A curse spread throughout Arvones.
The deeper we went, the thicker the mist became, making it impossible to see the lower part of the Sacred Tree.
â–¶ You are entering Arvones, tainted by blood and curses. While inside this field dungeon, you will continuously suffer from bleeding due to the curse, and this effect will grow stronger over time. â—€
â–¶ As a result of destroying the Revealed Curse Fragment #2, your resistance to bleeding and curses has increased, and your attacks can now inflict stronger bleeding on enemies. â—€
â–¶ You have prevented the effects of the curse and bleeding. â—€
The power of the fragment I absorbed after defeating the Dark Spirit at the Goblin Camp had finally begun to take effect.
While I had no immediate use for the enhanced bleeding effect on my attacks, the resistance to curses and bleeding was the most valuable ability in this place.
The problem was that I could barely see ahead…
Activating my Lightsaber caused the mist around me to scatter slightly, as if repelled by the light, granting me a bit more visibility.
“So, this is a mist-type dungeon.”
This was a dungeon with severely restricted visibility, commonly found in games like Crusader Bryden NX and many others.
It seemed like my only means of securing visibility was the Lightsaber.
Keeping it on even outside of battle would consume a significant amount of mana, but I had no other choice.
As the area around me brightened, Ravi and Lenis, who had noticed the fallen elf ahead, hurriedly approached.
“Alvis! What’s going on?! Is it an enemy?”
“Wait… is that an elf?”
The two rushed toward me, pushing through the mist.
However, the moment they passed through a particularly dense section of fog, they both let out startled cries.
“Ugh…!?”
“W-what is this?”
They seemed to have felt something sharp and painful, but once they reached the area illuminated by my Lightsaber, they were fine again, as if nothing had happened.
Standing beside me, they checked their bodies in confusion.
“What was that feeling just now?”
“It felt like something stung me, and I could hardly breathe…”
“It’s the curse. This entire mist is cursed fog. That elf… only managed to ask for help before dying.”
Ravi and Lenis’ eyes widened in horror as they saw the elf, whose body was rotting and drenched in blood.
“A-are we going to be okay?”
“Alvis, is there a way to deal with this?”
“As long as you stay near my Lightsaber, you’ll be safe. It seems like this technique repels the cursed fog. While you’re here, you can see clearly and won’t be affected, but the moment you step away, the curse will keep causing bleeding, and eventually, you’ll end up like that elf. Stay close to me. And since we don’t know when a fight might break out, Lenis, use your staff’s ability on Ravi and me. Also, conserve your mana as much as possible—you’re the only one who can properly heal us here.”
“Finally, you acknowledge my true value. I don’t like wasting my precious mana on someone like Alvis, but…”
“Lenis.”
At Ravi’s stern voice, Lenis flinched slightly and reluctantly pulled out her staff.
“Fine, fine. Just stop looking at me like that.”
The wings on the staff briefly glowed white, and magical patterns appeared around Ravi and me.
▶ Due to the effect of ‘Pain Deferment,’ incoming damage is reduced, and half of the damage taken will be spread over one hour. Healing effects received are also increased. This effect lasts for one hour. ◀
With this, we wouldn’t die suddenly, no matter what happened.
“Thanks, Lenis.”
As Ravi hugged Lenis in gratitude, Lenis averted her gaze with an embarrassed expression.
“I, uh… I can’t use this on myself. So you two need to work hard to protect me, okay?”
“Of course! We’re a team, right? Isn’t that right, Alvis?”
“Yeah. Let’s move in. If we take too long, Elfin might die inside.”
We stayed close together, keeping a wary eye on our surroundings as we advanced toward the Sacred Tree of Arvones.
As we moved forward, we saw dead elves scattered all over the grass.
Each time, Ravi pinched her nose to block out the stench of rotting flesh, and Lenis struggled to hold back her nausea.
Honestly, there were more than a few moments when I wanted to throw up, but I forced myself to endure it, avoiding looking directly at the corpses as we pressed on.
After nearly an hour of walking, we finally reached the outskirts of the Sacred Tree.
There, we saw an even greater number of dead elves.
Feeling a strange sense of déjà vu, Ravi quietly called out to me.
“Alvis. This place… doesn’t it look like…”
“Yeah. It’s just like what happened at the Goblin Camp.”
“Then… does that mean something like that Dark Spirit will appear again?”
“Arvones is far bigger than that Goblin Camp. If anything, whatever’s behind this will be even worse. If any more living elves start dying, it’ll be too late. First, let’s find the surviving elves and Elfin. Do you hear anything?”
Ravi perked up her rabbit ears and focused.
After a moment, her ears twitched, and she pointed in one direction.
“I hear voices from the northeast. I can’t tell if they’re elves or enemies, though.”
“Let’s check it out.”
Using the Lightsaber as a torch in the darkness, we moved forward and found several elves lying on the ground, their decaying bodies drenched in blood, barely clinging to life.
“S-save… me… please…”
“Tch.”
It wasn’t just an unpleasant sight—if we hesitated, they would all die.
I wasn’t thinking about saving them for some kind of reward.
I just didn’t want to watch people die right in front of me.
I activated the Eye of Truth once more, and immediately, I saw the traces of the curse clinging to the elves.
Without hesitation, I swung my Lightsaber.
The dark stains of the curse dissolved in the light.
Normally, the Lightsaber was a combat technique.
But just like during my battle with Vector—when the light passed harmlessly through Ravi, who had been controlled by dark energy—this time, the blade erased the traces of the curse without harming the elves.
Now, this sword of light had evolved to provide a faint healing effect to those I considered allies.
Its healing power was nowhere near even the weakest spells Lenis could cast, but right now, even a small recovery was crucial.
However, contrary to my expectations of a mere emergency treatment, the moment the elves were bathed in the light of the Lightsaber, their rotting flesh instantly healed, and their bleeding stopped entirely.
“H-hah… I-it doesn’t hurt anymore…?”
“I… I can breathe!”
“A h-human?! Wait… there’s even a Bunnykin?!”
Seeing outsiders—unapproved by Arvones—inside their sacred land, the elves huddled together in shock.
Ravi and Lenis, witnessing the elves recover so dramatically, turned to stare at me in disbelief.
“Those elves were practically dead just moments ago… but now they look completely fine…”
“Wait… Alvis, you know healing magic? No way… that can’t be right…”
“It’s not healing. I only removed the effects of the curse. They’re still weak enough to collapse if you so much as touch them. Lenis, this is where you come in. Use your healing magic on them.”
“Tch… You guys really treat me like some kind of mana dispenser, huh?”
Despite her grumbling, Lenis cast healing spells on the elves.
Before the shocked elves could even say anything, I grabbed one of them and asked,
“Hey. Where are the other elves?”
“T-that’s none of a human’s busine—”
Smack!
I smacked the head of the young elf who dared to talk back and shouted at him.
“Are you only going to come to your senses after all your kin are dead just because you refuse to accept human help? Just tell me where the survivors are!”
“I-I heard they took refuge in the northern library!”
An elven girl, who seemed to be the older sister of the elven boys, raised her hand and pointed north.
“When did this mist start? Do you know who caused it?”
“About ten days ago… but I don’t know who did this.”
“You know where the library is, right? Lead the way.”
Taking the elven children with me, we followed their guidance and entered the library, built within the hollowed-out interior of the sacred tree.
On the way, we saw countless corpses of elves, their bodies blackened and rotting, oozing pus and blood.
As we reached the library, we noticed clear traces of desperate attempts to ward off the cursed mist—magic spells, potions, and various defenses had been employed.
They must have had some effect, as hundreds of elves inside the library were still alive. However, their condition was dire.
Unlike the elven children, these elves were conscious and aware of their surroundings, though they writhed in pain.
“W-Who… are you…?”
“Outsiders…? Cough!”
“Huff… cough… H-How did you… And that light…?”
“We are Elfin’s companions. We’ve come to help, so please don’t be alarmed. First, we’ll heal your bodies.”
Once again, I swung my Lightsaber, instantly dispelling the curses clinging to the elves in the library.
Their rotting flesh and nonstop bleeding ceased as if by a miracle, and they touched their bodies in disbelief.
“M-My body… it’s healed…!”
“How is this possible…? Even with all the knowledge of our people, we could only slow the symptoms at best!”
Saving hundreds of elves was a relief, but now I had another problem.
There was no way I could take all these elves with me while wielding the Lightsaber.
Yet, leaving them here was just as dangerous—Lenis’ healing magic might help, but it wouldn’t last long enough.
After a moment of thought, I made my decision.
I drove the Lightsaber deep into the floor of the library.
The blade, now like a beacon, illuminated the surroundings, repelling the cursed mist.
Then, I turned to Ravi, Lenis, and the elves.
“As long as this light remains here, the mist won’t be able to invade this place again. Everyone, stay here and don’t move. Ravi, if anything attacks, do your best to hold it off. Lenis, keep treating the elves.”
“What about you, Alvis?”
“I can sense where the other elves are. And this mist can’t harm me. I’m the only one here who can move freely without the light. I’ll go out and rescue the remaining elves.”
“But without a weapon…!”
“I have ways to fight besides that.”
Realizing my determination, Ravi pulled me aside while Lenis was busy treating the elves.
She took me behind a bookshelf, away from prying eyes, then wrapped her arms tightly around me and kissed me.
With tears welling up in her eyes and her rabbit ears drooping, she whispered:
“You have to come back safely.”
“Of course.”
I kissed her again, then gently pushed her back toward the library before stepping out into the mist.