◈ Episode 174. Who Do You Think We Are (2)
—————— Legacy of Akshan: Calls forth an Akshan Demon Hunter from the fires of Hell.
—————— Akshan.
Truly, no matter how much I think about it again, it's absurd.
To think you can't even retire after death.
What kind of class even is this, seriously?
But now, I finally understand.
The gates of Hell have swung wide open.
The reason the demons couldn't burst out of Hell.
Clack—Because a nemesis was guarding the gates of Hell.
The fires of Hell gradually transformed into human forms.
Because of the blazing flames, I couldn't make out the specific details of their faces, but it was certain.
A sword and a crossbow held in both hands.
There is no clearer symbol of a demon hunter than that.
Soon, a message appeared before my eyes.
[Relations and Influence with Akshan are applied to the effect.]
The reward that had appeared the moment I completed the [House Simuareudeu Commission] Quest.
Increased relations and influence with Akshan.
As expected, it wasn't a bug.
Everything had a purpose.
Back then, no matter how hard I racked my brain, I couldn't understand it.
Akshan was annihilated, so what was it even talking about.
I even got angry about it.
'Well, it's not like I imagined Akshan would be in Hell....'
If it weren't for the AAU's information, I wouldn't have even conceived the idea.
[An Akshan Demon Hunter responds to your call.]
My influence within Akshan is obvious.
Back when Akshan existed on the continent of Arcana, I was a low-level nobody.
I might have to be grateful that even one responded.
But you know.
Demon hunters being willful.
Thanks to whom do I know that better than anyone.
[An Akshan Demon Hunter responds to your call.]
[An Akshan Demon Hunter responds to your call.]
[An Akshan Demon Hunter responds to your call.]
….
Really, they're all so willful.
Now that the gates of Hell are open.
The demon hunters of Hell must be watching the sight of the rift as well.
That is to say, if they are the demon hunters I know.
Leaving aside relation charts or influence.
They would never stand by and watch a demon before their eyes.
Clack!
Clack!
Clack!
The loading sounds never ceased.
Before I knew it, dozens of demon hunters were standing by my side.
"!!!"
The snake that had been arrogant through and through.
And even the ferocity of the dog and bird instantly subsided.
They couldn't help it.
Because you know better than anyone why a nemesis is a nemesis.
I opened my mouth.
"I know your hardships."
Until the message appeared.
I had guessed, but couldn't be certain.
As expected, you're shameless, Grangfel.
But just this once, I won't nitpick your words.
Demon hunters.
I don't know what circumstances each and every one of them carries.
But I can guess.
To have endured that absurd Akshan training.
Each of them must have their own story and background.
"The sole survivor of his house, Grangfel Claudi Arpheus Romio, hereafter Grangfel, walked the path of a demon hunter to take revenge upon that demon."
Like Grangfel.
So it couldn't be anything but earnest.
Even if they became demons while hunting demons.
Even if they died by their comrades' hands and fell into Hell because of it.
Because the pride in their hearts remained unbroken.
Just as the nameless youth of Dresden Village had done.
"I know that loneliness as well."
And that pride was preserved as a legacy, passed down to me, the final survivor of Akshan. A legacy is surely not light. But the pride I have carried from the beginning is so heavy.
To keep from sinking.
I have constantly struggled.
Clack—Among the demon hunters of Hell.
I too drew my sword and crossbow.
Why? I clearly said it with my mouth, didn't I?
—"The War of the Demon Kings is nothing but nourishment for us."
I know full well that players are too low-level to be active in the Holy War.
[Nemesis]
Without the effect of [The First World Tree's Blessing], I know I wouldn't be any different from them.
But if you've realized your inadequacy, you just have to advance.
Not just the War of the Demon Kings.
You can take everything in the Holy War as nourishment and develop.
No, you must develop.
—"We shall become the adventurers' shield."
For Arcana, and to repay their sacrifice.
So from now on, I must focus as well.
Because this is the first time witnessing a real demon hunter's battle.
I mustn't miss a single thing.
'How did they perform so brilliantly in the Holy War?'
I shall witness Akshan's, the demon hunters' secret arts.
Hey, I'm confident in my ability to watch and copy, at least.
As expected, it was good that I focused.
As if a demon hunter is a demon hunter for no reason.
They're demon hunters because they can't stand still when they see a demon.
Shwick!
Crossbow bolts flying out in an instant.
[Nine-Headed Hellhound: Lv. 900]
[Anaconda that Swallowed a Great Demon: Lv. 920]
[Demon Realm Legendary Species, Shrieker: Lv. 900]
'So it starts with long-range suppression.'
The moment I tried to fire my crossbow along with the demon hunters.
Thud!
A sound rang out.
Thud! Thud!
Three times at that.
Wait…. what am I looking at right now?
"Is that so."
"'Is that so?' How are you so calm about this, Grangfel.
Level 900 true-name demons are falling to mere crossbow bolts?
They weren't even just staggering.
They were really collapsing as if they'd suffered fatal wounds!
"…. I have neared the throne at last."
And with those last words, it closed its gleaming eyes.
Hold on.
What happened to the demon hunters' battle, their secret arts?
What am I supposed to copy if they don't show me anything?
They took down monsters like that with just a few crossbow bolts?
"The pride of Akshan has not dulled one bit."
Despite that mouth running so calmly, I racked my brain.
They took down level 900 monsters with a few crossbow bolts.
Because I possessed Grangfel's eyes, I could tell.
'He simply pulled the trigger.'
He didn't use any skill or special technique in the process.
That was nothing but an ordinary shot.
In slang terms, a 'normal attack.'
He hunted level 900 Named monsters with normal attacks.
'…. He purely overpowered them with stats.'
Is that even possible?
It doesn't make sense by any common sense….
The moment I thought that.
A word flashed through my mind.
Class Quest.
—Train your weakened body. (Repeatable)
Literally, if you infinitely repeated stamina training quests, I thought it might be possible. No, wait. Don't gloss over it, I Hoyeol…! Think about your current workload.
'Even now, the training volume is unbearable!'
The more you repeat.
The higher your stats get.
It was obvious the quest objectives would increase.
Demon hunters, what a damned laborer's job!
But despite my inner screams.
I opened my mouth.
"As expected, you are still truly Akshan."
…. I wondered if I'd get by a little easier by absorbing Akshan's secret arts.
In the end, it looks like I'll still be truly suffering.
Soon, a message appeared in my vision.
[You have cleared the 20th Throne Rift.]
Rumble—!!
At the same time, the rift began to tremble.
If it were any other day, I would have felt relieved that I hadn't succumbed again, somehow.
But not today.
Because the 'plan' isn't over yet.
Inside the collapsing rift.
I straightened my back firmly.
This is where it begins.
….
[You have cleared the 45th Throne Rift.]
[You have cleared the 57th Throne Rift.]
[You have cleared the 24th Throne Rift.]
….
The rising clear messages.
The players couldn't hold back their admiration.
Is this the true power of the Arcanians?
Amidst eyes of awe, Harkon opened his mouth.
"Did you see, adventurers? Whether you believed or not. We kept our promise."
That not a single casualty would occur.
To the demons that turned our homeland, the continent of Arcana, into a wasteland.
That we would not let them take a single thing more.
The Arcanians kept their vow with pride.
Harkon continued.
"So will you believe us, adventurers? You have infinite potential. You can become stronger than us."
Players, stats, skills.
They were still concepts Harkon could not understand.
But they were not empty words to raise morale.
Why, hadn't he watched over the adventurers even before the Cataclysm?
Harkon smiled.
"Do not forget the past."
"….?"
"In Arcana, your very existence was a miracle itself."
"!!!"
Back when Arcana was merely a game.
Players could naturally resurrect.
Though death penalties existed, the Arcanians couldn't understand the system.
To the Arcanians, the players' very existence was nothing short of a miracle.
Harkon continued.
"Of course, I still believe in that miracle."
Rumble—!!
The collapsing rift.
Harkon muttered inwardly.
'…. No, even if I don't believe, I have no choice but to believe.'
He recalled the meeting in the Golden Palace.
—"At least millions of demons will swarm in."
—"Have you thought about it?"
—"What do you mean, Lord Hoyeol?"
—"Of the millions of demons, only a few dozen ascend to the throne. Those who fail to ascend are all killed in the process."
The question Hoyeol posed was something they had never considered.
—"Then what becomes of the millions of demon corpses?"
—"…. Corpses?"
—"Do you remember, Harkon. And the Great Alliance."
The Great Alliance.
Nam Tae-min, Leoni, Hisagi.
The moment those three were mentioned.
Harkon could easily recall.
The memories of Frost.
The day Frost rose in the adventurers' world, Frost was filled with the corpses and blood of its people.
For corpses and blood were the offerings for the Demon King's resurrection.
—"…. Lord Hoyeol, surely you don't mean…?"
To him, who had belatedly realized the hidden side of the War of the Demon Kings, Hoyeol had spoken.
—"The War of the Demon Kings won't end with electing new Demon Kings. They'll need to imprint the discipline of hierarchy upon the new demon kings who sit on the thrones, swollen with arrogance."
Yes, to do that.
—"The Upper Demon Kings—they will have no choice but to reveal themselves."
Upper Demon Kings.
Because they possess such immense power.
Beings that require immense offerings simply to reveal themselves.
But the War of the Demon Kings had ample offerings.
Hisagi had spoken as if confirming.
—"When the Demon King summoning ritual was interrupted in Frost, Decarabia sacrificed his subordinates to resurrect. Offerings don't necessarily have to be humans. Which means…."
Hoyeol reached the conclusion.
—"Even if we hunt all the demons and prevent the new Demon King's coronation. The fact that the Upper Demon Kings will reveal themselves does not change."
He continued as always.
—"However, the purpose of hunting demons doesn't change either."
I shall hunt even the Upper Demon Kings that appear later.
But contrary to the grand goal, the plan was simple and clear.
So much so that a single word from Hoyeol could replace the explanation.
—"That's right. I will hunt the Upper Demon Kings."
That was precisely the reason Hoyeol had entered the rift alone.
"…. How do you intend to hunt a Demon King, no less an Upper Demon King, inside a collapsing rift? Lord, I still cannot understand."
But he simply believed.
The adventurer, I Hoyeol.
That he would pull off a miracle as always.
The moment Harkon fervently wished for it.
From the sky of the collapsing rift.
A massive shadow was cast.
The players murmured.
"…. What's that?"
Clop—
Soon, a terrifyingly massive hoofbeat resounded.
A message appeared in the players' vision.
[The Demon King, □□□ Appears.]
…. Wait, an appearance message?...
When a rift is cleared, players return to reality.
That is Arcana's immutable system.
But they aren't immediately kicked out to reality.
Why? Because until the rift completely collapses like now.
A brief window of time is given.
So, as now, we can watch.
Countless demon corpses floating in the air.
As the rift collapses, has the distance between each rift collapsed as well?
Corpses begin gathering from all directions.
Anyway, that's a hell of a lot.
'Well, it's not strange.'
They were offerings for the Upper Demon King, after all.
Soon, a massive shadow draped over the rift.
But the shadow's form was somehow familiar.
It was a horse.
The rift of the [Shattered Dimensional Rift] that Karimjeba had summoned.
It was a horse-shaped figure, identical in arrangement to that rift.
"Persistent, are you? If not that."
You haven't given up since then, have you?
"Is it because you're a beast that your learning ability is poor?"
As if answering my words.
Clop—
The sound of hooves rings out.
A message appears before my eyes.
[The Demon King, Gamigin Appears.]
Grangfel has a brain that memorizes even magic tomes by heart.
As if he couldn't memorize the hierarchy of seventy-odd Demon Kings.
Gamigin—I clearly remember that name.
Ranked 4th among Demon Kings.
Even that Gamigin is an apex Upper Demon King.
I'm not joking; if it were any other time, I would have fled to reality immediately.
'If an appearance message pops up in a rift with a recommended level in the thousands….'
Just how strong is he?
I couldn't even guess.
But.
Thanks to your misunderstanding.
Thanks to your arrogance in opening the gates of Hell.
I was not alone.
Just like Grangfel.
Far from being intimidated before an Upper Demon King.
Goooo—rather, demon hunters of Hell burning with pride were by my side.
The demon hunters who had made Greed take his own life in that disadvantageous Holy War, and sent ten Demon Kings to Hell, were with me.
So everything is going according to my plan.
I took out a demon's item from my inventory.
Even as the rift collapses.
The time allowed to me is but an instant.
The flow of time within the 'ritual' is under my authority.
["The One-Horned Command Baton Bathed in Evil" has been selected as the offering.]
[Skill, 'Exorcism Ritual' activates.]
[The Demon King, Gamigin, is invited to the 'Ritual'.]
"Tremble in fear."
So come, Gamigin.
O Demon King of the Fourth Throne.
I declared proudly, as always.
"Akshan has returned."