Chapter 85

Chapter 85
## Chapter 85

### Festival of Drasha (2)

Harris cast his gaze over his companions as they moved toward the platform.

‘Everything is perfectly set.’

Through their relentless practice, they had managed to get every detail in order.

Curie, who usually struggled with her nerves, had been quite anxious, but they managed to navigate the initial tension seamlessly by utilizing their recently unlocked trait, “Harmony of Melody”.

As long as the opening notes went off without a hitch, they would inevitably lose themselves in the rhythm, leaving no room for concern.

‘I tested it out beforehand just to be certain, and it’s a relief that the passive effect even carries over to regular speech.’

“Harmony of Melody” functioned as a classic bardic ability that infused performances with numerous beneficial enhancements.

Beyond simply refining the auditory quality, it magnified the latent power woven into the chords and granted a variety of empowering buffs.

It appeared that his inherent qualities as an Elf were proving advantageous once more.

Even when Harris was merely speaking normally, his Elven lineage caused his voice to carry a melodic cadence reminiscent of a song.

—

* **Individual Name:** Harris
* **Race:** Elf
* **Common Traits:** “Mind Hub”, “Persona”, “Super Recovery”, “Clear Mind”
* **Individual Traits:** “Child of the World Tree”, “Spirit Summoning”, “Affinity with Nature”, “Fairy Archery”, “Harmony of Melody”
* **Special Notes:** Formed pacts with spirits of lightning, fire, wind, and sound. Environmental energy accumulation is accelerating due to multiple variables and a deep elemental connection. Heavily attuned to the environment owing to the proximity of the World Tree.

—

Furthermore, after spending days rehearsing the piece, he came to a stark realization.

There was no immediate remedy for the deep-seated lethargy Harris experienced while remaining close to the World Tree.

‘It has to be an effect of being the “Child of the World Tree”.’

Just as he had been taught during his spirit summoning lectures, vocalizing melodies offered a temporary reprieve.

The issue was its fleeting duration.

While it was somewhat inconvenient that he would turn as unresponsive as vegetation without the spark of music, the trade-off was acceptable since it boosted his development rate and provided distinct advantages.

He could still command his movements perfectly fine provided he maintained a baseline of focus.

“Will the upcoming group please step forward onto the stage!”

Right at that moment, the academy scholars who had been showcasing their talents just before them exited the platform, and the coordinator called out their group.

“This is it! Let’s move!”

Timer, utilizing his magic to float a massive set of percussion instruments, stepped onto the platform with visible excitement.

Curie took a deep, centering breath and followed in his wake with a noticeably more composed expression, while Shapiron marched toward the center with her trademark arrogant posture.

Harris watched them with a faint smirk.

‘Very well… Let us unleash the full potential of “Harmony of Melody” and firmly embed the essence of Earth’s contemporary melodies into the consciousness of these secluded Elves.’

This marked the precise moment Han Seong-hyeon launched his cultural infiltration within Drasha, the heart of the Elven Kingdom.

—

Murmur, murmur—

~♪

The metropolitan center was alive with vibrant displays as the grand celebration reached its peak.

The Elven Kingdom, deeply invested in its artistic heritage, had displayed the absolute pinnacle of their craftsmanship.

The streets featured not only fine arts like canvas paintings and detailed carvings, but also refined everyday creations ranging from tailored garments to woven textiles.

“Ah! Lord Rapori, Lady Cecily, you have arrived?”

“Greetings. We ventured out to observe the presentations organized by Drasha Academy.”

“A warm welcome to you both! Shapiron’s showcase is slated to begin momentarily. Allow me to guide you to your seats.”

“Ah, I didn’t journey here solely to witness my daughter’s routine… I am also backing a young man who is performing alongside her. He happens to share an acquaintance with Lady Cecily. Hahaha…”

Cecily walked beside Rapori, her gaze darting around with brilliant, star-tinted eyes.

She was currently taking in the festivities with Rapori, having fully recovered from the lingering strain of her recent awakening.

An event of this scale was entirely foreign to her, given that she was raised in an isolated Elf settlement back on the Ion Continent and had lived an existence intimately tied to the wilderness.

Remarkably, this entire gathering was arranged in her honor.

Though it was merely the second day of the event, the capital felt like a wondrous realm overflowing with incredible spectacles.

~♪

Clap, clap, clap—!

Swept up in the excitement, Cecily applauded enthusiastically as the students who had just displayed their choreographed routines and vocal pieces wrapped up their act and exited the platform.

“The Elven Kingdom truly is remarkable. Back in our settlement, we only ever performed basic steps and acoustic tunes. This is absolutely magnificent!”

Just then, the succeeding ensemble took their places on the platform.

It was Harris’s crew, each member holding a distinct instrument alongside a massive, levitating apparatus.

“That is certainly an unconventional device… Oh! Look, it’s Harris!”

Her eyes lit up as she noticed Harris, having been examining the percussion array crafted from assorted drums and metal cymbals bound together by living vines with genuine curiosity.

It brought joy to her heart to see him once more after a period apart, considering the meaningful history they shared.

“My goodness… Harris has developed significantly in such a short span. I would have been completely outpaced by now if I hadn’t undergone the transformation into a High Elf.”

Rapori offered a slow, deliberate nod of agreement, matching her sentiment as he observed the youth preparing the performance space.

He, too, recognized that Harris’s advancement defying normal conventions.

‘I previously noted that his capacity to internalize natural energy was profound, but he has grown notably more formidable. He already commands the allegiance of four distinct elementals. And among them is an incredibly uncommon spirit…’

However, those analytical observations vanished the instant his gaze settled on Shapiron.

A gentle smile graced his features as he watched his daughter thoroughly focusing on her preparations.

At that moment, Harris made eye contact with his fellow musicians, stepped toward the front of the platform, and spoke.

“We have put together a piece that deviates slightly from the norm. It originates from my place of birth, so it may sound unfamiliar to the audience gathered here today, but…”

His deep, resonant tone drifted across the plaza, gripping the attention of the onlookers with the assistance of his wind and sound elementals.

His voice possessed an innate gravity that forced even distant pedestrians to pause and glance back, capturing the focus of the entire crowd before a single note was struck.

“…We shall begin.”

With that, their presentation commenced amidst a sea of curious anticipation.

~♪

The introduction opened with the deep vibration of a heavy stringed instrument, swiftly joined by a rhythmic percussion strike resembling a steady heartbeat and a piercing instrumental tone.

The spectators tilted their heads in confusion at the unorthodoxy of the arrangement.

‘What manner of composition is this?’

Just as the crowd began to feel unsettled by the unprecedented arrangement,

“To the far edge of the pale shore~♪”

Harris’s commanding vocals swept over the gathering, propelled by the breeze.

The focus of every single individual within listening distance instantly locked onto him.

“Hmm?”

“What is the meaning of this?”

Traditional Elven arrangements were almost exclusively soft, poetic, and serene.

Their intrinsic distaste for jarring audio had heavily dictated how their musical identity developed over centuries.

While they weren’t entirely sheltered from fast-paced rhythms, such songs rarely met their refined standards.

They thoroughly despised the rough, chaotic anthems of the Dwarves, which only caused their rigid biases to harden over generations.

Yet, the melody echoing from the platform at this moment bore no resemblance to the unrefined clamor they detested.

It possessed deliberate restraint, coupled with meticulously executed transitions in volume and intensity.

Furthermore, the raw natural energy laced into Harris’s vocal delivery practically forced a synchronization with the audience, gradually causing their hearts—which had grown complacent with predictable melodies—to race.

“Incredible…”

Both Rapori and Cecily found themselves caught up in those exact sensations.

‘Stunning. To possess such an advanced degree of attunement. I was completely unaware he held this specific capability.’

In contrast to Cecily, who was happily bouncing her shoulders and staring at the platform with shimmering eyes, the seasoned Rapori maintained his composure, evaluating the mechanics of the piece while still absorbing the auditory experience.

‘The underlying message of the verse… centers on a pilgrimage to discover one’s true identity.’

Harris had traversed the lands entirely on his own as a hired blade from a tender age.

He had battled through endless adversity before finally arriving within the borders of the Elven Kingdom, yet his core identity remained rooted in absolute autonomy.

In a way, the poetry of the piece mirrored Harris’s personal path.

~♪

As the gathering remained captivated by the performance, pulled along by the sheer weight of his vocals, a dense, swirling mist manifested across the surface of the stage.

The pale vapor clung low to the ground, pooling around the ankles of the band members and creating the illusion that they were suspended above the clouds.

“Incredible… to manipulate elementals in such a fashion…”

The display did not stop there.

A multitude of spirits materialized, featuring a radiant entity casting brilliant illumination from directly above…

Whoosh—

And sudden columns of blazing fire erupted skyward from the platform floor.

It was a masterclass in theatrical presentation.

“Wow!”

“Oh—!”

The Elves, who had merely offered polite nods and quiet attention during the earlier acts, began swaying their bodies under the intoxicating influence of the performance.

“I will claim the path of my aspirations~♪”

The spirits vibrating in tandem with the melody cast a powerful aura over the square, causing the environmental energy tied to the song’s rhythm to surge dramatically.

Every soul present—from the musicians pouring their hearts into the instruments to the captivated crowd, and even the elementals weaving through the air—was completely bound by the emotional weight of the anthem.

‘What an astonishing level of harmony.’

Rapori found himself deeply impressed once more.

The harmonization, anchored entirely by Harris at the center, was steadily magnifying in strength, directly swaying the spirits of everyone in attendance.

This transcended standard elemental communion.

~♪

As the final lingering chord rang out and the presentation reached its conclusion,

Clap, clap, clap, clap—!

“Wooo—!”

“Incredible! It breaks convention, but it is spectacular!”

An absolute torrent of cheers and thunderous applause washed over the platform from the exhilarated audience.

They had been entirely won over by the music before any initial bias against its novelty could take root.

“Oh my goodness! To witness such an arrangement! The Elven Kingdom is truly marvelous! I have never encountered anything remotely like this!”

Cecily, thoroughly exhilarated by the performance, spoke rapidly to her companion with flushed cheeks.

“Well… truth be told, this is entirely new to my ears as well.”

“What?”

“Hahaha—”

Rapori let out a warm laugh at Cecily’s bewildered expression.

In reality, he was far more intrigued by the origins of the melody than anyone else.

‘I have walked this world for a vast period and listened to countless orchestrations across the Ion Continent, yet this is genuinely unprecedented.’

Analyzing its intricate progression, it clearly wasn’t a framework cobbled together overnight, which left him thoroughly mystified.

‘It is almost as though it materialized out of a completely different reality.’

He shook his head slightly, watching the group offer a final respectful bow before retreating behind the curtains.

While the general public had yet to grasp it, that brief showcase carried significance far beyond an impressive display of synchronization.

‘The moment I allowed myself to connect with and appreciate the melody… the circulation of energy within my own form grew noticeably more fluid. Though the immediate impact is subtle, the ability to sway such a massive gathering through song alone is extraordinary…’

Rapori smiled to himself.

He had recognized the youth as a talent to watch, but this development far exceeded his predictions.

‘This… is going to leave a significant mark.’

Given that this particular plaza sat at the absolute center of the capital and experienced massive foot traffic, the uniquely expansive and resonant acoustics had drawn an ever-growing crowd.

The unorthodox style had been indelibly burned into the consciousness of every listener.

Consequently, the entire area remained alive with the chatter of the energized crowd long after the stage had cleared.

Precisely as intended, this unfamiliar culture had successfully sent ripples through the hearts of the Elven populace.

—

The Southern Reaches of the Ion Continent.

Nestled deep within a barren wasteland, a vast distance away from the territory of the Calcos Tribal Federation, sat a concealed sanctuary where no random traveler would ever tread.

Deep within a massive underground chamber constructed from carved stone—an architectural feat one would never suspect from the surface—the surfaces were plastered with intricate, baffling incantations.

Countless runic arrays and defensive barriers were carved directly into the stone flooring, the support walls, and the overhead ceiling, complemented by ritual altars, enchanted relics, and tribal totems.

A gathering of roughly ten figures, shrouded in heavy cloaks, materialized within the eerie chamber and silently surveyed their surroundings.

“Are the preparations complete?”

“We are on the verge of completion.”

A diminutive, elderly figure provided the reply in a low, somber tone, addressing the inquiry of a massive man standing beside him.

“Fortunately, we managed to operate entirely outside the awareness of the Holy Order. Those zealots have been scouring every corner lately, creating quite an obstacle.”

“…It required an immense effort to remain hidden.”

Executing their strategy had proven incredibly taxing due to the Holy Order of the Main God, who were operating in a state of absolute frenzy following the sudden re-emergence of the Immortal King.

Their grand design, which had been meticulously advanced over multiple decades, had come perilously close to being discovered.

It was entirely logical for the Holy Order to be on maximum alert, given that the reigning Immortal King had successfully penetrated the grand cathedral within the sacred territory itself.

Naturally, the hierarchy of the Holy Order kept the breach tightly classified, but their faction had managed to extract the truth utilizing an ally possessed of unique investigative talents.

“Do you harbor any hesitation?”

“None whatsoever. Provided I can bring about the ruin of this realm, the personal cost is irrelevant to me.”

The elderly man, who was to serve as the anchor for the upcoming invocation, would be relegated to an existence far more agonizing than demise once the process commenced. Yet, his burning animosity toward the world rendered him completely indifferent to his own fate.

“Now that the Immortal King has walked the earth once more, we merely need to offer a slight catalyst, and he will handle the destruction. Hehehe…”

“Hmm… indeed. His capability is beyond question. Though his current whereabouts and immediate designs remain hidden from us…”

The large man, having evaluated the status of their project, watched the elderly figure cackle with unsettling madness.

The moment this man executed the invocation, the fragile era of stability would shatter, giving rise to an era of unmitigated chaos.

The Immortal King, whose sole ambition was to drape the continent in the shroud of demise, would never ignore such a perfect alignment of circumstances.

Furthermore, his inevitable campaign would perfectly complement their long-term objectives.

The cloaked figures exchanged silent nods of agreement.

The window of opportunity was closing.

“To challenge the heavens.”

“To fulfill the covenant.”

The true architects of ruin were quietly shifting within the darkness.