Proof and Experiment
Subduing several dozen elf warriors was hardly a challenge.
No matter how much the Great Forest was their home turf, and despite whatever stat buffs they gained from the woodland terrain, our party's combat strength was simply overwhelming. In the end, we took them down without suffering a single scratch, bound them thoroughly, and strung them up in a row like dried croakers.
Honestly, tying them up proved far more troublesome than beating them. Subduing elves who wield high-level mana and spirits required an annoying amount of tedious care. We had to either sever the tendons and mana pathways in their limbs, forcibly flood their circuits with foreign mana to clog them up, or manually dismiss their summoned spirits one by one.
"Well, well... what a magnificent sight," I said with a smirk. "If I sold the lot of you into slavery, I wouldn't have to worry about putting food on the table for the rest of my days."
At my sneer, the elves' eyes flashed with venom.
"Disgusting human scum...! So that was your game all along! Rather than be sold off to humans and live a life of humiliation, I would sooner die!"
"Then why don't you?"
I looked down at the loudmouth who had blurted it out.
I wasn't sure if I should call this stroke of luck or fate. To think the exact talent I needed to hunt down for my 'proof' and 'experiment' had willingly walked right into my hands.
"Think you've actually got the guts to do it, Mazer?"
"Wh-What...!"
When I casually tossed out his name, Mazer's head whipped toward Nemeth in shock.
"Nemeth, you traitor! Just how much information about our people did you sell out?!"
"Pfft! You seriously think she had to say anything? You weak, incompetent, brainless, inferiority-complex-riddled excuse for an elf."
Feeling the alcohol in my veins loosen my thoughts into a pleasant haze, I pressed my finger firmly against his forehead.
"Pffft... Why on earth would anyone waste their breath giving intel on a nobody like you? Know your place."
"...Ha! Go ahead, try to tear me down. An inferior human's slander cannot diminish my worth. It only exposes how childish you are. Every single elf created by the great World Tree is the noblest, most exalted being on this continent—"
"Shut your trap, Mazer. You pathetic half-wit."
"Mmph?! Mmmgh!"
I grabbed his babbling jaw and twisted it side to side. His eyes contorted with utter humiliation.
"You've accomplished nothing, you're good at nothing, and everything you touch ends in failure. Yet your fragile ego is so bloated that talking big is your only achievement in life. You seethe with jealousy over Nemeth reaching heights you could never dream of, while secretly harboring a pathetic crush on her. And now, you're concocting clumsy, childish schemes to exploit the fallen status of the dark elves just to force her to submit to you. What right do you have to wag that tongue of yours?"
"Mmmgh...?!"
Only then did a flash of genuine panic pierce his eyes.
"Son of Maserin and Diana. A defective weakling who couldn't even form a single spirit contract. A coward too terrified of his own fabricated fears to ever set foot outside the Great Forest. A pointy-eared hypocrite whose only pride lies in his serpentine tongue. Do you have any idea how much the other elves mock you behind your back? Fremont said you act just like a filthy human. Havisa called you the shame of all elvenkind. Similce said you're a toxic parasite—born with a knack for flattery and sowing discord, brimming with worthless ambition that only harms everyone around you, completely useless to elf society."
"Wh-What...?!"
Mazer wrenched his face free from my grip and glared wildly at the captured elves around him.
Caught in his gaze, the elves flinched in horror, desperately shaking their heads.
"W-Warrior Leader Mazer! You don't actually believe that, do you?! We would never say such vile things!"
"He speaks the truth! Do not let yourself be manipulated by the lying tongue of a human!"
"...R-Right. Of course. There is no way you would say that. I lost my composure for a moment... deceived by a mere human...!"
"Hahaha! Mazer, my poor, pitiful Mazer. Deep down, you know the truth, don't you? Stop averting your eyes from reality."
"Silence, human! No matter what poison you spew—"
"Look at you, a walking lump of pure inferiority, still running your mouth! Every single time another elf effortlessly achieved what you couldn't, it felt like an invisible dagger twisting in your chest, didn't it?! The sheer, suffocating misery of busting your ass for decades only to crawl around the rock bottom! That bitter conviction that the entire world despises you!"
"Y-You bastard...!"
"Ah, behold the fury and hatred blazing like a wildfire in your heart! How delightfully it roasts your soul from the inside out! Ah, wretched inferiority! Serving as the foul, cursed fertilizer to nourish the plague!"
Stepping back from the paralyzed, dumbfounded elf, I focused my consciousness entirely on the Absolute Ring Set.
"And that is why you were chosen. As a puppet for the demons."
"What...? What kind of mad nonsense are you babbling now? If you think I'd be shaken by such ridiculous—!"
"Hear me, elves! Fairies of the forest! Children of the World Tree! This is your 'proof'! Proof that a high demon's dark design has dug its claws deep into your sanctuary! And proof that the elves are succumbing to it without even putting up a fight!"
Well, I shouted it all out without a single thought for the fallout, so let's see how this plays out. Please let this experiment work.
When I activated the Absolute Taunt Ring, a crimson aura snaked into Mazer's body.
"Ghk, urk...?!"
I hadn't targeted Mazer himself.
I had targeted the intangible 'plague' festering within, devouring his soul and mind. High Demon Sukra, blessed with Demon King Otilib's Authority of Life, possessed the terrifying ability to inflict disease even upon things devoid of physical form. In the near future, he would use this very power to turn factions of elves into his thralls and ignite a catastrophic civil war.
Under normal circumstances, a 'plague' was never a valid target. In the original game, you couldn't just lock onto a disease and cast skills at it. Sure, purification spells existed, but those were broad area-of-effect cleanses that purged unholy impurities rather than a direct strike against a specific affliction.
The idea struck me when I recalled the lore regarding the mutual synergy between Sukra's plague and the Authority of Life. What kind of plague would an authority of 'life' recognize as living? Did it possess an ego of its own? Or was its existential rank simply that transcendent?
Whatever the case, if it possessed that much presence now that the game had become reality, couldn't I exploit it? For instance... by taunting the plague itself, forcing its aggro onto me?
"Kaaaargh?!"
"Wh-What is that?!"
"Demonic energy...?! It's demonic energy! Monstrous demonic energy!"
"Demonic energy is pouring out of Mazer's body?!"
Fortunately, the 'experiment' proved to be an overwhelming success.
Damn, now that this world is real, pulling off crazy stunts like this actually works.
The plague that erupted outward was composed of dense, coarse particles, resembling a thick, viscous mist. As if it were alive—no, it was undeniably alive—it writhed violently, radiating pure fury and malice, before lunging straight toward me.
"Lord Alzen!"
"Stay back!"
Shaving off precious seconds, I waved Muriel and Rebecca away as they rushed forward, instantly triggering the Absolute Evasion Ring.
Kzzzzzt! Shwaaaah!
My body flickered translucent for a split second, and the plague crashed through me like a tidal wave of bile. Yet instead of dispersing past me, the mist coiled in place, repeatedly lashing out with tendrils like grotesque tentacles. Every movement reeked of vile intent, desperately trying to latch onto me and drag me down, sending a sharp shiver racing down my spine.
"...Now then, let's see how this goes."
With a mix of anticipation and doubt, I triggered the Absolute Counter Ring.
A burst of pitch-black energy erupted from my hand, completely engulfing the frantically squirming plague, and began melting it down to nothingness.
"Oh... so that's how it works?"
Watching the plague dissolve without leaving behind even a trace of its existence, I let out a low whistle of admiration. Taking down Sukra was going to be a hell of a lot easier now. That was brilliant news.
"...Hey, Alzen."
"Hm? Sis Weller. What's eating you?"
"Before you launch into a full-scale riot, I'd like to hear whatever plan is bouncing around in that skull of yours."
"Don't have one. Winging the whole thing."
"...What?"
Looking at Weller's utterly dumbfounded expression, I gave her a wide, cheeky grin.
"Quests are meant to be tackled head-on without thinking. Who sits down to do research and write plans when playing a game?"
"What kind of nonsense—"
"Alright! Now that we have another trick to deal with the plague, we can charge ahead without a care in the world. Let's move."
"Wait, hey! Hold on a second!"
Ignoring Weller's indignant screeching behind me, I dragged our line of bound elves forward and marched straight into the heart of the village.
"Th-They're here!"
"Damn it all! To tie up our kin and parade them like trophies! Filthy, loathsome human!"
"Nemeth is with them! Did she really betray us?!"
The Elf Village was already in total uproar.
The tension in the air was thick enough to choke on, as if they were already on a wartime footing. Perched atop the massive treehouses that served as their homes, scores of elves had their bows drawn, arrows trained dead on us.
"What is the meaning of this? Attacking elves within our own woods... are we to interpret this as humanity's formal declaration of war?"
A clear, resonant voice cut through the commotion, booming across the clearing with solemn authority.
I turned my head to see a petite beauty holding an ornate bow.
Looking at her youthful appearance, it was almost impossible to believe she was a centuries-old hag.
"Oh. High Elf Latipi. Nice to meet you."
"...You know of me?"
"Of course I do. The pride and idol of the elven race, Archer Master Latipi—how could I not know who you are?"
"My name should never have crossed into the human kingdoms."
"Fair point. Probably not many back home know your name. But hey, that's not what really matters here, is it?"
Grinning like a villain, I grabbed the rope and dragged another bound elf forward with rough force. Just like Mazer, this one was already infected with the plague.
Naturally, Latipi had no way of knowing that. Her brows knitted tight, and her eyes burned with quiet, searing fury as she glared down at me.
"Lay a single finger on my kin, and I will never forgive you."
"Relax, I don't plan on killing anyone. It's just faster to show you with your own eyes."
I activated the Absolute Ring Set once more.
Taunt, evasion, and counterattack.
Following the exact same sequence as before, the ring flushed out the foul mist and dissolved the plague into ash. When the black mist evaporated into nothingness, a suffocating silence settled over the entire village.
"Well then... I've shown you everything you need to see. How long are you planning to keep us standing out in the cold? I came all this way hoping to taste that famous elven tea and those handmade fruit cookies. Or should we just conduct our business out here in the open? You fine with that? Doesn't bother me either way."
"...Come inside."
After staring down at us with a complicated, bewildered expression, Latipi tilted her head toward her dwelling. Seeing Benoite and the other elder elves quietly stepping aside without a word of protest gave me a clear glimpse of just how immense her standing was within their society.
Then again, maybe this was just typical elven arrogance at play. The foolish belief that humans would never dare step out of line once invited inside their domain.
Seriously, I really can't stand this race. Not one bit.