Chapter 399: A God’s Perspective
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 399: A God’s Perspective
In truth, if one were to judge solely by difficulty, the Fairy Forest or Labyrinthos weren’t exactly what you’d call top-tier dungeons.
The monsters weren’t overwhelmingly powerful, and it was rare for anyone to die from a lack of food.
Nevertheless, the reason they were known as hell for superhuman criminals was due to the abundance of annoying traps, the numerous complex puzzle-like gimmicks, and, most crucially, the fact that—unlike ordinary dungeons—escape was incredibly difficult.
The Fairy Forest, in particular, was a place where the pranks of the fairies, combined with the massive forest maze and the World Tree’s barrier, made it difficult for even the most capable person to maintain their sense of direction.
To put it another way, the fact that this single trait allowed it to be called a hell for superhuman criminals, overshadowing countless other formidable dungeons, was a testament to just how persistent the barrier here truly was.
If someone were to attempt to explore such a sea of trees alone without any background knowledge, they would undoubtedly be considered insane.
Thus, at this very moment, the man attempting to conquer the World Tree’s barrier without a shred of knowledge was, without a doubt, a madman.
“Good, good. I’m finally starting to see the outline of this godforsaken barrier.”
Licht.
A self-proclaimed adventurer and, to everyone else, a con artist.
He was attempting to unravel the World Tree’s barrier by utilizing the knowledge he had gained from previous dungeons and the brute-force method of simply throwing himself at the problem until an answer appeared.
Normally, his preference would be to meticulously investigate the underlying principles, but he was currently in quite a hurry. His priority was infiltrating the Elf Forest rather than satisfying his curiosity about how the barrier worked.
He had pushed himself considerably, but thanks to that, he had managed to discover something akin to a strategy, even if he didn’t understand the exact mechanics.
The World Tree’s barrier grew stronger the closer one got to the center of the forest, using perception induction to prevent anyone from approaching the heart of the woods.
He had found several ways to break free from this perception induction, but only a few were actually practical. One involved subjecting himself to constant, intense pain to keep his brain in a state of hyper-arousal.
However, continuing this method was not only incredibly stressful, but the moment he let his guard down and his sensitivity to pain dulled, he would fall right back into the induction.
The next method he tried was using drugs to impose a stronger suggestion on himself.
Well, once he got near the center, he realized he didn’t have any drugs stronger than the World Tree’s barrier, so that ended in failure.
After repeating such trial and error countless times…
He finally came up with a way to almost perfectly pierce through the World Tree’s barrier.
The problem was that he wouldn’t be able to move his body properly after using this method. Whether he could recover enough to actually conquer the Elf Forest was his greatest hurdle.
“…But I have no choice. It’s better than not even trying.”
Steeling his resolve, he aimed for the point where the barrier’s power was weakest, based on the results of his previous attempts.
His condition was already at its worst, so he would only get one shot.
If he failed, there would be no next time.
“Whew…”
The weight of that reality pressed down on him, making his footsteps heavy, yet he still moved forward.
“…Aaaaaagh!!!”
And the moment he charged forward with all his might.
[Doing this will neutralize the barrier for a short while.]
[…Right, thanks. By the way, what’s with that mask you’ve been wearing for a while now?]
[I-I made it as a sign of respect. Is it not good?]
Suddenly, the World Tree’s barrier that had been tormenting him vanished, and a mysterious trio appeared before his eyes.
[Ah.]
“Huh?”
Ah, I was so dumbfounded I forgot to hide myself.
When encountering others in a dungeon, hoping for them to be friendly isn’t exactly the right attitude.
Whether they are enemies or not, the correct move is to be on guard.
Though, since I’ve already been spotted, being on guard now would probably only invite hostility.
In a situation where I need to conserve my strength, I’m alone while they are many. Unless I strike a weak point, I have no chance of winning.
I’d prefer to avoid a fight if possible.
“Haha, hello there. You might not believe me since we’re meeting in a place like this, but I have no intention of being hostile toward you…”
[…Why are you here?]
Huh? Do they know me? It’s possible since I’m wearing a mask, but honestly, they don’t look like the type of people I’d want to be acquainted with.
…If they really do know me, it’s more likely to be a bad connection than a good one.
Should I go for a surprise attack?
“It seems there’s a misunderstanding. First, let’s talk…”
[Ban… no, Green Ghost Mask.]
[Ah, I understand.]
[Subdue him.]
[What a picky eater.]
I wondered what kind of nonsense they were spouting, but before I knew it, the man in the green mask had closed the distance. He let out a boisterous laugh and shouted.
[Chives are excellent for recovering stamina and energy, and they are a wonderful vegetable for detoxifying! I am glad for this opportunity to teach you the greatness of chives…!]
No, how did you even know I hate chives…!
Judging by how they attacked out of nowhere and were spouting such bizarre nonsense, they were clearly insane.
I pulled out my crossbow and fired bolts enhanced with mana, but surprisingly, the bolts all bounced off his body without leaving a single mark.
I see.
They aren’t just crazy; they’re monsters who happen to be crazy.
This is going to be a headache.
* * *
Around the same time screams began to echo through the Fairy Forest.
The group, guided by what used to be unicorns, arrived at the border of the forest.
While fairies and elves were in a cooperative relationship, they still had their respective territories divided due to monster issues or the excessive pranks of young fairies.
Even if it was a place where monsters could appear, the number of elves currently facing them was a bit excessive.
Their stance was clearly one of being on guard against something other than monsters or young fairies, causing the group to tense up in response. However, the elves’ reaction was quite different from what they had expected.
“Welcome! You’ve worked so hard to get here!”
“The heroes who passed through the Fairy Forest!”
“Welcome! You’re in elf territory now, so you can rest easy!”
Looking closely, the ratio of women was strangely high for soldiers, and very few of them were actually armed.
“…What is this?”
“I’m not sure. To me, it looks like a welcome fit for a VIP.”
I mean, it certainly looked that way, but what kind of crazy people would welcome intruders who had illegally entered their country like this?
“Greetings, Heroes.”
While everyone was looking around without fully letting down their guard, a handsome man stepped out from the crowd of elves.
It was a trait most elves shared, but with his vibrant blonde hair, pale green eyes, and delicate features, he stood out even among his kin.
“The King of the Elves has come to the Fairy Forest to greet the heroes who have aided us.”
His clothing was different from the other elves, so they thought he might be someone of high status, but they never expected the King himself.
Even as the group stood in shock, the man claiming to be the Elf King smiled benevolently and maintained a polite demeanor.
“You must be bewildered. For the king of a nation to appear like this. But considering the help you heroes have given us elves, how could I not come to thank you in person?”
“…Excuse me, but what is this ‘help’ you’ve been mentioning? We have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You are too modest. To say that such a feat wasn’t even help.”
Cathy stepped forward as the representative to ask, but he only continued to praise them.
“The Greatest Black Serpent. Did you not slay the monster that was ruining the ecosystem, not to mention threatening us and the fairies? Having received such a great favor, how could we possibly be hostile toward you?”
Considering the demonic energy that monster had been emitting, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible, but honestly, even with that in mind, this welcome felt far too excessive.
The man, reading the expressions of the group, nodded his head.
“You are suspicious. I understand. In truth, that isn’t everything.”
Now he was getting to the main point.
“To be honest, we wish to convey our intention that we have no desire to go to war with humans.”
“Pardon…?”
“Our attempt to capture the elves who had integrated into human society was merely a declaration that we would not interfere excessively with humans. I never imagined that act itself would lead to this.”
Since he was acting so much more submissive than expected, it felt a bit anticlimactic.
They had to stay alert in case it was a trap, but this was quite different from what they had anticipated.
They had expected a struggle, with the elves refusing to hand over the Chairperson, but seeing them act so humbly made the group feel almost apologetic.
“Yes, a misunderstanding. A small misunderstanding. Although it was an illegal entry, you ended up providing us with great help, and it seems we can resolve the misunderstanding through dialogue. That is why we wish to welcome you as VIPs. Could you find it in your hearts to trust us just a little?”
Should we at least hear him out…?
His attitude was so polite that the group couldn’t help but hesitate.
“…I heard you asked the unicorns to test us?”
“That truly is a misunderstanding. I simply meant for them to see what kind of people you were. I never imagined they would resort to such violent means. It may be hard to believe, but that was entirely unexpected on our part.”
It wasn’t illogical.
His words had their own internal logic, and his attitude seemed to be one of unilateral acceptance.
“Now, let’s not stand around here. I will escort you to the village first. You must be exhausted. Why don’t you take some rest while we talk things over slowly? We elves will do our best to accommodate your requests…”
At least, that was how it looked from a human perspective.
However, from a god’s perspective, it was different.
While the group was wondering what to do, a boy stepped forward toward the elves.
“You.”
The boy.
Kang So-hyun slowly scanned all the elves and began to pick them out one by one.
“And you, and you, oh, you too. And you, way in the back.”
The elves were flustered by his sudden actions, but the rest of the group regained their composure and watched the boy.
“I’m going to spare the ones I just pointed at, so step to the side.”
Having picked out about half of the elves, the boy spoke calmly.
The elves stood there in confusion, not understanding what he meant, while the boy’s expression hardened with annoyance.
“If you aren’t going to listen, then at least don’t move. It’s dangerous.”
Then, shadows saturated with demonic energy surged upward, and Iron Flowers began to bloom.
“W-What is the meaning of this sudden violence…! After we’ve gone this far, you humans…!”
“What is the meaning of this, you ask?”
“Ugh…?”
The moment the boy glared with his crimson eyes, the man was overcome by a chilling sensation, as if his entire being was being peered into.
“I hate people who lie to me. You aren’t the King.”
How on earth did he…?
The Elf King—no, the Elf King’s Shadow—stared at the boy who had seen through his identity.
“You mixed paralytic poison into the traditional elven drinks you prepared as a welcome, and everyone except the non-combatants you mixed in to avoid suspicion is carrying assassination gear, aren’t they?”
What? Where did the information leak from…?
Should he try to deny it? Could he brush it off as a misunderstanding?
At the boy’s words, the humans had already labeled them as enemies and were taking combat stances.
“It’s… it’s a misunderstanding…!”
“Don’t make excuses. And don’t ask how I know. I just do. Don’t make this annoying.”
“Tsk…! Everyone, prepare for battle…!”
There was still distance between them. He judged that they could hold the advantage with elven archery.
He prepared for battle, but it was the wrong choice.
By nature, a ‘battle’ is an act that can only exist between those who possess at least a minimum level of power to resist.
“Get lost.”
An overflowing tide of shadows swept through the elven unit.
After the shadows had passed just once, the only ones left standing unharmed were those the boy deemed innocent.
“Hic…!”
Of course, even those people soon collapsed as their strength failed them, traumatized by the shocking experience.
“…Are they all dead?”
“Ah, well. They seem to be alive, but I’m not sure if being alive is a good thing for them. The unicorns can probably recover, so in the worst-case scenario, that could be reversed too.”
“…Setting aside whether our junior has any intention of reversing it, right?”
Witnessing that terrifying scene, and seeing the boy still huffing as if his anger hadn’t quite subsided, the group had no choice but to accept the truth: that he usually held back far more than they had imagined.