Chapter 173: The Sea Elves Are Here Again

Chapter 173: Chapter 173: The Sea Elves Are Here Again

"In the name of the Hanged Man..."

Benduin’s eyes lit up. He never imagined Vili would be willing to make a promise in the name of the Hanged Man.

After all, every Hanged Man was a just, honest, and kind person who treasured their identity as a Hanged Man.

To be able to give his word in the name of the Hanged Man showed, at the very least, that Vili was willing to treat him, his follower, with sincere friendship.

"I, Benduin Baulens, am willing to be your follower, to uphold justice and punish evil alongside you!"

Benduin pounded his chest forcefully.

Vili smiled.

White Bear Town had gained another source of Extraordinary Combat Power—and a Mage at that!

Including himself, Wally, and Benduin, there were now three Transcendents in White Bear Town. In the future, once he had a chance to gain complete control over Selena and after Colson matured, the number of Transcendents in White Bear Town could reach five.

’What a wonderful thing.’

Vili gave a faint smile.

Benduin smiled as well. To him, this was a sign of recognition from Lord Vili, the Hanged Man.

"By the way, Benduin, if you don’t mind me asking, how old are you?"

Vili suddenly scratched his forehead.

Although Benduin looked to be around thirty, he had been so easily "brainwashed" and had even said something akin to "running away from home." Vili had a feeling his actual age might be much younger.

"Lord Vili, I just turned fifteen this year."

Benduin answered respectfully.

"Fifteen, huh..."

Vili muttered to himself, "’We’re about the same age...’"

"Lord Vili, what did you say?"

Benduin hadn’t heard Vili clearly.

"It’s nothing. I was just saying that you shouldn’t deliberately imitate the Hanged Man when you fight in the future," Vili said. "You need to unleash the might of a Mage. You must understand, Justice isn’t about form; it’s about a sincere and resolute heart."

As he spoke, Vili poked his own chest.

"Yes!"

Benduin nodded vigorously.

And just like that, Benduin, the Earth Mage, became another Extraordinary resident of White Bear Town.

’Although Benduin is around my age, his way of thinking seems rather one-dimensional, even simpler than an ordinary person his age.’

Therefore, Vili decided to have Benduin undergo some training first, at least to improve his social skills and worldly wisdom.

Vili placed Benduin in Sopps’s hands, letting Sopps manage him.

Benduin became a peacekeeper, a role that suited his expected status.

...

「Late at night.」

By the churning sea, the ocean breeze seemed to have grown stronger.

Waves rolled forward, one after another, crashing onto the damp sand.

Guards patrolled back and forth, defending White Bear Town’s coastal line.

Suddenly, a few strands of black hair floated to the surface of the sea near the shore.

Immediately after, a man’s head emerged from the water.

It was the head of a dangerously handsome man, but for a purple marking branded between his eyebrows.

"This is it... there’s no mistake..."

The man muttered in a strange language as he sensed his surroundings. "That’s right, Selena... she’s here!"

"How strange... I personally investigated this place once before but didn’t detect any trace of Selena’s aura... Still, it’s quite surprising. Selena has actually integrated into the life of the surface-dwelling Human World..."

The man began to swim toward the shore, his body gradually revealing itself to the air.

He was bare-chested, his torso defined by powerful, muscular lines. His lower body, however, was a fish tail covered in scales.

A Purple-striped Sea Elf!

The man came onto the beach with a swing of his tail, his brow furrowing slightly. "As expected, without the embrace of the sea, it’s extremely uncomfortable. In my current state, I can’t possibly live in the Human World. But how did Selena manage it?"

"Could she have been imprisoned by Humans?"

The man’s pupils constricted abruptly.

He raised his palm, and a wisp of purplish-red blood floated above it.

The man closed his eyes as if sensing something. Suddenly, they snapped open again, his gaze fixed in the direction of Baron Vili’s Manor.

"Selena is over there!"

"Hm?"

Just as the man was about to move in that direction, he suddenly heard the sound of someone approaching.

’That is...’

He saw two Guards in armor, holding weapons, draw near.

The moment they saw the man, they froze completely.

’A human body and a fish tail—what kind of creature is this?’

Immediately, the two Guards took a combat stance. Just as they were about to shout for their comrades, they saw the Sea Elf man open his mouth, and a strange sound wave entered their minds.

For a moment, they felt their consciousness sinking into an abyss.

They knew there was no hope of survival, yet they allowed themselves to sink.

The man thrashed his fish tail and was in front of the two men in an instant.

He bared rows of sharp teeth and bit down with a CRUNCH.

"The taste of their blood is rather mediocre, but it’s a novel experience..."

The man gently wiped the corner of his mouth and, with a swing of his tail, advanced toward Vili’s manor in the dark of night.

And now, on the beach, two corpses with smiling, serene expressions lay silently on the sand.

...

「Night at the Baron’s Manor.」

Vili was already in his bedroom, flipping through a thick book.

Ever since his time in Diamond Town, Vili had developed the good habit of reading before bed.

It not only allowed him to absorb knowledge but also helped him fall asleep faster.

He let out a slight yawn. He had been training intensely these past few days to accelerate his promotion to Senior Knight. Even with a Constitution as high as 14, he felt a rare trace of drowsiness.

Vili closed the book and extinguished the oil lamp under its glass cover.

However, not long after lying down, before he had completely drifted off to sleep, Vili suddenly felt his heart give a violent throb.

The Heart of Justice, the source from which the Power of Justice was born.

’A Malice Power is approaching!’

Vili was instantly wide awake. ’The Malice Power is heading toward the manor’s artificial lake!’

’Is it a Sea Elf searching for Selena...?’

Sensing this familiar aura, Vili already had a plan forming in his mind.

’So, they’ve finally come...’

Without any hesitation, Vili grabbed his Cross Sword and rushed toward the artificial lake.

In a room in the attic, inside Wally’s exclusive bear den, the sleeping little white bear suddenly snapped its eyes open.

It bared its fangs, the sharp teeth making its cute and cuddly appearance seem somewhat ferocious.

Wally stood up, shook its white fur, and its eyes filled with a deep blue light.

「By the artificial lake.」

The Sea Elf man stood by the water, a sneer on his face.

’Poor Selena. Has she really been kept as a pet by a human?’

"What a ridiculous and shameful affair..."

The smile on the man’s face grew colder and colder.