Chapter 11: Ep 3 — Nabishi Forest II

"How dare you touch him!"

The pretty boy yelled while attacking Elijah, who was merely defending himself with an ice wall, without striking back. I wondered why I wasn't in the opponent's line of sight. It was fine—I wasn't complaining... just curious.

"ZhuRong, salamander beast of fire, with your great power, burn away the filthy one..."

When the pretty boy cast his spell, sparkling reddish dust gathered and spread in the center of his palm, forming two magical rune circles.

"Kalayo Blaze!"

A powerful breath of fire shattered the ice wall. Fortunately, Elijah quickly leaped upward to dodge the flames. However, while still in the air, he was met with another set of fireballs, which attacked him aggressively.

In that moment, Elijah swung his glowing sword. Each swing precisely split the fireballs in half, freezing them in mid-air. As soon as he landed, the icicles melted, forming puddles of water beneath them.

But the pretty boy wouldn't let him take any breaks. Another spell was cast swiftly, and with his words, "Scarlet Rain," thousands of fiery scarlet petals began to pour down on Elijah.

'It was enchanting to watch, but scorching to touch.'

Elijah rapidly pierced the ground with his sword, causing the earth to light up and form a pentagram of runes. At precisely the right moment, he slashed upwards, and the surrounding area sparkled, gradually transforming the scarlet petals into silver dust. His cutting pattern resembled the head of an icy dragon devouring the falling fire.

'Elegantly beautiful.'

However, it wasn't the end. The pretty boy attacked Elijah incessantly.

Although Elijah appeared calm, his slightly furrowed brows revealed his struggle to defend against the never-ending barrage of attacks. He seemed somewhat concerned; whenever their gazes met, Elijah sighed deeply. The pretty boy, annoyed by this behavior, attacked even more aggressively. Both of them kept glancing in my direction, as if to ensure I wasn't affected by their battle.

While they were engaged in a heated fight, I stood on the sidelines. A bystander. If I weren't on the spirit's barrier, I might be burned alive or frozen to death.

"I'm really living in a fantasy."

In this clash, what am I supposed to do?

[Human, don't even think of leaving the barrier.]

[... These humans are stronger than average, and you're weak!]

[Leaving my space means death!]

Though I wasn't foolish enough to walk to my death, I understood what she meant—I was helpless in this situation. I was aware of that fact, but hearing it directly still stung.

"Still, what should I do now?"

.....

"Naz, what are the two types of mana?"

"Innate Mana and Universal Mana," I answered, taking a slice of 'buko' pie afterward.

"Right. Innate mana is the 'life force' of humans, while universal mana is the 'life source' of the world. Both were bestowed by the Goddess of Life. Then, how can I do this?" Arwin flicked his fingers four times. Soon, fire, water, a dusting of dirt, and a swirl of wind appeared above the round table where we were having tea.

I sipped the remaining black tea before answering, "Our body circulates blood, which is pumped from our heart. This also applies to our mana. The soul is the source, the mana heart is the storage, and it spreads throughout our body along a mana path where it flows. Our bodies are blessed with various and unique attributes, such as fire, water, earth, and wind, which are the primary elements. The secondary elements are derived from the combination of these, as well as those irregular ones. Lastly, the magic power takes shape according to the body's attributes by formulating runes. Hence, that's how the four elements appeared right now."

Arwin's lips slightly arched upward. "You did your assignment well. Excellent," he said.

Hearing a compliment from him curiously filled my heart with delight and contentment. 'So, this is how it feels.' In my previous life, I had rarely been complimented. It feels great, especially when it comes from such a wonderful person.

"My teacher is just so good at explaining."

Arwin smiled even more broadly, beaming with his lovely grin and handsome features. He then gently patted my head and remarked, "It's more because Naz is so intelligent."

Nah, he praised me highly. I just somehow developed an interest in reading books, memorizing, and understanding their contents. But looking at him, I couldn't help but smile too.

"You two, you know I'm also here, right?" Leonard said as he slid into the seat next to mine. Then he frantically brushed my hair, making a mess of it. After a brief moment of boredom, he suddenly burst out crying, out of nowhere.

"Waahh! I'm going to miss my cute little bro. Why is that old man summoning us when we're so busy? I want to kick his ass, but I can't. Ugh, we can't even bring you along. I'm so worried about just leaving you."

Leonard kept spitting nonsense nonstop while I suffered from his tight hug and loud cry.

"Leonard Friezz Goldenfrost."

Hearing his full name spoken calmly by his brother, he sprang up and moved his chair away, whimpering.

"I'm just going to miss Nazari and worry about leaving him..."

Arwin sighed deeply: "Naz, if you ever find yourself in a bind..." Leonard interjected, "Run! You must run and hide quickly where no one can hurt you!"

.....

Yes, I must run and leave this place quickly. That pretty boy doesn't even bother attacking me, and I have no plan of drawing his attention. It's a better option than becoming a hindrance to Elijah. Even now, he keeps looking at my side, making sure the flames don't reach me.

{Human.}

When Ms. Spirit called, her chat box shook slightly. For no apparent reason, her entire body also trembled. {...We need to hurry!} She was now yanking on the hood of my cloak, causing me to choke somewhat.

"Yes... yeah... but what's happening to you?" I asked as her body was now dripping water bit by bit, like human sweat.

{S-someone has infiltrated my home. It's so powerful that my barrier c-can't withstand them.}

When I read her response, my mind automatically thought about the worst-case scenario. "What about the child?!" I shouted anxiously.

Spirit Sanctuary was a sacred place that belonged solely to their kind. Spirits, like humans, lived in a town with distinct houses. Nobody was supposed to know their exact location or how to get in, unless a specific spirit granted you a permission. Worse, someone with a unique skill could potentially cross through dimensions and be powerful enough to enter the protective barrier dividing the two regions.

The spirit was taken aback by the unexpected amplification of my voice. She was, nevertheless, able to gather herself.

[That's why we don't have time!]

[...They want to take the child!]

[How and why did they manage to find my sanctuary? Whoever they are, they must pay!]

That 'man' strangely sprang to mind immediately as I pondered who it could be. The one who had annihilated my village and murdered my parents. 'Is he rounding up the village kids who managed to flee?'

"Do you know where they are now?"

My feet began to sprint toward the teleportation station. I knew I couldn't afford to squander any more time. The spirit even flew rapidly, keeping up with my pace.

At this speed, Ms. Spirit still closed her eyes slightly and focused. [They're moving at breakneck speeds.] [The path they took seems to lead to Nabishi Forest.]

"Nabishi Forest?!!!" I yelled, and at the same time, the pretty young boy and Sir Elijah both grabbed my wrists and asked simultaneously,

"Where are you going, ma?"

"Where are you going, young master?"

Suddenly, a dazzling light flashed beneath my feet as I stepped in. The familiar sensation of being sucked by gravity, similar to a quick fall from a drop tower, occurred in a split second.

'I forgot, Arwin's power extends throughout the Grand Dukedom.'

I closed my eyes tightly, bracing myself for the shift in scenery. When my feet landed on uneven grassy ground, I stumbled a little. Before I could steady myself, my body was pulled into the air by two others who had also been ensnared by teleportation runes and were now engaged in a heated exchange of words—or not.

"Hey, let go."

"....."

"Don't touch him!"

"....."

"Do you have no ears?"

"....."

I was dragged back and forth by two kindergarteners vying for their turn to play with a stuffed toy. The older one was far too noisy, while the younger one remained silent. Yes, never-ending one-sided squabbles.

'Sigh, what are they even doing?'

Anyhow, this appeared to be less harmful than their previous fight, so I let them be.

Instead of complaining, I focused on the new environment. We were surrounded by dense trees and bushes, and the lush grass reached almost to my knee. There was no evidence of a path or any human activity. No sound from insects or wild animals could be heard; only the rustling of leaves shaken by the cold, invigorating wind filled the air.

It felt as though this place was a safe haven before entering the dreadful forest.

[Human.]

[Human!]

[HUMAN!!!]

The spirit conversation box became larger and larger, attracting my attention. When our gazes met, a pearl of tears began to fall from her eyes.

[... I... can't...] [...she....] [I can't sense 'my' human anymore!]

As I remained there, watching the spirit's despairing wail, the unpleasant voice of one-sided squabbling close to my ear, my anxiety and concerns regarding Nobelle... My heart throbbed. These conflicting emotions swirled within me, and among them, rage erupted.

"Put. Me. Down."

The abrupt rise in my voice caused the two to unintentionally drop me. I cared less.

Ms. Spirit was bawling hard, alone, and loudly, yet they didn't notice her. They couldn't.

"Calm down," I said as I wiped her tears. The spirit held my index finger tightly as she expressed her concerns: [Human, I can't sense them here...] [... M-my human presence is gone!]

I softly stroked her head to help her relax a little. "Everything will be fine; we can still find the child," I assured her, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't shaken by what she said. I wasn't even convinced we'd be able to find the kid. I was worried, too, and I wanted to find her right away, but this small entity needed me first.

"Young master... who are you talking to?"