Episode 415. Getting the Right View

After the full opening of the Magic Tower.

The path to the Arcana Continent was always open.

“Is this the Arcana Continent?!”

Players entering the Arcana Continent through the portal.

The information shared by the advance party served as a guide for the latecomers.

“So this is Claudi’s territory, right……?”

“No way, is that Lee Hoyeol’s mansion we heard about?”

“What’s all the fuss about?!”

It’s a randomly generated rift in reality.

Thanks to this, most players traveled the world and experienced luxurious 5-star hotels. Claude’s mansion exuded a sense of antiquity that surpassed his own.

A flashing message.

A few players finally asked the question.

“There’s a reason we didn’t notice this manor back when Arcana was just a game. It was a Hidden Piece, after all. There’s no way players, NPCs, or anyone else would have walked right past it.”

An indescribable experience from the start.

This is not the time.

Why bother with words?

“Hunting is good, but how about taking your time and looking around the mansion first? How wide is it? And how much leisure there is. You’re saying you don’t even get accommodation expenses, Lee Hoyeol?”

“Write it. Lee Hoyeol, look at his speaking habits..”

“No, he’s the Commander in Chief now!”

The favor was no ordinary favor. This was the kind of favor that would make even players who weren’t part of the Holy War Alliance out of pride blurt out the title of Commander-in-Chief.

“Wait, wait, wait. Didn’t that statue just move?!”

“The statue moved? That big thing?”

“That’s bullshit, you’ve seen some kind of ghost story.”

Excitement and anticipation filled the air.

It was the time when they arrived in the Claudi Territory through the portal.

dududu─

The pressure was unbearable.

The ground of Claudi Territory began to rumble.

“!”

A vibration could be felt through the soles of their feet.

Soon, the source came into view.

It was the same players as them.

Their gazes narrowed.

It wasn’t hard to recognize them.

There were so many celebrities in the mix, it wasn’t hard to recognize them.

“Schreig? They’re from Second Sun?”

However, Guildmaster Schreig’s expression was strange.

The players speculated as to why.

The most likely explanation was…….

“So, you’re heading to Antonium?”

The Imperial capital of Antonium is under blockade.

The news had just been relayed to the players back in the real world. It seems they have found the cause of the blockade. Led by Second Sun, the members of the Great Alliance Guild that remained in the Claudi Territory seemed to have joined the forces.

Shuffling.

Players shuffling past each other.

The leader of the group asked.

“Are you heading to Antonium by any chance?”

“Well, yes.”

“That……. Can we join you?”

Incidents create opportunities, and missed opportunities leave people behind. We could always take our time with the sightseeing in the Claudi territory later. Furthermore, considering the buffs currently being rolled out to the Arcana continent…….

‘It’s a big event no matter how you look at it, so you can’t miss it.’

Of course, the cause of the blockade was still unknown.

But it was a foregone conclusion that Antonium would be under siege, even the quack experts talking about it on TV would expect it.

For a moment, the latecomers rolled their eyes.

‘Because we have a cause.’

A cause for being part of the Holy War Alliance.

Had he been listening to that conversation?

Kang Euntaek, an official of the Great Alliance, approached.

“Reinforcements are always welcome.”

“Then join us right away…….”

“But shouldn’t we know the current situation?”

Was it because he didn’t want to share the reward with someone else?

Or is it just the attitude of a senior member of the Holy War Alliance?

The illusion was probably a good one. Kang Euntaek spoke to the players who had just entered the Arcana Continent and were still in the dark about the situation in Antonium.

“Currently, the Great Alliance of Antonium and the three senior mages are in a tight spot. All communication has been cut off, except for whispers that Antonium has been taken over.”

“……!!!”

“Also absent is the Commander in Chief. Word is that we can only hope for his support in four days. Four more days, and we’re on our own.”

The faces go white at the words.

It’s the expected reaction.

The corner of Kang’s mouth twitches upward.

‘If you’re vague, get lost.’

Nam Taemin, Hisagi, and Leonie.

The three guild masters of the current Great Alliance were the top ranked players in the official player rankings, ranked first, second, and third. As if that wasn’t enough, they were joined by three senior mages of the Magic Tower.

Still, everyone was in danger.

Schreig echoed Kang’s words.

His expression was as grim as it had been in London.

“If you want to join us, you better be prepared to die.”

” ……At least to the point of death.”

“Then I hope you won’t disturb us?”

“That, I will!”

The second group quickly got out of the way.

“……Sir, aren’t you crazy?”

He looked back at the Second Sun and the Great Alliance as they marched on. He honestly didn’t understand. According to them, Antonium was a limb.

“What difference does it make if we join them?”

There’s no chance of turning the tide, and they’re risking their lives. Even as a player who would risk their lives for rewards and exploits, they didn’t want to be guests on the unreal Arcana continent.

Is that why?

“Did you really go?”

Their departure from the Claudi Territory was now seen as something of a spectacle.

Of course, no one could criticize the latecomers.

Lives were at stake.

No one could force them to make a choice.

So it wasn’t strange after all.

Then.

Bam.

A ponytail ducking her head.

“I, um, I’m sorry, but I’m going to accompany you here!”

The mage holding the staff, Seo Jungyeon, spoke up.

“Whoa. I knew it was you.”

“I apologize. We will leave at this point too.”

Greatswords.

Shields and maces.

Choi Junghoon and Han Sungwook followed Seo Jungyeon’s lead and broke away from the group of players. Slowly, they turn their heads back to find themselves being stared at like they’re crazy.

Well, they deserve it.

Choi Junghoon says,

“They don’t know, but we’re going to have fun, right?”

Barely 300 level pull-ups, rounded up.

After the cataclysm, the trio had fallen far behind the starting line. But their determination was genuine, because yes, they had experience.

Han spat out a blood-curdling laugh.

“Do you feel like your life is a waste now? If you think about it, we died in that subway station to begin with, right? At that time, our Choi Junghoon expression was no joke.”

That’s right.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that their lives had already been lost in the [Gnoll’s Underground Warehouse]. If it wasn’t for Hoyeol saving them in the distant past, they would have fallen prey to the demon.

Choi Junghoon raised his eyebrows.

“What’s he saying? He’s talking about something even you won’t remember.”

How many players and Arcanians had he encountered?

They didn’t want to be remembered for the simple things they’d done.

They were just trying to pay off a debt.

They just wanted to be of some help.

Seo took the wand.

“So let’s just do one person!”

The three of them headed to Second Sun.

The moment they entered the portal where the Great Alliance had disappeared.

It floated before their eyes.

Perhaps.

It can also be said to be the result of faith.

An incredible message.

[A great Adventurer is about to be crowned Emperor].

……Great Adventurer?

In the minds of three people.

No, in the minds of all players.

A player worthy of being called great.

There was only one, for sure.

“Co, Commander in Chief……!!”

Lee Hoyeol.

*

AAU.

Sung Hyunjoon and Yoon Soogyeom were stunned.

“What, what?”

The Antonium blockade.

The news dropped like a bomb on AAU. The situation is different from when they were helpless. Antonium has been the capital of the Empire since the days when Arcana was just a game.

Sung looked at the messenger, then opened his mouth.

“Everyone’s expecting the Warlord’s Library, senior. It’s certainly a possibility, and while it’s not specific, even in the initial setup, the Warlord’s Library had a deceptive effect.”

“Because it is similar to the commonly referred to Akashic Records.”

“It was a balance device back then…….”

When Arcana was just a game.

Empires needed to be absolute.

This means that the Empire was the one to instill etiquette in the rampaging players.

The Warlord’s Library was the greatest weapon the Empire had.

Predicting the future, even when players are a variable.

A device to consolidate the Empire’s position.

Of course, actually predicting the future is difficult.

Even with all of Cosmo’s technology, it was impossible.

Sung nodded at the memory.

“It was a plausible reason to add it to the balance patch.”

In short, it was just a setup to justify the balance adjustment, but after the Cataclysm, the Warlord’s Library would be realized with flesh and blood they didn’t even know they had.

Yoon Soogyeom bites his chiseled lip.

“I have no idea what kind of monster did I wake up as.”

But his worries didn’t last long.

Soon, news arrived from the Arcana continent.

Breaking news from the players themselves.

“Stop! Antonium has been attacked by roses and thorny vines……!”

That wasn’t all.

Even the senior mages and players of the Great Alliance, Nam, Hisagi, and Leonie, who were about to enter the blockaded city of Antonium, had lost contact.

It was like a cold shower had literally poured over the AAU.

“Holy shit.”

The first, second, and third ranked players, excluding Lee Hoyeol.

And now, a monster had appeared that even the seniors of the Magic Tower, who were ranked among the top in the entire Arcana Continent, couldn’t handle by force.

“It’s obvious, the Warlord’s Library has overflowed.”

“It’s because he’s using such a deceptive setup…….”

“Raymon Sean, I wonder if he knew this would happen.”

This is what happened to the Warlord’s Library.

The aftermath of adding an overwhelming configuration to an Empire.

AAU wallows in guilt for hours.

“……?”

From the Arcana continent, where time travels four times faster than reality, the news came to life. It was news that would shock everyone beyond shock.

Sung Hyunjoon opened his mouth in disbelief.

“A, a great Adventurer is about to be crowned Emperor……?”

“A great Adventurer? You must be referring to our General Manager Yusra, but what did you say afterward? I was thinking about the Warlord’s Library, so I didn’t hear correctly.”

“The General Manager is about to be crowned Emperor!”

“What, what?!”

Dulgruk!

A shock that made him lose the mug in his hand.

It was inevitable.

The player was the Emperor of an Empire.

It was something he hadn’t assumed even when Arcana was just a game.

Yoon Soogyeom calmed his excitement.

“Don’t you think the players misunderstood something? Even if the General Manager has been working behind the scenes, it’s impossible to acquire such influence in such a short period of time…….”

“He’s the one who rebuilt the walls of Antonium, and the cities and towns throughout the Empire? In the first place, there isn’t a place on the Arcana Continent where one doesn’t hear the name of Lee Hoyeol!”

“Huh.”

If that was true.

Maybe.

The General Manager could be as thick as blood.

Really, he might even be ranked first in the imperial succession…….

“Well, I didn’t think I could get excited about anything anymore.”

No wonder, right?

He’d seen demons, he’d seen dragons, he’d witnessed players slaying such absolute monsters, and he didn’t think it could get any more eye candy than that.

“It’s about time he got what he deserves.”

Park Minjae, the branch leader, looks at the monitor in the control room.

The monitors are unifying into a single screen in real time. Breaking news is emerging that Hoyeol is about to be crowned Emperor of the Arcana Continent, the Empire.

Of course, it’s not yet confirmed.

VBC’s lead producer Hyun Yongseok.

Hyun Yongseok wipes Yoon Jongjin’s face over his cell phone.

“Has our kimchi soup ever hit the mark?”

Hyun Yongseok had faith in Hoyeol.

Or, to put it another way, he believed in Hoyeol’s unpredictable behavior.

The world believes in Hoyeol’s ascension to emperor.

Hyun Yongseok agreed with him.

A great Adventurer.

That was a title that only Hoyeol could claim.

However.

“You think he’ll just wear a crown on his head?”

Something unexpected would happen. Hyun Yongseok planned to capture the incident on camera. Other stations were calling in self-proclaimed experts to rant about the value of an Imperial Emperor.

“Let’s capture the moment.”

Hyun Yongseok took a gamble, even postponing the programming of Today’s Arcana.

Of course, Yoon Jongjin was dying to be manipulated by Hyun Yongseok.

After finishing the call, Yoon Jongjin spits out a lament.

“No, so where do you want me to shoot?”

He realizes he’s just a camera director at a station.

How could he possibly chase after Hoyeol, who had appeared in reality with magic and flashed across the Arcana Continent? Yoon Jongjin swallowed a sigh and took the best angle he could.

And he captured a moment no one expected.

“Huh?”

The Kingdom of Yusra.

The Golden Palace.

Suddenly, a flag was raised.

Yoon Jongjin’s eyes widened.

“……rose? Isn’t that the Imperial flag?”

Kingdom of Yusra.

An ancient kingdom that wasn’t part of the Empire.

Why would they fly an Imperial flag with a rose, the symbol of the Empire?

It didn’t take him long to realize.

“Huh?”

The messages from the juniors came one after another.

There were Imperial flags flying in Frost, in Muon, the holy city of the Goddess Church, and even on the Magic Tower. But the Imperial flags were not hanging high and fluttering.

As if in mourning.

It hangs low and flutters steadily.

Yoon Jongjin, who was looking at the camera, muttered.

“Just like you said, he really is unpredictable.”

This made him realize something he had overlooked.

Yes, a new Emperor was about to be crowned.

That meant the previous emperor had died.

.

.

.

Flashing [Last Adventurer].

24 hours in the real world passed.

I made my way to the Magic Tower as arranged.

The press swarmed.

Countless cameras.

Reporters cautiously asking questions.

The next Emperor?

A great Adventurer?

There was only one thing I could say to the barrage of questions.

“At this moment, it is not I who you are looking at.”

And there it was.

Lionheart Knight.

The Emperor’s right-hand man, Harkon.

I dare not guess. the magnitude of the grief he feels. So all I can do is look at him and the Knights of the Lionheart with compassion.

Our gazes meet.

Sadness in their eyes.

Finally, Harkon opens his mouth with determination.

“Empire, Knights of the Lionheart. Knight Commander, Harkon Kingsguard.”

The Knights of the Lionheart salute me in unison.

“We are eternally grateful to you and the world for your condolences.”

I realize in hindsight.

“……!!!”

The crowd calmed down.

So much so that not a single flash would even dare to go off.

Quiet mourning followed.