Raising the Elf’s Genius Slayer

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Chapter

While the Heavenly Death was rampaging, it felt as though I was submerged in water.

I was conscious, but everything was fuzzy, as if I had become an observer watching my thrashing body from behind.

When my awareness surged up, Enok scratched his cheek awkwardly.

‘This can’t be problematic… right?’

In the middle of the forest, a clearing had formed.

Wooden debris was scattered all around as if it had been tossed into a blender.

Naturally, the swamp bear that directly provoked the Heavenly Death was torn to shreds.

Now, there wasn’t even a trace of it left.

‘Anyway… I should look for more of those things.’

The combat experience Rionne wanted was not meant to be like this.

Crack-! Enok stomped the ground.

*

[This is definitely a problem.]

Undine recalled the rampaging scene of the Heavenly Death.

It wasn’t just that its power was stronger than usual; the ferocity that tore apart everything around was dangerous.

As long as it was rampaging now, it didn’t matter.

Someone like Rionne could easily contain it.

But what if such an event occurred when Enok was out in the world?

‘That would be a tragedy.’

Either a massacre would happen, or Enok would die.

It would become a harsh dilemma.

In order to prevent that from happening, it seemed necessary to combine training with release of madness.

Training to suppress the madness of the Heavenly Death had been ongoing for three years now.

However, it seemed that the suppressed madness had erupted now that Rionne was out of reach.

Well, that shouldn’t be too hard.

If it builds up, it can burst out?

Then let’s release it before that happens.

Once every few months, or maybe once a year.

Perhaps causing such a riot in these sparsely populated woods would be refreshing.

[Rionne, are you listening?]

Undine sent a mental message through the connection with her contractor.

Rionne soon realized the situation and reached the same conclusion as Undine.

Thus, it was decided that Enok would have regular forest explorations in places where he wouldn’t be present.

*

Enok took on every encounter by initiating a fight.

After fighting the swamp bear, he felt somewhat refreshed, and he also needed to gain the battle experience as Rionne instructed.

Additionally, perhaps due to being born with the Heavenly Death, Enok himself enjoyed fighting.

Crackle-!

On Enok’s hand, an ambiguous form of lightning, resembling dragon claws, flickered.

It was a Hand Technique.

His mana manifested through the power of his ability.

Typically, those capable of externalizing mana and enhancing their destructive power through techniques like Sword Energy or Hand Techniques are called Experts.

Those who manipulate mana, with a distinct form resembling stars, are known as Masters.

The ability to handle natural mana with one’s will and control external mana is referred to as Grand Masters, and those who awaken the power of their soul in pursuit of godhood are known as Demigods.

Of course, even within the realm of Experts and Masters, there were detailed criteria.

Simply being able to externalize mana would make one a Beginner Expert.

When that mana takes on a faint form and possesses lethality—a condition known as Sword Energy—it becomes Intermediate Expert, and so on.

However, Rionne had told him that there’s no need to stress too much over rank when facing an enemy.

Rank is merely a measure of one’s ability to handle mana and the level of physical development; it doesn’t directly correlate to one’s combat strength.

She even added this.

But higher ranks do indeed mean stronger output, so be careful.

Unless one’s skills are exceptionally good, it would be impossible for an ant to dodge an elephant’s kick.

Thus, Enok planned to improve his skills.

After all, raising ranks requires time, and there’s no guarantee that nothing will happen beforehand.

So, what is to be done?

The solution is simple.

Train his skills to the point where an ant could take down an elephant.

So, of course, there was no way he would back down from the fight in front of him.

Upon discovering a walking tree, Enok swung his hand, and the tree responded by swinging its branches.

Crash-!

Branches splintered, scattering debris.

Enok dove through the chaos and spread his hands wide.

The incoming branches.

He gauged their trajectories and swung his hands.

Pushing with his fingers, bending and pulling as he advanced, he dodged the branches and turned his body to punch.

If it’s a tree, it’s better to break than tear it apart.

With that simple thought, he swung his fist,

Crack-!

Half of the tree bent in agony.

– Kkkrrr…!!

Seeing the tormented tree, Enok’s eyes sparkled.

Now that the suffering tree was about to unleash a huge attack was the perfect opportunity.

Whoosh-!

Electricity coursed through his toes, accelerating him.

The Heavenly Death Purple Lightning Step he developed from the basic footwork taught by Rionne.

Swiftly and flexibly gliding through the branches.

The fleeting trails left behind looked just like purple lightning.

Now he was just a step away from the tree.

He focused his strength in his hand, recalling his martial art.

Heavenly Death Lightning Claw, the first technique of the series.

Carnage.

The technique is essentially a set of movements formalized.

Since the flow of mana and the shapes of the movements are optimized, a technique usually has greater power than normal martial arts.

Thus, he casually altered the technique.

With rapid succession of countless strikes, he compressed all of that into a single combat flow.

Heavenly Death Lightning Claw – Carnage – One.

Quickly, powerfully.

Five streaks of lightning followed the claw, tearing everything apart.

─────────────!!!!

In the place where the purple lightning dissipated, the dismembered corpses of six monsters lay grotesquely on the ground.

*

[What a lunatic.]

Undine shook her head with a sour expression, clicking her tongue.

What kind of psychopath remolds a technique in the middle of combat?

If something unexpected happens, he could literally lose his life.

Thank goodness he succeeded; otherwise, Undine would have been ready to bolt out at any moment.

Meanwhile, that arrogant kid didn’t seem to have a single thought of failing.

[Is he thoughtless, or is he just that confident?]

As Undine grumbled, she noticed Enok, who was slowly returning as the fighting settled down, and began to rise reluctantly.

This was already the ninth battle from this skirmish.

With not much time left until sunset, the kid still seemed not to have any intention of going back.

Is it because he’s young and bursting with energy?

No, he’s more like just a kid.

Thinking about it, kids are always overflowing with vitality.

Even the top-tier spirit like Undine found it fascinating.

[Oh?]

Meanwhile, Undine sensed a strange energy.

If they continued in this direction, they would soon encounter the kid, which might lead to some amusing developments.

[No, wait.]

Thinking back, Undine wondered if it would just be her who suffered.

She became inexplicably annoyed.

*

Enok swiftly advanced deeper into the woods.

Despite having been through several battles, he was bursting with energy.

In fact, even more than when he first entered the forest.

‘Is fighting actually my thing?’

Well, it was indeed the Heavenly Death.

Just listening to Rionne would make one feel that the existence of Heavenly Death was meant for combat.

“Hmm?”

At that moment.

Enok’s Ki Sense picked up on something mysterious.

It hardly felt like a presence.

It blended into the surroundings yet also seemed like mana swirling excessively.

And strangely, it felt wrenched away from the world.

Enok couldn’t resist his curiosity and accelerated.

As the purple lightning tore through the air, it didn’t take long for him to reach the place where the strange energy was felt.

“This is…”

Enok’s eyes widened.

At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary cave.

But anyone who could sense mana and still call it a mundane cave should be suspected of having a few screws loose in their head.

Most likely, eight out of ten of them would be oddballs.

‘I think this is what they call a dungeon.’

Rionne had taught him that, apart from magical workshops or ancient facilities which are artificial dungeons, odd spaces can naturally occur.

Often, these arise due to accumulated mana or tangled flows, but sometimes they form unexpectedly, making them hard to define.

In any case, there are various reasons for dungeons to appear, and their characteristics are diverse.

Rumor has it that a human who entered a dungeon once came out as an elf.

Why that was even possible aside,
“Right.”

Resolutely nodding, Enok stepped into the dungeon.

He didn’t have any particularly high expectations.

*

The inside of the dungeon was bizarre.

It looked like an ordinary cave, yet disturbingly, its end was not in sight.

Widening his Ki Sense out of curiosity didn’t help at all due to the mana swirling violently.

However, his five senses were not dulled.

Enok’s ears perked up, and soon a heavy ambiance surged forth.

Thud-! Thud-! Heavy footsteps echoed.

The hints of an enemy’s existence raised the corners of Enok’s mouth.

He still hadn’t grasped the unique qualities of this dungeon.

But Enok didn’t pay that much mind.

Crackle-!

Enok shot out like a bolt of purple lightning.

[…Is he foolish or brave?]

Undine could only sigh at Enok’s appearance.

Yet suddenly, a conversation with Rionne crossed her mind.

‘Enok’s dislike for humans isn’t so much about racial discrimination but could be more simple-minded human hatred.’

‘Isn’t that kind of the same thing?’

‘Well, when I first brought Enok…’