A Fateful Encounter (1)

"Haa... Haa..." I caught my breath and reviewed the hidden effects of the Rune of Sacrifice once more.

"That's not all..." I muttered.

"Ha... So in the end, everything just resets to how it was before I ever used the rune. Both their power and their feelings..."

It was a remarkably straightforward hidden effect. And highly satisfying.

I could still clearly picture the Hero's party before they received my buffs. Relying entirely on my abilities, Kim Hyungkeun had selected party members based on their looks rather than their actual combat skills. It would be quite a spectacle to see what became of them once those buffs vanished... but if I returned to the royal palace right now, I would be walking straight into a trap, like a fish caught in a net.

"Heh... Yeah. It's not time to reunite with them just yet. Not yet..."

I pondered my next move. Ultimately, my goal was clear: to slay the Four Heavenly Kings before Kim Hyungkeun could, open the gate back to Earth, and protect Gaeun from him. To achieve that, I needed overwhelming power—enough to defeat the Demon King's strongest generals on my own. But right now, I was nothing more than an ordinary guy who had taken a few boxing classes. The rune's buffs couldn't be applied to myself.

"I have to get stronger... and I need to gather powerful allies."

First, I decided to leave Lidorphia. As long as I remained here, I would be a wanted criminal. Lidorphia was the strongest empire, but it wasn't the only nation in this world. I began walking toward a country that shared a hostile relationship with Lidorphia. Finding the right direction was easy enough. As an imperialist power that constantly threw its weight around, Lidorphia had no shortage of enemies. Almost any direction I chose on the map would lead me to a nation that loathed them.

The real issue was food and stamina. Unable to enter any towns, I had to stick to forest trails and mountain paths, surviving on wild berries and whatever small game I could hunt. But even that had its limits. Foraging and hunting relied heavily on luck, and there was no guarantee of a steady food supply.

"Haa... Haa... There are no berries or animals around here... Where even am I? I'm so hungry... and thirsty..."

Eventually, starved and exhausted, I lost my way deep in the mountains.

"Where the hell is this... Damn it... My vision is getting blurry. It's too dark to see anything. I can't die like this..."

It was bizarre. No matter how much I walked, I couldn't find a way out, as if I were pacing in circles. My stamina was draining far faster than usual. It felt as though I were wandering through some bewitched forest.

"Haa... I can't go on. I need to... close my eyes for a bit."

In the end, I collapsed onto the ground and let sleep take me. Strangely, drowsiness washed over me with ease. And in my deep slumber, I failed to hear the approaching footsteps.

When I next opened my eyes, I was lying inside a dilapidated cabin. Looking down at me was a woman with pointed ears, wrapped in tattered cloth. Our eyes met.

"An elf...?"

"You're finally awake, suspicious human."

At the time, I had no idea what immense fortune this bizarre encounter would bring me.

Bella Greenwood. She was once the queen who ruled over the elves.

Born with vast mana and a genius-level affinity for magic, Bella had successfully led her people, ushering in an era of peace. However, she possessed one fatal flaw: she trusted humans far too much.

"It seems a great revolution is taking place in human society. A nation called Lidorphia has acquired immense power and is becoming something extraordinary."

"Your Majesty. It is unwise to pay too much attention to the affairs of humans."

Her wise ministers offered cold, realistic advice, but it fell on deaf ears. Bella was an idealist who dreamed of a world where humans and elves could coexist in harmony.

"The King of Lidorphia has sent a peace delegation to me. He has invited me to his palace to hold talks."

"Your Majesty! Humans are a race that breathes lies! They are entirely different from us elves! You must not trust them!"

"No. The King of Lidorphia seemed like a very decent man. I choose to believe in him."

"Your Majesty... you will regret this."

"Why should I regret trusting humans for the sake of love and peace?"

But Bella did regret it. Unlike Bella, who believed in the future with a pure heart, King Phillips of Lidorphia never had any intention of befriending the elves. Phillips had laid a trap, waiting for her. The moment Bella arrived at the royal palace, Lidorphia's strongest mages and swordmasters ambushed and subdued her. Without hesitation, they branded her with the Slave's Engraving.

The Slave's Engraving was a demonic spell that stripped away all human rights and free will. Once branded, a victim was reduced to a miserable state, unable to even relieve themselves without their master's permission. From that moment on, Bella Greenwood became nothing more than livestock kept by humans.

"Ugh... Ah... Why would you do this... King Phillips... Did you deceive me? How could you commit such an atrocious act? Have you no shame? Deceiving others is the most cowardly thing in this world!"

"The only fool is the one who gets tricked."

The only fool is the one who gets tricked.

The only fool is the one who gets tricked.

The only fool is the one who gets tricked...

Those words echoed in Bella's mind for a very long time. In elven society, the concept of lying did not exist. To elves, falsehood was considered a capital crime on par with murder, an act that no elf with a shred of morality would ever commit. Indeed, it was only then that Bella realized the disgusting nature of humans, shuddering at the revelation.

Humans... are a race that will lie as much as they please for their own benefit. How could I have ever thought of befriending such demonic creatures... I was so foolish.

But regret came too late. Bella was displayed in the slave market like merchandise, sold, and raised by her masters. Beaten with whips, starved, tortured... she had to endure decades of this living hell. Finally, taking advantage of the chaos when her first master died of old age, she fled into the forest before a new master could claim her, surviving there until this day.

She could have returned to her people. But shame and guilt held her back.

Until I exact vengeance for the humiliation I suffered at the hands of humans... I can never face my fellow elves again.

Bella's sole purpose now was to kill King Phillips of Lidorphia, who had now grown old. However, achieving that goal still seemed incredibly distant. It wasn't due to a lack of strength. It was because of the Slave's Engraving. Currently, she was in a temporary masterless state. She was like an uncharted, uninhabited island; anyone who found her and laid a hand on the mark could claim absolute ownership over her. To Bella, humans were absolute predators. If she were spotted by one, she would inevitably be dragged back into a life of slavery. Thus, she hid deep within the forest, waiting for her chance to strike back.

Then, one day, she felt a presence carrying a strange magical energy wandering into the barrier she had set up.

"Damn it... Where the hell is this!"

He was lost, walking in circles. Of course he was. Bella had cast a cognitive disruption spell around her cabin to ensure no one could ever find it. Anyone who wandered near would lose their sense of direction and wander endlessly.

"Hmph... A human, I see. Good. Let that hateful creature wander in the mist until he dies."

Initially, she intended to let him perish. Evil creatures like humans deserved to be wiped out. However, through the magical spores she had scattered throughout the forest, she felt a profound sense of sorrow and betrayal emanating from him. It struck a chord of shared misery within her.

How could they do this to me...

I trusted them...

I trusted them...

Those were the very words she had repeated to herself for decades. Blessed with an extraordinary affinity for magic, Bella possessed a remarkable ability to read the emotions and minds of others. Thus, she could fully empathize with the grief currently drowning Kim Youngho's heart. This man was not one of the deceivers. He was one of the deceived. Just like me.

Reaching that conclusion, Bella decided to bring the nameless human back to her cabin instead of letting him die. Still, she did not trust him completely. As long as the Slave's Engraving remained on her neck, humans ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠would always be a threat she had to guard against.

When Kim Youngho opened his eyes, Bella hid the brand on the back of her neck with her hair and spoke defensively.

"You're finally awake, suspicious human. What is your purpose in my forest?"

"...Was this your forest? My apologies. I simply lost my way."

"Do not lie. This place is far from any human settlement. It is not a place one stumbles upon during a casual stroll."

"I suppose so... I came here to escape from people."

"To escape people? But you are a human yourself."

"Is it really so strange for a human to want to avoid other humans?"

"Humans are all the same. Every last one of them is trash."

"Heh... I can't argue with that."

Just then, Kim Youngho's gaze ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠swept over the elf's battered body. Her left arm and right leg had been severed during her past torture, and her face was covered in horrific scars. It was a sight too gruesome to ignore.

Kim Youngho suddenly had a thought.

If I use the Rune of Sacrifice, will her body return to normal?

Using the Rune of Sacrifice was incredibly simple. All he had to do was mentally designate someone as his "party member." In his mind, Kim Youngho accepted the nameless elf as a member of his party.

Instantly, the elf's missing arm and leg began to regrow, and the scars covering her face vanished as if washed away. Her breathtaking, elegant beauty from her prime was fully restored.

"W-What is this...? The pain... it's gone? I'm completely healed...?"

Bella didn't need to wonder how it had happened. Through her mind-reading ability, she easily deduced that Kim Youngho had healed her, even if she couldn't comprehend the exact method he used.

"You... what did you just do?"

"What do you mean? I didn't do anything. I've just been lying here."

Kim Youngho feigned ignorance.

"You did nothing? Then why did my body suddenly heal?"

"Who knows? Maybe resting in nature did the trick. The air is quite nice around here."

"...Why are you pretending otherwise?"

Every human Bella had ever met would throw a single scrap of bread and demand endless gratitude, boasting about how they were the most benevolent master alive. None of them had ever offered her healing, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠no matter how much she wept in pain. Yet, this human before her had saved her life and restored her body for absolutely no reason, and he wasn't even demanding anything in return.

This man... is different from the humans I've known.

Bella began to watch Kim Youngho with a deeply intrigued gaze.