Chapter 210

Porori, or rather Ratatosk, had a pretty simple day upon returning to the forest.

He was either gathering acorns to offer to the sky or chasing off intruders from the woods.

But among all those tasks, there was one thing he was putting in the most effort into: finding a mate.

Even though the heat was not quite upon him yet, it would be returning soon.

Besides, he was still worried about the horrible accident from last time. What if the same thing happened again?

“I need to try hard not to let the lightning escape when I get too excited.”

If that happens, he wouldn’t be able to reproduce, which is the most important thing for any living being.

Not being able to reproduce means not having children, and that would strip away the very essence of being alive.

So Ratatosk kept working hard to stay calm, even if he got emotional.

Just like Sivar suppressed his berserk state with tenacity, Ratatosk was on a similar path.

“By the way, I need to be cautious of that colorless creature?”

While gathering acorns, Ratatosk recalled a piece of advice.

Not from Sivar, but the old human, Rod, had given him that serious warning. It was something he couldn’t easily ignore.

If it were Sivar who said it, he might have brushed it off, but with Rod involved, it couldn’t be disregarded.

Sivar might have a chance of striking at the heart of the matter, but Rod wouldn’t. There was no way he could win, no matter what he did.

“Guess it would take a long time to become like that human?”

Probably, considering he was one of the oldest of his kind.

As Ratatosk picked up acorns off the ground, he headed home.

Home was more like a storage place for acorns. It was still piled high with them.

Since it was summer, the conditions were just right for acorns to be abundant. This is just the ones that had fallen.

Grrr—

“I’m hungry. I should eat something.”

Suddenly struck by hunger, Ratatosk felt the need to hunt.

Right in front of him was a bunch of acorns and various seeds, but he turned his back on them.

These were emergency rations for winter, not for daily meals.

Plus, they included the offerings he needed to give to the sky, so it’s better to hunt for food himself whenever possible.

“What am I going to hunt today?”

Ratatosk climbed down from the tree and set out to hunt.

Given his size, he needed to catch something pretty big.

Especially since he started feeling hungry more often after being blessed by the heavens. It was unavoidable.

Maybe that was it; he used to fill up mostly on fruits, but recently hunting had become essential.

Of course, he didn’t hunt indiscriminately. As the forest’s manager, he practiced some self-restraint.

Except when it came to predators from outside. That was his duty to keep at bay.

“First, let’s roam around.”

Ratatosk began to wander around in search of prey.

“… …”

Unaware that someone was stealthily following him from behind.

No matter how relaxed Ratatosk might seem, he was sensitive to any signs of presence.

Yet, he went about leisurely, as if he sensed nothing.

Crash!

“Yoww!”

Before long, Ratatosk had hunted a stray dog.

Not sure where that bone came from, but it was marking its territory, so Ratatosk easily took it down with a whip of his tail.

The tail strike landed precisely on the skull. There’s no way a weak dog could withstand such an attack.

“Alright, let’s see…”

Ratatosk drooled over the neatly killed stray dog. Meat was always delicious.

Being a beast, he hadn’t considered cooking it over a fire. His taste buds weren’t developed for that.

Hadn’t he once not shunned carnivory? Well, that was in the past.

Of course, that was only true for beasts; he never ate bipedal beings.

Just as Ratatosk was about to start with the dog’s plump belly…

Swish—

“Huh? What’s this?”

Suddenly, the surroundings went dark. Sensing something was off, Ratatosk blinked.

No, it wasn’t that it got darker—it was a shadow moving over him. Someone was sneaking up from behind.

Startled by the shadow that darkened his entire body, Ratatosk turned around.

He had just been about to start his meal, so he was caught off guard.

Whoosh!

What came into Ratatosk’s view was the tip of a sharply honed dagger.

“What…!”

It was a figure covered in a mix of black and white.

******

After being ambushed by Rod’s blood attack, swordsmanship training followed.

Even though I felt it was pointless to learn swordsmanship since I’d turned all the techniques into mere weapon skills, I went ahead and learned anyway.

After all, it was techniques taught by a Sword Saint. Every word he spoke was bound to be valuable.

“Today’s session ends here. Your skills are improving every day.”

“Thank you. It’s all thanks to you, Rod.”

“Ha ha. Now you’re even good at giving me flattery.”

Rod smiled contentedly at my sincerity. And I wasn’t just speaking empty flattery. It was pure, 100% earnest.

The techniques I learned from Rod were packed with substance.

From basic grips to footwork, he taught me everything in detail.

‘My weapon skill proficiency has soared.’

My weapon skill proficiency was at D when I first acquired it.

But now, it had skyrocketed to B. Thanks to Rod passing down all that know-how.

‘By the way, why is he so kind to me?’

I suddenly wondered about that. Rod seemed to have a soft spot for me compared to others.

While he would strictly scold me when I made a mistake or played pranks, that was about as far as it went.

Considering all the trouble I had caused so far, I should’ve been expelled.

Yet, Rod always stood up for me, acting as my shield.

“Rod.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Um…?”

I wanted to ask, but nothing came out when it was time to speak.

It could just be my misunderstanding, and more so, it was a bit embarrassing. Saying it out loud felt odd.

But it was true that he treated me differently, so I wanted to do something in return.

“Is there anything you need?”

“Anything I need?”

“Yeah. Something you want to eat, or maybe something you want to have.”

Since I couldn’t ask for a specific reason, I decided to offer to grant him a wish instead.

Yet, that was just as unexpected for Rod. He looked at me curiously.

“All of a sudden? Why’s that?”

“Because it feels like I’m just taking.”

“Just taking? Ha ha ha!”

Honestly, when I said that, Rod burst out laughing heartily.

I couldn’t understand why he found it so funny. What was so amusing about it?

“Seriously… you’re as unpredictable as ever. But I like this positive growth.”

“…. …”

“I don’t need anything, so take care of others first.”

“Really?”

“Just call me grandfather if you feel really sorry.”

Is that okay? I blinked at the title of ‘grandfather.’

Nobody referred to Rod as ‘grandfather’ even in the Soul World. Players don’t do so either.

With his high status and reputation, he was someone nearly impossible to get close to.

Plus, given the damage during the Academy collapse, becoming friends would be close to impossible.

“It’s a bit weird calling you by your name all the time. ‘Grandfather’ sounds better.”

“…. …Grandfather?”

“Yeah. That’s right.”

“Grandfather, I’m hungry. Please give me food.”

“You brat! Go outside and grab something to eat!”

As I jested, Rod scolded me harshly.

But his voice carried little weight—he seemed to take it lightly.

I laughed along with his admonishment and started walking. I was planning to head back into the forest anyway.

Boom…!

At that moment, I heard a faint rumble in my ears. It sounded like thunder.

It came from a distance, but after being struck by thunder so many times, I could distinguish it.

And there was hardly ever thunder on a clear day unless Gulrak’s power was at play.

“Is thunder coming from the forest? Is that Ratatosk?”

“…. …”

It definitely was Porori. The direction pointed towards the forest, and Gulrak had very few followers.

So, it was a problem. There weren’t many who could summon thunder at Porori’s level.

Let alone, just before the training, they warned us about demons. Could this be a coincidence?

A feeling of dread washed over me. I immediately spoke to Rod.

“I’ll go.”

“Alright, be careful.”

With Rod’s permission, my body shot out like lightning.

If it was indeed Porori, there was a high chance that some dangerous predator had invaded the forest.

Just to be safe, I had to check it once. There were already signs of demons appearing, so preparation was crucial.

‘Rod probably won’t come with me.’

Rod would already know. So, he probably decided against going himself.

If it turned out that demons attacked, it would expose Rod’s health condition. That would double the difficulty.

I dashed toward the direction from where the sound came. I hoped it was just my imagination, but if not, it would be a headache.

‘It doesn’t look like an ambush happened.’

If it had been an ambush, it would have been a silent kill. Even Porori wouldn’t have been spared.

As I said before, detecting demons by their presence is nearly impossible. Without special techniques, that is.

Moreover, that technique could only be performed by someone at least strong as the Blue Demon. It’s the ability to sense existence, not just presence.

Ordinary people see the world directly, but those stronger than the Blue Demon almost have the feeling of looking down from the sky.

Bam!

While running, I summoned Ragnarok. Just so you know, I placed Ragnarok near the window so I could summon it easily anytime.

By now, Grace might have noticed something was off. I held weapons in each hand and moved my legs.

How long did I run? I finally reached the place where the sound had come from.

And…

“Ugh! Cough!”

I spotted someone in black and white holding Porori by the neck. It looked as if they had pinned him to the ground.

Moreover, upon seeing the blue energy being sucked out of Porori, it seemed like the demon was absorbing his life force.

Without wasting a moment, I threw Ragnarok with all my might.

Bang!

“Uh?”

Perhaps sensing the noise, the black and white demon jumped back in shock, and Porori was freed.

I rushed over to Porori to prevent the demon from charging again. Luckily, it didn’t seem to be too late, and he appeared to be unharmed.

“Are you okay?”

“No… I can’t muster any strength…”

Well, that was only natural. He was having his life force drained. Plus, he bore severe wounds on his body.

It seemed he had been ambushed and allowed an attack. The lightning he released must have been a sort of desperate measure.

With Porori’s regeneration, he wouldn’t be in danger of dying, but it wouldn’t be useful for combat. He had had his life force drained, not just magic.

“You bastard…”

At that moment, I heard a man’s voice in my ear. I turned to face the assailant.

He wielded a dagger in one hand, his face covered by a mask, and had a necklace made of bones around his neck.

The bone necklace was also in black and white, but his piercing blue eyes shone vividly.

It was the same color as the demon I encountered in Unity Village, but this guy appeared to be much stronger.

‘What is he doing slinking around in the forest?’

Normally, this guy is dispatched as a ‘Hunter’ for reconnaissance purposes. He’s the last resort.

Before that, they send in weaker henchmen and only dispatch the Hunter when things go south.

But if this guy was dispatched from the start, it meant something had gone amiss.

‘Or did a scout team already sneak in? But it doesn’t seem like that.’

Regardless of the complicated thoughts in my head, my body had already moved.

Whatever the case, I needed to deal with the Hunter first. A guy specialized in assassination was a nuisance.

The Hunter also entered a combat stance as I pushed forward. A direct confrontation could be easy against a weak foe.

[Into the Darkness…]

The problem was that cursed invisibility. It was a language I’d never heard before, but I could understand it perfectly.

Simultaneously, the Hunter’s body slowly began to disappear. Like a chameleon, he blended into his surroundings.

The innate characteristics of demons not leaving a presence combined with that excellent stealth ability made them troublesome.

‘If only I had some paint…’

But I didn’t have any, so I planned to use a trick instead.

Just before the Hunter disappeared, I set down the Blood Greatsword on the ground.

Then I used Ragnarok’s blade to slice my wrist. I ended up cutting deep, causing blood to spurt out like a fountain.

It would recover quickly due to regeneration, but that was the plan for the demon. Using that spraying blood, I slashed toward the demon.

Splat!

Sticky, bright red blood splattered everywhere. Not in the air, but upon the body of the concealed demon.

Though its body was black and white, my blood wouldn’t turn black and white as well. That was precisely my aim.

“A clever one, aren’t you?”

The Hunter might not have seen that coming. He spoke in a voice laced with surprise, sounding somewhat impressed.

Well, of course, no one expects someone to slice their wrist just to paint them with blood. I charged forward before my wrist healed fully.

Given the generous amount of blood spattered, his stealth technique was rendered useless. Now all that was left was to behead him to finish the job.

‘It would be hard to kill him outright, though.’

But I didn’t care. As long as I drove the Hunter away, my objective would be accomplished.

The Hunter seemed to deem any further rampage unnecessary and quickly made a decision.

[Awaken.]

Boom!

With those words, a thick cloud of black smoke erupted. It smelled very pungent, like tear gas.

I grimaced as I threw an axe randomly into the cloud. Hopefully, it would hit, but unfortunately, it got stuck in a tree instead.

‘He’s escaping too quickly!’

It might seem dull, but it raised a question first. The situation ended without a proper fight.

If I looked around, nothing seemed different. The guy had undoubtedly fled.

In the Soul World, a certain amount of stamina needs to be depleted before they bolt.

‘Did he get hurt fighting Porori?’

That was quite likely. If not, there was no way things would end up like this.

As the situation wrapped up, I turned my gaze to Porori, who was lying on the ground. His life force was drained, leaving him in a daze.

“It’s over. Get up.”

“Ugh… Why do I feel so dizzy? This has never happened before.”

Porori shook his head. It was likely quite painful since it was his first experience being drained of life force.

It would be fine over time, but it would take a while. For reference, this means his maximum stamina would decrease in the Soul World.

So even if he drank a potion, it wouldn’t be very effective as his overall stamina would be lowered. Stability was key.

“What the heck was that guy? It’s a good thing you told me, or I’d have been caught off guard.”

“How did we lose?”

“It was that cursed invisibility just now. I couldn’t see or sense him at all; it was maddening.”

Indeed, considering Porori couldn’t stain himself like I did, I could imagine him struggling.

Still, it would have drained too much magic to release a lightning strike. The Hunter was genuinely annoying.

That’s why there were various strategies to deal with him; using blood like I did or binding his feet.

Moreover, as an assassin, he’s weak in direct confrontations. You need to coax him into a direct clash to tackle him.

“First, let’s head back. Eat some herbs there.”

“Alright. But what if that guy comes back? I won’t sleep well.”

“Well…”

That’s a problem too. Porori’s concerns were valid.

Ideally, he should’ve been living deep within the Chaos Forest and not having to worry about such a thing.

But the variable arose when Porori moved to the outskirts of the Chaos Forest. The Hunter’s abilities could markedly rise.

“Let’s take it slow and think it over. Grandfather will help you.”

“Sigh. Fine.”

Even though the situation had been settled for now…

I couldn’t shake off a lingering unease.

*****

“I’m sorry. We failed to achieve our objective.”

The black-and-white assassin, the Hunter, knelt, seeking forgiveness.

From his voice and the closed eyes, he appeared genuinely remorseful.

“Well. It’s fine. So what led to the failure?”

In front of the Hunter sat another demon, comfortably seated and reading a book.

With hair swept back and eyes sharp as a snake, he bore the overall beauty of a striking man.

However, like the Hunter, his whole body was colored black and white. Above all else, what stood out the most was undoubtedly his eyes.

His eyes were a deeper shade than the Hunter’s blue, a vivid navy blue.

“It was a successful ambush, but an unexpected human interrupted.”

“A human?”

“Yes.”

“What a stroke of bad luck. If fate had just given us a hand, we could’ve absorbed that spirit creature and blocked off any variables.”

The Navy Demon said that with genuine regret. His words reflected that sentiment deeply.

The Hunter, recognizing this, bowed his head apologetically.

“So, were there no further investigations? Why was that spirit creature located outside when it should be internal?”

“It seems someone brought it here. I saw it summoning that spirit creature with a whistle.”

“Wow, someone tamed that annoying squirrel? Whoever it is, they’ve got to be something else.”

The Navy Demon chuckled, a laugh full of disbelief.

He then closed the book, turning his body to face the Hunter. The Hunter remained with one knee on the ground.

“That only serves to heighten our wariness. We need to deal with that creature first to draw out the monsters inside.”

“If you give me a chance, I’ll go again.”

“No. No need. Unless that creature is a fool, it would raise its guard to the maximum. Did you check the magic circles or the Sword Saint’s condition?”

“Not yet.”

“Then we have to cancel those. Since we’ve been spotted by a human, a report must’ve gone out to the Academy.”

“What about that human, though…?”

The Hunter hesitated, finally regarding the human he met today, Sivar.

“Something felt off.”

“Off how?”

“I had a strange feeling about him.”

“Him being one of our kind?”

The Navy Demon raised a brow. A sense of otherness usually only applies among kin.

Yet the Hunter shook his head, continuing his explanation.

“More like he’s close to Chaos. Like the Saint.”

“…There’s another like that?”

The Navy Demon frowned hard. Distaste spread across his face.

Seeing him refer to Rize as ‘that kind,’ you could tell how much it bothered him.

To the demons, she was pure nemesis. Her infamous reputation was known even among them.

“Yes. But strangely, I could hardly sense his presence. It felt like he wasn’t alive, a feeling I can’t quite articulate…”

“… …”

“Yet he had color. Chaos and lives shared his essence, quite enigmatically.”

“What did he look like?”

The navy voice lowered ominously. He seemed to catch onto the seriousness of the matter.

The Hunter, realizing the significance, began to describe the human, Sivar.

“First, his skin was pale to the point of being white, and his eyes shone red. He looked like a completely ordinary male human.”

“And?”

“His regeneration was on par with us.”

“What proves he wasn’t alive?”

“It was the sword he was carrying. That sword clearly absorbed life.”

With each detail revealed, the expression of the Navy Demon hardened bit by bit. It felt as though he knew something.

He went silent for a while, wisely taking his time until the Hunter waited for him to finish.

“…What was the color of his magic? What color was it?”

“I wasn’t able to check that.”

“When you’re prepared, go investigate that human again. Get a proper read on what color his magic is.”

“Yes.”

“Disperse.”

Upon the Navy Demon’s summoning command, the Hunter bowed and vanished.

Left alone, the Navy Demon pondered silently for some time before turning his head. On the surface where he turned lay a single crystal orb.

Buzz—

After tapping it a few times, the crystal orb glimmered with light. Then, a voice flowed out from the orb.

[What’s up, darling?]

It was a voice that could easily ensnare anyone. A blend of sweetness and seduction.

The Navy Demon, unfazed by the voice, spoke what needed to be said.

“I might need to adjust the plan a bit. I may need your help.”

[Hmm? I’m fine with helping, but changing plans? What’s that about?]

“Reporting to the higher-ups as well. As of now, the foundation still stands the same. The Academy’s collapse.”

[Then what changes?]

“It’s not about changes; it’s about addition. The added operation is…”

The Navy Demon’s voice turned rigid as he revealed the operation.

“Recovery.”

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