Chapter 90
The dark elves gathered, their ears perked up.
A tiny white vitamin lay where all their gazes had converged.
“Leader, what is this?”
“They say it’s a multivitamin... vitamin D...”
“Leader, what’s that?”
“...I don’t know.”
Roen pouted.
Since the Head Mod was supposedly a great mage, perhaps this was some kind of archmage magic.
She picked up the vitamin and stared at it intently.
“So something this tiny... can substitute for the sun, at least a little?”
“Come on, Leader. Does that make any sense?”
“Leader’s way too innocent. She’d probably get scammed easily.”
“Hey, all of you, quiet!”
They were a race of wildly individual personalities, but she was still their leader.
Even if something went wrong, she would bear it alone.
Roen swallowed the vitamin in one go.
The dark elves began noisily peppering her with questions.
“How is it? What does it taste like?”
“Does your body hurt or anything?”
“Hmm...”
Roen absently felt over her body.
Then she tilted her head and answered.
“I’m not sure?”
Of course she was.
Vitamins only worked when taken consistently.
*
A month passed since I gave the dark elves the vitamins.
- DarknessLover) Guh, I’ll sacrifice myself instead!
ㄴ DarknessLover) So please, at least our dark elves...!!
ㄴ Head Mod*) No; this is a health supplement;
At first, they ate them as if they were swallowing poison, but now they took them properly with every meal.
- DarknessLover) Head Mod... about today’s food...
ㄴ Head Mod*) Yep, sent it.
ㄴ Head Mod*) (Picture of boxes of triangle kimbap)
ㄴ DarknessLover) Ah, thanks!
It was probably because they trusted me after I sent them food every day.
I sometimes sent bread and other foods too, but the dark elves definitely had their likes and dislikes.
“Those hardcore triangle-kimbap addicts...”
They preferred triangle kimbap only, absolutely, without exception.
What if I sent them meat?
- DarknessLover) ...Uh, thanks!
They gave me a bland reaction.
But what if I sent them bulgogi triangle kimbap?
- DarknessLover) Dark-elf kyah-hoo!!! Thanks!!! Love you, Head Mod!!!!!
They cheered fervently with both arms raised and showered me with praise.
“I really can’t figure these dark elves out...”
Anyway, that went on for a month.
A change began to occur in DarknessLover’s body after taking the vitamins.
[Title: My Body Doesn’t Itch Anymore!]
Author: DarknessLover
(Picture of a thumbs-up made by hand)
The aching bones and weakness in their body vanished as if by magic.
Head Mod, thank you so much!!
- Hehe, if you’re really grateful...
ㄴ Show me your sincerity, hehe
ㄴ (Picture of a cat snickering)
ㄴ DarknessLover) Aha, I understand what you mean!
ㄴ DarknessLover) (Picture of two thumbs-up)
ㄴ DarknessLover) Thank you, very, very much!
ㄴ Uh... um...
ㄴ This isn’t it, um... never mind
And the more I watched them, the more I got a feel for them.
“They’re good kids.”
They’d kidnapped the World Tree to survive because they were facing extinction, but every last one of them was sweet-natured.
But no matter how effective the vitamins were, they couldn’t replace the real sun forever.
Their condition had temporarily improved, but there was still no fundamental solution.
“I should at least provide them with some weapons, right?”
In the end, they had to go up to the surface to see the sun.
From the dark elves’ perspective, they had no intention of returning the World Tree without a fundamental solution either.
- DarknessLover) Head Mod, we’ll return the World Tree now.
“Huh?”
But it was completely different from what I’d expected.
The dark elves had decided to set the World Tree free.
- No, why??
- Just keep the World Tree
- For real, can’t the dark elves just take Elad?
ㄴ You bastards! Elves are living beings too! Living beings!
ㄴ Are you even human!!
The Gallery was just as bewildered by the sudden declaration.
But the reason was simple.
ㄴ DarknessLover) The only one who treated us well was the Head Mod.
They didn’t want to bother me.
- Head Mod*) Vitamins aren’t a cure-all. The illness will come back eventually, you know?
ㄴ DarknessLover) It’s fine! It was our problem to begin with, so we’ll find a solution ourselves!
Now that their food problem was solved, they intended to handle the rest themselves.
Their kindheartedness eventually turned the Gallery completely in their favor.
- Damn, that’s so fucking sad
- Do elves really have no compassion?
- I fucking hate elves
- Elves, just fucking die
ㄴ No, why...
ㄴ We’re genuinely the victims this time!!
The elves’ already rock-bottom image also played a part.
Above all, there was another reason they were releasing the World Tree.
(Picture of the World Tree looking sickly)
The World Tree, unable to see sunlight, had begun to waste away.
- DarknessLover) We can’t put the World Tree in danger just for our own sake!
Dark elves were elves, in the end.
They had given up their own interests for the sake of the World Tree.
“I ought to help them somehow.”
I began wondering whether I should at least provide weapons so the dark elves could establish a home.
Just as I was thinking that the World Tree would be returning to Elad after all...
[Title: H-Head Mod, help! Help!]
Author: DarknessLover
(Picture of the World Tree hissing)
(Picture of the World Tree clinging to the wall and refusing to go back)
I-I’m trying to send her back, but she won’t go!
She’s wrecking all the dark elves’ belongings and making a huge mess!
Eeeek!
“No.”
The World Tree herself was destroying the dark elves’ entire household because she didn’t want to go back.
*
The World Tree Kidnapping Incident.
The dark elves, who had received food and vitamins from the Head Mod, had given up on kidnapping the World Tree.
It looked as though the incident would end on a heartwarming note, but...
“Haaaak!”
“W-World Tree, please calm down!”
After hearing the news, the World Tree began rampaging.
She clung to a corner of the room’s ceiling like a spider and began hissing.
“World Tree, you might damage your health if you keep this up!”
“The Leader’s right. You need to hurry back to Elad so the World Tree can...”
“Haaaak!!!”
“Eeeek!”
At the mention of returning, the World Tree threw a fit and began rampaging.
Despite her harmless appearance, she looked like an utterly ferocious spoiled brat.
“I’m never going back there, no way! Do I look crazy enough to go back?”
“World Tree, if you keep this up, we’ll have to catch you by force!”
“Bring it!!!”
Dark elves were masters of assassination.
No race could match them in silent movement, surprise attacks, or agility, but...
Strangely, they couldn’t catch the World Tree.
But that only lasted a little while...
“I like it here much better! I’ll never... Khak!”
“World Tree!”
In the end, the malnourished World Tree coughed up blood and fell to the floor.
Several dark elves swarmed over her.
But this was all part of the World Tree’s trap.
She turned the tables and tied up the dark elves instead.
“Eeeek!”
“Heehee, I’m not going!”
The World Tree could survive without sunlight.
There was a reason she was called the World Tree.
But Lumelin had no nutritional supplements capable of replacing sunlight.
The World Tree grew more and more withered by the day, but she never once gave in.
[Title: (Freedom or Death! emote)]
Author: 137.7.32
(Picture of the World Tree woman at the front, waving a flag and shouting for freedom)
[Recommendations5231] [Dislikes42]
- Kyah hahahaha
- Fuck lol
- Oh, is this today’s hot topic?
- Fuck, what kind of emote is this now? This is fucking chaotic lol
Strangely, the World Tree, whose own Gallery emotes were overflowing, began her resistance.
But no one insulted the World Tree.
Perhaps it was because everyone in the Gallery knew what she had suffered in Elad.
“At this point, I kind of feel sorry for her.”
Above all, she didn’t want to go, and we couldn’t force her to return for the elves’ sake.
The situation between kidnapper and victim had now completely reversed, but I fell into thought for a moment.
“So all we need is a way to supply nutrients without sunlight, right?”
Sunlight was best, but the World Tree could survive without it if necessary.
I entered the shop and began slowly browsing the plant category.
And as always, the shop already knew the answer.
[300 ml Tree Nutrient Supplement] - 14p
[Plant Grow Light] - 28p
*
Sunlight did not reach underground.
The World Tree began to waste away day after day.
Her glossy green hair and soft skin began to dry out and grow coarse.
“But that’s all in the past now.”
After delivering the items I bought from the marketplace, the World Tree settled in the center of Lumelin and curled up.
The dark elves installed several grow lights around her and put the nutrient supplement to her lips.
“But she looks human. Will this actually work?”
The problem was that the World Tree had the appearance of a young girl.
Just as I belatedly began wondering whether this was even possible, a sprout began to grow from the crown of the World Tree’s head.
- Gasp
- What matters is unyielding effort...
- I think I’m actually going to cry...
The dark elves had been abandoned by the elves and spent ages forcibly separated from the World Tree.
After all those long years, those very dark elves had finally made a sacred tree sprout with their own hands.
- Head Mod, we must praise Head Mod
- I’ve really been waiting my whole life for this moment
- I withdraw my support for Head Mod. From today, the dark elves and Head Mod are one.
ㄴ Head Mod, my love
ㄴ Head Mod, my destiny
ㄴ Head Mod and me
All sorts of shameless sycophantic posts flew around, and dark elves began flooding into the Gallery.
Though they were few in number, there were enough of them to make up a city.
Their characteristic diligence and talent for magic would prove a great help.
Everyone had reached a happy ending.
- ...What about the elves?
- W-what kind of ending is this!
- (Elf emote pounding its chest)
Except the elves.
Seeing this whole affair through, I felt the need for a new sub-mod.
“The divide between races is worse than I thought.”
Though the world was on the verge of destruction, discrimination between races was severe.
The elves and dark elves were like that,
the elves and dwarves were like that,
and the elves and humans were like that.
“Huh?”
Anyway, there were two sub-mods, but that number wasn’t enough to manage the Gallery.
Moreover, with the World Tree going into hibernation because of this incident, a gap had opened up in the Destruction Gallery Wiki and its management.
Vampire to the Bitter End specialized in real-world bans, while Full-HP Elf was an elf, so the Gallery was constantly rife with attempts to replace and expose him.
“The time has come to recruit a sub-mod.”
I made my decision.
Wasn’t three sub-mods the standard, anyway?
[Notice: Recruiting an Additional Sub-Mod]
Author: Head Mod*
Gallery users who want to become a sub-mod
Gallery users who have dreamed of wearing the armband
Please feel free to apply ^^
[Recommendations9999+] [Dislikes0]
- Has the sub-mod recruitment finally dropped!!!!!
- God, please let me become a sub-mod this time!!!
- Time for a life reversal!!!
- (I have arrived! Head emote)
ㄴ (I have arrived! Torso emote)
ㄴ (I’ll cut down the trolls... knight emote)
ㄴ (I have arrived! Leg emote)
I wrote the notice accordingly.
Naturally, the announcement dropped a gigantic hot topic into the Gallery, and all kinds of application posts began flooding in.
- Reasons you absolutely have to pick me
- Head Mod, you’ll really regret it if you pass me up
- I won’t say it twice. Pick me by 2 p.m. tomorrow.
- I’m a former high-ranking mage. If you choose me...
And among the applicants were some Gallery users with surprisingly impressive credentials.
“Mm-hmm.”
I skimmed through those posts with satisfaction, then pushed every one of them aside.
Rule one for picking a sub-mod.
Never, ever give a sub-mod badge to users asking for one.
That was Gallery law.
I’d never seen a sane Gallery user among those asking to become a sub-mod.
The announcement was a sting operation.
“I can just filter out the users who posted applications and search among the rest.”
That alone made the selection much easier.
While flipping through posts to find a suitable Gallery user for the position, I spotted one that caught my eye.
- GodlikeStormMage) Fuck, save me
“What the hell?”
It was a post by the popular user GodlikeStormMage.
The short, blunt title made me wonder what had happened, so I opened the post.
[Title: Fuck, save me]
Author: GodlikeStormMage
(Picture of a dragon appearing at the Vermilion Mage Tower)
(Picture of a dragon occupying the mage tower and roaring at the sky)
A dragon suddenly dropped from a clear sky.
Then it stuck itself over there and kept shouting that it had appeared to prove it was a dragon,
saying, “Do you believe me now?” or something, but I have no idea what it’s talking about.
Fuck, Head Mod, please help.
“Wait, it really is a dragon?”
There was a picture of a dragon I’d only heard about in rumors, causing a scene.