Kaito Arakawa — Perspective
The moment we stepped out of the ruins, cold air hit my face.
Fresh sunlight poured through the forest after being trapped underground for so long.
Honestly…
It felt good to finally breathe normally again.
But the peaceful feeling only lasted a few seconds.
“Don’t move!”
Multiple voices suddenly echoed around us.
Before we could react, several figures appeared from the trees surrounding the ruins.
Elves.
Armed elves.
Archers immediately aimed their bows toward us from every direction.
Others carried swords and spears while surrounding the area carefully.
There were too many.
At least twenty.
Maybe more hidden nearby.
Yuna stepped closer to me nervously.
“W-What do we do?”
Reina quietly lowered her stance.
“…We surrender.”
Honestly…
That was probably the smartest option.
Fighting goblins was one thing.
Fighting an entire group of trained elves was completely different.
Elira suddenly stepped forward.
“Wait! Please lower your weapons!”
The elves immediately reacted after hearing her voice.
“…Lady Elira?”
One of the warriors looked shocked.
Another elf quickly lowered his bow.
“She’s alive…”
The tension around us shifted slightly.
Then a tall elf wearing silver armor walked forward from the group.
Unlike the others, his expression remained cold and cautious.
His sharp green eyes immediately locked onto me. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
“Humans,” he said coldly.
Not exactly the warmest greeting.
Elira quickly moved between us.
“They saved me!”
The armored elf frowned slightly.
“…Explain.”
Elira hesitated briefly before speaking.
“I was attacked by goblins near the ruins. They rescued me and protected me.”
The surrounding elves looked surprised after hearing that.
Especially when she mentioned the ruins.
Then one of the archers suddenly noticed something behind us.
“The ruins entrance…”
Everyone immediately turned toward the ancient opening.
The glowing blue symbols were still active.
The atmosphere instantly became tense again.
The armored elf narrowed his eyes.
“…Who activated the Genesis ruins?”
Silence.
Reina slowly glanced toward me.
Yuna did the same.
And unfortunately…
The armored elf noticed immediately.
His sharp gaze locked directly onto me.
“…You.”
Great.
That’s exactly the attention I didn’t want.
Before I could answer—
A sudden system notification appeared before my eyes.
[Warning]
Caution Recommended
What now?
Then suddenly—
One of the elf soldiers stepped backward nervously.
“Commander… look at the ruins.”
The glowing symbols across the ancient entrance suddenly became brighter.
Far brighter than before.
The Genesis energy surrounding the area intensified instantly.
Even the elves looked uneasy now.
And then—
A symbol appeared in the air above the ruins.
A glowing blue mark.
One I had never seen before.
The moment it appeared—
Every elf in the area froze completely.
Even the armored commander’s expression changed for the first time.
Shock.
“…Impossible,” he whispered quietly.
Elira looked pale beside me.
“What is that…?”
Then suddenly—
Every elf there slowly lowered their weapons.
One by one.
Until finally…
The armored commander looked directly at me again.
But this time…
His expression was completely different.
Not hostility.
Not suspicion.
Respect.