◈ Chapter 287. Akshan Hungered (2)
Now then, let us compare our forces.
The opponent is a great evil, Envy of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Having absorbed negative emotions to its heart’s content, it is in perfect condition, like a fish returned to water. As if that were not enough, it transformed the field and secured the home-ground advantage of a hidden piece.
On the other side, there is me.
Along with me, wearing the Jacket of Dawn as a commander.
There are roughly ten Akshan seniors who have revealed themselves from Hell.
On top of that, the Shadow Mercenary Corps is regaining consciousness one by one. ‘It is a rather modest lineup for a raid.’ Back when Arcana was nothing more than a game.
I knew nothing about boss raids.
The fact that my level was barely around 50 was a problem, but the fundamental cause was my class: demon hunter. I was kicked out of parties, so raids were out of the question.
But had there not been players beside me who had experienced those days? ‘Nam Taemin, Hisagi, Leoni, Schureig…….’ Rankers who had boasted outstanding skill since the past.
After the Holy War Alliance was launched.
I had picked up their knowledge from over their shoulders.
Because of that, I knew very well just how hastily assembled this raid against Envy of the Seven Deadly Sins was.
And how lacking it was. ‘At the very least, a hundred people should be clinging to it.’ Boss monsters are on a different dimension.
Unless there is an overwhelming difference in power, numbers must support you.
Because the greatest characteristic of a boss monster lies in its vitality.
Envy opened its mouth.
“To think the dead-and-buried Akshan had returned…….”
Perhaps because it was a great evil, its perception was quite decent.
“In the end, are they not merely brats who fell into Hell?”
Hell.
The place where demons fall.
Yes, [Akshan’s Legacy]
is not a skill that can summon Akshan demon hunters who simply died in battle. To be precise, it has the effect of summoning demon hunters who, after peering into the abyss to hunt demons, ultimately became demons themselves and fell into Hell. ‘Like the Sword Saint, Shegwin.’ Envy burst into laughter.
“How interesting.”
No, that was more than laughter. It was maniacal laughter.
“If you wish, you may drag me down to Hell.”
Laughing as if it would run out of breath, it barely continued speaking.
“O beings who have nothing left but wretchedness in place of your former fame!”
I can understand that assessment.
A great evil would naturally have a different perspective.
From the perspective of a great evil, demon hunters who fell into Hell after degenerating into demons?
They might indeed look ridiculous.
But you do not know, do you?
What is happening in Hell at this very moment.
“That boundless ignorance of yours is quite befitting of a demon.”
Because you have never fallen into Hell.
Of course, the same goes for me when it comes to experiencing Hell.
However.
Unlike you, I have experience.
The experience of shedding honest sweat without missing a single day……!
“Do not take human pride lightly.”
Even if one falls into Hell.
The Akshan spirit is not forgotten.
That is right. It is the spirit of grinding, engraved into the flesh.
Our Akshan seniors must have cultivated [Tenacity]
by repeating physical training in Hell. As for what effect [Tenacity]
has, I know it well, having repeated training with them until we reached our limits. [Tenacity: Converts mental strength into stats. Each time Tenacity rises, the converted stats increase further.]
In addition.
Unlike me, these are seniors who have hunted the demons that fell into Hell for eternity. Even if, in the past, they fell to Hell after degenerating into demons.
Shing—It means that now, each and every one of them can only be a demon hunter boasting transcendent skill. As if to prove it, the Akshan seniors kicked off the ground and shot forward.
Ssshaak!
Vivid reactions followed their movements.
“……
Who are they, vice-captain?”
“Where did those humans pop out from?”
“I’ve never seen Arcanians like that before……?”
They were the members of the Shadow Mercenary Corps, who had regained consciousness after Wolf and Alkari.
Even if they were on the verge of death, it must have been a sight shocking enough to make their eyes snap open.
[Tenacity], the measure of which could not even be estimated.
The [Strength] and [Agility] converted from that tenacity.
And on top of that, their seasoned experience in demon hunting.
“Do you think something will change if you all rush in at once?”
The ten demon hunters pressured Envy as though they were a single body.
They did not charge in after taking Envy’s provocation.
The habits of demons.
Those who know them better than anyone are none other than demon hunters.
“……!”
Envy’s body twitched.
With that body it could manipulate so freely, it seemed to have been watching for an opening.
Waiting only for a chance to snatch them up.
I told you, did I not?
Those gentlemen are no ordinary men.
Clack—psshk—thunk—A series of actions without the slightest wavering.
It was truly so concise that one could hardly believe they were people standing before a great evil. Literally a hunt. The Akshan seniors hunted the great evil as though they were merely carrying out their daily routine.
Now, beyond questions, sighs could be heard.
“……
Vice-captain Wolf, who in the world are they?”
In place of Wolf, who was in shock, I answered.
“Akshan.”
“……
If you say Akshan?”
“Don’t tell me, demon hunters……?”
So you have finally realized as well.
Excluding Henderson and Rockid, who were twitching their hands and feet while lying down.
The Shadow Mercenary Corps has come to know that I am connected to Akshan.
No, how could that be all? ‘If the continent has magic eyes.’
Reality has camera lenses.
Whether it is a helicopter camera.
Or a satellite.
Whether it is now.
Or a little later than now.
It will not be long before my appearance spreads across the world.
Slide—My gaze naturally moved toward the state of my clothes.
As the human Lee Hoyeol, this was an exceedingly embarrassing situation. ‘……
Wouldn’t this suit stage attire better than combat wear?’
But steel your heart, Hoyeol.
There is a saying, is there not, about turning a crisis into an opportunity?
In truth, this is nothing less than a golden opportunity. ‘Because I can issue a proper warning.’
Just as it happened, the effects of hunting the high-ranking Demon King.
Gamigin were slowly beginning to wear off.
If, at a time like this, I hunted a great evil, one of the Seven Deadly Sins, Envy.
Then, just as Granfell said…… ‘The demons will be forced to understand their place and shrink back.’
And that is not all.
This warning is not directed only at demons.
Cheonhwa Tongil and Liuo Junchun, who are clearly connected to Envy.
And for some reason.
Raymon Sean, who had released a great evil into reality yet had not posted even a single line of update notice. It would serve as a stern warning even to those who were no different from demons.
I raised Gwicheol.
I drew up the sensation from the [Small Champion’s Sanctuary Beneath the Mountains].
Now that my combat power had increased through [Natural Enemy Relationship].
It was not difficult to revive that sensation.
Magic power, sword aura, and tenacity in trinity.
If it is for the sake of hunting demons.
I will not hesitate to use any means or methods.
A tactic of mine that is exceedingly fitting for a demon hunter.
I opened my mouth.
“Insignificant demon.”
Is this only Phase 2 now?
I do not know how many patterns you have left, but.
On this side as well, I have no shortage of wells I have dug, no shortage of holes through which to survive.
“Do you have enough stored forms?”
The Oddity, The End, even the legend of Lee Hoyeol, the Dark Dragon……!
Too many to list one by one.
There remains an abundance of proof of my struggles.
*
“Is that information certain?” AAU Korean Branch.
At the information relayed to him, Yun Sugyeom asked back.
He had no choice.
Click, click—He had been hammering refresh for some time now.
Even so, Arcana’s official homepage had not been updated.
Yun Sugyeom’s colleague said,
“I told you, it’s true, isn’t it? It isn’t anyone else but Second Sun, Schureig, and Branch Chief Baker. They have no reason to feed us false information, do they?”
The Miracle of London.
After that day, the relationship between Korea and the United Kingdom.
Advanced rapidly.
Along with that progress, they had also formed a close cooperative relationship with the AAU London Branch. The current information was breaking news they had obtained thanks to that. Even so, the reason it could not be easily believed was……
“An appearance message popped up in the Zero Mountains? There isn’t even a proper recommended level set, so how is something like that possible? More than anything, for such a huge incident, not even a single line of emergency update details appeared?”
Because unprecedented events were overlapping.
“No matter how much we cursed that bastard……. Raymon Sean, that bastard still did what had to be done. If it was a situation he had anticipated, he posted regular update details. If it was an unexpected situation, he posted emergency update details.”
And yet.
Click—Even now, after the appearance message had appeared and the field had begun to transform, the homepage had not been updated. Where had things gone wrong? Just as Yun Sugyeom was clawing at his hair in frustration.
Seong Hyeonjun, who had been silent, spoke.
“What if it was intentional?”
“……
Intentional?”
“Raymon Sean deliberately didn’t post the details.”
Yun Sugyeom looked at Seong Hyeonjun.
His expression asked.
Why on earth, and what had suddenly gotten into him?
Raymon Sean had shown a favorable attitude toward humanity until now. One only had to look at how he provided update details and granted players enormous rift-clear reward money.
Seong Hyeonjun continued.
“He doesn’t want the recent trend.”
“The trend?”
“The change led by General Manager Lee Hoyeol.”
“……!!!”
Lee Hoyeol.
They knew that the Yusra General Manager.
Did not look favorably upon Raymon Sean.
Even the enormous rift reward money that any player could not help but covet.
Was nothing more than meaningless wealth and glory to the general manager.
He had always said as much.
However, the opposing structure truly began to reveal itself to the world……
“Because there was an unmistakable clash surrounding the access device.”
The access device scramble put forward by Raymon Sean.
It began from the moment Hoyeol doused it with cold water as if to show him.
A voice came from behind them.
“So, simply put, it’s a battle of nerves?”
“……
Branch Chief Park?”
“I’m not some old fogey. No need to greet me every single time. Keep going, Seong Hyeonjun.”
“Ah, yes, sir.”
Seong Hyeonjun continued speaking.
From the public reaction surrounding that incident.
To the moves of Cheonhwa Tongil, the only one to take a line opposing Hoyeol.
However, the core did not change.
“That bastard is clearly threatening humanity.”
Raymon Sean.
His intentions were plain to see.
Using the information called update details as leverage, he was likely trying to shake Hoyeol’s position. His intention was to collapse the infinite trust the world had in Hoyeol. ‘You truly are a filthy bastard.’
Yun Sugyeom nodded as if he understood.
“Then the appearance of a great evil, Envy of the Seven Deadly Sins, is a kind of declaration of war.”
A warning to humanity, which did not follow his will.
The AAU knew the importance of information better than anyone.
If Raymon Sean had not provided update details.
Humanity might have already been destroyed by rift erosion.
In that sense, it was unbearably frustrating.
Park Minjae ground his teeth.
“That son of a bitch, threatening us like this…….”
Demon-type monsters.
Even within the AAU, there was no data they could be certain of regarding them.
Now that such demon-type monsters had become the main enemy.
The value of the information Raymon Sean provided could only be immense.
“Isn’t this beyond filthy? Isn’t this cheating?”
That fact would be known not only to them, but to everyone.
The governments of each country, of course, and even the players.
If they came to know that the cause was the confrontation between Hoyeol and Raymon Sean. ‘The arrows might turn toward the general manager…….’
It was a damnably suffocating situation.
A great evil.
It was undoubtedly certain to be no ordinary existence.
That much could be known just from the fact that it had displayed an appearance message in the Zero Mountains. ‘Even if it is the general manager…….’
It meant he would have no choice but to struggle against a great evil.
Raymon Sean was aiming precisely for that point.
The moment the image of Hoyeol struggling in a situation devoid of information about demons spread across the world. Cracks would form in the trust directed toward Hoyeol.
Soon, breaking news arrived one after another.
“They say they’ve detected the great evil’s location!”
At last, the AAU identified the great evil’s location in the Zero Mountains.
The image of the great evil appeared on the large monitor.
And.
“……!!!”
All of their worries became nothing more than needless concern.
“……
W-wait a moment!”
Even if humanity had no information whatsoever regarding demons.
If there existed a being more well-versed in demons than Raymon Sean.
Then the gap in information would become meaningless.
The audience stirred—
“I feel like I’ve seen that outfit somewhere before……?”
“All those trailing layers, and above all, that crossbow.”
“Th-that wolf over there is……?!”
That is right.
More well-versed in demons than even Raymon Sean.
A being that, by instinct, could be nothing else.
“Th-that’s an Akshan wolf, isn’t it?!”
The natural enemy of demons.
Akshan.
Because they had fired the opening shot of their revival.
Pssshk—!