83. Clumsy Decision
The joy of growth outweighed the agony of my body burning by leaps and bounds. That's why I could keep tanking the Emerald Wyvern's attacks, even without any pain tolerance whatsoever.
The two new resistance skills I'd picked up—one for general magic attacks, the other for spell-attribute damage—were game-changers. A quick community search revealed that "spell attribute" referred to the natural properties of unaltered mana. Apparently, most magical interference effects fell under that umbrella too. Neutral attribute might've been a better fit, but if the System called it that, who was I to argue?
Anyway, mission accomplished: I'd secured the Emerald Elixir, the quest objective.
◈ A precious medicine distilled from the essence of the Emerald Wyvern.
◈ Use to complete the related quest.
It was a letdown not to snag more loot after nearly dying, but I wasn't that bummed. Rewards weren't why I'd come here in the first place. No, it was to grill the dark elf queen on the World Tree—to chase some answers about souls. To uncover what the massive presence I sensed from Elenoir really was.
If someone asked what I'd do with that knowledge, I'd have nothing. Hell, I didn't even know why myself. Just ignore it and push on, like always. So what if NPCs acted like NPCs? I'd flipped my thinking once before; I could flip it back. The shared thoughts and memories with Elenoir, the emotional back-and-forth—just pretend it never happened. Back to square one. No issues there. Hell, I was growing smoother than ever.
Gazing at the elixir in my hand soured my mood out of nowhere. Rewards don't matter? Since when did I start entertaining such inefficient bullshit? Irritation surged; for a split second, I toyed with chucking the damn thing. But nah. It was a quest item. An epic quest, at that. No point ditching a cleared reward.
Steadying the volatile mana roiling in my chest, I escaped the dungeon.
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Back in Ruel's Stump, I requested an audience with the queen right away. Being Elenoir's fiancé made it a breeze, and I handed over the elixir in no time. The completion rewards were underwhelming: just exp, gold, and a chat with her majesty. I'd fretted it might not work or she'd refuse, but nope.
Creeeak.
The queen leaned against her creaky bedframe, glaring at me. Those eyes were still like dead, withered branches.
"You had questions for me, yes?"
Her voice was tighter than on Floor 7, pressed flat like dried leaves.
"Got a few curiosities about the World Tree. Figured no dark elf knows it better than you."
"Indeed."
"Truth is, I didn't narrow 'em down. It's everything you know."
The queen blinked slowly—less like an elder, more like a fossil coming to life. Then, out of nowhere:
"The Forest Elves' royal scepter and the Night Elves' crown hold power to interfere with the World Tree."
As if she'd already guessed what I wanted.
"That power can disrupt the cycling flow of souls."
She added immediately:
"That's all. You now know everything about the World Tree."
Nothing more from her.
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Her cloudy eyes bored into me. I couldn't buy it easily. That was the only secret about the World Tree I didn't know? But no matter how I pressed, her answer stayed the same. No hidden truths. Then she spilled everything she knew—but nothing new. Same as what Erwen had told me.
"Yeah... right."
I sighed. Zilch on souls or the World Tree. Futile. All that hell for scraps of exp and gold?
"The Forest Elves would say the same. No secrets unknown to us."
"How can you swear to that?"
"Even if one lurks, what concern is it of yours? The World Tree has withered and lost its power."
Fair point. Digging deeper on trees and souls wouldn't change shit anyway.
But I hadn't pegged the queen for letting go like that. Thought she clung to the World Tree—traded Elenoir for peace with the high elves over it.
"What lingering attachment to a withered stump? I sought peace for my daughter, nothing more."
"Doesn't seem like your daughter wants it."
"Bellicose traits don't fade easily. War will change her mind."
She gazed at the ceiling like distant peaks.
"I hated the Forest Elves too—the ones who monopolized the World Tree and drove us out. Before queenship, after... I yearned to sweep them away."
"We, the persecuted, deserved it. To crush them and claim wider horizons."
"But longevity teaches one truth: war never changes."
Come to think of it, my grasp of dark elf history was just backstory fluff.
"Whose arrow, how justified—who it pierces is unknowable."
"From the moment it's loosed, until the deed that's long overdue—everyone suffers."
She fixed me with a sharp glare.
"Until they sit and talk."
The queen clearly resented me.
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After that marathon chat, I stepped out and stared blankly at the sky.
"Haa..."
So, elf crown and scepter could mess with soul flow via the World Tree. But knowing didn't help. I couldn't snag them anyway, and with the tree withered... nada.
Reviving Elenoir—that soul-like presence I sensed. Never planned to, but the emptiness hit hard. What did I even want?
"Status Window."
Quest rewards bumped me up a level. The new skills from the Emerald Wyvern stood out.
"Fucking beastly specs."
I let out a hollow chuckle at stats that laughed at my floor progress and level. Solo play? Not an issue anymore. Clearing the Tower of Trials would be a cakewalk. Hell, hyper-focused grinding could blitz me to Floor 25 in a flash. No need to risk life for labyrinth chests, hidden floor goodies, or extended training here. Mana practice could happen anytime.
Elenoir. Rizmel. Erwen. Human-like or not, NPCs through and through. Quests done, they revert to soulless kiosks. Tower's design—can't fight it. I'm system-bound too: invited by the Tower, powered by its system, advancing its way.
Stick to the path. No detours, and I'd hit my goals.
"Yeah. Cut it loose."
Swore I'd never stop. No more clinging. Slice off desires like sleep, hunger, lust. This was nothing.
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Next day, I sought out Elenoir.
"Gonna help the scouts again?"
The three factions clashed endlessly, friction building. War loomed. Challengers' role? Aid your side via subquests—clear enough, and Floor 2 (7-9) ends.
Decision made: no dawdling. Smash quests fast, hit Floor 9.
"You offering first? Thrilled. Kiss as thanks?"
"Just the job."
"Hmph, extra frosty today. Feels like our first meet."
Yeah. NPCs were always like this.