Chapter 11: The Disaster Star discovered a dungeon.
****
When the Disaster Star raged, it felt like being submerged in water.
Conscious, but hazy, like an observer watching a rampaging body from afar.
So, when his awareness snapped back, Enoch scratched his cheek in bewilderment.
'This shouldn't be a problem, right…?'
A clearing had appeared in the middle of the forest.
Debris, what remained of trees, was scattered around as if pulverized in a blender.
Naturally, the swamp bear that had triggered the Disaster Star was torn to shreds. There was barely a trace of it left.
'I should… look for more of them.'
This wasn't the kind of combat experience Rionne wanted him to gain.
Crackle!
Enoch kicked off the ground.
***
[…This is definitely a problem.]
Undine recalled the rampaging Disaster Star.
Not only the amplified power, but also the ferocity that tore apart everything around him was dangerous.
The current rampage wasn't a concern; she or Rionne could easily stop him.
But what if this happened after Enoch went out into the world?
A tragedy.
A massacre, or Enoch's death.
It was a cruel dilemma.
To prevent that, they needed to combine training with some form of catharsis for his madness.
They'd been working on suppressing the Disaster Star's madness for three years.
But now, separated from Rionne, the suppressed madness seemed to have erupted.
Well, that wasn't a problem.
If suppressing it caused it to explode, then they just needed to release it before it built up.
Every few months, or maybe once a year.
Rampaging in a deserted forest like this should help.
[Rionne, are you listening?]
Undine sent a mental message through their contract.
Rionne, also aware of the situation, quickly reached the same conclusion.
And so, without Enoch's knowledge, his regular forest rampages were decided.
***
Enoch picked a fight with anything he encountered.
He felt strangely refreshed after the fight with the swamp bear, and he needed to gain combat experience, as Rionne had instructed.
Moreover, perhaps due to the curse of the Disaster Star, he enjoyed fighting.
Crackle!
An indistinct form of lightning, like a dragon's claw, enveloped Enoch's hand.
Battle Qi.
His mana, empowered by his ability, manifested externally.
Those who could project mana like this, increasing their destructive power with Sword Qi or Battle Qi, were called Experts.
Above them were Masters, who could wield True Qi, mana that contained a spark of the stars and had a distinct form.
Grand Masters could manipulate external mana by wielding natural mana with their will.
And those who awakened their soul's power and stepped onto the path of divinity were called Demigods.
Of course, there were further subdivisions within each rank.
Simply being able to project mana externally made one a Beginner Expert.
Reaching the level of Sword Qi that could harm others—where mana began to take on a faint form and possessed lethal power on its own, marked the stage of an Intermediate Expert, and so on.
However, Rionne had told him not to get too caught up in ranks.
Ranks were simply a measure of one's ability to manipulate mana and the degree of their physical development; they didn't fully represent one's combat strength.
She'd also added, "But higher ranks do mean more power, so be careful."
It was impossible for an ant to deflect an elephant's kick unless it possessed exceptional technique.
So, Enoch intended to hone his technique to an exceptional level.
Increasing his rank took time, and there was no guarantee he wouldn't face danger before then.
So, what should he do?
The solution was simple.
He just needed to refine his technique to the point where an ant could topple an elephant.
So, there was no way he would refuse a fight.
The moment he spotted a walking tree, he attacked.
The tree responded by swinging its branches.
Crack!
Branches shattered, sending splinters flying.
Enoch weaved through them, spreading his hands wide.
He observed the trajectories of the incoming branches, then moved.
He deflected them with his fingers, pulled them, dodged them by twisting his body, and drew back his fist.
It was better to break a tree than to tear it. With that simple thought, he swung his fist.
Crack!
The tree's trunk snapped in half.
Kkkrrr…!!
Enoch's eyes gleamed as the tree roared in pain and launched a powerful attack.
This was his chance.
Crackle!
Electricity crackled at his feet, propelling him forward.
The Heavenly Killing Violet Thunder Steps, his own enhancement of the basic footwork Rionne had taught him.
He moved swiftly and fluidly between the branches, leaving faint, violet trails like lightning.
He was now a step away from the tree.
He clenched his fist, recalling the technique.
The Heavenly Killing Violet Thunder Claw, its first move: Brutal Slaughter.
A move was a formalized sequence of actions.
By optimizing the flow of mana and the form of the movements, moves were generally more powerful than standard techniques.
So, he modified the move.
Brutal Slaughter, a rapid flurry of attacks, compressed into a single, decisive strike.
Heavenly Killing Violet Thunder Claw.
Brutal Slaughter – Unity.
Fast and strong.
Five streaks of lightning, following his fingernails, tore through everything.
Rumble!
Where the violet lightning had dissipated, the monster's body lay in six pieces.
***
[That lunatic.]
Undine clicked her tongue, aghast.
What kind of madman altered a technique mid-battle?
If the result had been different from what he'd expected, he could have died.
She'd been ready to intervene.
But that cocky brat hadn't even considered the possibility of failure.
[Is he reckless, or just that confident?]
She grumbled, then got up as Enoch, the battle over, showed signs of moving on.
This was his ninth battle.
There wasn't much time left before sunset, but the brat seemed to have no intention of returning.
'Is he just full of energy because he's young?'
No, he wasn't just young, he was a child.
Come to think of it, children were always energetic, so much so that even a high-ranking spirit like Undine found it baffling.
[Oh?]
Suddenly, Undine sensed a strange energy.
If he went in that direction, he'd find it soon.
Things might get interesting.
[Or not?]
She realized it might just be her who ended up dealing with the trouble.
She felt irritated.
***
Enoch moved swiftly through the forest. Despite the numerous battles, he was still full of energy.
Even more so than before entering the forest.
'Is fighting my calling?'
Well, he was the Disaster Star.
From what Rionne had said, it seemed like the Disaster Star was born to fight.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, he sensed a strange energy.
It wasn't exactly a presence.
It seemed to blend with the surroundings, yet it felt like a vortex of concentrated mana.
It also felt strangely disconnected from the world.
Enoch, unable to contain his curiosity, quickened his pace.
He cut through the air like violet lightning, reaching the source of the strange energy in no time.
"This is…"
Enoch's eyes widened.
At first glance, it looked like an ordinary cave.
But if someone who could sense mana called this an ordinary cave, their sanity should be questioned.
They were probably crazy.
'I think Rionne called these 'dungeons'.'
She'd told him about them.
Besides artificial dungeons, like mage workshops or ancient ruins, there were strange spaces that formed naturally.
They often appeared where mana accumulated or where its flow was disrupted, but they could also appear out of nowhere, making them difficult to define.
In any case, dungeons varied in their origins and characteristics.
She'd said someone once entered a dungeon as a human and came out an elf.
How that was even possible was beyond him, but…
"Okay."
Enoch nodded resolutely and stepped inside.
He wasn't expecting anything in particular.
***
The inside of the dungeon was bizarre.
It looked like an ordinary cave, but he couldn't see the end.
He tried extending his senses, but the swirling mana blocked them.
However, his other senses weren't impaired.
His ears twitched, and he felt a surge of killing intent.
Thump! Thump!
Heavy footsteps.
The telltale sign of an enemy brought a smile to Enoch's face.
He hadn't figured out the dungeon's peculiarities yet, but he didn't care.
Crackle!
He shot forward like a bolt of violet lightning.
[…Reckless or brave?]
Undine sighed at his impulsiveness.
Then, a conversation with Rionne flashed through her mind.
'Enoch's dislike of humans might not be racial discrimination, but simply misanthropy.'
'Isn't that the same thing?'
'When I first brought Enoch here…'
****
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