Chapter 125. I Have To End This

A little while ago...

“My Lord is amazing! He shoots fire from his mouth! He can easily burn down a whole mountain!”

“My dad said playing with fire is bad.”

“Well, he doesn’t actually burn things down. I’m just saying he’s that powerful.”

“So, he can’t do it then?”

“That’s not what I’m saying!”

As he listened to the conversation below, Vulcanus, who was perched on the roof, let out a small chuckle.

She’s Kim Do-Joon’s daughter, right?

As far as Vulcanus knew, Kim Do-Joon could control his affinity with spirits, raising and lowering it at will. Whether it was something she was born with or something he gave to her, the fact remained that his daughter had a remarkable Spirit Affinity. Hence, it was no wonder that out of all the humans here, Sallyon stuck so closely to her.

Even though he was in the heart of the Frostcloud Forest, technically an enemy territory, Vulcanus didn’t feel any sense of tension. He hadn’t sensed the presence of Nereid, meaning the creature hadn’t descended yet.

Without Nereid, the elves wouldn’t dare attack this place, where Vulcanus stood guard.

The noise of countless humans, including Sallyon’s conversation with the child named Kim So-Eun, echoed through the area. Vulcanus loved silence and solitude long ago, yet he wasn’t as bothered as he once was despite the usual chaos.

However, his peaceful moment was interrupted by the rustling of the undergrowth. Elsar, the leader of the Frostcloud Forest, soon emerged from the forest instantly souring Vulcanus’ mood.

“Please step away from this conflict,” he requested.

Vulcanus made no attempt to hide his displeasure. He had never thought highly of elves, who always rejected the Fire Spirits.

“Is that all you have to say?” Vulcanus asked.

Despite sensing his hostility, Elsar didn’t flinch or step back. She knew her position well. As Nereid’s contractor, she was untouchable. Provoking her would be tantamount to declaring war, something Vulcanus wouldn’t risk, especially not in his weakened state and without his Heart of Flame.

She had no doubt that she was safe, which in turn boosted her confidence.

“I just don’t understand why you are protecting those humans. They’re invaders trespassing on our land.”

“You’re shameless.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Elsar’s expression remained as calm as ever as she lied through her teeth. She kidnapped Kim Do-Joon and the others with Nereid’s help, yet she had the gall to call the humans “invaders.” Having heard the whole story from Kim Do-Joon, Vulcanus wasn’t fooled by her ruse.

“I refuse,” Vulcanus said flatly. “I made a promise.”

“With that human?”

“Yes.”

Though Kim Do-Joon’s name was not mentioned, they knew exactly who they were referring to.

Elsar narrowed her eyes in disbelief. “You descended from your realm just for that?”

Vulcanus exhaled through his nose. He then indifferently replied, “That's enough reason for me.”

His firm refusal made Elsar’s lips twitch. The brief exchange had made it clear that Vulcanus had no intention of backing down.

“I see,” Elsar said finally. “I will prepare accordingly, then. For now, I’ll be taking my leave.”

“Do as you wish,” Vulcanus said.

She didn’t stand a chance alone; reporting to Nereid had to come first. Vulcanus thought Elsar would leave quietly.

I won’t leave empty-handed.

However, Elsar’s mind raced, her eyes glinting with a hidden intent. Pretending to pull her hood over her head, she subtly fished something from her cloak. It was a gem infused with the deep color of the ocean.

She planned to throw it at the building where the humans were gathered.

“You damn bastard!”

Vulcanus leaped to his feet. In an instant, the ground around the auditorium glowed with red lines, and flames began to rise. However, Elsar’s eyes shone with determination.

I’ll break through.

The gem contained Nereid’s power, so she could surely match Vulcanus’ flames! If she added her own mana on top of that, she should have a shot at victory! Fueled by the thought, Elsar swung her arm, about to channel all her mana energy into the throw.

Fwoosh.

However, something instantly shot out from the flames. Whatever it was—or

whoever

—moved so fast that by the time Elsar realized it, only a blur remained.

Thud.

“What?”

It took a moment for her to register what had happened. When she looked down, she saw her arm—still gripping the gem—lying on the ground. Sharp pain, as if her shoulder was being stabbed by hundreds of needles, surged through her.

“

Aaargh!

” she screamed in agony.

Spinning around to see who had done it, her eyes widened in fury.

That human!

It was him—Kim Do-Joon, the human who’d killed so many of her comrades and was now targeted by Nereid. The man who was supposed to be in the forest was somehow here in front of her.

***

The elf clutched her severed shoulder, glaring at him.

Elsar?

Kim Do-Joon glared back at her. She looked exactly like the elf whom he had encountered on Hwaseong; she even had the same hood.

I didn’t expect her to be here in person, but oh well...

Her arrival made things easier for him. The culprit behind this whole ordeal had crawled out of her hideout and come straight to him. After sheathing the axe he’d used to sever her arm, he pulled out his spear.

I should finish this—huh?

Just then, he noticed something odd—the arm on the ground began to glow. Upon closer inspection, he realized the radiance came from the gem it was holding.

In the next moment, blades of water burst out from it in a circular explosion, slicing through everything indiscriminately, including Elsar, Kim Do-Joon, and their surroundings.

“

Agh!

”

Elsar screamed as she tried to dodge. One of the blades had struck her, causing blood to spray into the air. Although her wound wasn’t fatal, combined with her severed arm, she was experiencing significant blood loss.

Kim Do-Joon was not spared either. One of the water blades grazed his cheek, leaving a sharp sting in its wake. Startled, he touched his face and felt the warm trickle of blood.

How...?

Kim Do-Joon frowned. Due to his Invincible Body, it had been a long time since something managed to injure him.

“Damn it!”

Elsar’s face twisted in frustration. Not only had she lost an arm, but she was now covered in wounds. Meanwhile, Vulcanus and the human before her seemed practically unharmed.

To make matters worse, the water blades had shredded her severed arm to pieces. Had it been intact, she could’ve reattached it using her spirit powers.

Gritting her teeth, she eyed Kim Do-Joon and Vulcanus warily while slowly backing away. Then, without warning, she bolted into the forest.

Watching her escape, Kim Do-Joon rested his spear on his shoulder.

“Aren’t you going to chase her?” Vulcanus asked.

Kim Do-Joon shook his head. “There’s no need for that.”

He raised his hand, revealing a small, flickering flame on his fingertip. It was a tiny Flame Totem.

“

Hah!

You stuck that on her, huh?” Vulcanus smirked.

“If she goes back to her base, that’ll work out perfectly for us.”

The forest was like a labyrinth, and the enemy’s hideout was hidden somewhere within. This was the perfect opportunity to find it. Elsar had lost an arm, was injured all over, and was likely expecting Kim Do-Joon to chase her. She’d be in a hurry to return home.

In such a frantic state, there was no way she’d notice the small totem he had planted on her. Even if she did, by the time she realized it, she'd already be near her hideout. That was all he needed to gain an advantage.

“But are you sure that’s wise?” Vulcanus asked, concern evident on his face and tone. “Once she reaches their base, she’ll contact Nereid immediately.”

He had a point. There was no doubt that the moment Elsar reached safety, the first thing she’d do was report everything to Nereid.

Kim Do-Joon smiled wryly. “It’s already too late for that.”

“Too late?”

“I spotted a Water Spirit on my way here. Probably one of Nereid’s underlings.”

Before Kim Do-Joon could eliminate it, the spirit transformed into water and seeped into the ground, making it impossible to catch.

"So, you’re saying Nereid already knows?"

Kim Do-Joon nodded with a grim expression.

"They’ve seen me use the Flame Totem. They have probably already realized that you're helping me."

"Will you be alright?" Vulcanus pressed, his worry deepening.

Kim Do-Joon frowned. His opponent was not just any spirit, but a Spirit King. Furthermore, Nereid was way more powerful than the weakened Vulcanus. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous.

"I have to finish this, one way or another," Kim Do-Joon said firmly.

Nereid had kidnapped him, and if that had been the end of it, he’d still bear with it. However, Nereid had dragged countless others into its schemes, including Kim So-Eun. That bastard had no qualms about sacrificing over a hundred innocent humans.

Even if they managed to survive this encounter, there was no saying what Nereid would do next. Knowing it would only lead to further tragedy, he decided it would be best to finish things while he had the chance.

"You do realize that creature won’t listen to reason, right?" Vulcanus said, watching Kim Do-Joon's steely gaze.

"I know," Kim Do-Joon answered with a look of steely determination.

𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Vulcanus sighed deeply, almost as if lamenting the inevitable.

"So, I guess you’re going to kill the Spirit King."

***

Elsar ran as fast as her legs could carry her, her heart pounding like crazy. Driven by sheer terror, she dashed through the forest, blood dripping from her injuries. She didn’t even stop to properly tend to her wounds, only hastily summoning spirits to stop the bleeding.

“Lady Elsar!”

As soon as she arrived, the elves of her village surrounded her and expressed their concern.

“Those wounds... What happened?”

“Are you alright?”

However, Elsar didn’t have the time or the presence of mind to answer them. She pushed through the crowd, heading straight for the temple in the center of the village.

Upon reaching it, she stumbled toward the lake inside the temple and fell to her knees.

"Nereid, my lord!" she desperately called as her blood dripped into the water.

After what felt like an eternity, the surface of the water finally rippled. Slowly, the water rose and took the shape of a boy. He looked down at Elsar with disdain.

"

Ugh

, you're making the water dirty," he sneered.

With a flick of his hand, the water beneath Elsar surged up like a tidal wave and shoved her away from the edge of the lake.

"

Ack!”

She gasped as the sudden force knocked the wind out of her. Blood oozed from her poorly treated wounds, staining her clothes.

"N-Nereid... please..." she whimpered.

"I get it," Nereid said lazily, waving a hand as if to brush her off. "The human and that lizard finally teamed up, huh?"

The boy stepped out of the lake. The water followed him, flowing upward and gathering in his hand. In mere moments, the once beautiful, vast lake was completely drained, leaving behind a barren, cracked basin that resembled a dried-up desert.

Nereid walked leisurely toward a grand throne in the temple, leaving wet footprints in his trail.

The throne looked far too large for his childlike form. Still, he carelessly flopped down into it and crossed his legs like a king.

"Annoying pests. I'll crush them both," he muttered, his tone casual but filled with malice. Though it didn’t suit the regal setting, it matched his bratty appearance perfectly.