Chapter 921: The Fallen Elf Who Betrayed His Race
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 921: The Fallen Elf Who Betrayed His Race
The voice coming from the other side spoke the language of the game world.
However, based on my understanding of linguistics, the speaker had likely only just learned it; there was a very peculiar accent underlying the words.
The speaker did indeed show himself. After all, having been struck by one of my arrows, there was no point in hiding any longer.
Judging by the voice, however, the opponent seemed to be a male elf... I don't know when it started, but my impression of elves had always been stuck on the "big sister" archetype. Now that a male had popped out... I suddenly lost all desire to communicate.
The figure emerged from the darkness and, just like I had, pulled the arrow from his body.
In a matter of moments, his wound began to heal. This was clearly a standard trait of the Undying.
"What are you... a Dark Elf? Or a Fallen Elf? It's my first time seeing one this ugly."
I stared at his skin tone, which almost blended into the darkness. I had to admit, it was a bit nauseating to look at. There were different shades of dark across his skin, separated as clearly as tattoos.
From his exposed limbs, it was clear these markings covered his entire body.
It might have been a special ritual similar to the war paint orcs carved into themselves, or perhaps a manifestation of specific powers or blessings from a certain power system.
Faced with my sarcasm, the man said nothing more, but his suppressed rage was written all over his face.
It was that kind of helplessness... like a mute being told by someone else, "Wow, you really don't know how to talk, do you?"
"Not going to respond? Then let's get straight to the point. Why did you ambush me?"
"Ambush? Heh... I spent so much effort orchestrating this plan, and you think you can just swoop in and pick the fruit? You think you're worthy?"
"Pick the fruit..." I looked at him with confusion, then it clicked. "You mean you were originally the one collaborating with the Real Protection Association, but then they summoned me, I became their partner, and they threw you away?"
"Hmph! More or less... but those inferior humans aren't worthy of being called my 'partners.' It is their greatest honor to serve me."
"Oh~ I see."
After hearing him out, I understood completely.
As the "traitors" of civilization, the Real Protection Association actually had many people wanting to support them, hoping to turn the association into their own personal tool.
Individual strength is a safeguard, but having others do your bidding to handle mindless chores is indeed a great convenience. It was quite similar to my own way of thinking.
I didn't like immersing myself in useless trifles either. Even if I could control my emotions, the constant generation of irritation would still trouble me.
"If you understand, then be smart and leave. You wouldn't want to die in a foreign land, would you?"
His intent to persuade me was obvious; it seemed he didn't want a fight to break out either.
After all, in his eyes, the fact that I could instantly discover his location and strike him with his own arrow was proof enough of my strength.
Add to that the nasty rumors circulating in the Void regarding the Witch race...
"I should be saying that to you, shouldn't I? Besides, wouldn't you be dying in a foreign land no matter where you fall? Since your home was blown up, aren't you at much greater risk than me?" I didn't appreciate his "kindness" at all, instead using my Ley Line Identification Art to check his status.
Since he wasn't a lifeform native to this world, the Ley Line information was sparse, but I could still piece things together from the clues.
For example... he was a Fallen Elf naturalized into the demon race. Originally a Forest Elf, he was most likely a victim of the Abyssal demons.
Combined with how he bristled earlier when I compared him to a Lesser Demon, he might actually be a first-generation survivor who hadn't yet been assimilated through generations of breeding and racial identity.
"You're asking for death!"
Having his sore spots poked repeatedly, he was finally provoked into a rage—and I hadn't even used the power of my Emotion Body Cultivation to guide him.
I couldn't blame him for being so thin-skinned. There is a concept called "principles." When you touch upon someone's core principles, it's a wonder if they don't explode.
"Oh? Getting worked up already~"
I watched the arrows he fired in his fit of rage. Compared to that first shot, this volley of Continuous Arrows was terrifyingly powerful.
Even though I dodged them, the sharpness of the arrows and the natural elven power they carried created a massive destructive force.
Upon hitting the buildings behind me, the explosive effect blew the roofs right off. It went without saying what would happen if one of those hit me.
But even so, it was far from over.
In the next instant, a rain of arrows gathered in the sky. As he drew his bow, an arrow condensed from natural power and wreathed in pitch-black demonic energy shot toward me once again.
I dodged while muttering under my breath: "Continuous Arrows... Arrow Rain... Multi-shot... Phantom Arrows..."
These were all pieces of information I had gathered through the Ley Line Identification Art, representing the archery techniques he had used in this world.
An elf's basic shooting methods were mostly limited to these, but when combined with Elven Magic and special blessing runes, his repertoire became infinitely varied, suitable for almost any form of combat.
Furthermore, his combat awareness was actually superior to mine!
I didn't feel much jealousy toward this. After all, the guy had a "homeless buff" and combat techniques honed by putting his life on the line.
Compared to his, my combat skills were certainly inferior.
However, no matter how powerful his "skill multiplier" was, he still couldn't crush me and my "cheat multiplier."
Though I appeared to be suppressed and scurrying about, he couldn't possibly maintain such a high output forever.
Meanwhile, the battle above the city quickly drew the attention of many.
Everyone had thought the fighting ended when the Calamity Witch ruthlessly exterminated the Vanguard.
No one expected that they would start clashing again so soon!
"What's the situation? The Calamity Witch is fighting that guy, and she's actually at a disadvantage?"
The members of the Real Protection Association watched the battle with confusion. It wasn't that they couldn't see clearly; it was that they could only see her being suppressed by the elf's arrows, to the point where she didn't even have a chance to cast a spell!
"That's impossible, right? The Calamity Witch can wipe out a Vanguard army in one hit. This Fallen Elf's track record can't compare to hers!"
Clearly, the Real Protection Association knew quite a bit about this Fallen Elf.
In fact, within the game world, this elf had a global bounty on his head, issued by the headquarters of the Terminal of Myriad Worlds.
That bounty list didn't just feature this elf; it included other fugitives as well—every single one of them was an outsider from beyond the world, and they weren't limited to human forms.
It was likely that before long, the Calamity Witch would also find her name on that list.
Although many didn't understand how these individuals came to this world, they knew the Calamity Witch had been summoned by them.
Thus, they believed the others had arrived in a similar fashion.
"It seems we need to re-evaluate the Calamity Witch's combat power. If she can't cast magic when closed in on or suppressed, then her strength is..."
"Fool! Can you only see the surface? Is a battle of this level something a brain like yours can evaluate?" Tang En snapped at the speaker.
"You've only just become a temporary vice-chairman. Remember... everything must be for the benefit of the Association! Not your personal interests! I know you've secured a chance to negotiate with the Calamity Witch, but you cannot make arbitrary decisions based on your own selfishness!"
"Don't keep using the Association to pressure me..." Tang En took several deep breaths, calming his emotions before responding.
However, his clenched fists betrayed the fact that he didn't want to give up on such an opportunity.
Naturally, he wanted the Calamity Witch to win, but the current state of the battle... left him deeply worried.
Back in the battle above the city.
The elf was clearly starting to sense that something was wrong.
Her physical stats were actually superior to his!
Isn't she a witch... why is her physique so good?
He knew his Life Level was far above hers. When she was injured, she even needed Healing Spells to assist her self-recovery, which proved she was still a long way from the Saint Realm.
And yet, she could hold her own against his body, which had been tempered through cultivation. It truly surprised him.
Furthermore... he carried a demonic curse... his physical strength far exceeded that of ordinary people; he even believed himself to be on par with the Saint Realm.
Now, he had consumed a significant amount of natural power, yet she had managed to match his attrition simply by dodging. This was a terrible trade for him...
But!
He was certain she was at her wit's end, merely putting up a front. One more burst of power would be enough to put her in her grave!
She had reached her limit!
Just as he reached this conclusion, that annoying voice rang out again.
"Is that it? Is this the archery mastered by you 'noble' elves? If you're bad, practice more~ If you can't afford to lose, don't play! Look at you, you're so triggered your black face is turning red. No wonder your home got ganked. For a noble elf to be defiled by a Lesser Demon... which Lesser Demon's den did your Elven Queen give birth to you in?"
The moment I finished speaking, the elf truly "overheated."
This was the first time this elf had ever heard such insulting words. Even the foul language of those Abyssal demons wasn't this vile!
It wasn't just disgusting; it insulted his faith, his parents, and his clansmen, trampling over his principles and bottom lines. Her tone was dripping with sarcasm, weaving a web of logical traps, yet he couldn't kill her, and he couldn't escape the linguistic snare she had wrapped around him.
Even though he had good self-control and realized he was losing his temper, he couldn't stop the emotion from spreading.
And this... was the power of emotion.
When a noble elf displays arrogance, it is the pride unique to elves.
When an elf who has lost his nobility displays arrogance, it is nothing more than hubris.
At this moment, the elf finally abandoned his restraint. His form shifted closer to that of a demon, and the demonic markings on his body glowed with a purplish-black light.
The natural power surrounding him was no longer pure.
It was as if, in this moment, he had embraced the demon, turning the curse placed upon him into a demonic blessing!
"Oh... you're finished."
Seeing his transformation, a flash of realization crossed my slightly delighted eyes, and I spoke those words as if delivering a verdict.
"Yes... I am finished. But it was you who showed me that only power can make a witch like you shut up forever! Now... I am reborn!"
At this moment, he truly was like a new being. He had cast off the elven blessings and shed his former shackles.
The surge of power caused him to throw his head back and let out a blood-curdling roar.
Even when I repeated my question about which Lesser Demon's den his mother had birthed him in, he remained unmoved.
He no longer cared.
Why had he felt irritated and angry before?
Because he still cared about the things he cherished.
But now!
Having discarded those burdensome things, nothing could affect him anymore!
"Poor child... that's not what I meant."
For once, I felt a rare moment of empathy with a certain existence, and I spoke those words on its behalf.
Facing the Fallen Elf whose combat stance had completely changed, I moved swiftly across the buildings.
Under the empowerment of demonic energy, the Fallen Elf's body had bloated into that of a giant demon, completely losing the nobility and elegance of an elf. He had even abandoned his elven beauty and symmetrical physique just to... obtain power.
He believed that by discarding all of that, he would no longer be affected by emotions or trapped by my words.
But his self-proclaimed strength was nothing but a joke in my eyes.
He believed he carried the hopes of a world and bore its heavy burdens, but in the end, he was still just that child who could only run away when faced with absolute power, a child constantly burdened by the expectations of others.
His increase in strength, the accumulation of suffering, and his experiences had only deepened his obsession; they had not brought... growth.
He fought me, risking his life over such a trivial matter—all of it was the shadow of obsession, not the maturity that comes with growth.
Thus, even now, he failed to see why I had been tangling with him for so long.
He didn't see what I actually wanted.
To reiterate: he was an orphan carrying the remnants of a world, bearing the World Will as he wandered the Void.
Perhaps it was accidental, or perhaps he was sent to this world by someone's design.
It didn't matter.
What did everyone want?
Everyone wanted the "Terminal of Myriad Worlds," which was hailed as vital because its effects could change the course of Transcendent development. Many saw too many possibilities within it.
I was the same.
But what I cared about more was the... heritage left to him by that entire world.
"Let me teach you how an elf is supposed to shoot a bow."
As I said this, my physical form underwent a slight change. The most prominent shift was in my ears, which became pointed like an elf's.
This was the Elf Transformation Spell, the most basic prototype among transformation spells.
The elven form granted me a more fluid body and agility, allowing me to better utilize my Body Cultivation power. Furthermore, this spell was enhanced by a special mastery talent—Archery Mastery.
Since he had abandoned his identity as an elf, I would use the most humiliating method possible to make him realize how foolish he was!
Taking a second to adapt to the freedom of the elven form, I nimbly dodged his lunge. The spot where I had been standing was instantly reduced to rubble.
As I landed on another building, a plain, unadorned bow appeared in my hand.
This was the same type of weapon summoning art used by Sister Bai, just like the long blade I had summoned to kill the Vanguard.
When he lunged at me ferociously once more, the bow was already drawn to its limit.
The natural power of an elf gathered into an arrow, woven by my Annotation Technique into a Demon-Slaying Arrow!
And before it was even fired, the tip of the arrow was pressed right against the face of this Fallen Elf demon...
"A point-blank shot... that is the true romance of an archer!"