Dammit, dammit, god fucking dammit! What the hell are they doing here?!"

The sounds of rustling bushes and snapping branches echoed through the vast forest of Evasha, accompanied by a constant stream of quiet cussing. The source of which being one of the elf kingdoms many conscripts.

Conscripts were generally seen as a poor tactic in times of war, only to be used if one was out of options, or if the aim was to crush the opposition with pure numbers. These rarely worked however, and really only damaged the country in the long run.

For a human nation anyway.

Because of their superior traits and natural born talents, using conscript soldiers was much more effective for elves then it would be for humanity, since the population rarely dwindled due to the nature of this war.

Of course, a trained or talented human could defeat a normal elven soldier with ease. Ones innate talents could not make up the windfall when faced with the results of pure hard work. And in the case of the Holocaust scripture, this unspoken rule of nature was proven thoroughly.

Members of the Holocaust scripture were all fitted with many magic items that increased there stealth abilities, possessed magic to further enhance these abilities, with some of the more combat oriented members possessing 3rd tier spells, and knew of tactics that far surpassed those of the elves, causing what was once a even battle into a uphill battle in the blink of an eye.

Though they average theocracy soldier was already stronger then the average elven soldier, they had always managed to gain the upperhand because of there guerrilla tactics. However, now that the theocracy had sent out soldiers who knew of such attacks, and ways to counteract them, them war had taken a very drastic turn.

Although the Holocaust scripture were adept in these tactics, and possessed much better gear and skill then an individual soldier, they did not know the forest the way the elves did, and this advantage was the only thing that gave them I fighting chance..

Even if the theocracy had individuals of a uniformly high level due to the upbringing and academies of the country, the elven army was able to hold them off for so long because of how difficult the forest truly was to navigate.

Since humans rarely entered the forest anyway, no one other then an elf knew the path to reach the cities hidden within the woods. What separated the forest from ordinary ones wasn't just its size, but its almost maze like structure. That coupled with its sections of dense foliage that even blocked out the sky, a good sense of direction was the bare minimum requirement for entering, and if one were to travel even deeper, they would need to possess one that bordered on the super-natural.

However, the elves had lived in this forest for hundreds of years, and as such, learned various paths and shortcuts that were invisible to outsiders, such as memorizing certain trees and branches as landmarks. They did not want to create a trail for the enemy to follow by leaving landmarks, so it was entirely committed to memory.

Through this mastery were the elves able to squeak out victories against the superior forces of the theocracy. To date, none of the theocracy's forces had ever made it beyond the edges of the forest. Even if the Holocaust scripture had been able to best them in tactics, they were still unable to find their way too deep into the forest. Of course, it was only a matter of time before this too changed, and the true battle would begin.

As the figure continued its hasty retreat, the seemingly endless stream of expletives continued on.

Shit! Nobody told me the Holocaust scripture was already this far in! What the hell am I supposed to do now! I can't let him catch me.

It was no secret that the fate of elves captured by the theocracy was not a kind one. Either you were used as a slave, and would be killed whenever your usefulness came to an end, or they would just end you outright.

"Damn that worthless king to hell! If he actually did his job as a leader, then I wouldn't even be in this mess! Aren't you supposed to be the strongest!? Fight Already!"

He quickly covered his mouth, as his anger was subconsciously causing his voice to rise.

Though these words could easily be cause for execution if overheard by the wrong person, it was not at all uncommon. In fact it would not be inaccurate to say this opinion was shared by The entire population. Only one person would argue the contrary, and that person was the lustful tyrant himself.

Still, I've been running for quite some time. He couldn't still be chasing me... right?

Though his muscles ached and his mind screamed for rest, he knew in his heart that if he abided his thoughts, he would have already been captured. So he simply steeled his nerves and looked to his back to

He's... gone?

Though he found it hard to believe, it would seem he had somehow managed to lose a soldier from one of the theocracy's most powerful units.

If that was the case, then maybe he could find a safe spot to lay and allow sis limbs a brief reprieve. After that, reporting the incident to his superior would be the best course of action.

If the theocracy are already this far in the forest, it means they must have found a way around its trickery! And if that's the case, then I need to–!

Suddenly, a force from his front immediately knocked him out of his thoughts and threw him to the to the ground.

He had most likely ran into a tree in his moment of inattention.. He was mildly embarrassed by this, and was thankful no one else was around. Whatever the case, it was obviously not pleasant, as he could not help but rub his head to soothe the blunt force trauma he had just endured.

Yet once he had finally collected his thoughts enough to register what he had ran into, his entire body froze over.

No... not like this...

What was before him was a monster. Plain and simple. The majority of its body seemed to be composed of a vine like structure, jutting with thorns. Foliage and other plant matter appeared to be quite dense around the creatures "face", with two piercing yellows eyes, devoid of emotion within the cage of shrubbery.

Many types of plant type monsters inhabited the woods of Evasha, though they tended to be rare, and most tolerated elves if they were not disturbed, they could be a force to be reckoned with if one was made angry.

The most common of which, Dryads, would only attack people who violated and harmed the forest, however since elves always strove to live in harmony with the woods, dryads did not bother them, and would even help each other out from time to time.

Ents were more rare, and were quite aggressive, as they were known to be territorial. But they usually only inhabited the deepest sections of the woods,. Though dangerous to face one on one, the could be chased off by large groups of people, but required at least a platinum ranked adventurer to defeat.

Several other creatures took shape in his mind as he attempted to compare them to the being in front of him now, but nothing from his memory could compare with the creature. The only thing he did recognize was the danger of his situation.. Though he knew how to fight, his abilities were at their best when he had the element of surprise. In a one on one, he was confident that he could at least stand his ground against a normal human, but fighting stronger creatures was not something he could feasibly do. Especially not against monster, and

As if to illustrate that point, the creature immediately back away from him as fast as it could, and tensed its body in what could only be described as a combat stance, a move that clearly emphasized the creatures intentions. Either preparing for a strike to come his way, or to land the first blow. Though from the occasional trembles it's body was making, it was likely the former.

This was extremely bad.

He had held on to the faint glimmer of hope that this being could be reasoned with, yet that hope had been thoroughly dashed

Even so, he still had to try.

Since it had taken a stance, that showed it at least had intelligence, or at the very least was not a mere mindless brute. Though it was a long shot, it was his only chance of survival.

But even with his newfound resolve, his lips could not seem to form words. He had already tensed up when he first laid eyes on its form, but the moment it engaged hostilities, Every fiber being, down to his very soul, Were all screaming the same message in unison.

There is great danger here

Though he had been afraid before of the theocracy chasing him, this was a pure, primal terror. one that had potential to stop the hearts of the weak – such as himself – from the pressure alone.

Granted he had not faced many monsters himself, so he did not know if this aura was unique to this creature or not, but that thought quickly faded into the back of his mind, as survival instincts took over his mind, looking for anyway to escape the current predicament.

And though the aura was terrifying, that very aura also acted as a motivator for him as well. If this thing could put him in such a state without even attacking him, he would not even be able to withstand one blow when he actually was attacked by it. He did not want to die, but he also needed to fight

"W-w-wa–"

"–Escaping, were we?"

A smug voice from behind him sent a new thrill of terror through him. Though he knew it was a grave mistake turning away form the current threat, the same thing could be said about ignoring the new presence.

He Already had a hunch on who the voice belonged to, and as he turned to face his new adversary, it was proven correct.

He had not escaped after all. Running into this beast was quite literally, a fatal mistake.

His fate had been sealed.

"Clever trick trying to lose me in the woods like that. Unfortunately for you, cheap tricks from the likes of you savages was only going to work for so long."

"Grk!"

He took a trembling step back to get away, but as he did so, his remembered the position he was in, and stopped half way through the action.

Though he wanted to run away, that would mean running headfirst into the creature behind him, so he was effectively frozen in place. His mind could not make up what to do, leaving him at a mental dead end.

"Don't even Try it!"

The soldier, seeing this hesitation as a preparation to escape, threw him to the ground, preparing to slit the now defenseless elf's throat.

Before he could end his life however, he managed to throw a punch into his jaw, knocking the man off of him, and giving him a quick opportunity to maneuver away.

"You damn mongrel!"

However, if the man were able to be taken out by a mere punch, he would not be able to bare the title of the windflower scripture. He immediately replayed him in kind with a kick to the stomach, knocking him to to floor once more. This time however, the mans boot slammed down hard against his chest, firmly planting him where he now lay. A cracking noise accompanied this, followed by a wince of pain.

"Did you really believe you could escape? Your an even bigger fool then I thought!"

In truth he did not think escape was possible from the get-go, and was fully prepared to die. But after running for as long as he had without being caught, his heart held on to the slightest glimmer of hope that he may be able to live to see another day. Yet that cruel joke his mind had played on him only amplified the despair he now felt.

The theocracy soldier merely raised his dagger, preparing to slice him cleanly at the throat.

"I'll admit you gave me quite the work out trying to catch you elf. Though it's a shame you're not a woman, since waiting for you vermin to wander into our traps is getting rather tiresome. "

He only closed his eyes, awaiting his end. The rantings of scum from the likes of these people was not worth listening to. He only prepared himself for the strike that was to follow.

Yet as the seconds went by, that strike never came.

He slowly opened his eyes again, only to find the man staring into space with fear written all over his face.

There was only one thing that could have distracted the soldier from taking his life. It would seem he had finally noticed the monster, and could only stare in slack jawed terror, much like he had before.

The vines on its "arms" began to constrict even tighter around themselves, almost like muscles contracting. Though neither man could tell what the beast was thinking, it was plain to see that peace was not on its mind.

"J-Just what the hell are you you monster?! Stay Away!"

It was almost comical how fast he had switched gears from his usually condescending attitude to one of absolute panic.

In response to his wailing however, a voice that sounded like it was both whispering and shouting rang forth. It was as if the wind itself was given voice.

"[Harden Resolve!]"

A light yellowish aura surrounded the creature, which quickly dissipated into nothingness as soon as it came.

Was that some kind of spell?

The quiet voice that he had heard before the lights appearance was what lead him to that conclusion.

Certainly high level monsters could cast spells and the like. Intelligent ones had an even more likely chance to be able to learn them.

For monsters, whose body is already a weapon in its own right, obtaining magic to further strengthen themselves made them so strong it almost seemed unfair. That was why only high level adventurers could take down such beings.

As he thought about such things, The mutterings continued.

"[Cloak of the Ancestor], [Spirit Garb], [Aspec– ]

"–Just shut the hell up already you freak! Don't come any closer!" [Fireball!]"

It would seem the scripture member had caught on to what it was attempting, as he gave him no quarter, cutting the creature off before it could continue to get stronger. He scrambled to put himself in a proper attacking position in his fear, leading to a rather clumsy and somewhat humorous attack.

Regardless of the method, and attack was still an attack. The crimson ball of heat sailed through the air, cleanly striking its target and detonating with a roaring blaze, turning the once vibrant patch of land into a blazing inferno, and a great column of smoke engulfed the fiend where it stood.

Seeing as the creature had made no attempt to dodge the attack, he allowed himself to relax, and immediately assumed his prior aura of superiority, as if the frantic flailing a moment prior "There goes you lifeline."

The evil grin on his face widened to truly grotesque proportions as he stared down at his prey.

Fire attacks were optimal strategies when facing creatures made of plants. Unless they could make due with spells of there own, it was a quick way end a battle

However...

A large vine immediately shot out from the cloud of soot, smashing into the man with unimaginable force and velocity. It's speed was such that the man did not even have the time to scream before his body was reduced to nothing but scraps of flesh and shards of bone. The armor he wore – one of the highest quality in the theocracy – did not effect the result in the slightest, as that to was obliterated upon contact with the whip-like appendage.

He did not even need to look to know what it's source was.

As the black smog was carried away by the wind, the creatures form became visible once more. The flames did not seem to affect it in the slightest, as not a single leaf on its body was so much as singed. It just stood as if nothing had even happened.

This was why he did not rejoice at the mans death. It had simply made his inevitability demise all the more absolute.

Though he did not wish for it, he had accepted his demise, and simply closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable strike that would send his soul to the great hereafter.

"..."

After a few moments, Uncertainty began to fill his mind, wondering why he was still alive. Though brief, he had resolved himself for death but a mere few seconds prior, allowing his mind to go numb so his death would be painless. But now that h he would these thoughts shook his courage, allowing fear to creep its way into his heart once more.

Though soon after, he begun to hear the large footfalls of the monster as it moved ever closer.

Step... step... step...

He had seen what this thing was capable of, and did not even attempt to run. And even if he attempted to, he was still tired from his earlier chase, and would not end up creating any meaningful distance. The only thing he could do was silently listen as his death approached inch by inch.

Though what happened next was completely outside the realm of his imagination.

"Are you alright?"

.

.

.

Why the hell did I do that?

When he had first noticed the new entity appear next to the current threat, he truly thought he was finished.

He had been on guard ever since the elf had showed itself due to the circumstances of their encounter. Humanoids were always discriminatory of Heteromorphs in YGGDRASIL, and until proven otherwise, he would simply have to keep that train of thought in this world.

At first glance, it would seem as though he had the upper hand, what with the elfs obvious fear of him. however, feigning weakness was an all to common trick in PVP games. Players would act weak, then when your guard was lowered, deliver what was usually a deciding strike.

With that in mind he choose to put up his guard rather then risk a fatal blow. This was a life and death situation, and he would not allow himself to be taken out do to carelessness.

However his plan went completely off the grid when the new guy showed up. Based on the dynamic between the two, it seemed obvious that he was stronger then the elf, which sent his alertness levels even higher.

At first he was content to watch the two of them fight and stay out of sight to get a grasp of their abilities, but when his attention focused on him, he panicked and began to cast as many defense buffs as he could before getting interrupted.

But instead, the most shocking thing yet had occurred.

Not only did he use a 3rd tier spell, but the spell did not damage to him what so ever. Since his race did not posses the [Spell immunity III] trait, it meant that the spell had been nullified solely off of his less then impressive magic defense. And through that information, he could gather one crucial detail.

He's weak.

For starters, it seemed from his equipment that he was a stealth based attacker that focused on both physical and magical attack. That being the case, his stats in those categories would have almost certainly been higher then his defenses. More then that, he should have used a much stronger spell if he had intended to kill.

As he processed this information, he suddenly saw this situation for the opportunity that it was.

I needed to test my strength some time right?

He had shouted a defensive spell from his memory as a instinctive reaction, and to his surprise, the ability had actually worked. With that being the case, he could reasonably assume he still had his abilities from YGGDRASIL as well.

He attempted to throw a punch with his left right arm, put ended up launching the entire length towards him like a whip, as it would seem that his right arm appeared to be a weapon rather then a appendage

He could not properly control his strength however, leading to a rather messy end to the opponent in front of him.

Even if he had roughly gained a outline of the opponents strength, he would not allow himself to let his guard down.

Maybe I can play on his good side, seeing as I just saved him.

He choose to move slowly so he would not startle him and cause the elf to run. If he did so, it would be losing a valuable source of info, something he could never forgive himself for.

Once he had made it to what he deemed a comfortable distance, he attempted to calm him by stating his intentions.

"Are you alright?"

Though his words were calm, the boy quickly shuffled away from him, eyes full of confusion and panic. It would seem both parties were equally suspicious of each other.

If he was to scared of him to answer, he may have to use force to get the information out of him, which he did not want to resort to.

"W-what?"

Luckily, it would seem that wouldn't be necessary.

"Like I said, I just wanted to see if you were alright. I'd assume you would be shaken up from an event like that occurring.

Slowly but surely, the fear on his face drained bit by bit, by the confusion never left.

Is it because of my character? I guess I was right about how I am viewed then.

"I understand it may be unnerving to receive assistance from once such as I, but rest assured I mean no harm."

"Really?" Though the tone of his voice made it quite obvious that he did not believe him, but he also had no real choice but to believe him. If he didn't and actually provoked him, that would not end well for him at all.

He shakily rose from his spot on the ground, eyeing his savior the entire time in search of abnormal movements or signs up deception, but as one would assume, it was rather difficult to read a plants emotions.

"What kind of creature are you anyway? I've never seen something like you before.?"

"I am a forest spirit. Have you not heard of my kind?"

If such a common enemy is unknown to these people, then I will need to be careful about what I say...

"I have, but aren't they, and I mean no disrespect when I say this, weak creatures? Your strength far exceeds anything I've ever come across."

"...That is true, but–"

IN YGGDRASIL, the same could be said about almost every race in the game. All of them started off weak, growing stronger as either the player leveled up, or the creatures ranks went up. All monsters in the game had variants of each other, so it was only reasonable to assume that some variants were weak, and some were strong.

If he doesn't even know that much, then its a wonder how he's managed to make it this far. Or is this a particularly low-level area in the world?

"No– You may be right about that. I just happen to be one of particular note. Though I would hardly say I'm as strong as you claim. And to answer you second question, if I wanted you dead, I would have done so already. However it is a bit awkward to talk without knowing each others names. I am known as..."

Before he answered, he paused for a moment, thinking of the proper reply to give in this situation. And after a moment had past, he found it.

"Tzu. A pleasure."

"Is that so... Ah! Forgive me, I'm not very familiar with the names of other races is all. And my name is Iyrin. Though I still have my doubts about you, the fact remains that you saved my life." Though he bowed in gratitude, it was done rather quickly, attempting to minimize the amount of openings he was showing.

Though the curtness of the act was rather rude, it was understandable given the circumstances, so he did not pursue the matter.

"Think nothing of it... Actually, maybe you should. There is something I would like in return for saving you."

"A-and that is? " Though he was obviously worried of what payment he would need to offer, it was unclear whether he was feeling that way towards

"If possible, could you take me–"

Back with you to your base?

He stopped his question halfway as he realized just how dangerous his next request could be.

What if this is a trap? Maybe he is part of a larger group that are all on par with me? If a follow him, will he lead me to a guild

Not only did he not know anything about him, his motives, allies, and moral stance were also unknown variables. This was practically a coin flip with his life if things ended up badly.

He weighed the pros and cons in his head, and truth be told, leaving here to continue with his original plan of espionage still seemed quite attractive. But he also knew he would never get such a perfect opportunity to gain information again. Not to mention how incredibly dangerous it would be to ask someone the location of there secret base.

Yet, against all odds, he said it.

He honestly felt like smacking himself in the face, as this went against everything his long history with PVP had taught him. But the decision has been finalized, and at this point, all he could do was chastise himself for his foolish mistake.

Suspicion once again dawned on him upon hearing that extremely odd question. "Why would you need to do that in the first place? You may have saved me, but that doesn't mean that I know your intentions are pure"

"I assure you I mean no harm. Right now all I want is information. And I feel that this is the best way to do it."

"And what exactly do you plan to do with that information?"

"Unfortunately I cannot say."

The elf squinted his eyes one final time before giving a long winded sigh.

"Though I can't say I am fully okay with this, I'll take you only because you saved me. Follow me."

Though it would seem he had managed to coerce him for now, he could not help but notice his troubled expression as they left.

Please don't let me regret this...

A/N I can't wait until we get more info on the elf kingdom in the next volume. But all we can do now is guess.

Also, The reason this one took so long was because I'm starting a new fic soon. It won't interfere with this fic in the future, as I'm just going to work on it as a side project, I just wanted to get a head start since it will be very long and arduous to complete due to the nature of it, but look forward to that in the future. The far future. Also, For now the story is on a small hiatus, as i just don't have the same motivation when i first started, so i feel like i won't be able to make this the best it can be if i force myself to write when i don't want to. once i am up to it again, i will continue with this. since i started this story, i have a obligation to finish it.