# 255
Helmut
Episode 255
is over. Everything.
The air of Pahe Forest, filled with acrid magic energy, was rather comfortable for him.
It’s been about a year since I lived in the human world. But the air was more familiar than that.
Helmut was fully aware that he had returned.
The process of returning was much simpler than the process of leaving.
The sacred magic unleashed by the High Priest was absolute power for those with magical energy.
Should I say I’m glad they didn’t kill me right away?
“Where am I?”
It must have fallen somewhere randomly in the forest of Pahe. Whose territory is it? Should I live here again?
Helmut thought calmly. But at that moment, my vision turned pitch black.
It felt like something broke inside. A terrible feeling came flooding back. The string of reason he had barely held on to was easily let go.
Despair consumed Helmut.
My heart pounded and my stomach turned. Immediately, an intense pain came.
Pain that feels as if the muscles and blood vessels are being ground at the same time!
The body bent backwards and floated in the air on its own. As if there was a vacuum.
It felt like there was a huge hole in my heart. A hole that sucks everything in! It was a huge manpower.
It was not his heart, but the sprout of darkness, that was frantically absorbing the demonic energy around him, like absorbing water.
The demonic energy that filled the forest of Pahe quickly rushed towards Helmut.
Helmut’s Vis was in a minimal state of recovery, and his empty body was filled with demonic energy. A process that feels like dying and being reborn.
Despair handed everything over to the sprouts of darkness. During that process, consciousness subsided and Helmut’s body was completely taken over for the first time.
After a while, everything became quiet. Has the demonic energy of a section of the Forest of Pahe ever been so clouded?
Helmut, who was up in the air, gently landed on the ground.
The moment he raised his head, Helmut’s pupils dilated significantly.
“Krrrrr.”
There was no significant change. But the only thing that lives and breathes in those eyes is a vicious instinct.
It will kill and destroy everything that lives.
Helmut began to move.
*
Elaga was rolling around as always. He had been enjoying his freedom for over a year.
Freedom to be lazy with peace of mind! The unlucky guy who always kept him in check died, and the guy who made him suffer from the pain of raising children also disappeared.
Although it felt a bit empty because of that, Elaga found a good replacement that required less work.
Unlike the monster’s habit of killing and controlling, Elaga had a hobby of caring for others.
‘It’s nice and comfortable.’
Next to him, who was lying out and enjoying the sun, sat a small girl who looked to be about eight years old.
The girl with a bright face clung to Elaga’s side, showing no signs of fear.
The girl even made a huge flower crown and placed it on Elaga’s head.
These were flowers that were unusually colorful and non-toxic in Pahe’s forest.
‘huh?’
Suddenly, Elaga felt something. The floor rang. A huge wave that felt like the forest was collapsing.
Something was moving on the other side. Just like a typhoon is blowing.
[What is this wave?]
Elaga stood up. A flower crown fell from his head. The girl cried.
“Kyaa Elaga?”
[Quiet. This is not the time. You get in there quickly. I need to go somewhere.]
Elaga quickly snatched the girl by the tail, pushed her into a nearby house, and closed the door. Inside, a woman stuck her head out of the window.
“Mr. Elaga?”
[Don’t leave the house until I come.]
“Yes.”
Elaga ran like she was flying. The huge leopard scampered through the forest with surprising agility.
The place where the wave was felt was close to his area. I was curious about what was going on there.
Elaga, who arrived there shortly after, frowned.
‘huh? It’s a complete devastation.’
It was amazingly quiet. As if death had passed by. Broken and crushed trees and dismembered corpses of monsters.
He’s a pretty strong guy.
And on the other side, I saw a figure brimming with demonic energy. The guy’s movements stopped the moment Elaga appeared.
‘human?’
Elaga walked towards it without even being nervous.
In the Forest of Pahe, there were almost no beings that could make Elaga nervous. Even more so if the other person is a human.
His figure was clearly visible in the shadows.
[Helmut?]
Elaga’s pupils got bigger. Elaga easily recognized the other person.
This is the guy I raised around in my arms since childhood. Even though it has gotten a little bigger and its body odor has changed, there is no way you wouldn’t recognize it.
But even though I felt welcome, something felt strange for a moment.
The other person didn’t seem to recognize Elaga. He just looks at Elaga warily with murderous, vicious eyes.
The reason Helmut does not rush in right away is not because he recognizes Elaga, but because his instincts sense that Elaga is strong.
Elaga narrowed her eyes.
[What is this guy? [He suddenly appears.]
His eyes are tired and his condition doesn’t look good at all. The demonic energy emanating from the body is also unusual. A state of semi-monsterization.
However, Helmut’s state of being turned into a monster by Elaga was not a big deal.
Elaga casually hit the floor with her tail.
[What happened? Or rather, why are you here? You said Ygrel was doing well outside.]
There was no answer. I couldn’t understand why this guy suddenly appeared in Pahe Forest.
Elaga approached Helmut with great strides. Even if you’re out of your mind, if you just roll with your front foot like before, you’ll probably be able to confess on your own.
But Helmut was not what he used to be.
Helmut’s instincts were impulsive. Helmut, feeling threatened by the approaching leopard with fearsome magical energy, immediately turned aggressive.
I will tear my enemies to pieces just like I have done with other monsters so far. Like it’s an absolute proposition.
However, Elaga lightly swatted away the charging Helmut with his tail. puck!
[What are you doing? Let’s spar?]
Elaga stared at Helmut, who had fallen out awkwardly.
Helmut’s eyes showed murderous intent. He lunged at Elaga again as if he had broken down. Quite powerful magical energy emanated from his entire body.
‘Is this a challenge?’
Elaga snorted.
Elaga had never lost to Helmut. There is no way I can lose to a guy who goes crazy and runs wild without coming to his senses.
Because there is no one stronger than Elaga, who swallowed Naho’s core, in this forest of Pahe.
Plop plop plop! Helmut’s attempts were repeatedly thwarted.
Annoyed, Elaga struck Helmut, knocked him down, and climbed on top of him with his front paws.
[When are you going to beat me by ignorantly attacking me with your bare body and leaving that excellent sword somewhere?]
Elaga said as if she was dumbfounded.
Man’s weapons are not in his body. How could that weak body pierce Elaga’s magical energy and wound him?
But Helmut didn’t seem to listen. When he was overpowered, he bit Elaga’s fur with his blunt teeth and threw a fit.
“Kaaaaak!”
Even though he has fits and runs wild, he is still a tiny human being.
Elaga pressed Helmut down with her front paw and sighed.
‘That won’t work.’
Elaga absorbed Helmut’s magical energy.
It is not common for monsters to show insanity in the forest of Pahe, which is rich in demon energy. Because it is a comfortable environment as if the fish were living in the water.
The sprouts of darkness also had similar properties to monsters. Whatever had caused me to be so stimulated, it probably wouldn’t have lasted long.
But Helmut was human, so I didn’t know what would happen.
It was correct to see this as a symptom of Magi poisoning. If so, just take the demonic energy out.
The sprout of darkness was surprisingly docile and submitted to the intentions of Elaga, a being more powerful than itself. He knew that he was an opponent he could not resist.
Helmut’s body was emptied in an instant. With only a little bit of vis left.
It wasn’t long before Helmut came to his senses. I felt frustrated, as if a stone had been placed on my chest.
He frowned and looked up at the huge leopard pressing down on me.
“Ella…go?”
[So what are you doing here?]
The moment Helmut became aware of the situation, he gasped.
‘What did I…’
I didn’t want to answer. I had no words to answer.
Elaga’s question continued.
[Did you find what you wanted outside?]
“Yes.”
[But why are you like this?]
Helmut glared at Elaga. It was a cold look.
“Leave me alone.”
[What is he saying now. I helped you. Okay, I’ll leave it alone.]
Elaga, who was upset, left Helmut alone and left the place. Somehow it felt like it had to be that way.
Helmut was left alone. I collapsed there. He muttered dryly to himself.
‘Elaga is still the same.’
He’s probably watching himself from over there.
I feel no emotion, as if my heart is empty.
Helmut lay down on the floor and looked up at the sky. Before you know it, the sky is completely dark.
There is no strength in the whole body. I surrendered myself to the sprouts of darkness and explored the forest of Pahe.
I don’t know if I was lucky or bad, but I didn’t encounter any dangerous enemies. Even destroying himself wasn’t easy for Helmut.
Elaga saved him again.
‘Elaga is just a monster…’
The monster gave him more affection than his flesh and blood.
A feeling of weeping welled up in a corner of my heart.
Memories flashed through my mind. A memory that was both sweet and extremely painful for a moment.
The affection I felt from my mother was not a lie. She was truly happy that Helmut had returned.
However, even if a person loved something, he could abandon it.
Even if you love someone, you could betray them.
Even if I spared it, I could have turned my back on it.
Helmut didn’t know humans were capable of that.
I just believed in affection. Because those he knew never betrayed their affection.
It was bitter, but I learned a lot.
The pain of learning was so great that Helmut never wanted to go out into the forest again.
When Helmut was in the Forest of Pahe, he had nothing, but he was not lonely.
A life pursued with aspiration cannot be lonely. If I could see the stars above and reach there someday.
Even when he was exhausted from the arduous training, that desire guided and filled him.
But what was it like outside the forest of Pahe?
Helmut gained a lot, but eventually returned to his original position. Even losing what I had.
betrayal? no. What Helmut experienced was loss. A loss that seems impossible to recover from.
There was still a flickering light before my eyes. In that light, like a ray of moonlight, someone’s image is reflected.
But when even that light goes out.
A huge void swallows him up. Along with the burning heat, you feel pain that feels like your heart is being crushed.
Something has broken inside him, probably irreparably.
Helmut closed his eyes. It was hot.
