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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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Chapter 144
How many hours had passed?
My vision spun, and my mind drifted.
Perhaps it was due to the repeated exposure to extreme pain?
"Ugh... uh..."
I couldn't even speak properly.
It felt like I had lost my language.
However, I didn't feel too bad.
The results were undeniable.
Swoosh.
Though my jaw barely moved, magical energy flowed through my body.
Looking at the four empty bottles before me, I cheered inwardly.
'It's over!'
With the last one I had just consumed, I had finally finished absorbing all the elixirs.
Two changes stood out the most.
Swoosh!
One was the mana shimmering at my fingertips like heat haze.
Even to the eye, its energy was different from before.
'Much denser and stickier.'
The concentration of my mana had increased.
[Elixir of Mana Density].
It was the effect of one of the unknown elixirs.
And the other was...
'I can see it.'
I could see all those changes.
The density and flow of mana, the aura of my mana, and so on.
Everything was visible. Much clearer than usual.
It seemed the other unknown elixir was [Elixir of Insight].
If so, I could perceive not only my own mana but also the mana of others. No, all auras, like aura and magical energy, could be seen.
The type of aura, its state, its strength, etc. My field of vision had broadened.
Naturally, I couldn't help but be satisfied.
'Come to think of it, I'm also 7th circle now.'
Remembering that, I closed my eyes and focused on my mana.
From the 7th circle, or high mages, it was possible to create a unique pattern in their mana.
Having reached that level, the method naturally came to mind, and soon I imprinted a pattern onto my mana.
'Done.'
Now, my mana had a resistance that others couldn't easily interfere with.
I felt a fresh wave of emotion.
'[Elixir of Casting Speed], [Elixir of Elemental Affinity], [Elixir of Mana Density], and [Elixir of Insight]...'
I had finished absorbing all four elixirs, and I had created a pattern in my mana.
I was feeling the much stronger mana throughout my body when...
Thump!
"Ah, Mr. First Place! I was wondering where you were... Huh?"
Thompson, who had suddenly come to my room, flinched and took a step back.
His eyes were wide, and he looked very flustered.
"...Mr. First Place, what happened to you?"
Thompson asked in a worried tone, and I followed his gaze.
Then I saw my completely ruined appearance.
My arms and legs were noticeably thin.
My body was so emaciated that I could feel my ribs.
The area around me was soaked with sweat that had seeped from my body, and it was emanating a foul odor that wasn't ordinary sweat.
It seemed this was also a side effect of the elixirs.
However, since my mind was still clear, I tried to say I was okay.
"Gah, aye, uh..."
"Mr. First Place!"
My pronunciation was still garbled, and Thompson, unable to understand me, rushed towards me anxiously.
His face was more serious than before.
***
Chomp! Chomp!
Asion Gale, staring at the man before him with a bewildered expression, spoke.
"So, you're saying he drank elixirs?"
"Yes... There were four empty bottles scattered around, and they looked like elixirs."
"This is extreme. Very extreme..."
Thompson nodded in agreement with the word "extreme."
Frankly, even he thought so.
What kind of person would drink four elixirs in one morning?
Even someone as simple-minded as Thompson didn't have the courage to drink four elixirs at once.
It was something that required risking one's life.
Seeing this, it seemed that the man lived more recklessly than he did.
The funny thing was that it even looked cool.
'This is all the audacity of a hero.'
Not just anyone could become a hero.
Perhaps this was the kind of person who was destined to be a hero.
Even though he knew it wasn't true, he kept thinking that.
'...He's a different breed from me. Mr. First Place.'
Thompson, filled with admiration, opened his mouth.
Looking cool was one thing, but worrying was another.
"Will he be back to normal soon?"
Thompson's gaze was on Yuhan's emaciated body.
It was worse than when they first met.
He looked like he could collapse at any moment.
"Probably. The side effects of elixirs don't last long."
Thankfully, Asion Gale gave a positive answer.
And soon after.
Chomp! Chomp!
Yuhan, who was wolfing down food like crazy, started to gain weight.
As Asion Gale had said, the side effects of the elixirs were being resolved by consuming food.
"Phew..."
Thompson finally let out a sigh of relief.
He thought he would have to see Yuhan this emaciated forever.
"Mr. First Place, shall we eat together?"
Thompson approached him and asked cautiously.
Unlike before, when he was obsessed with food, he seemed to have regained some composure.
Yuhan, chewing on meat, nodded.
"Sure. I'll ask them to prepare some for you too."
"Haha... thank you."
Thompson gave a slight smile.
There was still plenty of food on the table, yet he was asking for more to be prepared.
It seemed he intended to devour everything.
Well, that just showed how severe the side effects of the elixirs were.
Soon, more food was prepared, and Thompson, poking at his dish with a fork, asked.
"Why are you in such a hurry these days, Mr. First Place?"
It was something he had been wondering about for a while.
Unlike others who were resting after the war, he seemed to be constantly preparing for something.
"Is it because of Alfheim?"
And he thought it might be related to 'Alfheim,' which was said to be their next destination.
As expected,
"Yes, well... it's a dangerous place. We need to prepare thoroughly."
Yuhan nodded in agreement.
"Is Alfheim that dangerous?"
Thompson had heard of Alfheim.
It was the land of the elves, overflowing with the mysteries of nature.
He had also heard that it was close to the Dwarven Territories.
But dangerous?
He hadn't heard anything negative about it.
When he mentioned that,
"Well, yes. The place itself isn't dangerous."
Yuhan nodded.
"But it's a little different when we go. It's the land of another race, after all."
"So it's dangerous because of the different race?"
"Yes, it's a kind of racial discrimination. Barundel said he had a very hard time coming to Asternon here too, didn't he?"
"Ah..."
Come to think of it, he had heard that story too.
About how difficult it was for Barundel, a dwarf, to come to the human land of Asternon.
He said there was no discrimination he hadn't experienced.
He had even heard that the training center he had ambitiously opened was empty for a long time.
As Thompson acknowledged Barundel's expertise in physical training, it was clear that the lack of business was due to racial discrimination.
While he was thinking that, Yuhan continued.
"We don't openly discriminate, do we? We just subtly discriminate without making it obvious."
"That's true, isn't it?"
Humans, who value appearances, don't often openly discriminate against others.
However.
"But it's different there."
Other races don't care about such things.
Yuhan calmly told Thompson some anecdotes he knew.
Stories of humans who went to Alfheim and went missing for years, only to be found dead.
Or people who claimed they were forcibly brainwashed into the elven culture.
"...They do such things?"
The more he heard, the more outrageous it seemed.
It was enough to make him wonder if the elves hated humans.
"Well, we don't know if they're true."
They were all rumors that couldn't be properly verified.
The true situation was unknown without going there.
Except for Yuhan.
'Alfheim is indeed a dangerous place.'
He had already experienced it through the game.
How the elves viewed humans.
And how humans were treated when they went there.
Alfheim was indeed a dangerous place.
That's why he was preparing so thoroughly, even recklessly.
Of course, he had made some mistakes.
'...Elixirs should always be drunk separately.'
Thinking of drinking so many elixirs at once.
He would never do such a thing again.
He had acted like he was playing the game, but he almost died.
It was a moment when he gained respect for the zombie swordsman he had abused like a dog.
***
The meal ended only after they had eaten to the point of bursting.
'Shall we go now?'
After taking a short rest, I slowly prepared to leave.
I had already told my companions to meet near the academy this evening.
When I arrived at the appointed place, everyone was already gathered.
"Oh, Mr. First Place. Over here. Are you feeling better?"
"Yes, I'm fine now. By the way, everyone came early?"
"We don't have anything else to do."
Kayla, Thompson, and Barundel were all there.
"Let's get straight to the point."
I looked at my companions and opened my mouth.
"Are you all really going?"
The reason for gathering here today was simple.
To confirm the companions' intentions one last time.
Having finished all the farewells with others, the departure was truly imminent.
"Again, you don't have to go if you don't want to. Everyone has their own circumstances."
I spoke in as light a tone as possible to avoid burdening them.
It wasn't just lip service.
The journey ahead wasn't just to Alfheim.
Alfheim, the Vulcan Kingdom, the Dwarven Territories, and so on.
The journey was expected to continue indefinitely.
And because of that, I didn't want anyone to be swept along by the atmosphere and go against their will.
However,
"How many times are you going to say that? I told you I'm coming no matter what."
"I don't have anywhere else to go either."
"Catching demons is also for the greater good, isn't it? I can't miss out on this."
Contrary to my expectations, the companions answered firmly.
It seemed everyone's minds were unchanged.
"Are you really sure? You might regret it."
I asked again, wanting to be absolutely certain, but
"Pshaw, regret what! Forget about this gloomy talk and let's have a toast!"
"Good idea!"
They even started having fun without me.
Clink!
The cheerful sound of clinking glasses echoed in my ears.
Amidst that, Kayla whispered,
"You're too serious at times like this, Yuhan."
I couldn't help but smile.
Those words felt comforting.
Even though they seemed simple to me, they were...
'With these people...'
It seemed possible.
To cross over to the Demon Realm where Baal was.
It was the moment when I realized that I had met companions who matched me not by performance and efficiency, but by heart, for the first time in [Demon Fantasy].
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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