◈ Episode 439. Hypocrite (1)

The reward was sweet.

“Seizing opportunities is a skill.”

“Look. There is an easy way to get there, right?”

“Yeah, since when did everyone live so damn good?”

So many world quests came to mind.

Quests that required the player to antagonize the Empire. At first, my ears perked up. Why, not only was the Emperor of the Empire dead, but even the man who was supposed to be the next Emperor, Lee Hoyeol, had abdicated the throne.

“But, look at how he made a move at that time.”

But the forces converging on Antonium were not what they seemed. Not only were the Knights of the Lionheart back from the real world, but there were many other powerful forces from unknown sources.

“To add insult to injury, northern Antonium is said to be guarded by a dragon…….”

“And you said the Apocalypto Guild was pretty well robbed, right?”

“Tsk tsk. That’s why they have to be as perceptive as we are.”

In that sense, timing was everything.

“All you have to do is look at Lee Hoyeol, you idiots.”

About thirty people.

Gambas looked at his guildmates, all of whom had the same thought.

He looked at the players.

The name of the ship is [Berserk Society].

He recalls his knowledge from the days when Arcana was just a game.

“It was a great power that divided the Shadow Mercenaries from the Underworld. For us, it was the Arcana continent. No, at least it is an aberration that I would never have dreamed of even if the empire had been intact. I guess there was a big bounty just for being part of the Berserk Society?”

The Notoriety System.

In Imperial territory, if you did something bad, Imperial soldiers would follow you.

But on the overrun Arcana continent, it’s a different story.

“They can’t afford to bother us!”

The Empire can’t afford to police its provinces.

It was urgent enough to defend its capital, Antonium.

Of course, Gambas intended to maintain a reasonable line.

“We don’t all plan on living in the Arcana continent forever, so let’s do everything in moderation, in moderation. Avoid confrontation with players as much as possible…….”

The reason for the avoidance was simple.

PK where players hunt players.

Not only did the Heavenly Unity collapse, but even supernovas disappeared without a trace.

Gambas had learned his lesson from the end of a PK player.

There was no reason to pit players against each other for that reason.

“In short, let’s only target Arcanians who have no repercussions, because who the hell would recognize us? There are no cameras, no smartphones, no social media on the Arcana continent!”

Gambas confirmed the quest objective.

[World Quest: Rise of the Madness]

Are you ready to bring madness to the continent?

Proof is what the Berserk Society needs from you.

Let the madness of chaos engulf the continent.

-Murder in the name of the Berserk Society. (Ongoing)

Gambas’s eyes glowed like oil.

“You know the reputation of the Shadow Mercenaries, how much money they’ve made, and their rival, the Berserk Society, if we can slowly build up our connections and influence here!”

“You mean we can catch up to Lee Hoyeol?”

“……No, I’m afraid not, at least not Lee Hoyeol.”

No matter how madness it was, I had to regain my senses.

“……Well, we can’t control the Sunny side of Lee Hoyeol’s existence, but we can control the dark side. Isn’t that not a bad deal? You know better than anyone that the Arcana continent is not intact.”

In chaos, the shadows of the dark side are often darker than the sunny side.

I don’t know what the other players think.

Gambas felt his choice made perfect sense.

The corners of his mouth curled upward.

‘Yes, even if things go wrong…….’

There was no way this thing would run away.

Lee Hoyeol, he was a merciful man.

He had shown mercy to non-demons time and time again.

Furthermore, he is the archenemy of the Berserk Society.

The Shadow Mercenaries were supposedly under his command. Even if the Berserk Society were to lose the faction war against the Shadow Mercenaries, the Shadow Mercenaries will not be able to do anything about themselves, the players.

“Just look at Lee Hoyeol.

Gambas muttered.

“After all, it’s a business with nothing to lose.”

There was no reason to hesitate.

Let the slaughter begin in the name of the Berserk Society.

Gambas and the others quickly fulfilled the quest objective.

He’d already thought of an excuse.

“We were just killing a demon possessing a human.”

Why, it was a common rumor among players.

Stabbing party members in the back to get their share of the loot from the Rift. Being possessed by a demon left them no choice. Rumor has it that there are more than one player shedding fake tears.

Gambas spoke up.

“Is there any way Lee Hoyeol wouldn’t have done that? No, because Lee Hoyeol hunts down demons without mercy. He might have mistaken an innocent player for a demon and hunted them down…….”

It was then.

[※Warning: Health is too low].

Suddenly.

Gambas’s vision turned black and white.

“……uh?”

Degurr.

With a flurry of words.

Gambas’s head rolls to the ground.

Gambas, who had just been talking, died instantly.

“Ga, Gambas?”

More unreal than a movie scene. A red line appeared from the nape of his neck, and then his head dropped. The body twisted like a mannequin falling over.

“Ugh, uaaaagh!”

There was no time to react.

Gambas, of all the players who had joined the Berserk Society.

Because he had a force that could be counted on one hand.

jeobeogjeobeog.

“Please, please……! At least save my life!!”

So all Gambas and his party could do was throw down their weapons, fall to their knees, and clutch their heads. With their heads down, they could only think about why.

‘……Could it be that what we killed was a high-ranking NPC?’

‘No, it couldn’t have been, it was a common beggar!’

‘No matter what, there’s no reason to kill us for……!’

Suddenly, a loud voice rang out.

“What, you were adventurers?”

……Did he recognize that we were adventurers?

The voice sounded hopeful. The players slowly looked up. Once you see a face, that face you never forget.

Rockid, the last seat of the Shadow Mercenaries.

Rockid’s notoriety was unusually high. It was impossible to visit the Golden Crown Tavern in the Kingdom of Yusra without recognizing him as one of its most famous customers.

‘We’re alive.’

The players were relieved.

For the same reason as Gambas. The Shadow Mercenaries, including Rockid, were still feared, but weren’t they closely tied to Lee Hoyeol?

‘……Yes, for the sake of Lee Hoyeol.’

The Shadow Mercenaries have no choice but to show us mercy.

Didn’t Gambas say so?

We believe Gambas’ words and…….

“……!”

Suddenly, reality dawns.

It was.

Gambas, who was confident, had already been cut by Rockid.

‘……That’s just because he didn’t recognize Gambas as an adventurer.’

Okay, this was where the appeal came in.

“Oh, that’s right, we’re players, adventurers! We were forced to join the Berserk Society because we were chasing a quest……. Of course we don’t mean it! We’re Holy War Alliance too, how could we do such a disgraceful thing?”

“Hmm.”

“You must be Rockid from the Shadow Mercenaries, right? We’ll consider what just happened as an unavoidable accident, since we have a small part of the blame. We won’t mention this to anyone, including Commander Lee Hoyeol, and we’ll spend the rest of our lives burying our heads in the sand…….”

Rockid interrupted.

“No, you don’t have to.”

“……Yes?”

“You’re going to sleep here.”

ssaeaeg.

Rockid’s two-handed axe slams into the defenseless player.

Ruler of the Colosseum.

Rockid’s face is as red as ever.

puhwag.

But he does not taste the hot blood on his tongue as he did then.

He doesn’t laugh.

He doesn’t get excited.

He just stares coldly at the corpse.

“You’re talking shit.”

These bastards are absolutely disgusting.

Rockid stalked away. The Berserk Society was utilizing the abandoned castle as a hideout. It was not for nothing that they were defeated by the Shadow Mercenary group of the past, which was nothing more than a waste of time.

“If it’s in the dark, live like a dark place, distorted.”

You broke that rule, and now you’re all fucked by me.

“Oooh, bloody. Rockid.”

“Shut up, old man.”

“Blood-sniffing frog.”

“Shut up, mage.”

“How many people have you killed, Rockid? Did I win again?”

“Shut up, dwarf.”

Eight dead, not including Nadivo.

The scattered members of the Shadow Mercenaries gathered at the gates. Rockid looked around. Kichi was nowhere in sight. As expected, she seemed to be the first inside.

cheolkeog.

Instead, he saw Wolfe. Wolfe’s crossbow was pointed at the Adventurer’s head, who was sniffling tears. The adventurer begged and pleaded with Wolfe.

“Please……! I beg you, I beg you. I will never talk about what happened today! You, you’re worried about it too, aren’t you? In the real world, in the Arcana continent, this kind of evil spreads and does no good!”

He’s not wrong.

Rockid remembered his life in the Kingdom of Yusra.

It was free, but it wasn’t bad.

Sometimes enough to make him forget about all the bloodshed.

At the same time, he always thought.

I don’t belong in this peaceful place.

Rockid gripped his axe tighter.

Wolfe, if he hesitates.

I’ll slaughter that adventurer’s head.

But.

“Yes. You set foot on the Arcana continent with such calculations in mind, which is why you joined the Berserk Society, and why you are begging for your life from me, the leader of the Shadow Mercenaries.”

Wolfe added sourly.

“A fitting end for a hypocrite like you.”

“……!”

Either he realizes there’s no hope.

If not, it was a final act before death.

The adventurer sagged, grabbing Wolfe by the tail.

“Hypocrites? Well said, you scum! Shadow Mercenaries, you think the likes of you belong in the Holy War Alliance? You’ve killed men, women, and children for money, and now you’re trying to wash your hands of it?”

Rockid looked at Wolfe.

The reason Rocky didn’t like Wolfe as a leader was simple: he didn’t belong in the Shadow Mercenaries. Or, to be more precise, his crimes were light.

-“I sold a comrade to the enemy.”

The story Wolfe told himself was nothing more than self-defense to Rockid, so he always doubted Wolfe’s authenticity. At one point, he asks him bluntly.

-“Wolfe, are you a hypocrite?”

The old Wolf didn’t answer.

“Yes, I was a hypocrite.”

But the Wolfe of today is different.

Wolfe’s fingers twitched.

Toward the hypocrite, the adventurer who had poked fun at the contradictions of the Shadow Mercenaries.

cheolkeog.

He squeezes the trigger of his crossbow.

“Not anymore.”

Poof.

Wolf looks at the dead adventurer.

With that, the Shadow Mercenaries had crossed the river of no return.

It was inevitable, wasn’t it?

“One hundred and five.”

“And how many of them were adventurers?”

“About thirty? I killed them all anyway, leader.”

A taboo in the adventuring world.

Killing adventurers is strictly forbidden, regardless of the reason.

They had killed thirty adventurers, all of whom they considered precious.

In just a dozen minutes.

It was an unforgivable atrocity, even for the most merciful of commanders.

‘Perhaps we betrayed his expectations.’

But it cannot be helped.

The Shadow Mercenaries are evil.

Just to be associated with them.

A stain on your reputation.

The worst kind of evil on the Arcana continent.

So Wolfe will do the Shadow Mercenaries’ way.

He would repay Hoyeol’s favor.

“We are evil people.”

No matter what.

“And yet, we must become even more vicious.”

I would die gladly at your hands.

For in the darkness, the light shines more steadfastly.

At Wolfe’s words, Rockid’s grip on the axe loosened.

That’s a good look, Wolfe.

You’re starting to look a little less like the Shadow Mercenaries, scum.

Still, there were things he couldn’t admit.

Rockid shrugged.

“No matter what, I think I’m better looking than you.”

*

Well, it’s time to get back to work.

Thanks to the loot of Gamigin…….

No, not that name anymore.

‘Thanks to that damn Heavenly Demon Reign……!’

I was able to face the High Ranking Demon King.

It made me realize that their threats were not ordinary.

“You were too busy talking about inferior races.”

I never thought I’d be able to reach through the rift from the Demon World directly into the real world.

Of course, I can’t control all the rifts by myself.

I’m facing a real problem.

“Indeed, it must be a burden to deal with the Heavenly Demon.”

……Damn.

Still shameless, Mr. Grandfather’s bullshit snout.

Desperately turning away, I racked my brain.

‘There are not multiple bodies, and it is physically impossible.’

Then there was only one way out.

I would have to jump into the tiger’s den, the Demon World, myself.

If I jumped into the Demon World.

Even the High Ranking Demon Kings wouldn’t be able to use their mental bodies to their advantage.

They won’t be able to overlook me as I aim for the main body.

The question is, do I have the confidence to jump into the Demon World…….

Of course not, not right now.

Didn’t I just say that?

Facing the High Ranking Demon King reminded me of my ridiculous strength. It was closer to harmony than I’d ever dreamed of, even for a demon who could bend reality.

‘I guess I’ll just have to try.’

In short, I realized that I needed to grow dramatically.

It was also the only way.

I looked at the message that flashed across my mind.

[Understanding Darkness (Curse): Greatly increases affinity with the suitable magic. However, you must confront the past that is the source of your Suitable Magic. – Current Suitable Magic Affinity: 30%]

Entering the Understanding Darkness.

[Heavenly Infant Solitude (30%): A rare genius, untouchable, blaspheming even the goddesses. Unleashes the talents of Grandfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo].

Raises the proficiency of the Heavenly Infant Solitude.

Notably, this time there was also a class quest tied to Grandfell’s past. Perhaps this time, we’ll learn about Grandfell’s past in the Akshan Civil War.

But there was a major stumbling block.

I didn’t know how long I’d be spending in the [Understanding Darkness], so I nagged myself. I used the mindset of Lee Hoyeol, who, in his desperate days, used everything he had.

This led me to one option.

[Spacetime Society: Consciousness, Entering the Spacetime Social Hall].

I utilized the fact that time didn’t pass in the Spacetime Social Hall.

I was going to activate Understanding Darkness there.

“You’re always so reluctant.”

Grandfell is an oasis in the desert of the social scene.

True to its setting.

I walked with heavy steps and adjusted my clothes.

.

. tl/n: change from Celestial to Heavenly Infant Solitude

.

Also.

……Somehow, the sound of my footsteps seemed to have grown louder since I’d mastered the Heavenly Demon Reign. But fortunately, no gaze was focused on me. My gaze turned cold.

The social center of space and time.

“……!”

Because there was something there that shouldn’t have been there.