My Alter Ego’s Path to Greatness

Harris moved towards the stage, surveying his team members.

"Okay, we're perfectly prepared."

Their passionate efforts had already completed all the preparations.

Although the timid female team member, Curie, showed some signs of nervousness, the "Melody of Harmony" I acquired this time helped her overcome the immediate hurdle.

As long as she doesn't make mistakes in the beginning, she should naturally immerse in the music thereafter, so there wasn't much to worry about.

"I tried it just in case, but luckily, the skill works just with my voice too."

"Melody of Harmony" was a typical bard skill that bestowed all kinds of positive effects on music.

It wasn't limited to just making the sound more pleasant but included amplifying the energy contained in the sound to various buff effects.

It seemed that the elf racial traits shone through once again this time.

Being an elf, Harris's voice sounded almost like singing even when just speaking.

<Entity Information>

- Name: Harris

- Race: Elf

- Common Traits: "Mind Herb", "Persona", "Rapid Recovery", "Clarity"

- Unique Traits: "Child of the World Tree", "Spirit Magic", "Nature Affinity", "Fairy Law", "Melody of Harmony"

- Special Note: Has contracts with spirits of lightning, fire, wind, and sound. Due to various factors and high affinity, his natural power is rapidly increasing. Excessively in tune with nature due to the influence of the nearby World Tree.

Furthermore, Harris realized something after days of practicing singing.

As long as he was near the World Tree, there was no way to alleviate his lethargy.

"It must be because of 'Child of the World Tree.'"

As learned in spirit magic class, singing had some effect, though it didn't last long.

Without musical stimulation, he tended to slump like a plant, which was a bit troublesome, but it also accelerated growth and was helpful in various ways.

After all, with a little care, he could move his body as he wished.

"Next! Please come up to the stage."

As the academy students before them went down from the stage, the stage announcer called them up.

"Alright! Let's go!"

Timmer, who had been floating a heavy drum set in mid-air, excitedly went up to the stage.

Curie took a deep breath and followed him with a calmer

demeanor, and Shaphiron headed to the stage with her usual dignified steps.

Harris watched them with a smile on his lips.

'Okay, then... Let's use 'Melody of Harmony' to its fullest and hammer the essence of Earth's modern music into the heads of the elves of this world?'

The moment of cultural invasion of Earth into the capital of the Elven Kingdom, Drasha, had begun.

***

The festival was in full swing, and the capital was filled with splendid sights to see.

Proud of their culture, the Elven Kingdom's residents spared no effort in bringing out what they had prepared.

There were art pieces like paintings and sculptures, as well as practical items like clothing and carpets.

"Ah! Sir Laphory, Lady Cecilie, have you arrived?"

"Good day. I heard there was a performance by Drasha Academy, so I came to see it."

"You've come at the right time! In a little while, we'll have Miss Shaphiron's stage. Please, come this way."

"Ah, it's not that I came just to see my daughter's performance... It just so happens that a friend I sponsor is also taking the stage with her. This friend also has a connection with Lady Cecilie. Hahaha..."

Cecilie followed Laphory, looking around with her pupils shining like twinkling stars.

Awakening from the aftermath of enlightenment, she was touring the festival with Laphory.

Born in a small elf village on the Ion continent, living simply with nature as her companion, such a splendid event was a first in her life.

Moreover, wasn't this festival not held in her honor?

Despite it being only the second day, indeed, this place was a wonderland filled with marvelous sights.

~♪

Clap, clap, clap—!

As the students who showcased their dance and song finished their performance and stepped down from the stage, Cecilie, brimming with excitement, clapped continuously.

"Truly, it's the Elven Kingdom. In our village, simple dances and songs were everything. This is so cool!"

Then, the next group came up on stage.

Harris's team, each holding an instrument, including something large floating in the air, was ready.

"That's a unique instrument... Ah! It's Mr. Harris!"

She, who had been fascinatedly watching the drum set woven with branches and various drums and cymbals, lit up upon spotting Harris.

Having spent a significant amount of time together, she was glad to see him after so long.

"Wow... But Mr. Harris, he has grown so much in the meantime. If I hadn't become a High Elf, I would have been far surpassed by now."

Seeing him prepare for the stage, Cecilie couldn't help but express her admiration, with Laphory slowly nodding in agreement.

Indeed, even he could see that Harris's growth was exceptional.

'I did feel that his ability to absorb natural power was outstanding, but he's become even stronger in my absence. He already has contracts with four spirits, one of which is quite rare...'

However, such thoughts vanished the moment he saw Shaphiron on stage, busy preparing something.

Just seeing his daughter earnestly preparing, a gentle smile lingered around his lips.

Then, Harris, exchanging glances with his teammates, stepped forward and began.

"We have prepared a somewhat different song. It's a song from my homeland, which might be unfamiliar to many of you here..."

His soft voice, with the help of the wind and sound spirits,

spread in all directions, capturing the ears of the audience.

Even passersby turned their heads unknowingly at the sound of his voice, which had the power to capture everyone's attention before the performance even started.

"...Let's begin."

With that, amid the audience's anticipation, their performance began.

~♪

It started with the heavy sound of string instruments, followed by heart-thumping drum beats and the sharp sounds of other instruments.

The audience tilted their heads in curiosity at the unfamiliar music.

"What is this music?"

At that moment, everyone was taken aback by the sounds they had never heard before.

"~To the end of the white sandy beach~♪"

Harris's powerful voice wrapped around the hall, carried by the wind.

All eyes within reach of his song were drawn to him.

"Hmm?"

"What's this?"

Elven songs were mostly lyrical and had a soft feel.

Their basic tendency to dislike loud noise had influenced the development of their music.

Although they were not unfamiliar with lively songs, none had satisfied them.

The boisterous songs of the dwarves, which were mainly rowdy, were downright abhorrent to them, solidifying their stereotypes over time.

However, the music presented on stage now was different from the indiscriminate noise they were used to.

It had a moderation that wasn't excessive and a tempo that was meticulously calculated.

Furthermore, the natural power contained in Harris's voice forcibly synchronized the listeners, gradually accelerating the hearts that had been soaked in familiarity.

"Wow..."

And such emotions were also felt by the high elves, Laphory and Cecilie.

"Remarkable. To have such a level of synchronization. I had no idea he had such talent."

Unlike Cecilie, who continuously bobbed her shoulders with sparkling eyes as she watched the stage, the experienced Laphory calmly analyzed the song while enjoying the music.

"The theme of the lyrics... Is it about a journey to find oneself?"

Harris had been a mercenary wandering the continent alone since he was young.

Despite all the hardships and finally reaching the Elven Kingdom, his essence was freedom.

Somehow, the lyrics seemed very similar to Harris's current situation.

~♪

As everyone was absorbed by his voice, a thick mist had settled on the stage floor.

The white smoke that gathered only at the feet of those on stage made it seem as though they were standing above the clouds.

"Ho, to use spirits in such a way..."

But that wasn't all.

Various spirits, including the brightly shining light spirits above their heads...

Whooosh—

And even columns of fire erupting from the ground.

It was the epitome of splendor.

"Wow!"

"Ooh—!"

Even the elves, who had quietly appreciated the previous performances with just nods, began to move their bodies involuntarily, swept away by the atmosphere.

"I will find my dream~♪"

The spirits in sync with them unleashed a fierce presence, and the natural power around them, harmonized with the energy contained in the music, surged wildly.

Those leading the stage, those watching it, and the spirits in tune with them, without exception, were all immersed in the emotions of the song.

"Such empathic power."

And Laphory, watching this, marveled again.

The empathic power centered around Harris, standing in the middle, kept soaring, influencing their spirits.

Something was different from the communion with others.

~♪

And when the last note of the performance ended.

Clap, clap, clap, clap—!

"Wow—!"

"Oh! It's something different but I like it!"

A torrent of applause and enthusiastic praise from the audience poured onto the stage.

The music had immersed them so deeply that they couldn't even feel any aversion to its unfamiliarity.

"Wow! Music like this! The Elven Kingdom is truly amazing! This is my first time experiencing something like this!"

Cecilie, having thoroughly enjoyed the music, chattered excitedly to him with her face flushed red.

"Um... Actually, this is also my first time hearing it."

"What?"

"Haha—"

Seeing Cecilie tilting her head in confusion, Laphory could only respond with laughter.

After all, he was the one most curious about the music.

'I've lived quite a long time and have been exposed to a lot of music from the Ion continent, but this is truly the first time for something like this.'

The structure indicated that it wasn't something developed overnight, which left him genuinely baffled.

'It's not like it just dropped out of another world.'

He shook his head as he watched those on stage take their final bows and disappear to the back.

Moreover, it seemed that others hadn't noticed yet, but the recent performance was not just about great synergy.

'Listening to the music, enjoying the moment... it made the flow of internal energy smoother. Though it's still at a weak level, to influence an unspecified number of people this much with just music.'

Laphory chuckled to himself.

He had thought the friend had potential, but this was beyond his expectations.

'This is going to make some waves.'

Given the high foot traffic in the central square, and the unusually wide and clear spread of sound that entranced the listeners, more and more people continued to gather.

The situation had forcibly imprinted new music into everyone's minds.

Therefore, even after the stage ended, the venue remained noisy with buzzing audiences.

Thus, as someone had intended, the cultural invasion had successfully caused ripples in their hearts.

***

Southern Ion Continent.

In a desolate wasteland far from the tribal federation nation of Kalkos, where no one ventured, there was a hidden base underground.

Inside the vast chamber, which was hard to believe was dug out from underground, were all sorts of incomprehensible spells and magical inscriptions.

Magic circles, barriers on the floors, walls, and ceilings, as well as altars and magical instruments for rituals, filled the space.

About a dozen individuals in hoods appeared in that bizarre space and quietly looked around.

"Are we ready?"

"Almost there."

The deep voice of a large man was answered by a grim voice from a small-statured old man.

"Fortunately, we've managed to avoid the gaze of the order. The ones lurking around lately have been particularly annoying."

"...It's been quite the struggle."

Due to the sudden emergence of the Immortal King, the already sensitive and agitated Holy Order faced significant difficulties in carrying out their plans.

They nearly exposed decades of grand schemes.

Naturally, it was expected since the current Immortal King had infiltrated even the Grand Temple of the sacred land.

Although they managed to injure him and drive him off, the mere fact was enough to trigger the Order's sense of crisis.

Of course, the Order, keeping such details under wraps, was quiet about it, but they managed to find out thanks to a colleague with special abilities.

"Any regrets?"

"None. If it can destroy this world, then I no longer care."

Starting the ritual would leave the old man in a state worse than death, but his anger towards the world made such concerns irrelevant.

"Now that the Immortal King has been resurrected, a little help from him should suffice for the rest. Keh keh keh..."

"Hmm... He does seem capable. Though I have no idea where he's hiding or what he's doing now."

The large man, understanding the situation, looked at the old man cackling madly to himself.

Once this man completes the ritual, the current peace will shatter, and a more chaotic world will emerge.

Such an opportune moment would not be ignored by the Immortal King, who seeks to envelop the continent in death.

And his movements would significantly aid their cause in the future.

The hooded figures exchanged glances.

The remaining time was indeed very short.

"Against the heavens."

"For the pledge."

The real forces of evil quietly stretched in the shadows, preparing to awaken.