This Kind of Hero Chapter 50

Divine Spirit Elixir

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The Holy Light Elves’ young Queen Ellie had lost all hope for the Tree of Life. Perhaps this was the end for the Holy Light Elves, the young woman thought. Her way of thinking came about mostly because she was too young and inexperienced. If this had been the previous Queen Aikar, she would have exhausted all methods to overcome this hardship rather than pleading the human Brave for help. 

Even if she asked for help, she should have looked for the Elven elders first. After all, in the end, Xu Jun was an outsider. 

Ellie, however, did not think this way. Ever since she became queen, her life had undergone heaven toppling, earth churning changes. The previous, carefree little princess had to start learning how to make decisions for her entire race. The elders had also changed: from kindly and gentle, they became more respectful and held greater expectations towards her. At first, she found it all exciting, but as time passed, she gradually tired of it. 

Now, the only person who treated her the same way as before was Xu Jun. Xu Jun had always been like this. When she had strolled about, adorned in the solemn apparel of a queen, what she saw was not an awed and reverent inferior, nor a flattering bastard. She had heard that besides those two types of humans, no others existed. Before she met Xu Jun again, her heart had been filled with fear. If Xu Jun had become someone like that, she would have lost a friend. 

However, Xu Jun’s expression was calm. Looking at her, his eyes were only filled with nostalgia. In that moment, Ellie felt moved. 

She wasn’t the only one who treasured their friendship. 

With that, the relieved Ellie allowed herself to relax. Then, following their usual routine, she proceeded to punch Xu Jun a few times, acting just as enthusiastically as the first time they met (. . .). 

She found that whenever she was with Xu Jun, she would behave the same as before.

Towards others, however. . . the other Holy Light Elves had all changed. Ellie had also changed. After Queen Aikar was gone, time had forced Ellie to grow up. She succeeded, and the elders began to praise the once willful little princess’ “good attitude.”

Even her younger brother, Loya, began to enjoy saying, “My elder sister is the queen! My sister is the strongest Holy Light Elf!”

These expectations were like mountains, crushing down upon Ellie’s shoulders.

However, if the situation with the Tree of Life had not occurred, Ellie would have been able to grow more. Like her mother, Queen Aikar, she would have become more mature and stoic, thus becoming a qualified queen.

The Tree of Life. . . was just too important.

After she agreed to Xu Jun’s request, and already taking him to the Tree of Life, Ellie began to have doubts: would the other Elders agree to let Xu Jun come in contact with the Tree of Life?

If the Tree of Life were to die immediately after their visit, wouldn’t the blame be placed on Xu Jun?

Xu Jun looked at Ellie’s worried expression, thinking in his heart: the Tree of Life had lived for so many years without issue, yet, without a warning, you’re suspecting that it’s about to die. . . I really am unlucky.

He scanned through the items in his spatial bag while reassuring Ellie, “No worries. Trust me, the Tree of Life won’t just die like this.”

Ellie showed an expression of “I know you’re just comforting me, but I still feel really moved.”

This pessimist was beyond saving.

Rozenke listened as Xu Jun’s speech became more and more troubling, “Cease with your arrogant speech. If you are unable to save the Elves’ tree, won’t they push the blame onto you?”

–Brave, your words leave no path for retreat. If this emperor was not here to absorb the dark elements, what would you have done? Could you have expelled the dark elements that have already corroded over half of the Tree of Life?

–It was evident that the common Elves had no clue about the Tree of Life’s corruption. The higher ups were afraid of panic and had done their utmost to suppress knowledge of the event. If Xu Jun really did go to see the tree only for it to die immediately after, all the Elven leaders had to do was to push the blame onto Xu Jun. All they had to say was that this Brave had harbored ill-intent and secretly killed the Tree of Life. The Holy Light Elves never had a good impression of humans to begin with, so the Elven masses would easily believe such words. 

Too many times had Rozenke witnessed such events, no matter if he was the Demon King or a prince. 

The higher you stood, the more you needed to guard against others.

Xu Jun laughed heartily, “How could that. . . no, no, that would never happen. I have the Divine Spirit Elixir which can dispel all negative effects; how could the Tree of Life die so easily?”

His Majesty Demon King Rozenke, who just a second ago was obstinately thinking that no one in the world knew more about the dark elements than him was now speechless. “. . . Divine Spirit Elixir?”

This was that Divine Spirit Elixir which required the tears of a Phoenix, a Moon Spirit Stone, and hundreds of others of rare ingredients?!

That very Sacred Highlands’ Divine Spirit Elixir rumored to have formed from the Sun God’s essence, which had scattered across the earth tens of thousands of years ago when the Sun God fell from the sky?!   

The same Divine Spirit Elixir, whose formula had been lost to time and could never appear again in the world?!

Xu Jun, why do you have such a frightening thing?!

Xu Jun pondered for a moment, “Yeah, the Divine Spirit Elixir. While looting–I mean exploring, the Sun God’s Ruins at the bottom of the sea I found a batch of about a hundred bottles or so? I remember using two bottles when I fought Demon King Rozenke. Its effects are pretty good.”

Demon King Rozenke: “. . . You even used it?”

Xu Jun nodded, “That’s right, I used it. However, this thing has a cooldown restriction. . . you can think of that as a time restriction. It can only be used every half a month; I would explode otherwise, so I don’t use it that much.”

His Majesty Demon King Rozenke felt as if his heart were bleeding. A God. . . a God’s legacy. . . although his attribute was darkness, if he were able to obtain just a single bottle of this Divine Spirit Elixir, even he would have taken good care of it! Yet Xu Jun, you actually used it?! Furthermore, you used it on me?!

Why did it not explode and kill you?!

#The Demon King, frugal for so many years, had lost to a prodigal child#

Xu Jun purposefully acted carefree, and swore to Ellie that saving the Tree of Life was an easy matter. Affected by his attitude, Ellie’s emotions also settled down.

“I can’t bring you directly to. . . the Tree of Life,” Ellie thought for a moment. Currently she appeared as an Elven queen should, besides her swollen eyes and red-tipped nose. “I might need to talk it over with the Elders.”

Xu Jun nodded, “As it should be, as it should be.”

Ellie glanced at him, and discovered that his expression remained unchanged. Feeling a bit helpless, she replied, “It’s not that I don’t trust you, Xu Jun. If the Elders agree, then. . . you will be visiting the Tree of Life with our permission, if they don’t agree. . .  then don’t worry about it. Xu Jun, you are human, there’s no need for you to entangle yourself with the Holy Light Elves’ fate.”

Rozenke nodded his head, “This Elven queen isn’t bad.”

Xu Jun satisfiedly replied as if he had been the one who was praised, “Of course! You have a pretty good eye!”

A second later, Xu Jun added on, “Don’t get any ideas about her. She’s a young lady while you’re what, forty or fifty years old?”

Demon King Rozenke was speechless: who told you that an adult Holy Light Elf is a “young lady?!” The Elven race fundamentally have a long lifespan, it would be quite normal for her to live for thousands of years, alright?!

Furthermore! This emperor is the Demon King: living for forty to fifty years. . . does that even count for much?! What’s with your mouth and its blatant disgust towards old men?!

Xu Jun was aware of the Demon King’s explosive anger. Perhaps because the two’s souls were constantly together, they now seemed to have a slight connection and tacit understanding of each other. In Xu Jun’s eyes, Prince Ryan had already changed from a warm, kind, magnanimous Holy Knight into an irritable, grumpy, uncle who hated the world and was harsh with his words. The Prince Ryan recorded in history was definitely not such a person. . . however, it was understandable. His physical body had already perished, yet he was still trapped in this world as a spirit. After years of being in a love-hate relationship with the Demon King, the Demon King finally perished. However, the prince was unable to fulfill his revenge. Additionally, he was neither able to obtain a body nor pass on afterwards, leaving him no choice but to reside within another’s body. 

Unable to die, yet unable to live, this was a hundred times more miserable than those legendary grandpas in rings¹! 

The image Xu Jun had in his head of Prince Ryan was that of a weathered forty year old uncle with a sorrowful expression, and who was perhaps balding. The heartless progression of time had rubbed off the hair on his crown. His complicated emotions and relationship having long changed him from the handsome and elegant Holy Knight he once was.

However, Xu Jun didn’t dare to say any of it. This Prince Ryan’s temper was explosive, if he were to say anything. . . .

_(:зゝ∠)_ He’d probably die. 

Rozenke felt that this Brave might have been thinking some unsavory thoughts; however, given that Xu Jun never thought anything good, His Majesty the Demon King’s expectations had already dropped to the point where anything was fine, as long as it wasn’t some ridiculous nonsense. 

Ellie had come and gone like the wind; however, when she had come a desolate night wind had been blowing². Within the forest came the cawing of crows, their cries quite horrifying. As she walked, her steps were firm and her figure stood tall and straight–perhaps the Holy Light Elves were about to face their end, perhaps this was an impassable obstacle, but even then, she decided to continue moving forward.

Xu Jun returned to his room and opened his backpack to find the Divine Spirit Elixir. “Hah, so angry. My backpack has so many things in it that it’s difficult to even find a certain potion.”

His Majesty the Demon, “. . . Would you believe me if I said I will self-destruct and take you down with me?”

Fellow Brave, do you think flaunting your vast amounts of treasures is a good thing? How have you managed to live this long without getting beaten to death?

–Oh wait, that’s not right. As the Demon King, Rozenke once had the chance to beat this man to death. It was a shame, however, that he did not succeed, and was “beaten to death” instead.

Xu Jun pinched out a bottle of the Divine Spirit Elixir. This potion was truly precious; even the crystal bottle was different from the norm, with a size smaller than even that of a bottle of nail polish. Inside was a bright and clear yellow liquid that looked like juice. Thinking back, when Xu Jun had first found this elixir in the underwater temple, he almost drank it. 

That had been a truly exciting adventure. In order to find the temple’s entrance, he had drifted about on the sea for ten or more days. During that entire time, he ate fish fillet and sashimi with more fish fillet and more sashimi; it got to the point where he eventually believed himself to be a fish. In the end, he finally found the location of this temple whose “gate” opened sporadically. The supposed “gate” into the temple was actually a dangerous whirlpool. Xu Jun had been dragged into it almost immediately and nearly drowned. In the end, it was the conch gifted to him by a sea monster race that saved him. Using the conch, he was able to disperse the whirlpool and enter the sealed off and oxygenated Sun God Temple. 

He had then spent ten or more days clearing out monsters and traversing through a few mazes. By the end of his journey, he had almost no food left and he nearly starved to death.

Xu Jun stroked the Divine Spirit Elixir, thinking in his heart, the meaning of youth is nothing other than Yours Truly’s youth! Then his eyes drifted over to his bed sheets. 

“Say. . . this Divine Spirit Elixir can expel all darkness. . . so it can also wash bed sheets right? QAQ”

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The author has something to say: 

Brave Junjun, feeling uneasy: Say. . . the Divine Spirit Elixir can expel darkness, so can I use it to wash bed sheets? QAQ 

Demon King Zeze: You’re thinking too much. It can expel darkness but it can’t clean off murky, white substances. 

Translator’s niche:

[1] For those of you who might not know, there is a cliche in xianxia (basically Chinese high fantasy novels) where the protagonist gets a ring that has an old master residing in it who guides them on their journey to greatness or whatever.⏎

[2] Really struggled with translating this sentence. Even now, not sure that it’s super accurate, so take it with a grain of salt.

Ok, so after a bit of thinking, I think I understand the author’s intention a bit better now; I was approaching this from a slightly wrong direction before. Essentially, this sentence (the first part at least) is describing how Ellie had come to find Xu Jun, but is now departing. It’s mostly to let readers know that Ellie is no longer accompanying Xu Jun, and is heading off to talk to to the elders. The second half and the rest of this paragraph. . . is what it is. ⏎

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