------------------
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
------------------
Chapter 187
The Soul of a High Elf?
Saintess Theresia gazed at the World Tree's seed with a puzzled expression.
Why was the soul of a High Elf suddenly appearing here?
"When I followed you down to the first basement floor, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu."
"What kind of déjà vu...?"
Kaylen smiled as he gently touched the World Tree's seed.
"It felt similar to the vitality I sensed from the World Tree."
"The World Tree...?"
"Yes. Even though the World Tree isn't here, I wondered where that vitality was coming from... It turns out this was an artificially created space, formed by absorbing the life force of the humans here."
Theresia turned to look at the gathered holy water.
Within it, humans who had been trapped floated, suspended.
So the stolen life force was used to create the space on the first basement floor?
"And the appearance of the second basement floor resembled the Spirit Realm."
"What? How could it resemble the Spirit Realm...?"
"Theresia, I don't know what the Spirit Realm looks like in your imagination, but that's its true nature."
In the common imagination, the Spirit Realm was a world where spirits frolicked, overflowing with nature’s energy. But reality was completely different.
Kaylen paused, recalling the Spirit Realm, then spoke again.
"But that space was too lacking to be called a Spirit Realm. In the true Spirit Realm, spirits would burst forth endlessly, but... there were no spirits there. If there had been, it would have at least been a crude imitation of the Spirit Realm."
"If they had filled it with spirits, the second basement floor would have been complete. That's when I remembered the Elves' long-cherished desire—'Artificial Spirits.'"
"You...!"
Benedict’s face twitched, his eyes trembling.
"The Holy Emperor looked down on the Elves. But when he offered to accept them into the Sanctuary if they completed the Artificial Spirits, I figured there had to be a reason. After seeing the second floor, my doubts were cleared."
"Kuh, kuhuh..."
"Benedict, your plan was to turn the Elves into Artificial Spirits and have them stay on the second floor, wasn't it? You intended to use them to fill the Artificial Spirit Realm."
"...Why should I answer that?"
At his words, Kaylen silently gripped the World Tree's seed.
The gesture, as if he might crush it at any moment, made the Holy Emperor grit his teeth.
To be threatened with the World Tree's seed—
It was his life's masterpiece, the culmination of all his efforts.
He had no choice but to comply.
"...Yes, you're right."
"Why go to such lengths?"
"Because for us High Elves to live properly, we need spirits!"
Forced to confess by Kaylen's threat, the Holy Emperor spoke his true feelings loudly.
"Humans on the third floor are used as sacrifices. The inferior Elves on the second floor are turned into Artificial Spirits! And through that, High Elves are reborn on the first floor... That is my duty as the last king of the Elpencia Continent!"
"The king of the Elpencia Continent...?"
"Yes... We once lived in true peace. Back then, Elves weren't the inferior species they are now. They were High Elves. We cultivated and cared for the Elpencia Continent, believing that this peace would last forever."
The Elpencia Continent, filled with the mana of the wind—
The Elves who lived there were not the Elves of today, but the superior High Elves.
Back then, when everyone was naturally a High Elf, the term "High Elf" didn’t even exist.
Benedict, who had been crowned king of the Elves, never once imagined that his lineage would lead to the downfall of his people.
"But that peace... it was shattered by a single elf born with Infinity."
Benedict spoke as he glared at Kaylen.
The infinite mana—Infinity.
The hatred he held for it was painfully clear.
"An elf born with Infinity was normal for a while... Though thanks to Infinity, his abilities were outstanding enough to become my knight commander. He was diligent, kind, and considerate of others, just like any other elf."
"For a while, you say... So, he changed later?"
"Yes. Until he awakened as a dragon, like you."
Was he recalling that moment?
Benedict's expression twisted with bitterness.
"Disaster struck without warning."
"When Infinity awakened, his elven form burst apart, and a massive storm of mana erupted from within. Our capital was annihilated in an instant, and all the elves died. Only I survived, thanks to my contract with the Wind Spirit King at the time."
"And then?"
"The mana storm spread across the entire continent of Elpencia. The storm didn’t stop until it devoured every last elf... even when I fled to the continent's edge, it chased me. It raged on, consuming my last remaining people. And when I was ready to embrace death—"
Benedict’s twisted face briefly brightened.
"The Celestial God bestowed their blessing upon me."
"The Celestial God...?"
"Yes. The God saved me and explained everything. They asked if I wanted revenge. Having lost all my people, I was ready to end my life... but the desire for revenge against the dragon kept me by God's side."
The Celestial God showed Benedict a vision.
The destruction of Elpencia, the land of wind.
The massive storm that consumed it crossed over to the center of the planet.
And when the storm in the center began to fade...
From the depths of the sea, new land emerged.
That land became the continent where humans now lived—Averia.
"When I saw that the dragon who destroyed us had turned into this massive continent, Averia... I doubted whether revenge was even possible. From then on, I lost all drive and lived only as the God's servant, doing whatever was asked of me..."
Benedict's eyes widened, madness creeping into them.
"But I saw it. I saw it! Among the new races emerging in Averia... there were elves!"
"Elves...?"
"Yes! The elves appearing on the Averia continent resembled the elves of Elpencia exactly! Back then, every elf was a High Elf! At first, I thought our race had been reborn and decided to protect them until my death—at least until inferior elves appeared."
The brilliant High Elves began to fade generation by generation.
Eventually, inferior elves became the majority in elven society.
Though Benedict, as the God's servant, tried to change this, stopping the degeneration of the race proved impossible.
"This shouldn't have happened... Our reborn race! How could they degenerate into such inferior elves? The proportion of High Elves kept decreasing until they became a rarity. That’s when I decided to intervene more actively."
"So, you created the World Tree to store the souls of the High Elves?"
"Exactly! The reason inferior elves kept being born from High Elves... it was this land! Because Averia was born from the dragon! Even restored High Elves degenerated into inferior elves!"
Benedict glared at the seed of the World Tree and shouted.
"So I stored the souls of the High Elves! The noble souls that were born as High Elves even on the dragon's land! I gathered them, one by one, and in the paradise I created, I will revive them once more..."
"The Sanctuary—is that the paradise for the High Elves?"
"Heh... yes. This is no mere Sanctuary. It's the new Elpencia! I will revive the High Elves here. Using humans and inferior species as nourishment, I will create our paradise!"
A paradise solely for High Elves.
That was the true purpose of the Sanctuary.
Benedict gazed at the World Tree's seed with eyes soaked in madness.
If only he could reclaim it.
If he could plant it again on the first floor and resurrect it...!
His grand plan would finally come to fruition!
[To think that the First Elf harbored such thoughts...]
Flash. Flash.
At that moment, the World Tree's seed flickered with light.
From within, five elves formed from light emerged.
Benedict's face lit up with joy as he cried out to them.
"Oh! You...! To take form even while still in the seed. Truly noble souls! As expected of my kin!"
As Benedict basked in his joy,
the five High Elves, including Delruna, who had emerged from the World Tree's seed,
spoke in cold voices.
[O First Elf.]
"Oh, yes. Speak. Ah, is it uncomfortable there? Do not worry. I will soon release you from that wretch..."
[We refuse to be resurrected.]
"...What?"
Snap.
Benedict’s expression and movements froze in an instant.
[You bestowed upon us the name of High Elves.]
[You instructed us to guide the Elves and lead them down the righteous path.]
[But now, you abandon those Elves who trusted and followed you...]
[No, you would use them as sustenance to be reborn on this land.]
[We would rather die now than be resurrected in such a manner.]
No.
What were they saying?
Why would they refuse resurrection?
"Who do you think I've been striving for all this time...?"
[O First Elf. Just as you cherished the people, so do we care for the Elves.]
[We have no intention of living upon the sacrifice of our kin.]
"H-Haha... Caring for such inferior beings... Have you lost your minds? You... you’re the only one mistaken, right? The others just misspoke, didn't they?"
[We are all in agreement.]
"Y-You...!"
Whooosh!
Benedict's face contorted and vanished,
as a violent windstorm surged in all directions.
No, he had become the storm itself.
– To think that living alongside such inferior beings would drive you mad!
Benedict unleashed a rage unlike anything seen before.
The kin he had tried to resurrect, sacrificing everything, had rejected him.
And he could not contain his fury.
"Now, I understand everything."
Then,
Benedict’s complete rage became an opportunity for Kaylen to grasp his every move.
Sssss.
Five of Kaylen’s six swords gathered in one place.
Six Sword Path.
Five Swords.
Celestial Net Ashes!
A net of light enveloped the raging storm.
"Be absorbed by my sword, Holy Emperor."
------------------
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
------------------
