Suddenly put in charge of a research team, Harris still sought a lazy life with all his might.
Now, he had completely handed over the act of moving to the wind spirit Pascal, hanging limply in the air himself.
After all, he was connected to the spirit by heart, so controlling his movements with thought wasn’t too hard.
‘It’s also good for practicing Spirit Magic.’
The wind spirit Pascal was still at a high level.
His only top-tier spirit was the lightning spirit Watt, so this was a decent opportunity.
Of course, to those around him, his dignity and stature as a High Elf were hardly in evidence, but who cared when this was so comfortable?
And he had a decent excuse beyond practice for being in this state.
He was attempting to unify with nature once again to feel the World Tree’s will.
Wasn’t that the reason he set out for this investigation in the first place?
‘So far, no harvest from all this.’
Was that first sensation just an illusion? Ever since that day, he hadn’t experienced any concrete progress.
There hadn’t been any revelations from the World Tree either.
But just a moment ago, as he was lazily… no, doing his best to expand “Nature Fusion” and floating in the air,
he felt a very subtle sense of discord at the edge of the expansive breath of nature.
It was so delicate that it would have been almost impossible to notice without a crazy level of focus like Harris’s.
At that moment, since the other elves were scattered around conducting their investigations, he decided to head alone to check on the situation…
And what he found was a pack of about a dozen Lycanthropes.
They looked suspicious, all adorned with strange red symbols on their chests, seemingly watching a rift in the Abyss that had appeared above a makeshift altar.
-Heinz II: So, they truly are Lycanthropes. I heard their movements have noticeably decreased on the Ion Continent in recent years. They must have secretly migrated to Enamel.
-Hugo: No, more importantly, isn’t that the Abyss? This feels dangerous…? Isn’t the Enamel Continent safe because of the World Tree’s influence?
-Harris: …Ah, I really hate this.
Among the education Harris received as an Elf was the story of the Enamel Continent’s birth.
A mythical tale from thousands of years ago.
Initially, various races lived together on the Ion Continent, but for some reason, they needed a new haven devoid of humans.
A benevolent god who pitied the wandering beings sent his avatar to the land.
That was the sapling of the World Tree.
This sapling transformed the somewhat larger Enamel Isle into a massive continent capable of accommodating all the races.
Finally, various nations, including the Elven Kingdom centered around the World Tree, came into existence, driven by the tribes that had migrated.
‘That’s why the Elven Kingdom is in the center, and why Elves are respected by other races.’
Of course, since it was something that happened thousands of years ago, there’s hardly any record left, and for some reason, even detailed accounts were omitted from the legacy of the High Elves, the representatives of the Long-lived Species.
So, no one really knew what was true.
But at least, the existence of the World Tree and its influence were evident truths, and not many would deny that.
And thanks to the World Tree, which was the pillar and root sustaining the Enamel continent, it was said they had evaded the repercussions of the two Undead King invasions…
-Hannibal Strauss: Hmm, so this is how they weaken the boundary with the Abyss. It’s my first time seeing it directly. Quite a unique method.
At that moment, the greatest expert in this field, who was watching the ritual through Harris’s vantage point, was the Undead King himself.
-Hannibal Strauss: It’s not a direct breach. If I had to compare, it’s more like the residual scars left across the Ion Continent. Looking at it seems they used the World Tree’s branches or leaves as offerings in the process. …Not to mention, those brands on their bodies are quite unusual.
If it were a genuine passage connected to the Abyss, it would have been impossible with just that number of individuals and that level of preparation.
With covert operations like now, it wouldn’t even have been possible.
‘The issue is that they’re doing such things in the Enamel Continent, especially in the territory of the Elven Kingdom.’
Harris sighed quietly, still merged with nature and hiding his presence.
There was no need to think deeply about it; it was clear that there were no good intentions here.
It seemed he had encountered a troublesome matter.
‘Still, it’s a relief I found out before things escalated. I can figure out later how they managed to block the World Tree’s intervention.’
Of course, this was a matter for the nation to handle.
There was no guarantee they were only up to their mischief here; perhaps all races on the Enamel Continent needed to step up.
‘My job ends with recognizing this situation. No need for me to struggle alone! The follow-up is up to others…’
However.
Just as he resolved to pull away, a voice broke through the tension.
Sniff? Sniff sniff—
One of the pack, a towering wolf-man nearly three meters tall standing at the altar’s forefront, lifted his snout, sniffing the air and turned to glare with his glistening yellow eyes right at Harris’s hiding spot.
“Ah, no way.”
Before Harris’s low lament could even finish…
Boom—
With a loud crash, a vicious claw lunged fiercely toward him.
*
Vampires and Lycanthropes are both rejected by other races, but their circumstances differ significantly due to their contrasting natures.
While Vampires, strong in their reason except when feeling bloodlust, quietly infiltrated human society and steadily grew their numbers, these wolf-men often lost control at the slightest provocation, making coexistence impossible.
Consequently, barring a few acting as enforcers for violence organizations or war mercenaries, they were gradually driven to the outskirts of society…
Their numbers, compared to Vampires, dwindled to a pitiful amount.
Even when combined, they barely reached the count of a single Vampire family, the Yufershi Clan.
“Ha ha, this is too much~. You see, life doesn’t always go as you wish. And that revolutionary guy was so confident he wouldn’t be caught, but he should know it’s all in vain. Tsk tsk~.”
Perched atop a high tree branch, a man gazed at a section of the forest and chuckled madly.
While the distance was so great it could hardly be seen, that did not hinder him from keeping an eye on the status of his subordinates.
“A bit early, but since they’ve already been discovered, it can’t be helped!”
Roughly ruffling his hair, he leaped down from the tree with a flourish.
Thud!
After a considerable amount of time spent in the air, he landed softly on the ground as a gigantic wolf-man, no longer retaining a hint of his human form.
Howww—
Taking a deep breath, he released a howl toward the sky.
To those who were not of his race, the strange resonance that none would comprehend sent black shadows gathering around him one by one.
“Is it finally starting? I’ve waited so long, King! Let’s move out now!”
“Grrr— We have plenty of time, do we really need to move so soon? It seems too early, many may not be ready yet.”
“Surely the King had his reasons for such judgment. Heh heh!”
Among those who approached, three oversized Lycanthropes stepped forward in a growl.
“Cack-cack! It seems Katrophe has been detected properly. Looks like a wild fight is happening!”
“Grrr— That foolish creature is surely in deep! Could it be that a High Elf has made a move? If so, we really are out of time. Others elsewhere could easily fall into the trap.”
As the King’s brief comment met with somewhat skeptical reactions, understanding dawned quickly, and soon heads began to nod.
Once discovered, this matter was bound to be a race against time.
Everyone appeared to be on the same page, so the King surveyed his gathered subordinates and slowly nodded.
Among the eight high-ranking commanders, three were the strongest, over fifty knights, and a host of others.
Moreover, as things began, the rest scattered would fulfill their duties without delay.
…And above all, he himself was the greatest force of them all.
“If we’re lacking, it doesn’t matter! We’ve endured for too long! Grrr! Let’s head out and burn the World Tree to ashes!”
Woooh—
Awuuuu—
He was the legendary “Lycanthrope King,” now reduced to a farce under the Oath of Reversal.
*
Lycanthropes are often compared to Vampires, so their hierarchy had some similarities.
While Vampires are divided into Pureblood, Trueblood, Half-Blood, and the extras Servant and Slave,
Lycanthropes are categorized under the King, commanders, knights, warriors, and soldiers.
As the rank names suggest, their identity was solely based on pure combat strength.
Unlike Vampires, with their diverse abilities or Blood Magic, they were purely physical beings.
Yet sometimes, the simpler the better in terms of efficiency.
Their strength, agility, durability, mana resistance, and regeneration vastly exceeded those of Vampires in direct confrontations.
…And Harris was experiencing that firsthand at that moment.
He hadn’t wished for it, but.
Rumble—!
Just like a bolt from the blue, a loud blue spark erupted with a bang again.
“Khe-hung!”
A pitch-black monster that burst from it dashed toward Harris, who was hovering among the trees.
Moreover, it even altered its trajectory to follow him as he dodged to the side using the wind spirit.
‘Ugh, this is really troublesome!’
The Lycanthrope in front of him was undoubtedly a Commander-type… essentially a Master level threat.
Although it did not compare to Starv, the royal guard captain who had recently given Hesperon a run for his money, it remained a cumbersome challenger for Harris, who had only recently become a High Elf.
Crunch—!
“Kraaargh! So cowardly! If you were a man, face me honorably!”
Of course, just cumbersome did not mean he couldn’t win.
‘What nonsense is this?’
After having been beaten for over thirty minutes, he could understand such a reaction.
This was the forest, and right next to it was the World Tree in the Elven Kingdom.
And Harris had a slew of skills specialized for affinity, which could cause severe side effects of laziness, like “Heir of the World Tree,” “Nature Fusion,” “Celestial Observer,” and “Call of Nature.”
The sound spirit Desibel blocked the Lycanthrope’s keen hearing, even to the vibrations against his skin.
With the wind spirit Pascal and fire spirit Kali shielding scent and heat detection,
and by using all the spirits to raise dust and light to interfere with sight, the beast had no choice but to lag behind in searching for the now-missing Harris.
‘And at our levels, even a single heartbeat difference can be critical.’
After the aftershocks passed, he activated “Hyper Awareness,” pulling out the bow—Temis—which he crafted from branches of the World Tree.
“Huff—.”
Had Hesperon moved at this speed, his muscles would have suffered rupture, but for a High Elf like him, it posed little burden.
Crackle! Whoosh—!
As he gathered his power, nature’s force slowly enveloped him, and as his right hand drew back the empty bowstring, a single arrow formed from the surrounding natural energies.
One breath passed.
The Lycanthrope roared again, struggling fiercely, and Harris seared him once again with lightning.
Two breaths in.
Once more gathering, condensing, and merging the natural powers with the existing arrow.
“Kraaaah! You fool!”
Undeterred by his protests, the simple process was repeated multiple times.
Crackle!
An arrow made of lightning.
Whoosh—!
Concentrated flames were encapsulated at the arrowhead just afterward.
Swhoosh!
After the wind and vibrations wrapped around it,
“~~♪”
the arrow shot forth with “Harmony Melody” and “Fairy Justice”—
———!
Without a sound, it pierced through the air like a ray of light.
And it was more than enough to deal with the weakened foe after tens of minutes of unrelenting assaults.
*
As soon as the fight started, the sentinels summoned by the sound spirit Desibel had surrounded the area, making it easy to take down the rest of the Lycanthropes.
Although they included two knight-level and five warrior-level opponents, the sentinels were elite combat forces of the Elven Kingdom and felt no pressure.
As the situation cleaned itself up, Harris, taking Hans’s advice, destroyed the incomplete makeshift altar…
—The World Tree gazes upon its child.—
Right after the Abyssal rift closed, he faced a very familiar system message.
‘Huh?’
Shortly after, a familiar warm energy coursed from his toes to the crown of his head.
‘…Quest rewards are getting pretty generous.’
The last time he received this, it was during a first council meeting when he met Hans and earned the status of High Elf.
While it wasn’t as violent as that change, his dissatisfaction was nonexistent.
Wooooosh—!
Thanks to this, the wind spirit Pascal became the second high-tier spirit after Watt.
With his eyes closed, Harris extended his senses as much as he could.
With the increased natural power and affinity, the range he could perceive vastly expanded.
Of course, the side effect of the rising annoyance also grew stronger.
Still, it was enough to handle, so any backing like this was always welcome…
‘Hold on… could this be an experience boost event?’
At that moment, that thought crossed his mind.
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