The Invasion of Ellad (2)
Posts got deleted on the gallery from time to time.
However, watching a post on the Hall of Fame get wiped out so blatantly in real time was exceedingly rare.
On top of that, it was a monster none of them had ever laid eyes on before.
The appearance of a completely new variant beast was more than enough to send tremors through the entire gallery.
"And it clearly has intelligence, too."
The pumpkin-headed beast had stalked the elf like a hunter stalking prey, calculating the perfect moment before going in for the kill.
Back in the Great War, beasts from the Outside just charged in mindlessly like rabid animals.
But lately, they've been testing the waters with these sporadic waves, as if deliberately probing our defenses and whittling down our strength.
Doesn't it feel like they realized they can't swallow the continent in one bite, so they're actually starting to use their brains?
Fortunately, the elves of Ellad were taking the incident with utmost gravity.
With our Assistant Moderator at the helm, a punitive expedition formed to put the beast down was already marching toward the site of the attack.
The remains of Elf Bow Demon have been recovered, yes.
Now, it is time for retribution, yes.
"Those expressions are pure murder."
Every elf in the frame was radiating lethal intent. Bringing out the high-explosive grenades—weapons the Elven Kingdom guarded as their ultimate trump cards—spoke volumes on its own. Moreover, the subjugation squad was composed of seasoned veterans handpicked specifically to eliminate variant beasts from sudden monster waves.
As usual, it felt like this whole ordeal would wrap up neatly once they tracked down and slaughtered the lone monster.
"Still... something feels wrong."
A gnawing discomfort lingered in my gut.
Perhaps it was because the expression on that pumpkin beast in the late archer's screenshot looked fundamentally distinct from the blank ferocity of ordinary monsters.
Just as the thought crossed my mind that this wouldn't resolve so cleanly...
?? What is the meaning of this, yes.
Where did they all vanish to, yes?
The new post delivered an unmistakable message.
The beast had bolted.
A creature that was supposed to be a low-intelligence berserker driven purely by bloodlust had proactively disengaged and fled before the clash even began.
"Wait... could it be?"
Before my dark foreboding could even crystallize, fresh comments flooded beneath the post.
This new pumpkin-headed beast wasn't an unthinking predator.
It was actively engaging in psychological warfare against sapient beings.
The pumpkin beast possessed a sinister cunning.
It ran like a coward whenever confronted by the armed subjugation unit, choosing instead to ambush and slaughter isolated or defenseless elves before melting into the shadows.
Flurries of panicked posts poured out of the elf community. Because of this, users of other races couldn't afford to sit back and watch the spectacle with detached amusement; there was no guarantee a beast with that kind of intellect wouldn't crop up in their own settlements next.
Most alarmingly, the pumpkin monster knew precisely where not to tread.
Until now, monster attacks followed a predictable script: they converged in massive swarms, and the defenders dug in to repel the tide. Under that status quo, the elves had been free to wander through the vast expanse of the Elad Forest without excessive paranoia.
Now, even that freedom was stripped away.
Author: Armion
All elves currently residing within the Elad Forest must return to Elladrien immediately.
Until the Royal Knights neutralize the variant beast, venturing beyond the kingdom's borders is strictly prohibited.
With reports confirming the pumpkin beast specifically picked off vulnerable loners, the crown took a formal stance and locked the gates. The younger, adventurous elves who thrived on exploring the wilderness were losing their minds from sheer boredom.
"Now they've even mobilized the Royal Knights."
The original subjugation team was an ad-hoc unit drawn from skilled knights and soldiers. When situations spiraled completely out of hand, the entire standing knighthood deployed in full force—much like during the sudden wave crisis before. The kingdom had expected the knighthood to wrap things up swiftly, but things were never that simple.
Haaah, I'm literally going to die of heatstroke.
No sign of the monster... the weather is sweltering... Wearing steel plate in this temperature is pure elf-murder...
A single pair of elves couldn't reliably bring down the beast. Yet, whenever a large contingent advanced together, the creature caught their scent or sound and retreated far into the brush.
The knights' stamina and morale were visibly eroding by the hour.
Seeing them pushed this far, it felt like the right time to intervene.
Instantly, as if lying in ambush for my message, a flood of replies burst onto the thread.
A comment popped up, expressing genuine concern.
Just as that user pointed out, I frequently extended a helping hand to the community without extracting immediate payment. While my fundamental motivation was preserving the gallery—which directly tied into my own survival—there were always users who voiced well-meaning apprehension over the one-sided charity.
True to form, the comment section exploded into an ethnic flame war within seconds.
Of course, contrary to their assumptions, I wasn't doing charity for free. Between the Holy Sword and the Masterpiece Sword resting in my bunker, the level-ups fueled by hoarded Mana Dumplings, and the moderator points flowing silently behind the scenes, I was well-compensated in currencies they couldn't perceive.
Still...
I clicked open the attached image again.
A fair-skinned elf with pale blonde hair was captured in full detail, wilted from the sweltering heat, fanning herself with desperate exhaustion.
"Ehehe."
"An intelligent beast? Easy enough."
I browsed the modern weapons category in the system shop, navigating straight to a specific subsection.
Imposing names and mechanical blueprints spread across the interface.
Conveniently, every civilian elf had already evacuated inside the royal gates, which meant friendly fire risks were minimal.
"To be honest, I kind of want to see this in action myself."
I had read about bounding mines in technical manuals, but I'd never observed their lethal mechanism in person. After purchasing a batch, I arranged a direct trade with Full-Health Elf.
The elite knights of the Elven Kingdom, renowned across Eladrien, stood huddled together with their long ears twitching in shared curiosity.
"Is this..."
"The new weapon provided by the Head Mod?"
"...It looks exceedingly peculiar."
The device was a cylindrical metal canister topped with bizarre mechanical prongs. The dull olive-drab paint, the alien English lettering stamped along the casing, and the terrifying reputation of the Head Mod's previous armaments sent an involuntary chill running down their spines.
"Is this truly so devastating?"
Eliana herself was no exception.
Cradling the KM16A1 bounding mine in her arms, her expression turned conflicted. The memory of the chilling warning the Head Mod had drilled into her during the transaction echoed vividly in her mind.
"Ugh..."
He had told her that anyone caught in its lethal radius wouldn't die instantly—they would merely wish they were dead.
If the Head Mod, who usually maintained a relaxed, sarcastic demeanor, issued such a stern warning, there had to be a terrifying reason behind it.
"Was it buried like this...?"
Following the instructions meticulously, Eliana concealed the mine beneath the soil, armed the trigger mechanism, and immediately fell back two hundred—no, a safe distance of at least five hundred meters. Then, just as planned, her unit began a conspicuous sweep in the opposite direction, feigning an intensive search.
"Commander Eliana, over there! It has appeared!"
Just as the elven sentry whispered, the silhouette of the pumpkin-headed monster emerged at the edge of the clearing.
It had been pulling this exact stunt since yesterday. Lurking just out of reach, staring mockingly at the elves before vanishing the moment they mobilized—gauging their reaction, looking for an opening.
That psychological torment ended today.
"Just a little closer... Now!"
Through her superior elven vision, Eliana watched the unsuspecting monster bring its foot down directly onto the hidden pressure fuse.
She braced herself, anticipating a thunderous fireball like the one unleashed by the high-explosive grenade.
Swoosh!
"Huh?"
The outcome defied all expectations.
Instead of detonating in the dirt, the canister launched cleanly into the air with a dull pop, leaping waist-high above the ground.
SH-SH-SH-SHRIEK!
—Gurgle?
At apex height, hundreds of steel shrapnel spheres erupted outward in a horrifying, 360-degree storm of supersonic death.