Please support the translation by reading the translation and commenting on otakutl official site.
Thank you.
Everyone from Otaku Translation
Chapter 5: The Grace of Melodious Strings
Have you ever seen an angel?
Before this, I hadn’t either. But now, I think I have. This angel bore the soul mark "Elegant Strings," descending in the form of a male elf, radiating warmth and sacred light. He plucked the crystalline bowstring as if caressing a harp, sending salvific arrows toward the tyranny behind us.
Yes, perhaps he was just an ordinary elf. But when you’re in dire straits, on the brink of death, and someone offers their hand, what would you see them as?
This elf named Elegant Strings was a ranger. Even if you know nothing about rangers, just hearing such a poetic and romantic name evokes a sense of chivalry and rescue from peril. Rangers are sons of the earth, friends of nature and harmony, foes of tyranny. Most are skilled with bows and arrows, deciding life and death beyond your sight. A few prefer blades for close combat—but clearly, our elf was not among them.
Nocking, drawing, releasing... every detail of this pureblooded elf’s archery became an art. His movements were gentle, slow, reverent. When he raised his longbow, arrow aimed at the target, his gaze suddenly shifted—not sharper, but hazier. There was mystery in his eyes, perhaps pity, maybe resignation. It seemed he foresaw the grim fate of his prey and hesitated.
The string twanged, emitting a crisp melody. Who could believe that such elegant music was tied to killing and death?
In his hands, even the simplest feathered arrow appeared delicate, unrelated to bloodshed. But once released, it revealed its cruel side. The arrow tore through the air with a fierce shriek; time and distance vanished before it, leaving only a barely visible black streak.
"Twang..." In an instant, the arrow traversed dozens of steps, striking accurately—
My thigh?!
I was immediately bathed in bright light, a large red cloud above my head, nearly a third of my restored life depleted in an instant.
All admiration and gratitude evaporated.
Damn it, this was murder!
"Hey, what are you doing?" I gritted my teeth, pulled out the arrow, and waved it angrily at the elf ranger named Elegant Strings, though I didn’t dare stop running.
"I’m really sorry..." The elf ranger bowed deeply from afar, "...I... missed."
If the first arrow could be considered a mistake, then when the second pierced my shoulder, I was utterly speechless.
And this was just the beginning. This enthusiastic elf ranger began an astonishing display of archery.
He shot no less than fifteen arrows, half disappearing into some corner of the forest, a few seemingly aimed to kill us. One arrow was so powerful it pierced Millionfold’s horn, embedding firmly, while two others fell limply just five steps from the bow. Apart from where he aimed, nowhere in this forest was safe.
Thus, from merely being chased by beasts, we found ourselves caught between pursuing predators and random arrows.
It’s said elves are naturally skilled archers; even young children can use their bows to rid the forest of pests.
If I ever find out who spread these lies, I’ll rip out their tongue and pin it to a tree with an arrow.
As we approached, the elf’s aim worsened. Frantically, he loosed arrows haphazardly, like a rain of petals, vanishing without trace. When we finally reached him amidst the flying arrows, he made the only correct choice:
He let out a strange cry, slung his bow, and joined us in flight.
Without Elegant Strings’ unpredictable arrows, escape pressure eased. Multiple escapes had accustomed Millionfold to the rhythm; though his movements remained stiff, his pace steadied, speed increased, and he even managed a "warm and friendly" exchange with our new companion:
"You call yourself an archer?!" Millionfold enunciated each word, veins bulging on his neck, glaring red-eyed at the male elf. The once-respected name dripped with irony.
"Look what you’ve done!" Millionfold pointed to the arrow stuck between his eyebrows, "I almost died because of you!"
If the red in the tauren’s eyes turned to fire, the elf ranger would have been incinerated to ash.
"And mine..." I hadn’t had time to remove the arrow from my shoulder, which now swayed with each step, making me look like a scarecrow bristling with branches.
"I’m truly sorry..." Even while fleeing, the elf ranger maintained good manners, sincerely apologizing. His emerald eyes were bright and beautiful but oddly veiled, as if avoiding direct contact, exuding an aloof, ethereal beauty.
Elven agility is enviable; his steps were light and graceful, not fleeing but dancing under the moonlit forest.
"I..." Elegant Strings began another word when he failed to notice a branch ahead, crashing headfirst with characteristic elven agility, blood blossoming on his head. He cried out in pain, covering his injured face, tearfully saying:
"...I’m nearsighted..."
Millionfold nearly collapsed.
"Nearsighted?" His eyes bulged.
"About -12.00..." The elf ranger added.
"How could you even think of using a bow?" The tauren roared.
"I’ve always used a bow, but recently my brainwave sensor's optic nerve conduction system malfunctioned; I can’t adjust the focus. It’s too expensive—I can only afford second-hand gear past its warranty, and I can’t afford repairs." Elegant Strings glanced at us sheepishly, stammering, "Could you... return my arrows? I’ve lost too many; I can’t afford more. Help me save whatever you can..."
Though I didn’t fully understand their conversation, their expressions and gestures hinted at things—for instance, this male elf had vision akin to a mole, rendering our rescuer utterly unreliable and a hindrance. On the upside, we were lucky not to have been killed outright by this blind archer.
"What use are these scraps now!" Millionfold grumbled, pulling arrows from his horn and handing them over.
"Not necessarily." Elegant Strings eagerly accepted, a sly smile appearing. "After all, I’m level six now, and it wasn’t all luck."
With that, he quickened his pace, running three steps ahead, shouting, "You two, cover me!"
Confused, Millionfold and I pondered his words until...
He suddenly stopped.
Turned, bent his bow, nocked an arrow—all in an instant. By the time I realized his intent, we were beside him.
His bow was drawn taut, holding a streak of light, ready to release, like a star in the dark night.
A lynx’s greedy fangs lunged toward him.
Time seemed to slow. Millionfold and I halted, watching the lynx pounce at the ranger’s face.
Three inches, two inches, one inch—the distance shortened imperceptibly, heart-stopping just to watch. They were too close; I’d have dodged long ago. Such proximity was dangerous—if not fatal, the beast’s retaliation would be fierce, especially with three other predators behind it.
But Elegant Strings stood firm, like rock or sculpture. His arm steady, gaze vacant. The approaching lynx seemed nonexistent—or perhaps unseen—his motion giving an illusion: this arrow wasn’t aimed but shot for shooting’s sake. The elf waited, for a moment, a mystical cue. When it came, it would be extraordinary.
At the last moment, the elf ranger’s gaze changed.
His previously vacant eyes focused sharply, pupils contracting into thin lines. Eyelids almost covered his irises, yet a sharp glint burst forth.
In that instant, I couldn’t tell what was sharper—his gaze or the chilling arrow.
"Thud!" A wet thud sounded as the arrow pierced the lynx’s mouth, exiting through its brain, flinging the beast away. Three pale light orbs floated from the lynx, entering us.
A fatal blow; moments earlier ferocious, the wild lynx now lay still. A massive wound bloomed at the back of its head, silently narrating the arrow’s lethal force.
After loosing the arrow, Elegant Strings was overwhelmed by the remaining beasts. Despite being level six with superior stats, his life bar drained rapidly.
"Bull, stomp!" He called desperately, dodging. Millionfold promptly used "War Stomp," dragging him from the beasts' jaws, handing him homemade health potions.
"That move was incredible..." As the elf guzzled potions, Millionfold exclaimed, "...a critical hit, and a literal mouth shot!"
"Cough cough..." Millionfold’s description caused the elf to choke.
"What do you mean ‘mouth shot'?! Don’t use vulgar terms for my unique bow skill." He explained sternly, "This is Head-on Shot,’ increasing attack power by 100% with a 30% critical chance."
"Head-on Shot’?" Millionfold repeated thoughtfully, then enlightened, gave the powerful skill a fitting nickname, "Oh, you mean ‘Face Shot’!"
The elf ranger was left speechless.
From Elegant Strings, we learned: his "‘Face Shot"—excuse me, "Head-on Shot"—though powerful, only worked within one step before him—in other words, his vision could only clearly see targets at such a range.
Buoyed by one successful instance, we circled confidently, waiting for cooldowns. We repeated the process, fatally striking the already half-dead wild dog, then spent two rounds killing the second "Angry Lynx." With only one lynx left, we seized the chance for revenge, taking turns tormenting the once-arrogant beast until its flesh was torn. Finally, Millionfold and I pinned it down despite losing half our life, allowing Elegant Strings to shoot it point-blank, thoroughly teaching it what a real "face shot" felt like.
Not satisfied, the rarely accurate elf unleashed a flurry of arrows into the lynx’s corpse, turning its pelt into a net, laughing nervously. His expression chilled me—it seemed pent-up frustration was finally released.
For killing a wild dog, we obtained a pelt. Interestingly, these animals were considerate even in death, neatly arranging their pelts and bones for collection.
"Where are you headed?" Ranger Elegant Strings asked. This impoverished elf unceremoniously gathered the scattered pelts, planning to trade them for arrows in town.
"We’re on a mission to hunt wild dogs..." I replied, "...but now, I need to repair my armor."
"I need to buy clothes too..." Millionfold snorted, muttering, "...fighting bare-chested is too painful."
"Then we’re on the same path..." Elegant Strings said cheerfully, "...I’ve completed the wild dog quest. Let me guide you. I know a few spots, not crowded, perfect for leveling..."
Thus, our little adventuring team gained a new member.
Previous | Next |
Join our discord you will receive update notification
If you would like to support this translation, you may choose any one of the options below.
How to find a list of chapters
Please find the chapter label next to your favorite translator's name, and click the label.
No comments:
Post a Comment