His house was spacious. Though it wasn't large by any noble standard, it was undeniably luxurious. Everything inside was of the highest quality. Magical items were everywhere—magic cleaners, a magic stove, a magic air conditioner, even a magic puppet. These weren't things the average person, or even most high elves, could afford.
Edric, however, was different. He was among the wealthiest individuals in the city, capable of indulging in such extravagance.
Most high elves, despite enjoying a far better quality of life than common mortals, could barely afford magic lanterns and stoves. Magical items were ridiculously expensive for mortals… even mortal high elves.
"Even if it's boring... this kind of life soothes the mind," Edric thought to himself.
The quietness of his life was like that of a hermit in the depths of a forest. He barely interacted with anyone. His neighbors were quiet, the streets silent, and no one ever knocked on his door.
High elves were, by nature, distant and cold. They rarely formed deep friendships. That didn't mean they had no friends or family—they did, just not in the same warm way humans or other elves did.
But Edric was even more isolated than most. He never sought friendship, and no one ever made the effort to reach out. So, he had lived in his home for years without once speaking to a single neighbor.
"Mortal life really isn't so bad," he thought again. He wasn't in a rush. As an Ultra Knight, he could live tens of thousands of years without aging. Taking a few years off to rest his mind was nothing to him.
Ever since arriving at the Dark Forest—and especially since beginning this quiet mortal lifestyle—his darker impulses had started to fade. He didn't know why, but something had definitely improved.
As both an Ultra Knight and a Mythic Mage, his mind was powerful… yet he had long struggled with evil thoughts and twisted desires. They'd become quieter recently, but they were still there, lurking.
"It's probably the [Mental Fortitude (Black)] skill… it must've greatly strengthened my mind and dulled those urges," he thought. "Still, even an Absolute Rank skill can only reduce them, not erase them. Just shows how terrifying that corruption really is."
"I've got a long life ahead of me, but Demon Kings seem to be everywhere these days… maybe I shouldn't let myself get too comfortable. What if something big is coming?"
His thoughts darkened.
"I need to move faster after I get the Dark Crystal."
But for now, he had no choice but to wait.
"I'll just let the XP accumulate until I can unlock that super skill," Edric reminded himself, leaning back with a deep sigh.
...
Edric glanced at his status window.
Status Window
Name: Edric
Age: 53 years, 8 months, 19 days
Rank:
Mythic Mage (2,966 / 40,000,000)
Mythic Knight (1,758 / 40,000,000)
Skills: 12 / 15
Divination Resistance (Black)
Bloodline Shield (Black)
Mental Fortitude (Purple)
Blessed by the Abyss – Suppressed (Purple)
Abyss Emissary (Purple)
Demonic Ancestor (Purple)
Disguise (Purple)
Magic Computer (Pink)
Magic Intuition (Cyan)
Spell Storage (Cyan)
Formation Intuition (Cyan)
Spell Intuition (Cyan)
→ Skill Shop Available
Talent:
Mage: Mythic (0 / 45,000,000)
Knight: Legendary (0 / 10,000,000)
Tasks: None
Points: 24,230,031
Cheat: Moderate – 10,000 XP/day
"It's been six years since I became an Ultra Knight," Edric thought to himself.
"Twenty-four million XP… still need sixteen million more," he sighed.
He had no intention of drawing attention to himself. Even as an Ultra-ranked Knight, he knew the elves possessed powerful knights and mages of their own. If they discovered a human hiding within their territory, they certainly wouldn't be welcoming.
"Time to move on. Another city it is," he decided.
He had lingered long enough in Thalindral. There were still a few years left to waste, and he didn't want to spend them here.
Without a word, he left his house, passed through the city gates, and disappeared into the world beyond. He didn't sell his property. He didn't leave a message or say goodbye. He simply walked away.
His home had been large, filled with rare and expensive items—but to Edric, those possessions were meaningless. Compared to his true wealth, they were barely worth a thought. Abandoning it all didn't faze him in the slightest.
His clone, Sylvara, was still in the city of Eldrinvar. Using her position as the presiding district judge, she discreetly funneled the money from her dealings into spatial rings, then sent them to Edric.
The dark-elemental soil Edric had given her to sell was of such absurdly high quality—and in such vast quantity—that she'd only managed to offload about 1% of it.
But that tiny portion alone… was enough to fund Edric's lavish lifestyle for millions of years.
After all, much of the dark-elemental soil Edric possessed was of Mythic rank—some even reached Ultra rank.
This kind of soil was incredibly valuable for cultivating dark-elemental plants, trees, fruits, and various other resources. Even though dark-elemental soil was generally cheaper than other elemental variants, it was by no means cheap.
"In the next city… I'll find a few friends," Edric murmured to himself.
He cast a mythic flying spell, soared into the sky, and vanished toward the horizon.
...
The region surrounding the Dark Forest was home to many elven cities. Several were governed by high elves, but other elven races had their own settlements scattered throughout the area as well.
Vaelithar, for example, was a city nestled in the woodlands just a few miles outside the forest. It was inhabited by wood elves, who thrived in harmony with nature.
Then there was Aws, a sprawling city of dark elves, housing a population of millions. It stood as the largest dark elven city near the Dark Forest.
Contrary to popular belief, dark elves didn't actually have dark skin. The "dark" in their name referred only to their affinity with the dark element—nothing more, nothing less.
That said, perhaps due to this affinity—or for reasons yet unknown—dark elves were generally seen as more inclined toward chaos and malice. Still, they weren't so corrupt as to be incompatible with the other elven races.
Despite their tendencies, dark elves maintained a firm respect for structure and order. They were not lawless. Their strict adherence to rules allowed them to remain a functioning part of the elven empire.
Some cities were shared by multiple elven races. These mixed settlements were usually located along the borders between territories or were intentionally built through cooperation between different racial groups to foster unity.
The Elven Empire itself wasn't based on race. The Elder's Council had the authority to pass laws across the entire empire, and in theory, there was no legal discrimination between elven races.
But in practice, things were different.
There were unspoken, de facto divisions between the races. Territories were technically drawn based on the "culture and habits" of the residents, but in reality, that was just a polite way of saying they were racially aligned.
Wood elves, for example, were known for their forest-dwelling lifestyles and natural harmony. Unsurprisingly, they were grouped into a single territory that matched their preferred environment.
Still, it was important to note—these territories had no administrative power. They didn't govern laws, collect taxes, or oversee any official functions. Their only role was in the election of Elders.
Every fifteen years, a ranked-choice election was held in each territory. Half the Elders in that region were up for reelection, giving each Elder a thirty-year term before facing the people once again.
To pass an empire-wide law, the Elder's Council required an 85% majority vote—a threshold so high it was rarely achieved.
However, individual territories had more leeway. If the Elders of a single territory voted on a matter, they could implement it locally with just a 50% majority.
Although the Elven Empire officially rejected racial divisions, the phrase "habits and culture" was little more than a polite euphemism—a clever way to avoid saying the word race.
Each elven race chose its own Elders independently, and almost always selected one of their own. It was exceedingly rare, for instance, for a group of high elves to choose a wood elf as their representative.
So while the law stating that Elders of each territory could impose specific laws with just a 50% vote wasn't technically race-based… it was a distinction without a difference.
The Elders of different territories often negotiated among themselves, making deals and compromises without needing to reach the daunting 85% vote required to pass empire-wide legislation.
Only one type of law was truly locked behind that high threshold—the budget.
Empire-wide spending could only be authorized through full Council approval. However, that problem had long since been solved. Years ago, the Council passed legislation that allowed territorial Elders to directly manage portions of the budget that originated from their own territories and had not been reserved for specific imperial purposes.
In practice, this meant each territory had autonomous control over roughly 30% of the revenue collected from its people or businesses—without needing to bring the matter before the greater Council.
The Elven Empire gathered taxes from cities, wealthy individuals, and businesses. However, strict legal definitions governed who qualified as "wealthy." The term specifically referred to the top 5% in yearly income and the top 1% in total wealth—measured within each territory, not across the entire empire.
This distinction was especially important for the high elves. If wealth were calculated empire-wide, nearly all high elves would qualify as rich.
...
One such unique territory was the city of Elarion, a shining example of cooperation between dark elves, high elves, and wild elves.
With a population of over ten million, it was one of the largest cities near the Dark Forest—built as a symbol of unity among elvenkind.
A wild elf approached Elarion's outer gates. Dressed in simple travel-worn robes, he handed over a few coins to the guards and was promptly allowed entry.
As he stepped inside, his golden eyes scanned the surroundings with interest.
"Hm… I see the touch of high elven luxury," he muttered, noting the elegant architecture and refined roads. "But there are also plenty of dark elven structures… sturdy, shadow-forged."
The wild elf smiled as he wandered deeper into the bustling city.
It was Edric.