Chapter 216 - Distance (2)

"I am going to report to my allies what happened," Cresta said. "So, you guys will have a few days to think of your decision. Don't worry. The other elves will soon join you."

"Do we have another option?" Rina asked.

"Actually, yes," Cresta said. "By joining us, at least for a while, your species will be put in a lot of danger. You might be targeted by all the remaining four of the overlords. That might be your end… so I will give you another option. Don't interfere with the battle and save your forces. However, we will get all the magic wood."

It seemed like Cresta was being quite understanding regarding their situation, but she was being calculating as well. Now that the enemies had lost one of them, her side had the upper hand. The enemies had two options, go all out and try to win no matter what when they were outnumbered or retreat and leave the planet. The chances of her group were good in both scenarios.

"What do you think, Rina?" Luke asked. "Your people will be important in this battle, so it is up to you to decide again."

Rina stayed silent for a while. It was only natural that she would hesitate. However, she seemed more serious than usual. Luke could tell that she was truly considering fighting. Even though it was dangerous, it was also a good opportunity to grow stronger her species. Even if they win the battle. They will have a lot more chances of winning against the opponents in the south. By her calculations, they seemed to be as troublesome as the current group they were facing, but they weren't working together.

"If we help you, won't you help us defeat the remaining overlords in this world?" Rina asked.

"I am sorry, but we can't do that," Cresta replied. "The universe is vast, and many groups like these emerge all the time. Even though we have been fighting this group for many months, the amount of resources we will get is pretty small. So, we will have to keep looking outside this planet."

Now things were starting to become more believable. Luke would find it weird if she accepted to help them so readily. She might be giving them the opportunity to work together, but only for a short while since they saw Luke's group as a lot weaker than them. 

"Is that so… we will fight them anyway," Rina said.

Those close to Rina could see where she was coming from, but the others were a bit confused. Luke also welcomed the chance to fight more… he realized that he was still weak compared to most of the enemies he had been fighting. Being fearless wasn't enough. He needed the strength to back up that bravery.

"Is that so, then in two days, I will return and take some of you to meet my allies," Cresta said. "I am certain that the enemies won't make any big moves for a while, so we can prepare for the final confrontation against them."

After saying that, Cresta returned to her moving fortress and then left the area. The group couldn't even feel relaxed that they won and would recover some more allies because two big battles still were ahead of them. Some of the elves were praying that the enemies would just go away, but it was hard to believe that they would.

"Tsk… such an annoying woman," Richter said. 

"Annoying? Was it because she beat the crap out of us?" Rachel asked. "While that leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, she still was quite courteous after the battle."

"In any case, I am concerned that we will have to fight someone else's battle," Amanda said.

"You don't have to," Luke said. "Besides, we will only do this because it is the fastest way to get rid of half of the troublesome overlords and because the elves will gain a lot of power. Even if some of them end up dying."

"I already told you I have come to help Celia," Amanda said.

"Sure, whatever," Luke said.

"By the way… why your armor has a hole on the back and on the front on the left side of your chest?" Amanda frowned.

"This is a sign of the level of the opponents we are going to face," Luke said. "I almost died with this wound… fuck, I will need a new armor."

It was quite surprising that Luke still wanted to fight after suffering a wound like that. While they couldn't imagine a hole in his chest, they could imagine something pretty similar. Maybe death doesn't have the patience for someone as stubborn as Luke…

"You are quite quiet, Shalia," Luke said. "I also owe you one for buying time when I was down."

"Don't mention it," Shalia said. "Nevertheless, while you are leaving most of the decisions to Rina since her people's lives are hanging in the balance and she is as naive as they come, I won't say anything. However, once you come to my world, you will have to act with a single goal in mind, and you will have to put yourself above others."

"I will do my best, I guess," Luke said. 

Luke wasn't exactly a model of a person, but he also couldn't be called one hundred percent egocentric. So, he couldn't quite visualize yet his path to become the ruler of another world. Wouldn't it be better just to make Shalia queen as well and support her from the shadows? That would fit his style more… Still, Shalia wasn't someone who would let his partner do half-assed things. If he can do or become something, then he should do or become something. From Shalia's perspective, power was supposed to be used, no matter what.

In any case, the sun was starting to rise, and the group decided to rest for the day since they had a hard time last night and more tough nights were about to come.