◈ Episode 196. Witnesses
The absolute rule of the Social Hall of Space-Time, or the old-timer community.
All hostile acts between members are forbidden.
Naturally, it was a rule that could never be properly upheld.
I don’t know how it would be from the perspective of the Arcana Continent.
But players had one hell of a sense of pride.
If you turned on the internet right now and browsed any player community, there wouldn’t be just one or two keyboard battles raging.
So what would be different just because it was the Social Hall of Space-Time, where only old-timers and transcendents gathered?
No, if anything, it might be even worse.
‘Maybe that’s why they put a rule like that first.’
If the Social Hall of Space-Time didn’t have that kind of restriction?
That luxurious space would never have been free of the smell of blood.
But conflict isn’t something that can be stopped just because you try to stop it.
Above all, wasn’t AAU the one that had watched players fight day in and day out more than anyone else? It was only natural that there would be a rule prepared for such a situation.
[However, duel content may be conducted through the old-timer community.]
That was what the AAU’s materials stated.
To translate that…….
『However, duels may be conducted through the Social Hall of Space-Time.』
……
That was how one could think of it.
Though it was unfinished, in its own way.
There were also additional rules and purposes related to it.
[Duels will be broadcast through the Arcana homepage]
[A large number of viewers are expected to gather for duels between rankers]
[Additional streaming revenue generated thereby will be distributed to the victor]
[It is possible to stimulate players’ desire to raise their levels]
……
When I confirmed that much, I thought AAU really hadn’t been Arcana’s development team for nothing. After all, they had perfectly seen through the psychology of players.
Duels between rankers.
Broadcasting them live on the Arcana homepage.
And all the additional revenue from that going solely to the victor.
‘Even I would’ve drooled over that.’
Just as written.
It would have provided ordinary viewers with an incredible spectacle, and for players, it could have become yet another reason they had to become rankers.
Of course, all of that was from when Arcana was nothing more than a game.
‘I can’t know how that system has been implemented.’
In other words, it was uncertain.
But as you can see.
I proposed a Duel of Space-Time to Shegwin.
The reason was simple.
To break false pride with true pride, as Grandfel said?
No, maybe for Grandfel.
But for me, Lee Hoyeol, there was no such cool reason.
The presence felt overhead.
The summit of the Zero Mountains.
A powerful energy had begun to bloom from the dragon’s nest.
To think I could feel this much energy even beyond the Magic Tower’s magic circle.
I could say it for certain.
If the dragon woke up…….
‘We really can’t stop that thing!’
What about the sealing magic circle?
That was something the media, who didn’t know anything, had been spouting off about!
The Magic Tower’s magic circle wasn’t one that sealed the dragon. In the first place, how could the Magic Tower, which had suffered a crushing defeat in the Dragon-Demon War, manifest magic like that?
‘Truly, it’s only a magic circle meant to avoid disturbing the dragon’s sweet sleep.’
The Magic Tower had put uncharacteristic effort into it.
So with most ordinary disturbances, let alone waking up.
It wouldn’t even have tossed and turned.
Once again, I had no choice but to resent that damned Vivace, Grandfel……!
‘There’s no helping it.’
In that sense, this was the best decision.
[The Duel of Space-Time has been approved.]
Moving the battlefield into consciousness.
When Arcana had been nothing more than a game.
There would have been no need to worry about losing your life because of the outcome of a duel.
But now, things were different.
‘The fact that our lives are on the line hasn’t changed.’
The only thing that had changed was that neither I nor Shegwin could run away.
Shegwin seemed to have recognized that fact as well.
His black pupils met mine for the first time.
“To think you knew about this kind of rule. As expected, you’re not like a newcomer.”
Indeed, a Sword Saint was a Sword Saint.
A transcendent was a transcendent.
[Natural Enemy Relationship]
Because he was overcoming it through nothing but powerful mental strength.
But when it came to mental strength, this side absolutely wouldn’t fall behind either.
“I commend your decision to accept the duel.”
See? I was calm enough to praise my opponent to his face.
A Duel of Space-Time.
It was only natural that mutual consent was required.
Shegwin burst out laughing as though amused.
“No, rather, I should be thanking you.”
Even though I praised him so arrogantly, he was grateful instead.
What was with that unsettling reaction?
But Shegwin truly seemed thankful.
“Thinking that I can’t run away has actually made my mind feel at ease.”
……
Ah, so that’s what he meant?
For me, it was to avoid the dragon, and for Shegwin, it was to suppress the demon’s instinct to flee from its natural enemy. In other words, our interests had aligned, and the Duel of Space-Time had been approved.
Soon, scenery began to overlay the space.
What filled it was a field.
With even spectator seats present, it was unmistakably a circular arena, a colosseum.
Still, it really was splendid.
Even compared to the social hall adorned with all sorts of gold, silver, and jewels.
It was an arena splendid enough not to be outdone.
Above all, it was vast and majestic.
If one didn’t understand the concept of “consciousness,” merely looking at it would be enough to feel overwhelmed.
Srrk—
However, both Shegwin and I knew what consciousness was.
There was no hesitation.
Shegwin raised his sword.
Then he smiled bitterly.
“Even after coming this far, you still won’t answer me, Atlas.”
Had he never imagined that he would become unable to emit sword aura?
As if every path he had walked until now had been denied.
He was wearing a pitiful expression.
But don’t misunderstand, Shegwin.
Separate from Atlas, Grandfel’s judgment had only just begun.
I recited.
“That hollow pride you carried through even at the cost of abandoning your humanity.”
“……?”
“How does it feel to have it denied by your own sword, Shegwin?”
……
I’d felt this for a while, but when it came to demons, Grandfel’s way of speaking was naturally gifted at getting under their skin. Just look at Shegwin’s face twisting even now.
Of course, there was still a long way to go, Shegwin.
“However, I too shall deny it.”
From here on, it was purely because of Grandfel’s pride.
Shegwin had fallen into a demon and had even become unable to emit sword aura.
Even so, I couldn’t be confident.
Even with Natural Enemy Relationship, Circle magic, and the Demon King’s Spoils.
He was an opponent against whom I couldn’t simply guarantee victory. The Sword Saint was.
“With my sword.”
And yet you’re going to face him sword against sword, Mr. Grandfel……!
It was an idea I never would have come up with if not for Grandfel’s damnably heavy pride. But it wasn’t as if I had blurted it out without any measures either.
That was right.
Everything was part of the same desperate struggle.
It was thanks to not missing a single word that reached my ears.
Shegwin, I’m talking about what you said.
—“Who wears that paltry crown is none of my concern. I only lent the lords my strength to get my hands on the magic tool, the Milky Way Whetstone.”
The Milky Way Whetstone as the finishing touch.
It meant the refining of Gwicheol had finally ended.
I opened my mouth.
“Hiel.”
Could a spirit be summoned in a duel?
If someone asked, I could naturally answer yes.
If it were impossible, wouldn’t that mean spirit mages had to just suck on their fingers and lose in duels?
Soon, Hiel appeared in the air.
For some reason.
Hiel wasn’t the only one to appear.
Just as the colosseum had been created in empty space.
Figures began appearing one by one in the colosseum’s spectator seats.
But they were all familiar faces……?
Only then did I realize.
[Duels will be broadcast through the Arcana homepage]
……
So this was how it was implemented?
*
The Zero Mountains.
A message appeared before the players’ eyes.
[Will you accept observation of the Duel of Space-Time?]
Voices erupted from all over.
“……
Huh?”
“I’m not the only one seeing this, right?”
“A Duel of Space-Time? What the hell is this now?”
It was a message they had never seen before, one whose meaning they could not understand.
However, system messages were not spam messages.
The system did not lie.
If a message had appeared, there was a reason worthy of it.
Then there was only one possibility they could think of.
“……
Wait a second.”
Rumble—
Where the columns of light were heading.
At the same time, where the thunderous roar was coming from.
This was clearly related to Hoyeol.
Whoosh—
The message also appeared before the guild masters of the Great Alliance as they crossed the mountains following the procession of light.
Leoni, who had been at the very front, stopped in her tracks.
“……
Duel?”
Class, Berserker.
It was a familiar word to Leoni.
A Berserker had to repeat combat endlessly to improve the proficiency of class skills.
The most suitable place for that was not a hunting ground, but a colosseum where battles never ceased.
Rummmble……
The noise subsided at the same time the message appeared.
Then the light that had been crossing the mountains also stopped in place.
Leoni was certain.
Whip—
She turned her head and shouted.
“I don’t know who he’s fighting, but it looks like he went to throw down!!”
Throw down?
But in an emergency, there was no time to mind formalities.
Hisagi’s eyes narrowed.
“So the duel really was that kind of duel.”
Nam Taemin shook his head.
“I don’t know. Whatever it is, we can just check for ourselves.”
Even if it was a duel, questions remained.
What kind of duel was it, exactly.
For it to send an observation message even to other players?
The three exchanged glances once more.
“Let’s accept.”
“I think accepting would be best.”
“Of course we should. Observation.”
A message appeared again.
[Entering the Duel Arena of Space-Time.]
And their vision changed.
“!!!”
As if they had taken a portal and warped.
Every part of the scenery changed.
Among the three, Leoni was the first to speak.
“Holy shit.”
When it said Duel Arena of Space-Time.
She had been certain it would be a colosseum.
But she had never imagined that such a gigantic colosseum would appear! Even counting from the days when Arcana was nothing more than a game, this was the first time she had seen a colosseum this majestic.
Sss—
Soon, just like her.
Players began appearing in the colosseum’s spectator seats.
Nam Taemin and Hisagi in the seats beside her.
Other than those two, she could see familiar faces as well.
“Rox, Camilla, Schreig, Liuo Junchun……?”
Hisagi, his snake-like eyes narrowed, came to a conclusion.
“It seems the message appeared to every player who entered the Zero Mountains. Unless there was a special reason, no player would have refused the message.”
Thanks to that, the colosseum’s spectator seats were quickly filling up.
“W-where did an arena like this suddenly pop out from?!”
Everyone had only a moment to grasp the situation.
Something more important than the vast colosseum came to mind.
‘……
Mr. Hoyeol?’
Nam Taemin’s gaze turned toward the center of the colosseum.
“!”
There, as expected, was Hoyeol.
Hoyeol, standing upright as always.
And opposite him stood a man.
“……
Who is that?”
Blue hair.
It was a distinctive appearance that stood out even from afar.
If one had ever encountered him, he would have been difficult to forget.
But nothing came to mind.
‘If he’s strong enough to duel Mr. Hoyeol…….’
There was no way they wouldn’t recognize a player of that caliber.
The conclusion came immediately.
That man was an Arcanian.
While they were thinking, a voice came from the spectator seats.
“……
Wait, I think I know who that is?”
“What? Who is it?”
“That sword! I’ve seen it before!”
“Sword?”
At those words, everyone’s gaze turned toward the man’s sword at once.
Everyone could recognize it without difficulty.
Even from the time when Arcana had been nothing more than a game.
Swords that ornate had been rare.
That’s right, that was the Sword Saint’s sword.
Nam Taemin muttered.
“……
Come to think of it, wasn’t the Sword Saint blue-haired too?”
“The Sword Saint, Shegwin.”
“That’s right! That name! I’ve heard it before!”
At Hisagi’s words, Leoni nodded.
But it was something that didn’t make sense.
The Shegwin that players remembered was middle-aged.
No, he had been a man closer to old age than that.
“Did he drink some elixir of rejuvenation or something?”
“Even in Arcana, there’s an item like that?!”
“No, before that…….”
There was something else that didn’t make sense.
“……
Why are those two fighting?”
The clamorous roar that had sounded through the Zero Mountains.
Apparently, its source had been Hoyeol and the Sword Saint.
Not only the players.
Even Nam Taemin’s group, who had watched Hoyeol from his side.
Could not easily guess the circumstances.
So.
As expected, it was something they could not understand.
“It’s Hiel.”
Hiel descended gracefully from the air.
In Hiel’s arms, she was holding some “sword.”
And Hoyeol received that sword.
Murmur, murmur—
The spectator seats began to stir.
“……
No way, right?”
“Is he going to face the Sword Saint with a sword?”
“And against Shegwin, who’s regained his youth?”
“Even if it’s Lord Hoyeol, that’s……!!”
So they could not understand it until the very end.
Clack—
The moment Hoyeol raised the sword.
The reason a message appeared before their eyes as well.
[Achievement: Witness a “Legend.”]
...
I checked the system window that appeared.
No matter how many times I looked at it, nothing changed.
Gwicheol…….
[Grade: Legend]
……
Just what on earth have you become?