Chapter 557: The Dark Elf’s Hunt

Meanwhile, the beastkin accompanying Lento could only watch as their leader continued exchanging blows with Adam.

The sounds of their clash echoed throughout the chamber. Each collision sent a powerful shockwave through the surroundings, shaking the remaining pillars and scattering fragments of stone across the floor. Dust filled the air, while powerful gusts swept past the beastkin, forcing some of them to shield their faces.

One of them narrowed his eyes, struggling to follow the movements of the two figures.

"Who the hell is that guy? How can he keep up with the boss?"

Another beastkin, however, showed no sign of concern. Instead, he crossed his arms and gave a confident grin.

"That’s only the beginning. You don’t understand our boss’s power."

He pointed toward Lento, whose crimson aura continued to grow more intense with every passing moment.

"His artifact has a terrifying ability. The longer he fights, the stronger he becomes. No matter how powerful his opponent is, eventually, they’ll be overwhelmed. That’s why our boss has never lost a prolonged battle."

A few of the others nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. Just wait. That guy won’t be able to keep up for much longer."

"Once the boss gets going, there’s no stopping him."

Their earlier uneasiness gradually disappeared, replaced by renewed confidence. To them, the outcome was already decided. Adam might be able to exchange blows with Lento now, but that advantage wouldn’t last forever.

While they continued watching the battle, one of them happened to glance toward the other side of the chamber.

There stood a young woman with long white hair and golden eyes. Her pointed ears and unusual complexion immediately distinguished her from the elves they were accustomed to seeing. Beside her floated a small spirit, its tiny figure hovering casually in the air.

The beastkin stared for a moment.

"...An elf?"

"Her skin looks different from the others."

"Is she a mixed race?"

Their gazes lingered on Azrynn. Her appearance was striking, and even in the middle of such a dangerous situation, she carried herself with an unusual composure.

However, rather than treating her as a potential threat, some of the beastkin began exchanging amused glances.

"Hah. So that guy brought a woman along?"

"She’s certainly beautiful, but what can someone like her possibly do here?"

One of them chuckled, looking at the weapons Azrynn carried.

"Maybe she’s just here to look pretty."

Another glanced at the tiny spirit floating beside her and smirked.

"And she even brought a little pet."

Their confidence in Lento made them careless. Since their leader was occupied with Adam, they assumed the two women posed no real threat.

"Don’t let your guard down," Iki suddenly warned, his eyes still fixed on Azrynn. "We don’t know how strong those two really are. That woman might be more dangerous than she looks."

Glenwind scoffed.

"Come on. You’re seriously worried about a woman?"

He glanced at Azrynn again, then let out a dismissive laugh.

"I don’t believe someone like her could possibly be as strong as me. Besides, look at her. Does she really look like someone who can fight?"

A few of the others chuckled in agreement.

"Glenwind’s right. She’s probably just some noblewoman who happens to know how to use a bow."

"Maybe she thinks looking pretty is enough to survive in a place like this."

"Who knows? Perhaps that little spirit is supposed to protect her."

Their laughter continued, growing louder as they exchanged increasingly insulting remarks.

Sylphy, who had been floating beside Azrynn, heard every word. Her expression immediately darkened. Her tiny hands clenched into fists, and a faint gust of wind began swirling around her.

"YOU BUNCH OF IDIOTS!"

She shot forward, pointing an accusing finger at the beastkin.

"Who do you think you’re talking to?! I’ll beat every single one of you up!"

Azrynn glanced at the furious little spirit hovering in front of her. She remained quiet for a moment before speaking.

"I’m beginning to think spirits are quite different from what I remember."

Sylphy turned around and looked at Azrynn with genuine curiosity.

"What do you mean? What did you think spirits were like?"

Azrynn looked at her for a moment, then calmly answered.

"Something more dignified. Wise, perhaps. The kind of beings who wouldn’t lose their temper over a few insults."

"..."

Sylphy’s expression stiffened.

"W-Well! That’s because you haven’t seen how terrifying spirits can be when they’re angry!"

Azrynn tilted her head slightly.

"Is that so?"

"Of course!"

Azrynn watched Sylphy for a moment before shifting her gaze toward Adam, who was still exchanging blows with Lento in the distance.

"Adam is already putting in the effort," she said calmly. "We shouldn’t disappoint him."

She then turned toward the little spirit.

"By the way, can you actually attack them?"

Sylphy blinked, seemingly surprised by the question. Then she placed both hands on her hips and raised her chin proudly.

"Of course I can! What kind of spirit do you think I am?"

She floated a little higher, her expression becoming more serious.

"Normally, spirits wouldn’t help someone they aren’t contracted with. But this is an exception! I’ll make those idiots regret ever opening their mouths!"

Azrynn gave a small nod.

"That’s a relief."

Meanwhile, the beastkin had been watching their conversation with growing amusement. None of them seemed particularly concerned by the two women standing before them.

One of them stepped forward with a crooked smile.

"Hey, beautiful. Why don’t you forget about that guy and come with us instead?"

Another immediately joined in.

"Yeah. There’s no need for you to stay with someone like him. We can take much better care of you."

"Though, if you want to join us, you’ll have to be a little more friendly."

Their laughter spread through the group.

Azrynn didn’t respond.

In fact, she didn’t even bother looking at them.

The next instant, her figure vanished.

"...Huh?"

The beastkin who had been speaking barely had time to react. A sharp glint suddenly appeared directly in front of his eye, moving with terrifying speed.

His pupils contracted.

CLANG!

A sword intercepted the attack at the very last moment.

Sparks scattered through the air as Iki stood between the beastkin and Azrynn, his blade raised to block the incoming strike.

His expression had changed completely.

"Everyone, be careful!"

The beastkin behind him immediately stepped back, their earlier laughter disappearing.

Iki’s eyes followed the weapon he had just deflected. It was one of Azrynn’s daggers, its edge hovering only a short distance from his blade.

Azrynn stood just beyond his reach, her golden eyes fixed on him.

"Your reactions are quite good," she remarked.

Iki tightened his grip on his sword.

’That was close...’

He had barely managed to intercept her attack. If he had reacted even a fraction of a second later, the blade would have pierced his companion’s eye.

Iki slowly lowered his sword, his eyes never leaving Azrynn.

"Everyone, stay alert! Don’t underestimate her!"

The beastkin who had been laughing moments ago finally began to take his warning seriously. However, not everyone was willing to accept that they had been outmatched by a woman.

"Damn it! What the hell is wrong with that woman?!"

One of them gritted his teeth, his expression twisting with anger.

"I’ll kill her!"

"Idiot! Don’t rush in without thinking!" Iki snapped.

But the beastkin had already charged forward, swinging his weapon toward Azrynn with reckless aggression.

Azrynn barely moved.

A faint glint flashed through the air.

Shhk!

Before the beastkin could even complete his attack, a thin line of blood appeared across his neck. His eyes widened as his weapon slipped from his grasp.

His head fell to the stone floor.

His body staggered for a brief moment before collapsing beside it.

Silence fell over the group.

"..."

The remaining beastkin stared at their fallen companion, unable to process what they had just witnessed.

"W-What...?"

"She killed him in one strike?!"

Their gazes shifted toward Azrynn, who was already standing several steps away, one dagger held loosely in her hand.

She hadn’t made any grand movement. There had been no loud announcement or obvious display of power. One moment their companion was attacking her, and the next, his head was rolling across the floor.

Her speed was frightening.

But what unsettled them even more was her fighting style.

It was nothing like the traditional combat techniques they associated with elves. There was no graceful exchange of arrows from a distance, no elaborate display of nature magic or spirit magic. Her movements were precise and lethal.

She fought like an assassin.

Iki tightened his grip on his sword.

He had warned them not to underestimate her, yet one of his companions had paid the price for ignoring that warning.

"Everyone, stay alert!" he shouted again. "Don’t approach her carelessly! Keep your distance and watch her movements!"

The beastkin finally stopped laughing. Their earlier confidence had begun to crumble, replaced by caution and disbelief.

Azrynn glanced at them without changing her expression before turning slightly toward Sylphy.

"Sylphy. Use your wind to create a storm."

"Got it!"

The little spirit immediately raised both hands.

The air around her began to swirl. At first, it was only a gentle breeze, but within seconds, the wind grew stronger and stronger. Dust, fragments of stone, and loose debris were swept into the air as the currents spiraled throughout the chamber.

"W-Wait! What’s happening?!"

A violent storm suddenly engulfed the beastkin.

The wind howled through the chamber, forming a dense swirling barrier that separated them from the rest of the room. Dust and debris filled the air, obscuring their vision until they could barely see the figures standing a few steps away.

Glenwind staggered backward, raising an arm to shield his face.

"Damn it! I can’t see anything!"

He tried to look through the storm, but the swirling dust made it impossible to distinguish friend from foe.

Then, something finally occurred to him.

’...Have we been underestimating her this entire time?’

His earlier confidence crumbled as he remembered how effortlessly Azrynn had moved past their defenses and killed Iki.

He had mistaken her calm appearance for weakness.

And now, he was beginning to understand just how foolish that judgment had been.

"Everyone, stay together! Don’t let her get close!"

But his voice was quickly drowned out by the storm.

"AAARGH!"

A scream erupted somewhere to his left.

Then another.

"HELP! SOMEONE—!"

The voice abruptly stopped.

Glenwind’s expression changed.

"W-What happened?!"

He turned toward the sound, but could see nothing except the swirling dust and violent currents.

Another scream followed, this time much closer.

"GET HER OFF ME!"

A brief metallic clash rang out, followed by a heavy thud.

Then silence.

Glenwind’s heart began to pound.

He couldn’t see the dark elf. He couldn’t tell where she was coming from, or who she would target next. Every time he tried to approach one of his companions, the storm pushed him off course.

Meanwhile, Azrynn moved through the chaos with remarkable composure.

The wind was not merely obscuring the beastkin’s vision. It also disrupted their sense of direction, masked the sound of her movements, and prevented them from coordinating with one another.

Sylphy had effectively turned the entire chamber into a hunting ground.

And Azrynn was its predator.

A dagger flashed briefly through the dust.

One beastkin collapsed before he could even turn around.

Another swung his weapon wildly at the sound of approaching footsteps, only to strike empty air. A moment later, a sharp blade slipped past his guard.

His scream was swallowed by the storm.

Glenwind clenched his fists, his breathing growing increasingly ragged.

"Damn it...! Where are you?!"