martial-elf ch78

“Ugh… Aaaargh… I think I’m going to die.”

Orgein stared down at the long-eared human writhing on the ground before him, groaning in agony.

The pointy-eared wretch was squirming like a bug on the dirt. High Elf Saraswati clutched her head, tormented by a headache and hallucinations.

Her face was smeared with traces of vomit and nosebleeds, obscuring her once-beautiful features. Her green robes, of a quality rarely seen in human cities, were soiled and torn from rolling around on the ground.

In contrast, Orgein remained unscathed, looking as he had from the start. Anyone observing the scene would have concluded that Saraswati was in dire straits.

However, Orgein’s face was tight with tension as he watched the Elf thrashing before him.

Saraswati, who had caught a glimpse of the faint fear in Orgein’s eyes, seemed to calm down slightly, ceasing her moans and staggering to her feet.

“Heh… Heh heh heh…”

Saraswati appeared before Orgein, a situation that had repeated itself countless times since the battle began.

“…Any… Any… more…? Eastern sorcery.”

Even in her tattered state, Saraswati smiled gleefully, asking if there were any other spells. Orgein sensed an inexplicable madness in her.

How had things come to this?

Just moments ago, Orgein had designated the strange figure who had suddenly appeared and introduced herself as his enemy.

As soon as he realized that Saraswati, who had appeared without a sound, was an extraordinary being, he halted the ‘mass hysteria spell’ he had intended to spread among the hostile humans and identified Saraswati as the highest priority to eliminate.

Therefore, he chose one of his carefully crafted charms, something he hadn’t used since crossing over to the west with Algul’s shadow, and immediately cursed Saraswati.

Orgein had only ever used such potent charms to curse those who were considered exceptional, even among the direct subordinates or blood relatives of the Einherjar in the Eastern Continent.

Yet, Orgein had used a precious charm without a moment’s hesitation on an enemy he had encountered for the first time.

It was instinct and intuition, honed over a century of living as a member of Algul’s bloodline in the treacherous Eastern Continent.

And it was because Orgein was a sorcerer with a talent for discerning the caliber of a being and reading souls that he had realized Saraswati’s true nature.

She was not merely a direct subordinate or blood relative of the Einherjar.

She was equal to or perhaps even greater than the Einherjar themselves.

Only fools would be deceived by her beautiful, delicate, and seemingly ephemeral appearance; such fools could not survive in the Eastern Continent.

Those who failed to see the true nature of things would inevitably be hunted by the strong who masqueraded as weak.

Thus, the charm shattered, unleashing a terrible curse that enveloped Saraswati.

Even at that moment, Orgein thought things weren’t going too badly.

Saraswati hadn’t shown any resistance or reaction as the curse engulfed her.

Curses were essentially masses of energy and will that could only harm living beings, so normal creatures would instinctively recoil from them.

Yet, she didn’t seem to notice anything amiss and simply waited for the curse to engulf her.

The strange anticipation in her eyes as she watched made him uneasy, but he quickly dismissed the thought.

‘She must be so accustomed to comfort that her sense of danger has atrophied.’

Orgein scoffed at Saraswati.

Compared to the Eastern Continent, where simply surviving required immense effort, Divine Power, and strength, the Western Continent was far too comfortable.

Even the beasts, let alone the hostile sentient beings, were far more docile than those in the East.

Having the power of an Einherjar in such a place would make it difficult to experience life-threatening situations.

‘If I’m lucky… I might be able to devour her.’

Orgein felt a surge of elation as he sensed the immense potential and caliber of Saraswati.

An Einherjar who was still immature while retaining that caliber.

What a tantalizing prospect.

She might be tainted by the curse, but if he could take her flesh and blood and make the Mana and caliber within her his own, he could ascend to a level close to that of an Einherjar.

He could even use the remaining fingers to create a charm to replace the one he had just used.

“Cough-hic-hehe-hic- such a tacky- thoughtform.”

Saraswati, enveloped in Orgein’s ‘Curse of Collapse,’ made a bizarre expression and uttered strange sounds.

“…What…?”

She had accepted the ‘Curse of Collapse’ head-on, without any preparation.

What kind of curse was the ‘Curse of Collapse’?

The beasts that became the charms endured unspeakable torment until their deaths.

Physical pain was a given, but they were also subjected to mental abuse that was too horrific to describe, such as watching their offspring being devoured by other beasts before their eyes.

This endless torture continued until the beast hated and rejected the world as it died.

In the first place, most of them lost their will to live and died before reaching that stage. Only strong and noble beasts who could endure the corruption without giving up on life could become charms for the Curse of Collapse.

The negative thoughtform of ‘rejecting the world’ left behind by such a being would cause the very existence of anyone who came into contact with the curse to be denied.

Because their existence was being denied, they would be consumed by the curse and unable to maintain their existence, causing them to collapse.

However, that wasn’t the only reason Orgein was taken aback.

She was such a powerful being.

Even if the charm was made from a beast with exceptional Enlightenment, he didn’t think it would be able to completely collapse her body.

A powerful being should be able to withstand it to some extent.

“What… What are you doing!”

The pointy-eared woman wasn’t resisting.

Blood trickled from her nose and mouth, and her beautiful green eyes were bloodshot, but they were filled with curiosity rather than pain.

And she seemed to be looking at and examining ‘something.’

‘She’s not overcoming the energy!’

The energy emanating from the pointy-eared woman wasn’t resisting the Curse of Collapse.

The energy delved into the Curse of Collapse, analyzing it like a healer examining a wound.

On the surface, blood was flowing from her nose and mouth, and her eyes were bloodshot, but Orgein could sense it.

His curse was being analyzed and deciphered.

‘Dangerous!’

He had felt threatened, so he had unleashed one of the strongest curses he could muster.

If such a curse was so easily deciphered, he couldn’t be sure about his other curses.

He acted quickly.

Orgein unhesitatingly took out charms and chanted incantations.

Each time a charm shattered and its power flew toward Saraswati, she exclaimed “Ooh” and accepted the curse without resistance.

After binding her body with the previous curses, he began a simple ritual, waving his staff.

He focused the massive sorcery that was usually achieved through rituals like the Mass Hysteria Spell solely on Saraswati.

Was it recklessness, or confidence?

Saraswati, who had already accepted over twenty curses with her bare body, finally began to writhe in agony.

It wasn’t just a single curse, but a multitude of intertwined curses.

Like frost on snow.

Even if she could handle each one individually, the barrage of curses wouldn’t give the other curses a chance to be undone.

A completed cycle of evil.

Even if he didn’t give her such an opportunity, even his father, Algul, wouldn’t be able to easily undo a curse that had progressed this far.

Watching Saraswati thrashing on the ground, Orgein took out a sharp stone knife from his pocket.

A ritual stone knife used to cut open the bellies of sacrifices and offer their hearts to the departed warriors.

He wouldn’t let his guard down against a being who displayed such unconventional behavior. He intended to finish her off while she was weakened.

He wouldn’t be able to absorb her caliber while she was covered in curses, but he planned to make her heart or other body parts into charms to make up for the loss.

Just as he was about to approach with the knife, Saraswati’s hand suddenly shot up, and a sense of foreboding flashed through Orgein’s mind.

Clang!

The space where she had been standing began to ripple, then froze over, stealing the surrounding temperature.

“Not… bad… sense…”

Orgein was horrified as he saw Saraswati, who was spitting blood, slightly lift her face and look at him.

As a sorcerer who performed miracles, a rare form of sorcery even in the Eastern Continent, he knew.

Sorcery was merely the re-implementation of a phenomenon that a group remembered, either through charms containing prepared thoughtforms or by accumulating collectively shared history and performing rituals.

A miracle that was achieved so easily, without any special preparation or cost.

That power reminded him of the authority of the Einherjar, or even beings beyond them.

The power of the Elder Loa.

‘That can’t be! There’s no way she can use such miracles without any cost. She must be pushing herself too hard!’

He shook off the ominous thoughts that had surfaced in his mind and clutched his iron armor and stone knife, waiting for an opportunity.

However, even as she writhed in agony from the curses, fire, ice, and sharp winds were created whenever he entered a dangerous area.

And after a short time, Orgein stared blankly at Saraswati as she staggered to her feet.

The pointy-eared monster, who had not only accepted all of Orgein’s accumulated charms and spells in an instant but had also undone them all in a short period of time, wore a chilling smile and asked if he had any other spells, her curiosity undiminished even amidst the chaos.

A curiosity-driven monster who nonchalantly committed insane acts.

That was the most fitting description for Saraswati.

As Saraswati took a step forward, Orgein realized that he was unconsciously backing away.

“…What…? Is that all?”

At those words, Saraswati staggered slightly.

“Ah… Did I push myself a little too hard?”

Orgein’s expression changed at those words.

Even that monster was struggling to handle so many curses!

Perhaps there was a chance for victory after all!

Just as he thought that, the space around Saraswati rippled as it had before.

However, the rippling didn’t create flames, freeze the air to create ice, or tear through space with sharp winds as it had when directed at him.

Beautiful particles of light began to cling to Saraswati.

Then, the skin that had been scraped raw on the ground, the fingernail marks that had been dug in as she writhed in pain, the blood vessels that had burst and bled, the skin that had turned necrotic…

As if by a miracle, they returned to their original, clear complexion.

Only the dried bloodstains and the badly damaged clothes testified to the traces of the curses.

Ignoring Orgein, who was watching the miracle with astonished eyes, Saraswati began to loosen her stiff body by rotating her neck and shoulders.

“…Ha. Ati’s going to scold me for getting my clothes dirty.”

She sighed in exasperation and looked at Orgein, who flinched and took another step back.

“Still, knowledge is best acquired by experiencing it firsthand rather than just seeing it or hearing about it. And it wasn’t that impressive anyway.”

Orgein stopped in his tracks, his feet planted firmly on the ground, as Saraswati spoke with a nonchalant expression despite her battered appearance.

“…Not impressive…? My sorcery?”

“Huh? Well… the way you used it was novel since it was my first time seeing it, but… it was extremely primitive.”

Saraswati shrugged.

Of course, it wouldn’t have looked good even under normal circumstances, with dried blood caked on both sides of her nose.

“You… You… What do you know… about my sorcery…!”

Her attitude seemed to have wounded Orgein’s pride, as he couldn’t get his words out properly, but Saraswati gave him a look of pity.

“On the contrary, I think you’re the one who doesn’t know what you’re using.”

Saraswati extended her palm forward.

On her palm, the same shimmering effect as before began to appear.

“Whether it’s the way I use it, or the sorcery you use, fundamentally, we’re both using ‘Mana,’ the most important resource that makes up the world.

The difference between you and me is how well we understand this Mana.

This Mana is an omnipotent substance. Its properties are determined by what and how it is ‘observed.’ This shimmering is the distortion that occurs as Mana, observed by me, begins to manifest in the physical world according to the image I imagine.”

Saraswati explained garrulously, then sighed.

“I have an incredibly brilliant younger sister. She was born with the ability to accumulate this Mana within her body and created a theory to manifest phenomena and ideas she imagines with her flesh. Moreover, she not only developed the basic theory but also applied and deepened it.

Thanks to her, she took about half the credit for the theory of Mana before I could even do anything, so I’m struggling to find something else to do?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“But this body is also a genius among geniuses! It’s Saraswati we’re talking about. If I work tirelessly day and night to gain new inspiration, like now, I can grasp most low-level spells just by feeling them once.”

Saraswati snapped her thumb and middle finger together and continued her explanation.

“You’ve never failed a spell you cast yourself, have you?”

“Of course not!”

“Oh? I didn’t mean that as a compliment.”

The smile vanished from Saraswati’s face.

“So you used that curse without any countermeasures.”

“…What do you mean?”

“I told you, curses are just another way of using Mana. If you endlessly deconstruct the essence of the concept of a curse, it would be something like ‘a unification of ideas that negate the essence of the target.’ But what happens if that curse fails? Does it disappear? I think a little differently… Oh? Has it already started?”

“Guh-Guh-huh- What…? What…?”

Orgin’s vision wavered.

Sight, touch, taste, hearing, and smell were all mixed up in confusion.

Chills, heat, sweetness, spiciness, bitterness, the stench of blood, nausea, sharp pain, a dull pain that felt like bones were breaking.

In addition to that, various negative sensations dominated his entire body.

“It’s a little painful, isn’t it?”

A little? This is a little?

These pains that won’t even let him blink?

“Shall we continue the story from earlier? The target of a curse isn’t an inanimate object, but an ‘observer who forms an idea.’ A curse negates the existence of such an observer. But even if the caster of the curse fails to negate the essence of that observer, the Mana, whose essence has been transformed into ‘negating existence,’ has not achieved its purpose. So where is the destination of that curse? The Mana observed as a curse remembers only two entities: the cursed target and the caster of the curse.”

Orgin looked at Saraswati, who was smiling down at him with a chilling gaze.

“The next destination is ‘an observer who failed to negate another observer.’ That’s the caster of the curse themselves. You’ve learned a good lesson. If you’re going to curse someone, you must be prepared to be cursed yourself. Oh…? Are you already dead?”

Orgin’s body gradually collapsed due to his own ‘Curse of Collapse,’ which had finally overwhelmed him after countless curses, and melted away like black, viscous water.

Saraswati covered her nose and stepped back from the stench emanating from the wreckage of countless intertwined curses.

“Ugh… the smell. I really don’t like curse magic because the cleanup is so terrible. I’ve gained knowledge, but I don’t think it’ll be very useful.”

Saraswati scratched her head and sighed.

“At this rate, when will I ever surpass Araya’s achievements…”

It wasn’t that she had an inferiority complex towards Araya like a younger brother when they were children, but even so, wouldn’t she want to maintain some dignity as an older sister to her cute younger sister?

“That guy Algul seems a bit dangerous this time.”

Well, even so, she has that fake Elf who follows her around like a puppy, so nothing really dangerous will happen.

Saraswati decomposed Orgin’s remains, which were melting into the ground and polluting it, then looked around the battlefield.

She frowned when her gaze reached one spot amidst the almost-completed cleanup.

“What are those two doing, so leisurely in the middle of this chaos?”

At the end of Saraswati’s gaze, she saw Aliya and her younger sister, Anya, looking at each other with smiling faces.

But although it was hard to be sure from a distance, neither of them had smiling eyes.