Staring at the fang used to repeatedly stab the elf, Pinaka had a feeling it wasn’t just any normal fang.

‘Could that be… the Vampire Race’s Relic?’

His gaze focused on the blood stream that would spurt every time the human would stab Rulruka’s heart. He hadn’t been certain before, but now that he had the World Tree Fruit as a reference, he could state it with confidence.

The World Tree Fruit carried the dense, rich scent of a thriving forest, while the fang exuded a scent just as intense—except it was pure bloodlust. Each time the fang stabbed into Rulruka’s heart, the Elf’s heartbeat stopped, only to be revived instantly by the fruit’s regenerative powers.

Before long, the humans had about twenty two containers full of the elf’s blood. And by the time the last container was full, the regenerative powers of the World Tree Fruit were also dissipating. At last, the grey-robed human then carefully retracted the fang, pulling it back just enough so that it no longer punctured the heart but remained lodged partway into the chest.

The World Tree Fruit’s regenerative factor kicked in immediately, sealing the muscle fibers around the wound.

“Finish it.”

From the floor, their leader let out a cold and decisive command.

After securing the final glass container in a prepared crate, the grey-robed Human turned back to Rulruka. He gripped the lever that had been forced into the Elf’s mouth and pressed a concealed button.

A bendy apparatus shot down Rulruka’s throat, shredding his vocal cords.

His body twitched violently, but no screams escaped—his voice had already been lost long ago.

Earlier when Rulruka had been force fed the World Tree Fruit, his vocal cords had healed as well due to the regenerative effect. Now, the humans were making sure they left the elf in his prior state. It was mainly a precaution.

With the intuitive power system, prolonged contact with the World Tree Fruit must have allowed Rulruka to unravel deeper insights into their Authority. But if he managed to share that knowledge with others, the Elves would eventually reclaim enough power to stage a revolt.

A few seconds later, the lever was removed, the grey-robed Human studied Rulruka carefully. With the lingering effects of the World Tree Fruit, the elf was healed just enough to survive for another day, and that was all that mattered. Tomorrow, they would do it all over again.

“Double-check the nails,” the leader commanded from below.

The grey-robed Human methodically inspected them, his fingers tracing each one as he confirmed their placement. After a thorough check, he muttered under his breath, “It’s impossible to free him from the nails without killing him.”

The nails weren’t ordinary restraints. Each one had internal extensions that ran through Rulruka’s body. If anyone attempted to pull them out, they would rupture his internal organs, ensuring a swift, agonizing death.

The Humans had meticulously prepared for every possible scenario.

They allowed the Elves the illusion of freedom, but in reality, they had layered failsafe mechanisms to crush any potential rebellion before it could take root.

And of course, the other tactics they employed daily made the Elves more and more resistant to the idea of seeking freedom.

‘They’re leaving.’

Pinaka remained perfectly still, his senses tracking the six Humans as they exited the prison.

Two of them carried the ladder, while the other four transported the crate, filled with approximately 22 liters of Rulruka’s regeneration-rich blood.

Once he was confident there were no humans left, Pinaka slowly, silently, stepped out of his cell. His bare feet made no sound against the cold stone.

The prison was pitch-black, completely devoid of light. Moving cautiously, Pinaka flailed his hands around to orient himself as he made his way downward.

The layout was simple—no obstacles, no unnecessary structures. As long as he stuck to the walls and walked forward, he would eventually reach the flight of stairs. That was how all the Elves navigated during dinner time.

Of course, it was easier then. The soldier on duty always carried a weak source of light, making movement slightly more manageable.

Now, however, he had only his senses to guide him.

Soon, Pinaka reached the base of the pillar, relying entirely on scent to determine Rulruka’s position.

For a brief moment, he manifested his Status Window—just an instant—before retracting it immediately.

His plan worked. Even in the darkness, he hoped Rulruka had seen that flicker of light. Pinaka stood in silence, waiting.

A few seconds passed before a faint light flashed in response—Rulruka had briefly manifested his Status Window. Pinaka exhaled slowly, feeling an odd sense of relief.

A silent acknowledgement. More importantly, Rulruka displaying his Status Window meant one crucial thing—

‘There’s no one watching us right now.’

If someone had been monitoring them, Rulruka would never have risked responding.

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Pinaka took another moment to analyze his own Status Window. When he had flashed it earlier, he had carefully observed the intensity of its glow.

‘If it only appears for an instant, the light from my Status Window is nothing more than a weak flash. It probably won’t radiate far enough to be noticed.’

His earlier experiment confirmed it. The light wasn’t even strong enough to reach the prison walls, let alone be visible through the tunnels leading outside. Still, he had only flashed it briefly, just to be absolutely certain. And Rulruka reciprocated in the same manner.

That confirmed his theory. But something else caught his attention—

The moment Rulruka’s Status Window appeared, Pinaka had caught a glimpse of his stats.

He inhaled sharply.

‘What the hell…?’

[Name: Rulruka]

[Race: Elf]

[Authority: Wood]]

[Control Factor: 1]

[Weight Factor: 1184]

[Volume Factor: 22]

[Range Factor: 84]

[Speed Factor: 12]

[Spell: Seed Overgrowth, Crop Maturity]

“Do the six Humans have higher stats than you?” Pinaka whispered. He quickly added, “Flash it once for yes and twice for no.”

Two flashes.

‘His stats are well beyond what we’ve been allowed to build.’

[Control Factor: 1]

[Weight Factor: 12]

[Volume Factor: 1]

[Range Factor: 4]

[Speed Factor: 2]

That was the absolute upper limit the Elves could reach. If they exceeded it, they faced one of two fates—death or turned into the Potion Factory. If there was already someone designated as the Potion Factory, then the only option left was execution.

‘Mahnaka told me that Rulruka was put here on the night of the same day he was born.’ Pinaka thought and asked, “Did your Stats improve so much just by consuming the World Tree Fruits?”

One flash.

Yes.

Pinaka’s breath slowed.

That single response told him everything he needed to know.

“…Thank you.”

Having listened to Rulruka’s suffering earlier, Pinaka understood one crucial thing—Rulruka was desperate. He had nothing left to lose, which was why he was cooperating so readily. The continous stabs to his heart, and then getting his body broken again at the end was an excruciating experience. And he was suffering the same every night.

‘There are risks involved, but I don’t have to worry about being exposed. He wants to survive just as much as I do.’

Pinaka took a step closer.

“Please open your mouth,” he whispered.

To reassure him, he flashed his Status Window once, then extended his palm, revealing the seedling growing in his grasp. “I want you to keep this in your mouth,” he explained, his voice steady but urgent. “Use it to store a small portion of the World Tree Fruit.”

Rulruka had more than enough stats to carry out this task without issue. So, Pinaka explained the plan to him.

A thin root tendril, no thicker than a strand of hair, would coil around one of his teeth for support. From there, it would extend into his throat, forming a tiny container inside him to store a fragment of the World Tree Fruit.

Once the Humans left, Rulruka would use his Control Authority to pull the root back, bringing the stored portion to his mouth, where he could spit it out.

Through this method, Pinaka would obtain a small amount of the World Tree Fruit—just enough to confirm his hypothesis.

And if he was right? Then he would attempt a much bolder move.

“Do this for me,” Pinaka promised, “and I swear I’ll free you soon. In a matter of days. I promise.”

A single flash.

Rulruka agreed.

And in the flash, their eyes met. Both felt each other’s desperation.

‘Good! Unlike Mahnaka, he’s desperate. And his situation warrants it—his stats are too high. The Humans can decide to kill him at any moment.’

For about the next forty minutes, Pinaka kept throwing the seedling, feeling increasingly exhausted with each failure. Every time the seedling failed to reach Rulruka’s mouth, he groaned mentally. He turned its structure to be more suited to be thrown, like a dart, considering its small size and limited weight.

Still, failure after failure mounted. His muscles pulsed and his limbs felt as if they would fall off. But then—

A flash.

Finally!

Rulruka had caught the seed in his mouth.

Without hesitation, he began the preparations, adjusting the seedling as instructed. After securing it properly, he flashed his Status Window once more, signaling he was ready.

Pinaka let out a slow, measured breath and whispered, “Then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Dragging his exhausted body across the prison floor, he forced himself back toward his cell. In his current state, each step was agonising, and hunger had grown even more unbearable, amplifying the pain from the burn wounds on his face.

‘It’s hell!’

‘Fucking hell!’

He collapsed the moment he reached his cell.

But he didn’t rest.

Even in his weakened state, he forced his mind to remain sharp, his senses attuned to every shift in the air, every scent, every distant footstep.

His thoughts raced, locked onto one goal—Reaching Level 2.

Creation!

Creation of Wood!

Creation of Hydrocarbons!

‘Then, if I’m able to create Wood, my Status Window will reflect that. But how would it define it?’

Pinaka pondered over it, narrowing his thoughts to a single conclusion.

‘Creation Factor seems like the correct term—after all, Level 2 is literally called Creation.’

He clenched his fists, feeling the strain in his exhausted body but ignoring it.

‘By ingesting the World Tree Fruit, I’ll be able to sense matter being created within me. If I can fully synchronize with that process, I should be able to reach Level 2.’

It wasn’t a far-fetched conclusion, neither was it without any basis. But Pinaka was also aware that even if he succeeded in reaching Level 2 and gained Creation Factor, it may not be enough. After all, The Elf King—a being far beyond Level 2—had still died.

‘Then anything less than complete authority over Hydrocarbons is worthless.’

His gaze sharpened as he watched Zetaka pass by his cell. It was morning now.

That was his next target.

While reaching Level 2 in Wood, he would simultaneously reconstruct his thumbs, using the power of the World Tree Fruit to do it.

But before that…

‘I need to know how Zetaka hides the truth about himself from others.’

…

Gangnea Daily Article #13:

Despite their recent population boom, the Human Race isn’t the most populous on Gangnea.