I reincarnated as an elf .......and married the yandere villainess.

Chapter 275: 275: Avoiding

The sounds of battle led Atheline back toward his companions long before he actually saw them, which wasn’t surprising.

Prince Lucifer possessed all the subtlety of a collapsing mountain. A distant explosion echoed through the forest, then another. Several birds fled from nearby trees as a result.

A few seconds later a shockwave rolled through the snow-covered woods. Snow rose into a cloud, covering the air in white.

Atheline sighed in resignation.

"I guess they found something."

A louder explosion followed just afterwards.

"... Or something found them."

When he finally emerged from the trees, he discovered the answer almost immediately. Simion was standing atop a massive boulder while lightning surged around his sword, Prince Lucifer was wrestling a corrupted frost mammoth barehanded.

Atheline stopped walking.

"..."

The mammoth roared and Prince Lucifer roared back, which was a comical sight. Simion looked utterly exhausted. Atheline looked toward the sky wondering why he even bothered asking questions anymore.

Prince Lucifer spotted him immediately.

"You’re back!"

Atheline pointed toward the mammoth.

"What are you doing?"

Prince Lucifer looked confused.

"Killing it."

Atheline stared at him flatly, disbelieving. The mammoth was currently attempting to trample him. Prince Lucifer was attempting to punch it with his free hand, the giant hammer rested several meters away.

Atheline rubbed his forehead.

"Why aren’t you using the hammer?"

Prince Lucifer smiled then burst into laughter.

"It looked strong and I prefer fighting it this way," he calmly said as though that explained everything.

Simion pointed toward the prince his frustration clear for Atheline to see.

"See? Your highness... I told you that was insane."

Prince Lucifer ignored him. A moment later dark flames erupted around his fist. The mammoth’s head met the prince’s punch, with a resounding crack. The resulting impact sent the creature crashing through several trees.

The forest shook with each impact until it came to a stop. Silence followed afterwards. The mammoth did not stand back up.

Prince Lucifer nodded.

"This is satisfying."

Atheline just shook his head at that. Eventually, they continued deeper into the forest. Their eyes had adjusted to the darkness which meant the forest became as clear as day.

Outside the forest, the beast swarm had weakened significantly, and dead creatures littered parts of the wilderness. Hunters and soldiers could be seen in the distance collecting materials. The crisis that had originally brought everyone here was clearly coming to an end.

Inside the forest, that didn’t stop the three of them from continuing. For several more hours, they traveled together, occasionally fighting, arguing, and competing over kills.

Atheline gradually pushed thoughts of the Sovereign Core aside since there was nothing he could do about it.

A corrupted snow serpent attacked near a frozen river. Atheline pinned its body to the ground with earth-enhanced arrows. Prince Lucifer shattered its skull with a hammer strike. Both claimed the kill but Simion refused to judge.

Another attack followed. A pack of winter panthers attempted an ambush. The Panthers immediately regretted every decision that led them there.

Hours passed of continuous fighting. The snow continued falling having increased as the night continued.

Eventually, even Prince Lucifer began slowing down, mainly from disappointment. The stronger beasts became increasingly rare.

They all knew that the deeper regions of the forest should have contained something else, something greater and capable of leading the swarm.

The Forest Lord.

The three had been searching for it but it seems to have disappeared into the depths of the forest.

Atheline stood atop a ridge overlooking the dark forest below. Night and snow had blanketed the forest into something akin to a beautiful mess.

Simion joined him.

"You think it left?"

Atheline shrugged.

"Maybe."

Prince Lucifer appeared moments later, looking annoyed. To all of them, the forest lord would probably be the ultimate hunt.

Simion also asked him.

"You didn’t find it either?"

He snorted.

"No."

Silence followed right after. The three surveyed the endless forest. Atheline frowned, something about it bothered him. Everything felt intentional, the destruction and beast swarms were real, yet the creature supposedly directing everything remained absent. It seems to have hidden the moment they arrived.

Simion seemed to reach a similar conclusion.

"It almost feels like it was avoiding us."

Prince Lucifer folded his arms.

"If it was, then I commend it. I cannot find its aether signature anywhere."

Atheline looked toward the darkening woods. Or perhaps something else was happening. The recent incidents involving the corrupt came to mind, it seems everything seems to come to that as an eventual conclusion.

Eventually, Prince Lucifer sighed, a surprisingly normal reaction.

"I suppose we’re finished."

Atheline laughed.

"You sound disappointed."

"I am."

Simion just shook his head, not wanting to say anything. Most people considered surviving a successful hunt an achievement while Prince Lucifer considered it a missed opportunity. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

Atheline shook his head, then looked toward the distant lights of civilization. The swarm had been broken and the stronger beasts had been eliminated. The soldiers could handle the rest.

There was no reason to stay longer, even if part of him wanted to continue exploring. His thoughts drifted briefly toward what had transpired in the forest but he pushed it out of his mind. There would be time later.

The three finally began their journey back.

.

.

.

Several days later.

Atheline exhaled deeply as he stepped into their private chambers, warmth greeting him immediately. A welcomed change from frozen mountains and endless snow.

Lilith sat near the fireplace reading documents.

She looked up the moment he entered, and a small smile appeared on her lips, one reserved only for him.

"You’re back."

Atheline immediately walked over and hugged her enjoying her body warmth. Lilith pushed him from her.

"Get off, you’re cold."

Atheline smiled mischievously and pushed his hand into the nightgown she was wearing. Lilith flinched the moment his hands touched her back.

"I’ll hit you if you do that again, " she whispered harshly as she hurriedly pulled Atheline’s freezing hands from her back.

Atheline chuckled and then collapsed onto the space on her couch.