Raising the Elf’s Genius Slayer

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Chapter

Enok heaped a generous portion of bubbling stew onto his plate as he observed the situation at hand. Merchants bustled about, seemingly erecting barricades with their wagons in an attempt to block the path. Knights and mercenaries were formulating at least some rudimentary tactics.

‘What a bother they are.’

Why go through such lengths? If the Ogre comes, they will fight; if it doesn’t, they can rest. So it was far more sensible to prepare the stew that was sure to be burnt soon rather than worry about a situation where the arrival of the Ogre was uncertain.

Of course, the others had a different perspective. Jatum, the captain of Zikfrein’s escort knights, scrutinized the terrain with piercing eyes.

‘If there’s an Ogre, there’s likely a force accompanying it.’

The Ogre’s moniker is ‘Tyrant of the Forest.’ It doesn’t take much thinking to recognize that such a name isn’t given without reason. Ogres often command weaker monsters, forming an army under their lead.

‘Their overall strength… may be on the edge of reasonable.’

Zikfrein, of course, was outstanding. Among peers of his age, he was likely unmatched, and overall, he was definitely not lacking in strength. Other nobles would be hailed as geniuses for merely reaching the early stage of Expert at that age, which made Zikfrein’s growth seem monstrous.

But the problem is that being not lacking in strength isn’t enough when it comes to Ogres. Besides their army, they themselves are considered nearly on par with a Master. It’s unlikely that even half of those present would survive the encounter.

“Sir, is the Heavenly Death confirmed?”

“Yep! It’s certain! So let go of this!”

Pushing Zikfrein, who was trying to lead, to the corner, Jatum watched for the Heavenly Death.

A man partially obscured by a mask was sticking his head into the stew. Since Ziwei Star and Heavenly Death appear in the same era, he likely shared a close age with Zikfrein.

Ziwei Star and Heavenly Death’s talents are rated equally. However, Zikfrein has received systematic training from a marquis family, while Heavenly Death likely hasn’t, so realistically, they wouldn’t match in strength.

Historically, this has been the case. Typically, those with more connections and support like Ziwei Star surpass the isolated Heavenly Death. And the Emperor? That’s an odd case.

Growwwww!

The roar drew closer. Damn. It seems certain that it’s coming this way. Jatum shouted.

“Everyone, form up! Mercenaries, please stay back and support! Don’t rush in, or you’ll mess up the coordination!”

For once, the mercenaries nodded at the rare sight of the gentlemanly knight. Frankly, they preferred it this way. Why would they want to step forward when doing so would likely lead to their doom?

“It’s coming!”

Someone’s shout seemed to serve as a starting signal, and thunderous sounds were heard from the other side of the forest. The sound of monster footsteps. Swallow. The sound of someone gulping echoed nearby. As the knights gripped their swords tightly,

“Yonia, the stew is burning, you know? Eat it. If you don’t, you’ll be hungry tonight!”

“Are you serious?! Can’t you see how serious this is? Why is it always that I’m made to do stuff when it’s tense, and now when it’s time to be serious, you want me to eat?!”

The casual banter from behind nearly loosened the tension. Those damn idiots. If you’re not going to help, at least be quiet.

– Kyaaaaaaaah────!

Ultimately, the monsters revealed themselves. Jatum once more cautioned.

“Sir, do not rush ahead alone!”

“I know that…!”

“Align yourselves!”

Underneath a quiet chant, a chilling presence overwhelmed Jatum, causing him to involuntarily turn his head. It was foolish for a rookie soldier stepping onto the battlefield for the first time. Yet Jatum could assert the undeniable truth.

‘What the hell is that?!’

It was unusual for anyone to ignore what lay in front of them; dozens of purple Ki bolts were lined up neatly in the air. This was nowhere close to what the messy Heavenly Death was doing with his stew.

‘An improvement on Lightning Arrow…?’

Whatever it was, it was clear that even if it flew straight, its lethal power would be immense. But that was not the end of it.

Partz––

Dozens of spherical Ki constructs rose into the air. Anyone not foolish would know what they were. Ammunition. And that meant those sticks were mere cannon tubes, not Lightning Arrows at all.

“Railgun.”

A magic name he had never heard before leapt from Jatum’s lips instinctively.

“Everyone, hit the ground…!!”

No sooner did he say that than Jatum hurled himself forward.

Whooooosh────────

The sound of air being ripped apart echoed through the atmosphere. To put it differently, that’s all it was.

“What… what in the world is this?”

As Jatum lifted his head, he frowned in disbelief. He rubbed his eyes repeatedly, tapped his helmet, and rubbed his eyes again.

“Huh….”

What used to be a forest before them had vanished without a trace. What remained were only dozens of deep trenches dug into the earth, and among the wreckage stood one lone Ogre.

Growwwwwww──────────!!

The furious Ogre roared. Jatum discreetly turned his head towards Zikfrein.

“Sir, you said that was Heavenly Death, right?”

“Uh… that should be right?”

It seems Sir is indeed living up to his reputation.

*

Enok nodded in satisfaction at the power of the Railgun.

“Hmm. This is quite decent.”

When was it again? Hadn’t he once faced a Monster Wave? Had he been able to use the Railgun then, he would have likely managed it all on his own.

With a slurp, he took a gulp of the stew. An explosive flavor burst in his mouth. The taste was so good it made him nod unconsciously.

“Phew… This stew really turned out well today.”

“Uh… Thanks?”

“Yep.”

Yonia really knew how to cook well. He suddenly thought about Capri, who was presumably running a restaurant in Dendalo. Next time he visited home, he should bring back some food.

Growwwwwww──────────!!

Looks like the Ogre is quite angry. If he remembered correctly, unless it was something at the Master level or higher, it would be difficult to catch it, but this piqued his interest.

“Where….”

With a pat, as he took a step forward, the scenery transformed in an instant. The Ogre’s grotesque face appeared right in front of him.

‘Tyrant of the Forest, was it?’

He recalled that that had been its moniker. Enok smirked.

“Looks just like it.”

He sometimes got called that by beasts that could speak. Ki embedded his clenched fist. What came to mind was sheer weight. An evolution beyond Adolf’s shabby techniques.

Mein Kampf.

The fist of man collided with that of the Ogre.

Kuwung──────!

A shockwave kicked up dust around them. Enok lightly murmured.

“Align yourselves!”

Dozens of cannon tubes lined up behind Enok. Even the Ogre, which had just suffered the blow, seemed to notice it, letting out an angry bellow.

“Growww…!”

The gargantuan figure, many times larger than Enok, rushed forward quickly. Quick reflexes, huh? It seemed to have caught on that Enok’s targeting wasn’t very adept yet.

‘I need to improve this a bit.’

Enok altered his course. He would stick to what he was doing. Ki claws wrapped around his fingers bent like a rake.

*

Have you ever witnessed the spectacle of an Ogre being torn to shreds? At least the people present here would be able to nod in response to that question from this moment on.

“No, seriously, is that really Heavenly Death?”

Zikfrein, who witnessed the scene firsthand, couldn’t wrap his head around it. If he was indeed Heavenly Death, they should be nearly the same age. Based on all he knew, they should be at most a year or two apart.

But that man looked like a Master no matter how he inspected him. Zikfrein was merely an Expert. He had all the support from a marquis’ house throughout his upbringing. How could this make any sense?

An unresolvable mystery. Zikfrein sprang to his feet.

“Whoa? Sir, stop doing anything strange and just sit down!”

“Ah, I’m not causing trouble!”

With the support structure around him featuring considerable powers, even within his marquis house, he held decent standing. Naturally, he couldn’t treat it carelessly, though he had no particular intention of doing so.

But at times, it felt a bit odd how they seemed to treat him nonchalantly.

Scratching his head, Zikfrein approached Heavenly Death. Apologizing to the guards who were anxiously watching from behind, he couldn’t resist as pure curiosity took over.

“I am Zikfrein Le Demisto. I challenge you to a duel!”

From behind, he could hear the shock from the knights. Even the Elf beside Heavenly Death looked at him as if he were a madman. But what’s the worst that could happen?

*

To cut to the chase, it was a near-death experience. Heavenly Death simply swung his sheathed sword while Zikfrein found himself meeting the image of his late great-grandfather.

“What the hell was that?”

“Sir, could you rub this for me?”

Zikfrein rubbed his swollen eyes with the egg his escort handed him. His eyes were so puffy that he could barely see.

The day after he woke up, Zikfrein contemplated while still on horseback. What in the world had just happened?

While the knights were debating why an Ogre had descended into such a shallow forest and where all those monsters had come from, he realized that even if he chimed in, nothing would change. So, he continued to ponder but still had no clue.

“I challenge you to a duel!”

And thus, later that night, he once again challenged the duel.

When he came to, it was the next day.

*

The mission continued without a hitch, except for that strange guy persistently bothering him. In fact, it was so devoid of incidents that it felt a bit unusual.

“I think it’s about time they arrive.”

“Hmm?”

Yonia, sitting atop the luggage cart and playing a flute, tilted her head in confusion.

“Haken Welt?”

“Yep.”

According to Iris, they definitely wouldn’t give up the chase like this. Since she had often urged the Swordmaster to stay vigilant, they always maintained a state of readiness.

“Something feels ominous, as if something is about to… Ugh…!”

A chill shot through her. Faster than she realized, her instincts propelled her body into motion.

Drip—

Red liquid flowed from Enok’s left eye. Blood, and the fluid pouring from his split eyeball.

“Hmm, dodged it? Quite the perceptive one.”

A man walked toward them as if on a leisurely stroll. But no one at this spot dared to move at all, for a tremendous presence was pressing down on the space.

“E-Enok….”

Yonia spoke, her face pale as a ghost. The lost half of his vision. The burning pain. The humiliation at being ambushed yet again. Rage boiled within him.

“That damn human…”

Enok stood up. He felt something pouring from the socket of his left eye. If Rionne saw this, she’d probably faint. Clenching his left hand adorned with a golden ring, he activated the False Thunder God Transformation with all his might.

“Wretched….”

“Stop right there!”

Someone interposed between Enok and the man. A boy he had gotten a bit familiar with in those days, Zikfrein.

“Attacking without warning! You’re definitely a villain!”

‘He seemed a bit mad, but…’

It looked like he was truly losing his marbles.

*

Clang—! A dish on the cupboard shattered all by itself.

“Why is it so unsettling that things like this happen?”

The Swordmaster settled his racing heart.