Chapter 44: An Old Friend Visits

On the road north of Spine Peak, two women—one tall, one short—walked together.

The taller was a human woman in her twenties or thirties, clad in a white robe, adorned with a golden collar and bracelets, her orange hair braided into three long plaits hanging behind her, a faint, elusive smile on her mature face.

Behind her, the slightly shorter figure was a delicate girl who appeared still a child.

She had long silver hair, wore a simple coarse linen dress, and two pointed ears protruded from beside her locks—clearly an elf whose age could not be judged by appearance.

Gazing at the back of the human woman ahead, the silver-haired elf girl spoke softly:

“Vulame.”

“Call me Teacher.”

Vulame corrected her without turning her head.

The elf girl said nothing, but asked calmly: “You haven’t told me where we’re going.”

Vulame smiled: “To meet an old friend.”

“Surprising—you have friends besides Dai Meng?”

The elf girl’s casual barb left Vulame momentarily speechless.

She glanced at the girl and chuckled: “Few, which is why I want you to meet him.”

Here, Vulame paused, her tone curious: “Funny enough, I taught him magic myself.”

At these words, the silver-haired elf girl’s expression finally shifted.

She looked at Vulame with slight surprise: “He’s your student?”

"Hmm, it's barely enough."

"Barely... that sounds suspicious."

Vulame smiled, gazing ahead: “I did teach him magic, but as a teacher… I hardly qualify.”

What does that mean?

The silver-haired elf girl tilted her head slightly, puzzled by this ambiguous reply.

At that moment, she stopped, raised her hands, and a crescent staff tipped with a ruby materialized in her grip.

“There are demons.”

The silver-haired elf girl turned her head, calmly gazing at the forest to her right-front.

Vulame glanced at her and said coolly: “Go.”

The elf girl gripped her staff and dashed into the forest ahead.

Moments later, violent magical fluctuations echoed from within the forest, followed by a roar of pain and fury.

The scene shifted inside the forest: the silver-haired elf girl stood in a clearing, both hands gripping her staff, calmly watching the fallen trees and the burning remains of demons before her.

“...Two eliminated, one escaped.”

The elf girl’s gaze shifted, following the fan-shaped fallen trees ahead.

There, a weak magical signature was fleeing rapidly—its direction unmistakably toward their destination: the remote village ahead.

Without hesitation, the elf girl decided to pursue and eliminate it completely.

But before she could move, a powerful spell bound her in place.

“...”

The elf girl frowned, turning to look at Vulame standing behind her.

“There’s a strong magical presence ahead—likely a village or town.”

“I know.”

Vulame smiled: “Remember the friend I mentioned?”

Fllien froze.

Vulame smiled faintly, meaningfully: “He’s very strong.”

…

…

Ten minutes later, in the forest north of Spine Peak.

A black-haired, black-eyed boy stood beside a low hill, his expression calm as he gazed ahead, watching a wisp of dust rising at the horizon.

Within the dust, a towering demon sprinted toward him.

He stood over three meters tall, clad in heavy armor, a great two-handed sword strapped at his waist—clearly a warrior who relied on magic to enhance his body.

Such warriors usually appeared only on the northern frontlines; they were rare in the central regions of the continent.

This one was likely a deserter from the far northern front.

Perhaps because of that, he didn’t know the dangers of this forest like the local demons did.

When he saw the black-robed boy beside the hill, he paid him no mind.

The boy emitted no magical aura whatsoever—he was plainly an ordinary human.

Such a weak creature would never concern a proud, powerful demon warrior.

More than the boy, he cared about the hill beside him—it radiated immense, pure magical energy, likely hiding a magical ore vein.

And what he needed most right now were these natural sources of magic.

The demon warrior’s burning gaze shifted to the boy beside him.

Though he didn’t care for the boy, if he could kill him without wasting time, he wouldn’t mind.

With this thought, the demon warrior grinned and charged forward.

As he passed, he casually swung his greatsword—lightning-fast—toward the boy’s throat.

The next instant, blade met skin—but instead of the expected clean cut, he felt an inexplicable resistance.

As if he’d struck not flesh, but a towering, majestic mountain!

No, even mountains would vibrate and make sound.

Yet the boy’s skin acted like a black hole, absorbing every ounce of energy from the strike—without a single sound.

…What is this?

The demon warrior froze, his thoughts momentarily halted.

At the same moment, the boy reached out and seized the blade at his throat, causing the charging demon’s body to stop unnaturally in mid-stride.

Then, the boy tilted his head slightly, glancing at the towering demon’s stunned face, and slowly spoke one word:

“Wind.”

Just that single word—magic within a hundred meters erupted instantly.

A gale rose from nowhere, violent air currents howling together into a terrifying green hurricane that swallowed the demon’s three-meter-tall frame whole.

“Chit-chit—”

In an instant, the swirling winds spun at blinding speed, shredding everything within the hurricane.

Rocks, armor, greatsword, flesh, bone—even airborne dust.

From the utterance of “Wind” to the hurricane’s formation, everything happened in a flash.

The demon’s face still wore shock and confusion when his body began to crumble, dissolving into ash.

“Whoo—”

The hurricane vanished, leaving only gentle breezes brushing around the boy.

The boy paid no mind to the foolish insect he had just erased.

He raised his hand, pressed his palm against the low hill beside him, and gazed ahead—as if seeing through dozens of li to the two figures walking along the road.

“A newly built road…?”

“Pity—I thought you’d head straight for the castle.”

“Still, this road leads to the unfinished Spine Peak City. Seeing your old village become a town now… you’ll be surprised, won’t you?”

The boy’s lips curved into a faint smile.

Moments later, he turned and stepped toward the forest behind him, saying casually:

“Let’s go, Longlong Rock—wake up!”

“Boom!”

With a deep rumble, the seemingly low hill rose from the ground, its surface twisting with mimicry magic until it transformed into a one-horned beast over eighty meters long and more than thirty meters tall at the shoulder.

“Roar~”

The one-horned beast let out a whining growl, then trotted after the boy on all four legs.

(End of Chapter)