Chapter 57: Fight on, cub! Transform, Kumandee!...

A Dark Elf!

How could a Dark Elf have appeared in the Faerie Forest?

Could he... be one of the necromancers?

When Shu Li saw the magic staff in the Dark Elf’s hand, he knew his guess was correct.

He had already been uneasy, worried that Syl and the others would be unable to handle the two evil necromancers. Never had he imagined that one of the invaders would race ahead and lie in wait for them.

The gloomy aura of death emanating from the Dark Elf was exactly like that of the Black Knights from years ago, brimming with chilling brutality and violence.

His crimson eyes in particular gleamed strangely, making Shu Li feel as though he were merchandise being appraised.

Disio and the other two Little Fairies had never encountered a race from outside the forest before. Horrified, they huddled together beside Shu Li, trembling uncontrollably.

Shu Li was afraid too.

He knew exactly how vast the difference in strength was between them and the invader.

The Dark Elf was a necromancer. The fact that he had slipped past Ivy and Anna’s defensive line and reached this spot ahead of them to intercept them meant that he was at least a Grand Mage.

As for their side, Shu Li and his three companions were all Mage Apprentices. They had been studying magic for less than a week, and their offensive power was practically nonexistent. Although Kumandi had reached the level of an Intermediate Mage, he could not transform, placing him at a considerable disadvantage. At most, he would be able to struggle a little longer than they could.

Shu Li raised his head with difficulty and met the Dark Elf’s mocking gaze. Terror spread throughout his body.

The last time he encountered the Black Knights, he had spent the entire ordeal hiding in a bird’s nest under the plump bird’s protection.

This time, they had come face-to-face with a necromancer without the slightest preparation. They might not even get a chance to escape.

Were they... supposed to sit here and wait for death?

"Who are you? Why have you trespassed into the Faerie Forest?"

The boy’s cool voice suddenly rang out. Shu Li jolted and instinctively looked toward Kumandi, who stood in front of them.

From beginning to end, Kumandi had shown no fear. He pointed his magic staff at the Dark Elf crouching on the branch and questioned him with remarkable composure.

"This is not a place you should have come to. Leave immediately! Otherwise, once the patrolling Elf arrives, he will not spare a single outsider who entered the forest without permission!"

"Oh, really?" Roald examined the speaking "little thing" with interest.

His teacher had been right. He was going to make a fortune this time. Not only had they encountered three beautiful adult Fairies, but they had also discovered five adorable Fairy cubs.

Four of the five cubs were probably only a few years old. They were fair, tender, and innocently adorable, so endearing that he wanted to seize them and knead them mercilessly in his hands.

The remaining one was slightly older and rather fierce, brandishing a tiny magic staff at him in an empty show of bravado.

That was right. This black-haired little thing had deliberately mentioned the patrolling Elf in an attempt to frighten him!

Roald let out a string of chuckles that sounded particularly grating in the silent forest.

So what if a patrolling Elf came?

Was he supposed to be afraid?

Fairies and Elves had isolated themselves from the rest of the world for years. They were all sheltered and knew nothing of suffering. No matter how high their magical ranks were, how formidable could they truly be?

To tell the truth, before Roald saw Fairies for himself, he had never thought there was much difference between Dark Elves and white Elves. One revered darkness, while the other revered light. That was all.

But today, after seeing the legendary Fairies with his own eyes, he became consumed with envy.

White Elves and Fairies lived pampered lives. Every one of them was beautiful and immaculate, and the adults would recklessly stand in the path of outsiders to protect their young.

Dark Elves, however, lived in misery from childhood, fighting one another to the death over resources. Adult Dark Elves treated their cubs with particular cruelty.

As a child, Roald had been rejected and ostracized before poachers abducted him. He had then fallen in with pirates and lived like dust beneath their feet. Even his teacher valued him only for his talent.

To a Dark Elf who had never experienced warmth, the sight of white Elves and Fairies radiating elegance was unbearably offensive. An inexplicable hatred grew inside him. He wanted to tear away their pure exteriors, destroy their noble souls, and drag them down into the dark abyss to sink alongside him.

Shu Li’s entire body broke out in goose bumps as he listened to the Dark Elf’s eerie laughter.

Angel said shakily, "His laugh... sounds like a hoarse duck."

Disio nodded in agreement. "It’s awful! So grating!"

Budno muttered, "Great Light God Lient Freis... help us... drive away this dark, creepy monster..."

Shu Li realized that although his companions were afraid, they still had enough spirit to speak. Steadying himself, he flew resolutely to Kumandi’s side, raised his magic staff, and aimed it at the Dark Elf.

"This is not a place you should have come to. Leave immediately!"

He shouted at the top of his lungs, filled with the resolve to risk everything.

Disio’s eyes lit up. He swiftly drew his magic staff and flew to Shu Li’s side, shouting with magnificent force, "This is not a place you should have come to. Leave immediately!"

Refusing to be outdone, Angel and Budno drew their magic staffs and flew to Kumandi’s other side.

"This is not a place you should have come to. Leave immediately!"

The two cubs shouted in unison. Budno’s voice was especially loud, startling a flock of resting nocturnal birds into flight.

Flutter, flutter.

Five Fairy cubs lined up shoulder to shoulder, holding their magic staffs high with righteous determination.

Roald was speechless.

He had lived for more than a century, burning, killing, pillaging, and committing every imaginable evil. As a necromancer, he left barren devastation wherever he went. Ordinary people invariably panicked at the sight of him, and a single cold look from him was enough to terrify them out of their wits.

Yet at this very moment, five little things smaller than his palm were pointing low-level magic staffs at him and ordering him to leave in their childish voices.

The sight was absurd no matter how he looked at it.

His expression twisted into something between laughter and tears. His shoulders shook, and a strange, wheezing sound emerged from his throat.

Kumandi frowned and turned slightly toward Shu Li. "Sperien, I’ll hold him back. Use the opportunity to run. Get as far away as you can!"

"What?" Shu Li froze.

Before he could react, Kumandi began chanting an incantation. "Great Wind God Wendis Inor, grant me strength. Command the wind elements to gather into the mightiest hurricane and drive away this evil Dark Elf—"

Roald had been mocking them. He never expected the black-haired Fairy cub before him to dare attack a necromancer at the level of a Grand Mage.

He glanced over contemptuously, curious to see how powerful a little Fairy’s magic could possibly be.

In the next instant, a massive tornado formed within the forest and charged mercilessly toward him.

Crack!

The branch beneath his feet snapped, and Roald was swept into the hurricane. In an instant, he was hurled more than a hundred meters away.

Kumandi’s first attack struck true. He did not linger to fight and shouted at the four Little Fairies, "Run!"

The four Little Fairies did not hesitate. Spreading their wings, they flew in the direction of safety.

Kumandi chanted another spell, and Wind Blades descended, severing all the surrounding branches at once.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

Dozens of branches plummeted from above, creating a scene of utter chaos.

Putting away his magic staff, Kumandi caught up with the four Little Fairies and remained °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° behind them to guard their retreat.

Because of a moment’s carelessness, Roald had actually been struck by an intermediate-level spell.

He plucked the leaves from his head and dusted off his robe. His expression darkened, and savage light flickered in his bloodthirsty eyes.

A mere Fairy cub had already reached the level of an Intermediate Mage. The Faerie Forest’s abundant resources were enough to drive anyone mad with envy!

He would capture that black-haired Fairy, tear off his wings, and make sure he could never fly again!

Did they truly think a necromancer could be dismissed so easily?

How naive!

Roald’s figure flickered as he teleported. After only a few flashes, he returned to where he had been.

The surrounding area had been ravaged by wind. Broken branches lay everywhere, and the Little Fairies were long gone.

Crouching on a branch, he lifted his sensitive nose and caught the Little Fairies’ scent. Without pausing, he pursued them.

The Little Fairies flew quickly, but the Dark Elf was faster. In the blink of an eye, he caught up with them.

"Ah!"

Shu Li slammed into a wall of air. Stars burst before his eyes, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The other three Little Fairies crashed into it as well and nearly fell.

Kumandi came to an abrupt halt. He turned around warily and watched the Dark Elf drawing closer, his heart sinking.

"Sperien, hide behind the tree!" he shouted, raising his magic staff and launching another attack at the Dark Elf.

Shu Li pulled his companions behind the trunk of an enormous tree. Panting heavily, he clung to the rough bark, still shaken.

"What do we do? What do we do?" Budno sobbed. "Sp... Sperien... are we... are we going to be captured?"

"Don’t be afraid! Don’t be afraid!" Shu Li patted his back, soothing him again and again.

"Let’s go help Kumandi!" Disio tightened his grip on his magic staff, his anger overcoming his fear.

Angel remained relatively calm and whispered, "Our magical ranks are too low. We can’t help him."

Shu Li gritted his teeth. "Let’s pray! If we pray sincerely to the gods, they’ll definitely help us escape this danger!"

The four Little Fairies immediately clasped their hands and prayed devoutly to the gods.

"Great Lient Freis, Fire God Afama Chips, Water God Hildani Gertie, Wood God Oroman Pad—"

"That’s wrong. The Wood God’s name is Oroman Pass!" Angel solemnly corrected Shu Li’s mispronunciation.

Shu Li’s face flushed with urgency and frustration.

When would he stop mangling his words whenever he became nervous?

At such a crucial moment, he could not even pray properly.

"Start again, start again!" Disio chanted, "Great Lient Freis, Fire God Afama Chips, Water God Hildani Gertie..."

Before they could finish praying, however, Kumandi’s battle took a perilous, one-sided turn.

Roald attacked Kumandi with savage ruthlessness, giving him no chance to catch his breath as he violently destroyed the barrier of wind Kumandi had erected.

Bang!

The barrier shattered, and the immense impact hurled Kumandi backward.

"Kumandi!"

Shu Li cried out in horror.

Kumandi fell from the sky like a kite whose string had snapped.

Ignoring the danger, Shu Li beat his wings and rushed out to catch him.

"Yah!"

He grabbed Kumandi’s arm, but Kumandi was falling too quickly and dragged him toward the ground as well. Shu Li frantically beat his wings, struggling to pull them upward.

Seeing how desperately their leader was struggling, Disio and Angel flew out without hesitation and grabbed Kumandi’s other arm.

Budno stubbornly finished his prayer before flying over last and supporting Kumandi’s back from below.

With the four Little Fairies working together, Kumandi finally stabilized himself. He clutched his chest, struggling to breathe. His fingers trembled so badly that he could barely hold his magic staff.

He had exhausted too much magic and physical strength. A Fairy who could not enlarge his body had no advantage whatsoever in battle. He would not be able to endure much longer.

If only he could enlarge himself... then he could hold back the Dark Elf for at least half an hour. Half an hour would be enough time for the patrolling Elf to arrive.

"Kumandi, are you all right?" Shu Li asked worriedly.

He had never seen the normally quiet genius look so weak. Kumandi’s face was as pale as paper, and blood seeped from the corner of his bitten lip. His body trembled faintly, as though he might faint at any moment.

"I’m fine!" Kumandi’s gaze remained as resolute as ever. He beat his wings and forced himself to rally.

Roald watched coldly. Once the cubs had finished showing their touching affection for one another, he said sternly, "Little ones, you are no match for me. If you don’t want to suffer, you had better surrender obediently. Otherwise—"

"Great Water God Hildani Gertie, I am Sperien of the Faerie Forest. I ask you to command the water elements to gather around me and bring me a water ball capable of submerging everything—"

A childish voice rang out, followed by a marble-sized ball of water that struck Roald in the face.

Roald froze, then narrowed his eyes and lowered his head, glaring viciously at the blond Little Fairy who had raised his magic staff and attacked him.

This Little Fairy was the most exquisite of the group. His hair was a remarkably pure shade of gold, and his pale green eyes were opened wide. He was clearly terrified, yet he was suppressing his fear and attacking with a low-level Water Ball spell.

It deserved some praise. The little thing had successfully caught him off guard.

Roald raised a finger and slowly wiped the water from his face.

"You’ve got some nerve, little thing!"

He had noticed earlier that this blond cub possessed the strongest mind of the group. He had been the first to jump forward and shout at Roald, inspiring the other three dazed cubs to follow his example one after another.

Clearly, he was the heart of this group of cubs.

Under the Dark Elf’s crimson stare, Shu Li felt as though a venomous serpent had fixed its gaze upon him. His skin crawled, but he did not retreat. Instead, he continued chanting.

"Great Fire God Afama Chips, I am Sperien of the Faerie Forest. I ask you to command the fire elements to gather around me and bring me a fireball capable of burning everything!"

With a sweep of his magic staff, a tiny fireball shot toward Roald.

This time, Roald easily evaded it and continued studying the blond cub with an icy gaze.

He could use two elements of magic. Interesting.

When the fireball missed the Dark Elf, Shu Li began again. "Great Wind God Wendis Inord..."

Damn it!

He had mangled the name!

The corner of Roald’s mouth twitched.

He truly should not have expected too much from a cub only a few years old. The little thing could not even remember the gods’ names, yet he dared attack a high-ranking necromancer.

Who had given him that courage?

"Great Fire God Afama Chips, I am Disio of the Faerie Forest. I ask you to command the fire elements to gather around me and bring me a fireball capable of burning everything!"

"Great Light God Lient Freis, I am Angel of the Faerie Forest. I ask you to command the light elements to gather around me and bring me a ball of light capable of dispelling all darkness!"

"Great Water God Hildani Gertie, I am Budno of the Faerie Forest. I ask you to command the water elements to gather around me and bring me a water ball capable of submerging everything!"

Three childish voices rang out simultaneously. A fireball, a ball of light, and a water ball shot toward Roald like tiny cannonballs.

Roald paused, then swept his magic staff through the air and effortlessly dissolved their attacks.

Good. Very good!

The cubs raised by Fairies were truly so united, so loving, and so touching!

They had thoroughly awakened his desire to destroy everything beautiful.

"Little ones, the game ends here—"

His teacher had most likely captured the three adult Fairies by now. Roald could not waste any more time. He needed to take these five cubs back as quickly as possible.

Arrogant though he was, he was not foolish enough to truly confront an Elf or Fairy at the level of a Mage Sovereign.

Knowing when to stop was one of his virtues.

Today’s excursion alone would give him something to boast about for a very long time.

The Dark Elf’s enormous hand descended from above. Just as it was about to seize Shu Li, Shu Li raised his magic staff in terror and frantically began chanting.

The more anxious he became, however, the more his tongue stumbled. He even mispronounced the Fire God’s name.

Panicking, Shu Li screamed in furious frustration. He fumbled for the little dagger at his waist and stabbed wildly at the descending palm.

"Get away from meeeeee!" he cried as he attacked, hating his own helplessness. Why, after studying for so long, could he still not speak Elven properly? Why did his tongue always fail him at the most crucial moments?

"Sperien!"

His three companions screamed.

Kumandi shoved Shu Li aside. His violet eyes narrowed as he shouted in a deep voice, "Great Light God Lient Freis, grant me the power of my origin—"

Under Roald’s astonished gaze, the black-haired Little Fairy he was about to seize erupted with blinding light.

Accustomed to darkness, the Dark Elf could not withstand a light that seemed capable of scorching everything. He instinctively retreated and raised a hand to cover his eyes.

Shu Li landed on a leaf after being pushed aside. His eyes widened as he stared without blinking at Kumandi within the light and watched his body undergo an earth-shattering transformation.

He... had grown larger!

When the light vanished, a black-haired Fairy standing six feet tall appeared before the Dark Elf.

Kumandi had forcibly increased his magical power, broken past his limits, and briefly reached the level of a Senior Mage. He had then released the power of his origin and enlarged his body, exhausting all his strength in the process.

Sweat covered his face, and he panted heavily, using his magic staff to support his weight.

After becoming an Intermediate Mage, he had replaced his equipment. Consequently, enlarging himself so abruptly did not leave him naked.

"Ku... Kumandi!"

Shu Li was both astonished and delighted. He spread his wings, flew over, and wrapped his arms around a lock of Kumandi’s hair.

Disio, Angel, and Budno stared with their mouths open. Tears in their eyes, they rushed over and clung to Kumandi’s hair as well.

Kumandi frowned slightly and instructed them to hide.

The four Little Fairies moved swiftly, climbing inside his collar and obediently curling up there.

Roald sneered. "Do you think becoming larger means you can defeat me?"

Kumandi took a deep breath and answered hoarsely, "There’s only one way to find out."

He raised his magic staff. "Wind elements, obey my command and grant me the speed of a gale!"

As the incantation ended, wind enveloped his body. In an instant, he flew a hundred meters away.

Roald frowned deeply as he watched the black-haired Fairy flee, then let out a cold, sinister laugh.

He had thought the Fairy possessed some backbone, but it turned out he was a coward who fled the moment he realized he could not win.

Tsk. To a necromancer, wherever there was darkness, there were eyes. No matter how far they fled, they could never escape the range of his perception.

The Dark Elf’s figure flickered, and he teleported after the fleeing black-haired Fairy.

The wind was fast, but Roald could teleport even faster through the darkness.

To gain as much time as possible, Kumandi shortened his incantation by omitting the opening invocation praising the god. That weakened his Flight spell. After fleeing for a thousand meters, he was finally caught by the Dark Elf.

A wall of air rose ahead of him, blocking his path. Kumandi immediately turned and flew in another direction.

But another wall of air blocked that side as well. He changed direction again and again until there was nowhere left to flee. Trapped like prey in a cage by the Dark Elf, Kumandi reached the limits of both his magic and his physical strength.

With a thud, he plummeted from the air and struck the ground heavily.

The four Little Fairies hidden inside his collar burst into tears. Terrified, they scrambled out to check on him.

Kumandi was so weak that he could not even open his eyes.

He had already forced himself past his limits, then used his final reserves of strength to flee as desperately as he could. Now he was utterly spent.

"Kumandi, Kumandi, wake up!" Shu Li called anxiously.

"Waaah! Kumandi, don’t die..." Budno burst into loud sobs.

"Kumandi will be fine! Don’t curse him!" Disio slapped Budno on the shoulder.

"Kumandi is still breathing. He’s all right!" Angel held out a hand beneath his nose.

Roald strode across the grass, each step producing a harsh crunch. The sound frightened the four Little Fairies into huddling together. Trembling, they raised their magic staffs.

"D-don’t come any closer!" Disio shouted, forcing himself to remain calm.

"I... I can use Water Ball! I’ll... I’ll spray you to death!" Budno’s chubby little body shook like a leaf.

Angel clasped his hands tightly and prayed without stopping.

Shu Li wiped away his tears and tightened his grip on his dagger, hiding it behind his back. Spreading his wings, he flew in front of the Dark Elf.

"Y-you want to capture us and sell us for a high price, so... so don’t hurt us..."

Roald raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Shu Li’s lips trembled. "I... I’ll go with you. Let them go."

Roald sneered. "Why should I agree to that?"

If he could have five cubs, why would he not take them all?

Shu Li swiftly raised his dagger. "Then you can take my corpse instead!"

With that, he closed his eyes, gripped the dagger, and slashed fiercely toward his own throat—

"Sperien!"

The three Little Fairies screamed in horror.

Startled, Roald reacted swiftly and seized the Little Fairy between his fingers, stopping him from killing himself.

Roald held Shu Li’s body tightly, leaving his arms raised above his head. Shu Li did not panic, however. He drove the dagger downward with all his strength, stabbing the Dark Elf’s finger.

Roald stared in surprise at the tiny dagger embedded in his finger and said mockingly, "I really underestimated you, little thing."

Was he trying to tickle him with that little "needle"?

Shu Li gritted his teeth, his heart pounding with anxiety.

Come on!

Hurry up and work!

Roald was about to mock him again when his finger suddenly began to sting. A moment later, his entire arm went numb.

Realizing something was wrong, his expression changed drastically.

"You used poison?"

Shu Li scarcely dared to breathe. He was so nervous that he was nearly suffocating.

While the Dark Elf was not paying attention, Shu Li had secretly dipped his dagger into the bottle containing Mr. Serpent’s venom. He then deliberately pretended to kill himself, luring the Dark Elf into stopping him so he could plunge the dagger into his finger.

Mr. Serpent’s venom was extremely potent. A single drop could incapacitate a large magical beast. No matter how formidable the Dark Elf was, he was nowhere near as large as a magical beast, was he?

Sure enough, the venom took effect. The Dark Elf had been poisoned.

Shu Li struggled to free himself from his grasp, sending the Dark Elf into a fury.

"I’ll cripple you!" Roald roared. With his other hand, which could still move, he grabbed Shu Li’s head.

Agonizing pain shot through Shu Li’s skull as Roald squeezed, and he screamed.

Suddenly, the little flower crown that had transformed into a hair clip emitted a flash of green light.

"Aaagh!"

This time, it was the Dark Elf who screamed.

As though scorched by flames, his hands were severed.

Severed—

Both hands fell to the ground. Dark red blood sprayed from his wrists as he stared at the severed limbs in disbelief.

Dazed and disoriented, Shu Li struggled out of the severed palm. The hair clip returned to the form of a little green flower crown and glittered brightly atop his head.

Catching the heavy scent of blood, he retreated again and again, still shaken.

Clop. Clop. Clop.

Shu Li turned his head fearfully and stared in shock at a unicorn’s snow-white hooves. When he looked farther up, his pupils contracted.

The noble and beautiful Elven King sat astride the snow-white unicorn, gazing coldly down at the Dark Elf. A drop of blood slid from the longsword in his hand and fell onto the grass, staining it red.