53) Elf supremacy all the way!
…
{3rd POV}
Ember woke from his sleep as the first light filtered through the leaves above.
By now, the food he had eaten had been fully digested, thanks to his inhumanly fast metabolism.
He could feel strength slowly returning to his body.
Although he was still far from being in peak condition, it was a massive improvement compared to before, when his muscles ached simply from extreme malnutrition.
Under normal circumstances, Ember should have been suffering from a severe headache as well.
Nutrient deficiency usually affected the brain first and hardest.
However, because he was a High-Elf and because his Mind still possessed a vast reserve of mana he was spared from that particular torment.
Fully awake now and as ready as he could be, Ember gathered the rabbit hides he had hunted, skinned, and cleaned by the river earlier.
He secured them properly, knowing they could be useful later, whether for trade or crafting.
With that done, he climbed down from the tree and made his way back to the main road.
From there, he began walking along the path leading toward Altena.
He was well aware that traveling on foot would likely take weeks at his current pace.
Still, if he managed to regain more of his strength along the way, even a casual jog for him would be many times faster than a carriage.
That was one of the perks of being an adventurer having superhuman speed and inhuman reserves of stamina.
However, for now, Ember could only move at a normal walking pace.
Conserving strength and stamina was far more important than moving quickly.
As he walked with his hood pulled low and his mask covering his face, he stayed constantly alert.
His senses were sharp, watching and listening for anything unusual such as prey, monsters, or even other humans.
In his current condition, being careless even once could prove fatal.
Luck favored him along the way.
He encountered a deer, and without hesitation, Ember slaughtered it cleanly.
After that, he moved nearly two kilometers farther down the road before coming across another stream.
There was a reason Ember chose to follow the main road instead of traveling along rivers or streams because monsters were far more likely to gather near water sources to drink.
While Ember knew that no normal surface-level monster could defeat him, he was wary of monsters that might have escaped from the dungeon.
Even if he had the magic to obliterate them with ease, his weakened physical state meant a single mistake could still get him killed, and worst-case scenario was encountering a dragon from the dragon valley, though that had lowest probability.
Ember had always believed one thing very firmly: it was better to be cautious than to be stupid.
'If I survive today, I’ll be stronger tomorrow.'
That thought guided Ember as he worked.
He immediately began cleaning the deer.
He knew very well that washing blood downstream could attract predators and monsters, but there was nothing he could do about that.
Some risks could be minimized; others were unavoidable.
He focused on what he could control and worked quickly and carefully.
Thankfully, no monsters appeared during the process.
After eating a portion of the meat, Ember began roasting and smoking the rest.
He wasn’t doing a proper cold smoke, so the preservation wouldn’t last very long, maybe three or four days at best.
Still, that was enough.
For that duration, he wouldn’t need to hunt again, which reduced risk and conserved energy.
He also used the hide to create makeshift water containers.
He knew they wouldn’t last long at most a single day before leaking if they were only cleaned and dried, but he had plenty of hide to work with.
By cutting it carefully and sewing the pieces together with tendons, he managed to create several crude pouches.
None of them were perfect, but they were functional, and that was all that mattered.
Ember spent another full day like this, preparing everything he needed such as smoking meat, boiling water, drying hides, and organizing what little equipment he had.
By the third day, he was finally ready.
He had cooked meat stored for travel and freshly boiled water sealed inside one of the hide pouches.
With everything prepared, Ember returned to the main road and continued his journey forward.
By the fourth day, Ember had finally regained most of his strength after consuming large amounts of deer meat.
Since he was traveling on foot, he made sure to eat small portions while walking especially the fat from the deer’s kidneys, which provided dense energy.
He ate at regular intervals, roughly every thirty minutes.
This not only kept his stamina steady but also ensured his stomach wasn’t overwhelmed, allowing him to continue walking without discomfort or sudden weakness.
By the fifth day, however, he encountered something unexpected and he wouldn’t call it pleasant.
At first, he heard it.
The sound of hooves striking the ground rhythmically, accompanied by the steady march of boots.
It wasn’t just a few horses, but there were dozens, possibly even hundreds of them from the sound he could hear.
Ember immediately became alert.
Without hesitation, he moved off the road and climbed a tall, dense tree nearby, concealing himself among the branches to get a better view.
From his vantage point, he saw a massive column of soldiers marching along the road in the direction of Karuna City.
Their formation was disciplined, their equipment standardized, and banners were held high at regular intervals.
The moment Ember recognized those banners, his expression hardened.
They were from the Empire.
The Empire lay to the northeast from here, at least relative to Karuna City.
Unlike many other nations, the Empire was not a familia-based kingdom.
Its strength came from an enormous standing military that numbered in the hundreds of thousands.
These were trained normal humans, supported by heavily fortified weapons such as cannons and siege equipment, all further enhanced using knowledge brought down by the gods.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call the Empire a fully militaristic nation.
In fact, it was probably the largest nation in the entire world.
The only places that could truly compare to it were Altena and Alf’s Royal Forest, and a few others.
Altena was ruled directly by the Goddess Athena and boasted thousands of members within her own familia.
Alongside them were tens of thousands of trained normal soldiers and humans without Falna, yet drilled to near perfection.
Because Altena possessed literal superhumans, including individuals at Level 4 or even Level 5, their battlefield presence was overwhelming.
In direct combat, they were nearly invincible, with their only real weakness being stamina over prolonged engagements.
The next comparable power was Alf’s Royal Forest.
While smaller in scale, it was still terrifying in its own right.
It possessed a select number of elite Elf adventurers, border-city adventurers experienced in constant combat, and a highly trained, agile army.
Most notably, Alf’s forces included a powerful magic division that relied on innate elven magic.
While this natural magic could not compare to Falna-enhanced spells on an individual level, when used in groups it proved devastatingly effective.
Then there was Rakia, another nation ruled by the God Ares.
Rakia’s strength lay in its soldiers who possessed Falna even if most of them were only Level 1, with the occasional rare Level 2.
Still, that alone made them superhuman compared to ordinary people.
Numbers and aggression were Rakia’s defining traits, and while they lacked high-level elites, they made up for it with sheer persistence and fanaticism.
Finally, there was Orario, the city ruled directly by the gods.
A place defined by Falna, powerful familias, and high-level adventurers capable of destroying entire nations on their own if pushed far enough.
Orario was less a city and more a gathering point of monsters wearing human faces, all restrained only by politics and divine rules.
And of course, there was the Amazon Kingdom, ruled by a so-called petite goddess of death.
That one made Ember internally groan.
At least the versions of goddesses shown in Fate or Record of Ragnarok were attractive, even if they butchered the original lore so badly that they couldn’t honestly be called alternate interpretations anymore.
Those versions were still entertaining.
But this goddess?
She neither meet waifu standards nor managed to follow the actual lore.
Overall, a complete disappointment at least in Ember’s very honest opinion.
Ahem.
Back to the topic, the Empire was the closest thing Ember would consider a typical isekai empire, one where politics, logistics, and raw military strength mattered above everything else.
It might not feel obvious at first glance, but Ember understood the deeper reason why the frequency of adventurers was so high in this part of the world, even outside of Orario.
It was because this entire region Orario, Alf’s Royal Forest, Rakia, Altena, and several nearby territories formed a kind of pressure zone.
Adventurers, familias, and elite forces naturally flowed into this area.
Most of the world’s strongest factions and bloodlines were concentrated here, not by coincidence, but because of necessity.
Constant dungeon outbreaks, monster stampedes, and roaming herds forced strength to gather where the danger was greatest.
Survival demanded it.
Ember also knew that this wouldn’t last forever.
In the future, once the dungeon was completely sealed, the overall level of adventurers across the world would drop sharply.
At that point, only weak surface-level monsters and the occasional wyverns from the Dragon Valley would remain as real threats, though Ember had read from books back in the castle, how Dragon Valley also had Dragons that often got out, though he wasn't that sure as this was not a part he had read from canon material, he had died before Danmachi finished after all.
'Even then…' Ember recalled something important from the canon.
The wyvern threat alone had already forced many people to travel to Orario and become adventurers, simply so they could grow strong enough to return home and protect their own lands.
That pressure shaped that era.
That was why, in the current age, Level 3 and even Level 4 adventurers while still rare were not impossible to find beyond the borders of Orario in big towns and small cities.
This was a time of convergence, when danger pulled strength toward itself, and Ember was walking straight through the heart of it.
Heck, Ember himself was proof of that.
Just by being Level 2, he was already within the top ten percent of all adventurers.
And with strength that rivaled a Level 3, he was easily pushing into the top 0.1%.
That said a lot about how rare true strength actually was in this world.
People often forgot one important fact: the adventurer population was tiny compared to the number of normal people.
The vast majority of the world lived and died without ever being blessed by a god’s Falna.
Superhumans were the exception, not the rule, no matter how common they seemed in places like Orario.
Now, from his hidden position, Ember quietly observed the soldiers marching toward Karuna City.
He decided to stay put and watch until the entire force passed before moving again.
There was no real reason for the soldiers to be hostile, and realistically speaking, they wouldn’t be able to defeat him even if they tried.
But logic didn’t always matter.
Who knew the mood of soldiers from the Empire, soldiers whose homeland had just been ravaged by the fucking Behemoth?
Tension, paranoia, anger and any of those could easily push them into doing something stupid.
And Ember had zero interest in dealing with that.
The last thing he wanted was for them to decide to hunt him down just because he was an elf especially when the Empire had a long, ugly history of racism.
He wasn’t about to risk getting dragged into trouble over something so pointless.
So he stayed still, silent, and patient, waiting for the marching column to disappear down the road before he continued on his way.
So Ember waited patiently as the minutes dragged on.
He leaned his back against the thick trunk of the tree, controlling his breathing while letting the army pass.
Just as he began to relax slightly, the marching suddenly stopped.
He frowned immediately, a bad feeling creeping up his spine.
'Did my luck finally run out?' he wondered after all he knew how much trouble loved him.
Then a sharp voice cut through the air.
“I can hear your breathing from that tree! Reveal yourself!”
The shout came from a man with short brown hair and a face marked with old scars.
Ember’s eyebrows twitched in annoyance.
While he possessed physical strength comparable to a Level 3, that didn’t mean he had gained supernatural stealth.
Unless someone had a specific Development Ability or an extremely rare skill, the Falna system didn’t favor stealth at all.
The only exception was being so overwhelmingly strong that you killed everyone before they even realized you were there.
The first Hassan method.
Ahem.
Ember stayed still for a few seconds, deliberately not moving.
He wanted to make sure the man wasn’t bluffing or trying to scare out something that might not even be there.
Unfortunately, his hopes were crushed when the man calmly pulled out a crossbow, loaded a bolt, and aimed it directly at Ember’s position in the tree.
That settled it.
Ember let out a quiet sigh, realizing there was no point in pushing his luck any further.
Raising his voice, he shouted calmly but clearly, “I’m coming out! Please don’t fire!”
Slowly and carefully, he prepared to reveal himself, making sure not to give them any excuse to act first.
The man didn’t lower the crossbow, but neither did he fire.
Ember began climbing down the tree slowly and carefully, making sure every movement looked cautious and non-threatening.
He deliberately avoided anything that might expose his true strength.
If possible, he didn’t want them realizing he was a upper-level adventurer or even an adventurer at all.
As Ember descended with his back turned, the man eased his guard just a little.
From the voice, he already knew the person was male.
And the fact that Ember was showing his back while climbing down told him something important.
That was a rookie mistake.
Nothing was stopping him from firing the bolt straight through Ember’s spine.
Any seasoned fighter or experienced adventurer would never expose their back so casually.
Such behavior suggested either a civilian or, at best, an inexperienced rookie.
That assumption worked perfectly in Ember’s favor.
Once Ember reached the ground, a commanding voice rang out sharply.
“Tell us who you are! Show us your face!”
The one who spoke was clearly the captain.
His eyes were fixed on Ember’s hood and mask, clearly unsettled by the concealment.
Ember paused for a moment, then slowly raised his hands in a calm, non-threatening gesture.
He reached up to his hood and lifted it just slightly only enough to reveal his long, pointed elven ears.
Nothing more.
“I am an Elf. My name is Berth, and I am one of the refugees from Karuna City. I’m a hunter.”
Ember lied smoothly as he pulled his hood back into place, making sure his face remained completely hidden.
There was no way he was going to expose himself any further.
Even though more than eight years had passed since he had escaped from Alf’s Royal Forest and even though the search for him had long since died down he wasn’t stupid enough to take unnecessary risks now.
Especially not when his hair was no longer dyed.
If someone recognized his real identity, it would only bring trouble.
Trouble he absolutely did not need in his current condition.
The captain frowned, clearly dissatisfied.
For a moment, it looked like he was about to bark an order demanding Ember remove his mask entirely.
However, when his eyes settled on Ember’s long, pointed ears, he hesitated.
An Elf.
Elves were infamous for being aloof, distant, and highly private.
Many of them disliked physical contact with other races altogether, let alone exposing themselves casually.
From that perspective, the hood and mask made sense.
It was also possible Ember was hiding scars or disfigurements another common reason for concealment.
The captain studied him more closely.
Ember stood calmly, neither aggressive nor fearful.
The captain noticed the animal hides tied to his back and the fact that he carried only two daggers.
He had no visible armour or better weapons that an adventurer typically would use.
Just the equipment of a hunter trying to survive.
What the captain didn’t realize was that Ember’s seemingly simple clothing was anything but ordinary.
The fabric was made from a powerful Level 3 spider-type monster's silk alongside enchantments, offering far more protection than it appeared.
To an unknowledgeable eye, it just looked like stylish travel wear.
After a brief pause, the captain exhaled and waved a hand dismissively.
“Fine,” he said.
“Go on your way.”
So, to the captain, Ember looked like nothing more than a hunter, a refugee from Karuna City who had barely managed to escape with his life.
If Ember had truly been an adventurer, he would have been wearing visible armor or carrying a larger, more obvious weapon.
At the very least, he would have carried himself differently.
The captain didn’t consider Ember a threat at all, especially since the captain himself was a Level 2 adventurer and the only adventurer present in the entire marching force.
Yes, the rest of the army consisted entirely of normal humans.
That was how most of the Empire’s military was structured.
They were well aware that normal soldiers fared terribly against high-level adventurers.
Against someone truly strong, numbers alone often meant nothing.
Because of that weakness, the Empire had adapted in its own way.
They made deals with certain gods those who preferred peaceful domains such as farming, herbology, craftsmanship, or other non-combat occupations.
In exchange for providing these gods with resources, land, and freedom to pursue their interests, the Empire was allowed to selectively bless individuals with Falna.
Only trusted soldiers with proven merit were chosen, ensuring loyalty and discipline.
Through this system, the Empire maintained a small but critical number of adventurers within its ranks.
They possessed a few Level 4 adventurers, and many key military positions were commanded by Falna-bearing officers.
Combined with their massive standing army, siege weapons, and god-enhanced technology, this structure made the Empire one of the strongest nations in a world where the gods themselves had descended.
Ember gave a small, polite bow and then decided to leave immediately.
He had no intention of igniting further suspicion.
To make his departure look as natural as possible, he chose to walk along the side of the main road where the Empire’s army was marching, rather than abruptly changing direction or disappearing into the forest.
As he walked, Ember couldn’t help but reflect on how useful his identity as an Elf had been.
The racial traits and stereotypical personality attributed to Elves such as being distant, private, and aloof were famous throughout the world.
Somehow, those very traits always ended up working in his favor during moments like this.
Soon, the army resumed its march.
Ember continued walking in the opposite direction at a calm, steady pace.
A few soldiers glanced at him as he passed, their eyes lingering for a second longer than necessary, but none of them made a move or said anything.
No one stopped him.
Ember knew that if he had been a human or almost any other race he might have received very different treatment.
Elves, however, were highly respected across nearly all nations, not just for their long lifespans but for their innate magical talent.
They were sought after, admired, and sometimes even feared.
'Elf supremacy all the way,' Ember cheered internally, with the kind of shameless pride only a true racist joke could carry.
Still quietly gloating over elven privilege, he continued walking until the army was far behind him.
Only after nearly an hour had passed did he finally let out a long sigh and take a deep breath, the tension leaving his shoulders.
With that, he had passed yet another hurdle on his journey.
...
…
Ember continued his journey, and after another two days, he had recovered most of his strength.
By then, he started jogging again, his speed now comparable to that of a carriage traveling at a steady pace.
Before long, he encountered a major junction where the main road branched into several different paths.
After a brief consideration, he chose the route leading toward the port city.
To reach Altena, he needed to cross a massive lake first and then take another carriage from the opposite shore.
After nearly five hours of continuous jogging, Ember finally arrived at the port city.
What greeted him wasn’t the bustling trade hub he had expected, but a massive camp set up outside the city walls.
The area was crowded with refugees, people from Karuna City and other devastated regions who had gathered there in desperation.
Makeshift tents and temporary shelters stretched as far as the eye could see.
At the city gates, guards stood firmly in place, blocking the influx of people and strictly controlling entry.
Ember watched the scene quietly for a moment, then clicked his tongue in irritation.
He had neither the money nor the patience to deal with this situation.
Back in Karuna, when he had checked the broken wagon, he hadn’t found a single coin.
The driver had likely taken all the money before fleeing the city.
Ember hadn’t even bothered searching further.
The rest of his belongings his remaining money and his old identification card had been contaminated by the Behemoth’s poison and were discarded along with his copper-colored robe.
Standing there now, Ember realized he was effectively penniless, masked, and stuck outside a crowded port city full of desperate refugees.
And yet, he knew one thing for certain.
Waiting in line wasn’t an option.
So he decided to do what any true RPG player would do in this situation… cheat.
Ember quickly scanned his surroundings and then walked away from the main gate, heading toward a dense forested area near the city walls.
After some searching, he found a relatively isolated spot where the refugee presence was thin and the patrol routes were less frequent.
He stopped there, closed his eyes, and focused.
Using his elven hearing, he carefully listened to every sound around him such as the footsteps of guards, distant voices, armor clinking, even the wind brushing against the trees.
When he confirmed that the nearest guards were far enough away, he acted without hesitation.
With superhuman grace, Ember leaped from the ground, his body moving smoothly as he caught hold of narrow cracks and uneven stonework in the city wall.
Using nothing but strength, balance, and experience, he climbed upward and slipped over the wall.
Moments later, he landed silently on the other side, blending into the city as if he had always been there.
Once inside, he didn’t waste any time.
Ember went straight to the guild and registered under his nickname, Tithonus.
He kept his demeanor calm and unremarkable, careful not to draw attention.
To verify his rank, he gave a simple combat demonstration, just enough to prove he was a Level 2 without revealing anything more.
After that, he declared his affiliated familia, completed the paperwork for a new identity proof, and finalized his registration.
Finally, he took on a task of guarding a boat that was scheduled to travel across the massive lake to the port city on the opposite shore.
It was a straightforward job, low-risk, and most importantly, it paid well enough.
The reward was more than sufficient for him to secure passage and cover travel expenses all the way to Altena City.
At last, after everything he had endured, Ember had a clear path forward.
Finally, he could return to Altena.
To be continued…
PS: I hope no one asks why Ember didn't return to his village, that is sort of dumb question.