Chapter 85. I Do Have Some Business

Kim Do-Joon stared at Luin. He was a strikingly handsome man, just like the other elves. Something about him vaguely reminded Kim Do-Joon of Eldora, albeit he couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. He replayed Luin's recent words in his mind.

— One of them dies and they throw a tantrum? If I’d known, I would’ve just tossed it into the mountains somewhere.

That was all he needed to hear. The elf before him had killed the young goblin. The way Luin complained so casually, without the slightest remorse, made it obvious. Still, there was always a slim chance of being wrong, so Kim Do-Joon decided to ask.

"Was it you who killed the goblin?"

"What? You dare speak to me like that? Watch your mouth, Fertilizer."

Luin's expression twisted in irritation at Kim Do-Joon's blunt question. Luin was an elf who revered the World Tree, born and raised beneath its sacred branches. To him, the "outside world" was nothing more than a pile of compost meant to nourish the tree. And humans, naturally, were part of it.

Luin’s attitude was common among younger elves, who had no knowledge of the World Tree's ancient history or its downfall.

"..." Kim Do-Joon stayed quiet.

"What's the matter? Scared?" Luin chuckled as he noticed Kim Do-Joon's silent gaze fixed on him.

After a moment, he deigned to answer, as if doing Kim Do-Joon a favor.

"Yeah, I killed it. So what? Was that goblin your family or something?"

"No... Monsters are our enemies too," Kim Do-Joon replied after a slight pause.

Technically, he was right. Monsters were generally the enemy. Although this village was somewhat unique, the fundamental relationship between humans and monsters remained unchanged.

"

Tch

, how boring," Luin sneered, smirking as he looked at Kim Do-Joon.

Humans always acted tough, pretending to be calm even when they were clearly outmatched. It was beyond Luin why these weak creatures clung so stubbornly to their pride.

Luin remembered seeing humans when he was young, back when the World Tree had taken root in a different place. The humans who were captured would always start off defiant, heads held high. But eventually, they’d all end up groveling in the dirt, begging for mercy. Luin could still vividly recall the laughter of the elders as they watched.

While he was lost in these memories, something interrupted his thoughts.

"

Grrr...

"

Goblins had silently surrounded them. Their eyes were filled with hostility, but it was directed solely at Luin, not Kim Do-Joon.

Luin licked his lips, thinking that things were about to get interesting. His hand instinctively moved to the sword at his waist.

“Hey, Human. If you’ve got no business here, then get lost. I’ll play with you later,” Luin sneered, his tone dripping with contempt.

Naiyel had warned him not to cause any trouble, but Luin didn’t care. He was certain that Vulcanus was gathering an army, and he had come here with the intention of dealing with that threat in advance. Surely, he wouldn’t be punished too harshly for handling it early?

Just then, Kim Do-Joon spoke up. “No.”

Calmly, he reached into his coat, making a display of pulling something out. Then, he revealed a dagger. In reality, it was something he’d just taken from his inventory. The dagger had a unique feature:

[Additional Effect]

- Spirit Affinity Level - 27

It was a knife that Hwang Hyun-Woo had worked on, though it had numerous failures.

“I do have some business, actually. I’ve got something I want to test,” Kim Do-Joon said, pointing the knife at Luin.

This was, after all, just a test run. He wanted to see how the new negative Spirit Affinity effect would work. It had nothing to do with the goblin’s death. Briefly, he glanced at the goblin’s lifeless body.

“Idiot,” Luin muttered, looking at Kim Do-Joon with an amused smile.

What was this fool up to now? Shaking his head in disbelief, Luin couldn’t quite understand the human’s thought process. Interacting with other races always proved challenging. There was, however, one thing that transcended all species. Something simple and straightforward, unlike complex conversations. Power—the one and only thing that mattered.

“Ayere.”

As Luin muttered the incantation, tiny droplets of water, as small as the eye of a needle, began to form around him. The moisture in the air gathered, weaving together to create a dense stream of water.

Luin grinned as he looked at the goblins surrounding him, then at Kim Do-Joon, who stood in front of him with a dagger. With a cold smile, he gave a command.

“Kill.”

At his signal, the water droplets exploded outward, turning into deadly bullets that rained down in all directions.

***

Meanwhile, unlike Luin and the others, Naiyel had chosen to spend the night at the castle. Vulcanus, the owner of the castle, made no effort to hide his displeasure, silently expressing his frustration with her presence. However, Naiyel paid him no mind.

The next morning, she woke up and made her way to the kitchen within the castle. She took out some utensils and tea leaves, calmly brewing herself a cup of tea.

"Would you like a cup?" Naiyel asked, her voice calm as she poured herself some tea.

Vulcanus cracked one eye open, but only for a moment. He quickly shut it again, disinterested.

"No need. You probably only made enough for yourself, didn’t you?"

"Oh, you know me too well," Naiyel replied with a light chuckle.

Clink—

The sound of clinking china filled the air as Naiyel sipped her tea alone, savoring the flavor. After a moment, Naiyel spoke again, her tone shifting to something more serious.

"So, have you decided to tell me the location of the Heart of Flame?"

"Not at all," Vulcanus responded curtly, shutting down the conversation immediately.

It was a question she had asked several times since yesterday, and his answer was always the same.

The Heart of Flame was more than just a symbol of power for Vulcanus, the Fire Spirit King. It was like his very heart, if not more precious. If anything were to happen to him, the Heart of Flame would give birth to a new Fire Spirit King. It was the core—the cradle for the next ruler of Fire Spirits.

In other words, the Heart of Flame represented both his power and the future of his kind. It wasn’t something he could simply hand over.

"That is unfortunate," Naiyel said, sighing slightly.

This was the same reason the other monarchs, including the Water Spirit King, found themselves at an impasse. They couldn’t easily kill or extinguish Vulcanus even if they wanted to. The biggest problem wasn’t whether they could do it, but that even if they succeeded, another Spirit King would take his place.

Without knowing where the Heart of Flame was, they were stuck. Vulcanus understood this perfectly, which was why threats had no effect on him. There were limits to how much they could pressure him.

"I’ll say it again," Naiyel continued, her voice steady, "we have no intention of destroying or extinguishing the Heart of Flame. Besides, it isn’t something that can be easily destroyed, even if we try. The Lord merely wishes to ensure its safekeeping, just in case."

"Just in case," Vulcanus repeated skeptically.

"For example, the Dark Elves currently residing here," Naiyel elaborated. "As you know, not only did their race lose all connection to the greatness of the World Tree, they have also forsaken their pride as elves. They crawl through the dirt, unable to survive without the love of the Mother. Pathetic, yes, but it’s another story if you were to ally with them.”

The Dark Elves were far from a match for the White Elves. Their numbers were small, and they had lost the grace of the World Tree, forcing them to skulk in the shadows like vermin. They were hardly a threat.

However, those vermin were no ordinary pests—they were a blight. A blight with a heretical purpose so unspeakable that it was difficult to even voice: to burn the World Tree. And the Heart of Flame, the primordial flame, might just contain the power to help them achieve that twisted goal.

"I’m not interested. Whether it’s them or you, I have no intention of handing over the Heart of Flame," Vulcanus said firmly.

"Vulcanus," Naiyel replied, lifting her gaze to meet his. "Words alone can’t guarantee anything. Wasn’t it you who said that?"

At that, Vulcanus’s eyes, which had been closed, opened fully, fixing on her. At that moment, Naiyel felt as if her heart had stopped.

"Do you think I’m someone who changes his mind lightly?" Vulcanus asked, his voice low but powerful.

He had not unleashed any grand display of power, or made any physical threats. One look from him was enough to fill her with an overwhelming pressure. It was as if a massive chain had wrapped around her, pulling her down into the depths of the earth.

Naiyel gulped, trying to steady her nerves. Although weakened, a monarch was still a monarch. He wasn’t someone to be underestimated easily.

What should I do...?

Naiyel tried hard to select the right words, feeling cold sweat trickling down her back. Normally, she would have a quick response, but the unexpected pressure from Vulcanus had left her mind blank.

At that moment, Vulcanus narrowed his eyes. A few seconds later, Naiyel sensed a surge of energy from a Water Spirit outside. It wasn’t just making its presence known, but actively using its power.

Thinking it was the perfect timing, Naiyel quickly stood up.

"It seems something’s happened. I’ll go check it out."

She hurried to the door and left the chamber, leaving behind only the empty teacup that had been drained to the last drop.

“Running away?” Vulcanus muttered before closing his eyes again, unbothered.

***

Water droplets shot out like bullets, piercing the goblins’ skin and flesh like real bullets. The goblins who had surrounded Luin fell one by one, especially those in the front lines.

However, the droplets had no effect on Kim Do-Joon. With a swift motion, he swung his dagger in a wide arc. The dagger itself had no special effects aside from the negative Spirit Affinity. Nevertheless, it was enveloped in mana—one that was finely honed and meticulously controlled through his training with Karlish, and sparring with Jecheon Seong.

As Kim Do-Joon slashed, the mana trailed behind the dagger, leaving an afterimage. When the water droplets collided with the mana-infused air, they instantly froze and fell to the ground as shards of ice, making a sound like hailstones hitting the earth.

“Damn it! In that case...” Luin clicked his tongue in frustration.

Realizing his attack had failed, he swiftly reached for his sword. However, before he could draw it, Kim Do-Joon was already upon him.

In an instant, Kim Do-Joon had closed the distance using the Sky Thunder technique. He clamped down on Luin’s hand, forcing the sword back into its sheath before it could be fully drawn.

Luin tried to push back, but he could not overpower Kim Do-Joon’s grip.

“W-when did you get so close?” Luin gasped in shock.

There had been a considerable distance between them just a moment ago. How had Kim Do-Joon closed it so quickly? And why couldn’t he draw his sword?

In both strength and speed, Kim Do-Joon had the upper hand. Luin's mind went blank for a moment. Instinctively, he tried to think of a way to counterattack, but there was no time left. Kim Do-Joon, holding Luin's sword in place with one hand, was already moving the knife in his other hand toward Luin's throat.

Thanks to his combat experience, Luin didn’t squeeze his eyes shut in fear, but that didn’t mean he could react in time. He was forced to watch helplessly as the blade rushed toward his neck.

"

Aaaargh!

" Luin screamed at the top of his lungs.

At the same time, a voice rang out, "Stop!"

A woman burst through the goblin ranks, rushing toward them. It was Naiyel Rackade, the elf with deep aquamarine hair, who had been at the castle since the day before.

"What in the world is going on here?" Naiyel Rackade yelled as soon as she arrived.

She quickly took in the scene—goblins lying on the ground, bleeding from wounds that were clearly caused by Luin's Ayere attack. Yet, here was Luin, with a knife at his throat, held by a human from the outside.

"Release him, Human. And explain what happened," Naiyel demanded, her expression hardening.

Kim Do-Joon knew that it wasn’t a request, but a warning.

"This... this bastard attacked me out of nowhere, Captain! I swear, I'm innocent!" Luin shouted, tilting his head as far back as possible to avoid the knife at his throat.

From his tone, one would think he was the most wronged victim in the world.

"Is that true?" Naiyel asked, her eyes shifting to Kim Do-Joon.

He glanced at her but said nothing, nor did he ease his stance.

Naiyel’s eyebrows furrowed at his silence. "Human. Put down that knife. I’m warning you. There won't be a third."

With the two warnings, Naiyel was clear that there was no next time. Above Kim Do-Joon's head, a blade of water hovered menacingly, ready to strike at the slightest provocation.

Kim Do-Joon glanced up at the watery blade. Slowly, he began to lower his knife. Seeing that, Luin sighed in relief, feeling the tension release. Naiyel, too, seemed to relax slightly, thinking the situation was under control.

Swoosh—!

The knife, now positioned near Luin’s abdomen, plunged into his stomach in one swift motion.

"

Kuk!

" Luin gasped and his eyes widened with shock.

The situation escalated further. Mana twisted and coiled around the knife, binding it like threads around a spool. The next moment, the accumulated mana exploded from within Luin’s stomach, sending shockwaves through his body.

Boom—I

This technique was an application of the Sky Thunder technique, using the knife to channel and release a powerful burst of energy.

“

Humaaan!

”

Seeing the explosion, Naiyel's eyes widened with fury. Kim Do-Joon, narrowing his eyes, swiftly leaped back. The water blade above him descended like a guillotine.

Although he was tempted to test his Invincible Body against that strike, he ultimately chose not to, recalling that his opponent was a Contractor of the Spirit King.

Crash!

The guillotine-like blade struck the ground, leaving a massive crater as if hit by a small earthquake.

As Kim Do-Joon maneuvered away, Naiyel quickly attended to Luin's condition.

“Damn it!”

Luin's injury was severe. Not only was the knife embedded in him, the explosion massively worsened the injury.

Fortunately, a Healer, who was also known as a Contractor of the Water Spirit King, was present. The Water Spirit King, who reigned over water, also governed life, vitality, and order since ancient times. As such, he possessed the ability to heal wounds.

Placing her hands over Luin’s chest, Naiyel began channeling her energy into him. But something was off. The wound was healing noticeably slower than usual.

What’s wrong?

Naiyel frowned, puzzled. She had never encountered such a problem before. Though the wound was serious, it wasn’t excessively deep. After all, Kim Do-Joon merely wanted to test the effect. That was why he targeted the abdomen instead of the throat in the first place.

The slow healing process struck Naiyel as odd, but she didn’t have time to think about it. She had to focus on treatment and think about the anomalies later.

After a while, as the treatment concluded, Luin’s eyes fluttered open.

“

Urk...

” Luin groaned.

“Luin! Luin, are you okay?” Naiyel asked.

His vision first fell upon Naiyel, and then the arrogant human who had done this to him.

“

Ugh,

Human! Ayere!”

Once his condition had improved somewhat, Luin immediately called for his spirit. Soon, droplets of water began to form, just like before. Luin’s face twisted in anger.

This time, I’ll pour all of it onto you!

Before, he had aimed at the goblins as well. But now, he targeted only Kim Do-Joon with pinpoint precision.

He shouted his command to the spirit, “Kill that bastard!”

Yet, oddly enough, nothing happened.