Reincarnated Devil's Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~ - Volume 2 Chapter 5

Reincarnated Devil’s Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~

Volume 2 Chapter 5   The view at the end of the adventure

Early in the morning, Ekina caught up with Abel, who had run away from the magic castle. Taking advantage of the opportunity, she continued exploring deeper into the forest. The monsters they encountered grew stronger as they went, and the appearance of C-rank monsters, which had been rare, was becoming more common.

“Abel, there’s a huge boar coming your way! Stall it for a bit,” Ekina called out.

“Easy for you to say! Damn, it’s charging straight at me! …Wait, I think I can handle this,” Abel responded.

Abel was tasked with stalling a Big Boar, a C-rank monster on par with the Mantis. Though the role was challenging for him, he quickly realized the boar’s charging attack could only be powerful in a straight line. With this insight, he figured he could manage to stall it, even if he couldn’t injure it.

After dealing with other monsters using a combination of bomb stones and assassination techniques, Ekina finally came to help Abel, who had been deftly dodging the Big Boar like a matador.

“Sorry for the wait~,” Ekina said.

“You’re late! This isn’t the time to be playing around!” Abel exclaimed.

“Hehe, sorry, sorry. I was just so captivated watching someone fight so coolly right in front of me,” Ekina teased, sticking out her tongue playfully.

She wasn’t serious, but her playful comment was meant to calm down her childhood friend. Knowing each other well, Abel understood she didn’t mean it genuinely and, despite being a bit embarrassed, showed an exasperated expression.

“Well, we managed just fine in the end, didn’t we? Now, let’s see…” Ekina said, placing her hand on the ground.

She used her alchemical skills to create a massive pitfall, manipulating the ground’s shape with her magic. This kind of large-scale transmutation typically required a significant amount of magic power, which was challenging even for Ekina, despite her demon heritage.

To prepare, she had collected high-quality magic stones from the monsters she defeated earlier, which provided the necessary energy for the pitfall. She used three low-quality bomb stones during the fight but ended up with over ten high-quality ones.

Her strategy paid off, as the Big Boar fell into the pitfall. With the immediate threat neutralized, they continued their exploration as if nothing had happened. The pit was deep and narrow enough to prevent the boar from escaping easily.

“Hey,” Ekina started.

“What is it?” Abel asked.

“I think your movements are getting better every time we fight,” she observed.

“It’s definitely weird,” Ekina muttered. Abel thought back, but he didn’t feel any different.

However, when he considered if he could have handled the Big Boar during his mock battles with Granbelt, he had to admit he might have struggled back then. The question lingered—was it just accumulating real battle experience, or was he just having a good day? The uncertainty was unsettling.

After some pondering, Ekina voiced her thoughts. “Maybe you get stronger when you’re in a pinch, Abel.”

“Huh? Why would that be?” Abel replied.

“Well, in situations where you have to fight to survive, like just now, your hidden power might come out if your spirit doesn’t break,” Ekina speculated, striking a dramatic pose with her hands raised and making sound effects.

Abel, thinking it was nonsense, couldn’t entirely dismiss her guess. When Ekina asked him to stall earlier, he had felt a heightened sense of focus, knowing failure would endanger his childhood friend. That pressure made him think more clearly than usual.

Surprisingly, his body seemed to find the best solution for the frontline role he thought he couldn’t manage. His keen eyes alone wouldn’t have been enough to stay calm under pressure and avoid being overwhelmed by the Big Boar’s charge.

Yet, he quickly identified its weakness and felt an inexplicable calmness. It might not be “hidden power,” but he couldn’t deny feeling a bit of confidence in some innate talent he hadn’t realized before.

“Maybe you’re right,” Abel conceded.

“Who knows… Oh, look, something’s over there!” Ekina pointed out.

Annoyed that she dismissed the topic so casually after all that thinking, Abel looked in the direction she indicated. Sure enough, an unfamiliar sight greeted them.

A huge, perfectly round lake, as if artificially made, appeared before them. The clear water reflected the sunlight, standing out in stark contrast to the surrounding forest, creating a scene that seemed like another world.

The two were awestruck by the magical scenery before them, while above, a tiny angel tilted her head and remarked, “This place looks familiar.”

Indeed, this was the very spot where Mermel, during a campfire, had lost control of the dragon veins’ power. When Ars and Hades were fighting the evil dragon as children, Mermel’s immense fireball had scorched the area, creating the lake.

Sensing the imminent danger, Kakyu had erected a cylindrical barrier to contain the damage, which evaporated everything inside it and caused the ground to collapse. Over time, rainwater had collected on the glass-like surface left by the intense heat, transforming the area into the lake that now served as a watering hole for the forest creatures.

“This is incredible…” Ekina was spellbound, witnessing such a fantastical sight for the first time. She realized that the world beyond the city held wonderful, unknown wonders, sparking a sense of awe and inspiration within her.

Abel, while finding the lake beautiful, didn’t seem as deeply moved as Ekina. Nonetheless, the adventure had left a positive impression on his otherwise jaded half-demon heart, showing him a glimpse of something truly beautiful.

However, no adventure is complete without its trials. As the two gazed at the lake in wonder, something enormous began to rise from its depths.