Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 18 (Part 1):

“What the…”

Erugo’s face contorted momentarily as he glared at the departing figure.

Since his true nature was revealed, there had been hardly anyone who treated the dark mage Erugo in such a manner.

Fear, disgust, hatred. He had been the target of all sorts of extreme emotions and had relished in the attention and influence he commanded through people’s gazes.

To be ignored like this!

‘It’s been a while since I’ve felt this emotion!’

Like master, like disciple. The last time he saw Darien, he had shown the same demeanor.

A boiling heat surged from within. Erugo recognized the emotion consuming him.

Inferiority!

“How dare this young brat!”

The gaze was unwavering. Unlike the lifeless bodies strewn throughout the village, this boy radiated vitality and confidence, a composed coolness not tainted by arrogance.

This boy would become a great swordsman, continuing Darien’s legacy. The seed of darkness within him was but a tiny shadow against the light he possessed.

Erugo realized it wasn’t the boy he coveted, but his essence.

Something Erugo could never possess.

The wicked mage suddenly remembered. The boy, trained by the greatest swordsman in the Forest of Roots, standing in the brilliant sun outside.

The promising youth, destined for a world beyond Erugo’s reach, a future unfolding outside the forest!

“Argh!”

It was unbearably twisting inside.

“You think you can do it!”

He couldn’t let it go. A malevolent darkness swallowed him. He knew it wouldn’t come to fruition; he would die failing. But Erugo wanted to completely shatter that possibility, however slim it might be like the last vestiges of goodness in the Forest of Roots. He was willing to risk anything for it.

Erugo laughed maniacally. He had been banished to the Forest of Roots for his madness.

‘What’s one more mad act in my life!’

Anger and jealousy, heightened emotions, forced the sealed magic from his body.

Veins bulged, and his face contorted with strain.

“Guh, ugh.”

Despite the painful groans, he finally summoned him. Deep beneath the ground, his master, who had long fallen into a deep slumber, was awakened.

“Lord Naho! Awaken!”

The ruler of this realm, the two-headed snake, was forcibly roused from sleep.

The snake’s irritable mood transmitted through terrifying magical energy. A grating shout echoed.

-Erugo! What reason have you for waking me?

-If it’s for something trivial, I’ll crush you whole!

“Rejoice! Darien is dead. And his disciple is here!”

Naho let out a sharp laugh. The high-pitched tone indicated his excitement.

The giant snake began to move, rumbling through the ground.

“Go now!”

Erugo grinned, distorting his face as the twisted magic coursed through him, feeling the power leak away like sand through a broken vessel.

Worse off than when he first fell into the Forest of Roots.

But it didn’t matter.

“Nothing in this world is free! Did you think you could easily take something from me?”

Erugo coughed up blood, chuckling maniacally. The price for taking the records would be his life!

Helmut was running. As he left Erugo’s laboratory, his legs moved faster, nearly skimming the ground.

A sinister premonition enveloped him like dark clouds.

-Kyaaaaaaa!

Screams echoed as demonic beasts madly dashed, flying over his head.

They weren’t attacking him; they were terrified!

Beasts that boldly hunted humans in Naho’s domain were now fleeing without regard.

It meant one thing: Naho had awakened from his slumber!

‘Perhaps I should have killed him.’

Helmut’s gaze turned cold. He should have ignored Darien’s words.

But it was too late for regrets. Escaping was now the priority.

No matter how fast he moved, freshly awakened from slumber, Naho would be sluggish. His only option was to run.

How long had he run? The beasts ahead had vanished without a trace, leaving silence. For the first time, he envied their swift escape.

The forest, silent except for the rustling wind, had forgotten even the chirping of insects.

An unnatural phenomenon. A quiet born of fear.

Instinct sharpened his senses. His skin tingled with tension.

Death was near.

Magic thickened around him like an abyss. The source was indiscernible.

Thudding vibrations approached from afar, quickly intensifying.

Grey mist rolled in, suffocatingly dense.

Helmut stopped. The edge of the domain was far behind.

‘This is it, then.’

He hadn’t escaped Naho’s domain.

A chill settled over his heated body, biting cold.

A low, eerie sound whispered as something approached through the mist.

Two pairs of glowing eyes floated up like ghosts, revealing a two-headed snake, its presence ominous.

-Hello, little one. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?

Otaku_Tensei

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