Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: 37th Chapter: The Birth of the High Elf (1)
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"I will heal you."
Eina's hand touched him. The mana, infused with the pure energy of clear water, made contact, and his wounds began to heal rapidly. Bleeding stopped as his injuries mended, and his blurred vision returned to normal.
"Si... Silvia...!"
"Her condition has stabilized as well, so please rest easy."
The moment Raymond regained his senses, he sought out Silvia. Turning his head toward Eina's gentle voice, he saw Silvia right beside him.
She was cradled in the arms of another water spirit, in the midst of her recovery.
Reassured by the sight, he turned to survey their surroundings once more. Spirits emerging atop columns of water were clashing with the enemy.
Though few in number compared to the horde of corrupted spirits tightening their encirclement from all sides, they were a far more reliable reinforcement than anything Raymond and Silvia could have hoped for after days of solitary battle.
"My benefactor, I have prepared this for you."
Eina extended her hand. In her small, delicate palm, glowing with a blue light, sat a tiny glass vial.
"What is this?"
"It's the Spirit King's Spring Water. There's not much left, but I thought it would be better used by you than by us, so I brought it."
Raymond's eyes widened in considerable surprise at Eina's explanation. It was only natural. The 'Spirit King's Spring Water' was one of the treasures spirits cherished most dearly.
To think I'd get to drink the Spirit King's Spring Water here, said to have effects akin to a Unique-grade elixir.
Even in this world where potions weren't particularly potent, elixirs lived up to their name with powerful effects.
Since the 'Spirit King's Spring Water' possessed similar efficacy to such an extraordinary potion, there was no reason to refuse.
Raymond unhesitatingly poured the spring water Eina offered into his mouth. The liquid, infused with blue mana, touched his tongue, sending a clear, refreshing energy coursing through him. In an instant, his depleted mana and stamina were restored.
"About half...?"
Raymond's mana reserves were far from insignificant. The fact that this single draught had replenished more than half of his vast reserves spoke volumes about the 'Spirit King's Spring Water's' potency.
"Half is plenty."
A chilling gaze swept over the corrupted spirits. Soon, his eyes turned northward.
With his mana restored, his senses of sight and hearing sharpened once more, confirming that a 'black meteor' lay not far from where his gaze reached.
He could feel the black mana, the hallmark of dark magic.
"Eina."
"Yes?"
"There's a 'black meteor' not far from here. You knew that much, right?"
"Of course."
Eina nodded slowly.
"I'll clear the path."
"Can you manage it?"
Her voice carried a note of concern.
"Five minutes ago, no. But now..."
With more than half his mana recovered.
"It's possible."
He unleashed the limits of his mana. Overloading his own mana to forcibly elevate his realm—a double-edged sword.
Originally developed by mages, it proved too much for their frail bodies, ultimately becoming a staple technique for magic swordsmen with sturdier mana circuits.
Mana overload placed considerable strain on a magic swordsman's mana circuits as well, making prolonged use difficult.
"Who dares block my path?"
Raymond's eyes gleamed sharply. In his raised right hand, the Soul Sword, infused with vivid white energy, scattered brilliant light.
"Grraaah!"
The corrupted spirits recoiled from the gathering aura. Though their minds were tainted and their egos lost, their instincts remained intact, overwhelmed by the intense energy into feeling fear.
The amassed momentum dispersed in a sharp slash as Raymond swung the Soul Sword. Dozens of corrupted spirits were cut down in that instant.
Toward the fading corrupted spirits, he took another step forward. As he retracted the Soul Sword, his left hand completed a magic circle, unleashing a fierce storm of ice. It was an Azure Tower secret art.
Before that overwhelming power, even the last of the corrupted spirits crumbled helplessly, opening a path.
"Spirit Legion! Advance!"
Eina raised her voice, amplified by mana. The spirits, armed with weapons infused with blue water energy, pressed forward.
The corrupted spirits tried to form ranks, but Raymond's assault had scattered them and thinned their numbers considerably. They stood no chance against the advancing water spirits' forces.
With the support of Eina's water spirit legion, they broke through the final defensive line of corrupted spirits guarding the 'black meteor'.
"Is that the 'black meteor'...?"
A massive meteor embedded in the ground came into view. It emanated an unceasing aura of malevolence, as if it embodied all the corruption of this world.
The air felt murky. Simply approaching it made the mana within his body feel as if it were rotting. Glancing aside, Raymond saw that Eina and the water spirits looked unwell too.
"Looks like we need to destroy it quickly, but..."
A great many corrupted spirits drew their weapons to defend the black meteor. Though the Four Great Spirit Kings remained untainted, many of the high spirits under their command had succumbed to corruption.
Among the corrupted spirits before them were no small number who had reached lofty realms.
"Hoo!"
Exhaling a short breath akin to a deep sigh, Raymond gripped the Soul Sword with both hands and stepped forward. There was no hesitation.
The Spirit Realm's crisis resolved, the Spirit Kings surely wouldn't let them leave empty-handed. With thoughts of the overwhelming rewards and their return to the material world, Raymond advanced boldly.
Each swing of his Soul Sword felled corrupted spirits one by one, and with the water spirit legion's support, they reached the black meteor itself. Now remained only the question of how to destroy this colossal calamity.
"Is there a way?"
"If there weren't, we wouldn't have come this far."
Raymond asked. It would be trouble if they had no means to destroy the black meteor after reaching it, but fortunately, Eina gave an affirmative reply while producing a small crystal shaped like a sharp shard of ice from her bosom.
"That is...?"
"A crystal containing the Spirit King's Wrath. This will destroy the 'black meteor'."
Raymond nodded slowly at Eina's words. The Spirit King's Wrath was a technique on the level of grand magic.
He was astonished that such immense fury was contained in that tiny crystal, but he decided not to dwell on the question.
"Eina. Time is short."
Sensing the threat, the black meteor was summoning corrupted spirits. The water spirit legion held their formation, but they couldn't hold out forever.
"I'll proceed."
Raymond too gripped his Soul Sword and faced the enemies. Silvia strained to draw her bowstring, and Eina, with a resolute expression, embedded the crystal containing the 'Spirit King's Wrath' into the black meteor. Then, the immense wrath erupted.
It was called a crystal containing the 'Spirit King's Wrath'. With no further explanation, he had assumed it was only the water Spirit King's doing, but it seemed to hold the wrath of the fire, earth, and wind Spirit Kings as well.
The ground split, lava surged forth, winds carrying blades gathered, and ice spears rained down from the sky like a blizzard.
The Four Great Spirit Kings unleashed their unadulterated fury upon the defiler of their homeland. The black meteor didn't last even a single second before crumbling.
The black meteor was destroyed, and the Spirit Realm regained its light. Most spirits were freed from corruption, but those near the meteor, exposed to its densest taint, failed to regain their original forms and perished.
The spirits' losses were not insignificant, but thanks to Raymond and Silvia's exploits, peace was restored. To repay them, the Four Great Spirit Kings gathered in one place.
Though Raymond was human, the fact that he had greatly aided them was undeniable, so the Four Great Spirit Kings reached a unanimous decision without opposition.
The next day, they summoned the pair.
"Y-Your Majesty the Emperor... Is this alright?"
Following Eina, they entered the Spirit King's forest. Silvia, with her high elf lineage making her acutely sensitive to nature and spirit energies, felt as if she had returned home amid the abundant warm aura surrounding them, yet she couldn't help but tense up.
"What's the matter?"
"It's my first time meeting the Spirit Kings in person."
Many distorted rumors about Spirit Kings circulated in the world. Even for a high elf, opportunities to greet them weren't common, and since Silvia hadn't yet awakened, she had no connection to them.
"Nothing to worry about. Relax, if only for my sake."
"Yes... Your Majesty the Emperor..."
Silvia replied with a faint smile, and Eina came to a stop.
"We've arrived."
"We're ready."
Raymond said. Eina nodded and extended her hand forward. Trees and branches parted simultaneously, opening a path.
At the end of the trail, guided by the fragrant scent of grass, the four Spirit Kings held their positions. They appeared in perfect human forms.
"Are you Raymond?"
The one who spoke first in a cold voice was the Wind Spirit King. A handsome silver-haired man clad in a white uniform with gray iron breastplate.
As Raymond nodded slowly, the Earth Spirit King spoke next.
"Well now, we owe the Philius Empire quite a debt."
He resembled a dwarf with lush brown beard. The Spirit Kings possessed knowledge of the material world, allowing them to recognize Raymond's Philius Empire lineage.
"Not the Philius Empire—we owe it to the individual Raymond Philius. We must be clear on that."
The one with fiery red hair and a red robe, as if ablaze, was the Fire Spirit King.
"Does that matter? What matters is that Raymond is our benefactor."
The long-haired woman with a blue glow was the Water Spirit King. Her amiable voice echoed, prompting the Fire Spirit King to pout and step back.
"If you have any desires, speak them, benefactor."
The Earth Spirit King said. Raymond stepped forward, approaching them as he spoke.
"The woman behind me carries high elf blood."
"So it seems."
"Blessing her while bypassing the awakening ritual should suffice as repayment."
High elf awakening carried risks and required passing the Spirit Kings' trials. Raymond demanded complete circumvention of the process.
"Granted."
He had anticipated possible opposition to this unprecedented request, but starting with the Wind Spirit King, all consented.
"But this won't do. At least, that's how I see it."
As Raymond offered thanks and cautiously began to withdraw, the Fire Spirit King stepped forward, his red robe fluttering. Though momentarily taken aback by the sudden reaction, Raymond didn't show it.
"I agree."
The Earth Spirit King chimed in, and water and wind nodded slowly as well. Unsure what exactly was insufficient, Raymond held back his questions and remained silent.
"Don't be so tense, benefactor. We're saying our gratitude falls short. The Fire Spirit King is simply poor at expressing emotions."
The Water Spirit King said with a clear smile on her lips. The Fire Spirit King averted his gaze from Raymond.
"Then what gift would you prefer?"
"How about that?"
"Oh ho, that sounds good."
The Earth Spirit King burst into hearty laughter at the Wind Spirit King's suggestion, swinging his arm. The Four Great Spirit Kings exchanged glances and, after a mere five minutes, the Fire Spirit King stepped forward first.
"In the name of the Spirit King, I pledge: My legions of fire shall not treat you as foe, and should you desire, my apostles will stand at your side."
The Fire Spirit King withdrew, and the Earth Spirit King advanced.
"In the name of the Spirit King, I pledge: Even in the deepest underworld, you shall not wander lost but shine brilliantly. And should you desire, the earth kin shall stand behind you."
"In the name of the Spirit King, I pledge: The blades of wind shall not cut you, and should you desire, my knight order shall join the fray."
"In the name of the Spirit King, I pledge: You shall not perish in water, and should you desire, the Twelve Spirit Council shall solemnly stand behind you."
Raymond's mind reeled from the successive blessings. Perhaps sensing his bewilderment, the Wind Spirit King stepped forward again.
"To put it simply: Spirit sorcerers can no longer harm you, you won't lose your way underground, and you won't drown."
This was an enormous gift beyond his expectations. Raymond barely suppressed the smile tugging at his lips.