I Became My Elf King Character In A Game-Like World
Chapter 127: Reflection

Chapter 127: Reflection

Renjiro smirked slightly as he thought about the tiny, defiant sprite now sitting in total darkness within his storage ring.

"Let’s just leave her in the little ’dark room’ for a few days," he decided aloud, a hint of amusement in his voice. "We’ll see if she’s a bit more cooperative, a bit more honest, after some quiet reflection time."

Elaria covered her mouth lightly, giggling softly. She found the idea of the tiny, feisty creature quite adorable, even though she couldn’t see it herself. It was a shame, really.

She guessed, thinking logically, that the reason she couldn’t see the little being probably had something to do with those legendary soul magic abilities Dragon Sprites were rumored to possess.

Perhaps the sprite was unconsciously (or consciously!) using some kind of soul magic to hide itself, making itself invisible to normal sight.

As for why Renjiro, their King, could see her... Elaria wasn’t quite sure. Perhaps it was his unique status as the Elf King, or maybe something related to his summoning powers? It remained a small mystery.

The elf army continued its march across the vast, open grasslands. After riding for about half an hour more, Renjiro finally signaled a halt.

Sitting comfortably atop jis unicorn mount, the majestic Unicorn King, Renjiro gazed into the distance.

In his line of sight, nestled in a shallow valley ahead, was a sprawling settlement. It was clearly a tribal village, much larger than the Grey Mountain Dwarf tribe’s encampment they’d encountered before, with dozens of rough-looking buildings, tents, and animal pens clustered together.

Within the bustling village, Renjiro could see many figures hurrying about these were the Fox-kin he’d heard about.

Many of them were struggling with large bundles and packs, loading them onto carts or strapping them to their backs. It looked like a scene of frantic preparation.

"Hmm, are they getting ready to run away?" Renjiro murmured, easily understanding the Fox-kin tribe’s predicament. They were caught in a terrible spot.

They were terrified of the notoriously greedy Werewolf tribes nearby, who likely coveted the gold the Fox-kin were known to possess from trading.

The Fox-kin were probably unwilling to just hand over their hard-earned wealth. Yet, at the same time, they knew their own strength was completely insufficient to fight off the dangerous Naga rumoured to be emerging from the dreaded Night Swamp.

Facing threats from two sides, packing up and moving their entire tribe seemed like their only logical, albeit desperate, option.

"Your Majesty," Elaria suddenly spoke, pointing towards the north. "Look over there!"

Renjiro followed her gesture, lifting his gaze. In the distance, towards the northern horizon, the sky was unnaturally dark.

Ominous black clouds churned and rolled like a gathering tempest, spreading outwards. It looked like a fierce storm was brewing rapidly in that direction.

Renjiro frowned, sensing something more than just weather. "That’s... an evil, dark energy," he stated, his eyes narrowing. The air itself felt tainted, even from this distance.

Elaria nodded gravely. "That should be the direction of the Night Swamp. The Naga that live there... they often travel under the cover of these unnatural dark storms! It seems they’re heading towards the Fox-kin tribe! Looking at the speed of those clouds, I’d estimate the dark storm will sweep over the Fox-kin village in just a few hours, at most."

Renjiro kept his gaze fixed on the distant, darkening sky. He watched the unnatural storm front for a moment longer.

Then he spoke suddenly, his voice sharp with insight. "No. The storm is just a phenomenon, maybe even a tool they use. It guides the Naga clan as they leave the Night Swamp, perhaps masking their approach! But the Naga themselves... they are already out. They wouldn’t give this tribe hours to escape."

Just as Renjiro finished speaking, his words proved true.

Sure enough, ahead of the rolling black storm clouds, Elaria could now faintly make out a large, dark mass moving rapidly across the plains. It was a horde of figures, low to the ground, slithering and running with incredible speed.

They were moving much faster than the storm itself, rushing directly towards the vulnerable Fox-kin tribe like a tide of darkness.

Watching their terrifying advance, Renjiro estimated grimly, "They’ll reach the village in less than half an hour, I fear."

Not only did Renjiro see the fast-approaching Naga clan, but the Fox-kin tribe down in the valley also spotted the twin threats appearing on the horizon almost simultaneously.

First, the terrifying wave of Naga speeding towards them, and then, Renjiro’s own formidable elf army perched on the ridge overlooking their village.

"Awooo! Danger!" A loud, panicked howling cry echoed up from the Fox-kin village. Alarm horns began to sound frantically.

Instantly, the scene in the village turned from hurried packing to desperate defense. Many Fox-kin dropped their bundles and grabbed whatever weapons they had spears, crude swords, bows.

They quickly gathered outside the village perimeter, forming shaky lines, preparing to fight and die protecting their homes and families.

However, as Renjiro observed the defenders, his assessment was bleak. The ranks of these armed Fox-kin were mostly made up of low-level warriors, barely trained militia.

There were only a handful of mid-level fighters mixed in. As for high-level experts? He could probably count them on one hand, maybe less than ten in the entire tribe.

With such meager strength, resisting the powerful Naga clan, who radiated that potent dark energy he’d sensed, was practically impossible. They would be slaughtered.

"Your Majesty!"

A figure broke away from the village and raced towards Renjiro’s position. It was an old Fox-kin, his fur greyed with age, riding desperately on the back of a large, sturdy fox mount. It was Hossini, the tribe elder Renjiro had heard about.

He didn’t waste time asking why Renjiro and his powerful elf army had suddenly appeared here, right on their doorstep. There was no time for questions. The deadly Naga clan was already terrifyingly close.

A moment’s delay, a little bit of carelessness, and their entire tribe, their history, their people, could be wiped clean from the face of the Continent forever.

The old Fox-kin reached the foot of the ridge where Renjiro waited, his voice trembling with fear and desperation as he pleaded, "Your Majesty, Elf King! Please, I beg you, save the humble Fox-kin tribe! We... we are willing to give you gold! Enough gold to show our immense gratitude! Please help us!"

Renjiro regarded the desperate elder calmly. "Gold, you say?" His voice was neutral, almost indifferent. "...The same gold you were trying so hard to pack up and run away with?"

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