliver with dark circles all around his eyes.
He made a human-sized glutton bag according to Oliver's order and gave him a foldable leather case and belt for storage purposes.
It was a big expense, but it was worth it.
It was the money he had saved for these kinds of things in the first place.
Before leaving, the chubby man warned Oliver.
“It's a tough one, bro. As its size is that of a human being, it has as much strength as a human being, and it's a lot more ferocious than a human being. If it attacks you, don’t come and complain later, bro. I warned you.”
Oliver nodded and thanked the chubby man.
In fact, when he touched the glutton bag in the leather case that was folded over and over again, he felt quite a bit of rebellion and viciousness.
It didn't seem like something that could be used easily.
The chubby warlock spoke again.
“Be careful, bro. I don't want to hear that my first customer got eaten by the stuff I made and died.”
Oliver nodded again and said it was fine.
After coming out of the gray marker, Oliver went straight to the place that Forrest told him in the communication device.
“Is this right?”
Oliver said while standing in front of an entrance near the contaminated area.
District F had many large and strangely shaped buildings like a hub where various research facilities were gathered, but such places disappeared as they got closer to the contaminated area.
Around the 500-meter radius of the contaminated area, it was being guarded by the City Security Guards, and unlike the shiny District F, it looked very dark due to the soldiers armed with firearms.
“Are you from the Brokers’ union?”
From the entrance, someone appeared and talked to Oliver.
Looking at his outfit, he was a soldier, and Oliver nodded while holding out the business card he had received from Forrest.
As soon as he checked the business card, the soldier opened a small door and took Oliver somewhere as if dragging him.
“Where are we going?”
“The place where the solvers gather. Please follow me quietly.”
After passing several cement obstacles, watch towers, iron fences, and barbed wire fences, they arrived in front of a building.
It was a bunker-like building that seemed to have focused on defense instead of aesthetics, and Oliver could see a lot of emotions gathered on the inside.
It was filled with solvers.
“Go inside.”
The soldier said to Oliver, and Oliver did as the soldier told him to.
He opened the door and entered the building.
(To be Continued)