Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 255 (Part 2):

Elaga squinted its eyes.

[What’s with this guy? Suddenly appearing.]

His eyes look crazed, his condition doesn’t seem good at all. The demonic energy wafting from his body is not ordinary either. A semi-monsterfied state.

But to Elaga, who was a monster, Helmut’s monsterfied state was nothing special.

Elaga nonchalantly tapped the ground with its tail.

[What happened? No, more importantly, why are you here? I heard you were doing well outside.]

There was no answer. It was incomprehensible why this guy had suddenly appeared in the Forest of Roots.

Elaga approached Helmut step by step. Even if his mind had gone haywire, maybe if he rolled him around with his front paws like before, he would spill everything on his own.

But Helmut was no longer his former self.

Helmut’s instinct was impulsive. Feeling threatened by the approaching leopard with terrifying demonic energy, Helmut immediately turned aggressive.

Just as he had done to other beasts until now, he would tear apart the enemy. As if it were an absolute proposition.

However, Elaga easily deflected the charging Helmut with its tail. Thwack!

[What are you doing? Want to fight?]

Elaga stared at Helmut, who had fallen askew.

Killing intent flashed in Helmut’s eyes. He charged at Elaga again, as if broken. Quite powerful demonic energy erupted from his entire body.

‘Is this a challenge?’

Elaga snorted.

Elaga had never lost to Helmut. It was even less likely to lose to someone who was raging without even being in his right mind.

Because there was no one stronger than Elaga, who had even swallowed Naho’s core, in this Forest of Roots.

Thwack, thwack, thwack! Helmut’s attempts were repeatedly blocked.

Annoyed, Elaga struck Helmut down and stepped on him with its front paw.

[Where did you leave that fancy sword or whatever, to recklessly charge at me barehanded and expect to win?]

Elaga spoke with a tone of disbelief.

Human weapons do not lie in their flesh. How could that fragile body pierce through Elaga’s demonic energy and wound it?

However, Helmut didn’t seem to be listening. Despite being subdued, he bit at Elaga’s fur with his blunt teeth and convulsed.

“Graaargh!”

No matter how wildly he thrashed, he was just a small human.

Elaga sighed while pinning down Helmut with its front paw.

‘This won’t do.’

Elaga began to absorb Helmut’s demonic energy while keeping him pinned.

In the Forest of Roots, rich with demonic energy, it’s rare for beasts to show madness. It’s a comfortable environment, like fish living in water.

The Seed of Darkness was similar in nature to beasts. Whatever had stimulated it this much, it wouldn’t have lasted long normally.

But Helmut was human, so it was unclear how things would turn out.

This seemed more like a case of demonic energy intoxication. If so, the solution was to drain the demonic energy.

The Seed of Darkness surprisingly complied with Elaga’s intent, recognizing him as a stronger presence. It didn’t resist.

Helmut’s body was quickly drained, leaving only a bit of Vis.

It wasn’t long before Helmut regained his senses. His chest felt heavy, as if a stone was placed on it.

He frowned and looked up at the giant leopard pinning him down.

“Ela…ga?”

[Yes, what are you doing here?]

The moment the situation was recognized, Helmut’s breath caught.

‘What did I…’

He didn’t want to answer. There was nothing to answer.

Elaga’s questions continued.

[Did you find what you wanted outside?]

“Yeah.”

[Then why are you in this state?]

Helmut glared at Elaga. It was a cold gaze.

“Leave me alone.”

[What are you saying? After I helped you. Fine, I’ll leave you alone.]

Offended, Elaga left Helmut and abruptly departed from that place. Somehow, it felt like that’s what he should do.

Helmut was left alone. Lying there. He muttered dryly to himself.

‘Elaga is still the same.’

It was probably watching him from over there.

As if his heart was empty, he felt no emotion.

Helmut lay on the ground and looked up at the sky. The sky that was now surrounded by pitch-black darkness.

His whole body felt powerless. He had let the Seed of Darkness take over his body and ravaged through the Forest of Roots.

Whether it was good luck or bad, he hadn’t encountered any dangerous enemies. Even destroying himself wasn’t easy for Helmut.

Once again, Elaga had saved him.

‘Elaga is just a demonic beast, and yet…’

The beast had given him more affection than his own flesh and blood.

A surge of emotion welled up from a corner of his heart.

Memories flashed through his mind. Memories that were sweet for a moment, and terribly painful.

The affection he felt from his mother wasn’t a lie. She was genuinely happy that Helmut had returned.

But humans could abandon even if they loved.

They could betray even if they loved.

They could turn their backs even if they cared.

Helmut didn’t know humans could do that.

He had only believed in affection. Because those he knew had not betrayed affection.

It was bitter, but he learned a lot.

The pain of that learning was so great that Helmut never wanted to leave this forest again.

When Helmut was in the Forest of Roots, he had nothing, but he wasn’t lonely.

A life driven by longing couldn’t be lonely. If he could see the stars above and hope to reach them one day.

Even when exhausted from grueling training, that aspiration led and filled him.

But how was it when he went outside the Forest of Roots?

Helmut gained many things but in the end, returned to where he started. Having lost even what he had.

Betrayal? No. What Helmut experienced was loss. A loss that seemed irretrievable by anything.

There was still a glimmer of light flickering before his eyes. In that light, like a strand of moonlight, someone’s figure is reflected.

But if even that light goes out, then.

An enormous void swallows him. The burning heat felt like it was scorching his heart.

Something inside him had crumbled, and it seemed irreparable.

Helmut covered his eyes with his hands. They were hot.

Otaku_Tensei

I'm currently Translating the following novel: Helmut: The Forsaken Child. If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!

•