◈ Episode 173. Who Do You Think We Are? (1)
[69th Throne]
[Appropriate Level: Lv.700~750]
[Collapse Progress: 24.8%]
New York.
A rift had formed in the heart of the city.
How fierce the situation inside the rift was could be seen from the collapse progress.
But there was no hesitation. The ones who took the lead were the paladins of the Goddess Church.
Talim shouted.
“All troops, raise your shields!”
Clank!
“The moment we enter, the target will be us. We become the common enemy!”
Padondon and Jureubal.
It was obvious that a pincer attack from two named monsters approaching a staggering level 800 would come pouring down. The players swallowed dryly. The pressure inside the rift could be felt against their skin.
“……
If we’d gone in like this on our own, we would’ve just died screaming, wouldn’t we?”
Had they entered with nothing but enthusiasm driving them forward.
Forget clearing it; they would have ended without even putting up proper resistance.
But the Goddess’s shield was surrounding them.
And as if that weren’t enough.
“Hoho, this kind of manifestation is new!”
“Compose yourself, Adept Mage Jibril.”
“Ah, yes. Senior Maia.”
The seniors and adept mages of the Magic Tower.
Their vast mana made the shield even sturdier. It was a sight they could confirm through the messages, witness with their eyes, and feel on their skin, yet still could not believe.
“……”
“Schreig, what are you thinking so hard about?”
“!”
Second Sun.
At his comrade’s words, Schreig snapped out of his reverie.
Then he let out a smile.
“Just having some useless thoughts for a moment.”
“Useless thoughts in a situation like this? That’s not like you.”
“You’re right.”
I was wondering whether I, Second Sun, and the players could really become as strong as them. Schreig soon shook his head.
If Hoyeol had seen me like this.
‘He would have flown into a rage, saying my pride had grown dull.’
Back during the dungeon rift, when he hadn’t even known whether sword energy existed.
When he had been far weaker than he was now.
Even then, Hoyeol had given him certainty.
Wasn’t the result of that now dwelling in his fleuret?
Soon, Schreig’s eyes shone with determination.
“Everyone, watch clearly. We have no right to be amazed or delighted by their consideration. We can’t keep depending on the Arcana Continent forever.”
Nod—
With that resolve, everyone entered the rift.
At the same time, their field of vision changed.
A rift.
A space where the Arcana Continent and reality were mixed half and half.
The complicated downtown of New York had, at some point, become drenched in blood.
Green flames surged from the cracked asphalt.
The cries of demons echoed from every direction.
They could feel it vividly.
“……
So if the rift collapses, this becomes reality?”
For most of the players, this was their first time entering a rift of such an appropriate level.
It was also their first time standing before such high-level demon-type monsters.
“What kind of mindset did he even have……”
A sincere feeling of respect could not help but well up.
Even now, with reliable comrades beside them.
Not to mention the paladins of the Goddess Church and even the mages of the Magic Tower, their bodies and minds still felt overwhelmed by fear.
And yet he had been clearing rifts like this alone.
But their admiration did not last long.
Just as Talim had warned, the moment they entered the rift.
The gazes of the demons focused on the intruders.
Talim shouted.
“Adventurers, do you see it?”
Clang!
Talim’s sword pointed toward the sky.
More precisely, it pointed to the throne floating in the sky.
“That is the objective of the Demon King’s War of Succession. The demon who takes that throne will be reborn as the king of demons, the Demon King.”
“!!!”
So that was why the inside of the rift was filled with blood?
Because the demons were fighting one another?
One of the players muttered.
“……
Then wouldn’t it have been better to attack later?”
The enemy of my enemy is my ally.
Wasn’t there even a saying about using barbarians to subdue barbarians?
But Talim spoke firmly.
“We will not be played by the demons’ game of kings. Whether it is a demon that wishes to sit on the throne or a demon that seeks to stop it. To us, they are all nothing more than demons to be burned to ash!”
He raised his sword toward the demons.
“That is the resolve of the Arcana Continent trampled beneath their feet, the resolve of us Arcanians. The weight we bear is different from some petty game of kings. Advance, knights of the Goddess!”
...
[58th Throne]
[Appropriate Level: Lv.800]
[Collapse Progress: 26%]
Benshi and Baenggeurit.
The two senior mages looked at the demon.
Benshi furrowed his brow.
“What do you think, Senior Baenggeurit?”
“About what?”
“I mean, did you ever think something like this would happen after entering the Magic Tower? I never even imagined it. Not to this extent.”
“If that’s what you mean, then I’m the same.”
Let’s see. The reason Baenggeurit had entered the Magic Tower had been simple: she hadn’t wanted to starve. They fed her, gave her a place to sleep, and even let her study magic.
To the young Baenggeurit, the Magic Tower had been no different from heaven.
“Truly.”
But to Baenggeurit, the Magic Tower had been far too cold.
Cold enough that the young Baenggeurit had grown up twisted.
That coldness had remained the same even after she became a senior mage.
Especially the feeling when she had been stabbed in the back by an elder mage!
Baenggeurit asked in return.
“So does it upset you, Senior Benshi?”
“No. Of course not.”
Grin—
Benshi lifted the corners of his mouth.
In his hand was the highest-grade magic tool, [Small Mana Sun].
Benshi’s pupils flashed like the sun.
How long had it been since he felt this sensation!
“I’m actually pleased.”
Benshi was excessively honest.
And where would that honesty go?
On his application to leave the tower, he had written his objective exactly as it was.
The purpose of leaving the tower was obvious, as could be seen.
Leaving the tower for the reasonable removal of high-grade magic tools.
“I didn’t expect permission to be granted in this way, but, well.”
Isn’t it good when things work out?
Muttering that, Benshi’s gaze shifted back to the demons.
Responding to the mana flowing out of Benshi.
[Small Mana Sun] began to rotate.
“Senior Baenggeurit, I often thought about it.”
“?”
“Why must a mage of the Magic Tower be bound to the Magic Tower? Because of the rules? Just who made those absurd rules in the first place?”
It was fine to explore the realm and truth of magic.
But the moment one entered the Magic Tower, one had to completely cut ties with the secular world. What kind of ridiculous logic was that? In that sense, Benshi liked the changes in the Magic Tower.
“I am always grateful to Chief Lee.”
If not for Chief Lee Hoyeol.
Even if the Arcana Continent had fallen into this state, I would have stayed cooped up in the Magic Tower, doing nothing but flipping through magic books.
But thanks to Chief Lee, he had come to face the reality he had been ignoring. He had become able to set the distorted reality right.
And in addition to that……
Benshi’s gaze turned toward the players who had stepped back.
“Make sure you watch properly. You too can become like me. In order not to repeat the mistakes of the Arcana Continent. You must grow, without fail.”
……
Didn’t that line just now sound a little like Chief Lee?
As could be seen, he had even gained a chance to assert himself as a senior.
When Benshi unconsciously squared his shoulders, Baenggeurit clicked her tongue.
“That doesn’t mean you should get too carried away.”
She steadied her breathing.
Baenggeurit had not forgotten the plan.
Baenggeurit also raised her mana.
The target was, as expected, the demon aiming for the throne.
“If you don’t want this outing to be your last.”
“Pardon? No, Senior Baenggeurit. How could you say something so hurtful? I know Chief Lee’s plan too! But hearing you talk, someone would think your application to leave the tower was approved or something.”
“Mine was approved.”
“……
Pardon?! What? Is that true? Why only me?!”
...
The number of Demon Kings hunted by me and Akshan’s demon hunters was ten and two.
The number of thrones and rifts that appeared was also ten and two.
I looked at the rift that had just formed.
[20th Throne]
[Appropriate Level: Lv.1,000]
[Collapse Progress: 33.3%]
The more I thought about it, the more amazing they were, my seniors of Akshan.
Even after being stabbed in the back so badly in the Holy War, they had sent ten Demon Kings to hell.
And among them was even the 20th-ranked Demon King!
My respect for my seniors welled up so much that the gap of well over ten years felt meaningless. Especially after seeing an appropriate level approaching four digits.
‘Just how strong were they, really?’
It made sense that the demons had been cowering until Akshan was annihilated. Of course, despite all those years they had waited, you made one mistake.
I straightened my clothes.
“Pride is passed down, regardless of life and death.”
Because I, the last survivor of Akshan, was still perfectly alive.
Because the armed forces counted among the strongest on the Arcana Continent were with me.
So I had no concerns.
In truth, wouldn’t it be stranger to worry?
Why, I had gotten a rough estimate through experience.
The three [Demon King’s Castle] rifts.
I had experience trampling them down in mere minutes.
Even if the number of rifts increased and the number of demons appearing increased, they were not Demon Kings. That meant, at least for now, they were not named monsters or boss mobs.
Of course, this [Demon King’s War of Succession] had a more important plan than that.
I had realized it clearly during the [Demon King’s Castle] rifts.
Demons really were an ignorant race.
Three Demon Kings had died, and rather than taking it as a lesson.
They were thinking only of taking the throne!
Granfell didn’t call them an inferior race for nothing.
There was a reason he attached the modifier “inferior” to every word!
Look at them even now.
“……?”
They met my eyes and still couldn’t grasp the situation.
[Nine-Headed Hellhound: Lv.900]
[Anaconda That Devoured a Great Demon: Lv.920]
[Legendary Species of the Demon World, Screeching Bird: Lv.900]
Three named monsters, demons with true names, were tangled together in battle.
Just as the update details said, their levels were savage.
Above all, they knew their own strength well.
That must be why they dared to challenge the 20th-ranked throne.
Of course, it was understandable that they would have questions.
“What are you?”
A snake that uses polite speech, though.
I don’t know which Great Demon you swallowed, but you have manners.
Does that mean you truly live up to your level?
The pressure it gave off was different from the demons I had seen so far.
Well, it made sense that they would stop fighting and ask a question.
Because I had entered the rift alone.
That question.
“Oh, are you not a demon hunter?”
Would likely not change much even after they realized I was their natural enemy.
A demon hunter.
The snake’s eyes rolled back white, and it continued speaking.
“I watched your end clearly through the vision of the Evil Eye. How strange, you. Why are you alive? Pitiful demon hunter.”
Of course, even if it had manners.
A demon was still a demon.
With Granfell’s personality, there was no way he would exchange words with it.
“I see. Seeing that cold gaze makes me even more certain. As expected, you are the demon hunter who went out in a blaze of glory together with millions of demons. I do not know how you revived, but this is a joyous thing!”
The dog and the bird seemed to be listening to the snake’s words as well.
Hissss—
Perhaps because of its size, the sound of its flicking tongue rang out grandly.
As befitting the highest-leveled among the three, the snake spoke arrogantly.
“A feast worthy of tasting once I sit upon the throne!”
Kyaak!
In that instant, the snake’s jaws opened wide.
Even then, I did not move a single step.
Although I was alone in the rift.
If there had been eyes watching, I would have had nothing to say even if they called me completely insane.
Even Nam Cheolmin, who believed my level to be at least 900, had tried to dissuade me from entering.
—“Mr. Hoyeol, even if it’s part of the plan, the risk is far too great. Even taking your level into account, facing three named monsters like that alone is……”
Indeed, entrusting the AAU Yusra Branch to Nam Cheolmin had been the right choice.
As befitting an analyst, he had tried to persuade me by citing the patterns of named monsters from Arcana.
Of course, he couldn’t break my stubbornness.
Since I said “me,” this wasn’t only because of Granfell’s pride.
It was what I, Lee Hoyeol, wanted as well.
That was why I had entered the rift alone.
[Natural Enemy Relationship].
[Blessing of the First World Tree].
[Hexagram Brooch].
Because I was overflowing with confidence thanks to thorough preparations?
No, there was no way.
Granfell might fear nothing in this world, but I was different.
Even if I coated myself in buffs and item effects, clearing an appropriate level one thousand rift alone?
I knew well that it was impossible.
That was right.
It meant there was a valid reason.
From the moment I entered the rift and witnessed the throne.
The quest window had been blinking.
—Witness the throne that fell into hell. (Success)
Below it, a new quest objective appeared.
Even without checking, I knew.
Because I had information obtained through [『The Strange』].
Goooooo—
Even at this moment, the flames of hell were flickering from the ground.
The moment I first witnessed the throne, a question arose.
If even the throne could escape hell.
Why was it that demons could not escape hell?
That question did not last long.
The information on the Arcana Continent Chronicle sent by AAU.
I had seen it in those documents.
The setting of Arcana’s hell.
[Hell: The afterlife where demons hunted by demon hunters fall. Demons who fall into hell can never be revived again. Even if the gates of hell open, they can never escape hell.]
And I had recalled it.
The words of an Akshan demon hunter.
『When you gaze into the abyss, does the abyss also gaze into you? Even if we fall into evil and become demons. We merely hunt demons. Because that is the path of a demon hunter.』
The one who hunts a demon hunter who has become a demon is also a demon hunter.
Then where does a demon hunter who has become a demon go when he dies?
Naturally, no different from a demon, he would fall into hell.
But you know.
There’s something I, Granfell, have been saying over and over since long ago, isn’t there?
“Not even death can break pride.”
Yes, as if proving those words.
A quest objective appeared.
—Encounter the demon hunter of hell. (In Progress)
Goooooo—
At the same time, the flames of hell surged even more fiercely.
—Encounter the demon hunter of hell. (Success)
A message appeared.
[Conditions have been met.]
[Reward will be given.]
[You have acquired the class-exclusive skill, ‘Akshan’s Will’.]
“Is that not so? Akshan.”
As if answering my question.
From within the flames of hell.
The sound of a crossbow being loaded rang out.
Clack!