NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6
Chapter
“Aww, our Enok…! Just look at him waddling…!”
[Does that look like waddling to you? Are your eyes okay?]
Rionne and Undine, hidden in the trees, whispered to each other.
Rionne was making a fuss about how cute Enok looked walking, but Undine didn’t see it that way.
‘That sly little brat. Today, I’m going to reveal his wicked true nature!’
Undine chuckled wickedly.
First of all, that walking style made no sense.
The kid who could effortlessly mimic the Buneung Technique when Rionne taught him is walking like that?
What a ridiculous deception.
‘Now! Show me your true self!’
Undine’s smile deepened.
*
Enok scratched his head, sensing a strange itch at the back of his neck.
There was nothing in sight as he looked around.
Was that that pesky blue fly again?
The little blue pest that interfered with him and Rionne had surprisingly good skills.
It was no wonder that Enok couldn’t sense it now.
“Ah.”
While walking somewhat unsteadily, Enok spotted a clump of black, round mushrooms.
Deer mushrooms.
After stuffing the mushrooms into a large satchel he brought, Enok stretched his back.
All that was left were some rabbits, Rionne’s herb, and a few other random herbs.
Aside from the rabbits, everything could be found nearby, so it shouldn’t take long.
Now shouldering the significantly heavier bag, Enok looked around for his next target.
‘If I get a rabbit and some deer mushrooms, dinner will be a barbecue tonight.’
Humming a carefree tune as he walked, he discovered another herb.
It was the cool-leafed Samumcho, known for its fever-reducing properties. It seemed Enok was collecting it to use when he got sick.
About ten minutes passed.
Enok had gathered most of the items listed in his notepad.
Only the rabbit remained.
However, there seemed to be an unusual lack of animals today.
Normally, he would see one or two rabbits or deer by this point.
“Hmm….”
After a moment of contemplation, Enok ventured deeper into the forest.
It didn’t seem dangerous, and if it was, Rionne would defend him well.
If Rionne hadn’t followed… well, that would be unfortunate.
Thud thud.
As he pushed further into the depths of the forest, the trees thickened, casting dark shadows around him.
Screech-! Strange sounding birds flitted briefly between the trees.
Enok was considering whether to catch one of those when he shook his head.
First off, he wanted the rabbit. At worst, he’d settle for a deer or a wild boar.
Could it be that the universe was touched by Enok’s fervent wish?
Whiff———!!
Enok’s ears perked up at the loud snorting.
A wild boar.
He intended to hide and approach, but oddly, the sound drew closer.
Thud! Thud! The sound of something colliding and the ominous crack of a tree falling.
“Oh…?”
Before long, a frail-looking tree toppled as a massive figure appeared.
No need to mention, it was a wild boar.
But now, an enormous one.
This wild boar was as big as the house Rionne lived in.
The sheer size of it made Enok swallow hard.
‘With that size, this could feed me for months.’
Moreover, it was a curious fact that the larger the beast, the tastier it was.
According to Rionne, the abnormally large ones often contained mana.
“Dinner menu.”
Crackle-! Electric currents sparked around Enok’s body.
Whiff——!! The wild boar likewise snorted in fury.
Then, in a split second,
Thud-!
The boy and the wild boar charged at each other.
*
“Wh-what do I do…!?”
Rionne frantically jumped around.
Even while jumping, the tree she stood on didn’t budge in the slightest.
[What’s there to do? He’ll handle it well enough.]
“Shouldn’t I help!?”
[What nonsense is that? You trained him, remember?]
If he couldn’t beat a wild boar, then he might as well lay down and die.
Undine nonchalantly lounged on a branch, watching the fight unfold.
Two competitors: the cocky brat and the incredibly furious wild boar.
Why was it so angry? A thought crossed Undine’s mind.
‘Ah, that wild boar’s family?’
That was the wild boar Enok had bitten into last time.
If it was the family of that beast, it made sense why it would be so furious.
Usually, those creatures possessed some strange ability, so it wouldn’t be odd for them to recognize the brat who had killed one of their own.
[Oh, here we go!]
Undine sparkled with excitement as she chewed on the dew clinging to the tree.
Ah…! Indeed, nothing beats watching a fight with some dew!
Slash-!
[The offense is from the cocky brat! A huge wound has been inflicted on the wild boar’s face! This is one-sided! It’s not fun!]
Rionne shot a glare at Undine for suddenly commentating, but Undine paid no mind.
[Oh no! Wild boar contestant! It’s not going down! The rage of a family member lost cannot be underestimated!]
“Undine, seriously….”
Sigh… Rionne let out a breath.
But as Undine said, the battle remained one-sided.
Enok drove the wild boar back.
Initially using the Buneung Technique for a surprise attack, he left a huge gash and then steadily maintained his guard.
The rising concern began to fade, replaced by a sense of pride as a mentor.
“Ah!”
Suddenly, Rionne’s fists clenched tightly.
Enok had placed a hand on the ground, secretly inscribing a magic circle.
The wild boar charged in fiercely, unaware.
With a flash—!!!!
Electricity surged from the ground toward the sky as it struck the wild boar’s abdomen.
“Did you see!? Did you see!?”
While other magic remained stagnant in class, his progress with lightning magic had been astonishingly fast.
Not to mention the advantage of having lightning powers, it was undeniably impressive speed.
Before long, Rionne forgot her worries and started cheering for Enok with enthusiasm.
“Go, Enok…!!”
*
Rumble…
Enok observed the weakened wild boar intently.
He couldn’t tell whether it was acting or not.
If it wasn’t acting, then there was no need to approach.
Thump—As the rhythm of his heartbeat synchronized with the waves of mana.
Drawing a circle with a finger, he thought, ‘Quick and powerful.’
With lightning powers, he could skip a lot of steps.
He omitted the parts concerning the creation and output of electricity, filling the circuit solely with speed and power.
“Rumble…!”
The wild boar seemed to sense something threatening and began to flail madly.
Then, summoning its last ounce of strength, it charged at Enok.
The wild boar’s massive frame was intimidating enough on its own.
But what was more threatening was the very mana it held.
Whoosh-!
The wild boar’s eyes glowed red as it abruptly accelerated.
Enok remained calm despite the surprising development.
“Rip, fry, and kill.”
The incantation was the image the mage held while casting their spell.
As the fierce incantation echoed, Enok’s foot moved one slow step.
With purposeful strides, he moved diagonally.
At the same time, the wild boar’s tusks grazed Enok’s side.
Had it been even a bit closer, he would’ve been gored, but Enok paid it no mind.
Instead, he extended his hand to complete the spell.
“Lightning Bomb”
A sphere of violet electricity shot toward the wild boar.
The wild boar tried to swerve in surprise, but the magic was faster.
Boom──────────!!!!
With a thunderous roar, the forest lit up in a brilliant violet glow.
The birds were startled and took flight, and the animals held their breath.
Having cast the spell, Enok stared intently where the wild boar had stood, his chest slightly aching from exhausting mana.
“Hmm.”
Before his vision cleared, a mouthwatering aroma brushed his nose.
Enok was convinced the wild boar had become a roast.
Whoosh-!
With a wave of his hand, wind laced with lightning blew away the smoke.
And indeed, just as Enok had surmised, the wild boar lay motionless on the ground, out of breath.
Swallowing the urge to drool, Enok approached the wild boar.
“Hmm~.”
A rich dinner was about to bring forth a triumphant melody from his lips.
Rionne would praise him too, right?
He couldn’t wait.
*
Rionne, who had been watching Enok catch the wild boar until the end, briefly pondered.
‘Should I help move the wild boar?’
There was no way Enok could easily carry such a beast-sized roast.
But if she stepped in, it would surely be discovered that she had followed him…
[If he has brains, he’ll chop it up and bring it back.]
Ultimately, Rionne was persuaded by Undine and returned home first.
While waiting for Enok, fully loaded with compliments,
Thud-!
“Ah.”
As trees shattered in the forest, a gigantic wild boar roast suddenly appeared.
Enok sheepishly scratched his head, waving energetically.
“Errand, done!”
Maybe he should ask Rionne to cherish the trees a bit more?
Rionne pondered for a moment.
*
That evening was a barbecue party.
Eventually, after a long debate, Rionne praised Enok profusely and organized the feast.
[Geez. What a fool. Absolute idiot.]
Mumbling to herself, Undine took a swig of whiskey.
Rionne, in high spirits while drinking, turned to see Enok with shining eyes and asked,
“Do you want to try it?”
Nodding vigorously, Enok, without hesitation, smiled as Rionne poured whiskey into his glass.