#11
Helmut
Episode 11
-Don’t get angry. I am a pacifist.
Naho narrowed his eyes and tilted his head back as if he had just seen the liver.
-Just because you accidentally entered my territory for a moment doesn’t mean I’m going to fight you all the time. We haven’t been together for quite a long time.
The corners of the snake’s mouth were long, reminiscent of a smile for entertaining. Still, he had a hideous appearance.
Elaga also lost some momentum. This is an opponent that can attack you at any time. He spoke without relaxing.
-Well, okay. I’m the one who freely entered your territory, so let’s say I’m sorry for that.
Naho felt like he was slipping. As soon as there was distance, his scaly body was again obscured by fog. Only two pairs of creepy eye lights shined through the fog.
A cold voice rang out, as if asking when he had been acting kind.
-If you find out, please remove your smelly body from my territory immediately.
-I hope you never come into my territory again.
-I really hate having your dirty fur in my area.
-It’s unpleasant.
Two pairs of snake eyes flashed coldly. Naho is known for being ferocious and cruel. Monsters that dominate an area usually do not keep their territory to themselves.
Although he sometimes eats them, he tolerates them coming and going as long as they acknowledge his dominance.
But Naho was different. As soon as it caught sight of a monster that had mistakenly stepped into its territory, it immediately chased after it and swallowed it whole. And the body and the demon core were melted together in the stomach. It was a voracious predator.
The reason why Naho sent Elaga was because Elaga was that strong.
Its claws and teeth are sharp and strong, and its movements are quick. An opponent that cannot be coiled to death or swallowed whole.
Unless Elaga fights first, it is best to avoid conflict.
Monsters from other areas also recognized Naho’s strength, but disliked Naho. This vicious snake was an object of repulsion for everyone.
Naho, who had decided to retreat due to Elaga’s momentum, gritted his teeth.
‘I can’t help it. ‘Because time is long.’
It was humiliating to let Elaga go like this, as she had clearly invaded my territory.
If Elaga shows just a little bit of opportunity, Naho will happily swallow him up with a smile.
The tightly held air became loose. After confirming that Naho was retreating, Elaga snatched Helmut with her tail.
Helmut, who was lying down with a white face, was dragged by the tail and carried away.
When they reached the entrance to Darian’s house, Elaga put Helmut down.
dump. Helmut stretched out on the floor. I didn’t even have the strength to climb up to Darian’s house. Elaga, who sat down next to him, tapped Helmut with her tail.
-Weak guy, is that what you stretched out?
If he had been an ordinary boy who did not have the buds of darkness and had not been trained, Helmut would have already been caught up in the fight between the two monsters and died. So Elaga’s evaluation is unfair.
Helmut lay down and caught his breath. The feeling of death that penetrated deep into his heart would not go away.
Black magic energy bloomed from all over the body and tremendous force. The pressure of being crushed.
The relaxed white leopard in front of me had a completely different mood than before. But that would certainly be closer to Elaga’s true appearance.
-What are you doing?
Elaga’s tail tapped Helmut’s cheek. Helmut frowned.
-Naho saw you, so don’t go out alone from now on and stick close to that Darian or something.
Helmut turned around to avoid the tail. Elaga continued her words harshly.
-The guy who’s on guard against me probably won’t come here, but there’s something in case. He could use his brain and send someone else to kidnap you.
“huh.”
Elaga must have sensed that he was responding insincerely and pushed Helmut’s side with his tail.
After rolling around and looking at the sky again, Helmut jumped up from his seat.
However, when Helmut punched Elaga, it didn’t even tickle her.
My nausea still hadn’t subsided. Helmut decided not to relax. He flopped down on the floor and Elaga clicked her tongue.
-Listen carefully, Naho is persistent. He’s the most rebellious and foul-tempered guy in this forest of digs. Even if he just pretended to leave, he would have had doubts deep inside. I’m protecting him, and if he was a human with Darian’s scent on him, it would be attractive.
“So be careful? okay.”
If Naho were to attack him outright anyway, Helmut would not be able to resist and would die.
Helmut glared at the sky. When he faced Naho, Helmut felt fear. It was an instinctive fear.
No matter how courageous a person is, it is difficult to remain calm in the face of death, which he cannot resist.
To my disgrace, my whole body was shaking. Being weak wasn’t humiliating. Helmut has never been a strong man in the Forest of Pahe.
But what is this feeling rising deep in my bones?
‘I was helpless. I hid behind Elaga’s back and just shivered.’
Instead of fighting back, I was overwhelmed by its magical energy. He couldn’t bear the feeling of helplessness. Helmut clenched his fists as if they were going to crush them.
“Can I become as strong as Darian?”
Elaga immediately snorted at the question that was blurted out. There is no such thing as kindness.
-you?
“Why do you think it won’t work?”
It was a serious question. Elaga also became serious.
-Can you guess how many years it would have taken for that person to build up that strength?
“I just need to spend that much time.”
-If I do that, I might die of old age before I even leave the forest.
“Does it take that long? “Is Darian that strong?”
-Some people struggle to reach that level even if they struggle their whole lives.
That’s not just speculation. It was an instinctive recognition. An ordinary human being can never become like Darian. In order to surpass the human realm, it is only possible if there is something beyond effort. Helmut frowned.
“So you’re saying I can’t do it?”
-Depending on what you do?
Helmut may have that something.
First of all, the sprout of darkness gives humans powers that do not belong to humans.
As the sprout of darkness that brought Helmut to this forest of Pahe grows, it will give him more power.
Helmut, who survived many odds of death, also had extraordinary luck. If Darion can teach him, he’ll be talented enough to use it.
Then maybe.
Elaga remained silent.
-Try to train hard.
I don’t know if he wants Helmut to be the only exception to escape from the Forest of Fahe or not.
‘If he leaves, I might feel a little lonely.’
However, Pahe Forest is the domain of monsters. Even if it had sprouts of darkness, the atmosphere and environment were not suitable for humans to take root and live there.
Just as conifers grow in cold places and broad-leaved trees grow in warm places, it is true that humans live in the human world.
‘It would be better to live a long time if you raise something alive.’
-He’s coming back.
Elaga suddenly let out a sigh and got up from her seat.
“Are you going?”
-Okay, goodbye.
Elaga slowly left and looked somewhat relieved. Helmut stared at the back and returned to the cabin.
Darian, who had probably arrived around the same time and was carrying a load of herbs on his shoulders, was just unloading his luggage.
“From the looks of it, it looks like he was wandering around somewhere with that leopard.”
Darian clicked his tongue.
“It just worked out well. “I need to clean this up.”
“What is this?”
“It’s a poisonous plant.”
“Why poisonous plants?”
“You will need to take a little bit every day.”
“Why do you consume a little bit of poisonous herb every day?”
Darian, who had run out of patience, hit Helmut on the head, who was asking questions like a parrot. No, he was going to smack it.
However, when Helmut quickly avoided it, his eyes raised.
“Your movements have gotten a little better now.”
“Of course… … evil!”
While speaking, Helmut, who had been hit, held his head.
“It’s stupid to open your mouth when you’re being attacked by someone stronger than you.”
But this was not a combat situation. Helmut pursed his lips with a defiant look in his eyes.
“It will help you.”
“Help?”
This time, I kept my distance so that they couldn’t reach me at all. Darian furrowed his brows as he looked at Helmut, who looked suspicious.
Instead of catching Helmut and punishing him, he chose to keep talking.
“The name of this poisonous plant is Mato.”
Of course, poison is harmful to the body, but when consumed in appropriate amounts, horseradish increases immunity and purifies the blood.
If monsters have magical energy, humans also have similar power. In a purified body, ‘Vis’, the power that allows a swordsman to overcome his physical limitations, is better contained.
“Even if you don’t eat the monster’s core, you won’t be able to completely stop the growth of the sprout of darkness. However, Mato’s toxicity is unique among demonic energy, so it will help suppress the buds of darkness.”
Darian said, holding out a small piece of mato that had been torn off and trimmed.
“Eat.”
It was an order that could not be refused.
*
Helmut suffered from stomachaches all that night. I groaned, sweating from the pain that twisted my stomach. It was a night filled with doubts as to whether Darian was trying to kill him.
But by dawn, the pain subsided like a lie.
“It’s because it’s my first time. “It held up well.”
Darian, who gave an uncharacteristically encouraging word, looked back. He couldn’t sleep last night either.
‘I forgot I was ten years old. ‘I overfed him.’
If Helmut’s immune system had been a little weaker or if he had eaten a little more Mato, he would have died. In this way, Helmut passed the crisis of life and death without even realizing it.
But isn’t it okay because I lived? Darian decided to pay a little more attention to his diet that day.
‘Anyway, it’s stronger than I thought because it grew in the forest of Pahe.’
He is indeed a man qualified to teach his sword. The last bit of luck given to him. Darian said, nodding his head.
“It’s about making vessels to stack bis. It’s a process you have to go through, so be patient. “As the days go by, the pain will decrease.”
