Chapter 375: The Hunt in Darkness (3)

“I’m afraid not. Not now.”

Eugene ignored the trembling bloodletting dagger.

In the meantime, the chief’s wife, seized by the spirit, died without even a scream. Heat transferred from the spirit’s grip through the chief’s body, destroying her airway.

But this wasn’t the end. From the fallen wife’s neck, chest, and abdomen, a faint orange glow moved slowly downward.

The light stopped at the hip area, deepened to red, and burned through the skin, creating a small hole. From it, a fire snake emerged.

‘The same creature that fought Gaius?’

Small as an ordinary snake, yet extremely dangerous. Perhaps exhausted from the limited energy of its small form, it hissed and vanished.

An ordinary warrior would have frozen at this terrifying sight, but Eugene remained composed as always. Experience and knowledge provided composure.

The spirit was also intimidated by the dragon’s aura emanating from Eugene, his magical equipment, and the unknown power beyond those. It showed no immediate signs of attack.

Thus, a bizarre standoff occurred.

“What should we do?”

“Hmm. Retreating wouldn’t be bad, honestly.”

“It looks extremely dangerous. Even that snake earlier was like that. If such a thing is released, won’t it endanger the elves in the future?”

“He won’t last that long. He’s already on borrowed time.”

No matter how powerful, to operate in the mortal world, one had to follow nature’s rules.

And the forms nature permitted for “residents” were solid, liquid, and gas. Spirits that didn’t fit any of these were immediately consigned to banishment upon entering the mortal realm.

“Unlike the foreign god that possessed Gaius’s body, this one is using a summoned corpse as firewood. The moment its remaining energy runs out, it will dissipate on its own.”

The problem was the violent spirit causing a wildfire. Based on the terrain and stream positions Eugene had observed, the elf villages were within the safe zone, but nothing was absolute.

‘Monsters displaced by the wildfire would also be unavoidable.’

Creatures that lost their habitat would congregate elsewhere and cause trouble. He didn’t want to bring another disaster to the elven nation that had just begun stabilizing.

Moreover, Ostyre had to be dealt with before departing. That meant silencing Lasrandir as well.

Eugene made his decision.

“We end it here.”

“As you command.”

In that instant, the chief’s entire body was engulfed in flames. Eugene sensed the magical power generated by the burning flesh being absorbed by the spirit within.

The spirit, judging that combat was unavoidable, was converting the cumbersome physical body entirely into energy before the fight.

“Now!”

Homi grabbed a large water jar nearby and hurled it. The jar collided with the burning chief’s corpse, shattering both.

The water inside instantly vaporized. The spirit, momentarily staggered by the heat loss, was pierced by a thrown javelin through the steam—a crude spear taken from a dead orc warrior.

Paaaa!

But any cheap weapon transformed when held in Eugene’s hand. Like a holy relic left behind by a great saint.

The spirit dodged in alarm at the sacred impact, but the surrounding steam held it back. Fire and water were opposing elements—steam was to a fire spirit what a spiderweb was to a fly.

Crackle!

Even a glancing blow sent chunks of the energy and mystic properties that composed the spirit exploding outward.

With a pain-filled shriek, the spirit consumed the remainder of the summoner’s body and revealed its true form.

“An Imugi?”

“A Serpent?”

Eugene and Homi spoke simultaneously. Eugene projected the image from his memories of fantasy creatures, while Homi drew from illustrations in her favorite monster compendium.

[□□!]

The spirit spat out a breath filled with hatred. From it, fire snakes flew in the shape of a Caduceus—two snakes braided around a rod.

Nearly ten of them. The fire summoner Gaius had commanded in his sacrificial ritual was limited to just two.

Fire snakes were sentient beings that hunted prey on their own. Unlike crossbow bolts flying in straight lines, they couldn’t be evaded simply by dodging the initial trajectory.

But both Eugene and Homi were prepared. They used corpses rolling on the ground as human shields—or rather, orc shields.

Fire snakes were lethal, but as lower spirits, their intelligence was very low. When a warm piece of meat appeared before them, they would completely redirect their course toward it.

The advantage of pursuing and redirecting even after evasion became a weakness before decoys.

[Sshaaaaa-!]

The enraged spirit fired the fire snakes again, but Eugene and Homi used other corpses to block. These spirited siblings weren’t just blocking—they were approaching the spirit.

In the spirit’s long existence as a high-ranking being, no one had ever charged at it. Its pride was wounded, but it couldn’t afford carelessness.

Kwaaaaa!

The Last Autumn blazed with sacred radiance. As the quality of the material was superb, the sacred power condensed was incomparable to the crude javelin from moments ago.

The spirit had identified Eugene as the primary threat from the start. Unable to use the fire snakes effectively, it prepared a single devastating blow.

Before the Imugi’s wide-open maw, countless elemental spirits began to coalesce. The twilight-colored mass wasn’t merely a ball of fire.

It was closer to a fragment bomb in fire’s form. Each fire elemental would burn and pierce the enemy—a Fire Ball.

“Goddess, strike the evil intruder!”

But the spirit had underestimated Homi too much. Focused on Eugene, who wielded sacred strikes, it had allowed her approach.

The spirit still reacted with arrogance: ‘You think your fangs can bite me?’ But humans had developed tactics to overcome disparities in power.

Swoosh!

Homi’s thrown holy water bottle flew with a sharp whistle. The moment it struck, the glass melted into the fire constituting the spirit, and the holy water vaporized simultaneously.

This produced an entirely different effect than the water jar. The vaporized holy water coated the spirit inside and out. For a being of pure energy with no skin, this was a fatal blow.

Eugene and Homi witnessed a strange spectacle: fire burning fire. The purifying flames, glowing in primary colors, began to incinerate the malevolent fire spirit.

“Ambush!”

“The chief’s tent!”

Meanwhile, the orcs outside realized something was wrong.

Flashes from the chief’s tent, the spirit screaming, dead guards sprawled at the entrance—falling asleep in such circumstances would be abnormal.

“Hiiik!”

Those who threw open the tent recoiled at the scent of blood and the ferocious fire Imugi within.

The spirit felt satisfaction at the awe its appearance should have inspired in those who summoned it, but that didn’t last long. The sword wrapped in sacred radiance had closed to striking distance.

‘I thrust.’

Eugene instinctively chose the thrust over the slash.

The Last Autumn’s blade pierced through the spirit’s body. The purifying energy contained in the sword was sucked into the spirit’s pure energy form—as if osmotic pressure were occurring.

[Kyaaaaa-!!!]

Eugene had killed countless types of enemies and handled diverse energies. The feedback through the blade confirmed it. This one was finished.

The spirit writhed in agony as its entire form was torn apart strand by strand. It crashed into the tent’s canopy, which held it for a few seconds before burning away, allowing the spirit to escape.

“It’s getting away!”

Eugene whistled for Might. The soundwave carrying the roar’s mystic property pierced through the camp like a ballista bolt.

“Your Majesty!”

At Homi’s call, Eugene looked at Lasrandir. When she used his official title, there was only one reason.

“Kuh…”

Lasrandir hung his charred right arm, groaning. Two fire snakes that had chewed extensively on the arm seemed unsatisfied, preparing to target his torso.

As mentioned earlier, fire snakes had very low intelligence. After being released by the spirit, some had been drawn to third parties besides Eugene and Homi—Lasrandir and Ostyre.

-Your Majesty!

The loyal ranger had positioned himself as a human shield before Ostyre, intercepting the fire snakes.

‘I’ve never seen a madman like this in the best possible way.’

Eugene confirmed that Lasrandir’s charred fist had grabbed the tails of two fire snakes.

To allow his lord’s escape, blind sacrifice wasn’t enough. Lasrandir had given up his right arm to protect the left arm holding his lord and the legs needed for escape.

But even with unbreakable willpower, if tendons and muscles were burned through, strength was impossible.

Crack.

Lasrandir’s right fist crumbled into dozens of charcoal fragments. The two freed fire snakes immediately flew toward his heart.

“Not likely.”

And were caught in Eugene’s hand midair.

[Ssssss.]

[Ssssss.]

The fire snakes writhed, attempting to burn Eugene’s skin, but it was futile. No supernatural fire could breach his flesh.

Crunch.

When Eugene applied pressure, sparks flew and the fire snakes dissipated.

“Ugh… ahh…”

Then Lasrandir’s sobbing was heard.

The Ostyre in his arms had already perished. Like the chief’s wife, fire snakes had burned through his body from within, and their power had just dissipated. This was why Eugene had spared Lasrandir.

Though Lasrandir was the greatest ranger, his body was in no condition to block fire snakes barehanded. He had stopped two, but one had bitten through to his lord.

“Get out. This area is restricted.”

Meanwhile, Homi was systematically killing every orc warrior pouring into the tent.

“You bitch?!”

“Kraak!”

Her ten razor-sharp claws tore through massive muscles and leather armor alike.

“To be blocked by a single female warrior—shameful!”

The second-in-command, next in succession after the dead chief, stepped forward grandly. He had long suspected the chief’s condition wasn’t normal.

If this was the moment of succession, he needed to demonstrate courage and martial prowess ahead of others. That would make future rule easier.

“Make way! Gurroka will clear the path!”

Though lacking the chief’s magical abilities, Gurroka was the tribe’s foremost in physical capability.

But he never even set foot inside the tent.

Crunch!

Might, charging like the wind, bit into Gurroka’s upper body from behind.

“Kyaaaaa!”

Bitten from head to chest, Gurroka screamed and flailed his legs. Might, holding him like a caught mouse, shook him violently in the air.

The orc warriors, intimidated by the brutal killing shake, hastily retreated.

Moments later, Might spat out the dead Gurroka and entered the tent, and no one dared follow.

*

‘With this, there’s no need to kill Lasrandir too.’

Eugene and Homi exchanged glances and nodded.

With Ostyre dead, Lasrandir had no choice but to pledge loyalty to the royal coalition. He was the perfect candidate to leave in charge alongside the Avarim.

“Come. Those who should live must live.”

“…”

Lasrandir held Ostyre’s body in his arms, silent.

“You won’t even attend your lord’s funeral?”

“That…”

“I’ll transport that body to Elenost myself. Do what you can now.”

The final words moved Lasrandir’s heart.

Eugene placed the two elves on Might and rode behind. This made it impossible to hold the reins, but it didn’t matter. The beast’s two legs were sufficient.

“Side trot, please.”

Grrr-.

Might shook its head as if displeased by the uninvited guests, but obediently followed the command. Left back with right front, right back with left front landing simultaneously, minimizing vibration during movement.

“It’s a monster!”

“No! That’s a demon!”

Meanwhile, the fire spirit was rampaging in the center of the orc camp.

“Ancestral spirits! Please drive away that evil spirit!”

The orcs, let alone the brave orc warriors, were clutching bone necklaces and resorting to superstition.

[!!!]

The spirit’s head snapped toward Eugene. Even in its final moments, it wanted to strike back at the one responsible for its state.

Before its wide-open maw, the twilight-colored sphere was formed again. Countless fire elementals like dandelion seeds began to condense.

[□□□!]

Eugene didn’t understand the spirit’s language, but he instinctively understood its final word.

‘Die!’

No other interpretation seemed possible. The completed fire ball was launched at Eugene as he fled through the camp.

But he wouldn’t be struck by such a direct, linear attack. Eugene gauged the fire mystic accumulating behind him and changed direction just before launch.

Might and Homi, both with overwhelming agility, easily escaped the danger zone.

“Ancestral spirits!”

The orc warriors caught in the crossfire were the ones who perished. They squeezed their eyes shut as the raging fire ball bore down.

Kwaaaang!!!

An explosion occurred at the impact point.

Orc warriors within a four-meter radius were reduced to charcoal, the ground within six meters crumbled as burning soil shot skyward, and finally, fire elemental fragments scattered like shrapnel to a twelve-meter radius.

“Uwaaaah!”

“Hot!”

Orcs with fire scattered across their bodies performed a fire dance. The shrapnel lacked penetration power, so the wounds weren’t fatal, but burns themselves couldn’t be endured through grit alone.

Confirming its final strike had missed, the spirit died with a mournful wail. The goddess’s power had sentenced the evil spirit not to banishment but to death—so it could never threaten this world again.

*

Having put sufficient distance between themselves and the orc camp, Eugene halted Might.

“This arm can no longer be used. Left as is, it will dangle and irritate the wound above.”

“I know, Your Majesty. You’ve already shown great mercy, but I have one more request.”

Lasrandir hung his charred right arm on the ground and leaned his body to the left.

“It’s already burned above the elbow, so the rest is useless. Cut it as you see fit.”

“I can’t do that.”

A silver-white flash cleanly severed the arm. Most of the nerves were already dead, so there was little pain.

“I kept as much as possible.”

Eugene held the water flask in both hands and manifested the miracle of holy water—the same cool water that had once saved Marbas.

As it soaked Lasrandir’s wound, the residual heat from the fire snakes was washed away completely. Clean bandages were wrapped tightly over it.

“This is the best field treatment possible.”

“No physician in the capital could provide better care. The king truly receives the goddess’s love, as I’ve heard.”

A Great Forest ranger had to make precise decisions at every moment to survive. Even when attached to someone, once they crossed a river that couldn’t be crossed, he had to cast aside his feelings.

Whether it was a close companion, a respected mentor, or a beloved disciple.

The unprecedented agony in his heart was expelled by 170 years of ranger instincts. His lifelong way of life commanded him to face the present.

“I hesitate to call it a life’s price, but there is one thing I’d like to request.”

“Name it.”

“This vast forest—no one knows it better than you. And I hear no one matches your courage in speaking truth to the king.”

“An old soldier’s overestimation, that’s all.”

Eugene looked directly at the old ranger. He didn’t miss the grief and resignation filling his face, nor the faint emotion buried beneath.

“King’s Counsel Lasrandir. Would you consider taking on my final pupil?”

“…”

It was hope. As an educator, a desperate wish to fulfill a duty once failed.