◈ Episode 109. Do You regret it?
AAU.
A chapter meeting via video.
But we couldn’t figure it out no matter how hard we tried.
The starting point was Lee Ho-yeol.
“I’m confused, starting with Lee Ho-yeol. I’m confused.”
Emergency update.
Eleven [Broken Dimensional Rift] appeared simultaneously shortly afterward. How did Ho-yeol manage to clear them in such a short time?
It must have been a daunting task to keep up.
“How is the situation in Muon still the same?”
The next day.
A bomb went off in the regular update.
The Arkanians were hostile to humanity.
AAU couldn’t help but be nervous.
“From the outside, it doesn’t look like much has changed, but I’m guessing the hostility to humanity has grown, not diminished, inside Muon. Just look at the drones hovering overhead.”
Muon, holy ground for the Goddess Church.
Given its hostility, the world was right to be wary of Muon, but there was something else going on. The presence of Freyja, a saint of the Goddess Church.
“Freyja, who is that NPC…….”
Freyja had existed since the days of Arcana.
So it was a question.
If she was a saint of the Goddess Church, she was definitely an NPC of considerable importance.
It’s unlikely that she’s just a randomly generated NPC like the villagers……. They sent out a memo to the entire AAU staff, but no one knew about Freyja.
“So, I guess the answer is one of two possibilities.”
“Raymond Sean. Unless he was involved…….”
“Then it’s something truly unknown that even we don’t know about, like the great evil that appeared in the Kingdom of Yusra.”
“Whatever it is, it won’t change the fact that you’re getting your head cracked off, I swear.”
The world was changing rapidly.
“Jesse Heinness’s left from The Shining. And the aggressive raiding of the Rift by Heavenly Unification ended up shifting the guild rankings. Heavenly Unification was number one in guild rankings for the first time since we started tallying.”
The pecking order has also been shaken up accordingly.
“Gaon, Inazuma, and Berserker haven’t made any official announcements, but it’s safe to say that they’ve actually formed a mega-alliance, and their power is expected to rival that of Heavenly Unification and Shining.”
In many ways, I was concerned.
“Even if it’s a mega-alliance, it’s not like the Heavenly Unification…….”
It was.
After all, China was still holding on.
China had no interaction with the AAU and was the only country in the world to establish its own routes.
Now that the impact of the Heavenly Unification is even more substantial. The Chinese variable loomed even more significantly.
“Maybe we’ve reached our limit.”
After the cataclysm.
The AAU attempted to counter Arcana’s erosion by predicting many variables.
But the recent trend of updates has been unexpected. They were forced to admit their limitations.
Hopefully, at least one of the tangled threads will be untangled.
Silence.
Amid the heavy atmosphere, someone spoke up.
“……That’s a coincidence, by the way. Here.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why don’t all the tangled threads point to one?”
“……?”
“The [Broken Dimensional Rift] created by the emergency update. The last act Jesse Heinness showed before leaving the Shining Guild. Even in the union of the giant guilds Gaon, Inazuma, and Berserker. Everything is related to player Lee Ho-yeol, right?”
“……!”
“Maybe……. Lee Ho-Yeol knows something about muons that we don’t even know about. And maybe he knows something about Freyja, too. What do you think?”
There was one person who reacted unusually strongly to the question.
“……Wait, what’s that look on your face?”
It was Park Minjae, the head of AAU Korea.
He shook his head and pleaded.
“Maybe you’re expecting something from me, but please don’t think about it. Didn’t you see the interview? All those persistent reporters and netizens were screaming about Lee Ho-yeol. How dare I……!”
*
Fluctuating guild rankings.
Ranked 4th in the guild rankings, Guild Master of Bohemian.
Guyver shook his head.
“Even if it’s twisted, you’re so damned…….”
Muon thought he could pull off the upset.
They thought they had a shot at the jackpot, but they couldn’t even scratch a lottery ticket, let alone win.
Yesterday and today, they wasted their time.
Heavenly Unification cleared the new rift.
He was now at the top of the guild rankings.
“Damn.”
Of course, Heavenly Unification wasn’t the only one to clear the new rift.
Lee Ho-yeol was there.
As players testified.
The times when Heavenly Unification cleared [Mantra Mine – 2] and when Lee Ho-yeol cleared [Mantra Mine – 1] were similar.
-No, Lee Ho-yeol was a bit faster, I saw it myself ㅅㄱ
-You were still faster than Heavenly Unification by yourself???
-He wasn’t alone. There was someone else in a robe next to him.
-What’s with the robes? Isn’t he a mage??? Is he a mage?
-Stop with the facial expressions;; facts are enough.
-Even if Lee Ho-yeol is a chief, it’s a bit misleading for him to move around as he pleases;; considering that the tower has been standing still for so long.
Lee Ho-yeol.
There was a lot of speculation where he appeared, and it wasn’t even a day or two.
Guyver was neither jealous nor angry.
Only one thing.
“Gaon, Inazuma, and Berserker!”
Third in the guild rankings, Gaon.
Inazuma, fifth.
The fourth spot is at stake.
The two competitors above and below have allied with each other.
Plus, Berserker, a fellow EU member……!
“Not only are they at the top of the guild rankings, but they’re also the strongest in the EU.”
This can’t go on.
Guyver’s impatience was getting the better of him.
He wanted to run towards the new rift right away, but……. As I said [Mantra Mine], Ho Yeol and Heavenly Unification had already cleared two of the rifts.
The remaining rifts also had fierce competitors.
What was left for him to do?
“I need to make a decision.”
There was only Muon.
Knowing that.
He set up a base camp near the rift, but right in front of Muon. Muon’s gates are still firmly closed. Guyver rolled his eyes.
“I suppose you can’t ignore discipline.”
No matter how stern the warning.
The paladins of Muon served a goddess.
Though their religion was different, Guyver was a paladin.
He understood their strict discipline.
“Paladins are not allowed to attack civilians first.”
“So you’re going to sneak up on Muon?”
“Because watching won’t change anything.”
Weapons down, approaching the muons.
I’ll talk to them.
Guyver didn’t hesitate.
Excitement.
As he approached the muons, his heart pounded with nervousness. It was a heartbeat mixed with a bit of anticipation. There was a lot of interest in Muon right now.
If, just if, things went well.
What if the muons changed their hostile demeanor.
and open its gates?
Bohemian’s stock would soar, as well as his own.
But it didn’t happen.
“!”
Paladin Guyver’s common sense crumbled.
Guyver was also one of the ranked players.
Suddenly, his heightened senses alerted him.
A movement on the city walls.
kkigigigig─!
That’s the sound of a bowstring being pulled.
Shush!
Shush!
Both hands are raised, weapons lowered.
Guyver approached the muons.
A rain of arrows rained down on the defenseless Guyver.
It wasn’t a threat.
It was a preemptive strike for his life.
Yelp!
“Are those crazy bastards really……!!!”
Arrows pierced every inch of Guyver’s body.
If only Bohemian’s guildmates hadn’t stepped in and deflected the arrows.
He wouldn’t have been able to breathe at all.
Realizing that, Guyver barely opened his mouth.
“……Muon and the Goddess Church are not the people I knew.”
And the whole thing went viral.
No one was more outraged than the EU.
They quickly issued an official statement.
-We will not tolerate any hostile actions by Muon.
It was a declaration of war against Muon.
Other countries didn’t react much differently.
In fact, some say it was the beginning of the end.
“I remember when it was just a few NPCs……. With each regional and city-level update, we were concerned. We were wrong to assume that the Arkhanians would be friendly to us in the first place.”
When it was just a game.
Why would they be friendly to humanity?
To be honest, it was hard to come up with one.
“Maybe the Kingdom of Yusra or the Frost were exceptional cases.”
The breaking news ended and the regular program began.
A screen of shocking material played over and over again.
The hosts remained somber.
And they didn’t seem to care one bit about the reaction.
Even the gates of Muon were closed.
“If the muons continue to exhibit hostile behavior, that’s a huge variable for humanity. In the worst case scenario, we might actually have to blow up the entire muon…….”
What should we do with muons?
There seemed to be no immediate answer.
That is, until a man appeared in the muon.
“……Is he crazy? Who is that, that!”
The camera in front of the muon quickly zoomed in.
The man walked toward the muon without fear.
First…….
It wasn’t Lee Ho-yeol. In fact, if Lee Ho-yeol had appeared, the smartphone would have vibrated non-stop from earlier.
The headquarters would have been on alert to watch Lee’s every move.
“How many times have you guys crossed the line and gone to……?”
Some thought it was just an attention-seeking NetTuber.
But it was weird.
For a NetTuber.
I didn’t see any filming equipment on the guy.
And he was dressed differently.
An old-fashioned uniform.
More fantasy than reality.
The player was obvious.
“Does anyone else ring a bell?”
“I think he’s got a lot of personality when he’s slouching like that.”
“……, right?”
He wasn’t wrong.
Unusually tall.
Outstretched arms and legs.
And an unusually thin body.
Once you saw him, you couldn’t forget him.
“Was there ever a player like ……?”
None of the players came to mind.
But unlike the confusion of the reporters. Similarly, at the Bohemian Guild base camp watching the spectacle, there were those who recognized the man.
Yes, it was the mages.
“What, what, why?”
Mages who were good enough to attend a regular conference, to be precise.
“Chief Mage Marcelo showed up in Muon, didn’t he?!”
*.
The news from Muon had been shaking the world for days.
It was only natural that Magic Tower would hear about it.
Marcelo gave a small smile.
“My lord. My turn has finally come.”
From the study of the [Anomaly].
To the disposal of the Demon Worshipper.
All this time, he had owed Ho Yeol nothing but debt.
“I keep in mind that there is give and take in everything.”
I’ve only received.
Only now does he have the chance to repay the debt.
But.
“I also realize that I shouldn’t do this out of the blue.”
With muons involved, it wasn’t going to be a simple matter.
Yes, the Goddess Church and Akshan.
And then there was the Magic Tower.
Determined, Marcelo didn’t hesitate. He went straight to Ho-Yeol and told him everything.
Bam!
Naturally, Ho-Yeol was unmoved.
He looked and acted as usual.
Marcelo had a hunch.
“……You knew everything, too.”
That was the only reaction he could think of.
That only strengthened his suspicions.
Marcelo continued.
“Sir, why don’t you leave this to me?”
Marcelo knew.
Even if Lord Ho-Yeol knew.
Even if he didn’t mind.
That the past doesn’t go away.
That the old mage was to blame.
No, it was the fault of the demon worshippers.
That’s no excuse or defense.
Besides, hadn’t the Lord himself said something?
“So that the tower might be ‘polite’ to you and Akshan.”
.
.
.
Often, players said.
“Magic tower? Isn’t he honestly a joke?”
“No, there are no results to show.”
“It doesn’t work, so what’s all the hype.”
From the days when Arcana was just a game to now.
No one reacts more fiercely to such remarks than the players themselves.
Or, more precisely, those who had witnessed Magic Tower’s actions in the past.
“You’ve never seen it.”
“The mages of the Tower are not human.”
“Please, don’t touch the magic tower. I don’t want sparks to fly.”
But this moment.
There was no need for any further explanation.
Marcelo, the chief mage of the Magic Tower.
He had appeared in Muon.
There would be no better opportunity for proof.
“We’ll see. Whether it’s a bluff or not.”
“He’s in the same class as Lee Ho-yeol, so I’m guessing they’ll be similar.”
“If he’s good, he’ll be able to grasp Lee Ho-yeol’s power?”
The Magic Tower of the Heavens.
The closer he got to Muon, the more the onlookers could not help but wonder: how would the chief mage be able to block Muon’s attack?
However.
“……?”
Their hopes were not realized.
There was no rain of arrows like there had been with Guyver.
It was just.
Kugugugung-!
The gates opened like a lie.
A paladin walked through the open gate.
-“Everything is in the hands of the Holy Lady. We need no help.”
-“One who approaches the muon.”
-“We will slay you in the name of our Goddess.”
This was the man who spat words of hostility toward humanity.
That alone was cause for alarm.
Soon, the onlookers realized.
Why the Tower was called the most powerful military organization on the continent of Arcana. Why did even the emperors of the Empire pay tribute to them, rather than the other way around, to avoid offending them.
“……!!!”
It’s as if he’s willing to die.
The paladin seemed to have no fear of anything.
He bent down to Marcelo with a white face.
Shock.
Someone spoke up.
“So you’re saying that Lee Ho-yeol is in the same class as that guy……?”