Chapter 627: Orichalcum Mine (2)

Jepae, the Wolf King.

He had been born the son of an alpha wolf.

Jepae would never forget the moment he first opened his eyes and saw tens of thousands of wolves howling to celebrate his birth.

Was a king’s blood something one was simply born with?

From the moment of his birth, Jepae had known that he was destined to protect everything in Elvenheim.

And so he had lived as its noblest guardian, protecting countless inhabitants of the forest.

But this time had been different.

As the brainwashing took hold, Jepae had been forced to watch Elvenheim crumble.

He might even have been forced to lead the charge against the very elves he cherished so dearly.

An alpha was supposed to surrender his position when a stronger leader capable of guiding the pack appeared.

Because that was what was best for the pack.

Rustle...

That was also why Jepae lowered himself before a human.

The Ent King, who protected the vast forest, the Fairy King, the King of Centaurs, and countless wolves were all watching as Jepae displayed his submission.

Jepae understood what he was doing.

[Jepae, the Wolf King, smells the scent of a new Wolf King upon you.]

[He wishes to follow you, whom he recognizes as a greater leader.]

[However, he hopes that you will protect the wolves and the many inhabitants of this place.]

With his silver mane flowing behind him, Jepae stood three times taller than Hyunsoo.

He was nearly as large as Fenrir.

Such a being was submitting to a mere human, but Jepae felt no shame.

Hyunsoo carried the scent of an overwhelmingly powerful leader.

Jepae did not know that the scent came from Hyunsoo’s Wolf King title.

In any case...

Hyunsoo stroked Jepae’s head.

[You may accept Jepae, the Wolf King.]

He was a great and noble being.

[Jepae is a wolf who reigned as king and protected Elvenheim Forest for hundreds of years.]

[Even the Ent King, Fairy King, and King of Centaurs follow his commands.]

Hyunsoo made his decision.

“Sorry, but you should protect this place yourself.”

[You have declined to accept Jepae, the Wolf King.]

Jepae looked at Hyunsoo in confusion, but Hyunsoo understood the problem.

Jepae was their guide.

He was a king who had reigned beside them for a very long time.

Could Hyunsoo protect this place instead?

Impossible.

He was only a human. For him to protect Elvenheim, the people of the nation of Hyun would have to enter the forest.

There was no guarantee that they could coexist with its inhabitants.

In fact, forcing such an arrangement might backfire and create an even worse situation.

Besides...

It would be nice to bring him home as the new youngest, though.

“Our youngest is the Wolf King!”

That would certainly be something worth bragging about.

The problem was that it would not be easy for a being as immense as Jepae to integrate into the nation of Hyun.

There was no real need to place him under Hyunsoo’s command, either.

“Protecting this place is what you do best. And it doesn’t look like anyone here blames you.”

Hyunsoo realized that Jepae had tried to follow him out of guilt.

Submission born from such feelings could never last.

Jepae had also spent his entire life roaming vast forests and open lands, neither of which existed in the nation of Hyun.

He belonged here.

Once Hyunsoo made his decision, Jepae took several steps backward.

The truth had a habit of arriving one step too late.

Hyunsoo had assumed that Jepae, the Wolf King, could command only the wolves of Elvenheim.

He was wrong.

[Jepae, the Wolf King, is the alpha who leads the wolves across the entire continent.]

[The wolves of every habitat in which wolves reside serve him.]

[An immeasurable number of wolves submit to his authority.]

You could’ve told me that sooner!

Hyunsoo had not known Jepae was such an extraordinary being.

He was not merely the king of this forest.

In terms of influence, he might have been the equivalent of a king ruling an entire kingdom.

Still, Hyunsoo’s regret lasted only for a moment.

Because Jepae was the true Wolf King, refusing him had been the correct decision.

The nation of Hyun was still far too small to contain a being like him.

Jepae looked at Hyunsoo and howled.

[Jepae, the Wolf King, issues a royal decree.]

“AWOOOOOO!!!”

[All wolves will hear and obey your commands, including bipedal wolf species such as werewolves.]

[Jepae, the Wolf King, will answer your summons at any time.]

On that day...

Hyunsoo effectively lost the practical benefits of his Wolf King title.

In exchange...

He became a friend to every wolf in the world.

And Jepae, the Wolf King, was among them.

*****

Hyunsoo followed the direction Jepae had shown him.

As he walked, he recalled his conversation with Nell.

According to ancient historical records, the elves did not originally hide within Elvenheim Forest. They once lived alongside humans. But humanity’s greed became a problem. Humans coveted the resources possessed only by the elves, and conflict began to grow between them...

In the end, the elves hid themselves in a place humans could not find and remained unseen for a very long time. That should tell you how deeply their distrust of humanity has grown.

The reason I’m telling you this is that, should Your Majesty succeed in meeting the elves, you must not reveal that you are a king.

Hyunsoo had initially found that strange, but he understood after hearing the rest of Nell’s explanation.

There is a difference between an individual reaching the land of the elves and a king doing so. Even if an individual befriends the elves, that person is still only an individual.

A king is different. The very knowledge that you are a king may make them fear that the home they have built could one day be destroyed.

Nell was right.

They might be willing to befriend an individual, but they would hesitate to form ties with an entire kingdom.

They would not want history to repeat itself.

There’s nothing to gain by telling them anyway.

What would happen if he announced that he was a king?

Would the elves treat him with deference?

He was a king of humans, not a king of elves.

After passing through the dense forest and venturing deeper inside, an enormous village finally appeared.

Its inhabitants moved busily through the settlement.

Their pointed ears identified them at once.

Beautiful was the only word that suited them.

That applied equally to the men and women.

Their features were sharply defined against porcelain-white skin, and their eyes were either blue or brown.

Every one of them was undeniably beautiful.

It almost felt as though he had entered a village populated entirely by people who looked like Valhalla.

Hyunsoo was hardly unattractive himself, but he had a rugged, masculine appearance rather than the refined face of a young noble.

They say that when you visit Italy, Lee Taehee is working part-time at a café and Kim Wonbin is pumping gas at a station...

It felt like visiting Italy and immediately developing an inferiority complex.

Still, there was no reason for him to feel intimidated.

Hyunsoo was the one who had stopped Vadalla and the army marching toward the elves.

However...

“Jepae, the Wolf King, overcame the brainwashing and defeated Vadalla!”

“As expected of Jepae...!”

“The guardian of the forest!”

The story had spread a little differently from what Hyunsoo had imagined.

Was Hyunsoo disappointed?

Not at all.

Jepae could communicate through a limited amount of language, and Hyunsoo had deliberately asked him to spread the story that way.

If word gets out that a single human led them to victory, the repercussions will be enormous.

The elves would not welcome a human possessing such absurd power.

That was why Hyunsoo had made the request.

As a result...

“I heard a human helped him.”

“Apparently, that human possessed a wolf-related artifact and was able to command the wolves!”

The story had become that a visitor to Elvenheim happened to possess a wolf-related artifact and had provided a small amount of assistance.

“A human...”

“To think we received help from a human...”

“Humans always want something in return.”

With his highly developed senses, Hyunsoo overheard them and felt grateful for Nell’s warning.

If the elves remained this wary even after receiving his help, their resentment toward humanity must have run extremely deep.

Before long, the elves noticed him.

“A human...?”

“He really is human.”

“His ears are so small.”

“Why does his face look like that?”

“...?”

For the record, Hyunsoo was genuinely hurt when one elf looked at his face and frowned.

I wasn’t expecting a passionate welcome, but this is a little much...

Then Hyunsoo noticed something.

[Your affinity with the elves has increased.]

“???”

It could not have increased by much, but it had definitely risen.

Ah...!

Considering that a human had entered their home, the fact that they had not immediately pointed weapons at him was probably a considerable show of goodwill.

They were not treating him politely, but neither had they tried to stop him from entering the village.

DING!

[Sudden Quest: To the Elves completed.]

[You have achieved a remarkable result.]

[A 2x essence bonus has been applied.]

[You have obtained 600 essence.]

The notification confirmed that his first encounter with the elves had concluded safely.

A moment later...

“He really is a human.”

“I’ve never seen one before.”

“Why is he so dark?”

“Could he be a miner?”

“I’ve never seen anyone that dark.”

As the elves continued chattering, something that had apparently been hidden in an “invisibility mode” became visible to Hyunsoo.

[Something visible only to those permitted to enter the village is beginning to appear.]

What was it?

[You behold the true World Tree.]

[The instant you see it, your heart becomes peaceful and all worries melt away like snow.]

[Vitality increases by 40%, and the growth rate of everything you practice or learn increases by 50%.]

[Duration: Two weeks.]

It was the true World Tree.

Hyunsoo raised his head and stared at the tree that had been concealed from all eyes outside the village.

It existed on an entirely different scale from the small World Tree he had seen in the past.

Dozens of times larger, it was vast enough to cover the entire village.

Its canopy even shielded Elvenheim from the scorching sunlight.

Just looking at it filled his body with an inexhaustible energy.

And the notification had said...

My blacksmithing skills will grow 50% faster while I’m here?

The same would presumably apply to everyone else.

A knight’s swordsmanship.

An archer’s archery.

A mage’s magic.

Then Hyunsoo looked at its long branches and beautifully grown leaves, and an immense desire surged within him.

[It is the most perfect wood material.]

[The system defines it.]

[It is an absolute wood material that cannot be found anywhere else.]

“...!!”

The system did not use words like absolute or define lightly.

That was because doing so would undermine the limitless scale and wonder of the world of Ares.

Yet the system had issued a definition.

As though entranced, Hyunsoo reached out.

As a blacksmith, he was overwhelmed with joy at discovering the ultimate material for bows, spears, and countless other creations.

However...

“The World Tree is sacred. It must not be touched.”

The firm voice snapped Hyunsoo back to his senses.

He turned and saw an older elf approaching.

“I am Verua, an elder of this village.”

Elder Verua offered only the bare minimum of courtesy.

For Verua, courtesy meant not speaking down to a member of an unfamiliar race.

“I heard you helped Jepae stop Vadalla using a special artifact.”

“Yes.”

Elder Verua gestured ahead.

“Walk with me for a moment.”

When in another land, one had to follow its laws.

Since Verua had been the first to approach him, Hyunsoo had little choice but to comply.

Contrary to Hyunsoo’s expectations, Verua did not waste time speaking in circles.

“What is your purpose in visiting Elvenheim?”

There was no need to hesitate.

Hyunsoo had come for something he desperately needed.

“Orichalcum. I heard that the lord of a territory I know once received orichalcum as a gift from an elf.”

It would be a serious problem if that elf had merely been someone special who happened to possess it personally.

Elder Verua smiled.

“We elves have a saying: a kindness received must be repaid twice over. You are correct. We possess a mine containing orichalcum.”

Hyunsoo was stunned.

There’s an entire mine with orichalcum in it?!

Elder Verua continued after seeing Hyunsoo’s astonishment.

“Let us do this. I will grant you three days of access to the mine. Enter it and mine the orichalcum for us. You may keep 80% of whatever you extract.”

DING!

[Hidden Quest: Orichalcum Mine]

Grade: S

Restriction: One who has aided the elves.

Reward: 80% of the orichalcum obtained.

Failure Penalty: You will permanently lose access to the Orichalcum Mine.

Description: Enter the Orichalcum Mine and gather orichalcum.

“...”

Tremble...

Hyunsoo shuddered with excitement.

The elves were truly wonderful beings.

They were granting him access to a mine where he could obtain a Legendary mineral.

Hyunsoo would never have offered anyone such an opportunity.

More importantly, the existence of a mine meant there had to be a tremendous amount of orichalcum inside.

When Hyunsoo smiled in delight, Elder Verua smiled as well.

“We happened to be in need of orichalcum ourselves. Hahaha.”

Strike while the iron was hot.

“I will show you the location.”

Once Elder Verua explained where the mine was, Hyunsoo’s heart swelled with anticipation.

Just wait for me, orichalcum!

Hyunsoo raced away with a spring in his step.

Meanwhile...

Another elf approached Elder Verua.

“Elder, has it not been more than a hundred years since anyone managed to extract orichalcum from that mine?”

“That is precisely why I sent him.”

A cold smile spread across Elder Verua’s face.

“I have no intention of giving him anything.”

Elder Verua was certain Hyunsoo would obtain nothing from the Orichalcum Mine.