◈ Episode 92. Not a Bad Ring to It
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[Name: Granfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo]
[Title: Last Adventurer]
[Class: Demon Hunter]
[Level: 324]
[Stats]
Strength: 53 / Agility: 60 / Magic Power: 271 / Luck: 6 / Aesthetic: Low
[Available Points: 0]
A [Title] category really had been created.
For a moment, my meager knowledge of Arcana flashed through my mind.
But no matter how far back I searched my memories.
‘Back then or now.’
I had never heard of or seen anything called a title.
It might exist in other games, but at least in Arcana, I was certain there was no such system as titles.
I recalled the message that had appeared.
My achievement had resounded across the Arcana Continent.
That achievement had been spoken of among the lives of the continent.
And thanks to that, I had acquired a title, or so it had said…….
‘This is on a completely different level from stats being unlocked.’
[Title].
Whether that had been a system that had existed in Arcana from the beginning,
or whether it was a system newly updated after the Cataclysm,
I had no way of knowing.
But I did recognize that it wasn’t something just anyone could obtain easily.
‘Even the acquisition conditions right now make no sense.’
It meant that one had to accomplish something on the level of a world-class quest to obtain a title.
Thinking that made me feel, once again, an emotion I couldn’t put into words.
……
Was this truly a fitting reward?
Was it really all right for me to receive something called a [Title]?
Process, my ass.
I had run forward looking only at the result.
Even if I had done my best, luck was still luck.
And yet, shamelessly enough.
“The Last Adventurer, is it.”
As ever.
Because I could not show that emotion on my face.
Besides, even if no one else could tell, I could feel it.
The angle of my neck and spine, standing more upright than ever.
The corners of my lips, raised so slightly that one would need to look through a microscope to notice.
Even the proud gaze I directed toward the World Tree.
“Not a bad ring to it.”
Yes, the fact that I had germinated the World Tree.
The fact that, thanks to that, I had made my existence known to the Arcana Continent.
This was the reaction of me, Granfell, who regarded it all as utterly natural.
Of course, I was slowly getting used to this brazen face of his.
What I had to do was simple.
Check the effect of the [Title] without changing expression.
Whatever the process had been,
I ought to make sure I properly collected the result, the reward, shouldn’t I?
[Last Adventurer: You do not die on the Arcana Continent. Upon death, you immediately return to reality and cannot access the Arcana Continent for a certain period of time.
- Cooldown: 24 hours]
But what the hell.
What was this effect?
Wait, if it says I don’t die, doesn’t that mean “immortality”?
Even at a glance, the effect was no ordinary thing.
No, leaving aside immortality, even the premise itself.
Deaaaath on the Arcana Continent?!!
No, but what use was it not dying on the Arcana Continent?
When I didn’t even know how to get to the Arcana Continent in the first place! If we knew that method,
then the Arcanians, including the mages of the Magic Tower, wouldn’t have been staying in reality.
‘……But why does this feel familiar?’
And yet, the bizarre effect of the title felt somehow familiar.
Hold on, to begin with, even the name.
It was the Last “Adventurer.”
Adventurer.
Since the days when Arcana was merely a game,
it was the word Arcanians used to refer to players.
Right, I was a player.
An adventurer.
‘If I were to access the Arcana Continent.’
Then I would indeed be the last adventurer.
Looking at it from that perspective, the effect began to make sense.
‘This is also……!’
Upon death, I cannot access the Arcana Continent for 24 hours.
If I changed the word “access” to “log in,”
then in the days when Arcana was merely a game,
it was exactly the same as the death penalty……!
I engraved the effect of the title in my mind again and again before opening my mouth.
“It is only a hypothesis, but the possibility is more than sufficient.”
System messages do not lie.
The fact that it gave me a [Title] like this?
There would certainly come a day when I would use this [Title].
What that meant was simple.
Accessing the Arcana Continent from reality, too,
was not some baseless fantasy.
‘Of course, I don’t know when that will be.’
One thing was certain.
“Tremble in fear until then, you inferior breed.”
The day I accessed the Arcana Continent
would be the day the demons trembled in terror.
Wasn’t I someone who struggled desperately every single day?
By then, I would be stronger than I was now.
And if I factored in the effect of [Last Adventurer] as well…….
‘Even if I die, I’ll come back to life after 24 hours and show up again.’
At the very least, to demons, I—
Granfell would become something beyond an object of fear.
Wouldn’t I become their nightmare?
Of course, since it felt like an event in the far, far future,
I sorted out my thoughts there.
I looked up at the World Tree.
The World Tree had, before I knew it, grown taller than any giant tree in the swamp.
Just as the message that had passed by had said,
this place was no longer the Predator’s Swamp, reeking with the stench of blood.
[You have entered the World Tree’s Secret Garden.]
“Hyungs. Y-you’re all seeing this, right? The monsters!!”
There was no fighting spirit to be felt from the monsters.
Yes, as lives of the Arcana Continent,
they, too, must have instinctively understood what it meant that the World Tree had grown anew. They had learned that the Arcana Continent had fallen into a crisis of extinction.
[You have cleared the World Tree’s Secret Garden Rift.]
Rumble—!
Soon, my vision shook.
The space of [『Anomaly』], where reality and the Arcana Continent had been mixed, would now return to their respective original worlds.
A phenomenon familiar to players. But the nymph seemed flustered.
“The scenery is once again……!”
Of course, there was no need to worry.
The nymph and I were in a contractual relationship.
We would be able to meet again in the next rift.
‘So until then.’
The light gradually grew more intense.
Within my blurring vision,
I said to the nymph,
“Can you witness the state of the Arcana Continent in my stead?”
The state of the Arcana Continent.
As I had considered before forming a contract with the nymph,
information about the Arcana Continent was important.
Moreover, now that I had confirmed the possibility of accessing the Arcana Continent through the title’s effect, it was even more so.
‘Of course, it won’t be easy.’
The Arcana Continent was a place where it was hard to find an intact region.
That was also the reason the nymph had remained here, in the Predator’s Swamp. Thanks to our contract, the nymph’s appearance and nature had changed under the influence of me, her contractor.
“I shall repay your trust, Lord Hoyeol.”
She must have gained pride.
So there would be no fear.
But I knew.
To bear that heavy pride,
the nymph’s wings were far too frail……!
Even if she looked outwardly like a high-ranking spirit or even a Spirit King,
the nymph was, in the end, a lower-ranking spirit.
Because of my pitiful magic power, it would be difficult to expect any increase in combat power.
However.
‘Even if I have barely any magic power.’
I did inherit a bit of a “legacy.”
The legacy of Akshan, the [Quirnberg Machine Tower].
Yes, even at this very moment,
the Machine Tower must be fulfilling its pride as Akshan’s decisive weapon.
That [Quirnberg Machine Tower] was the optimal space for the nymph—safe, while also allowing her to roam the continent and gather information.
Of course, the story behind it
was too long to explain with words in the time we had.
I sent telepathy to the nymph.
And added briefly,
“Be together with my arrangement.”
Like myself to the very end.
Shamelessly.
*
……
Flash!
As if by agreement, the players opened their eyes.
What entered their vision was Scandinavia’s coniferous forest.
“Wow, I really never imagined it would end like this.”
“What was that at the end? Didn’t the monsters kneel?”
“The World Tree. So many messages popped up so fast that I don’t even know what’s what……!”
“Wait, so where’s Lee Hoyeol?”
[Predator’s Swamp].
No, should it now be called the [World Tree’s Secret Garden]?
In any case, even in this rift,
Hoyeol had shown absurd actions beyond common sense.
It was only natural for the players’ gazes to search for Hoyeol.
“If we can get anything at all, it’ll be huge. You know that, right?”
“I know. I do.”
“Hurry. Make sure your mouth is ready. He has no choice but to come this way anyway.”
“Ugh, how is it still cold here?”
Around the portal.
The numerous reporters were the same.
Even if the subject of their coverage was the one and only Hoyeol, this was not an issue they could give up on easily.
Yes, even if they skipped sensitive questions that might offend Hoyeol,
“Should we just ask about the swordsmanship?”
“Yeah, even getting that much would be something.”
“Right? He’ll at least answer that much, won’t he? Lee Hoyeol, I mean.”
“Who knows. We’ll have to hope so.”
There was far too much material that could become a hot topic.
Of course, what mattered most was Hoyeol’s mood.
Tremble.
An anchor, lips quivering, spoke as if just in case.
“Come on, no matter what, Lee Hoyeol is human too. He achieved so much in this rift. He should be in a good mood, so he’ll at least answer a little question like this, right? Even briefly?”
If Hoyeol’s contributions had ended with the spirit contract,
they would not even have dared to ask questions.
But at the very end, hadn’t Hoyeol germinated the seed of the World Tree and successfully made it take root?
Putting aside before or after the Cataclysm, there had never been a player who had accomplished an achievement of this scale.
“To be honest, there’s something else I’m curious about……”
Hoyeol’s dignified and unhesitating actions.
It had been as though he had known everything.
Just how much had Hoyeol known when he entered the rift?
What reward had he obtained through this feat?
‘Let’s see the atmosphere first before moving on to sensitive questions like that.’
The anchor took a deep breath.
And soon, he came face-to-face with Hoyeol.
However, contrary to that resolve,
“……!”
No one, including the anchor,
could speak to Hoyeol.
Click—
Not until Hoyeol disappeared beyond the portal.
The reason was simple.
‘What the hell is the problem now!’
As though the word satisfaction did not exist in his dictionary,
his expression was utterly stiff and unreadable.
The atmosphere Hoyeol gave off was simply far too grave.
While everyone blankly stared at the portal through which Hoyeol had disappeared,
someone quietly opened their mouth.
“……Don’t tell me, even an achievement like this isn’t enough to satisfy him?”
That was right.
There was no other way to interpret his reaction.
Naturally, a question had to follow.
Just how far ahead was Hoyeol looking?...
My magic power was so pitiful it was almost resentful.
It was a relief that no one spoke to me or tried to stop me. Truly.
I had no energy to answer kindly.
If someone had stopped me, I was confident I would have simply collapsed face-first.
In that sense, I could only be impressed.
‘Even in this state, you’re still climbing the stairs in the end.’
Click—
I headed straight for my laboratory.
In order to recover from magic power exhaustion, I needed to replenish my magic power.
The method of replenishing magic power, too, had to be one that was terribly inefficient. Yes, once again, it was because of that damned formality……!
The most efficient way to replenish magic power?
Naturally, it was to ingest a magic regeneration potion made from elixir herbs.
How simple was that?
It was no different from drinking a beverage.
However, Granfell’s noble formality and dignity
would never allow the act of chugging a potion straight from the bottle.
In the end, as soon as I arrived at the laboratory, I prepared a teacup.
Clink—
I boiled water with the inefficient magic tool, [Simple Lamp],
waited inefficiently until the elixir herb tea bag steeped,
and inefficiently savored the tea while recovering my magic power.
“Placing a comma is as important as placing a period.”
Yes, yes, of course it is.
‘I’d rather die than suffer through this.’
Still, I strongly agreed with the words that a comma—a rest—was necessary.
From the moment I entered the [Predator’s Swamp],
I had not relaxed for even a single moment.
As I leisurely enjoyed teatime,
a sudden regret came to mind.
The blessing of Dryad, the Spirit King.
‘In the end, I didn’t even get to taste the experience and drop rate buffs.’
If weighing gains and losses,
the world quest was far more profitable.
But I was always in a position where I felt desperate for levels.
However, I had one big shot left.
After all, the moment I activated the [Quirnberg Machine Tower],
I clearly remembered the messages that had appeared.
[Experience is being accumulated in the decisive weapon, Quirnberg Machine Tower.]
[Fame is being accumulated in the decisive weapon, Quirnberg Machine Tower.]
[You have acquired the right to obtain the accumulated experience and fame.]
The title, Last Adventurer.
Now that I had become certain through it that I could access the Arcana Continent, the experience and fame of the Quirnberg Machine Tower were, to me, no different from savings I had set aside.
‘Of course, I don’t know when the maturity date is.’
In any case, if I could find it, it would be a reversal of fortunes.
No, a reversal of levels would be possible.
‘When that time comes.’
I would be able to properly pull up the Magic Tower by the roots, too.
I’d borrow a whole bunch of Magic Tower magic tools I couldn’t use because of level restrictions. I’d even freely cast magic I couldn’t dare manifest because of the magic power consumption!
It was just as I became filled with dreams of striking it rich.
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
I reflexively checked the parchment.
Clear letters had appeared upon it.
Indeed, I had an appointment.
‘This is perfect timing.’
After all, I had good news as well.
I opened my mouth leisurely.
“Come in, Marcelo.”
*
Step—
Marcelo’s steps as he descended the stairs were light.
Not because of his increasingly emaciated body, but because his heart had become slightly lighter.
The agenda had passed.
What that meant was simple.
Suddenly stopping on the stairs, Marcelo looked over the interior of the Magic Tower once.
‘Tower Master. The Magic Tower is finally moving after severing the loop of contradiction.’
Though its first step might be feeble,
everything began with that first step.
Marcelo shrugged.
‘I can finally bring you good news as well, Sir.’
Just what sort of reaction would Sir Hoyeol show?
Would he be at least a little surprised?
However.
Marcelo’s ambitious thoughts soon collapsed.
Clink—
The moment he drank the tea Hoyeol had served,
“?!”
Cough.
Marcelo barely swallowed the hot tea and asked back.
“Th-the World Tree, you say. And on top of that, you’ve become able to obtain information about the Arcana Continent as well. I cannot understand what you mean by that……! Could you please say it once more?!”
It was progress that even the Chief Mage of the Magic Tower struggled to keep up with.