Chapter 20
Elpinire stared at the collapsed man with a bewildered expression.
From the red blood splattered across the floor to the skin that had melted away in clumps.
A total mess.
She was certain no word fit this man better.
"He's still breathing."
Confirming the man's shallow breaths, Elpinire turned to look beside her.
The corpse of the Bloody Mantis lay sprawled on the ground.
Sensing the faint purple energy seeping from the carcass, Elpinire's eyes widened.
This is Ma Gi…?!
Sensing the Ma Gi, Elpinire whipped her head back to the man.
Did he really fight and defeat a beast corrupted by Ma Gi?
Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Elpinire placed her hand over the man's body with a displeased frown.
"I don't wanna do this for some guy who vanished a week ago out of nowhere…"
This man had fought and defeated a mutated beast corrupted by Ma Gi.
It was as good as preventing the chaos that would have overrun the Evergreen Forest.
In the process, he'd nearly died from his injuries.
It didn't sit right with her, but she was an elf who knew gratitude.
She had no choice but to heal the one who'd eliminated the forest's threat.
Elpinire took a steadying breath and channeled mana from her hand.
Saaah—
A deep emerald-green energy flowed from Elpinire's hand, the color of lush evergreens.
Concentrating so intensely she even held her breath, she began purifying the Ma Gi seeping into his body while healing his wounds.
"Phew. He won't die now."
After a long while, she finally exhaled and examined the man whose wounds had fully closed.
Maybe he hadn't been exposed to too much Ma Gi.
There wasn't a trace of contamination left in his injuries.
Thanks to that, Elpinire had healed him far more easily than expected.
"…How the hell did he make it all the way to this remote cave?"
From how he'd slipped her surveillance and vanished to how he'd reached this cave that no one but her even knew about.
She had more questions than she could count.
"Not thrilled about it, but I guess I'll take him with me."
Bringing an outsider—worse, a human—to where her mother was didn't sit well at all, but she had no choice.
Elpinire hoisted the unconscious man over her shoulder.
"Hm?"
Sloop.
A black snake dangling limply on the floor.
Come to think of it, this was the pet snake he'd been carrying around.
"Passed out following its master, huh."
Her keen senses told her as much.
The snake was unconscious just like the man.
Gathering up the snake as well, Elpinire leaped lightly toward the cave exit.
"Gasp!"
My eyes snapped open as I heaved for breath.
"Wh-what the…?"
An unfamiliar ceiling.
No joke, totally alien.
"Doesn't look like a hospital."
I'd never seen a ceiling carved so roughly from stone like this.
What the hell is this?
A construction site ceiling would look more polished than this.
Struggling to sit up, I scanned my surroundings.
A vast, austere room that felt kinda barren.
Where the hell am I?
Tilting my head, I glanced to the side.
A bunch of unchecked system messages were piled up there.
Escape the cave.
Achieved
Success
Moving to the next floor.
Huh?
Moved to the next floor?
More importantly…
I escaped the cave?
I'd clearly passed out after taking down that weird Bloody Mantis.
I hurriedly checked the messages below.
Floor 6
Gain recognition from ????
※ Cannot leave the tower on this floor
Looks like I really moved to the next floor.
Ah, no mid-progress exit on this floor either.
I have no clue what happened.
Frowning, I scratched my head vigorously.
Then the door slammed open, and a scowling woman stormed in.
"Oh."
That elf… definitely the one from before…
"Human. You're finally awake."
"You're Elpinire?"
"…I told you not to call me by name."
Oh, right.
Forgot.
Clearing my throat, I furrowed my brow and addressed Elpinire.
"Where is this place?"
"Before the World Tree, the elves' village. Elcid."
"You brought me here?"
"Yeah. You were out for about three, four days."
At Elpinire's words, I bowed my head seriously.
Elpinire said I'd been asleep for three days.
That means I haven't moved from this spot for three days.
But the system showed the 'floor' shifting from 5 to 6.
The conditions had changed, so the floor must've updated for real.
Unlikely that the floor shifted while I was passed out here.
So there's only one answer.
The floors transitioned naturally.
I didn't teleport or anything during the shift from 5 to 6.
The 'floor' just advanced smoothly, updating the conditions.
At this point, I couldn't help but wonder.
Is this even a tower?
Ever since learning from Cheori that 'the tower shares the same space.'
If every floor shares the same space, is it really right to call it a tower?
Honestly, no idea, but the system calls it one, so whatever.
Smacking my lips lightly, I scratched the back of my head and looked at Elpinire.
"Thanks for saving me."
"Hmph. Don't get the wrong idea, human. I only saved you because you took out that Ma Gi-corrupted beast."
"…Ma Gi?"
"What? You fought it without knowing?"
Elpinire stared at me like I was an idiot.
I nodded awkwardly, and she let out a hollow laugh before flopping into a chair.
"Lately, a sinister energy's been cropping up in the forest. Purple energy that seeps into beasts, making them stronger and more ferocious."
"…!"
Purple energy.
That stuff the weird Bloody Mantis had wrapped around itself.
Seeing my wide eyes, Elpinire nodded as if to confirm.
"Human, I'm talking about the energy that Bloody Mantis you fought was cloaked in. Beasts touched by it corrupt everything nearby."
Most can't withstand the power and die.
But a few accept the 'Ma Gi' and mutate under its influence.
"Human, the Bloody Mantis you fought was a Ma Gi-mutated variant."
"…No wonder it was such a pain in the ass."
Ha.
I really thought I was done for.
How's a mantis that damn fast?
"If I hadn't found you on patrol, you'd be dead."
"Got it. Thanks—"
"Now answer me."
Shing.
A sharp blade pressed to my throat.
I didn't even see her draw it.
Lips pressed tight, I stared at Elpinire holding the dagger to my neck.
"Why'd you come looking for the World Tree? Answer, or die."
Then why heal me?
Swallowing the words rising to my throat, I forced an awkward smile.
"Sight… seeing?"
"…?"
Elpinire looked blankly at me for a moment.
"You came here just for tourism? Through the Evergreen Forest, called a demonic realm?"
"Yeah…?"
"Human, if that's true, you're not right in the head."
What?
Why's she looking at me like I'm crazy all of a sudden?
Elpinire's wary gaze shifted to one reserved for lunatics.
Did I say something wrong?
"Then how'd you vanish for a week?"
A week?
I was only on Earth for three days.
Scratching my cheek, I decided to just tell the truth.
"Went home."
"Huh?"
Strike again, huh.
Elpinire narrowed her eyes in disbelief.
Then she pressed the blade closer and asked.
"Then what about entering that cave?"
"…"
What do I even say this time?
Screw it, I just blurted out what came to mind.
"Stopped by on the way home."
"…"
"Saw the World Tree, so tourism's done. You hate people getting close anyway."
She clearly hadn't expected that; her mouth flapped open silently.
Then she clicked her tongue softly, sheathed the dagger, and turned away.
"You preemptively handled a Ma Gi beast, so I'll believe you. Otherwise, I'd have thrown you in a cell right now."
Clack, clack.
Walking toward the door she'd entered, she said,
"Now that you're up, get the hell out of my house. I can't stand the sight of humans."
Her voice was sharp as a knife.
With that shout, Elpinire whipped her head around as she opened the door.
"Oh, and your snake's on the desk. Take it or leave it."
Bang!
Elpinire vanished like that.
Left alone, I slowly got up and peered out the window.
"Just forest everywhere."
I'd expected more from an elves' village.
But outside was just an ordinary forest view.
Looking closer, Elpinire's house seemed to be on the outskirts of Elcid.
"Guess I'll head out."
She told me to leave anyway.
I'm a good guy who listens.
Feeling light after three days of solid sleep, I stretched long and headed to the desk.
There, with my backpack, Cheori lay curled up asleep on a cushion.
"Hey. Hey, dude."
"…"
"Wake up. Landlady's evicting us."
"Kkuuung…"
Twitch.
Cheori struggled upright.
Its black rice-grain eyes blinked, then it spotted me and perked up.
"Kkung!"
It hopped up and lunged at me.
How does a snake even jump?
Once it did, it started licking my face wildly with its tongue.
No idea why a snake licks like a dog, but whatever.
"Not hungry, right?"
"Kkung!"
Good, this guy's fine too.
I stuffed the little guy into my pocket—
"Hm."
My clothes are trashed.
Changed into spare ones from my bag, pocketed Cheori, and slung the bag over my shoulder.
"Let's go?"
"Kkung."
I'll figure out that question mark in the conditions later.
Tourism first.
Wonder what an elves' village is like.
Smiling faintly, I opened the door.
As expected, Elpinire's house was on the outskirts of the elves' village.
Heading toward the heart of Elcid, I looked around.
"Whoa…"
I'd been dragged here so fast last time I ended up in a cell without seeing anything.
Now that I could take it in, the elves' village was…
"…Do elves use stone age tools or what?"
"What nonsense is that, human?"
"…Nothing."
Way different from what I expected.
I figured elves would live in treehouses or something.
But most houses here were built of stone.
Even pit dwellings dotted around, like they were about to head out hunting with flint tools.
Not entirely off, though.
Every stone building was overgrown with green vines.
After taking it all in, I asked Elpinire curiously,
"No wooden houses at all?"
"You wanna use trees for houses?! This is why I hate humans. How can you be so barbaric?!"
I narrowed my eyes at Elpinire, who was yelling like she couldn't comprehend.
Come to think of it, her clothes looked like fine silk.
The fantasy elves I knew wore plant-fiber garb.
No way…
"Elves don't eat plants, do they?"
"Obviously."
"You eat meat?"
"Animals are evil creatures that harm plants."
Hm.
Got it. Perfectly understood.
Nodding once, I fixed Elpinire with cold, dead eyes.
My illusions about elves were utterly shattered.
Please, give me back the elves I knew.
I thought elves were vegans, but they're straight-up carnivores.
Someone, anyone, tell me this is a dream.
Please.