Chapter 61 - More, I want... more

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With his hand gripping the collar of the man collapsed on the ground, the student forcefully lifts his body until he is slightly elevated. The moment he does this, the boy uses his other hand to land a series of punches on the man's face.

This wasn't self-defense anymore. If anyone else saw this, they'd say it was nothing but torture, —and in a way, they wouldn't be wrong.

As the younger one's rage is unleashed upon the punching bag in front of him, the man's companion, realizing what is happening, desperately begs for help. However, his efforts are in vain, as there is no one else present in the area, not even in the surroundings of the nearby forest.

After finishing with the first target, the boy then walks over to the man's partner and repeats the same process, until both are in terrible condition, rendered nearly unrecognizable, also due to the effects of Hemomancy.

With his work done and both men lying unconscious, Rei steps back, bloodied hands clenched, his face twisting in disgust.

— Hey, Elfina. I know you're there. There's no way you could still be weak after all this blood was spilled.

— Ah, yes, Master. I'm here. I had no intention of hiding that fact. What do you desire? — responds the small creature, returning to her original form.

— See those two over there? You already know what happened. So, does their blood serve any purpose? Like, can it replenish you or whatever you need?

— Yes, Master. Their blood is more than enough to satisfy my endless hunger — she declares with a smirk, her face betraying a hint of pleasure. — But seeing your current state, would you mind if I extracted their blood and life energy in the most painful way possible?!

Upon hearing that question, there is a brief silence, followed by hesitation before the boy answers. He cannot understand what he is feeling—he has never killed anyone before, and even if he isn't doing it directly at this moment, he is still sending someone else to do it for him. His thoughts race through his mind like a second heartbeat, each pulse weighing on him.

In the end, he nods in agreement and decides to accept the request. Elfina then approaches the two lying on the ground and, with a mere snap of her fingers, drains the blood and life energy from the two men. Watching the scene, Rei is surprised that with such a simple gesture, she was able to gather all the blood from their bodies into a small orb.

...

Once the extraction is complete, Elfina moves the blood-filled orb closer and quickly sucks it dry, as if using a straw. Finally, she uses another ability to make the men's necks swell, even though they were already dead during the extraction process.

— It was... delicious, Daddy — the small creature suddenly declares, letting out an unexpected moan of pleasure.

— Eh? — The student's eyes dart toward Elfina upon hearing her call him "Daddy."

— Their bodies, do you want me to make them disappear, Master?

— Yeah... yeah, it's better to get rid of them before someone sees.

— Very well, Master. Your will shall be done — she says as she walks toward them, disintegrating their bodies with a unique fire-type magic.

— Thanks for the help, Elfina. I'll call you when I need you again — the boy expresses his gratitude shortly before Elfina materializes back into a book.

"Damn... I really did it, I killed those people. My hands are still stained with blood, even my clothes... Well, they deserved it... I can't hesitate now."

"None of this would have happened if I had been a little more cautious. I was too careless... they wouldn't even have touched me if I had been more aware."

"Have I become a villain now? I'm so stupid. How could I make such a mistake... fuck. Thinking about it, I don't want this to happen again. It would be better to prevent these surprise attacks, but what should I do?"

The student ponders as he walks through the forest, eventually finding the road that leads back to the refuge.

...

[A few minutes later]

— Hey, Elfina... do you have any creation abilities that could protect me from attacks? Like a barrier or something? — the student asks, holding the book in his hands.

— On page 7, Master. There you will find the protective-type enchantments.

— Alright, so I just need to follow the same process as before? Tear the page and visualize the kind of spell I need?

— No, Master, this is page 7. Since it is a page for creating protective items, you need a base item to be imbued with defensive magic.

— Got it, I think I understand. I'll use the necklace that Kazuki gave me before — he says, removing the necklace from his neck and holding it in his other hand.

Rei then repeats the previous process, tearing page number 7 and shredding it in front of the necklace positioned in his other hand. The necklace is soon enveloped by a strong white light, similar to a beam, which imbues it with a runic defensive magic.

[System]

Name: [Simple Necklace]

Status: [Mythical]

Attributes: [None]

Passive Ability: [Divine Protection]

"I guess with this, one less thing to worry about... but this should do at least until I find something better."