Chapter 130 – Elemental Magic

“Well? What are you waiting for, Rusty? Get it over with.”

“No, don’t!”

“Don’t what? These are monsters. They would kill us instantly if they had the chance. Once they grow up, they will seek revenge and kill to survive.”

“But…”

“Oh? Is it their age? How merciful and naive. But that is how you died, hero. Let us not have our dear Rusty repeat your mistakes.”

Aburdon and Alexander were having a heated conversation while Rusty glanced at the small kobold children. Though they were monsters living in a dungeon, they were not controlled by it. They were more like him than anything else. But just as Aburdon said, they were still monsters. Once they grew up, they would start killing. Perhaps they would even seek revenge on him, the one who would still come to this dungeon to gain more levels.

Rusty stared down at the cowering kobold children, his metallic hands tightening into fists. Their wide, fearful eyes reflected the glow of his helmet, their small bodies trembling as they huddled together. He could feel their terror, their helplessness, something he knew himself. It was as if he was looking at his old corroded bronze shell, so easily destroyed.

“They don’t have a choice.”

Alexander continued to argue as if he was bent on saving these monsters from certain doom.

“They’re just surviving, like we are. Like you are.”

“And so were their parents, the ones we just slaughtered.”

Aburdon countered, his tone clearly mocking Alexander.

“Survival of the fittest. Isn’t that the law of this world? You hesitate now, and one day, one of these pathetic creatures will drive a blade into your back.”

Rusty remained silent, his body moving forward as his hand tightened around the hilt of his sword. Logic was on Aburdon’s side. He was right. Given time, these monsters would more than likely become potential threats. Just like him, they could evolve and grow into something stronger. It was better to take care of them now rather than risk them becoming a problem in the future.

“Hesitating now would just be foolish. Kill them now, before they grow into something worse. Mercy is for the weak.”

Aburdon scoffed and continued to urge him in one direction while Alexander in the other.

“Rusty… Just because they could become a threat doesn’t mean they will. There is no reason to do this.”

It seemed that Aburdon was the more logical one here. There was a good reason to eliminate these creatures now, and their bodies could be sold for profit. It was clear to him that his other guide was being emotional, something the humanoid creatures of this world seemed bound to. Rusty somewhat understood those feelings, but only after Gleam appeared in his life. Even so, he stepped closer until he stood directly before the trembling monster children.

“Hm?”

Before bringing down his raised sword, the face of Rolo, the leader of the quartet of street urchins, flashed before him. The fear these monsters showcased reminded him of the time he had saved those children from two thugs who had intruded on his territory. He recalled the youngest of them playing with Gleam, both of them clearly enjoying themselves. He hesitated. He wasn’t sure why, but something told him that proceeding with his actions would go too far.

“Tch. You’re soft.”

Aburdon muttered again as he noticed Rusty lowering his sword.

“Why would you want to risk leaving loose ends? Don’t expect mercy when one of these creatures rams a dagger into your core years from now.”

“By then, I will be much stronger too. They can come and try, right Gleam?”

While Aburdon was right to a certain extent, the probability of these kobolds ever becoming a threat to him was slim to none. Rusty couldn’t imagine them growing strong enough to challenge him, let alone finding him if they even tried. Somewhere deep down, he also welcomed the challenge. Facing stronger opponents and growing stronger himself was part of his nature. Leaving these young monsters behind didn’t seem like much of a problem.

“ (•‾⌣‾•)و “

Gleam, who had been watching closely, skittered beside him, nudging his side approvingly. Alexander let out a relieved sigh.

“Thank you, Rusty. You made the right choice.”

Aburdon scoffed again.

“Sentimentality will be your undoing.”

Rusty ignored the demon’s words. He didn’t believe he was being sentimental, just more balanced in his approach. His very existence was about maintaining equilibrium between light and dark. It felt natural that someone like him shouldn’t stray too far to either side. He didn’t want to become a demon, but he had no desire to be a hero either. Something in between that just felt right.

He glanced back at the young kobolds one last time, then at the enclosed space around them before turning on his heels. There was nothing in this small cave worth his consideration. Outside, the smoke had already settled, and the fires had died down, leaving only the charred remains of the hidden kobold village. The settlement was now nothing more than a smoldering ruin, littered with the bodies of its fallen inhabitants. Rusty stepped toward the corpses and asked Aburdon.

“So, any worthwhile parts from these monsters that we can sell?”

After spending almost all of his money on buying the practically collapsed house, he knew that he needed to start accumulating wealth again. Even though he didn’t have many personal needs, maintaining his equipment, securing resources for future upgrades, and ensuring Gleam had everything she needed were all essential.

“Let’s see… kobold bones can be ground into low-quality alchemical powder. Their claws and fangs can be made into trinkets or charms. It’s mostly junk… but for some reason, the guild still buys it. The rest isn’t worth the time.”

Rusty could take all the bodies with him, but they would only clog up his storage system. He could process the parts before selling them, but that would cost SP, which took time to restore. The larger the item he stored, the more SP it consumed. With that in mind, he decided to simply slash off the claws and fangs, leaving the rest behind. The kobold bones were low quality, and he knew that deeper in the dungeon, he would find far better resources than these.

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After searching through the settlement, Rusty gathered a few pieces of weaponry and armor that could be sold, along with some loose coins scattered among the ruins. With nothing else of value left, he turned his focus to something far more important, his newly acquired Mana Manipulation skill. Although he had managed to cast a basic spell, he wanted to learn more. Fortunately, there were three individuals who could offer him guidance.

First was Gleam, a natural caster with an instinctive understanding of magic. Then there was Aburdon, the former demon lord, who specialized in dark magic. Lastly, there was Alexander, the fallen hero, who likely knew a thing or two about light magic. With his options clear, the only question was, whom should he ask first?

“So… what spells should I learn first? Are there any limitations?”

He was like a newborn when it came to magic, as he just relied on existing skills to activate his elemental abilities. Aburdon was the first to respond, his voice laced with amusement.

“Limitations? Your imagination is your only real limitation. As long as you understand the way of the arcane arts, you can do anything!”

“Anything?”

He liked the sound of that, but before he could fully rejoice, Alexander interrupted.

“Don’t lie to him, he is still limited by the mana he has and the affinity for spells. I’d be surprised if he can cast anything other than light and dark type spells.”

“Oh? But can’t Gleam cast fire and other spells besides light?”