Dark Elves

Prologue

The monster clumbly navigated through the passages of the dark realms, its eight feet rubbing against the rocks, making a cacophony of noise that echoed in the silence. Unfazed by the noise they made, the monsters scurried around looking for cover from other predators. Despite the dangers lurking in the Shadowlands, it is clearly confident and has no regard for any enemies. It breathes a deadly gas, its claws cut through hard stone, and its mouth is lined with rows of spear-like fangs that can easily tear through even the thickest furs. And the most terrifying thing is its sight, which can turn its prey into stone at a glance.

This monstrous behemoth was the largest of its kind, and it had never tasted fear.

The hunter watched as the petrified lizard passed by. He'd seen the eight-legged monster earlier. It invaded the territory of the hunters, who had seen it kill several of his domesticated Lothmons with its deadly breath, small cattle-shaped animals that were an excellent source of food for him, and now they were being wantlessly mutilated by the monster; The survivors flee into a complex labyrinth in panic, with no chance of surviving in the treacherous environment of the dark region.

The hunter was furious.

Now, he watched the monster stagger into a narrow passage, just as he expected. He quietly pulled the blades out of his sheath, the delicate balance in his hands giving him confidence. The pair has been worn by him since he was a child, and even after nearly three decades of training, they are still as sharp as new. At this point, they will be put to the test again.

The hunter replaces his weapon and waits for the signal to sound.

A low roar stopped the petrified lizard. The monster stared curiously ahead, but its eyesight was so poor that it could only make out a few feet in front of it. The roar sounded again, and the petrified lizard couldn't help but move forward, waiting for its next sacrifice to come to its death.

Far behind the monster, the hunter appeared, speeding along the winding path. The magic cloak on his body made his figure unrecognizable among the rock walls. He moves swiftly and skillfully, silently.

He came quietly and quickly, and people were caught off guard.

A third roar rang out directly in front of the monster, but it didn't come closer. The monster lost patience, became murderous, and simply rushed forward. It passed through an archway, and a cloud of darkness fell over its entire head, obscuring its vision. The monster jerked back, as the hunter expected.

At this time, the hunter was already above the monster. He leapt up from the wall of the passage and first cast a simple spell that struck a blue-purple flame on the monster's head. He then covered his face with a turban so that he wouldn't come into contact with the monster's deadly gaze, and he didn't have to use his eyes. Finally, he drew his scimitar, landed on the monster's back, and headed straight for its head. These three things are all done in a flash of light.

When the magic flame flew over the monster's head, it reacted immediately. The light wasn't scorching, but it made the monster's head a great target. The monster then turned backwards, but it was too late. The first scimitar stabbed it in one of its eyes, and it immediately stepped back, swinging its head violently in an attempt to catch the hunter. It spewed poisonous gas and slammed its head around.

The hunter is faster than it. He hid under his mouth, away from the poisonous gas. His second scimitar was aimed at the other eye, venting all his anger in one go.

This monster is an intruder! It killed his Lothmon! He slashed at the head of the monster's armor one after another, wrenching open the thick scales and attacking the fragile flesh underneath.

The monster understands that he is in danger, but still believes that he will win. It's always the winner! If only it could breathe poison gas at the damn hunter!

At that moment, another enemy suddenly jumped towards the monster's mouth marked by the magic flame. It turned out to be a black panther who let out its roar to lure the enemy, it was a magical creature that was immune to this type of gas attack, so it was not afraid of the poisonous gas spewed out by the monster. Its claws tore through the inside of the monster's mouth, giving it a taste of its own blood.

The hunter struck violently under the monster's huge head, slashing and slashing with all his might, and he had lost count of the number of times he had swung his sword, perhaps a hundred. The scimitar pierces the monster's thick armor, pierces the flesh, and stabs deep into the bones, mercilessly sending the abominable petrified lizard into the bottomless abyss of death.

The blood-stained scimitar gradually stopped wielding. The monster has been dead for a long time.

The hunter lifted the turban from his face and probed the chopped corpse beneath his feet. Blood was pouring all over the ground, and the scimitar on his hand was still warm. Then, he raised his blade aloft and pointed it into the air, declaring victory with a primal scream.

He's a hunter, and this is his territory!

Despite being immersed in the frenzy of victory, as soon as his eyes made contact with his companion, he immediately calmed down. The panther's round eyes scrutinized him all the time, even if it didn't explicitly state it itself. The panther is the hunter's only connection to the past, the only thing around him that has to do with the civilization he once knew.

"Come, Kanhaifa!" He called softly, and retracted the scimitar into its sheath. Every time he spoke, he became familiar with the language again. The only thing he'd heard for ten years was that sentence. But every time he spoke, the words became more alien and difficult to him, and once he lost other experience, did he lose even the ability to speak? The hunter was extremely disturbed by this thought. Without words, he would never be able to summon the panther again.

Then, he will fall into real solitude.

The hunter and the panther stepped lightly and silently into the silent passage of the dark land, not a single gravel disturbed. Together, they see the dangers of this unforgiving world and learn how to survive. Despite the victory, the hunter did not smile for the entire day. He had nothing to fear, but he could no longer be sure whether this courage to survive came from self-confidence or from contempt for life.

Maybe survival alone isn't enough.

The first hunter

On that day I left the place where I was born, the city of my people, and everything is still vivid. The whole dark area unfolded before my eyes, and the future will be an adventurous and exciting life. All these possibilities make my heart flutter. However, I didn't leave Morsobre just for the thrill of it, and I believe that this is the only way to carry out my beliefs. Guan Haifa accompanies me, the double blade hangs on my waist, and my fate is in my hands.

But forty years have passed since the fateful day of the exit from Morsobre, and the young dark elf Trist? Du Chaoden, but still unable to understand the truth of time - why does time pass so slowly when there is no one else in life to share? My young and vigorous mind longed to experience this lonely trial, and even thought that it would be able to survive hundreds of years.

When you spend time like days, days like years, how long should a hundred years be for you?

Survive outside the city in the dark area, as long as you grasp the trick, you will not lack food; As long as you know how to hide, your life is safe. However, outside of the crowded and lively city, there is only loneliness in the dark areas.

When I became a creature in an empty pit, it was much easier for me to survive – but it was also much harder. The biological skills and experience necessary for survival have increased, and I can subdue almost all the monsters that break into my territory; Occasionally, when I encounter something that I can't defeat, I can definitely escape unscathed. But, it didn't take long for me to discover that there was a retribution that I couldn't defeat and couldn't escape – in fact, the farther I escaped, the closer I got to it. My enemy is loneliness, the endless silence of the silent corridor.

When I look back on these years, I am amazed at how much I have changed, and I shudder at how I was able to endure such a situation in the first place. The identity of all rational beings comes from language, from communication with other beings around them. When I lose that connection, I am lost. When I left the city of Morsoblay, I decided that my life would be subordinated to my convictions, and that there would be no room for compromise. And, a few months later, living alone in the dark region became the only purpose of my existence. I became an intuitive animal, calculating and deceitful, but I stopped thinking and never paid attention to anything other than to improve my survival skills.

Guan Haifa saved me. It freed me from the clutches of countless monsters, and at the same time freed me from the abyss of emptiness - perhaps less dramatic, but no longer deadly. I lived for those days with the Panther, and it was a little reluctant but comforting to have another creature listening to me. In addition, Guan Haifa is also my clock and calendar: it comes from the astral plane every other day to accompany me for half a day.

It wasn't until after this rigor that I truly realized how important that quarter of my life was. If it weren't for the Guanhai Law, I wouldn't have been able to hold out for so long, let alone have the will to survive.

But even with Haifa by my side, I became more and more ambivalent about the fight. I had secretly hoped that the inhabitants of the Shadowlands would prove to me that they were stronger than me. Does the pain of being torn apart by sharp claws or sharp teeth outweigh the emptiness and loneliness?