The Return Of The Genius Ranker Of All Times [EN]: Chapter 46

Part 46 of Season 2.

[Two Paths]

-Rank: Hidden Event

-Description: Astra Lavencia, a hero of a brilliant past who met a tragic end through betrayal.

‘She’ asks you, who has been chosen by ‘her,’ which side you will take.

If you side with the Elves, you must leave this place within 3 minutes and will be in complete opposition to the Dark Elves.

Conversely, if you side with the Dark Elves, you will be marked with the symbol of the alliance, which must never be revealed to the Elves.

If discovered, you may become a ‘primary target for elimination.’

-If you side with the Elves: The ‘Guardian of the Elves’ route will proceed, and the ‘Savior of the Dark Elves’ route will be deleted.

-If you side with the Dark Elves: The ‘Savior of the Dark Elves’ route will proceed, and the ‘Guardian of the Elves’ route will be deleted.

‘Huh. What’s going on?’

Do-hyun couldn’t hide his bewilderment at the sudden choices.

He hadn’t even met the Elf Elder yet.

But suddenly, out of nowhere, he was being asked to decide whether the Elves were traitors and whether he would side with them or with the Elves?

‘This is absurd.’

The quest, which he had started thinking, ‘I’ll just check out the identities of the intruders and get a reward from Periel,’ was turning into something much bigger than he had anticipated.

It was beyond unexpected; the situation was so absurd that it felt unreal.

‘The main quest can change…….’

Even the main quest could be affected depending on the choice?

This was the first time he had seen such a warning while progressing through the main quest.

How important was this branching point in the main storyline that such a warning would appear?

The situation was perplexing in many ways, but one thing was clear.

‘……I need to choose carefully. I could screw things up if I choose wrong.’

Whatever it was, since it affected the main quest, he had to choose the best option.

Otherwise, the sandcastle he had built up until now could collapse.

With a serious face, Do-hyun examined every single word in the quest window in detail.

As a result.

‘……I don’t get it.’

His confusion doubled.

It couldn’t be helped.

He didn’t know anything about the Elves or the Dark Elves yet, so he had no idea what to choose.

‘Gamilion definitely told me to meet the Elf Elder.’

Thinking about it, it seemed right to side with the Elves, but frankly, there was no guarantee that the Elves hadn’t been corrupted.

Especially considering the intruders and the missing fragment of fate.

But on the other hand…….

‘Is there any need to ignore Gamilion’s words and side with the Dark Elves?’

Just looking at the consequences of the choices written in the quest, siding with the Elves seemed much less dangerous?

Based on this alone, it seemed right to side with the Elves…….

But the fact that Astra seemed to be deeply connected to Elinel’s bracelet bothered him.

As he struggled to come to a conclusion and his worries grew.

[……You cannot answer. May I assume you are an enemy?]

Perhaps Astra had misinterpreted Do-hyun’s silence as he pondered.

Astra glared with a fierce look, radiating killing intent.

He didn’t just speak; he was aiming the same spear, presumably an arrow, as before and taking a step closer.

-M, Master!

-Lizariza……!

Leaving the anxious-looking creatures behind, Do-hyun stepped forward slightly.

Perhaps Do-hyun’s approach, instead of running away, was unexpected.

Although killing intent still emanated from Astra, who was close by, the fierce energy had diminished slightly.

[Respecting her choice, I will ask one last time. Whose side are you on?]

The weight in his voice was palpable.

It conveyed that he would tear him apart if he wasn’t on his side.

But Do-hyun didn’t back down and answered calmly.

“I cannot answer.”

-M, Master!?

Jihad was startled by the confident answer and looked around, but Do-hyun didn’t correct himself.

Instead, he dropped the honorifics and continued speaking while looking directly into his eyes.

“I am what you commonly call an Apostle. Today is the first day I’ve set foot in this Elannis.”

[…….]

“How can I truly be on anyone’s side when I know nothing? It seems stranger to answer rashly without knowing anything.”

And bringing up that point was a very good choice.

[……Indeed.]

Astra, who had been listening to Do-hyun’s words in silence, soon agreed.

[That makes sense. No, you are right. Rather, if someone forms an alliance to avoid the immediate danger, we should refuse them.]

“…….”

[I never expected someone who knew nothing to awaken me. It is my mistake. I apologize, Kaiser.]

The fierce energy also gradually subsided.

Jihad, who had been watching with a nervous face, sighed in relief, as if he had been spared a great ordeal.

Eliza, who had been hiding in his pocket, also peeked out and looked relieved.

[I cannot explain everything. Otherwise, we would not finish just talking about those Elven bastards that I want to chew to death…… I will only tell you the main points, so listen and judge carefully.]

Astra gnashed his teeth and slowly opened his mouth.

The story that followed was a hidden history between the Elves and Dark Elves that other users didn’t know.

The story began in the days when the Dark Elves and Elves were on good terms.

Before the war broke out.

[In the past, the relationship between the Dark Elves and Elves was not like it is now. They weren’t even called by two different names in the first place.]

Back then, the Dark Elves and Elves were one race.

Just as various races live together in the West, but they are all one people.

Originally, both were called by the name Elf.

‘No wonder. I wondered why there were no Dark Elves among the three major races.’

So this was the reason.

Of course, that didn’t mean there were no differences between the characteristics of the Dark Elves and Elves.

The Elves were blessed with excellent natural affinity by the World Tree, but the Dark Elves were not.

This was a fatal weakness for Elves living in nature.

They couldn’t communicate with spirits, nor could they feel the presence of the forest or the flow of the wind.

[It’s also why we Dark Elves are not good at archery.]

But that didn’t mean the Dark Elves were weaker.

On the contrary.

[Perhaps as a substitute for the lack of natural affinity, we were born with unique traits. Only we Dark Elves could imbue those traits into Aura.]

Dark Elves are all born with their own unique and heterogeneous traits.

And the moment they come of age and can unlock Aura, the combat power of the Dark Elves surpasses that of the Elves.

[Ambush, exploration, affinity with spirits and nature…… we lack in all aspects. But…….]

Overwhelming combat ability.

It was this alone that made up for all the shortcomings and put the Dark Elves on equal footing with the Elves.

A race truly specialized in combat.

That was why no one could ignore them, even though the number of Dark Elves was relatively much smaller.

[It was a very harmonious race. We were in charge of the difficult battles, and the Elves filled in many of the other gaps. It was an ideal relationship where each side complemented the other’s weaknesses.]

The reason why the Elves were able to become one of the three major races, surpassing other formidable races, may have been because of that harmony.

If this golden age continued, they might even rise above that.

Perhaps…… they might even catch up with the Fairy race, the masters of the five thrones.

That’s what people were saying at the time.

But they had to part ways before they could even fully enjoy their golden age.

[For some reason, the World Tree began to sicken.]

The forest, which had been purified by the power of the World Tree, began to become polluted.

This was a very critical issue for the Elves, who had a particularly high natural affinity, as well as for the other three major races.

The Elves quickly began to lose power, and the spirits also gradually began to disappear.

And then he appeared.

[The Eye that Swallowed the Sky.]

No one knows its exact name or race.

They simply called it that, as it had dyed the entire sky with darkness.

[The appearance of that being led to the extinction of more than half of the races in Elannis.]

Was it even an hour?

That was the time it took for that being to swallow the sky.

In that short time, more than half of the races in Elannis disappeared, and the Elves could not escape the aftermath.

[That day, most of the Valkyries died.]

If the Orcs had Great Warriors, the Elves had Valkyries.

A great title bestowed upon the most outstanding warriors among the Elves and Dark Elves alike.

They suffered innocent sacrifices, and their power rapidly deteriorated.

[And then the war broke out.]

‘The Eye that Swallowed the Sky’ plunged Elannis into terror.

It was revealed to be ‘the Abyss.’

No one knew exactly what abilities it had or what kind of being it was, but at the time, that didn’t matter.

[The Abyss cannot descend into the mortal realm without a special medium or contractor.]

Elannis is a continent influenced by the World Tree.

There was no land where the Abyss could descend.

In other words, this meant that there was a traitor among the races of Elannis.

And the race that was singled out as the traitor was the Dark Elves.

The place where the one who swallowed the sky first appeared was the land of the Elves.

Nevertheless, the first to suffer damage was the ‘Windmane Dwarves,’ who were far away.

[The Elves were cleared of suspicion because most of the fallen Valkyries were Elves, not Dark Elves.]

At the time, they were just frustrated, wondering how things could be like this.

But the other races of Elannis were driven mad by the anger of losing their families and clans, and they needed a target to vent their anger on.

[The Elves told us, who were feeling wronged, to hide in the village we had scouted out while they tried to resolve the situation.]

So the Dark Elves left the Elven village and hid in a secluded village deep in the forest.

They believed the Elves’ words that if they stayed there for just one month, their anger would subside, and then they could have a rational conversation.

Crack-

A stream of blood flowed from between Astra’s lips as he gritted his teeth.

As if he was filled with resentment and bitterness.

He glared and clenched his fists.

[……It was all a lie.]

About a week after they had been in the village,

He appeared again.

The moment it filled the sky, a chilling noise spread.

Something of an unknown shape swept away the Dark Elves in the village. Sweeping away all, young girls and old men.

[Barely surviving and coming down to ask for help, I could see. That our false charge had not been cleared at all. That we had been confirmed as traitors……!]

On the other hand, what about the Elves?

They were smiling and making peace agreements with other races.

Also, I found out.

That the Valkyries, who I thought were dead, were still alive.

At that moment, I realized.

[Ah…….]

That the Elves had framed us.

That all of this was those bastards’ scheme.

[Ah…… Aaaah……!!]

Without knowing that, I trusted their words implicitly.

As a result, my comrades, my family, my precious ones.

I lost everyone.

[Aaaah……!!!]

He was consumed by betrayal and went berserk.

In the end, he, who had been a brilliant hero who had received the World Tree’s revelation, met a futile death at the hands of the hateful Elves.

[……This is the history I remember.]

With that, Astra finished speaking and asked quietly.

[How is it? Can you choose now?]

“…….”

Do-hyun couldn’t bring himself to open his mouth.

‘Wow, Master. He’s beyond redemption.’

‘Um…… I agree, Master.’

‘Lizariza…….’

Because he deeply agreed with the Guardians’ admiration(?).

‘……Gamilion? What I heard is different?’

There was no trash like this kind of trash.