Chapter 56

Chapter 56
## Chapter 56

Elf (4)

“Curse it, where did that bastard sprout from?”

Nurabe, a senior figure within Oath of Heaven’s Defiance, ground his teeth together as he watched his engineered beasts and foot soldiers get hacked to pieces.

The culprit was that entity—be it man, Lycanthrope, or some other bizarre anomaly whose true nature eluded him entirely.

This intruder had snatched away their painstakingly prepared offering and was currently executing a getaway.

‘I thought fortune was finally smiling on me, only for everything to unravel at the finish line!’

The whole affair began when he acquired an Elf via his usual underground flesh-traffickers.

The faction he commanded specialized in forging pacts with superior fiends and entities through blood offerings, where the potency of the outcome directly correlated with the premium quality of the vessel.

And that was precisely when he made his grand discovery.

They had inadvertently secured a captive possessing the latent traits of a High Elf.

‘It was pure luck. The entity I had bound at the time possessed the specific sight to identify her.’

Acting immediately on the entity’s guidance, he fastened a binding artifact far more restrictive than standard issue around the captive’s throat.

This was to prevent the World Tree from tracing the captive’s cosmic threads and exposing her coordinates.

Consumed by paranoia, he moved the timetable up, arranging the ritual for the absolute earliest opportunity.

He was acutely aware of what a High Elf signified to the rest of their kin.

They would stop at nothing to reclaim her.

His objective was to execute the ceremony flawlessly and relocate long before they could mobilize…

‘Was I overly ambitious to incorporate the World Tree’s branch as well?’

The ritualistic value of ‘one with the potential of a High Elf’ could never truly match that of a fully realized ‘High Elf.’

It was only natural that his cupidity drove him to maximize the utility of such a pristine offering.

Thus, he designed a plan to introduce a relic of the World Tree, which his faction had been hoarding, alongside the captive during the invocation.

While it wouldn’t permanently elevate her into a genuine High Elf, utilizing the relic as a conduit could temporarily elevate her status to that of a ‘pseudo-High Elf’.

It had truly felt as though the cosmos was aligning in his favor.

The gears turned seamlessly; he had assembled the vast majority of his sect members to initiate the rite, intending to evacuate the premises the moment it concluded.

Right up until a fracture violently split their protective boundary.

‘To think the World Tree would strike at that exact split second!’

The cosmic interference struck during the microscopic window when the ritual’s equilibrium wavered.

The relic of the World Tree had been kept under strict containment until their arrival, and standard cosmic laws should have immunized the rite from outside interference once underway.

The flaw lay in the fact that the ceremony’s foundation shuddered.

Yet, due to localized suppression, the divine phenomenon channeled through the relic was severely limited.

It possessed just enough strength to displace the captive from the cavern’s absolute interior to a point slightly closer to the exit.

The real headache arose when a stray interloper scooped up the offering and bolted, though by some stroke of luck, they had managed to track him swiftly.

‘The dampening collar remains functional, so they haven’t pinpointed this location. However, I must reclaim the offering immediately to avoid missing the astronomical alignment for the rite.’

Initially, his strategy was to grind the thief down using waves of beasts before executing a clean recovery, but observing the unfolding carnage, that approach was clearly failing.

“Bwahaha—! Keep them coming!”

A towering frame bursting with exaggerated musculature, bearing a countenance that hovered somewhere between humanity and monstrosity.

Yet, contrasting with that savage veneer, his combat style possessed a bizarre fluidity—so much so that the Dark Knights were completely outpaced.

“This is unacceptable. I cannot afford any further delays.”

Suspecting the intruder might be a crossbreed creature, he had attempted to assert mental dominance, but the effort yielded absolutely nothing.

Furthermore, the way the brute continuously rejuvenated his vitality by consuming the remains of the fallen beasts crossed the line into sheer absurdity.

Nurabe signaled to his assembly of dark sorcerers.

A complex summoning matrix materialized instantly under his direction.

And with that…

The conflict shifted into a far deadlier phase.

—

“Bwahaha—! Now this is a mess! A massive mess! Bwahaha!”

The tide of battle had taken a sharp turn for the worse.

Specifically, the shift occurred the moment fresh adversaries flooded the fray.

A sharp, lethal intent pricked his senses once more, triggering Harley’s “Wildness” into immediate action.

Clang—!

A massive obsidian blade, dripping with corrupt energy, deflected off his hatchet.

Simultaneously, a projectile forged of dense mineral whistled toward his skull, but he wasn’t about to be ensnared by the identical strategy twice.

Harley’s right palm shot out, intercepting the errant projectile mid-flight and crushing it to powder.

‘This is getting messy. These guys aren’t pushovers.’

The dark sorcerers had evidently abandoned their passive stance, deploying high-tier entities onto the field to suppress him.

[You are quite the specimen, mongrel!]

They had even unleashed a fiend.

He was forced to absorb a considerable amount of punishment due to these reinforcements, particularly from a towering fiend exceeding three meters who brandished a massive sword and kept him under unrelenting pressure.

His skin was painted entirely in crimson…

‘Yet because of “Wildness”, my combat efficiency hasn’t dropped significantly, even with one eye put out of commission.’

The most severe injury was, without question, the destruction of his left eye.

The sudden arrival of the fiend and the subsidiary summons had plunged the area into an instantaneous, chaotic melee, and an earlier projectile had caught his eye when he lacked the positioning to evade.

‘Had it been a standard wound, “Regeneration” would have already patched it up.’

He lost the eye before his reflexes could even register the threat because the mineral-based projectile detonated upon impact.

Recognizing his ability to restore his stamina via “Gluttony”, the dark sorcerers had strategically pulled back the lesser beasts.

They clearly intended to grind him down using a select few elite entities.

‘However, even these powerhouse summons make excellent fodder.’

The bulk of them were already incapacitated.

Unfortunately, he had only managed to harvest their core stones; his internal reserves were scraping bottom because the relentless harassment from the remaining foes prevented him from properly feeding.

The sole saving grace was that he could minimize his worries regarding Cecily.

A subtle resonance was radiating from the World Tree’s branch, which was bound alongside her within the feline pelt, shielding her from the kinetic shocks.

‘It only dampens the collateral vibrations, but without this buffer, my freedom of movement would be severely compromised.’

Violent maneuvers were an absolute necessity given the circumstances.

While the opposition wasn’t deliberately targeting her, the accumulated stress of the crossfire would have eventually broken her.

‘But this protection is hitting its limit. The World Tree is burning through its remaining essence.’

The exposed tip of the relic, peeking through the folds of the pelt, had turned entirely brittle and parched, stripped of all vitality.

It certainly hadn’t looked this spent when he first laid eyes on it.

Whish—!

In that precise moment, a massive blade cloaked in dark, corrosive flames cleaved through the air toward him.

Just as Harley prepared to counter,

‘Ugh! That sensation again!’

A localized paralysis locked his joints.

It was a catastrophic lapse in a duel where milliseconds separated survival from demise.

Forcing his aura to flare, he barely managed to deflect the path of the massive blade, though a deep laceration tore across his forearm regardless.

‘Sigh, I need to prioritize neutralizing that specific sniper.’

Easily the most problematic adversary alongside the giant fiend.

It was the crystalline entity operating a mechanized arbalest from the rear lines.

‘He looks premium grade. Selling him off would fetch a hefty price.’

A humanoid entity constructed entirely from radiant, verdant crystals.

This was the marksman utilizing telekinetic force who had successfully claimed his eye.

‘The focal point is definitely that ocular organ embedded in his brow.’

The entity possessed three emerald eyes, but the central one on his forehead exhibited a markedly deeper hue.

It pulsed with light whenever he manipulated the projectiles or exerted his kinetic pressure, confirming Harley’s suspicion.

“Heheh… The walls are closing in.”

Though swarmed by constructs, the vanguard combatants refused to grant him the window required to activate “Gluttony”.

He couldn’t simply disregard their strikes, as they were capable of inflicting trauma far outstripping what he could mend in a brief interval.

There was an absolute threshold to how long his “Bio-Aura” could neutralize the myriad hexes the sorcerers flung at him; his limbs were growing heavy, and his perceptions were dulling.

His entire frame was drenched in gore because he was actively suppressing “Regeneration” to hoard his remaining vitality.

[Hehehe. Are you prepared to capitulate, mongrel?]

The fiend blocking his path jeered, tapping his blade against his shoulder in a mocking gesture.

“Bwahaha! You can’t even best me in a fair duel, yet you boast! What a waste of muscle!”

[Delusional! Were it not for the precious cargo nestled in your grasp, I would have cleaved you into kindling long ago, crossbreed!]

The fiend, losing his temper and baring his fangs, paused abruptly, readjusted his grip on the massive sword, and smirked.

[You are merely stalling for time. An exercise in futility!]

With that, he brought his blade down instantly.

A synchronized barrage converged on Harley from every angle.

“You’re not entirely wrong. But my objective has already been secured! Bwahaha!”

Navigating the multi-directional assault using senses hyper-sharpened by “Wildness”, Harley locked his remaining eye onto the cluster of dark sorcerers stationed to the side.

He fixed their coordinates in his memory.

Then,

Flash—

“…What?!”

“Divine energy? Out of nowhere?”

An explosion of pure radiance detonated directly above the gathering of dark sorcerers, eliciting a chorus of panicked exclamations.

By the time the light register reached them, Heinrich, who had materialized in the upper airspace, was already spinning his entire form like a cyclone.

He brandished a massive blade of concentrated radiance, fueled by an intensity bordering on high-tier ecclesiastical authority, in both hands.

Slash, slash, slash—

The polarized energy, perfectly honed from the outset, rent the air in rapid succession, instantly vaporizing the surrounding defensive wards.

Layered with high-ranking defensive augmentations atop “Blessing: Fortified Body”, alongside an array of techniques tailored exclusively for melee slaughter.

Heinrich’s radiant blade, packed with the entirety of his reserves, obliterated those who failed to react to the abrupt ambush.

“Gah!”

“What madness is this…!”

A solitary individual managed to anticipate the strike and endure the holy tempest.

The remaining survivors were merely those fortunate enough to be positioned on the periphery, avoiding the direct impact.

“You! By what means…!”

The old sorcerer who had successfully parried Heinrich’s opening salvo trembled with pure malice, his complexion flushing like molten stone.

His confusion encompassed a multitude of questions, but…

“Haa—!”

Heinrich naturally offered no reply, throwing himself at the surviving sorcerers while keeping his blade in constant motion.

More than half of the opposing casters were instantly neutralized or killed during the initial breach.

The surrounding constructs fell into complete disarray as their mental tethers snapped.

Some entities dissolved into nothingness as their masters perished, while others scrambled frantically to shield the remaining casters, plunging the zone into immediate anarchy.

[Ugh! You miserable wretch—!]

The fiend wielding the massive sword pivoted and accelerated toward Heinrich.

In that exact window, Harley, who had been locked in combat with the fiend, found himself temporarily unburdened.

An instantaneous reprieve.

It was the perfect opening to restore his physical form using “Gluttony”, yet he prioritized a different objective first.

The muscle groups in Harley’s legs expanded explosively, launching him instantly toward the crystalline marksman.

This one was not getting away!

“Haha! Where do you think you’re looking?”

To think the creature would lose focus while he was still breathing!

Harley closed the distance and drove his right palm straight into the crystalline entity.

[——!]

Harley’s advance briefly hitched as the emerald organ on the entity’s brow flared brilliantly.

However, this was an opponent who had relied on frontline proxies for protection throughout the entire engagement.

His kinetic manipulation, optimized for ranged disruption and utility, lacked the raw output to overpower Harley’s physical dominance at point-blank range.

Crack!

Harley’s hardened talons tore directly into the entity’s brow, causing a metallic, mercury-like fluid to cascade down his arm.

“Bwahaha—! I finally reaped you, you bastard!”

He had surrendered an eye because of this creature’s interference.

A one-eyed tribal brute!

Granted, that aesthetic possessed a certain rugged charm…

‘No, it’s far too early for that look. I’ll reconsider the veteran style when I’m older.’

Setting aside general trauma, he had no data on how long a intricate sensory organ like an eye would take to fully reform under his current baseline healing factor.

‘If “Super Regeneration” were active, it would be a matter of seconds. But since I possess “Mutation”, I could theoretically graft a compatible replacement… Hold on?’

If he was going to perform a transplant regardless, why not upgrade to a superior model?

For instance…

[——!]

The item currently resting in his palm.

“Hey, friend. You’ve got some high-quality vision, don’t you?”

The creature was blessed with three of them, after all.

Weighing the fact that he had been blinded by this very entity, the current ledger was highly imbalanced.

Therefore, extracting a replacement was perfectly justified.

This was strictly a matter of restitution.

“Bwahaha—! Sharing is caring!”

Without a shred of hesitation, he pried the glowing green jewel from the socket.

[——!]

The crystalline entity’s frame vibrated with a dissonant frequency before the mineral structures composing its body dimmed and shattered into fragments.

‘Ah, it would have commanded a premium price if kept intact. What a waste.’

Now it was reduced to a pile of worthless gravel.

It appeared the frontal jewel served as the core of its vitality.

‘Is this what they call a silicon-based organism?’

A biological blueprint completely distinct from any creature he had previously encountered.

Vague trivia gleaned from past lives surfaced briefly, though it carried little weight in a mystical realm where conventional laws were routinely violated.

Harley inspected the jewel cradled in his hand.

A precisely formed iris set within an incredibly smooth, glossy matrix.

It resembled a meticulously cut gemstone far more than any organic tissue.

He pressed the jewel directly into his vacant left socket.

He had no guarantee of success…

‘But testing it is the only way to find out!’

Though currently operating under the guise of a tribal vanguard, his core identity remained that of an apex predator, driving toward perpetual adaptation by integrating foreign genetic material.

Even if their structural compositions differed, so long as it derived from a living entity, there was no logical barrier to Harley assimilating it.

“Mutation” triggered, and his neural pathways began binding with the stone, confirming it was far more than an inert mineral.

However, the integration stalled there.

The sensory feedback failed to clear, likely due to the massive divergence in species design.

An intense, burning agony flared within the socket, registering clearly through his “Mind Hub”.

The circulatory vessels tracing his left temple distended violently, and the surrounding musculature began to spasm.

‘Is the system rejecting it? Because the evolutionary gap is too wide?’

That doubt vanished instantly.

“Ha! Don’t make me laugh!”

How many aberrations and mystical beasts had he processed up to this point?

When had compatibility ever dictated his meals?

This organ may have been mineralized, but it was fundamentally biological tissue.

Furthermore, it had already established a neural link.

Therefore, it belonged to him.

Crack—

Harley’s unyielding intent, driven by a near-obsessive willpower and mental focus, enforced his command.

The jewel, now fully integrated with his optic nerves, began to reshape under the authority of “Physical Transformation”.

The material surrounding the glowing green iris paled, softening until it mirrored human sclera.

And then…

《A foreign biological component has been successfully integrated. You have unlocked the ability “Gem Eye: Telekinesis” via the parameters of the unique trait “Mutation”.》

“Wahaha—! As expected, absolute will overcomes all limitations!”

Harley, reverting back to his standard tribal warrior demeanor,

Squared his shoulders, let loose a booming laugh, and began restoring his baseline reserves by tearing into the residual beast meat.

Naturally, his current lack of urgency was well-founded.

Whish—!

A massive shockwave suddenly tore through the chamber.

Whish—

A brilliant luminescence flooded the sector, sealing the perimeter walls.

“I shall purge your sins, blasphemers! Bwahaha!”

“Haa—!”

The pair of Paladins had joined the fray, systematically clearing the remaining opposition.

[Kraaaagh!]

At that moment, an immense entity composed of living fire manifested beside the surviving sorcerer to intercept them, though its survival prospects appeared bleak.

‘Is that the asset they withheld initially to guarantee Cecily’s safety during transport?’

Observing the indiscriminate torrents of fire it discharged, it was clearly ill-suited for a capture operation requiring precision.

It was designed exclusively for scorched-earth devastation.

‘Yet even that powerhouse is being dismantled… It’s a pity I can’t consume extra-planar entities since they are merely projected summons. I would have relished a taste of that creature’s essence.’

He had previously attempted to consume bound entities, but they invariably dissolved into vapor upon expiration. To truly feed on them, he would need to breach the outer realms and hunt their primary bodies.

As Harley seated himself, licking his lips in mild disappointment…

“Oh! That slipped my mind!”

He rapidly unfastened the pelt bound across his torso.

The hide, which had been holding together by a thread, unrolled to reveal the motionless Elf youth within.

She still gripped the branch, which now resembled nothing more than dried kindling.

“Hey there~ little lady, are you functional?”

He nudged her with deliberate care, concerned by her prolonged unconsciousness despite her steady respirations.

He called out to her repeatedly.

“Everything is spinning… So suffocating… I feel nauseous…”

Cecily murmured weakly, shifting her position.

Fortunately, her vitals appeared stable.

“Bwahaha! It is excellent that you survive!”

He chuckled deeply, watching the massive fire entity, which had entered with such theater, dissolve into harmless mist.

‘Objective accomplished. This particular venture provided an excellent rush.’

The engagement had yielded significant personal development, making it highly profitable on multiple fronts.

‘Naturally, that isn’t the extent of my spoils.’

The containment zone was thoroughly sanitized…

Rapori and the accompanying Elves, riding the crest of a localized gale, were descending rapidly toward Harley’s position.