A purely selfish person is easy to understand because they act solely for their own benefit.

A purely altruistic person is easy to trust because they act only for the sake of others’ tragedies.

This is precisely why humans cannot trust each other. No person is purely selfish or purely altruistic. Humans sometimes perform acts of charity, while at other times they even take from their own family.

In that sense, humans can never trust elves. This is not a matter of ideology, but rather a difference in worlds.

Humans cannot understand or comprehend the time of elves.

Those who can live for long years and simultaneously possess intelligence to create a superior civilization are like that. They cannot be vaguely admired or vaguely loathed.

Elves are a race that is extremely faithful to their desires. They alleviate the boredom guaranteed by their long lives through desires. This is astonishingly base.

At the same time, elves are also pure ascetics. Like monks who build up their faith and teachings, they delve into the truth, regardless of what the object of their devotion is. They do so freely and boldly, even if it takes their entire long lives.

That ambivalent sentiment is what created the current Kalion. Despicable, base, orphaned, and pure. A metropolis with skyscrapers, enormous ships flying in the sky, and an outpouring of luxurious indulgence and pleasure.

Because of this, humans revere elves and simultaneously loathe them. Because they cannot understand them. Most discrimination stems from ignorance, so humans and elves become the most terrible racists to each other.

Naturally, Ivan is different.

-Thud!

Ivan does not distinguish superiority by race. This is because he believes in the proud educational system of the cultural powerhouse Republic of Korea in the advanced 21st century. (Of course, Korea does distinguish superiority by race.)

What Ivan distinguishes is mostly not race or nationality, but ‘usefulness’, ‘threat’, and ‘friend or foe’. Race is just one of the criteria for ‘distinguishing’ a group.

-Thud…!

Therefore, Ivan prefers to wield an axe and a gun before identifying and hating the race of his opponent. This has been a negotiation tool, a diplomatic tool, and a trading tool that has never betrayed him in the past 30 years.

-Thud!!!

He is such a rational person.

Ivan moved with his eyes closed.

Through the barricade that was torn apart like a sheet of paper, as if pleading.

*

“Gate 15 breached!!”

“The entire response team dispatched to the research building has been neutralized!!”

“He will reach the restricted area within 15 minutes… no, 10 minutes!”

The research management team was in chaos. Although it was called the research management team, it actually managed everything on this island. Since this island is ruled by the alchemy faction, all materials and population on this island are under the research team’s macro management.

Therefore, it was fair to say that all eyes on the island were focused at this moment from the core to the periphery.

“Who the hell tipped him off… who?!”

An old elf shouted, biting his nails. The huge battle map was entirely marked in red. Those red trajectories were practically the invader’s advance routes.

When the ‘approach of an unregistered ship’ was first detected, no one here was flustered. It was already within the expected range.

The long reign of the old queen is coming to an end. This does not simply mean a change of throne. In the life of elves, the transfer of power literally means a ‘generation change’.

A turbulent period will soon arrive. The demon king is dead, the world is ripe, and chaos is an opportunity. All the councilors will lick their lips and carve up the world like a cake.

So at this time, the same situation occurs no matter which island of Kalion you reach. Corporations attack corporations. Councilors ambush councilors, economic retaliation follows, logistical pressure begins, and sometimes even military provocations occur.

So the ‘approach of an unregistered, unauthorized ship’ means that one of the anxious rivals attempted contact.

It was an extreme measure, but within understandable bounds.

Until the passenger list on that ship is confirmed.

“Edelplat Cohenulf landed on Veolgreen’s ship! How is this possible without an inside job? Huh?!”

“But My Lord… we, we..!”

“If not you, then who!!”

The old elf’s scream chilled the room. The combined age of everyone present would approach the mythic era. Even the youngest elf had lived over two hundred years.

Because of this, the panic quickly subsided. One elf calmly spoke.

“My Lord, we need to put out the immediate fire first.”

“Are you talking about that mercenary?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of damage did those scoundrels inflict?”

“Fortunately, they didn’t destroy the research building itself. They seem to be running with the sole purpose of breaking through as quickly as possible… the immediate damage is not significant.”

“Cut off their limbs and bring them before me. It should make a nice gift for that one-eyed Cohenulf.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

Cohenulf was present when the humans infiltrated…. It was clear they had sensed something was amiss when they launched a surprise attack aboard Veolgreen’s ship.

However, it appears they have no concrete evidence. Without direct evidence or justification for a strike, they resorted to hiring human mercenaries.

So, who could it be? Which of the twelve remaining “corporations” dared to expose the Alchemy Faction, prompting both Veolgreen and Cohenulf to show up simultaneously?

“Ripping the limbs off and throwing them to Cohenulf will be a sight to see. If they ransacked someone’s house without evidence, even Veolgreen stepping in directly would be problematic.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

“Immediately file a petition to the High Court through the Privy Council. How dare they attempt to carve us up, using human hands at that!”

It is certain that one of his competitors manipulated things to report this. This much is clear.

Given that the proud Cohenulf stormed in under Veolgreen’s backing immediately after returning from human lands, there’s no doubt about it.

However, using human mercenaries to search internally suggests a lack of key evidence, and at worst, they can wash their hands of it by blaming the humans.

No company, however old, is without skeletons. The longer a company has been around, the more so. How many scavengers are out there, waiting to tear apart even the tiniest speck at this moment?

“Veolgreen, even if the situation is urgent, isn’t this lacking in dignity?”

The old elf chuckled.

The suppression squad of the Alchemy Faction was shown being deployed underground on the situation board. Capturing those two humans would solve most of the problem.

If they got a suitable confession from those humans, it could be used to implicate both Cohenulf’s sword hall and Veolgreen’s faction.

Looking back, this timing, far from being a coincidence, was actually a well-timed opportunity.

*

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. This quote by Mike Tyson applies surprisingly well, even in a world other than Earth.

At the point when Ivan’s axe began to be stained not just with the blood of monsters, synthetic beasts, or golems, but with elf blood.

“Haah— haah. Senior… I, I feel like I’m really going to die… Ugh.”

“Do it.”

“But senior, if I suck blood now, you’ll—.”

“Are you in such a comfortable situation to worry about me?”

“I’m sorry….”

Lucia couldn’t hold out any longer. Her immunity to poison was low. There’s a limit to expelling toxins with magic, making this battlefield too much for the still-young Lucia.

The corridor had already reached a level where more poison than breathable air was detected in the atmosphere. This started right after splitting the two elf strike team members.

The elves of this faction acted as if they were ready to permanently abandon the entire corridor. They threw explosives, dispersed toxins, and even detonated bio-golems upon approach.

Ivan could withstand it, but for Lucia, it was her first real combat experience of this kind. She barely managed to hold on by burning most of her blood into magic, but she reached her limit.

-Crunch.

With the sensation of fangs sinking in, a numbing feeling paralyzed the area around her neck. After a brief moment of bloodsucking, Lucia exhaled heavily and buried her head into his back.

He heard a sniffling sound.

“It’s alright.”

“I’m embarrassed….”

“Being weak is not something to be ashamed of. Knowing your shortcomings allows you to improve—.”

“That’s not it, it’s this position.”

Lucia was tightly wrapped up in a sling, hanging on Ivan’s back.

In a situation where both arms needed to be used and nothing should get in the way during combat, this position also protected Ivan’s back, making it a win-win.

He was a highly rational person. Unfortunately, young kids didn’t easily accept this reasoning.

Ivan was about to respond when he suddenly stopped.

He immediately dropped his axe and raised his arms. With a buzzing sound, something flew into his hand.

It was a small ampoule. Upon seeing it, he immediately threw it to the ground and held his breath. Soon, with a hissing sound, black steam spewed out.

“Human… human scum.”

A trembling voice came from beyond the corridor. Ivan frowned as he turned his head.

“What on earth did that one-eyed woman bring…?”

An elf, deeply wounded in the abdomen, was gasping on the floor.

Two strike teams, a dozen bio-golems, dozens of security systems, and at least ten kinds of instant deadly poisons had all failed to stop him.

Just a bit further and they would reach the core of the island. The fact that they came out to engage in direct combat indicated they had no further room to retreat.

Ivan approached the elf who was gasping on the floor.

-Crack!

The iron-clad boot stomped roughly on the elf’s chest. A groaning sound escaped. The expression of shame that overshadowed fear displeased him.

Fear was appropriate.

Ivan gripped his axe and looked down at the elf.

“Cleanup Unit.”

The bloodstains on the axe’s blade splattered all the way to the security devices hanging from the corridor ceiling.