Syl: Chapter 239

Chapter 239 : Elven Embassy

Entering the mansion was quite the spectacle. It really felt like we had been transported away from the dwarven city and were now in a miniature forest home.

Vee kept mumbling to herself in wonder as she stared at the various ornaments while staying in her small, compact size upon my shoulder. I followed the dwarf closely, not wanting to get lost.

There are so many different plants. Keeping them all alive must take a lot of time and effort. I wonder how they substitute the lack of sunlight. Is it an enchantment or something?

We entered what must have been a reception room, as it had an ornate table, plenty of chairs, and some sofas arranged around a magnificent fireplace with beautiful engravings in the marble stonework.

"Tamnaeth will be with you shortly. Can I bring you a drink in the meantime?" the dwarf butler asked.

"Yes, thanks," I replied and took a seat on one of the plush couches.

The dwarf stared at me.

"I think he wants you to tell him what you want to drink," Vee commented.

"Um... Do you have coffee?" I asked.

The dwarf nodded, looking relieved. "I'll get some right away."

"Really? Coffee?" Vee asked while the dwarf left.

"It was the first thing that came to mind after water. Plus, you mentioned something about caffeine and poison," I answered telepathically.

Vee sighed, "Figures even in the lap of luxury, you'd try to make some form of progress."

"It often doesn't work out, sadly. There was this magnificent restaurant that had all sorts of meats and dishes, but I didn't gain a single profile or trait from eating them!"

Vee gasped, "Food is for eating and enjoying! It's not just for silly profiles or whatever. You have to take me to this fabulous restaurant!"

"Sure, if we are ever in Kaerlin, we can go to Moonsong. Or, better yet, if we go to Stantondale, we can go to Trevor's inn!"

"Really? An inn better than a restaurant with a crazy name like Moonsong?" Vee asked skeptically.

"Trevor had a bunch of levels in chef. His food was so good I didn't even mind the trait point I had to spend to taste it."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing..." Vee grumbled. "I suffered with raw food and effectively cannibalism for so long while you're lamenting over a trait point to taste food."

"I don't think you can count dwarf meat as cannibalism. You're a spider," I countered. "Besides, I've eaten frogs, slimes, bugs, goblins, rocks, metals, and the list goes on."

"I don't know whether to be impressed or feel sad for you. Eating rocks and bugs."

"I mean, I am a slime..."

"I hope you weren't eating them in your elf disguise. You'd break so many hearts," Vee teased. "Here's this supernaturally beautiful elf, and she's chowing down on some raw bugs."

"No. I'm not that dumb. I learn to pretend to eat and everything. Although I will say using a knife and fork when I can just dissolve things is a test of patience. Likewise with chewing."

"But chewing is the best part!" Vee whined.

The door opened, and Tamnaeth entered. He was still just as I remembered him, although rather than our last time, he seemed very happy to see me.

"Syl, I'm so glad you finally came to visit. I was worried that after you refused my protection offer, you would avoid visiting," he replied politely.

"H-o-l-y shit. Sexy elf man," Vee commented. "And here I'm stuck in the body of a gross spider. This is the worst timeline."

"Really?" I complained mentally before trying to ignore the spider and her ramblings.

"At the time, I thought that if more assassins came, it would be one way to train myself further. And my new companion as well," I replied, trying my best to sound diplomatic about it.

The dwarf butler came in and started handing out drinks and snacks; I could hear Vee audibly gasping at the various pastries and fruits on display.

Tamnaeth nodded, "I can see that. You've certainly grown leaps and bounds in levels since I last saw you. Although you mentioned at the time, has the situation changed?"

I nodded as I took a sip of my coffee.

<[Caffeine] has been sampled. [Poison Slime] updated.>

I hid my glee before replying, "I was attacked again while outside dealing with the kobolds."

Tamnaeth looked furious; his teacup trembled as his grip tightened on the handle.

"Rat bastards. Another shadow elf? Or hired goons?"

"Outeatus Knights," I answered.

Tamnaeth's composure broke, and he actually dropped his cup. The dwarf butler was startled and immediately began trying to frantically clean up the mess.

"Those retched inbred humans!?" Tamnaeth shouted, veins practically bulging on his neck. "How dare they!"

"I took care of them," I answered. "There were no survivors. But they were after this bag, and I want to leave it with you."

I placed the bag on the counter, and Tamnaeth's rage instantly faded. He stared at it almost longingly before shuddering a little.

"I cannot take this, Syl, but I know someone who can," Tamnaeth spoke softly.

"Can I leave it here? I want to be on my way and be absolved of this matter; I have dungeons I want to conquer and a world to explore," I insisted.

"I'm afraid that is not an option," a new voice answered.

The room had a new presence as if he had suddenly existed. At first, I thought it was teleportation, but it almost felt like he had always been in the room already. Even Vee was startled, entirely caught by surprise even with her [Spatial Sense]. All signs pointed to this not being teleportation.

The newcomer was a tall, slender elf with sharp, elegant features and long, flowing platinum hair. He wore an ornate, embroidered robe shimmering with various enchantments and what looked like interwoven segments of mythril. His fingers were adorned with intricate rings, and a glowing amulet hung around his neck, radiating magical energy. Though his piercing eyes gleamed with wisdom and power, his expression was calm and composed.

<Llewel Fei [Nature's Grace]; Elf LV 83; Chronomancer LV 77; Arcane Apothecary LV 42.>

Worthy! The cry resounded in my head. Although such a confident outcry from my Emblem instilled a sense of impending doom in me rather than my usual joy.

Vee swore, no doubt also being taken aback by the other elf.

"Syl, do not fight him!" Vee warned.

"Why not?" I asked mentally.

"[Time Magic]! The thing Trixie directly warned us about!"

"Syl, please meet Llewel," Tamnaeth spoke.

"It would be nice to meet you, but not if you won't let me drop this bag off and leave," I responded.

"Syl!" Vee cried mentally, but I ignored her.

"For your safety and for the good of the Grove, that is not an option," Llewel spoke. Despite him offering me no compromise, his tone lacked the snark I'd almost expected it to. "If the Outeatus Kingdom is involved, then there can be no further delay. I wouldn't be surprised if they orchestrated this kobold panic to arrange your isolation. There are probably assassins heading towards this very building as we speak."

"I can handle a few assassins," I replied confidently. "And I'm not going anywhere with you. The only reason I'm even here is to drop off this bag as a courtesy, and unless you want to make an enemy of the Adventurer's Guild, of which I'm a Gold-rank member, you will leave me alone."

Llewel paused as if considering my words. Tamnaeth's forehead was beginning to dampen as he sweated.

Wasn't he supposed to be a diplomat? You'd think he would be used to situations like this.

"Damn, did that actually work? I guess you really know how to throw the right words around. Guess joining the guild was a good move!" Vee cheered.

"I believe even the Adventurer's Guild will forgive a bit of impropriety when family matters are concerned," Llewel finally spoke. "Your mother has demanded your return, and I must follow her orders."

"She's not. I'm not-"

"[Stasis]," Llewel chanted; it came out so fast that I didn't even notice him casting the spell. It was as if he had somehow already prepared it or perhaps could instantly cast spells.

My body—no, my entire being—froze in place. Slime, cores, everything seemed unable to respond or react.

<[Stasis] is in effect.>

"Syl! I can't move!" Vee replied telepathically.

Telepathy still works?

"I can't either!" I replied in a slight panic.

I tried opening a telepathic bond to Llewel to demand my release or explain the situation, but my mental handshake met what felt like an impenetrable wall of barriers. My feeble handshake was rebuffed like a club hitting it.

"Remarkable, no matter how many times I see it!" Tamnaeth spoke. "The combat applications for such a powerful spell must be immeasurable."

"Not quite. The effect is powerful but leaves the target virtually out of time," Llewel explained casually. "While they cannot act, they also cannot take any harm. Even trying to move them from the spot would be met with extreme resistance."

As if to demonstrate, he flung a cup towards me; it wouldn't have damaged me anyway, but the object rebounded off me. While I kept trying to activate skills, traits, or even my [Sub-Cores], I could only stare and watch as the two elves conversed.

"You can even try stabbing her with your glaive if you wish," Llewel further added.

"I-I could never!" Tamnaeth stammered.

Llewel shrugged, "Her mother said she was feisty, but I think I underestimated her evaluation. Either your report didn't do her justice, or there's been some remarkable growth before my arrival."

"B-both, I think," Tamnaeth responded nervously.

"I'm not blaming you. It's hard for a non-caster to evaluate these things. Her Mana is extraordinarily large. It will undoubtedly be larger than my own, given some time."

"I see... So what is the next step? I assume she will be furious when your spell breaks."

Llewel nodded, "We will be teleporting back to the Grove."

Vee and I both gasped telepathically as if we were prisoners in our own bodies at this stage.

Llewel began taking out what looked like a rug from an extravagant satchel, no doubt enchanted for storage. As he unraveled it, I could see woven into it one of the most complex pieces of runework I'd ever seen. I tried to comprehend what I saw, but it was far beyond me.

"That's... What? That's possible?" Vee muttered. "It's almost like what my spells, but turned into even more grand patterns. This makes what I do look like I'm playing with dirt and twigs!"

"Damnit, is there nothing we can do!?" I cried.

"None of my spells are working, I can't even touch my Mana," Vee answered. "I think we are going to get kidnapped by these elves whether we like it or not."

"No! No, no, no!" I panicked.

Tamnaeth removed the couch, causing me to remain suspended in the air in my still-frozen position. Llewel placed and fully unraveled the carpet underneath me, with Vee and me aligned in the center.

"It's a good thing her spider was close by. Otherwise, this would have complicated things," Llewel offhandedly commented, as if this was just an ordinary experience for him. "I'd hate to be responsible for separating a [Bonded Companion]."

"Especially one still so fresh, Vee might've reverted to her wild nature. Explaining that to the dwarves would have been problematic if she went on a rampage," Tamnaeth added.

"Her mother might have had both our heads for causing her [Bonded Companion] to die. I do not know what happened to her first, Shalana, but losing a second so soon might've driven her to insanity."

"I'm not Sylthaeryn, damn it!" I screamed to no avail.

I even tried a last-ditch effort to change my displayed profile with [Identity Fabrication], but even that was apparently off-limits while stuck in [Stasis].

Both Vee and I even tried calling out to Trixie. But either she was out of range, or something was blocking her. Like it or not, it seemed like we had to simply accept our fate that we would be teleported.

"Wait, you're fat!" Vee said, sounding hopeful.

"Really, Vee? This isn't the time."

"No, your dimensional weight! Maybe they won't be able to teleport us because of that!" Vee said, sounding hopeful.

"Gods, I hope you're right."

The elves had seemingly finished their preparations. Llewel retrieved the bag I had left on the table, placed it on the rug, and began channeling Mana into the various enchanted weaves.

"The dwarves and guild will be irate, even if this is a family matter," Tamnaeth said.

"I fear the Feirelle Branch far more than the dwarves or guild," Llewel retorted. "If anyone complains, bribe them. Or bring up the fact that Outeatus Knights attacked Sylthaeryn and that we feared for her safety. She is an elven princess, after all."

"Oh fuck me, you chose a princess for your disguise!?" Vee complained.

"How was I supposed to know! She was in the middle of a forest dying!" I complained.

Tamnaeth nodded, "They will probably think I'm blowing smoke, but I'll try. There must be some witnesses to the battle that took place. And I'm sure there must be some record for Outeatus Knights entering."

"I should bloody hope so after the fuss they caused with allowing me entry," Llewel complained. "Weeks! I even had to swear an oath to not use any offensive magic. Blasted dwarves, did they really think I was here to kill someone? I'm an arcane scholar; I have better things to do."

"This isn't offensive magic?" Vee whined. "Sounds like he's playing very loosey-goosey with the rules."

"He must have been very attentive with his words, or maybe this really isn't offensive magic? He did say it can't harm us. You could probably even use this to save an ally by freezing them under a deadly attack."

"Right, that's everything," Llewel announced. "Thank you for your services, Tamnaeth. I'll tell the branch of your aid."

Tamnaeth bowed.

"Moment of truth..." I said hesitantly.

"Yeah, let's hope you're fat enough to stop this teleport!" Vee attempted to lighten the situation.

The magical rug began to flash rapidly as its enchantments burned iridescent and floated up, creating a three-dimensional pattern. The air thickened, and I felt the familiar tingling feeling of a potential teleportation.

The process halted, and Llewel almost fell over.

"Not enough, Mana?" the elf questioned in frustration.

"Ha! Score one for the gluttonous slime!" Vee cheered.

Then Llewel began to channel more Mana into the rug.

"Oh gods, he's going to have enough Mana, isn't he?" I whined.

"He did say he had more than you, though."

The rug continued to shine, and Mana flooded out of the elf. The air was thickening again, but I could almost instinctually sense that it would still not be enough.

"Blast it," Llewel complained.

"What's the issue? Is there something I can help with?" Tamnaeth asked.

"I don't have enough Mana to fuel the teleport and keep the [Stasis] spell going," Llewel explained.

I was beginning to feel some hope, but then he shook his head and uttered the last thing I wanted to hear.

"I'll just activate the forceful teleport measure. What's a few damaged objects in storage?"

"Oh no... No, no, no!" I pleaded.

"Syl?" Vee asked.

"My [Core Storage]!" I blurted out. "All my slime and stuff—it's going to rip me apart!"

"What? Surely not?" Vee questioned.

I began trying to frantically think of what Thern and Thessa had mentioned, but Llewel had already made his decision.

I felt an immense tearing pain deep within my core. I was the reason the teleport was failing, after all. Me and my stupidly fat storage.

"Gods, can't I pay the Mana cost!?" I begged. "Damn it!"

I tried activating the trait. Nothing.

I ordered my [Sub-Cores] to withdraw slime. Nothing.

The pain was growing further, and I felt something in my core begin to crack.

Oh, gods... I can't even borrow the pain-reducing trait! This is basically torture! This [Stasis] spell must have a flaw; can't I do something? Why is my magic resistance not enough? Is it the soul damage that Trixie mentioned? Or is this elf mage just that damn powerful? The only thing I can seemingly interact with is my profile. Should I buy upgrades to my trait and hope to escape?

My options were minimal. But if I did nothing, my core would explode! [Core Collective] would keep me alive, I assumed, but would the next core crack and explode, too? Or would losing my primary core be enough to dump out enough storage for the teleport to complete.

Then, an idea struck. It was still something I didn't truthfully want to do. Still, it was a better option than blindly buying resistance levels and hoping for the best, and a small part of me still instinctively rebelled against such a horrible expenditure of trait points.

I'll buy new [Sub-Cores]! Maybe that will spend enough slime to lighten the load!

Time was running short, and my core felt like it was barely holding together, so I began frantically purchasing.

<Trait [Sub-Core Lambda LV 1] obtained. Trait Points remaining: 16.>

I could hear cracking noises.

<Death blow blocked. Core Shield has been spent.>

I almost forgot about that feature... Hah...

<Trait [Sub-Core Mu LV 1] obtained. Trait Points remaining: 15.>

The sound of splintering fractures rang.

<Trait [Sub-Core Nu LV 1] obtained. Trait Points remaining: 14.>

Just a bit more... Hold on...

<Trait [Sub-Core Xi LV 1] obtained. Trait Points remaining: 13.>

And then I shattered.

<Death Subverted. [Sub-Core Alpha] has been elevated to Prime Core.>

The pain immediately ceased, and the glowing light of teleportation enveloped us. I felt like I was barely holding onto consciousness as the world warped and trembled around us before ultimately shifting into a kaleidoscope of colors.