◈ Episode 359. Do Flowers Bloom in Abandoned Lands (2)
Harkon said to me.
-“As you may have guessed, Commander-in-Chief, that was not a normal use of the sword. A trajectory that seemed to ride the wind, not cut it. There is only one man in the world who can leave such a mark.”
The thing that ruined the Heavenly Unity.
It was none other than Elsidor.
I was honestly impressed.
A trick or whatever.
I had reached a higher level of swordsmanship than Harkon.
‘……You’re right, Harkon. I had no idea.’
I realize the importance of experience.
Harkon had recognized Elsidor’s sword strike by the marks it left behind. Of course, that was only possible because of Harkon’s close relationship with Elsidor.
-“How are you feeling, Elsidor?”
Harkon greeted Elsidor warmly whenever he stopped by the Golden Palace, and it wasn’t hard to imagine that he’d been told it was Elsidor’s doing.
‘Ahm, it’s quite possible with Elsidor.’
Elsidor is strong.
He could not compare to Eunaxus, but he was an elf who, like dragons, was a direct descendant of the World Tree.
Even if he didn’t put in any effort, his natural talent alone would put him in a realm beyond the reach of current players.
‘Even if it’s called Heavenly Unity, it’s not an exception.’
Moreover, the Heavenly Unity is a bright apricot.
It’s because Liu Zunqun sucked its spine.
This is a guy who looked down on even high-level guild members who were valuable forces.
Had he even bothered to set up a training program for low-level guild members? If he had, he wouldn’t have abandoned Heavenly Unity in vain. It was no wonder that Heavenly Unity had fallen to Elsidor.
Ttogak─
Well.
I went straight to the Flower Garden of Elegance after the Holy War Alliance meeting, and I saw that you had a frown on your face. “[The Hierarchy of Blessings] has been lifted, and now you’ve traveled to China and destroyed the Heavenly Unity.
‘Let’s hear your reasons.’
Liu Zunqun.
Or is it that a player from Heavenly Unity is trying to make trouble for you?
Entering the elegant flower garden, I first inspected the flowers.
I didn’t want to let the aesthetes pass me by.
‘A little praise can make an elf dance.’
Of course, if one were to invoke the [Hierarchy of Blessings], one would get an immediate answer. However, after criticizing Liu Zunqun’s self-righteousness so much, I felt a little annoyed.
‘Besides.’
It’s always the reason that counts.
What would happen if you neglected your work?
Elsidor had tended to the flower garden diligently.
The elixir herbs grew as abundantly as ever.
It had been a long time since they had been watered with Hiel’s blessing, and some of the elixir herbs had grown into ‘elixirs’ without losing their vigor.
[The Desire of Pure Knowledge]
[Rank: Epic]
[Limitations: None]
[Effect : When worn, the wearer gains knowledge of all minerals and all plants on the Arcana continent].
[Description : A magic tool that contains an immeasurable amount of knowledge.]
The outstanding effects of the elixir come to mind.
‘Elixirs, so many benefits.’
Suddenly, a miracle.
The name of that living witness comes to mind.
Urs, the transcendent, the Iron Fist.
Urs had shown great courage in the face of Eunaxus, Agentress’s elf hordes, and the Seven Deadly Sins Gluttony. He must have had the guts to do so because he was confident in his abilities.
‘But I can’t take another one.’
However, Urs’s ability to continue consuming the elixirs was due to his unique constitution. I alone had consumed two elixirs at the same time and ended up half-soaked in the netherworld.
Of course, I wouldn’t be able to waste the elixirs.
‘Then there’s only one choice.’
Distribute the elixirs to the Holy War Alliance.
‘Keep a few for myself.’
It would have been a waste to give away elixirs that could never be regained, but with the Elegant Flower Garden in sight, I didn’t need to worry about them drying up.
I finished my thought, and then stopped.
“It looks like the weeds have been cut, Elsidore.”
I don’t know how long I’d been away.
At any rate, you did a good job, Elsidor.
It was a warm compliment.
Karang─!
……Why did you drop the seedling shovel in your hand?
And why are you looking at me with such a surprised expression?
I couldn’t figure out why, but half the battle is won when you keep quiet.
Sure enough, after a long silence, Elsidor spoke.
“Yes, you are right. I went to China and came back with trash and weeds. I will be held accountable for my actions in abandoning the Garden of Elegance.”
No, if anyone heard you, they’d think I was a rogue employer. Although I gave you an order not to leave the garden until you were fighting with a sword. As you know, that order was taken back a long time ago, right?
More than that.
‘I didn’t expect you to admit it so easily.’
Is that Grandfell style of speaking like catching a rat in the act of scurrying backwards?
Of course, I shouldn’t waste an opportunity I’ve been handed.
I blurted out.
“I’m sure you have a good reason for your behavior.”
“…….”
A long silence as I asked for a reason.
‘Surely you didn’t do it for fun?’
I mean, what kind of madman would go all the way to China and wreak havoc on the entire country just for the fun of it? Especially after what he’d done to Rockid.
‘I suppose you might be able to do that…….’
I shook the thought from my mind.
Elsidor of the past was different from Elsidor of the present, starting with the malice in his eyes. After a long pause, he answered, and I was stunned.
“Because that was my pride.”
……Wait a minute, are you too excited?
Way to be infectious, Pride.
I stared into Elsidor’s eyes.
His deep, forest-like pupils never wavered.
I could tell he wasn’t making excuses to get away from me.
So my answer was simple.
“If it is your pride, I will ask no more.”
Pride, anyway!
Our Mr. Grandfell, who respects other people’s pride as much as he values his own. If it was an act of pride, he wouldn’t ask anymore.
‘If it’s out of line, I don’t know, but no one’s dead.’
But one thing has to be done. That’s why I went to the flower garden in the first place. Once again, it was Grandfell’s style that shone through.
“But you would know.”
“……What do you mean, I know?”
I stroked the petals.
“What to do after you pick the weeds.”
“……!”
That’s right.
Elsidor acted with pride and pulled out the weeds, the Heavenly Unity. As you can see, the results of his actions are clear. It led to Liu Zunqun’s abandonment of the Heavenly Unity and the Motherland and the founding of a new nation.
China literally became an abandoned land.
I looked at Elsidor once more.
“I remember your words. You said that my flower gardens pale in comparison to Sisley, the home of the elves. But how is it now, Elsidor?”
“…….”
Elsidor’s gaze traveled to the elegant flower garden.
The view is awe-inspiring.
A beautiful view of the garden.
I interrupted to remind him.
“You, the man who brought this to fruition, can do it. Even if the land is abandoned by its owner, I know you’ll make it bloom.”
“……!”
“Do not betray my faith.”
“…….”
I don’t remember telling him to be quiet.
Elsidor didn’t answer for a while.
Then, in a low voice, he spoke.
The words were.
“……I will honor you.”
It was the first honorific I had ever heard from Elsidor.
[You have gained command of the Blood Elves, Elsidor].
*
China.
From the moment Liu Zunqun entered the Arcana Continent.
The [Brainwashing] was naturally lifted.
The members of the Heavenly Unity Guild suffered from the after-effects of the long brainwashing.
“……What have I been doing all this time?”
“Just dying to suffer……!!”
“Fuck.”
Memories flashed through them.
Blind loyalty to the Monarch.
Every action.
They realized they’d been eating their own.
It wasn’t just about the Heavenly Unity.
It was about heads of state who had to close the rifts that were constantly being created.
They, too, were helpless.
Commentary, Jianwei.
“What is the location of the anti-monster fighting unit?”
The aftermath of escaping Liu Zunqun’s influence.
Moreover, he wasn’t even a player.
The headache was still excruciating.
Parrr─
His legs wobbled, making it difficult for him to center himself.
However, Jian Wei as a chairman.
He went to the operation room to calm things down.
But it was a festering pus.
It was not going to be an easy fix.
The Chief of Operations was distraught when he received the news.
“All units have been deployed to the Zero Mountains.”
“What?”
There is only one purpose for the creation of the anti-monster fighting unit.
The moment the rift collapses.
To kill monsters in a short amount of time with strong firepower.
However, the men who have been entrusted with such an enormous task.
They’re deployed to the Zero Mountains?
More important than the reason was their return to their homeland.
“How long will it take to get back?”
“…… Estimated at least three days.”
“What? Three days for this?!”
The collapse rate of the rift was rising in real time, especially for those rifts that were already past 90 percent collapse. But the bad news didn’t end there.
The staff continues speaking with difficulty.
“And that’s when the carrier is still intact.”
“What?”
“The Battle of Heavenly Unity. To be precise, in the course of supporting the hunt, the anti-monster fighting unit consumed huge amounts of supplies and suffered catastrophic losses. There’s also the news that the stern of the Zero Mountains was destroyed by a sea-dwelling monster…….”
“What the hell…….”
Jian Wei gritted his teeth.
Okay, maybe he didn’t deserve to be angry with himself.
He couldn’t resist the player’s power, or whatever.
After all, it was all his own fault that the country had surrendered the initiative to Heavenly Unity and was being bent to its will. But he could not forgive Liu Zunqun.
‘I……. believed in you with all my heart.’
Maybe after the cataclysm.
Maybe he was the leader the country needed.
But Liu Zunqun.
He trampled on the faith of billions.
He irresponsibly threw away billions of lives.
Jian Wei clenched his fists.
‘……AAU.’
They would send reinforcements to the cause soon enough.
But Jian Wei could not rejoice.
It was common knowledge that the price would be enormous.
‘China may face a future worse than collapse.’
But Jian Wei couldn’t rest easy.
The rift collapsed steeply.
Finally, the chief of staff broke the devastating news to Jian Wei.
“Bei, the Beijing rift has collapsed!!!”
“……!!!”
.
.
.
Not all players in China were discouraged.
It was a small minority.
There were still players who hadn’t joined the Heavenly Unity.
“Shit.”
It’s just that the level is so low.
[Graveyard Bard]
[Appropriate Level: Lv.400]
[Collapse Rate: 95.6%]
“keuheug.”
The escape is successful.
Several players are pouring out of the rift.
However, they were all severely injured and could not escape.
‘This must be unimaginable in other countries.’
The man on the boat says self-helpfully.
” ……It must be a sight to behold, eh?”
At level 400, you’re still high level.
But a mere level 400 rift is enough to endanger the existence of a nation. Especially for a country with tens of millions of players.
The world deserved to be laughed at.
“It looks like we’ll be the first country to be destroyed by trolls, right?”
All things considered.
Liu Zunqun.
That bastard caused this.
With his ineffective experience poisoning system and the way he’d shredded high-level players, there was no way there were any good players left in China.
The man stares at the rift.
[Collapse rate : 96.9%]
[Collapse rate : 97.8%]
[Collapse rate : 99.0%]…….
” ……Rest in peace.”
A rapidly rising collapse rate.
It gave away the fate of the failed players.
Then, a rift that began to crumble.
The man gritted his teeth.
“I will follow you too.”
Clang.
The man raised his sword and shield, unable to escape.
Bright light poured from the collapsing rift.
A human figure could be seen in the dazzling backlight.
“……?”
No, it had ears that were too pointed to be human.
Sereung─
It was too strong to be human.
A strike.
Just a sword strike.
Appropriate level 400.
The effort it took to clean up the collapse rift.
-……Wait, is that Elsidor?
-Why is that monster in China?!
-Wait, that psycho is protecting people!
Blood Elves.
“From now on, you are flowers.”
“……Flowers, what do you mean?”
“Even if you are not that kind of person, you have to be born again like that.”
Abandoned land.
In the midst of it.
The first ‘blood flower’ to bloom.
“Because that was His command.”