Reversing Life With Item Copy

Chapter 84: The Heart of Flame

"Stop right there!"

As a group of elves on horseback approached the village entrance, a voice commanded. It was Dien—he’d blocked their path.

The horses neighed sharply, coming to an abrupt halt. It was a group of six elves, with Naiyel leading at the front. Despite the low number, sweat trickled down Dien’s forehead.

I have to stop them.

Dien’s determination was unwavering. He had no other choice. As a Dark Elf, Dien was here to find a way to burn the World Tree, and to persuade Vulcanus to assist him in that endeavor.

But now, a White Elf, who worshiped the World Tree, had appeared. This was nothing short of a crisis, especially considering that this particular elf was a contracted servant of the Water Spirit King, Vulcanus’s sworn enemy.

That poor guy is in for some trouble.

Kim Do-Joon mused, watching the scene unfold from a short distance away. He could easily guess why Dien had intercepted Naiyel. After all, he was familiar with the basic situation.

At the same time, Kim Do-Joon had no reason to help Dien stop Naiyel, so he simply observed from the sidelines.

Naiyel, the one rumored to have made a contract with the Water Spirit King, was an impressive sight. Clad in armor and mounted on her horse, she looked every bit the valiant knight. Her long hair, cascading down to her waist, was a deep, aquatic blue. He was uncertain whether this was her natural hair color or a result of her contract with the Water Spirit King.

Her face, as was typical of elves, was stunningly beautiful, but her eyes were sharp and cold as they bore into Dien.

"Filthy traitor," Naiyel spat, her voice laced with venom.

That was because, to her and her kind, the Dark Elves were a race of traitors who had betrayed their people.

Despite the searing contempt in her gaze, Dien stood his ground. He glared back at Naiyel and spoke firmly.

"You must be Naiyel Rackade from Lake Brianna. What brings you here?"

"I have no obligation to answer the likes of you. Even speaking to you repulses me," Naiyel Rackade said.

"Wait!"

As Naiyel Rackade attempted to pass him by, Dien swiftly blocked her path again.

Clang!

However, before he could react, her sword was already at his throat. The blade’s cold edge pressed against his skin, forcing him to freeze in place.

"The only reason your head isn’t rolling on the ground right now is because this is the Lord’s territory," Naiyel hissed. "Get it? Don’t push your luck.”

"Keugh!”

Dien took a step back, unable to challenge her any longer. He wasn’t a knight, nor had he received much combat training. There was nothing he could do against Naiyel’s sword. Daring to block her path twice was already beyond reckless of him.

Just then, Naiyel’s gaze shifted, moving past Dien to behind him. Kim Do-Joon stood there.

"A human from the outside…?" Naiyel murmured, momentarily surprised to see Kim Do-Joon standing beside Elena.

However, her expression quickly twisted back into one of disdain.

"How far you’ve fallen, you wretched Dark Elves," she sneered.

The sharp sound of her sword rang out as she prepared to make her next move. She sheathed her sword, showing no further interest in Dien. Then, she urged her horse forward once more, heading straight for Vulcanus's castle at the center of the village.

Dien stood trembling, unable to stop her. One of Naiyel’s attendants, following closely behind, spat on the ground near him.

"Serves you right for sticking your nose where it doesn't belong," the attendant sneered.

"You bastard!" Elena couldn’t hold back her anger any longer.

She reached into her robes, ready to charge at him, but a hand stopped her. It was Dien, the one who had been spat on.

"Hold your temper," Dien said calmly.

"But Mr. Dien!" Elena protested, her voice filled with frustration.

"If he's an attendant to the Contractor of the Spirit King, he's likely a knight. There's no way we can take him on," Dien explained, his voice steady despite the insult.

The attendant chuckled as he passed by. "At least you know your place," he taunted, clearly enjoying the power dynamic.

Elena glared daggers at the retreating elf, fury blazing in her eyes, but she knew Dien was right. There was nothing she could do.

“Here.”

Kim Do-Joon approached Dien and handed him a small piece of cloth, akin to a handkerchief.

"Thank you," Dien said, using the cloth to wipe the spit from his face.

Then, he gently patted Elena on the shoulder, trying to calm her down.

"This is Vulcanus's domain. Causing a scene here over something trivial would only worsen things for us. Don’t forget what our real goal is," Dien reminded her.

"... To persuade Lord Vulcanus," Elena replied, her voice now subdued.

"Always remember: only one thing really matters. For the sake of our cause, we must be willing to endure far worse than this," Dien said with a quiet resolve.

Elena felt a lump in her throat, but she managed to rein in her emotions. She shot one last glare at the backs of the elves disappearing toward the castle, then took a deep breath to compose herself.

"... I'm sorry. I lost my composure," she admitted, her voice tinged with regret.

"It’s fine," Dien responded with a soft chuckle. "It’s good to see young people with so much fire in them."

Though Dien and Elena appeared close in age, Kim Do-Joon knew that Dien was actually a century older than her. In fact, when he first learned it, he was shocked.

"Let’s head back. We won’t be allowed inside the castle, so we’ll have to wait," Dien said, turning back toward their tent.

As he did, his lips moved almost imperceptibly, but Kim Do-Joon, with his keen senses, caught what he whispered.

“This is Dien in Vulcanus's territory. Naiyel of Lake Brianna has arrived. Please verify the situation urgently.”

It seemed like he was making a report, and simultaneously, an unnatural wind began to blow.

Ah, I see.

It was a message sent through the Wind Spirit. Kim Do-Joon nodded slightly to himself, impressed. It was yet another reminder of the inseparable bond between elves and spirits.

Then, Kim Do-Joon glanced at Vulcanus's castle in the distance. He saw the fiery barrier that guarded the gates part briefly as the doors creaked open, then closed again. It seemed that the Contractor of the Spirit King wasn’t turned away.

Having seen enough, Kim Do-Joon made his way back to the tent. The sun was slowly setting, casting long shadows over the land.

***

Click clunk click clunk.

Walking alone, the sound of Naiyel's footsteps echoed through the empty corridor within the castle halls. Her attendants hadn’t been granted entry. The sharp clack of her boots on the floor reverberated as she moved through the winding hallways, turning right, then left.

Despite the maze-like structure of the castle, she navigated it with ease, as if she knew the way by heart. Finally, she arrived at a massive throne room—the very place where Vulcanus, the Fire Spirit King, resided. As expected, the blackish red Dragon of Prominence laid coiled in the center of the room.

“It’s been a while, Vulcanus,” Naiyel greeted him.

“Hmm. Didn’t we see each other just a few days ago?” Vulcanus responded, his voice a deep rumble.

Naiyel glanced briefly at the lake behind him, then shook her head.

“I’m not talking about that. I mean face-to-face, like this,” she clarified.

“...What brings you here today?” Vulcanus asked, his expression turning sour, as if to say he had no patience for idle chatter.

Naiyel’s face remained emotionless as she posed her question.

“It’s about the monsters outside. What exactly are you thinking of doing?”

Her tone was sharp, almost scolding. Anyone else—Dien or any other elf—would have been shocked to hear her speak so disrespectfully. Yet, Vulcanus didn’t chastise her and simply answered.

“I told you, didn’t I? I created them out of boredom. It’s none of your concern.”

“This place isn’t far from Lake Brianna. Isn’t it natural for us to feel threatened by a horde of monsters roaming nearby? Young elves could be in danger,” Naiyel pressed on.

“Hmph,” Vulcanus snorted dismissively. “Do you really think I can’t control a bunch of monsters like that?”

“Then you admit that the monsters are under your command?” Naiyel’s eyes narrowed as she spoke, her voice tinged with suspicion.

Her implication was clear: “Are you gathering minions to serve your own purposes?”

“That would be a blatant violation of our contract, Vulcanus,” she added, her tone accusatory.

“When did you become so nitpicky?” Vulcanus shot back, irritation creeping into his voice.

“I’ve learned a lot from my time away,” Naiyel replied with a shrug, unfazed by his annoyance.

Vulcanus stared at her, his eyes narrowing further.

After a moment, he said, “Enough with the pointless bickering. Tell me why you’re really here.”

Naiyel let out a brief chuckle thinking some things never change, like Vulcanus’ aversion to unnecessary war of nerves. Her smile faded as she spoke in a more serious tone.

“It’s time you tell me the location of the Heart of Flame. That cursed artifact could harm the mother.”

***

"Ptooey," spat Luin, one of Naiyel's knights, as he stood outside the castle.

His irritation was palpable.

"Why can't we go in?" he grumbled.

Ash, who was standing beside him, responded calmly, "There's nothing we can do. The Flame Lord allowed only our captain to enter."

Luin sneered.

"I don’t like it. Without the Heart of Flame, he’s not even worthy of the title lord. And yet, we have to grovel like this?"

Ash gazed at the castle in the distance. Luin had a point. Vulcanus, without the Heart of Flame—the primordial flame that once ignited the world and the core of all Fire Spirits—was nothing more than a powerful spirit. Therefore, he was hardly a lord worthy of respect.

However, there was more to consider.

"While the Heart of Flame is missing right now, Vulcanus could reclaim it anytime. It was his to begin with, and he’s the one who hid it," Ash reminded him.

The real issue wasn’t that Vulcanus had lost the Heart of Flame, but that he had hidden it. As such, it was entirely possible he could retrieve it whenever he wished.

Luin snorted derisively.

"If he ever does reclaim it, the other lords will come down on him like a hammer. Mother won’t stand for it either. He’d be making enemies of the entire world. He’s not that foolish."

"Yeah, you’ve got a point," Ash admitted with a shrug.

Though he played it off, he shared some of Luin’s skepticism. It was unlikely that Vulcanus would regain his power anytime soon.

Luin clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"A so-called lord gathering a bunch of disgusting monsters in a place like this… It’s pathetic. If he’d just surrendered quietly, we wouldn’t have to waste our time here. Instead, we’re stuck in this filthy land, covered in dust."

He kicked the ground in frustration, his irritation bubbling over. As he did, his eyes landed on a small goblin nearby.

"What’s that?" he muttered.

The goblin was sitting on the ground, munching on something. On a closer inspection, it turned out to be dried meat. Noticing Luin’s gaze, the goblin turned around and innocently began to approach him.

This goblin had been born and raised in the village. It had only ever encountered polite visitors like Dien and Kim Do-Joon, so it didn’t see any reasons to be wary.

Upon reaching Luin, the goblin offered him a piece of the dried meat as a gesture of goodwill. The jerky was wet with the goblin's saliva, having been chewed on moments before.

Luin's lip curled in disgust. "Is this thing mocking me?"

He reached for his weapon, clearly not amused by the goblin’s innocent gesture.

***

The next morning, Kim Do-Joon was up before dawn, as usual. It was time for his daily routine of searching for elixirs.

It feels like I'm turning into a herbalist.

Every day, he found himself scouring the mountains at the crack of dawn, searching for herbs and concoctions that’d benefit his body. It wasn’t far off from what a traditional herbalist might do.

He stepped out of his tent to wash up, but something caught his attention.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

"Huh?" Kim Do-Joon frowned. The air was filled with the clashing sound of metal against metal, louder and more persistent than usual.

"Are they holding some kind of ritual?" he wondered.

His curiosity piqued, he followed the noise to its source. When he arrived, he found a group of goblins furiously banging their spears, swords, and shields together, almost as if they were unleashing their pent-up rage.

As he got closer, the reason for their fury became clear. At the center of the group laid the lifeless body of a young goblin, its head severed.

Did it get into a fight with another monster?

It wasn’t uncommon for monsters to fight among themselves. Usually, Vulcanus would intervene before things escalated, but it seemed he didn’t this time. Perhaps, the elf who was the Contractor of the Spirit King had proven to be quite a handful.

Strange. They never harmed the young ones before…

Kim Do-Joon noted, analyzing the situation with a calm detachment. He had seen plenty of dead monsters in his time, so this was nothing new. All he needed to be cautious about was whether these enraged goblins would turn on him or his companions.

Wait a second…!

Then something caught his eye—a familiar object clutched tightly in the dead goblin's hand. Upon closer inspection, he recognized it as a piece of jerky he had brought from Earth, a type not found in this world.

Kim Do-Joon stared at it intently.

"What's with all the noise?" a voice grumbled from behind.

It was Luin, the elf who had spat at Dien the day before. He approached with a look of irritation.

"What’s all the fuss about? One of them dies and they throw a tantrum? If I’d known, I would’ve just tossed it into the mountains somewhere," Luin sneered, letting out a loud yawn.

He glanced around, then suddenly noticed Kim Do-Joon watching him. Their eyes met.

"Oh, it's that outsider from yesterday," Luin said, his drowsiness seemingly vanishing as a glint of interest sparked in his eyes.