◈ Episode 331. Disaster Level: Claudi (4)
The suitable magic enveloped the entire continent of Arcana.
Infinitely deep darkness.
Those who knew about it immediately recognized it.
Claudie’s estate.
“Lord……?”
A dark spirit.
Diend Chrysiad Eternal Darkness.
Diend was speechless.
“What brings this energy to……?”
Since their first meeting, he had served Hoyeol as an infinitely deep darkness, but this was a different radiation, a darkness, than the suitable magic Hoyeol had ever displayed.
Worry overtook him.
Not for Hoyeol, of course.
His loyalty to his master was boundless.
He had no doubts about his master.
His current feelings were only for the continent.
Sussss─
As a dark spirit, Diend could easily be called a suitable power source, for he was well aware of the dangers of a suitable power source.
It was why he had found himself in the Labyrinth of Teffern, one of the Ten Wonders of Arcana that no one sought out, for the Suitable Magic could affect those around it simply by existing.
‘That is why I served my lord.’
Hoyeol, who had reached out to Diend like that.
He vowed to serve him as his lord.
His trust was unwavering.
“It is unfathomable to me.”
He could only think.
The Lord must not be unaware of what even he knows. Surely, He must have unleashed this darkness for a reason.
It wasn’t just Diend’s will.
tududududu─
The Iron Castle flew overhead.
Darkness that covered not only the continents, but the sky as well.
Chainwalker who had been watching spoke up.
“Looks like they’ve met.”
The dwarves were flying overhead, spying on the entire continent.
Thanks to them, they had some information on the Four Families.
Of course.
“The Dark Dragon who contemplates everything.”
That they had faced Hoyeol.
However, they hadn’t expected a change of this magnitude to come to the continent in the process.
Wallswale, who had been watching the continent from the side, spoke up.
“Chainwalker, do you remember that day?”
“What day are you referring to?”
“The day the legend of the Dark Dragon rang out.”
“My, how could I forget that?”
He still remembers it vividly.
The day that dragons, dozens of them, flew across the continent, scattering thunderstorms across Arcana. Wallswale swallowed dryly.
“……I assure you, this is more than that.”
He wasn’t wrong.
Even if they were dragons who could control the weather, bring down thunder and rain. They wouldn’t be able to bring this much darkness to the Arcana continent.
Chainwalker nods.
“If it’s Lord Hoyeol’s power, I wouldn’t be surprised.”
He wasn’t surprised that it was beyond even dragons. After all, it was Hoyeol, the King of All, whom even the dragons worshipped and revered as the Dark Dragon.
But Wallswale bit his lip hard.
“That is why I am afraid, Chainwalker.”
“What do you mean, you’re afraid?”
“With great power comes great responsibility…….”
“……!”
“Do you feel his weight?”
Wallswale’s eyes grew wet as he looked out over the continent.
“I dare not even guess. How much responsibility he must be carrying for such power……. Indeed, can we, the insignificant, share the burden?”
Of course we can.
And even if we can’t, we should try.
Like quenching iron.
We must be patient and not give up.
“…….”
A normal Chainwalker would have spoken as the leader of the dwarves. But Chainwalker could only remain silent. Because he was watching, too.
“……What a deep, infinite darkness.”
A darkness that descended upon the continent.
It was the kind of depth that made even allies ponder.
Such a darkness.
The feelings of those who had to deal with it directly could not be expressed in words.
The Four Families.
Except for the fainting Ignite.
The lords of Yugrik, Kansul, and Acamond realized.
The Four Families cannot defy Claudi. No matter how much they expanded their power, how much they twisted their heads, how much they played ugly tricks, they could not deny their master-servant relationship with Claudi.
‘I will understand, even if it is too late, father.’
Not even close.
The overwhelming disparity made him forget his feelings of discouragement.
It was enough to make them truly revere their masters.
The same was true for the vassals and soldiers who served the Four Families.
They skipped the denial phase early on and turned to face their new masters who had shown them mercy. It had been a long time since they had bowed their heads in the wake of their masters.
And in the midst of it all.
‘…… This is crazy.’
Rattling-
Long Shenglac shuddered in horror. He wasn’t sure how the Letel Acamond and other Arcanians were feeling about the situation, but as a player, he was confident.
‘Everyone, do you really understand the situation……?’
Only he knew the seriousness of the situation.
It was because he could see it in front of him.
The moment when the Arcana continent was plunged into an infinite darkness.
A staggering number of messages appeared on ……!
[Status Abnormality, ‘Vision Blocked’ occurs].
[Status Abnormality, ‘Choking’ occurs]
[Status Abnormality, ‘Confusion’ occurs]…….
After Jesse Heinness’ leaving The Shining.
It was the Heavenly Unity that elevated Lee Hoyeol to the status of their main enemy. Naturally, the guild’s analysis of Lee Hoyeol was done at the guild level, and they were able to recognize the initially baffled Long Shenglac.
‘It was definitely dark magic.’
The darkness from earlier.
The suitable magic power required to manifest black magic.
That was why he was even more terrified.
Lee Hoyeol did not manifest black magic.
He merely emitted the suitable magic power.
Even that wasn’t enough.
[An infinitely deep darkness engulfs all the blessings of the Arcana Continent. All currently applied buffs are disabled until the darkness clears].
“……!”
The Arcana Continent could be said to have been turned off for a moment.
It had a profound effect.
Of course, Lee Hoyeol was Lee Hoyeol.
Long Shenglac swallowed dryly.
‘I don’t know what you were talking about with …….’
It seemed that Lee Hoyeol had been as merciful to the Four Families as he had been to Heavenly Unity. The darkness that had engulfed the continent had lifted, and even the buffs that had been disabled had returned.
However, Long Shenglac could no longer raise his head.
‘What if, even a lesser black magic manifested……?’
I, we, perhaps the continent would have fallen into a deep dark abyss from which there was no return. While breathing heavily, Long Shenglac remembered.
“!”
Lee Hoyeol’s words to him.
-“Courageous one. I remembered your face.”
……Surely, you remembered my face?
‘No, why would you remember my face?!’
Long Shenglac couldn’t help but tremble in fear, even now that everything was over. Lee Hoyeol, for what reason he said he would remember him, he couldn’t guess, but…….
Long Shenglac’s eyes flashed.
‘Regardless, I must prove my worth.’
Lee Hoyeol must have guessed that I belong to the Heavenly Unity. The clever Long Shenglac knew exactly how to prove his worth.
The closely guarded secrets of Heavenly Unity.
To give it to Lee Hoyeol.
That’s my only value.
‘In a way, it’s revenge.’
Long Shenglac rubbed the corner of his uncovered eye. Lee Hoyeol, he couldn’t bring himself to hide even the smallest of secrets from him, so the first thing he’d have to do was tell the truth about the contract in his eye.
‘More than that.’
The corner of Long Shenglac’s mouth lifted.
‘……You watched the whole thing, didn’t you, bastard?’
Suddenly, I wondered.
That bastard must have seen everything through my eyes.
I wonder what expression Liu Zunqun is wearing right now.
*
It’s a sight that can’t help but make you suspicious.
[Holy Grail of the Harsh Contract].
A scene that floated to the surface through its effects.
Liu Zunqun opened his mouth.
“I don’t think I’m looking at something for nothing.”
The Guild Master of Heavenly Unity.
This was Heavenly Unity, the super-giant guild that bisected the Arcana Continent with the Shining. He even had the rare class of [Monarch], which meant that he was better suited to dominate the Arcana Continent than anyone else.
“Unbelievable.”
Four Families.
He hadn’t imagined that there would be four factions with the power to overwhelm the empire at its peak. Liu Zunqun praised the master of the vision that was only one of the seven.
“Whoever he is, he’s worthy of being nurtured.”
The only sense shared through the Holy Grail is sight. Because of that, he could only judge by what he could see. Perhaps it was because he had gone beyond being a monarch and had begun to walk the path of a tyrant.
It wasn’t hard to read the Four Families’ greed.
“To devour an empire.”
I will bring down the empire.
Liu Zunqun had vowed to do so, but he didn’t feel like he’d been stripped of his order by them, and that was good news, wasn’t it? Liu Zunqun was just as eager for supremacy as they were.
“I can see your future clearly.”
This shallow alliance will end the moment the Empire falls.
That’s when the real war will begin, with four different factions dying and killing each other for the empty throne. Liu Zunqun was going to sit back and watch the mess.
“Shouldn’t we prepare for the future?”
It was he who would have to defeat one of the four and claim the empire, Liu Zunqun thought calmly. Whoever the last person is, he hopes he can hold out as long as possible.
However, rash predictions were rarely correct.
“……!”
The plains of Antonium.
The center of it.
In the midst of the Four Families.
“This is unexpected, Lee Hoyeol.”
And he is alone.
This was good news for Liu Zunqun.
He was thinking that it would be beneficial.
If Lee Hoyeol were to die on the battlefield, he would be able to use it to his advantage. …….
Isn’t this a case of killing two birds with one stone?
Kuuk─
Liu Zunqun clenched his fist.
At that time, it wouldn’t just be the hegemony of the Arcana Continent.
After completely surrendering the initiative, the supremacy of reality would naturally return to him. Liu Zunqun sat upright and stared at the Holy Grail.
“?”
The surface of the water began to turn black.
At first, Liu Zunqun thought that the fool had been shot in the eye with an arrow.
But that, too, was a hasty assumption.
The darkness was real.
It was the suitable magic power emitted by Hoyeol.
Liu Zunqun muttered to himself.
“……What is it?”
His head was spinning.
His vision shifted wildly.
But even if he looks at the end of the horizon.
Up into the sky.
Everywhere he looks.
The darkness emanating from Lee Hoyeol is thick.
……A glance.
Liu Zunqun reflexively checked his status window and system messages. He knew that the only thing he could share through the Holy Grail was his vision, but it was a player’s instinct out of frustration.
However, his frustration didn’t last long.
“!”
It was replaced by despair.
The Four Families thought they had surpassed the Empire at its peak.
They were outmatched.
They fell to their knees, unable to fight back.
They pledged their loyalty with their heads bowed.
Liu Zunqun’s face remained frozen.
‘If that’s the case, then in order for me to take the empire…….’
Four Families, not even the original empire.
In the end, I have to deal with Lee Hoyeol?
I truly have to surpass that monster?
“Damn it…….”
The tyrant’s shoulders sagged for the first time.
*
The boundless darkness that engulfed the Arcana Continent affected even the real Liu Zunqun, who was in a completely different world, and it was more than enough to affect those who had returned to the Arcana Continent after being swallowed up by the Bad Omen.
Darkness on the continent.
“Huh.”
I breathe in, and a shuddering sadness rises through my body.
I don’t want to face it.
I want to turn a blind eye.
But the woman lifts the veil from her face.
Facing the darkness, she opens her mouth.
To be precise.
“Goddess. I am afraid. I do not have the strength to face a grief so deep that it could engulf the Arcana continent. But if this is your will……. I will gladly follow. If my body can hasten your return, I will gladly sacrifice it.”
She offered a reverent prayer.
“You have restored my life, which you took through Akshan. I, Saint Freyja, offer my life to you once more. In the name of the Goddess, I will defeat this darkness.”
.
.
.
Flicker.
A flickering vision.
[World Quest: Saint of the Second Coming].
World Quest……?
I wondered how a quest with such an extraordinary name could come out of nowhere like this. Perhaps this is the aftermath of the Blackening. I’d like to check it out right away, but according to procedure, I had to take care of something first.
That’s right.
I have a job to do that is more important than anything else.
“Nice to meet you, my name is Long Shenglac.”
A player who knows my embarrassing full name.
I needed to interrogate this guy named Long Shenglac or something.
So…….
“Would you prefer that I call you Lee Hoyeol, or if not, Grandfell Claudi Arpheus …….”
I wish you would just answer what I ask!