Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Elvenheim on the Brink of Destruction!
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Darkness blanketed the forest.
Beast-like yellow eyes glowed, staring right at him.
"Down by the river? Then it's that guy."
A dinosaur with a flat, crocodile-like skull and a giraffe-like long neck.
The very first day he'd fallen to the Abandoned Continent.
The beast that had swallowed that yapping dinosaur in one gulp was watching him now.
Recognizing it, he looked down at the fish heart in his hand.
This was probably that thing's doing too.
The only one who wouldn't be troubled by the drinking water running out here was the river's owner.
No, just the Hydrosaurus with danger level 7.
"Sent a beastkin or spirit beast to do it?"
He muttered as he sliced open the fish heart.
A small inner core emerged, emitting a blue glow.
"Too small to use as medicine."
Reaching that conclusion, he immediately chewed and swallowed the inner core.
The World Tree trembled with joy.
Feeling it, he stared straight into the Hydrosaurus's eyes.
"Thanks."
Thanks to its poison spray, the crabs had swarmed.
That let him rack up over two million Gallery Points,
and now he could eat crabs whenever he wanted.
Plus, he got this little inner core.
What a generous dinosaur.
But.
"I'll let it slide this once. Pull any more tricks, and I'll chop off that neck and grill it up?"
With the warning, he climbed out of the lake.
But he knew.
It wouldn't end here.
"Guess I should prepare."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Same time.
Deep in the forest river.
The Hydrosaurus watched Shihanbu from the depths.
Even ten meters underwater, its vision was perfect.
Of course, it couldn't understand human speech.
But it grasped what the human meant well enough.
Not through words, but expressions and emotions.
And body language.
That puny human was warning it.
[Don't get cocky before I kill you.]
Daring to hurl such an arrogant warning at it.
"Keh heh heh."
The Hydrosaurus laughed at the sheer absurdity.
[Killed a couple bugs and now you're all high and mighty.]
Cryoraptor.
Triceratops.
Why were those two still alive? Simple.
They knew their place.
Feared it and stayed away from the river.
That was the only reason they lived.
If they'd come, they'd have ended up like those idiots—gobbled in one bite.
Yet this fool strutted after taking down trash like that?
[Go ahead, don't hold back.]
That sword, the source of the human's confidence.
What face would he make when those flimsy wings bounced off its scales?
Deep in the river,
facing the terror of water crushing every inch of his body.
What screams would he let out?
[I can hardly wait.]
Muttering that, the Hydrosaurus glanced aside.
There, mermaids bound in seaweed stared with dead eyes.
It snapped the seaweed on one and spoke.
[Get ready. Looks like we'll be making waves today.]
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Bang—
Ruby burst through the door.
She headed straight for the corner.
Sighing at the sight, he spoke.
"Checking it again?"
"Worried if it's okay, meow!"
Ruby flung open the frost rune box he'd bought yesterday.
The lid revealed frost-crusted crabs packed tight.
"All good, meow! So reliable, meow!"
Ruby wagged her short tail like a propeller in delight.
Beside her, the wolf pup sniffed eagerly.
"Awooooooo!"
Hearing the wolf's howl, Ruby beamed.
"See, meow? Wolf approves too, meow! Says it's super reliable, meow!"
He nodded.
Staring at the frozen crabs did feel reassuring.
Like emergency cash hidden in a book.
"But something's missing."
Pondering what, he realized.
This was the feeling when you bought a PS.
"Wanna brag."
He snapped a photo right away.
The frost rune box full of crabs, Ruby beaming in front, and the wolf pup.
Then he posted to the Gallery.
📰 Breaking News [Luxurious Wilderness Life #Frozen Crabs #Frost Rune Box #Successful Abandoned Continent Vibes] (Photo of ecstatic wolf and Ruby in front of the frost rune box.) Anyone living wild as successfully as me? Step up. He uploaded it.
But something was off.
Normally, comments would flood in immediately.
Not this time.
"Not enough agro?"
After a moment's thought, he changed the title.
To 'Ruby's Secret Photos'.
Still no comments.
"Tch. Weird."
Frowning, he checked the Gallery.
He quickly saw why.
💬 Comments — So those are all orcs, right? [Elves... done for?] — Yeah, World Tree fell and they still drag it out lol [Should've popped when World Tree died, why force it ㅋㅋ] The Gallery buzzed with bait about Elvenheim, the elves' homeland, on the verge of destruction.
"What the hell does this mean?"
Muttering, he clicked the top post by recommendations.
📰 Breaking News [Elvenheim on the Brink of Destruction!] (Photo of the mountain range from above.) Seeing the photo, he gasped involuntarily.
"All those orcs?"
Aerial shot of the mountains.
The entire range swarmed with orcs.
And that horde marched toward Elvenheim, the village with the withered World Tree.
"... Not agro. It's really about to fall."
Muttering, he zoomed in.
Elves gathered at the withered World Tree came into view.
Checking their numbers, he shook his head.
Compared to the orc swarm over the mountains, the elves were a handful.
Easily a 30-to-1 difference in numbers.
"No way they hold that."
Sighing, he checked the comments.
💬 Comments — Orc bastards try invading? I'll wipe your seed clean! — Touch our homeland and you're done! — If they can't hold, Ruphein next? I live there fml — No elves who can summon spirits? Not one? Various chats filled the screen.
No hopeful words among them.
"Looks legit dangerous."
Then one comment caught his eye:
— Want live updates? Here. (BabyElfBroadcast link) He clicked without hesitation.
The screen switched to a broadcast.
A familiar elf woman in green leaf clothes.
Platinum hair,
emerald eyes—a jaw-dropping beauty.
"Raychel, right?"
The high elf who'd led the elves during the Crimson Tower kidnapping.
Behind her, massive footsteps thundered.
Orc hordes rolled in like a black wave.
Their silhouettes closing in.
💬 Live Chat — Looks rough. — Elf homeland really toast? — TwinbladeMurimElfGTFO Serves you right, green snakes lololol — lmao what kinda personality ㅋㅋㅋ — Let 'em rot ㅋㅋ dude got romanced scammed by elf, lost everything ㅋㅋㅋ — TwinbladeMurimElfGTFO ... Wasn't me. ↳ Reply — Yeah right, you're still #1 donor on that elf stream lol — TwinbladeMurimElfGTFO NOT ME! I'll bash their skulls with orc bones... TwinbladeMurimElfGTFO spammed hate.
Ignoring him, he focused on the broadcast.
Raychel at the front was ordering the other elves to retreat.
"Staying behind to buy time, meow!"
Ruby, who'd snuck up to watch beside him.
He agreed.
Raychel planned to sacrifice herself for the others' escape.
"Tch. Any way to help?"
Back during the Crimson Tower kidnapping.
Impure motives or not, the elves had saved him.
Resentment versus gratitude—gratitude weighed heavier.
He wanted to help if he could.
"No way."
Pocket watch still on cooldown.
Even off, what could he do there?
As he sucked his thumb helplessly,
[...If only I could manifest a spirit for 10 minutes. No, 1 minute...]
Raychel's mutter reached his ears.
Hearing it, he typed in chat.
— Shihanbu) 1 minute enough? No waiting for reply, he moved.
The Dracator inner core in the frost rune box corner.
Saved for Nine Yin Meridians treatment—he pulled it out.
And immediately.
Crunch—
Chewed and swallowed.
A massive surge of energy hit; the World Tree trembled in joy.
It broke down the impurities itself and devoured the energy.
That moment.
"Ugh!"
A groan escaped him.
His left arm skin turned to wood up to the elbow.
Changes didn't stop there.
The World Tree in his dantian, once just a finger joint,
shot up to forearm size in an instant.
"... Need a cure for this fast too."
Thinking that, he stroked his lower abdomen.
Gently patting, he said,
"Ate your treat. Time to earn it."
That instant.
Tremble—
Glow burst from his lower abdomen.