"Kneel."
Kurose Akira's cold command was impossible to resist.The Elf Queen's malice was forced to her knees before him, her body betraying her will.
Under the influence of [Corruption], her senses were hypersensitive, as if struck by electricity. Her snow-white skin flushed faintly red, delicate and trembling like a flower that would shatter at the lightest breath—soft, fragile, and dangerously alluring.
"Y-You… what are you trying to do?"
Kneeling before Akira brought her even closer to that sacred radiance.
Perhaps… if she were to extend her tongue just a little…
How filthy.
How utterly disgusting.
She clenched her pearly teeth, desperately trying to stay conscious. Yet the heart-shaped glimmer flickering in her eyes betrayed her, making it impossible to look away. Faced with that dazzling holy light, she couldn't help swallowing.
Only then did Akira realize that his holy light was pointed straight at the Elf Queen.
But there was nothing he could do about it.
Her flames had already reduced every scrap of his clothing to ash.
In his Half-Dragon state, his physical constitution had reached an unprecedented level—far beyond what any normal human could attain.
Under such circumstances, certain… nonstandard phenomena were only natural.
His battle lust was surging.
"I must purify you," Akira said in a low voice. "Your existence poses a grave threat to the Elf Queen."
"Utterly foolish!" the Elf Queen's malice snarled back through clenched teeth. "They're the ones who should disappear! The so-called price of power is nothing more than her fear of taboos—her cowardice in refusing to bear the consequences of the World Tree's forbidden power! If it were me, I would lead the Dark Elf legions and conquer the entire world!"
"You're insane."Akira narrowed his eyes. This malice actually intended to use the World Tree's taboo power to dominate the world.
"You're just as weak as they are," the Elf Queen whispered coldly. "All of you—nothing but lambs awaiting slaughter, trampled at will by the strong…"
Smack!
Before her words could finish, a beam of holy light lashed across her pale cheek.
"You—"
The Elf Queen froze, stunned. It didn't hurt—but the humiliation ignited furious flames in her heart.
"When did the elves ever become lambs in your mouth?" Akira said icily. "If they were truly that weak, they would have vanished into the river of history long ago."
"And yet for ten thousand years they've never left the Elven Forest," the malice continued, "never coveted other powers, clinging only to the blessings of the Goddess of Elements and the Goddess of Nature—forever stagnant, forever sealed off!"
"Humans, beastkin, all the other races wage wars without end, constantly strengthening their nations."
"If the elves continue standing still, we'll fall hopelessly behind. And when enemy armies stand at our gates, when our people are captured, only then will that so-called queen realize her stupidity—right before the elves are reduced to—"
"Enough!"
"Mmmph—!"
Akira silenced her instantly.
The intense heat made her uncomfortable, forcing strange sounds from her throat. Yet the combined pull of [Corruption] and charm exerted an irresistible attraction over her…
"You've gone too far," Akira said calmly. "But… some of what you say isn't without value."
Her concerns weren't entirely unfounded.
Akira crossed his arms and fell into thought.
The forbidden power of the World Tree was clearly the fuse igniting this conflict. According to what the Elf Queen had said before, that power could create the strongest Dark Elf legion on the magic continent—enough to terrify even the Dragon Knight Corps of the Dragon Holy Kingdom.
But power always came with side effects.
And those side effects could invite an even greater catastrophe.
This wasn't a simple matter of choice—it was a critical decision that demanded deep consideration.
Perhaps the elves truly did need to seek out more diverse forms of power, to compensate for the monotony of their combat methods and avoid future dead ends.
For example—if an enemy army possessed high magic resistance across the board, elven combat strength would be severely crippled.
So how could the elves be given greater power?
Compared to borrowing strength from other races, eliminating the side effects of the World Tree's forbidden power might be the more effective path.
But—
Akira frowned slightly. This was something that needed to be discussed in depth with the Elf Queen herself. He couldn't make such a decision alone.
As he was thinking, his gaze fell on the kneeling Elf Queen's malice.
And he froze.
She was… slowly, little by little… licking the holy light.
The Elf Queen's malice immediately noticed his gaze—and realized she was doing something unbearably shameful.
Her expression twisted into pure embarrassment and confusion, utterly unsure how to deal with the situation.
But the power of [Corruption] robbed her of all self-control.
"Damn it!"
Crunch!
"!!"
Akira's pupils contracted sharply, his expression changing in an instant.
Damn it!
What are you, a cat? Those fangs are sharp!
So fierce, huh?
Akira smiled faintly.
Then you'll just have to properly savor—
The brilliance of holy light.
(What follows is a scene in which the Elf Queen endures an extended baptism of holy light. The next ten thousand words are omitted…)
[The 'Corruption' trait is growing…][Current progress: 85%]
"Haa… fifteen percent left."Akira glanced at the progress bar. [Corruption] was on the verge of evolving into [Fallen Evil].
And what was the Elf Queen's malice doing now?
She was using a silk handkerchief to scrub her cheeks in disgust, as if trying to wipe away every trace of the holy light. Occasionally she gagged softly, clearly still not fully recovered from what had just happened.
As for why her hostility toward Akira had weakened—
Part of it was due to [Corruption].
The other part… was that Akira had begun to understand her way of thinking.
That didn't mean he agreed with her.
Only that he acknowledged one truth: the elven race could not afford to remain stagnant. They needed ways to strengthen the military power of the Elven Kingdom to face the crises of the future.
"Go tell that pure, naïve queen of yours," the Elf Queen's malice said coldly, fixing Akira with a sharp gaze once more. "If she refuses to bear the consequences of the forbidden power, then I will. Even if it costs me my soul, I will ensure the eternal survival of the elven race!"
As her words fell, the dreamscape gradually blurred.
Akira slowly awakened from his sleep.
He removed the VR headset, the echoes of the dream lingering vividly in his mind.
Though the Elf Queen's malice was extreme—obsessed with power and teetering on madness—her concern for the elves was no less genuine than that of the true queen.
"Let's take it slow."
Akira got up, enjoyed a comfortable shower, then headed out toward school.
…
At the same time, far away in the Elven Kingdom.
It was still deep night in-game.
Within the Elf Queen's bedchamber, she lay quietly upon a white jade bed, lost in slumber.
Suddenly, a wave of discomfort churned in her stomach, jolting her awake.
She sat up, her brows knitting slightly.
"What… is this?"
Her slender fingers pressed gently against her snow-white abdomen. She felt as though a flame were burning inside her stomach—yet she couldn't determine why.
"Your Majesty, are you feeling unwell?"
The elves guarding the chamber sensed something amiss and called out from beyond the door.
"I'm fine."
The Elf Queen shook her head, then slowly rose and walked toward the mirror.
And there—
Reflected in the glass—
Her abdomen was faintly glowing.
The strange phenomenon left her staring in confusion.
She didn't understand.
What… had just happened?