A Village Appeared on My Desktop

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Chapter 174 – Borderline (4)

“You don’t look too troubled, do you? So you can contribute a bit more, right?”

Luna praised the Elves each time they achieved something significant and relayed new missions from above.

It wasn’t entirely selfless, as her position as the head of the research institute increased with every achievement made by the Elves. Furthermore, the Elves accepted even the toughest missions without complaint, amplifying her motivations.

“This is a trial. Our deity is tempering us.”

In reality, it was quite the opposite. The Elves, including Eve, accepted their missions not due to loyalty to the alliance but because of a singular belief.

They endured, seeing this as a trial bestowed by their Guardian Deity, believing they had to overcome it to return to their kin with the power given to them.

“There they are again, those long-eared bastards!”

Naturally, the infamous reputation of the Elves spread across the battlefield. In the conflict zone where the alliance and rebels fiercely fought, rumors about the uniquely appearing Elves began to circulate.

The rebels shivered at the sight of the Elves, who had exceptional shooting skills and unique combat methods.

Their prideful drone units were utterly destroyed when Elves infiltrated and started showering them with mana-infused bullets.

The firepower of the Elven squads had long surpassed mere squad units.

“Wow, this is delicious!”

Even he chuckled as he played the game alongside the Elves.

The Elves had already adapted fully. As he moved his character in the game, he found he didn’t really need to do much.

The most senior, Eve, and even the youngest Elf boy, Leo, now wielded weapons more freely than bows and stirred chaos on the battlefield.

It wasn’t hard to predict the efficiency they would display when deployed against the Bugs.

‘…I’m sorry for them.’

However, he quickly wiped the smile off his face and hardened his expression. Although he could monitor multiple situations through several screens, he intentionally refrained from pulling the Elves into the game.

While the main goal was to train them, there was another intention behind it. He didn’t want the heroes of the Elves to be thrown into combat only to die meaningless deaths.

Legion’s arrogance was nearing its end, and the deceit of the Bugs was pushing its limits. He diligently trained the residents, waiting for the right moment.

After all, that moment was not far off.

‘Let’s leave Riena out of this. We have time to spare anyway.’

Determined to wait for the moment when the Elves would self-destruct, he continued his preparations without rest during this free time.

One of the most basic actions in this was nurturing the residents while playing the game. For that, he brought Riena back once more under Dark Blood.

Only two chapters left. Once he completed these two chapters, Riena would see an end to one game.

“I will do as you wish. After all, I am yours.”

Riena was never flustered, no matter when or where he called her. Though she fundamentally shared a similar mindset with Eve, hers was stronger and deeper.

This time was no different. Though she was suddenly summoned, she willingly bowed her head before him without showing a hint of confusion.

‘The Mark of Radiance.’

He swallowed hard as he watched the golden halo appear above her head every time she wielded her powerful strength.

The Mark of Radiance was a type of authority that could be obtained by a true heavenly judge who had defeated Demon Lords, one of the game’s settings.

His expression turned strange as he realized it was an item that the protagonist naturally acquires by steadily proving his faith and strength throughout the story.

In a game, obtaining an item is as simple as completing a given quest, but for him, it was merely a game. For Riena, reaching it required her to truly devote everything she had.

And he knew this, which is why he felt this odd sensation.

Though he had vaguely understood it before, he now grasped that the very presence who followed him with such faith was indeed himself.

“…Let’s go. Just two more steps remain.”

Murmuring indistinct words, he moved the character. It had been quite some time since the two had worked together. A slight movement or change of expression made perfect sense between them.

Riena naturally followed behind him as they headed towards the enemy-infested front.

After all, the enemies that appeared here were not their true foes. With the mindset of having to better prepare for the stronger foes yet to come, Riena gritted her teeth and raised her sword.

*

“This is their nest. Approximately fifty of them, no variants in sight!”

“Then there’s no need to hesitate. Attack!”

As opinions on how to deal with the same enemies diverged, Legion led his troops to strike at the Bugs once again.

The Bug nest they were trying to expand was thrown into chaos by the attacking Elves, and the rushing sentinels began to fall one by one at the Elves’ hands.

Though initially startled, the Elves soon became accustomed, finding their own way to counter the colony.

The issue was that no matter how many nests they eliminated daily, the Bugs continued to appear without diminishing.

“It seems we need to ramp up our efforts. The rate of detecting their nests is increasing. At this rate, we’ll just be pouring water into a bottomless pit.”

“Are you saying the bastards hardly take damage from our attacks?”

Legion’s eyes narrowed at the words of his subordinate warrior. If all their fervor and efforts brought no results, it would mean all their actions until now were in vain.

Surrounding Elves exchanged glances, but someone ultimately had to say what needed to be said.

“Their reproduction rate is too high; we need to kill even more than we are now.”

“We are fighting valiantly! You think it’s impossible to fight on here?!”

“That…well…”

Legion had a mindset of doing it if it was to be done. What those around him wished to express wasn’t that, but persuading Legion, who had firmly made up his mind, was impossible.

“I will follow your words and kill more enemies. It won’t be that hard if we continue this way. They aren’t fully settled yet, and we can sweep them away before they do.”

Legion confidently pledged that he would slay even more Bugs, pushing himself further than usual. Basing his confidence on that, he led his troops deeper, mercilessly slaughtering every Bug they encountered along the way.

This land was originally their homeland. It was where they understood far better and utilized far more effectively.

“…Huh?”

“Wow, Your Majesty! Look over there!”

However, as they entered deeper into an area they usually restricted and preserved, the Elves were astounded by the spectacle before them.

‘When did it get this bad…!’

Legion glared ahead with a hardened expression. What lay before his eyes was a vast expanse of desolation, where a large area had simply evaporated, filled with writhing Bug nests below.

While they had eased their guard by hunting the Bugs trying to advance to the outskirts, the bastards had already begun to recover and swell in strength.

“It seems attacking those bastards right now is impossible.”

“Indeed. You should go regroup and return.”

His aides stopped Legion. They were worried he might foolishly make an emotional decision. However, Legion wasn’t one to attempt a suicide charge in such a situation.

“Damn it, we’ll retreat for today and call the troops back as swiftly as possible.”

Legion withdrew his forces. Although he had gathered a decent group of elite warriors, they were still at the level of a guerrilla unit formed to take down small Bug nests, far from being able to contend with these foes.

“…”

But while they observed the Bugs, the enemies were already watching them. Perhaps triggered by the Elves’ actions, the creatures that had been quietly recovering their strength began to stir.

“W-what? What are you?”

Legion was taken aback, stumbling back as he saw a small dot that suddenly darted through the sky before coming to an abrupt halt before him.

He was already aware that these specially mutated creatures, which began mimicking the Arin Tribe’s limbs and movements, looked entirely different from the other enemies.

Yet, this one seemed somehow off, with a slender body encased in a rigid carapace.

With a head that looked as if it wore a black helmet, and countless glowing eyes radiating from within it, it was clear it was evolving from its bug-like appearance into something else.

“El, ves.”

“It spoke?!”

The creature spoke in a harsh voice, startling everyone’s eyes wide open. It was a huge shock for Elves who had previously looked down on even humans to witness such a monster speak.

And perhaps due to their shock, they failed to notice the beast swinging four swords held in its four hands without any warning.

They should never have expected common sense from them. These were grotesque creatures whose actions and logic deviated from all previous norms.

“Uh…?”

Legion’s eyes widened as he witnessed a devastating blow. As he attempted to react and raise the sword he was gripping alongside the horrified surrounding warriors, it was already too late.

A powerful impact struck them in rapid succession, and his vision abruptly soared to the sky. In the blink of an eye, he saw his own body being cleaved in half, blood pouring out as if it had no limit.

He couldn’t believe his own eyes, yet this was no illusion. The Elf King had truly been killed so effortlessly and devastatingly.

“Aaaaah!”

“Run away!”

The panic-stricken Elves began to scatter and scream, having just witnessed the strike that had slain Legion and left the warriors in a critical state.

However, once they turned to flee, the predator had fully seized the turn.

An ambush and a momentary gap. With just that, the creature that had slaughtered the Elf King and his royal guards now took flight, quickly chasing down the fleeing Elves and picking them off one by one.

Every time a sword glimmered, the necks and body parts of the Elves fell pitifully to the ground, pouring out blood.

“T-this can’t be…”

The surviving Elves despaired at the sight before them.

Behind the creature that had initiated its assault, a vast horde began to move once again to trample the Elves.