Chapter 264

Silad had already previously recognized Suho as a priest.

He also granted Suho his protection, allowing him to use the skill 'Bitter Blizzard'.

But as Silad also said, at that time, it was not Sung Soo Ho himself who accepted Su Ho, but his mother, Cha Hae In.

But not now.

Tiring!

[Recruited 'Descendants of the Cold' as a companion.]

Silad finally acknowledged Suho.

As a 'priest of the dead monarch'.

He truly felt that he could trust and entrust his descendants to him.

Moreover, this time it was not only Shilad who acknowledged the guardianship.

[Suho! Did you see? I did it!]

It's Sirka.

The next monarch candidate, armed with spirit armor, looked back at Suho and smiled proudly.

Boom! Boom bang!

-Heeeeeeeeeee… … !

[The spirit has been defeated.]

[The spirit has been defeated.]

[The spirit has been defeated.]

… … .

Spirits who have been living in Elvenwood for a long time, raising elves.

To them, Sirka was no longer a desirable prey.

Rather, they had turned into cruel rulers who oppressed others with force.

Due to Suho's teachings, the positions have become exactly opposite.

The results were astonishing.

Tiring!

[50% of the experience gained by 'Companion: Sirka' is transferred to the player.]

Is this really what 'colleague' means?

'It's similar to when it was gray.'

Gray was a 'pet' rather than a companion, but the expression was different.

The level-up system applies the same principle to Sirka.

Suho, who had seen and experienced a lot over the years, now fully understood the concept.

For convenience, the expression 'experience points' is often used, but to be precise, the expression 'nutrients' that need to

go to the World Tree would be more accurate.

The nutrients that leak out when demons or spirits die.

The level-up system intercepts those nutrients and absorbs them into the guardian.

And the method was designed very similarly to the method of the 'weeds' that grew by slowly stealing the nutrients of the

World Tree in the afterlife sea.

in result.

Gray and Sirka were to become messengers who would pass on some of the 'nutrients' that would burst out from the creat

ures they killed to Suho.

This is the concept of 'colleague' that the system speaks of.

To borrow an expression familiar to humans, it was a party play where experience points were shared.

But among these, there was one exception, and that was 'Esil'.

Although Eshil volunteered to be Suho's subordinate, he did not share his experience.

He offered a sacrifice even greater than that.

[The spirit has been defeated.]

[The spirit has been defeated.]

[The spirit has been defeated.]

… … .

['Protection of Gluttony' increases experience points.]

[Level up!]

'Protection of Gluttony'

The protection of Essil, which increases experience point efficiency by a whopping three times, was still in effect even thou

gh Essil was no longer present.

This was due to the special nature of the demon tribe.

The origins of the demon race are weeds that grew from stealing nutrients from the World Tree in the afterlife sea.

Those insignificant weeds evolved to become the inhabitants of the niche and the demon race.

Their monarch, Essil, did not simply offer nutrients, but amplified the absorption rate itself to digest the nutrients.

'Even though we are all colleagues, each race has different characteristics. Gray was able to become a spirit… … .'

Growl!

Crunch! Boom!

… … Even now, looking at Gray bravely hunting spirits in front of me, 'Gangsin' must have had a positive effect on Gray's gr

owth.

So-called win-win.

Isn't this a true sense of camaraderie?

At this point, Suho had a question.

If the 'Gaho: Blizzard of the Cold' you received last time was a gift for your mother and not for yourself, what about now?

What about Sirka, who just became a colleague?

Bam! Bam-

At that moment, the area around Suho became quiet.

Before they knew it, the spirits that had been swirling around, aiming for Sirka, had all frozen around them.

The sight of them frozen in place as they fled from Sirka and swirled around was a gruesome sight.

Sirka thrust the tip of her spear into the center of the jagged, frozen ice as if to confirm the kill.

Tsk tsk tsk!

Then, strangely enough, the ice began to stick to the tip of Sirka's spear and form a thick layer.

The sight was reminiscent of a giant hammer.

It has now turned into a vicious blunt weapon that should be called the 'Ice Tree Hammer' rather than the 'Ice Tree Spear'.

[Ugh.]

Sirka lifted the huge ice hammer and slung it over her shoulder.

Suho burst into laughter at that sight.

Spirit armor.

It would be more appropriate to say that he was riding on a huge suit of armor rather than wearing one.

It was hard to ignore the expression on Sirka's face as she held her head up and posed proudly, as if she was waiting for pra

ise.

'You've learned more than I thought. I guess that's what it means to be a descendant of a monarch.'

[Ahem!]

Sirka's shoulders rose high.

At that sight, Silad held back the corners of his lips from twitching and firmly warned him.

[… … It's still far away. Right now, I can only control the spirits that I can touch directly… … ]

[grandfather.]

[What, what?!]

Silad was terrified.

Sirka suddenly looked straight at my face and spoke to me.

Up until now, they had only communicated with each other through 'prayer', so this was actually the first time that the two

had met face to face.

At this point, Sirka asked confidently.

[Why? No? Are you my grandfather?]

[… … .]

Silad couldn't answer in response to those bold eyes.

[I saw my father only once, when I was a baby. When he left for the war, he clearly told me that I was the granddaughter of

the Lord of the Cold.]

[… … .]

Still no answer.

Sirka continued speaking, staring intently at Silad's face, who was avoiding her gaze.

[That's why I have to grow up quickly and protect this village.]

[… … .]

[Become a guardian.]

Although she was very young, Sirka remembered it clearly.

[That was the first and last time my father ever said anything to me.]

The firm look in his father's eyes as he spoke those words to him.

There was not a shred of warmth in that cold voice.

I didn't know it then, but Sirka had grown to the point where she could distinguish the temperature.

[… … Don't blame your father. To me, he was nothing more than a war tool. And that's what I learned.]

Finally, Silad opened his mouth heavily as if groaning.

A pure white cold air flowed out following his sigh.

[No, we are all born with the destiny to fight on the battlefield from the moment we are born until the moment we die. That

is the sole mission of us elves… … .]

[Wrong.]

[...what?]

[You were wrong.]

At Sirka's bold answer, Silad finally turned his head and looked at Sirka's face.

And then my eyes grew wide.

[Chacha didn't say that to us.]

Sirka… … had an expression that was not at all like that of an ice elf.

[I told you not to run around like that. It's dangerous if you fall. I told you to sleep with a warm blanket. I told you to dress w

armly because it's cold.]

The countless complaints that Cha Hae-in has made.

Thinking back to those affectionate voices, Sirka… … .

[Even if we fight, we usually live happily.]

… … was smiling brightly.

[They said I looked pretty when I smiled.]

[… … .]

[How's Grandpa?]

[… … It looks good.]

[You mean it's pretty?]

Sirka finally gets an answer and laughs.

At the same time, Silad had a strange expression on his face.

Words I've never once said out loud.

Words I never even imagined.

But, at the sight of his granddaughter smiling so confidently right in front of him, Silad eventually broke down.

Shwaaaaak-

Couldn't stand it any longer?

Or perhaps the time given to Silad has run out.

As the blizzard blew, Silad turned his back and hid into the blizzard.

A very small voice flowed out through the cold, bitter snowstorm.

[… …Thank you for growing up well.]

Swaaaah!

With those words, the world of Silad bounced Suho and Sirka's spirit back to reality.

At that moment, Silad's voice pierced into Suho's ears.

[Prepare for battle. As soon as you leave here, Elvenwood, everything in the forest, will attack you.]

'I know. In that sense, why don't you just give me one useful blessing or skill?'

Even at this moment, Silad laughed and responded to Suho's words that were trying to make a deal.

[Good-natured guy. You haven't answered me yet.]

'A quest, you say? Okay. Accept!'

[… … The contract has been established. Please take good care of my granddaughter.]

Swaaaah!

With those words, Sirka waved her hand towards Silad, whose presence was fading away, with a still bright face.

[Grandpa! I'll pray later... ... !]

[… … Well, something like that.]

* * *

Swish!

Time, which had stopped, began to flow.

[Young elf.]

[I'll give you a chance.]

[Become one with us!]

Swaaaah!

Suho and Sirka's vision changed in an instant.

Cha Hae-in's determined expression was visible next to them.

Around them, numerous high elves, tree trunks, and countless spirits were rushing in from all directions.

But now was no time to panic.

Without a doubt, who will go first?

They counterattacked against the entire forest.

"Spirit Armor!"

Damn it!

Sirka slammed her spear into the floor.

Ice armor that rose like frost from the tip of the spear surrounded Sirka's entire body.

As Suho's foot took a step in front of him.

[Use 'Protection: Blizzard of the Cold'.]

WHEEWAAAH-!

Winter has come to Elvenwood.

"T, this is absolutely not true!"

"Why is the power of a dead monarch in this land… …!"

The expressions of astonishment on the faces of the high elves are quite a sight.

They probably don't even dream about it.

That the Lord of the Cold, who had already lost the war and died, could still be involved in this world.

And the moment the Lord of the Cold accepted his quest.

Just as he taught Sirka how to use her powers, he also passed on the know-how to utilize his protection to Suho.

[The 'Bonding Skill' is formed through the bond with the 'Descendants of the Cold'.]

Shh.

Suho revealed his teeth meaningfully as he looked at the newly-created skill.

"Wingless guys. All rise up!"

Gooooooooo!

At the same time, shadow soldiers rise from the shadow of the guardian.

Suho used a new skill towards them.

"Spirit Armament!"

(spiritual martial arts equipment)

[Skill: Spirit Armament Lv.1]

Requires 1 mana per second

Temporarily strengthens Shadow Soldiers by offering spirits as sacrifices.

Depending on the type and amount of spirit, the attributes and level of strengthening of the shadow soldier will vary.

[Kuaaaah!]

Then, without anyone saying anything, the shadow soldiers began to grow in size.

The spirits that Sirka had defeated took possession of the soldiers' bodies.