Chapter 12: The Disaster Star dreams of a future with the elf.
****
The first enemy Enoch encountered in the dungeon was a large boulder.
A boulder shaped like a person.
He recalled Rionne's lessons and remembered what they were called.
"Golem."
Probably a Stone Golem, since it was made of rock.
He'd heard they were like summoned beasts used by mages, but he didn't understand why it was here.
This felt like a naturally occurring dungeon, not a mage's workshop.
Well, whatever.
He charged at the golem without hesitation.
The fight could be summarized as follows: Enoch dodged the golem's attacks, hit it repeatedly, the golem crumbled, then regenerated, Enoch dodged again, hit it again, it crumbled again, regenerated again…
Even Enoch, brimming with energy, started to tire.
More than that, he was getting annoyed.
Then…
Crack!
A different sensation in his hand.
Like shattering thick glass.
"Ah."
The golem, now in pieces, finally stopped moving.
He remembered.
Golems usually had a core.
Unless the core was destroyed, they would keep regenerating until they ran out of energy.
He'd listened attentively to Rionne's lessons, but he'd been so focused on fighting that he'd forgotten.
'So this is why information about your opponent is important.'
He nodded in understanding.
'Should I go back now?'
He was tired from wrestling with the golem, and the sun was probably starting to set.
Besides, he didn't know how big this dungeon was or what strange properties it might have.
He turned to leave.
Exiting the dungeon, he…
"Roar?"
…came face to face with a bear.
A house-sized bear.
***
"Haa…"
Enoch lay sprawled on the bear, completely exhausted.
The poor bear had become his mode of transport.
He was tired, but beating up a bear wasn't difficult, and he'd had a sudden inspiration and acted on it.
As the already dim forest grew dark, he reached the border between the deep forest and the shallower area.
"Go."
He patted the bear's head, and it scurried away.
He picked up speed and reached the house in no time.
"Enoch!"
Rionne rushed out as soon as he arrived.
The worry etched on her face instantly transformed into a bright smile.
She must have been quite worried; her smile bloomed like a flower.
"Rionne."
Enoch, feigning exhaustion, walked towards her with small steps.
She enveloped him in a hug, and he was surrounded by her warmth and the refreshing scent of the forest.
His fatigue seemed to melt away.
He could never refuse any request if the reward was this embrace.
"Are you alright? You weren't in any danger, were you?"
Rionne pulled back slightly, checking him over.
Undine had given her a brief report, but she couldn't help but worry.
"Yes. I'm fine."
"That's good."
She chuckled softly. "
Are you hungry? I'll make you dinner."
"Wait a moment."
Enoch fumbled in his pocket and pulled something out.
The golem's core.
Shattered into pieces.
"A present."
"This is…"
Rionne easily recognized it.
'Where did he get a golem core?'
The question was quickly answered.
"I found a dungeon."
"A dungeon?"
"Yes. The one you told me about, the… naturally occurring kind."
Rionne's expression hardened slightly.
"You went inside?"
"…Yes."
"Hmm…"
Naturally occurring dungeons were dangerous.
You never knew what you might encounter.
She'd specifically told him not to enter them recklessly…
"…Well, I'm glad you're safe. But don't ever do that again, okay?"
"Okay."
Enoch nodded, placing the golem core fragments in her hand.
Golem cores were quite useful, and since this one came from a naturally occurring dungeon, it might be even more valuable.
Rionne sighed and hugged him.
"Thank you. But really, be careful next time, okay?"
"Okay."
"Oh dear, what am I going to do with you?"
He gave the right answers, but she was still worried.
'Is this… puberty?'
He was much calmer than the human teenagers described in the books, but he still had his moments of unexpected recklessness.
"I can't keep you by my side forever."
"Huh?"
Enoch looked up sharply.
"I'd like that."
"No."
Enoch lowered his head again.
"To overcome the curse of the Disaster Star, you need to increase your rank quickly."
And the most likely way to do that was to gain a lot of experience.
It didn't work for everyone, but Enoch was so talented, it might work for him.
"Then… if I overcome it, will we live together forever?"
"Huh?"
Rionne's eyes widened, then she chuckled. She was so proud of him.
"Of course. As long as you don't find another girl and abandon Noona."
"Never!"
Enoch exclaimed, unusually loud.
Rionne's smile deepened.
And Enoch made a resolution.
He would break the curse of the Disaster Star.
As quickly as possible.
***
Rionne lay in bed, patting Enoch's chest as he fidgeted, unable to sleep.
'A kind child like this would never harbor such extreme prejudices like racial discrimination.'
She remembered the day she'd met him.
It had only been about three years ago.
He hadn't been in good shape.
Dirty, covered in cuts and scars.
With her centuries of combat experience, she could easily tell what kind of scars they were.
'He was probably abused.'
Whether it was his parents or someone else, she didn't know.
But she was certain it was a human.
Who Enoch disliked was clear: dwarves and humans.
And who he liked was also clear: elves, and probably spirits to some extent.
Her dislike of dwarves stemmed from Rionne's own actions, and his dislike of humans was probably rooted in his childhood experiences.
He liked elves because she'd taken care of him.
The more she thought about it, the more she regretted instilling prejudice against dwarves in him, alongside his painful memories… But well, dwarves were fine.
It would be more heartbreaking if he befriended dwarves and picked up bad habits.
"Enoch…"
As he continued to fidget, she hummed a lullaby.
A soft, gentle melody.
Feeling his heartbeat slowing down, Rionne made a firm resolution.
'I'll protect you, no matter what.'
Until all his wounds healed, she would cherish him.
***
"Then… if I overcome it, will we live together forever?"
Her answer.
Her positive reaction.
Vivid images flashed through Enoch's mind.
Forever…
Even though humans were an inferior race that lived less than a hundred years, it wasn't impossible to overcome that lifespan.
The method wasn't that difficult either.
He just needed to transcend humanity.
It sounded absurd, but Masters actually lived for hundreds of years.
Even reaching Expert greatly extended one's lifespan.
To overcome the curse of the Disaster Star, he'd probably need to reach the Demigod level.
At that level, lifespan practically ceased to exist, so he might truly be able to pledge eternity with Rionne.
He painted a vivid picture in his mind.
A cozy home, a sprawling meadow, birds chirping softly, the gentle murmur of a stream.
He and Rionne, bathed in warm sunlight, smiling brightly.
Yes, even that blue gnat buzzing around would be alright.
Eating a simple breakfast, taking a walk in the forest, having lunch, throwing a small party, eating dinner, bathing together, cuddling and falling asleep.
Those days, those dreamlike days he'd experienced for the past three years, forever.
Thump! Thump!
His heart raced.
His face felt warm.
Even with Rionne patting his chest, he couldn't sleep.
But then… that gentle melody reached his ears.
Unintelligible lyrics, probably in ancient Elvish, tickled his eardrums.
Even though he couldn't understand the words, he felt Rionne's warmth.
He drifted off to sleep.
That hazy, drifting sensation was similar to the feeling of being submerged when the Disaster Star raged, but it was incomparable.
'If Rionne sang him a lullaby, would the Disaster Star calm down?'
That was his last thought before falling asleep.
***
Rionne held back the eager Enoch, who wanted to explore the dungeon immediately, and lectured him for a long time.
"If anything seems strange, come out right away, okay?"
"Okay."
"If you're unsure about anything, don't fight."
"Okay."
"There might be traps, so be careful of those, too."
"Okay."
"And also…"
"Okay."
"Oh, and if…"
"Okay."
Her worried rambling didn't last that long.
Just about two hours?
And then, as expected, she followed him.
****
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