◈ Episode 135. Evil Dragon Hunter
[Name: Grandfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo]
[Title: Last Adventurer]
[Class: Demon Hunter]
[Level: 440]
[Stats]
Strength: 71 / Agility: 76 / Magic Power: 387 / Luck: 6 / Aesthetic: Low
[Available Points: 15]
A rise of 15 levels.
After entering the 400s, I hadn’t had any dramatic level-ups.
Still, it seemed there was no resisting an overwhelming amount of experience.
The level of the Being That Must Not Be Awakened had been a staggering 900.
Even after sharing the contribution for its defeat with Tepern’s black contractors,
as well as the players, this was how much experience I’d gained.
“Number games are meaningless to me.”
……
Now wasn’t the time to act smug; shouldn’t I be happy?
In any case, let’s invest the points first.
As always, I was about to pour all my points into magic power when I hesitated.
‘……
It has been rather eventful, hasn’t it?’
I had sworn not to believe in superstition.
I had sworn not to waste even a single precious point.
I had turned my back on Luck as if swallowing bitter medicine.
And what had been the result?
Demon kings had come pouring out in droves.
I’d entered what I thought was a labyrinth, only to run into a dragon-type monster.
In any case, there had been more than one occasion where I’d nearly sunk beneath my pride.
[Luck: 7]
Yes, just 1 point.
It’s lucky number 7. It looks nice, too.
Don’t regret it, Hoyeol.
For the sake of my mental health, this would be much better.
My rationalization lasted only a moment before I lifted my teacup.
Clack—
“I am not merely enjoying tea. I am enjoying the passage of time alongside it.”
That wasn’t something I should be saying after doping myself to the gills with elixir herbs.
Good thing I was talking to myself.
I turned my gaze to the quest window.
[Class Quest: Akshan’s Annihilation]
[Quest: Marcelo’s Research]
[Quest: The Reconstruction of the Magic Tower]
[World Quest: Seed of the World Tree]
[Quest: Demon King Flauros vs. Dwarf]
[Ten Wonders Quest]
[World Quest: Evil Dragon Hunter]
There were a lot.
No fewer than seven quests were in progress, when other players said even completing one was difficult. Of course, I had already achieved the objectives for some of them.
‘There’s one quest that’s completely finished.’
The war quest between the dwarves and Demon King Flauros.
Naturally, the contribution points I had accumulated came to mind.
Let’s see. How can I use them?
First, the situation was different from the Yusra Kingdom or Frost.
My relationship with the dwarves had already reached the maximum level.
‘We are bound by an oath.’
So perhaps a different reward would be given.
Of course, no matter how much I wracked my brain, I wouldn’t know until I met the dwarves and opened it up.
Among the other quests, the one worth checking again was……
the new quest, as expected.
[World Quest: Evil Dragon Hunter]
You who hunted a clan of evil dragons.
The legend of the mountain range is calling you.
─Reach the summit of the Zero Mountains. (In progress)
‘The quest the other players received was [Dragon’s Trace].’
The quest that had appeared for me was different from the name onward.
It was probably because I had recorded an unusually high contribution to the kill.
And at the time, I had been so distracted by pride that I hadn’t noticed……
[Evil Dragon Hunter]
was a World Quest, no less.
In other words, it was a quest on par with the Seed of the World Tree quest.
Looking at the quest contents, I could certainly understand why.
‘A clan of evil dragons, huh.’
The Being That Must Not Be Awakened.
As expected, that thing was a rotten bastard.
I knew it from the moment it glared with those eyes.
“I was far too kind to the evil dragon.”
……
That had been kind?
In any case, there was a reason Tepern had sealed that thing in the labyrinth even at the cost of sacrificing themselves. Still, just looking at the quest contents, I could already guess how things would unfold.
‘The Zero Mountains.’
The skyscraper of the Arcana Continent.
Back when Arcana was nothing more than a game,
the Zero Mountains had been a regular in promotional videos.
The Zero Mountains rose so high they seemed as if they would pierce the sky.
They possessed a majesty that made one’s heart swell just by looking at them.
On top of that, there was even a legend that a dragon lived at the summit!
It was a setting no player could possibly be unaware of, one that couldn’t help but set their hearts racing.
However, the problem was that no player had ever actually reached the summit of the Zero Mountains.
The appropriate level was absurdly high.
Forget the summit.
It meant you’d inevitably be knocked out right from the entrance.
The Zero Mountains were that terrifying a place.
And yet, the first quest objective was to reach the summit?!
Was this really made to be cleared?
I realized it once again.
A true “World” Quest, not merely a “world-class” quest, was on an entirely different level from the very start……! Of course, I did have experience clearing the [Seed of the World Tree], another World Quest, through a trick.
But luck was only luck, no matter how long it lasted.
“I climb the mountain simply because it is there.”
My pointlessly improved memory.
I tried spouting a famous quote I had picked up somewhere.
Of course, it probably wasn’t wrong.
‘It has to appear as a rift before I can climb it or do anything else.’
However, there were times when something became even more infuriating precisely because it wasn’t wrong.
At times like this, even though it was my own mouth, it was hateful.
I forced myself to tilt my teacup and checked my items.
First, the trophy I had obtained thanks to my high contribution.
[Fang of the Evil Earth Dragon]
[Grade: Unique]
[Restriction: Lv. 800]
[Effect: None]
[Description: A sword made from the fang of an earth dragon that failed to become a dragon. Due to the earth dragon’s inherent limitations, it possesses no special effect, but its destructive power is inferior to no weapon.]
……
It was a trophy that couldn’t help but be deeply troublesome.
First, look at that level restriction.
Level 800.
The gap was so wide that I couldn’t even tell how many more demon kings I’d have to hunt to reach it.
But I wasn’t inexperienced, and I had expected as much.
There had been far too many situations like this from the beginning. Trophies obtained from hunting demon-type monsters far above my level range. Most of them had terrifyingly high level restrictions.
Since I had already faced the problem,
I had dug a well, a way out, in my own fashion.
That was enchantment studies.
‘But there’s no effect to extract!’
Incorruptible integrity.
A disposition that did not cling to material things.
If it weren’t for that, I might truly have whined in frustration.
Still, as I calmly forced myself to read the description, I could understand.
‘It has no effect, but its destructive power must be considerable.’
The system window did not lie.
It said its destructive power fell behind no weapon.
Then it must truly be so.
In that sense, it might have felt like it was taunting me.
Its destructive power was this incredible,
but what a shame that I couldn’t even try using it because of the level restriction.
I might have taken it that way.
But as I said, I hadn’t dug only one well.
Just because it was a sword didn’t mean I had to equip it to make use of it, did it?
I took the [Fang of the Evil Earth Dragon]
out of my inventory.
Then I raised my magic power.
“Anything depends on how it is utilized.”
In other words, there were many ways to swing a sword.
Float—
I moved the earth dragon’s fang with magic power.
Of course, its destructive power would be far lower than if I had equipped it properly.
After all, I couldn’t infuse sword energy into a sword I wasn’t holding in my hand.
But it was enough.
“If there is a disadvantage, there is also an advantage.”
As long as 『Reversal Magic』 existed,
it didn’t matter how much I altered its form.
Crack—
I split the earth dragon’s fang into several pieces, then reversed it back to its original state.
A level 800 restricted item, no less. It had said its destructive power fell behind no weapon……
My fingers itched to test its power.
“One must know the time and place.”
Of course, I couldn’t cause a commotion in the elegant office of the Magic Tower.
Testing its power would have to wait until the next rift.
I let go of my lingering regret and checked the next trophy.
Desquee.
A true-name demon that had possessed a player.
The demon king’s trophy I had purified after defeating him through an exorcism ritual.
[One-Horned Baton Stained with Evil].
[Map of Oblivion Drawn in Blood].
[Eye Burning with Malice].
Before that, let’s think rationally.
Which demon king’s trophy would be right to purify first?
All three trophies had no equipment restrictions.
However, there was a clear difference in level among the demon kings who had dropped them.
‘From that perspective, [Eye Burning with Malice]
would come first.’
After all, it was the trophy of Flauros, who ranked highest among the three demon kings. However, Grandfell’s fastidious aesthetic standards could not help but influence my choice.
“It is important to maintain the middle path.”
In truth, it was simply so hideous that I didn’t even want to touch it.
You’re good at making excuses. Truly.
That was right.
The trophy I had purified was the middle one, the [Map of Oblivion Drawn in Blood]. Yes, let’s just think of it as a difference in order. I’d purify the other demon kings’ trophies anyway.
I calmed myself and checked the information.
[Map That Communes with All Things]
[Grade: Epic]
[Restriction: None]
[Effect: You can learn the location of something secretly hidden by someone, something lost by someone, or something concealed somewhere. In addition, you can teleport to the location of that something once.
However, when the teleportation effect is activated, all effects are immediately lost.]
[Description: A magic tool with limitless possibilities depending on how it is used.]
The single-line description summarized the long effect.
‘……
This really does have limitless possibilities.’
In effect, it meant I could learn the location of any “something” I wanted, didn’t it?
In that instant, countless possibilities flashed through my mind.
The location of elixir herbs rare enough to be considered legendary.
The location of a desired item could also be pinpointed.
‘Of course, there are limits.’
Reality and the Arcana Continent were completely different worlds.
Even if I knew the location, I wouldn’t be able to set out for it immediately.
Of course, it might be possible if I used the teleportation ability that could only be used once.
But there would be no need to go that far.
“Time flowing with lofty grace often resolves all things.”
First, I could simply learn the location.
Then, in the future, when the corresponding rift appeared, I could take action.
Unless something extraordinary happened, I wouldn’t need to use the teleportation effect.
Once I organized my thoughts like that……
I somehow felt rather satisfied.
Above all, as expected of a demon king’s trophy.
‘It may be even more useful than the Pentagram of Pure Knowledge.’
In that sense, the effects of the other two trophies were worth looking forward to as well.
However, that was enough counting chickens before they hatched.
Now, the tight schedule that had become a habit remained.
Yes, since I had checked all the blinking messages,
it was time to fulfill my responsibilities as chief.
First, let’s check the applications to leave the tower.
Clack—
I set down my teacup.
Sitting upright, I began to turn over the parchments one by one.
As always, I swept my quill pen across them.
“Your purpose for leaving the tower remains pointless.”
Scribble—!
“Rejected. Senior Mage Bensch William.”
*
[Quest: Dragon’s Trace]
That was no different from a medal proving one had cleared the [Tepern Labyrinth] rift.
Even judging by its contents, it was a quest that could not be carried out right away.
Yet the players had no regrets.
“Honestly, I don’t think I can clear it…… But you know, there’s this feeling. Just looking at the quest window for no reason makes me feel full.”
“For starters, it has ‘dragon’ stamped on it. It kind of makes me feel like I’ve become a ranker or something. Right?”
“More than that, for me, it’s the fact that I fought alongside Hoyeol-nim. And that it’s all been preserved in video. I’m seriously going to record that video and pass it down as a family heirloom.”
……
He was going to leave that video as a family heirloom?
If someone were to hear it,
it was only natural that such a conversation would leave them aghast.
However, now that a “dragon” had appeared,
the players, as well as the entire world, were focused on current movements.
On the movements of none other than the official number one player, Skal.
Level 445, Skal!
Hoyeol’s player information, including his ranking, was private.
Thanks to that, Skal had never once stepped down from the official number one ranking.
Since the public predicted Hoyeol’s level to be at least 900, interest in Skal had decreased compared to before.
“I’m currently in New York!”
But as stated, this time was different.
Central Park.
Reporters crowded in front of a massive building.
Correspondents from nations around the world spoke passionately into the cameras.
“It is extremely unusual for Skal, who has insisted on remaining mysterious all this time, to reveal himself.”
“Since the Cataclysm, this is the first time Skal has appeared in public.”
“However, the reactions from the players and major guilds have been calm. Their response suggests they had anticipated this move from Skal.”
If one was a player.
If one was a player who knew Skal.
Then they couldn’t help but think so.
Yes, Skal’s class was none other than a knight-type hidden class.
[Dragon Knight]
Murmur, murmur—
Soon, Skal appeared.
Western features that could not be hidden even by sunglasses.
As if his long-standing mystique had never existed,
Skal stepped boldly in front of the cameras.
Then, without warning, he snatched a microphone the reporters thrust toward him.
Tap, tap—
After tapping the microphone, he opened his mouth.
“Ah, ah. As a Dragon Knight, there’s something I want to say.”
……
This was far too different from expectations.
How had he managed to keep up a mysterious image all this time?
His words and actions were so bold that one couldn’t help but tilt their head.
Skal’s objective seemed unmistakably clear.
“I’ve got no business with the riffraff. Lee Hoyeol, I want to talk to you.”
“……?”
“Esteemed Evil Dragon Hunter.”
“……!!!”
...
As if endlessly deep darkness had not been enough.
A single ray of light within endlessly deep darkness.
As if they thought that had been the end, but even that wasn’t enough, and now he was an Evil Dragon Hunter?
Thanks to Skal’s bombshell declaration, another embarrassing epithet had been added. Yet Hoyeol, the person in question, was maintaining his original posture at his office desk in the Magic Tower.
What Hoyeol’s eyes were examining was an application to leave the tower.
The application to leave the tower submitted by the Healing School’s senior mage, Bellier Yusia.
His gaze skimmed over the purpose of departure.
──────
Chief Mage, Marcelo Simuard.
The terminal curse passed down through the Simuard magical family.
Research concerning the lifting of that curse.
──────
It was the same as always.
He was not swayed by joy or sorrow, nor was his deliberation long.
Hoyeol left his office.
Tap—