◈ Episode 116. Demon Castle (2)
A clear victory.
For that, I needed to prepare well.
No, I had no choice but to prepare properly.
The Knights of Lionheart under Harkon.
The Shadow Mercenaries.
The Goddess Church.
The Magic Tower.
Whatever the reason, I wanted to make sure I didn’t show any signs of weakness to my allies.
That’s why I stopped by Garnet Hall, the Magic Tower.
Level 390.
I’m sure I’m still a long way off from the hype.
‘I’ve grown from a few months ago.’
Looking at the equipment in Garnet Hall.
I remember the first time I stopped by Garnet Hall.
I was staring at the level restrictions, but in the end, I ended up getting a level 100 one.
I walked out with this [Sixth Sight Brooch] and that was it.
Yeah, thinking back to that time, I have more options now.
“Chief Lee Ho-yeol, you’re the last one.”
The Adept Mage in charge of Garnet Hall.
He bowed his head respectfully to me.
Then he added a word.
“I hope there are still some magical items left to suit your taste.”
Garnet Hall’s tools.
To me, they’re still mostly figurative rice cakes.
But I immediately understood the meaning of his words.
‘The purpose is to defeat the Demon King.’
I relayed the plan to the senior mages of the tower, including Marcelo.
My intentions were clear. Ever since then, the parchment has been a constant reminder of the loan of magical items.
‘Everyone has borrowed an extraordinary magical item.’
[Illusionary Golden Statue].
[Miniature Magic Sun].
Even the [Archmage’s Staff]…….
I took a quick look around, but I didn’t see any powerful magical items.
The senior mages must have borrowed them.
They must have borrowed them because they could use them.
I vaguely recalled the twenty invisible magical items.
‘Because the lowest level restriction was level 800.’
That means the senior mages are at least level 800.
I realize the gap once again.
I thought I had grown up.
‘The difference between heaven and earth.’
What’s more, I’m in the presence of Karimzeva and Senios.
And I’d assumed the existence of a higher demon king that even they couldn’t touch.
Heaven and earth. And beings from the heavens and the earth that could not be compared to them.
“……I still have a long way to go.’
It’s a lofty goal.
An ordinary person would be demoralized.
But I, Grandfell, am no ordinary person.
“Not bad.”
What a pride that could pierce the heavens!
Thanks to this, I was able to choose the magical items I wanted to borrow nonchalantly.
After all, the magical items borrowed by senior mages were items that I, a mere level 390, couldn’t even wear.
“I’ll take this.”
I settled on a level appropriate.
That I could wear.
I rented a total of three magical equipment and items.
[Mark of the Gale]
[Rank: Unique]
[Limit: Lv.350]…….
[Luxury – White Outer Wing]
[Rank: Unique]
[Limit: Lv.350]…….
[Luxury – Thunderstruck Branch Wand].
[Rating: Unique]
[Limit: Lv.380]…….
Rings, clothing, and wands.
Those were the only three level-limited items I could use that fit the aesthetic of Grandfell.
The Adept Mage was dumbfounded by my choice of tools.
“…… Are you sure you’re okay with just these items?”
Even if I wanted to choose something else, I couldn’t because I didn’t have enough levels.
Of course, confessing one’s inadequacies?
That was impossible as long as I had pride in my heart.
I could only say shamelessly.
“This is good enough.”
“……!”
Immediately, respectful gazes fell upon me.
Somehow, I must have misunderstood.
I had taken the gaze for granted.
I am deeply embarrassed…….
.
.
.
But apart from that shame.
Grandfell had a good eye.
The status window showed it.
[Name: Grandfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo]
[Title: The Last Adventurer]
[Class: Demon Hunter]
[Level: 390]
[Stats]
Strength: 67 / Agility: 73 / Magic: 350 / Luck: 6 / Aesthetics: Mid
[Points held: 0]
[Aesthetics] stats have increased.
Perhaps it’s because I’ve been wearing two extra [Luxury] items. It’s nice to see a stat that hasn’t changed much since [low]…….
I wouldn’t be able to feel it until I unleashed my magic.
But there was no need to be impatient.
──────
New Rift, ‘Demon Castle’ is now available.
New Rift, ‘Demon Castle’ is now available.
New Rift, ‘Demon Castle’ is now available.
──────
As expected.
Demon Kings have appeared in the update history.
Three of them.
Well, I expected the worst, so there were no surprises.
I leapt into action.
I picked up a quill and swiped it across the parchment.
Scribble.
──────
From now on, I will crush the demon king according to the procedure.
──────
*
The [Demon Castle] rifted.
The collapse rate was skyrocketing in real time.
At a time when a normal rift was increasing its collapse rate by 0.1 percent at most, the Demon King Rift was increasing its collapse rate by ten times that, by 1 percent.
“I’ve never seen a rate of collapse like this …….”
“How much is raging in there?”
“Are you telling me it’s so powerful that even the rift can’t handle it?”
Among other concerns.
Additional updates that came to mind.
In it, the proper level for a Demonic Rift was stated.
[Demon Castle of Rhyme]
[Recommended Level: Lv.800]
[Demon Castle of Indulgence]
[Recommended Level: Lv.800]
[Demon Castle of Hunting]
[Recommended Level: Lv.850].
“……!!!”
I wonder if the details are wrong.
Either that or my eyes were seeing things.
It was a figure that made me suspicious.
“An 800-level rift? How the hell can that be……?”
The situation was different from the [Broken Dimensional Rift] rift.
The difference between an emergency update and a regular update.
It was definitely not a bug.
But the horror didn’t stop there.
After the proper level, there was the Master of the Demon Castle.
Even the level of the Demon King had risen.
[Demon King, Amdusias: Lv.800]
[Demon King, Kimaris: Lv.820]
[Demon King, Flauros: Lv.850]
“This is crazy.”
A demon, indeed.
Those who terrorize the world with their mere presence.
Even if Amdusias, the lowest level of the three, had appeared, humanity would not have been able to come up with a solution.
But such a creature is only the weakest of the three Demon Kings.
“…… Senior, branch leader?”
Sung Hyun-joon.
Yoon Soo-gyeom.
And the AAU Korea branch leader, Park Minjae.
They, too, were faced with the hopeless update.
Sung barely managed to speak.
“Well, even if we somehow manage to nuke this Demon Castle, what about the next one? What are we supposed to do about the next one?”
Demon King, Decarabia.
Information about the demon that we learned from him.
The motif of the Demon King is 72 demons.
There is a hierarchy among the Demon Kings.
According to the hierarchy, Decarabia is at the bottom.
That information was also valid for the three demons that appeared this time.
Knowing that fact.
The two couldn’t say anything to Sung Hyun-joon’s words.
Park Minjae said in a dejected voice.
“That means those monsters are only ranked 67, 66, and 64.”
67th place, Amdusias.
66th, Kimaris.
64th, Flauros.
That’s right.
They were, too, if you look at them broadly.
Like Decarabia, they were among the weakest of the 72 Demon Kings.
“Branch Leader…….”
Just a few days ago, the AAU had finished identifying its subject.
While we cannot predict every threat as we have in the past, we will continue to do everything in our power to protect humanity from the Arcana.
But.
” ……, what can we do?”
At least level 800, maximum level 850.
If those demon kings are weak.
What are the levels of the top demon king?
That was literally an unimaginable threat.
It was a reality that denied him the ability to even grasp the topic he had barely finished.
“Damn it.”
Park swallowed hard.
Despair, a feeling of being stuck in the dark.
Maybe that’s why.
A few days ago, he’d thought of the only thing he could think of.
His thoughts turned to Lee Ho-yeol, his hope.
‘His estimated level is around level 900.’
Players would know better.
This was Lee Ho-yeol’s predicted level based on the ratings of the rankers, including Rox, and his performance so far. Park Min-jae recalled common sense from the days when Arcana was a game.
‘If it was a normal monster, I might have been able to deal with it.’
This is because of the level.
However, even with named monsters, there are patterns of strength and difficulty that surpass the level. We saw this in the [Predator Swamp] rift.
However, the opponent was a Demon King.
As the update states, it’s a boss monster.
‘Even if it’s just Lee Ho-yeol…….’
And even if you’re 50 to 100 levels ahead of them.
It was impossible to hunt the boss monster alone.
No, reaching the boss monster would be the hard part.
‘According to the system, there will be a dozen or so named monsters.’
Well.
Park Min-jae bit his dry lips.
He remembered the scene in Decarabia. The Named Monsters, the Demon Corps Commander. He couldn’t help but think of the massive Demon Army.
‘We’re going to break through that siege and reach the Demon King?’
One might not be enough.
There were three Demon Castle Rifts in total.
Even more.
‘The situation is different from Frost’s case.’
Back then, Frost hadn’t fully fallen under Decabaria’s control.
The quest to retake it was proof of that.
This time, however, they were entering the Demon King’s castle, the Demon King’s main camp.
It was only natural that the level of difficulty would be different.
The more I thought about it, the more I sighed.
“Boss. Player Lee Ho-yeol has made a move.”
“…… Really? He’s so consistent.”
“Mr. Ho-yeol has no fear.”
So when I heard the news that Lee Ho-yeol had moved, I couldn’t help but be happy.
Unlike the excited media, they had already run the simulation in their heads.
“Shit.”
Lee Ho-Yeol.
It felt like he was walking right into the limbo.
If he could, he wanted to stop it.
But the uncomfortable feeling didn’t last long.
The information came in one after another.
“Barr, Mr. Park?!”
Frost, Knights of the Lionheart.
Kingdom of Yusra, Shadow Mercenaries.
Holy Land Muon, Paladins.
And then there’s the Magic Tower.
They began to move in synchronization, as if they were waiting for Lee Ho-yeol’s footsteps to land. Park Minjae spat out a laugh.
What am I looking at now……?
“This isn’t a game where you can use cheat keys.”
The forces were impossible to move as a player.
“You’re moving four of them at the same time?”
Okay, a hundred concessions later, I can understand the Shadow Mercenaries.
They were the mercenaries of Arcana who would risk their lives for a common cause.
“No way…….”
But the rest is inexplicable.
Even at the height of their power and influence.
They are driven by their beliefs first and foremost.
“What the hell, what the hell did you do……?”
Could it be that Lee Ho-yeol had even moved their beliefs?
The thought grew stronger and stronger.
Sung Hyun-joon slowly opened his mouth.
“Isn’t it possible? Demon Castle Rift Clear.”
Park Minjae and Yoon Soogyeom fell silent at his question.
The Knights of the Lionheart and the Paladins of Muon.
Their level could be guessed.
They would definitely be a great power for Lee Hoyeol.
‘But even that might not be enough.’
I don’t know if it’s still one.
There were three Demon Kings.
It was up to the Shadow Mercenaries and the Magic Tower to capture the Demon Castle.
However, their level could not even be guessed by themselves, who were Arcana’s development team.
‘One is the Black Veil. The other is the continent’s top military force.’
I hope they live up to their names.
All I could do was watch and hope.
Of course, as with any uncomfortable feeling.
That prayer didn’t last long.
.
.
.
[Demon Castle of Rhyme]
[Suitable Level : Lv.800]
[Rift Decay : 17.9%]
[Boss Monster: Demon King, Amdusias].
▶ Lv.800
[Named Monsters: Demon Corps Commander, Blackhorn and 28 others].
▶ Lv.650
[Monsters: Demon Corps Commander and about 100,000 others].
▶ Lv.500
[Entry List]
[Magic Tower: Senior Black Magician, Matisse Dean Karl / Senior Fire Magician, Bensch William / Senior Illusion Magician, Naslow]
[Shadow Mercenaries : 2 seats, Wolf Sakarin / 6 seats, Isabell Marl / 7 seats, Alkari]
[Goddess Church: 18,000 under Talim Eber, leader of the Paladin Order]
The details of the battle were unknown to the onlookers.
There was only a small amount of information known about the Tower and the Shadow Mercenaries.
But I can assure you.
What happened was not what anyone expected.
“……!”
The rift vanished into thin air.
The rift was cleared.
What was unbelievable was the time.
“This isn’t a dream, is it, senior?”
They entered the Demon Castle Rift.
Less than ten minutes had passed.
It was a sight to behold.
Park Minjae, who was watching the scene on the monitor, muttered.
” ……I never even imagined it, let alone realized it.”
Literally.
Demon Castle had been crushed.
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tl note: idk, i just couldn’t stop smiling while translating this chapter