168 - 24 Hearts

**Chapter 168: The Tree and Iron** --- **Setting 9. "The Mysterious Guardian in the Elven Forest"** Perlnerren gazed intently at the glass bottles meticulously arranged within the room. These were no ordinary glass bottles; reinforced by magic and inscribed with special runes, they were crafted to withstand any significant impact without even a scratch. Inside, fragments of his heart glowed softly, emanating a presence that was impossible to ignore. Using these heart fragments, six swords and a single ring were created – seven weapons in total. In hindsight, it was a truly insane endeavor. Realizing that he had little time left to live, driven by curiosity and a need to escape boredom, no one imagined that a sovereign – a presence untouchable in the demon realm – would extract his own heart and break it into pieces. He recalled the moment he removed his heart. When he saw his heart pulsating fervently within his palm, the sensation was not one of fear of death but an overwhelming ecstasy. The heart was proof of his existence in this world, of being alive. He laughed recklessly. The sovereign's body did not die even when the heart was extracted and fragmented; it merely weakened. Perlnerren desired to leave a vivid mark so that every world, including the demon realm, the middle realm, and the celestial realm, would remember him. In the demon realm, none dared to disregard him, but that was not the case with his arch-rival in the celestial realm. The frail beings of the middle realm likely thought him weaker than their other lords. He wanted to change that perception. He wanted to instill fear in them. Initially, he extracted his heart and created the fragments just to leave a trace, but now, with little time left, his objective was to be remembered by all. To achieve this, he needed to create timeless and coveted weapons. 'What should I create?' Having crafted seven treasures, he pondered but did not force himself to create something. Despite his limited lifespan, he still had a few hundred years left. Death was approaching, yet there was still time. Living leisurely and taking his time, one day he hunted down demons who, not yet having realized their place, aspired to challenge the sovereign's throne. These overconfident demons knelt before him with just a wave of his hand. 'How bothersome.' He thought so. Having to deal with small fry one by one was indeed a bothersome task. 'It would be great to have a sentinel.' A sentinel loyal to him, who would never betray him. Like other rulers who kept demons known as the Seven Deadly Sins under their command. He needed trustworthy sentinels to defend his floating island. This led to the creation of the eighth fragment, 〈Lysand Arda〉. He gathered the toughest mountain rock known in the demon realm and rare metals, along with the blood and bones of high-level beasts. He employed all his knowledge to draft designs and consider the enchantments to be implemented. It should be capable of self-repair if damaged. It should be able to make independent judgments in various situations. After countless errors and experiments, he completed the main body, 〈Lysand Arda〉, and twenty-four subordinate bodies, 〈Akan〉. These golems, equipped with self-regeneration, autonomous judgment abilities, and superior combat instincts, far exceeded Perlnerren's expectations. Moreover, something about the heart fragment gave Lysand Arda a semblance of self-awareness. However, it lacked a proper vocal system, rendering it incapable of speech. To efficiently operate the subordinate bodies, the magical power contained in a single fragment was insufficient. Thus, he temporarily supplied magical power to the 〈Akan〉 using other fragments and later created a colossal spear for Lysand Arda to combat immense beasts. In any case, Lysand Arda and Akan successfully guarded the floating island. That was until Perlnerren cast the twenty-four fragments into the middle realm. The eighth fragment, 〈Lysand Arda〉, fell into the Elven Forest, where the World Tree stood. At that time, a noble high elf named Via, referred to as the Sword Star, who had lived for centuries, was present in the Elven Forest. Via encountered the Lysand Arda that had plummeted from the sky. Despite falling from a great height and creating a massive crater on one side of the forest, the golem remained intact at the site. The elves were wary of 〈Lysand Arda〉. They soon realized that the fragment the demonic realm's sovereign had mentioned was indeed this golem. However, they were powerless to act. Burying the golem underground was attempted, but it simply walked out. Sealing was also impossible. Ultimately, the elves decided to leave the golem untouched where it stood. The subsequent treatment and management of Lysand Arda by the elves remain unknown. However, what is certain is that Via, the Sword Star, became the master of 〈Lysand Arda〉. There was a kingdom at the time, unrivaled even if compared to an empire. 〈Silan〉, known as the Slave Kingdom, the protagonist of this tale, conquered lands of neighboring kingdoms, enslaving the nobles and people and trading them to foreign countries, amassing immense wealth. To capture more valuable elves, the Slave Kingdom sent large-scale forces. The forces divided into two paths to enter the forest, with a mercenary known as the Bow Star included as bait to draw out Sword Star Via. The Slan Kingdom, intent on amassing tremendous wealth by selling elves as slaves, eagerly awaited the impending victory. However, they were oblivious to the presence of 〈Lysand Arda〉 in the Elven Forest. At that time, the power contained within the fragment was not well-known to the world. Then, for the first time, 〈Lysand Arda〉 moved as humans entered the forest and elves hurriedly prepared for action. Although it’s unclear how, Lysand Arda harnessed the power of the World Tree, opening a pocket dimension from which 24 units of 〈Akan〉 emerged. Eight units of 〈Akan〉 followed in the direction of Sword Star Via, while the remaining sixteen units accompanied 〈Lysand Arda〉. The Bow Star, entrenched in a battle with Via, witnessed a sudden upheaval as soldiers of the Slan Kingdom from the rear were thrown into disarray. Realizing something had gone awry, the Bow Star knew it was too late to withdraw. As the Bow Star and Sword Star fought relentlessly, the primary forces of the Slan Kingdom, which had infiltrated earlier, began capturing elves. Although the elves wielded threatening magic and archery, the overwhelming number of skilled knights made resistance futile. The capture of their own kind further weakened their response. Without trained soldiers like humans, the elves could only muster self-defense teams to protect their villages, lacking any means to overcome the immediate crisis. It was then that the sixteen units of Akan emerged. The appearance of 〈Akan〉 in armored knight form initially startled the elite forces of Silan, though they quickly mounted a counterattack. Knights and mages, wielding enchanted swords, launched their assault, resulting in devastation. The Akans, bolstered by the World Tree’s magic, displayed remarkable power, slaughtering both knights and mages. When the colossal Lysand Arda, standing nearly 10 meters tall, revealed itself, the resolve of Slan's soldiers crumbled. Lysand Arda and Akan showed mercy only to the elves, slaying humans alone. As tireless golems, they relentlessly pursued the invaders. Scattered humans became prey to the elves in return. Even the Bow Star, locked in combat with Via, met their demise, and only a handful of ragged survivors returned to the Slan Kingdom. In the aftermath, Silan began a decline, soon facing revolts across its territories and suffering severe setbacks, even as it once aimed to become an empire. Despite the downfall of a kingdom, human greed for elf slaves did not wane. If anything, the value of elven slaves skyrocketed astronomically, enticing even more slave traders seeking fortune. However, most who ventured into the forest never returned. On rare occasions, slave traders somehow captured elves and returned alive. When one noble inquired whether they had the confidence to re-enter the forest and capture more elves, the answer was a firm shake of the head as the trader replied: - "There are guardians of steel who protect and coexist with the elves." Declared never to enter the Elven Forest again, the successful capture remained a rare tale. Yet, greed continued to drive many into the woods. --- **At the Border between Uroon and Silan** "Farewell." Rokshin spoke, his face heavy with exhaustion. Seeing this, Yuda gave a wry smile and extended his hand for a handshake. "Thanks for your help." "It's a job I got paid for, so there's no need for thanks..." Rokshin paused and then slowly nodded. "True. This was definitely worth an extra allowance. Being thanked is only natural. Yes, indeed." Yuda frowned at this. Wasn't he asking for more money? "Oh, you money-grubber. Haven't you earned enough already? Plus, I went to the gambling den with you again and won you a bundle." "That’s separate." Feigning an amused expression and shrugging his shoulders, Rokshin seemed so irritating Yuda could almost slap him. Yet, despite his words, he did not demand anything more. For a moment, they silently exchanged glances before Rokshin waved his hand dismissively. “If you've nothing else to say, get going. And don’t think of any cringe-worthy hugs.” “I have no desire to hug you even as much as a spider’s droppings. Oh, and don’t sell my info. Now that Uroon's turned upside down, I’d like to go in peace.” "All right. I won't sell your info. In return, if you ever return to Uroon, be sure to bring that elf wine—fruit wine, and everything. And, oh, one more thing, I need you to visit Avalon one more time." "...I promised never to go to casinos again, though." Rokshin gave him a puzzled look. “With whom?” “Lady Jeanne.” “Hmm—promises are meant to be broken, after all. You may change your mind when the time comes. Let's chat again when you return to Uroon, with the wine, of course.” “…Sure. Although I probably won’t return.” Yuda took a deep breath. "Then I'll be on my way." "Go on." Rokshin ended his farewell smoothly, lifting his gaze toward the elves standing behind. They watched him quietly. With a brief sigh, Rokshin briefly hesitated, then raised his hand and waved a few times. Surprisingly, the elves waved back at Rokshin. A female elf approached him and handed him a floral bracelet. Though it appeared hastily assembled, upon closer inspection, it was imbued with a bit of magic, making it robust. The elf, expressing her gratitude, placed a gentle kiss on Rokshin's forehead, then quickly retreated, seemingly embarrassed. Amused by Rokshin's dumbfounded expression, Yuda chuckled before accompanying Arhil and the elves on their way. --- **Author's Notes** --- 1) Wow...? I didn’t expect this to turn out so lengthy... 2) Srewo, I saw your comments as you read from Chapter 1 to 167 in just a few days. Thank you for your dedication to commenting even though it must have been a hassle! 3) To everyone playing Dungeon Fighter Online. Today, one of my alternate characters finally obtained a Jyagi. Even though my main never did, my mechanic alt managed to get a Jyagi after only four raid attempts, even without any switching gear. Phew. 4) Exams are approaching. To all the college students out there, we can aim for an A! Let’s all hang in there and do our best!