The Dark Elves were not a race that lived in harmony with nature like typical elves.
They were close to nature but did not love or conserve it. Instead, they exploited it selfishly.
They forcibly extracted the vitality of plants, exploited spirits, and were a race that indulged excessively in mana due to innate addictive tendencies.
Dark Elves used the great nature for their own benefit.
Because of this, they faced condemnation and exclusion from regular elves, but each time, they simply scoffed. If not, they would curse back and drive them away.
Naturally, the relationship between the two races was the worst.
Whenever they met, it was almost guaranteed they would fight, and they would not stop until one side retreated. They loathed each other to that extent.
On the other hand, Whispering Leaf, a ‘Returnee’ from a Dark Elf priest background, did not particularly dislike elves.
Initially, he had little interest in the conflict between the two races. His identity was that of a modern South Korean, not a Dark Elf.
“It’s been tough until now.”
He became the disposable villain ‘Whispering Leaf’ the day after having a huge argument with a reader about his web novel “There Are Too Many Dark Elves” and abruptly concluded it.
A priest who gave his name to the Void to gain power. He was quite strong, but still just an extra to showcase the protagonist’s strength.
Reincarnated as a character destined for such ruin, of course, he had worked hard from a young age to survive.
After enduring lengthy hardships, he could merge the minds of all villains and heroes, becoming a hero who ended the war between elves and Dark Elves.
After that, he finally returned to Korea after 68 years of struggle, not a short lifespan even for a Dark Elf.
And what awaited him was…
“A damn demon bastard has come.”
On that day, not even five minutes after returning, a man claiming to be a demon appeared in front of him, as he stepped on his hometown soil with nostalgia.
He was a young man who, in appearance, was nothing special, and he emanated no particular aura.
At first, it was like that, but shortly after, he revealed his true colors and subdued Whispering Leaf.
If they had confronted each other head-on, there might have been a chance of victory, but he didn’t do that. His family was taken hostage.
– “Choose. Will you fight me, or will you passively watch your only cute younger sister burn alive in a pit of flames?”
A cowardly bastard. Even now, just thinking about it made him furious, but since there was no other way, he had no choice but to become a minion doing as he was told.
This was the reason he found himself in a remote mountainous area of Gangwon-do.
Here was the Pope, who had recently become famous as the “first Korean Returnee.” In fact, he was the ninth, but this was the first time anyone knew about him.
With no hatred toward her, he had to subdue and capture her. If not, he was told she would kill his precious younger sister in the most painful way.
‘…I’m sorry.’
If he captured the Pope, she would encounter unspeakable horrors at the hands of the demon. Just like the other returnees who hadn’t succumbed to him.
The Pope was a genuinely good person, devout, with three cute kids. Her husband looked a bit careless, but they seemed to have a good relationship.
Because of this, guilt surged within him. He was in a situation where he had to take a devout clergy member and offer her to a demon.
While feeling guilty, he wouldn’t back down. Even if it was wrong to make someone else die to save his family, he couldn’t return empty-handed.
He looked up at the building before him, preemptively expressing his condolences.
Strangely, from a distance, it was clearly a white building, but now it looked black for some reason.
There were even thorns densely embedded in the walls, electricity flowing everywhere, and suspicious spirits hovering around the building.
The only peaceful place devoid of anything was right here, in front of the main gate.
‘…Is it an illusion?’
It seemed like they had set up a trap with an illusion, but it felt too vivid and real to be fake. It didn’t seem artificial at all.
If he approached carelessly, believing it was just an illusion, he might suffer fatal injuries.
It was probably better to break through the main gate rather than recklessly enter through a window.
Thus, Whispering Leaf boldly opened the main gate and entered.
As soon as he walked in, he witnessed:
【…Welcome.】
In the middle of a vast graveyard shrouded in thick mist, a headless knight, a Dullahan, was looking sideways with his head tucked under his arm.
‘Monster? No, more importantly, why is there a graveyard inside the building?’
What kind of place was this? Was the Pope truly residing here?
As he stared at this unexpected sight, the Dullahan spoke with a blank expression.
【This is the first floor of the Tower of Hell. I am Dullahan PREGIA, the manager of the first floor. Intruder, if you don’t want to die, get lost, or if you seek death, come at me.】
Speaking in a chilly voice, the Dullahan placed his head on the ground and picked up the sword that was lying next to him. It was an enormous great sword.
As Whispering Leaf stared at this scene, he quickly reached a conclusion.
‘Damn you, demon bastard. You came to torment me again….’
This was definitely the demon’s trick.
There would be no Pope here, only the hellish trials prepared by the demon awaited him.
After all, wasn’t there no reason for the esteemed Pope to be in such a bizarre and eerie place?
He had fallen into a pervert’s trap who delights in seeing others suffer and struggle.
However, even having figured this out, nothing would change. His family’s lives were at stake.
“…Come at me.”
The foolishness of pursuing an unattainable goal despite realizing the truth. That was likely what the demon wanted.
Thus, Whispering Leaf drew a dagger and advanced forward.
【Oh, such remarkable spirit. I hope your skills match your boldness.】
The Dullahan lightly wielded the enormous sword that looked extremely heavy, aiming it at the intruder, the Dark Elf.
In response, Whispering Leaf prepared to summon a Void monster.
【Evil against evil. How intriguing.】
Despite the words, the Dullahan showed a bored expression as he suddenly dashed forward.
In response, Whispering Leaf summoned a carnivorous Void creature with six legs to charge forward.
“Finish it off, rotting land!”
Thus, the ascent to the Tower of Hell began to protect his family from the demon’s threat.
…At least, Whispering Leaf thought so.
Meanwhile, the Dullahan and Yao were equally immersed in the situation.
‘This is actually fun!’
It was a play he would not have experienced if he had worked under Haoran.
*
The Dark Elf and the Dullahan were engaged in a fierce battle, deciding between life and death.
– “Don’t underestimate the power of the Void!”
The Dark Elf was a summoner class who cried out to unleash a bizarre-looking monster.
– 【You are a foolish one….】
In contrast, the Dullahan was a typical warrior class, straightforwardly charging in and swinging the great sword.
Currently, the battle was nearly evenly matched. The Dullahan was engaged in a fierce duel against the combined efforts of the monster and the Dark Elf.
People were greatly excited by this.
– Wow
– What’s going on? This battle is exciting!
– It’s practically amazing, right?
– Sister Cat overwhelms everyone, but this is nice because it’s intense.
– Pope’s arena, lol
Even in the presence of numerous returnees, witnessing such a vivid battle was rare.
Countries, except for China, kept a firm control over returnees, so one-on-one duels among strong individuals were hardly found anywhere.
Perhaps that’s why the reactions were even more favorable than expected.
However, could it be that the invading Dark Elf was too immersed in it? One viewer raised a question.
– But isn’t this staged? Why are they fighting so seriously?
Quickly addressing reactions questioning manipulation was necessary to avoid controversy. Therefore, without hesitation, a bold response was given.
[(☆) Pope: Staged trickery is the worst. Agreed?]
It was enough to seem cheerful. They didn’t stop there and typed again.
[(☆) Pope: The reality is that my assistant’s illusion magic creates a focus on the given situation.]
An illusion that deceives not only sight but various senses, lowering analytical and cognitive abilities.
That was why Hekatrith’s magic was superior to the magic used by Liam.
However, it seemed other factors were at play aside from Young Dragon’s magic.
– “You too! Dirty sky!”
As the Dullahan began to gain an upper hand, the Dark Elf intruder summoned another monster. This time, it was a bizarre bird with two pairs of wings.
– “I will surely eradicate you!”
Even I thought this was too much immersion.
Young Dragon’s magic was an illusion, not hypnosis. So, I wondered why he was diving in so deeply into the situation.
Are Dark Elves just like that? There were Dark Elves in my world too, but since the characteristics of each race differ in every creation, I couldn’t say for sure.
Anyway.
As the two monsters began their coordinated attack, the Dullahan started to be pushed back. The tide of victory was shifting.
If Yao had fought with all her might, the battle might have lasted longer, but there was no need for that. The “Dullahan Knight” was just a manager on the first floor.
– (Pope): Please keep it appropriate and start losing now.
After quickly giving the command to lose, Yao sent a message filled with regret.
– (Worst): Pope, I want to fight again later.
If it were a proper fight, I would definitely lose. Yao was powerful enough to stand against Liam, but that Dark Elf was even stronger.
– (Guardian Dragon): If you fight again, you’ll be utterly defeat, so don’t talk nonsense.
– (Worst): Can’t argue with the truth…
After Hekatrith coolly assessed the situation, Yao released her regrets and finished the trials on the first floor. It was a story about having been defeated beautifully.
– 【…You have the right to pass through here. But remember, there are still four stronger managers than me.】
The Dullahan knight, pierced through by the talons of the monster bird, ultimately kneeled and stopped moving. Of course, that was only an appearance created through illusion and concealment.
– “Is that just one down?”
The Dark Elf, who had taken down the enemy, took a moment to catch her breath before walking across the graveyard.
With a slight limp, she walked on without taking a single break.
The sight of her walking was met with enthusiastic cheers from those watching.
– Why does she seem like the protagonist?
– Wow!
– Please defeat that villainous Pope!
– So, they intend to take turns getting beaten, huh?
– LOL, why do I find myself rooting for the intruder?
They first seemed amusing, but now they were completely immersed. Every now and then, there were suggestions to open a ‘betting’ session.
Betting referred to a system where viewers could bet using points earned while watching the broadcast on the channel.
It had no gambling element, but the thrill of betting was still present. It could be regarded as one of the core elements of the Tribe’s enjoyment.
But could that even be done on a phone? Just when he was checking if it was possible or not, a small screen appeared in my channel’s chat window.
[Who will be the victor of the 2nd floor?]
[Intruder / 2nd Floor Manager]
– Submissions close in 5 minutes.
Apparently, the cameraman, who was diligently filming under Yao’s concealment ability, was acting wisely.
With a grin, I typed into the chat.
[(☆) Pope: The one who earns the most points this round will be granted the title of layperson, so please do your best.]
It was a legitimate and highly valuable reward.
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