Am I seeing things because I have an eye patch over one eye?
...No, it can't be.
System ssages are in my mind. Even if I can't see, I can still see the system ssage clearly. Still, I mutter in disbelief.
"Really?"
[You have entered the Arcana Continent].
The Arcana Continent, headed for destruction.
The despairing words that adorned the entry ssage are gone. But that's not why the mbers of the Heavenly Unity Guild are surprised. Since this is the first ti they've entered, they don't know what the ssage was before.
Then.
[It was a single man who saved the Arcana Continent from falling into despair. He brought new hope to the Arcana Continent].
The identity of the man who brought hope.
Have I guessed too much, and am I alard?
Not yet.
There was nothing in the ssage to suggest otherwise.
The reason for the alarm ca in the ssages that followed.
[The Arcana continent will sing its legend from now on. The cold winds blowing across the Arcana continent have ceased, and the frozen ground is lting and trembling with life. : Increases experience gained by 50 percent].
"T-that's ridiculous...!!"
That's right.
The reason why the mbers of the Heavenly Unity Guild freaked out as soon as they stepped onto the Arcana Continent was because of the ridiculous buff. A 50 percent increase in experience gain with no requirents, a buff that most players in the real world couldn't even imagine.
And that was just the beginning.
[The spirits of the universe rejoice in the reversal of entropy, and no one would bla them if their mischief greatly distorted the causality of the Arcana continent. : Item drop rate increased by 50 percent].
[The pure-blooded mage race, the Descendants of the Twilight, scatter violet magic across the Arcana Continent. The concentration of magic on the Arcana Continent increases. The dawn of the Archmage Era has begun.: Magic manifestation is increased by 30%].
[The mysteriously absent Master Weapon has returned. Every weapon on the Arcana continent worships him and looks forward to surpassing him. : Increase the mastery of all weapons by 30 percent).
[The missing Romantic Explorer, Lorenzik, has returned to the Arcana continent, his knowledge enriching the continent with his dramatic survival and hermitage.: Romantic explorer, Lorenzk, wanders the continent, spreading his knowledge].
....
Each one was a buff that could change the order of Arcana.
The ssages were competing for attention.
Players who were considered skilled in the Heavenly Unity were able to set foot on the Arcana continent. Their knowledge of the ga led them to conclude what this buff ssage ant.
All seven had the sa thought.
'This is an opportunity for a tamorphosis.'
With these ridiculous buffs, they embark on a mission on the Arcana continent. By the ti they return to reality.... they were confident that they had grown to a point where they would be completely different from what they were before.
So they couldn't help but be impressed.
"I'm honored that you would give this opportunity. Thank you!"
Of course, the feeling was short-lived.
One mont I'm admiring the buff, the next, my head is spinning.
In the ssage, it was clearly referred to as 'a man'.
'Who the hell is he?'
How could he bring a buff like this across the Arcana continent?
The question didn't last long.
Over and over again.
A legend is sothing that grows from mouth to mouth.
In that sense.
It was only natural that the legend of the man would spread across the Arcana continent.
Too many to print out as ssages.
The last ssage flashed.
[All of this was the arrangent of the Dark Dragon].
"...?!!"
Dark Dragon.
At the sound of that word, the guild mbers' complexions turned white.
The na is a world completely different from the Arcana Continent, and even in reality,
there is no rest. As soone said, it was a na that rang out hundreds of millions of tis a
day.
"Lee, Lee Hoyeol...?"
Yes, it was Lee Hoyeol's alias.
I read the ssage in shock.
A man, a Dark Dragon, Arrangent....
The knowledge of an experienced player concludes.
"All of this is due to the actions of Lee Hoyeol, alone...?"
When Arcana was just a ga.
Sotis buffs were triggered based on players' achievents.
But this is a different story.
At best, these are buffs that apply to a limited area, like a hunting ground or town, not the entire continent of Arcana. What's more, each and every one of them was a disruptive,
balance-altering effect.
The player's knowledge speaks.
"...What kind of achievent?"
Even with the knowledge of that knowledgeable person, it could not even be estimated. Even
in his confused mind, what he did not forget was his loyalty to the monarch. Loyalty warned.
"My lord, he can't be...."
Lee Hoyeol, he's different.
Different, but how many dinsions!
If all of this was due to Lee Hoyeol's influence, then the Arcana Continent was already in his grasp. The Arcana Continent, which seed like a paradise, was now in the middle of enemy
territory.
The mbers of the Heavenly Unity Guild made a decision.
"We must retreat for now, my lord."
But they too.
Like their lord, they had overlooked it.
The only thing Liu Zunqun shares with them is his vision.
"...Don't you hear?"
Liu Zunqun couldn't hear my voice.
Neither can he see the ssage in my mind.
And then.
"...How else am I supposed to get back?"
There is no way to log out of a connector.
*
Yusra Kingdom.
I move the chess pieces on the round table.
Across from sits the king, Hakuna.
To others, it might look like we're relaxing with a leisurely ga of chess, but to , it's an
injustice. Grandfell is not a great man who takes it easy.
This is an extension of his work.
Besides.
'What's with the chess pieces?'
I don't know how to play chess.
I know how to identify recesses and organs, but I don't know anything about chess.
I don't even know the nas or functions of the pieces.
'Is this what they call a pawn, or a king because a crown is a king?'
And yet, he moves the pieces with a bravado.
"There are three main forces left."
Being an extension of my job was not an adequate excuse. As commander-in-chief of the
Holy War Alliance, I was reviewing the strength of Yusra's King Hakuna and his allies and
enemies.
The powers of our allies had been burned into my brain without having to ntion them, thanks to my daily routine. Now I was about to recite the powers of our enemies, the demons.
Click.
A finger snapped, setting the chess piece down.
"High-ranking demon king."
A word referring to the top 10 demon kings.
4th place there.
Not counting Gamigin, who was dragged down to hell by and Akshan.
That leaves exactly nine.
Thud.
"Great Evil, the Seven Deadly Sins."
Thud.
"And the Primordial Evil."
Two chess pieces down, one after the other.
"Of the seven deadly sins, there are five left, I suppose."
"I see."
I nodded at Hakuna's words.
Greed that had possessed Hakuna had been severed from its roots and consigned to hell.
Envy could be hunted down at the expense of the Shadow rcenaries.
'If there are many, there will be many, if there are few, there will be few.'
But demons are growth monsters.
Nasty little things that grow stronger through negative emotions.
The scary thing is that you never know when or how a lowly demon imp will grow stronger.
The proof is in the class quest.
-Hunt demons. (repeat)
●Follow the blood trail to track down a half-breed demon. (Ongoing)
It's not a normal one, given that it's the objective of the grandiose class quest [Rebuild
Akshan], but the lack of information about half-breed demons shows how troubleso they
are.
'There.'
Demon isn't everything.
The source of their power in the first place is soone's negative emotions. They're just as
evil as devils, and they abound in the real world and on the Arcana continent.
Of course, it's a natural phenonon.
In the real world, it's more of a philosophical discussion about sex and evil.
At least in Arcana, there were clear-cut answers.
Why, good and evil.
Isn't that what the world capital was supposed to be about?
It's only natural that good and evil coexist.
It's an ocean that even the greatest Grandfell has recognized.
Which, of course, ant that it didn't matter, because evil would eventually submit to good.
Anyway.
'Let's not go that far, please.'
Aren't the remaining demons all big shots?
I'm too busy worrying about demons.
If there's any consolation, though, it's that I've gained so reliable allies, including
Hakuna.
Hakuna stares at the chess pieces.
... Is it because I made three moves in a row?
I wondered if you were taking chess seriously. Then Hakuna lifts his head, his pupils glowing
with determination.
"As I was once possessed by a demon, I do not have the confidence to face it boldly, but please
do not forget my presence, my benefactor. Whether it is here or on the Arcana Continent, I am
ready."
The Arcana Continent is in upheaval.
I have heard through Hiel that those who have poured forth from the Bad On are bringing
new life to the devastated continent of Arcana.
Naturally, there will be conflict.
Doesn't everyone know of the existence of Akshan?
Yes.
.
But Akshan is Akshan, and they are they.
'Well, Akshan is not a god.'
It's ridiculous to expect the conflict between them to be resolved in Akshan's na alone.
'I'm not saying that's bad.'
Like I said, it's natural.
But at the sa ti, I know.
The negative emotions that grow out of conflict are fuel for demons.
So you're going to have to coordinate behind the scenes.
As I'm saying that, another word cos to mind....
'In the end, the Dark Dragon is the right word, right?'
Claudi, the giant Dark Dragon who was orchestrating the Arcana continent from behind the
scenes!
It's the snout that's the problem.
Once you say sothing, it sohow becos a reality, right?
'It's not for nothing that we're told to watch our mouths, really.'
In that sense, I think you should be careful, Hakuna, even if you're King Yusra, because one of
the most dangerous things you can say at work is to ask soone to do sothing.
'I know, I've been screwed over by Wensu before.'
I told Hakuna sincerely.
"It's better not to say anything you can't handle, Hakuna."
Of course, that didn't sound like warm advice, because it was Grandfell style, but it's a good
thing Hakuna had already suffered through Grandfell style to the point of scabbing over his
ears.
Hakuna replied with a small smile.
.
"I'll keep that in mind, benefactor."
Hoyeol left, and Hakuna, alone, looked at the chessboard. There were three moving pieces, all
pawns. Hakuna recalled the nas of the three pawns.
"The High Ranking Demon King, the Great Evil, and the Primordial Evil."
Greed, the seven deadly sins.
Hakuna knew the evil better than anyone.
He could only imagine how great they were. "Nevertheless, it ans that it is just a soldier."
But Hoyeol had used all three of them as pawns.
One might say.
You're underestimating them.
No, it's just that one knows what he ans and the other two don't.
"Demons grow out of negative emotions...."
In the rules of chess, pawns are also promoted.
What the pawn ans is that even if the demon is only a lowly pawn, it can still grow and
change. It's a taphor for never letting your guard down.
At the sa ti.
"Still, a pawn cannot be king."
He wanted to realize the difference in power.
Hakuna pondered the chessboard in front of him.
If Hoyeol's words were even slightly overlooked.
He couldn't fathom its deep aning.
*
"...Huh!"
A heart that beats rapidly.
Unfamiliar scenery and sensations. The half-blood demon opened his eyes.
What the hell was going on...?
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