by Park Saenal
Tang! Tatatatang! Grid started a sword dance as Mercedes and the God Hands protected him.
Puk! Then an arrow flew through a gap in the God Hands and pierced his thigh, interrupting the skill casting. This was the moment when he was caught by the deadly disadvantage of Pagma’s Swordsmanship.
‘Shit! The arrows are too fast!’
The power, speed, and covertness of the arrows were topnotch. The elves’ archery reminded Grid of the death knight of the legendary archer Povia. This meant that the skills of the elves were greater than the rankers. Arrows started to pour down like rain. The God Hands couldn’t endure the cumulative damage and fell into a stiffened state, exposing Grid to danger.
“Vaintz’ Swordsmanship 3rd style.”
Right now, Grid had a knight as a bus… No, it was a legendary knight. Mercedes appeared in front of Grid and protected him. “Fly Sword Energy.”
A storm occurred along the direction of Mercedes’ rotation. It was a silver storm that crushed the bushes, trees, and rocks equally well.
“Kyaaack!”
Kwang! Kwa kwa kwa kwang!
The elves were hit by the storm of energy swords and fell in all directions. Their sharp screams echoed in the vast forest. However, there was something even more surprising.
‘Their health only decreased by half?’
All the elves survived, and their health was even maintained at 50%. They had an unbelievable defense despite the fact that only leaves were barely covering their bodies. It was also a persistent vitality that didn’t fit their delicate bodies.
‘These are elves…! Then how strong is that elf?’ Grid’s gaze was focused on the white-haired elf. The elf called Beniyaru was a named elf, and her name was in a golden color.
“Your Majesty, you better avoid them.” Mercedes was also aware of the seriousness of the situation. The elves were stronger than rumored. Mercedes decided that protecting Grid while dealing with them was virtually impossible. Then…
“Avoid them?” Her judgment scratched Grid’s pride. Grid stared straight into Mercedes’ eyes. He used Quick Movements and spoke as two arrows flew, “You are mistaken. I’m not a weakling to be protected.”
Grid’s footwork accelerated. It was the effect of Quick Movements. He avoided the flying arrows and safely used Pagma’s Swordsmanship this time.
“Uh!”
“What…?”
The elves who were hiding behind a tree and sniping were amazed. Their behavior was being controlled by an unknown force, and their fingertips couldn’t move. It was an oppressive authority that couldn’t be rejected unless they had a status resistance. The bows and arrows in the hands of the elves fell to the ground.
“Pagma’s Swordsmanship!” Grid had been dressed for comfort when making an item, but he now swapped to Valhalla of Infinite Affection. He did this quickly with the help of the God Hands. Grid quickly moved while the elves were showing a gap. “Wave.”
“…!” The elves and Mercedes were startled because Grid’s momentum was reminiscent of a volcano. Strong, destructive, and widespread—the elves were swept away in it, suffering a lot of damage while losing their swiftness.
“Now!”
Who was the cry meant for? Naturally…
“Yes!” It was Mercedes. She was amazed and thrilled at the grandeur of the king she served.
“Vaintz’ Swordsmanship 4th style, Raising the Sword Energy.” A storm of silver sword energy sprang up from below. Swept away by the attacks of the two people, the bodies of the elves flew through their air.
“Pagma’s Swordsmanship, Transcended Link.”
“Vaintz’ Swordsmanship 5th style, Sowing Sword Energy.”
Grid and Mercedes chose ranged skills as the final blow and aimed at the unaware elves. No, they attempted to start a rampage.
“Kuk…!”
“Uh!”
Grid and Mercedes groaned at the same time.
This was due to Beniyaru. Her bow struck Grid’s neck while her fist, which contained a fire elemental, slammed into Mercedes’ abdomen. Grid flew back into a rock while Mercedes flew toward a tree to the left, stopping with the power of her silver wings. Meanwhile, Beniyaru restrained her fellow elves, who landed safely on the ground with the help of the wind elementals.
A smile emerged on Grid’s face. ‘It is a sign.’
The fact that the heavens had brought him a legendary knight was preparation for a greater threat. How many of them were hidden in every corner of Satisfy’s huge world? Grid judged Beniyaru to be on the same level as Mercedes.
‘However, Mercedes has the disadvantage.’
It was natural as this was the world tree forest, the home of the elves. Furthermore…
‘Just like me, Mercedes doesn’t know anything about elementals.’
It was an unknown power. As Grid watched Beniyaru alternate between the fire and wind elementals, respectively called ‘Yutan’ and ‘Sulle’, his regret toward the white phosphorus wood disappeared. At this moment, Grid was purely focused on the enemy in front of him.
Beniyaru’ ridiculing words entered his ears, “She is a pretty decent human, but you aren’t.”
Elves were classified as a superior species to humans, like the water clan, vampires, and the evil eyes. Beniyaru’s self-esteem as one of the 12 Te was extremely high. (TL: Te= a one-word character that has multiple meanings, none of which seem to fit. I’ve decided to just translate it literally)
A human was just an oddity from her point of view. She didn’t like that the weak male was looking at her with challenging eyes.
“Yutan, Sulle.”
The elementals were the symbol of the elves’ strength. Among them, there were only 15 elves who had two or more elementals. They were the 12 Te and three kings.
“Help me.”
The bowstring Beniyaru pulled back was surrounded by flames. Suddenly, a wind blew from the south, and Grid’s hair moved. Then Beniyaru let go of the bowstring. The fire arrow accelerated with the wind and reached Grid.
“How dare you?!” Mercedes was moving even before Beniyaru fired the bow. Her sword appeared before Grid and cut the two arrows. A huge explosion occurred. Mercedes’ leather armor was swept up in the explosion and became rags.
“You—!” Mercedes was furious as her milky-white shoulders were exposed. If an elf were killed here, wouldn’t the diplomatic relationship between the Overgeared Kingdom and the elves become completely impossible? Mercedes wasn’t concerned about this and revealed her power. She had no intention of forgiving Beniyaru for attacking her king.
However, Grid acted before she did. As he entered the Blackening state, he stepped across in front of Mercedes and arrived before Beniyaru.
“Trivial thing!” Beniyaru hated both humans and demonkin. From her point of view, the blackened Grid was an unacceptable existence. Her fire and wind elementals responded to her rage, causing her body to be surrounded by a burning vortex. It was a powerful shield that couldn’t be pierced with ordinary physical and magic forces. The shield was also a weapon that swallowed up nearby objects.
“Your Majesty!”
Then just as Mercedes was wrapping her silver wings around Grid to protect him, lightning struck.
‘What?’
Wasn’t the sky clear a little while ago? The elves’ gazes headed to the sky and saw a completely grey sky peeking through the thick leaves of the forest. Grid whispered to Mercedes who was holding him, “You should get far away if you don’t want to be hurt.”
“…!”
A knight who existed for her master was told to get away? Mercedes was about to refuse, only for her eyes to widen as she hastily escaped. This was because she detected an unfamiliar energy from the sky. It was almost as if…
‘Astaroth?’
Demonic lightning bolts were aimed at the feet or heads of the elves.
“What…?!!”
Beniyaru’s ward was knocked down with a single blow. She was confused by the transcendent power a
nd tried to escape using the power of the wind elemental. However, her body was heavy as the storm was holding her down. Meanwhile, Grid’s body was infinitely lighter. “You won’t die from this much right? Let’s talk after this. Linked Kill Wave Pinnacle.”
He wanted to talk…?
A ferocious attack mangled Beniyaru’s body while the other elves became rags due to the thunderbolts falling from the sky. Rain and lightning bolts fell onto the middle of the forest.
[The title ‘One who Made the Elves Surprised’ has been acquired!]
[The elves feel awe toward you.]
[The elves aren’t hostile to you.]
Consequently, Grid gave a good impression on his first time meeting another species. And…
“Strong…!” Mercedes was unable to close her mouth from outside the storm. Then she finally remembered. Her new master was the first Hero King born in hundreds of years!
Chapter 817
Chapter 817
Blackening had been strengthened by Grid’s rapid increase in demonic power during the Eternal War. After all his efforts, he managed to create Linked Kill Wave Pinnacle with the effect of the title Watched by the Gods. In addition, fighting energy had started to accumulate around him from the moment the elves appeared. Finally, there was the Weakened Great Demon Astaroth’s Power.
“Urghh!”
In the heavy pouring rain and the demonic lightning, Beniyaru hesitated. Her pupils, which could be seen beyond her disheveled white hair, were trembling.
‘How did this happen?’
It felt terrible to experience it personally. One of the 12 Te… One of the noble elves of the 12 families was forced to kneel before a human…? It left a big blot on the name of ‘Te’, which meant to protect.
“Did you sell your soul to the great demons?” Beniyaru’s gaze was filled with strong hostility as she glared at Grid. Her problem wasn’t with Grid’s demonic energy. Demonic energy wasn’t unique since countless people obtained it from black magic or artifacts in the past. However, this field was different. It was an ability that raised a storm filled with lightning demonic energy. This was a force reminiscent of a monarch of hell!
“Wicked human…! You joined hands with a great demon to invade the territory of the elves! Isn’t there a limit to your greed?” Beniyaru’s sharp voice, which was filled with mana, penetrated through the storm. If Grid was an ordinary player, it was likely that the flow of his mana would’ve been disturbed and he would’ve suffered from all types of status conditions.
However, Grid stood firmly in place. “Why are you always jumping to conclusions?”
The rain stopped, and the sky which could be seen through the lush leaves was now cleared up. Grid couldn’t handle the large mana consumption, so he stopped using Storm Demonic Energy Field. This caused Beniyaru to misunderstand. ‘Is he saving his strength? Didn’t he want to kill us?’
This wasn’t good news. Despair filled Beniyaru’s face. “You…! You intend to sell us to slavers!”
“…”
The elves were truly narrow-minded toward humans. It was a biased negative view. Despite her strong force, Beniyaru seemed to be a coward.
Grid’s eyes were filled with pity as he looked at her. Beniyaru believed her thoughts to be true, so Grid didn’t blame her or feel frustrated. He actually felt pity because he was reminded of his past self.
“The reason for your twisted personality isn’t just your own problem. I think you have been greatly hurt by humans.”
“…” Grid’s kind voice caused Beniyaru to shake. She was dumbfounded for a moment before shaking her head again, filling it with hostility toward her enemy. “Don’t tell me you understand when you don’t know anything about us. I don’t need gentle expressions or sweet whispers. I will never be deceived, no matter how you try to fool us!”
“Ah, what a mess.”
It was almost impossible to have a conversation with the elves, much like talking to a wall. This was a reality that would disappoint the many players dreaming about meeting a beautiful elf. However, Grid wasn’t disappointed. After all, he hadn’t come here to meet the elves.
“Well, let’s not speak for too long. Listen up. I will state my position.”
Hearing Grid’s domineering tone, Beniyaru and the other elves gulped. The tender skin of the female elves could be seen through the clothes made from woven leaves. They were afraid of the terrible sentence the human would hand down to them.
“First, I will introduce myself. I am Overgeared King Grid. I am a descendant of the legendary Pagma and the king of a human kingdom. I have not made a contract with a great demon. I used a power that I got in exchange for killing the great demon.”
“…!”
Then Grid came forward and said, “The reason I came to this place was to hunt the bear-wolves. I had no idea that this was your territory. I’m sorry if my actions frightened you.”
“…”
“I don’t want to be hostile to you in the future. As a king, I have an obligation to lead exchanges with other species in a positive direction. You can keep feeling doubtful and being wary. Just let me stay for a while to hunt.” Grid was calm after introducing himself, and he shifted his gaze to the clear sky.
It was due to the way that the elves were dressed. They were half-naked with only a few leaves covering their important parts. Grid didn’t have the courage to gaze at them from the front. He didn’t want to be mistaken as a pervert in his first encounter with the elves or for distorted rumors to spread.
His decisive yet innocent appearance caused Beniyaru and the other elves to lower their guards slightly.
“Legend… I see. That transcendent force is convincing if you are a legend. Is she a legend like you?” Beniyaru’s gaze shifted to Mercedes. Mercedes was still staring at Beniyaru because she couldn’t forgive any attacks on Grid.
Grid grabbed Mercedes’ hand to calm her down. “Yes, that’s right. She is also a legend.”
“I see…” In the end, Beniyaru was convinced of her defeat. She had no idea about the Pagma that Grid mentioned, but she knew about Povia. Povia was a child born between a human and an elf. She was a poor child who had lived an unhappy life without belonging to any society, until she achieved transcendent power and became a legend.
“…The legend that I knew was a sublime presence. You are credible. Okay. You can’t be seen as a normal human. I will trust your words. As one of the 12 Te, I give you permission to stay here for a while. The bear-wolves are also a threat to us elves. It isn’t bad if you hunt them.”
“Thank you.”
“However, don’t go too deep into the forest. Your actions will be limited to this area.”
“Yes,” Grid answered readily.
Meanwhile, Mercedes was embarrassed. She stared at Grid’s big hand that had wrapped around hers and whispered hurriedly, “Your Majesty, this is the perfect opportunity to peek into the elves’ society and discuss future relationships with them. Are you going to miss this chance?”
The elves’ archery was even more spectacular than what was recorded in history. It was clear that the elementals were beyond their expectations. Mercedes thought that the Overgeared Kingdom and the elves should develop a good relationship. Of course, Grid was the same. “I know, but look at their attitudes. If we rush our approach now, they will just raise their vigilance. We shouldn’t be hasty. Another chance will come someday.”
This was a situation where rushing it wouldn’t end well. Grid had learned patience from numerous experiences.
“I think it is great enough just being able to stay in the elves territory.”
“Yes, I understand.” Since the king had already decided, Mercedes didn’t sit down anymore.
“Then let’s get started.” Grid made a happy expression and pulled out his broken furnace and hammer. First of all, he would start with the repairs. However, the darkness of the forest disturbed him. It was so dark that any delicate work seemed impossible.
“T
he trees grow so thickly that the sun isn’t shining through well…” Grid hammered for a while before stopping and looking around the forest. All types of trees and bushes were growing wildly. The elves loved nature, so it was the aftermath of neglecting to control the trees and bushes.
“Hrmm…”
Grid had planted small maple trees, persimmon trees, and plum trees in his garden after building the penthouse. As such, he was familiar with pruning and could observe that the condition of the forest wasn’t that great.
He pointed to a giant tree in front of him where the surface was torn and said, “If you really care about the trees, you should prune them. The trees that grow indiscriminately have become intertwined with each other and are deformed. No sunlight can pass through, so the moss growing near the roots are deprived of nutrients, making them vulnerable to pests and diseases.”
“…?” Beniyaru and the elves were embarrassed as Grid started preaching to them. They couldn’t understand Grid’s words properly.
“Pruning? Pests? What are you saying?”
“A helping hand is needed to make the forest healthier.”
“What type of sophistry is this? Nature is perfect when it exists as it is.”
“Don’t pretend to know human subjects!”
There was a backlash from the elves. However, Beniyaru was different. She could see the glimpse of an old friend in Grid.
‘He is saying the same thing as Povia…’
Povia had claimed to have learned human knowledge from her human parent, yet the elves had laughed at her. Many people had ridiculed the pathetic half-breed, and Beniyaru had been one of them. She waved her hand, thinking she should believe in Grid. This was atonement for Povia. So, Beniyaru decided to make a request. “You… Overgeared King Grid.”
“…?”
“Can I hand over management of the forest to you?”
“Eh?” Grid was panicked over the sudden proposal.
Beniyaru bowed to him. “I think there is enough evidence for your argument. I would like to ask you to do the pruning.”
“…!!”
One of the elves, who were famous for their pride, was bowing down to a human while making a request…? Moreover, this was an elf who had tried to harm him just a little while ago! Mercedes’ eyes widened as she stared at Grid, impressed by his greatness. ‘His Majesty intended all of this!’
