#give me handsome adultie elsword

[ainchase]

Pledge to the Sword

Hi. This is one of those “Long Posts”. 

To skip to the next post on your tumblr dashboard, simply press J at any time, and K for the previous post.

It gets longer after “Keep Reading” lol Get ready for the longest post I’ve ever written

Elsword: Savior of the World or Just a Kid?

Elsword was born approximately 487 years after the infamous El Explosion as the son of a very talented and famous knight, Elkashu. Elsword and his older sister Elesis looked up to him. Elkashu left his two children behind to go off to war, and not long after, Elesis was asked to join him. Elsword, left alone by both his sister and his father, trains vigorously to become a skillful swordsman like them.

Elsword as a character has gone through some serious changes over the years, and with the addition of Ain, his status as the main character of the game has gone up drastically.

From the beginning to the end, let’s look at Elsword’s life and what makes him so special and not your average red-haired main protagonist brat.

1. Elsword’s energy is what helped Ain find his way out of Henir’s rift.

Ain’s been stuck in there since the explosion of the giant El, 500 years before the start of Ruben Adventure for the El Search Party. And...

When I was wandering within the chaos, I felt a faint energy of the El somewhere, and instinctively, I chased after that energy. 

2. Elsword’s own energy is identical or very closely resembles the energy from the original El

Ain confuses Elsword’s energy with the Ruben El Shard (the core of the original Giant El)’s energy because of this. 

3. Elsword believes that the Lady of El is NOT a legend.

500 years after the explosion of the giant El, nearly everyone in Elrios believes that the story of the Lady of El is a myth, a legend. The altars in Feita are in ruin, and the statues erected in her name have turned to rubbles.

And yet this is Elsword early in the adventure, right after Altera:

“Don’t worry about that! I will find the Lady of El and restore the El to its former glory!”

“You still believe in that legend? You’re not a kid anymore, you know...”

“She’s not a legend! She’s real!”

“...Elsword, why do you want to restore the El?”

“Huh? Hm... Now that you mention it... I don’t think I ever really thought about it...”

4. His response to Ain’s question and the aura he emits prompts Ain to conclude that Elsword is of same root as him.

The aura I felt from Elsword’s words just now... It’s from that...! There's no mistaking it. He is a being with the same root as I… Elsword will definitely try to find Lady of El and restore the El. No, he will never give up its restoration..

5. He remembers Ain even when the intervention is over.

When Ain ends the intervention, no one remembers him anymore. History and people’s memories are re-written so that it is as if he was never there.

It’s no use, Elsword. You… can’t remember when I have not intervened. No one can remember me. If I don't start my intervention… I'm just a helpless mass of light..

But Elsword does remember him.

6. Whenever Ain disappears, losing his physical form, Elsword brings Ain back into existence by calling his name.

He remembered me… and called my name…  By Elsword calling me… I returned.  - Ain, during Hamel Epic Quest

7. Elsword's own energy helps Ain restore his.

I've checked that my energy recovers if I'm next to Elsword…  If I stay too far away from Elsword, then I won't be able to hold on for long… - Ain, during Hamel Epic Quest

8. When Elsword hears Harnier’s voice, she calls him a “protector of the El” and “... of the Goddess.”

In the beginning of Elysion arc, Elsword hears Harnier’s voice twice, both of which doesn’t make a lot of sense to him (Youtube):

At last... ...of the Goddess.... Protector of the El... El... The only one... Protector... This way....

9. Elsword finds the energy of the fabricated El familiar

As Elsword and the El Search Party gets closer and closer to the heart of Solace’s Fortress, Elsword feels something strange (Youtube):

It’s really strange... Have I been here before? No, that’s not possible... But why do I feel like this? Familiar... and nostalgic feeling. This power... I remember feeling this somewhere before.

The Central Core of Elysion. It is made up of innumerable amount of Diceons with enormous aura. This is the “fabricated El” that Solace was planning on using to change the world (Youtube):

“It can’t be... This power is... El?... It’s a very old... El from the past...”

“That is correct. It’s showing a similar wave form to the El from the past, before the El Explosion. But Elsword... How did you...?

“Huh...? Wait, what did I just....”

10. The past events/feelings Elsword remembers are directly from the El itself.

“You're telling me... everything I've been remembering is from the El?”

“The phantom images that torment you are the evidence. It means our faith in believing that you will change the world for us was not in vain.”

11. Solace’s conviction about Elsword’s power and right to change the future of Elrios.

“Yes, you are the one. The one who can change this world, the one who has the power to choose a new future.” “I am convinced, Elsword, that you are the one with the power and the right to change the future of Elrios.” “.... Now, it is time. O, the one who has the power and the right to choose the future of the world created by El.”

Who is Elsword?  How can he do things that no one else can?  Who WAS Elsword? 

Contents

Celestial Influence

Power of the Chosen One

The True Identity of Elsword

1. Celestial Influence

Think about how impossible it is for someone’s energy to reach Ain all the way in the deep chasm of chaos that is the Henir’s Time & Space. It’s not even like his energy found Ain through a small crack in the dimension; it literally punched itself through it. The image above is from Chapter 3: Advent of Ain’s teaser. Look at Ain standing on top of the Space Time cubes and looking up at the source of the energy, and it shines... as if it broke into the rift to save Ain.

As the El’s energy grew stronger as I got closer, I thought to myself: It’s not too late. With this much energy, I might be able to complete my unfulfilled mission.

And this energy he felt was so vast that it made Ain think that he could restore energy to the El even though he would know better than most people how impossible it would be to restore energy to the El because he’s seen the destruction firsthand. But he’s thinking maybe he could do it even after experiencing an explosion so great that its shockwaves tore open a rift into another dimension.

Although Ain confuses the Elsword’s energy and Ruben El Shard’s energy when he gets out of the rift, he makes it clear later that it was Elsword who lead him out. Which brings us to the next point...

The fact that Elsword has energy that is similar to the original El is a huge clue. This could mean that Elsword was created in the same way the El was created. Of course, Ain commented that Elsword has the same root as him... What is Ain’s root? We know that he’s a Celestial, and the Goddess Ishmael created him in the Heaven... 

He remembers Ain even when the intervention is over. If he is a normal human this is impossible. Not only that, when Ain disappeared completely, losing his physical form, Elsword brings Ain back into existence simply by calling his name. This is something that is only ever seen from Ishmael: giving Ain his physical form by calling him.

“The realm of the Gods which humans call the Heaven. There, I was created by answering the Goddess’s call.”

Look at Ain (re)gaining his physical form by Elsword:

This is important because Elsword doesn’t exactly exert any force or any effort to bring Ain back. As easily as saying “Ain”, Elsword not only restores Ain’s energy but gives him his existence in the physical world.

2. Power of the Chosen One

Solace is so convinced that Elsword is the one to decide the future of Elrios... but by what right? He says Elsword has the power and the right. 

Here is a list of people who, even though they possess abilities that far surpass those of regular people, do NOT qualify to choose the fate of the world: 

Lady of El, who uses a power of the Goddess

Remember Harnier singlehandedly stopped the Demon God that everyone else was powerless against - AND SHE WAS IN A COMA

Solace, Master of the Sun

Yes I wrote all that just so I can link it for this post

Masters of El 

Excluding Solace, but probably can’t hold a candle to what Solace did even if you combine all of their powers

I mean seriously go read the things Solace did

Ain, a Celestial sent down to Elrios by the Goddess herself

He can purify corrupted El, and close dimensional rifts

As great and amazing these characters are, they still don’t have the right or the power to decide the fate of Elrios... but Elsword does. Where did Elsword get this power? WHEN AND WHERE DID ELSWORD GET THIS SUPPOSED POWER???

The game doesn’t hesitate to show us the defeat Elsword had to taste. The entire Velder epic quest was... well, a failure. It wasn’t a victorious battle. They had to run away from Velder and leave the rest to Red Knights. Elsword himself almost died in Velder before Elesis saved him. Elsword wasn’t born as an all powerful main character. Several characters in the game mentioned that Elsword is strong, but would be strong beyond imagination if he could reach his full potential.

What confused me the most was how Solace treats Elsword differently. In the Heavenly Crossroads, he warns Elsword to turn away now or he’ll spare their lives (Youtube):

“It’s impressive that you got this far... but it’s too early for you to step inside here. If you surrender everything and leave this place now, then I’ll let you leave with your life still attached.”

 In his fortress, he says that their battle will be the final test...? (Youtube):

“This is your last test. How will you resist to this power.”

And at the end of Halted Sun’s Memory, he tells Elsword to choose the future because he has the power and the right to do it...???

Here is our answer: 

KR Elsword Update Schedule

June 2016:  Elysion Update (Heavenly Crossroads~Adrian’s Abode)

July 2016: First Transcendence (Elsword~Raven) 

August 2016: Solace's Fortress Update

September 2016: El Resonance

November 2016: Halted Sun's Memory Update

Before Elsword faced Solace... He went through his transcendence quest.

Transcendence Quest Descriptions from 1/5 to 5/5:

I leave this note for adventurers seeking the power of transcendence. May it be of help to you...

After the incident, I searched for the rest of the fragments of the Goddess’s breath. Strangely, the fragments led me to other fragments with their flickering light. 

The fragments attracted one another. They would light up in unexpected places only to disappear again. At first, I didn’t comprehend the purpose of this phenomenon; however, as the journey continued, I began to understand.

The Goddess’s breath tested me– my right to obtain new strength, my conviction, my capability to utilize this power for good. And if I can see the hidden truth behind a great power…

I was afraid. Was I a strong person who can bear all these things? For what purpose did the Goddess Ishmael bestow this fragment to Elrios? With all these unanswered questions, I could only take the test the Goddess prepared for me.

I vividly remember that day. It was the day I  surpassed my limit. It was the day I realized my “transcendence.” I saw what I cannot describe with words as unexplainable feelings overcame me. Just like that, I grew stronger once more.

- From a memoir of an El Search Party member

I won’t go into details about the descriptions more than necessary because I think this alone warrants a post of its own (here), but from the descriptions you can tell that Elsword was tested for his right to gain new power... he passed the test, and reached his transcendence.

Transcend doesn’t simply mean that you got stronger. It means surpassing the limitation of human understanding: to break the limit and become something else.

The descriptions also give a clue about when his journey to transcendence started and when it ended. He was on his quest to restore the El from early on in the journey, during which his conviction and will was tested and when he reached the end of Adrian’s Abode, he passed the test and achieved transcendence. So by the time he faced Solace, he was already transcended. Solace says “This is the final test”, because if Elsword has truly acheived transcendence... and therefore was acknowledged by the Goddess, by the El... he could withstand Solace’s attack and be worthy enough to learn the truth of the past, which will help him decide the course of the future of Elrios. 

This evident in Solace’s Fortress True Ending, where you must defeat Solace within 60 sec during his 2nd phase, which is notoriously difficult to do if you don’t have the right skill+power. When you manage to get the true ending, Solace says the following line: “You will soon learn the truth of the world...”

Note: The True Ending is called True Ending because it was specifically written in the title prerequisite before the revamp. The requirement for Shadow of the Sun simply stated “See True Ending 50 times” before they changed it to  “Defeat Solace after he awakens to Phase 2 within 60 seconds 50 times” to eliminate any confusion.

Elsword starts his journey to restore the shattered El.

He follows the energy of El fragments Ruben~Elysion.

The El tests his worthiness for power + right to learn the truth of the world and decide the fate of the world.

Elsword passes that test and transcends.

Solace gives him the final test; this time, testing Elsword’s transcendence to make sure he is the chosen one.

Canonically, Elsword defeats Solace in the most difficult battle of his life to see the “true ending”

Elsword was someone important from the past post has been archived and can be found here: (link)

3. The True Identity of Elsword

can be found here: (link)