Chapter 241

===================
Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
===================

[Sub-quest has been completed.]

[Sub-quest settlement has been finished.]

[Some rewards for uncompleted Main Quest #8 are applied retroactively.]

[Obtained 100,000,000 gold.]

[100 Stat Points are given.]

[Experience points have increased by 150,000,000.]

[Level has increased by 4.]

[4 Stat Points are given.]

[Main quest branch of Episode 7 is reset.]

[The progression rate rises.]

—Look at the rewards;

—What’s with the 10x bug for him alone?

—He deserved to receive them indeed.

—Too many things happened.

—Real;

The sub-quest was completed as the Essence of the Forest returned to its original state.

As the rewards for the main quest that had its middle cut off were added, the total amount was significant.

Then another alarm rang in his ears.

Ttiring—

[Main Quest #8.5: Return]

Successfully purified the Forest of Illusions under the blood-colored curse.

What is the state of the elves and the Blue Moon Bird?

Objective: Return to the elf village and decide the direction of progress.

Reward: None

*Current Progression Rate: 83 percent

‘…Decide, huh.’

The original main quest was to move to the World Tree’s area via the flying ship.

However, it had led to the flying ship crashing and the subsequent saving of the Forest of Illusions and the elves.

As they had originally planned to move using the Phantom Beast Blue Moon Bird’s strength, it was necessary to assess the situation.

“Ah…”

Wendy sighed while looking at the blue-green sphere.

As it was the Essence of the Forest she was seeing for the first time as well, her feelings must have been new in many ways.

In the first place, if it hadn’t been for Wendy, entering this place would have been an impossible task.

「The wind is still restless. It’ll take a bit until recovery.」

Then, Aerial’s voice echoed in his head.

A judgment was made while feeling the unstable wind blowing throughout the forest.

Purification was successfully achieved with the power of light, but the aftermath of the curse required time to heal, just as a wound would.

The elves also could not escape from that influence.

‘…I’m a bit uneasy indeed.’

The current forest was in a state vulnerable to attack.

If the Sacred Body Faction were to invade again, even annihilation was possible.

“Black Dragon, is this the end of it?”

Charlotte, who was looking at the sphere, was also feeling anxiety.

It was an instinctive sense of crisis felt from the abnormal phenomena that occurred consecutively.

“Let’s return for now.”

Han-bit began walking toward the portal sparkling in the corner, followed by everyone else.

Shuuuk—

Darkness arrived along with the soft sensation of teleportation.

When his vision returned, they had arrived in front of the small spring.

“Ah…!”

Wendy opened her eyes wide at the sight of the village where the reddish tint had disappeared.

Then she quickly turned and began to run.

“Wendy, wait a moment!”

Charlotte, seeing her dash off, quickly followed behind.

Han-bit’s group also moved toward the front of the old tree.

“Hieuk.”

Elves were lying on the ground in front of the central old tree.

Wendy, who was embracing a woman, was crying with her face buried in her bosom.

It was her mother.

“Black Dragon-nim, they’ll be alright, won’t they?”

Haneul, who was looking around, asked cautiously.

There was not a single elf who had regained consciousness yet.

“They’ll need some time as they’re in a depleted state.”

Even if the curse removal was successful, the aftermath of being encroached upon did not disappear at once.

Right now, they were in a state close to a deep sleep for recovery.

Of course, there was also one who was free from that influence.

Creek—

He turned his head toward the sound heard from behind.

The door that served as the entrance below the old tree opened.

There, a male elf revealed himself.

“Roandel?”

Charlotte, who recognized him, jumped up and widened her eyes.

[Elf Elder Roandel]

Roandel had been lying bound in his own residence.

He, who had been unable to even move, was now standing while leaning on the door.

—Shudder;

—Did he already open his eyes alone?

—Elder class.

—Mental power is crazy;

“Char… lotte. Have you… come?”

Unlike his precarious voice, his eyes were as vivid as if they were burning.

“Elder…?”

Wendy, who heard that voice, also turned her gaze while embracing her mother.

It was the first sane elf she had encountered today, which had felt like hell.

“…You did well.”

Roandel, who saw Wendy, squeezed out a smile.

As expected, he had prepared for the future while clearly grasping the situation.

“Wait, don’t move recklessly!”

Charlotte quickly approached and supported Roandel.

He looked close to his limit just by holding onto the door and enduring.

“My apologies.”

Slowly nodding, he turned his gaze.

His vivid eyes reached Han-bit.

Charlotte, who stood next to him, introduced him instead.

“Ah, this is Black Dragon. The person who… should I say, turned everything back to normal?”

“Everything…?”

As if that alone was unexpected, Roandel’s eyes widened.

Han-bit slowly moved forward and approached him.

“I’ll explain the situation first.”

Skipping the formalities, he explained in detail what had happened to the Forest of Illusions and the elves.

Roandel, who was listening to the story, closed and then opened his eyes for a moment.

“Holy State and curse… I see.”

He, having grasped the situation, slowly nodded his head.

Then, looking around, he asked.

“Where are those… who lost their lives?”

“…They’re outside. I’ll take you there.”

Charlotte went outside the barrier while supporting Roandel.

On one side of the village, they saw members of the Investigation Team and elves laid out on the ground.

“Commander.”

Dusk appeared even before they approached.

Kneeling, he began to report to Charlotte.

“As you commanded, I have moved the elves scattered throughout the forest to this place. We have classified them separately into those without anomalies, those with light wounds, those with serious wounds, and the deceased.”

“Mhm, thanks. Good work.”

“No. I will move to keep watch over the forest.”

Shuuuk—

Dusk, who knew what had to be done, immediately concealed himself.

Charlotte, who smiled momentarily, turned her gaze once again.

“It’s over that way.”

She took Roandel and moved beneath a large tree.

There, the elves who had lost their lives were laid out in a row.

—Ah;

—More than 50 people.

—(Sob)

—X-like Sacred Body Faction.

—Disgusting as there are holy sh*t many rankers.

Slig—

Roandel, who let go of Charlotte’s hand, approached the dead elves while staggering.

Standing before the corpses, he quietly raised his hand.

Pat—!

A beautiful green light was produced from the front.

Roandel, who used magic, staggered several times, but Charlotte did not approach recklessly.

Sarak—

The light softly wrapped around the elves’ bodies.

Roandel, seeing that, slowly lowered his hand.

“Preparation for the Return, I see.”

Charlotte knew the reason for his action.

Return, the unique funeral method of elves.

It was a tradition created from the belief that they come from the forest and return to the forest.

Using that magic given to the Elder, one could see the bodies disappearing naturally.

“I hope… it’s not too late.”

The reason Roandel left the final procedure was for the sleeping elves.

Because a difference of race was not needed for the preparation to send them away.

“Now the seriously wounded ones… ugh!”

He, who was turning around, lost his balance.

Charlotte quickly caught his arm.

“It’s the limit. It’s dangerous if you use more power.”

“No, I cannot allow more… innocent deaths.”

“…”

At those words, Charlotte bit her lip.

If it were an ordinary situation, it would have been enough to borrow the strength of those among the Investigation Team members who could use healing magic.

But the elves’ situation was different.

It was difficult to heal their bodies, which had high mana density, with ordinary magic.

Fixing light wounds was the limit at most.

“Use this.”

Han-bit, who knew the situation well, took out a bright red fruit from his inventory.

“…Is that the Ruby of Life?”

Charlotte, who recognized it instantly, opened her eyes wide.

It was an object that could be obtained rarely in a place called the Forest of Death.

It was a fruit that could heal by borrowing the power of nature.

The reason he had bought it, which cost 30 million won, was for the elves, but he hadn’t known he would use it in this situation.

Originally, he had been scheduled to use it while performing Ibella’s task.

“Use it quickly. If it’s late, the effect will drop.”

“Mhm!”

Charlotte quickly took the fruit and approached the seriously wounded.

She squeezed out the juice with both hands and dropped it into the elves’ mouths in order.

Sarak—

Simultaneously, heat bloomed from the bodies of the seriously wounded.

The effect was manifesting normally.

“Ah…”

Roandel, who was watching the elves, quietly let out a sigh.

Seeing those trembling eyes, Han-bit’s heart was also heavy.

Cases where Roandel showed such a shaken appearance were considerably rare.

He couldn’t help but see his always solid friend, who was like a giant tree, overlapping with him.

“…Thank you, Black Dragon-nim. I don’t know how to repay you for the salvation of the forest and the elves.”

Roandel, taking a posture while staggering, placed his right hand on the center of his chest and showed courtesy.

It was the highest respect shown by an elf.

“It was a task that should have been done. Though it was thanks to the help of other friends and spirits.”

“Spirits… The energy felt was theirs, I see.”

Roandel nodded his head as if he understood.

Noticing the spirit energy from the start meant he was not an ordinary existence.

“Roandel, originally we were planning to head to the World Tree.”

“World Tree?”

“Mhm. We were attacked in the middle and crashed near the Forest of Illusions.”

Charlotte briefly explained the earlier matter.

Roandel, who was listening to the story, wore a dark expression.

“We have boats and sea routes we possess. But in the current state…”

In order to head to the World Tree’s area using the elf’s boat, the accompaniment of an elf was absolutely necessary.

Naturally, it was impossible for Roandel to leave his place in this situation.

In the first place, Han-bit’s purpose was different.

“You don’t have to worry about that. Because I was planning to ask the Phantom Beast for a favor.”

“Yes? But the Phantom Beast also… the curse’s influence…”

Peoreok—!

Then, a fierce sound of flapping wings echoed in the air above.

As everyone raised their heads, the sight of a giant silver-blue bird gliding was seen.

Huuuk—!

The Blue Moon Bird, which settled down while causing a gust of wind, looked accurately at Han-bit.

“It’s you. The human who throttled my neck and put me to sleep.”

—Yes?

—Why is he angry?

—He saved him…

—Unfair hate is a bit;

The Phantom Beast’s eyes were deep enough to make one feel as if they were being sucked in.

Han-bit, lowering his posture, delivered words of apology.

“My apologies. Irreverently, Wendy and I recklessly laid hands on Blue Moon Bird-nim’s body.”

The words that came out as if prepared were close to a necessary procedure anyway.

Because although it was a Phantom Beast that seemed angry at a glance, he knew that the reality was different.

The proof appeared in the following words.

“You did well.”

The Blue Moon Bird nodded its head.

The Phantom Beast, looking around, slowly continued its words.

“If I had continued in a crazy state, the damage might have increased. Putting me to sleep even for a moment was an excellent judgment. Since you even succeeded in removing the curse immediately after, you are truly an amazing human.”

“Thank you.”

The praise poured out honestly was also a unique tendency of the Blue Moon Bird.

Of course, in the opposite case, it was an existence that poured out vitriol without mercy.

“So, did you say you are heading to the World Tree?”

The Blue Moon Bird brought up the topic as if it had heard the story.

Han-bit said while nodding his head.

“Yes. But it is not a safe situation yet for Blue Moon Bird-nim to leave your place. So I am going to use this object.”

He took out a sphere full of sky-blue light from his inventory.

It was the Echo of the Sky Whale.

“…You possess another surprising thing.”

The Blue Moon Bird opened its eyes slightly wider.

It was the sky whale’s special loot, ranked as Rank 8 Epic.

It was an object that could protect an entire area by covering it with a special resonance.

It was not simply a defensive barrier, but it also had the effect of tearing apart everything that approached and blowing it to the distant sky.

Especially as health and mana could even be recovered inside, it perfectly fitted this situation.

“Roandel, would it be alright?”

The Blue Moon Bird turned its gaze and looked at the Elder.

Then Roandel said while showing courtesy as before.

“Black Dragon-nim is also our benefactor. I would be grateful if you could give help. If it’s together with the Echo of the Sky Whale, this place will also be alright.”

“Then it’s decided.”

Roandel, who nodded, spoke in a low voice.

Then, looking at Han-bit and Charlotte, he said.

“It is you two who can go. Mount.”

Ttiring—

[Main Quest #8.5 has been completed.]

[Progression rate rises.]

[Main Quest #9: Blue Moon Bird]

Obtained the cooperation of the Phantom Beast Blue Moon Bird and headed to the World Tree’s area.

You must move quickly before the path closes.

Objective: Move to the World Tree’s area with the Blue Moon Bird’s help.

Reward: None

*Current Progression Rate: 87 percent