Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Relocating the Dark Elves
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Tiarin, who had been whining, finally accepted the move with the dark elves. From the way she was planning out the dark elf village, it seemed like she was pretending to dislike it but secretly thrilled.
There was so much luggage that even stuffing everything into the subspace bag took a full three hours. During that time, Dun curled up and dozed off lightly.
“I did gather them, but Dun, these guys don’t listen well. Is it because they’re monsters? After I saved them, they started living on their own and left me out.”
“You weren’t planning to use them as test subjects for your magic research?”
“Was I? I can’t remember. I think I decided not to because you hate it when I use people as test subjects.”
“Good thing, then.”
To see the dark elves that Tiarin had saved and gathered, Dun stepped out of Tiarin’s house and walked a short distance.
The forest at night was teeming with creepy monsters.
Dun wrapped the curse lash around his hand and swung it at the monsters approaching him.
Snap, snap.
The lash coiled around Dun’s hand like a whip before extending toward the insect monsters. The monsters touched by the curse lash didn’t just weaken—they melted away.
There was no better way to deal with monsters under level 200. As long as no people were nearby, that is.
If a person under level 200 got hit, they’d melt too, so he had to be careful.
Dun walked along with heavy steps, then hoisted Tiarin onto his back and leaped far away.
Thud thud thud thud!
Arrows were densely embedded behind Dun. Tiarin clapped and cheered at the sight of the area turning into an arrow field in an instant, asking how he’d dodged them.
“Don’t deliberately get in the way. Dodge what you can yourself.”
“Dun, you’re too cute.”
Dun shook Tiarin off his back.
Casually picking up one of the arrows stuck behind him, Dun threw it toward a distant tree branch.
A dark elf pierced by the arrow fell from the tree with a thud. The arrow Dun had thrown was lodged in its shoulder. These must have been the dark elves Tiarin had diligently gathered.
[Indiscriminate attack!]
At the cry of the dark elf with the arrow in its shoulder, elves rushed in from all around at ferocious speeds.
Dun lightly tilted his head to dodge the incoming blinding arrows.
One dark elf closed the distance with a dagger raised. Dun blankly let it approach until the attack came, then stepped back one pace to evade.
Afraid it might go for his throat and kill him, he slapped the back of its head.
Crack!
With an enormous sound, the charging elf slammed into the ground.
[It’s a bigger monster than Tiarin!!]
[Everyone, stay alert!!]
[Form a circle and press without gaps!]
[Kill it!!!]
Dun pondered whether to smash down with more force, then glanced at Tiarin.
A trace of loneliness flickered in her eyes as she gazed at her transformed kin. After a brief moment of thought, Dun uttered the name of a skill that wasn’t to his taste, with some difficulty.
“……Dominion of Warmth.”
[[Dominion of Warmth] activates.]
The elves charging to kill Dun halted their attacks in an instant.
No words were exchanged, but it felt like their anxieties were understood.
The anxiety of being abandoned by their kin, the past of isolation, the despair of turning into bloodthirsty monsters.
All those intense, destructive emotions melted away in warmth. Exactly as Tiarin had once felt toward Dun.
They dropped their weapons and sank to the ground. The fury and despair that had filled their faces vanished.
Drip, plop. Drip.
Tears fell one or two drops from their eyes. One or two soon became a flood.
[How could they abandon me like that……?]
[Please just look at me once…….]
[I’m innocent, I didn’t do it…….]
[I’m not a monster…….]
Several dark elves gathered before Dun, shedding tears. Dun scratched his cheek awkwardly.
“……Stop crying and pack your things. We’re moving.”
[Where to?]
“Somewhere at least more comfortable than here.”
This place crawled with grotesquely shaped insect monsters. The forest at night was too harsh for elves who had once lived in pleasant, beautiful landscapes. Except for the eccentric elf Tiarin, who dabbled in magic research.
They were called death row inmates, but their crimes varied wildly.
Elves sentenced to death for meddling in magic like Tiarin, elves framed for murder and sentenced to death, elves sentenced to death for talking back to the elf elders.
Dozens had been sentenced to death, but the truly guilty ones could be counted on one hand.
[You little brat, who are you to take us or leave us? We’ve adapted here. If you’re taking some, just take that old hag over there and that scrawny one.]
The muscular dark elf who looked like a fighter was Demian. Demian couldn’t stand this random human kid suddenly taking charge. Whatever trick he’d pulled, a crushing feeling had welled up and vanished. Must be that brat’s doing.
Demian glared at Dun with fierce eyes, ready to slit his throat at the slightest opening.
The other elves glanced at Dun while watching Demian’s intimidating presence.
For some reason, the strange impulse that arose the moment they became monsters was gone, and their minds felt at ease for the first time in ages. Looking at the human child Dun made their hearts so warm they wanted to stay with him.
Their eyes sparkled at the prospect of leaving this place, but with Demian stubbornly standing firm, they couldn’t decide easily.
“Dun, that guy’s why I couldn’t communicate with the other dark elves. They were all scared of him since he’s a serial killer, but he was leading the mentally broken elves.”
“Why didn’t you group up sooner?”
“I had to meet the number you mentioned! Can’t kill them.”
Tiarin whispered in Dun’s ear.
Dominion of Warmth hadn’t seemed to work fully, and now the reason was clear.
Finishing his thoughts, Dun used another skill.
“Dominion of Strength.”
[[Dominion of Strength] activates.]
Demian, dominated once more, widened his eyes. His body trembled as he dropped to his knees. He’d never faced him directly, but it felt like he’d been struck hard—his whole body ached.
[S-sorry!!! I overstepped my place!! Even if you say it’s hell, I’ll go!!]
Demian was one of the types Dun liked in this life.
The strong prey on the weak.
To Dun, overflowing with power, they were easy opponents. Opportunists were just as simple to handle.
No need to waste emotions on them.
“You stay here and make sure the death row inmates survive to become proper dark elves.”
[I, I want to follow too!]
“Stay.”
[Yes!!!]
The other elves’ eyes lit up in wonder at how this small human Dun easily handled the troublemaker Demian.
Dun counted the dark elves looking at him with apprehension. Including Demian, exactly fifteen. Just the number he’d requested.
“To move, you need to grab hold of me somewhere.”
Tiarin leaped up first and clung to Dun. Though Dun was much shorter, he didn’t topple.
Starting with Tiarin, one gently took Dun’s hand and linked fingers. Another shyly wrapped arms around his, hooking elbows.
Some hugged his legs or placed hands on his head.
“Why does this feel so gross.”
“Departure, departure!”
* * *
Sparkling grass. Air fresher than anywhere else. An orange sunset spreading across the high sky.
It was like paradise on earth.
The dark elves couldn’t close their mouths.
“Look around and unpack wherever you want to nest.”
Dun planned to leave after dropping off the dark elves. He needed to fetch the Lycus group.
“W-wait! If you just give us this and leave, we’ll feel uncomfortable! We want to do something for you, anything…….”
“I’ll think about that later. Don’t look for me until I call.”
Dun, who had secretly turned them all into creatures, headed toward the rampaging Tiarin.
“Waaah, when did you find this place? When did you learn teleportation magic?”
“Reeled in one adventurer nicely.”
“He must have been hooked good. Ah, I’m jealous. If only I were strong enough to give something like this…….”
“You seem plenty strong. What you do for me is already too much.”
“Dun……. Are you comforting me? I’m touched.”
“No, literally too much. If you were even a bit more capable, I’d have gotten cancer and died.”
From stress-induced cancer.
Inhaling the sweet air deeply, Dun closed his eyes for a moment.
“Stay here and research this place. What value it has, what can be made, how it can be used.”
Tiarin was plucking and examining a flower. With her high academic passion, her eyes sparkled at the trees, grass, and ecosystem she’d never seen before.
She was already showing immense interest without needing to be told.
“Dun, is it okay for me to be this happy?”
“You can be happy, but don’t torment me in return.”
There was so much to research.
He wasn’t sure exactly where this was, but it felt like an undiscovered continent, like Montgijel.
Tiarin, skilled in teleportation magic and fond of environmental exploration, knew almost every place.
Just as her repetitive magic research was growing boring, she’d been handed an untouched mysterious land in its entirety.
Breathing heavily while gazing at the canyon water mixed in various colors, Tiarin asked.
“By any chance, Dun, is this the reward for gathering fifteen?”
Dun scratched his cheek at Tiarin’s question.
“No, not that.”
This multi-jewel world was a deviation from the original plan. The reward he’d intended for Tiarin was something else.
“There’s a separate reward???”
“This…….”
Rustle, rustle.
Dun rummaged in his pocket.
Pulling out a small coin pouch, Dun stirred inside with his pinky finger, rustling again.
“The 10 units I borrowed last time.”
He handed Tiarin one silver coin.
“And this is interest.”
He added one copper coin to her hand. The principal and interest were the reward.
Leaving the bewildered Tiarin there, Dun vanished.