'I Reincarnated But Have No System? You Must Be Kidding Me!'-Chapter 34: Bonbon’s True Identity

Suddenly, the spinning blades shifted course.

Under Kardel’s precise control, they reoriented mid-air and launched straight toward Rhiki—merciless and without hesitation. Of course, Kardel didn’t care if Auren and Jairah were caught in the crossfire.

"Move!" Auren barked.

With a burst of instinct, Auren yanked Jairah out of the way, just barely evading two of the deadly blades. He spun midair, parrying the remaining two with swift, expert strokes of his Divine Rapier. Sparks exploded as blade met blade, the runes glowing brighter with each clash. Fortunately it did not come back to him.

Rhiki, on the other hand, dodged effortlessly—his movements like a breeze weaving through chaos. With his signature smirk widening, he drew a second dagger from his back. A burst of deep blue aura erupted around him—ominous and commanding.

His presence felt like a blade pressed to the throat while his figure effortlessly deflected each flying blades with expert precision.

"I’ve got a suggestion," Rhiki said, his voice silky with malice. "How about I slice off your nose so you won’t have to whine about my scent?"

Auren and Jairah froze. Their instincts screamed at them to flee. Every fiber in their bodies tensed under the oppressive weight of Rhiki’s aura. Fortunately, his focus wasn’t on them... not yet. novelbuddy-cσ๓

Kardel, perched atop his magical deer, sneered in response. "Why don’t you try? Let’s see if you can lay a finger on me before I rip you into pieces."

His floating blades came back and spun even faster, whirring in a tight orbit around him—defensive and offensive at once. A faint green aura now cloaked his body, its hum syncing with the runes etched across his gear.

"You think those pathetic knives and your overgrown mouse will protect you?" Rhiki snapped.

Suddenly, his body blurred into motion.

[PHANTOM FADE]

In an instant, smoke exploded around him. Three copies split from his form, each one darting forward in a different direction. All three Rhikis surged toward Kardel with chilling confidence, flanking from every angle like wolves closing in on prey.

The air between the two warriors crackled with tension—centuries of rivalry now erupting in the open. Each belonged to a tribe that had quietly loathed the other, their feud suppressed for generations.

"Hmph. Illusions won’t scare me," Kardel growled, signaling Usan- the magical deer, to charge ahead.

The magical deer bounded forward with impossible grace. Earthen spikes burst from the ground in a jagged pattern, forcing the three Rhikis to adjust mid-run. Despite the chaos, the real Rhiki kept his grin sharp and eyes focused.

They clashed back and forth, unleashing their own unique fighting styles—each movement a deadly dance honed over decades of battlefield experience. Rhiki darted like a phantom through shadows, his twin daggers gleaming with every feint and strike, while Kardel responded with precise counters and powerful elemental spells, his floating blades weaving a deadly perimeter around him. Blow after blow, spell after spell, neither could gain the upper hand.

It became clear with every clash that neither of them were ordinary warriors—these were seasoned veterans, predators who had survived countless wars. Each attack they delivered carried lethal intent, but also the kind of restraint only mastered by those who knew how dangerous underestimating a rival could be.

This wasn’t just a skirmish; it was a test of wills between two elven tribal leaders.

The aura pressure between the two clashed like colliding storms to the surrondings. Auren’s blood boiled in response—adrenaline flooding his system—while the ground trembled beneath them caused by the suffocating aura of the two fighters.

Beside him, Jairah suddenly collapsed. Her body finally gave up from the pressure and exhaustion. Not to mention her extremely low mana status and weak mental resistance to powerful entities. The overwhelming spiritual pressure had knocked her out cold.

"Jairah!" Auren caught her before she hit the forest floor. Her face had gone pale; her breath shallow.

"Hang in there," he whispered, while positioning himself to carry her on his back. Despite his small figure it was enough for him to carry the young elf. Auren then proceeds to scanning the battlefield.

Not far from them, the clash loomed just seconds away. Rhiki and Kardel—both bruised, both breathing hard—closed the distance with slow, deliberate steps. Their eyes burned with the fire of old grudges, and their weapons gleamed in the fading light, ready to carve flesh and bone.

Each was poised to end the other, no more words, no more warnings.

But just as their blades were about to collide—an instant from a fatal strike—the very forest trembled.

A sound rippled through the air, low and vast, as if the trees themselves were holding their breath.

"THATS ENOUGH."

A voice.

a deep and powerful one. Reverberating. Unmistakable.

It was a voice that silenced birds mid-flight. A voice that stopped magic mid-chant. It echoed through the trees like thunder laced with divine command. A voice that rang not just in their ears—but in their very bones.

Instantly, both Rhiki and Kardel halted in place. Their expressions twisted—not in rage, but fear.

Because they recognized that voice.

It was him.

The one even the Queen bowed to.

The being that could silence entire tribes with a word.

It was the voice of the Whisper Oracle.

As if responding to an unspoken command buried deep in their blood, both Rhiki and Kardel immediately dropped their weapons and dropped to their knees, bowing low in the direction of the voice. Even Usan—the proud, enchanted deer mount of Kardel—lowered its antlered head in reverence, ears pinned flat in solemn respect.

But when the two leaders slowly raised their heads... what they saw was not the majestic, towering figure one would expect from a being regarded as a god among elves.

Instead, their gazes locked onto something... absurdly small.

Perched neatly atop Auren’s left shoulder, nestled in the crook of his neck, was a creature no larger than a teacup. Its fur was a vivid moss green, soft and impossibly smooth, almost iridescent with glints of starlight woven into every strand. Three delicate purple thorns protruded like a crown from its head, and its eyes—too large for its face—glowed with an ancient, unfathomable depth. Like galaxies swirling behind glass.

"B-Bonbon?" Auren said weakly, blinking in disbelief as he cradled the unconscious Jairah in his arms.

The creature tilted its head at him—slowly, deliberately—as though peering not at Auren’s face, but through it. As though it was weighing his soul.

Then realization struck, swift and merciless.

Rhiki recoiled ever so slightly, a twitch of panic breaking his usual mask of smugness. Kardel’s pupils shrank. Cold sweat broke across both their brows.

No. No, no, no...

It couldn’t be.

That adorable, bug-eyed puffball clinging to Auren’s shoulder—the same one they had all dismissed as a pet? A curiosity?

That was Bonbon.

And Bonbon... was the Whisper Oracle.

Not a companion. Not a tamed beast.

But a divine being.

The being. The whisper in the runewoods. The sacred voice even the Queen herself bowed to.

Their thoughts spiraled in horror.

Auren, utterly stunned, could only look between them and the creature.

"You’re... you’re the Oracle?" he whispered.

Bonbon blinked slowly, then opened its tiny mouth—and spoke again.

Its voice, impossibly deep and resonant for a creature so small, reverberated in the air like distant thunder.

"Go. Help her."

Rhiki and Kardel snapped their gazes toward Jairah, who lay limp on Auren’s back.

"You mean... Jairah, my Lord Oracle?" Kardel asked, his tone trembling with reverence.

Bonbon did not answer. Instead, it opened its mouth once more—wider this time.

A pulse of mana rippled outward as a black sphere, no larger than a walnut, formed in the air before it. The sphere pulsed once—twice—then cracked open, forming a swirling rift of darkness, a tear in reality itself.

Before any of them could react, the rift expanded—then pulled.

Like leaves caught in a cyclone, Auren, Kardel, and Rhiki were yanked forward with a jolt, sucked into the miniature black hole without a single chance to resist.

And just like that—they were gone.

Only Jairah remained, unconscious beneath the ancient trees, while the forest echoed with silence and mystery once more.

Back at Aetherthorn...

Tension hung thick in the air.

All the elder elves were gathered in the sacred hall, surrounded by ancient roots and enchanted torches. The last of their warriors had been dispatched to fend off the Night Stalkers. What remained were smiths, cooks, and scholars—none trained for battle.

Aetherthorn itself remained protected, thanks to the massive enchanted trees that served as both shield and anchor. The natural barrier kept beasts at bay—but for how long?

Whispers passed between the elders.

The Queen—gone.

Kardel and Rhiki—also missing.

And now, three of the Lantaw orbs had gone dark. Panic grew with every passing minutes.

In the midst of this tension, three figures slipped through the guarded halls.

"Jeis, wait!" Robert panted.

"We’re coming too!" Marissa added, catching up.

They moved with urgency—dodging concerned glances, ignoring shouted warnings. With the gates momentarily unmanned, they slipped out into the unknown.

For them, there was no time to wait.

Not with Auren and Jairah missing.

Not when the forest itself whispered of something far more ancient waking beneath the soil.

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