◈ Episode 142. In Splendid Fashion (2)
The Great Mother (大母).
Since when had she been impersonating the mother of House Simuard?
Life rapidly drained from the body freed from possession.
The exorcism ritual had been activated.
The possessed human body should not have suffered any harm.
Yet she became a corpse. A skeleton. Powder.
Together with the demon, she scattered into the air without leaving a single trace. ‘For a length of time a human body could not endure.’ The creature had deceived House Simuard.
Now it was beginning to make sense.
Why those with exceptional mental strength, like Marcelo and Bellier, had fallen under a demon’s status abnormality. ‘It was a status abnormality passed down through generations.’ It was, quite literally, a “curse.”
Soon, all traces of Yula Simuard vanished completely.
I grasped the end of the message that appeared. ─Defeat the demon possessing Yula Simuard and annul the cursed contract. (Success) [You have met the conditions.] [Rewards will be distributed.] ……
Rewards?
It was a message both welcome and unfamiliar.
Including class quests.
While carrying out quests related to demon hunters, I could count on one hand the number of times I had received anything that could be called a proper reward.
Of course, the steadily rising stats alone were an enormous reward. ‘Even when I caught great evils, even when I caught Demon Kings.’ It had been a message that never offered so much as a single word of praise.
Of course, I did not expect much.
After all, was this not a request from the era when Akshan still existed?
As expected, it was a good thing I had not gotten my hopes up. [Your relationship with Akshan has increased.] [Your influence in Akshan has increased.]
What is this?
Seriously.
For now, the disappointment was not too great. ……
But what is it actually talking about? [The Extermination of Akshan].
As one could tell from the class quest as well.
Akshan was an existence that had vanished entirely.
And yet my relationship with Akshan and my influence in Akshan had increased……?
The contradictory message could only look significant.
However.
“Even if it no longer exists, pride is carried on.”
With a single sentence, I neatly organized my complicated thoughts.
Yes, at the present moment, it would be difficult to infer information about Akshan.
Nor was this the situation for it.
In any case, I had achieved my first objective. ‘The contract has been annulled. The terminal curse should be gone as well.’
This was not a rupture, but the Arcana Continent.
I could not grasp the situation of the Magic Tower in reality in real time, but let’s have faith. The situation I was in now was far too urgent for me to worry about that side as well. ‘No, isn’t it beyond urgent and closer to hopeless?’
The demon’s eyes hanging in the sky.
According to the Demon King, Yula, the demons seemed to call those Demonic Eyes (魔眼). Indeed, their purpose was obvious just by looking at them.
From that endlessly high sky, they must be observing the state of the Arcana Continent.
Just as they were staring at me wide-eyed right now.
However, everything has its procedure.
Following my pride, I kept to the proper order.
“You may now rest in peace.”
I said that toward the empty air where nothing remained.
It was a word offered to Yula Simuard—or rather, to some distant, nameless ancestor of House Simuard.
It must have been Grandfell’s pride, unable to pass by without comforting her. Even if she had been possessed by a demon, she had been forced to watch her own body harm her own descendants.
Perhaps my stiff greeting had served as some small consolation.
Ssssss—For a brief instant, ripples spread across Lake Nania.
Only then did I lift my head.
I looked up at the sky.
“I will take even the fact that you made me raise my gaze into account in your punishment.”
As always.
I continued to speak arrogantly, just like always.
But apart from the words I spat out, this truly was bleak. ‘It’s a wonder the effect of crushing the Demon Kings worked at all.’
Just because I had trampled three Demon Kings.
It was almost unbelievable that their momentum had weakened at all.
The nightscape of the Arcana Continent was a demonic landscape itself.
Flash—Had I perhaps disturbed their deep sleep?
The Demonic Eyes, which had numbered only a few dozen at most, slowly began to increase.
From dozens to hundreds.
No, now they filled the sky to the point that counting them had become impossible. [Skill, “Natural Enemy Relationship,” has been activated.]
My increased level.
Thanks to that, the senses of a demon hunter had sharpened.
Within my widened detection radius, I felt the presence of demons swarming in.
Just how loud had my voice been?
It was a quantity great enough to make me feel resentful all over again.
Had my voice reached not only the night sky, but even the ends of the earth? Seriously.
It was neither metaphor nor exaggeration.
Literally.
It felt as though every demon on the Arcana Continent was watching me.
Beyond that, to kill the last demon hunter.
To kill me, their final natural enemy.
I could feel them gathering.
I gave a brief impression.
“A desperate crisis.”
For now, I checked my current condition.
The mana I had consumed in the battle against Yula Simuard was roughly 30 percent.
If it had been before I defeated the Demon King Flauros and the Evil Dragon.
By now, I might have been flailing in the lake from mana exhaustion. ‘The difference of one point only grows larger over time.’
On top of that, the World Tree’s blessing buff was still active.
Even so, you really have grown, Hoyeol.
But I had no leisure for self-praise.
I had seventy percent of my mana left. ‘Even taking into account the mana-regeneration items I’ve layered on…….’
It was not enough mana to confront the demons swarming toward me. No, Marcelo. Even if the demigod Senios or Karimjeva came, would it be possible?
“A rough estimate would be several million.”
This much was not a bluff.
After all, just the demons beginning to come into sight with the naked eye were already too many to even think of counting.
But I had been prepared for this. Ever since I decided to enter the Arcana Continent.
“However, great crises are also great opportunities.”
The Arcana Continent.
All evil (惡) was watching me.
Me, the natural enemy, the survivor of Akshan, the last demon hunter.
But I did not retreat.
Before a lowly lesser demon, an imp.
Before the kings of demons, the Demon Kings.
Before great evils, and beneath the Demonic Eyes floating in the sky.
As always, I stood straight.
Yes, this rigid posture had always been.
The struggle I made to keep from sinking.
So I struggled, moving according to all the preparations I had made.
“Come. For today, I shall keep you company.”
Not that there was anything special about being fully prepared.
I would simply hunt demons until I died.
Yes, that was the conclusion that matched not only Grandfell’s pride.
But also my own thoughts, mine, Lee Hoyeol’s. After all, experience and levels might be mere numbers to Grandfell, but to me, they were more important than anything……! ‘Do not forget the death penalty.’
Back when Arcana was nothing more than a game, its death penalty was notorious. As could be seen from the effect of the title [Last Adventurer], not only would one be unable to access Arcana for 24 hours.
The additional experience loss was no joke either.
So. ‘After all this hardship, I at least need to break even.’
So that I could make up for the death penalty.
I would hunt as many demons as possible before dying.
That was my true intention.
Even if my inner thoughts were different, it was a relief that our conclusions matched for once.
Was it because of that?
There was no hesitation in my movements.
Clang—I raised the sword at my waist.
Sword energy (劍氣), growing ever clearer on a battlefield of life and death.
As I said, this was a battlefield where I had to die anyway.
Not only experience, but sword energy and anything else that could let me break even had to be brought out.
“You, too, have finally met an enemy into whom you may bare your fangs.” ……
Good heavens.
Truly, it was fortunate there was no one watching.
Now I had reached the point of talking not to myself, but to an item. Still, it was fortunate I had not forgotten. With mana, I lifted a fang, [Fang of the Evil Earth Dragon], into the air.
And I gazed at the battlefield.
Kugung—Kugugung—A tremendous vibration.
They were on a different level from the demons I had seen in reality and in ruptures until now.
Above all, they were enormous.
Bestial demon-type monsters that were not Demon Kings, yet exuded evil energy (惡氣) comparable to them. Facing them directly, I could understand.
Why the Arcana Continent had fallen without putting up what could be called resistance.
“There is not even a speck of refinement in your steps.”
Leaving refinement aside, those things looked like speech would not work on them at all.
However.
Instead, I advanced toward the great army.
“I will not permit any further disturbance.”
Near the lake, the Simuard mansion.
Inside the mansion were the servants of House Simuard.
They had only just been freed from a long status abnormality.
They must be busy enough simply grasping the situation.
I could not let them get caught up in the battle.
Successive short-distance teleportations.
I put distance between myself and the lake.
Indeed, was their sole objective only me?
Roll—The pupils of the Demonic Eyes rolled, then quickly caught sight of me.
Let’s see, now that I was no longer above the lake.
There would be no more unnecessary mana consumption from this point on…….
The moment had truly come to fight head-on. [Current number of stored elemental spells: 31]
The white outer wing; the number of stored elemental spells was roughly thirty.
Even if I manifested them all, I would not be able to take down many.
In that case, I had no choice but to settle this with [『Anomaly』]. [Aesthetic: Middle]
Like copy and paste.
An effect that could simplify complex interference processes.
Even the senior mages of the Magic Tower could not hide their astonishment at the mana efficiency of Aesthetic. Yes, I manifested [『Anomaly』], to which such Aesthetic had been added, upon the strongest weapon I possessed. [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 true dragon. Due to the earth dragon’s innate limitations, it possesses no special effect, but its destructive power is inferior to no weapon.]
Jijijijijik—Unlike elemental magic, which counters and is countered.
Pure Magic Studies wins with destructive power alone.
I recalled and manifested the magic of Banglet, the senior in Pure Magic Studies.
Pure mana coiled around the earth dragon’s fang floating in the air.
At that moment, the effect of [Aesthetic] activated.
What appeared within the manifestation of [『Anomaly』] was a dragon (龍) of mana, writhing as if alive.
My remaining mana was only seventy percent.
Of course, even if I poured in all my mana, it would be impossible to manifest something as massive as “the being that must not be awakened.”
But it was large enough to compare to the bestial demons I could see over there.
I released the leash of the dragon baring its fangs.
“Run wild to your heart’s content.”
Pajijijik—!
Destructive power plus destructive power.
Now that [『Anomaly』] had been added as well, the synergistic effect was more than a simple addition.
Where the dragon of mana extended and swept through, no demons remained.
Demons of lower rank were annihilated by the destructive power of pure mana, and for those that endured, the Fang of the Evil Earth Dragon dug into them.
Messages appeared without pause. [Your level has risen.] [Your level has risen.] ……
Of course, there was no leisure to admire it peacefully.
With this, I had used my mana to the point just before exhaustion.
For the time being, further manifestation of magic had become impossible.
However, that was fine.
Because I was not a mage.
I was the natural enemy you feared more than anyone else.
A demon hunter.
I held a sword in my right hand, and stretched my left hand toward my inventory.
What I pulled out was none other than a crossbow. [Legendary Assassin’s Crossbow] [Grade: Unique] [Restriction: Lv.300] [Effect: On attack, has a high chance of inflicting the status abnormality “Bleeding” on the opponent.] [Description: An old crossbow cherished by a legendary assassin. Imbued with the user’s energy, its rank has risen.]
It was not an item I had purchased from the auction house.
An item of this level would likely never be listed on the auction house.
Given its level restriction and grade.
It was an item any ranged-class player would drool over.
That was right.
This was the crossbow I had received from the second seat of the Shadow Mercenaries, Wolf Saccharin. If I traced my connection with him back, I would have to go all the way back to our first meeting right after the Demon King was crushed.
—“It is an honor to have accomplished such a great feat together, Sir.”
In some ways, he had been even more like a commander than Kichi.
During the process of making every preparation, I had another conversation with Wolf.
—“……Of course, shooting is my specialty, but were you interested in such things? In a different sense, I am beginning to fear you, Sir……. No. I will help you to the extent of my knowledge.”
It was to dig one more way to survive.
The demon hunter’s skill window had been simple by nature.
When my mana was exhausted, even the few skills I had became precious. 《Skill》 Bow Mastery (91%)
Shooting Mastery (78%)
Regardless of skill proficiency.
Wolf had been unable to hide his admiration.
-“To think you hit them all from such a distance……!”
-“At this level, I do not think there is much I can teach you.”
-“If it is all right with you, would you accept this?”
-“It is nothing impressive, merely a crossbow I used when I was still inexperienced. But it felt awkward to sell it to someone else, and I was at a loss over what to do with it. It seems I have found it a worthy owner.”
It had not been as intense as Harkon’s or Matisse’s reactions, but it had still been a fervent response. Once again, I was benefiting from the settings of those days, when I had crammed in every cool and good thing I could think of.
Click—I loaded a bolt into Wolf’s crossbow.
Naturally, it was a silver bolt with a silver tip.
I was no longer the me of the past, who had struggled over a single silver arrow.
Being clean-handed and incorruptible did not mean I had no money.
If anything, I had to be wary of spending money too carelessly.
I had no worries about the state of my wallet.
“Do not quarrel. There will be no shortage for me to share.”
In other words, I did not need to worry about running out of bolts.
I assumed a combat stance.
“……!”
The stance of a Lion Heart knight, without a single opening.
The demons charging toward me flinched for an instant.
I seized that opening and fired the crossbow in succession.
Thuk—Reloading with one hand was impossible.
Thuk—However, I had a small amount of mana regenerating in real time.
Thuk—It was not enough to manifest any grand magic, but loading was within reach.
The power of a shot was proportional to the Agility stat.[Natural Enemy Relationship]
Even if my combat power had increased through it.
Compared to archer-class players of the same level, it was only natural that my destructive power would be lacking.
But I had [Silver Mastery]
as well.[Natural Enemy Relationship]
Together with it.
A skill with the greatest efficiency in the war against demons.
Its proficiency was also approaching the extreme.
“Kyaaaaaaak!!”
“I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you!”
“A mere human!”
No matter how high-ranking the demons were, it was enough to land critical hits and make them stagger. I did not miss the gap. I rushed in among the demons and unleashed sword energy.
Swaaaak—!
Damn it.
Everywhere, in every part of my vision, there were demons.
It was not as if I were a true Sword Master.
It was only natural that I could not evade every attack.
My side.
My cheek.
My back.
My thigh.
Pain flared from all over my body.
So this was what it felt like to be hit by monsters.
Damn it, I was starting to respect close-combat class players like Nam Taemin and Leoni. But just like my true feelings, I could not show my pain either.
A stance that did not bend even under agony.
That was what Grandfel’s pride was.
Of course, as for me, Lee Hoyeol, I had no intention of enduring everything purely through grit and stubbornness, even if it killed me. That was why I had come wearing these items.[Pure Emerald Ring].
Upon taking damage, restores health.[Necklace of Noble Promise]
Likewise, upon taking damage, activates the effect of ‘Intermediate Protection.’
Pathetic, you say?
It could not be helped.
At this moment, I had to be pathetic until the very end.
I had to keep as many demons as possible tied down until the end.
Only then would I be able to decorate the finale in splendid fashion.……
What had I said earlier?
That the flow of time meant nothing to me?
It felt as if those words had become reality.
A revolving lantern.
At the utmost extreme.
Everything began to appear slow.
A battlefield I had leapt into prepared for death.
Was it thanks to that?
“……!”
It felt as though one layer of my body’s senses had awakened.
It was not an illusion.
Because, in contrast to my dwindling health.
At some point.
My sword energy had been growing even clearer.‘……
It was not sword energy, but sword force (劍罡)
.’Dense, just as Harkon’s sword had been.