A Bold Invitation
A survival match.
Hearing Nairin's explanation made it easy to understand.
As time passed,
certain areas of this vast land
would burst into flames.
Leaving absolutely nothing behind.
From the monsters originally inhabiting the area
to the other races who failed to escape in time.
It would repeat, over and over again, until
at the very last moment,
only a single zone remained.
The zone where the tree known as the "World Tree" grew.
That place
was safe from the "Sun's Wrath."
No.
Actually, "safe" wasn't the right word.
It merely spared them from burning to death.
Reaching the World Tree didn't mean the game was over.
Perhaps
the real survival game only began at that very moment.
Why?
Because from then on, all the surviving races...
would try to kill one another.
Even if they somehow managed to survive the flames through sheer luck,
their chances of dying in the final battle would skyrocket.
Well.
In truth, it was a map where everyone could survive if they chose to cooperate.
But!
There was no way different races would ever cooperate.
And it wasn't just the other races...
I had absolutely no intention of cooperating either.
Actually, this might be fun.
It was a thought others would call insane.
"By the way," I said.
"Yes?"
"That spirit you use."
"Yes..."
"You said it's a water spirit. Can't you use it to shield us from the Sun's Wrath?"
Nairin's expression darkened.
She looked as if she had just been scolded.
"...The Sun's Wrath is not something that can be avoided with a mere water spirit."
"Is that so?"
"Survival is only possible under the protection of the World Tree. That is the law of this world."
Tsk.
So in the end, we couldn't beat the map's system itself.
But seeing how even the Seeker died...
Maybe it's possible if you just try hard enough?
I wanted to ask, but I held back, fearing Nairin might commit ritual suicide on the spot if I did.
"However, I will definitely be of help..."
"Forget it. Just stay quiet and follow me."
"Understood!"
We began pushing through the forest once more.
Occasionally, creatures like ratmen popped out.
But before I could even lift a finger, Nairin killed them with her water spirit.
On top of that,
"A human? Perfect, I was just getting hungry—"
"W-Wait! It's an elf!!!"
Thanks to the notorious reputation of elves,
"Run away!!!"
even a pack of werewolves we encountered fled in a panic.
"Hey, you stay back."
"But such insignificant creatures are not worthy of your direct attention..."
"It doesn't matter."
"Pardon?"
"I'm doing it because it's fun."
I drew the elven sword and dashed forward.
Slash!
Thud, thud!
It was easy.
After all, it was just a few werewolves.
This is nice.
The elven sword I received from Nairin was much better than the ones from the item boxes.
It was light, sharp,
and seemed to add precision to my movements.
The sensation of smoothly slicing through bone and flesh was perfect.
A completely different tactile pleasure from using a dagger!
"Aaargh!"
The werewolves looked utterly bewildered, unable to comprehend how a human, not an elf, was slaughtering them.
Well,
there was no need to explain it to them.
Splatter!
Blood sprayed along the exact trajectory of the elven sword.
Ah.
Truly artistic.
Elven craftsmanship really was top-tier.
Sheathe!
The blade didn't even retain a single drop of blood, saving me the trouble of wiping it down.
The orc blade had been annoying because blood would coagulate and stick to it.
Clap, clap, clap!
The moment the werewolves collapsed,
Nairin, who had been watching, clapped enthusiastically.
Ugh, why is she doing that? It's embarrassing.
"Stop that."
"Yes, sir!"
Nairin stopped clapping instantly at my command.
She was thoroughly disciplined.
"If werewolves are roaming in packs, the number of participants must be quite high."
"Really?"
"Yes, considering I even ran into three other elves. This map has a high density of players."
"Then there might be other humans somewhere..."
"They are likely dead."
"..."
"Ah, of course, excluding you, Lord Taepyeong...!"
Nairin quickly corrected herself.
"Everyone on this map is only looking to kill one another."
"Hmm."
"Since the rewards get better the fewer survivors there are..."
Nairin continued to explain, but her words went in one ear and out the other.
Why?
Because I was already thinking about something else.
Then wouldn't it be overwhelmingly advantageous if I were the sole survivor?
Looking at it coldly, that was the case.
Maybe Nairin is thinking the same thing.
She was following me around like a puppy right now, but
who knew what she was actually plotting inside...
I really can't tell...
But it didn't matter.
If she tried to betray me at the end,
I would just kill her first.
That water spirit of hers seemed like a bit of a hassle, but
I could kill her if it came down to it.
She seemed to control it with hand gestures, so if I ripped her arms off first...
...!
Wait.
Whew. No need to think that far ahead yet.
Nothing had happened yet.
She might actually be trying to help me...
Calm down.
I just possessed the Heavenly Slaughter Star trait!
I wasn't a psychopath!
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah."
We began moving again.
Whoosh!
Since several zones were already on fire, we had to plan our movements carefully from here on out.
Fortunately, Nairin was quite good at navigating.
Was it only natural?
Elves probably possessed far more information about the Tower.
Since I had a terrible sense of direction,
"The most important thing is not to get trapped," she said.
Even if we were in a safe zone right now,
if the surrounding areas caught fire and boxed us in, we would be doomed.
Thus, calculating our route to avoid isolation was crucial.
In any case,
Nairin navigating and guiding us through the zones made things very easy.
When flames erupted in the zone we had just passed through,
I honestly felt glad she was with me.
What I possessed was a talent for slaughter,
not arson.
I had learned about the existence of such maps,
but real combat was a different story.
Without Nairin, my directionally challenged self might have burned to death in the Sun's Wrath.
She's actually quite useful.
I'm glad I didn't kill her.
I looked at Nairin with a pleased expression, but
"I-I'm sorry!"
Nairin suddenly turned pale and bowed her head.
"I don't know what I did, but I apologize!"
Huh?
What was she talking about? I just smiled because I was proud of her.
Ah, seriously.
I should just...
No.
Let's hold back.
I needed her to reach the World Tree zone.
Even if I were to kill her, it should be after we arrive at the World Tree...
...
"Ahem."
We quickened our pace, avoiding the flames that were starting to engulf the forest with increasing ferocity.
The fire wasn't just hot.
It was so intensely hot that it gave the illusion of being freezing cold.
As more zones burned,
the other races gathered in the unburned areas.
"Kieeeek!"
From mantis-like alien races
"Die!"
to the now-familiar orcs.
I killed every single one we encountered.
Since Nairin stayed back as I had warned,
swinging the sword was entirely my job.
However,
"Why did you let those go?"
She was referring to the kobolds running away in a panic.
Since they didn't attack, I just let them go.
Nairin seemed quite puzzled by this.
"Well. I just didn't feel like killing them?"
"..."
You killed everything else we met, though?
Nairin's face practically screamed her incomprehension.
"If they aren't rushing to kill me, I don't really care."
"...So you only take the lives of those who harbor murderous intent."
Admiration colored Nairin's voice.
It wasn't really anything that grand.
"It's like the difference between a mosquito and an ant."
You want to kill a mosquito at all costs when it flies at you to suck your blood,
but you don't really feel the urge to crush an ant crawling on the floor toward a piece of candy.
Nairin still looked like she didn't quite get it,
but she soon nodded and muttered,
"...Well, they will die anyway."
Nairin wasn't wrong.
Even if I spared them,
they would inevitably face death if they couldn't escape the Sun's Wrath.
From that point on, it was up to their own abilities.
"Let's go."
We turned in the opposite direction of where the kobolds had fled.
Roar!
Whoosh!
As multiple zones burned,
the flames began to merge.
By now, more than half the forest was ablaze.
Very few zones remained untouched.
Slash!
Slice!
Very few other races remained alive.
I killed.
I killed.
And I killed again.
Excluding the kobolds, I slaughtered every other race we encountered.
I think I've completely gotten used to this elven sword now.
The only disappointing part was
that it sliced through things so smoothly...
that killing felt like cutting through cake.
It was nice, but it made things too easy.
Tearing flesh,
crushing bones,
and the burst of blood—I couldn't feel any of it.
Maybe this is why elves are so weak...
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
"Lord Taepyeong, we are almost there," Nairin whispered, lowering her voice.
Hiding in the shadows of the trees, we peered through the thick bushes.
Whoosh...
A forest that did not burn despite the crimson embers drifting through the air.
That was the World Tree zone.
However,
"Why is there no one here?"
The final survival zone was completely empty.
Nairin spoke quietly.
"Because anyone who enters first will immediately become a target."
Ah.
So that was it.
"Everyone is waiting."
"..."
"For the final moment."
Nairin spoke with great solemnity,
but it could be summarized in one word:
a standoff.
"There will surely be a fool who rushes in first. We can target them..."
Nairin began to mutter her plan, but
Step.
Step.
ignoring her words, I stepped right into the final survival zone where the World Tree stood.
And then,
"Alright!"
As I drew the elven sword,
the flickering flames reflected off the sharp blade.
I took a deep breath.
"Anyone who wants to live, come at me!" I roared.
For a brief moment,
I felt the hidden entities flinch in surprise.
Just as Nairin said,
they had all been waiting for the final moment.
"But,"
I raised my voice from the center of the empty zone.
"I'll kill anyone who gets greedy!"
A bizarre silence fell over the area.
"Keep that in mind, alright?"
The moment the words left my mouth,
Thwip!
something flew toward me at high speed with a sharp whistle.
And at the exact same time,
Swoosh!
a translucent droplet of water shot forward even faster.
Crack!
The long poison needle aimed directly at my neck was swallowed by the water droplet and shattered.
This was the moment I had been waiting for.
I immediately drew the dagger from my waist and threw it.
Thud!
Right toward the direction the needle had come from.
"Argh!"
A death rattle echoed as something collapsed.
I smirked and looked around.
"See that?"