episode_0008

Elves.

The image that usually comes to mind is a race of beauty—skilled archers, masters of spirits, and guardians of nature.

But the elves of this world are a little different.

They only give birth to females and rely on others to provide them with seeds.

There’s a saying that it’s not the orcs in the shadows who violate the elves.

—Sniff… I have a family… —Shut up, you pig! Hand over the seed now!

This is the kind of world we live in.

And this world is divided into several nations.

A single empire.

A kingdom led by humans.

And nations founded by other races.

The labyrinth appeared on imperial land, but its entrances aren’t exclusive to the empire.

The sacred grounds of the elves, known as the World Tree. The sacred grounds of the beastfolk, where the so-called Dragon Vein flows. The sacred grounds of the orcs, called the Giant’s Plateau. The sacred grounds of the dwarves, known as the Eternal Flame.

The labyrinth’s entrances exist in these places as well.

A place where time and space are chaotically jumbled together.

It’s precisely because of this that such massive encounters can happen here.

Under normal circumstances, we’d never cross paths in a place like this.

But if one decides to invade another’s territory, it becomes possible.

In the early days of the labyrinth, such chaos erupted.

Back then, the different races still had treaties in place.

Because there was a common threat—the Demon King—that endangered all their livelihoods.

But as time passed, and the labyrinth produced countless powerful individuals,

those treaties began to crumble.

A great war erupted in retaliation.

The power gained from the labyrinth— accumulating it, they began invading each other’s territories.

The end result was the downfall of all factions.

Those who barely escaped destruction renewed their treaties.

And with an oath—if future generations ever attempted to break the treaties, they would attack each other—

“……This is why the pointy-eared ones are such a problem.”

Erme let out a deep sigh as she spoke.

That was the extent of her explanation.

But there were a few points that didn’t sit right with me.

“But why are they attacking us?” “……Well, the treaty does forbid outright attacks, but this time is a bit different.”

Different?

What does that mean?

“Like I said, the elves are a peculiar race—only females are born, so they need seeds from other races.” “Right.” “So, as part of the treaty, the elves added a clause. When it’s time for them to receive seeds, they’re allowed to invade other labyrinths and take the seeds from men.” “…….”

This is… awkward to say out loud.

I get that it’s part of their racial traits, but—

‘This is just too stupid.’

Isn’t the reasoning a little too flimsy?

“But they also agreed to turn a blind eye if battles break out during the process.” “……So it’s fine to kill them?” “Yes, it doesn’t matter.”

I never thought I’d say something like this,

but in this savage era, some things are just unavoidable.

“Still, it’s better to avoid fighting if possible.” “Why?” “Elves’ abilities are most potent in labyrinths like these. Not only are they naturally stronger than ordinary humans, but they’re also masters of stealth.” “Most people can’t even detect them when they’re hiding.” “Seems like it.”

I nodded at their words.

Because even though the elf beside us had already approached, I was slow to sense their presence.

‘But… I think we can take them.’

None of our team would die.

Still, I didn’t voice it. I couldn’t force them to rely on something as uncertain as my gut feeling.

“For now, let’s get out of here quickly.” “……It’s a shame we have to abandon this labyrinth. With them here, it’ll be tough.” “The cradle has much to teach us. Retreating isn’t a bad option.”

The decision to retreat was settled.

I quietly nodded in agreement.

—

The moment we decided to retreat, Erme moved fast.

As if our safety was truly her top priority.

‘Now that I’ve spent time with her, I can tell.’

She really was an exceptional party leader.

She kept her word, and when a fight broke out, she ended it decisively.

The problem was that her skills had grown too sharp, and she trusted me way more than necessary.

‘Nobody’s perfect.’

But that flaw was a little too big.

Because I needed to keep a low profile.

‘Five goblins ahead.’

And two faint presences on the right path.

I quickly relayed this to Erme.

“Five goblins ahead, and I think there are elves hiding on the right path.” “……Can you find the hidden elves?”

Erme looked like she really wanted to kill the elves before leaving.

‘Well, can’t blame her.’

Five goblins were nothing, but if the elves ambushed us from behind, it’d be dangerous.

“I’ll try.” “Please.”

She usually speaks formally, but when things get urgent, she always drops the honorifics.

‘……That’s not the important part.’

I sensed two presences.

I generally trusted the information from my [Thief’s Ultimate Sense (S)], but—

‘It’s not always 100% accurate.’

Squeak.

Even as I focused, I nocked an arrow toward the presence I felt.

From the other side, I could sense the hidden elves’ panicked reactions.

‘Even if I don’t hit them—’

It was hard to aim properly while running.

Suddenly, a blue line of light flashed vividly in my vision.

‘[Innate Combat Sense (B)].’

At the same time, a strange certainty washed over me—this arrow would strike a fatal spot.

I released the arrow toward the glowing blue line.

The arrow curved as if being sucked in—and struck the elf right in the face.

Thud!

“Nice!”

Erme cheered as she lunged forward and slit the other elf’s throat.

Blood splattered across her face.

‘Her swordsmanship is terrifying.’

Thanks to my [Innate Combat Sense], I could tell just how monstrously skilled she was with a blade.

—

During a short break, Erme suddenly realized something.

‘……These pointy-eared ones are way too weak.’

No, that wasn’t quite right.

It wasn’t that the elves were weak—

‘We’re just too strong.’

It was strange.

Normally, they wouldn’t be this easy to kill. They were the kind to relentlessly stalk their prey in the shadows, a race universally feared and despised.

Erme glanced at Han Yuseong.

The reason they couldn’t fight properly—

It was because Han Yuseong either detected or outright killed every elf that got within a certain distance.

‘What a shame.’

Maybe because he was exhausted, he was sitting on the ground, resting.

Everyone has their flaws, but his was a little too critical.

Perhaps because his talents were so exceptional—

He never trained his body.

‘Even for an assassin, stamina is a bare minimum requirement.’

Seeing him tire out after just a little running made her sigh.

Marcel, the party’s only mage (and glasses-wearer), was only slightly out of breath.

And since he also used a bow, he should’ve at least built some muscle.

The bow crafted by the dwarven master didn’t require much draw strength,

but that also meant it couldn’t be used beyond a certain level.

‘Well, at his current level…’

He was still far better than the thieves she had initially considered for her party.

Most thieves were just back-alley thugs.

The fact that he hadn’t tried to pick her party’s pockets already put his character in the top 1% of thieves.

“You’re really amazing.”

At Teresa’s words, Han Yuseong gave a half-hearted nod.

And then he thought—

‘I thought the pointy-eared ones would be more dangerous.’

Far from dangerous, they were too easy.

And the thing inside him that he considered “experience” was rising rapidly.

‘……Are they some kind of precious EXP resource?’

And the timing of their invasions into the labyrinth—

‘I must’ve finally lost it.’

Was it because he was surrounded by savages?

Even though he knew he shouldn’t, he had started seeing the elves as nothing more than EXP.

He sighed deeply and stood up.

Maybe because he had rested properly,

his stamina had recovered more than expected.

As he thought this, his expression stiffened.

‘Five of them… and one is abnormally strong.’

This time, the enemy wasn’t hiding.

Instead, they flaunted their presence and stepped forward.

“Quite the impressive bunch. You’ve killed ten of my kin.” “……This one seems to be an elite.”

Marcel raised his staff.

Erme stood at the front, while Teresa positioned herself behind Han Yuseong and Marcel.

“Hmm……”

The exceptionally strong elf’s eyes gleamed as they landed on Han Yuseong.

Sweat-drenched, but with sharp eyes and a cold expression—objectively the best-looking man here.

‘……Kind of my type?’

The bespectacled guy next to him could just be thrown to the underlings.

“You. I like you.” “High standards for a pointy-eared bastard.”

At the elf’s words, Erme stepped forward and spoke.

“Who are you?” “The leader of this party. Why?” “Oh, so you’re nothing. Well, even if you were his girlfriend, I wouldn’t have backed off.” “You’re pissing me off.” “My name is Lisiel. And you, dark-haired one?” “…….” “What, ignoring me? Fine, I’ll let it slide. You’re charming enough.” “If you keep staring at men like that, you’ll look like a cheap woman.” “Don’t worry. I am Lisiel of the Darkmoon family—one of the three great houses serving the World Tree. On my family’s name, if you come with me quietly, I’ll guarantee your safety.” “……What about the others?” “Necessary? I don’t particularly care about keeping the women alive.”

Han Yuseong raised his sword.

‘I wasn’t planning on going quietly anyway.’

If it’s come to this, a fight is inevitable.

And—

To be honest—

‘I don’t think they’ll kill me.’

The moment Han Yuseong drew his sword, tension crept into their expressions.

“If you insist on drinking punishment, so be it.”

Lisiel unsheathed a long, slender blade—

A rapier.

“As for the woman who mouthed off—you’ll pay the price. I’ll turn you into a pincushion.” “Don’t worry. I’ll just quietly take your head.” “……Hmph. At least your pride is intact.”

The moment Erme and Lisiel were about to clash—

Han Yuseong stepped forward.

“You handle the others.” “……You’re taking him alone?” “Yeah.”

Han Yuseong had a thought.

‘They want to take me alive.’

And he had a hidden card.

If he used it, he could gain the upper hand even against Lisiel.

‘This is the right move.’

Honestly, he’d rather run,

but if Erme quickly reduced the number of elves and came to help, this was the best chance of survival.

“How amusing… Your spirit just makes me want you more.” “Just this once, I’ll let you have him.”

Grumbling, Erme dashed toward the other elves.

—

I won against Lisiel easily.

The reason was simple.

The moment I tried to steal his weapon with [Absolute Theft]—

“…….”

[Lisiel’s Soul.]

‘Why the hell did I steal this?’

I ended up stealing something… weird.