Chapter 67: Rescue the Elders (2)

With the non-neutralizing neutralization spell complete, Ion had nothing to do.

The humans were busy reviewing strategies and checking weapons.

The elves, avoiding human interaction, huddled in a corner of the cave, speaking in their language. Ion thought they were discussing black powder collection, but…

“#%$ trust ^%.”

“@ Revelator &*~ prophecy $%.”

“%^@! reading a book $^&*”

It seemed unrelated to the powder.

Elven language differed from Idea’s common tongue. Teacher, in her possessed scholar’s body, knew some elven—mostly poetry dedicated to gods, so Ion only caught fragments.

They were debating whether to trust a Revelator’s claims.

Distrust is reasonable.

With elders kidnapped and a Giant battle looming, fully trusting an unknown powerhouse would be foolish.

By the way, elves… their beauty really is something.

In Hunter and Hero, elves were described as stunningly beautiful, noble, and pious. This village’s elves had white skin, but others had blue, green, black, gray, or red. Their tribal society, centered on elders, meant one skin color per village.

The gem, their mana conduit, also varied by tribe—forehead here, but cheeks, nose, collarbone, hand, or even tongue elsewhere.

Teacher, a green-skinned elf with a nose gem doesn’t sound beautiful. I question your taste.

“Narrow-minded, child. No dinner tonight.”

“…”

Ion understood why Daon was starved.

Daon said pretty boys weren’t his thing, but seeing one might change his mind.

The novel’s most handsome character, across Idea, Earth, and the Demon Realm, was an elf—delicate and ethereal, the opposite of rugged, masculine Jin Seongha.

Is his village under Giant pressure too?

A key figure in the Demon King battle, Ion was slightly worried.

But this situation comes first.

The combat team prepared diligently. With time until departure, Ion returned to Sanse.

“You’re the most beautiful, Sanse.”

“…”

He rubbed his cheek against Sanse’s vibrant green leaves. Baba fluttered onto his finger.

“Dam Ion, I—”

“No bananas. Not the time. I’ll get you some after the Giant fight.”

“Not that. Not hungry. I’m worried about their talk.”

“Theirs?”

“Elves.”

“…You know Elven too?”

“Yup. Their talk worries me.”

“What’d they say?”

“…You don’t know?”

“…”

“Why not? You’re dumber than I thought. I’ll translate from now on.”

“I catch bits. Why’s it worrying?”

Baba lowered its voice.

“Elves said, ‘The Revelator’s familiar… it’s full of ominous energy.’”

Baba wrapped its wings around itself, tilting its head.

“I’m sad. Am I ominous?”

Ion answered lightly, “To them, yeah. They probably saw bat-shaped chimeras when Giants attacked.”

“I’m sad. Why’d Giants make bats into chimeras?”

“Giant and bat-monster territories are close. Giants love experiments but lack ethics, so they use monsters for bio-tests—like grafting bat wings onto dogs or dog tails onto bats. Bats, being common nearby, got used most.”

“Horrible. Sad. My kin’s death. Sad.”

Baba flopped onto Ion’s palm, rubbing its fluffy head against his finger.

“I want comfort.”

“…”

“Pet me.”

Ion’s finger twitched. The bat’s soft, gray fuzz tickled.

So soft. Warm. Are bats normally warm?

Ion absentmindedly stroked Baba’s head—small, round, soft, like a hairy violet seed.

“Pet harder.”

“…!”

Baba snuggled into his palm. Startled, Ion shook his hand as if a bat had crawled into it.

“I’m shocked!”

Baba fluttered back to the pot.

“You can’t comfort. Resentment. Sadness. Shock!”

To forget the soft sensation, Ion said coldly, “Stay here and guard Sanse during the fight. Don’t show yourself to Giants. One might recognize you.”

“The Giant who made me?”

“Yeah. The one who abandoned you in the monster zone. They might try to return you to your owner.”

Baba shivered at the thought.

“Don’t wanna go back?”

“Never. I love Sanse. Love Dam Ion. Love bananas.”

“Don’t abandoned animals usually want their owners?”

“I’m different. Never. Absolutely not.”

“…”

Ion thought, If Teacher abandoned me… I wouldn’t rush back either.

Though he’d probably return eventually.

“Maybe your owner didn’t abandon you.”

“Then what?”

“Maybe they lost you in a monster zone accident. Maybe they cherished you and are still looking.”

Baba pondered, then shook its head.

“Don’t remember my owner. My first memory is you breaking a big rock. You’re my owner, not Giants. Giants are enemies.”

Big rock—the gate stone. Ion remembered the tiny bat squeaking behind it.

Baba rubbed against Sanse’s leaves, leaving fur, then did the same on Ion’s hand.

“Sanse and Dam Ion are my side. I’m your side.”

“…”

“We’re family. Friends. Sanse says so too.”

Baba danced around Sanse, circling joyfully, reminiscent of Purr’s vibrant dance before Jin Seongha.

Baba dances better than Purr.

And inwardly: Cuter too.

Ion, Zieg, Semir, and hybrid elves Ellen and Elrin infiltrated the stronghold with a small team.

The stronghold had five buildings: black powder generator, soldier barracks, priest quarters, supply and weapon storage, and command communication center.

Ellen’s tracking magic located the elders—opposite the powder generator.

Ion would destroy the generator to distract the Giants while the four rescued the elders. On their signal, Minwi and the soldiers would charge.

Ion, under invisibility magic, crossed the stronghold.

Everything was massive—wooden crates the size of mansions, planks as thick as his torso. The roads, paved with bricks, had gaps that could crush him, and curbs as tall as he was, so he used flight magic.

Vwoom—

Flying high, a sudden gust spun him mid-air. He stifled a scream, steadied himself, and saw two armed Giant soldiers approaching.

“Strange smell. Like a human.”

“Smell? Don’t notice anything.”

Swish—

They passed Ion. Idea wasn’t suited for Giants—everything was too small, the air and pressure unlike Titan. Their 20-meter bodies strained the weak ground, so they used conveyor-belt shoes, moving silently but reeking.

The smell they mentioned was their own.

Giants needed to expel Ulto residue periodically, but Idea’s air lacked Titan’s purifying components. They knew this but blamed humans.

Ion reached the black powder generator undetected—a 20-meter, three-spired structure, average Giant height, modest by their standards.

Time to get noticed.

Rumble!

Dropping invisibility, Ion summoned vines, clogging the generator’s openings.

“What!?”

“Intruder! Intruder!”

“At the teleportation device!”

Beeep! A deafening alarm shook the air.

Boom!

A Giant’s spear struck where Ion stood. Dodging with flight magic, he lifted the spear with magic and hurled it back.

“Urgh…!”

It hit the Giant’s forehead but didn’t pierce the brain—Giants were tougher inside than out.

My throw’s too weak.

As the Giant pulled out the spear, others attacked. Ion, atop the generator’s spire, saw they didn’t bother preserving the now-vine-damaged device—a temporary setup, the real one on Titan.

One Giant threw a trident, another fired bullets from a spear-turned-gun, a third swung a wide, round weapon like a flyswatter. To Giants, Ion was a fly.

Swish.

Ion raised the staff lent by the elves—a long wooden scepter with a crystal tip, made from the village’s sacred tree, Supi, speeding up magic casting.

He cast a short-range teleportation spell. Long distances needed arrays, but within 100 meters, the staff sufficed—for Ion.

Crunch! Boom! Crack!

The Giants’ weapons hit each other. The left soldier’s trident pierced the right’s chest, the right’s bullets shot through the center’s neck, and the center’s weapon smashed the left’s face, burning it with magical effects.

Thud!

All three collapsed, raising a dust cloud.

“Damn human…!”

Ion dodged the furious Giants’ attacks, spotting a silvery-white glow in the dust.

Grrr—

Ulto!

A Giant was preparing its ultimate move.