Chapter 29. I Can Hear Your Voice (6)

[Wow, a lightning elemental!]

[It’s the first time I’ve seen one!]

[How beautiful. She stole my heart.]

[Heart… Thief?]

[Ah, she’s an Elementalist’s contracted elemental!]

I could hear the chatter of elementals all around me. Their radiant souls were lighting up the world in a way I had never seen before. The noble scenery charmed me completely, leaving me speechless.

This all happened in the instant when I became aware of myself as an Elementalist. Although the elementals’ wavelengths did not match mine, just knowing how many elementals there were in the world filled me with an indescribable emotion.

[Master doesn’t need to look at other elementals. Master has me.]

“Haha, how reliable. But aren’t you still weak?”

[T-That’s… I’ll get stronger soon!]

I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Peika standing on my shoulder and declaring her intentions with her folding fan held high. I knew that Peika was a strong elemental and that she would continue to get stronger. She was a unique elemental with self-awareness and a name. She also had secrets I was unaware of. However, Peika right now was still weak.

All elementals were like that. They were existences that grew stronger by continued communication with their contracted master. No elemental was strong from the moment it formed a contract. Well, there were, of course, exceptions.

In general, by spending time together, the souls of the elemental and the Elementalist became similar, thus making the elemental stronger. The speed and the limit of growth, which differed for each elemental, determined the strength of an elemental. However, they all started at the same starting line.

“Let’s get along, Peika.”

[Leave it to me! I am the lightning elemental Peika!]

As I was enjoying my talk with my lovely partner, I suddenly recalled what I had planned for today.

‘One last part.’

The Dark Ratman solo. I trembled slightly. Today’s circumstance was a lot different than yesterday’s. Let alone the Dark Ratman, I felt like I could defeat even the 25th Floor Master alone. With Peika’s strength and Elemental Control…!

[Kang Shin-nim’s contribution is the highest. Choose your reward.]

[1. Dark Ratman’s Leather Vest

2. Middle Potion

3. Dark Ratman’s Leather Fedora

4. 600 Gold

5. Dark Ratman’s Leather Glove.]

There! I clenched my fists. If the equipment part I wanted did not drop, I would have had to fight the boss again. Thankfully, bringing four other people did the trick. Choosing the Dark Ratman’s Leather Glove, I smiled.

“Wow, Crown Prince-nim already picked an item, but there are still two set items left.”

“Crown Prince-nim is truly unparalleled in boss fights.”

“He’s an Elementalist. They are people the likes of us can’t begin to comprehend.”

“How come I’ve never heard of Crown Prince-nim being an Elementalist?”

“He must have been hiding it.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Like I said, Elementalists are people we can’t comprehend.”

As my party members were writing a novel of their own, I confirmed the six Dark Ratman set equipment. Because weapons did not count towards the set, I never chose the Dark Ratman’s Claw. The Wraith Queen Set had six parts to it, but it seemed the Dark Ratman Set would have seven.

What I had now was the Dark Ratman’s Leather Fedora, Dark Ratman’s Leather Vest, Dark Ratman’s Leather Belt, Dark Ratman’s Leather Glove, Dark Ratman’s Leather Pants, and finally, Dark Ratman’s Leather Boots. Since it was unlikely that a shirt would be made out of leather, I suspected the last one would be a leather jacket. I was about to find out.

“Good work everyone. I’ll be leaving now.”

“Thank you, Crown Prince-nim! As expected of a Hero!”

“An Elementalist, I’m so jealous. I hope to see you on the 20th floor too!”

‘That probably won’t happen. By the time you’re on the 17th floor, I’ll have long since left the 20th floor.’ Of course, I didn’t let my thought escape my mouth. Wishing them good luck, I left the boss room. On the other side was Loretta, who I was seeing for the first time today.

“C-Customer?”

“Yes.”

“Um, on your shoulder…”

Eh? She could see Peika? Although Elementalists could let others see their elementals, I had not done so. This could only mean that she was an Elementalist whose wavelength matched Peika, or…

[Faerie race! It’s the first time I’ve seen a member of the Faerie race!]

Peika shouted in surprise when she saw Loretta. With my guess having been confirmed, I nodded my head. The Faerie race, a mystical race that was represented by the well-known elves, fairies, hobgoblins, and dwarves. Although elementals could be considered true faeries, they were different from elves or dwarves who had settled down on the material world.

Members of the Human race could not wield mana, or the select few that could had to learn it through their own efforts. However, members of the Faerie race were born with the ability to wield mana. Although they had their shortcomings, in terms of their magical abilities they were unparalleled.

Of them, the Elves had the greatest affinity with mana and elementals. Whether they could form contracts with them or not, they were born with Elemental Eyes, which allowed them to see elementals.

It seemed Loretta was a Faerie, and an elf at that. I imagined that an elf would have long, pointy ears, but since she said her form was a puppet she created, she must have hidden her racial features.

But how could she see elementals with through her puppet? Ah, I see. It was an ability rooted in the mind, not the body.

… Wait, how did I know all this? Was it part of the knowledge ingrained into me when I became an Elementalist?

“Customer, you became an Elementalist! Wow, that was unexpected!”

“That… doesn’t sound like a compliment.”

“I mean, a few years ago, you were muscle-brained and muscle-bodied! If anybody said you would become an Elementalist… a hellhound passing by would laugh.”

“I wouldn’t want to be in a place where a hellhound is randomly passing by anyways!”

[You, did you ridicule Master?]

When Peika glared at Loretta and asked, Loretta shook her head with a smile.

“Elemental-nim, customer and I share a special relationship. We were just having a friendly conversation.”

[Hmph, I don’t like you. Not to mention, you’re hiding in a puppet.]

With a humph, Peika snorted and turned away. As I gently rubbed Peika’s head, I talked to Loretta.

“I’ll be back. It shouldn’t take long.”

Loretta seemed to have understood what I meant as a faint smile flickered around her mouth.

“Good luck. I’ll pray for your safety.”

“Thanks.”

I inspected my Wraith Queen Set one last time and made sure I had all sorts of potions ready on my body. Finally, I patted Peika on the head.

[I’m not a child!]

Although Peika shouted and puffed out her cheeks, she did not refuse my patting. How cute. I already knew what she thought with the connection we shared.

I stood in front of the door I just closed. With my spear in hand, I kicked it open.

“Kugaga! Human, a human!”

“Tasty looking human!”

“I’ll turn you all into rat meat steaks!”

[You used the skill, Provoke! You draw nearby enemies toward you!]

‘Not that I’d eat it.’ Thinking rather useless things, I charged forward, paving forth a way with my spear.

“Peika, I’ll leave it to you!”

[Got it!]

As I swung my spear amongst the sea of ratmen, Peika calmly flew up. Then, as if to make fun of the ratmen attempting to block her way, she leisurely flew past them and towards the Dark Ratman.

Although the rattled Dark Ratman tried to attack her, she was a lightning elemental. As a wind elemental was swift, as a water elemental was soft, as an earth elemental was sturdy, and as fire elemental was hot, she, as a lightning elemental, was fast and sharp.

“Little fly, kugagak, I’ll crush you!”

[F-Fly? You dare compare this noble lightning elemental to a fly!? I’ll kill you!]

I could feel mana draining out of me. Peika had taken it to manifest her elemental lightning. Although the Dark Ratman had its black lightning, it seemed the elemental lightning attack worked, as it let out a pain-filled shriek. Good. It seemed I could leave the Dark Ratman to her.

Feeling an infinite trust in my elemental, I drank a Lowest-grade Mana Potion, and focused again on the ratmen in front of me. I continued to use Provoke to draw them near me, then used Vengeful Spirit’s Wail.

“Kiyaaaa!”

[You used Vengeful Spirit’s Wail. All enemies within its area become confused and feared!]

The gathered ratmen made vacuous expressions and began to roll around on the floor or attack each other. It was now! I raised my spear up high.

“Elementals!”

[Prince is calling!]

[What do we do? What do we do?]

[Ugly rats, ew.]

“Come to my spear! Together, we’ll exterminate those ugly rats!”

[Whoo, I’m first!]

[Whee~]

What I prepared was Tempest. At my calling, the nearby elementals let out small lights as if to assert their existences and flew toward my spear. Along with Peruta Circuit’s flow of mana, a spiral current formed around my spear and the elementals naturally began spinning along the current.

[Fun! It looks fun!]

[Me too, me too!]

[Put me in too!]

No matter how faint the lights were, when they gathered together in mass, the spear was radiating with bright light. If Heroic Strike shone with a pure-white radiance, then the countless elementals on my spear shone it with a festival-like rainbow.

In front of such beautiful sight, I almost forgot to attack. However, I soon remembered what situation I was in due to the elementals slowly draining my mana.

“Here I go, Tem-”

No, this was different from the Tempest Peruta had taught me. My technique as a spearman and strength as an Elementalist. It was a technique that embodied my identity.

“Here I go, Elemental Tempest!”