◈ Episode 328. Disaster Level: Claudi (1)

It was only after the Cataclysm that Long Shenglac rose to prominence in the Heavenly Unity.

Whether it was due to Liu Zunqun’s brainwashing or not, he knew that he was more fierce than anyone else. Even being abandoned on the Arcana Continent did not discourage Long Shenglac.

“…… What is this?”

But in his pupils, which shone with conviction, there was despair. Yes. Long Shenglac, the system message he trusted as much as himself had sentenced him.

‘No, no, no.’

Lee Hoyeol, he is not a being to be trifled with.

[Grandfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo appears].

I don’t see the long full name.

All I see is Claudi.

That one word.

That word confirms that the man in front of me is Lee Hoyeol.

A question is asked to Long Shenglac.

“Is he the adventurer who claims to be Claudi?”

Letel’s question makes Long Shenglac nervous.

‘You still don’t understand the situation……?’

When Arcana was just a game.

Long Shenglac had experienced war quests like this many times before. Of course, due to his relatively low level, he hadn’t played a significant role, but he knew one thing for sure.

He may not know how to hunt, but he doesn’t fight wars alone.

The same goes for boss raids that aren’t just hunts.

Even if you’re successful in a solo raid.

After all, monsters have a certain pattern.

If you can break the pattern, you can take down the boss.

But war is different.

There’s no set pattern on the battlefield, where players fight each other in a tangle. If there was a player who stood out, it was not uncommon for them to be overpowered by organized tactics.

‘I specialize in that role.’

Class, Blocker.

Long Shenglac looked at the chains wrapped around his forearms. The chains were used to inflict debuffs on enemies, linking them to themselves and restricting their movements.

No matter how much Lee Hoyeol is.

You can’t even worry about your own class on the battlefield.

I’ll just keep an eye out for contribution points and put a chain on Lee Hoyeol, Long Shenglac thought, repeating the half-serious joke in his head.

But an appearance message?

In hindsight, he realized it was a crazy idea.

The voice came again.

“Are you there, adventurer?”

It’s asking for names in this situation.

Is there really no sense of crisis?

Long Shenglac gritted his teeth and opened his mouth.

“Yes, I can hear you. It’s definitely Adventurer Lee Hoyeol.”

But even that wasn’t enough.

“I was wondering who else could have claimed to be Claudi, especially Grandfell. He must have done a pretty good job of imitating him. His shining silver hair and radiating halo are more than my imagination.”

How dare she evaluate Lee Hoyeol?

‘……is not the time for this.’

Long Shenglac concluded.

The power difference was such that a message appeared on the battlefield.

The knowledge of a knowledgeable player was telling.

The Four Families didn’t stand a chance, let alone the Acamond.

The head that had kept Long Shenglac alive so far had an answer.

‘We must split now.’

I can either look the other way or flee.

Or, if that’s not possible, I’ll bow my head to Lee Hoyeol and beg.

The choice was extreme.

But Long Shenglac had overlooked it.

“Get everyone ready.”

Swear allegiance to Acamond. (Success)

“?!”

Didn’t he say it himself?

The system message was absolute.

He have already kissed the back of Letel’s hand.

That with that act, he pledged his loyalty.

cheolleong─

Long Shenglac hesitantly undid the knot in his chain.

‘Damn it!’

If he could, he would have flashed the message of his appearance in front of Letel’s face.

But it’s not possible.

In the end, the prelude to war had been set, regardless of his will.

East, west, north, south.

The heads of the four families announced the opening battle.

“Advance.”

“Tear apart the ghosts of the past.”

“Trample. The empire is ours.”

But they all overlooked something.

That they were not in a position to “give” orders.

The voices of the Four Families, the Patriarchs, seeped into the void.

“I, Ignite □□□……?!”

“In the name of □□□……!!!”

“Warriors of □□……?”

“□□□□. □□□□? □□□□……!!”

Letel cackles as she grabs her throat.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get the words out.

She couldn’t get the name of her family, her own last name, out of her mouth.

“My lord, are you all right?”

“I don’t feel any magic reaction, sir.”

“What the hell is this?”

The vassals and soldiers shouted.

“……Don’t be agitated.”

Until then, Letel hadn’t realized it.

It was a strange trick for someone impersonating Claudi, she thought.

This was why she didn’t trust the adventurers.

“Never mind me, let them march on.”

But she was wrong, too.

The servants betrayed the expectations.

It’s been a long time since their master withdrew his mercy.

In the center of the battlefield.

Toward the line of honor, standing tall on two legs.

Soldiers from all sides rushed forward.

Dugudududududududu-!

“!!!”

At the same time, the ground vibrated.

Was the momentum of the troops enough to shake the earth?

No, it’s not like that.

dudeudeugkwadeudeugdudeudeug─!

“……That’s it, the ground is moving!!!”

The ground shakes.

It collapses.

Or it rises up, and it’s so violent that it’s not even weird.

“What are you doing……!”

The eyes of the marching soldiers naturally turn to their only enemy.

But the man didn’t even flinch.

It’s as if he’s seen it all coming.

He just stands there in an arrogant posture.

His expression hasn’t changed at all.

This calmness caused the advancing soldiers to become agitated.

‘……This must be some sort of trick.’

“Magic? No way. We didn’t detect any exploration or interference.’

‘It’s impossible to manifest magic with arms crossed in the first place!’

The player, Long Shenglac, was stunned.

“Are, are you kidding me?’

A boss-level monster transformed the field.

Is Lee Hoyeol also controlling the battlefield?

A mere player can do such a thing?

I’m just going to die like this?

‘No, it can’t be.’

Long Shenglac gritted his teeth.

Then he shouted.

Not to Lee Hoyeol, but to Letel, or more precisely, to the Four Families.

“Please go ahead and open the way, Patriarchs of the Four Families! We can do nothing without your help, we are nothing more than meat shields, so please.”

Prove the reason for your cocky attitude.

If you truly want to be a warlord.

Don’t stand on the sidelines while your allies die.

“Lee Hoyeol……. No, Grandfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo. Prove to me that just as he stood alone to defend his empire, so too will you prove to be unbreakable!!!”

Sullenly.

There’s something odd about Long Shenglac’s shout.

That is to say.

The soldiers were sympathetic to Long Shenglac’s shout.

‘You think I’m going to die alone?’

Up close, Letel’s gaze.

In the distance, the gazes of the other three patriarchs.

But Long Shenglac had no intention of backing down.

If he was going to die, shouldn’t he at least make a last stand?

His desperation was palpable.

Long Shenglac’s struggle was answered.

A voice echoed in the silence.

It was a voice he had heard countless times in real life.

It was Lee Hoyeol’s voice.

“Courageous one.”

“……?”

Their gazes met.

“I remembered your face.”

“……!”

A brief conversation.

It was clearly not a warning, judging by the generous tone. For some reason, it sent chills down Long Shenglac’s spine, even more so than when he’d witnessed the appearance message…….

*

The Four Families.

Under Claudi’s discipline, stripped of their names and blessings.

Even though I couldn’t even say the name, I was shaking.

There seems to be no leakage in his power.

‘Wow.’

His pride is unbreakable.

As the Master of the Four Families, I will take responsibility for the situation.

I stand alone in front of the Four Families to fulfill my words.

‘You’re not kidding!’

Even if [Natural Enemy] is triggered, I’m not confident of victory.

It’s not for nothing that they say there’s no business in quantity.

‘But there’s a part of me that believes.’

I looked at the shifting ground.

Some people are probably wondering if I’m going to use my architectural magic again. Honestly, I’ve been eating it raw for so long, I don’t have anything to say about it…….

‘At least not this time.’

It is.

In this moment, I am not the one shaking the earth.

The symbols of the four families that guarded Claudi’s territory.

Statues in the shape of the first generation.

Why are they buried underground, you ask?

-I have no answer for you, my lord.

It was because they did not trust the family to change.

They asked politely if they could see the ugly descendants for themselves. I graciously accepted, and immediately manifested a portal.

The target coordinates of the portal were right under my feet.

I built the Plains of Antonium.

I figured if I left it standing, the aggro would be a joke.

And now it was.

Boom!

The statues that must have seen everything.

Their emotions were being transmitted underfoot.

Then, a determined voice spoke.

-Please allow us the opportunity to put an end to our family’s history. Give us the chance to preserve the last shred of pride in this humble family that Claudi has given us.

[You have gained command of Maxima’s avatar].

[You have been granted command of Yugrik’s avatar].

[You have earned command of Kansul’s incarnation].

[You have earned command of Acamond’s avatar].

[Current Status: Awaiting Command]

Write.

I shut my mouth for now.

Then I whispered to myself.

‘If you stay still, you’re halfway there, Hoyeol.’

The best thing is to blow your nose untouched, isn’t it?

After all, the statues, the avatars, didn’t do anything wrong, and it’s not fair to deny their descendants the favor of their ancestors with a sit-in, is it?

I’m a cancer, but I need insurance, and I need allies.

It was at this moment that I considered the possibility of being eaten raw.

Among the advancing soldiers.

A man with an unfamiliar appearance called out.

“Please go ahead and open the way, Patriarchs!”

Well, that’s all he could say.

“Lee Hoyeol……. No, Grandfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo. Prove to me that just as he stood alone to defend his empire, so too will you prove to be unbreakable!!!”

But what, what?

Grandfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo?!

Who are you again?

Not only do you know my name, but you know my embarrassing full name!

Fortunately, my doubts didn’t last long.

The man didn’t seem strange.

I immediately realized he was a player.

If I didn’t recognize him, he must be a member of Heavenly Unity.

They’re the only ones with connector besides me.

Of course, that’s not the point.

‘It’s all about world peace…….’

How the hell do you know Grandfell’s full name?!

My first instinct was to slap him across the face and wipe his memory with magic, but I don’t think Grandfell’s pride would allow such behavior.

Besides.

‘What’s wrong with him?’

Was he answering an internal cry?

The heads of the four families had stepped forward. Coming toward me, to be precise. Fearlessly, confidently, unaware of who was waiting at my feet.

‘……Well, at least I saved myself the trouble.’

If the patriarch hadn’t stepped in, I would have wasted magic, time, and everything else in a battle with the soldiers. It’s a grateful and frustrating situation.

However, I cannot hold my tongue, so I opened my mouth to speak.

“Courageous one. I remembered your face.”

We’ll have to talk about this later, won’t we?

How did you learn my full name?

And what you’ve been up to on the Arcana Continent.

But first.

It’s time to deal with the source of this mess.

I shifted my gaze.

To the four families approaching me.

What’s a normal setup for the Claudi?

Obviously, one of them has to be pretty good.

Call it a blessing in disguise, but for Claudi, it was nothing more than an overflowing pot of beans. For so many years, the Four Families have been able to grow their power unchallenged, so it’s not surprising that their heirs would be just as capable.

But you know that, don’t you?

I, Grandfell, according to protocol.

I kindly wrote it down on a parchment and sent it to you.

Confiscation.

Everything the Four Family had.

All of that to me.

that I have been stripped and returned in Claudi’s name.

So.

gugugugugugu─

A rumble.

The earth cracked open.

The avatars of the Four Families appear as if they’ve been waiting.

“!!!!”

I opened my mouth in time.

“If you’ve forgotten the topic, let me remind you.”

To be precise.

“Greetings.”

I declared, as Claudi’s patriarch.

“I am your master.”

“……!!!!”

Then silence.

One after another.

There was a sound.

A whisking.

[Submission occurs to Letel □□□□].

One whisk.

[Submission occurs to Cleanse □□□].

Another whisk.

[Submission occurs to Smite □□].

Finally.

[Submission occurs to Ignite □□□].

Whisk.

4 families.

The entire household knelt before me.