244 - 253

Chapter 244: Chapter 244

"Sir, I see the forest," said Ho Sung Lee as he pointed ahead of him.

Like he said, there was a large forest past the dry land in front of them.

According to the system map, that forest was called 'Pios'.

But after seeing the map through the quest, they saw that that forest was the Dark Elf Forest that they had been looking for.

Thanks to the quest, they found it pretty quickly.

Since they found the location, it wouldn't be long before he completed the quest.

Min Sung pulled on his reins and slowed down the horse.

"Let's eat first," said Min Sung.

In response, Ho Sung Lee stopped under a tree and began preparing the meal.

He took out water from the item window and immediately called Bowl.

Since Bowl's dark magic was powerful, he could quickly cook the food without burning the pot.

"It won't take long, Sir," said Ho Sung Lee with a smile.

"Get to work."

Min Sung then rested his back against a tree and took a rest.

Min Sung looked at the lifeless ground in front of him and felt the wind blowing through the forest.

Min Sung closed his eyes. He listened to the sound of nature and waited for Ho Sung Lee to finish cooking.

A moment later, he heard something boiling, followed by a savory smell.

'What could it be?'

He made guesses with great anticipation, but he had no idea.

There was a smell, but it wasn't so clear that he knew exactly what dish it was.

'Don't be impatient.'

All he had to do was check with his eyes later.

Grumble!

His stomach made a loud noise.

It was natural since he hadn't eaten in a while.

But in the Demonic Realm, such sounds didn't even exist.

Once a person starved for too long, they got used to that state.

Min Sung opened his eyes and rubbed his belly.

"Sir, it's ready."

Min Sung looked back at Ho Sung Lee with surprised eyes.

"… Already?" Min Sung asked.

Ho Sung Lee smiled and nodded with confidence.

"Help yourself."

He pointed at the dish on top of the table.

Min Sung got up and walked toward the table.

Ho Sung Lee pulled out a chair for him.

He sat down.

As soon as he did, he saw a green forest all around him.

Chirp, chirp!

The sound of birds could be heard, and the forest was filled with the sound of grass bugs.

Meanwhile, Min Sung looked down at his food.

"It's short rib soup," said Ho Sung Lee in a clear voice.

Just as he introduced, the dish was short rib soup.

Short rib soup, along with white rice.

There was also a small green onion pancake which was made with peppers, onions, soy sauce, pepper, sesame seeds, broth, sesame oil, garlic, and sugar.

Lastly, radish kimchi.

Those were all of the dishes in front of Min Sung.

Ho Sung Lee's meals prepared in the great outdoors were always simple.

Min Sung picked up his spoon with great focus.

The broth of the short rib soup was milky.

It almost looked like a baby's skin.

Within the broth, he saw short ribs, and on top of that were sprinkled green onions, making him want to stir it immediately.

Min Sung got a spoonful with great anticipation.

He then put it straight into his mouth.

Slurp! Gulp!

As soon as he drank the broth, Min Sung's eyes jolted wide open.

"…!"

'It's delicious.'

It was soft, sweet, and deep.

The scent from the short ribs teased his nose.

In addition, the hot temperature of the stone bowl caused the food to warm up his entire body.

The broth was phenomenal.

'How can broth be so milky, sweet, and soft, all at the same time?'

In awe, Min Sung put some pancakes on top of a spoonful of rice and put it into his mouth.

He then took another sip of the short rib soup.

The way the noodles and mushrooms chewed in between his teeth was a work of art, but the highlight was the milky short rib broth to top it off.

Followed by the green onions, and broth, the meat, which fell off the bone, put him in a complete trance.

Min Sung picked up the stone bowl with both hands and drank the broth.

Slurppp!

The deep flavors of the broth were as refreshing as the streams of a valley.

"Kya."

Min Sung exclaimed out of satisfaction. He put down the stone bowl and put his bowl of rice into the broth.

He mixed

the rice with the soup and proceeded to take a bite of the mushroom, rice, and broth, all at once.

The short rib soup danced around the inside of his mouth.

Min Sung was completely entranced in the hot and dense soup.

***

"I know I made this, but it's actually delicious."

Ho Sung Lee tasted the short rib soup as well.

Although he made it himself, he understood why Min Sung was so obsessed.

That was how good the short rib soup was.

Short rib soup enjoyed in the middle of a forest in Beatrice.

It was perfection.

They could accurately sense the heat and the filling nature of the meal.

The power of food was immense.

"Let's go in."

"What about the horses…? Should we just abandon them? But that would mean the monsters would kill them. Hm…"

Ho Sung Lee looked at the horses with pity.

At that moment, Ssol ran over and pointed at the horses and then his golden pouch.

"Huh…? You want to put them in there?"

Ssol nodded.

"Does that work? They're not items…"

Before Ho Sung Lee could finish, Ssol opened his golden pouch.

The golden pouch immediately transformed into a large bundle, and it wrapped around Ho Sung Lee's horse, causing it to disappear.

"Wow!"

Ho Sung Lee clapped in awe.

"That's crazy, Ssol! Haha!"

Min Sung smirked, and Ssol shook his butt in response to the compliment and put Min Sung's black horse into his golden pouch as well.

Ssol beamed a bright smile.

Ho Sung Lee gave Ssol a thumbs up and clapped.

Min Sung smirked and began walking.

"Let's go in."

"Yes, Sir!"

Ho Sung Lee, who was in a good mood from the meal, answered with a cheerful shout.

Min Sung led the way, followed by Ho Sung Lee and Ssol.

Bowl poked his head out of Min Sung's pocket and glanced around.

The paths in the forest were convenient for people to walk through.

They also saw footprints that appeared to be from humans, but they were a little smaller than usual.

Min Sung tilted his neck and did a light stretch.

After riding on the horse and killing monsters here and there, Min Sung's condition was at around 99%.

And after that meal, his condition reached 100%.

The only problem was that he couldn't see a single monster, let alone a dark elf within the forest.

It almost felt like an abandoned forest.

The only proof that there was still life within the forest was a monster that looked like a jaguar and a snake that hung from a tree.

He wondered if the quest would take longer to complete than he expected.

He thought finding the forest was the hardest part, but there seemed to be a reason why this quest was a special order.

The dark elf's name suggested that it was a species that preferred darkness.

It would have been weird if it could be easily seen.

"Ho Sung."

"Yes, Sir."

"Use your supporter ability to find the dark elf. Do whatever you have to."

Ho Sung Lee breathed heavily. He glanced around and nodded.

"Yes, Sir."

"Don't take too long."

"Yes, Sir."

Ho Sung Lee then unleashed his supporter ability.

"Should I look for it, too?" Bowl stuck out his head from Min Sung's pocket and asked.

"Wait until I say so."

Bowl yawned and stuck his head back into Min Sung's pocket.

Min Sung didn't plan on just idling by either.

He lightly kicked against the ground and jumped upward.

Min Sung bounced into the air like a ball.

Min Sung looked down at the forest from the air.

He intensified his senses, but he couldn't find anything.

Min Sung landed back on the ground and clicked his tongue.

He didn't want to be bothered, but he had no choice but to run by foot.

***

Ho Sung Lee had many abilities as a supporter.

And quite a few of them could be used in the current situation.

There were many types of shadow skill as well, and he also had a spirit spell similar to that of Bowl, and he could use 8 different types of shadow chase skills.

A dark shadow appeared from Ho Sung Lee's hand, and as soon as he tapped the ground, the shadow charged forward like a bullet.

While the 8 dark shadows searched for their target, this shadow would send a signal up into the air.

Since it searched at a speed that was much faster than that of Bowl's spirit spell, it consumed a lot of magic power, but it also showed to be very useful as a result.

After launching his 8 shadows, Ho Sung Lee began to prepare a new skill.

It was a trap.

Since it was a trap made of magic power, it was transparent but effective.

Once something got caught in the trap, their magic abilities were suppressed, and it acted so quickly that it was almost impossible to escape it.

Ho Sung Lee moved quickly and used up all of his magic energy on the trap while leaving just enough to use on the additional shadow chase skill.

Since these skills were perfect for use in a forest or jungle, Ho Sung Lee believed that he could finally shine as a supporter this time.

Ho Sung Lee's eyes sparkled as he continued to install the magic traps.

He installed a total of 200 traps.

After installing all of them, Ho Sung Lee brushed off his hands and smirked.

'Just you wait, dark elf.'

'I'll find you at lightning speed, once and for all!'

His heart pounded with excitement at the thought of finally being able to prove his worth as a supporter.

Ho Sung Lee caught his breath, and with both excitement and nervousness, he waited for the dark elf to be caught by either his traps or shadows.

Chapter 245: Chapter 245

Fwoosh!

Along with the sound of fireworks, a pink smoke flew into the air.

"I found it!"

Ho Sung Lee ran toward the signal fire with his heart pounding out of his chest.

Once Ho Sung Lee made his way through all the three and grass and arrived where the signal fire went off, he cursed.

"F*ck…!"

Ho Sung Lee stared at the pig that was captured in the trap, which ended up setting off the signal fire.

"It's a beast. A pig in Beatrice? This is stupid."

Ho Sung Lee frowned and his shoulders dropped.

He didn't think about that part.

The dark elf wasn't the only one that lived in the Dark Elf Forest.

If it was a monster at least, he would have gotten something out of it, but it was just a regular beast and a pig at that.

Ho Sung Lee scratched his head with a dejected look on his face.

At this rate, all of his traps and signal fires that he invested so much of his magic power in were going to end up being used on regular beasts.

'Damn it.'

'Why doesn't anything ever work out in my favor?'

Ho Sung Lee laughed and clicked his tongue.

That didn't mean he could give up just yet.

The best thing to do was to actively look for the dark elf while hoping that the traps would be lucky enough to catch it.

***

The dark elf, Yoring, who was in charge of patrolling, sensed something fishy.

He saw a signal fire fly up in the air, and he also saw animals in traps here and there around the forest.

Yoring knitted his brow, and his face stiffened.

Someone had trespassed into their forest, and their intention was to be cautious off because he sensed that they could be dangerous.

Yoring got moving in order to report this new founding.

The trespassers appeared to be fairly large in size.

The fact that they entered the Dark Elf Forest and actively engaged in their search meant that they were quite confident.

The dark elf, Yoring, was on his way back to the home base when he flinched at a dark shadow that appeared out of nowhere.

As soon as the dark shadow spotted Yoring, it immediately sent out a signal fire into the air.

Yoring couldn't help but stare up at the signal fire that made a peculiar noise, and only after did he feel his heart sink.

He had to hurry.

He ran as quietly as possible using his magic, but a human man stood in front of him.

It was Ho Sung Lee.

"… You're that dark elf, aren't you?"

Ho Sung Lee stared at Yoring with surprise, joy, and caution.

"Hmph!"

Yoring chose to return to the base rather than fight…

"We're not trying to hurt you!"

But Yoring looked back at what Ho Sung Lee had to say next.

He was looking at him with sincere eyes.

"I mean it. We're not looking for the dark elf because we want to fight. Let's talk," Ho Sung Lee said with a serious tone.

Yoring looked at him for a moment before turning and running at full speed.

"Hey…! Damn it."

He felt Ho Sung Lee chasing him from behind.

Yoring bit down on his lip.

He couldn't trust humans.

They always betrayed and stabbed others in the back.

They were greedy, and they were crueler than any other species.

Especially players in Beatrice!

Yoring continued to run with all his might.

But Ho Sung Lee wasn't far behind.

When he first began chasing him, Yoring felt as though there was a good distance between them.

But once Ho Sung Lee became a dark shadow using his skill, he sped up even more, allowing him to catch up quickly.

Since he had run out of stamina, it was better for a dark elf such as himself to talk it out with him once more.

Yoring stopped. He caught his breath and glared with a weapon in his hand.

As soon as the human form popped out, the shadow disappeared.

"Stop running away, so we can talk," said Ho Sung while waving

his hand out of exhaustion.

Yoring stared at Ho Sung Lee and decided that he stood a chance against him.

Normally, battles involved both sides making attacks, but strangely enough, he felt as though the person in front of him was weak.

So weak that he wondered if he was hiding something.

But even if that was the case, he still believed he was stronger, so he didn't feel the need to feel nervous.

'I should test him.'

Yoring, who didn't want to hear Ho Sung Lee out at first, wanted to check if he was really a weak opponent with no ulterior motives.

He took out the weapon fastened to his belt.

It was a weapon in the form of a crow, resembling 2 fingernails.

He positioned himself low.

As soon as Yoring got ready for battle, Ho Sung Lee flinched and stepped back.

He looked slightly scared, and in response, Yoring's face changed.

There was no trap.

He was certain that the person in front of him was weak.

"W-wait…!"

Ho Sung Lee expressed that he didn't want to fight with a trembling voice, but Yoring charged forward without any hestitation.

Ho Sung Lee immediately pulled out his weapon for defense.

He had an Aura and had the ability to launch it, but in a place like Beatrice, and the inner continent at that, he was too weak.

His Aura was so slow that it made his opponents yawn, and the intensity of it was not strong enough to hurt anyone.

Yoring sighed and held his neck down with his other hand.

"… Ugh?!"

Ho Sung Lee laid on the ground with his eyes shut closed.

Yoring looked down at Ho Sung Lee, who laid there unconscious.

He was pathetically weak.

Much weaker than he expected…

Yoring laughed at his useless worry and turned away.

But Yoring's smile soon faded.

There was another man standing in front of him, and he looked all too different from the man that he just put down.

Just the sight of him gave him shivers.

Although he wasn't giving off any will to kill, he still couldn't move as if there was a large wall in front of him.

That was because he saw in his head what would happen if he happened to try to run away.

"Tell me where the dark elf, Ellen, is," ordered Min Sung with soft but unwavering eyes.

His eyes weren't tense, but it seemed as dangerous as that of a powerful monster.

That was what the dark elf sensed with his sensitive instincts.

When he stood there without a word, Min Sung explicitly expressed just how annoying he found it.

It was simply annoyance without an ounce of tension.

"Tell me," commanded Min Sung in a low and heavy voice.

"Why are you looking for him?" Yoring asked while trying to suppress his shaking.

"I need an ancient document."

Yoring gulped.

He had never seen a man like this before.

He revealed his objective without any hesitation.

That didn't mean he wasn't suspicious, but that he was that confident.

But Yoring didn't sense that he was overly confident either.

He would only be able to know if he faced off against him in battle, but since he already felt defeated by his presence alone, it was useless.

Running away and fighting were both choices that wouldn't get him anywhere.

He had no choice but to tell the truth and face death.

Ellen and an ancient document.

He couldn't hand over that information.

That was the rule and the pride of a dark elf.

At that moment…

"Sigh."

Min Sung sighed.

"…?"

Yoring stared at Min Sung strangely and continued to stare at him with tension.

"It looks like you're ready to die but have no intention to tell…"

Min Sung said while staring straight at Yoring.

Yoring lowered his stance while holding his crow weapon.

His face clearly showed that he had no confidence to win.

A cold breeze blew between Min Sung and Yoring.

Yoring, who was facing death because of Min Sung, was ready to unleash everything he had.

His eyes said it all.

Min Sung stared at Yoring before turning around.

He began walking, and once he grew distant, Yoring stared on blankly, not understanding the situation.

He had no idea what Min Sung's intentions were.

Min Sung planned to follow him.

After making him feel like he spared him, he was going to stay on his tail.

Yoring smiled bitterly.

'He's looking down on dark elves.'

This was the Dark Elf Forest.

Since this was his own forest, it wasn't difficult to lose a tail if he knew his opponent's objective.

Even if he was much more powerful than him, he didn't know the forest like he did.

'This human's making a mistake.'

Yoring used his ability and began to move.

***

"Ugh…"

Ho Sung Lee opened his eyes with a groan.

He saw Min Sung.

He was sitting with his back against a tree and staring at him.

"…"

"… I'm sorry, Sir."

Ho Sung Lee slammed his face into the ground in shame.

He remembered that he found the dark elf but was defeated by him.

Ho Sung Lee expected to get a scolding due to his incompetence, but what he heard was something different.

"I didn't expect you to fight well anyway, but your supporter ability… was above my expectations."

Chapter 246: Chapter 246

Ho Sung Lee brushed his face off from the dirt and looked up at Min Sung.

"D-do you mean it…?"

"Yeah. You were pretty useful. I wouldn't take a long time finding him."

Ho Sung Lee couldn't tell if he was dreaming after being complimented by a human like Min Sung.

Ho Sung Lee blinked his eyes blankly and then opened his mouth.

"Oh yeah. What happened to the dark elf? Did you catch him?"

Min Sung explained what happened after Ho Sung Lee collapsed, and as soon as he finished, Ho Sung Lee's eyes opened wide.

"You just sent him away?!"

"Of course not."

Ho Sung Lee got up while rubbing the back of his neck and nodded.

"Yeah, there's no way you would've done that. Then what did you do…?"

"Bowl's spirit spell."

At the same time, Bowl crawled out of Min Sung's pocket. He snickered and showed a peace sign.

"I see… That's the safest way without drawing blood."

Ho Sung Lee continued with a smile, "I'm relieved that we found the dark elf."

"But I don't think this will be an easy quest."

"How come?"

Min Sung sighed before answering.

Ho Sung Lee was nervous because he had never seen Min Sung like this before.

"Is there some huge secret we don't know about?"

"Then how would I know that?"

"Then what is it?"

"Pride."

"… Sorry?"

Ho Sung Lee was overwhelmed after hearing Min Sung provide a justification.

In Ho Sung Lee's mind, Min Sung Kang and justification were two things that didn't go together.

Min Sung looked into the distance with a troubled look in his eyes.

Ho Sung Lee had an idea of what Min Sung was trying to say.

Pride was a characteristic of all the dark elves as a tribe.

That meant that they had no intention of handing over the ancient document easily, and if they were even willing to die for it, things were bound to get difficult.

In the end, they had to kill countless dark elves just to obtain the ancient document for himself, and that could very well label him as evil.

And trying to obtain the ancient document without killing any of them would be much more difficult.

"Sigh… Like you said, this might take a very long time."

"You don't have the ability to find objects, do you?"

Ho Sung Lee dripped in a cold sweat.

"Not yet. I can only find living organisms."

"Then our only hope…"

Min Sung stared at Ssol who was eating grass.

"… Might be Ssol."

In response, Ssol looked back at his master, Min Sung.

Ho Sung Lee looked at Ssol and sighed.

"No matter how fast Ssol might be, it'll be almost impossible to find something they actively hid. We might just have to break into the dark elves' home base and negotiate… No, we'll have to threaten them. There's probably nothing we can offer in return to make a negotiation."

"Then we'll just have to come up with something."

"… Sorry? How?"

Min Sung looked at Ho Sung Lee with dark eyes.

Ho Sung Lee gulped.

He had a bad feeling.

"Why are you asking me? You should be the one to find it."

Whenever Ho Sung Lee had a bad feeling, he was right.

***

Only when Yoring noticed that the tail was no longer on him could he turn his direction over to the fortress.

He continued to check if anyone was behind him, but it appeared that no one was there.

He moved quickly, and once he arrived at the fortress, he took another look around before entering the fortress.

"… What?! A trespasser? A player who's looking for the ancient document?" A dark elf with wrinkles and a thin frame asked in a shouting voice.

"That's right, Sir," answered Yoring with a nervous face.

"The ancient document? How dare a human being try to pull out the dark elves' roots? We'd better report this to Ellen and hold a meeting. Yoring, tell the military not to let anyone inside."

"Yes, Sir."

As soon as the elder left, Yoring immediately turned around.

They were commanded to lock the fortress.

They were now going to transform into a completely locked down fortress

that not even an ant could enter.

That meant that even if they happened to find the fortress, they wouldn't be able to come inside.

Yoring clenched his fists. He thought of Min Sung and bit down on his lip.

***

"The 12th elder would like to speak to you, Madam." reported Ellen's secretary.

"Tell him to come in."

And a sweet voice could be heard.

The elder entered the room of Ellen, the ruler of the Dark Elf Forest, with the utmost respect.

"Hello, Sir."

Ellen got up from her bed. She put on her robe and looked down at the elder.

Dark elves had dark skin.

And they also had beautiful features resembling that of Caucasian people that was fitting of the name, 'elf'.

For that reason, they were often perceived as beautiful.

Among them, the leader of the Dark Elf Forest, Ellen, was young, and she was so beautiful that she was believed to be the the most beautiful in Dark Elf history.

She had bright red lips, black hair, and her dark eyes almost looked like that of a goddess.

"Is something the matter?"

"There's a trespasser in our forest."

Ellen's brow twitched in response.

"Is it a player?"

"Yes, we think he's a player of a very high rank."

Ellen's beautiful and relaxed face immediately tensed up.

"The fortress…"

"It's been locked up. I've ordered them not to let anyone in. Shall we hold a meeting?"

"Of course."

In contrast to her originally feminine appearance, Ellen began to give off the charisma suiting of a ruler.

Once she began to get changed for the meeting, the elder respectfully excused himself.

***

"This is much more than I expected," said Ho Sung Lee as he looked up at the fortress.

Like he said, the dark elves' fortress was grand.

There wasn't a single crack for even a hair to squeeze through.

The round fotress was so well guarded that they weren't even sure if there was a door or a way to get inside.

It almost felt like they were looking at a turtle's shell, which made them wonder if even air could get through.

Of course, he thought about whether to punch it with his fist or not, but he didn't think the fortress was that weak either.

Min Sung had the ability to make a prediction just by looking at it, and the way he saw it, the dark elves' home base was made with a great deal of power.

"What do we do? We can't just wait or breakthrough. It looks like there's a powerful magical seal around it," said Ho Sung Lee while touching the bricks of the fortress with his hands.

It felt like an ordinary wall, but if they tried to use their force or magic power on it, it would activate a strong defense.

"There are many ways," responded Min Sung.

"… There are?" Ho Sung Lee asked.

"We can start a fire in the forest…"

Ho Sung Lee gulped and felt a shiver while looking at Min Sung.

He thought on a completely different level.

What would have happened if Min Sung had decided to live the life of an evil villain?

Then the earth would have gone extinct by now.

After all, the only ones who could control him were the Dionysus Gods, who were gambling from above.

That meant that Min Sung still had the emotions of a human being, and what was surprising was that those emotions led him to do good things.

But what Ho Sung Lee was afraid of was how unbearable the world would become as soon as Min Sung decided not to follow the laws.

Just the thought of Min Sung starting a fire in the forest made him imagine all sorts of worse things that would follow.

He was afraid of what kind of Min Sung Kang would result as a butterfly effect.

For that reason, Ho Sung Lee decided that they should never step onto that path to begin with.

"I don't think that's right, Sir. T-the gods won't like it. There might be a penalty. Since we just arrived in the forest, how about we think about a good strategy?"

Min Sung put his hands on his waist and looked around.

Ho Sung Lee dripped in a cold sweat as he watched, but luckily, Min Sung didn't think otherwise.

"You think?"

"Yes, Sir. It's highly likely."

"Then come up with an answer in 10 minutes."

"… Sorry? 10 minutes?"

"10 minutes."

Min Sung didn't give way.

Ho Sung Lee had a feeling that if he didn't come up with an answer in 10 minutes, Min Sung would relaly start a fire in the forest.

Even if Min Sung grew to like him and acknowledge his worth, people never changed.

Besides, this was Beatrice, and Min Sung Kang was more stressed about time than anybody.

10 minutes.

He had to come up with a solution that Min Sung Kang would like within 10 minutes.

'What could there be?'

'Let's think.'

'Couldn't Min Sung Kang breakthrough it no matter how powerful the shield might be?'

With his force…

It was the most rational to break through with his force.

But what if the shield was stronger than expected and the dark elves began to attack after Min Sung Kang used up all of his magic power?

Ho Sung Lee pulled on his hair with his hands.

He felt like his head was about to explode, but he only had 10 minutes.

Tick, tock, tick, tock-

He had never heard the seconds pass so clearly.

Chapter 247: Chapter 247

What would be the best method when force didn't work, and there wasn't a single crack in sight?

Time continued to pass.

And then…

"You have 1 minute left," said Min Sung.

He felt like his heart was going to explode.

He was finally acknowledged for his supporter abilities, so he didn't want to be treated as useless all over again.

In the midst of Ho Sung Lee's thoughts, one idea passed through his head.

He wondered if such a bullshit idea was worth suggesting, but it was more rational than punching through the brick walls.

"A dog hole!"

"…"

"I'll dig a dog hole to crawl inside…"

"Will you come back out alive? And even if you did, am I expected to crawl through that dog hole to get in?"

"W-well…"

"Even if they have no intention to talk, we're in a rush. With earth rotting away as we speak, we can't wait around forever."

"That's true, but I'm worried you'll consume too much of your stamina."

"There's no other answer. If I can't punch through the wall, you'll just have to crawl through a dog hole."

"It looks strong, doesn't it? It's not just me."

Min Sung took out his Gungnir S from his item window.

He charged the end of the sword with some magic power and poked at the outside of the wall.

It reacted strongly with the Gungnir S bouncing off the wall.

Min Sung squinted his eyes and stared at the wall.

It was no easy feat.

From his experience, he could tell that the shield on the wall was very powerful.

Since it seemed that way even from Min Sung's point of view, that meant the shield was very powerful indeed.

But that didn't mean they could just give up, so he had no choice but to go all in.

Min Sung pulled back his Gungnir S and after charging it with great magic power, he struck the wall with it.

Kaboom!

Lightning flashed from Min Sung's gold Gungnir S.

***

The fortress experienced turbulence.

The ground shook as if there was an earthquake.

The dark elves looked around in shock, and even Ellen and the elder jolted their eyes wide open.

"They're trying to break through the fortress," said one elder, and Ellen commanded that they check where the impact took place and to calm down the other elves.

Silence fell for a moment before the meeting proceeded.

Once they confirmed that no hole was made on the wall…

"Is that all the information we have on the intruders?"

Ellen asked with sharp eyes that contrasted her beautiful appearance.

"Yoring said that he looked like a high-ranking player. The most rational thing to do is to drag this on for as long as possible. Seeing how he wants the ancient document, he must be here for a quest, and for any player, time is money, so he's in a rush."

Ellen closed her eyes shut.

She tried her best to suppress her emotions.

"Why do we have to run away from the intruders?"

Ellen asked the elders with emotional eyes.

One of the elders answered calmly.

"So that we can resolve the issue without being harmed."

"It just sounds like we're hiding. It doesn't sound like a wise strategy to me. What if there are more of the intruders than we know? What if they continue to look for an opportunity? What if more players gather outside?"

Another elder shook his head.

"We're simply here to offer our opinion. You're the one who'll make the final decision. If you decide to act differently, we'll follow your command."

His words contained thorns, but Ellen didn't notice.

"In that case, you should give me your proper opinion so that I can make my decision."

"That's why we're in a meeting," the elder responded with a smile.

Ellen appeared angry that he wasn't backing down, but he was a mentor that taught Ellen ever since she was little.

She was unable to refute and simply sighed.

"I'll give you 3 days. If you don't have a convincing argument in 3 days, I'm

going to open the fortress."

The elders were itching to express that 3 days was not a very long time.

But since Ellen had already made her decision and was determined of it, they couldn't say anything further.

They had no choice but to come back with a convincing argument in 3 days' time.

The sound of groaning filled the meeting room.

***

Ho Sung Lee felt as though Min Sung could put a hole in the wall if he kept trying.

After all, he had always exceeded his expectations.

But this time, it was different.

All he could do was make a slight dent in the wall.

That was impressive as well, but compared to Min Sung's previous results, it was pathetic.

"Phew… This is going to be hard even for you. This is no ordinary wall."

Ho Sung Lee was in awe, but Min Sung thought differently.

"This is not that big a deal."

In response, Ho Sung Lee flinched and glanced over at him.

"So you can do it? But…"

"Compared to the Iris tree connecting earth to Beatrice, this is definitely doable. It'll take some time, but I'll get through it."

"But you'll expend a lot of magic energy, and seeing from the size of the fortress, there must be many elves inside."

Ho Sung Lee made sense.

But there was something he was forgetting.

"I have more magic power stored within me than you think."

If it was before they came to Beatrice, he probably wouldn't have had enough magic energy to face off against the dark elf.

But after coming here, he gained much more magic energy thanks to the support of the Dionysus Gods.

The only reason why he wasn't using all of it was because he never had to.

And even in this case, it was more rational to use little bits of magic energy at a time to break through the wall rather than using all of it at once.

As long as he paced himself, he was able to recover his magic energy at the same time.

That was his strength.

It would take longer, but his final objective was to obtain that ancient document.

He needed to maintain his magic power as well as his overall condition.

And even if this would take some time, it wasn't going to take that long either.

If the door was closed, he had to open it.

He had no other choice.

He didn't want to think about the dark elves' soldiers or their level of force.

Min Sung was the type to take it one step at a time.

The only reason why he told Ho Sung Lee to come up with another method was because he felt bothered knocking down the wall.

He wanted to go for an easier method if there was one, but the strength of the wall was never a problem for him.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Min Sung's Gungnir S began to pound at the Dark elves' fortress wall like a hammer.

Every time he pounded at the wall, a powerful lightning flashed in all four directions.

Ho Sung Lee covered his ears with both hands and watched the blinding sight.

In Ho Sung Lee's eyes, Min Sung looked like a blacksmith from the skies.

***

Boom!

The loud noise continued without rest.

But since the average dark elves had already caught on to the situation, they didn't show any big reactions.

The same went for the elders.

"They're trying to break through the wall," the 4th elder said.

Ellen smiled.

"It's useless. Our fortress has a history of over 500 years. For all those years, it was continuously charged with mana, and that enormous power is what's been protecting us all this time."

"Like you said, there's nothing to be afraid of. But… I'm just worried that the noise will notify the dwarves nearby and take this as an opportunity."

Ellen showed a sensitive reaction to the mention of the dwarves.

"Nothing will change even if that was the case. What I want is a progressive meeting, not a useless one!"

Ellen shouted.

In response, the elders offered their opinions one by one.

But everything the elders had to offer sounded useless to Ellen.

At that moment, Ellen's mentor opened his mouth, and his opinion was the closest to a resolution.

He had the only method that could resolve the issue without suffering harm.

It was a negotiation.

They would exchange their opinions and come to a rational agreement.

The elder who was also Ellen's mentor explained the method further.

Upon hearing the explanation, Ellen and the other elders were shocked.

It was an impressive strategy.

Ellen thought deeply and made the decision to go through with the elder's method.

***

"Shit."

Ho Sung Lee let out a curse word without realizing it.

The reason was that the very powerful wall enchanted with a shield began to show a hole forming through it.

Min Sung didn't stop his pounding at the wall.

As a result, there was a hole big enough for an arm to pass through, and it was getting bigger and bigger.

At this rate, the wall was going to break down eventually.

***

When the dark elves first heard the sound of thunder and lightning striking against the wall, they laughed at his useless effort.

But as time passed, the elves near the wall where the impact was taking place began to show faces of worry.

Chapter 248: Chapter 248

The anxiousness that the wall might come down turned into shock.

They had no doubt that the fortress was too powerful for them to break through.

But seeing from the progress, they couldn't help but feel agitated.

"R-report this to Ellen immediately!"

A superior commanded in a loud voice, and one of the subordinates ran over to the elders' meeting room immediately.

And then…

"The fortress wall is about to come down!"

In response, the elders' meeting room froze still in silence.

Following the moment of silence, Ellen and the elders sprung up from their seats.

They couldn't' believe what they just heard.

"That's ridiculous. What do you mean the wall is about to come down?"

"I-I couldn't believe it either, but it's true."

In response, the elders became agitated.

From their history, the wall coming down due to impact was something they couldn't even imagine.

"We don't have much time. We must come up with countermeasures immediately."

"What kind of countermeasures can we come up with when the wall is coming down?!"

"I think we should go with our original plan!"

The elders began to raise their voices out of urgency.

Ellen slammed down on the table with a flushed face.

The elders came back to their senses and collected themselves in front of Ellen.

"Prepare to hold a negotiation with the trespassers," Ellen commanded, and in response, the elders immediately flooded out of the meeting room.

Ellen stared into the distance and bit down on her lip.

***

Min Sung's eyes flashed with white light as a result of his gold Gungnir S.

Knowing that this was going to be his last strike, Min Sung struck the 500-year-old fortress wall with his Gungnir and smashed through it.

He did the impossible.

"… Oh my god."

Ho Sung Lee expressed his shock as if he just saw something he wasn't supposed to.

Min Sung gripped onto his Gungnir S and comfortably entered through the hole in the wall.

Ho Sung Lee gulped and followed from behind.

Bowl jumped out of Min Sung's pocket and snickered out of excitement, and Ssol ran around with eyes filled with curiosity.

'… We're not here to play.'

Ho Sung Lee had such thoughts, but Min Sung didn't stop Bowl or Ssol.

He simply accepted the countless looks he was getting from the dark elves inside with a calm look on his face.

***

While countless dark elves stared them down, robed elders approached from afar.

The elders were dark elves that showed off a lot of wrinkles, and they were accompanied by many more soldiers.

The elders stopped at a reasonable distance from Min Sung and his party.

"Who's Ellen?" Min Sung asked.

And in response, one elder replied.

"Ellen would never expose herself in such a dangerous situation. There's something I must ask."

"Did you break through that wall with force alone? How did you…"

"It was troublesome, but it wasn't difficult."

In response to Min Sung's confidence, the elders and dark elves tensed up with stiff looks on their faces.

They had never had trespassers before.

Never in their history.

"I heard you're looking for the ancient document," said one elder, and Min Sung nodded in response.

"Perhaps, we should negotiate. How about you put that weapon away first?"

Min Sung checked all of their gazes. He looked down at his Gungnir S and threw it back into his item window.

Once he cooperated, the elders commanded for them to be escorted inside with the utmost respect.

***

Min Sung and his party entered the building at the accompaniment of the dark elves' soldiers.

The room was large, the table was wide, and it was the perfect place to have a chat.

But in the case that the negotiation didn't go well and the situation escalated in a negative manner, there was a system in place that would isolate their enemies.

If they made that choice, the dark elves would go extinct.

"Let me prepare some tea for you. One moment, please."

Ho Sung Lee felt awkward that they were being treated this way after

breaking through their walls.

But it all made sense once he thought about his own stance as well as the stances of the dark elves.

Min Sung drank the tea that he was offered and waited to negotiate.

"How unique," Ho Sung Lee remarked while slurping his tea.

"It's an interesting scent."

Ho Sung Lee commented that he enjoyed the tea, but Min Sung wasn't a big fan.

But he did like how his head and mouth felt refreshed afterward.

"It doesn't seem like it suits your taste very much," Ho Sung Lee said after noticing Min Sung put down his tea after one sip.

"It smells like the dirt from the Demonic Realm."

Min Sung offered a short explanation, and Ho Sung Lee immediately realized why he didn't like the tea.

While Ho Sung Lee sipped the tea by himself, the elders entered the negotiation room.

Min Sung sat back in his seat in a comfortable position and watched them all sit down.

The vibe was serious and heavy, but Min Sung didn't want to waste any time.

"If you want to negotiate, I'm guessing you have something to offer. Go ahead and say it."

Min Sung tapped on the table with his index finger and scanned the elders' faces.

In response to the pressure, the faces of the elders stiffened even more.

They felt uncomfortable by Min Sung's presence.

But they weren't in a situation where they couldn't face off against him.

Min Sung was alone, and this place was the dark elves' home base.

But since he was the man who broke through their walls, and they preferred not to suffer any harm, the dark elves couldn't help but feel pressured.

If Min Sung happened to pull out his weapon again, their plan would turn into ashes.

"… Let me ask you one question. I heard you want our ancient document. Is that true?" One elder asked.

Min Sung nodded, and the second question followed.

"Is it because of a player quest?"

"Yeah."

"… I see. The ancient document is an important asset and a precious object to us, dark elves. If you accept our proposal, we will hand you the ancient document."

"What's the proposal?"

"At the Cayenne mountains nearby, dwarves live. They're our enemy, meaning they are waiting for us to be in crisis."

"I'm sure you're not asking me to kill the dwarves."

"Of course not. All we want is an agreement. Given our emotional past, we're unable to come to a profitable agreement. We did our best to stay within our boundaries, but the dwarves are very stubborn, so we've been unable to make any kind of proposal."

"So you want me to make it happen?"

"That's correct."

"No," rejected Min Sung.

The elders exchanged glances and didn't know what to do.

"Do you meant to say you're going to steal our ancient document?"

"If you feel resentment, blame the Dionysus Gods up there. In Beatrice, I'm at war against time. Meanwhile, my star is rotting away. I can't just let my star rot away because of your tradition. I won't let that happen."

The elders gulped.

"You had no intention of negotiating in the first place…"

One elder said with disappointed eyes.

Min Sung laughed.

"Same goes for you. The dwarves are just an excuse. You just wanted to use me and the dwarves to start a fight. I can see everything."

The elders stiffened their faces.

Min Sung took out his Gungnir from his item window.

"I won't repeat myself. Bring me the ancient document."

Min Sung's eyes grew cold.

A fight was about to break loose.

At that moment, someone else appeared.

"Ellen!"

"E-Ellen…!"

The person who appeared at the negotiation table was none other than the leader of the dark elves, Ellen.

"Wow…"

Ho Sung Lee dropped his jaw while staring at Ellen.

He was at a loss for words because of her beauty. Ho Sung Lee then came to his senses and rubbed his nose.

Min Sung stared at Ellen, and Ellen stared back at the intruder.

"Enough of this so-called negotiation. Get to the point. You can negotiate with me now."

"Negotiate what?" Min Sung asked.

"A battle for life or death?"

Ellen said with a smile.

"Ellen!"

The elders sprung up and tried to refute, but Ellen stared at Min Sung with no intention to change her mind.

"I must settle this with the intruder once and for all. For the sake of the dark elves' pride."

"But…"

"That's too dangerous."

"Please don't act rashly!"

"You must value your life as our leader!"

The elders expressed their worry, but…

"I've already made my decision. Please don't try to talk me out of it."

The young ruler, Ellen, had no intention to change her mind.

In response, the elders groaned.

Min Sung sighed.

He felt as though he suddenly turned into a villain who trespassed into the Dark Elf Forest ruled by a young female Queen.

But Min Sung had no choice.

If he went easy on them, it was obvious what would happen to him and his party.

Min Sung grabbed onto his Gungnir S and got up.

"Where do you want to do it?" Min Sung asked Ellen.

"Follow me," Ellen replied.

Min Sung followed her, and the elders followed from behind with great anxiousness.

Chapter 249: Chapter 249

***

As soon as Ellen opened the door, a large hall appeared.

While Min Sung entered the hall that he predicted to be a tourney hall, he glanced around him.

The ceiling was surprisingly high, and the square footage of the hall was impressive, and he predicted it to be about 200 pyeongs wide.

The ruler of the dark elves, Ellen, entered the hall first, followed by Min Sung and his party.

While the dark elves and elders watched, Ho Sung Lee and Bowl also stood by to the side.

Min Sung stood across from Ellen.

He kept a distance that wasn't too far or close.

The first one to take out their weapon was Ellen.

It was a weapon in the shape of a rake, which was a symbol of the dark elves.

She gripped her weapon in her hand and stared at Min Sung with cold eyes.

Min Sung also opened his item window and took out his Gungnir S.

Ahead of the battle between Ellen and Min Sung, those who were watching stayed silent, and the silence made the atmosphere heavy.

Min Sung held his sword with ease and maintained an easygoing position.

When Ellen noticed this, her eyes stiffened up.

She felt like she was being looked down upon.

"Are you always this confident?" Ellen asked with a grin.

Min Sung sighed and tilted his head.

"I think so. I don't remember the last time I felt nervous."

There was no greed to be felt, which made her discouraged.

"How about we make things a little more clear?" Ellen asked Min Sung.

"How?"

"If you win this battle, I'll give you the ancient document, but if I win…"

"You can tell me what you want, but that won't happen."

"How are you so confident? I'm the leader of the dark elves."

"You talk too much. Let's begin," said Min Sung while almost sighing.

But Ellen wasn't shaken by Min Sung's attitude.

That was something only little children fell for.

Ellen planned to make it so that he would lose his cool.

"I expect that you'll grant me a wish when I win," said Ellen.

"Same to you," Min Sung replied.

And then the battle began.

Dark smoke appeared from below Ellen's feet and then she disappeared into thin air.

He sensed something from his left.

He reacted by reflex.

Ellen fell from above Min Sung's head and lowered her crow.

In response, Min Sung twisted his body. He lifted his sword, and once the crow and sword made an impact, sparks flew in all directions.

As soon as Ellen made two turns in the air and landed on the ground, she launched her skill.

Three lines of blue Aura charged toward Min Sung from her crow.

But from Min Sung's perspective, it was a weak Aura.

He had a feeling it was just bait, so he dodged the Aura and watched for her next move.

Ellen was already sweating from having made two attacks.

That was because she began to sense the gap.

The way Ellen saw it, Min Sung had no intention of attacking yet.

Despite having opportunities to attack, he didn't use his weapon.

'Why…?'

She had a feeling he was evaluating her abilities, and rather than feeling insulted, she simply felt nervous.

But that didn't mean she believed she didn't stand a chance.

Ellen used her buff skill.

Blue light and black light mixed within her body and began to radiate and sparkle.

She used the skill that improved her stamina and agility, as well as the ones that increased damage, speed, as well as buffering ability.

She made it known that this was just the beginning by showing off her magic effects, but that didn't change anything.

His sword was still hanging down low.

As if he could react whenever he wanted.

Ellen swung her crow toward him.

Swoosh!

A stronger and faster Aura than before charged toward Min Sung.

But Min Sung dodged it with one shoulder twist, and the three lines of Aura from Ellen's crow simply bounced off the wall.

Min Sung looked back at the wall.

Meanwhile, Ellen was coming down upon Min Sung's head.

She

swung her crow.

But Min Sung's Gungnir acted before his eyes.

Clang!

The strong impact caused Ellen to fall back onto the ground.

It was the perfect opportunity since her guard was down.

Min Sung knitted his brows and kicked Ellen in the gut.

Pow!

Along with a thudding noise, Ellen flew away. She hit the wall and plopped down on the ground.

"Cough!"

Ellen coughed as she quickly got back up.

"Ellen!"

The elders and dark elves watched with worried eyes as they shouted her name.

Ellen lifted her hand.

They quieted down in response.

"I've already made my decision, so please respect it."

Ellen then walked toward Min Sung.

"Maybe you should acknowledge that you lost," said Min Sung.

"No way! I still haven't seen 1/10th of your abilities."

Ellen ran toward Min Sung.

As soon as she swung her crow, her skills were launched.

Dozens of sword energy burst out and flooded toward Min Sung.

Min Sung knitted his brows and swung his Gungnir S.

Kaboom!

The sound of thunder rang through the hall.

In response to the loud noise, the dark elves flinched.

And once they saw the dozens of lines disappear as a result of his one swing of the sword, they were surprised once more.

Ellen looked at Min Sung. She clenched down on her teeth and didn't stop attacking.

She swung her crow to slash him in the neck, but Min Sung dodged it.

Despite the continuous attacks, he comfortably avoided all of them as if he saw them coming.

And as soon as he punched her in the rib with his other fist, Ellen felt her bones breaking.

Crack!

"Ugh!"

She shed blood and wobbled around, but she refused to fall over and swung her crow.

Despite the fact that she swung her sword while launching sword energy at the same time, none of the attacks reached Min Sung.

Min Sung lowered his sword upon Ellen's shoulder.

Along with a large thudding noise, Ellen fell on her knees.

But she didn't give up. She looked up at Min Sung and swung her crow while biting down on her lip.

The attacks were useless.

They were just instinctive swings without any control, but it continued without stop anyway.

But due to her lack of stamina from unleashing all of her force, Ellen's swings grew slower and slower.

Min Sung quietly watched as she swung her arms with a pale look on her face.

When Ellen wobbled over to Min Sung without the energy to even lift her finger, Min Sung dropped his sword.

Ellen was no longer able to hold up her arm that was holding the crow, so she plopped down on her knees.

Min Sung looked down at Ellen and then looked back up.

The elders and dark elves were running over.

They looked desperate, anxious, and worried.

Min Sung put his Gungnir S into his item window and walked past Ellen on her knees.

The elders and dark elves ran past Min Sung and checked Ellen's condition.

She had already passed out.

"Good work, Sir."

Ho Sung Lee bowed down to Min Sung and then handed him a beverage.

After chugging it down, he passed it back to Ho Sung Lee and then looked behind him.

The dark elves were busy treating Ellen.

"They'll keep their promise, right?" Ho Sung Lee asked while watching the dark elves.

"Of course."

Min Sung walked out of the hall.

***

Ellen slowly opened her eyes.

"Are you awake?"

She heard a familiar voice.

As soon as Ellen opened her eyes on her bed, she saw an elder watching her.

It was the mentor who taught her since she was little.

Ellen stared at him. She teared up but tried to keep it down.

"I don't know what to say," Ellen said as she looked far into the distance.

In response, the elder gave her a warm smile.

"You were courageous. No one will blame you. Also…"

The elder's eyes grew deep.

"He was too strong."

Ellen smiled.

"Yes, he was. So much that I'm angry and jealous."

"The ancient document was never ours to begin with. We were just watching over it for a while. Although we do have a tradition, since we never possessed it to begin with, please don't be too upset."

"Thank you."

"Haha, don't mention it. We did treat you, but you still need to recover, so please try to get some rest."

Ellen nodded.

"Then I'll pass the ancient document over to him."

A blue light gathered in the elder's hand, causing for magic letters to form in the air.

Once Ellen signed it, the door to the place where the ancient document was stored would open.

The elder helped Ellen up so that she could sign it.

She used her index finger to sign the magic window that the elder summoned.

As soon as she did, the magic window lit up before it disappeared back toward the elder's body.

"Please, Elder. Please make sure that he as well as our dark elves…"

"Don't worry and focus on your recovery."

The elder paid his respects and left the room.

Due to the sadness of not protecting the ancient document, Ellen closed her eyes out of sadness and clenched onto her blanket.

Her tears dripped onto her hands.

Chapter 250: Chapter 250

***

The elder closed Ellen's door and kriked his teeth as he walked down the hall.

It was true that the ancient document never belonged to the dark elves, and it was also true that some of the dark elves' tradition was ingrained into it, so it was hard to accept an intruder plundering the ancient document without their consent.

He wasn't going to just let this happen.

The elder thought of the outsider's face as he walked quickly down the hall.

***

"Ho Sung," Min Sung called as he walked out of the shower.

Ho Sung Lee, who was giving Bowl a headlock, immediately sprung up and ran over to Min Sung.

"Yes, Sir."

"I'm hungry. It's time to eat."

"Yes, Sir. Shall I pick the menu?"

"Yeah."

Ho Sung Lee nodded and immediately headed out to prepare a meal.

At the same time, Bowl excitedly followed Ho Sung Lee at the thought of helping him out.

Ho Sung Lee set up the table and contemplated on what to make.

He then thought of something, but it filled his head with anxiousness.

Ho Sung Lee looked at Min Sung before he made his decision.

"The meal comes first."

Ho Sung Lee took out the frying pan.

***

"The meal is ready."

"Already?"

Min Sung sat down at the table and picked up his spoon.

Today's menu was omelet rice.

The fried rice was wrapped in a yellow covering, and on top of it wasn't ketchup, it appeared to be pork cutlet sauce.

Since Min Sung only remembered eating omelet rice with ketchup, he was extra excited to try it with a sauce he had never tried before.

Woong Jang's recipe.

Considering Ho Sung Lee's improving cooking skills, he was certain he would not be disappointed.

As soon as he poked it with his spoon, the egg softly cut in half and presented the hot fried rice within.

Just the look of it made him gulp.

Min Sung rubbed the sauce all over before putting some egg and fried rice into his mouth.

Om nom, om nom-

'This is delicious!'

He felt as though exclamation marks were exploding inside his head.

The fried rice was sweet and savory.

The scent of the egg was lively, but it was surprisingly also soft.

And the taste of the sauce was the cherry on top.

"How does it taste?" Ho Sung Lee asked with nervousness.

"It's very good."

"That's a relief. Um, Sir. I need to go somewhere for a moment. May I excuse myself?"

"Sure."

Ho Sung Lee left, but Min Sung didn't even look over because he was too focused on his omelet rice.

The sauce on top of his omelet rice was so sweet that he almost forgot that he was in Beatrice.

Min Sung ripped the omelet rice into little pieces and spooned it into his mouth.

***

The elder, who used to be Ellen's mentor, walked toward a secret basement located within the fortress with a lantern in his hand.

Since it was a narrow passageway in the basement, his footsteps rang through the entire place

The sound of his footsteps was getting faster.

The elder was on his way to retrieve the ancient document, but the elder had no intention of handing it over to the outsiders.

He was going to hand it over to the dwarves instead.

That meant that the outsiders would have no choice but to step into the dwarves' territory.

If they had to hand it over anyway, he had to hand it over in a way that would benefit them as well.

It was possible that this was their chance to round up the dwarves, who had been threatening their lives all this time.

Just by stepping onto the dwarves' territory, the outsiders would get into a big fight against the dwarves, and if that happened, it wouldn't make up for their loss of the ancient document, but they would still come out of it with a profit.

The elder wasn't going to miss this opportunity.

Once he passed the long passageway, he arrived at a large door.

As soon as he chanted a spell, magic letters began to form along with the sound of the door unlocking.

The elder entered the room

made of bricks.

The room was covered in marble, and on top of the marble table was an old-looking book.

That was the ancient document.

The elder used the magic system.

Through Ellen's signature, the glass case unlocked from the magic device.

In the case that he didn't get Ellen's signature, the ancient document would have warped to a second secure location.

But since he had it, the ancient document didn't disappear, and he was able to safely carry it in his hands.

In order to preserve the ancient document, the elder wrapped it in cloth and left the room.

The elder gulped as he continued to walk.

The outsiders were not weak by any means.

Ellen had one of the most outstanding abilities out of the dark elves.

She wasn't as powerful as the players of the inner continent, but she wasn't someone who would lose so easily.

But…

The elder trembled at the thought of the outsiders.

He felt his temperature drop.

The outsider pretty much fooled around with their ruler, Ellen.

He was so skilled that he wondered why his reputation hadn't become known yet.

As skilled as he was, there was no better person to use as the ancient document's bait.

He was worthy of someone who would resolve old and hard feelings.

The elder walked out of the basement determined, with the ancient document in his arms.

As soon as he chanted the spell, the door locked and was immediately covered up with dirt.

That was how the secret passageway was concealed.

After hiding the ancient document within his robe, the elder began walking toward the outside of the fortress.

There were 2 doors at the fortress.

The front gate and the south gate.

Since there were many eyes on the front gate, the elder chose to use the south gate instead.

His plan was to get out of the fortress, find the dwarves, and hand them the ancient document.

There was no doubt that the dwarves would immediately drool over the ancient document.

They naturally had a strong tribe-like characteristic, so when it came to magic items, they had no control.

Once he handed them the magic document, he would return to the fortress, tell the outsiders that the dwarves plundered their ancient document, and that would lead to the outsiders immediately heading over to the dwarves' fortress.

His plan was perfect.

Knowing the dwarves' strong tendency to battle, they wouldn't forgive the outsiders' intrusion like Ellen did, and they would pour their entire force toward defeating the outsiders.

In that case, the dwarves would suffer great damage, and the dark elves would use that opportunity to bring the dwarves down completely.

The elder thought his plan was perfect.

Starting it was half of it.

Once he secretly left the fortress, he would have completed 50% of it already, but as soon as the elder started to move quickly, a dark shadow appeared in front of him.

The elder flinched and stepped back.

He then stood with a stiffened face and looked around him.

It was a man who accompanied the outsider in trespassing the fortress.

Ho Sung Lee stood in front of him.

The elder gulped.

'What's he doing here?'

The elder's heart pounded.

Since he was holding the ancient document in his hands, he was that much tenser.

Had he caught onto his plan already?

But how?

The elder was shocked, but on the other hand, Ho Sung Lee's face looked more relaxed than ever.

The elder thought quickly.

He had hidden the ancient document deep within his robe.

It couldn't be noticed from the outside.

All he had to do was stay calm.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Ho Sung Lee asked with a smile.

The elder quickly differentiated what he could and couldn't say and proceeded to open his mouth.

"The elders will be holding a meeting soon, so I'm preparing for it. But… what brings you here?"

The elder spoke in a non-awkward way and asked about Ho Sung Lee's reason for being there.

"It appears that your ruler is unable to walk after battling against Min Sung."

"So?"

The elder glared at Ho Sung Lee, but Ho Sung Lee replied without being shaken, "So I asked when I could go to Ellen to receive the ancient document, but I was told that she transferred the rights to you."

The elder was certain.

That he didn't look for him out of suspicion.

That meant he still had a chance.

"… I see. That's right. Ellen gave me the rights to retrieve the ancient document. Did you come alone?"

The elder looked around Ho Sung Lee's surroundings.

"Yes, he's eating at the moment."

The elder nodded.

"Then follow me. I'll hand you the ancient document."

The elder turned and walked the way he came.

Ho Sung Lee followed the elder.

He was whistling and taking a look around him.

The elder kricked his teeth.

He planned to bring him down the basement passageway and trap him there.

Once he was trapped inside, if he never tried to escape, the entire basement passageway would be destroyed as a result of the magic device.

That meant that he would have to get through the ruins to get out, and the magic letters of the system would notify him of that once he was trapped inside.

The basement passageway was used as a jail 500 years earlier.

Since he had already retrieved the ancient document, there was no problem with locking him up inside.

All he had to do was act well so that he could trick him into entering the basement passageway.

Chapter 251: Chapter 251

***

"Here we are."

The elder stopped his tracks.

Ho Sung Lee tilted his head and took a look around.

"We are? There's nothing here."

At that moment, the elder used the magic system to open the door.

The dirt on top fell, the lock unlocked, and the door slowly opened.

"Wow…! You must keep the important items safely I here," said Ho Sung as he looked at the mystical door.

"Right this way."

Ho Sung Lee followed the elder, who led the way with a lantern.

Once they walked through the stairs and the long passageway, they were faced with a brick wall.

Just like before, he used the magic system to open the brick wall, and Ho Sung Lee was in awe once more.

"Wow. If you hide it like this, no one will ever be able to find it."

"Go inside and check the item," said the elder while pointing toward the inside of the room.

Ho Sung Lee stroked his chin and went deeply into thought.

"What's the matter?" The elder asked with a sharp look in his eye.

"It's strange."

In response, the elder's eyes shook, but he collected himself right away.

"What's weird…?"

"Your behavior," replied Ho Sung Lee as he turned around.

The elder didn't avoid Ho Sung Lee's gaze and smiled.

"I don't know what you mean…"

"So many things are suspicious about this."

Ho Sung Lee trailed off, and the elder felt both nervous and annoyed, but he made sure to not make it show."

"In what way?" The elder asked with a smile.

"Hm… Even if I came here to collect the item in my master's stead, it doesn't make sense for just one elder to just hand it over to me, and the fact that you let me come in here is suspicious, too."

Ho Sung Lee laughed and scratched his head.

"I'm not doubting you or anything, but I just have a weird feeling."

Ho Sung Lee grinned at the elder.

'… Does he know something?'

He had a hunch.

He had a feeling that he wasn't just suspicious, but that he knew a little more than that.

The elder couldn't get over that feeling.

There was only one way to get rid of his suspicion given the circumstances.

The elder reached out his hand to touch the air, and as soon as he did, the brick walls closed back up.

Ho Sung Lee looked confused.

"If you can't trust me, there's nothing we can do. Let's follow the original procedures. We'll meet with Ellen and hand it over to you together."

Ho Sung Lee smiled.

"That's better."

The elder was frustrated.

He wondered why he followed him here if he was going to act like that, but he had to suppress his emotions as much as possible.

The ancient document was inside his robe, and since he wouldn't fall for his trap, he had no choice but to throw the trap his way.

He had to get rid of him right here.

No matter how powerful the outsider might have been, just like Ho Sung Lee had said, this place was impossible for anyone to find.

He could kill him without even a mouse or bird finding out.

The elder planned to get rid of Ho Sung Lee within the basement passageway.

After that, he would throw the ancient document at the dwarves as bait.

The more he dragged it on, the more variables he would be faced with, so he had to act quickly.

The outsider was powerful, but the man that stood in front of him appeared to be weaker than him.

Given the lack of his ability to see people, he was certain he was right.

"Elder," Ho Sung Lee called.

The elder glanced over at him.

"Why don't you put the ancient document inside your robe back in there?" Ho Sung Lee asked.

The elder's eyes grew wide.

"H-how…"

The elder stepped back in shock.

How did he know that he had the ancient document inside his robe?!

"Do you really think I followed you here without a plan? Really?"

Ho Sung Lee laughed.

"Did you really believe that?"

Ho Sung Lee asked once more.

"I guess I'm left with no other choice. I'll just have to…"

"Wait. Maybe you should stop there."

The elder glared at Ho Sung Lee.

Ho Sung Lee continued, "Just like I said earlier, I didn't come here without a plan. If you want to avoid the worst-case scenario, I suggest you hand the ancient document over to me right now."

"The worst-case scenario?"

"The extermination of the dark elf tribe."

Thud.

The elder felt his heart sink.

"If you try to get rid of me, my master will kill you. He's watching out for the situation right now."

The elder looked around with wide eyes.

That powerful outsider was right here?

'Damn it. I fell for their trap.'

'That's why he followed me here.'

The elder blamed his foolishness, but the damage had already been done.

***

Ho Sung Lee put on a relaxed and easygoing face, but that wasn't how he felt on the inside though.

His heart was pounding, and the reason was simple… because it was a lie.

It wasn't true that Min Sung Kang was watching out for this situation as they spoke.

Min Sung Kang was never that considerate. He hadn't even reported it to him, and he simply went on a whim out of curiosity.

The truth was, he caught onto the fact that something was inside his robe using his supporter ability, and the elder fell for his bluff.

The problem was that if they happened to fight, he would lose.

The elder was old, but he possessed a powerful Aura.

On top of that, the elder knew this basement better than anyone, putting Ho Sung Lee at a disadvantage.

It was best for Ho Sung Lee not to fight.

"Please don't make a choice that you'll never be able to turn back," Ho Sung Lee said while looking straight at the elder.

The elder dropped his head. He clenched his fists, and his body trembled.

He then lifted his head and glared at Ho Sung Lee.

"What if you're lying?"

The elder suggested the possibility that Ho Sung Lee was bluffing, and that suspicion was powerful.

Ho Sung Lee remarked, "No way", but once a suspicion was created, it was hard to get rid of.

Just like that, the elder and Ho Sung Lee both got into a gambling ring.

"Haha. Look here, Elder. Let's say I'm lying, and you kill me and conceal my death. Do you really think you'll be safe once it's realized that I've disappeared within this fortress?"

"A disadvantageous game doesn't mean I'll lose."

"Do you really want to put all of the dark elves at risk? You'll die at this rate!"

"This ancient document is worth that much. Ellen might have given up, but this ancient document is worth at least that much!" The elder shouted.

Ho Sung Lee looked at the elder in frustration and lit a cigarette.

He smoked his cigarette. He knitted his brows and stared at the elder.

"Look here. Is something wrong with your head? What's so great about an item that's hundreds of years old that you're putting all the dark elves at risk? Can you really call yourself an elder?"

The elder glared back at Ho Sung Lee and trembled with a flushed face.

"You're just a stubborn old man. Phew… You might see us as robbers and plunderers, but that's what this world, Beatrice, is all about."

In response, the elder grimaced.

Ho Sung Lee continued, "In order to protect our own star and go back home, we need that damn item, so we negotiated. Your ruler lost, so you have to keep your promise. Why are you trying to put the dark elves on the line when you're not even that strong? Don't you think you're being selfish and irresponsible?"

Magic power began to gather in the elder's hands.

Ho Sung Lee felt his heart drop, but he knew that he would be done for if he stopped now.

"I warned you. You tried to stab us in the back, but I'm giving you another chance. Are you going to throw that away? Listen up…"

Ho Sung Lee glared at the elder and continued, "As soon as you use your power to try to kill me, Min Sung will show up, and it won't even take a second for your head to blow up."

"Seeing how he still hasn't' shown up, I think you're lying."

"I'm not finished, old man. The dark elves will go extinct, your ruler, Ellen, will die, and this is where the dark elves' history will end. As for your fortress, it'll go down in flames, and it'll turn into ruins."

Ho Sung Lee put out his cigarette and glared at the elder.

"I'm giving you one last chance, Elder. Hand me the ancient document," said Ho Sung Lee in a low voice.

The elder's hands wriggled.

"You have to hand it over eventually. Don't gamble the lives of the dark elves for this. Then that'll make us feel bad once we ultimately leave with the ancient document," Ho Sung Lee concluded.

"You must think I aged doing nothing. I've seen tons of bastards like you. Let me show you that the dark elves aren't as weak as you think."

The elder's eyes were filled with rage.

'This damned old man…!'

Ho Sung Lee jolted his eyes wide open and clenched down on his teeth.

Chapter 252: Chapter 252

The magic power in the elder's hand charged toward Ho Sung Lee.

It was so powerful that he couldn't believe it came from such an old dark elf.

With the battle already having begun, there was no chance for him to win.

Ho Sung Lee activated his shadow skill and dashed toward the entrance.

The power that missed Ho Sung Lee and struck the wall caused the entire basement to rumble and dust to fall from the ceiling.

The elder's eyes were focused on Ho Sung Lee.

"Hmph…! Where do you think you're going?"

The elder cast a spell toward Ho Sung Lee's shadow.

The spell he cast was a restraint spell.

Ho Sung Lee, who was running up the stairs in the form of a shadow, suddenly froze in place.

"This just proves it that everything you said was a lie."

The elder grinned at the thought of victory.

Once Ho Sung Lee ran out of energy, he crawled out of his shadow and returned to his original form.

There were dark lights floating around Ho Sung Lee's body, which appeared to be the form of the restraint spell.

Ho Sung Lee looked back at the elder with a tired look on his face.

"Old man. You're pretty quick. Haha."

The elder charged at Ho Sung Lee. He grabbed him by the throat and threw him down the stairs.

Ho Sung Lee flew down the stairs and rolled on the ground.

***

'… Damn it.'

Ho Sung Lee was frustrated.

He thought he really did it this time.

He thought he could prove to Min Sung Kang that he was skilled, but it didn't turn out the way he wanted.

That old man also referred to as a dark elf elder actually attacked him, and it appeared that he really intended to kill him and conceal it.

There was a clear winner.

And the fact that the winner was the elder and not him pained his heart.

The thought of dying in the hands of that old elder made Ho Sung Lee tremble with fear.

He wasn't afraid of death, but he rather couldn't accept such a pathetic death.

Ho Sung Lee put all his energy into thinking of how to resolve this situation.

And in a short period of time, he decided that attacking was better than defending.

When cornered, even rats attacked cats.

And no matter how powerful the elder's magic was, he was nothing but an old dark elf.

He figured there must've been a way in, and in order to live, he had to attack with all his might.

Ho Sung Lee went against the elder's assumption that he had given up and charged toward him.

The elder's eyes squinted.

It was a clear smile, but Ho Sung Lee didn't let the ridicule get to him and swung his sword.

A thick line of the sword energy charged toward the elder.

The elder blocked the sword energy with his hand and immediately attacked Ho Sung Lee's chest.

Pow!

The sound of leather exploding rang through the basement causing Ho Sung Lee to fly into the wall and plop down onto the ground.

"Ugh…"

Ho Sung Lee groaned on the ground and spit out blood.

The elder stared down at Ho Sung Lee, who was trembling on the ground, and smiled.

"I was nervous because of the outsider you're accompanying, but you're so weak that I'm at a loss for words."

The elder looked down at Ho Sung Lee and snickered.

"You shall die here, and the outsider won't be able to find you."

Ho Sung Lee got up with the help of the wall and looked up at the elder while panting.

"Haa… Haa, cough! Look here, old man. You're done for."

The elder grimaced out of disgust in response.

"You're still so confident. You must be more stupid than you are incapable."

"You're the stupid one, not me."

"…"

"The ground shook when you attacked me with your Aura earlier. Even if this place is sealed with magic, it still would have made an impact."

"What does that matter…?"

In the middle of speaking, the elder caught onto what Ho Sung Lee

was talking about.

What Ho Sung Lee was talking about, and what the elder caught onto was the fact that Min Sung Kang probably sensed the impact.

"You're f*cked. You just screwed yourself over."

What passed through the elder's head was the extermination fo the dark elves, but the elder didn't lose hope.

"This space was built using a powerful shielding magic. No matter how strong the impact, it's impossible to feel it from the outside."

"You really don't think do you, old man? Are you still underestimating him?"

The elder's eyes turned red.

"I won't let a kid like you get to me. You're done for."

Ho Sung Lee smirked at the elder and shook his head.

"… You're so frustrating. You never should've gone as far as you did."

"Shut your mouth! Your body will never be collected, even when Beatrice itself collapses."

The elder held up his hand full of magic power and walked toward Ho Sung Lee.

The elder's eyes were filled with the desire to kill.

But Ho Sung Lee didn't let that discourage him and simply laughed.

"I'm Ho Sung Lee. Do you think I'll be shaken because of that look of yours? I've seen much worse than this."

The elder scoffed at Ho Sung Lee.

"You're not even worth my energy. Have a pleasant trip to Hell."

Swoosh!

Pow!

The elder's hand struck Ho Sung Lee's chest once more.

Ho Sung Lee coughed up blood, and his eyes turned hazy.

There was a hole in his chest the size of the elder's hand.

Ho Sung Lee dropped his head and slowly fell onto the ground.

The elder looked at Ho Sung Lee's body and scoffed.

"You've finally shut your mouth. Hmph!"

The elder clicked his tongue. He checked the ancient document inside his robe and turned to leave the basement.

At that moment…

"Roarrrr…"

He heard the sound of a monster.

"…?"

The elder tilted his head and looked behind him.

There stood Ho Sung Lee, still alive, while drooling.

His eyes were only white. He had fangs. His hair turned red, and he had muscles that made him look like a completely different person.

"H-how could this be? I thought you died…"

The elder stared at Ho Sung Lee in disbelief and shock.

The hole in his chest was slowly healing.

It was hard to believe even while seeing it right in front of his eyes.

Gulp.

"Do you mean to tell me… that you're immortal?" The elder asked with a trembling voice.

Ho Sung Lee had completely transformed from the kid that he battled against just a few minutes before.

While the elder stood blankly from shock, Ho Sung Lee, who had turned into the Berserker, began to unleash his nature.

"Graaaaaaaa!"

Ho Sung Lee charged toward the elder with flame trailing behind him."

"… Gasp!"

The elder gasped and immediately gathered his magic power.

Ho Sung Lee's sword collided against the elder's magic power.

Crashhh!

The explosive sound rang through the basement.

His hand throbbed, but after seeing just how much Aura and output he possessed, he was certain he could defeat him.

'I was nervous for nothing.'

The elder quickly approached Ho Sung Lee in his berserker state and stuck out his hand.

Swoosh!

Crash!

The elder's hand struck Ho Sung Lee in the gut. He then flew in the air. He flipped once and then fell on the ground, but he bounced back and charged toward the elder like a bullet.

The elder looked at him charging closer and clenched down on his teeth.

… His attacks weren't working.

The revelation made many thoughts pass through the elder's head.

He was still able to block attacks and even make counter-attacks, but what if it didn't apply any damage and he got even stronger?

That thought made the elder feel discouraged.

'Who is this monster?'

But come to think of it, he was much too weak compared to the other outsider before he turned into a Berserker.

So weak that he didn't belong in Beatrice.

But if he had the ability to turn into such a beast.

It was a different story.

The elder bit down on his lip.

He had no idea he was this monster.

Battling against an immortal monster made him feel anxious, and over time, Ho Sung Lee's attacks wore him down.

But not long afterward, Ho Sung Lee wobbled around and plopped down on his knees.

He then began to transform back.

His red hair turned black. His fangs disappeared. His muscles shrunk, and the pupils reappeared in his eyes.

"There's a limit to that state? Hahaha. Hahahaha…!"

The elder looked at Ho Sung Lee with less tension and laughed loudly.

The elder looked down at Ho Sung Lee on the ground and gritted his teeth.

He was scared for a second, but he was nothing but a piece of trash.

'I wasted my energy on this bastard.'

'How embarrassing.'

The elder checked the time.

He had consumed too much of his time.

He had to quickly kill him and continue with his plans.

The elder pulled up Ho Sung Lee's head from the ground.

And just as he pulled back his hand to take his life…

Boommm!

He heard the door break open.

And as soon as he turned around, somebody's hand was already grabbing onto his face.

Chapter 253: Chapter 253

Boom!

Min Sung grabbed onto the elder's face and pushed it against the wall.

The wall cracked, and it was supposed to be powerful due to the magic system, and at the same time, the elder's nose and mouth began to bleed.

"… Ugh!"

Even his eyes shed blood.

The elder plopped down onto the ground while Min Sung stared down at him with emotionless eyes.

The elder wriggled and looked up at Min Sung.

Ho Sung Lee was right.

Despite there being a magic system shielding the basement, the outsider was able to sense the impact.

That was the only possible explanation behind how he could find them so quickly.

This outsider… was at a whole another level from the other players in Beatrice.

He felt in his heart that his life was soon going to end.

He felt pained.

The first thing he thought of was the dark elves' extermination.

He looked up at the outsider's emotionless eyes and felt just one emotion.

He was scared.

He finally understood what Ho Sung Lee meant by gamble.

He regretted his actions, but it was too late now.

Regret was something that only the losers of a gambling ring could feel.

He first thought of the dark elves' ruler, Ellen, followed by countless other dark elves.

He imagined all of them being killed for blood.

The realization that his intent to use the ancient document for a bigger cause led to such tragedy overwhelmed his thoughts.

By looking straight at the outsider's face, he was finally able to accept that everything was over.

Grab!

Min Sung grabbed the elder by his throat and pulled him up.

"U-ugh!"

Min Sung stared at the elder and then let go.

"Cough! Cough!"

The elder fell on his butt. He grabbed his neck. He coughed and glanced around before looking back up at Min Sung.

His shaking pupils finally stabilized.

"Please don't kill me. Or kill me… But please don't' kill anyone else. I'm the only one you need to kill."

The elder himself knew that what he just said was selfish.

But at this point, there was no point in keeping his pride.

He had to say anything he could.

The impact of his head against the brick wall wasn't a big deal.

The problem was the giant in front of him who was fully capable of taking his life.

That made everything clear.

It was impossible for him to kill him like he was going to do to Ho Sung Lee.

Not even their ruler, Ellen, stood a chance against him.

There was no way a little fish like him could defeat a whale.

"… Were you trying to sneak off with the ancient document?" Min Sung asked with a straight face.

The elder thought for a moment.

He needed to come up with a solution to not only save himself but the entire dark elf tribe.

However…

"It's so obvious. Don't even try to play smart with me."

Min Sung grabbed him by the robe and ripped it.

The elder's wrinkly skin was revealed, and at the same time, something fell out onto the ground.

It was the ancient document.

Min Sung looked at the item and smirked.

The elder squeezed his eyes shut.

The elder blamed himself for what had happened.

His greed ruined everything, but it was too late for regrets.

"I'm begging you, Outsider. I'm the only one to blame…"

"You talk too much. Shut up. My head hurts."

Min Sung took out Bowl and threw him at Ho Sung Lee.

"Bowl, treat Ho Sung, and Ssol, you collect the ancient document."

"Yes, Master!"

Bowl responded with a salute, and Ssol ran over at lightning speed. He put away the ancient document and ran out of the basement.

***

Min Sung remained in the basement. He grabbed onto the elder's hair and dragged him up the stairs.

"U-ugh…!"

The elder grimaced and wriggled within Min Sung's hands, but his resistance didn't stand a chance against Min Sung's strength.

As a result, Min Sung was able to drag him up without any difficulty.

As soon as they reached above ground, the elder squinted underneath the strong rays.

Meanwhile, Min Sung didn't stop walking.

He continued to walk with the elder's hair

in his hands as if he was a suitcase.

Some elves were startled by the sight, and in order to report the sighting, they immediately ran away.

Min Sung stopped for a moment to watch and then proceeded to drag the elder somewhere.

Some dark elves watched by here and there.

More and more dark elves began to appear, and they watched while keeping a safe distance.

They whispered and expressed their anxiousness.

Meanwhile, Min Sung arrived at Ellen's dwelling with the elder still in his hands.

The elder remained still with a blank look on his face, and as time passed, more and more dark elves began to gather around them.

Min Sung noticed the dark elves around him and let go of the elder's hair.

The elder plopped on the ground, and although he had the energy to get back up, his legs shook too much, and it was too hard for him to breathe.

Meanwhile, Min Sung waited for Ellen and another elder to come down.

He was certain the message was delivered, and there was no doubt that they would come down to check the situation themselves.

Min Sung stepped on the elder's neck.

He stomped down, causing for the elder to drool and flail on the ground.

"Get it together. You can't expect to evade this situation if you can barely keep your eyes open."

The elder glared up at Min Sung with bloodshot eyes.

Min Sung smiled back.

"Yeah. Just like that."

Min Sung lifted his head and waited for them to arrive.

And a moment later, the elders of the dark elves appeared.

Their faces looked glum and stiff.

"What's the meaning of this?!"

One of the elders shouted.

"This one tried to steal the ancient document. This is not what we promised. What do you think about this?" Min Sung asked.

In response, none of the elders could say a word and simply stared down at the elder below Min Sung's feet in shock.

"W-what do you mean…?"

"… There's no way."

The elders couldn't believe it.

They all looked shocked.

Once Min Sung lifted his feet, the elder coughed. He got up and pointed at Min Sung.

"This outsider is trying to slander me! He's nothing but an outsider who came here to exterminate the dark elves!"

The elder shouted while spitting out blood.

Min Sung glanced at him and smiled bitterly.

Seeing how he was making his last bet with the dark elves' as collateral, it was clear he didn't want to taint his reputation.

In response, Min Sung watched for what Ellen and then other elders had to say.

The result depended on what they had to say.

"Who's telling the truth?" One elder asked.

Min Sung smiled at the elder.

"I already have the ancient document in my hands. I have no reason to try to convince you. I'm only here so that you can decide what to do with this one who didn't keep our promise."

Min Sung took out his Gungnir S from his item window.

Kaboom!

An enormous sound of thunder rang.

Min Sung gripped onto his shiny gold Gungnir S and stabbed it into the elder's thigh.

Slashhhhh!

It didn't sound like flesh.

The only noise that could be heard was the sound of the Gungnir S stabbing into the ground.

"… Aghhhhh!"

The elder screamed and grabbed onto his pelvis and wriggled on the ground.

Min Sung scanned the elders that came out of Ellen's dwelling and sighed.

He was bored and didn't want to drag it on for too long.

He was also signaling to the elder that in order to escape his doom, it was the dark elves he had to convince, not him.

The elders discussed amongst themselves in small voices.

After a fair bit of time, they began minding Min Sung.

No matter what, the dark elves were the ones at risk.

***

The dark elves weren't in a position to demand anything from the outsider.

If they happened to battle against the outsider, they would suffer great damage if they didn't all die.

And the reality was that they no longer had the force to defend themselves against the dwarves in their current state.

For that reason, the dark elves had no choice but to yield.

Since they had already handed over the ancient document, rather than finding out the truth, they had to keep the outsider from becoming enraged.

In order to do that, they had to maintain a respectful stance.

The elders' serious stance of finding out the truth behind the incident vanished, and they were now standing with their heads low.

But that didn't mean they were ready to completely obey.

"We'll look into this incident, and if we find that he really did go against our promise, he will be given appropriate punishment, and we will give you a formal apology," one elder explained.

"What if it's the opposite?" Min Sung asked with a straight face.

The elders were speechless with stiffened looks on their faces.

Min Sung stared at them and waited for their answer.

The elders spoke amongst themselves.

And the discussion didn't last long.

One of the elders looked at Min Sung and made eye contact.

"We won't take the blame if we're not at fault, and I assure you that we won't bow our heads if it's uncalled for," the elder stressed with a smile.

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