Infinite Competitive Dungeon Society - Chapter 29 – I Can Hear Your Voice (6)
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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 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.

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

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

[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. Peika clearly was a strong elemental with lots of room to grow. . In fact, she was a unique elemental with self-awareness and a name, which normal elementals did not have. She also had secrets that I was unaware of. However, Peika right now was still weak.

This was true of all elementals. 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 more similar, thus making the elemental stronger. All elementals started at the same baseline once contracted. What differentiated one elemental from another was their speed of growth and the absolute limit of their growth. I smiled, “Let’s get along, Peika.”

Peika puffed up. [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 party.

The Dark Ratman solo run was going to be today. I trembled slightly. The situation today was vastly different compared to yesterday’s. In fact, 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 in happiness. If the equipment I wanted did not drop, I would have had to fight the boss again in a party. Thankfully, bringing four other people did the trick. I smiled as I picked the Dark Ratman’s Leather Glove.

“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 that 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 chattering enough amongst themselves to fill a whole novel, I confirmed the six pieces of the Dark Ratman set I had obtained so far. Because weapons did not count towards the set, I never picked the Dark Ratman’s Claw from the list of drops. The Wraith Queen Set had six parts to it, but apparently the Dark Ratman Set would have seven.

I currently had 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 piece would be a leather jacket. In any case, I would find out very soon.

“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 say those thoughts out loud. After 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?” Loretta stuttered, visibly surprised. 

“Yes.”

“Um, on your shoulder…”

Eh? She can 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. The Faerie race was a mystical race that was represented by the well-known elves, fairies, hobgoblins, and dwarves. Although elementals could be considered as a part of the 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; only a select few who could had to learn it through their own efforts. However, members of the Faerie race were all born with the ability to wield mana. Although they had their shortcomings in other areas, in terms of their magical abilities, they were unparalleled.

Out of all of them, the Elves had the greatest affinity with mana and elementals. Regardless of whether they could form contracts with them or not, they were born with Elemental Eyes, which allowed them to see elementals.

Apparently, Loretta was a part of the Faerie race, and an elf at that. In my imagination, elves always had long, pointy ears, but since she was currently in a puppet that she created, she must have hidden her distinctive racial features.

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

… Wait, how did I know all this? Was it a 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 basically made out of muscle with no brains to speak of! If anybody said you would become an Elementalist…a hellhound passing by would laugh.”

I retorted, “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 try to dodge my pats. How cute. I already knew what she thought with the connection we shared.

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

“Squeak! 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 any of you. Useless thoughts flitted through my mind as 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 headed towards the Dark Ratman.

Although the rattled Dark Ratman tried to attack her, she was a lightning elemental. All elementals had their own specialities. Wind elementals were swift, while water elementals were soft and flexible. Earth elementals were sturdy and fire elementals were hot. Since Peika was a lightning elemental, she was fast and sharp. “Little fly, gwak gwak, 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 own black lightning, it didn’t seem to matter as the elemental lightning attack worked, as it let out a pain-filled shriek. Good, I could leave the Dark Ratman to her.

I had the utmost trust in my elemental, so 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 and followed with Vengeful Spirit’s Wail.

“Kiyaaaa!”

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

The gathered ratmen made vacuous expressions and began to either roll around on the floor or attack each other. The time 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!” I shouted.

[Whoo, I’m first!]

[Whee~]

I was preparing 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, after gathering together, they radiated a bright light around my spear. If my Heroic Strike shone with a pure-white radiance, then the countless elementals on my spear glowed with a festival-like rainbow.

When I saw such a 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. This skill combined by technique as a spearman and strength as an Elementalist. It was a method that embodied my dual identity.

I shouted exuberantly, “Here I go, Elemental Tempest!”