◈ Episode 148. Know the Subject

Hisagi’s snake-like eyes narrowed.

Not to mention the other two.

Ahhh.

Nam Tae-min dabbed his mouth with hot green tea.

“You can see the Arcana Continent… for us?”

[Telescope of the Evil Eye].

Right now it was still on cooldown, so we’d have to wait, but there was no reason we couldn’t see it.

It’s not a one-time use effect like the Map of All Things, and we needed to see the Arcana continent from multiple perspectives.

‘From the perspective of a player, not an Arkanian.’

Of course, I was a player at first.

I’ve been absent for well over a decade.

Even with the help of modern technology and the internet, there are limits.

But not the three of them, including Nam Tae-min.

They’ve been active since the days when Arcana was just a game.

No wonder they knew more about the continent than I did. If I could see it from their perspective, I might be able to learn something useful.

I pulled out my telescope.

At least I kept my eyes closed during the cooldown.

I could see the writhing veins, and it wasn’t pretty.

“It must be an item, but I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“……I’m sorry. You were so attentive. Ew.”

“What? Mr. Hisagi, your eyes look much scarier.”

Nam Tae-min snapped.

Hisagi covered his mouth, but I said generously.

“I understand.”

Yes, I have no choice but to understand.

It was a telescope that had received numerous rejections from the aesthetic point of view of the Grandfell.

In that case, Leonie’s kindness was extraordinary.

Even after seeing this, I see you holding your teacup tightly.

‘Is green tea good enough for Europeans?’

Well, it’s good for the Grandfell, so why not?

Anyway, we had to wait for the telescope to open its eyes again.

I said hello and asked a question.

“May I ask how you’ve been?”

“Oh, of course!”

“Did Ho Yeol-san get along better than we did?”

“I’ve been doing pretty well. ……So, Mr.Hisagi. Why don’t you keep your mouth shut, instead of interrupting us in the middle of a conversation? I ask you in a formal and polite manner”

A great alliance.

I don’t know whose idea it was, but it was a great decision.

It’s not just business interests, it’s national interests.

The three guilds had given up a lot to unite.

“You’ve all made remarkable progress.”

It wasn’t an empty statement, but the levels showed it.

Nam Tae-min and Hisagi had reached level 400.

Leonie, who had been lagging behind, was level 399.

They must have been hunting in the Rift nonstop, judging by the steady increase in levels.

Nam Tae-min made a cool face.

“This is the second time I’ve been praised by Mr. Ho-yeol.”

From my point of view, I couldn’t help but praise them.

It was a situation where the allies, who were already reliable, had joined forces with each other to become even more powerful.

However, Hisagi’s nuances in his speech were unnerving…….

“I’m sorry, but at first I doubted Mr. Ho-Yeol’s decision.”

……Wait, a decision?

What decision?

Did I make a decision about something?

I was embarrassed, but as usual, I didn’t say anything.

I realized one thing about being haunted by black history.

Keeping your mouth shut is half the battle.

‘……First of all, keep your mouth shut.’

After listening to the story for a while, I understood.

It’s like, ……, I’m the one who created this ‘great alliance’, right?!

This is a fucking dog’s breakfast!

Even if it’s a dream, it’s worse than a dream, right?

I have shown this through actions rather than words.

It’s just that.

‘It was just because I didn’t want to shake my head.’

[Predator Swamp].

No, I think it started in the Secret Garden of the World Tree.

Now that I think about it, I might have caused it.

Dalcak.

I leisurely sipped from my teacup, ignoring my troubled mind.

Soon, I opened my mouth.

“My sudden decision has caused you much trouble.”

……Seriously, it’s me!

Not once or twice, but shockingly shameless.

Yes, even if I try to just think that I’m glad the results were good and move on.

The feeling of self-destruction doesn’t go away because I’m proud of my shoulders without even realizing it.

“Ah. No, Mr. Ho-yeol. Sorry for the trouble.”

“I apologize. I’m only now realizing what you meant.”

“I didn’t fight. They fought all the time.”

I can’t believe how well they filtered my ramblings.

I couldn’t be more grateful to the three of them.

So I guess I can’t put off the decision much longer.

Tsk-tsk.

End of cooldown.

The telescope opened its eyes once more. It was even worse from an aesthetic standpoint, but Hisagi didn’t shut up.

He must have realized this was an important moment.

“The name of the item is the Telescope of Evil Eye. Its effect is to allow you to share your vision with the Evil Eye in the skies above Arcana. Through it, you can get a glimpse of the continent of Arcana.”

“……Evil Eye?”

It’s understandable that you don’t immediately understand.

But then again, they’re not stupid.

I immediately activated Evil Eye’s telescope effect.

A flash.

The image of the Arcana Continent immediately appeared in front of me.

A landscape that floated in the air like an illusion.

The three of them exclaimed in admiration.

“…… Wow, what effect does this item have?”

“I see, it’s not an Epic grade item for nothing.”

“Wow, crazy……? Oh, no, it’s not that, it’s epic.”

Maybe it’s nighttime.

I don’t think I need to explain.

Needless to say, my admiration didn’t last long.

I was about to witness the destruction of the Arcana continent.

“Are you telling me that everything in the sky is Evil Eye?”

“……Wait, there’s not a single place that’s untouched.”

“I guessed it, but I didn’t realize it was this bad.”

The effect lasted only 10 minutes.

Ten minutes went by quickly.

Tsk-tsk.

Silence fell as the telescope’s eyelids closed.

It’s the same reaction I had at the roundtable.

We both realized the gravity of the situation.

I wonder if the only difference is the position.

‘Because it’s not my hometown or anything.’

The players and the Arcanaians had different views.

Even if the Arcana continent were to be destroyed, and then the real world, the threat would not be immediate, so it’s no wonder they feel pressured to join the Holy War.

‘Thank you, but we need to make sure we’re clear.’

Because they’re grateful.

They need to be more certain.

After a moment of silence, Nam Tae-min spoke up.

Yes, any answer is fine.

I’d understand if he backed out now.

‘I’m human, so it’s a little lonely, but…….’

But the answer was a nod of greeting.

“Mr. Ho Yeol, thank you for letting us know the truth.”

A gesture of gratitude that I never expected.

.

.

.

It wasn’t just Nam Tae-min.

Hisagi, Leonie, and the three had been there before.

They had already risked their lives.

Emergency update.

The [Broken Dimensional Rift] rifts were created simultaneously.

Wasn’t the estimated level of the rift somewhere around level 900? It was level 300, which meant that even when they were less powerful than they were now, they were willing to die.

Of course, it wasn’t really a life or death situation.

The portal had disappeared from the tower, thanks to someone.

But the experience taught the three of them a lesson.

The trio realized that they needed to have the ability to help.

If you don’t have the ability, you’re just an obstacle.

So, I couldn’t help but feel new emotions.

“Mr. Ho-yeol, thank you for letting us know the truth.”

Nam Tae-min raised the corner of his mouth.

It felt like he was finally being recognized.

Recognition that they deserved to move forward together.

However, everything must be done clearly.

[Quest: The Unfinished Holy War]]

From Arcana Continent to Reality.

The holy war against the demons is far from over.

There are no rewards and no loot at the end of this war.

All that remains is pride.

Prove yourself worthy.

Prove your worth in your region. (Ongoing)

Like a quest objective.

I’ll have to prove my worth.

Hisagi broke off the rhyme with a strong voice.

“I will definitely prove my worth.”

Nod.

Leonie nodded vigorously.

The moment she was actually served tea.

It was safe to say she’d served her purpose.

Leonie knew it.

‘Because I’ll be on my own again, just like before.’

Their reasons were slightly different, but the conclusion was the same.

Whatever the test, they would prove their worth.

Soon, Ho Yeol spoke up.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“……?”

“I’ve seen enough of your pride.”

At the same time, their quest windows flashed.

Prove your worth in the region. (Success)

……Success?

What did they do to deserve success?

To the puzzled trio, Ho Yeol said nonchalantly.

“With my ‘authority’, I’ll skip the proof process.”

Let’s grab them before they change their minds.

The power of the Great Alliance was too precious.

There was no way that such passionate feelings could be revealed on one’s face.

“I actually feel more successful than when I was ranked.”

It was only natural that smiles appeared on the faces of the trio.

*

Elder, Yugweed.

Chief, Marcelo.

And all twenty senior mages.

The heads of the Tower met in the Crystal Hall.

It was not an extension of the Round Table.

Nor were there any secrets that had to be kept from the adept and apprentice mages.

It was simply an exchange of ideas.

There was no obligation to attend.

Nevertheless, the presence of the entirety of the High Council.

It meant that even the most self-respecting mages in the tower were frustrated enough that they couldn’t come up with an answer without hearing what others thought.

“What do you think?”

The first to speak was Yugweed, the eldest of the elders.

She looked around at the assembled group.

Still, there was no answer.

“There’s only one person missing, and it’s quiet.”

Chief Lee Ho-Yeol, whose mere presence could be said to be the greatest of all the mages of the Magic Tower? Yugweed shrugged and looked at Marcelo.

“Do you see any chance of winning this war, Chief Marcelo?”

Marcelo immediately shook his head.

“Slim.”

The odds were stacked against them.

“Our enemies have stretched their forces not only across the continent of Arcana, but here, in the Adventurer’s World, and we have barely begun to explore the strange space of the Rift.”

Marcelo, talking about his own research.

He hadn’t come up with much.

Even that would not have been possible without Chief Lee.

Bensch, who had been silent, raised his hand.

“But didn’t Chief Lee Hoyeol travel to the Arcana Continent? Of course, he said it was because of the Demon King’s Loot effect…….. Still, if we study those magical tools, wouldn’t we be able to find some clues?”

Researching the tool?

Her gaze naturally turned to Kiko Armin, a senior magical enchantment specialist.

Kiko shook her head.

“Otherwise, Senior Lee Ho-yeol had requested it, but with our current level of magic enchantment, it’s impossible to extract effects from magic tools of that caliber…….”

Kiko bit her lower lip.

‘No way, I didn’t think the effect would be a one-time thing.’

You didn’t say that, so I hadn’t even guessed.

If only you’d given me a hint.

If you’d just given me a little more time…….

I would have stayed up all night trying to figure it out.

-“I apologize for stealing your golden time. Senior Kiko.”

Senior Lee had only one word to say.

He walked out of Garnet Hall without a second thought.

When Bensch had finished speaking, Marcelo spoke up.

“The quest to bring an unfavorable condition to an equal one has been a joint research project of mine and Chief Lee’s. However, at this point, we’re not even sure when we’ll be able to establish a theory.”

The long and short of it was simple.

“In the end, we have no choice but to continue fighting an unreasonable war.”

There was no way to get to the Arcana Continent.

Even if they won a major battle, it would be impossible to counterattack and take the initiative.

But Marcelo knew.

In fact, all of the mages in the Tower now knew.

“However, there are still those on the continent of Arcana who fight against the demons. Perhaps our victory will have a positive effect on them as well.”

So what they needed to do was simple and straightforward.

Mmm.

Yugweed smiled benevolently.

“Simply, we cut through the sprawling beast to perfection?”

Nods.

The eyes of the twenty senior mages lit up.

The unity of Arcana’s most powerful force.

Marcelo closed his eyes for a moment.

‘……Is it just a coincidence?’

Chief Lee, of all the millions of demons he’d hunted.

What were the odds that the demons associated with the Simuard family’s ‘Curse of the Terminal Illness’ were included by chance? Surely, you said, millions of demons are nothing more than the blood of a bird’s foot.

Marcelo shook his head.

He thought about it endlessly, but it only made his head spin.

Only.

I can’t let this opportunity pass by.

It’s okay if the curse of the terminal illness is not completely gone.

My current physical condition is the best.

If it weren’t for Chief Lee Ho-yeol.

I would have been dead by now.

Marcelo cursed at the demon.

‘You built the fountain without knowing it.’

Marcelo remembered the purpose of the Tower.

The pursuit of truth.

Karimzeva, the demon worshipper.

Considering that he longed for the true truth until the moment of his death, it may be that the Magic Tower has been a corrupt group since its founding. But didn’t Chief Lee Ho-yeol say that?

-“If it’s wrong, correct it.”

He was right.

It’s not too late.

Marcelo finally opened his eyes.

“Now is the time to establish the ‘real truth’.”

.

.

. . .

I gasped.

Out of the corner of my eye, my vision flashed.

It was a quest window.

Everything was fine.

……No, it’s not an upgrade to class quest training, is it?

I checked the quest window in disbelief.

[Quest: Reconstruction of the Magic Tower].

I had forgotten about this quest for a while.

I wonder why.

The last quest objective was glowing.

Find the real truth (in progress)

I see.

Is it because the Magic Tower has begun to move in earnest?

Progress has been made on the quest.

I don’t know what the real truth is.

That’s good news for me.

‘It’s the Magic Tower.’

As long as I can fulfill the quest objective, I’m satisfied.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m going to go back to sucking my fingers.

I’ve got some real-world stuff to deal with.

I scanned the headlines on the internet.

[Government official says, “We regret the assertive behavior of player Lee Ho-yeol……. and believe that prior consultation with the South Korean government is necessary.”]

[Excessive Concentration of Power? Voices of Concern Grow…….]

[AAU official, “A holy war? There is no way to know if it is really going on.”]

And then, like me, I expressed my feelings.

“The brighter the light, the deeper the shadows, but the shadows have their place. I have no intention of interfering, as long as you honor the order.”

No, he warned.

“A shadow that advances must be made aware of its predicament.”