ALL NOVEL Chapter 55
Chapter
Frenzy. Quite literally. For generations, Heavenly Death has occasionally gone insane, turning the surroundings into a pool of blood.
However, as Rionne said, Enok himself didn’t need to worry much about being consumed by frenzy just yet. He had gotten strong too quickly.
Sometimes, he felt a surge of madness boiling in his head, but that was all. If a familiar face was in front of him, he could restrain himself enough not to attack. And being able to hold back indicated that it wasn’t really a serious problem.
The frenzy of Heavenly Death tends to intensify over time, and it could get tricky later if it becomes a wall, but for now, Enok’s growth rate was clearly outpacing his madness.
‘I’ve gotten too strong too fast…’
Enok carefully observed Zikfrein before him. He sensed an energy around him that suggested he was at the upper level of Expert. His swordsmanship wasn’t bad either. But that guy was a Ziwei Star, contrary to Enok’s natural Heavenly Death.
‘Hmm.’
He turned his gaze inward. A ring of plasma spun fiercely where his heart should be. Pathos. Inspired by the Dragon Heart, it had somehow evolved into a very different power source.
A massive energy was constantly generated, coursing through his body. His mana was increasing in real time, and even when he drew on it, the intake was generally greater than the consumption.
Moreover, the Thunder Pill he had created earlier remained, glowing like a sphere at the core of Pathos. Now, the backlash from False Thunder God Transformation, no, the backlash from Thunder God would be split between Pathos and the Thunder Pill, allowing for stronger output to be sustained for longer.
Oh? I might be pretty strong. Of course, it’s not on the level of Rionne, but I probably won’t get into too much trouble. Thinking about the difference in years lived, the fact that he had caught up to her this much was no small feat.
Of course, saying this in front of Rionne would be unwise. She might just break down crying. That would be troublesome.
“Enok? What are you thinking so hard about?”
“Oh.”
I turned my attention to Rionne as she pinched my cheek affectionately. She smiled as she leaned against me. I gently pulled her in and rested my chin on top of her small head.
“Just thinking. Since we’re in human territory, I was wondering if it would be dangerous to show too much strength like last time.”
Even though Rionne was strong, this was still human territory. If the Emperor suddenly popped up, no matter how strong Rionne was, it could get troublesome.
“Eh, it’s fine. That guy probably won’t care.”
Is that so? Well, if that’s the case, then I suppose it doesn’t matter.
*
Yonia sat on a cart, scribbling in her notebook.
‘Human Ecology Report’
She wrote the title in large letters at the top and carefully observed the mercenaries following behind.
“So, when I told Hannah about that time, right? I totally showed her heaven!”
“What the hell?”
Those guys only ever talked about women. I felt like I’d hear the same story again and turned my attention to another group of mercenaries.
“That kid is the one, right? The…?”
“Heavenly Death idiot.”
“Oh, right.”
Oh, are they talking about Enok? I shifted to sit more comfortably and leaned in to listen.
“It was a total disaster. What the hell, right? That…”
“Oh, the ogre?”
“Yeah! That too. I couldn’t see well because I fainted, but yesterday…”
“Oh, that guy with the sword?”
“Yeah, that bastard!”
They can’t have a conversation without swearing. I catch their meaning just from the nuance, not the content.
After writing a few sentences, Yonia genuinely pondered. What started as boredom turned confusing as I overheard them.
How do they understand each other? That—there’s that one phrase that contains countless meanings. Honestly, can’t we solve most communication with just one sentence?
And one more thing. The magic phrase, damn.
“Oh, damn…!”
That’s frustration, and,
“Oh damn!”
That’s admiration, and,
“You bastard!”
That’s surprise. Hmm. Yonia tapped her pen.
Half of their communication is resolved with ‘that thing’ and ‘damn.’ These must be because they share a close relationship.
It’s amazing. Even though more than half of their words are vulgar, those bad words convey different meanings depending on the conversation.
I guess mercenaries swear a lot? That Zikfrein, the son of a Marquis, definitely shows a distinct pattern in conversation.
‘Should I divide the table of contents too?’
I ended up drafting something a bit more serious. Since I’ve got plenty of time, should I create a proper paper out of this?
“Yonia.”
“Huh?”
When I lifted my head at Enok’s voice, he gestured with both hands clasped together.
“Come here.”
What’s this? As I stepped closer, Enok opened his hands.
“Lightning squirrel.”
“Oh.”
Was he practicing his powers? He created a squirrel with electric energy, and it looked just like a real squirrel. Each fur seemed alive.
[I’m a lightning fox.]
Eri, who had been weak for the whole day yesterday, seemed to have regained her energy and posed next to the lightning squirrel.
Now that I look, it has five tails. It might just be because it’s a young spirit, but that’s still an unusually fast growth rate.
As I clapped my hands, excited, I watched as Eri struck various poses, and quietly thought,
‘At this rate, she’ll probably reach Grandmaster status by the time we get to the Elf Union.’
Of course, that never happened.
*
The destination of the merchant caravan, Silver Lake, is a city close to the Elf Union. As such, there were some trade ties with the Union, making it one of the must-visit cities for traveling merchants.
If they could successfully procure the Elf special products here, it would be like money doubling. There was no reason not to stop by.
For similar reasons, Enok was tasked with guarding the caravan headed for Silver Lake, and that job ended today.
“If we happen to meet again, please take care of me.”
One merchant bowed while handing over a money pouch. Well, since he’s a merchant, connections are important. Rather than getting into unnecessary debates, Enok took the pouch with a mindset of simply accepting it.
After parting ways with the merchants, it was the mercenaries’ turn.
“See you next time!”
“If you ever need someone to team up, be sure to look us up!”
The mercenaries, too, valued their connections and offered friendly farewells as they departed. Enok waved casually and glared at the last remaining nuisance.
“Aren’t you leaving?”
“Haha, I mean, I’ve got nothing else to do.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Can’t I chase after the Heavenly Death when I clearly see it?”
“Then just get lost.”
“You said you’re staying in Silver Lake a bit before heading to the Elf Union. Since that’s the case, how about sharing a meal together?”
No. Before I could say that, Rionne interjected.
“Sure, Enok. Go have a meal with your friend. I’ll book us a lodging.”
She said she was just going to show her face, but Rionne was still hanging around. At this rate, they might end up going to the Elf Union together.
‘Hmm.’
Actually, that’s a good thing? Feeling pleased, Enok shook his head.
“No.”
*
Dinner was decided to be held together. With Zikfrein’s party, Enok, Yonia, and Rionne included. It was a bit unexpected that the knights would join in as well.
“Honestly, they’re just friendly guys despite being called knights.”
At Zikfrein’s words, Yonia tilted her head.
“Aren’t knights people who pledge loyalty to their lord?”
“That’s right.”
“And you’re saying they’re your lord’s sons.”
“Eh, that’s different. These are talented individuals at the upper level of Expert; I can’t treat them just like subordinates.”
Is that so? When Enok glanced at Rionne, she shook her head.
“That kid is a bit special. It would typically be correct to treat them with respect. Maybe it’s just the nature of their family.”
Having roughly understood this, Enok nodded as a server staggeringly approached with a ton of beer.
Holding ten large beer mugs at once? It looks like a commoner who doesn’t know about mana. I stared in awe, and the server smiled and set the mugs down.
“We will prepare your meal shortly.”
After bowing, the server hastily departed. Ah, that’s going to spill. I took a swig before the foam overflowed.
“Oh.”
This seems like about 0.8 Dwarf beer. Not bad for a human. While I sipped the beer, a jovial knight suddenly spoke up.
“Wow, I hear you’re quite impressive. I heard you’re the same age as our young lord.”
“Yeah, something like that.”
“I can’t believe this rumor hasn’t spread yet; soon the continent will be buzzing. There are a lot of people who’ve seen you, so the rumors will spread quickly.”
I’m not particularly interested in fame. I’m actually worried it might become a bother.
At that moment, the knight suddenly reached out as if recalling something.
“Speaking of which, we haven’t introduced ourselves. I’m Jatum, commander of the Demisto House’s guard.”
I stared blankly, and Rionne poked my side with her finger. Late to react, I extended my hand to shake Jatum’s.
“…Enok Estor.”
“Oh! You’ve even inherited a surname?”
“Yeah.”
Nodding proudly, Rionne smiled warmly next to me. I felt good. He seems like a decent human, should I offer him some advice?
“It seems like you’ll reach Master soon enough. When manipulating mana, try to relax your strength and turn it smoothly to the back. If you understand your own sword from there, you’ll quickly be able to carve stars.”
“…….”
Suddenly, the knights went silent. Zikfrein, who had been chugging beer alone with foam all over his mouth, opened his eyes wide.
“Oh.”