Only I’m the solo player

Chapter 48 – Dark Elves

—–CROW—– 

The number of Dark Elves that emerged from the shadows was five in total.

Like elves, some were armed with bows, and others with swords.  Besides being Dark Elves, they didn’t seem to have much in common.

The Dark Elf woman who appeared first and spoke to me had something like a black aura wrapped around her right hand.

The black ribbon-like thing that blocked the High Elf knight’s sword must have come from there.

The means by which she summoned the other Dark Elves through the shadows is probably also that. I already have a rough idea of what it is.

It must be shadow magic, one of the racial traits of Dark Elves.

I heard it’s a magic specialized in stealth and illusions, concealing oneself in darkness, but can it also be used for summoning?

Furthermore, judging by the fact that it blocked the High Elf knight’s attack, it seems to have tremendous defensive capabilities.

I don’t know if it was possible because of the excellent shadow magic or because the mage herself is strong.

“Don’t be so wary. We’re on your side.”

One of the Dark Elf NPCs that emerged from the shadows patted my shoulder and said so.

He was a warrior-type NPC with a sword.  I glanced at him, and the console above his head was green.

It’s the color that appears for NPCs who are friendly or neutral, regardless of level.

I don’t know if he’s really on my side, but at least it means he’s not an enemy.

And this guy, the strength of his pat on my shoulder is quite strong.  It doesn’t seem like he intentionally hit me hard, but his Strength stat must be considerable.

I can’t tell because the console colors are all green, but like the High Elves, he must be an elite NPC.

If that’s the case, it’s safe to assume that the strongest individuals from both opposing factions are gathered here.

“Well, I suppose you’d be suspicious.  Let me put it more simply.  We are the enemies of those forest dwellers.”

The Dark Elf swordsman smiled slightly, saying something about the enemy of my enemy being my friend.

“Eleanor, are you taking the human’s side?”

Meanwhile, the High Elf knight said so and shook off the shadow that bound her sword.

“Yes, I like this human. He smashed that annoying face nicely.”

The Dark Elf woman, called Eleanor, said so and moved her hand, which was pointing at the fallen knight, towards the High Elf prince.

“And it was that guy who made the mistake first.  Because you always protect him just because he’s a prince, he runs around without knowing anything about the world.”

“His Highness is a wise man.”

“See? You’re taking his side without even knowing the full story.  Wise, my ass, stuck in the forest all your life.”

The light of Mana Enhancement emanating from the High Elf knight gradually faded. But her expression, on the contrary, worsened.

“That idiot prince attacked the human here first. That annoying bastard didn’t even know that and attacked first, only to get beaten up badly.”

At Eleanor’s words, the Dark Elves that emerged from the shadows added their own comments.

“He was pathetic.”

“He couldn’t even land a hit.”

“And yet he acts all noble.”

“That’s his bodyguard?”

They snickered while pretending to cover their mouths, clearly intending to provoke the other side.

Their behavior was, how should I put it, very confusing.

I knew there were occasionally NPCs who acted particularly human-like, like the shepherdess I met on the 2nd floor.

And I also heard that elite NPCs on higher floors in other towers act quite human-like.

But seeing these NPCs engage in a psychological battle like real people is confusing.

Are these really just disposable NPCs?

**

The standoff between the High Elf knight and Eleanor continued for a while.

And their cold yet somewhat childish argument also continued for quite some time.  The pattern was consistent.

The Dark Elves would provoke the High Elves with mocking remarks, and the High Elves would respond indifferently in a stiff tone.

Of course, I could see the High Elves’ faces turning red and blue with anger as time went on.

If they were that angry, they would probably fight it out, but they didn’t.

“Enough.  Let’s retreat.”

I could almost hear the grinding of teeth, but she even sheathed her sword and offered to retreat first.

Is the difference in power so great that they can’t even attack?

The Dark Elves are all elite NPCs, but I don’t think there’s anyone stronger than that female knight.

“You’re mistaken if you think I’ll draw my sword because of such vulgar provocations, Eleanor.”

The High Elf knight said, tapping her scabbard.  Judging by her words, it doesn’t seem like she’s not attacking simply because of the difference in power.

“But don’t be mistaken and think I’ll overlook this kind of behavior again and again.  Especially, your human…”

The knight’s sharp gaze turned towards me.

“Know that it’s a blessing from heaven that you can invade our forest, harm His Highness, and return unharmed.”

A blessing from heaven, my ass.  I’ve been through so much bullshit.

“Fuck you, I’ll rip your ears off next time I see you, pointy-eared bitch.”

I flipped the bird at the knight. I know it’s picking a fight, but I couldn’t hold back this time.

The knight gritted her teeth and turned away, and Eleanor, the Dark Elf, patted my back excitedly.

“Hahaha!  I knew I liked you!”

It seems like I naturally ended up on the Dark Elf route.

**

This must have been the situation that challengers who first set foot on the 7th floor would experience.

They encounter the High Elf prince chasing the Rune Bear and form a connection after almost getting hit by an arrow.

Since the person they meet is a prince, they would probably be able to contact the core of the High Elf faction quite quickly.

And then they naturally join the High Elf faction after receiving some large-scale quest.

Or, like me, they get attacked by the prince because their weapon looks ominous or something.

The prince is a bit strong for the 7th floor, but he’s not overwhelmingly powerful.

Even ordinary 7th-floor challengers wouldn’t be defeated instantly and might even be able to win.

Then, the elite NPC, the bodyguard knight, who is impossible for a 7th-floor challenger to defeat, appears.

The knight’s attitude will probably change depending on how the challenger treated the prince.

If they cleanly defeated him or avoided the fight, the knight would also show a friendly attitude.

But if, like me, they handled the prince roughly or killed him, they would be attacked by the knight and put in danger.

And then they would be saved by the timely appearance of the Dark Elves and naturally join their faction.

“Ripping off ears, that’s a new one. You have quite a way with words.”

“Not really.”

“You landed a solid hit on each of the three bastards I hate the most. I think I’m falling for you. I really like you!”

And I, who won the forced defeat event against the High Elf knight, ended up gaining immense favor with the Dark Elf faction.

Eleanor said she had always hated the prince, his bodyguard knight, and the female knight who appeared last.

She didn’t like how they looked down on other races while acting all high and mighty.  She said all High Elves are like that.

I wondered if she just hated the entire High Elf race, but it doesn’t really matter.

Judging by the fact that she blocked that female knight’s attack, Eleanor must also be one of the key NPCs in the Dark Elf faction.

“This must be fate. If you’re free, why don’t you visit our village?  I’d like to have a leisurely chat with you.”

[Quest Occurred: Dark Elf’s Letter – Invitation]

I hesitated to answer.  Actually, I had no intention of joining the Dark Elf faction at first.

The Dark Elf faction has the highest selection rate among the three factions, but that has nothing to do with the quality of the quest rewards.

The High Elf faction, for example, has a low selection rate despite having the best rewards, simply because the NPCs have bad personalities.

There’s only one reason for the Dark Elf faction’s high selection rate.

[Dark Elves <<< Best race in the universe, upvote if you agree lol]

[Dark Elf booba lol.jpg]

[NSFW) Fucking nigger elf bitches’ shadow pouches are driving me crazy]

[The hottest NPCs in the Trial Tower. realfact]

[High Elf bitches VS Dark Elves comparative analysis]

[Why didn’t you fuckers tell me to choose Dark Elves?]

[Dark Elf curated collection (lots of pictures)]

It’s solely due to their primal popularity stemming from the Dark Elf NPCs’ unique appearance.

While High Elves are also quite attractive, Dark Elves have a certain… prominent feature.

Of course, I’m not going to do something stupid like choose a faction just because the NPCs have good bodies.

“Sure, why not.”

So, there’s another reason why I accepted Eleanor’s offer and the quest.

Really.

—–CROW—–