Ch.227Chapter 227. The Pinnacle of All Creation

Elves.

A race that lives for a time equivalent to eternity for other races, and takes pride in such longevity.

However, the world increasingly covered by calamities took away the land where they could live, which led to a decrease in their population.

A decrease in the number of their kind inevitably leads to a decline in authority.

The elves who led their groups could not overlook this fact, so they began to devote themselves to childbirth and childcare to maintain their authority.

Giving birth to children and raising them until they become adults hundreds of years later…

But how could a race that considers longevity as authority become absorbed in methods chosen under pressure of circumstances?

At some point, they began to feel skeptical about what they were doing, and despite their long lifespans, they came to consider living itself as a hardship.

‘Well, to think I’d see the day when elves put effort into childcare… With the world in this state, I’m witnessing many strange things indeed.’

It was during such a time of enduring hardship that visitors came from outside.

Auria and the other elves could immediately recognize their identity.

Though currently attached to humans, the final victors of the racial wars, they had once lived as parasites on elves when elves held dominance.

‘Well, I suppose even long-lived races like yours must care about future generations to survive. But it doesn’t suit your temperament, so you must want to reclaim your former glory, right?’

Vampires.

A parasitic race that lives eternally like elves, but hides secretly within the societies of other races.

‘Would you like to join the new era?’

‘New era?’

‘We are recruiting those who will lead the new era that is about to unfold. Those with noble and pure blood like yours would be most suitable for that.’

Their arrival itself was cause for vigilance, but their proposal was a strong temptation for the elves, including Auria.

Becoming the leading figures of an era meant that many would understand their greatness, which meant they wouldn’t need to focus on trivial matters like childcare.

It would simply mean changing who served them from their own kind to other races.

When such an opportunity arose, the elves ultimately abandoned their doubts and suspicions, left their children behind, and joined them.

Though there must be some scheme behind it, they firmly resolved to achieve what they wanted regardless of what that scheme might be.

‘The vampires have been annihilated.’

But what returned to them as they waited for the promised time was news that the instigators who had drawn them in and plotted schemes had been wiped out.

In their place appeared the detestable human king.

The leader of a foolish and weak race that, despite being the final victor of the racial wars, had succumbed to vampires in a world overtaken by calamity.

‘And before long, the Demon Lord’s army will invade this land.’

It would be intolerable for such a weakling to command them, but what he had been doing with the members of the new era was closer to negotiation.

‘That means the Empire, the only safe zone in this world, is about to face destruction.’

‘…Then what happened to their promise to make us the leaders of a new era?’

‘Even though they’re gone, the fruits of their research remain.’

With his proposal, he brought out a cup filled with red liquid.

The liquid was an elixir made by mixing the blood of various races with the blood of a great being from another world.

An elixir of evolution that allows one to acquire the characteristics of other races and enhance their powers simply by consuming it.

‘Do you seek power?’

The human leader spoke before it.

‘Do you wish to stand above all others?’

By accepting it, one could transcend their original race and be reborn as the most superior being.

The opportunity to reach the pinnacle of all things exists in one’s own hands.

‘If so, drink this. Endure the power unleashed by the blood of a being called god, and seize the opportunity to reach the pinnacle of all living things with your own hands.’

‘…And what is the price?’

‘Protecting this imperial castle from the Demon Lord’s army until the time comes… That is all you need to promise.’

‘Is that really all we need to uphold? It doesn’t matter if other humans die??’

‘Yes, just protect this castle so no one can enter. If you protect it until the time comes, you’ll have the opportunity to bring forth something incomparable to this elixir.’

A story too convenient for them.

Naturally, they believed he had his own scheme, but Auria and the other non-humans decided to accept the elixir he offered.

Everyone gathered there had come with the purpose of becoming masters of the new era, and it was certainly true that the elixir he offered would transform them into advanced beings.

‘Yes, I am special.’

Most failed.

No, even as advanced beings, most were not beautiful.

Their appearances were extremely hideous, and their reason was buried under instinct, reducing them to beasts that consumed nutrients.

‘I am more special than anyone.’

But among the members of the new era who were transforming, a very small number succeeded in maintaining their complete form and reason.

Rather, the existence of those who failed made the value of those who reached perfection even greater.

As the greatest calamity of this world was about to descend upon this land, Auria, who advanced while slaughtering them, considered herself a chosen being.

‘With this power, I can surely place everything in this world beneath me.’

She believed without doubt that she would overwhelm even the Demon Lord who would soon invade this land.

And absorb that power to become an even more perfect being.

***

“Kuheck!!!”

Yes, her appearance before the mobile fortress operated by humans was for entertainment until the Demon Lord himself appeared.

The humans behind the warrior who had been pushed back after a desperate resistance all began to wail.

“Hero!!”

“I’ll join the fight even now! If we fight together…”

“Don’t come!!!”

Jaseong Nam, the Hero, shouted as he thrust his shovel into the ground again.

The ground around him inverted from the malice he emitted, causing massive soil to shoot up into the air, but Auria merely snickered and pointed her finger at it.

With a “pa-ang!” sound, the dirt scattered in all directions.

“Ah, this isn’t even entertaining.”

An attack that would have easily overwhelmed her in the past.

But now that she could casually deflect such attacks, her superiority and growth were all the more emphasized.

“I came to pass the time until the so-called Demon Lord arrives… but if it’s this boring, there’s no point in having come here.”

“Uaaaaaahhhhh!!”

With a roar, he swung his shovel.

Auria swept away even the wave of soil that came with it with a flap of her wings, and began to glare at Jaseong as if she couldn’t understand him.

“But why are you resisting so desperately?”

Though weaker than herself, he was still among the strongest of humans.

If he wielded that power, he could place other humans beneath him and avoid facing any particular danger or hardship.

No matter how many humans are sacrificed, those with power deserve such treatment.

“With that level of power, you could leave it to your subordinates without having to step forward yourself… Why are you deliberately joining a fight you can’t win and overexerting yourself?”

An act incomprehensible from an elf’s values.

To this mercy granted from pure curiosity, Jaseong raised his strained body and burst into tears.

“Shut your mouth, you monster.”

“…Monster? Are you saying that about this beautiful body?”

“A crabapple is still a crabapple no matter how good the light is!!”

Kuwung!!

The earth trembled with the shovel swing filled with intense power.

Despite his body reaching its limit, his momentum had risen to a level that defied comparison with before.

“If you have power, you should be prepared to bear the responsibility that comes with it. Everyone treats me as a hero, so isn’t it natural that I live up to that?!”

-Kwang!!

Finally, a massive lump of soil surged forward.

Auria blocked the impact, comparable to a meteorite, with just one wing, and twisted her lips as she prepared to swing her other wing.

“…That’s quite an annoying value system.”

Kwaaa! The rocks flew back in the opposite direction with the gust of wind.

The armor that collided with it shattered into pieces, and Jaseong’s body finally collapsed to the ground.

That was the end of the hero who had burned his body to the very last to protect the ark.

“Well, that’s fine. There’s nothing more to see here anyway… no need to waste time.”

Auria did not show mercy.

For her current self, killing a powerful human was less exciting than stepping on an ant.

“But don’t be too sad. I’ll soon send the people behind you to keep you company~”

Wondering if breaking humanity’s last hope might improve such trivial excitement, Auria pointed her finger toward the ark.

But that finger was not deflected, and the power she commanded also subsided momentarily.

“…I was trying not to interfere in children’s fights as much as possible.”

At that moment, the presence emanating from a human walking out of the ark had captured her attention.

“This has gone too far.”

And it wasn’t just Auria who was paying attention.

The members who encountered the woman walking out of the entrance all widened their eyes in shock.

“Lady Tashian, the Great Mother…?”

Tashian Pailoi.

The craftswoman responsible for the equipment in the ark, known as the mother of the leader who guides the ark.

‘…She’s not human.’

Auria noticed something different about her.

Though she appeared human on the outside, what existed within was something entirely different.

“What are you?”

To that question, Tashian quietly answered.

“I am a mother.”

“…A mother?”

“Yes, a mother to a child, and a mother who must protect the place for that child to return to.”

Two eyes opened lazily toward Auria, who still felt puzzled.

Those eyes were of an extremely cold color.

Anyone familiar with her usual appearance of gentle maternal love would feel a severe disconnect.

“And you… are trying to harm the home my child will return to and the people he must protect.”

“…I was wondering what you were saying.”

Despite having the power to instantly destroy the fortress where she stood, could she really be talking about something as trivial as family love in front of her?

To someone who takes pride in having lived for thousands of years and considers even newborns as servants to exalt her?

“Well, I have no intention of engaging in such wordplay… but I’m quite interested in the power you possess.”

But the energy she felt from her was impossible to ignore.

The sense of dissonance she felt must be because it was something that didn’t exist among the countless racial fragments she possessed.

“Fine. By my great generosity, I’ll specially grant you mercy.”

I want that power.

She wanted to take in the power this woman possessed, succeed in maintaining balance with it, and be reborn as an even more perfect being.

“Come this way. I’ll send you off without pain.”

To that merciful voice revealing such desire, Tashian quietly sighed and closed her eyes.

“…What an ill-mannered child.”

“I gave you plenty of opportunity!”

Despite being just a little special, she’s still nothing more than a lowly creature, yet she dares to defy her words.

As the power concentrated in her hand was about to be released in response to such ridiculousness, Tashian quietly opened her closed eyes and spoke.

“Kneel.”

One word.

Just one word to stop the actions of someone who had offended her.

-Kuwung!

As if in response, her knees slammed into the ground, and the power concentrated in her hand dissipated like a lie.

Realizing this belatedly, Auria widened her eyes and held her breath.

‘Wh-what…’

Her body wouldn’t move with her knees planted on the ground.

Not her arms, legs, or wings, not even the magical power controlled by her will.

“What, what is happening…!”

“You certainly seem arrogant after obtaining power, but you’re too rash.”

Tashian narrowed the distance with the confused and bound Auria one step at a time.

Finally realizing that she had bound her, Auria gritted her teeth, but Tashian paid no heed and simply controlled the power binding her body.

“The rank of a living being doesn’t rise just because you’re prettier than others or a bit stronger.”

“You, what are you doing to me…!!”

“What am I doing? It’s only natural that responsibility follows the words you speak.”

As she said, dragons are beings like a part of the world.

Each word they utter carries immense weight, and that weight sometimes leads to the power to enforce promises and commands.

That is the power of kotodama (word spirit).

A power that proves that even in decline, they still hold the vessel of being at the pinnacle of all things.

“If you cause trouble for others, you should keep in mind that retribution will follow… but it seems you haven’t been properly educated about such things.”

Even if one has received power from an otherworldly being, they are not exempt from this rule.

For beings from another world can never consistently stand above beings of this world.

Claiming to be at the pinnacle with just a body mixed with parts from another world seemed extremely foolish to a being like her.

“No, no way. This, this…!”

Not realizing this mistake, Auria lost her grip on reason and began to vent her rage toward Tashian.

“You, you claim to be superior to me?! Don’t make me laugh! I am Auria, an elf who has lived for 2,000 years! Beyond that, I am the pinnacle of all beings, reborn as a being superior to any creature!”

2,000 years.

For humans, it’s history; for elves, it’s the time that proves they are the most superior race.

“…’Auria.'”

To Auria, who proudly proclaimed this.

The dragon revealed the “difference in rank” that she claimed, with a coldly composed voice.

“Before you stands a dragon who has lived for 10,000 years.”

“Sh-shut up. I can’t accept this, I can’t accept this!”

Auria, considering even this as mere bluster, tried to break free.

As if to teach her that the binding force she emitted was not perfect, the wings on her back began to sharpen, and her body, forced to sit on the ground, slowly began to rise.

“How dare you inflict such humiliation on me, Auria, I will never forgive you. I’ll annihilate all of you here, including you, without a trace…!!”

-Pook!

A bursting sound that cut off the curse fueled by anger.

Along with it, Auria’s gaze, feeling her words suddenly cut off, began to turn toward where a hot sensation was surging.

The wing that should have been cutting down the one before her was half-embedded in her own neck.

“Auria, my patience is only granted to my child and what that child wants to protect.”

An infinitely cold voice.

And empty eyes that stared at her without wavering.

“So why should I show mercy to you, who is not my child?”

“W-wait…”

The foolish intruder, with trembling hands, reached toward her.

But the time to ask for forgiveness had long passed.

As if to teach her this, the being who had reached the pinnacle of all things soon uttered a merciless sentence.

“Take your own life, Auria.”

-Jjeok!!!

Force was applied to the wing embedded in her neck.

And finally, the head hanging on it fell, drawing a parabolic arc.