◈ Episode 126. The Infinite Darkness (2)

The continent of Arcana, the Ten Wonders.

What each wonder was was widely known.

Even I, who had been away for over a decade, knew what they were.

But the [Ten Wonders Quest]?

“I hadn’t heard of this.’

Not because of the gap.

Just before.

The same thing happened when I remembered the [Teffern Fence].

-What??? Teffern???

-The top 10 mysteries have finally been solved???

-I guess Rayman Sean has finally come to his senses? Haha.

-Lol, is the rice cake collection starting??

It was.

Ten Wonders has been treated like an endgame content by players, and it’s understandable.

Like Teffern, the Wonders were unknown territory on the continent of Arcana.

‘It must be true.’

I was convinced.

This must be a big quest……!

The kind of quest that gets a player’s heart racing.

Of course, for me, there was no such thing as too much fun in Grandfell.

I looked at the quest window with an unwavering gaze.

[10 Wonders Quest: The Labyrinth of Teffern].

Tetfern, the 10th Wonder of the Arcana Continent.

Break open the Labyrinth of Teffern.

Reveal the true nature of Teffern to the world.

Wonders uncovered so far : 0 / 10

─Witness the Labyrinth of Teffern. (Ongoing)

As expected, it’s a linked quest.

If you think about the scale, it’s comparable to a world-class quest.

But it’s not for the faint of heart, this one.

It was going to be an insanely difficult quest.

‘It’s not going to be a quest that can be solved at this point.’

I could tell by the way the quest came to be in front of me.

It was the Dark Spirit who brought the Wonder Quest.

The Dark Spirit was a coincidence, and just like [World Quest: Seed of the World Tree], it must have started by skipping the entire process.

I was like, ‘Wow, is this even possible at my level?’

That’s what I thought.

Tired personality.

Lack of ability was a non-existent word for me.

I opened my mouth shamelessly.

“I think I understand what you mean.”

“……Is that true?”

“No, but there is a time for everything.”

I wasn’t being incompetent.

Maybe not everything, but at least there’s a time for quests.

“This is technically a rift in the [Teffern Fence].

The outer edge.

No wonder the Labyrinth of Teffern doesn’t exist here.

Of course, the Dark Spirit seemed confused.

“But something tells me that the landscape of Tetfern is…….”

You don’t even know what a rift is.

No wonder he slurred his words.

I turned to the concerned dark spirit.

“There is nothing for you to worry about.”

“……?”

“I know the time.”

“……!”

“When the time is right, I will find you.”

I spoke out loud.

I was just saying what was on my mind.

If I could think of a quest objective, if I could think of a rift in the [Tetfern Labyrinth], I might be able to do something, but the words that came were not so noble.

“You want to find me……? Is that what you mean, then I understand.”

The voice sounded agitated.

For a moment, the words were truly strange.

” Infinite Darkness. I will wait for your call.”

……Seriously.

That’s a creepy name.

For this moment, let’s be thankful for the setting of the Grandfell.

Otherwise, my cheeks would have been red with shame and I might have exploded…….

‘By the way, make sure you do everything right.’

My shame and the [10 Wonders of the World] quest.

I’m not going to miss it, no matter how difficult it is.

But first, I must build a bridge to reunite with the Dark Spirit.

“Hiel.”

I have a mirror that will serve me well…….

No, there is a Hiel.

I sent a telepathic message to Hiel.

Hiel bowed immediately.

“I will do as you say.”

Dark spirits.

The strange aura made even their own spirits wary.

The reaction of the mages’ pact spirits was telling.

“Except for Feiyan’s top spirit, Fire Drake…….

All of them were shaken.

Hiel, on the other hand, was unharmed.

Not only was she fine, but her graceful demeanor hadn’t faltered in the slightest.

Even if you’ve been reborn as a {Unique Spirit}, it’s amazing.

Shameless……. No, it’s plump, Hiel.

I added at the end.

“Let’s end this unnecessary fuss now.”

The dark spirit understood my meaning immediately.

The dark spirit replied.

“Your word is my bond.”

At the same time.

Itself-

The dark spirits begin to disperse like a lie.

You hear the commotion from the observers.

“What, are they starting to disappear?!”

“…… What the hell was that talk about?”

“I think I caught a glimpse of it. It’s definitely the Labyrinth of Taffern!”

“Maybe it’s a quest?”

In the commotion.

The dark spirit, he called out to me for the last time.

“And I will wait. Infinite Darkness.”

……I wondered why I hadn’t heard it, really.

All eyes on me in an instant.

The roar of the crowd made it real.

I can’t believe the world heard me.

And the world heard it all.

I, Lee Ho-yeol’s mental strength.

I can’t bear it anymore.

I looked at Feiyan and said.

“Let’s go back.”

“What? Ah, yes, Chief Lee Ho-yeol!”

Feiyan replied in a nervous voice.

I thought to myself as I stepped out of the rift.

It was much better when I was suffering from magic exhaustion.

*

[Teffern Fence].

Who would have thought?

A decent level, level 450.

Who would have thought that something that happened in an ordinary rift would be such a hot topic.

The most explosive reaction was on NetTube.

스스스─

A dark spirit that appeared from thin air.

Its appearance alone was enough to make the viewers shiver.

The urgent voice in the video added to the vivid atmosphere.

-“th, there’s even an emergence message! It’s a dark spirit!”

The next moment, the Dark Spirit fully appeared.

There was a line of people in front of it.

Not to mention Shining.

Even the mages from the Magic Tower who had entered the rift with Ho Yeol.

It was a dark spirit that made everyone who entered the rift nervous.

-“Wait, wait, wait, don’t you think it’s too close?!”

But even in the face of such a creature, Ho Yeol did not back down.

Always the same stance.

Standing tall as always.

Facing the dark spirit.

And at that point.

The words that set the world on fire were spoken.

-“I submit to you. Infinite Darkness.”

As if submitting to the Dark Spirit wasn’t enough.

It is even called ‘ Infinite Darkness’.

Naturally, the world was turned upside down.

-He’s crazy.

– Infinite Darknessㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ The force is strong

-Don’t you think it looks amazing just by hearing it?

-ㄹㅇ Isn’t that what Rox just said??

The Infinite Darkness.

As if that title were a big clue.

The media gathered experts to discuss it.

“So, the Infinite Darkness might be the name of a class, is that what you’re saying?”

“That’s right, and we haven’t really had any hard evidence until now, just community speculation and brainfarts.”

“Expert, could you please refrain from using non-standard language…….”

“No, now is not the time for that, I just got a clue about Lee Ho-yeol’s class, and it wasn’t even from another player!”

When I saw that he subdued the Dark Spirit.

It must be a class related to black magic.

Some people even speculated.

“I think it’s a hidden class.”

“A hidden class?”

“Yes. It doesn’t make sense to assume it’s a class related to black magic, given the skills Lee Ho-yeol has shown so far. He’s even shown great swordsmanship.”

“As you say, he used a variety of skills naturally against the Taffern Scarecrow.”

“So that’s what I’m thinking.”

Hidden class, Infinite Darkness.

That might be Ho Yeol’s class.

The Shining’s base camp.

A TV blaring loudly.

Dmitri shouted, his voice even louder.

“Don’t you think that’s a little too much!”

As if subduing a dark spirit wasn’t enough.

What, a hidden class?

A class even named Infinite Darkness?

“That’s asshole. You’re the only one who’s cool……!!!”

Dmitri wasn’t the only one venting his frustration.

The Kingdom of Yusra.

The Golden Crown Tavern.

“Turn it off! Damn it!”

Gulp, gulp, gulp.

Nonstop binge drinking.

So much so that Rockid, who rarely gets drunk, staggers from the alcohol.

Rockid spoke drunkenly, his tongue twisted.

“Mmmm. Infinite Darkness without sobbing?”

There was a story behind Rockid’s drinking.

Before he joined the Shadow Mercenaries.

Fame, or infamy.

Either way, Rockid had made quite a name for himself.

He remembered the titles that followed him.

The Outlaw of the Colosseum.

Okay, that was fine.

But all muscle and no brain.

Later, an Ogre in human form.

Of course, none of those nicknames had been uttered yet.

I was forced to keep my mouth shut.

Because they made me forget it like that.

So Rockid was envious.

“What is that familiar-looking title? Ugh. Well, unlucky… … .”

……Thud!

It wasn’t until the drunken Rockid slumped over at the table that peace returned to the tavern. Dragging his feet, Rockid began to snore, and some people finally spoke up.

“I never thought I’d see such a big event in Teffern.”

It was a group of explorers from the Explorers’ Federation.

Among them was Park Hwi Gang.

Park Hwigang opened his mouth cautiously.

“The Federation hasn’t found out anything about Teffern, has it?”

“That’s right, they probably just hovered near the fence, because the things that come out of the depths of Teffern are no joke. They’re no match for a scarecrow.”

“Well, they’re not top 10 wonders for nothing!”

The first essential virtue of a nettuber player: perception.

Park Hwigang was very perceptive in his conversation.

Such a position didn’t come around often.

“Top Explorers of the Explorers Federation……!

Player and Arcane alike, all of them were renowned explorers.

Normally, it would have been difficult for them to even gather in one place.

‘In a way, isn’t this also thanks to Ho Yeol?’

Park Hwigang hadn’t forgotten his debt to Ho Yeol.

He owes his career as a NetTuber to the fact that he was the first person to broadcast Ho Yeol’s appearance.

-I’ve made the Holy Pilgrimage

-This is the first broadcast of Lee Ho-yeol?

Please be polite. It’s not Lee Ho-yeol, but Mr. Ho-yeol.

-Homen.

Homen.

If Ho-yeol knew, he’d be stunned, because the word “homen” was also used for the first time in his broadcast.

So Park didn’t want to miss this opportunity.

‘I would have called it the Labyrinth of Teffern……. You must have gotten a quest related to Tetfern.’

Park didn’t doubt Ho Yeol’s abilities.

‘Whatever the quest is, you’ll accomplish it with ease.’

Just like he did with the demon king.

But Teffern, the Ten Wonders, is a different story.

The explorers continue.

“Wonders aren’t wonders for nothing.”

“First of all, there are too many dangers, aren’t there?”

“If it weren’t for player Lee Ho-yeol, the Dark Spirit would have been killed…….”

“It would be better if there was a tangible reward, like the Yusra Islands, which used to be called Treasure Island. Even if you uncover the mystery, you don’t know what’s waiting for you.”

It was a labyrinth first and foremost.

Traps, of course.

A complex structure.

There was a reason why the Explorers’ Federation hadn’t discovered it.

To enter the labyrinths of Teffern without an explorer?

It would have been exhausting, to say the least.

Of course, the explorers themselves knew that.

The mood was negative.

But Park Hwigang, he was as persistent as his name.

“Yes, a wonder is not a wonder for nothing, but there is a difference. Mr. Ho-Yeol, he has a purpose for coming to Teffern.”

“……!”

The explorers stop dead in their tracks.

They were among the highest ranking explorers in the Federation.

If they succeeded in exploring Teffern, one of the Ten Wonders of the World, they would become……?

‘You will receive the highest number of votes in the next Explorers’ Federation President election……!

‘What’s the experience point, how many levels will I get?’

‘Wait, this isn’t a chance that comes easily, is it?!’

They exchanged glances in silence.

Park Huigang smiled inwardly.

“Mr. Ho Yeol, you’ve defeated three Demon Kings, I can’t think of a more reliable ally…….'”

He drove a final wedge.

“Even if you can’t eat this one, shouldn’t you do something about it at the Federation scale?”

*

Kingdom of Yusra.

My office after a long absence.

I noticed a letter sitting on my desk.

……What kind of paper is this?

It’s decorated with gold leaf.

I examined the letter.

“Excellent quality. But not practical.”

Conflicting aesthetics and integrity.

But the internal conflict was just beginning.

I opened the letter and was stunned by the first line.

──────

Dear Infinite Darkness.

──────

……Whoever it is, they’re trying to screw with me, this!

Is this No. 3, Wensu, or Lee Yerim?

No, I sent them a text. They wouldn’t do something like this.

Barely suppressed shame rises to a boil.

I wanted to tear up the letter right now.

“!”

I couldn’t help myself as I checked the sender.

──────

Fabian Delon, President of the Federation of Explorers

──────

The Explorers’ Federation.

I could guess why they were sending me a letter.

So I recited as nonchalantly as I could.

“I will review your proposal according to procedure.”

Of course.

Considering you called me a Infinite Darkness.

As fairly as possible.