◈ Episode 125. Boundlessly Deep Darkness (1)
The war of nerves between Tianxia Tongyi and Shining.
That taut tension had been severed by Hoyeol’s unexpected appearance, but—
Shining’s guild master, Rox, was not in such a bad mood. ‘It makes me realize my place in more ways than one.’ He realized it once again.
He was always most at ease when he was the underdog.
Once he bit down, he never let go.
Because the position of underdog was where his true nature revealed itself most clearly.
Dmitry, on the other hand, was full of dissatisfaction.
“Lee Hoyeol, what the hell does that guy have against me?”
This was too much, no matter how you looked at it!
His voice continued, thick with resentment.
“The demon race is gone now. We don’t have to worry about abnormal statuses. I was finally going to raise my stock a little. So why did a monster like that have to chase us into the rift we’re playing in? That’s what I’m saying!”
Twirl, twirl.
Camilla, who had been twisting her hair around her finger, snorted.
“Raise your stock? You were trying to pick up girls, weren’t you~”
“……
What?”
“Why, did you make some kind of promise? That you’d call out her name in an interview~?”
“H-How did you know that……?”
“You’re just whining about Hoyeol because you’re jealous, aren’t you?”
“J-Jealous? Who? Me? Of Lee Hoyeol? I’m not? Not at all?”
“Pfft—”
Even with Jesse gone, those two haven’t improved at all.
Rox knew there was no point trying to stop them.
Instead of mediating, he pointed at Hoyeol.
“He must have come to maintain his sense for real combat.”
“Real combat? Hah? In a rift like this?”
“Maybe he’s trying to use as many different skills as possible.”
“……
Is that so?”
“Open your eyes wide and watch, Dmitry. Don’t just stare at women~”
“Hey, you little—”
[Tetpern Fence].
Compared to Hoyeol’s estimated level, the appropriate level was absurdly low. Even so, among the rifts currently generated, it boasted the highest level.
“Rather than blaming Lee Hoyeol, you ought to blame the vessel for being too small.”
Now that the threat of the demon race had disappeared.
Like [Demon King’s Castle]
or [Ruptured Dimensional Rift].
There existed no rift capable of containing Lee Hoyeol.
That was what Rox thought.
In contrast.
“How vexing.”
His mood was foul.
Liuo Junchun’s brows twitched.
With Hoyeol’s appearance, every topic had shifted to him.
“And this is not the first time.”
The achievements Tianxia Tongyi had built.
No, the achievements he, the lord of Tianxia Tongyi, had built.
Had they not seized the top spot in the guild rankings, surpassing even Shining?
It would not have been enough even if the world, not merely his homeland, paid attention to him.
Yet the attention directed toward him never lasted long.
“……
Lee Hoyeol.”
That was right.
Every time he accomplished something, Hoyeol was there.
Even in the [Mantra Mine] rift, where he had been certain it would be a first clear, Hoyeol had stood ahead of him. As for the [Demon King’s Castle] rift, there was not even anything to discuss.
Barely ten minutes or so.
Before Liuo Junchun could even leave the guild house,
the [Demon King’s Castle] rift had been cleared and vanished.
Crackle—
Liuo Junchun looked at Hoyeol.
Not with the eyes of a player.
But with the eyes of his class, of a Monarch.
‘How on earth did he move the Magic Tower?’
If Hoyeol’s class were [Monarch] like his own, he could understand it.
Hoyeol’s estimated level was at least 900.
If he was a level 900 Monarch……
Then even wielding the Magic Tower at will would not be a dream.
But Liuo Junchun knew.
‘However, if he were a Monarch, he could not do that.’
A Monarch’s weapon was his retainers.
Not magic, nor a sword.
And yet, look at Hoyeol over there.
“……
What the hell is he?”
“He broke through that encirclement?”
“Just how many attack skills does he have? You’re keeping track, right?”
“Yes? Y-Yes! I am, but it’s hard to keep up with that speed……”
Was he not facing an army all by himself?
Liuo Junchun’s mind grew complicated.
In the past, he had not thought much of Lee Hoyeol.
An individual was, in the end, only an individual.
Because Liuo Junchun knew the limits of an individual.
But at some point, the Magic Tower had begun to accompany his deeds.
Not to mention the Yusra Kingdom, which had formed a close relationship with King Hakuna. The Goddess Church, the Lion Heart Knights, and even the Shadow Mercenary Corps.
Now, he had no choice but to acknowledge it.
‘Above Shining stood Lee Hoyeol.’
A sky above the sky.
Was this what it meant to be beyond the heavens?
Only now did he understand Rox’s attitude.
And why a man like Rox had rated Lee Hoyeol so highly.
Liuo Junchun’s eyes blazed.
‘And yet I cannot even guess the class of such an opponent.’
Clench—
Liuo Junchun balled his fist in frustration.
He shouted to his guild members.
“We have no time to stand around. Begin the strategy.”
Rumble—!
“Tch.”
Was it going to rain now, too, just to make his luck worse?
The sky of the rift was growing dark.
Soon, Hoyeol, having knocked down every scarecrow, put away his weapon.
It seemed he intended to withdraw for today.
Without realizing it, Liuo Junchun felt relieved.
“……!”
……
It was only for an instant, but he had thought it fortunate.
And he felt a sense of incongruity toward himself for doing so.
That was right.
Rox and Liuo Junchun.
In the same situation, with Hoyeol before them.
The two men’s thoughts had been completely different.
But soon, their thoughts coincided exactly.
“!”
Before the eyes of those two.
No, before the eyes of every player who had entered [Tetpern Fence],
a message appeared.
[A Spirit of Darkness appears.]
……
A Spirit of Darkness?
At the same time, everyone’s gaze turned toward one place.
Toward Hoyeol.
“……
Could it be that he came to Tetpern Fence for this?”
...
Why was everyone making such serious faces?
I was worried.
……
Did I perhaps look too unsightly?
In any case, to them, I was a chief mage like Marcelo. Yet I had looked as if I was locked in mortal combat with scarecrows that I should have swept away in an instant.
However.
[A Spirit of Darkness appears.]
At the message that appeared, I swallowed my relief.
You startled me for nothing.
If it’s something like this, I’d rather feel relieved.
‘Still.’
It has certainly blown up in a big way.
The look in Feiyan’s eyes as he gazed at me was quite solemn.
Feiyan spoke to me in a voice sharpened with vigilance.
“……
It is a Spirit of Darkness.”
A Spirit of Darkness.
Unfortunately, my knowledge of spirit studies was still only superficial.
Naturally, I did not know what a Spirit of Darkness was.
But I shamelessly replied.
“I know.”
“……?”
This damned iron mask.
But it was not exactly wrong, either.
Through the message, I knew that a Spirit of Darkness had “appeared.”
Nor was I merely rationalizing.
Because I, too, had noticed it.
No, instinctively—
my body was reacting first.
To be precise, the mana flowing through my body.
And among it, the “suitable mana.”
Yes, I knew this sensation.
‘My first meeting with Matisse.’
It felt similar to that time.
If there was a difference—
back then, Matisse’s magic tool, the ring, had resonated with my suitable mana.
Now, the rift’s environment, that thing called the Spirit of Darkness, was resonating with my suitable mana.
“If you already knew, then I have nothing to say…….”
Feiyan bit his lip and continued.
“As the senior of Spirit Studies, it is entirely my own responsibility that I failed to consider such a possibility. I will gladly accept whatever punishment there is after we resolve the situation.”
Responsibility is important.
But whose responsibility is it?
To determine that accurately, proper procedure is required.
Following procedure, I asked Feiyan.
“Report the circumstances, Feiyan.”
“I will convey them as briefly as possible.”
Listening to Feiyan’s story……
It was no one’s responsibility. It was simply bad luck.
The problem was that the exacting conditions for a Spirit of Darkness’s appearance had coincided.
I said calmly.
“There is nothing for you to take responsibility for, Senior Feiyan.”
“……?”
Feiyan fell silent for a moment.
Then, as if he finally understood the meaning of my words,
he asked me in return.
“What do you mean by that, I……?”
What do I mean?
Simple.
It means all we have to do is make sure nothing happens that requires someone to take responsibility.
Woooo—
The “suitable mana” resonating within my body.
Just as when I manifested black magic,
I controlled the overflowing suitable mana.
‘It is not difficult.’
It might share the same name, mana,
but suitable mana was a completely different concept from ordinary mana.
My first meeting with Matisse.
—“Even in a state of mana exhaustion, black magic can be manifested.”
And after that first meeting,
I had grasped the possible applications of black magic.
Yes, 『Black Magic』, too, was one of the wells I had dug.
Of course, black magic was a field whose concepts had not been established for very long.
But thanks to that, I had read through every book on black magic.
Therefore, I did not move even a single step.
“Wh-What is that?!”
The sky grew darker and darker.
Beneath that sky, a black shape bloomed in the air.
So that is the Spirit of Darkness.
“The message definitely said it was a Spirit of Darkness!”
“What?! Go closer and film it? No, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m seriously scared, okay? That thing is getting bigger and bigger!”
“Everyone, check your abnormal status resistance first!”
Grasping the situation.
The players began moving noisily.
The players with quick minds took up battle stances.
For example, Tianxia Tongyi and Shining.
It was not an overreaction.
[A Spirit of Darkness appears.]
Even from the days when Arcana was merely a game,
[appearance messages]
had existed.
There were conditions for a message to appear.
“If an appearance message popped up, that means it’s at least a named mob! Brothers, sisters. Tianxia, Shining, Hoyeol-nim, spirits, and now even a named mob appearing. I think I’m way too lucky today…… No way, today isn’t my death anniversary, is it?!”
Just as the NetTuber player said.
It was a message that appeared when a monster exceeding the appropriate level of the region appeared.
There must have been a reason Feiyan, a senior of the Magic Tower, had worn such a solemn expression.
However, I still did not move.
Was it because I had hunted the Tetpern scarecrows and was overflowing with confidence?
I might not know about Grandfell, but I was not so unaware of my place.
The reason why such a me could keep both legs planted firmly on the ground,
and remain stiff from waist to neck, lay elsewhere.
—“Therefore, unless one is the owner of suitable mana, communication with a Spirit of Darkness is impossible. And among those I know, the only one who possesses that degree of suitable mana is Senior Matisse of Black Magic Studies……”
That was right.
Though Feiyan might not know it, I was—
a raw gemstone of black magic studies, recognized by the senior black mage, Matisse Dean Karl.
Of course, where that suitable mana originated from……
I did not know, nor did I want to know.
‘Whatever it is, let’s be grateful for now.’
Thanks to it, it seemed I could avoid a battle with the Spirit of Darkness.
I stood still in place and stared at the Spirit of Darkness.
“Chief Lee Hoyeol! You should put some distance between yourself and it……!”
Feiyan’s voice, filled with concern, reached me.
It was understandable that he would worry.
As Feiyan had said,
‘Almost nothing is known about Spirits of Darkness.’
On top of that, a Spirit of Darkness was an alien existence that appeared only when conditions aligned.
One could tell that much just by looking at the situation.
Originally, ordinary people could not even witness spirits in their natural state.
Yet the Spirit of Darkness was proudly revealing itself.
‘It means we cannot know what dangers it possesses.’
But I had certainty.
Certainty that I could communicate with it.
The resonating suitable mana was the proof.
Furthermore, I knew well the “nature” of suitable mana.
—“Black magic is simple.”
The private lesson disguised as a conversation I had with Matisse.
I learned many things about black magic from Matisse.
Matisse had explained black magic simply.
—“Just as darkness is buried by an even deeper darkness, black magic also pursues the more suitable mana. For example, like what you are seeing now.”
To explain its nature, Matisse had taken out a magic tool.
A compass that resonated with suitable mana.
Spin, spin—
The needle spinning between Matisse and me had, in the end, pointed toward me.
……
The feeling I had at the time was truly—
like the bitter sensation of having my dark past acknowledged by black magic.
It was an immense relief that my inner thoughts were not exposed.
—“Among elemental magics, it can be said to possess a nature similar to fire magic. I even exchanged written correspondence with Karimjeva regarding that matter. That is why I cannot forgive his atrocities all the more.”
Because of Karimjeva, the only one who ended up looking pitiful was the senior of fire magic studies, Vensh William, but…
In any case, there was a reason for my confidence.
Whether it was because of my dark past.『He was the heir to a great family, but that family fell to ruin because of a demon. Granfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo, hereafter Granfell, the sole survivor of the family, walked the path of a demon hunter to take revenge on that demon.』Or because of Granfell’s bleak backstory.
I possessed suitable magic power that surpassed even Matisse’s.
And I opened my mouth toward the spirit of darkness.
“Are you the spirit of darkness?”
If communion was impossible.
Then, just as a deeper darkness devours another darkness.
All I had to do was make the spirit of darkness submit.
That was why I had drawn up my suitable magic power.
Ssssss—?
Had my words reached it?
I felt a gaze from the black form.
It was not looking at me.
The creature was examining the suitable magic power I had drawn out.
The distance between it and me grew shorter.
“……
Wait, is it really okay for us to just watch?”
“Lee Hoyeol, what are you thinking?”
“Even if it’s Lord Hoyeol, that’s way too close…?!”
Of those watching, the only one who did not waver was Hiel.
But the hair-trigger situation did not last long.
Because the creature’s voice reached my ear.
“I submit to you.”……
Hold on, what did you just say?
I could understand the submit part.
As I said, I knew the nature of black magic.
But what?
“O infinitely deep darkness.”
I-infinitely deep darkneeeess?!
What the hell was with that bizarre title that made me want to die of embarrassment?
However, I could not let it show.
Because there were far too many eyes watching.
“Infinitely deep darkness……!”
“The spirit of darkness submitted to Lord Hoyeol!”
“As expected, he didn’t come to a shabby rift like this for no reason.”
That was right.
The creature was an alien spirit.
Even while uncontracted, its form, and even its voice,
could be perceived by players without the ability to commune.
In other words.
“Ch-Chief Lee Hoyeol……?”
“Th-the Chief is communing with the spirit of darkness……?”
“That’s impossible!”
Needless to say, that was the reaction of Feiyan and the other mages.……
At this rate, was I really going to die from embarrassment?
It was the moment I had barely managed to collect my thoughts.
The spirit of darkness moved that damned mouth again.
“O infinitely deep darkness.”
No, seriously, could you do something about that damned title……!!
“Only you can solve this Maze of Tepfern.”……
What? The Maze of Tepfern?
After all I’d been through, now I had to listen to a spirit until the end?
The moment I flinched at the unexpected words that followed.
A message appeared before my eyes.
[Ten Wonders Quest: Maze of Tepfern]