◈ Chapter 365. Even If My Ears Itch (1)
Hiel and Diend reported the situation.
“I have conveyed my lord’s command to the spirits of the universe. Tianxia Unification will receive none of the benefits of the law of causality twisted by the spirits of the universe.”
A buff that began with the spirits of the universe.
Its effect was a whopping 50 percent increase in item drop rate. But you probably don’t even know such an absurd buff exists, Liuo Junchun? Before you’re an enemy, I almost feel pity for you as a fellow player.
But even that was only the beginning. ‘Because I’m stripping you of every last thing.’ I don’t know what grand dream you had when you proclaimed the founding of a nation and set foot on the Arcana Continent.
But you made a clear mistake, Liuo Junchun. Catch up to me? As if. From now on, you’ll be falling behind other players in real time.
I spoke as if it were only natural.
“When you tighten the noose, one’s true colors are revealed.”
I wonder when he’ll realize that fact?
I couldn’t know, but one thing was certain: in order to make up the difference, he would try some dirty trick again. His class, [Tyrant].
That would be the only way to narrow this gap.
“The moment he sticks his head out will be the moment of his extinction.”
Going out to search for Liuo Junchun across the vast Arcana Continent would be absurd.
If I slowly tightened the noose, he would reveal himself on his own.
Until then, it would be best to focus on what I had to do.
“I shall deliver the next report, my lord.”
It went without saying, but Liuo Junchun was not my primary concern. I’d realized it through this experience. Even if Grandfell looked down on demons, I, Lee Hoyeol, could not do the same.
The high-ranking Demon King, Buer.
He was the tenth-ranked high-ranking Demon King.
Even though the great evil, the Seven Deadly Sins’ Lust, had offered its own life as a sacrifice.
Buer was an existence of such overwhelming scale that only his voice could be summoned.
That Buer had said to me clearly.
—I welcome you, for you have set foot in the realm of the Heaven Beyond Heaven (天外天).
The meaning of those words was simple.
Only now.
Had I reached a level where I could exchange words with a high-ranking Demon King. ‘They say you only see as much as you know…….’ I remembered the past, when I had nothing to my name and tried to estimate the strength of a high-ranking Demon King. Since it was a high-ranking Demon King, I’d vaguely guessed that maybe it would be stronger than a dragon. ‘What a ridiculous estimate.’ But because I had seen it, that strength made sense.
There was no need to even mention Baal, who had destroyed the Seorn Continent—stronger than the Arcana Continent—with nothing but one arm; even Gamigin, who had fallen into hell, was proof enough. ‘They were none other than my seniors from hell.’ After falling into hell.
They must have been the Akshan Demon Hunters who had hunted demons without rest.
And yet, even with those seniors clinging all over Gamigin’s four legs, it was only when the [『Anomaly』] I manifested overlapped with the special circumstance of the gates of hell opening that we could subdue Gamigin.
A level I dared not even measure.
Literally the sky above the sky, beyond comparison even to dragons.
The beings called the Heaven Beyond Heaven were precisely the high-ranking Demon Kings. ‘I can’t simply be happy about it.’ The fact that I had reached a point where I could speak to such high-ranking Demon Kings was something to rejoice over, but on the other hand, it felt daunting. Just how much stronger would I need to become before I could defeat one entirely with my own power?
“With this, I conclude my report.”
Only after Diend finished speaking after Hiel did I come to a decision. Yes, I still didn’t know how I would have to struggle from now on in order to surpass a high-ranking Demon King, but……. ‘Let’s start with what I can do right now.’ The escape routes I had diligently dug.
Thanks to them, the fact that there were many things I could do right now was a comfort in its own way. If I steadily pressed forward with Grandfell’s flower-garden mindset, wouldn’t I reach it someday?
—Heh, a reaction I cannot overlook because you are a slayer.
Even the demon who had leisurely cracked a joke upon seeing me, its natural enemy.
Someday, I would come to see him not as something to bluff against, but as true prey.
Now it was time to fill in the holes I had dug, one by one.
“Diend, I will entrust the search to you.”
Let’s see. Then I should secure what I needed to secure first, shouldn’t I?
I transmitted coordinates to Diend through telepathy. There were four coordinates in total, and thanks to Grandfell’s extraordinary mind, they were still vivid in my memory. [Hexagram Brooch 2/6]
The set item, Hexagram Brooch.
I had learned the locations of the brooch fragments through the Demon King’s trophy, [Map That Communes with All Things]. However, until now, I had been unable to find them because of the divide between reality and the Arcana Continent. ‘Though by coincidence, I did find one in the London dungeon.’ It ended with just two.
But now that I could go to and from the Arcana Continent.
There was a need to complete the Hexagram Brooch.
Of course, I couldn’t forget the equipment being crafted from Yunaxus’s legacy, [Dragon Skin], either. Because I understood its weight. Even Walsweil, the greatest blacksmith among dwarves, seemed to be pouring his heart and soul into crafting it. ‘Let’s give it time and wait.’ Shameless though I was, I did have a conscience. ‘In truth, I already have more than enough equipment.’ I didn’t even have to look far; even with Gwicheol, I still couldn’t bring out its true ability. So while securing what needed to be secured, I must not forget fundamental growth, Hoyeol.
Just as the players headed to the Arcana Continent.
I, too, had to grow in my own way.
At a level befitting me.
To do that.
The first thing I needed to check was, after all.
Entering the [Salon of Space-Time], which was said to have changed.
I had obtained the right to enter the top floor beyond the upper floor of the salon.
At the same time, I had also become able to undertake the highest-level space-time quest.
I muttered.
“I’m not inclined to, but if even the top floor desires me, then there is no helping it.” ……
The setting that he didn’t enjoy socializing was still unchanged, I see.
In any case, only after Hiel and Diend withdrew did I activate the skill, Salon of Space-Time. The scenery of the Claudi Territory visible beyond the window. Soon, my vision grew excessively bright, and the Salon of Space-Time unfolded before my eyes.
So this was the realm of the top floor?
Click— The first words I uttered after taking a step forward were……. *The current Arcana Continent.
It could not be compared to the era before the Cataclysm.
When it had been nothing more than a game.
“Whoa, shit. What’s with that eye in the sky?”
“They call it a Demonic Eye (魔眼), apparently. They say it’s something like the demons’ artificial satellite. More importantly, isn’t it horrifying? A living eye the size of the moon is watching us.”
“How about moving instead of worrying about that, everyone?!”
Demon-type monsters.
“Don’t let your guard down. Those bastards are demons in the literal sense!”
The players knew better than anyone that those things were no ordinary monsters. After the Cataclysm, reaching a high level meant that one had weathered just as many rifts.
Squeeze— Weapons were gripped tightly in both hands.
A solemn resolve settled on the players’ faces.
All the experiences they had accumulated until now flashed through their minds.
“Let my guard down? You think I’m crazy enough to let my guard down in front of those bastards?”
It was something that could almost be generalized.
Every player who entered the Arcana Continent.
Had experience losing something precious to demon-type monsters.
“To me, they’re enemies I can never forgive.”
Whether that had been comrades or family.
In reality, the might of demon-type monsters had literally been enough for one to stand against a hundred. But the situation had changed. These were players who had faced demons even in reality, overflowing as it was with negative energy.
“Wraiths appearing up ahead! Target them quickly!”
That was why, even before the overwhelmingly numerous demons of the Arcana Continent, the players did not break easily. Of course, it was thanks to the tremendous benefit of absurd buffs.
A message flickered before their eyes. [Your level has risen.]
The guild master of Second Sun.
Swish— Schreig shook off his slender sword, Fleuret, which was practically an extension of himself. Since the Miracle of London, he had long forgotten the pressure that had weighed down on his shoulders.
“It’s been a while. Since I could focus only on entering battle.”
Combat in reality, in the rifts?
There had been far too many things to worry about.
It was basic to pay attention to the rift’s collapse rate, which rose in real time. On top of that, because the scenery inside a rift was half reality and half Arcana Continent, it often took quite some time just to adapt.
Zachary, an executive, added to Schreig’s words.
“True. It feels like the difficulty went down by one level.”
“Do you really think so?”
“……No, now that I think about it again, not really.”
“Right. We should admit it honestly.”
Schreig chuckled and looked at his status window.
Truly, the effects of the buffs appeared densely packed.
Yes, enough to make one mistakenly think the difficulty had gone down.
The reason they could afford to act with composure on the Arcana Continent.
Was all thanks to the arrangements of the Commander-in-Chief of the Holy War Alliance.
Scratch, scratch— Zachary ruffled the hair that had been pressed down by his helmet and asked,
“But that man mentioned in the buff message, is it really the Commander-in-Chief? I’m not doubting it; it’s just that, as a player, I can’t make sense of it.”
Schreig and Zachary.
Before Arcana Continent Chronicles was released.
They had been comrades who had worked together since the game they used to play before it.
Schreig glared at that old friend.
“What part? The Commander-in-Chief’s ability?”
As it happened, Schreig’s mood was already sour for various reasons.
He was among the top ten in the world.
And at the same time, he could be called Britain’s greatest player.
Because of that, even if he wanted to ignore them.
Impure hands naturally reached out to him.
—“How long do you intend to remain in the Holy War Alliance?”
—“Remember this. You are British, first and foremost.”
—“Reality is cold. How long do you think Lee Hoyeol will take responsibility for you? In that sense, the Arcana Continent is a land of opportunity. Act wisely…….”
Not only himself.
Even Baker, the head of the AAU London Branch.
Was actively supporting Hoyeol.
And yet the approaching claws could not be counted on ten fingers. ‘For the other rankers, including Shining…….’ It meant that even greater temptations than his own would be pouring in.
Therefore, Schreig could not react kindly.
Because Zachary, the number two of Second Sun, was bound to face temptations no less than his own.
Of course, Zachary waved his hands.
“No! I’m not doubting him, I just don’t understand it! Stop glaring at me like that and think about it. It’s common sense, isn’t it? The amount of experience needed increases exponentially as your level rises!”
Schreig answered with a nod.
“Ugh, seriously, whenever it involves the Commander-in-Chief……!”
Zachary swallowed a sigh and continued.
“That’s why I don’t understand! Considering the performances the Commander-in-Chief shows us……. Surely it must be hard for him to level up through ordinary means, right? To put it bluntly, he can’t exactly hunt Demon Kings, great evils, or dragons every day.”
Nod.
“But in that situation, he still opened the Arcana Continent to players like us, who could be called competitors? And not just experience buffs—an entire continent filled with all kinds of absurd buffs?”
Only then did Schreig answer.
“Because his vessel is different, it’s only natural we can’t understand.”
“……What? Then you can understand?”
“No. Because his vessel is different, I can’t understand.”
If that was the concern, Schreig felt the same.
The Miracle of London.
Unlike himself, who had vowed never to forget Hoyeol’s grace for the rest of his life. There were surely forces that had climbed aboard the Holy War Alliance through some half-baked opportunity. ‘……If they grow while relying on these buffs.’ That was absolutely not good news. It was not needless worry or unfounded anxiety; reality was simply that way. Schreig knew that humans were beasts who could not help but waver before tremendous opportunity.
However. 『To underestimation, he offered proof. And overestimation, he ultimately turned into reality.』 Even that was proof to someone.
And nothing more than time needed to make it real.
His vision flickered without warning.
A message appeared.
“……Huh?”
It was not something that appeared only to the players near the Claudi Territory.
“What is this……?”
It appeared to Liuo Junchun and the Five Stars in Rangeri, on the outskirts of the continent.
And in the imperial capital.
Antonium.
“!”
The message also appeared to Yong Seongrak, a former Tianxia Unification player.
Yet why was it that he alone could fully grasp its meaning?
Among all the players, Yong Seongrak was the only one.
“You are finally making your move, Commander-in-Chief Lee Hoyeol……!” [Grandfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo begins a myth quest.]
That was right.
Because among the players.
He was the only one who knew the true meaning of the full name……....
The top floor of the Salon of Space-Time. [Grandfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo begins a myth quest.]
Seeing the flickering message, I made yet another vow.
Raymon Sean.
I really won’t let you off……!!