◈ Episode 190. The Ending Is What Matters
The Zero Mountains were monstrously vast.
Even looking down from this height, they were so large I couldn’t take them in at a glance.
In that sense, as expected of the Magic Tower.
‘Calm. So very calm.’
Mana consumption depended on how many complicated steps were added to the process of interference.
For example...
‘There was a reason I made such a fuss over [Aesthetic].’
If I didn’t activate [Aesthetic] and instead added interference to produce a similar effect?
The mana consumed in its manifestation would increase by several times at least, and by several dozen times at most.
No complicated interference process was necessary to calm the sea.
In other words, the mana of the Magic Tower mages, all born geniuses, was being used with utmost efficiency.
‘Honestly, I don’t think there was even any need for me to come.’
But everything had its procedures.
Since I had shown my face, I ought to at least exchange greetings.
I walked through the sky and approached Yugwid and Marcelo.
It went without saying, but I was walking on empty air.
There was no way it would make a tap—tap sound.
Only after I opened my mouth did the two of them notice me.
“Sir?”
......
Why are you here?
Marcelo’s face said exactly that.
For now, let’s start with something warm.
“Everyone is working hard.”
For a moment, I offered a warm greeting, at least compared to my usual loose tongue.
Then Marcelo hurriedly opened his mouth.
“Forgive me for interrupting, but are you not currently on leave, sir? Considering how hard you have pushed yourself until now, we were trying to handle this so that you would not need to step forward this time...”
There’s no need to feel sorry, Marcelo.
What can I do when this is simply my lot in life?
And deep down, I had missed the weight of being Chief a little.
The old saying really wasn’t wrong.
They say once you leave home, all you get is suffering.
‘The Magic Tower is better than Akshan.’
At the end, it was all training to transcend my physical limits and whatnot.
I really did almost sink beneath my pride.
I even found myself missing the days when I scrawled “Rejected” across Bensch’s applications to leave the tower, so that says it all.
Therefore.
“There is no need for concern, Marcelo.”
Even if the Zero Mountains hadn’t appeared.
“As of this moment, I too shall return to my duties as Chief.”
It meant I would have returned to the Magic Tower regardless.
In any case, the elder mage, Yugwid, had a grave expression.
From what I heard, the situation was indeed grave enough to warrant such an expression.
“A magic circle from the era of the Dragon-Magic War.”
A war between dragons and the Magic Tower.
I couldn’t know why they ended up fighting.
But it was certain the Magic Tower had been thoroughly terrified by that defeat.
‘Considering the mighty Magic Tower even left behind a magic circle.’
A magic circle merely to avoid disturbing the dragons’ slumber.
The Magic Tower must have had no face to show back then.
But even if they had to endure such humiliation...
They must have judged dragons to be beings that should never be touched.
‘But who the hell touched it?!’
Me.
In truth, I had already broken out in a cold sweat inside.
Now that the Zero Mountains had been updated into reality...
Dragons were no longer someone else’s problem.
Put bluntly, imagine if they woke up like Teppern’s [One That Must Not Be Awakened].
‘I really don’t even want to imagine it.’
In that sense, there was no time to delay.
The earthquakes and tsunamis created by the Zero Mountains were being sufficiently suppressed by the mages of the Magic Tower.
What I needed to do was prevent an even greater calamity.
I had to restore that ancient magic circle so the dragons would not awaken from their sleep.
“I shall take charge from the restoration of the magic circle onward.”
Even if it was an ancient magic circle...
Grandfell’s innate talent.
On top of that, the trick known as 『Reversal Magic』.
And now that I had reached the realm of the Circle, which would amplify my manifestation power as well...
There was no reason for me to hesitate.
“I am not manifesting it by following it.”
“......?”
“All I need to do is turn it back.”
“......!!”
“As though reviving pride.”
......
Please don’t dress up Reversal Magic in such dazzling packaging, Grandfell.
I could only hope Yugwid and Marcelo hadn’t flinched because they were cringing.
While I was hoping that, the magic circle returned to its original form.
Sssss—
Then, thick fog began to rise once more over the exposed summit of the Zero Mountains, as if to conceal the nest where the dragons slept.
Craaaaack—
Even amid that, the Zero Mountains were being updated at rapid speed.
There was no such thing as looking up to something in Grandfell’s dictionary.
So the moment the mountain range rose higher than eye level, I turned my gaze away.
Then Yugwid’s face entered my view.
But somehow, she looked excited.
“A week. No, how many days has it been? To think you became familiar enough to handle the Circle freely during such a short rest period! The pulse of mana ringing from your heart is also incomparably clearer than before!”
The pulse of mana...
Was she talking about that chrrng—sound my heart had been making?
Thanks to the elixir, both the Circle and the pulse had now returned to normal. Back then, I hadn’t fulfilled the conditions for [Transcendent], after all. The effects of the Circle had also been sealed.
“I heard even the Tower Master went through countless crises to fully handle the Circle. In that sense, Chief Lee truly is remarkable!”
It was simply that its effects had been sealed, allowing me to preserve my life.
I—Grandfell—remained silent.
Well, it wasn’t exactly wrong.
If you looked at it closely, I had gone through crises.
Because I insisted on that damned teatime.
I nearly froze to death, fainted, and anyway...
‘......I can say this only because it’s in the past.’
It was enough that even Grandfell of all people had dropped and shattered a teacup.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say I had experienced, in a short period and all at once, the countless crises the Tower Master had faced.
Just as I was about to nod, I sensed a presence.
“Hup!”
Bensch William.
When he saw me, he hurriedly covered his mouth.
Judging by Bangrit’s awkward expression beside him, they had clearly been talking about me. I wanted to say that I had even missed his dreadful applications to leave the tower, but I had no time for that.
Swish—
Because Matisse looked at me and gave a light bow.
Bellier also lightly waved, and Peiyan, who had been chewing on something, hastily swallowed it and lowered his head. Let’s see, Senior Kiko’s dark circles were still there as well. Everyone was just the same.
The entire Magic Tower leaving the tower.
From someone else’s point of view...
There was probably no sight more majestic than this moment.
But to me, it was the same scenery as always.
It made me realize anew.
I, Lee Hoyeol, had truly grown a lot.
At the same time, I felt a sense of responsibility.
Now that the Zero Mountains had appeared in reality...
There was one quest I could not ignore.
[World Quest: Evil Dragon Hunter]
One who hunted the clan of wicked dragons.
The legend of the mountains is calling you.
—Reach the summit of the Zero Mountains. (In Progress)
The Zero Mountains had fully revealed themselves.
Their height was enough to blot out the sun in the sky.
The message that appeared was enough to make anyone shudder.
[Zero Mountains]
[Recommended Level: Not Recommended to Anyone]
[Collapse Rate: 100%]
From the days when Arcana was nothing but a game until now...
The phrase written under recommended level remained the same.
That was right.
I had to reach the summit of the Zero Mountains, which was not recommended to anyone.
Leaving the World Quest aside.
Only by possessing the ability to reach that summit would I avoid sinking beneath Grandfell’s heavy pride.
I looked at the mountain range and murmured quietly.
“Mountains and pride. At last, we can compete to see which stands higher.”
......
While desperately hoping no one had heard.
*
Even when the Magic Tower stepped forward, the world was half in doubt.
-Even if it’s the Magic Tower, is that possible?
-For now, shut up and watch
-No;;; we can’t just run on hopium
-Why are you so negative?? Are you a demon??
-For real, a man with no pride
Just as someone said.
The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment would inevitably be.
But as if to make that mindset meaningless...
The Magic Tower openly suppressed the great calamity.
No, it was hard to even call it suppression.
-Wait, I don’t see a single ripple?!
-STEM majors, come out. Is that physically possible???
-You crazy bastard, it’s magic, why are you calling STEM majors
-Then a player, a mage, someone come out!!
Was this truly the strongest armed organization on the Arcana Continent?
They merely looked down at the calmed sea as though it were only natural.
On the faces of those shown on camera, there was not a hint of tension.
-They said it was a full deployment, but I don’t see any players?
-There still aren’t any players who can manifest magic mixed in there
-For real, everyone’s probably only at the stage of understanding the concept of magic
-No, wait, I think there is one?!!
Among them, the only player.
Hoyeol showed himself.
At that, the expressions of several senior mages changed drastically.
Among them, Bensch William wore an expression close to shock.
-Looking at the seniors’ faces, I don’t think the Magic Tower expected this either?
-Don’t tell me he came to work even though he still has vacation left???
-No, going to work during vacation??
-That’s not something a human does!!
-He gave up his vacation for humanity... Truly Homen
But what drew the most attention above all was the scene of Hoyeol, Marcelo, and someone presumed to be an elder mage conversing.
The experts in the studio even analyzed that scene in detail.
Freeze-frame—
“Now, if you look here, Player Lee Hoyeol manifests magic, you see? Toward the summit of the Zero Mountains. We can’t know what kind of magic he manifested, but...”
But they didn’t even understand magic.
How could they recognize an ancient magic circle and Reversal Magic?
Even so, conjecture was possible.
“You can tell by the expressions of the two.”
“Their expressions?”
“You’ll know if you zoom in, but aren’t both of them extremely surprised? The level of magic Player Lee Hoyeol manifested must be incredibly high. That is my prediction.”
Magic so impressive that even the elder and the Chief of that great Magic Tower were surprised?
There was no way NetTubers would miss such a delicious piece of bait.
[Lee Hoyeol, What Was the True Nature of the Magic He Manifested on the Zero Mountains?!]
[After the Magic Manifestation, the Fog at the Summit Thickened!!]
[What, Dragons Live at the Top of the Zero Mountains?!]
Speculation followed speculation.
Putting all the information together, it came to this.
“......To summarize, it seems certain that Hoyeol-nim sealed dragons, whose impact on reality would be unknown if released, at the summit of the Zero Mountains!”
Lee Hoyeol.
He had sealed dragons at the summit of the Zero Mountains.
The players had no choice but to fall into shock once again.
The majesty of dragons had been renowned since the days when Arcana was merely a game.
“A dragon is basically a final boss, isn’t it?”
“You’re saying he’s strong enough to seal dragons like that?”
“I-I guess so? Seeing that elder mage, who’s said to be a demigod, look so surprised... It doesn’t seem like pure headcanon. It sounds possible.”
Yusra Kingdom.
Conversations came and went in the Golden Calf Tavern.
For once, Rockid drank without causing a drunken scene.
“I’ll coolly admit it this time, Commander-in-Chief.”
Gulp—
To think he sealed dragons.
Damn it, he pulled off something I could never do.
Rumors without feet were faster than any horse.
The garden of the golden palace.
“How dare you grow only this much after receiving my attention and care? If you do not wish to be pulled out by the roots, grow larger and more splendid at once.”
Perk—
Even the large ears of Elsidore, who had been pouring threats onto the elixir herb, caught wind of Hoyeol’s rumor.
Lee Hoyeol, that arrogant human bastard, sealed dragons?
Elsidore snorted.
“Hmph, how absurd.”
It was a snort of a different meaning.
“Since he monopolized Mother’s blessing, it is only natural.”
Elves.
Beings who could be considered equal to dragons, and the only ones qualified to call them lizards.
From the perspective of Elsidore the elf, he could not understand why humans were making such a fuss over this much.
“He is the one who made even this body submit in the first place.”
Sealing dragons in the Zero Mountains would be nothing difficult. If he had failed to seal them, I would not have forgiven him instead.
“Because that would mean this body is inferior to mere lizards.”
The heated reactions setting the community ablaze.
Even Elsidore’s muttering from outside the window.
Hoyeol was observing it all...
While sitting in the office of the Yusra Kingdom.
Clink—
As always, he leisurely tilted his teacup....
Just when will I be free from being overestimated?
All I did was restore a magic circle passed down from the Dragon-Magic War through Reversal Magic. Yet I was being treated as though I’d become a hero who sealed legendary dragons...!
“The praise is excessive.”
You say that, but why are your shoulders squaring with pride?
In any case, even the very last day of my real vacation was dynamic.
In truth, Grandfell’s pride had wanted to return to the Magic Tower immediately.
But Marcelo had dissuaded me.
“Please, at least for today. Would you not yield, so that our Magic Tower and the Arcana Continent may return the salvation we received from you, sir, and from the adventurers?”
When he went that far...
Even Grandfell couldn’t insist.
Of course, resting wasn’t really resting.
The whole world was piling overestimations onto me.
How could my heart possibly be at ease?!
On top of that, I knew.
No matter what kind of overestimation it was...
Grandfell would, in the end, make it a reality.
‘......Starting tomorrow, the road of hardship begins.’
Clink—
Maybe that was why.
I felt like I could understand, just a little, why Grandfell treasured teatime.
“Indeed, a flawless taste and fragrance.”
Of course, I still couldn’t sympathize with such extravagant praise for teabag green tea.
Even so, let’s enjoy this final moment of leisure.
Bzzzz—
Bzzz—
Bzz—
“?”
Just as I made that resolution, my smartphone vibrated in succession.
What arrived were messages.
After checking their contents, I soon changed my mind.
Apparently, that road of hardship had already begun.
-Hey
-Hey hey
-Hey hey hey
-Lee Hoyeol
-What kind of person says he’s on vacation
-and doesn’t show his face even once
-to Mom, Dad, and your older sister
-no
-your sis-lol-ters???
......
Please, calm down, my nemesis!