Fear Not The Elf Who Knows 10,000 Spells - Chapter 8

The tunnel like the last time I saw it was chilling and gloomy. It wasn't cold, but rather it just gave off this vibe that made fear chill within me, but no coldness in the air. The cave was alight from what I could see in a distance with some fluorescent moss that gave off an orange glow like the sun, or a fire. The name of the moss was something I forgot because it can't be eaten or has any use beyond being glowy.

Using the Adlerblick, the spell that grants hawk-like vision, I could see the exit of the tunnel. There were even some moss lighting up the way before the exit.

"Alright," Schroff spoke next to the... curiosity at the entrance. A wooden post stuck to the ground with a rope tied to it. The old man finished looping the end of the rope into a belt. "Here." He said offering the rope to me.

I took the rope by the loop end and stared at it, feeling incredulous as I now understood what it's for. Yet I still asked the question.

"What is this for?"

"Wrap it around your waist. Tighten it. You feel it pushing into your stomach, you run toward where you're being tugged against." Schroff explained.

"What kind of monsters are in there?" I asked confused about this method. We have mana detection and a weapon enhancement spell. With Scroff's bow and arrows, he should be able to take care of them without an issue.

"Monster." He corrected, making me raise and eyebrow, and a slight bit of excitement flared in me. A unique monster? Awesome. Guess it's time for a Tutorial Boss. "An Einsam." Schroff said as I did as he said and wrapped the rope around me, closing the loop tight like a belt. "Make damn sure to use spells correctly. Formed Spells. None of that fancy shtick you do."

"An Einsam? That's the..." I slyly didn't comment on whether I'd use Formed or Non-Formed Spells. What's the point of the method I honed if I don't use it in a practical real life situation. I tried to recall the monster's name. I felt like I should've recognized it. After a moment, it sparked the memory of ghost Himmel telling Frieren to shoot him. "The monster that makes illusions about people you know, right?"

"Normally yes, and that in itself is dangerous enough." Schroff said, as he checked the rope before casting a spell that made it stronger. "However this one..."

A low wailing sound began to come out of the cave. It grew louder as we felt the wind rush past us.

Schroff's face lost its blood, as his eyes widened then narrowed in serious caution.

I looked between the old man and the tunnel.

"Schroff, it's just the wind." I said.

"The wasn't the wind, boy." Schroff shook his head.

"Y-Yeah, it is. If it's the Einsam I'd have detected it by now." I said, confused. Because yes, I didn't feel anything in my mana detection range, so it was clearly just wind through a tunnel.

"Mana Detection..." Schroff looked at me in surprise, before sighing and shaking his head. "Right, you always have that on." He said. "Cancel it and turn it up again."

"Huh?" I scrunched my face in confusion.

"Just do it. And really focus this time." Schroff said, seriously.

Alarms sounded in my head. He's saying I missed something? Even more, because I missed it, whatever it is, the first time I won't detect it now?

That was... disturbing.

I did as Schroff said, really focusing on my mana detection as I turned it back on and—

Something hit me.

Through the mana detection itself. From the very mana I put out something struck it and my mind instantaneously.

Then it's presence. This link dissipated. Like if it was a rope, every individual strand of straw broke down till there was nothing.

No. There's still the vague shape of a rope, of a link. Like the barest hint of something there that you can only notice by focusing on it and squinting. And even then you aren't entirely sure if something's there, or it's your eyes and light playing tricks on you.

But my instincts told me something was there. So I didn't dismiss the danger.

"Einsam can look at your memories through your own mana?" I said in worry.

"I don't know about normal ones. I never met them. Heard stories, but never ones like this one." Schroff said, glaring at the cave's entrance. The wailing returned.

Except this time there was no wind with it.

...Was, was this thing taunting us? Knowing that we are there, and that we know that it is there. My smirk gradually faded.

"How is it different?"

"...My father used to tell me about this tunnel when I was young and curious." Schroff began. "He told me that this Einsam existed since the time of his grandfather, and his grandfather before him. It simply settled here in this tunnel, feasting on travelers, before being sealed to only this tunnel by a traveling mage."

"So it's old?" I said warily.

"I think older than the stories." Schroff said seriously. "Ancient even. Maybe a thousand years old from the time of Great Mage Flamme. Maybe older." He said before some nervousness leaked into his frame. I've never seen him nervous before. "...I don't think its sealed at all. I think it chooses to stay in there. That it finds being a death trap in the tunnel for desperate travelers to be entertaining."

I blinked in worry at that.

"But... Monsters don't have that kind of intelligence." I argued. "They're just instincts and hunger."

"Well," Schroff began. "I thought the same too once." He said looking into the cave and suddenly seemed darker. The light of the exit on the other side, seem further and smaller. "Be careful now. Run away the second you sense something off."

"Okay." I nodded.

I walked toward the tunnel. I readied myself, mana suppression, body strengthening, mana detection ready. I may not have my sword—Old Schroff said I wasn't fighting, just scouting, so it would be dangerous to have it around—but trying to link to my head to use my memories was dumb. I can backtrack the link you dumbass monster.

I readied Zoltraak. Yeah, I felt a bit of mental pressure of doing everything I usually do, while using a Non-Formed Spell, but this was only for a few minutes. I can last that long.

Just one shot the monster. In and out, real quick.

I walked into the mouth of the tunnel, I told my first step into the tunnel, my feet touched the ground—

I saw my parents.

Not the ones from this life, I don't remember those.

But the ones from my past life.

"Son, look at how much you've grown?" Said my 'mom'.

"What a life you've lived. I'm so proud of you." Said my 'dad'.

I frowned at the obvious false image. It even looked like a ghostly TV static. I fired my spell beam.

The image dispersed, as I expected it would. A small sigh escaped me without meaning to.

I mean really, my parents from my past life don't exist in this world. Like that's such an obvious thing, why would it pull on that of all things?

"Just like a said, monsters with instincts. It shouldn't have used something that outlandish." I scoffed.

Crying.

I heard crying.

I saw Rein crying behind one of rock formation. The stone stake thing that rises from the ground. Something with a 'S'. What's it called?

Stalactite?

Stalagmite?

Bah, who cares? They all start with the same words.

"Are you serious?" I sighed at the stupid obvious bait.

"T-Train?" 'Rein' looked up from where she was hiding, smiling upon seeing me. "Train!" She quickly ran up to me.

I sighed at the stupid illusion. Like hell Rein would be here and in a fucking dress like I remember her being.

I raised a hand readying another Zoltraak.

Something trickled at the back of my mind. 'Rein' didn't look like a ghostly image like my past life parents were.

She looked real. Exactly as I remember her. Was the Einsam tailoring its illusions to its prey as time when on? Improving them? And that fast? No wonder its seen as so dangerous.

'Rein' slowed down and looked at me in fear.

"T-Train." 'Rein' said in fear. "W-Why are you point that at me? Train, you're scaring me?"

Aren't they suppose to only recite what I'd imagine them to say?

Hmm, I guess the real Rein would also react like this.

I fired the beam, sighing in annoyance at another—

A scream. Blood splattered.

Rein stood with as if frozen in time. A hole in her chest. Gore visible and blood gushing from her.

"N-no..." Rein uttered before her eyes dulled and she fell dead to the floor.

"Trenn!" Schroff shouted from behind me.

The matron screamed. "REIN! NOOOO!"

I snapped my head behind to see the matron and the other orphans standing next to Löwenjunges and Old Schroff who looked at me horrified.

"Rein!" 'Lässig' shouted and ran toward us.

I tried to form another Zoltraak but this... this wasn't real right?

Lässig rushed pass me bumping into my shoulder almost making me fall down.

What!?

I held my shoulder focusing on it.

I felt that. I felt that bump.

"Rein, Rein!" The older boy shouted desperately. "TRENN, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? SNAP OUT OF IT!"

"You're not real." I said focusing on the sensation of that bump. It felt real. The touch felt real, the impact. Yet I knew this was a lie. ...Right? "All of you wouldn't come here. Its a long trip, not a walk in the park."

"Schwanz was attacked by the Anti-Elf Coalition." 'Löwenjunges' spoke as he walked up to me with a sorrowful, pleading look. "We came here because Schroff was meant to train you to fight with us. We needed your help and to protect you." He came close and I raised a hand holding the beam ready to fire.

"Stay back." I said firmly. "Even if that's the case you wouldn't come to this cave. You wouldn't have separated—"

"The Coalition chased us!" 'Löwenjunges' cried out as he held my wrist that was pointing at him. "Look at us! We're real! This is real! Trenn, please snap out of it, we're real, we need your help."

My spell weakened. I couldn't maintain it as the energy grew unstable and dispersed.

What my mind and body were telling me, were at odd with my magical senses.

This isn't real. I shouted to myself.

"You're wearing the same clothes." I ripped my hand out of the Fake Löwenjunges' grip.

"What?"

Schroff told me to use Formed Spells. I mentally apologized to him for dismissing that advice. To my shame, even after all my efforts, I still needed 'Certainty' to be a mage. I'll have to work on that.

I readied the Offensive Magic spell and this time it didn't disperse.

"We are in the fucking mountains, at high altitudes, in the winter." I growled with a sneer. "And you all look the same. The exact same as I saw you last time." I turned and look at the 'corpse' of Rein. "It's been months since I've seen Rein. A child her age would have grown a bit by now, not look the exact same." I turned to 'Löwenjunges'. "Stop this weakass charade and show yourself, or actually do something impressive."

I called out. Not that I exacted a monster of all thing to understand what I was saying.

Regardless I just focused on its string thin link it had to me and looked through it.

"Found you." I said, feeling the largest pool of mana within the tunnel, unlike Löwenjunges, the matron and everyone as they had none. Seriously, fucking waste of time.

I fired the Zoltraak deep into the tunnel, watching through the mana detection as it followed the monster's link and slammed into the Einsam, killing it. It died screaming.

"Heh," I smirked. That was easy—

"̵V̸e̶r̵y̶ ̴w̶e̷l̴l̴.̵"̷

I heard the voice from all around me.

From Rein's corpse, to Lässig, to Löwenjunges, to Matron Gütig to... Schroff.

"What?" I stared in shock. Since when!?

Between one blink and the next I was back in Schwanz.

Schroff was next to me as we were carrying the fishe we'd sell.

"Trenn, I'm so glad you're back. And look at you. Only a year and you've grown so much." The matron said.

"Train! You have to tell me all the stories! Come on!" Rein said as she rand up to me, pulling on my arm.

I wanted to fight. To cast Zoltraak at this illusion.

Yet Rein was older. Her dress was different. New. I've never seen it before.

I could feel the warmth of the air this far west from the mountains. I could smell the familiar scent of the city I've lived in all my life.

"N-No, this is—"

A giant fireball fell from the sky.

It hit the orphanage and exploded blasting the world with light and heat.

I fell to the ground feeling something warm on my body.

I looked up to see the city on fire. People burning in the streets.

"COALITION! THE ANTI-ELF COALITION ARE HERE! SHIELDS! SHEEEILDS!" Löwenjunges was shouting as he rode on a horse running around trying to fight men in different colored banners.

I looked at the weight on my chest. It was Rein. Her back blasted from the heat and shrapnel as it was a gory mess.

"T-Train," Rein said with a wet raspy voice. "H-Help me." Her voice was too hollowed from the loss of air.

And then she died.

I watched as Lässig tried to save some of the kids from the burning building.

And then he died.

I watched Löwenjunges fight outnumbered ten to one.

And then he died.

I watched as the only place I knew growing up was destroyed piece by piece.

I saw it. I heard it. I smelled it! I felt it.

"...enough."

Over and over people I've known, even if I didn't care about, even if I don't remember their names, they all died in all manner of horrific way before my eyes.

"Enough."

The lady that gave me extra bread early in the mornings every once in a while.

And then she died.

The older boy who was with us in the orphanage showing about becoming a great swordsman and a hero like Himmel, who left to join Elves Shield. He used encourage me to play with the other kids, making sure I wasn't alone.

And then he died.

The blacksmith that I helped carry heavy equipment as part of my training, and gave me my blue jacket as thanks for the help. The jacket was one that once belonged to his son, but he grew out of.

And then he died.

Or the old lady who taught me how to read and—

"Enough!" I shouted, releasing the hold on my mana, trying to push this whole world away—

The tightness on my stomach grew, and then it pulled at me, and with a surprising force it pulled me off my feet!

Before I realized it I was physically pulled away from the scene, as I was launched back and found myself in Schroff's arms out of the tunnel.

Back in the cold mountain air. In the real world.

"Kid. Calm down. It's okay, you're back. I'm here." Schroff said, before tugging at my ropes to show me they were there. "See?"

I closed my mana detection immediately, then opened it to only skin deep, focusing solely on anything within me.

I saw the remnants the link the Einsam once had on me. Now it was breaking for real. If I was to describe it with colors, it's as if once it hit me, it became transparent in parts, making it seem like it weaken, but in truth it was still full there.

Only now that I was outside the tunnel, outside the range of the Einsam did it start breaking.

We looked into the tunnel to see the scene of the city burning like a vision into hell. The illusion was crafted to pain a picture, rather than only people like I expected an Einsam to do. I could even hear sounds from the illusion playing within the tunnel. It literally was like a TV. But looked too real.

It was an illusion. I knew that now. I mean, I always knew that.

I felt the cold of the mountain and held onto it like a lifeline.

Slowly the images dispersed and we saw the tunnel as it normally was again.  

Far, far within the tunnel we saw it. The Ancient Einsam revealing itself.

It stood there as if wrapped in shadows. As if taunting us, by being there, yet knowing we won't dare head toward it.

"I'm going to fucking kill that thing." I gritted my teeth. How dare it! How dare it play with my mind like that.

In my heart, I vowed to vanquish it before I left this mountain for good.

Just before the link the monster latched onto me completely disconnected a heard a voice, that wasn't a voice.

Like a collection of people speaking at once. Voices that I didn't know, speaking in tongues I didn't understand, but the meaning was clear.

"̸W̴e̷l̴c̸o̷m̶e̴ ̶b̵a̷c̶k̷ ̶a̴n̸y̷t̴i̸m̷e̶.̶"̴

I shivered once more from the comforting cold.