Transmigrated to a Dark Fantasy World of SSS-Rank: King of the Void-Chapter 78: Who’s the Oldest?

The journey stretched on for the rest of the day. They crossed the vast forest, carefully watching their surroundings in case of an emergency. No one knew if another ash Wendigo might be lurking nearby, eager to kill. The best course of action was to stay alert and keep a close eye on the path. Just in case, everyone kept their weapons in hand.

The towering trees seemed to grow less ominous the farther they went, but that didn’t erase the decaying atmosphere the entire kingdom imposed on adventurers. The air was heavy, filled with a mysterious energy—the Ashen Curse.

"Don’t split up. The curse is heavily concentrated in this area," Monar said. "If the shields fail, we’ll be turned into statues. Watch your step."

The group nodded. No one wanted to become a sorrowful specter doomed to wander the kingdom for eternity. So they avoided every dark patch where danger might be greater.

They continued like that for the next few hours, but as expected in a place like Nemoria, ash beasts lurked in the darkness. Something watched them from the shadows of the trees—its crimson eyes pulsing in a grotesque rhythm.

This time, they didn’t hesitate. They looked at each other and nodded, confirming the start of their plan. Then, all at once, they charged forward like a pack of maniacs, weapons in hand. Blue fireballs exploded through the bushes, light arrows pierced their target, and Monar’s magic finished the creature off with a powerful yellow lightning strike that thundered across the forest. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Marco stepped forward, pushing aside the brush with his sword. There, lying on the ground, was a small creature with ashen fur and long ears. Its fluffy tail twitched with unpleasant convulsions as its body began to crumble into ash.

’A rabbit?’ Mitsuki thought, though his face twisted in disgust as he got a better look.

The creature was four times larger than a normal rabbit. Its bulging crimson eyes and two large protruding teeth made it look more like a giant rat than anything else. Arrows were embedded in its head, and a massive hole had been blown through it by a fire shot. On top of that, the ash composing its body was charred from Monar’s lightning.

"It’s been years since I’ve seen a Killer Rabbit," Azel said. "The meat of the ones that aren’t made of ash is delicious."

Marco poked the decaying corpse with his sword.

"Yeah, but they’re nearly extinct because of overhunting. There should be plenty of these around here, but they’re useless for food."

’So people actually eat these things... I mean, the ones that aren’t cursed by ash... Honestly, I wouldn’t eat something like that. It looks disgusting.’ He stepped back to give Monar some space.

"There are probably ten or more nearby, so stay sharp—and watch your legs and your face."

"We don’t need to worry that much. These things are way too weak. I think we seriously overdid it killing this one. Poor bastard," Azel said, mourning the Killer Rabbit’s demise.

With that, the group kept moving. As expected, more creatures like it appeared to attack, but they posed no real problem. Even Mitsuki could take down several using only Fire Elemental Magic and Igor—his shotgun.

They hunted nearly twenty Killer Rabbits over the next few hours, until the sun finally dipped below the horizon. They set up camp to rest for the night, as the day had been exhausting and they needed to recover their strength.

"Let’s go back to what happened after we killed the Wendigo," Monar said. "What concepts do you use to control ash, Mitsuki? I’d be very interested to know. If there’s even a chance I can learn such a sophisticated magic, I can’t pass it up."

Marco sighed as he placed a piece of meat over the fire.

"You’d better tell him, or he’ll get unbearable."

Mitsuki took a moment to organize his thoughts.

’How does it actually work? I mean, I think the system handles most of it, but there are things I notice when I use magic. For example, with fire, prana particles agitate until they ignite—but with ash, something different happens.’

He picked up a piece of meat and, as he skewered it on a stick, said:

"I think it works more like an instinct. Like when you feel the wind around you and imagine controlling it at will. When I learned Fire Magic, I had to picture prana particles agitating to ignite a flame—but with ash, the particles split into smaller ones and spread throughout the environment."

"I see..." Monar said, jotting everything down in a notebook with a piece of charcoal. "Do you feel anything specific when you turn into ash? I mean, any pain or something like that?"

Mitsuki shook his head.

"It doesn’t hurt, really. It’s more like a gentle pull... and then I’m back to normal."

"Interesting. Would you mind telling me more?"

"Oh, well..." He looked down. ’That’s all I know. How am I supposed to tell him more? I’m still learning myself...’

"Calm down a bit, Monar. You’re making Ashen Kid uncomfortable," Azel interrupted.

’Ashen Kid...’

"Oh, right. Sorry. When it comes to new magic, I can’t help getting a bit carried away. Dark elves are lovers of rare magic, unlike other elves who always use the same types. That’s why—even though we don’t get along with them—I admire Ellegaard. She doesn’t follow what her people expect of her. You had an excellent teacher, truly."

Marco clicked his tongue, annoyed at the mention of the tsundere elf. Azel let out a faint chuckle.

"I know..." Mitsuki replied. "She’s... complicated, but I learned a lot from her. If it weren’t for her teachings, the Wendigo would’ve killed me."

"She’s very wise for someone so young..."

"Young?"

"Yes. Elves perceive age differently than humans. From my perspective, Ellegaard is just a very talented teenager."

"Then what are we?" Azel said, leaning back against a tree trunk.

"Well, there’s a big difference in how we perceive our own kind versus other races. I can see you as adults because I’m aware your lifespans are much shorter than mine."

’It’s not like I didn’t know that... but hearing it from a real elf is something else.’

"In case you’re curious, Mitsuki, I’m 263 years old. Marco is 23, and Azel is 32. How old are you?"

"Well... 24, I guess."

"Then that makes Marco the youngest in the group."

’Wait... he’s younger than me?!’