NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2
Chapter
It had already been a week since Enok came to Rionne’s house.
Enok quickly adapted to the changed environment.
These days, he even followed Rionne around like a little shadow, which made the elf very happy.
“Undine! Look at this! Isn’t it adorable?”
[Hmph! What’s so cute about that little brat with such a filthy temper?]
Crackle-!
A spark of electricity jumped from Enok’s eyes when he made eye contact with Undine.
Growl-, just as Enok was about to show his teeth—
“Whoa there.”
Rionne gently tapped Enok’s head.
Enok accepted the touch as if he knew nothing at all.
[W-what…! Learning bad things already!?]
Ignoring Undine’s grumbling, Rionne straightened her back.
Now that Enok had somewhat adapted to his surroundings, it was time for some education.
“Alright, Enok. Starting today, we’re going to study.”
“Study?”
“Yep, study. It’s absolutely necessary for you to blend into this world.”
Rionne ruffled the boy’s hair as he stared blankly at her.
“Sometimes, do you suddenly get angry?”
“Mhm?”
“When you feel like electricity is just bursting out of you?”
“Mhm.”
“If you can’t control that well, there’ll be some big trouble.”
Boom-! Rionne spread her arms and startled the boy.
But Enok simply stared at her silently.
[Fool.]
“Cough. Anyway, just remember you have to study from now on.”
“Yep!”
Enok had no thoughts at all.
Rionne was a good person.
What she did was good.
Rionne looked at Enok and smiled contentedly.
‘First… it’d be best to create his Dantian, right?’
There was only one way to overcome the command of Heavenly Death.
To defeat oneself.
And to make that possible, Enok had no choice but to surpass the limitations of being human.
“Alright, Enok. What did I say Heavenly Death is yesterday?”
After pondering Rionne’s question, Enok replied.
“Bad thing?”
“Correct! Just like those nasty little Dwarfs.”
Heavenly Death, which thrived on chaos, blessed only humans.
That blessing granted humans excessive talents but, in return, sought chances to consume their sanity and wreak havoc.
According to ancient records that even Rionne hadn’t experienced, it was said that all life on the continent almost faced extermination.
But conversely, there were also those who managed to overcome Heavenly Death and reached a supreme state.
The fact that humans possessed a significant amount of land on the continent in this era was also a testament to that achievement.
‘Hmm….’
For a moment, Rionne recalled his face and furrowed her brow.
“Rionne?”
“Yes?”
“Are you hurt?”
“Ha ha, it’s nothing.”
Rionne messed up Enok’s hair dramatically and declared.
“Shall we start now?”
*
Rionne sat Enok in the yard and stood behind the boy.
What she was going to teach him was the foundational martial arts of the Estor House.
Even though it was fundamental, it was top-secret and absolutely something outsiders shouldn’t know…
‘Who cares.’
Rionne snorted and spoke to the boy in a gentle voice.
“Okay, can you follow along?”
“Yep.”
Having explained to some extent, Rionne immediately placed her hands on Enok’s back.
Inside the boy, a rather dense mana was already swirling chaotically.
Even though he was using mana now, it was also true that stability was lacking.
Rionne began to chant formulas softly, as if telling an old story to the child.
“Flowing mana is like water, so become a grand tree and bloom flowers. Take root in the nutrient-rich soil…”
After continuously guiding the boy’s mana with the formulas, he suddenly started to draw mana on his own.
“Haha.”
Seeing this, Rionne smiled with satisfaction.
Of course, when it came to Heavenly Death, Enok was exceptionally talented.
Even though they had only known each other for about a week, Rionne felt proud of Enok as if he were her own child.
“Right. Now, seal the mana beneath your navel, in your Dantian.”
Responding to Rionne’s words, Enok complied.
He grabbed the mana, brought it to his Dantian, and began to circulate it slowly along the path Rionne had shown him.
‘Huh?’
Then, at some point, lightning began to flicker in the mana.
Boom-!
The mana began circulating even faster, urging Enok forward.
“I can go further.”
“Let’s reach higher places!”
Enok tried to silence the mana while stealing glances at Rionne.
Rionne was smiling contentedly without saying much.
‘It seems like it’s okay to do this.’
Enok immediately released the reins on the mana.
Boom-!
Like a lightning bolt shooting upwards, the mana began to surge from the Dantian toward the heart.
Rionne’s heart nearly stopped in shock.
“E-Enok…!”
It was still too early for the Central Dantian.
If this child, who had just created his Dantian, opened the Central Dantian, there was a risk his entire body could explode.
“Undine…! Hurry!”
The elf called out for her friend’s help.
Undine, despite her dislike for Enok, didn’t wish for him to explode and die, so she quickly rushed over.
[You idiot! What do you think you’re doing!?]
Undine summoned her powers to bring forth water.
The healing water surrounded Enok, while Rionne desperately tried to soothe the mana, sweating profusely.
“Enok! Don’t overdo it!”
Rionne could have forcibly stopped the boy’s mana, but doing so could have led to irreversible injuries.
Here, Enok had to master the mana himself.
‘Ah….’
Enok also realized something was wrong.
Honestly, he felt like there wouldn’t be a problem, but he had no idea if Rionne would get angry.
In a panic, Enok smacked the mana hard.
If it didn’t listen, it would be himself getting scolded by Rionne.
Boom-!
But the charging mana didn’t heed Enok’s words.
The lightning whirling in Enok’s Dantian ultimately shot upwards toward the sky,
Flash─────!!
And finally, it pierced through the path leading from the Dantian to the heart.
‘C-crap….’
Enok began to break out in a cold sweat.
Everything was over, and although he could open his eyes, doing so would surely make Rionne angry.
The boy tightly closed his eyes and desperately tried to pretend he didn’t know anything.
But who was Rionne?
This highly capable elf quickly sensed Enok’s state.
“Haah… I thought we were really in trouble.”
This was unprecedented.
Even if he hadn’t fully realized things, the fact that such a young child had opened the Central Dantian was something that would be laughed off as a joke anywhere.
He was no dragon or anything.
Having calmed her racing heart, Rionne gave Enok a light hit on the head.
“Ah….”
Startled, Enok opened his eyes wide.
His eyes shook like they were in an earthquake.
Instead of saying anything, Rionne hugged Enok tightly.
“From now on, you shouldn’t rush, okay? I was worried.”
“Yep….”
[Rionne, you fool! You’re supposed to scold him, not comfort him!]
With a sharp look, Enok glared at Undine.
[What! What! What are you gonna do about it if I stare at you!?]
Undine growled back defiantly.
“Undine, how can you say that to a child? Aren’t you the one who’s acting childish?”
[W-what!? How dare you talk to me like that!]
Undine flew away, tears of betrayal streaming from her eyes.
Rionne sighed.
She would be back in about five minutes anyway.
“Alright, Enok. You worked hard today, so let’s eat something delicious?”
“Yep!”
“Ha ha, let’s go inside quickly.”
*
[You’re too soft on him, Rionne! Look! His eyes are wide open again!]
As soon as Undine returned, she pointed a finger at Enok.
“Yep?”
With a frightful gaze, Enok looked sweetly at Rionne as soon as she turned around.
His big, round eyes looked undeniably innocent.
[Aaah! My temples!]
Ignoring the fussing Undine, Enok and Rionne finished their meal.
Finally, it was lunchtime.
Instead of heading out to the yard, Rionne seated Enok in the study.
“Enok, do you know how to read?”
“Uh-huh….”
Shaking his head, Enok responded negatively.
Considering it was only natural, Rionne smiled brightly.
“Then let’s start with reading first?”
Rionne spread out books she had secretly bought from the nearby city while wearing a hood last night.
Most of them were children’s picture books.
“Okay, this is called an apple. Do you know what an apple is?”
“Yep….”
Rionne pointed at the pictures and the words alternately.
Enok nodded.
No,
“Eh? Ha ha, you seem tired?”
He wasn’t nodding; he was dozing off.
Struggling from the start, Rionne didn’t mind.
“It’s understandable. Shall we take a nap?”
“…Yeah.”
Enok stretched out his arms.
Rionne, adeptly lifting the child, headed toward the bed.
“Once you wake up, we’ll continue studying, okay?”
“Zzz…”
Enok didn’t like studying.
*
Rionne decided on a special measure.
After Enok woke up from his nap, she caged him in her arms and sat on the bed with a picture book open.
“Okay, Enok. What’s this?”
“…An apple.”
“And this?”
“…A rabbit.”
Enok was sharp.
Although he seemed to dislike studying words, as soon as he was taught, he quickly memorized and made it his own.
Rionne, looking at Enok with his lips pouting, felt her heart soften and closed the book.
“Shall we stop here for today?”
“Yep!”
Ten words.
This would suffice for now.
With 150 years still left, it wouldn’t be a problem to take it slow.
*
The next day.
Rionne taught Enok martial arts.
Boom-!
“Oh no…!!!”