Chapter 89
Elves are superior.
Despite being long-lived, their excellent physical attributes meant they did not tire easily.
Under equal conditions, it was no easy task to beat an elf one-on-one.
- Oh dear... I'm dying...
- My back... My back hurts...!
- My eyesight's getting blurry; it feels like there's fog... ㅠㅠ
That is, when they have the ridiculously overpowered buff called the World Tree.
The World Tree, practically Elad's very identity, had been kidnapped.
This immediately became the elves' problem.
“Seriously, all this just because the World Tree is gone?”
The mana that had been overflowing throughout their bodies disappeared.
Naturally, the physical ability and magic supporting the elves also fell—no, they cratered.
- Elves are great lol
- El~hahahahaha
- Elves, let me know if your backs ache! I'm a farmer, so I need to check whether it's going to rain!
ㄴ Fuck lol
In a way, the elves were 100% victims.
But no atmosphere of pity for the elves formed.
Rather, everyone was busy making fun of them.
- No, but don't you feel a little sorry for them?
Of course, very occasionally, a post defending the elves would appear...
- What the
- You elf simp?
- If you'd been “elfed,” you wouldn't be saying that. Are you new to the Gallery?
Those posts were often met with countless handshake requests.
But the author nevertheless stubbornly continued posting in defense of the elves.
[Title: The fact is, the elves are the victims]
Even if you try to manipulate public opinion, this is a fact, yeah.
The elves did try in their own way to care for the World Tree, and they held off the waves in Elad.
Above all, this incident is purely a case of the elves being “victims,” yeah.
The fact is, those fucking elf bastards only stole the elves' World Tree.
I know there are plenty of issues tied to the past.
Still, don't unfairly bash them over this, yeah.
- “” ← Why the fuck are you adding this?
- Held off the waves in Elad x → They were hiding in Elad, and barely managed to stop them when the waves invaded o
- The elves were the first to run when the Great War broke out, so what the fuck is this?
Of course, public opinion didn't change.
No, with everyone cursing them, people began to suspect the defense post by an anonymous user.
- What is this now... you're an elf, aren't you?
- World Tree? “Don't bash them”? Is that you, fucking elf?
- (Person narrowing their eyes emote)
- -Elf-
- Ah fuck, this bastard's IP is Eladrien.
ㄴ Ah
ㄴ Yep, this son of a bitch lol
ㄴ Elf shill caught
That was how the elf shill was exposed.
No, it was revealed to be an elf pretending to be human.
“Wait, you were an elf?”
As it turned out, the elves had launched a last-ditch public-opinion campaign, but failed.
Naturally, public opinion toward the elves became even worse.
[Title: Hot take) “Elf shill” is a forced-ass meme, yeah]
(Frog emote with eyes wide and side-eyeing)
But what can you do?
What can you do even if you force the meme? lol
- Lmaooo
- The elves who gathered happily are sobbing lol
- A human pretending to be an elf pretending to be an elf shill ㄷㄷ
- You hateful humans!!!
ㄴ We're victims too! Stop it!!
ㄴ Gaemaehaeraegae~
ㄴ Truly scary fact) As you can tell from the elf-shill post, those elf bastards know they've done wrong
ㄴ Wow, fuck, it's actually true;;
ㄴ For real, that gave me chills ㄷㄷ;
“If you only consider the facts, they are victims.”
But they had karma from everything they'd done until now.
No defenders, failed public-opinion campaign.
After countless mocking posts covered the Gallery, the elves finally snapped.
- Okay, okay, I get it.
ㄴ Lol, the elves' bitter defeat declaration
ㄴ You're only realizing that now? lol
ㄴ Yes, okay, I said I get it, didn't I?
ㄴ (Location-tracking artifact pic)
ㄴ We know where the dark elves are.
In the end, the issue spiraled toward catastrophe.
The elven elders were seriously considering using a location-tracking artifact.
- ???
- Holy shit;;
- Ultimate move activated
- Have these guys still not broken their doxxing habit?
ㄴ For real lol, even though it blew up in their faces when they used it on the Head Mod last time.
The problem was that the dark elves weren't backing down one bit.
[Title: The Dark Elves' Position!]
Author: DarknessLover
(Dark elf avatar flipping the middle finger)
Do it if you want, whatever. ㅗ oㅗo ㅗ
We won't tolerate this anymore!
We'll drive out the old-fart elves and grow a new sacred tree!
[Recommendations9999+] [Dislikes3121]
- Kya~ I support you~
- Elf-on-elf lol
- It's better to root for the dark elves than those elves with rotten personalities, yeah.
- I'm buying dark elf stock~
- DarknessLover) Then why is the recommendation ratio so high?
ㄴ That's because... hehe
ㄴ Please take responsibility for new dawn lewds in place of those hateful elves...
ㄴ DarknessLover) ! No, go away!
Moreover, with even third parties taking the dark elves' side, things escalated.
“Wait, they're actually going to fight the elves over this?”
I thought they'd take some food and back down, but the dark elves were more stubborn than expected.
No matter what, the elves outnumbered the dark elves by far, so where did this confidence come from?
- Head Mod*) Wait, they're seriously going to fight.
ㄴ DarknessLover) We will never back down!
In truth, once the elves had a location-tracking artifact as an ultimate weapon, it wasn't even a fight.
ㄴ Head Mod*) Wait, why?
Since it made no sense logically, I asked...
ㄴ DarknessLover) ...We have nothing to eat.
ㄴ Holy shit
ㄴ Ah...
It was because, after being driven from Elad, they had been pushed into a corner.
*
Dark elves had originally lived in Elad.
They were a kind of ethnic minority among the elves, with dark skin.
The dark elves knew about the problems in elven society.
- Elves, we should gradually stop plundering and build up our self-sufficiency.
- That's right. We can't keep overworking the World Tree forever.
- They call it coexistence, but it's really exploitation. We have to change.
The problem was that the era was the elves' heyday.
Naturally, the elves didn't listen.
- What are these dark-skinned elves talking about?
- I hear dark elves are half-breeds of humans and elves...
- Ugh, how annoying. Throw them out!
So they drove them out.
They'd already envied the dark elves' mysteriously beautiful appearance even by elven standards, so it worked out nicely.
The elves drove the dark elves beyond the western world-line.
They were driven beyond the western edge of the commonly known world map and left to wander aimlessly.
- DarknessLover) Even so, we managed to establish a home underground and survive!
But the dark elves were opposite in temperament to the elves.
Through diligence and hard work, they succeeded in cultivating a home of their own.
They began living hidden beneath the soil, beyond the elves' reach.
In an environment where farming was impossible, they built a civilization through extreme effort and talent.
But before long, the Great War broke out.
- We just built our house!
- This is bullshit, no way!
- Eeeeek! All the crops are dying!!!
The Great War broke out, and the land became soaked in blood and rotted.
On top of that, elves weren't originally a subterranean race.
To make matters worse, unable to receive sunlight, their skin began to break out in inflammation.
“Seriously, how did they survive this long?”
Famine caused by the Great War.
Plus various skin diseases caused by never seeing the sun.
It was amazing they had survived until now.
But even that ultimately drove them into a corner due to the threat of subterranean monsters.
- DarknessLover) That's why we need the World Tree!
If they had the World Tree, they could obtain nutrients even underground without sunlight.
They could also farm and solve their food problem.
The dark elves had no other choice.
“Hmm...”
In fact, the dark elves shown in the pictures were thin, and their skin was covered in red inflammation.
They had developed various illnesses from not getting any sunlight.
- Ah, sunlight really can't be helped.
- Is there any life-form that can live without seeing the sun in the first place?
- Damn, they really were pushed right to the edge of a cliff; those elf bastards.
Even from medieval people's perspective, the sun was essential.
The prevailing opinion was that this couldn't be helped.
Live without seeing the sun?
The general view was that it was impossible.
- So the lack of food and sunlight is a major issue.
- They're missing the two most important things, huh;
- Then can't they just come up to the surface?
Of course, if that's the case, couldn't they go to the surface and get some sunlight?
- DarknessLover) This is unknown land beyond the western world-line.
ㄴ DarknessLover) The moment we go up, we'll become food for monsters...
But the dark elves' habitat was beyond the “world” drawn on maps in the first place.
Even if it wasn't as bad as the outside where monsters lived, it was likely already overrun by them.
Sneaking one or two people outside was one thing; leaving as a group would be suicide.
“But they can't stay underground forever, either.”
Conversely, if they didn't see the sun for a long time, all sorts of unfamiliar diseases would spread through their bodies.
- Head Mod*) So we just need to solve the sunlight problem?
ㄴ DarknessLover) ?
ㄴ DarknessLover) Well, yes, but... how?
But in modern times, there was a simple solution.
It was also a method I, as the home security guard and an honorary dark elf, could vouch for.
ㄴ For real, are you going to cast some magic to replace the sun or something?
ㄴ Lol, Head Mod, that would only be possible if a god came down.
ㄴ What are you planning to do this time...
“Short on nutrients?”
Then they could get nutrients from somewhere else.
I immediately entered the shop and went to the food category.
[Shop/Food/Health Supplements]
[Multivitamin, 60 tablets] - 22p
*
Deep underground lay the dark elves' city, Lumelin.
The city, which relied on torches and magic, was gloomy like a dead city.
“Ugh, it itches.”
“Do we have any ointment left?”
“It's been sold out for ages. If you mean sun ointment, we don't have any.”
It was because various diseases had manifested in the dark elves' bodies after they went so long without seeing sunlight.
The basic symptoms were itchy skin and osteoporosis, and in severe cases, even full-body pain.
They had been treating this with a magical ointment called sun ointment, but its production was extremely limited.
Moreover, it wasn't particularly effective, so sunlight had always been a longstanding problem for the dark elves.
“...What should we do?”
Roen, the dark elves' representative and their only registered Gallery user, clutched her long ears and agonized.
If they went to the surface, they had no idea what might be waiting there.
But if they stayed underground, the dark elves would continue to grow ill...
Even the sacred tree they'd kidnapped could only grow if it had sunlight.
Now that she'd even become hostile to the elves, Roen was going mad.
[The item has been delivered!]
Just then, a box dropped out of nowhere into the air of Roen's office.
“!”
After jumping at the sudden box for a moment, she cautiously checked the name written on it.
“Multi... vitamin?”