#55
Elf (3)
It’s a change of operation.
Originally, I was going to cause a bit of trouble as I could, and when I felt like it just wasn’t going to work out, I was going to escape by unsummoning them…
“I, I….”
The elf girl sought by the Elven Kingdom and the Lord’s Church.
‘Can I use this situation?’
My head spun around for a moment.
It was a double-crossing opportunity, allowing Heinrich to make a name for himself and raise Harley’s profile.
“Um! My name is Harley. By the way, do you want to get out of here, Miss?”
“···yes!”
The smell of black magic is getting stronger.
A huge number of enemies were rushing out from inside the cave.
“Then excuse me for a moment!”
“Huh? Huh—!”
He hung the axe in one hand on his back, and with Cecily tucked under his arm, he turned around and ran out.
His leg muscles bulged and his body accelerated at explosive speed.
“Huh—!”
Cecily clung to Harley’s side with her eyes tightly shut.
He was still holding the branch in his arms.
“By the way, Miss, what is that branch? Something precious?”
I quickly headed to the entrance and asked her when I had a moment to spare.
At first glance, it didn’t seem like anything special.
“Huh? Ah, this is… a branch of the World Tree. Thanks to it, I was able to get out safely from the inside to here…!”
She answers sincerely, even though she frowns at the wind hitting her face.
I wondered how I managed to escape from the sacrificial ritual in full swing, but it seems that I had help from the World Tree.
I don’t know how that branch ended up in her hands as a sacrifice.
‘Now that I think about it, the situation was so urgent that I just let it go, but you’re following along very obediently.’
From their first meeting until now, Cecily has always been friendly to him.
Even though it was a situation where I had no choice but to be on guard.
A muscular naked man encountered in the warlock’s lair.
Not only were drops of blood splattered all over his body, but he was also holding a pair of axes in both hands, which were dripping blood.
‘Oh my, I’m going to be scared too.’
Of course, I was personally satisfied with the style, but objectively, I was aware that it wasn’t very aesthetically pleasing.
In that situation, all she could do was feel a little bit intimidated.
‘Come to think of it, I heard that when you become qualified as a high elf, you will be guided by the World Tree.’
He said he would show us the way so that we could safely reach the World Tree.
It seems that the World Tree decided that Harley was the only way out of this situation.
‘If you cooperate like this, it’ll be comfortable and good for me. But that thing around Cecily’s neck…’
Hans, the master of black magic who quickly produces analysis results.
‘A sealing tool using black magic. It’s quite high-level. It would be dangerous to forcefully release it. Hans could have removed it, but···.’
Disarming a magical tool required delicate manipulation of magical power, something Harley did not have the ability to do.
‘I understand it perfectly in my head, but I can’t actually do it.’
Perhaps that’s why the high elf Laforie couldn’t find Cecily’s location.
‘The World Tree seemed to have figured out Cecily’s location, as it responded immediately after Harley entered.’
Well, it’s not as much as you gave, but isn’t he a divine being that receives the faith of the world capital elves?
There may have been other limitations that I cannot reveal directly.
“Hahaha! It doesn’t matter anymore!”
I felt the dark magic rushing in like a tidal wave from behind me, but the cave entrance was already right in front of me.
If you just go outside, it won’t be easy to catch him as he runs away with monstrous physical strength.
at that time.
Again I felt something approaching quickly from underground.
A clear murderous intent that feels different from before.
The problem was that the direction it was coming from was towards the outer forest where they were heading···.
Kwaaang—!
The thing that rose from the ground right at the entrance was so large that it blocked the entire cave.
“Don’t block my path!”
But Harley didn’t care and started to run faster towards the giant earthworm blocking the entrance.
“Eek—?!”
He turned Cecily, who was stuck on his side, around and hugged her properly, and then he held her in place as much as possible to avoid shocking her…
Phew!
I jumped up and dropped kicked him.
[Kkuuuuung—!]
Earthworm writhing in shock.
But because of its massive weight and the rest of its body being pinned to the floor, there was still no gap left at the entrance.
Harley, who had been thrown backwards by the recoil, landed softly on the ground and let out a laugh.
“Hehehe… Why is it that things are solved so easily?”
No matter how I looked at it, it seemed like it would take some time to get through the entrance.
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And that also meant that I couldn’t avoid a fight with the guys coming from behind.
“Miss, wake up. I think it’s time to get ready to fight.”
“Huh~ Huh?”
Even as she panicked and suffered from dizziness due to the intense movement, Harley had already completed her preparations.
He put Cecily down and used his sharp claws to cut a long strip of leather that was attached to the black panther helmet like a cloak.
Cut the middle into two pieces, then cut the upper part of each side to make it a little longer.
“Come here!”
“Yes, yes!”
And holding Cecily in his arms, he wrapped her in two pieces of leather like a pupa and fastened her tightly to his body.
The leather covering his back was so large that it could be wrapped around him, leaving only a breathing hole, so that he could not see outside at all.
A tiny bundle of skin hanging from a large muscular body, like a baby wrapped in a blanket… no, an elf girl.
‘This would be better for protection than carrying it on your back. It’s made of horse leather, so it won’t break easily.’
Even as Harley prepared for battle, wielding an axe in both hands, Earthworm remained motionless, guarding the entrance.
Movements that cannot be considered instinctive for a monster.
He was definitely being manipulated by someone.
“Haha! Then let’s get started! First, I’ll kick your ass!”
Harley poured out her energy without reserve, drawing out a “vital aura” throughout her body.
To clear the entrance first before dealing with the other guys.
***
“Yes? What did you say, Sir Heinrich?”
The saint asked back, seemingly embarrassed.
The reactions of others around her were no different from hers.
Archbishop Latius and the Paladins, as well as the elves including Lafori.
“That Cecily. I think I know where she is now.”
But Heinrich stubbornly repeated what he had said despite those gazes.
“Um… does Kyung have a blessing to track down a specific target?”
Archbishop Latius asks cautiously.
It would certainly be hard to believe.
How long has it been since the High Elves of the Elven Kingdom spoke, and you’ve already found your target?
But now was not the time to fight like this.
“It’s not a blessing, but I can definitely feel it. It’s the presence of Cecily, an elf with green hair and orange eyes. But the situation is quite dangerous right now.”
At those words, the expressions on everyone’s faces changed.
The elves looked at the saintess and other high-ranking members of the church with anxious expressions.
They didn’t know how much to trust the sudden words of someone who seemed to be a performer.
The saintess looked at Heinrich quietly, then turned her gaze back to the group of elves with a serious expression.
“I can trust Sir Heinrich. He is a man whom the Lord has shown interest in. If he feels that way, there must be a good reason.”
“We will follow the judgment of the church.”
As the elves nodded with stern faces, she jumped up from her seat and looked at Heinrich.
“Then let’s move right away. Where is that location?”
Her eyes, looking straight at him, were full of trust.
“This is the Northern Mountains, the border of the Tulk Kingdom on the western side of the continent. If you use the gate to go to the Temple of Tarak in the County of Aonia, you can greatly reduce the time.”
“Let’s talk as we go.”
They all stood up from their seats and quickly headed toward the gate.
The saintess, holding the holy symbol, muttered softly and then looked back at Heinrich.
“I’ve prepared the gate so you can use it right away. You’ll be able to move right away once you get there.”
“Sir Heinrich Landgard. Do you happen to know the exact location?”
“If I get closer, I think I can travel straight there with my ‘blessing’… but right now, all I can tell is that it’s somewhere north of the Steel Citadel.”
Everyone here was acting on the assumption that Heinrich’s words were true.
The saint’s full support must have had a great influence.
Now, if he can just repay that trust, his credibility in the church will increase significantly.
They moved so quickly that they were able to quickly arrive at the gate.
In the meantime, a very brief but minor scuffle occurred.
“You can’t, my lady.”
“There are two paladins, one archbishop, and even a high elf, so is it really necessary to go to the saintess as well?”
“Hahaha! You heretics, please give in to us!”
The saint, who was trying to move naturally to the gate, was stopped by the members of the church.
Her cheeks puffed out slightly, but she couldn’t say anything in protest, perhaps out of respect for the outsiders, the elves.
It was a hasty decision, so there was no room to call up additional personnel, but these people were more than enough for the time being.
“If we just know the location, we will be enough.”
When the high elf Lafori added confidently, she could only nod slightly and step back.
But it wasn’t like the saint had nothing to do.
Woohoo—
Although it was not as far as the Kingdom of Thalia at the western end, the distance between this place, the center of the continent, and the Kingdom of Tulk to the west was not easy.
Since the distance traveled required enormous divine power, the help of the saintess was essential to move at once.
“Well then, everyone, take care and come back safely.”
“Don’t worry. It won’t be a big problem.”
Heinrich nodded seriously and answered the saintess who greeted him with concern.
With their current strength, they should be able to complete the job without much damage.
‘The only real question is whether we can make it on time.’
For now, Harley could hold out on her own, but there was no telling what would happen if they started putting all their effort into it.
Because signs were starting to appear.
***
“Hahahaha!”
Harley laughed ferociously as she chopped off the head of the dwarf monster, Gremlin, that was rushing at her with her axe.
The area around him was already filled with all kinds of corpses, leaving no room to step.
As I passed through the forest, I encountered monsters ranging from ones I had already hunted to ones I had never seen before, and of course, the minions of the Warlock were a bonus.
Even though I kept killing those who rushed at me, monsters continued to swarm me from the forests all around.
‘It’s good to be out of the cave.’
I managed to break through the earthworm blocking the entrance, but was caught by the warlocks in the process.
An even bigger problem was that warlocks specialized in commanding monsters.
Since the northern mountain range is overflowing with monsters, the synergy with them was beyond imagination.
‘You must have taken that into account from the beginning and set up shop here!’
The problem was not only the monsters summoned from the forest, but also those summoned separately by the warlocks.
Because these guys had all sorts of completely different and unfamiliar characteristics.
One thing that was fortunate was that they didn’t want their sacrifices to be hurt, so they didn’t attack Cecily on purpose.
Of course, that doesn’t mean I can use her as a shield.
Because there was no guarantee that the attacking monsters would thoroughly carry out their orders like robots.
There was just an unspoken agreement to be careful with each other.
‘But if we continue like this, it will be difficult. Harley’s strong point is her recklessness in taking on enemies without taking care of herself, but in her current state, her movements will inevitably be limited.’
If you put Cecily down and fight, they’ll just take her away, and if this continues, your energy will run out and you’ll wither and die.
Heinrich and his party arrived in Tarak through the gate.
Although they were coming at a fast pace, using the power of the wind spirit summoned by the high elves, it still took some time for them to get here.
‘Okay, this is a mess.’
At one point, a black magician appeared, busy controlling monsters on one side.
It was a sight of monsters surrounding them and even setting up a defensive barrier···.
“Whew!”
A thick aura gathered around the axe blade in his right hand, and he bent his waist and spun around in place.
The aurora’s trajectory drew a large and beautiful circle with centrifugal force.
Wedge— crunch!
“Kkuhe—!”
It flew like a missile, shattering the shield and latching onto the warlock’s body, flying through the air with him and out of Harley’s sight.
Monsters that stop momentarily when control is released.
Harley didn’t miss the gap and blasted the bullet again, digging into the gap between them.
Phew—
The axe in his left hand continued to draw flowing lines and trample on his enemies, while his right hand, which had turned into a monster, diligently tore out the hearts of the monsters along with their magic stones and put them in his mouth.
Energy that is constantly replenished and stamina that is overflowing.
If I kept going like this, I could last all day.
Of course, the enemies won’t leave it like that.
Kaang—!
He swung his claws and knocked away the spear that suddenly flew in.
A man with a spear hides between monsters again after the surprise attack fails.
“Is it a lycanthrope? Something different… a mutant?”
But I heard a voice like that from one side.
visor!
An arrow flying in from the other side hit the face of the axe and bounced off.
“It doesn’t seem to have any demonic blood in it since our control doesn’t work at all.”
At the same time, an attack came from another direction.
Of course, even in the midst of all this, the monsters kept rushing at me, making it incredibly difficult to keep my mind at bay.
‘Oh, these guys are fighting dirty.’
Harley moved her body without rest, showering her opponent with compliments.
As the battle intensified, there was no time to relax, so I had to use my “physical mutation” without hesitation.
“Kuuuuuuu.”
The muscles of the entire body were swollen and ferocious, the teeth protruded like a shark, and the jaws were developed.
The eyes, nose, and ears had long since lost their human form.
‘Is this okay? He’s already a little heartbroken.’
As the fight continued, Harley’s body felt itself becoming more and more mad.
I’ve been laughing non-stop since a while ago.
I don’t have to worry about having an accident since I can control it at any time, but I want to avoid being unable to stand in front of others like Hans.
That moment of brief contemplation.
《The entity has achieved the condition and gained enlightenment. It acquires the skill “Wildness”.》
For a moment, my senses were turned upside down.
In that moment of sudden dissonance, my body stopped moving on instinct alone.
The head turns to the side.
Crap!
The sword that flew in, taking advantage of a brief gap, was blocked between Harley’s serrated teeth.
And only after the axe in his left hand, swung without delay, cut through the assailant’s body, was he able to clearly understand the “wildness”.
A skill that maximizes aggression by moving solely on instinct.
But even so, he does not forget the skills imprinted on his body.
Although it was a bit more free and rough, it was undoubtedly based on the axe and martial arts that had been used until then.
In an instant, Harley’s nose and ears, which had lowered their bodies, began to twitch incessantly…
Pfft— thud!
“Whoa!”
In an instant, he dug into the monsters and twisted the neck of the man holding a spear in his right hand.
Instinct did not miss the information that reason had dismissed as nothing.
‘···Is this okay?’
The method of utilizing “wildness” was very different from the fighting methods he had used until now.
His greatest strength was that he could calmly judge the situation, calculate it, and act accordingly in any situation.
As if playing a game, from a third-person perspective, understanding all variables and responding with overwhelming mental power.
But that approach didn’t work for Harley.
In order to fully utilize the body that evolved by eating countless monsters, a new fighting style that was not human was needed.
Just like right now.
And above all.
‘It’s possible to control the activation!’
Because Harley’s madness could be controlled to be completely directed towards “wildness”.
Like a berserker who only goes wild in battles where it’s necessary!
‘I think this will be enough to hold out until support arrives?’
The time limit, unknown to them, was steadily approaching.
