◈ Episode 147. Protecting Pride (3)

[The Desire of Pure Knowledge].

[The Map of All Things.]

And finally, the [Telescope of the Evil Eye.]

As far as Demon Loot goes, its effects don’t seem to be tied to reality, the Arcana Continent, or any one place. I guess the Epic rank isn’t Epic for nothing.

‘Of course, the conditions are as strict as the effect is cheating.’

The telescope, while not as single-use as [The Map of All Things.], also had conditions attached to it.

It had a cooldown, or cooldown time.

There was no need to explain.

Crystal Hall.

The eyes that reflected the continent of Arcana in the void closed.

The effect lasts for just over ten minutes and has a cooldown of six hours…….

Somehow, it didn’t seem right.

“Still, where is this?’

I’ve seen the continent with these eyes.

It’s not like I could use Hiel as an informant forever.

After all, what if Hiel was as strong as a spirit king?

Because I knew that even though I looked like someone and was struggling, I was completely fine.

I retrieved the telescope and spoke.

“This is what the Arcana continent looks like now.”

Indeed, the demons were right when they said that even the millions were only a portion.

Everywhere I looked, demons, demons, demons.

It would have been an unfortunate death to die with them, but this?

If there’s one thing that seems as common as those demons.

The trampled cities and people of Arcana.

“…….”

There was silence.

It was understandable.

They had guessed, but they were shocked.

The chatter grew louder in the silence.

“……That’s ridiculous.”

“Is there even a city that’s still standing?”

“I swear I saw it, even from the direction of the Imperial Capital, there was smoke……!”

The moment you enter the Magic Tower.

The ties to the world are severed.

You don’t have to go far to realize that, just look at Marcelo.

Mages in the Tower are not allowed to get involved in matters outside of the Tower.

Even if it involves their own family.

But.

“……Damn.”

Vanguard, the senior mage, gritted his teeth.

He couldn’t help but worry, naturally.

Furthermore, Vanguard was a commoner, a scion of a ordinary family.

It’s natural for him to be more anxious than others.

But I knew.

“That miserable sight is the Arcana continent that has begun a counterattack.”

“……!!!”

And so it was.

Even now, I can’t see any hope or despair.

Even now, there were Arcanians fighting back against that demon. There was Akshan’s legacy, the Quernberg machine tower. There were dwarven airships.

“The reason I have shown you the continent so sparingly is simple.”

It wasn’t simply because it was hard to explain in words.

“The Arcana is proud, to the last man, to the very end.”

As we’ve said all along, the system doesn’t lie.

Even after the Cataclysm, when Arcana was just a game.

The Magic Tower, Arcana’s most powerful military organization, has not been moved by any of these events.

But I know. If I didn’t know, I know from experience.

The system may be the same, but the NPCs are not the NPCs of the past. That they were no longer NPCs bound by the system, but Arcanians.

So I was confident.

Enabling authority features in the Magic Tower?

No, don’t even get me started on that.

I think Arcanians will be proud to be Arcanians.

Bam!

At that moment, I sensed someone’s pretense of pride.

It was Yugweed Lufeng, the only elder mage in the tower.

She stood up from her seat.

*

[Quest: The Unfinished Holy War].

From Arcana Continent to Reality.

The holy war against demons is far from over.

There are no rewards or spoils at the end of this war.

All that remains is pride.

Prove yourself worthy.

Prove your worth in your region. (Ongoing)

Yusra Kingdom, Frost, Holy Land Muon.

There was a lot of discussion among the players.

The reasoning was simple.

“So, are we in or not?”

It’s a holy war with a big name.

As if that weren’t enough, there’s a specific enemy in the quest description: demons.

Now that demonic monsters are less common.

Ironically, players were once again feeling the danger of demonic monsters.

“You know how they’re more dangerous when you can’t see them?”

“Of course I know what you mean.”

“I really didn’t want to see them again.”

A quest means they’ll show up again, no matter when.

They were people before players.

He couldn’t help but think.

“I wish I was back in the days of the old Arcana continent.”

This wasn’t a game, this was real life, wasn’t it?

Rewards and loot aside, it was not an easy decision to make.

He honestly wanted to avoid it if he could.

“But, you can’t avoid it, can you? It’s a predestined reality, demons falling through a rift into reality……. And we players are the only ones who can enter that rift.”

“No, we’re not the only players…….”

“What will be solved if we put it off to each other like that? Will it only cause the rift collapse and the release of demons and demon kings into the real world!”

“No, why are you taking it out on me?”

“Because I’m frustrated! I’m frustrated!”

No matter what he decided, he was not at ease.

“They’re the ones who took down Frost, the Iron Wall of the North. It’s hard enough for the players to unite, but if they’re already divided like this…….”

“We were barely able to stop a demonic invasion that even Arcana couldn’t stop?”

“It’s not like Frost is the same old Frost…….”

But there seemed to be no need to argue.

There were those who moved.

The Great Alliance.

“……Are they crazy?!”

Gaon, Inazuma, Berserker.

In a way, I could understand.

Those three guilds had been around since the very beginning of the Yusra Kingdom and had a exercised considerable amount of influence.

Still, it was surprising.

“You have too much to lose, right?”

The more you have, the more you have to lose.

If there was anything to gain, like in the Kingdom of Yusra, it was clearly stated that there would be no rewards or loot for this quest.

“After all, I’ve been given something, so maybe I should return the favor?”

King Hakuna, Yusra Kingdom.

Lee Ho-yeol, a player with equal [authority].

He must have made this move to repay his debt to Ho-yeol.

The players speculated.

-“To protect the pride in my heart.”

Tuk-tuk.

Until Nam Tae-min tapped his chest.

“……pride? What’s that sound like, a dog eating grass?”

But the Great Alliance was just the beginning.

Another move caught Frost’s eye.

“I thought it would be stimulating, if for no other reason.”

The Shining, a super-giant guild along with Heavenly Unification.

They, too, had decided to join the Holy War.

No, they weren’t the only ones.

Muon, the Holy Land of the Goddess Church.

The Bohemians, the most powerful guild in the European Union.

The Guild Master, Guyver, smirked at the camera.

“Well, I’m still tingling from the arrow wound in my back, but it doesn’t make sense for the Holy War to be without a paladin, and besides, we’re supposed to be paying off our debts to those demons, right?”

The entry of the Great Alliance changed the tide.

Not just the guilds, but the players themselves.

The Yusra Kingdom, Frost, and Muon.

They started heading to their respective regions.

Crowds flocked to the Magic Tower, where they could see all the players’ movements.

“The portal is currently overflowing with players!”

To fulfill the quest objective.

Players enter the portal.

The scene spread across the globe over the broadcast.

It was definitely an unfamiliar picture to the watchers.

“Well, well. I’ve never seen players do that before.”

What is a player to the general public?

The days of players being hailed as heroes are long gone. In the first place, players often acted in their own self-interest rather than as heroes.

But this time it was different.

“Risking your life for nothing? Really?”

“What do you all want?”

“I don’t know what pride is, but……. Doesn’t it seem a little romantic?”

Most of all, there was Lee Ho-yeol.

“Imagine if Liu Zunqun was involved in the quest.”

Why don’t quests have rewards and loot?

Wasn’t it just pride and ego, a ploy to steal the rewards and loot for themselves? Suspicion was inevitable, and it didn’t have to be Liu Zunqun.

Except for one person, Lee Ho-Yeol.

He wasn’t after wealth and fame.

For all these years, he’d been a man of deeds.

The Yusra Kingdom.

Even in the face of the temptation of a golden palace.

-“Isn’t it foolish, the moment you close your eyes, all you can take with you is the pride in your heart.”

Standing tall in Frost, where no other guild dared to enter.

Routine updates, emergency updates.

Any rift that posed a threat to humanity was a rift that they had silently cleared.

So there were no doubts.

Even if there were concerns.

“……Yes, everything is fine, I understand.”

“Mr. Ha, what else is troubling you?”

“So, do I have a chance in this holy war?”

It was an objective concern.

“Lee Ho Yeol, Yusra Kingdom, Frost, Holy Land Muon. And even if players like us all participate in the Holy War. We’re up against demons who have wiped out the entire continent of Arcana!”

But those concerns proved to be unfounded.

The lobby of the Magic Tower.

Players lingering at the portal also received a message.

[Quest: The Unfinished Holy War].

The quest popped up.

“……!!!”

What it meant was simple.

The most powerful military force in Arcana.

And not just once.

They hadn’t made any official moves.

It meant they were joining the holy war.

“……Wait, doesn’t that change everything?!”

Possibilities, odds, and hope were beginning to show.

*

The elder mage, Yugweed Lufeng, spoke up.

“We learned a hard lesson not long ago.”

She smiled.

“We can’t afford to lose what we hold dear once again because we’re too disciplined, can we?”

It was a kindly smile, but to demons, nothing could be more eerie. Yugweed’s words meant that the most powerful military force in Arcana, the Magic Tower, would be joining the holy war……!

I’ll be honest with you.

‘Now that’s a relief,’

It was.

The mages of the Magic Tower were at least a force to be reckoned with.

Even including the Arcana Continent, you won’t be able to find an ally better than the Magic Tower.

Of course, there are dragons who were the winners of the Dragon Demon Wars… … .

‘I want nothing to do with them.’

I don’t want to be tied to an endgame that I don’t know if it’s friend or foe.

My level was still very low.

Roundtable ends.

At the same time, the quest [Quest: The Unfinished Holy War] appeared in my vision. Not just for me, but for the other players in the Magic Tower as well.

‘Everyone will know.’

That you’ve dipped your toe into the holy war.

I wonder if there aren’t a lot of players who decide to join the battle based on that.

In that case, I headed straight to the Yusra Kingdom.

Before the Magic Tower joined.

So I’m grateful that there were some people who decided to join the quest even though it didn’t look like they had a chance in hell of winning.

[BREAKING: Great Alliance Decides to Enter War to “Protect Pride.”]

When I first saw the breaking news.

…… I was like, “What is this?

I wondered if it was because I had invested points in [Luck], and I seriously considered the absurdity of it. But what does it matter?

‘reliable’

Gaon, Inazuma, and Berserker unite!

I don’t know what brought the former enemies Gaon and Inazuma together, but I don’t think I need to know.

I’m just grateful that they joined the Holy War before anyone else.

“Truly, they know pride.”

Most of all, to keep their pride.

It’s no wonder Grandfell’s more pleased than me.

In other words, a grateful welcome was in order.

With integrity, of course.

Not much of a welcome by my standards.

The symbols of the Golden Palace.

The Golden Round Table.

Soon, the door swung open to reveal welcoming faces.

“Ho, Ho Yeol-san, are you here?!”

“It’s been a while, Mr. Hoyeol. I didn’t know you were here.”

“…….”

The three people’s eyes widened.

What a surprise.

I opened my mouth, calm as always.

“Before we talk, would you like some tea?”

It’s just a 300 won green tea.

“……Yes, please! No, no, please?! Finally!”

Leonie’s enthusiastic response made me think.

‘I see, tea bag green tea has a class.’

It’s not for nothing that the green tea received a five-star satisfaction rating.

.

.

.

Thud!

There was no one to speak first.

The three people holding the teacups snorted in surprise.

……What did we just hear?

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Note: [The Pentagram of Pure Knowledge] -> [The Desire of Pure Knowledge]