Chapter 55 – The Elf and the Dark Elf (5)
“Ah.”
I suddenly regained my senses on a soft bed. It was already late at night, well after the sun had set. As I opened my eyes, I instinctively lifted my body.
The spirits, who had been sleeping with me, also woke up and tumbled off the bed.
“Iriliana!”
Rina, who had been dozing nearby, exclaimed in a surprised voice. It seemed she had been keeping watch until I woke up.
“What happened?”
Looking into Rina’s worried eyes, I couldn’t help but ask. Though I had hurriedly rushed back, the main force still hadn’t finished dealing with the enemies.
Of course, if something more serious had happened, I wouldn’t have woken up safely, and Rina wouldn’t be there looking so fine.
“Don’t worry. Everything has been resolved. The main force returned safely, and the elves remaining in the city are also safe. Eluria is too.”
Rina reassured me, indicating that everything was alright. Since it didn’t seem like a lie, I smiled, watching the joyful spirits.
“We faced so many unexpected events.”
I had anticipated something would happen at the Anguish, which is why I moved with the armed elf army. But this time, it was far beyond just goblins popping up.
I could never have imagined that some of the enemy forces would detour and attack the empty elf stronghold.
It was the moment I realized how wicked their intentions were and how cunningly they planned to achieve those aims.
“What are the others doing? Are they busy dealing with things?”
“It seems so. Especially there are many who were quite shocked…”
Rina nodded at my words, looking as though she was exhausted. The crisis had passed, and it was quiet outside, but the atmosphere was far from calm. Rather, it felt tense, like a ticking time bomb ready to explode at any moment.
I wanted nothing more than to go out right away and get to work, but even though I had lost consciousness, I was so tired now.
“Let’s take it slow. The worst is over. But we still need to hurry. We haven’t dealt with the Anguish yet.”
Due to the enemy resistance, we had to change direction the moment we set foot in the Anguish. We needed to eliminate it as soon as possible, not knowing what might happen if we left it unattended for too long.
“Come here.”
I chuckled softly and tapped the space beside me. Rina cautiously moved and lay down next to me as if she had no choice.
Being in this state had its advantages. I could be spoiled like this at my own will.
*
“Elder, you should rest now. You’ll collapse at this rate.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Do you think I’m weak enough to fall over from just this much? Not yet.”
If even Iriliana was surprised, what about the elves who were experiencing the Anguish for the first time? They were undoubtedly trembling in anxiety, unable to calm their excitement even at this moment.
Elnar, the elder, was no exception. After the incident, he had barely managed to rest and was finding it hard to calm his mind.
‘It seems the shock is quite significant. After all, it was my first time actually fighting against Dark Elves. Moreover, those Dark Elves were somewhat odd.’
Patrick observed Elnar’s fatigued state and downed the elf drink meant to rejuvenate his spirits.
Though he was Iriliana’s companion, being human made him receive somewhat strange gazes. However, following this incident, he completely gained the elves’ trust.
He became a comrade through fighting alongside the elves. Though he had struggled hard against the enemies, Patrick felt a bit bewildered by this treatment.
“What do you think? Those Dark Elves were stronger than known, weren’t they?”
“I’m not sure. When fighting, I was completely lost in the moment…”
Patrick asked Lila, who was nearby, but she couldn’t offer much help. Following Iriliana’s words, she had begun to synchronize with the wind spirit that showed her affection, completely lost in it and with little room to think of anything else.
Actually, it was an excellent opportunity for Lila to test her new powers. She was now fidgeting with the sword hilt, eager to fight again.
Patrick sighed at that sight. Having no idea of Lila’s true identity, he could only think that Iriliana had picked up another strange one from somewhere.
“Elder, it seems we won’t know anything unless we interrogate the captured Dark Elf.”
“Absolutely not. Don’t approach him recklessly until the High Elf awakens.”
Amidst that, Elnar jumped up in opposition to those who suggested interrogating the captured Dark Elf. He insisted not to dare approach until Iriliana regained consciousness.
‘What on earth happened?’
Arriving late with the main force, Patrick was left questioning as he saw Elnar, who had been confident in front of Iriliana, now looking so diminished.
Having narrowly saved his daughter Eluria’s life, Elnar was merely waiting for Iriliana to wake up, fearing that something else might happen that he did not know of.
“What’s the matter? Why does everyone look like they’re dying?”
“Iriliana!”
Finally, the silver-haired elf girl they had been waiting for, yawning, walked in alongside Rina. It was early morning after a deep sleep.
Iriliana, looking much refreshed, chuckled at the sight of those who had not properly slept while waiting for her.
“Did you wait until I came? Without even touching anything?”
“Yes, yes. We didn’t know what kind of schemes that wicked one might pull again.”
“That makes sense. It seems a bit excessive, though.”
Hearing Elnar’s complaints, looking worn out to the point of appearing older, Iriliana smirked. It was a significant event for the elves, who had been ruling this area peacefully for over hundreds of years. It wasn’t surprising that they were in shock.
“Let’s go. It could be problematic if someone dies waiting around like this.”
Ultimately, Iriliana took the lead and approached the captured Dark Elf. The Dark Elf was still half-buried underground, with a rock stuffed in his mouth to prevent him from taking his own life.
“Ugh, you…”
“I have to do what I have to do. Let’s hurry and finish this as painlessly as possible.”
Having to directly interrogate him, Iriliana grinned as she saw him gritting his teeth at her. Though she disliked bothersome tasks, she didn’t shy away from teaching a lesson to an arrogant enemy.
“Look at their faces. They’re soaked in fear. They never know when a curse or disaster might engulf them and this land. I merely intended to give them a chance.”
The Dark Elf tried to force a smile and raised his voice looking at the elves surrounding him.
‘He definitely knows something.’
Iriliana was aware of what kind of beings Dark Elves were and what kind of ideology they held. However, the Dark Elf before her was certainly a somewhat different entity.
Thinking that it might be the influence of the Anguish, Iriliana suddenly lifted her foot and stomped it down on his face.
“If you’re so great, tell me. What do you know? What is this anomaly happening in the world right now?”
“Yes, even if you are a High Elf from myth, you won’t be able to stop it. You too are one of those who disappeared without being able to prevent the end of that time. The end has already begun. We will become a part of that new world…”
Without needing to be interrogated, he continued to speak defiantly under Iriliana’s foot. His words were backed by a very strong belief seated deep within him.
‘Indeed, the end program that has been passed down since that time has been activated. But why has it restarted after ten thousand years?’
Having gradually caught on, she bit her lip as her suspicions began to be validated as facts.
Though it was acceptable that a world that was supposed to have been completely finished managed to survive and rebuild, it was puzzling why the system meant to hinder that resurgence was now operational again after all this time.
“The curse will cover the whole world! You guys, trapped in the past, won’t be able to stop it!”
He screamed and struggled. Choosing to threaten and frighten the elves rather than cooperate and beg for his life, he opted to fight back.
“You don’t seem to know anything either. In the end, we’ll only know the truth by going to the Anguish. Do as you please.”
With that, Iriliana pulled her foot away, looking down at him with a disgusted expression before turning around. The elves scrambled to make way for her.
All that remained was the captive still stuck to the ground and the furious elves who were blaming him.
“The elves can be quite ruthless. They’ve lost something, after all.”
Patrick, being an adventurer who had experienced all sorts of tribulations, shook his head at the outcome of that xử lý.
