◈ Episode 27. As Expected of the Chief (2)
Hoyeol has appeared in the Yusra Archipelago!
At the breaking news, viewers flooded into Park Hwigang’s stream.
──────Current Viewers: 98,731──────
With so many more eyes watching,
the chat window began to scroll up at high speed.
-Is he in a suit again today?? Hot or cold, he’s always the same lol
-I’m telling you, it’s not a concept, it’s real
-For real, there’s even a rumor that his silver hair isn’t dyed, it’s natural
-What are you talking about? That’s gotta be fake
-Just Homen
The viewers were in an uproar from his mere appearance.
Considering the number of viewers, it would have been only natural to get greedy about the broadcast.
But Park Hwigang spoke decisively.
“I’ll only be broadcasting as long as it doesn’t interfere with Hoyeol-nim. If anyone might feel uncomfortable with that, please leave in advance. I’m sorry.”
Bow—
Park Hwigang lowered his head toward the camera.
To anyone watching, it was a posture that made it seem as though Hoyeol had personally taught him manners.
But this was an action that came from Park Hwigang’s sincere feelings.
‘It’s not like my stream took off because of me.’
He had simply been lucky.
He had merely recognized Hoyeol’s true value earlier than others.
Park Hwigang was well aware of that fact.
That was why he didn’t want to become even the slightest nuisance to Hoyeol.
“I’m pretty good at having a faint presence, you know? There are times when I step on traps in dangerous dungeons and they don’t even activate.”
-For real, that’s why I watch Hwigang’s stream
-lol some other relay Netubers are kinda disgusting~
-It’s not like people come because they like them, but they still try to squeeze donations out of them
-Fr lol
As always,
there was no hesitation in Hoyeol’s movements.
After Count Ascurra was taken down,
Hoyeol’s presence had skyrocketed.
So when such a Hoyeol appeared in the Yusra Archipelago, it was only natural that the players’ attention would focus on him.
Among them, there were some whose gazes were blatant even to an outsider.
“……
Those eyes look pretty murderous, don’t they?”
Park Hwigang’s instincts were sharp.
His gaze caught a player glaring at Hoyeol.
From the look in his eyes alone, something about him seemed far from ordinary.
-That’s Supernova
-It’s Kinver, that trash
-Look at the way he’s glaring ㄷㄷ
-That’s blasphemy
Kinver.
A player notorious even among the Supernovas for his viciousness.
It was said that the number of players who had entered rifts with his group and gone missing or died could fill a truck.
There just wasn’t any evidence.
If there had been evidence, he would already be behind bars by now.
And he was glaring at Hoyeol.
“……
But it’s not just Kinver, is it?”
Famous players.
Even guilds within the rankings.
For some reason, the gazes directed at Hoyeol were far from friendly.
It was as though they were looking at a powerful competitor.
-They probably don’t want to share the spoils of the Yusra Archipelago
-I wouldn’t want to run into him either lol
-They’re definitely praying he doesn’t come our way
“……
Even I’m getting nervous.”
Even Park Hwigang, who had nothing to do with that restraint and rivalry, felt intimidated.
But Hoyeol, the person in question, was perfectly fine.
No, beyond being fine, he was dignified.
As if gazes like that
could not reach him in the first place,
because his eye level was different.
Hoyeol headed straight for the palm forest.
And then, it happened.
Fwoooosh—!
A raging storm of flame.
The scorching firepower could be felt even from afar.
Park Hwigang let out an exclamation without realizing it.
“……
That’s insane!”
When walls rose up in the palm forest,
he had thought that Hoyeol’s unique battle style had begun.
That clever combat based on alchemy, which all kinds of players and experts had praised so highly.
In reality, it seemed effective enough.
Because of the stone walls that rose rapidly,
the emerald tiger looked flustered.
‘But what on earth is that flame storm……!’
It truly exceeded imagination!
The reaction in the chat exploded as well.
-Wtf lol he’s finally starting to show his real skills
-Wait, wasn’t he an alchemist? lol
-For real, how is that an alchemist? Even a Flame Wizard can’t do that
He had only just entered the Yusra Archipelago.
Yet Hoyeol was already putting on a tremendous performance.
The flame storm showed no signs of dying down.
Just how high was his magic power?
“……
It looks like he one-shot the emerald tiger, doesn’t it?”
To send a level 420 monster away with a single spell!
His level, his class, his magic power—
“……
But his expression hasn’t changed at all?”
Even the size of his vessel.
The more Park Hwigang watched, the less he could even begin to guess at anything.
At this moment, there was only one thing he could say.
“……
Anyway, Ho, Homen!”
*
……
I felt like I had just heard something I should not have.
However, because of the noisy static,
and because I had a personality that didn’t care about others’ evaluations,
I calmly checked the messages.
[Your level has risen.]
[Your level has risen.]
[Your level has risen.]
……
The total increase was 12 levels.
As expected, experience befitting a level 420 monster.
On top of that, more than anything else, this battle hadn’t been shabby.
‘During Count Ascurra, I couldn’t even have imagined it.’
Shabbily.
All I had done back then was raise stone walls and collapse them.
Compared to that past, this was truly a remarkable advance.
However, I did not express those feelings.
“As expected.”
A brief impression.
Even that was directed not at myself, but at Marcelo.
After all, he was the one who had created this magic.
Just being able to use that magic to this extent
seemed impressive enough to me.
But apparently, it was not enough to satisfy that lofty pride.
On top of that.
‘It would have been impossible without the natural enemy effect.’
The natural enemy effect was currently applied to me.
If that natural enemy relationship had not activated?
I probably wouldn’t even have been able to manifest that kind of flame storm.
In simple terms—
‘I still have a long way to go.’
That was why I could not be satisfied.
Of course, even so, I still had to take what needed to be taken.
A level 420 monster, the emerald tiger.
Even its appearance had been anything but ordinary.
‘It sparkled like an actual jewel…….’
Wouldn’t it have dropped a fairly decent item?
Wasn’t this supposed to be the legendary treasure island?
The Yusra Archipelago, I mean!
My head was filled with black-hearted intentions.
But those were only thoughts.
Granfell’s setting, that he had transcended material greed.
‘Well, I didn’t waver even in front of a hundred billion.’
Thanks to that, I collected the spoils indifferently.
[Pure Emerald Crystal]
[Grade: Unique]
[Requirement: None]
[Effect: Can be confirmed upon crafting]
[Description: A highest-grade emerald crystal. It retains the pure nature of emerald as it is.]
A Unique material item?
‘Tricky…….’
After all, the value of a material item was often determined by the skill of the crafter.
Even if the same Unique material was used,
depending on the crafter’s skill, it could become an item with Unique or even higher effects.
So it was tricky.
That was what I would have thought.
Until I came to know the Magic Tower.
Yes, didn’t I have a connection with the Magic Tower?
To be precise, it was a connection with the chief mage, Marcelo.
“Everything is part of research.”
I said it shamelessly.
Well, it wasn’t wrong, was it?
Through actual combat, I had proven the power of the magic Marcelo had created.
Which meant I had more than enough right to make a request.
‘Wait.’
The level of the Magic Tower suddenly came to mind.
The magic tools and items they had readily said they would lend me had all possessed terrifying level requirements.
To the point that, for me, the day I could use them felt endlessly far away.
But if this emerald crystal could be used to create equipment I could use right away……
‘It might actually be better that I obtained a material item.’
My happy circuit ended there.
Because someone had spoken to me.
“Thank you. You’re that Lee Hoyeol, right?”
The players who had been struggling against the emerald tiger.
They greeted me.
I nodded.
Perhaps encouraged by my reaction,
“Wow. You really are amazing. Honestly, I was half in doubt, you know? Even after watching the videos, I couldn’t quite believe it! I thought the media was just starting to make another star player…….”
Blah, blah, blah.
The man who had been rambling finally reached his conclusion.
“……
So, about that. Would you consider moving together with us? I’m not saying we should keep doing it forever, just here in the Yusra Archipelago. What do you think?”
My answer to that was concise.
“I refuse.”
“……
Pardon?”
Unnecessary suspicion.
Envy and jealousy.
And finally, the casual speech he had slipped in ever so subtly.
‘Though I feel like it’s mostly because of the casual speech.’
Granfell’s old-fashioned temperament, which valued formality, was speaking.
“Regrettably, I have no intention of accompanying you.”
In other words, there was no chance I would get involved with them.
Perhaps my words had been quite firm.
The players did not cling to me any further.
Leaving them behind, I moved on.
—Investigate the great evil of the Yusra Archipelago. (In Progress)
The quest was still in progress.
...
Guild ranking, 7th place.
At the same time, Britain’s greatest guild, Second Sun.
They intended to restore their collapsed pride in the Yusra Archipelago.
Above them was the guild ranked 3rd,
the EU guild Bohemian, and below them, the Berserker Guild was fiercely rising up.
“The Count Ascurra raid was a humiliation for us. While Berserker took the First Clear, we had no achievement to boast of.”
Player ranking, 3rd place.
Guild master, Shreig.
He made a decision.
“The Yusra Archipelago is a good opportunity to make up for that humiliation.”
Second Sun split up its members.
Their plan was to divide their forces and aim for as many achievements and spoils as possible.
But that plan went wrong from the very start.
Because the monsters of the Yusra Archipelago were not as easy as expected.
“Damn it. They’re already annoying enough!”
And as if that weren’t enough, there were competitors, too.
There were far too many things to keep in mind.
In the end, Shreig had no choice but to admit it.
“I was too greedy. We’ll regroup.”
Of all things, it had to be Cheonha Tongil.
Second and third place.
It was only a difference of a single rank.
And yet, between them existed an invisible, thick wall.
Shreig intended to lead the main force and join up with another group.
“The closer side is the palm forest, right?”
He immediately made contact.
-……
Uh, Shreig.
What was this?
It was not the manly, rough voice he usually heard.
It was a voice that crept in, as though cowed.
Wondering if something had happened, Shreig asked,
“Don’t tell me someone got hurt?”
Had an emerald tiger appeared, perhaps?
If so, even casualties would be understandable.
Wasn’t it a level 420 monster?
I’ll have to join them quickly.
Shreig immediately grabbed his equipment.
“Let’s regroup. Wait. I’ll head over there right away.”
-……
N-No. Don’t come!
“……
What’s with you all of a sudden?”
-We’ll go over there.
Considering they were saying they would regroup, it did not seem to be an emergency.
But joining up on this side would make it meaningless.
“Our route overlaps with Cheonha Tongil. It’d be better if we joined you……”
-No. No! Cheonha Tongil would be better!
“……
What do you mean by that?”
-It’d be better to clash with those Cheonha Tongil bastards than with that monster!
“What monster are you talking about now? Say it so a person can understand……”
-Lee Hoyeol!
……
Lee Hoyeol?
Why was that name suddenly coming up?
As Shreig tilted his head, the shout continued.
-That bastard is way stronger than what’s known!
Shreig found it absurd.
Stronger than what was known?
That made no sense.
After all, wasn’t Lee Hoyeol already treated as a top-rank player?
While he was momentarily at a loss for words, the call ended.
-Anyway, we’ll go over there.
“……
What the hell are they saying?”
Bzzzz—
At that moment, another vibration rang out.
This time, it was from Seoul.
A guild member who had participated in the Magic Tower’s regular conference.
As soon as Shreig connected the call,
his face crumpled again.
“……
What, you too? Lee Hoyeol?”
Of course, it did not take long
for his expression to turn utterly serious.
“He received a quest, and that wasn’t enough, so he went up to the upper floors of the Magic Tower?!”
How did that make any sense?
Lee Hoyeol.
He was far stronger than what was known.
Somehow, Shreig felt like he could understand that ridiculous nonsense.
*
The objective of the quest was, at all times, to investigate the great evil.
Let’s infer from that alone.
First of all, the current great evil had not completely awakened.
‘Because I can feel it crouching.’
The presence felt beneath my shoes.
Perhaps it was a sense unique to the few remaining demon hunters.
Thanks to that, I was quickly able to grasp the quest’s intention.
‘Putting the investigation aside.’
For now, the top priority was to avoid waking this great evil.
Of course, under what conditions the great evil would awaken
was something I could not know at the moment.
‘Even if an Akshan demon hunter came back alive, they wouldn’t know, would they?’
Not with only the current information.
In other words, through investigation, the quest would likely proceed in the direction of revealing the great evil’s identity and dealing with it without waking it.
‘That would be best.’
That was what I was thinking
when a message suddenly appeared.
[The Yusra Archipelago is beginning to be stained with greed.]
[Collapse Progress: 1/10]
……
Collapse progress?
Apparently, that message had not appeared only to me.
The players were flustered.
“Collapse progress?”
“There wasn’t anything like a rift in the update notes?!”
“One out of ten? It’s not even a percentage?”
However, unlike them, I was not shaken.
“So that was it.”
As though scattered puzzle pieces had fallen into place,
a memory rose in my mind.