#54
Elf (2)
A few days ago.
Hoo—ah! It feels refreshing, perhaps because the mountains are close.
Halli arrived at the Steel Fortress, the boundary of the Tulke Kingdom, adjacent to the Northern Mountain Range.
Since he started his career as a mercenary in Tarak, there had been many ups and downs along the way.
The world is vast, and there are plenty of crazy people out there.
There were fools who dared to provoke him, calling him uncivilized despite his beautiful and muscular physique.
“Is that the one who smashed the Ralph gang?”
“Shh! Don’t make eye contact.”
They seemed to be somewhat confident, having quite the reputation for themselves.
They were strong enough to skillfully handle Aura, the energy of warriors.
“They say he crushed the bones of his opponents with his bare hands?”
“They say knives don’t even work against him.”
When the quarrel first erupted, Halli had never fought a human before and was unsure how to respond.
He couldn’t just casually kill someone in the city without controlling his strength, right?
‘So I grabbed each one and twisted their bones gently!’
That way, he wouldn’t accidentally kill anyone!
In the process, he learned how much force it took to break a human body, so it was a helpful experience for him.
‘And I also learned how to use Aura!’
As the struggling foes began to bleed, his body quickly became sturdier.
Even if he applied more strength, the bones would still snap, but the increase in physical capability wasn’t bad.
‘I figured it’s useful since I learned that method by pounding them around… but the problem is…’
He couldn’t use that body in the first place.
His body was much closer to a monster than an ordinary human.
Naturally, he couldn’t use techniques designed for human bodies.
Since he was much stronger in his current form than if he reverted to a human body to use Aura, it was a true dilemma.
‘Well, knowing something might come in handy later.’
Halli licked his lips in disappointment and set off into the Northern Mountain Range to find some prey to strengthen himself.
*
“Krawarrgh!”
“Hahaha—! Die!”
With madness in his eyes, Halli swung his axe at a massive bear-like monster.
As the axe in his right hand struck the beast’s knee, simultaneously, the axe in his left hand wedged into its hock.
“Krawck!”
The beast’s front paw came crashing down.
He sidestepped to dodge the attack while driving his axe into the monster’s leg.
His wild appearance belied the refined axe techniques he displayed.
The double axes in his hands carved elegant arcs as they ravaged the monster’s body.
Kwaaach!
“Grrr…”
As the relentless axe strikes caused the monster to stumble, Halli inhaled sharply.
“Hoo!”
He lunged toward the monster, twisting his waist.
With expanding muscles and enhanced strength from the rotational momentum, he delivered a…
Crack—!
Low kick to the monster’s leg.
In an instant, the creature’s leg bones shattered, sending its body spinning ninety degrees into the ground.
“Urgh—!”
Not one to miss an opportunity, Halli immediately jumped and drove the axe into the beast’s neck.
“Gurgh!”
The axe struggled to penetrate deep due to the tough skin and steel-like muscles.
As long as it didn’t work, he kept swinging until it did.
Alternately smashing down with both hands, his exhilarating axe technique commenced.
After a brief moment…
“Hahaha! That was quite the tough opponent!”
Finally standing atop the monster whose breath had ceased, Halli burst into triumphant laughter.
He tossed the axe aside and plunged his sharpened hand into the monster’s heart.
His claws dug deeply into the solid flesh of the beast.
At last, a fist-sized magical stone emerged in Halli’s grip.
He wiped the blood off before tossing it into his mouth and chewing on it thoughtfully.
‘…I’m stronger unarmed than using a weapon…’
A harsh truth he had stubbornly ignored.
He had gone through the trouble of acquiring an axe and honing his skills, only for it to be of no use against monsters!
The physical potency of those using mana integrated into their bodies was beyond imagination, making it nearly impossible for a weapon infused with no energy to deal significant damage.
While he could overpower them with sheer physical strength now, if he kept going like this, even the sturdiest black iron axe would break.
If he applied just the right amount of strength, it wouldn’t cause any damage, leading him to an ironic situation where he was better off being unarmed.
At this rate, he was no different from a hidden master pretending to be weak!
‘Hmm? That’s not necessarily a bad thought…’
For a moment, temptation surged, but it wouldn’t do since it didn’t align with his goals.
“Hoo— Now, shall I gather the quest items?”
Feeling the change in his body’s components through the magical stone, Halli extended his claws to sharpen them.
He then began to cut open the bear’s belly to extract the quest item: bear gallbladder.
‘Using “Physical Transformation,” utilizing the strength of the monster like this is so easy. But why is it… huh?’
His movement suddenly halted.
The powers of the monsters, transformed mana within their bodies, and the energy he absorbed through warriors’ disciplined mana, Aura.
‘In any case, it seems both powers are processed to fit the individual’s needs. There’s just a difference in operating methods.’
Monsters, with their innate bodies, instinctively utilized mana without needing a complicated refining process.
Humans, through built-up efforts, developed methods to utilize mana and refine Aura.
While the methods were different, the goals remained the same.
What if he combined the two advantages…?
‘Skipping the refinement process and using the mastered method of handling Aura to control the biotic energy?!’
In reality, the crucial and complex part of Aura training was the process of refining mana.
High-level techniques were passed down as the visions of various factions.
However, the very act of handling it wasn’t some grand secret.
It was never that complicated a technique to begin with.
He promptly began his work, using the knowledge he had gained about Aura.
Several trials and errors ensued.
Using “Mutation” and “Physical Transformation,” he analyzed the differences between the human body and his current form to adjust the disparities.
Black magic, blood magic, holy power.
Thanks to the experience he gained from handling various energies, the progress was swift.
When the caloric intake dwindled, he began gnawing on the bear meat to control the biotic energy when a flash ignited in his mind.
《The subject has achieved the conditions and gained enlightenment. You have acquired the special skill「Biotic Aura」.》
A hazy aura began to emanate from the axe in his hand.
“Hoo… Hahaha—!”
His manic laughter echoed thunderously.
At that moment, a monster in the shape of a human obtained human strength.
*
Shraak—!
The large severed head fell to the ground.
Boom!
The massive ogre collapsed, shaking the surrounding earth.
“Huh… that guy was really strong.”
Exhausted, Halli plopped down on the ground.
His condition was far from normal.
His entire body was drenched in blood, and blood continued to pour from his mouth.
“Regeneration” was activating non-stop, but his shattered left arm was still recovering.
Grrrgh—
Amidst that, an overwhelming hunger surged.
Having spent enormous amounts of energy during the battle with “Physical Transformation,” “Biotic Aura,” and “Regeneration,” all the energy he had built up was depleted.
“Ugh… I need to eat something to regain my strength.”
Stumbling to his feet, Halli approached the fallen ogre and infused his axe with Aura.
The massive ogre, nearly five meters tall.
Its entire body was filled with muscles of overwhelming density, possessing both strength and extraordinary agility.
Its senses were so keen that it rapidly responded and counterattacked even after Halli stealthily approached while it lay sprawled lazily.
“I guess it’s too meaty since it relies solely on muscles.”
Despite having his bones shattered and insides ruptured, he endured with “Regeneration,” steadily exhausting the monster’s stamina through “Biotic Aura.”
“Hahaha—! But in the end, the victor is this body!”
With that, laughter finally erupted.
Perhaps due to “Gluttony,” it seemed that he had restored enough stamina to chuckle.
“As strong as it is, the effect was great. It feels good to have hunted something earnestly!”
After stuffing himself to the brim with energy, he bit into the magical stone immediately, feeling his body respond explosively.
His muscles bulged, compressing and expanding repeatedly.
His bones grew sturdier, his nerves sharpened, and his skin became tougher.
“Hoo… this feels good.”
Feeling satisfied with his enhanced physique, he proceeded to dismantle the ogre’s corpse.
With enough rare materials to fill his spatial magical equipment, he collected his spoils, retrieving his missed left-hand axe before preparing to leave.
“By the way, where am I?”
In the thick of the forest.
Due to the intense battle with the ogre, the surroundings were a mess, and he couldn’t gauge the direction.
Halli swiftly climbed a nearby tree to survey the area.
The vast sea of trees spread out before him, refreshing his mind.
“Ahaha! Looks like I got carried away and wandered too deep!”
For several days, he had traced various types of prey using the acute sense of the monsters, but it seemed he had blindly followed new scents and ended up in deep territory.
An incident that arose from being blind to the vastness of the Northern Mountain Range while chasing after various genes.
“Oh well, I can navigate by stars at night!”
Of course, it wasn’t a major problem.
Having lived in Auterica for over a year, he could easily confirm directions using the stars, so there was no need to rely on teleportation.
Though he couldn’t use it anyway since it was on cooldown.
Climbing down the tree, he planned to hunt again until nightfall as he ventured back into the forest.
Just as the sky began to dim…
Sniff sniff—
“Hmm?”
His keen monster instincts detected an extraordinarily familiar energy.
A nostalgic scent reminiscent of his hometown wafted through the air.
“The smell of black magic?”
It felt like the faint residue of suppressed power through concealment.
Having spent ample time in Hans’s secret laboratory, he identified it without a doubt.
“Is a black magician hiding here?”
He pondered briefly before stealthily moving toward the source of the scent.
The familiar energy felt unsettling for some reason.
At the end of the trail, he discovered it.
A barrier created with black magic.
‘This feels familiar.’
The barrier that Halli saw was immediately interpreted by Hans, arriving at a conclusion.
In the early days, right after Hans acquired the first Fragment of the Undead King and became the Demilich, he had encountered this barrier.
It was the concealment barrier used by the Oath of Reversal.
‘Were they hiding here too? Though it seems too big to be exclusive to the Talia Kingdom. Back then, there was some sort of restriction placed upon them.’
All the souls had been drained somewhere.
Now that Hans was here, he could disregard that restriction, but having only hidden from the saint’s pursuit, he hadn’t considered finding them.
‘But I’ve stumbled upon them now.’
A strange wave of happiness washed over him in that instant…
‘Huh?’
Through Halli’s sharp senses, he detected a slight flow of black magic emerging underground, leading Hans to make a new diagnosis.
‘A sacrificial ritual is in progress? And this is…’
Using his knowledge of black magic gained from “Forbidden Knowledge,” he analyzed the situation.
Such a sacrificial ritual would inevitably leave traces.
Typically, one would immediately relocate, but the black magic used to create the dimensional gate immediately after sacrificing the offering made it nearly impossible to track.
In other words, if he missed this chance, it would be uncertain when he might encounter it again.
“Hoo… we finally meet, so let me at least see your face?”
Exposing his teeth in a savage grin, he drew both axes, focusing his mind.
Having just hunted an ogre, the thickening aura enveloped his axes as it surged up.
The biotic energy generated throughout his body was infused into the two axe blades.
“Hahaha—! Break!”
The two axes that had swung behind his shoulders carved massive arcs as they struck the barrier.
Bang—!
With a colossal explosion, a hole broke in the barrier, revealing a hidden cave.
Noisy commotion could be heard from within, but Halli pressed forward confidently into the interior.
“I definitely can’t let you guys have it easy!”
They were the same companions who had smacked Hans in the back of the head and slaughtered the villagers.
If there was an opportunity for them to utilize him, it might be a different story, but in the current situation, he had to interfere with full power.
And if worse came to worst, he could just make a run for it!
‘This has nothing to do with grudges!’
As he dashed toward the heavy aura of black magic, a group of humans suddenly burst out from inside.
“What?! Who the hell are you?!”
“Stop him!”
They were minions of the black magician.
One knight and five mercenaries at their level.
‘No need to wait! I’ll go full force right away!’
Halli’s leg muscles swelled, and his body coiled like a predator ready to pounce.
At that moment.
Bang!
He was already standing in front of the knight.
“Kah! You dare?!”
The sword he drew was thick with surging black magic.
Even amidst the sudden ambush, he skillfully swung his weapon to deflect Halli’s axe.
Clang—
“What?!”
But that was his fatal mistake.
The instant his body staggered under the overwhelming strength he hadn’t anticipated.
Swish!
Halli’s opposing hand axe sliced cleanly through his neck.
‘Complacency is one’s greatest enemy.’
Given his skill in wielding weapons and black magic, he shouldn’t have died so easily, but thinking of Halli as a typical warrior had sealed his fate.
“Kahha! Bring it on all at once!”
He erupted with a roar, lunging at the remaining minions.
After a brief moment.
Halli, now drenched in blood, raced through the passage again.
‘The lackeys aren’t worth worrying about. Are all the black magicians deeper inside?’
As he steeled his mind in preparation for the upcoming confrontation with them…
He sensed something rapidly approaching from beneath the ground.
“What kind of trick is this?!”
There wasn’t any menace detected, but something could not be friendly casually approaching him from the stronghold.
Just as he was about to swing his axe.
“Eek!”
A little girl suddenly popped out from the ground.
Her shabby clothing and the black chains hanging from her neck couldn’t hide her cuteness.
With pointed ears, green hair, and orange eyes, she held a branch in her arms; it was an elf girl.
In that moment, Halli recognized who she was.
“…Hahaha! This is awkward!”
To conceal his surprise, he chuckled heartily and scratched his head.
“So, little miss, what’s your name?”
He confirmed just to be sure.
Trying hard to smile gently.
Though the muscular man who first met her in the black magician’s lair unceremoniously asked for her name, the elf girl merely shrank back a bit but answered softly.
“Se… Cecily… It’s Cecily.”
In the heart of the Oath of Reversal’s hideout.
The encounter between the High Elf candidate Cecily and the barbarian warrior Halli occurred.
