episode_0023

Misty Forest, Day 56.

Tree Trunk House.

“Shayella.”

“…?”

Shayella turned her head.

Since the battle with the slave hunters, she felt her hearing recovering rapidly.

However.

“Can you hear what I’m saying? If you understand, nod your head.”

“…?”

She tilted her head.

She could perceive sound, but unless spoken loudly, she seemed to have trouble understanding, like a slight hearing impairment.

But shouting wasn’t her style.

I sat on the bed next to Shayella and whispered in her ear.

“Hey, can you hear me like this?”

“…!!”

A whisper in her ear.

Shayella flinched for the first time in a while.

Swiftly!!

She turned her head sharply.

But it was all visible.

Because the house itself was my body.

I examined the expression of the creature standing behind me with my own eyes.

It was slightly flushed.

Seems like she has become sensitive to this kind of whispering as her hearing recovers.

Anyway, it’s improving. I raised my hand to my head, relieved.

Tap~

“….”

Shayella’s expression changed.

Her lips slightly parted, trembling.

It used to be okay to pet her, but lately her reactions were strange.

Is she embarrassed?

Swiftly, the creature turned around.

As usual, it tapped to gauge my position, then raised its hand.

Swish, swish, thud!!

It smashed my head vigorously.

I just took it.

Boing!~

Next, it created a fruit.

A red fruit that didn’t ignite, just turned into a fist. It felt like a giant tomato.

“….”

I took the fruit in my mouth, withdrawing my hand from my lips, and bit into it.

Crunch!

Chomp…

Gentle and cute.

It made me forget the scene of killing the slave hunters with a single blow.

For the past two months, whenever I had the chance, I made and fed her fruits steadily. To fully recover that powerful strength, it’s still not enough.

Watching her eat, I lay down on the stem bed and took a nap. Not long after, Shayella also lay down next to me and secretly held my hand.

Misty Forest, Day 61.

The time when Shayella and I brewed tea with water drawn from the stem.

“Shinmok, I have something important to tell you.”

The fifth elf came.

Name: Messiah.

Gender: Male.

Hobby: Meditation.

Characterized by gray hair and golden eyes.

“What’s the matter?”

“Do you know about my ability?”

“Seeing the future? Precognition?”

“Exactly, I see the flow. Situations, locations, someone’s intentions, thoughts. I detect and speculate on the faint flow that occurs at the place where an event will happen.”

Messiah has the most unique ability among the elves. It’s the ability to detect the flow of events that haven’t happened yet, and if practiced and developed, it could be considered precognition.

The problem is that it’s complex.

It’s not a normal sense, but an area of cognition.

When I learned the abilities of the elves before, even I couldn’t imitate Messiah’s ability.

Others wouldn’t even be able to grasp it.

I guess I need a lot of meditation to master it.

“So, did you see something?”

“No, but I have a feeling that our village might be in danger.”

“Danger?”

Out of the blue.

I urged him to explain further.

“Please tell me more.”

“Sometimes, when patrolling outside the area, I sense a malevolent flow connected to the forest itself.”

“Malevolent… Could it be the slave hunters?”

“We were able to detect that malevolence faintly in our village. However, my ability is not sufficient to read it in detail. It may end with my guess. The flow can disperse and change at any time, that’s why.”

“I don’t really understand what you’re saying, but… I’ll interpret it my way. Since slave hunters could invade, we need to prepare in advance for any possible attacks.”

“Understood. I will feel relieved if you do so.”

It may sound grandiose and out of place, but I didn’t ignore it. Even if the Messiah’s observation is wrong, there’s no harm in being prepared.

I don’t know much about this world to begin with.

This place corresponds to the middle of the Misty Forest.

There have been no incidents of going deeper into the forest or going outside since Floren’s failure.

The outside is dangerous because of the slave hunters, and the center… I haven’t mentioned it before, but I felt a strange sense of impending danger that made me hesitant to go in.

Like a frog in a well.

That’s exactly how it is.

But I do know a few things.

Hunters who come from outside the Misty Forest are unusually strong compared to the usual ones.

They see humans not as fellow humans but as trash who view them as slaves or objects.

If they were to attack, my children could be taken away as slaves.

So, the task is simple.

“Messiah.”

“Yes.”

“Gather everyone in one place. I’m going to form an army.”

“We will follow your command!!”

*

Me.

Floren.

10 High Elf shamans.

44 High Elves.

3 Elves.

15 humans.

Less than a hundred people gathered at the farm.

“Everyone must have heard from the Messiah that there may be imminent danger. Even if that’s not the case, this is a dangerous place. So, we will organize for combat readiness in case of a similar situation. There are no exceptions.”

There’s no need to drag it out.

I’ve already planned the organization.

Based on my memories of the human army.

“From the first to the tenth, I will appoint the High Elves I personally gave birth to as squad members, dividing them into 11 squads, including Floren and the humans.”

Illian, Tinia, and others.

The High Elves will serve as squad members under each Shaman.

The humans chosen to stay in the village will form the 11th squad under Floren, and the 3 ordinary Elves will be under the command of the tenth squad.

I explained the basic organization knowledge.

“That’s it. Speak up now if you have any objections.”

“Um…”

The question came from the human side.

A timid woman raised her hand.

“Speak up.”

“Do we really have to fight too?”

“Wrong. You don’t have a choice but to fight. It’s about protecting your body if you’re invaded, not going out to fight a war. Since you all know how to fight, at least follow along. If you don’t, you don’t deserve protection in this village.”

“Yes… then I will join.”

The humans followed obediently.

Those who had complaints or rebellious tendencies had already left. Those who remained here had chosen to stay for the time being. At least there was no one who refused the order to protect their bodies.

Instead.

“In the future, cook and eat food grown by the Elves who have farmed together. Your stats will increase without having to exert yourself too much.”

“What?”

“More details from Floren. Can you explain?”

“Yes! I understand.”

The humans had been consuming the crops they had grown so far, which, unlike the crops grown by the Elves, did not increase their stats.

But these are the ones who chose to stay in the village.

It’s okay to give them this much convenience.

May you grow stronger and stronger.

“Next question.”

“I’m curious about how training will be conducted!~”

This time, a question came from the Elves.

It was a lively question from the second Tinia.

“You can handle that on your own. I don’t intend to force training on you. I’ve organized you to move systematically without dispersing in case of an emergency. It would be more comfortable for you to figure it out among yourselves.”

“Yes!~ Then we confirm the Archer squad!!”

“Wow!~”

“Tinia, I want to train right away!!”

The five High Elves cheered.

Influenced by Tinia, they were all cheerful and had bows in their hands.

It was a magic bow made by Volkan.

Had they already been training separately?

“If you need any weapons, tell Fermion on the eighth floor. He will make weapons with Volkan.”

“Yes!”

“The rest will adjust on their own, and we’ll disband for now.”

“Understood!!”

With this, they would be able to face any intruders together without hesitation.

But…

They were still lacking.

If a group of slave hunters were to attack, they would be overwhelmed by their formidable strength.

He briefly estimated their combat power.

The slave hunters were probably at least level 300-400, and there were likely even stronger individuals among them.

On the other hand, the Elven warriors of Shinmok were around level 200, and the High Elves were probably around 100-200.

As Floren said, even a 5-level difference was quite significant.

If 50 level 1 individuals gathered, they could defeat a level 100 individual.

According to this explanation, when a slave hunter faced off against an Elven squad, the probability of the Elves losing was much higher.

A massacre was likely to occur.

So, he thought of a countermeasure.

If they were weak, they would make themselves strong.

In other words, what about strengthening their physical bodies?

If they could create bodies from their original forms, it might be possible to enhance their physical bodies as well.

No, they had to do it.

The warning of the Messiah.

The existence of the slave hunters.

To prepare for this, they needed much stronger power than they currently had. Not only him, but if possible, even the Elven warriors of Shinmok.

He still remembered.

Even Tiniyajo, who easily hunted monsters, was completely ignored by the slave hunters.

Experimentation was necessary.

Therefore.

“Shaela. I may not be able to take care of you because I have something to focus on. So, can you think of this stem as me and wait for me?”

“……”

As soon as he got home, he informed Shaela like that.

Since he said it in a whisper, she must have heard it vaguely.

Or, he could say it again.

She nodded.

Fortunately, she nodded.

Then.

He sat in a corner of the house.

He wrapped his body with the stem.

He would strengthen his physical body.

Once he made up his mind, it was time to act. With that thought, he wrapped his body with the stem and two days passed.

*

In a city somewhere.

A slave hunter association.

A pink-haired female member of the association expressed doubt.

“So, you captured all those slaves at once?”

“Yeah. When I interrogated a few of them, they said there’s an Elven village somewhere in the Misty Forest. Isn’t it interesting that Elves live in such a place?”

The man in front of her smirked.

His name was Taikan.

He was an evolved Orc.

At first glance, he looked like a big human, but he was a born warrior among warriors, a proven slave hunter with a 3m tall stature and a sturdy skeleton.

The situation was like this.

Taikan and his fellow hunters found a human group in the Misty Forest, captured them as slaves, and sold them to the association because there were too many. They also provided information.

It seemed like there was an Elven village in the forest.

“Indeed. I think I know now.”

“Why is that?”

“Actually, Jake and Raquel went into the Misty Forest and still haven’t returned. They probably encountered Elves.”

“Raquel?… Interesting. I wouldn’t be able to guarantee a victory against that guy either. They must be quite strong Elves.”

“So, should we organize an expedition? Will you join us?”

“It wouldn’t hurt. Elves are expensive and cute. It’ll be fun to train them.”

“Yes. I’ll prepare knowing that.”

The slave hunter association’s expedition.

The invasion of the Elven village was planned.

*

“Kkuk….”

In the dark underground.

Magnet felt tears welling up in his eyes at his surreal situation.

How did it come to this?

He was supposed to be the hero who would save the world.

As an S-rank hunter, I was adored and admired by everyone, climbing to the top.

Reality was cruel.

When I refused to participate in a mandatory quest where comrades fought each other, I was thrown into the garbage dump.

Of course, all hope was not lost.

I was saved by the Misty Forest elves.

But I should have been satisfied there.

I should have given up.

I must have been a fool.

Why did I leave that place?

I found solace in being with others in the same situation, and dared to dream of a possible hope. We all decided to leave the Misty Forest together and climb the tower.

That was the problem.

I realized it was a futile hope.

Before we could even escape the forest, slave hunters appeared and slaughtered all the men with overwhelming force.

I crumbled in an instant under their immense power.

The surviving women were unable to resist properly and were taken by the hunters, distributed among other slaves, and I too was sold here.

A man’s property.

Crawling on all fours.

Barking when told to.

Being hit and stepped on.

Being called by the owner whenever they pleased, or used like a serving dish for other guests.

Treated worse than tools.

This was such a place.

Tower 0th floor.

A world for the 0.1% rulers.

A world without human rights or compassion.

A world where only laws for them exist.

Forced to be bound and trained.

Forced to eat disgusting bugs.

If they didn’t like something, they would starve or be locked up in an underground prison.

Other slaves who came with me couldn’t last for a few days, lying like corpses until they were beaten and left unconscious with serious injuries.

I was scared that I might end up like them.

“That place… was heaven.”

That’s why I remember.

The place where the elves took care of us.

Working in the fields together.

Cooking together.

A brief moment of peace…

Tears welled up.

I want to go back.

And I pray.

Please take me back.

Forgive me for my mistakes.

I’ll do anything, please.

“You worthless thing. It’s time for your education. When the owner calls, come up immediately.”

Ah…

It was a futile hope.

I realized it didn’t take long.

I lowered my head and answered with a trembling voice.

“…Yes.”

In the pitiful reality, tears welled up in Magnate’s eyes again. But the more he cried, the more excited the owner became, reaching out with rough hands.

Repeating.

Day.

Routine.

Life.

Gradually losing its original purpose.

As time passed, the eyes that no longer moved lost the ability to dream.

Snap.

Became a doll.