Chapter 620: Elvenheim

[You have entered Elvenheim.]

[EXP and drop rate are increased x2 for one week.]

[You have gained 100 Fame.]

Elvenheim.

At last, Hyunsoo had set foot in the place the nation of Hyun’s subjugation force had carved open through great sacrifice.

At last...

Standing within Elvenheim, Hyunsoo was deeply moved.

It felt as though all his efforts until now had been rewarded.

But.

Hyunsoo realized he could not simply be happy.

There’s no first-entry notification?

He had received rewards for entering, but nothing in the notifications said he was the first.

Hyunsoo thought that was only natural.

Elf users might have already been living here from the beginning.

Others might have entered before him through a different route.

Don’t be disappointed.

Hyunsoo looked around.

The elven forest differed from those inhabited by humans.

His first impression was that it was vast and tall.

The trees are packed so densely, yet they rise so high...

The trees were impressive—at least twice the size of those found in the human world.

Then Hyunsoo realized something he should have considered long ago.

Why didn’t I think of this?

The resources of the elven forest.

Trees, grass, fallen leaves.

Or—

The animals that live here.

Creatures with horns, among countless others.

All of it was new material unavailable in the lands where humans lived.

Hyunsoo reached for one of the towering trees and ran his hand over its surface.

Rough.

He snapped off a small branch and tested it with his grip.

It’s sturdy...

Then he bent it and stared in amazement.

This is insane...

It felt rough, but a blacksmith’s hands could refine it.

It was hard, yet remarkably elastic. It would bend well without breaking.

Just then—

[You have made the first discovery of an Adre Tree.]

[You have gained 10 Fame.]

[You have gained 1 Overwhelm.]

The notifications made Hyunsoo grin.

“Ha ha...!”

That was right.

Everything in the human world came as naturally as breathing to Hyunsoo.

Pines, hackberries, zelkovas, mulberry trees—such things were everywhere.

But.

Every tree here was a first discovery.

He might not have been Elvenheim’s first entrant, but one thing was certain.

Just because someone else entered this place, would they have examined the trees?

No.

And Hyunsoo was likely receiving Fame and stat rewards because he understood them.

The ways these trees surpassed or fell short of trees from the human world.

Even if someone else had passed through here before him—

They probably only found them strange and moved on.

That would have been true even for another blacksmith.

But Hyunsoo was a hands-on blacksmith. His perspective differed from theirs, which was likely why he had received these rewards.

In other words—

I may not be the first entrant, but I’ll keep advancing and growing here too.

The proof was the 10 Fame and 1 Overwhelm he had gained just by examining a single tree.

Hyunsoo immediately inspected the Adre Tree.

(Adre Tree.)

Grade: Normal.

Restriction: Level 10 or higher.

Difficulty: Medium.

Special Abilities

• Piercing Power and Range increased by up to 5%.

• Agility and health increased by up to 4%.

• Durability increased by 20%.

Description: The most common broadleaf tree in Elvenheim. Nurtured beneath the World Tree’s care, it has become harder while gaining even greater elasticity.

“...Crazy!”

The Adre Tree was, naturally, only Normal grade.

But there was a reason Hyunsoo was so surprised despite that.

It’s at least 10% better than ordinary Normal-grade materials...

That meant it had rarity.

But that rarity only applied to humans.

If Hyunsoo gathered trees like this, he would hold a monopoly. They would sell for a fortune.

People always buy something that’s 1% cheaper... or 1% better.

That was only natural when the prices were equal.

As Hyunsoo looked through Elvenheim, a chill ran down his spine.

Elvenheim is filled with things like this?

The value of this place might be even greater than he had imagined.

Hyunsoo continued examining trees.

[You have made the first discovery of a Galao Tree.]

[You have gained 10 Fame.]

[You have gained 1 Overwhelm.]

[You have made the first discovery of an Etio Tree.]

[You have gained 10 Fame.]

[You have gained 1 Overwhelm.]

[You have made the first discovery of a Gor Tree.]

[You have gained 10 Fame.]

[You have gained 1 Overwhelm.]

It had only taken about three minutes.

By doing nothing more than examining several different kinds of trees, Hyunsoo had increased his Fame by more than 40.

Heh heh...

It felt good from the very start.

Thinking that, he decided to stop examining trees for now and head deeper inside.

If Normal-grade materials are this good, higher grades must be even better, right?

Once he established a friendly relationship with the elves, resources like these would naturally follow.

Just then—

Hyunsoo froze at the sudden sensation washing over him.

What is this?

His sharpened senses were screaming a warning.

At that moment—

[No one has entered Elvenheim through the main gate in a long time.]

[A new story will begin shortly.]

“...?”

A new story?

Hyunsoo knew better than anyone that new stories were not always a good thing.

Of course—

If I succeed, a new story gives far greater rewards than ordinary ones.

But.

That also meant the difficulty was higher and the problem more difficult to solve.

The moment Hyunsoo took another step—

DING!

Unlike an ordinary new story, notifications appeared to explain the current situation.

[This area is occupied by Vadalla, the dark elf.]

[Decades ago, Vadalla became corrupted unlike ordinary elves, sold his soul to a demon, and awakened an exceptional ability.]

[The ability he awakened was Brainwashing Taming. Using that ability, he has tamed countless extraordinary monsters from all across the world.]

[After returning to Elvenheim, which he had once left, he established his own territory and threw Elvenheim into chaos. While preparing an attack on the elves, he has reduced even the many creatures living in Elvenheim to his slaves.]

[If you enter this area, you will encounter Vadalla’s monsters.]

DING!

[Sudden Quest: To the Elves has been created.]

[Sudden Quest: To the Elves.]

Grade: SSS

Restriction: Elvenheim’s first entrant.

Reward: 300 essence.

Penalty upon failure: Permanent banishment from Elvenheim.

Description: Elvenheim’s entrance is occupied by Vadalla. Break through him and meet the elves.

Hyunsoo frowned at the quest details.

What’s essence?

He did not know.

But unlike essence, there was one thing he did understand.

[If you die or flee, you will be permanently unable to enter Elvenheim.]

The dreamlike opportunity Hyunsoo had envisioned could vanish in an instant.

Still, Hyunsoo was confident.

Who do I think I am? I’m the king of the nation of Hyun!

Just then—

[53,013 of Vadalla’s monsters, alerted by your entrance into Elvenheim, release killing intent.]

[Great power bears down on you so heavily that you can barely breathe.]

[You are afflicted by the status ailment Breathing Difficulty.]

[You are afflicted by the status ailment Extreme Fear.]

[The gaze of Jepae, the Wolf King, once king of every animal in Elvenheim, rests upon you.]

[You are afflicted by the status ailment Chills.]

[You are afflicted by the status ailment Bewilderment.]

[You resist, but only barely.]

“...?”

A status ailment.

It was almost the first time Hyunsoo had heard that he could only barely resist Master Blacksmith’s Pride.

And the notifications did not stop there.

[Those who enter through Elvenheim’s main gate are special.]

It had already crushed him with overwhelming pressure merely for entering, and now it was saying he was special?

Soon, that special privilege revealed itself.

[You may inspect an average monster of Elvenheim.]

In other words.

Since he was the first person to set foot here through the main gate—

Is it showing me one monster as a kind of tutorial?

GRRRRRR—

A wolf emerged from the brush, and Hyunsoo stiffened.

The creature was nearly five meters tall at the shoulder, with sleek black fur that gleamed at a glance.

[Vadalla’s Wolf Lv. 545.]

This is the average?!

No high-level hunting ground Hyunsoo had ever known possessed average monsters at such a level.

Valhalla and Kabel might have known different places, but within Hyunsoo’s own knowledge, there had never been a place where the average monster was this powerful.

Did I take this too lightly...?

The chance to obtain things from a new world also meant facing new dangers.

He might be able to discover new places, but thriving within them would never be easy.

Only then did Hyunsoo truly grasp the quest’s difficulty.

It was SSS grade—a rank he had received fewer than ten times so far.

Standing alone before a massive crisis, Hyunsoo began to tense.

*****

“His Majesty Hyunsoo is special. Just by breathing, he has brought countless beings to his side. Fortune was the first.”

“Then came the Myriad-Mile Bird that can go anywhere. The reason that combination is so incredible is because Fortune, as a divine beast, has the ability to persuade monsters to become our allies. Heh heh. It could hardly be otherwise.”

After saying they had found a “new youngest,” Nell explained to the World Tree why they had said that.

Unlike usual, their expression carried amusement, pride, and composure.

There was no greater feeling than praising the greatness of the lord they served before a being as vast as the World Tree.

Their lord’s glory was their own.

Nell continued.

“Since it’s a divine beast, monsters have no choice but to revere it. And even Fortune is merely one of His Majesty’s pets. Anyway, the moment Hyunsoo enters Elvenheim, he’ll summon the Myriad-Mile Bird and Fortune.”

In fact, Fortune and Kkokko were already waiting behind Nell.

“WAAAH...!”

The snot-nosed puppy sat proudly on Kkokko’s back, fully prepared to deploy.

“KOOO...!”

Kkokko, which no longer lost its memories, also looked ready to race to Hyunsoo at once.

But the World Tree denied it.

“...That won’t be possible.”

“What?”

Nell looked puzzled.

Had the World Tree failed to understand despite all their explanations about the divine beast and the Myriad-Mile Bird that could go anywhere?

Soon, the World Tree spoke.

“Elvenheim is imbued with holy power. Even Mythic beings, not just Legendary ones, cannot cross space freely here.”

“...What?”

At that moment—

[The Myriad-Mile Bird answers its master’s call.]

SKREEEE—!

FWOOOOSH—!

Perhaps because Hyunsoo had called upon Firebird, Kkokko and Fortune burst into flames.

But—

FSSSSSS—

[Firebird failed.]

The flames died out.

Kkokko and Fortune looked flustered, while the World Tree faced reality with a sorrowful expression.

“You must overcome this alone.”

“...!”

In other words, Elvenheim’s first entrant had to play solo.

Realizing that, Nell panicked.

“How is he supposed to hunt tens of thousands of monsters alone?!”

It was now clear that Hyunsoo faced a tremendous crisis.

“Isn’t there any way?”

Nell asked anxiously.

The World Tree answered.

“For a brief time, I can look inside Elvenheim.”

What good does looking inside do in this situation...?

But Nell soon shook their head.

Still, it’s better than sitting here helplessly...

The World Tree closed her eyes and began looking into Elvenheim through a mother’s gaze.

Soon, her expression grew complicated before she let out a startled cry.

“I can see one of Vadalla’s wolves... and someone matching the description you gave me of a man named Hyunsoo. Gasp...!”

Nell worried at her startled voice.

“What is it?”

Then the World Tree said,

“He’s handsome.”

“...?”

That day, Nell learned for the first time that even a World Tree cared about appearances.

But that thought only lasted a moment.

“Gasp...!”

The World Tree reacted just as she had before.

Nell was puzzled. If she said, He’s handsome, again, Nell had no intention of letting it pass this time.

But after remaining unable to speak for a long while, the World Tree closed her eyes with an expression of utter shock.

“...A single Vadalla’s Wolf died to one sword strike. How can he accomplish what even the finest elven warriors could not?”

Nell clenched their fist.

Their Majesty was holding his own there as well.

But that was not all the World Tree had to say.

“What is this...? What in the world is he doing? Hm...”

Nell and the guild members were beside themselves with anxiety.

Nell waited tensely for her next words.

Then the World Tree said,

“He summoned a forge and started crafting.”