◈ Episode 37. The Ancient Kingdom Yusra
The Yusra Archipelago.
No, the whole world.
A message appeared before the players’ eyes.
[Someone has uncovered the secret of the Yusra Archipelago.]
[The ancient kingdom, the Kingdom of Yusra, reveals itself.]
“!!!”
The same message had been displayed to every player.
In other words, a world-class message.
It meant an event momentous enough to leave a mark on Arcana’s history had occurred.
“You saw that, right? I told you this wasn’t an ordinary update!”
“To think it wasn’t a treasure island, but an ancient kingdom……”
“So that’s why they kept dropping and scattering all those hints.”
The message that had first appeared to the players.
Was soon delivered by the players to ordinary people as well.
It was thanks to Bak Hwigang and the other NetTuber players immediately reporting the breaking news.
“……
They say the ancient kingdom, the Kingdom of Yusra, has revealed itself!”
“Holy shit. Guys. This is insanely good content, isn’t it?!”
“Who is ‘someone,’ you ask? No, how would a small-fry like me know that, seriously!!”
The viewers were just as excited.
—The treasure island was an ancient kingdom??
—Then it must’ve been a super rich country ㄷㄷ
—Is it like an ancient oil kingdom or something? lololol
—Once it’s restored, won’t it be insane???
Since it was an ancient kingdom, restoring it would no doubt require time and effort, but if its past glory were recovered, the Kingdom of Yusra was certain to hold tremendous value.
And for good reason.
“Expert, if the breaking news that just came in is true, then isn’t this the first update on the scale of an entire nation? In other words, for the first time in history, a nation from Arcana has been summoned into reality?”
“Yes, that’s correct! We should consider this an enormous event!”
“Can you estimate its value?”
“Well, first, if we simply look at the role the Empire played in Arcana. Even if only a certain portion is restored, as the first of its kind, the Kingdom of Yusra would possess tremendous value……”
The first Arcana nation summoned into reality.
That was the Kingdom of Yusra.
The emergence of a new nation.
And an ancient kingdom, at that.
Even back when Arcana had been nothing more than a game.
It would surely have been a world-class event even then.
Yet now, in reality, the Kingdom of Yusra had appeared as the first update on the scale of an entire nation.
So at this moment.
The tension flowing through the hot potato that was the Kingdom of Yusra was difficult to put into words.
The world’s greatest guild, Shining.
Its guild master, Rox, had stopped in the middle of battle.
“……
What on earth is happening?”……
Wait, let’s look back for a moment.
Skeletons that were level 500.
The moment they entered the Golden Palace, the creatures came swarming in groups.
With Jesse absent at the moment.
Shining could hardly be said to be at full strength.
But even taking that into account, the skeleton army was far too strong.
The reason they had managed to hold out at all?
‘Compared to their stats, their patterns are simple.’
A high level.
Tenacious vitality.
But the actual way they attacked was simple.
To the point that even the way they swung their weapons looked clumsy.
‘They’re more than worth攻略ing.’
That was why Rox had not retreated.
Of course, it would take a long time, but it was more than worth the hardship.
Not just any demon, but a great evil.
And considering the characteristic of it being a treasure island.
The value of the loot that would drop was naturally bound to be considerable.
But then.
Crack—
The skeletons suddenly collapsed.
They had returned to bones.
What that sight meant was simple.
The master of the Golden Palace, the great evil, had fallen.
At the same time, the message appeared.
Shining’s guild members began to murmur.
“……
Someone broke through this field of skeletons and defeated the great evil?”
“Is that even possible?”
“Who the hell was it? Unification Under Heaven? No, there’s no way those weak-ass bastards could……”
What did you say about us?
If Unification Under Heaven had heard that, it would have been a grievance twice over.
“I’m sure of it. It was Shining again, those bastards……!”
Shining and Unification Under Heaven.
Just like their ill-fated relationship.
Because they knew each other so well, they were able to realize it.
Those guys broke through this skeleton encirclement?
No, impossible.
Rox and Luo Junchun.
The two guild masters spoke at the same time.
“It wasn’t Unification Under Heaven.”
“It wasn’t Shining!”
Question marks appeared on the guild members’ faces.
But that was not a question that belonged only to them.
The message had appeared before the eyes of every player.
If one was a player, it was only natural to wonder.
So just who was the “someone” in the message?
*
[Hidden Quest: Kingdom of Yusra]
The legendary treasure island has revealed itself once more.
The king wishes to correct his mistakes and regain his pride.
—Bestow the crown upon the king of the Kingdom of Yusra. (Success)
[You have met the conditions.]
[You have uncovered the secret of the Yusra Archipelago.]
[The ancient kingdom, the Kingdom of Yusra, reveals itself.]
And a hidden quest……!
To think a quest like this truly existed.
At first, I had no choice but to be half in doubt.
‘Because no matter how much I searched, I’d never seen anything like it.’
Back when my class quest first appeared.
At that time, I had looked up every quest in Arcana that could be called a quest.
There really had been all kinds of quests, but I had never even heard of something called a hidden quest.
However, I had intuition.
During the twelve years I had been away from Arcana.
I had gone through all sorts of hardships and developed what you might call good instincts.
‘……
Something about this is unusual.’
Above all, the quest’s condition bothered me.
Not anything else, but a crown.
It was telling me to hand over an item of no less than Epic grade to the king.
‘Was there a reason its stats were so terrible after all?’
My expectations had vanished long ago.
There was no need to bring up Grandfell’s incorruptible character either.
Without the slightest attachment, I placed the crown on the man’s head.
No, on the head of the king of the Kingdom of Yusra.
And now.
Messages rose endlessly.
[Your relationship with the Kingdom of Yusra has reached its maximum value.]
[Your influence in the Kingdom of Yusra has reached its maximum value.]
[The “Authority” function has been activated in the Kingdom of Yusra.]
……
Relationship with the kingdom, influence, and even an authority function?
Naturally, they were all words unfamiliar to me.
‘Of course they would be.’
Back when Arcana was a game, and even now.
I had never been in a position to be connected to or exert influence over a particular nation. But judging by my instincts……. It seemed that position had changed now, hadn’t it?
‘Above all, the fact that it’s at maximum is important.’
On top of that, the activation of an “Authority” function.
If I could, I wanted to check it right away.
But there were so many other messages appearing besides that.
Hold on, let’s put it aside for now.
First, no loot dropped.
‘Is this the second time?’
Was I simply unlucky?
‘If not…….’
Did demons possessing someone not drop items?
It was still too early to reach a conclusion.
Still, I had no regrets.
[Your level has increased.]
……
It was faster to check the status window than to count how many lines there were.
[Name: Grandfell Claudi Arpeus Romeo]
[Class: Demon Hunter]
[Level: 226]
[Stats]
Strength: 27 / Agility: 33 / Magic: 126 / Luck: 3
[Unallocated Points: 50]
I had defeated a great evil, the Seven Deadly Sins’ Greed.
Thanks to that, my level had risen by a staggering 50 levels……!
Beyond a personal best, it made me wonder if this wasn’t the system’s maximum limit.
That was how enormous the experience was.
But it was by no means an excessive reward.
‘It’s as if I defeated a level 650 monster by myself.’
Suddenly, that thought came to mind.
Had I grown that strong?
It was certainly different from when I faced Count Ascurra.
Back then, it had been all I could do to defeat him by borrowing Jesse Heinness’s strength.
Of course, a lot had happened in a short period of time.
‘I participated in the Magic Tower conference, gained insight into magic…….’
I had also improved the manifestation power of that magic.
I couldn’t leave out the advantage of equipment in the form of the brooch either.
‘The cooperation of the Lionheart Knights, Gaon, and Berserker.’
As if that were not enough, I was currently in a state of mana exhaustion.
Because of the exorcism ritual, I had used up all the mana I had saved to defeat an opponent who could not even properly counterattack.
However, I could sense it intuitively.
‘……
The Seven Deadly Sins’ Greed.’
That was the demon hunter’s sense.
Separate from my own growth.
From the one who called himself a great evil.
I could clearly feel the aura of an immature demon.
‘He also seemed to know nothing about the exorcism ritual.’
Above all, the fact that he was ignorant of the exorcism ritual.
Meant that he also had no knowledge of demon hunters.
‘A great evil failing to recognize its natural enemy, a demon hunter?’
……
Well, as I am now, I cannot know the reason.
However, one thing was certain.
A demon hunted by a demon hunter is cast into hell and can never be revived. That was no exception even for a great evil.
Suddenly, a remark from an Akshan demon hunter came to mind.
—That is the reason demons fear us.
I lifted my gaze and looked at the remains of the Seven Deadly Sins’ Greed.
Sssss—
Just like Count Ascurra had.
Thick smoke rose from his traces.
At that moment, I felt someone approaching.
It was Harkon.
“What should I call this, Sir Hoyeol?”
I straightened my disheveled clothes and answered.
“I merely did what had to be done.”
I said it grandly, but I had only completed a quest.
However, if I did not say what was in my heart, it was perfect for being misunderstood.
Harkon’s eyes were brimming in a way I had never seen before.
“I have no choice but to regret it once more.”……
Please don’t cry, Harkon.
If you go as far as crying, my guilty conscience will only grow worse.
The one who changed that atmosphere was the man.
No, now it would be right to call him the king of the Kingdom of Yusra.
“……
My benefactor. May I ask your name?”
He asked me while still on his knees.
Even though he was a king, I wondered if this was all right.
But even in a situation where a king bowed his head.
There was a me who regarded it as only natural.
Without the slightest hesitation, I opened my mouth.
“I am Lee Hoyeol.”
……
I was experiencing the power of maximum relationship and influence.
The king of the Kingdom of Yusra, Hakuna.
Even if he was the king of an ancient kingdom that had perished long ago.
His status surely could not be disregarded.
Above all, look at the Golden Palace still standing firm.
To put it bluntly, it was so lavish that I wondered if selling just this one palace would be enough to buy up every building in Seoul’s forest of skyscrapers.
The owner of that Golden Palace and the king of the Kingdom of Yusra.
Hakuna asked me.
“What do you think, benefactor?”
And in an extremely polite attitude, at that.
I had never received anything like etiquette education.
Everything must have been due to the reward of the hidden quest.
Of course, I answered brazenly.
“It would be right to rebuild the Kingdom of Yusra. What does a nation require? Hakuna, would you not know that better than I?”
Even if he was a king, he was not my lord.
There was no need to bow my head.
Yes, it was an attitude of Grandfell’s that even I could accept, but.
‘Still, even so.’
Above all, look at the startled expressions of the players.
“……
Taemin hyung. What am I looking at right now?”
“Unnie. I shouldn’t have been surprised that he talked back to the chief mage. My God, he’s speaking casually to a king?!”
“Wow, damn. That guy is consistently insane.”
I strongly agreed with that last statement as well.
Soon, Hakuna answered.
“You are right, benefactor. Even so, though you told me to have pride……. I am worried. Who would believe in and follow a king who turned his back on his people…….”
I spoke without hesitation.
“Whether they believe and follow depends on what you do. King of Yusra. I think there is no need to worry already. Yet are you still concerned?”
“……
Shamefully, yes.”
“I see.”
It truly was a needless worry.
The value of the Kingdom of Yusra.
Even I, who did not know much about the ways of Arcana, could feel that it was enormous.
Above all, wasn’t the Kingdom of Yusra a treasure island?
Not only the monsters appearing around it, but even the resources born and grown from its land.
To compare it, the Kingdom of Yusra was no different from an undervalued stock with nowhere to go but up.
To put it bluntly, even if they were worked without pay, there would be players lining up by the guild to build a friendly relationship with Hakuna……!
So.
“Then I shall make a proposal through my ‘Authority.’”
Now is the time to make use of the activated “Authority” function.
After all, everything in this world is give-and-take.
I continued.
“I hereby recommend the Lionheart Knights, Gaon, and the Berserker Guild, gathered here in this place, as those who will contribute to the reconstruction of the Yusra Kingdom.”
“……!!!”
“King Hakuna. What are your thoughts?”
Naturally, there was no chance Hakuna would refuse my proposal.
Everyone was aghast—I looked at them and calmly thought.
At least in this Yusra Kingdom.
My authority takes precedence over your right to refuse.
If you have a problem with it, try activating the authority function like I did…….*Now that the great evil was gone.
There was no longer any mortal-enemy relationship, nor any narrative between Granfell and demons.
Which meant I was feeling the backlash in full for having pushed myself so hard.
Damn it, this is several times harder……!
In the aftermath of mana exhaustion, my entire body trembled.
More than anything, my eyelids were growing heavy.
Click—however lightly I might ignore requests for interviews.
There was no way this gait would falter.
Pride was this exhausting.
I headed for the portal.
“Mr. Hoyeol, I truly don’t know how to repay this favor! I, and Gaon as well, will do our very best. We won’t disappoint you.”
Right up to the very end.
The reason Nam Taemin was so grateful was simple.
Working for the reconstruction of the kingdom.
As I had said, it was a golden opportunity to build relations and influence with the Yusra Kingdom. See that, Hakuna? I told you they’d line up even if it was unpaid volunteer work, didn’t I?
“Thank you. I’ll be sure to repay this debt later.”
Though she did fidget.
Leoni’s position was probably not much different.
Of course, in the case of the Lionheart Knights, it had been my unilateral decision.
“Sir Harkon. Did I do something unnecessary?”
“Not at all, Sir Hoyeol. Compared to staying in an unfamiliar city, this environment is far more familiar to us. If anything, I am only grateful for your consideration.”
Above all, Harkon and the Lionheart Knights were pleased, saying they could train the senses that had grown dull here.
Considering the level of the monsters that appeared, it would be sufficient training for them as well. ‘Let’s go back.’ The possibilities of the Yusra Kingdom floated through my mind.
Among them, what I could make use of was……
As I pondered, I stopped thinking. ‘Any deeper thought is impossible now.’ I want to lie down.
I seriously want to leave work on the dot.
I mean, I want to sleep.
I arrived at the Magic Tower through the portal.
After stopping by the laboratory.
I planned to entrust the appraisal through parchment and then go home.
Using research as my excuse, there were three items I would request appraisals for.
The level 400-restricted item purified through the exorcism ritual, [Vampire Count’s Orb].
The [Pure Emerald Crystal] obtained after defeating the Emerald Tiger.
And lastly, [Island’s Treasure, Koi-Scale Silk].
However, my on-time departure came to a halt in front of the laboratory door.
“Ah!”
A large conical hat was standing there, blocking the door.
Click—had it noticed the sound of my footsteps?
The conical hat flinched for a moment.
Then, beneath the hat.
Pupils with an exclamation mark rising in them sparkled.
“You’re here! I was waiting for you! Lord Hoyeol!”
Bow—the head lowered politely.
Hands neatly placed over the navel.
Needlessly well-mannered.
“I’m sorry, but I have a few questions about magic!” ……
To the point that I couldn’t bring myself to refuse.
“I trust they are questions you have deliberated on as much as the time you spent waiting.”
I opened the door.
“Come in. Jesse Heinness.”