Transmigrated to a Dark Fantasy World of SSS-Rank: King of the Void-Chapter 77: In Spite of Fear

The Wendigo’s body finally turned into a pile of gray ash, which the wind gently carried across the ground, leaving behind only that pale skull with its sharp, dangerous bone antlers.

The group let out tired sighs at the sight of victory laid out before them, and together—following Mitsuki’s lead—they dropped to the ground in relief. Monar leaned on his staff, Azel lay flat with his hands behind his head, and Marco sat on a nearby rock.

"It was tougher than we thought," the blond said.

"But physically weak, like any Wendigo. Imagine if it had a body of steel. I’d be dead, at least," Azel added.

Monar rested his staff across his legs, settling into a more relaxed posture.

"It’s better not to think about death when we’re this young, you know?" 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Meanwhile, Mitsuki stared at his hand in amazement. What he had just done... it had been incredible. Even if he had acted as bait against the Wendigo, it had been crucial in preventing the others from getting hurt—and it had sped up the fight exponentially. Because of that, he closed his eyes, clenching his hand into a fist.

His weapon faded away along with the ash.

’This is how it should’ve been from the start... but I can’t complain anymore. I’m getting stronger and faster. My stats are still rising too. With a little more time, I’ll be able to defend myself on my own.’

It felt like everything had begun last night, when he killed the two small ash statues. He had managed to combine almost all of his abilities into a deadly harmony, maneuver like a true warrior, and think quickly in battle like a real adventurer.

These were things he had done before arriving in this world—but from behind a screen.

"Anyway, what the hell is going on with the monsters around here? They’re more dangerous than before," Azel complained.

Monar sighed. "Maybe the rumors are true. If the Kingdom of Holylight was freed from the ash by the Herald of the Unnameable, then the residual power must have increased in the surrounding creatures. I don’t even want to imagine what the other kingdoms are like. It’s almost certain we wouldn’t even be able to get close."

Mitsuki swallowed nervously. This was clearly because of his presence in this world. One way or another, he had destroyed the anchor of the curse in Holylight, and as a result, all the ash beasts had gone mad. If it weren’t for that, the world would still be the same.

That thought made him even more uneasy. Even though he felt guilty, he was also afraid that someday the people of this world would discover his true identity and start hunting him down—just like witches in a distant era of ancient Europe.

"The Herald..." he said, interrupting the group. Even though the words caught in his throat, he swallowed all those emotions that trapped him and forced himself to speak, just as he had done before. "Are you afraid of the Herald of the Unnameable?"

Marco let out a small chuckle.

"Afraid? Of course we are. Anyone who knows the scars of the past and the shadows of the future will fear the creature destined to bring an end to our story."

Monar nodded. "Even the elves are afraid to even mention the Herald. You know... they’re so arrogant they avoid showing fear."

"The truth is, despite that fear, most people prefer to ignore it and live life to the fullest," Azel added, staring up at the clouds. "Because you never know when the end of the world will come—that moment when a person can lose everything in an instant. So even if the possibility exists, don’t dwell on it. Just live. Living in fear brings nothing but stupid thoughts."

Marco sheathed his sword. "But fear is also an extremely important part of life for all rational beings. It teaches us when to be cautious."

"Yes, but it’s more than that," Monar added. "Because those who fight and live fully in spite of fear... can be called ’brave.’"

At the dark elf’s wise words, Marco stood up, adjusting the belt of his sword sheath. His gaze shifted toward the remains of the Wendigo, especially the antlered skull lying beside the ash.

"We’ll be those brave ones. Because the stories of true adventurers are carved in stone by their courage, right?"

Azel burst out laughing.

"There you go again with your childish speeches. You’ve said that so many times since I met you that it’s always funny watching you get all fired up. Cut it out already, man. If it weren’t for the fact that every self-respecting adventurer wants to become a legendary figure, maybe I wouldn’t laugh at your dreams."

Marco made an annoyed face, a slight twitch appearing on his eyebrow.

"You always interrupt me when I’m talking. We should sew your mouth shut. Monar, do you know any spell to shut him up?"

The elf smiled. "You’re in luck," he said, waving his staff. Suddenly, small sparks floated over Azel’s face. He looked confused as his mouth sealed shut completely. "Done."

"Thanks. Now, where was I? Ah, right."

A crooked smile formed on Mitsuki’s face.

’Sometimes I don’t understand how a simple question can turn into such a long discussion. Being social really isn’t my thing.’

But he would have to learn if he wanted to become someone in this world.

After Marco’s long speech—which Mitsuki chose not to listen to—the group decided to resume their journey toward the next village. They organized their belongings, restored their shields just in case, and got ready to move.

Before the group disappeared into the darkness, Mitsuki approached the remains of the beast they had slain.

’This should get me some money,’ he thought, holding the Wendigo’s skull in his hands. ’And if not... it has to be useful for something.’

A few minutes later, as they crossed a small stream, Azel noticed that the spell had worn off. He made a few exaggerated mouth movements to confirm it, then looked at Mitsuki with curiosity.

"Hey, Ashen Kid, when did you learn to use that amazing magic you showed against the Wendigo?"

"I was wondering the same thing. Ash magic is extremely difficult to learn and control. For starters, manipulating all those particles is a headache."

"Uh... well... it’s something I learned while training magic with Ellegaard. She told me I could learn many types of magic with a few months of intensive study. Then she’d hit me on the head with her staff every time I failed..."

"That’s impressive... except for the last part. Sorry about that."

"Yeah... sure..." Mitsuki looked away. ’There’s no way I can tell them enemies can grant me skills through the system... or that I’m the Herald of the Unnameable, gathering my powers...’

"So we’ve got a prodigy in the group. That’s great, don’t you think, Marco?"

"He’s been useful—more than the porter we were going to hire. So yeah, I guess it’s fine."

’Well... it looks like they don’t suspect me. And it feels good to be recognized. It’s been a long time since the last time...’

The last time...

’By the way... what’s with "Ashen Kid"? Another nickname?’

[ The world has begun to tell a story. ]