Chapter 55: The Elkinon’s Spring

Hay caught his breath, assessing the remaining amount of spirit energy.

Summoning Nix, now an intermediate spirit, consumed more spirit energy than before. Facing Lorelai’s spirit, summoned by the Crimson Stone, and relying solely on powerful techniques, his reserves dwindled even faster.

Yet, with the amplified power from his staff, about half of his energy still remained.

The real issue was the rapid depletion of spirit energy in such a short span. Against a spirit stronger than his own, there was simply no avoiding it.

‘Conserving spirit energy against Raon was an impossibility.’

Lorelai’s spirit poured its full power into every single attack.

While it wouldn’t kill him, if his shield were to break and he took a direct hit, it seemed he would easily be sent to his grave.

He would be pummeled if he didn’t fight with everything he had.

[“How are you going to win? Do you have a good plan?”]

Nix pressed him, as if urging him on.

‘He was deep in thought.’

Hay swept aside the bangs that fell into his eyes.

Perhaps intending to give Hay a brief respite, Raon did not seize this momentary lull to attack him.

From a distance, Lorelai leaned back comfortably, swaying gently from side to side. She seemed to be moving to an unseen rhythm, almost like dancing to music.

The knight-shaped spirit, too, indulged in a leisurely stretch, rotating its wrists and ankles as if warming up.

It was subtly irritating how it mimicked human actions, despite spirits having no muscles or joints to loosen.

Having organized his thoughts, Hay nodded to himself.

“Nix, attack first.”

Nix gazed at Hay silently, then lowered its body slightly, readying for an attack. Seeing this, Lorelai tilted her body forward just a touch.

“Are you starting again already? You could rest a bit longer, you know?”

At that moment, Raon drew its sword and assumed a ready stance.

No one counted down, ‘Three, two, one.’

The first strike came from Nix.

From its wide-open maw, a mass of water materialized, then dozens of shot forth with terrifying momentum toward Raon.

Nix’s assault was swift, but Raon easily darted away, evading every single attack. Nix’s arrows harmlessly struck only the ground.

Hay did not remain idle either.

He channeled his spirit energy, launching from beneath Raon’s feet. Those, too, were all evaded.

In fact, Raon even used the rising spear tips as footholds, lightly soaring into the air.

As Raon swung its sword, blades of fire, reminiscent of , were hurled toward Hay and Nix.

Nix extinguished the fiery blades completely with a flick of its tail. Along the trajectory of its swinging tail, dozens of arrows materialized, targeting Raon.

Raon spread its hand, extending it as if unleashing a palm strike, and flames surged forth like a flamethrower, evaporating all the incoming arrows.

Steam billowed, momentarily obscuring their vision. Then, through the white vapor, Nix snarled and lunged toward Raon, who was charging forward.

Raon swung its fiery sword, aiming to cleave Nix’s body. In response, Nix caught the blade with a forepaw, attempting to swallow Raon whole, starting with its head.

Raon, however, gripped Nix’s fangs, resisting being swallowed.

Sizzle—

A sound like Nix’s body burning away emanated from the fierce flames.

It was the sound of Nix’s water-formed body boiling and evaporating in the fire. Their struggle for power was fleeting.

Raon struck Nix’s torso with one foot, forcing it back.

Water masses surged toward Raon, but its body dispersed into scattered flames.

As if waiting for that very moment, Hay called upon the power of wind.

A fierce wind began to blow, swiftly swirling around the lake’s perimeter.

The flames tilted to one side, following the direction of the wind.

He risked intensifying the fire, yet Hay remained unconcerned.

This was because he wasn’t solely utilizing the power of wind.

Nix rode the swirling wind that swept around the lakeside.

It opened its maw, swallowing the surging flames.

The surroundings were instantly enveloped in a hazy mist due to the steam. Hay glanced at Lorelai.

Lorelai turned her head, observing the skeletal trees that bent in the path of the wind. The flames gradually began to die down.

“Did you say your goodbyes?”

Hay inquired. Lorelai’s gaze shifted to him.

She soon smiled contentedly, a clear affirmation. Even if she hadn’t uttered the farewell aloud.

Hay was eager to end this. Yet, Lorelai and Raon seemed to have no such intention, for they only intensified the flames, which should have been dying down, within the storm.

Raon’s fire grew larger within the tempest than Nix’s blue water.

Despite it being a cold winter day, facing the scorching flames left his neck drenched in sweat.

Hay enjoyed warmth, but he detested heat as much as he disliked cold.

“Didn’t you say you’d show me the ‘passion’ of fire? Is this what you meant by ‘passion’?”

Hay asked.

Up until now, Raon’s attacks had been undeniably powerful, yet they had never completely overwhelmed Hay and Nix.

This was because Raon had been fighting with restraint, despite being fully capable of crushing them both.

Instead, it had only provoked Hay’s irritation, attacking as if to tease him.

This was clearly an intentional act. It was meant to infuriate Hay.

As if to arrogantly teach him a lesson.

As the wind subsided, Nix and Raon instantly regained their full forms and clashed.

“Have you perhaps grown bored?”

Lorelai asked, her voice brimming with playfulness.

“Let’s stop playing around and finish this. I’m starting to lose energy.”

Behind Hay, the lake’s surface rippled.

“Alright then. It seems we’ve danced enough, so I’ll show you.”

Lorelai readily nodded, her fingers tracing the Crimson Stone. Within the vividly glowing stone, an even stronger flame seemed to surge.

“Kasa.”

Lorelai called her spirit with a resolute voice. The knight separated from Nix and landed on the ground.

“Burn it all down.”

At that command, the knight straightened its bent knees, shrugged its shoulders, and laughed with what seemed like joy. As it swung its sword horizontally, the blade instantly elongated.

It became several times Raon’s height, easily exceeding the lake’s radius.

Behind Hay, dozens of water streams surged from the lake, taking on the form of small dragons. Nix and Raon moved simultaneously.

Following Nix, water streams also shaped like small dragons flew toward Raon.

Raon swung its sword. However, an unexpected variable emerged.

The blade transformed, taking the shape of a massive fiery wall that swept in a semicircle from the left, hurtling toward Hay.

It was an unforeseen attack.

There was no opening.

“What the…”

Hay instinctively lunged, activating .

Had he ascended into the sky, there would have been no escape if the flames pursued him, so he plunged into the lake’s water.

The agony of the cold water instantly engulfing him was momentary. He then felt the scorching heat of the flames passing precariously over the water’s surface.

When he emerged, breaking the surface, the lakeside scenery had become far worse than before.

Crimson flames, as if from a massive wildfire, engulfed the entire lakeside, sending plumes of black smoke swirling into the sky.

It looked as though it would burn until everything was reduced to ash. And amidst it all, Raon appeared truly delighted.

‘Wahahahaha! Burn, burn, burn! Burn brightly!’

It was precisely at that moment that Hay recalled Hellheim, who had burned down the lord’s mansion while spinning him around by the hand.

[“Hay Styles!”]

Nix’s urgent cry also reached his ears.

Raon, having somehow inflated its body further, had forced open Nix’s maw and plunged one of its arms down its throat.

Nix’s eyes rolled, seemingly pleading for help. Bubbling, Nix’s body was rapidly boiling.

“Crazy.”

Just as it was about to burst from boiling, Hay dismissed Nix’s summoning.

As Nix dispersed and vanished, the flames that had spread within its body lost their target and scattered into the air.

Annoyed by the interruption, the knight’s gaze turned toward Hay. Even through its helmet, that gaze felt unmistakably clear.

“This won’t do.”

Hay used to emerge from the water and step onto solid ground.

He heard the panicked cries of the surrounding spirits. It also sounded as if the tree spirits were weeping.

This sound would surely reach Lorelai as well.

Even with her Mana Rod broken, her affinity remained, so there was no way she wouldn’t hear these lamentations.

“Nix.”

Hay summoned Nix once more. Nix’s head emerged from the lake water.

A palpable sense of fury emanated from Nix, as if it had been thoroughly provoked.

A powerful will to strike back at that damned spirit was conveyed to Hay.

[“I’m tired of getting hit, Styles.”]

When Hay raised his hand, Nix approached and instinctively pressed its head against it.

Hay silently imbued Nix with his power.

This was neither to make Nix stronger, nor simply to have it fight in his stead, as it had moments ago.

Soon, Nix’s body, having received Hay’s power, began to glow with a white and blue light.

He had bestowed upon it the power of the spring water.

It wasn’t only Nix’s body that began to glow. Light started to permeate the entire lake.

Raon trembled, as if even more excited.

Lorelai’s eyes widened, unsure of Hay’s plan.

Hay withdrew his hand, realizing how little spirit energy he had left.

Transforming Nix and the entire lake into spring water consumed a significant amount of power.

This, after all, would be his final attack.

At the very least, unlike ordinary water, the power of should be able to weaken the Crimson Stone’s flames.

“Sweep it away.”

Nix lifted its body into the sky, letting out a fierce roar toward Raon.

Kiiieeeeeek—

Hays frowned slightly at the ear-splitting roar. Just then, the lake water behind Nix surged like a colossal wave, forming a barrier.

Raon charged forward.

Nix flew over Hay’s head toward Raon. Simultaneously, the lake’s wave followed, passing over Hay’s head.

Feeling the chilling cold of the lake water, Hay kept his gaze fixed on Raon.

Raon swung its sword as if to strike Nix’s neck. The moment water and fire clashed, Hay moved.

He ran, using to ride the wave, stepping on the approaching water barrier. His destination was Lorelai.

Lorelai was momentarily captivated by the clash of the two spirits.

Her cheeks were flushed, either from the heat or the excitement of freely using spirit magic after so long.

Splash—

Water loudly struck the ground.

Hay felt Nix’s tremor behind him, and Raon’s surprise. The spring water was taking effect.

Lorelai, belatedly noticing Hay, looked startled.

“Oh?”

Lorelai let out a small sound.

At that instant, fiery arrows materialized in the air, targeting Hay. Without lifting a finger, Hay conjured shields of water and earth. The arrows were blocked by each shield.

If he couldn’t win against Raon, the way to end this fiery play was to simply turn off the game’s power.

The moment Hay reached out toward the Crimson Stone hanging around Lorelai’s neck.

He saw Lorelai’s body glow red, as if a lightbulb had ignited within her.

‘What is that?’

By the time he realized something was amiss, it was already too late.

A massive pillar of fire surged toward Hay from behind him.

Hay bypassed Lorelai, landing a good distance behind her. Simultaneously, Raon’s flames engulfed Lorelai, and swallowed Hay as well.