Reject Human. Become Demon. [Curse Mage Berserker] Chapter 74.5 (Interlude): The Journey of Elfrafim

—Elfrafim POV—

Today was a good day! Well, the goodbyes were very sad. But I would not let that get down! For the wind was refreshing, and the sights that blurred in my wake were beautiful and new!

“Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!” I shouted out my glee into the world, and Astan responded with a squawk of his own. I giggled.

I was flying with him right now thanks to Moonwash’s gift to . It was a magical apparatus, like a staff or a wand, but its use was severely narrowed and limited in exchange for still being able to function at a high level even with such an unconventional shape. We had gliders like this back ho, so it wasn't totally a new thing, but people didn't usually make them so compact.

…I also forgot to bring my own.

But now, thanks to Moonwash, I could soar through the skies again with Astan anyti!

I felt warm, just thinking about the new friends that I had made. My plans were imdiately derailed the mont I arrived on the western side of Grandera, but in the best ways possible! There was not a single thing that I regretted.

Luine and Baston were cool people, they had great knowledge and insights about the lands this side of the mountain! I’d t the people who were their friends and fellow Piss Hunters, and they were also very cool.

Moonwash was amazing, she was curious and driven, her talent for creation second to no other. She was already making things on par with people an evolution above her in quality, and her ideas and innovations were even more unique than that. She was an actual genius!

And then there was Haell… There was no simple way to describe her, for she was simply one of a kind. I ant that in the most literal sense, for she had beco a demon, sothing that had never before seen in this world. It was a terrifyingly beautiful new species, and I was almost relieved that Haell didn’t intend to have children anyti soon.

But sohow, her strength of character was able to overshadow even all of that. She worked hard to the point of desperation, she bore through training both painful and utterly repetitive, and not once did she ever try to give up, even with how difficult of an existence being a demon was.

Haell Zharignan was an inspiration like no other. She would surpass , she would surpass everyone. And it was exciting how thoroughly unprepared we all were.

Coming here was truly the best decision I had ever made in my almost three centuries of life.

~~~

"Hekaton! Hekaton, where are you!" I shouted. The sun was beginning to set on yet another day, but I'd still not found the prey I was looking for! That was not very nice.

I found a bird flying above. I drew one of my mundane arrows, threaded so wind magic through it using my bow, and then I fired.

The beast exploded into chunks of gore. Like flarenuts, but for flesh!

Err, I might have used too much force on that.

Oops!

I found a squirrel next, which I squirreled away for my own consumption. I didn't go for any fancy tricks this ti, I just grabbed the little critter and broke its neck. It made a sad snapping sound as its life was snuffed out... but it was also kinda funny!

I and Astan settled in for dinner. I felt the winds, I heard the magic through them, and the rustling of the leaves inford of my surroundings. A group was coming towards us, their footsteps careful, their speech asured and precise. They were sapient and organized people, likely attracted by the fire that I started.

It was ti to make so new friends!

~~~

I did not make any new friends!

The party of adventurers arrived after a few minutes of careful travel. They already knew that I was here, which only made sense for they had an ishkawtan among them, and I wasn’t at all keeping myself hidden. If I actually wished them harm, then I was sure I could bury a dagger in each of their hearts before they ever realized there was an imposter among them. But I wasn’t going to do that because I was nice!

“Hello friends!” I greeted loudly, making the lot of them flinch just as they exited the treeline and ca into view of the clearing. The adventurers were a party of five, with two humans, an ogre, a centaur, and the aforentioned ishkawtan. They were all around level 20, so about as strong as an elven newborn. Impressive!

“Hello there… elf,” their supposed leader said. The human woman was very tall for her kind, well over two ters, and pushing into three. She wore the stereotypical healer garb, which I found amusing. I considered if it was a ruse, because her body was not built at all like a backliner. I knew how fast things could turn into a confrontation, and despite my massive level advantage, it was best not to lower my guard down. Haell had drilled that lesson further into my head!

“I’m an elf, that’s ! I also have a na, and it’s Elfrafim! What’s yours?”

“I’m Trysta,” she introduced herself, still evidently careful and tense. I didn’t know what she was so worried about, I was as harmless as a cuddlefluff!

Cuddlefluffs were common pets back in the grandest forest. They were level 40 sweethearts who wouldn’t hurt a fly, unless if that fly hurt them first of course. Then they turned vicious, resilient, and able to absorb truly ridiculous amounts of damage while relentlessly pressing the attack.

And they continued to look absolutely adorable while doing it. I loved them so much.

“Well, hi Trysta!” I waved. The silence dragged on, so I took this chance to eat my squirrel skewer once it was perfectly roasted. The adventurers watched eat… which was very weird! They flinched when Astan ca down from the branches and shared in my al, but the adventurers lowered their weapons again once they realized that my friend was no imdiate threat.

“Well?” I asked, burping after a good dinner. “Are you just going to stand there or what…?”

“Oh.” Trysta shook her head. “Uhm. Are you aware that you are in the territory of the Edengar Kingdom of the Angelore Empire?”

I looked around, taking in my surroundings. From the forest around us, to the constant stream of monsters and animals just out of sight, to the isolation and lack of civilization.

“I’m just in so forest.” I smiled. “There’s only you and , friends.”

Trysta frowned at that. “You’re not… unwelco here. But you’re not exactly welco either. You’ve shown yourselves to be… a little bit more peaceful than most, yet I don’t understand why you still reject the will and the rule of the angels. For being naturally so long-lived, why can’t you understand that they are the savior this world needs!?”

She started off as still timid, but she very quickly grew passionate. I didn’t agree with a single thing she said, but I liked her spirit at least! Gotta stay positive.

“I know a little bit about what you’re talking about. But can you explain more of it to ? Maybe over dinner?”

Her eyes widened. She tried to remain composed and serious, but I could clearly see the excitent that bubbled in her upon my words. “Of course!”

~~~

The adventurers all sat around the campfire with , cooking so of their own rations atop the flickering flas. It was as if we truly were good friends.

“So,” Trysta began, “how much do you know about the angels and their divine mission?”

“I’ve heard so of it… but start from the beginning! I am here to learn of your ways!”

She almost preened at my answer. “That’s wonderful! I shall teach you all that you need to know!”

“Nice!”

“Many years ago, the angels ca to this world. They arrived in a blinding corona of light that made apparent their divine nature. They were here to save Varyala from the constant chaos and conflict that had plagued it for generations. Through faith, they sought to bring prosperity, chaos, unity, and order to all the disparate people of the world. But what did the races of the world do when the angels told them of the bright future they had planned for all us? They fought, they rebelled, so many people preferred war to the peace that was offered! That is the root cause of all the suffering happening in this world, and it is terrible.”

“Wow. That must have been so hard for them,” I empathized, with just a little bit of sarcasm. My new friend did not catch on one whit.

“I can only imagine!” Trysta said, eyes filling with sorrow for events long passed. “And yet you!”

“?”

“The elves! You know what I an! The angels had co to you as well, many many years ago. You could have chosen to join us, and yet you too rejected the rcy of the angels! So many deaths might have been prevented, if you had just joined us in peace!”

Ah, I had heard of this. It happened a couple of decades back. Two archangels ca to the grandest forest to declare that we were now their subjects and that we must obey. Naturally, we had a good laugh at their expense, which almost devolved into bloodshed, but they had wisely backed off after so very funny parting words. That was good, because even with ancient elves present, our victory would have cost too many lives.

The angels even gave us a large pillar of a crossbow bolt as a souvenir, so I think that was an overall success!

“I think plenty of people would’ve died even if we joined you,” I said despite knowing that it was pointless to argue. I just wanted to hear so nice stories, even if they were fucked up! “You would’ve attacked the barrier range regardless. Hell, you clearly want us to participate in your stupid war.”

“It’s not stupid!” She crossed her arms. “They’re the ones in rebellion against us, just like you are. They attacked towns of innocent people!”

“War is ugly, yes. That’s why you shouldn’t have started it.”

“It wouldn’t have had to happen if you’d just accept the rule of the angels! They ca from the heavens, they bring salvation, that is apparent and obvious!”

“It also wouldn’t have happened if you just, you know, not tried to conquer them? No need to bring us into your ss.”

“It’s not our ss. We’re the ones cleaning it up!” she fud, before relaxing and straightening her posture once more. “See, this is exactly the kind of complacent attitude that led to where we are today. So utterly and unashadly selfish!” She took another deep breath. “Why does everyone on this damned planet only care about warring and raping and pillaging each other? Why can’t we just work together? The angels have co all the way out here to help, and we’re like… this.”

I sighed. I realized that there was no getting to her. I doubted we could be friends now. “Let’s just leave it at that, alright? We’ll agree to disagree, okay?”

“No! Do not patronize !” She shouted angrily. The rest of the adventurers reacted, their hands going for their weapons. I felt disappointed. I didn’t want to kill anyone today. I didn’t even want to fight. I just wanted to hear so cool campfire stories to end the night.

How did it devolve to this?

“Co on. Stop, okay? You know that a fight will not end well.”

“Then why do you keep fighting against us!?”

“I’m not,” I huffed, annoyed. I barreled through whatever response she may have had to that. “Let’s not pretend like you’re here, acting in so official capacity. You’re just so adventurer, and I’m just passing through. So leave it be.”

She froze for a second at the tone of my words, but she quickly regained her composure. “I am an adventurer, and that’s precisely why I’m trying to teach you, Elfrafim. This is our sacred duty, given to us by the Empress Shanayah herself. She pleaded for the continued existence of the guild, she knew we had the potential for greatness, and that’s why we guide people in these things. That’s why we travel and help our communities, why we usher people forward in their faith. We’re not the barbarian adventurers of old, but we are enlightened, noble warriors.”

I blinked. Wow. She’s saying that about herself. Even Haell isn’t that arrogant. Wild.

I laughed. She frowned. They all frowned.

“What’s so funny?” Trysta asked.

“Nothing, nothing. Nothing you have to worry about.”

I smiled as an awkward and tense silence descended. The adventurers predictably broke first, and Trysta did her best to calm the rest of her party down.

“Why can’t you just see it, Elfrafim? You just need to have a little bit of faith, and it should be apparent.”

I shrugged, my hands playing idly with so twigs and the campfire. “Even if you were right, which I don’t think that you are, I will never bow down to a tyrant. Not if it were my friends and fellow elves, not if the Nature Dragon Gainess herself demanded my servitude, and certainly not for the angels nor for you.” I was looking her in the eye now. In her pupils, I saw weariness and disgust. In mine, there must have only been pity.

“It’s not tyranny,” she weakly said. I only t her with silence, and the conversation died.

A few minutes later, she “politely” tried to leave. “Well, we must go now. We ca here to clear out monsters in defense of the people, and we must be getting back on our mission to give back to our community.”

“Sure, yeah. I understand. That’s also an important thing that we do in the grandest forest. Can’t let dangerous monsters get to the kids who still haven’t grown into their power, you know?”

Her brows furrowed at my response, but she did not address my words. “It was… nice eting you, Elfrafim. I hope you find your way towards what’s right eventually.”

“Thanks.” I forced myself to relax and have so cheer in my bones. I wanted to at least end this eting with a smile. “It was nice eting you all too! And I wish you all the sa!”

I waved at them as they left and disappeared into the treeline.

They did not wave back.

That was sad.

~~~

“Shh! Astan! Do not make a sound!” I clamped a hand around his beak. My friend made an indignant whimper, as if to tell that he knew. And he probably did… I just freaked out once I finally found my prey after literal months of searching!

The hekaton was a light-gray bipedal thing, dirty and emaciated. It had a terrifying maw, and way too many arms that moved far too nimbly around each other. Blood dripped from every finger as the monster frantically drew erratic symbols on the ground a good distance away from a warsymbol.

I watched with rapt attention. My eyes were focused as I observed every stroke of the creature’s many fingers. I had heard tales about these rare beasts, and the sort of magic and rituals that they could wield. I would love to steal their ideas for myself!

The hekaton shrieked. The sound woke up the slumbering beast. The warsymbol charged until he was right in front of the prepared ritual. The hekaton then unhinged its mouth, and out ca an unintelligible sound that bounced rapidly around my head until they beca familiar words that I understood.

“CHAOS MANIFEEESTTAtION”

I yelped with glee as the ritual manifested itself. I heard the struggle of elents, constantly shifting against each other, and building further in power. The earth exploded underneath the warsymbol, spears of ice pierced shallowly into its hide, then turned into lava that burned. The winds fanned the flas, the air cooled the lava, the stone turned to vines to lightning to shadow to light. Under the assault of every force imaginable, the warsymbol cried out in agony.

The level 30 hekaton had begun fleeing the mont the ritual comnced, but so overflow still reached it. A spray of fire doused its back, an abstract hand of stone punched it in the gut, and an errant ray of water sliced into its thigh. Blood dripped from several wounds, and from those puddles arose new kinds of chaos, the catalyst of red evaporating into smaller versions of the earlier ritual that was conducted.

A trail of destruction was left behind the hekaton’s wake. The chaotic force of everything that it did was enough to end the warsymbol’s life. The monster was buried under tons of earth, ice, and wood. The rest of its body was ravaged by a thousand cuts, bruises, burns, and more.

I took careful aim with my bow, and then I shot one of my good arrows. The head of the exhausted hekaton was completely blown right off.

I hurriedly rushed off towards my prey, thinking my hunt a success. But then my instincts suddenly blared out a warning, and I listened to it, jumping as far back as I could. The hekaton exploded, I failed to prevent its self-destruct, and I almost got caught by the chaotic explosion of elents.

Not that I would’ve been in serious danger of dying either way, but it was insane that a sub-level-40 could even accomplish that much! This was like Haell all over again. It’s so exciting!

I allowed the adrenaline and other chemicals to work through my body until I finally cald down. I then cursed at the unsuccessful hunt. Not a single drop of blood was left behind.

The hekaton’s self-destruct wasn’t sothing they needed to consciously activate. It happened upon their death regardless.

This was going to be difficult.

~~~

It really was difficult! Just finding another Hekaton took months. But I really wanted to see what Haell could beco with the blood of these strange and mysterious fiends, and I also wanted to help out a good and interesting and beloved friend, so I continued on my hunt. I wouldn’t let her down.

Finally, after roaming the vast grasslands for months, I found traces of a varied mix of elental explosions. My ears picked up on the peculiar mana of chaos magic, if faint, and I followed the trail until I arrived near a boulder where I felt a hekaton was hiding behind.

“Astan. Go high.”

My friend silently gave his assent, and he soared into the sky. I continued to make my way quietly to where I felt the hekaton was. The wind enchantnts in my cloak activated, they suppressed sounds and vibrations, or what little of it remained with my practiced movents.

I peeked around the corner, and I almost yelped in glee when I saw that there was indeed a hekaton here. I quickly observed the monster, and found that it was sleeping…. except not quite. Its sunken eyes were open, its thin fra still and unmoving. Sothing more like torpor then. Interesting…

Unfortunately, I had a mission here, and I intended to complete it as quickly as I could. I would take my ti to observe a hekaton after I had delivered on my promise to Haell. She’d understand if I couldn’t do it, but I didn’t want to let my friend down.

I drew my nature wand. From it, mana flowed into the ground, a spell forming. The hekaton’s eyes snapped open, but it did not react fast enough. I wrapped the creature up, binding its uncountable limbs and sealing off all movent. The hekaton shrieked into the night, but it was useless.

“Hello there!” I talked to the being. I had deduced that the supposed monster might actually be sapient. They were certainly intelligent, they could make whole rituals for fuck’s sake!

“Krrriiiiiaaaaa!!!” it scread back in way of reply.

“Hmm. Does that an anything? I can’t even tell if that’s ant to be anything more than re mindless shouting.”

“Keeeeaaaaaa!!!”

“Yes, yes. I still can’t understand! I was hoping we could negotiate, you know? Since you seed so… smart… hmm, maybe not?”

“KkeeeeessasaaaAa!!”

“How about this,” I spoke honestly. “Blood. BLOOD. Give your blood. Make it not explode. No chaos! And then I let you live.”

“Kkkkiiiiiiiii!!!” The hekaton bit its own lip and then spat a wad of blood at . I caught it with a jar.

“Is this your part of deal–” the jar exploded. I tossed it away at the last mont of course, I felt the activation before it happened, although there was no actual incantation. Was it like one of Haell’s mini-rituals? “Hmm. Guess not. Or maybeeee… did you just try to double cross !? That’d be aweso! It ans you understand!”

The hekaton spat blood at again. I caught it with another jar, just in case the monster might be honoring its part of the deal this ti. It wasn’t.

“SACRIFICE SSSELF DESTRTRUCTT!!!”

My eyes widened upon the familiar noise of an activated ritual. I quickly vacated the area and then watched in awe the storm of elents that could have seriously hard . That kind of power from sothing two evolutions below was truly unreal!

But now the hekaton was gone, it had sacrificed and detonated its own body. My idea didn’t work out, and I had to begin the arduous task of finding another one.

I sighed. I looked up at the moon staring down at all that walked the plains. The tall grass swayed in the wind, a silent rhythm broken only by the occasional roar and hisses. The scent of the fresh night air of a different place was nourishnt for the soul.

I realized then that I was thinking about this all wrong. I wasn’t just here for Haell’s quest, I was also here to explore and to discover new wonders. There was no need to forget the beauty of the present, for the task I had taken upon myself.

~~~

I flew high into the air, pushing Moonwash's gift to to the limit. The glider could not handle all of my power, but it could handle enough to let be a dot in the sky that could not be discerned from the ground, especially in the deep darkness of the night. I was finally taking a break from my current mission to go explore the Angelorian cities. I got a bit too excited to see Haell's evolution, and this task turned out to be even harder than I thought. But Haell could surely wait for a few more days or months. She was so adamant about her gratitude and how I didn’t need to do this, after all!

From all the way up here, I observed the city down below. Elven eyes were only a bit above average in night vision, but I was level 80. I could of course discern details in the dark, even from as high up as this.

As I looked down at what was once a centaur city, I realized just how much this place had really changed since I last visited a century ago. So of their architectural styles were kept, but I also recognized a lot of Angelorian influence that had taken root. The massive settlent glittered like a jewel in the night, and I had to admit that it was beautiful to behold from all the way up here. From the dim stars closer to the edges of the territory, to the shining brightness of the center. It truly was impressive that they were willing and able to create and maintain these many light enchantnts.

I dropped from the sky.

I had seen enough from above, so I dove towards the city proper below under the cover of the night. My friends had told that the process to enter an angelorian territory for an unknown elf was long and arduous, and even if I were to be allowed inside, it would be in the company of the most insufferable escort they could find. An assassination attempt was also more than possible, which I was confident in thwarting, but it'd still turn into a whole thing.

So I decided to just sneak in and skip all of that entirely! I didn't know what my friends were even thinking, going through all that troubleso stuff. I was more clever than that!

~~~

For a few days, I remained hidden, observing the people. A great variety of species gathered here, more so than in our elven villages, but it was hard to say that they lived in harmony. it was clear that they had been subsud, subjugated, and conquered. They were treated as less than in a land that was supposed to be theirs, when everyone ought to be equal. It wasn’t right, and I wanted to just reveal myself and make things right.

Breathe.

I released a slow breath once I realized that I was getting very very angry. I didn’t understand why all the other peoples of the world were so obsessed with power and authority, when all it did was spread misery. From queens and kings, to peasants and governors; How did they even keep track!?

Why?

It really didn’t make sense to . It was all so pointless and fake. But that was fine. We were different and unique and we all deserved to live in peace. That was what I decided, but the Angelore Empire wished to rule over everyone, and it was just so terrible! Life was ant to be free, not caged like livestock and exploited even worse!

Breathe.

I wasn’t here to start shit. I was here to journey and explore. So with that goal in mind, I enjoyed more of what the city had to offer; from their cuisine, to their clothes, and even that military base stationed behind the walls!

They should’ve had better security if they didn’t want snooping around.

~~~

It only took a few weeks to find another hekaton after my city adventures. That was very nice and a very pleasant surprise! I stalked my prey for a full day for this next attempt, getting to know more of its habits, its propensity to eat any number of things, including grass, twigs, and even random rocks, along with the at of its enemies of course. It even tried to eat the very air, which was very funny. That’s just breathing!

The monster hunted the many other animals of the plains, using big rituals if it had the chance, and if not, blood simply gushed out of its mouth and many many fingers, creating explosive puddles of blood. They also seed to be born at level 20 at least, kind of like us elves, though I still had no idea how they even reproduced. They had no genitals that I could discern, and I was very familiar with all the different kinds!

It was when the hekaton was sleeping that I finally struck. My dagger sunk into the hekaton’s guts, and I twisted the weapon to widen the wound. Its many thin hands tried to push off, but they were all weak, ineffectual, inferior to even Haell’s base strength despite being allegedly over level 20. I drained the blood of the creature into a sturdy jar, and then I quickly ran the fuck away after only a few seconds of confrontation. My idea was that the chaos explosion might not trigger if I went far enough away from the main body—

The jar exploded. I sighed as I watched the admittedly beautiful mix of elents. That didn’t work either.

I went back to the hekaton, and did the exact sa steps of draining its blood and running away. The only difference was that I killed the hekaton this ti before I left, in the hopes that maybe if I killed the monster and then ran away, that might provide enough degrees of separation to prevent the blood from detonating…

It still exploded.

Of course it did.

Oh well. Gotta keep trying!

~~~

A monster laid dead at my feet. It wasn’t a hekaton, but instead sothing called an ironigo. I’d gotten to know the wildlife of this place through the books that I’d ordered through Haell’s parents. They were very nice.

The battle was short. The ironigo was a level 60 black, bipedal and furry monster, with imposing antlers atop its head, and terrifyingly sharp claws. It had phenonal healing and physical strength thanks to its blood magic, but it died very quickly to a single stab to the head. The magic couldn’t activate without a will to guide it after all, and it didn’t even know I was there.

So now I was rummaging around the ironigo’s insides, swimming my arm around its guts until I found the repository I was looking for. I then chopped off the very visible antlers and then set to work on making a wand.

I never really gave blood magic a serious try, elves just weren’t very compatible with the elent, but it was never too late to try out new skills. If Haell could beco an entirely different species, then so could I learn to manipulate the very lifeblood of all that lived.

~~~

I spent months in training, and then even more months to learn and intuit the proper principles of blood magic, especially in relation to enchanting. Afterwards, I hunted more ironigos, and then nudertles. There just weren’t enough of the forr to go around.

The nudertles looked like fat turtles without a shell. They didn’t even have a focus for blood magic, but they did have a repository for it inside their body. They only used it to heal and enhance themselves, for it was still possible to control the mana within their own bodies without a focus.

And that was all I needed from them. A stock of blood magic. There just wasn’t a way to produce it myself, and I didn’t really have the ti or expertise to try and ta one.

~~~

I created a jar. But not just any jar. This one I wrought out of tal for the extra durability, just in case.

I got the materials, among other purchases, from a passing caravan that was kind enough to trade them for the remains of creatures that they could only seldom get their hands on. They were obviously wary of , but I was too strong to try and rob, and greed won out in the end. It’s not a sort of tense interaction I often got in elven lands, so it was very interesting!

Additionally, I was aware that the empire used to be far more… aggressive against elves, as they were with everyone. But we’d shown them ti and ti again how strong and amazing we were, until they finally realized that trying to kill or subjugate us on sight was a very bad idea.

We were just too aweso to keep away.

I made my jar after my purchases, and then inlaid it with blood magic enchantnts depicting stillness and the dead whose blood no longer pumped. The blood that once flowed through the body, sustaining it and carrying nutrients, now remained inert, rotting away, unable to fulfill its purpose or do anything at all. I also made sure that the blood was preserved and wouldn’t actually rot away.

After all of that prep-work, all I had to do was to actually collect the blood of a hekaton, and I thankfully already knew the general area of where one resided. I had found the beast a few weeks back, and it shouldn’t have traveled very far.

I made my way to my prey, and then dashed. I stabbed it and extracted its blood into my special jar. I ran away before the monster could react.

“Just passing through, don't mind !”

The jar exploded. My attempt failed again. It wasn’t fair!

But then, I rembered how Haell would do the sa thing over and over again, just for a marginal increase in power. Her patience knew no bounds… err, sotis. If she didn’t succeed at first, then she eventually would after a hundred, a thousand million tries.

I decided that I must not give up either, even if this was truly proving to be such a pain in the ass task.

~~~

A few months later, I finally got the enchantnts right. I milked the sa hekaton for its blood every ti so I didn’t need to go hunting for another one. The blood remained inert in my jar for one minute, and then two, but I had gotten to this point before. I watched it for hours, days, I checked on it using blood magic countless tis, until I finally concluded that the hekaton blood wasn’t about to explode. I had what Haell needed for her evolution. Now it was ti to go back and deliver.

I couldn’t wait to see her and everyone again.