The elves immediately accuse Brolite of violating their sacred traditions by bringing outsiders into their homeland. She tries to explain that they’re only here to help, but the elves refuse to listen and even go as far as calling the group filthy cretins.
That’s when Puny has had enough.
She steps forward, transforms, and demands to know who they think they are to call a god filthy. The elves freeze — none of them had realized there was a god among Brolite’s companions. Unfortunately for them, that realization comes too late. Puny strikes them down with a bolt of lightning, leaving no room for doubt.
The elves immediately bow and beg for forgiveness once they understand their mistake. Puny has no intention of punishing them further, though she’s clearly disappointed that they’ve fallen so far that they couldn’t even recognize divine power anymore.
Takeru steps in to calm things down, but Lokar, one of the elves, is offended that a mere human would dare to speak in such a situation. That changes instantly when he notices Takeru’s guild ID bracelet. Upon realizing that Takeru is a high-level all-arounder, Lokar’s attitude shifts completely, and he offers to guide them to the village.
As they travel through the forest, Puny warns Takeru that she senses something deeply unpleasant in the area and tells him to stay alert. Takeru has a bad feeling that whatever it is might be connected to Brolite.
They eventually reach the entrance to the elf village, and Takeru finally understands what Puny meant. The air around the massive tree is thick with mana impurities, making it difficult to breathe.
Lokar explains that before entering the village, everyone must purify themselves in the nearby lake. However, when purification is mentioned, Takeru casually says he can handle that himself. Lokar isn’t sure what he means but allows him to proceed.
The moment Takeru casts his cleaning spell, the mana impurities vanish almost instantly. The elves stare in disbelief as the air clears far faster than they ever thought possible.
Lokar asks for an explanation of what just happened, but Brolite simply shrugs and says that Takeru does amazing things all the time, so everyone will eventually get used to it. (Which, frankly, sounds like famous last words.)
They begin ascending the massive tree, and as they climb, Brolite explains that the Great Tree Gowen is the sacred symbol of all elves. Normally, only those with special permission—or high elves—are allowed to climb all the way to the top. Naturally, everyone finds this fascinating.
Then it suddenly clicks for Klay. If Brolite is allowed to climb the tree with them, that must mean she’s a high elf too. Brolite admits he’s right and apologizes for keeping it a secret.
Meanwhile, Takeru is completely lost. He doesn’t understand why being a high elf is such a big deal. The others explain that high elves are responsible for leading the entire elven nation, which is why they’re forbidden from leaving the village under any circumstances.
Takeru still doesn’t see the problem. Even if Brolite is a high elf, he figures she must have had a good reason to break the rules. Brolite thinks about her sister and admits that saving her felt worth it—but she still can’t shake the guilt of abandoning her duties.
That’s when Takeru tells her that while traditions may seem important, following them too strictly can make life miserable. As long as she isn’t hurting anyone, he believes she has every right to choose her own path.
Hearing this, Brolite is moved to tears. She fully expected everyone to judge her for breaking her village’s rules, not support her. After calming down, she tells the group that the palace is just ahead, so they won’t have to walk much farther.
When they arrive, Brolite is warmly greeted by a woman named Amber. Brolite requests an audience with her older brother, and Amber agrees to arrange it for her.
In the meantime, Brolite and the others sit down to enjoy some tea. When Brolite’s brother finally arrives, she immediately jumps up and runs over to hug him. However, Orchest smoothly sidesteps her—not because he doesn’t care, but because Brolite has a habit of forgetting her own strength when she gets excited, and he’d rather not be crushed to death by affection.
Orchest greets everyone politely and apologizes to Takeru, having already heard about how Lokar spoke to him earlier. Takeru says it’s no big deal, but when Orchest reaches out to shake his hand, Takeru can’t help thinking that the chief of the high elves looks more like a kid than a leader.
Noticing the look on his face, Orchest chuckles and explains that it’s a fair thought. Despite the lofty title of “high elf,” his people aren’t as impressive as they claim to be. He even jokes—rather bitterly—that being barely four feet tall in heels is proof of their cursed bloodline.
Brolite immediately snaps at him, saying she hates hearing him talk down about himself. She insists that she wants to save the village from the curse because she doesn’t want their race to disappear. Orchest understands her feelings but asks her to calm down, reminding her that they still have guests.
He then apologizes for his younger sibling’s behavior. Takeru says he doesn’t mind—until he realizes that Orchest just referred to Brolite as his brother. This is the first time he’s heard that.
Brolite explains that while she lives as a woman, she is technically both male and female. Takeru is visibly confused and asks why everyone else is acting like this is completely normal. Klay explains that while rare, it does happen, so there’s no reason to make a fuss about it.
In the end, Orchest admits he doesn’t have much to offer but warmly invites Takeru and the others to make themselves at home.
Takeru thanks them for their hospitality, but before moving on, he asks one last question. He’s been curious about why the mana in the village feels unusually dense. Orchest is surprised that Takeru can even sense that and explains that the mana density started increasing about six months ago, seemingly out of nowhere.
That timing makes Takeru sweat internally. After all, he arrived in this world six months ago too. Feeling a bit guilty, he asks Orchest to let him try something. Stepping out to the edge of the great tree, Takeru calmly begins condensing magic power and forms a massive magic stone. Naturally, this makes Orchest’s guards panic, since giant glowing magic rocks usually don’t mean anything good.
When Takeru casually asks Orchest to touch it and say “start,” the guards completely lose it and try to stop him—but they’re too late. The magic stone activates, shoots into the air, and within moments, the suffocating mana begins thinning out rapidly. Just like that, the village’s long-standing crisis is resolved.
Orchest is stunned. He can’t believe Takeru fixed something they struggled with for months in mere seconds. Convinced this must be destiny, he assumes Takeru is the one with the “different blood” spoken of in prophecy. Meanwhile, Takeru is utterly confused as everyone suddenly drops to their knees.
Before things get even more awkward, Orchest asks Takeru to follow him. He leads him to a stone tablet at the base of the tree, inscribed with ancient words passed down through generations of high elves. Takeru reads it and learns of a prophecy foretelling the fading of sacred blood, followed by death and destruction—until new blood arrives to restore everything.
At that point, Takeru realizes this world might be giving him way more credit than he ever asked for.
Orchest is stunned that Takeru can read the prophecy at a single glance when it took the elves decades to even begin deciphering the strange language. From its wording, it clearly foretells the possible extinction of the high elf race. The “person of different blood” mentioned is almost certainly Takeru, but even he has no idea what he’s actually supposed to do about it. Thinning out the ambient mana is about as far as his problem-solving skills go—for now, at least.
Later that night, Takeru and the others relax in a hot spring, though his mind is still stuck on that ominous prophecy. Unfortunately, it’ll have to wait, since finding Brolite’s missing sister comes first. Still, his curiosity doesn’t stop there. Wanting to know more about the curse Orchest mentioned earlier, Takeru asks Brolite about it. She hesitates, but Amber steps in and offers to explain.
She tells Takeru that the curse is a mysterious affliction spreading among high elves, causing severe abnormalities in their physical development. Over the past fifty years, it has worsened to the point where every newborn baby dies shortly after birth. The cause remains unknown. Amber admits this hits close to home, as she herself lost a child to the curse.
The next morning, Orchest brings Takeru to meet the queen, who thanks him for dispelling the oppressive mana suffocating the village. Takeru is glad he could help, but he also has a question of his own. He asks whether the sudden rise in mana six months ago was preceded by a violent earthquake. After a brief pause, the queen confirms that it was.
And just like that, Takeru’s uncomfortable suspicion grows even stronger.
So Takeru assumes this situation is similar to the previous incident and that the sudden mana surge must have driven the local monsters into a frenzy. He offers to take care of that problem, but before leaving, he asks one last question—about the so-called curse.
After meeting with the queen, Takeru gathers his friends and explains that he believes he’s uncovered the real truth behind it. Using his scan ability on several afflicted elves, he discovered that every single one of them suffers from hereditary abnormalities. Klay and Brolite are shocked and ask how that could even happen. To confirm his theory, Takeru asks Brolite who Amber had her child with. She answers, rather casually, that Amber married her twin brother. And… well, the problem becomes painfully obvious.
The high elves aren’t cursed—they’re just extremely inbred.
Takeru explains that the solution is simple: have children with people who aren’t basically a branch away on the family tree. Brolite bursts into tears at the realization that this could finally stop children from being born only to suffer and die. However, Takeru points out the biggest obstacle—the high elves are obsessed with bloodline purity, so convincing them to change centuries of tradition won’t be easy.
Brolite assures him she can persuade the queen and Orchest to support the reform, but even with royal backing, changing everyone’s mindset overnight is still a tall order. That’s when Takeru gets an idea. Since Puny is a highly respected god, he asks her to issue a divine decree to force the elves to listen.
Unfortunately, Puny refuses outright. She bluntly states that she isn’t the god of the elves and frankly doesn’t care if they go extinct. Takeru, however, reminds her that gods or not, they’re all friends—and when friends are in trouble, you help them. Even if it’s inconvenient. Especially if it’s inconvenient.
Puny normally wouldn’t want to get involved, but Takeru is so persistent that she finally gives in. She explains that if they want all the elves to comply, the order has to come from their god, which means they need to find Lelania. Since she’s acting on Takeru’s behalf, she warns him to be ready to offer proper compensation. He briefly panics, expecting something outrageous, but to his great relief, Puny only asks for a plate of buttered potatoes. Truly a divine bargain.
Puny, Bee, and Takeru head out to search for Lelania, but even after flying around the forest for an hour, there’s no sign of her. Brolite starts worrying that Lelania might be deliberately avoiding them, which is entirely possible, but Takeru suggests gathering more information before jumping to conclusions. He asks if there’s an adventurers’ guild nearby, and Rely tells him about the Damos Adventurers Guild, one of the most reputable on the continent.
They soon arrive at the guild, and Craystone explains that it boasts the highest average adventurer rank around. However, due to its isolation, it’s practically a phantom guild. Inside, they’re greeted by Sara, a pink-haired elf and the guild master. She’s already heard plenty about Takeru and his party and is thrilled to finally meet them—especially Brolite, which Takeru notices but wisely chooses not to comment on.
While Takeru checks in with Craystone, he learns that the quest board is filled with ordinary gathering requests, with nothing about the strange phenomena they’re investigating. One quest does catch his eye, though—cat-eared mushrooms. He’s never heard of them before. Sara casually mentions that they taste great raw, but with the dense mana particles in the area, no one has been able to gather them lately. Somehow, that explanation feels both alarming and completely normal at the same time.
Craystone thinks it’s worth investigating, so Brolite offers to guide them since she’s been to the hollow where the mushrooms grow many times before. Sara is a bit worried and asks Takeru if they’re really okay traveling with so little equipment, considering it normally takes three days to reach Keto Hollow. The group casually assures her it won’t be an issue—because, well, they have their own method of transportation.
Not long after, they’re soaring toward the hollow on Puny’s back. Brolite explains that it lies east of here, so they should arrive soon. Sure enough, Takeru spots a massive lake ahead, which confirms they’ve reached the hollow. However, Puny warns him that the mana density is steadily increasing as they get closer. Not wanting anyone to suffer mana poisoning, Takeru hands out special potions he prepared for situations exactly like this. Preparedness level: unfair.
At the entrance, Brolite freezes when she notices several monsters lying unconscious on the ground. Alarmed, she rushes ahead—but after a few steps, she suddenly starts choking and collapses to her knees. Craystone runs in to help and immediately suffers the same fate. That’s when Takeru realizes the cause is the extremely dense mana particles, so he quickly casts Clean, purging the area. Thanks to his quick reaction, Craystone and Brolite can breathe again.
Still, Puny warns him the dense mana will return soon. Takeru tells Craystone and Brolite to activate the magic items he gave them earlier, forming protective barriers around their bodies. It’s now painfully obvious that the monsters collapsed because they couldn’t handle the mana concentration. Takeru himself has resistance, so he’s fine—but with mana this thick, even Puny could be affected. Realizing this, he asks her to wait a moment while he hurriedly creates a new magic item just for her. Because apparently, crafting divine-grade equipment on the spot is just another Tuesday for him.
However, Puny says that won’t be necessary. She suddenly shrinks down to doll size and cheerfully explains to Takeru that in this form, she’s small enough to fit within the barrier’s range. As long as she perches on someone’s shoulder, she’ll be perfectly safe—convenient and adorable.
The group soon heads into the hollow, where they quickly run into a strange, cockroach-like creature lurking in the darkness. Brolite is confused since she’s never seen anything like it before and wonders how it can survive in such dense mana. Unfortunately, curiosity is rewarded with acid spit. She jumps back just in time, realizing these roaches are both aggressive and numerous.
While the team could handle a few, more and more keep swarming in. Craystone suggests an immediate retreat because dealing with an endless bug rush is nobody’s idea of fun. Takeru could wipe them all out at once, but he doesn’t want to accidentally take his friends with them. He asks Brolite if there’s an opening nearby, and she points one out ahead. The group rushes in, and once they’re inside, Takeru has everyone gather close.
With everyone safely grouped, Takeru expands his barrier to fill the entire space, crushing the roaches like oversized crumbs. Problem solved. They sit down to enjoy a warm meal inside the cave—questionable atmosphere, given the lingering “roasted roach” scent, but still impressive. Brolite is genuinely happy they can eat warmly even in a place like this, all thanks to Takeru, who casually brushes it off as no big deal. Classic Takeru.
Takeru asks Brolite how much farther they need to go, and she explains that they’re about halfway to the deepest part of the hollow. Craystone asks if that’s where the altar dedicated to Lelania is located, but Brolite shakes her head. The altar down there looks different from the ones used to worship Lelania, and no one in the elf village actually knows what it’s for—so they’ve collectively agreed to ignore it and hope it ignores them back.
That immediately raises red flags for Takeru. If even the elves don’t know its purpose, then something is definitely off. And if the altar isn’t meant for worship, there’s a good chance it exists to seal something unpleasant away. After finishing their meal, the group presses deeper into the cave. However, both Takeru and Craystone find the silence unsettling. Earlier, the place was crawling with roaches, but now it’s eerily empty, which makes Craystone uneasy.
They soon reach the deepest chamber and find a massive altar surrounded by enormous cat-eared mushrooms. Craystone is stunned, having never seen mushrooms that big, while Takeru is already mentally drafting recipes. He also notices that the wall behind the altar looks like it collapsed recently, likely due to the earthquake he caused back when he hatched Bee. At the time, he hadn’t realized his actions could have such far-reaching consequences.
Just then, Takeru senses a huge surge of mana particles approaching. He knows it’s bad, though he can’t pinpoint where it’s coming from. Everyone shifts into a defensive stance, bracing for an attack. And then it happens—a drop of acid splashes onto Brolite’s shoulder. That’s when they all realize the problem isn’t in front of them.
It’s above them.
Takeru casts a light spell, flooding the cave with brightness. Hanging from the ceiling is a massive slug, slowly descending like a nightmare chandelier. When Takeru scans it, his expression stiffens—the creature is S-rank, coated in lethal poison so potent that even his absurd poison resistance wouldn’t fully protect him.
He quickly relays this to the others, and everyone sucks in a sharp breath. Craystone explains that long ago, an entire kingdom called Ganalf was wiped out by an S-rank poisonous slug just like this one. Hearing that, Brolite immediately suggests retreating, because surviving sounds better than becoming a historical footnote.
But Takeru refuses. Not because he’s reckless—well, maybe a little—but because leaving behind those giant, delicious-looking mushrooms would be a tragedy. Plus, running now would get them no closer to finding Lelania. So, naturally, the slug has to die.
When Brolite asks how he plans to pull that off, Takeru calmly explains that the slug is weak to fire, Bee specializes in firepower, Craystone has monstrous strength, and Puny is… well, a god. If anyone can handle this mess, it’s them. Realizing he’s right, Brolite steels herself and agrees to fight.
Before the battle begins, Takeru casts layered shields on everyone, followed by speed and strength buffs—because overkill is the correct amount of kill. Bee launches the first attack, scorching the slug with roaring flames. The monster retaliates by firing toxic slime, forcing Bee to pull back.
As the slug focuses on the air, Craystone sneaks in for a strike—only to be caught and bound by slime. For a split second, it looks bad, and Takeru starts rushing over. But Craystone just grins and says there’s no way something this sticky is enough to stop him.
Craystone snaps the slime restraints like they’re cheap ribbons and charges in, weapon raised. He hacks off several tentacles, but the slug casually regenerates them, as if mildly inconvenienced. Bee fires another blazing fireball, yet this time the slug anticipates it and swats her straight out of the air.
Neither Craystone nor Bee can seriously damage the slug’s main body, and Takeru finds that odd—especially since the thing doesn’t even have eyes. That’s when it clicks. The antennae on its head must be how it senses them.
He shouts for Brolite to cut them off. Without hesitation, she charges. The slug lashes out, but Takeru incinerates its tentacles mid-attack, giving Brolite just enough time to leap onto its head and slice the antennae clean off.
Now blind and confused, the slug flails wildly. The group immediately capitalizes on the opening. Bee unleashes a full-power fireball that scorches the monster badly—but somehow, it’s still alive. Annoyingly alive.
Thinking fast, Takeru comes up with a brutal but effective plan: drain its moisture. He reluctantly pulls out his precious salt—mourning the loss of perfectly good seasoning—and forms several salt balls before hurling them at the slug. The salt burns into its flesh instantly, sending it into a panicked retreat.
It doesn’t get far.
Craystone charges in and lands a crushing final blow, ending the slug for good. Everyone exhales in relief—until they glance up at the ceiling and realize the horror isn’t over. The slug has laid thousands of eggs.
If those hatch, this place is doomed.
According to Takeru’s scan, the eggs are weak to sunlight. He calmly tells everyone to cover their eyes for a moment—never a comforting sentence—because he’s about to try something big.
They all obey, covering their eyes as Takeru conjures a mini sun inside the cave, instantly frying every last slug egg. A huge gust of wind rushes through the cavern, and Puny announces that the dense monoparticles that had been polluting the area are finally gone.
But before anyone can celebrate, she warns Takeru that she’s sensing someone else—the presence of the Spirit King, Lelania.
