◈ Episode 304. Defy (2)
The head of the Republic of Korea, Jeong Hantaek.
“Tsk.”
He smacked his lips at the bitter taste in his mouth.
After the Cataclysm, knowledge concerning Arcana had become common sense.
Naturally, a president tasked with leading a nation was required to possess even broader common sense. However, there was a clear difference between what one learned through study and what one acquired by experiencing it firsthand.
Jeong Hantaek looked up from the report.
Among his grave-faced aides.
He asked the relatively more expert Director of National Security.
“So this regular update thing was… originally something like an event that occurred regularly every Thursday, wasn’t it, Director of National Security?”
“That is correct, Mr. President.”
“But after the Zero Mountains appeared, they became infrequent?”
“Precisely, Mr. President.”
“And now, after an update for the first time in a while, there’s a problem…?”
The updated patch notes.
“Hmm…”
Jeong Hantaek found it difficult to understand the world’s reaction to them. With Player Lee Hoyeol at the forefront, hadn’t the players of countries around the world risen to a level far higher than before?
Jeong Hantaek continued.
“I’ve heard that, including our Great Alliance, players are actively making use of the Zero Mountains and growing rapidly. Let’s look at the statistics as well. The number of collapse cases caused by failed rift raids has also sharply decreased. Didn’t you report that to me just yesterday?”
“That is correct, Mr. President.”
Jeong Hantaek looked down at the patch notes once more.
Then he furrowed his brow.
“As I thought, no matter how I look at it, it seems like good news.”
At Jeong Hantaek’s mutter, several aides nodded.
“It is only natural that you would think so, Mr. President.”
The Director of National Security steadied his breath inwardly.
For starters, this seemed like it would not be an easy conversation. The only fortunate thing was that President Jeong Hantaek was prepared to accept an explanation with an open mind.
He continued.
“Allow me to go back briefly to before the Cataclysm, Mr. President.”
“Go ahead.”
“As you know, before the Cataclysm, Arcana was managed by Cosmo, the predecessor of the AAU. Regulating Arcana was their job. But after the Cataclysm, they lost that ability.”
Jeong Hantaek nodded.
It was not difficult to understand that much.
After all, Arcana had become realized as another world beyond a game. Cosmo’s employees, who were nothing more than ordinary humans, had no ability to regulate reality.
“Through international trials that lasted for years, the innocence of Cosmo’s employees was proven. With the exception of the CEO, Raymond Sean, of course.”
Literally.
They had searched every corner of Earth.
Even so, they had failed to secure Raymond Sean’s person.
“This matter is clearly an act of defiance.”
“…
Defiance, all of a sudden? What do you mean, Director of National Security?”
“Raymond Sean, who can now be called the sole administrator of Arcana. The trust that had continued between him and the players has begun to waver because of this update he announced.”
“The foundation of that trust is wavering?”
Among players.
And among nations.
Opinions on Raymond Sean were sharply divided.
The argument of those who defended Raymond Sean was simple.
If he truly wanted to drive reality to ruin, then why would he pay out enormous rift-clearance rewards, and why would he share update details with the players?
“Hmm.”
Jeong Hantaek’s stance was neutral.
So he had no choice but to ask again.
Jeong Hantaek’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Over a single update like this? It’s not as if he’s saying he won’t pay rift-clearance rewards, and unlike during the Great Evil incident, didn’t he properly share the update details?”
The Director of National Security’s answer was concise.
“The players’ position is different. They must have believed it. That even Raymond Sean, who was said to be Arcana’s CEO, could not directly interfere with Arcana.”
“…!”
At those words, Jeong Hantaek suddenly realized.
He pressed his fingers against his temple and called for a time-out.
After asking for their understanding, he continued a moment later.
“I think I can understand how they feel.”
Players were fighting life-and-death battles against rifts, against Arcana’s encroachment. But what if that Arcana Continent was a world that Raymond Sean could regulate according to his intentions?
“That really would leave a bad taste in one’s mouth.”
“Whether the update details are favorable to humanity or not is not terribly important. What matters is that Raymond Sean can directly regulate the Arcana Continent. Now that this fact has been proven…”
“So that’s why you said he defied something. Whether it’s a taboo or someone’s temper.”
Now that he had realized the seriousness of the situation. ‘Think, Jeong Hantaek.’ Jeong Hantaek had no choice but to agonize over the future of the nation. According to the AAU agreement, they could not rashly step forward. Like the leaders of other countries, they must be racking their brains just as he was. ‘Compared to them, I…’ still have things a little better.
Jeong Hantaek felt strangely relieved.
He had no choice but to. ‘To think he might have predicted even this.’ Raymond Sean, whose evaluations were divided. ‘Player Lee Hoyeol.’ The one who had consistently shown him hostility was none other than Hoyeol. Of course, Jeong Hantaek had no intention of sitting idle and depending on Hoyeol.
Jeong Hantaek swiftly gave orders to his aides.
“Now that the players have fallen into confusion, the loaches who can’t abandon their old habits will start stirring up trouble, won’t they? That is all we have to do. Pull out the weeds and cut off the yellow shoots.”
...
The Kingdom of Yusra, the Golden Palace.
“It has been a while, Sir Harkon.”
“Oho, your gazes have grown even more resolute.”
“Does it show? We’ve crossed them in our own way, you see. Battlefields of life and death.”
“Is that so? Hearing you speak so confidently makes me want to confirm with my own two eyes just how dense your sword energy has become. Regrettably, there will be no time for that today.”
Stride, stride.
Even while exchanging greetings, Harkon and the three guild masters of the Great Alliance did not stop walking. At the very end, Leoni, who was struggling to keep pace, opened her mouth.
“Have you heard the news?”
“Of course. It is truly an unexpected situation.”
“That bastard really went and did something he never used to do.”
Nam Taemin was displeased with the situation.
“What, a balance patch?”
Even back when Arcana was a game, balance patches had not been common.
No, it would be fair to say they had not existed.
Even if an element that could disrupt balance was discovered within Arcana.
Cosmo had judged even that to be one natural current and event. ‘They would adjust the balance by inducing players to remove the element through a new quest. If that was not possible, NPCs would step forward and remove it themselves. Or if not even that, they would secretly clear it away once it had been forgotten from memory.’ They had adjusted balance without harming the players’ immersion.
Come to think of it…
The person who had likely carried out that role as an NPC, Harkon, was beside him.
Yes, not on the Arcana Continent, but in reality.
Nam Taemin slapped his fist into his palm.
“…
Wait! Could it be because there are no people left on the Arcana Continent to adjust the balance? Because people like Master are all here. So Raymond Sean, that bastard, intervened by force?”
“Mr. Nam Taemin.”
The one who spoke coldly was Hisagi.
His snake-like eyes lifted.
Hisagi shook his head.
“If he had intended to adjust the balance, would things have come this far? To begin with, the direction of the updates has always been selfish, without the slightest consideration for the players. And lastly.”
A sharp point followed, in more ways than one.
“Is the Commander-in-Chief not on the Arcana Continent?”
“…
Damn it, I can’t say a thing in front of you.”
“You should brace your pride, Mr. Nam Taemin.”
The war of nerves between the two.
“What are you two doing every single day, being exactly the same?”
The moment Leoni clicked her tongue.
The four arrived at the round table of the Golden Palace.
Many people had already gathered at the venue of the Holy War Allied Forces meeting.
The King of Yusra, Hakuna, looked around at those present and opened his mouth.
“It seems everyone has gathered.”
He would enter the Arcana Continent.
Hoyeol had submitted statements of reason to the Magic Tower and the Kingdom of Yusra before leaving. Marcelo, who was present, suddenly recalled Hoyeol’s statement. ‘Personal matters.’ He had no desire to dare speculate about Sir Hoyeol’s personal affairs.
It was just that this important matter.
He was worried Hoyeol would not be able to learn of it in real time.
The Study of the Strange.
The urgent news he had confirmed with the smartphone Hoyeol had given him.
The update details would have a profound effect on the Arcana Continent. ‘I do not know when Sir will return, but…’ At the very least, he wanted to ease his worries in the adventurers’ world.
This was not his thought alone.
At the very least, everyone here must have attended the meeting for that purpose.
Reality and the Arcana Continent.
Hoyeol, who had mastered the strange to the point of perfectly crossing between the two worlds, was absent. ‘We cannot perfectly fill Sir’s empty place.’ But here, there were adventurers.
And there were Arcanians like himself.
Marcelo smiled faintly. ‘Even so, we shall cooperate according to Sir’s will.’ The meeting began at the same time as Marcelo’s resolve.
A parchment rose by magic.
Upon it were inscribed the regular update details.
──────
Arcana Continent Chronicle: Regular Update (Including Balance Patch)
※Main Balance Adjustment Target
●Demonkin boss monster, Demon King.
All Demon Kings except the top ten in the hierarchy will be deleted. This decision was made because the existence of unnecessary Demon Kings may cause adverse effects, so we ask for the generous understanding of all players.
...
──────
*
The Witch of the Southern Sea.
She looked out at the Southern Sea from the shore.
Judging from the direction of the wind, the scent, and the quiet at her ears…
Fwoo—
She let out a sigh along with smoke.
“Looks like today will pass quietly somehow?”
One day, two days, three days…
The ill omen, which had not gone a single day without chattering, had been quiet for the past few days. From the moment she became aware of its existence until now, even for the witch who had watched it all along, these were rare days.
“Thanks to that, I did earn some gold to buy cigarettes.”
Gold obtained through the 『Request of Spacetime』.
Among Transcendents, only a very small number could enter the upper levels.
The witch had that qualification, so unlike most Transcendents, who were strapped for spacetime gold, it was not a major problem for her to squander gold on cigarettes.
Of course.
“Cough, cough.”
Her body rotting away from the harsh cigarettes was a problem.
“…
I can’t keep doing this anymore.”
Her gaze returned to the sea.
Those few who knew the relationship between her and the ill omen had all asked her the same thing.
—“You said you can’t stand the sight of that ill omen, didn’t you? There isn’t even any particular way to stop it, so why do you stare at the sea day in and day out with that half-dead body of yours?”
The witch answered.
“…
That thing talks to me.”
Because if even she did not listen to its curse, it felt as though the ill omen would run wild again. It felt as though it would open its maw toward the continent. That was why the witch had no choice but to look at the damned sea.
“There’s no madwoman like me.”
The ill omen had long since devoured even the witch’s mind.
But as if to render the witch’s efforts meaningless.
“…?”
Creeping, creeping—
A gigantic shadow surged up beyond the horizon.
Only then did the witch realize it.
“W-why…?”
That the ill omen had manifested on the continent.
*
There really is no end to the work.
Somehow, I finished restoring the Claudi mansion, and now the territory that had been turned into a mess was the problem. But let’s think about how to restore the territory later.
“It flows as quickly as afternoon tea time.”
Another day had passed in real time, so I had to pick up the quill.
If you’re asking why a quill all of a sudden.
Why ask something so obvious? ‘I have to send it. My memorial of filial greetings.’ Even while suffering under Grandfel’s filial piety, I found myself admiring it.
How on earth could he write letters thousands of characters long every single day?
Of course, it was obvious he would answer that it was the pride of a devoted son, so I would not bother asking.
Scratch—
I put down the quill and opened my mouth.
“I leave it to you.”
In reality, simply manifesting magic would have given the letter wings and made it fly to the main house on its own. But this was the Arcana Continent, so an additional process of interference would be necessary.
“Deliver the news, and bring back a reply.”
Goooooo—
Soon, the letter was transmitted, tearing through dimensions. ‘What impressive filial piety, truly.’ I’m probably the only person in the world who consumes this much mana just for a morning greeting. Since there was a time difference, it would likely take a little while for the reply to arrive. ‘I should look around in the meantime.’ At the Claudi mansion.
Since I had restored it with reversal magic, I might be able to salvage a few of the Claudi mansion’s settings. You know, just like the statues of the Four Houses came back to life, there might be something I could use. ‘The more desperate the situation, the more thoroughly I have to scrape things together.’ It was the moment I made that resolve with the solemn expression of a family head.
Goooooo—
…
The reply is faster than expected?
My parents usually sent back replies so long they rivaled my memorials of filial greetings. Even considering the time difference, wasn’t this too fast? Could they have written it in advance? The thought lasted only briefly.
I unfolded the letter.
From my mouth.
A cold voice burst out.
“There is not a shred of pride to be found.”
Enclosed with it was an A4 sheet printed with the regular update details.
Right, it was still Thursday there.
It seemed a new regular update had appeared after a long time.
And it just had to be when I had entered the Arcana Continent.
I almost missed it without even knowing why.
In that sense.
“I will not forget this grace, Father, Mother.”
This time, I was saved by that boundless filial piety.
Let’s see. ‘Deleting Demon Kings, huh.’ I don’t know what this balance adjustment patch is for.
But one thing is certain: it is not good news for me.
In fact, beyond that, it is practically aimed at me, Lee Hoyeol. ‘Do you know how much EXP and loot Demon Kings drop?’ So you’re going to come at me in such a petty way?
Indeed, Grandfel was not wrong to say there was no pride in it.
However, Raymond Sean.
You made a mistake, and a big one at that. ‘The ill omen is moving.’ Deleting Demon Kings.
In other words, you’re saying you’ll feed the Demon Kings to the ill omen.
Truly. ‘You are overlooking it, aren’t you?’ Just who is inside that ill omen’s stomach.
I opened my mouth solemnly.
“I shall omit the cumbersome process.”
As if it had been waiting for my words, the quest objective blinked.
Ssssss—
The cumbersome quest objective was erased, and a new objective was updated.
“Akshan.”
●Hunt the ill omen. (In progress)
An inescapable natural-enemy relationship.
The moment a demon hunter faces a demon.
The activated skill, [Natural Enemy Relationship].
Its power…!
“The hunt begins.”