Chapter 209

Thanks to Luna’s excellent placement, what was supposed to be a good time all went down the drain.

Of course, I shot Luna a sharp glance, and so did Eli, but she probably didn’t even notice.

There’s a high chance she wouldn’t care in the first place. With Luna’s personality, if it doesn’t interest her, she’s blissfully unaware.

She likely just brushed it off. Even if Eli is a bit sulky, she’ll get over it eventually.

“I’m just going to sort out some herbs and brew some tea while I’m at it.”

“You’re always so helpful. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m in need of help too, after all.”

Eli started organizing the herbs I gave her while preparing the tea.

The herbs collected today need to be dried to be effective. So, she would be using something else.

Before long, it naturally left me, Luna, and Rod behind.

“So, was there anything unusual in the forest?”

Rod asked me, a question he always throws my way after I return from the woods.

I was starting to consider whether it was time to allow entry into the Chaos Forest, so a report was essential.

Even with researchers around, they’d be lacking compared to someone like me who manages the whole forest.

“Nothing in particular, except for one thing.”

“One? What is it?”

“A bear was dead.”

“A bear? Did another predator come through?”

Rod showed curiosity at the mention of the dead bear. Bears are pretty strong creatures in this world too.

An untrained ordinary person could easily be torn apart by one.

Of course, it wouldn’t stand a chance against a well-armed person. Magic power compensates for lacking abilities.

“No wounds, though.”

“No wounds… then it’s sick? Given the timing, a plague could be a possibility.”

“Nope. The fur was clean.”

I could confidently say it wasn’t a plague. The fur was just too clean.

It looked as if the soul had been completely sucked out. I tried to explain it as clearly as I could.

The more I went on, the more Rod’s expression hardened. It was like he knew something.

“It seems like only life has vanished… sounds like it could be the work of a demon.”

“Do demons harvest life like that?”

“The methods vary. Some demons take offerings, but to fully absorb life force, they prefer to do it while the victim is still alive.”

Life is like fruit hanging from a tree.

If it stays on the tree, it can maintain its sweetness and freshness because it constantly gets nutrients.

But the moment you pluck that fruit, everything starts going downhill. Life is no different.

To be efficient, it needs to be absorbed while still alive. Hence, the traces left behind are almost identical.

“Of course, it depends on the situation. You can’t only eat fruit that hangs from the tree forever.”

“So, it’s possible that the bear’s life force was absorbed while it was still alive, then.”

“Exactly. But there’s simply too little evidence.”

He’s right. Just one dead bear isn’t enough to be sure.

It could very well have died of a heart attack. We have to keep that possibility in mind.

“Here’s the tea.”

“Thanks. Oh right, Eli.”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Could you call Ratatosk? I have something to ask.”

Rod requested Eli, seeming to want to check on Porori’s territory.

Eli seemed puzzled at first, but then she nodded and headed out.

She went straight to the window, opened it, and pulled something from her pocket.

Peep!

When Eli blew into it, a clear, refreshing sound echoed.

It seemed like Porori had given her the instrument to summon them. Or perhaps they bought it together in agreement.

“Why did you call?”

A moment later, Porori appeared through the window.

They still had a body the size of a large dog, but it looked a bit more scraggly than before.

It’s probably shedding for summer. They’ll be back to their fluffy self come winter.

“The Director asked for you.”

“That old human?”

“Yep.”

“Hmm. Alright.”

Porori approached us with an acorn tucked under their arm, just like always.

I really wonder where they get acorns that size. I’ve never seen anything like it.

“What’s up?”

Porori, lounging on the sofa, asked Rod.

With arms crossed, they looked pretty much human now.

“I was wondering if anything strange has been happening in your territory. Have you found any corpses without any injuries?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I asked if there were any bodies that looked like their life had been completely drained.”

“I don’t recall seeing anything like that.”

“Is that so?”

It seems like nothing has shown up in Porori’s territory yet. Or maybe it was just a false alarm.

“If anything similar happens, please let me know. And just to be safe, keep an eye out. Watch for colorless entities.”

“Colorless entities? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’ll find out when you meet one later. Especially since you’re overflowing with life force, it might be a risk for you.”

Porori is a spirit creature, favored by Gulrak.

They’re overflowing with life force, almost to the point of spilling over. A demon would definitely want to go after that.

I didn’t think Porori would lose, but they need to be careful.

“Be on guard for ambushes.”

“Ambush? Are you really telling me to watch out for ambushes?”

Porori replied incredulously to my warning.

And that’s understandable; Porori is a beast. A beast with better senses than a human.

Avoiding an approach from behind should be second nature for them.

It’s like telling a monkey not to fall from a tree. But even monkeys fall sometimes.

“Yep. Be careful. I’m serious.”

“…Well, since you’re saying so, I’ll give it a shot.”

“If you get hurt, I’m going to have a hard time.”

“You little punk?”

I’m not joking. If they get involved in my territory, managing it would become a nightmare.

Moreover, if Porori gets attacked, it means the demon’s power has increased.

If they absorbed a spirit creature, there’s a very high probability that their color would have changed.

“Sivar was right. It’s best to be cautious about ambushes. If what we fear is true, those guys can’t be sensed at all.”

“They can’t be sensed?”

“Exactly. Not only can they not be sensed, but they also can’t be detected for life. Because they are beings without life.”

Every living thing should emit some kind of presence. But demons are lifeless creatures.

If they’re hiding in the dark or running away, tracking them becomes very difficult. They need to be dealt with swiftly.

“From just hearing this, it sounds just like what that guy does. He’s good at hiding too.”

“I just wanted to live.”

“That makes sense. You were really weak back then. I get it, anyway, nothing else to say?”

“Nope. Normally, I would have talked about the demon’s appearance.”

But the moment I reveal everything about its form, it might raise suspicion, so I kept my mouth shut.

Since Rod and I personally warned Porori, that little squirrel should be safe. If they get hurt, they deserve it.

After that, Porori headed back into the woods, and we sipped the tea Eli brought.

The strong, herbal scent made me feel more at ease.

“So, what were you talking about earlier? Was there something going on in the forest?”

Eli asked, still unaware of the situation.

I glanced over at Rod. He could explain it better than I could.

“There’s been some bad omens in the forest. Sivar mentioned a bear corpse that seems to have lost its life.”

“Why’s that?”

“It could be related to demons. Didn’t demons manifest near Unity Village during vacation?”

Eli also knows what I was doing during vacation. It wouldn’t be a surprise if she saw me swinging the Bloodshed Greatsword around.

But I didn’t mention a demon attacking the academy. That’s something I plan to build up slowly, just like everyone else.

Moreover, since Eli is non-combat, it’d be troublesome if she got caught up in anything. It’s better to keep her as safe as possible.

“It’s just a precaution. The ecosystem of the Chaos Forest is still being developed. If demons invade, it’ll be a headache.”

“Um… I see? Then I guess we shouldn’t go into the forest.”

“Exactly. We’ll decide after investigating. It’s still too soon.”

“I hope we can at least gather some herbs.”

Even Eli, who isn’t particularly interested in combat, took that in stride. I’m confident I can gather herbs for her.

Just then, while we were chatting over tea, I took a glance at the side.

Eli was sitting quietly next to me, but my eyes kept drifting to the massive mound beside her.

I had almost touched it earlier, and the urge to do so came back. Still, I restrained myself.

“But it felt really heavy, didn’t it?”

If it felt heavy to me, I wondered what it felt like for Eli. It’s like she’s carrying two heads around.

After a moment of thought, I quietly stood up and moved behind Eli.

“Sivar?”

“Just a second.”

I pressed down on her shoulder with my finger, and oh boy. I couldn’t tell if it was stone or flesh.

Eli often has her shoulders massaged more than other people. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it must hurt a lot.

“Eli, does it hurt?”

“My shoulder? It does. But I’m toughing it out.”

“Want me to give you a massage?”

“A massage?”

“Yeah. I’ve learned how to do it.”

I didn’t learn it specifically for this, but it’s handy to have.

Eli stared at me for a moment before she smiled and agreed.

Since I’ve already touched her chest, massaging her shoulder should be nothing.

Squish- Squish-

“Ahhh… this feels amazing…”

“Really?”

“Yep…”

As I infused magic power to relax her tense muscles, Eli let out a sigh of relief.

Not just her voice but her body went limp, and I had no clue how much pain she must have been feeling.

“By the way, Eli, you should train your postural muscles. Otherwise, it could strain your spine too much.”

Rod chimed in with a piece of advice after witnessing our exchange. He suggested exercising, especially given her chest.

In this world, there’s no such thing as cosmetic surgery, so that’s probably the best approach. It’s definitely better to start now than not at all.

“Exercise? I’m confident in my stamina.”

“Not stamina, but strength. Especially for someone like you, your back is important. I can help out too.”

“Uh… okay. I can do it with Luna, right?”

“Grace.”

“Huh?”

I mentioned Grace instead of Luna. That made Eli look at me with confusion.

“Work out with Grace. She exercises too.”

“Really?”

“Yep.”

“Then can I stop by your room after class?”

“Sure.”

It’s easy to get permission as a “guest.” We can both work out together casually.

Initially, it was a joke, but seeing her shoulder muscles taut and stiff, it looks like a must.

After that, I continued to massage her knotted muscles. She’ll probably feel comfortable for a while now.

“Thank you. I feel so much better.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Sivar, could you do the same for me?”

What in the world? I shot Rod a puzzled look.

Why is this guy, who knows more about bodies than I do, asking me for a favor?

Rod shrugged, then spoke in a nonchalant tone.

“Even I struggle to pinpoint every spot on my body. There are places I can’t reach.”

“…Did you read my mind?”

“No. It’s all written on your face.”

Is it that obvious? I fumbled my face as I made my way around to Rod’s back.

When I got behind him, I could finally see his broad shoulders.

He must have started aging, but his body is truly remarkable.

That’s probably why he can slice through space so easily. I placed my hands on Rod’s shoulders.

“Wow.”

His muscles felt like stone, but in a different way than Eli’s. They weren’t knotty; they were just solid muscle.

One could say his physique is at the human limit. I began to wonder how Grace’s must be.

After all, Grace’s muscles are strengthened by divine power. It’s almost like a type of steroid.

‘If I said that in front of Grace, I’d get slapped.’

Shaking that thought off, I started kneading Rod’s shoulders, using the techniques I learned in class.

Rod just let me do my thing, remaining passive while not forgetting to give advice.

“If you look closely, you’ll find spots where magic power gathers. That’s where muscles tend to knot. They call them ‘blood’ in the Eastern Empire.”

“Blood?”

“Right. Throughout the human body, there are spots called ‘blood’. They are places where magic flows and strength gathers. They are vital, so they’re quite useful in many ways.”

“Um…”

What would happen if I blocked those blood vessels, I wondered suddenly.

“If you block the blood flow, I can show you something interesting.”

“…”

Sorry. I immediately dismissed that thought and kept massaging.

About five minutes later, I finally finished the massage. Rod moved his body, looking pleased.

“That was quite good. As a thank you, I’ll show you something fun. Try raising your arm like this.”

“Like this?”

I raised my arm the way Rod wanted—specifically, by showing my elbow.

Rod nodded, then placed his index finger on the elbow area.

“If you target the blood…”

Zap!!!

“Ahhhh!!”

As soon as my magic power penetrated in, a jolt of electricity surged through my entire arm.

No, it felt worse than just an electric shock; it felt like being struck by lightning. This was worse than when I was actually hit by lightning.

It hurt so bad I clutched my elbow and nearly fell over. Tears were about to escape from the pain.

“Something like this can happen. Especially targeting blood at the joints will cause immense pain.”

“Ugh… why, why… I didn’t do anything…”

“I felt you trying to subtly penetrate the blood. I noticed everything.”

“Ugh…”

Still, thanks to that, I obtained some good knowledge.

“Though it isn’t actually blood.”

“…?”

Then what on earth did I just experience?

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