Only I’m the solo player

Chapter 45 – High Elves

—–CROW—– 

There are three factions to choose from on the 7th floor: High Elves, Dark Elves, and the Royal Army.

According to the statistics compiled a few years ago on the open community, the selection rates for each faction are 29%, 39%, and 32%, respectively.

While the difference isn’t significant, the High Elf faction has the lowest selection rate, and the Dark Elf faction has the highest.

It’s natural for there to be a difference in selection rates, as the content and rewards of the quests available for each faction are different.

Actually, the faction known for giving the best rewards is the High Elf faction, which has the lowest selection rate.

The strategy guides I read also recommended choosing the High Elf faction for its good rewards.

Then, why does the High Elf faction, which offers the best rewards, have the lowest selection rate?

The reason can be found by searching the community with the keyword “High Elf.”

[Author: Kwak Jooyoung#1551]

[Title: Fucking pointy-eared bitches deserve extinction, fuck]

(Photo)

These fucking pointy-eared bastards flinch and reach for their bows every time they see me

I gave them a gift to raise intimacy, and they gave me a disgusted look and said they don’t understand human culture

I put up with that shit, found their treasure, chased away their enemies, and did everything for them

They call me a hero with their mouths but their faces turn to shit if I even touch them lol

The High Elf knight bitch got bumped on the shoulder and immediately drew her sword, saying “Typical human” lol

Fuck, I should have gone with the mages so I could burn down the World Tree

Can’t I change factions mid-way? Rewards be damned, I want to join the Royal Army and exterminate the pointy-eared bitches

– LOL you chose the High Elves LOLOLOL

– You just realized the forest pointy-eared bitches are assholes?  Where have you been, not checking the community? lol

– Hmm, that didn’t happen to me.  Maybe it’s your face?

– Fuck you, asshole

– ‘My apologies, I mistook you for a lost Orc’

– Pointy-eared bastards say that to anyone slightly bigger than them lol

– There are still idiots who fall for the rewards and choose the High Elves lol

Yes, good rewards aside, the High Elf race is known for pissing people off.

No matter how much you cooperate and build trust and rapport, their unique attitude towards humans doesn’t seem to improve.

Since the individual characteristics of NPCs vary slightly from server to server, this could be just the complaints of some unlucky challengers, but…

[Real-time High Elf assholes on our server.jpg]

[Got treated like a pervert by a pointy-eared bitch, relatable?]

[Fucking old hag cliff pointy-eared bitches are so toxic]

[Is it normal to want to gas all the elves?]

Judging by the overflowing posts criticizing High Elves regardless of server, it doesn’t seem to be the case.

Even looking at the records of 1st generation challengers, those who chose the Dark Elf faction seemed to have higher satisfaction.

So, even if server 2661 is somewhat unique, it wouldn’t be any different.

The elf man who drew his dagger and attacked me at first sight proved that fact.

**

When you think of elves, you have the impression of them being skilled with bows and having a nimble image.

– *Dash! Thud!*

And as if to prove that right, the High Elf man closed the distance in an instant with footsteps that seemed to defy gravity.

It wasn’t the kind of speed an NPC appearing on the 7th floor should have.

Of course, I also exceeded the 7th-floor specs, so it wasn’t to the point where I couldn’t react.

I stored the [Death Knight Greatsword], which I was wielding with both hands, in my inventory, switched to a shield, and blocked the dagger.

– *Clang!*

He’s fast, but his attacks lack weight.  Agility and strength are inseparable, so there must be some kind of trick.

After deflecting the elf man’s arm with my shield, I reached out to subdue him.

However, the elf man quickly stepped back and, drawing another dagger from his waist, aimed for my side.

It seems like he not only has high speed, but also considerable reaction time.

Due to the nature of the faction quests that extend to other floors, I heard there are some NPCs here that far exceed the 7th-floor specs.

They’re called elite NPCs, corresponding to elite monsters.  Perhaps this elf man is one of them?

– *Grab!*

I blocked the outstretched dagger with my hand, activating the [Iron Wall] skill.

With my gloved hand and the help of the [Iron Wall] skill, this kind of feat isn’t difficult.

“W-what?!”

The elf man, surprised that I caught his dagger with my bare hand,

However, he still swung the dagger in his other hand properly.  His concentration in battle is remarkable.

I lightly pulled the dagger I was holding, extended my hand further, grabbed the elf man’s wrist, and twisted it.

– *Crack!*

The difference in strength between me and the elf man is greater than that between an adult man and a child.

“Ugh!”

Naturally, his wrist twisted without any resistance, beyond just being called weak. The dagger fell from his hand.

I kicked the dropped dagger away and twisted his arm by grabbing his shoulder with my other hand.

It’s a subduing technique I learned while grappling with Snow Trolls on the 5th floor.

– *Thud!*

I pushed the subdued elf man against a nearby tree in that same position.

He kept struggling and trying to break free, but with such a difference in strength, how could that be possible?

Soon, the elf man gave up on physical resistance and started shouting and cursing.

“G-gah…! Let go of me, you filthy, ugly human! I won’t forgive you!”

“Man, elf bastards are just as rude as I’ve heard.”

“How dare you speak of manners when you’ve invaded our territory!”

But even his curses, perhaps due to his elven nature, were nothing compared to the spicy Korean insults.

So, I managed to subdue him, but what should I do now?

He attacked me first, so I subdued him, but if I kill him here, I’ll become enemies with the High Elf faction.

Of course, I’ll become enemies with them if I choose another faction, but I don’t want to limit my options from the start.

Considering the infamous asshole nature of High Elves I’ve heard about in the community, I doubt the misunderstanding will be resolved if I just let him go.

– *Crack!*

Oops, I put too much strength into my hand while thinking. It seems like his shoulder is dislocated.

“Aaagh! Perith! Legor! Glaniel! Is anyone there, help me!”

The elf man was now screaming and struggling. This is getting a bit ugly.

– *Thump!*

At that moment, I heard a heavy thud from somewhere in the forest.

I turned my head to see what it was, but a voice that resonated throughout the forest reached my ears first.

“7th Seat of the Pendula Knights, Perith Vetera! Reporting for duty!”

It was one of the names the elf man shouted while struggling.

And the next moment, something jumped out from between the trees.

**

A figure charged towards me at a speed incomparable to a running Rune Bear.

What emerged was a blond elf knight clad in white armor.

– *Clang!*

The moment I hurriedly blocked the milky-white sword swung by the blond elf, I felt something was wrong.

What the hell, how is he so strong?

I quickly twisted my wrist and changed the angle of my sword, aiming for the elf knight’s neck.

But at the same time, the elf knight also changed the position of his sword with a flick of his wrist, and my attack was deflected.

This is a bad matchup. I quickly swung the shield I was holding in my other hand instead of my sword.

– *Bang!*

However, my shield swung through the air, and instead, the elf knight’s white shield struck my jaw.

What? How did he swing his shield from that angle?

I quickly kicked off the ground and jumped back. The elf knight didn’t pursue, but glared at me with his sword raised.

He had blond hair and fair skin, not much different from the elf man stuck to the tree.

But his facial features were overall sharper, giving him a much stronger and more masculine impression.

No, it’s not just his appearance, he’s physically much stronger. My jaw, hit by his shield, is throbbing.

“How dare you attack His Highness Eluyon! I, Perith Vetera, will not let you go!”

While maintaining a standoff with the elf knight, I opened the open community by manipulating the interface with my eyes.

And I quickly searched for keywords like “Perith Vetera,” “Pendula Knights,” and “Eluyon.”

The information I gathered at a glance told me that my situation was more than serious.

The Pendula Knights are where the named NPCs of the High Elf faction belong, and their main duty is to guard the royal family.

Considering the title “His Highness” and the role of the knights, it seems the guy whose arm I broke is the High Elf prince.

“Oh, fuck.”

And the knight facing me is an elite NPC with specs far exceeding the 7th-floor level.

He was practically stronger than the boss of this 7th floor.

—–CROW—–