A Village Appeared on My Desktop

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Chapter 175 – Borderline (5)

“The expedition has been defeated!”

“Wow, the king has been assassinated!”

Shocking news continuously reached the Elves. Initially, the elves who heard this news through the wind spirit could hardly believe it.

They never expected that they would be completely wiped out without even a decent survivor, even if they faced defeat.

The troops led by Legion were some of the most outstanding warriors among the Elves, trained solely in martial arts, so this was even more unbelievable. It simply didn’t add up that they were annihilated without even having a chance to fight back or escape.

In reality, they were ambushed and killed without having a proper fight, but the idea that there was an overwhelming force among the enemies was something the Elves couldn’t bring themselves to consider, plunging them further into confusion.

“Look over there. The World Tree…”

“It really means the king has passed away.”

Amidst this turmoil, Elder Seria pointed at the World Tree. One by one, the leaves began to fall. The World Tree is connected to the royal bloodline, and losing leaves meant harm had come to that bloodline.

In other words, the dismal reports were indeed true.

“We have no time to mourn. It’s obvious they will attack again, so we must prepare our defenses!”

At least the Elders were able to hold society together amidst the chaos. Intuitively sensing that bugs would invade again, they hurriedly rallied the remaining Elves to prepare defenses.

It was something they had already done once before. The Elves scattered throughout the village began to flee to the city and armed themselves with their weapons.

Now, their only option left was to protect their hometown and the World Tree, come what may.

“If we defend our positions well, we will surely be able to hold them off.”

Seria, as an Elder, also encouraged her fellow kin. Though fear abounded, ironically, this made them unite even more strongly.

“But Elder, didn’t the humans and the king already say it? Just enduring against them is meaningless. Even if we manage to hold them off multiple times, if they keep burrowing into our land, we won’t be able to withstand it.”

“That’s not wrong. We need another way.”

At that moment, when one of the young warriors posed a question, Seria bit her lip as if troubled.

Their best option was ultimately to endure. Even if they could somehow withstand with the power of the World Tree, the next steps would be a problem.

The bugs would continually erode the world, contaminating the land, and the power of the World Tree, purifying the land, would diminish as well.

If time flowed like this, it would become clear who would ultimately prevail.

‘An alliance with humans is absolutely necessary.’

Seria recalled Riena, whom she had met last time. Riena was quite different from the typical prejudices that Elves held against humans in this era.

Radiating a gentle divinity, Riena was neither lowly, nor treacherous, nor lacking in conviction.

Seria believed that such a human could be someone she could fight alongside and trust the safety of her kin with.

“I see them. They’re definitely planning to take the opportunity to attack us!”

“All units, prepare for battle! This time is different. We know what kind of creatures they are now.”

Soon, a significant number of bugs began to stomp through the forest and land toward the Elven city. After slaughtering Legion and the elite warriors, the enemy had no hesitation, brimming with confidence.

The Elves, no longer as naive as before, had gathered some data of their own. Two forces, each thinking they could hold out, clashed fiercely once again.

“Even if the king is absent, we already know what kind of enemies we’re facing. We won’t crumble.”

Though their leader Legion had perished, the hearts of the Elves remained steadfast. Whether there was a king or not, their duty still stood.

They had the obligation to protect this land and their roots, the World Tree.

“The city is starting to be attacked.”

And this news quickly spread to the outskirts through the wind spirit.

The fortress that had a portal leading to the Arin Tribe’s territory was no different.

“Shouldn’t we assist the city? Just like before. The king has passed away, after all.”

“Back then, we had significant help from humans. It’s unlikely now.”

Chieftain Luna shook her head at her young nephew’s words. The Elves currently in the fortress barely numbered a few hundred, equivalent to just a few villages. The rest were Arin Tribe soldiers assigned to guard the stronghold.

A few hundred couldn’t possibly rush to defend the city.

“I’m afraid we cannot move without orders.”

The warrior Hachi, leading the fortress soldiers, sighed and shook his head. Their most crucial mission was to guard the area with the path to the stronghold, and they couldn’t recklessly deploy their forces.

“Don’t worry too much. If our superior saw this situation, there would soon be orders. Even if no clear orders are given, this news has already reached our king, so we’ll get a response soon.”

“I wish Eve would return…”

Luna trailed off at Hachi’s words, who said the Guardian Deity must have intentions behind this. Since Eve had been chosen by the Guardian Deity to become a Slayer, several Elves recognized for their faith and talents had additionally been selected and sent off to some unknown place.

They knew that in that place they were undergoing training to gain the strength to face the enemies, but their anxious hearts couldn’t be calmed. The Elves’ situation was precarious.

The king being killed by external forces was, in fact, the first occurrence since the Elves’ history was recorded.

“Hmm, we have prepared diligently. We’ve replenished our supplies and stored materials. Is it time to move again?”

In fact, after receiving reports that Legion had died and the bugs had finished recuperating and were starting to move, Chieftain Balun was in a state of contemplation about whether to mobilize his forces.

“The Elven king and his close aides, who looked down on us, have been annihilated. We’ve saved them before in a crisis, so wouldn’t it be fine to advance our army as it is?”

“Being ready to deploy at any moment isn’t a bad idea, but still, not yet. I don’t think we should go immediately. I believe the reason that he has not yet sent Riena away is significant.”

Balun gazed out the window at Racum’s words.

Portals connecting to the worlds inside the game still remained in the town squares. Riena was still spending time in the Dark Blood world.

Being a sharp observer, Balun recognized that the fact Riena hadn’t been hurriedly sent away by him spoke volumes.

“If that’s the case… let’s just prepare for now.”

Racum, who caught on to Balun’s intentions a beat late, nodded.

Soon Balun’s orders spread in all directions. The connection network unique to the Arin Tribe, consisting of mounted messengers and newly transformed Druids, was exceptionally fast.

*

‘Just a little longer; we need just a bit more time.’

Balun’s instincts were correct. Though he couldn’t verify in real-time what was happening to the Elves amid his busy schedule, he already knew that Legion had died and the bugs had begun their counterattack.

He had gained some immediate goals by leaving the Elves unattended. Yet, he was begging for just a little more time.

He desperately wanted to deploy the best forces for what could truly be the final battle.

‘And it might still not be enough. I apologize to the Elves who aren’t on our side, but we need to hold back some of the remaining radicals.’

There were political motivations as well.

Legion was dead, but among the Elves, many radical isolationists who had once followed Legion still remained.

It was better to stall for time rather than risk conflict by moving the residents and dispatching forces now.

His intentions were not baseless. After all, the Elves were fighting reasonably well. To his eyes, it looked like they would have enough time to hold out.

“Channel the power of the World Tree into the arrows. This isn’t a one or two-time opportunity. Fire!”

Indeed, the Elves were fighting significantly better against this Alpha colony compared to previous encounters.

Positioned along the castle walls, they raised their bows and shot arrows in a flurry, glowing with a strong blue light.

“Whenever our race faces a crisis, the World Tree has always protected us.”

Many shamans were seated near the World Tree, spreading its power across the entire city.

The countless, long roots stretching to the ground transmitted the power of the World Tree, which in turn enhanced and replenished the mana of the Elves, enabling them to create an impossibly strong web with just their bows and arrows.

‘This is our unique power that humans know nothing of.’

Seria smiled faintly as the arrows shot by her allies broke through the defense barrier formed by the variants and pierced through their bodies.

As long as the World Tree began to unleash its immense power, the Elves wouldn’t crumble; this system was indeed powerful enough to surpass even the Arin Tribe, who was under the protection of the World Tree.

“Another toxic cloud!”

“Lower your heads!”

They developed countermeasures for the toxic clouds. The elementals controlling the wind continuously blew it in reverse, preventing the toxins spread by the bugs from reaching them.

“Seria, look over there.”

“Could that be the one the survivor testified about!”

Amidst this chaos, Seria squinted her eyes and focused on the sky above. A variant, hovering in the air with its wings spread wide.

It floated there unmoving, overlooking the battlefield, flanked by other variants like they were its escort.

‘The Royal Assassin.’

Its infamy was well-known among the Elves. Many were sharpening their blades for revenge against it.

“What could that one possibly do alone?”

Seria, putting on a brave face to bolster the spirits of her kin, managed to calm her racing heart and smiled.

“We have the World Tree. Compared to this massive World Tree, that thing is nothing but an ant. Even if we may fall short against it, the World Tree shall punish it.”

She pointed to the gigantic tree, a landmark viewable from anywhere in Elven territory, standing tall and protecting them still.

“Furthermore…”

“The human’s Guardian Deity again!”

What they believed in wasn’t solely the World Tree.

Though he hadn’t mobilized the Arin Tribe, he had decided to utilize every means at his disposal to help the Elves by taking out bugs whenever he could with his machine guns to buy time.

It was only natural that the Elves, who had once received help, would develop an affinity for him every time such help continued in the absence of the fierce Legion.

“Ah, it seems not dead after all.”

One point of anxiety was that the variant, presumed to be the enemy leader, hadn’t died despite being raked with machine gun fire.

He sighed in disappointment as he watched through the screen.

It wasn’t just that it hadn’t died; it had raised its defenses and intercepted the machine-gun assault without a single scratch.